God read it as the word of God A company of prophane wretches you shal have the scums and basest of the people that will discourse and to grace their Discourse they must have Scripture phrases but whose word is it it is the word of the great God Eglon was a Heathen King and yet when a Message came from God hee arose up and made obeysance Wee should never read the Word but with reverence considering whose book it is and that we must be judged by it another day If it be the word I beseech you consider what we say and know that God will make every part of it good there shall not a jot of it faile nothing of it shall miscarry God speaketh all these words And therefore if you be blasphemers you shall not carry it away guiltlesse God hath said it if you continue not to obey you are under Gods curse unlesse you repent you shall perish every threat God will make good you must repent and get into Christ else perish eternally God hath said it and we may confirme it in the unfolding and reading of it the time is comming for the execution of it and then God is peremptory Now God waiteth our leisure and intreateth us but if wee will not repent wee shall have that Arrow in our sides that will never be gotten out till we dye in hell whose sinnes are condemned in Scripture they are condemned by God and whom we shut heaven to by opening the Scriptures God will shut heaven to The opening of the Scriptures is the opening of heaven If the Scripture saith a man that liveth in such a sinne shall not be saved heaven shall be shut to him he is in a state of death he is strucken and remaineth in danger till he repenteth How many live in sins against Conscience that are under the guilt and danger of their sinnes they be wounded they be struck by the word there is a threat against their sinnes although it be not executed and they be as much in danger of eternall death as a condemned Traytor onely God suffers them to live that they may make their peace they have blessed times of visitation O make use of it it is the word of God and know that God will make every part of his word good in threats as well as in promises Take occasion from hence likewise to shame our selves for our infidelity in the promises when wee are in any disconsolate estate we are in Jobs case being in trouble the consolation of the Almighty seemed light to him These be the comforts of God When we come to comfort some though the sweet promises of the Gospell be opened yet they doe not consider them as being the word the consolations of the Almighty and therefore they seem light to them But it should not be so Consider they be the comforts of the word and therefore we should heare them with faith labour to affect them and shame our selves Is this Gods word that giveth this direction that giveth this comfort and shall I not regard it Is it the consolation of the Almighty and shall not I embrace it Therefore we should be ashamed not to be more affected with the heavenly sweet things promised of God than we are A man that refuseth heavenly Comforts to imbrace comforts below how should hee reflect upon himselfe with shame Hath God promised such things God that cannot lye and shall I lose my hope of all these glorious things for the enjoying of the pleasures of sin for a season I professe my selfe to be a Christian where is my faith where is my hope A man must acknowledge either I have no faith for if I had faith believing God speaking these excellent things I would not venture my losse of them to get the enjoyment of poor temporary things here for the good things promised in another world Labour therefore to bring mens hearts to believe the word and desire God to seale it to our soules that it is so I will give one direction Labour for the Spirit of God that writ the word that indited the word Beg of God to â—eale to our soules that it is the word and that he would sanctifie our hearts to be suitable to the word and never rest till wee can finde God by his Spirit seasoning our hearts so that the relish of our soules may suit to the relish of divine truths that when wee heare them we may relish the truth in them and may so feele the worke of Gods Spirit that we may bee able to say hee is our God And when we heare of any threatning we may tremble at it and any sinne discovered wee may hate it For unlesse wee by the Spirit of God have something wrought in us suitable to the word we shall never believe the word to bee the word And therefore pray the Lord by his Spirit to frame our hearts to be suitable to divine Truths and so frame them in our affections that we may find the word in our joy in our love in our patience that all may be seasoned with the word of God When there is a relish in the word and in the soule suitable to it then a man is a Christian indeed to purpose till then men will Apostatize turne Papist turne Atheist or any thing because there is a distance betweene the soule and the word the word is not ingraffed into the soule they doe not know the word to bee the word by arguments fetched from the word and therefore they fall from the power of the word But if we will not fall from divine truths get truth written in the heart and our hearts so seasoned by it and made so harmonious and suitable to it that we may imbrace it to death that we may live and dye in it To goe on In that day shall it be said loe this is our God we have waited for him Here is a gracious promise that shutteth up all spoken before He spake of great things before And now here is a promise of a day wherein hee will make all things promised good to the soule of every believing Christian In that day it shall be said this is our God wee have waited for him he will save us It is an excellent portion of Scripture to shew the gracious disposition that the Spirit of God will worke in all those that imbrace the gracious promises of God The time shall come when they shall say Loe this is our God wee have waited for him and now wee enjoy him The points considerable are these First of all by supposition that there bee glorious excellent things promised to the people of God Rich and precious promises of Feasting of taking away the vaile of conquest over death by victory of wiping away teares and removing rebukes great things if vve goe no farther than my Text. Secondly these have haâ— day vvhen they shall bee performed vvhich is not presently for
THE GLORIOVS FEAST OF THE GOSPEL OR Christ's gracious Invitation and royall Entertainment of Believers Wherein amongst other things these comfortable Doctrines are spiritually handled Viz. 1. The Marriage Feast between Christ and his Church 2. The vaile of Ignorance and Vnbeliefe removed 3. Christs Conquest over death 4. The wiping away of teares from the faces of Gods people 5. The taking away of their Reproaches 6. The precious Promises of God and their certaine performance 7. The Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures 8. The Duty and comfort of waiting upon God Delivered in divers Sermons upon Isai 25 Chap. 6 7 8 9 Verses BY The late Reverend Learned and faithfull Minister of the Gospell RICHARD SIBBS D. D. Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge and Preacher at Grayes-Inne London Prov. 9. 1 2 3 4 5. Wisdome hath builded her house she hath hewen out her seven Pillars She hath killed her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath also furnished her Table She hath sent forth her Maidens she cries c. Who so is simple let him turne in hither c. Come eate of my bread and drink of my wine that I have mingled c. Perused by those that were intrusted to revise his Writings London Printed for John Rothwell at the Sun and Fountaine in Pauls Church-yard neare the little North-doore 1650. TO THE READER SO much of late hath been written about the times that Spirituall Discourses are now almost out of season Mens mindes are so hurried up and downe that it is to be feared they are much discomposed to thinke seriously as they ought of their eternall concernments Alas Christians have lost much of their Communion with Christ and his Saints the heaven upon earth whilst they have woefully disputed away and dispirited the life of Religion and the power of Godlinesse into dry and saplesse Controversies about Government of Church and State To recover therefore thy spirituall Relish of savory pradicall Truths these Sermons of that excellent man of God of precious memory are published Wherein thou art presented 1. With an invitation to a great and wonderfull Feast the Marriage-Feast of the Lambe An admirable Feast indeed wherein Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God is the Bridegroome where every Beleever that hath put on the Lord Jesus the wedding garment is not onely the Guest but the Spouse of Christ and the Bride at this Wedding-supper Here Jesus Christ is the Master of the Feast and the Chear and Provision too He is the Lamb of God the Ramme caught in the thicket Hee is the fatted Calfe when he was sacrificed Wisedome killed her beasts Prov. 9. 2. At his death the Oxen and Fatlings were killed His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drinke indeed And that thou maist bee fully delighted at this Feast Christ is the Rose of Sharon the Lilly of the Valley he is a bundle of Mirrhe a Cluster of Camphire his name is an ointment poured out and his love is better than Wine In Christ are all things ready for Christ is all in all And great is the Feast that Christ makes for Believers for it is the Marriage Feast which the great King makes for his Sonne The great designe and aime of the Gospel being to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and give him a name above every name Great is the company that are bid Luke 14. 6. Jews and Gentiles God keeps open house Hoe every one that thirsteth come and whosoever wil let him come and freely take of the water of life Great is the chear that is provided every Guest here hath Ashers portion royall dainties and bread of fatnesse Here 's all excellent best wine wine upon the Lees well refined Here 's fat things yea fat things full of marrow Here 's the hidden Manna the water of life and the fruit of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paâ—â—dise of God All that is at this Feast is of the best yea the best of the best Here 's variety and plenty too here 's bread enough and to spare Caligula and Heliogabalus their Feasts who ransack'd the earth aire and sea to furnish their Tables were nothing to this And above all here 's welcome for every hungry thirsty soule hee that bids thee come will bid thee welcome he will not say eate when his heart is not with thee the invitation is free the preparation great and the entertainment at this Feast suiting the magnificence of the great King is full and bountifull All which is at large treated of in these excellent Sermons which are therefore deservedly intituled The Marriage Feast between Christ and his Church We read of a Philosopher that having prepared an excellent Treatise of happinessâ—… and presenting it unto a great King the Kâ—â—â—… answered him Keep your Book to your selfe I am not now at leasure Here is an excellent Treasure put into thy hand doe not answer 〈◊〉 I am not now at leisure Oh doe not let Christ stand knocking at thy heart who will come and sup with thee and bring his cheare with him Oh let not a deceived heart turne thee any longer aside to feed upon Ashes feed no longer with swine upon Husks while thou mayst be filled and satisfied with bread in thy fathers house But this is not all if thou wilt bee pleased to peruse this Book thou wilt finde there are many other usefull seasonable and excellent subjects handled besides the Marriage-Feast 2. Jesus Christ hath not only provided a feast because hee is desirous that all those for whom it is provided should come to it which onely they doe that believe he takes away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe from off their hearts and here you shall finde this skilfull Preacher hath excellently discoursed what this vaile is how it naturally lyes upon all and is onely removed by the Spirit of Christ And if the Lord hath destroyed this covering from off thy heart we doubt not but the truth of this heavenly Doctrine will shine comfortably into thy soule 3. Jesus Christ to make his bounty and mercy further appeare in this Feast hee hath given his Guests the Bread of life and hath secured them from the feare of death They need not feare there 's no Mors in ollâ at this Feast wee may feast without feare Jesus Christ by his tasting of death hath swallowed it up in victory Christ doth not make his people such a feast as it is reported Dionysius the Tyrant once made for his flatterer Damocles who set him at a Princely Table but hang'd a drawne sword in a small thread over his head But Christ would have us triumph over the King of Feares who was slain by the death of Christ and wee thereby delivered from the bondage of the feare of death At other Feasts they were wont of old to have a Deaths head serv'd in amongst other Dishes to minde them in the
