years and been bruised by Satan yet be sure the year of Jubile will come when the trumpet shall sound for the diliverance of such bruised captives as thou art See one text more Isaiah 57.17 18. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth saith God And I shewed it to for I smote him saith he Yea but it is like it was but a very geritle stroke for if he had smitten hard it is like the man would have repented and turned yes saith the Lord but I did strike hard for I hid me and was wrath that is a great blow indeed beloved when the Lord hides himself that takes away all comfort and all hope sure the sinner will turn now or never there will be some fruit now of this stroke or else he will be given up as one incureable no saith the text he went on frowardly for all that and how does God deal with this wicked wretch now will he not throw him to hell immediately or if he spare him any longer sure it is but for distruction that will be the end of him No saith God I have seen his wayes and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him Who would look to hear such gracious words as these from God Oh the riches of his free grace and mercy to old froward wetched sinners therefore fear not to cast your selves upon him although you be never so bad but if you be not able to cast yourselves upon him yet do not run away from him but lie at the Pool I mean the Ordinances and wait on Christ and he will find a time to visit you and to heal you and although you be so lost that you cannot return to him yet be sure you hide not your selves from him and then be sure Christ will not fail to do that good work for which his father sent him namely to seek and to save such lost ones as thou art And in the next place labour to beleeve the promises sir down and consider how many precious promises there be made in the Scriptures to sinners to undodly ones to all the ends of the earth to all comers come whose will and whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely Revel 22.17 without money or price as Isaiah saith Isaiah 55. that is without any condition of worth on your part in the least degree I have laid many precious promises before you this day already read them over again and say to your selves these promises are held out to me and to such as I am and it is my duty to beleeve them and to apply them to my self do this the very first work you do think not to repent and to humble hy self first but before ever thou goest about that labour to beleeve and be not so foolish as to think to amend either thy heart or thy wayes before thou beleevest It is true I would not go about to perswade you other-wayes but that it is your duty to be humbled and to repent and to cast away all your trangressions and to study to be holy both in body and in spirit and also in conversation but if you think to do any of all these great works before you beleeve you go about a foolish work that will never prosper nor come to any thing for you must receive all that grace and power from Christ by faith through which you are inabled to all that is good and therefore if you would repent or obey or get your hearts changed or your lusts subdued go to Christ and rest upon him for grace to do all these duties And in the third place go to the Lord and ask repentance of him and begg a new heart and what ever else thy soul stands in need of and tell him how great thy wants be and what gracious promises he hath made to sinners and pray him to make them good to thy poor soul But me thinks I hear some poor soul say indeed if I were able to pray it were to be hoped that I might speed but alass I am not able to pray in the spirit and therefore I had as good say nothing I answer no more can young Ravens pray in the spirit and yet God heareth their cry and so he doth hear also the cryes of wicked men else how came Manaseh out of Bahylon 2 Chron. 33.13 also such as are wicked are incouraged to seek the Lord Isaiah 55.6 7. Oh but sayes the poor soul the prayer of the wicked is a bominable therefore how can I pray I answer if indeed thou meanest to go on in the wickedness without any purpose or desire to be better he will not hear in such a case but if thou go to him to be delivered from sin as well as from wrath he will surely hear thy cry and wil help thee Oh but the scripture saith that if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me To this I answer if indeed thou do regard iniquity thou must not look to be heard but the question is what it is to regard iniquity now I will tell you that man that goes to God with a forme of words and with them thinks to please him but hath no desire at all to ask nor yet to receive any help against sin but resolves to live and continue in that still this man regards iniquity but on the other hand that man that hath lusts that he cannot master but yet he would be well content if the Lord would be pleased to subdue them for him and there is no request that he hath more desire to be heard in then in this that he might be delivered from his beloved sin Now this man doth nor regard iniquity although it may be strong in him But if he cry to the Lord for help he will surely hear his cry and will save him But if thou judgest that thou canst not pray yet ask for mercy for all that there is a sweet text in the Prophesie of Hoseah 14.2 the Lord tels wicked men there what they shall say to him for you most know that this Prophesie was sent to Israel in there backslidden and Idolatrous estate and yet the Lords goodness is such that he perswades them to return and seek for mercy but he takes it for granted that they cannot pray for it and therefore he tels them what they shall say take with you words and say untu hom saith the Prophet take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Mark it I pray you if they had had a spirit of prayer the Lord need not have bidden them take words to them and say receive us for where a spirit of prayer is there it helpeth our infirmities and reacheth us to make request according to the will of God as it is Rom. 8.26 27. if we have the spirit it will sufficiently open our minds unto our father but if we have it not then let us take words to us and
vanities of this world and the letting of the golden oppertunities slip in which you should make sure eternal life Beloved the most lawful and the most excellent injoyments that you can meet withall under the sun what are they but very husks and doggs-meat nay drosse and dung in comparison of that eternal inheritance which is surely kept for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Think of it I pray you and be not so wilfully foolish and mad as to lose this blessed and rich portion for any present pleasures or profits whatsoever although they may seem never so sweet if you should see a man in the time when his harvest is ripe run up and down to catch butterflies or go every day to the woods a nutting till his corn were loft would you not think this man to be worse then a fool beloved so foolish yea ten thousand times more foolish is that man that shall gain the whole world and all the glory of it with the losse of eternall life now therefore once more I beseech you as you love your own poor souls mind what I have said unto you Beloved your own happiness and comfort only is concerned in it as for the Lord you cannot hurt him neither will he lose any glory although you should be eternally condemned and parish and as for me althovgh I should be glad and exceedingly rejoice that you might reap the fruit and comfort of all my labours and that upon this account we might all rejoice together in the day of Christ yet if you do not but foolishly and wickedly forsake your own mercies I pray you take notice that I know the losse will be your own and I shall receive my reward according to my labour 1 Cor. 3.8 whether you profit by it or no and although Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord saith the Prophet Isaiah 49.5 Now therefore consider that your own eternal