in sin that he is a stranger to the life of Grace hence ariseth all his spiritual troubles now the Spirit of God comes in and resolves the case comes into the soul by his bright Reflections and fills our souls with comfort Now 〈◊〉 have received not the spirit of the world but the Spâ—â— which is of God 4. The Spirit of God is a comforting Spirit as he openeth the vein of godly sorrow in the soul Truly this is the next way to spiritual comfort when a man can once spiritually mourn for sin Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Godly forrow opens the vein and le ts out the matter that hinders comfort and causeth inward trouble in the soul A gracious man takes a great delight in godly forrow Oh! it s a matter of marvellous comfort to a Child of God when he can kindly mourn for his sins 5. The Spirit of God comforts the soul as he is 〈◊〉 mortifying Spirit Thus he takes away that that is the ground and matter of Believers trouble mortifying that sin that is the cause of his sorrow pride unbelief inordinate love to the world 6. The Spirit of God works comfort in the hearts of his people by setting their own spirit to seek for comfort in Gods own wayes The last thing I did for the Explication of the Doctrine was to add some Propositions and they were 〈◊〉 as these 1. Many a gracious heart that hath fellowship with the Spirit of God in his sanctifying work may feel 〈◊〉 find none in his comforting work The Sun 〈◊〉 operate where it doth not shine A ma◠〈…〉 of salvation when he doth not feel the joyâ—â— of 〈…〉 Isa 51.3 You shall find those that fear the Lord and had the comforts of the Holy Ghost yet walked in darkness 2. Even those gracious souls that have the fellowship of the â—nnforting Spirit to day may want it to morrow This is not daily bread while the Saints are on this side Heaven The Solstice of a Christians comfort doth not last all the day long they are not feasted with this every day they have the night as well as the day there is a night as well as a day in the heart of a gracious soul as it is in natural in the common course of nature the Sun may shine to day but it may be clouded to morrow Thus it was with that holy man Psal 30.7 Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mount ain 〈◊〉 stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And God doth this in infinite wisdom to put a difference between Earth and Heaven this valley of tears and that state of glory that so the hearts of Gods people may be kept in a frame of longing after the state of Heaven Godâ—wil have his people be groaning here that his people may groan after that condition when all sorrowing and sighing shall flee away God reserves perfect comfort to be the reward of perfect holiness while our graces are imperfect we most make account that our comfort will be so too Tears will be never wiped from our eyes til sin be quite takeâ— out of our hearts 3. Those that have had this spirituall comfort in their souls they may lose not only the impression of the Spirits comâ—nt but they may feel impressions of Gods anger Heman complaâ—â— that the wrath of God did hang upon him and that the 〈◊〉 of God had cut him off A gracious heart hath real grouâ—â—â—â— of consolation though he hath not present sensible comfort A child of God hath alwayes that that if he did see he could not be without comfort the Promises are his support he hath the first fruits of the Spirit and right to eaâ—â—nal life A child of God shall always have so much to keep upâ— hopes and affiance upon God a child of God in the daâ—est condition though he doth not see enough to make 〈◊〉 rejoyce in God yet he sees enough to make him trust iâ— God though he walk in darkness and see no light yet he trusts in God Job sayes Though the Lord slay him yet be would trust in him David was in great trouble while â—e was in that disquiet expostulation Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me trust in God 5 Those that have inward comforts from the spirit may at the same time have little comfort from Gods outward dispensations It may be dark without when it 's light within while Stephen sees nothing but blood here below he saw Heaven above And Christ tells his Disciples In the world they should have tribulation but in him they should have peace 6 And lastly Though this be one great work of the spirit of God to comfort the hearts of Christs Disciples yet there are some speciall seasons where in the Spirit of God gives out this comfort There are seasons of sadnesse there is a season of heavinesse there is need of it There is a time to weep and a time to laugh and a time to mourn and a time to dance I shewed you some of the Seasons 1 One special Season of the Spirits comforting the renewed soul is presently upon the souls first salvation After the Spirit is become a Spirit of Adoption presently it becomes a Spirit of Consolation after the Spirit hath come into the Soul in the Law it then nextly appears a Spirit in the Gospel 2 Another season when the Spirit gives out this comfort is just before the Lord layes upon his people any great afflictâ—â— on When was it that Christ was transfigured and his face did shinc as the Sun it was immediately before his blood passion Christ was first taken into the Mount before 〈◊〉 was up lifted upon the Crosse When was the 〈◊〉 heard This is my beloved Son in whom I am well 〈◊〉 but just before he was led into the wildecessâ— to be