in his tender heart and soul Thou hast ravished or taken away my heart c. Cant. 4.9 Of this friend's especially it is true the heart is not so much where it lives as where it loves By distinction of persons Christ and a Saint are two by union in affection he is theirs This as one branch is that unity which is the beleevers band of comfort Fourthly as their Advocate The expression is politicall a sublime title of office implying a Subject imploy'd after this way for another and as thus spoken of Jesus Christ we read it 1 Joh. 2.1 We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ who as it is his office makes intercession for us Rom. 8.34 that is continues the mournfull act of his sacrifice after this manner The same body which in beleevers steads with strong cries and tears was upon the crosse once offered now virtually in the heavens with as strong prayers he still so offers up for them to the Father So that in this act of oblation for them his person is as an Advocate theirs And now lastly God the Spirit is abundance yea theirs as the Father's gift with Jesus Christ to them In one breath you may read all three Tit. 3.5 And renuing of the holy Ghost v. 6. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as relating to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which holy Ghost he the Father in a distinction from his Son and Spirit sheâ—…n us abundantly by Jesus Christ Abundantly on us is here joyn'd with the Father's effusion of his Spirit declaring thereby it's signification to be an abundance and that theirs by the Father's gift To this Spirit also hath a beleever then as true a title as to the Father and the Son To them the promise the Father shall give you another Comforter the Spirit of truth Joh. 14.16 17. is fulfill'd Upon them the Father hath poured him forth They have him actually in possession peculiarly in title he is theirs Now as the other two persons had their distinct relations in which they were made over this hath his proper work in which he is theirs viz. This Spirit is their onely light by which they see all things necessary for them to see of the Father and Jesus Christ God hath made sence and reason lights in their own sphears to this world of nature but in the deep things of himself these are darknesse to a Saint As it is written eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared 1 Cor. 2.9 But mark what follows God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for he searcheth all things yea the deep things of God v. 10. And in v. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things c. 'T is the proper work of this Spirit to sound these depths for from eternity he lived in the bosome of the Godhead and was privie to all in God and Jesus Christ 'T is his onely too to make them known As an inhabitant therefore he is said to dwell in beleevers 2 Tim. 1.14 Into whose minds to whose souls he continually bringe them Here shines the Saints light in a mistery they know these things not theoretically but feelingly as this Spirit reveals them Thus as well as I am able little of much have I set before you the relations of these persons of glory in which God freely makes himself over to his creature and not all but some yet by these few imperfect lineaments the spirituall sence of that Christiano-Platonicall thesis one was all and all one may be in some sort conjectured For this Trinity indeed is but One and that one a beleevers ALL. This is the close of the first Question Quest 2. What comfort hath a beleever more by having this ALL FREELY GIVEN him than by injoying it any other way Ans A great deal In the injoyment it is unspeakable full of glory Consider this All but simply as a gift so it was neither bought nor borrowed Deeds of Sale and Loan have each their trouble viz. Laerge expence short injoyment And were this all made over by either of these the creature must pay for it and at last part with it If the first their Stock not amounting to the ten thousandth part of the price they must then either go without it or be undone in the purchase Or if not so should God but lend Himself his Son his Spirit a time would come when but justly he would look for his own again Would not this then be as bad as the former The Creature would be undone in the surrender But now the Father hath burthened them with neither of these What they have they have by gift Herein then lies that which is better felt then spoke one peice of their comfort viz. With a price they are not troubled of a parting with they are not afraid This all though in respect of Christ it is true the Saints are bought with a price costs them nothing and is theirs to eternity Consider it again as a free gift And here if you would rightly understand the Answer of the Question have recourse in every particular as the sound passeth by your ear to the chearfull workings of your own soul Are the Saints intitled to are they possessed of All freely All then is theirs without reluctancie Jer. 30.18 The Father the proper giver waits to be gracious In his eye a chearfull giver is of great esteeme 2 Cor. 9.7 for he himself delights to give chearfully All such acts toward his own go not to but from his heart All is