things by a spirituall conception of them There be degrees of discerning things The highest degree is to see things face to face as they be in heaven The next to that is to see them in a glasse for there I see the motion and true species of a man though not so clearly as when I see him face to face therefore We soone forget the species of it in a glasse Wee have more fixednesse of the other because there is more reality We see things put into Water and that is lesse but then there is a sight of man in Pictures which is lesse than the rest because we see not the motion It is even so a carnall man scarce sees the dead resemblance of things In Moses time they saw things in water as it were blindly though true but we see things in a glasse of truth as clearly as possibly we can in this world In heaven wee shall see face to face shall see him as he is And then will be the joy of this excellent Feast and the consummation of all sweet promises which here we can but have a taste of So that is the first reason of it that God is onely the taker away of the vaile which ariseth from the unsuitablenesse between the soule and divine Truths There is nothing in the heart of man but a contrariety to divine light The very naturall knowledge that is contrary naturall Conscience that onely checketh for grosse sinnes but not for spirituall sinnes Obedience and Civill life that makes a man full of pride and armeth him against selfe-denyall and against the righteousnesse of Christ and Justification There is nothing in the soule but without grace riseth against the soule in divine things Againe there is such disproportion between the soule being full of sinne and guiltinesse and heavenly things that are so great that the heart of man will not believe unlesse God convinceth the soule that God is so good and gracious though they be great and excellent yet God will bestow them upon our soules and therefore he sendeth the Spirit that over-powers the soule though it bee full of feare and guilt that sinne contracts Though we be never so unworthy he will magnifie his grace to poore sinners and without that the soule will never believe there is such an infinite disproportion betweene the soule and the things between the sinfull soule and the spirit so that God must over-power the soule to make it believe The Scripture is full of this As we are naturally ignorant and full of unbeliefe so God onely can over-power the soule and take away the vaile of Ignorance All the Angels in heaven and all the Creatures in the world the most skilfull men in the world cannot bring light into the soule they cannot bring light into the heart they can speake of divine things but they understand them little but to bring light into the heart that the heart may taste of them and yield obedience to believe that they cannot doe And therefore all Gods children they bee Theodidactoi taught of God God onely hath the privilege to teach the heart to bend and bow the heart to believe So that God onely by his Spirit takes away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe Now the third thing is that this is peculiar to the Church and to the Children of God to have the vaile taken off In this Mountaine saith the Scripture the vail of all Faces shall be swallowed up or taken away I partly shewed in the former point that it is peculiar to Gods Children to have the vaile taken off There is a vailin all things either the things be hid from them as amongst the Gentiles or if the things bee revealed there is a vaile upon the heart their lusts raise up a cloud which untill God subdue by the holy Spirit they bee darke yea darknesse it selfe Goshen was onely light when all Egypt was in darknesse so there is light onely in the Church and all other parts in the world are in darknesse And amongst men in the Church there is a darknesse upon the soule of unregenerate men that bee not sanctified and subdued by the Spirit of God And all godly men are lightsome nay they be lights in the world As wicked men are darknesse so gracious men by the Spirit of God are made lights of the world from him that is the true light Christ himselfe It is peculiar to the Church to know the greatest good and the greatest evill It is no where but in the Church who are the people of God None but Gods Elect can know the greatest evill that is sinne which the Spirit of God revealeth And the greatest good that is Gods mercy in Christ and sanctifying grace The same Spirit doth both As light doth discover foul things as well as faire so the same Spirit of God discovers the loathsomenesse of sinne and the sweetnesse of grace Where the one is there is never the other where there is not truely a deep discerning of sinne there is never knowledge of grace there is none but in the Church those that have the Spirit of illumination they have sanctification likewise We shall make use of all together You see then what naturally we are and that Gods grace must take away the vaile and this is from all them within the Church and in the Church those whom God is pleased to sanctifie In the fourth place Where this vaile is taken off from any there is with it spirituall joy and feasting as here he joyneth them both together I will make a feast of fat things and will take away the vaile The reason of the connexion of this is that same Spirit that is a Spirit of Revelations is a Spirit of Comfort And the same Spirit that is the Spirit of Comfort is a Spirit of Revelation All sweetnesse that the soule relisheth commeth from light and all light that is spirituall conveyeth sweetnesse both together Beloved there is a marvailous sweetnesse in divine Truths in Christ is all marrow and in Religion forgivenesse of sinnes and inward peace and joy and grace fitting us to be like to Christ and for heaven they be incredibly sweet they bee all marrow I but they are onely so to them that know them now Gods Spirit that revealeth these things to us doth breed a taste in the soule The Spirit of illumination of Gods Children is a Spirit of sanctification likewise and that sanctification alters the taste and relish of the will and affections that with discovery of these things there is a taste and relish of them It is sapida Scientia a savory knowledge they have And therefore where he maketh a Feast he taketh away the vaile and where hee takes away the vaile hee makes a Feast what a wonderfull satisfaction hath the soule when the vaile is taken off to see God in Christ reconciled to see sin pardoned to see the beginnings of
truths are revealed they give way to their owne proud scornfull hearts they know not the love of the truth God knoweth what a jewell the Truth is and since they despise it God giveth them up to believe lies and take heed practice what we know and love what we know entertaine it with a loving affection A loving affection is the Casket of this jewell if we entertain it not in love it removes from us its Station and being gone God will remove us into darknesse And remember it is God that taketh away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe And therefore make this use of it to make our Studies and Closets Oratories not to come to Divine Truths to out-wrastle the excellency of them with our owne wits but to pray to God as you have Psal 119. Open mine eyes and reveale thy truth And St. Paul prayeth for the Spirit of Revelation 1 Ephes 19. And so desire God to reveale and take away the vaile from us that he will open divine Truths to our soules that since he hath the Key of David that opens and no man shutteth that he would open our understandings to conceive things and our hearts to believe He hath the onely Key of the soule we can shut our souls but cannot open them againe so we can shut our hearts to divine Truths we can naturally doe this but open them without the help of the Spirit we cannot He can open our understandings as he did the Disciples He can open our Hearts to believe he can doe it and will do it If we seek to him he will not put back the humble desires of them that feare him And therefore for heavenly light and heavenly revelation all the teaching of the men of the world cannot do it If we know no more than wee can have by Bookes and men that teach us wee shall never come to Heaven but wee must have God teach the heart as well as the Braine hee must teach not onely the Truths themselves as they bee discovered but the love of them the faith in them the practice of them and hee onely can doe this hee only can teach the heart hee onely can discover the bent of the heart and Satans wiles that cast a cloud upon the understanding the Spirit onely can doe it and therefore in all our endeavours labour to get knowledge and joyne holinesse and divine grace and pray to God that he would reveale the mystery of salvation to us But how shall we know whether we have this heavenly light and revelation or no Whether the vaile be yet upon our hearts or no I will not be long in the point Wee may know it by this The Apostle Peterâ—aith â—aith to expresse the vertue of Gods power he hath called us out of darknesse to his marvelous light The soule that hath the vaile taken from it there is a marvelling at the goodnesse of God a wondering at the things of faith And the soule sets such a price upon divine things that all is dung and drosse in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ Wherefore is it that thou wilt reveale thy selfe to us and not unto the world as admiring the goodnesse of God What are we what am I that God should reveale these things to me and not to the world that many perish in darkensse and shadow of death though they heare of divine things yet they teaching rebellion and unbeleife are not moulded to them and so perish eternally There is a secret admiration of the goodnesse of God to the poore soule and a wonderment at spirituall things Oh how sweet is thy law saith David And teach me the wonders of thy law and joy unspeakable and glorious and peace that passeth understanding these things be high to the soule by the taste of what they have they wonder at that little and at that they looke for and are carried with desire still further and further which is a farther evidence they that have any spirituall knowledge they be carried to grow more and more and to enter further and further into the Kingdome Where there is not a desire still till they come to the full measure that is to be had in Jesus Christ there is no knowledge at all certainly a gracious soule when once it sees it desires still to feele the power and vertue of Christ in it as Paul counted all dung in comparison of this knowledge to know my selfe in Christ and feele the power of his death in dying to sin and vertue of his resurrection in raising me to newnesse of life it was Saint Pauls study to walk still to the high price of Gods calling and where that is not no grace is begun And againe where divine light is and the vaile taken away it is the sanctified meanes for God works by his owne instruments and meanes and they be able to justifie all courses of wisdome Wisdome is justified of her children By experience they be able to say the word is the word I have found it casting me downe and raising me up and searching the hidden corners of my heart I have found Gods Ordinances powerfull the word and Sacrament I have found my hope faith strength and spirituall comfort and therefore I can justifie them for I have found tasted and relished of these things which worketh that upon the soule which Christ did on the body I finde mine eyes I finde my deafe eares opened I can heare with another relish then before I finde a life and quickning to good things though it be weake I had no life at all to them before I find a relish which I knew not before So that there be spirituall senses whereby I am able to justifie that these things be the things of God So that they that have divine truths can justifie all the ordinances of God by their owne experience As Peter answered when Christ asked him will you be also gone be gone said Peter Whether should we goe thou hast the words of eternall life I have found thy words efficacious to comfort and strengthen and raise and shall I depart from thee who hast the words of eternall life And so take a soule that the spirit of God hath wrought upon aske whether they will be carelesse of meanes of salvation not to pray or heare or receive the Sacrament by these have I eternall life conveyed God hath let in by these comfort and strength and joy and shall I leave these things no I will not whether shall I goe thou hast the words of eternall life Are we able to justifie these things by the sweetnesse wee have found in them then certainly God hath shined upon the soule and together with strength and light conveyed sweetnesse to the soule A godly man seeth things with life his sight worketh upon him it is a transforming sight as the Apostle saith wee all behold the glory of God and are changed Sight of light
all controversies yea that that is the Judge of all and of himselfe the Word which is from the very mouth of God You will aske me how shall I know it is the Word of God if the Church tells us not A Carrier sheweth us these bee Letters from such a man but when wee open the Letter and see the hand and seale we know them to be his The Church knowes the Word and explaneth it and when wee see and feele the efficacy of the Word in it selfe then we believe it to be the Word for there is that in the Word that sheweth it to bee the Word the Majesty that is in it the matter that is mysterious forgivenesse of sinnes through a mystery forgivenesse of sinne victory over death life everlasting in the world to come great matters which eye hath not seen nor eare heard nor entred into the heart of man If it had not been revealed it could not have entred into the heart of Angels It containeth such glorious transcending mysteries And then againe the Word to all them that belong to God hath the Spirit of God by which it passeth rightly accompanying it witnessing to the soule of man that it is so and by a divine efficacy it is mighty in operation What doth it in the heart It warmeth the heart upon the hearing and speaking and discoursing of it As when the Disciples went to Emaus It hath a heat of Spirit going with it to affect the heart with heavenly joy and delight it hath power going with it by the Spirit to raise joy unspeakable and glorious It hath a power to pacifie the soule amidst all troubles When nothing will still the soule the Spirit of God in the Word will doe it by its divine power Yea it will change a man from a beastly or devillish temper to a higher and happier estate as you have it Isaiah 11. 