welfare meerly is concerned in it and if that which I have said will not prevail with you I cannot help it I shall to this text speak no more but commend you and what I have said unto you unto him that is able to blesse you and that also delighteth to pour down blessings FINIS Signes of a Dying Christian Signe I. WHen you are so indifferent to assemble that you can come or you cannot come Signe II. When in your purest worship you are quickly weary Signe III. When you care not to hear one matter often though sutable truth Signe IV. When few Sermons will please you either you like not matter or manner or man Signe V. When you think that you know enough you may think hat you know enough upon these deceivable accounts 1 When you measure what you know by your own oyes or light you think that you know enough not measuring what you know by the rule of Knowledge the word of God 2 When you measure what you know by what once you did know not considering that further light forceth further knowledg cals for proportionable practise 3 When you measure what you know by what you see others that profess to know do what they do 4 When you measure what you know by what you are disposed to practice or do picking or choosing such commands of God as like you 5 When you measure not what you know by what God in his word calls you to do Signs how you may know you are clothed with this spirit of Deceit 1. When you have a low value of that meanes that under God first brought you to know 2. When you are mighty prodigall of what you know thinking no matter well managed that you have not most voice in 3 When you please your selves with the thought that few or none outstrip you in knowledg having a secret scorn to compare your selves with any 4 When in all things material you are not careful to take counsel of God before you bring matters to action Signe VI. When a smal offence will keep you from Christs Table Signe VII When you have no great mind to prayer in which there is necessity and excellency lets helps Necessity 1. from Command 2 From the Example 3 The Provision 4 The importunity 5 The Danger 6 the Advantage It s Excellency First it engageth Gods strength 2 It holdeth with holy reverence Gods hands 3 It makes every condition savory or sweet 4 In no condition we can be barr'd from it Letts 1 Wandring thoughts 2 Presumption in an unreverent adventuring before the Lord 3 Bosom fin or pleasant delight in some secret Lust 4 VVant of reconciliation to Brethren 5 Despairing doubts of being answer'd Helps to Prayer for say some I would but I cannot Pray I want words when I go to my Knees all I can do is but to sigh 1 From the necessity and excellency of Prayer labour to get a feeling of the necessity and excellency so as that thy heart goeth under a grievous burden because thou canst not pray 2 Study much to be sensible of your great want of Gods daily help 3 Consider God hath provided no way for you to acqualnt him with your wants but Prayer and if you cannot pray how will you make your Complaints to God 4 Consider that all your mercies become blessings to you no other way but through Prayer 5 Consider what a miserable condition wil yours be if cast into the Lyons Den VVhales Belly or the Stocks 6 Intreat Jesus Christ to teach you to Pray Signe VIII VVhen you have no great delight in reading the Holy Scriptures ignorance whereof brings these six Calamities 1 It makes you in a wilderness when sickness and affliction comes because you will not know how and why they come 2 Ignorant that your uneven walking with God may bring upon your selves death before its time 3 Ignorant how to ask in Faith the things you want for soul or body 4 Ignorant wherein you may prevent the presence and comforts of Gods Holy Spirit 5 Ignorant that there is a Legion of evil Spirits waiting hourly to take advantage against you 6 Ignorant that you may hinder Gods holy Spirit from doing any effectual work upon your souls Signe IX VVhen you are mighty inquisitive after novelties rather than wholsome Doctrine Signe X. VVhen you can hear of foul miscarriages in others with little or no heart remorse Signe II. VVhen in your comings together your talk is not savory and Heavenly Signe XII VVhen you are so little prepared for the solemn Assemblies as that they come before you think of them or long for them Signe XIII When you come to the Assembly more for fear of Brethrens eye than Christs eye Signe XIV VVhen the decay in Christs house less troubles you than the decay in your own house Signe XV. VVhen you can see Christs Children stoop with trouble and you not sympathize with them Signe XVI VVhen you will rather betray the Name of Jesus and the credit of his Gospel by your silence than appear for it to your own suffering and disparagement Signe XVII VVhen at a smal offence you are so impatient that you commit great sin Signe XVIII VVhen you are more careful to get the words of Christs people than the Spirit of Christs people the form than the power Signe XIX VVhen you are not much troubled at your own miscarriages while they are kept from publick view Signe XX. VVhen you love least those Brethren that deal most faithfully with you Signe XXI VVhen under more than ordinary troubles you are not more than ordinary in Prayer Signe XXII VVhen you are mighty careless to enquire after the spiritual cause of affliction and mighty careful to enquire after the natural cure Signe XXIII VVhen you pray more for afflictions being removed than sanctified Signe XXIV VVhen under Gods calamity you can neither find necessity nor excellency to humble your selves by fasting Signe XXV VVhen Gods Rod worketh so little upon your hearts that you can neither tell wherefore it s come nor what good it hath done Signe XXVI VVhen you have an evil eye to your fellow Brethren because they outgrow you Signe XXVII When the thoughts of your dearest Lust or any sin is pleasing to you Signe XXVIII When you are mighty curious about the lesser matters of Gods Law but mighty careless about the weightier Signe XXIX When the Holy Spirits help to the great work of Mortification seems not of absolute need to you XXX When you are so ignorant of your spiritual standing that you know not whether you grow or decay FINIS
MEANES TO PREVENT PERISHING OR THE USEFULNESSE OF The Saving Knowledge OF GOD. Discovered in these Particulars I. The blessed tendency the Knowledg of God hath to bring Men to Salvation II. The One-ness of the Father Son and Spirit III. The excellency of Christs Person IV. The excellent nature of Eternal Life By W S. a Servant of the Lord Jesus Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Fr. Smith in Flying-Horse Court in Fleet-street 1658. To the READER Courteous Reader THese following lines are brought to thy view through the desire of some that heard them Preached and could not be satisfied till others had a taste of them as well as themselves It grieves me for thy sake that a subject of this worth hath not been brought forth by some better abilities but seeing it is my lot to be the instrument of its birth I must present a few requests to thee And the first is this that thou wouldst consider the usefulness of these most precious truths how much they will contribute toward the attainment of thine eternal peace Knowledge in general is justified of all her Sons to be of excellent worth but amongst all Knowledge the knowledg of God in Jesus Christ must be confess'd to be a jewel of the choicest worth it is the Corner Stone of all Religion and piety that tends to set thy judgement right in all other points and an excellent guide to the right interpretation of the holy Scriptures It hath likewise a great command over the Conscience and hath a blessed tendence to keep thee from prophaneness unrighteousness and negligence when once thou comest to know God in Christ thou canst not well through despair want incouragement to serve God nor yet through presumption take the boldness to wander from his Commandements but this Grace is such a help