theirs without any motive externall Among men the glory of a gift's freenesse consists in the voluntarinesse of the spirit we use not therefore to call that free to which a man is outwardly provok'd Were God thus moved to give Himself Son and Spirit to a Saint a gift it might be but not free That therefore which he doth by deed of gift comes from a principle within him his love Joh. 3.16 that his gift might appear plainly to be free All is theirs without Condition The Father gives it not according to the Law but the tenour of the Gospel He binds not his Creature in the act of donation to the performance of Articles for their interest in his gift but bestows where he pleaseth without these Conditions it is true may perchance sometimes stand with a gift but they are alwaies limits to the freenesse of it that then which is bounded cannot be free This great gift therefore is unconditionate Thus I have done with the Doctrinall part Vses Now to close all give me leave my dear friends to speak thrice to you 1. First an Information Are beleevers thus possessed of All things in the injoyment of Jesus Christ They are then the onely rich men Rich absolutely rich incomparably none so rich nor truly so as they
ΠΑÎΤΑΛΟΓΙΑ THE SAINTS ABUNDANCE OPENED BY THOMAS STERRY Preacher of the GOSPEL Published at the earnest intreaty of some Friends Imprimatur JOHN DOWNAME LONDON Printed by F Neile for William Wenborn at the Signe of the Rose at the Bridge-foot 1646. TO THE TRULY VERTUOUS MY HIGHLY HONOURED FRIEND The Lady H. Wife to the RIGHT WORSHIPLVLL Sir H. H. KNIGHT THe Scriptures frequently tell of a wealth a plenty a fulnesse which beleevers onely have right to and injoy The best endeavours of your humble Servant hath been both in the Pulpit and the Presse to set this before you that in all Your relations in all Your injoyments on earth Your Soul might be carried forth after this abundance which in the Scriptures language is not onely true durable riches but honours too Ever Honoured pardon me if I humbly move to be heard in this viz. remember O! remember in all Your uses of this worlds plenty principally to use this abundance for by this alone can You be made for ever rich for ever Honourable And I bow my knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus that in all Your uses of this abundance You may use it as Your own That Solomons Proverb may for ever be Your impresso with me are riches and honours Thus he daily prays who is Madam Your Ladiships lowest Servant in Christ Jesus Thomas Sterry Novemb. 23. 1645. To the READER Reader BEcause in things of publick view it is a custome give me leave also to make my particular addresses Be it known I have done in the publishing of this no more than what many daily powerfull perswasions have drawn me to Loath indeed I was but being overcome my Motives turn'd to a Command and how great an insufficiencie soever I found in my self for it I must do it Now as I am able I have done it not with an intent if in me there were that Art to work upon you with the inticing words of mans wisdom but humbly to declare as a weak dim-sighted man as I have received the things of an immortall God yea the deep things on which hangs the eternall comfort of my own Soul Candidly I beseech you then imbrace what so I present remembring alwayes that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God If any man think of or expect from these rurall lines otherwise on such I have spent my paine my time for nought with them my labours hath been in vain yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my Labours with my God T. S. ΠΑÎΤΑΛΟΓΙΑ THE SAINTS ABUNDANCE OPENED ROM 8.32 How shall be not with him also freely give us all things I Will briefly acquaint you with one part of the Spirits aime in this Text from the Context It is from the confideration of a firm consolation to cheer to bear-up the spirits of such who are already under or apt to droop at the sad predictions of a holy life Which are If any man will come after me let him take up his crosse c. Luk. 9.23 Yea and all that will live godly shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 In the 17. ver of this 8th Chapter these are call'd suffering with him Now for a revivall of their drooping hearts he presents this consolation viz. Sufferings are inferiour to glory A Saints Crosse is belowe his Crown If the earliest glimmerings of our Lord Jesus upon a Soul shroud so much joy so much strength of spirit within their own beams as overpower'th the crosse and smileth at the shame what will his meridian rays of glory when they shall be reveal'd With the least of these the whole body of a Saints sufferings is not worth the comparison Through infirmitie some have others may oppose it to glory but by lifting up your eye to the 18. ver view its worthlesse opposition The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be reveal'd in us The inward sence of this difference Present sufferings future glory together with the disproportion of These to That which makes them not worthy to be compar'd I can conveigh into none this is all I can say to every Soul that in respect of worth the basest metall with gold may be as well compar'd as sufferings