6 7 8 9. It makes Lions Lambs Leopards Kids And what is the ground of all In that very place the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. The knowledge of God reconciled is such a powerfull knowledge that it hath a transforming vertue to alter mens dispositions What was Paul before Conversion and Zaccheus Therefore it is the Word because it hath divine operation to heat the soul and raise the soule and change the soule and cast downe the soule as low in a manner as hell in sense of its owne miserie It will make a Foelix to tremble a man that it doth not effectually worke upon The Truths of it are so moving that it will make a carnall man to quake When Paul spake of judgement to come of giving account of all that is done in the flesh when a possibility of it was apprehended it made Foelix to quake It makes mountains levell and it fills up the valleyes The Word can raise up the soule when man is as low as hell and looketh for nothing but damnation the Spirit with the Word will fetch him from thence as the Jaylor Acts 16. there was little between him and hell What shall I doe to be saved Why believe in the Lord Jesus And with these words there went out an efficacy he believed and he afterward was full of joy The first Gospell ever preached in pardon was by God himselfe never was any creature so neare damnation as our first Father Adam cast from the greatest happinesse Miserrimum est fuisse faelicem for he that enjoyed before communion with God and his Angells having sinn'd and having conscience of his sinne considering his great parts and apprehension of the state he had beene in this must needs affect him deeply and being in this condition the promise of the seed of the VVoman to breake the Serpents head revived him There is a strange efficacy in the Gospell The Roman Empire was the greatest enemy that the Church ever had The ten Persecutions you see what they were and yet notwithstanding the VVord grew upon them and never rested the spreading of the Gospell and the Spirit with it till the Crosse got above the Crown as it did in the time of Constantine and so it continueth And must not this be a divine word which hath this efficacy to revive comfort change cast downe raise up againe search secrets search the heart to the bottome A poore Ideot that comes to heare the word of God when he heares the secrets of his heart laid open by the word he concludes certainly God is in you and you are Gods Ministers The word divideth betweene the marrow and the bone it arraigneth the heart before Gods Tribunall Seat Those that are saved it hath these effects in them that I have named And if you ask how they know whether the word be the Word A man may answer I have found it to be so raising me up comforting me and strengthening mee I had perished in my affliction if the word had not raised mee Principles are proved you know from experience for they have nothing above them There is no other Principle to prove the word but experience from the working of it How know you the light to be the light but by it selfe and that fire is hot but by it selfe Principles prove themselves onely by experience And this Principle is so proved by it selfe that there is no child of God but can say by experience that the word is the word If a man might goe to reason one might bring that which could not be easily answered for the satisfaction of an Atheist Let him but grant there is a God hee will grant one thing in Religion or another But let him grant there is a God and a Reasonable Creature then there must be a service a Religion and this service must bee according to some Rules prescribed for the superior will not be served as the inferior pleaseth he must discover what good the superior intendeth and what duties he expects this must be revealed in some word God and the Reasonable Creature and Religion make a necessity of a word and that must be the word we have or another and what word in the world is probable to bee the word but this You will say it may be corrupt The Jewes looked to the old Testament that it should not be corrupted for they knew every sillable in it and preserved every letter It is one part of their superstition and God blesseth that superstition to take away all such cavills For the New Testament the Jewes cared not for but Hereticks on their side watch over it that there should be no corruption they will so observe one another But what are these reasons to those which the soule of a gracious Christian knoweth by the operation of the Word upon the heart And therefore let us regard it as the word of God hear it as the word of
excellent society 3 Is a Mountaine 1. Hath strong foundations 4 2. Is in some measure visible ib. Of the Marriage feast between Christ and his Church 5 The Lord of Hosts is the founder of this feast 6 Some of all sorts invited to this feast 1. Iewes 2. Gentiles 7 Christ is the chief dish and greatest chear at this feast 8 Christ and his benefits fitly compared to a feast 8 1. Because all we have in Christ is of the best things 8 2. Much variety in Christ 9 3. Fulnesse and sufficiency is to be had in Christ 10 4. Because there is much company here 11 5. There is rich attire worne at this feast 12 This Gospel-feast was typed out 1. By the Paschall Lamb. 12 2. By Manna 12 3. By the Rock 14 4. By the Jewish festivall 15 A comparison between Christ and Manna 13 The sacrament of the Lords super is this feast specially 15 We ought to be prepared for this feast 1. Get large hearts 16 2. Spirituall appetite 16 Means to get spirituall appetite to this feast 17 1. Sense of sinne 17 2. Purge the soule from sinfull corruptions 18 3. Spirituall exercise and activenesse for God 19 4. Holy company 20 5. Consideration of the danger of Spiritual famine 20 We must get a spirituall taste and spirituall sences 21 1. To relish what is good 22 To disrelish and reject what is evill 22 We must get a spirituall Digestion 23 and wait in the strength of this heavenly feast 23 Consequents of the Gospel-feast are 24 1. Chearfulnesse 25 2. Thankfulnesse 25 3. Iustifying of the wayes of God and Religion 25 Religion doth not make people melancholy 26 A Christian at his worst condition is better than a worldlings best 27 We must labour to have a part and portion at this feast and to honour Gods bounty 28 29 We must bring empty soules unto this feast 32 Connexion between the sixth and seventh verst 33 Of the Vaile that is over mens hearts 35 All men naturally have such a Vaile 35 There is a Vaile over spirituall things for they are hid 35 36. Naturall men 1. Want spirituall sight 36 light 36 2. Are ignorant 3. See not spirituall things spiritually 38 4. Have light without heat 39 5. Are unbelievers 40 Ignorance and unbeliefe acts in every sinne 41 God onely can take away this vaile 42 Men nor Angels cannot remove it 42 43 44 Onely Gods people have this vaile removed 44 Where this vaile is removed there is a Feast 45 We ought to use meanes to have this vaile taken off 46 47 1. By attending upon Ordinances 48 2. By practising what we know 49 3. By praying unto God 50 When the vaile is taken off from the heart then 1. A Christian will wonder at the things of faith 51 2. Desire more and more to know them 51 3. This vaile hath been removed by the Word 51 4. A Christians knowledge is a transforming knowledge 52 Of Death and Christs victory over Death 55 Death is 1. The King of Feares 56 2. Spares none 56 3. Is let in by sinne 56 4. Is attended on by Hell 56 Christ swallowes up death in victory 1. By satisfying for sin 57 2. By his suffering death 59 60 We ought to believe that death is conquered to us 60 We ought to be one with Christ crucified 61 70 We must be thankfull unto God 1. For victory over death 62 2. For benefits by death 62 The slavish feare of Death is unbecomming a Christian 62 63 67. Death is conquered to a Beleever though he die 63 64 Death is terrible to wicked men 64 Duellists foolishly out-brave death 65 Death to Gods children not onely a conquered enemy but is made a friend 66 c. Of Christians Teares 72 Good men are apt to weep 1. For sinne of others 74 75 2. Miseries of others 74 75 We ought to weep 74 and yet to rejoyce 76 God will wipe away all teares 77 78 God is a God of tender mercy 79 Christians are not to bee judged by appearance and by their sufferings 81 Christians have a mixt condition and a mixt disposition 82 There was no sorrow in Paradise and shall be none in heaven 84 Sinne is the greatest cause of sorrow 85 Mourning accepted from them that cannot weep 86 Then a Christians teares are right when 1. They spring from the love of God 86 2. When we weep for our owne sinnes 87 3. When they are secret 87 4. When they are reforming 88 Of the Rebukes and reproaches of Gods people 89 Christ and his members subject unto reproaches 89 90 Wicked reproach the godly from the enmity of 2 seeds 91 Wee must not be scandalls to Religion nor scandalized at the reproaches of it 92 Christ will take away reproaches from his people and will vindicate them 93 Directions how to carry our selves under Reproaches 94 1. Be patient 94 2. Innocent 94 3. Couragious 95 4. Sincere 95 5. Pray much to God 95 6. Rejoyce and glory in them 96 Of the Holy Scriptures 99 God is the Author of them 99 The scriptures sole supreme judge of controversies 100 The Scriptures may be knowne to be Gods VVord by 1. The Majesty of them 101 2. Their mysteriousnesse 101 3. From Reason 103 4. From Experience 101 5. From the witnesse of the Spirit 102 6. From their efficacy 101 1. In warning the soule 101 2. Changing the soule 101 3. Casting down the soule 101 4. Searching the soule 102 5. And comforting the soule The holy Scriptures are and have been preserved from Corruption 103 VVe ought to heare the word as the word of God 104 God will make good all his promises if we believe 105 We must pray for the Spirit that indited the Scriptures that so we may relish them 106 Of Gods Promises and the performance of them 107 to 112 Gods Promises are full and free and spring from his bounty and are our greatest treasure 111 112. We ought to be ashamed of infidelity in Gods promises 105 It is somtimes long between the promise performāce 113 1. To exercise our faith 113 2. To waine us from creatures 113 3. To indeare the things promised 114 4. And to fit us for the enjoyment 114 Of Waiting upon God 115 We have but a tast here of what we shall have hereaft 115 Waiting carries with it all other graces 116 1. Patience 117 2. Long-suffering 117 3. Contentment 118 4. Silence from murmuring 118 5. Watchfulnesse 118 6. Faithfulnesse 118 Want of waiting cause of much wickednesse 119 All is overcome with waiting 120 God will perform his word to all true waiters 121 152 God keeps the time of performance in his own hands 121 God fully performes his promises in heaven 122 123 124 The things hoped for uphold the heart in waiting 125 God will have his people continue waiting 150 1. That we may live by faith and not by sight 150 2. VVhen we are fitted for what is promised wee
of the world there I shall be starved if I sit still I shall also perish what shall I now doe I will venture upon Jesus Christ he hath food that endures to eternall life and if I perish there I perish If I have not Christ I must die the wrath of God hangeth over my head and I cannot escape Alas poore soule now thou seest thy wretchednesse cast thy selfe upon him and come in If thou venturest thou canst but die adventure therefore put thy selfe upon Gods mercy for he is gracious and full of compassion Those that have given up themselves to Christ let them study to honour God and Christ by taking those comforts that are allotted to them When any man inviteth us to a Feast he knoweth if we respect him wee will fall too God hath bestowed his Sonne upon us and will he not with him give us all things let us not therefore dishonour the bounty of our good God but come in and labour to have our hearts more and more inlarged with the consideration of the excellency of these eternall comforts The fulnesse of Christ is able to satisfie the soule though it were a thousand times larger then it is If it were possible that wee could get the capacity of Angels it could not be sufficient to shew forth the fulnesse of pleasures that are provided for a Christian let us therefore labour with all labour to open our hearts to entertaine these joyes for we cannot honour God more then of his bounty to receive thankfully what he freely offers To taste plentifully in the covenant of grace of these riches and joy and hope of things to come glorious above all that we are able to thinke of I say this is the way to honour God under the Gospel of hope of things that are infinite the more we take the more we may take and the more we honour him that giveth Let us therefore enter deeply into our speciall sinnes there is no feare of despaire thinke of all thy wants and of all thy sins let them be never so many yet there is more to be had in Christ then there can be wanting in thee The soule that thinkes it selfe full of wants is the richest soule and that that apprehendeth no want at all no need of grace or Christ is alwaies sent empty away grieve therefore for thy sinnes and then joy that thou hast grieved and goe to God for the supply of all thy wants The seeds of joy and of comfort are sowne in teares and griefe in this world but yet we know we shall reape in joy in the world to come Remember this we have we know not what to goe through withall in this valley of teares That speech of Barzillai was good and excellent who being by David himselfe invited to the Court answered I am now growne old I am not fit for the Court for my senses are decayed and gone even so the time will come when our sense of relishing earthly pleasures will utterly be lost we are sure to goe to our graves and we know not what particular trouble we may meet with in this world and goe through if we live to a full age Alas what are all comforts here to the comforts of eternity when our daies are spent on earth then comes in the eternity of pleasure or everlasting sorrow Oh then if when we shall leave all behind us we have the joy of the holy Ghost in our hearts it will advance us above all the suggestions of sinne or Satan and bring us chearefully above to the tribunall seat of Christ Labour therefore to have a spirituall relish of soule to grow in grace and comforts of the holy Ghost for the time will come when we shall wish that we had had more then we have every one will repent of loosenes and slacknes in the waies of holinesse Therefore let us labour earnestly to be good husbands for our soules for the time to come THE Third Sermon ISAIAH 25. 6 7. And in this Mountaine shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a Feast c. And he will destroy in this Mountaine the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations I Have heretofore spoken of the Feast that God makes to his Church specially in the later times which was specially performed at the first comming of Christ when the Gentiles came in But the consummation and perfection of all will be at the day of judgement then God will spread a Table for his to all eternity We have spoken heretofore at large of the resemblance of spirituall good things by this comparison of a Feast God sets out spirituall things by outward because wee cannot otherwise conceive of them the best things in grace by the best and sweetest things in Nature And thus God enters into our soules by our senses as we see in the Sacrament But wee have spoken at large of this Our care must be to have a speciall taste a spirituall appetite to relish this Feast that God provides naturally wee are distastfull we relish not spirituall and heavenly things we savor not the things of God And the spirit of God must alter our savor and taste as he doth wheresoever there is spirituall life there is spirituall relish of heavenly truths Now let me adde this further that though it be made by God yet we must bring something to this Feast Christ feasteth with us as yee have Rev. 3. he sups with us not that wee have grace from our selves or can bring any thing he bringeth his own provision with him when hee suppeth with us But yet by the Covenant of grace whereby he enters into termes of friendship with us we must sup with him wee must have grace to entertaine him though it is at his owne cost yet we must have something he doth not require us to pay our debts but he giveth us wherewith secretly he bids us come but giveth a secret Messenger to draw us he sends his spirit certainly certainly hee will have us bring somthing when wee come to feast but it is of his owne giving And that we are to bring is humble and empty soules wherein we are to delight our selves in sense of our unworthinesse and the spirit of faith to believe his promises that pleaseth him when we can honour him with a Spirit of Faith and then a Spirit of Love and new Obedience springing from a Spirit of Faith and Love these bee the things Christ requires wee should have Our soules must be thus furnished that Christ may delight to dwell with us And therefore it is a good importuning of God Lord I desire thou shouldest dwell in mee and prepare my soule as a fit Temple vouchsafe me the graces thou delightest in and delightest to dwell in So wee may begge of God his Holy Spirit to furnish our soules so as he may dwell and delight in us But we have spoken largely