to keep thy heart and life in an upright frame that without very much wilfulness thou canst not well go out of thy way to happiness And likewise the knowledge of the worth of Eternal Life tends much to draw thy mind from Eartly vanities to those things that be above A second desire I have to thee is this That thou wilt lay aside that overliness and formality of Spirit wherewith Books of this nature are oftentimes read as if they were things that concerned us not but be so faithful to thy Souls interest as to read this without prejudice partiality and slightness of spirit lay up these truths in thine heart and bring forth the fruit of them and doubtless they will make thy conversation to shine to the praise of the Grace of God in this life and also make thee a meet heir of that glorious inheritance prepared for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Thirdly I beseech thee if thou meetest with Edification and Comfort as I trust thou wilt in the reading of this Book when thine heart is warm present a request to the Throne of Grace for the Author thereof that he may never be so unhappy as to carve all these sweet dainties away to others from himself but that he may be through Grace inabled to take his own share of them for his saving advantage So commending my poor yet faithful Labours to thy serious consideration and to the blessing of the great God of Heaven and Earth I remain thine in the Lord Jesus W. S. MEANES TO PREVENT PERISHING THE FIRST EXERCISE John 17.3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent IN the words immediately going before you may observe that our Lord Jesus is a speaking by way of acknowledgment unto his Father of that authority and power that he had given him over all Flesh And in particular to give eternal life to a certain number there specified Which words I shall not speak further to now having opened them the last time I spake unto you In the words now read unto you you are to consider in what sence the knowledg of God and of Christ is Eternal Life I shall apply my self to this only at this time and not stand to shew you what is here meant by Eternal Life having done it so lately nor yet stand to shew you in what sence the Father sent Christ nor what to do nor wherefore he is said to be the only true God But I shall leave all this till another time and come to this particular only at this time to consider how the knowledg of God and of Christ is Eternal Life First then let us consider whether the meaning of the words be this That the persons that know the Father and Jesus Christ do indeed possess Eternal Life Or Secondly Whether they that know God and Christ are thereby assured of Eternal Life Or Thirdly Whether those that know the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ have thereby a very excellent means that hath a very gracious tendency in it to bring the persons in whom this knowledg is to Eternal Life Now I shall not stand to oppose the two former Expositions nor undertake to say that in no sence or degree they might be granted to be true yet the latter I take to be the meaning of the words namely this That the knowledg of God and of Jesus Christ is a means of Eternal Life Beloved I pray you observe it when the Scripture saith the knowledg of God is eternal life less than this cannot be in it that it is a means thereof Now therefore I pray you observe this general Conclusion from the words Doct. 1. That the knowledg of God and of his Son Jesus Christ is a glorious means of Eternal Life that hath a very gracious tendency in it to bring persons in whom this knowledg is to that happy enjoyment I shall name you two or three Texts more that speak the same language the first is in the 9 of Ier. 23 24. verses Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the mighty in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that gloryeth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me Mark it beloved let not the wise man glory in his wisdom and yet wisdom is a most excellent gift that might better be gloried in then riches or strenth or any gift of that like nature and yet the spirit of God grants no liberty to glory in it but in this saith the Lord let him glory that he understandeth and knoweth me Now if in this you may so freely glory by the allowance of the Holy Spirit and yet neither in gifts nor parts surely this knowledg is of a most excellent tendency to bring much advantage and good to the Soul Another text you shall find in the 1 of Cor. the 1.21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
there is one and but one Eternal Infinite Unchangeable and Invisible God from whom all things were are for evermore who is alone to be feared and obeyed and to be worshipped in spirit and in truth and to be had in especial reverence of all that come about him But I shall say no more to this trusting none of you will deny it but shall come in the next place to shew you that what is Attributed unto the true God and that which in a proper sence is only meet to be ascribed unto him is also ascribed both unto the Lord Jesus and also to the Holy Spirit Now therefore for the first of these you shall see how pregnant and plainly the Scriptures do acknowledg the Lord Jesus to be God and do give as much honour unto him as is or as can be given to the Father look Isai 6.9 the words are these For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulders Here you see plainly that this is spoken of the Lord Jesus and can be applyed to no other Now you shall see what is there further said of him and what Names and Titles are Attributed to him in the following words and his Name shall be called wonderful Counsellor the mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace now tell me I pray you what ever was or can be ascribed to the Father more than this to call him The mighty God what can be in that word less than this the acknowledging of him to be the Author and Fountain of might and power likewise to call him The everlasting Father what can it signifie less than his being the first cause of all things and he that by himself alone and his own might and power hath produced them and brought them forth Again look Rev. 1.8 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come the Almighty I pray you think of it for my part I cannot see that in these termes beginning and ending first and last as it follows in verse 11. there can be less than the magnifying of himself to be the first cause of all things and the upholder of them to all Eternity and the manifester of himself in them to be even from eternity the only true God for if there had been any other either before him or together with him from Eternity then could he not be called the first and for this word the Almighty it is so full a word to express the Godhead by that I cannot tell where you can find a fuller for if in him be all might then no part of this Almightiness can be found in any other and so much this word the Almighty must needs signifie now if you compare this with vers 17 18. you will clearly see that all this the Lord Jesus speaks of himself and therefore he cannot be less than God Again if you please to look Phil. 2.6 there you will find the Apostle saying that he thought it not robbery to be equal with God but if he had not been truly God indeed it could not have been less than robbery either so to speak or so to think for it is impossible for any created Being that is the Off-spring of God to reckon it self equal with God without committing those most horrible great sins of Pride and Blasphemy and therefore it is most evident that he that thinks it no Robbery to be equal with God cannot be less than God himself and if you please to look in the first Epistle of John chap. 5. Verse 20. there you shall find the name of the True God ascribed to Jefus Christ but no where in all the Scriptures shall you find that the name of the true God is used in a figurative sence but he to whom this honour is given must needs be