with glory To this he adds Sufferings are no perpetuall impediment to glory A Saints crosse hinders not his crown any more than a dark night the rising of the Sun the next Morn Persecution by men may fleshly warrings against the mind shall troubles of all sorts for the night of this life indure but glory shall be reveal'd v. 18 ult part This appears by foure things By the Creatures expectation Saints qualification Spirits work Fathers love The first is the Creatures expectation There is a hidden strong defire of glory in every creature It appears by this their earnest expectation There is also a full discovery yet to be made of this glory It is evident by their Waiting for its manifestation Of both these you read in the 19. ver The earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God This manifestation c. is spoken in reference to glory and in the 21. ver is call'd the glorious liberty of the sons of God With one force these verses with the 22.23 prove by all our fellow creatures notwithstanding great opposition a future glory of the Saints The second is the Saints qualification This the Spirit notes in two expressions Hope Patience Of their Hope you read in the 24. ver We are saved by hope in ver 25. for that which we see not of their Patience in the same vers then or therefore do we with patience wait for it To me these expressions seem to concur in this fignification The certain manifestation of invisible glory to the Saints But with this distinction First as the ground of their hope From future certainty springs hope infallible This hope is the true present union of the Soul with that certainty the true reall appearance of that to the soul Glory invisible without all question shall be reveal'd This leads the soul to hope for its discovery Which act of the soul is its sweet close its secret conjunction with that glory invisible that glorie 's true present appearance to it Good Abraham thus saw though then it was a far off the brightnesse of the Fathers glory Thas Saints now see that which shall be reveal'd the excellent glory of that glory This is the appearance the manifestation of glory to the Saints in this life This is their salvation by hope Secondly as the Crown of their patience These words Then do we with patience wait for it implies as much Saints are men singular in the world they discover more by hope than by sence and recover more by patience then by pains That shall be finish'd gloriously crown'd with the full accomplishment of its expectation The Saints therefore wait
otherwise they wait in vain But for what for a rising Sun a superexcellent glory to be reveal'd in them in their souls after this life in their bodies after this world This is the highest fullest greatest manifestation of that glory which shall in that day sweetly fully certainly satisfie all patient desires that have been exercised in the expectation of it This is the glory the Saints wait for The third is the Spirits work Of this what more can be said what more can be thought than is summ'd-up in the 26. verse Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities c. This hath two parts A Person and His work First a Person The Spirit of glory It appears he is ingaged in a Saints sufferings by those conjunctive particles Likewise also But how Not simply but in reference to his work Secondly His work To help our infirmities * Piscat Divines say to help our infirmities is Auxiliari nobis infirmis quum prae infirmitate non sufficimus oneri crucis portando The Spirit strengthening weak men to hear the burthen of the Crosse The Spirit bearing as it were the burthen that man faint not So that sufferings may load a Saint not hinder his glory The fourth is the Fathers love A royall attribute which hath its floods in persecutions hottest climate It is seen In the Fathers heart By the Fathers hand First in his heart Have you ever observ'd in the relation or action of private of publick differences how the auditors the spectators have inclin'd or sided as affection led them to the one party or with the other So sides yea far more this person of glory with all his Saints He sees he hears their sorrows their cries his heart earns and he takes their parts ver 31. If or * Ponitur autem si pro quia c. Pisc because God be with us Beza renders it on our side who can be against us The glory prepar'd therefore shall in them be reveal'd All sufferings cannot hinder in all the Father of glory sides with them is for them is with them Secondly By his hand A loving heart is open handed Can any thing be thought too much too dear to expresse a heart fully indeared to one The Scriptures tell us This Person so intirely loved that he gave his Son his onely begotten Joh. 3.16 He gave him as his rich rare love-token to the Saints A gift implies propriety and possession and this the greatest the sweetest What hindrance then can sufferings be to Saints Christ the brightnesse of the Fathers glory and all things are theirs theirs as a Right a right Peculiar to them a right injoyed by them after the sweetest the fullest way How shall he not with him also freely give us all things v. 32. This Text by some is read How doth he not c referring as it were