grace which shall bee finished and accomplished in glory to discerne that peace which passeth understanding c. What a marvellous sweetnesse are in these things They cannot be revealed to the knowledge spiritually but there is a Feast in the soule wherein the soule doth solace it selfe so both these goe together And therefore we should not rest in that revealing that doth not bring a savor with it to the soule undoubtedly that knowledge hath no solace and comfort for the soule that is not by divine Revelation of heavenly truths We see the dependence of these one upon another Then let us make this Use of all Since there is a vail over all men by nature the work of ignorance and unbeliefe and since God onely taketh it away by his Holy Spirit and since that onely those that be godly and sanctified have this taken off While this is there is a spirituall feast joy and comfort and strength then let us labour to have this vaile taken off let us labour to have the eyes of our understandings enlightned to have our hearts subdued to believe let us take notice of our naturall condition We are drowned and inwarpt in darknesse the best of us all It is not having knowledge what wee are by nature it is not any knowledge that can bring us to heaven there must be a revelation a taking away of the vaile How many content themselves with common light of Education and traditionary knowledge so they were bred and catechized and under such a Ministery but for spirituall knowledge of spirituall things how little is it cared for And yet this is necessary to salvation There is great occasion to presie this that we rest not in common knowledge If Religion be not knowne to purpose its like Lightning which directs not a man in his way but dazles him and puts him quite out of his way Many have flashes of knowledge that affect them a little but this affection is soon gone and directs them not a whit in the wayes of life and therefore labour that the will and affections may be subject Beg of God a fleshy heart an heart yeelding to the truth We know eare-truths will harden as none is harder than a common formall Christian A man had better fall into the hands of Papists than into the hands of a formall hypocriticall Christian Why they pride themselves in their profession No Persecuters worse than the Scribes and Pharisees that stood in their own light They were more cruell than Pilate And therefore if wee bee informed but not truly transformed to love the truth we know and hate the evill we know it maketh us worse And then it inrageth men the more The more they know the more they be enraged Men when truths be prest which they purpose not to obey they fret against the Ordinance and cast stones as it were in the face of truth When Physick doth raise humors but is not strong enough to carry them away they indanger the body And where light is not strong enough to dispell corruption when it raiseth corruption it inrageth it When men know Truth and are not moulded into it they first rage against it and then by little and little fall from it and grow extreme enemies to it It s a dangerous thing therefore to rest in naked knowledge Beg then of God that he would take away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe that light and life may goe together and so wee shall be fit to feast with the Lord. Now that we may have true saving knowledge first we must attend meekly upon Gods Ordinances which be sanctified to this end to let in light to the soule Will we know sinne and our state by nature and how to come out of it then together with this Revelation must come an heavenly strength into the soule a heavenly taste and relish and therefore attend upon the Ordinances And labour for an humble soule empty of our selves And doe not think to break into heavenly things with strength of parts God must reveal God must take away the vaile only by his holy Spirit in the Ordinance The vaile is taken away from the oject in opening of Truths but the vaile must bee taken away from the object and from the heart too there must bee knowledge of the object as well as an object the object must bee sanctified and fitted to the persons else divine Truths will never be understood divinely nor spirituall Truths spiritually Labour to be emptied of your selves In what measure we are emptied of our self-conceitednesse and understanding wee bee fill'd in divine things in what measure we are emptied of our selves we are filled with the Spirit of God and knowledge and grace As a vessell in what measure it is emptied in that measure it is fit to be fill'd with more supervenient liquor so in what measure we grow in self-denyall and humility in that measure wee are filled likewise with knowledge He will teach an humble soule that stands not in its own light what it is to repent to believe to love what it is to be patient under the Crosse what it is to live holily and dye comfortably The Spirit of God will teach an humble selfe-denying soule all these things and therefore labour for an humble empty soule and not to cast our selves too much into the sinnes and fashions of the times As the Apostle Rom. 12. Be not conformed to this world but be yee transformed by the renewing of your minde c. When a man casteth himselfe into the mould of the times and will live as the rest doe he shall never understand the secrets of God and the good pleasure of God for the world must be condemned The world goeth the broad way And therefore we must not consider what others doe but what God teacheth us to do And adde to this What we know let us labour to practise Iohn 7. 17. But he that doth the will of my Father shall know of every Doctrine whether it be of God or no. We must doe and we shall know But can wee doe before we know The meaning is this that we have first breeding and education and some light of the Spirit turneth it presently to practice by obedience to that knowledge And then you shall know more hee that doth these things hee shall know all They shall know that doe practice what they know already To him that hath shall be given That is to him that hath some knowledge and putteth in practice what he hath God will increase the talent of his knowledge hee shall know more and more till God revealeth himselfe fully in the world to come And therefore be faithfull to our selves and true to the knowledge we have love it and put it into practice when divine truths are discovered let the heart affect them lest God giveth us up to believe lies We have many given up to this sinne because when
sendeth his Angels to fetch them and he helps them in their combat we must not therefore feare overmuch There is a naturall feare of death death wrought upon Christ himselfe God-man not only death but such a death he was to be left of his Father and lie under the sense of the wrath of God the seperation of that soule from the body he tooke upon him was terrible and therefore he saith If it be possible let this cup passe from me that was nature and without it he had not bin true man But that I say is that grace may be above nature death is a time of darknesse it strips us of earthly comforts friends callings imployments but then comes the eye of faith to lay hold on the victory of Christ in time to come when death shall be only swallowed up in victory and then the glorious state to come to which death bringeth us so that here faith must be above sense and grace above nature and therefore I beseech you let us labour for it There be two sorts of men to whom I would speake a little First those that in a kind of bravery seeme to slight death men of base spirits as we call them fooles vain-glorious spirits empty spirits Is there any creature unlesse in Christ able groundedly to slight so great an enemy as death armed with a sting of sinne and attended with hell and damnation The Romish and divellish spirits are terrible but if thy sinnes be not pardoned it is the most terrible thing in the world to die for there is a gulfe afterwards what shall we say then of single Combatants that for vain-glory are prodigall of their lives that for a foule word a little disgrace will venture on this enemy that is armed with sinne and if they dye they dye in sinne And which is the miserable condition of him that dyes in sinne his death opens the gate to another death which is eternall They say they have repented but there is no repentance of a sinne to be committed Canst thou repent of a sinne before it bee committed that is but a mockery of God And what saith the Scripture Is it not the most terrible judgement under heaven to dye in our sinnes A man that dyes in sinne dyes in hell he goeth from death to hell and that eternall I wonder therefore that the wisedome of flesh and bloud should take away mens wit and faith and grace and all so much as to slight death and repentance as if it were so easie Now beloved death is a terrible thing it hath a sting and thou shalt know it if thou hast not grace to feele the sting of it whilst thou livest when thou dyest the sting will revive then thy Conscience shall awake in hell Drunkennesse and jollity takes away sense of sinne but sinne will revive and conscience will revive God hath not put it into us for nought death is terrible if not disarmed before hand And if thou goe about to dye without disarming it before it will not be out-faced It is not an enemy to be scorned and slighted and therefore be Christians in good earnest else leave profession and perish eternally for wee must all dye and it is a greater matter than we take it but if we be true Christians it is the sweetest thing in the world an end of all misery a beginning of true happinesse an inlet to whatsoever is comfortable blessed are they that are in the Lord by faith and them that dye in the Lord their death is better than the day of life Our Birth-day brings us into misery and therefore let me speak to true Christians and bid them be ashamed of fearing death too much which of an enemy is become a reconciled friend This may in the next place yeeld great consolation to those that are in Christ Jesus that death by Christ is swallowed up in victory and the rather because the holy Ghost meaneth more than a bare victory over death Death is not onely subdued but is made a friend to us As Psalme 110. it is said his enemies shall bee his footstoole Now a footstoole is not onely trampled upon but an helpe to rise And so death is not onely subdued but it advanceth Gods Children and raiseth them higher It is not onely an enemy but a reconciled friend for he doth that which no friend in the world can doe It ends all our misery and is the inlet into all happinesse for eternity And whatsoever it strips us of here it giveth us advantage of better in another world It cuts off our pleasures and profits and Company and Callings here but what is that to our blessed change afterward to our praysing of God for ever to the Company of blessed soules and the profits and pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore And therefore it is not onely conquered but to shew the excellency of his power hee hath made it a friend of an enemy and the best friend in the world It indeed seperates soule from body but it joyneth the soule to Christ so that the conjunction wee have by it is better than the separation if the Conjunction makes us partake of our desire I desire to be dissolved saith St. Paul but that is not well translated I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all so that it is not onely not an enemy but a friend and therefore the Apostle makes it our joyncture part of our portion all things are yours Why you are Christs and Christ is Gods what are ours things present things to come life death And well may death be ours because sinne is our enemy that remainder that is kept in our nature to exercise us and humble us and fit us for grace as Austin saith I dare be bold to say it is profitable for some to fall to make them more carefull and watchfull and to prize mercy more so that not only Death but sinne and the devill himselfe is ours for his plots are for our good God over-shooteth him in his owne Bow Hee will give them over to Satan saith the Apostle that they may learne not to blaspheme yet though they have a spirit of blasphemy by the humbling of their bodies they be taught not to blaspheme so that not onely death but sinne and hee that brought sinne into the World the Devill are become our friends This being so it may be for speciall comfort that wee not feare the King of Feares The Devill hath great advantage by this affection of feare when it is set upon this object Death Overcome death and all troubles are overcome who will fear any thing that hath given up himself to God Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life The Devill knoweth that well enough Therefore feare not saith Christ them that can kill the body feare causeth snares saith Solomon snares of Conscience But if a man