tempted When was Paul lifted up into Heaven it was immediately before Satan was sent to buffer him Thus God gives his people somthing before-hand to support their spirits that they may not faint the Disciples were full of comfort Acts 5.41 and when was this immediately just before they were carried before the Council and whipt up and down like Vagabonds Rogues for Preaching the Gospel 3. Another Season when the Spirit gives out this Comfort is in the time of suffering God comes in the nick of time especially if a man suffer for righteousnesse sake if his suffering be upon the account of Christ he seldome fails to send the Comforter for the relieving of his spirit 1 Pet. 4.13 But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy Bodily confinement and inward streights are the time of the Souls greatest enlargement John had his Vision iâ— the Isle of Patmos When a child of God is brought to a piece of bread then
tryumphant manner he did not with so much sorrow and trouble to himself and his Disciples go to as tryumphantly come from the Grave So can God with a word in a moment bring them to life again 2 By what meanes the great Shepherd comes to have this honour confer'd upon him that he should be raised from the dead There was worth enough in his Person but 't is not altogether ascribed to this but through the blood of the everlasting Covenant i. e. by and in the vertue and efficacy of it he had dyed as a Priest and his bloud was a bloud of sacrifice and it was shed for the remission of sins and salvation of Souls because Christ did dye for so noble an end as this and in such a manner as that his death became a Sacrifice and did seal the everlasting Covenant whereof Christ is the Mediator therefore with consideration of this bloud of Christ and of the ends uses and benefits of it hereupon it is Christ is raised from the dead In the 9th of Zach. the Resurrection of Christ was prophesied of but by vertue of his blood shed so that Christ was more fit to be raised who dyed for such noble and honourable ends as the glory of God and salvation of his people in the vertue oâ— that Covenant God had made and in the vertue of the bloud of Christ shed for the sealing of that Covenant Now what this Covenant is is worthy to be considered because of its Epithets Called here everlasting Covenant There was a Temporal Covenant God made with the people of Israel and that was sealed and confirmed by the bloud of Bullocks c. Christ took not on him this Covenant he did not bind men to stand by those termes contained in that Covenant for indeed Christ came to make it voyd There is an Eternall Covenant and that is nothing else but those terms of grace and favour which are proposed to us in the Doctrine of the Gospel which amounts to this Who ever repents shall be saved He that repents and forsakes his sin shall find mercy and that he will be mercifull to all on these Conditions in all parts of the World for these termes God will not repent of If men repent they shall have the benefit of it and whoever believes shall be saved 'T is called Everlasting because God will abide by it both here and hereafter the states of all shall be determined according to the termes of this Covenant Now Christ shed his bloud to procure those termes contained in that Covenant for the case of poor sinners was so miserable that they could never come to have all their sins pardoned and their Souls certainly saved unless Christ had dyed and shed his bloud and so to satisfie Gods Justice that it might be free for him to be merciful where he would be merciful The Covenant is founded in the bloud of Jesus Christ that bloud being the bloud of the Everlasting Covenant therefore the Apostle so magnifies it of all the great and Gospel-blessings that belong to the New Testament to the Condition of a Child of God there is not any one like unto this The bloud of the everlasting Covenant they that come to this and have the benefit of this they shall be surely justified and eternally saved in the vertue of this Bloud In the business of being saved by Faith it contributes nothing more but as 't is an Instrument to bring us to be made partakers of the benefit of this bloud we are saved not by the vertue of our believing but by the vertue of his bloud so that 't is not so much the act as the object of Faith that saves Christ rose in the vertue of his blond and all our Comforts and Hopes are founded in his bloud The bloud of Christ was of so much value with God as that he will raise him from the dead and t is of so much vertue to us that through it we shall have Justification Sanctification and Salvation God being so good and gracious a God to Jesus Christ and his Church hereupon the Apostle imboldens himsellf to desire this further manifestation of his love that where he hath so bountifully provided for the justification of sinners through the bloud of Christ that he would provide for their sanctification by his Spirit Hence observe 1 God is with some singularity the God of Peace 2 To the end that God might shew himself to be the God of Peace he hath provided an alsufficient Saviour for his people here called the Great Shepherd of the flock and God being of agracious disposition towards them provides to that end Christ shall take the care of them and of all those things that pertaine to their Eternall wellfare 3 It was expedient this Person should dye though the Great Shepherd