the most high God Further in John 20.28 there you shall find Thomas acknowledging of him to be both his Lord and his God but if it had not been a Title fully due unto the Lord Jesus both he and Thomas had greatly failed the one in giving and the other in taking this great glory to himself Now I shall come in the next place to shew you that the Holy Spirit also is God and that that which is ascribed unto him in the Scriptures could not be ascribed to him if he were not God First consider what Names and Titles the Holy Spirit taketh unto himself Isai 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is holy Mark it spray you for any Man to call himself by the Name of the most High and lofty One that is inferior to the most High it is impossible or to ascribe to himself Eternity or the Name of the Holy One that is not the most High and Eternal God it cannot be but this is spoken by the Spirit and that of himself as you may see by that which follows in the next words I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Here you see by the gracious work and Office here undertaken who it is that speaks for it is granted of all men that it is the proper work and office of the Spirit to be the Sanctifier and comforter of the people of God and that it is he which doth refresh and revive and comfort the hearts of poor humble contrite sinners but if men should deny it yet the Scriptures do clearly witness it I will name you but one Text for this Iohn 14.16 17 18. there Christ tells his Disciples That he will pray the Father to send them this Comforter this holy Spirit that should abide with them for ever and dwell both in them and with them and they should not be left comfortless whence you see plainly that the in-dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the heart is that which doth support and comfort and revive it and he that doth this gracious work for and in the souls of Gods poor people is that high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity which must needs be the only true God But some men may say how can the Holy Spirit be God seeing Christ saith that he will pray the Father to send him and when he comes he shall not speak of himself can he be the Messenger of the Father or of Christ to bring their minds unto the understandings of men and yet be the same true and only God For answer unto this you must know that all the mercy that is or that can be extended unto the sons of Men comes unto them through the mediation of the Lord Jesus and therefore it was necessary that Christ should dye and rise and ascend yea I must tell you if Christ had not gone on and finished the work of
Redemption as well as undertook it I say if Christ should have left the work in the midst as his poor Disciples through their ignorance would have had him there could never have been so great a mercy extended neither to them not to any others as the coming of the Holy Spirit and therefore our Lord tells them he must go or else the Comforter will not come now the reason wherefore the Spirit is said to be sent to do so many good Offices for the Saints is not to make us think that he is an inferior Messenger but to let us know that all that joy and comfort peace and sanctification and in a word all that Grace that is extended through the Divine operation of the Holy Spirit it all comes unto us through the blood-shedding of our Lord Jesus Christ and truly my Brethren if you do but consider the work of the Spirit in the hearts of Men me thinks it is enough to convince you or any knowing men in the world that he that doth it must needs be God If a man be but an experienced man and doth but mind the great blindness that is in the mind and the hardness that is in the heart and doth but consider how the soul is in slaved under the power of sin and Sathan living in the love and service of Wickedness being alienated from the life of God being far from the fear and love of him having no delight in his Commandements but being ungodly and graceless dead in trespasses and sins and then on the other hand considers what an Estate the soul must be brought unto before it can be fit for eternal communion with God If a person do but thus mind the greatness of the work the Spirit is to do in taking away the filth and pollution of the heart and cleansing the whole man from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and the renuing of the soul in knowledg and holiness and making it meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light Now I say what man that hath Prayed and fasted and watched and used all the means he can and yet finds in what a frame his heart continueth how far from that purity and God-like-ness that one day he hopeth to enjoy but now which way could a man expect it if he that had undertaken the work were not infinite in Power Wisdom and Goodness for my part I look upon this work as the greatest of all those wonderful works that God hath done or hath promised to do and therefore it is not likely that the greatest of all works should be laid upon the shoulders of him that is less than God Again if you look Psalm 139. there you shall find that the Prophet ascribes both Omni-presence and the searching of the heart unto the Holy Spirit which plainly speaks out his being God and Rom. 9 1. you find Paul calling the Holy Ghost to bear witness of the truth of his heart sorrow for his Brethren the Israelites which plainly proves that he is God See two Texts for this 1 King 8.39 For thou even thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men the same words you have in 2 Chron. 6.30 in both which places you see it is the peculiar prerogative of the only true God to know the hearts of the sons of men and I think no man is or at least should be so weak as to think the Apostle would call him to bear witness of the truth of the heart that doth not understand and know the heart I shall name you but one Text more for this and that is Luke 1.35 And the Angel answered and said unto her the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Here you see that the Holy Spirit is called the highest and I think a title beyond this is not given any where nor cannot be given to the only true God but besides the Angel tells Mary that the Holy Ghost shall come upon her and by the power of him she should conceive and therefore this Son of hers should be called the Son of God Now therefore me thinks this should put the business beyond all dispute for if the Holy Spirit be the Father of our Lord Jesus sure he cannot be less than the only true God But it may be you will say unto me How shall all this that I have said be reconciled Can the Father be God and the Son be God and the Holy Spirit be God and yet there be but one only true God Beloved I pray you do not cast away an Opinion because it is old neither do I perswade you to receive it therefore but measure all Opinions both old and new by the measuring line of Truth the Word of God unto which I shall leave you for the tryal of this great mystery of godliness and shall commend two Texts more unto you for the reconciling of what hath been said the one is in 1 Tim. 3.16 Great is the mysterie of godliness God was manifest in the flesh Here me thinks the Apostle shews you how all this is reconcileable God was manifest in the flesh saith he not the Godhead of Christ without the Father and without the Spirit but God saith He was manifested in the flesh that is the God-head as it is written Iohn 10.30 I and my Father are one not only in communion as some may think but also in union and One-ness as it is plain Iohn 14 9 10 11. another Text you have in Col. 2.3 9. In whom speaking of Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledg Mark it I pray you if all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledg be hid in Christ then are you like to find none of them out of him but all the wisdom of the Father and of the Spirit it will be all found in Christ as it followeth here in verse 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God head bodily I know not how you can have more express and plain words all the fulness of the Father and of the Spirit if that be the fulness of the God-head you see dwells in Christ that is it hath such a real union an One-ness with the humane nature of the Lord Jesus that in Act. 20.28 his Blood is there called the Blood of God I shall leave these Texts of Scriptures to your serious consideration and proceed no further at this time but leave the Application till the Afternoon THE FIFTH EXERCISE John 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I Have in the morning from these words as you know opened the Doctrine of the God-head unto you a work which I have not been forward in nor should I have medled with it being a work of an high nature and requireth the