glory that rested upon him and expressed himselfe to be the servant of God He that takes away from our good report if we be good he addeth to our reward Our Saviour Christ saith as much Blessed are you when you be ill spoken of for great is your reward THE Seventh Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And the rebukes of his people shall he take away from all the earth For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it THis is a great promise and I pray you be comforted with it For of all grief that Gods people suffer in the world there is none greater than reproach disgrace and contumely Movemur contumeliis plus quam injuriis We are more moved with reproaches than injuries Injuries come from severall causes but disgrace from abundance of slighting No man but thinks himselfe worthy of respect from some or other Now slanders come from abundance of malice or else abundance of contempt and therefore nothing stickes so much as reproaches specially by reason of opinion and fancy that raiseth them over high Our Saviour Christ endured the Crosse and despised the shame That shame that vaine people cast upon Religion and the best things they despise that and make that a matter of patience They knew the Crosse would not be shaken off Persecution and Troubles must be endured and therefore they endured the Crosse and despised the shame Now to bear Crosses take the counsell of the Holy Apostles look up to him consider Christ and whatsoever disgrace in words or carriage wee shall endure we are sure though wee shall never know it till wee feele it by experience The spirit of glory shall rest upon us and rebuke shall be taken away Ere long there will be no glory in heaven and earth but the glory of Christ and of his Spouse for all the rest shall be in their owne place as it was said of Judas that he went to his place Their proper place is not to domineere but to be in hell and ere long they shall bee there Heaven is the proper element of the Saints that is the place of Christ the head And where should the body be but with the head where the Spouse but with the Husband I say this shall come to passe that all the wicked shall be in their place and all the godly in theirs with Christ and then shall the rebukes of Gods people be taken away A great matter and therefore it is sealed with a great confirmation The Lord Jehovah hath spoken it therfore it must and will be so The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it This is not in vaine added for the Lord knoweth well enough we need it to believe so great things that there is such a Feast provided And that there is such a victory over death our last enemy and that there will be such glory that all the glory shall bee Christs and his Spouses that the wicked that are now so insolent shall be cast into their proper place with the Devill by whose Spirit they are led They bee great matters and there is great disproportion between the present condition and that condition in heaven and infidelity being in the soule its hard to fasten such things on the soule that so great things should be done but they are no greater than God hath said and hee is able to make good his Word The Lord hath said it and when God hath said it heaven and earth cannot unsay it when heaven hath concluded it earth and hell cannot disanull it The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it That is truth it selfe hath spoken it that cannot lye A man may lye and be a man and an honest man too he may sometimes speak an untruth it taketh not away his nature But God who is pure truth unchangable truth truth it selfe cannot lye When we heare of great matters as matters of Christianity be great matters they be as large as the capacity of the soule and larger too And yet the soule is large in the understanding and affection too When wee heare of such large matters wee need a great faith to believe them Great faith needeth great grounds and therefore its good to have all the helps we can When we heare of great things promised great deliverances great glory to strengthen our faith remember God hath spoken them He knoweth our weaknesse our infirmity and therefore helps us with this prop The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Let us therefore remember those great things are promised in the word of God in the word of Jehovah that can make them all good that gives a being to all his promises He is being it selfe and gives being to whatsoever he saith he is able to doe it Set God and his power against all opposition whatsoever from the creature and all doubts that may arise from our owne unbeleeving hearts The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it But yee will say the Prophet Esay saith it whose words they were I answer Isaiah was the Pen-man God the mouth the head dictateth the hand writeth Christ the head dictates and his servant writeth So that holy men write as they were inspired by the holy Ghost a better spirit than their owne Why doe yee look on me saith Isaiah thinke not it is I that say it I am but a man like your selves but the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it VVee should not regard men nor the Ministerie of men but consider who speaks by men who sendeth them with what commission doe they come Ambassadors are not regarded for themselves but for them that send them And therefore Cornelius said well We are here in the presence of God to heare what thou wilt speake in the name of God Acts 10. 33. And so people should come with that reverend expression VVee are come in the presence of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in the presence of the blessed Angells to heare what thou shalt say in the Name of God by the Spirit of God VVe are not to deal with men but with God And therefore he saith The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Hence may this question be easily answered VVhence hath the Scripture authority VVhy from it selfe it is the Word it carryeth its owne Letters testimoniall with it Shall God borrow Authority from men No the Authority the Word hath is from it selfe It hath a supreame authority from its selfe And wee may answer that question about the Judge of all controversies What is the supreame Judge the Word the Spirit of God in the Scriptures And who is above God It is a shamelesse ridiculous impudency of men that will take upon them to be Judges of Scripture as if man would get upon the Throne and as a Judge there Judge The Scriptures must judge all ere long yea that great Antichrist Now an ignorant man a simple man that perhaps never read Scriptures must judge of
the end of a promise is to support the soule till the performance God doth not onely reserve great things for us in another vvorld but to comfort us in the vvay doth reach out to us Promises to comfort us till vvee come thither There is a time when he will performe them and not onely a time but there are likewise promises of performance at that time the promises of these great things shall be performed The next thing is that God will stirre up in his Children a disposition suitable That is the Grace of waiting As great things were promised before so the soule hath a grace fit for it Wee have waited for thee And as they wait for them while they are in performing so they shall enjoy them Wee have wayted for thee and wee will bee glad in thy salvation We shall so enjoy them that we shall joy in them Good things when they be enjoyed they bee joyed in Againe wee shall rejoyce in our salvation wee shall glory in our God After they bee a while exercised in waiting then commeth performance then they bee enjoyed and they bee enjoyed with joy in glorying in God For that is the issue of a Christian when hee hath what hee would enjoy when hee enjoyeth it with joy when the fruit of it is that God hath his glory and therefore the heart can rejoyce in his salvation Then there is a day as for the exercising of his people here by waiting So there is a day of performing promises In that day That is a day of all dayes When that day commeth then all Prophecies and Promises shall be accomplished to the uttermost But before that great day there is an intermediate performance of Promises assisted by waiting to drop comfort to us by degrees He reserveth not all to that day there be lesser dayes before that great day As at the first comming of Christ So at the overthrow of Antichrist the Conversion of the Jewes there will be much joy but that is not that day these dayes make way for that day VVhensoever Prophecies shall end in Performances then shall bee a day of joying and glorying in the God of our salvation for ever And therefore in the Revelations where this Scripture is cited Revelations 21. 4. is meant the Conversion of the Jewes and the glorious estate they shall enjoy before the end of the world We have waited for our God and now we enjoy him I but what saith the Church there Come Lord Iesus come quickly there is yet another come Lord till wee be in heaven So that though intermediate promises bee performed here yet there is another great day of the Lord to be performed which is specially meant here The last thing considerable in the words is the manner of expression They are expressed full of life and with repetition to make them sure and more certaine In that day it shall be said this is our God wee have waited for him he shall save us He bringeth them in speaking these words of affection Indeed when wee come to enjoy the performance of Gods gracious promises if we should live to see the fulnesse of the Gentiles come and Jewes called wee should speake of it againe and againe Affections are large and few expressions will not serve for large affections It will be no tautology to say This is our God wee have waited for him Beloved times are yet to come which may much affect the hearts of the Children of God Howsoever we may not live to see the performance of these things yet wee shall all live to see that day of Judgement and then we shall say This is our God wee have waited for him VVee now see God in the Promises and then wee shall see him face to face whom wee have waited for in the Promises and we shall see him in heaven for ever Loe this is our God we have waited for him VVhile we live here we are in state of waiting wee are under Promises and a condition under promises is a waiting condition a condition of performance is an enjoying condition VVe are in a waiting condition till our bodies be raised out of the grave for when vve dye vvee vvait for the resurrection of our bodies VVe may say as Jacob vvhen he vvas dying I have waited for thy salvation VVe are in a vvaiting condition till body and soule bee joyned together at the day of judgement for ever And therefore vve should labour to have those graces that are suitable for this condition The things vve vvait for are of so transcending excellency as glory to come that they cannot bee vvaited for but the spirit by the things vvaited for fitteth us to vvaite for them A man cannot vvait for glory of soule and body but the Spirit that raiseth up faith to believe and hope to vvait vvill purge and fit and prepare him for that glorious condition He that hath this hope purifieth himselfe as hee is pure Oh it is a quickning waiting and a purging waiting it is efficacious by the Spirit to fit and purifie his soule suitable to that glorious condition hee waits for Where that is not it is but a conceit a very slender apprehension of the glory to come will make men better He that hath hope of heaven and happinesse under glory it will make him suitable to the place hee looketh for THE Eighth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. He shall swallow up death in victory and the Lord God will wipe away teares from off all faces and the rebukes of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it And it shall be said in that day loe this is our God wee have waited for him and be will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation TO come closer to the particulars It shall be said in that day loe this is our God The mouth of the Lord hath spoken gracious things before hath promised a Feast and an excellent Feast Gods manner is first of all to give promises to his Church why his goodnesse commeth from his goodnesse his goodnesse of grace commeth from his goodnesse of nature He is good and doth good Now the same goodnesse of disposition which we call bounty that reserveth heaven and happinesse for us in another world the same goodnesse will not suffer us to be without all comfort in this world Because the knowledge and revelation of the glory to come hath much comfort in it Therefore in mercy he not only intendeth performance of glory but out of the same fountaine of goodnesse he intendeth to reveale whatsoever is good for his Church in the way to glory So that promises of good come from the same goodnesse of God by which he intendeth heaven For what moved God to come out of that hidden light that no man can come into and discover himselfe in his sonne The word in his promises to reveale his
homeward yet hee will have it a state of good that we may not sinke in the way And not onely promises for in the way to heaven God keeps not all for heaven he lets in drops of comfort oftentimes in the midst of misery hee doth reveale himselfe more glorious and sweet then at other times there is nothing reserved for us in another world but wee have a beginning a taste an earnest of it here to support us till wee come to the full possession of what remaineth Wee shall have full communion of Saints there wee have it here in the taste of it Wee know what it is to be acquainted with them that be gracious spirits Wee have praising of God for ever there we know the sweetnesse of it here in the house of God which made David desire this one thing that hee might dwell in the house of God to visit the beauty of God c. There wee shall have perfect peace here we have inward peace unspeakable and glorious a peace that passeth understanding in the beginning of it There we shall have joy without all mixture of contrariety here we have joy and joy unspeakable and full of glory There is nothing in heaven that is perfect that is sweet and good and comfortable but we have a taste and earnest of it here The spirit will be all in all there there is somthing of it in us now more light in our understandings more obedience in our wills more and more love in our affections and it is growing more and more And therefore all is not kept for time to come we have somthing beginning here besides promises there is some little degrees of performance so that the state between us and heaven is a state mixt of good and imperfection Now God hath fitted graces suitable to that condition and that is expectation or waiting a fit grace and a fit disposition of soule from imperfect condition that is afterwards to be perfected for fruition is the condition of perfect happinesse not of waiting for waiting implieth imperfection This waiting carrieth with it almost all graces waiting for better times in glory to come it hath to support it It is a carriage of soule that is supported with many graces For first we wait for that we believe we have a spirit of faith to leade to it And then we hope before we waite and hope is the anchor of the soule that stayeth the soule in all the waves and miseries of the world it is the helmet that keeps off all the blowes This hope issues from faith for what we believe we hope for the accomplishment of it So that all graces make way for waiting or accompany it The graces that accompany the waiting for good things in time to come are patience to endure all griefes between us and the full possession of heaven Then long suffering which is nothing else but patience lengthned because troubles are lengthned and the time is lengthned So there is patience and patience lengthned which we call long suffering and then together with patience and long suffering there is contentment without murmuring at the dispensation of God something in the soule that he would have it to be so Hee that hath a heart to rise because hee hath not what hee would have hee doth not wait with that grace of waiting that issueth from a right spring God reserveth joy for the time to come for our home wee should be content to have communion with God and the soules of perfect men and not murmure though God exerciseth us with many crosses here And therefore the Scripture calleth it a silence In silence and in hope shall be your strength The soule keepeth silence to God in