to the particular moment of each Soul's conversion wherein the Father in the act of giving his Son doth instate them in the inheritance of all things in him By others How Hath he not c as it were pointing at the Saints present injoyment of that inheritance This seems most harmonious in the literall sound the word Hath being expressed in every Translation either silently or visibly twise before But the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most properly signifies How shall he not c. This thwarts not the other two but according to the manner of expression a question carrying it's answer in it which is He shall with him freely give us all things renders the text as a gracious promise of continuing the Fathers bounty to the Saints begun in them at their houre of conversion Now with out any longer stay the parts of this Teat are two viz. A free giver His great gift First a free giver How shall He not freely give Who this is appears by the demonstrative particle He. A person easily known by his paternall relation 'T is He in the beginning of the verse Who spared not bis Son c. and freely to bestow this gift is His proper act Secondly His great gift But who or what is this great gift It is mark'd with a double character A Person All things How shall he not WITH HIM give us ALL THINGS First a Person a Divine a Distinct person in the Trinity Jesus Christ He is spoken of as of a Person Him as of a Divine person Him in reference to Son as of a Distirct person in the Trinity Him as Another besides this He the Father Secondly All things Some say such onely are these All things which are necessary to salvation Others These and Created things too It is true All things whether Paul or Apollo or Cophas or the world or life or death things present or to come are the Saints 1 Cor. 3.21 22. But I will not here anticipate my purpose My Doctrine from the text is this Doctr. Such as have receiv'd Jesus Christ Saints by calling injoy by his Fathers liber all hand all things with him By comparing two places I will at once prove and explain it Rom. 8.32 wherein Paul speaks as a Saint to Saints when he saith Shall be not give us all things with 1 Corinth 2.12 we know the things that are freely given us of God These places have this sence with this Difference The Father freely upon his Saints bestows all things This all things he bestows with it's distinction By things therefore he explains All things both which in sence are terms equivalent A Saints All things then are but all some things but such as in themselves are truly All things Of things the Scriptures thus distinguish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things whose depths are fathom'd onely by the Spirit of God things Divine Things apparent to the sencitive to the rationall soul things Huntaine 1 Cor. 2.11 For what knows the THINGS OF A MAN save the spirit of man which it in him even so the THINGS OF GOD knows no man but the Spirit of God If the latter Things humain be here meant then a Saints All things are those which St. Paul cals the world this life things visible and temporall 1 Cor. 3.22 David the portion of the wicked Psal 17.14 And Solemon Things equally common to good and bad Eccl. 9.2 In such gifts in such injoyments what comfort peculiar to beleevers what difference essentiall can there be between the righteous and ungodly Their All things therefore must be Peculiar Dinisive Constitutive Things onely theirs distinguishing them constituting them Such as the naturall man hath no part in Such as differenceth them from him Such as makes them to be what they are men effectually call'd Such as these are onely the deep things of God These are the Fathers gift and these from St. Paul's mouth are call'd All things 1 Cor. 2.10 But God hath revealed which is his hidden free way of giving them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth All things
yea the Deep things of God Take now that your souls may suck at the breasts of Consolation two questions of worth from this Doctrine Quest 1. Wherein doth the ABVNDANCE of a beleeving soul which is these Deep things of God ALL THINGS given fully consist or what more particularly these deep things these all things Answ The holy Trinity one God blessed for ever bestowing himself upon a creature in those sweet relations mentioned in his Word is these deep these All things in whose inward injoyment after this way which is a mysterie hid to the world consists as theirs the Saints abundance From this Answer take three notes The first is the Father is All things the Son is All things the holy Ghost is All things yet not three divided but one All things so that the beleevers abundance is to be conceived not onely to lie in the unity of the Godhead but also in the distinction of persons The second is the relations of the Father of the Son of the holy Ghost downward to the creature are equally common to each of them as one God but distinctly peculiar as three persons The Father bestowing therefore of these All things upon the creature is not onely the free manifestation of community in relation in the unity of the Godhead but also of peculiarity in the trinity of persons The third is a beleevers propriety