from heaven but must have been as truly of the earth as he is man as all other men be but it is very plain that the man-hood of Christ is from heaven as you may see also 1 Cor. 15.47 The second man is the Lord from heaven the owrds be so plain that I need not urge them look also John 6.38 For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Note it I pray you as he is God he doth his own will but he came down from heaven and yet not to do his own will therefore he speaks here as man it is clear and so in the 62 verses What and if ye shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before How evident is this that the son of man was in heaven before and was sent from thence into the world and Iohn 16.28 Christ saith I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father and in this same Iohn 17.5 how earnestly doth our Lord pray the Father to let him enjoy that same glory that he had with him before the world was Now it is very clear this he did not now enjoy at this time that glory that he had enjoyed before the world was and this is now earnestly expected and prayed for as you see a case incedent to the man-hood of Christ but it is that which can never befall the God-head for there is nothing more obsurd and senseless than for a man to think that the God-head can ever be deprived of the full enjoyment of it self now that he took upon him our nature is plain Heb. 2.16 and many other places might be aledged to prove this if need were But I shall now come to the third particular to shew you the ends of our Lords coming into the world and the first end of his coming is to teach us the will of his Father and to manifest his great love to the sons of men according to that promise Deut. 18.15 18 19. and Acts 3.22 and 7.37 Iohn 3.16 17. and 12 16. to the end Secondly he came to be the true High-Priest of which all the other were types and to offer up himself for sinners and to bear all there infirmities according as that whole epistle to the Hebrews witnesseth and many other places also might be aledged to prove it if it were needful Thirdly Christ came to reign over all men yea to reign in the consciences of men and hath power of judging and condemning all those that be found disobedient unto him Psalm 2.8 to the end Luke 19 14 27. Romans 14.9 and 15.12 Iohn 5.22 23 27 29 30. But I shall take a little time more particularly to open some of these things unto you and to shew you what a sweet advantage we have by the coming of the Lord Jesus First he came to redeem us from the curse of the Law and hath born the curse for us and by this means will deliver all the sons of Adam from the misery that the first sin brought upon them yea and from the curses of the Law in general even from the paws of death it self and from all the miseries that procure it so that the ungodliest of men shall rise again from the dead and thus farr he is the Saviour of all men what ever he doth more for them and if they perish eternally it is for sinning against the Gospel either for neglecting their own salvation or for turning the grace of God into wantonness or for some such-like evills as these be Now I beseech you consider by what means Christ is thus a Saviour to you Beloved it is by bearing the Curse for you and undergoing those miseries that are due to you for your offences by his poverty you are rich by his stripes we are healed by his sorrows we have joy and by his death we have life He was made sin for us though in himself he knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him although in our selves we are unrighteous also Jesus Christ hath by his Blood and sufferings for the sons of men purchased a just authority and dominion over them all so that if they refuse to come unto him and when light comes chuse darkness rather and when he calls them to Repent and beleeve the Gospel and sayes look to me and be ye saved all ye the ends of the earth if then I say they shall refuse to come unto him for life yet shall they never be able to refuse to come before his Judgement-seat to receive the just reward of that disobedience but on the other hand the Lord Jesus came to be a Saviour to all those that come unto him yea that when he calls refuse not to hear but are willing to suffer the reproofs of wisdom to enter into their souls yea he will save all these with an everlasting salvation Beloved he came to bring salvation to such in all the parts of it First he justifieth such from all that from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses yea he hath power to forgive sins and he will justifie them freely through the work of Redemption But further I pray you observe the Lord Jesus will give Repentance to and graciously melt and soften the hearts of poor sinners if they do but hearken to his voice it is the very end of his coming to give Repentance as well as Remission of sins and he will work your hearts to Repentance if you do not oppose the work of his grace and continue to do it yea although you have hearts never so hard he will soften them himself by his own Spirit if you do not harden your own beares but wait at wisdoms gate then shall you see how graciously he will manifest himself at last indeed if so be that a soul were to work Repentance in his own heart or must see that it is wrought there before he might either go for mercy or had a ground to expect it that were enough to break the heart indeed and to discourage a man for ever hoping after mercy but the case is far otherwise for Christ came to work Repentance and to seek and save that which was lost and therefore although a person be never so hard-hearted and unbelieving and although he be never so dead if he have never a spark of life in him if he will but hearken to the voice of Christ Christ will give him life again another work that Christ came to do is to subdue sin and although it be never so strong he will subdue it it can never be too strong for him when a poor soul looks about him and sees a multitude of strong corruptions within him and then looks again and sees another multitude of strong temptations and snares without him round about and withall discerns the weakness of his own heart and sees how