this waiting condition and this silence quells all risings in the soule presently As David my soule kept silence unto the Lord. It will still all risings of the heart issuing from a resignation of the soule to God to doe as he will have us to doe So it implieth patience and long suffering contentment holy silence without murmuring and repining And then it implies watchfulnesse over our selves till wee come to the full accomplishment of the promises that we carry not our selves unworthily in the meane time That wee should not spend the time of our waiting in wickednesse to fetch sorrow from the devill and the world to comfortus or to be beholding to Satan This is no waiting but murmuring and rebellion when in crosses and discomforts we cannot be content but must be beholding to the Devill so there must bee watchfulnesse and not onely so but fruitfulnesse in waiting For he waits that waiteth in doing good that waiteth in observance hee waiteth for his Masters comming that is doing his duty all the time in a fruitfull course of observance and obedience else it is no waiting waiting is not meerly a distance of time but a filling up of that time with all gracious carriage with obedience and with silence with long suffering and contentment and watchfulnesse wee take not any ill course and observance and with fruitfulnesse that wee may fill up times of waiting till performance with all the graces that we may have communion with God It is another manner of grace then the world thinks What is the reason of all the wickednesse of the world and barrennesse and voluptuousnesse but because they have not learned to wait They heare of good things and precious things promised but they would have present payment they will have somthing in hand As Dives sonne sonne thou hast had thy good things here they will have their good things here And what is the reason of wickednesse but because they will have present pleasures of sinnes Wee must preferre the afflictions of Christ before the pleasures of sin Now that shortnesse of spirit to have reward here is the cause of all sinne They have no hope nor obedience nor expectation to endure the continuance of diuturnity where then is patience and hope and contentment The character of a Christian is that he is in a waiting condition and hath the grace of waiting others will have the pleasures of sin their profits and contentments else they will cracke their consciences and sell Christ God heaven and all A Christian as he hath excellent things above the world so he hath the grace of expectation and all the graces that store up and maintain that expectation till the performance come And therefore it is an hard thing to be a good Christian another thing then the world taketh it to be For marke I beseech you what is between us and heaven that wee must goe through if ever wee will come there Between us and heaven the thing promised there be many Crosses to be met withall and they must be borne and borne as a Christian should doe Through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of Heaven Besides crosses there be scandalous offences
great day and of all the miseries that shall then be removed So there is a day when the Jewes shall be converted and the fulnesse of the Gentiles brought in and the man of sinne discovered and consumed by the breath of Christ And when the Church of God seeth them they may say Loe we have waited for the Lord and loe hee is come that we looked for is now fulfilled So that God reserveth not the fulfilling of all the promises to the great day of all dayes but even in this life hee will have a that day And it were very good for Christians in the passages of their lives to see how God answereth their prayers and delivereth them Let them doe as the Saints in the Old Testament that gave names to places where they saw God As Penuell hee shall see God and Abraham God will be seen in the Mount So Sampson and others they gave names to places where they had deliverance that they might be moved to bee thankfull A Christian taketh in all the comforts of this life to believe the things of the last great day Loe we have waited for him That shall be a time of sight and fruition of full power and full joy which is reserved for heaven then we shall say Loe behold this is the Lord. The more we see God here the more wee shall see him hereafter There be many wayes of seeing so as to say Loe this is the Lord. We may say from the poorest creature Loe this is the Lord here are beams of his Majesty in the works of his Justice and Mercy Loe here is the Lord. The Lord hath brought mighty things to passe the Lord is marvailous loving to this Children Behold and see the salvation of the Lord. We may say Loe here and see something of God in every creature no creature but hath something of God The things that have but meere being have something of God but the things that have life have more of God And so in some there is more in some lesse of God But in the Church of God specially wee may see his going in the Sanctuary Loe this God hath done for his Church And in the Sacraments we may say I have seen the Lord and felt the Lord in his Ordinance by his holy Spirit Wee doe all this before we come to see him in heaven but that is not meant specially We shall say Loe this is the Lord when we shall see him in heaven all sight here leadeth to that sight Faith hath a sight here but it is in the Word and Sacrament and so imperfect but the sight in heaven is immediate and perfect and therefore opposed to faith VVee live by faith and not by sight in heaven we shall live by sight not that we live not by sight here in some degree for the lesser sight leadeth to the greater sight But in comparison of sight in heaven there is no sight The Scripture speaketh of sight of God comparatively Moses saw God that is more than any other And Jacob saw God that is comparatively more than before but not fully and wholly VVee can apprehend him but not comprehend him as they say wee may see something of it but not wholly but in heaven we shall have another sight of God and then wee shall say Loe this is the God we have waited for wee shall see Christ face to face Beloved that is the sight indeed And if yee will aske me whether wee shall see God then or no Consider what I said before this is the God wee have waited for in obedience and fruitfully If we shall be ravished with the sight of God surely if we see him here we may see him there VVe see him with the eye of faith we see him in the Ordinance wee have some sight of God that the world hath not God discovereth himselfe to his children more than to the world And therefore they say thou revealest thy self to us not unto the world A Christian wonders that God should reveale his love and mercy and goodnesse to him more than to others And therefore if wee belong to God and shall see him hereafter wee must see him now as we may see him we must have some knowledge of him And if wee see God any way all things in the world will be thought of no request in comparison of the Communion of God in Christ As Isaiah 14. We have seen the Lord and what have wee to doe with Idols The soule that hath seene Christ growes in detestation of sinne and loatheth all things in comparison And then againe if we shall ever see God in glory in this glorious and triumphing manner This is the Lord This sight is a changing sight There is no sight of God but it changeth and alters to the likenesse of God When he calls to look up to him and he looks on us in favour and mercy The best fruit of his favour is grace of peace and joy for these be beames that issue from him grace as beames from the sunne But where-ever God lookes with any favour there is a conformity to Christ a gracious humble pittifull mercifull obedient disposition which is an earnest of the Spirit of Christ And there is a study of purity of a refined disposition from the pollutions of the world The pure in heart shall see God they that hope to see God for ever in heaven will study that purity that may dispose and fit them for heaven And there is such a gracious influence in it that they that hope for heaven the very hope must needs helpe to purifie them As there is grace suitable to waiting so there is an influence from the things hoped for to give vigor to all grace As all the graces of a Christian fit and inable him for heaven so hope of heaven yields life to all grace There is a mutuall influence into these things God vouchsafeth discovery of these glorious things to helpe us to wait to be patient and fruitfull and abundant in the work of the Lord. And the more wee wait fruitfully and patiently and silently the more wee see of heaven So that as in nature the seed bringeth the tree and the tree the seed so in the things of God one thing breeds another and that breeds that againe so that waiting and grace fit us for heaven and the thought of heaven puts life and vigor into all the graces that fit us for heaven What is our faith to those glorious things we shall see hereafter what is patience but for consideration of that what is hope but for the excellency of the object of hope And what were induring of troubles if something were not in heaven to make amends for all They help us to come to glory and the lively hopefull thoughts of those things animate and enliven all the graces that fit for heaven If ever we shall hereafter possesse heaven and say Loe this is he we have waited
that setteth up his rest here whosoever saith I have enough and will now take contentment in them he is a foole There is a rest for Gods people but it is not here Neither rest in any measure of grace or comfort What is faith to sight we have hope an Anchor and Helmet that keepeth up many a soule as the Cork keepeth from sinking What is this hope to the fruition of what we hope for Here we have love many love tokens from God I but what is love to union Ours is but a love of desire we are but in motion here we lye in motion onely and our desires are not accomplished what is this love to the accomplishing of the union with the thing beloved for ever Here we have Communion of Saints but what is this communion of Saints to Communion with God for ever We have infirmities here as others which breedeth jealousies and suspition I but we shall have Communion in heaven and there shall be nothing in us to distast others but everlasting friendship yea our Communion shall be with perfect soules Our Communion of Saints here is our heaven upon earth but it is Communion with unperfect soules Peace we have I but it is peace intermixt It is peace in the midst of enemies There we shall have peace without enemies Christ doth now rule in the midst of enemies In heaven he shall rule in the midst of his friends So that we can imagine no condition here though never so good but it is imperfect And therefore rest not in any thing in the world no not in any measure of grace any measure of Comfort till we be in heaven but waite for the time to come and rejoyce in hope by which we are saved Wait still and though we have not content here yet this is not our home this is a good refreshment by the way As when the Children of Israel came from Babylon they had wells by the way as in Michae they diged up wells So from Babylon to Ierusalem we have many sweet refreshments But they be refreshments far off the way God digs many wells we have brests of Consolation to comfort us I but they are but for the way And therefore let us answer all temptations and not take contentment with any thing here It is good but it is not our home Cui dulcis peregrinatio non amat patriam If we have eternity love heaven we cannot be over much taken with any thing in the way And so for the Church let us not be over much dejected for the desolation of the Church but pray for a spirit of faith which doth realize things to the soule and presents them as present to the soule seeth Babylon fallen presents things in the Scripture phrase and in the words Babylon is fallen for as much as all the enemies of the Church fall Mighty is the Lord that hath spoken and will performe it And as the Angell saith it is downe So time will come ere long when it shall be said It is downe The Church shall be gathered and then Loe this is our God It was the comfort of the beleeveing Jewes that the Gentiles should come And why should it not be the comfort of the Gentiles that there be blessed times for the ancient people of God when they shall all cry and say Loe this is our God We have waited for him long and he will save us Therefore be not over much discouraged for whatsoever present desolation the Church lyeth under If it were not for this we were of all men most miserable as Paul saith But there be times to come when we shall rejoyce and rejoyce for ever and make boast of the Lord if it were not we were of all men most miserable Howsoever happinesse is to come yet of all persons he is most happy that hath Christ and heaven The very fore-taste of happinesse is worth all the world the inward peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost the beginings of the Image of God and of happinesse here is worth all the injoyments of the world Aske of any Christian whether he will hang with the greatest worldling and be in his condition he would not change his place in grace for all his glory And therefore set heaven aside the very first fruits is better then all the heaivest of the world Let us therefore get the soul raised by faith to see her happinesse we need it all for till the soul get a frame raised up to see its happinesse here specially in the world to come it is not in a frame fit for any service it will not stoop to any base sinne where the affections are so possest they look upon all base courses as unworthy of their hope What I that hope to rejoyce for ever with God in heaven that am heir of heaven that have the Image of God upon me that am in Covenant with God to take any beastiall course to place my happinesse in things meaner than my selfe that have God to delight in a God in Covenant that hath taken me into Covenant with himselfe So I say in all solicitations to sinne get our selves into a frame that may stand firme and immovable In all troubles let us know we have a God in Covenant that we may joy in him here and rejoyce with him in heaven for ever hereafter FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE A. APPETITE page SPirituall Appetite how it may be gotten 16 17 18 19 B. All is of the best in Christ 8 BOUNTY Gods Bounty cause of promises 111 Wee should honour Gods Bounty 29 C. Great is the Cheare at Gospell-Feast 8 Spirituall chearefulnes 25 CHURCH The Church is an excellent society 3 Compared to a mountaine 4 Christian 's estate best 27 Holy Company 20 Comfort of the Scriptures 101 Controversies judged by Word of God 100 Scriptures are preserved from Corruption 103 God can effect things by Contraries 154 D. Spirituall Digestion 23 DEATH Death King of Feares 56 Spares none ib. is arm'd by sinne ib. attended on by Hell ib. is terrible to wicked men 64 a friend to the godly 66 Death of Christ hath conquered Death 59 60 Death is conquered though a Believer dye 63 64 Duillists their sinne and folly 65 E. Divine Efficacy of Gods Word 101 Emnity between two seeds 91 Emptinesse of soule fits for Christ 32 Of spirituall Exercise 19 Experience of Gods Word that its true 102 F. Gospell is a Feast 5 God is Founder of this Feast 6 Christ in the Jewish Festivals 15 Spirituall Famine 20 Feare of Death unbecomes a Christian 62 63 67 G. Guests invited to the Gospel-feast 7 Christs righteousnesse our wedding garment 12 H. Largenesse of heart fit for this Feast 16 In Heaven full performance of promises 122 123 124 Hopes upholds the heart in wayting 125 I. Ignorance on all men naturally 35 Infidelity shamefull 105 Interest in God cause of joy 160 161 162 Joy in God 158 159 Joy and griefe