in this gift so as he can sencibly say My abundance is by an inward relative sence of this Vnity in Trinity Thus God is All things thus he is Given thus as the abundance to the Saints Here 's wine and marrow a misterious peice of heaven displaid in each person in the Godhead which not many wise not many mighty can perceive but is freely reveal'd to tender babes First God the Father is All things abundance Ephes 3.19 That ye might be filled with all the fulnesse of God These words for their conexion their explication refer you to vers 14. viz. For this cause I how my knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus that is he prayeth to God the Father and for what besides other things for this as one that the beleeving Ephesians might be fill'd with his own fulnesse which may sound thus That they might have abundantly of him even all things that might make them perfect before him This person therfore freely bestows himself upon such as he bestows his Son that together with him they might have this abundance this all things A mans gift saith Solomon maketh room for him Prov. 18.16 Jesus Christ is the gift of this person and wheresoever he is there is his Father too He is there by deed of gift after the same way as Jesus Christ is So that a beleever may lay claim to him yea as truly to him as to Jesus Christ He may challenge him for his own and all that he hath as freely truly really as any thing that he injoyes in the world For the right that he hath in himself is not more firm proper unquestionable than that which a beleever hath in him it being a way of undeniable propiety which is the deed of gift in which he hath past himself over to his creature By this act and deed he makes himself over in a double relation As a Father to them God in Covenant with them First as a Father It is that which he speaks of himself 2 Cor. 6. ult I will be a Father to you Here as to behold both let your eye equally fall but with a distinct look upon the person I and the relation Father for this latter onely serves as a respective accident under which the first is referr'd and made over to the creature justified Which is done by deed of gift freely giving himself over to them I will be to you thus this person of glory becomes a Father But what is it for him to be thus related or what to give over himself as a Father A sublime mistery swelling with sweetnesse thus opened The reference of himself to them according to a mutuall objective coexistent dependance Here vulgar thoughts of Dependancie are apt but suffer them not to grow over rank This persons is only paternall such as is an inseparable conjunction of a Father and his child in their relative Existencies in their Diffinitions The one which of them soever it be cannot be so nor so call'd but by this dependance Ask what is a Father how comes he to be so Do we not answer One that hath a child and because he hath a child Transpose the termes what is a child how comes it to be so One that hath and because it hath a Father Thus he depends thus mutually Objectively as directly pointing each to other the Father to his child and the contrary in a distinction from all things subjectively depending on their substance in which they inhere Contemporarie are they too neither thus existing before or after each other but both together The Father indeed as a man the agent begetting is said to be the cause and so is in Nature before the begotten but a father the one is not till the other is a child and so he depends coexistently Of this person and a beleever as thus allied according to adoption is all this affirmed Inseparately are they for ever conjoyn'd yea so as abstract the one from the other and neither can be what thus they are neither can be thus call'd passe by our Saviours sonship of eternall generation Come to a beleever's by free adoption and he is their Father he comes to be so as they are his children adopted and because they are so His paternity their sonship have for their basis a mutuall dependance Between these to hinder the object of each others eye flies no gloomy cloud but both like the eye of day darting its beams upon the centure of the Creation are still looking upon still pointing each to other One thought of either excludes darkens neither but takes in both For touching a beleevers sonship what mind can passe a thought and in the same not include this persons paternity They are children as he is because he is their Father And which is more both relations in priority claim an equall priviledge His paternity to them precedes not their sonship neither is first or last they co-exist He is not to them a Father till they are children by adoption to him Secondly as a God in Covenant Of this way too of giving himself himself speaks Hebr. 8.10 I will be their God one article and that on Gods part are these words of a Contract a Covenant everlasting new between God and man For matter it is himself God for manner â—…deed of gift I will be theirs In the first unbound your thoughts and in some particulars inclose not him who hath in one word God given over himself without limits He will be their God not in some one attribute onely or in more but he in All gives himself