easily he is tempted finding his own heart alwayes ready to betray him into the Tempters hands this is indeed enough to work amazing thoughts and to drive a person to utter despair if it were not for that ground of hope we have in Jesus Christ but here is a strong ground of considence in this that Christ hath undertaken to save men from sin and to subdue it and that he hath provided weapons to pull down Sathans strongest holds and to bring under every lust though never so strong and high so that there shall not be an imagination or a thought but Christ can and will conquer and bring into subjection by the power of his Spirit yea his business into the world was to purge the Conscience from dead works and to cleanse and purifie the soul from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and to purge us from our very Idols Now therefore consider how great the goodness of God is to put this work into the hands of Christ alass if it had been left in our hands it would never have been done but he hath undertaken it himself and therefore it will prosper Again another end of our Lord Jesus his coming into the world is to comunicate the graces of his Spirit to all that come to him for them John 1.16 and Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him saith the Text here you see upon what terms you may obtain the Holy Spirit it is but going to Christ to ask it he hath promised it and he cannot deny it for he is truth it self and cannot deny himself it is impossible Again Jesus Christ came to bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel 1 Tim. 1.10 Mark it I pray you his coming hath brought life and immortality that is as much as to say he hath brought an immortal crown of life and glory yea may some poor soul say it is a good portion indeed if a man knew which way to come to inherit it but alass I do not know which way I can come by this blessed inheritance that is answered in the next words he hath brought it to light through the Gospel that is as much as if he should say he came also to bring a Gospel that should bring light with it unto the understandings and souls of men Beloved it is not promised to men whether they attend to the Gospel or no therefore deceive not your own hearts but if you do attend on the Gospel and take its direction it will bring that light into thy soul that will bring thee to see how to come to enjoy this blessed inheritance there be many precious promises of the like nature in the Scriptures look Prov. 2.6 first verses and do but consider them there is a plain promise that if you use the same diligence in praying and seeking for this spiritual riches as men use to do for temporal Riches you shall be sure to find it and the ground of this is because that out of the mouth of the Lord cometh knowledg and understanding it is not therefore because a man makes diligent search and so deserveth it no nor yet because it lyeth either in his diligence or the Ordinances unavoidably but because the grace and love of God is such that he sent Jesus Christ for that very end that whosoever would be but perswaded to wait upon him in the use of the means appointed by him for that end and purpose should not miss of that grace and sweet advantage to his poor soul another end of his coming is to tread down Sathan under our feet so that although he be full of subtilty and craft and strength and makes use of all the means and instruments he can yet shall he never be too hard for that soul that comes to Christ for Refuge no although the poor soul be laden with ignorance lust hardness of heart and unbelief too and never so many sinful and soul-destroying diseases if he do but come to Christ in good earnest and desire him to deliver him he wil certainly do it nay if when Christ knocks at the door of a sinners heart to bid him stand up from the dead and he will deliver him out of the paw of the Devil if then I say you shut not Christ out of door and bid him depart from thee and tell him thou desirest not the knowledg of his wayes I say again if thou deal not thus with him it is the proper work for which Christ came to seek out lost sinners and to save them and therefore he will not be wanting to do it again he came to be a fellow-feeler of our infirmities that he might know what it is to suffer adversity and to be tempted to the end he might be a merciful High Priest and might minister that help comfort and strength which would be needful upon all occasion therefore you may be sure that whatever your souls distress is whether it be sin sorrow temptation or of what kind soever there is help for you in Christ if you do not neglect it or refuse it but you must know also that Christ came to command sinners to Repent and Beleeve and obey him and if you shall for the love of pleasure or profit wilfully refuse the offers of his Grace you must know he came with Authority to execute judgement in all such cases and thus much for this present THE SEVENTH EXERCISE John 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent YOu know that in the morning I came to speak to this third general head of Doctrine in the Text namely the sending of Jesus Christ and I have shewed you who sent him and from whence he came and what he was sent to do all that I shall now add to that I have said already is only this that as the Father hath sent him to take upon him these three great Offices King Priest and Prophet so he hath furnished him with power and ability to do all the work that doth belong unto these Offices therefore you need not fear to cast your burthen upon the Lord for God hath laid help upon one that is mighty Psalm 89.19 Isai 63.1 one strong enough to break down the power of all your enemies sin lust snare temptation or whatever else lies in the way of your peace he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Heb. 7 25. Now the reason of this wherefore it was necessary for Christ to be sent of the Father for the doing of this great work is this such is the helplesness of poor fallen man he is so dead in Trespasses and sins and in so miserable and lost a condition that nothing but the free Grace of God in Christ can possibly help him for he in himself is so utterly unworthy of any mercy that there is no other way to
bring him into acceptation with God but only through the worthiness of the Lord Jesus Again there is that weakness in poor man that he is no way able to help himself he can neither repent beleeve nor obey no nor get any Grace into his own heart nor mortifie any Corruption nor of himself find out the way by which any of all these great works should be done but for ought that he can do for himself he is in a necessity of perishing for ever there is no help for him but only in Jesus Christ and if the Lord had not in the riches of his free Grace provided such a Mediator as was able to save to the uttermost sinful man had never been recovered and therefore the Father sent him that was fully able both to justifie and to sanctifie to open the blind eyes and to purge the Conscience and in a word to lay the first and the last stone in the building of Salvation and if God would any way shew his love to poor lost fallen man then must he take this course for there was no other way to do it let us now come to make some use of this Point And in the first place let it serve to provoke the very worst and wickedest of sinners to come to Christ for help and deliverance Beloved you have heard what a Saviour he is therefore I beseech you do not stand to dispute your own badness but how bad soever you be cast your selves upon him for help and to that end that this work may be done throughly and as it ought to be done labour in the first place to know the worst of your own hearts there is many a poor Soul that is afraid to think the worst of himself for fear he should see so much badness as should take off his hopes and discourage him for going to Christ for mercy But I pray you learn to be wiser than so search your hearts to the very bottom and how bad soever that thou findest it yet be sure that thou dost not fail to go to Christ for a cure although thou hast been never so bad worse than Manasseh or any wretch that ever thou readest of or ever heardest of if thou findest thy self upon due search to be the veriest Hypocrite or the veriest enemy to God and godliness that is in the whole world yet let it not keep thee from going to Christ but make so much the more hast by how much thou findest thy self the more wicked and although thy sins be never so great and never so many there is no sin but he can pardon yea and he will pardon it if thou come unto him I say again there is no sin nor sinners if they come to Christ but he will surely be gracious unto them He that comes to me will I in no wise cast out saith the Lord John 6.37 therefore go unto him and be assured he will receive you whatever your Souls diseases be sear not to go unto him with them for he cures all that come unto him see what woful diseases Christ was sent to