consistent 88 Wee must justifie God in all 25 K. KNOVVLEDGE True knowledge is transforming 52 Desires to know more 51 Practise what wee know 49 L. LIGHT Naturall men want light 36 Naturally their light without heat 39 M. Majestie of the Scriptures 101 Christ compared to Manna 13 Religion makes not melancholy 26 Why Christians are melancholy 26 Christians have a mixture here 82 Church compared to a Mountaine 4 Mysteriousnesse of Scriptures 101 P. Plenty at the Gospell-feast 11 Preparation for this feast 16 Wee must purge the soule of sinne 16 Practise of what we know 49 Of Gods promises and their performance 107 Promises free and full 112 Promises long before performed why 113 114 Promises shall bee surely performed 121 152 Time of performance in Gods hand 152 Gods time best of performmance 154 Reason of Gods performance 152 R. Of the Rebukes of Gods people 89 Christ and his Members subject unto Reproaches 90 Christ will rowle away Reproach 93 How to carry our selves under Reproach 94 15 How wee must Relish the Word 22 Scriptures may bee proved to be the word of God by Reason 103 Christ a Rock 14 S. Sacrament of Lords Supper a feast 15 Sense of sinne 17 Soule hath her senses 21 Men naturally want sight 36 We must not judge by sight 79 Scandals against Religion 92 Holy Scriptures Word of God 99 Are supreame Iudge 100 Searching power of the Word 102 Spirit indited and interprets the Word 106 Sinne greatest cause of Sorrow 85 No Sorrow in heaven 84 Comfort in Sufferings 81 Naturall men see not things spiritually 38 Spirituall things are mysterious 35 36 Church excellent society 3 Wee must walke in the strength of Spirituall Refreshment 23 T. Of spirituall Taste 22 Wee have but a Taste here of what wee shall have hereafter 115 TEARES vide WEEP God will wipe away Tears 77 78 Signes of right Teares 86 87 88 Thankfulnesse to God for removing vaile 25 for Christs Conquest over Death 62 for accomplishment of promises 156 Gods Time of performance set best 154 Types of the Gospel 12 13 14 15 V. A Vaile over mens hearts 35 Unbeliefe is that Vaile 40 God onely can take away the Vaile 42 43 Meanes to have the Vaile removed 46 47 There is variety in Christ 10 Unbeliefe in every sinne 41 Christs victory over death 55 57 W. Of WAITING Our duty to waite upon God 115 It s hard to wait on God 118 Waiting overcomes all 119 120 Many graces exercised in waiting 116 117 Why God will have us to wait 150 151 Incouragements to waite 153 154. Good men apt to weepe 72 73 74 75 Though wee cannot weep yet wee must mourne 86 Spirit witnesses that the holy Scripture is Gods Word 101 Gods Word is to bee heard as the Word of God 104 God will make all his VVord good 16 FINIS The principal subjects handled in these Sermons 1. Of the Marriage-feast between Christ his Church Prov. 9. 2. Matth. 22. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. Gen. 49. 20. Super omnia vultus accessére boni 2. Of the vail of ignorance and unbeliefe and the removall of it 3. Of Christs conquest over Death Heb. 2. 14 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 13. 14. 4. Of the Christians teares and the wiping them away 5. Of the Rebukes and Reproaches of Gods people and the taking of them away 6. Of the Promises 7. Of the holy Scriptures and the divine Authority of them 8. waiting upon God Isai 26. 8. Isai 8. 17. The connexion of the Text. 1 Observ The Church the most excellent of all societies The Church built upon the strongest foundation 2 Obs Of the visibility of the Church The Mountaine is the Church God makes a Feast for his people The Lord of Hoasts the founder of the Feast This Feast is for all people Christ the chiefe dish in the Feast Why Christ with his benefits is compared to a Feast 1. Because the favours we have by Christ are choice ones 2. There is variety of favours in Christ Christ like the Indian plant Coquus good for all things 3. There is sufficiency and fulnesse in Christ 4. As a Feast for many so Christ is a feast for the community of Saints 5. Because we have the glorious attire of Christ as men put on choice garments at Feasts 6. Because he was resembled by the Paschal Lambe which was choosen foure daies before out of the flock 2. By Manna to which Christ answers in many particulars Surely those that are spirituall taste Christ 3. By the rock in the wildernesse 4. By all the Jewish festivalls 5. By the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Use Be prepared for this Feast 1. Labour for large hearts to receive much 2. Labour for spirituall appetite First means to get appetite soure herbes sense of sin and misery Second Means Third Means Fourth Means Acquaintance with those that are good Fifth Means We know not how long wee have to live Wee should hold out against hunger to come â—… 3. Get a spirituall disposition of soul to heavenly things The soule hath her senses Two things in spirituall tast Vse 4. Wee must labour for a digestion of spirituall things Vse 5. Wee must walk in the strength of spirituall favour Consequents of this Feast is spirituall chearfulnesse 2. Thankfulnesse 3. Justifie the waies of God against carnall slanders Object Religious people are melancholy Answ It s because they are not more religious A man may be ignorant of his comforts A Christian at the worst is happier then a worldling at the best Labour to partake of this Feast All invited We are sure to perish without Christ Honour God by taking alotted comforts The Spirit of God must work us to a relish of spirituall things We must bring something to the Feast though not of our owne Wee must bring empty soules and a spirit of Faith and a spirit of Love The services of this Feast Obs There is a vail over all mens spirits by nature A two-fold vaile 1. Of the things themselves 2 Of the souls not seeing or not beleeving 3 There must be a light to make things visible All things in religion are mysterious 1. There 's a vaile of ignorance on all naturall men Naturall men know not spirituall things in their proper species A godly man sees spirituall things intritively The light of the godly is a light with influence the light of the wicked is without it Simile Simile Simile There is a vaile of unbeliefe over the unregenerate Ignorance and unbeliefe act in all sinnes 2. Obser God only can take off the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe Reas Because of the unsuitablenes between the soule and spirituall things Foure things required in sight Foure degrees of discerning things Reas 2. Reas 3. And a disproportion also Reas 4. No creature Angels or men can bring light into the soule 3 Obs It s peculiar to the Church to have the vaile taken away It s
peculiar to the Church to know the greatest good and greatest evill 4 Obs Where the vaile is taken away there is spirituall joy and feasting Reason The same Spirit is a Spirit of Revelation and consolation Use 1. To labour to have this vaile taken off Meanes For this wee must attend on Ordinances Smile 3. Fashion not our selves after the times 4. Be carefull to practise what we know Quest Answ 5 Love what we know Use 2. Make our studies and closets Oratories for the getting of knowledge We can shut but not open our hearts to divine truths Quest How shall we know that we have heavenly light Answ 1. By a marvelling at the things of faith and the goodnesse of God in revealing them to us 2. By being carried with desire to know more and more 3. When the vaile is taken off by sanctified meanes which we can justifie by our owne experience of them Fourthly When our knowledge worketh upon us Application of this to the Sacrament Death is the great King of Kings Death spares none Death hath continued from the beginning let in by sin Sin armeth Death Hel the attendant of death Christ swallows up death in victory for himselfe and his Reas Because hee hath satisfied for sin A double kingdome of Christ 1. A kingdom of patience 2. A kingdom of power Christ conquereth for us and in us Death was conquered by Christ when he had given way to be under the power of it Use 1. First we see God gives way to his enemies for a time when he will give glorious victory Death is already swallowed up to faith Vse 2. Labour to be one with Christ crucified Vse 3. Be thankfull to God for this victory in Christ The benefits of death to a person that is in Christ Vse 4. Let those that are in Christ be ashamed of the feare of death Death terrible to the wicked They are fools that in a carnall bravery contemn death before disarmed in Christ Of Duellist Vs Of consolation to those that are in Christ Death is not only subdued but made a friend It s profitable to some to fal Satan hath advantage by our fearing death The worst the world can doe is to take away life and in that they doe the godly a pleasure Christ will draw his mysticall body to him into heaven Our comfort by Christ should make us fruitfull to Christ It s better to dye in the Lord than for the Lord. Prepare for death by getting into Christ Sin hath no Law in us to rule by * Good men easie to weepe Christ in heaven not without compassion * Psa 119. 136 * Phil. 3. 18 We have cause to weepe for the sinnes of others 1. From our love to God 2. From love to the Church and our brethren Simile Vse To condemne Stoicisme * Isa 1. 5. The best men aptest to grieve Vse 2. It s good wee doe grieve Avoid what hnders sensiblenesse The life of a Christian is a mixture of joy and sorrow Uses of joy in Christians We should picke matter of comfort out of griefe All causes of sorrow shall be removed The more teares here the more joy hereafter The Order First shed teares and then have them wiped away Reason 1. Our own necessity Simile Reason 2. For the increase of our comfort Simile Use 1. Take notice of the tender mercy of God in this that he will wipe away teares Judge not by sight for the godly here mourn most * 1 Cor. 15. 19. Be not discouraged for our own or Churches causes of griefe * Mat. 5. 4. Christians have more cause of joy than griefe and they ought to eye both This is comfortable while we live and when we die A carnall man is all joy or all sorrow The godly have a mixt condition and should have a mixt disposition Wayes are to be esteemed by their end Mat. 11. 19. Man since the fall subject to sorrow No sorrow in Paradise nor shall any be in heaven The greatest cause of the godlies mourning sin within him Rom. 7. 24. 1. A case about teares Psa 56. 8. God hath no bottle for some teares Marks of good teares 1. When their spring is the love of God 2. When wee weepe for our own sins and sins of others Truth of grace appeares more in grieving for others sins then our own 3. When our teares are shed in secret Jer. 13. 17. 4. When they tend to reformation of what they are shed for 2. Case How can a Christian joy and grieve together Phil. 4. 4. Gods people here are under rebuke and reproach Psal 137. Psal 22. 78. This text points at the conversion of the Jewes Reas There be two seeds in the world 1. Of the Serpent 2. Of the woman Carnall men would have all men thought of alike Men put a false vaile both on godlinesse and wickednesse Use 1. Take heed of laying scandal on religion Use 2. To study to be wise that wee be not misled by the misrepresentation of things The devill a lyar that he may be a murtherer Why it s the course of the world to slander Things shall be known to be as they arâ— Reason From Gods justice Revel 11. Use 1. To direct what course to take under disgrace and scandall 1. Labour to be innocent 2. To be patient 3. To be couragious 4 To be sincere 2 Cor. 5. 13. 14 2 Sam. 6. 20. 21. 5. Commend our credits to God by prayer Comfort your selfe in your own true worth 1 Cor. 4. 3. 1 Pet. 4 14. God putteth a glory upon his children under disgrace Mat. 5. 11. 12. Vse 2. For comfort to the godly their rebukes shall bee taken away God is the author of promises Use Consider God in the Promises to helpe our faith Quest How is it the the word of God sith Isaiah spake it Answ He did but write God did dictate Wee should not so much look on the Ministers as from whom they speak Quest 2. Whence hath the Scripture authority Answ From its selfe The Spirit of God in Scriptures Judge of all controversies Quest 3. How may wee know it is the Word of God but by the Chuâ—ch Answ As wee know a Letter from a friend Simile The word knowne to be of â—od 1. By its Majesty 2. Mysteriousnesse 3. Witnesse of the Spirit 4. Divine efficacy 1. In warming 2. Comforting 3. Changing 4. Casting down the soul Acts 16. 31. Adam nearest damnation 5. Searching b 1 Cor. 14 25. c Heb 4. 12. 5. The word proved to be of God from our experience 6. By reason Object The word may bee corrupted Answ The Jews lookt to the Old Testament Hereticks over the new Use 1. Let us regard heare Scriptures as the word of God Use 2. Know 1. God will make every part good Every threatning in it is ratified in heaven Use 3. Let us take shame to our selves for our infidelity in the promises Meanes To regard the word labour 〈◊〉 spirit that indited them Relishing the word makes a man a Christian indeed The points considerable Promises of God flow from Gods goodnesse Promises free and full Use Let us count promises our best treasure God taketh a long day for performance of promises Reas 1. To exercise our faith Reas 2. To waine from the creature Reas 3. To indear the things promised Reas 4. To fit us for injoyment Simile Simile A condition of waiting is a mixt condition of imperfection and perfection Wee have a taste here of what we shall have hereafter to support us Waiting is a grace whereby God sits us for an imperfect condition Waiting carrieth with it all graces 1. Patience 2. Long suffering 3. Contentment 4. Silence from murmuring 5. Watchfulnesse 6. Fruitfulnes Want of waiting the cause of wickednes Many rubs between us and heaven We are of unsetled dispositions It s hard to overcome tediousnesse of time All to be overcome by waiting God will performe promises to them that wait God keeps times and seasons in his own power There is a glorious day yet for Christians There be particular dayes of performance in this life Good to observe what dayes of performance God gives in A sight of God comparative here Absolute in heaven There 's an influence from the thing hoped for to uphold graces in waiting Simile Wee should look to the last end to fit us for it God will have us continue in a state of waiting Reas 1. It s his pleasure we should live by faith not by sight Reas 2. We are not yet fitted for sight of Glory Reas 3. Because God would have us enjoy the best at last Waiting not an empty thing Simile God fits heaven for us and us for heaven As there is a time of waiting so there will be a time of performing 1 Reas God is Jehovah Reas 2. God is faithfull Reas 3. He hath bowels of compassion towards his people Reas 4. Because the grace we have is but an earnest of what we shall have Our faith should answer Gods dealing Waiting the character of Gods people Directions to help waiting 1 Gods time is the best time 2 God will effect things though by contraries Times are in Gods hands There 's suitable action for every affection In performance of promises be much in thankfulnesse Experience of Gods performances should stir up waiting We ought to treasure up experiences God an inexhaust fountain Gods carriage towards his children is salvation Our joy and happinesse is in the enjoyment of God The joy of a Christian ends in glorying Begin to glory in God here Interest in God Christ is the ground of all rejoycing Therefore we are to make good that interest whilst we are here 1 By Union 2 By acquaintance with him The Church cannot be without Christ nor Christ without the Church In heaven nothing but in its admirable 1 Be not offended at the meanenesse of the Church 2 Nor offended with Religion for there 's a glory to come 3 Be not afraid to dye for heaven is our rest and center 4 Neither rest in any measure of grace or comfort here 5 Be not overmuch dejected for the desolation of the Church The fore taste of heaven is better than all worldly happinesse