Nay it was necessary that it might be so much more verified and manifested that he was the Great Shepherd of the sheep that he should lay down his life for the flock 4 It was as necessary that Christ shoud be raised from the Dead as that he should dye Therefore his Continuance was but a Temporary nay a Momentary time to him Now Christ is risen yea all power in Heaven and earth is committed to him and if he was able to doe any thing for his people before much more now 5 The Resurrection of Christ doth arise partly from the Tenor of the Covenant God made with man and partly from the virtue and benefit that was in the bloud of Christ God put himselfe into a Covenant Christ was mediator of it and in vertue of that Covenant sinners must be saved but the Saviour must first save himselfe raise himselfe from the dead and then hath all power committed to his hand c. There are two things I would have you further observe and carry away 1 That Christ is indeed the only great Shepherd of the sheep Whatsoever others there are they make to his own interest whosoever there be that may possibly indite themselves under hiâ— name and notion yet this is undeniable that Christ is the only Great Shepherd of the sheep therefore in the concernments of the Church there is none Christians should honour as Christ and whose voice they ought to hear before his or by whom they should be Ruled and Governed but by Him If Christ be the Great Shepherd then the Church must hear his voice for my sheep hear my voice c. And if He be the Great Shepherd then the Church must be Ruled by him for the Shepherd must have the ordering of the flock and the flock must be at the disposall of the Shepherd and then Thirdly The flock of Christ must be carefull to please him for fear he set his Dog upon them that we provok him not to exercise his Correcting power He hath his Rod of Discpline as well as his Staffe and Crook which is to be performed by others as seems good to him for he hath many
wayes to ler loose the Devill on his owne Children Satan had a desire to afflict Job and God gave way to it c. The Church of God is Gods Spouse and there is a great deale of love between the Husband and Wife between Christ and the Church Yet Psal 4.5 this she is so solemnly charged with all God hath made Christ a head to his Church therefore his Church must be Ruled by Christ and t is not for the Church to say The inferiour shepherds would order me thus and thus we must in the mean while say but What doth Christ say in such cases It is not for the Church to go aside by the flocks of his Companions Cant. 1.7 The Companions of Christ pretend to be Shepherds of the sheep as well as he but have not that power Christ had They have their Societies and would have the ordering of them but the Church desires to know where she may hold Communion with Christ that she may not turne aside by the flocks of his companiâ—◠〈◊〉 There is many Disputations amorg inferiour shepherds but this is out of all dispute that Christ is the Great Shepherd of the sheep That great man at Rome never pretended higher than to be the Vicar of Christ and Successor of Peter now we know that the Principal is much more to be regarded than his Vicar therefore if Christ be the Great Shepherd surely the sheep of Christ must hear his voice before all other shepherds specially since Christ hath spoken so signally in the Case My sheep hear my voice and they follow me a stranger will they not follow for they know not the voice of strangers And God having so solemnly commanded Matth. 17.5 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him The Great Shepherd must be heard before all little shepherds The little shepherds have their division Act. 20.29 After my departure shall grivous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away discisples after them True shepherds are alwaies carefull to make Disciples for Christ and to bring all Disciples to Christ All John's work was to make Disciples to put them over to Christ not to make disciples to himself but to make over all his disciples unto Christ If any man will gather he must gather for Christ not himself others would draw men unto any matter or manner of Doctrine Government c. But our eye must be upon Christ and our ear open to his voice and our Hearts awed with his will and mind in Scripture made known to his Church And they love nor Christ as they ought that desire not to hear his voice before any others in the world for he is the Great Shepherd of the sheep 2. Though he be the Great Shepherd of the sheep yet he dye and though he dye yet because he is the Great Shepherd of the sheep he is raised again The great Shepherd Dyes the little Shepherds must not think much of it if they be called to dye We must be contented it be exemplified in us if occasion serve for if God spared not the Great Shepherd What have the little shepherds to plead for themselves they should be spared If the Case fall out while I labour to serve the Church as I can I come to suffer for the Church in the end I doe rejoyce and I will rejoyce And truly we had need to pray for such a spirit as this for if this was in the Great Shepherd of the sheep it will very well become the little shepherds But against the fear of death here 's the comfort The Great Shepherd of the sheep dyes yet is raised from the dead so shall the little ones not one member of the flock death can alwaies triumph over