cure Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised Now I pray you let us a little consider of this text he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel and what is the Gospel why the Gospel is free mercy through the blood of Christ pardon regeneration and salvation yea all the happness that comes to a soul by Jesus Christ this is the Gospel and this Christ was anointed to preach and therefore doing it by the spirit it must needs be truth that he preacheth other men may preach lies but so doth not the fountain of truth you may be sure But who is all this mercy to be preached to saith Christ it is to be preached to the poor and who is poor a man is not accounted poor if he have either land or goods or mony and so it is in spiritual things also one altogether destitude of whatsoever might commend him to God one that hath no purity neither in heart nor life no faith no love no knowledg no mortification nor renewing of mind no delight in God nor his word nor having the light of his countenance shining upon the soul now one that hath none of all this spiritual riches he is poor but he that is inriched with any of these spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ is not poor now I hope you see who Christ was anointed with the spirit to teach the Gospel to but see what follows in the next words to heal the broken hearted saith he and who is that why one that hides his head for debt and owes more then he is worth this man we account a broken man So likewise when a man is through the sight of his undone condition afraid of Arrests and executions from God dayly and knows not where to hide his head being in fear and anguish of spirit Christ was sent you see to heal this spiritually broken estate In the next place he came to preach deliverance to the captives and this is a worse degree of evil when a man is the divils prisoner taken and kept in his snare this is a very sad condition indeed when a man can do nothing but as the devil his keeper will give him leave how can his condition be worse except he were in hell and yet if such a man will but hearken to the word of Christ he shall be sure to be delivered yea but my case is worse then all this may some poor soul say for I am not only the divels prisoner but I have given my self up so to his will and suffered him so to blind mine understanding that now if Christ should come and throw open the prison doors yet shall I never find my way out Yea saith Christ in the next words but I came to open the blind eyes also and although the divell have put them quite out yet suffer me to put but some spitle and clay upon them and I will recover them again take but my direction turn at my reproof at left do not despise it and set it at nought and then be sure I will poure out my spirit and that will fully cure thee Yea but the soul may further object and say I have waited on the Ordinances and endeavoured to get out of the snare of the divel and he hath fetcht me back and beaten me sore when I have but asseyed to get from him so that I see the more I strive the worse I am bruised and therefore there is no hope for me yes saith Christ I came to set at liberty such bruised ones and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord as it follows in the next words and although thou hast waited
the same thing in the words immediately going before but for the Readers fake I shall bring up that in the rear which should have been in the front if I had had the least thought of writing and for the understanding of this word eternal life you are to know that it is called so by reason of that opposition it hath with that state of death and misery in which the ungodly suffer eternall torments that is called death by reason of the woe and sorrow that must for ever be indured and this is called life by reason of that happiness and comfort that shall eternally be enjoyed Observe then that this word eternal life sets forth unto us the blessedness of that eternal glory which the saints shall for ever enjoy hereafter in the presence of the Lord as you have it Acts 3.19 I shall endeavour to set something of that happiness before you and for that end I pray you take notice that eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive how exceeding glorious that estate is which the Lord hath prepared for those that truly beleeve but although it is impossible to set forth the glory of it as Pauls words do clearly imply 2 Cor. 12.1 2 3 4. yet the Scriptures do speak very much of the glory of it although it may be when a soul shall come to see it he will say the one half was never told him First then consider what David saith of it Psalm 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore You see whither the path of life will lead a man it goeth directly into the presence of God and there is fulness of joy saith the Prophet mark it that is a full word indeed to express the fulness of a mans happiness Oh the blessedness of a man that knows God and Jesus Christ and walks up to that knowledg he shall have fulness of joy First he shall have nothing to hinder his joy but all sickness sorrow griefe and troubles of all kinds shall be removed a man shall have never an ill neighbour there to vex him nor any creature that shall speak a word to grieve him but all his companions shall be holy and spiritual such as will perfectly love God and love him and rejoice in his happiness with perfect joy there be shall never see nor hear either person or thing that shall minister the least discomfort or trouble to him none that will backbite or speak kinder then his heart thinketh will ever be found in that place no divel shall come there to tempt nor snare to turn the heart aside from God but there shall be perfect freedom from all manner of molestation whatsoever and contrarily there shall be the fulness of all joy and peace holiness and love there shall be no want of any comfort no nor of any degree of comfort that the heart of man can possibly desire Peter speakes of a joy unspeakable and full of glory that beleevers meet withal here 1 Pet. 1.8 and Paul calls that fame sealing testimony of the Spirit the earnest of our inheritance Ephos 1.13 14. now if the Lord do give such tastes of the cup of consolation in this life to some poor beleevers as those texts do plainly intimate he doth what then may we think their portion shall be when they shall come home to their inheritance I shall give you an instance in one poor soul that I knew who being in anguish of spirit for some two years together and having sought the Lord with sorrow and tears many a time at last being in the fields in the night weeping and praying it pleased the Lord to manifest his love wonderfully and by his spirit to open the sweet promises of the Gospel and to seal up his love in the promises with that clearness of assurance and exceeding joy that untill that time that soul could never think that heaven it self would have yeelded that fulness of joy and consolation but doubtlesse that soul never yet nor any other that is this day on earth ever tasted more then an earnest penny of the fulness of that glory that shall be injoyed in the life to come Another note in the text observable is this that these pleasures are to be injoyed at the right hand of God which plainly intimates thus much unto us That the Lord will put forth his wisdome mercy and all sufficiency in the glorifying of those persons that shall be accounted worthy of that kindome for so much the right hand signifieth for there you know the strength lieth and there we use to set the persons we highly favour and would put the greatest honour upon that we know how There is one thing more in this text worth noting and that is this word for evermore that is it that exceedingly adds to the fulness of this glory that it is of an everlasting continuance so that as there shall be a freedome from all sin snare temptation trouble or whatsoever might produce complaint or cause any degree of sorrow and likewise an