hath overcome the the fear of death once what more is to be done What if they take away life they cannot take away that that is better than life the favor of God If we dye in the Lord we dye in the favor of God which is better than life and we shall be found in the Lord at the day of judgement and shall bee for ever with the Lord in heaven and therfore this is a ground of resolution in good causes notwithstanding all threats whatsoever because death it selfe is swallowed up in victory The worst the world can doe is to take away this Nature of ours when they have done that they have done all they can and when they have done that they have done a pleasure That is not to be feared saith Tertullian that frees us from all that is to be feared What is to be feared in the world every sicknesse every disgrace why death frees us from all We doe see every day takes away a peece of ones life and when death commeth it overthroweth it selfe for the soule goeth presently to the place of happinesse the body sleepeth awhile and death hath no more power He that beleeveth in mee saith Christ hee shall not see death but is past from death to life He shall not see spirituall death but as he lives in Christ shall dye in Christ and rise againe in Christ He that hath the life of grace begun shall have it consummate without interruption It s a point of wonderfull Comfort that death is so overcome that we bee in heaven already And it is no hard speech but stands with the truth of other points for are not Christ and we all one his body is there and is not he the head of his mysticall body hee that carried his naturall body will not hee carry his mysticall body thither too will hee bee in piece-meale in heaven Therefore we are in heaven already the best part of us We are represented in heaven for Christ represents us there as the Husband doth the Wife He hath taken up Heaven for us Christ cannot be divided as Austine saith we sit in heavenly places already with Christ And what a comfort is this that while wee live we are in heaven and that death cannot hinder us from our Resurrection which is the restoring of all things And therefore as the Apostle saith Comfort one another with these things These things indeed have much comfort in them Let us labour then to bee comfortable this use the Apostle makes of it and fruitfull in our places upon consideration of the victory we have by Christ 1 Cor. 15. It is an excellent Chapter that largely proveth Christs victory as the cause of our victory because hee is the first fruit that sanctifieth all the rest Finally my bretheren bee constant immoveable alwayes abound in the works of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. He raiseth that exhortation of fruitfulnesse and constancy from this very ground of the victory Christ hath gotten by death O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory thanks bee to God through Jesus Christ And therefore be constant immovable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord Make that use the Apostle doth of fruitfulnesse to God for Christ that we can thinke of death and sinne the devill and all his malice and not be afraid yea thinke of them all with comfort that we be not onely freed from their tyranny but they bee our friends Christ hath the Key of Hell and Death a saying taken from the custome of Governours that carryed the Key he hath the Government and Command of Hell and Death Now if Christ hath command of Death he will not suffer Death to hurt his Members or triumph alwayes over them he will keep them in the grave Our bodies are safe in the grave the dust is fitted for a heavenly for another manner of body than we have now and Christ that hath the Key will let them out againe Therefore trust awhile till times of restoring come and then we shall have a glorious soule and glorious body as the Apostle saith I beseech you think of these things and get comfort against the evill day And to that end be sure to get into Christ that wee may bee in Christ living and dying and bee found in Christ For what saith the Scripture Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. It is an argument of blessednesse to dye for the Lord but if it be not in the Lord it is to no purpose If there is granted this happinesse of dying for the Lord it is well but blessed are they that dye in the Lord. Why they rest from their labour Death takes them off from their labours All their good Workes goe to heaven with them So saith the Spirit whatsoever the Flesh saith and there is no resting till that time their life is full of troubles and combers and therefore labour to get assurance that wee are in Christ that wee bee in Christ and dye in Christ and then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ How besotted are wee to put away preparation of Death till it comes he that forgets Christ and getting into Christ all his life time it is Gods just judgment that he should forget himself in death We see how a villaine that hath no care of his owne life may have power of another mans life And therefore labour to bee ingraffed into Christ by faith and that we may know it by the Spirit of Christ prevailing in us over our naturall Corruptions more and more As the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ for the spirit of life the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ hath freed me from the Law of sinne and death the condemning law of sinne If the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ the head be in us in any measure it frees us from the condemning law of sinne that it carrieth us not whither it would then wee may say with comfort There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ for the law of the spirit of life in Christ hath freed us from the condemning tyrannizing law of sinne and death Sinne hath no Law It is in us as a subdued Rebell but it sets not up a Throne Some hope to bee saved by Christ and yet they set up sinne a Throne in the soule Sinne biddeth them defile themselves and they must obey it This is a wofull estate how can they expect to dye in the Lord but such as are freed by the Law of the Spirit of life New Lords new Lawes When Kings Conquer they bring fundamentall Lawes and when wee are taken from Satans Kingdome into the Kingdome of Christ the fundamentall Lawes are then altered Christ by his Spirit sets up a Law of believing
and praying and doing good and abstaining from evill the Law of the Spirit of life frees us from the Law of sinne and death I beseech you inlarge these things in your thoughts They bee things wee must all have use of beforehand against the evill day It should bee comfortable and usefull to us all to heare that our enemy our greatest enemy Death is swallowed up in victory And yet there 's more comfort in the Text. THE Fifth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And all teares shall be wiped away from all faces NOt only death shall be swallowed up in victory but God will wipe away all tears from all eyes Religion shall be religion good things shall be good things nothing shall go under false notions all tears shall be wiped away we have now many causes of teares In the world there is continuall raising of clouds that distill into drops of teares had we nothing without us to raise a vapour to be distil'd in teares we are able to raise up mists from our owne mists from our owne doubts and conflicts within As we should weepe for our owne sinnes so for the sinnes of others as wee may see in Jeremy where the Prophet saith Oh that my head were a fountaine of teares that I might weepe continually for the sinnes of my people And indeed good men are easie to weepe as the heathen man observeth they are easie to lament not onely for their own sinnes but the sinnes and misery of another Our blessed Saviour himselfe we never read that he laughed wee have heard that he wept and for his very enemies Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem He shed teares for them that shed his bloud Teares were maine evidences of Christs sweetnesse of disposition as that hee would become man and a curse and die for us and that he would make so much of little children and call all to him that were weary and heavy laden that hee never refused any that came to him Hee that wept specially for the miseries and afflictions this shewed his gracious and sweet disposition And that in heaven he is so full of sympathies in glory that when Paul persecuted the Church Why dost thou persecute me So though he is free from passion in heaven he is not free from compassion from sympathie with his Church And so every child of God is ready not onely to grieve for his own sinnes and the miserie that followeth them but the sins and miseries of others Mine eyes gush out with rivers of teares saith the Prophet David when hee saw that men brake the law of God whom he loved A true naturall child takes to heart the disgrace of his father if we be not grieved to see our father disgraced wee are bastards not sonnes They that make a sport of sinne what are they Alas they have not one sparke of the spirit of adoption they are not children who rejoyce at that at which they should grieve So Saint Paul I have told you often and now tell you weeping there be many enemies of the crosse of Christ When he saw some men preach against and others enemies of the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation hee telleth them of it weeping Wee have cause therefore to mourne for the sinnes of others and for the miseries of others whether we respect God or the Church or our selves First the love of God moveth us to weepe when wee see him dishonored If we love the Church we should mourne for any sinnes that may prejudice their salvation Doth it not pitty any man to see an Oxe go to slaughter to see a man of parts otherwise by sinning against conscience going to slaughter to see an ordinary swearer an uncleane person a prophane wretch covering himselfe with pride as a garment scorning God and the world and all Can a Christian looke upon this see flesh and blood like himself under the Gospell under a cursed condition unavoidable without serious repentance and not be affected with it Can a man see a poore Asse fall under a burthen and not helpe to take it up and yet see man falling to hell and not be affected with it Thus we see wee have cause enough of teares And as there is cause so we should be sensible we ought to take to heart the afflictions of Joseph hee is a dead man that hath not sense in this kinde If wee go to the body and state or any thing about a man there is cause of griefe hath not every member many diseases and is not our lives a kind of hospitall some sicke of one thing some of another But as there is cause wee should bee sensible of it wee are flesh and not stones therefore it is a sottish opinion to be stockish and brutish as if to out-face sorrow and griefe were a glory When our Saviour was sent into the world Christi dolor dolor maximus there were no patience without sensiblenesse away then with that iron that flinty Phylosophy that thinks it a vertue to be stupid And as the Apostle saith Romans 1. 31. without naturall affections He counteth it the greatest judgement of God upon the soule yet they would have it a vertue Why should I smite them any more saith God they have no sense no feeling The proud Phylosopher thought it was not phylosophicall to weepe a proud stoicall humor but Christians desire it And therefore we ought to labour to be more sensible that we might make our peace and reverence the justice of God and be more sensible of him afterwards It is most true that Sapiens miser plus miser the more wise any man is the more sensible of misery And therefore of all men the best men have most griefe because they have most quicke senses they be not stupified with insensibility and resolutenesse to beare it bravely as the world but they apprehend with griefe the cause of griefe And as they have a more sanctified judgement than other men so they have a more wise affection of love and a quicker life of grace where life is there is sense and where there is a cleare sight or cause of griefe there is most griefe Therefore the best men have most griefe because they be most judicious most loving Then they have most grace to beare it out of all others therefore considering there is cause in our selves and in others of griefe continually wee ought to labour to be sensible of it else it were no favour to have teares wiped away So that there is cause of teares and teares is a duty of Christians sensible of the cause both of sinne and misery upon one and another And as it is an unavoidable griefe so it is good wee should grieve we must stoope to Gods course we must bring our hearts to it and pray that since our necessities and sins doe call for this dispensation that we must under correction he will make us sensible of his rod that