injoyment of all those comforts that the heart of man can possibly wish or desire So also there shall be no fear no nor ground of fear that ever this blessed estate shall change or fade but remain sure and durable to all eternity Oh consider of the worth and glory of this happy condition when the souls company and injoyments shall both be perfect Another text that I would pray you to mind is in 1 Cor. 15.49 the words are these and as we have born the Image of the earthy we shall also bear the Image of the heavenly Indeed if it were not for that which lies in this promise all the rest of a mans injoyments could not be so exceeding comfortable unto him for what would it be to a man to see all his company holy and spiritual full of love joy and peace being free from all the stain and appearance of evil if he himself should be corrupt and remain still burthened with the same degrees of sin and supjectness to transgression as I fear the best of Saints do find themselves inclined and subject to while they are here But this shall be the great happiness of the Saints that after the resurrection they shall be made fully conformable to their heavenly condition and company bearing the Image of Christ as they have born old Adams image that is they shall bear it as truly and as fully being made as like him as ever they were like Adam Now it is evident unto us all how like Adam we have been having all those lusts in our hearts that ever were in his having as little delight in God and desire of heaven and being as barren and destitude of all spiritual grace as he but then we shall be made fully like our Lord Jesus as free from all carnallity errour and
eternal life and hinder you from walking in the path that leades unto it and so deprive you of it as unavoidably as sin it self can do it and as you are to avoid these evils on the one hand so on the other it will be meet to wait on the Lord Jesus for the sweet tastes of his love the which when you have once experience of you wil by that earnest penny know something of the riches worth of eternal life now for that end I beseech you wait attentively for the Lord in the use of al his Ordinances for there he wil be found in them in the assemblies of his people you may expect to find him because it is his walk but take notice I pray you that a negligent formal overtly use of them I do not call for but be sure you make it your business to look for him and to injoy communion with him and to tast and see as David saith Psalm 348. how good the Lord is if you look for him with that intention and desire as the Church did Cant. 5.8 you will be sure to find him he will not long hide himself from such a soul but among all other duties I could wish that you would watch to meet with him alone and there open your hearts to him freely and tell him the very worst you know by your selves and that with an intent and an indeavour to shame and humble your selves before him and be you assured that he will exalt you in due time let him know what you would have and be sure to follow him dayly consider what counsel he gives you himself Mat. 7 7 8 9 10 11. Luke 11. from the 5. to 14. the 18. the 8 first verses and if you follow this counsel you may be sure that the Lord will graciously open his heart unto you at last and give you such a taste of the water of life that will set your souls a longing for your fill thereof and that wil make you both do and suffer for Christ with much chearfulness and willingness Vse 2. The second use is this if it be so that there is so rich a portion attainable as eternal life then be sure to take a speedy course for the getting a clear assurance of your own interest in that happy injoyment do not trifle your time away any longer but set upon the work without delay and to that end that you may make sure work observe the counsel of the Apostle Peter in his second Epistle 1.5 to the 12 you shall find two things minded by Peter in this text in order to the getting of a full assurance The first of these is to lay the foundation of Christianity in true beleeving that is clear in these words Add to your faith vertue implying that faith must needs be there for it is impossible to ad vertue to it else Now therefore in the first place although you be never so impenitent and wicked yet rest upon the grace of God in Christ yea if you think also that you have attained some vertue patience or love or other fruits of the Spirit yet do not as Saints but as sinnets rest upon the blood of Christ remember I pray you that neither works done nor grace received is to be rested on for Justification but we are justified in and through beleeving and resting upon the blood of Christ who freely justifieth men as they are sinners ungodly ones and therefore note it well neither their repentance nor love but faith is imputed for righteousness look Rom. 4. And by faith are we become the sons of God Galat. 3.26 I do not say but there are some promises made to the saints as they are saints such as are in Psal 34.10.17 19 many other like there be and with these the godly may comfort themselves and none but those that are saints can claim an interest in them yet notwithstanding that translating act as I may so call it in and through which a man is made of a child of wrath a child of light I say again that thing or means that maketh him a Son of God that was none before is this act of beleeving and resting on the blood of Christ as a man considereth himself a sinner and ungodly without the least degree of worth in himself and as a beleever resteth on the blood of Christ for justification so likewise he expecteth from the free grace of God in and through the same blood sanctification glory outward things and in a word all things appertaining to life and godlyness for true faith desireth and resteth upon the Lord for the accomplishment of all the promises that he hath made as well as for any of them The second means that Peter directs us to use for the getting assurance of eternal life is to add to our faith vertue knowledg temperance patience godliness brotherly kindness and charity under which heads are concluded all the graces and fruits of the Spirit of Christ these saith he you must add to your faith these you must abound in and as it is in the 3 chap. and last verse grow in and then if you grow in grace and persevere in well-doing and abound therein more and more you shall saith he never fall but have an abundant enterance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour ver 10 11. As if he should say by this means you shall be able to keep and injoy a clear and constant assurance of eternall life and this is to be done by giving dilligence ver 10. I pray you observe it my brethren dilligence must be used it is not a lazy formal profession and an overly careless performance of duties that will either give or keep assurance of salvation a man must be ready to open to the spirit when he knocketh and to hearken to his motions and take heed of rebelling against him and labour to avoid all those unworthy courses that tend to grieve and to quench the spirit and if you thus do you may be assured the spirit will not fail to do his office but he will give unto and maintain in the soul assurance of eternal life and that will be a most sweet injoyment the man that hath it may want friends riches health and outward contentments but he cannot want comfort joy and peace his soul shall be full of consolation however the world goes with him or against him and he shall be able in the worst of times to say that both life and death shall be to him advantage Vse 3. And in the last place this may serve to reprove the folly of all those that spend all their time and strength in the pursuit of the things of this present life with the neglect of the life that is eternal and therefore well might Solomon term wicked men fools for indeed their courses are madness and folly and indeed there is no folly to be compared to this of running after the trifles and empty