him In this respect Christ will have all his members to be raised in that he got the victory over death for Christ arose as the First fruits and ascended into Heaven as a fore-runner Though we may have deniall as to the advancing of Christs service c. Yet the Resurrection of the dead is that we must take into our thoughts and t is our solid comfort God will one day bring all the sheep together into one fold and David shall be their King and have the Ruling and ordering of them to all Eternity There is a Resurrection to little shepherds when we come to lay down our naturall lives we can look for no other recompence for it but our Resurrection and the thoughts of it must be our Comfort And oh how doth this incourage us to come unto God though sinne be heavie upon us Remember there is a God of peace that takes to himself this name for this very end that sinners may know for their incouragment that Reconciliation is wrought out between God and them through Jesus Christ and if they will but come and take hold of the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Christ hath said they shall have all the blessings and benefits promised in the Covenant of Grace and that the bloud of Christ can procure for them they shall have forgivness of sinnes and salvation of Soul Therefore when we consider Christ hath dyed to have a flock and for saving of the flock and to make himself the God of peace through his bloud this should comfort us It remains we come to consider of the matter of the Prayer this is very full Make you perfect in every good work to doe his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight c. Here we are to observe two things First The matter of the Apostle's desire Secondly The measure of it The matter of his desire is that the Hebrewes may be made perfect in every good work to doe the will of God i. e. that they may be fully and thoroughly regenerate sanctified throughout both in soul and body and that they may be furnished with all graces and inabled for every duty Take notice of every one of the expressions First Make you perfect T is the duty of Christians to perfect every good work to cleanse themselves from all the impurity of flesh and spirit and to perfect Holinesse in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 7.1 Secondly In every good work in matters of Piety Righteousnesse Charity Sobriety for within these head most of those things may be comprehended that belong to Christians they will goe a very great way to make a perfect Christian but that Christian cannot be perfect that is not sanctified in every one of these Thirdly To doe his will that you may be ready chearfully willing to do his will on all occasions But how is it possible flesh and bloud should attain to this that they should be perfect to every good work Why saith the Apostle working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Working in you You see thereby All our works depend on God's
and perpetuating of them 〈◊〉 and herein we must depend upon the faithfulness of The great Shepherd of the Sheep Doctor BATES's Forenoon SERMON HEB. 13.20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Bloud of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN IT would give light to these words if you confider the scope and design of the Apostle in this Epistle to the Hebrews the sum of which is He writes to to them that he might Antidore their Spiâ—ies as gainst A postacy from the Doctrine of the Gospel they were liable to this upon a double account 1 Partly in respect of those Persecutions to which they were exposed for the Jews were filled with a bruitish zeal for the Ceremonies of the Levitical Law and exprest the greatest rancour against those who left Moses to follow Christ This is the reason why the Apostle lays down so many Preservatives against their revolting from Religion and he spends one part of this Epistle in a most passionate Exhortation to perseverance and doth in the tenth Chapter insinuate himself into them You have already tasted the first-fruits of affliction ver 34. You took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance This is that temper that Martyrs have exprest who have not onely parted with their goods but with their lives for the Gospel When they came to the Stake they would not so much as shed a tear to quench those flames wherein they should ascend to God as in a fiery Chatiot You took oyfully the spotling of your goods knowing in your selves that you have a better and an enduring substance Thus he insinuates himself by represening what they had done to encourage them to perseverance and partly he fortifies them against Back-sliding by those terrible Judgments which he threatned against Revolters as you may read Chap. 6. and 7. 2 As they were liable to this Apostacy upon the account of Persecution so upon the account of the unsettledness and instability of their own spirits There were several 〈◊〉 those who had given up their names to Christ who diâ—â— compare the Ceremonies of the Law with the purity of the Gospel Now the Apostle to secure them from this mixture his great design is to represent the vanity and infectiveness of all the Ceremonial Law and to â—â—press and prove the vertue and efficacy of the Lord â—â—sus his death which was the substance of all the shadows And this takes up one great part of his discourse with them Now in these two Verses he sums up by way of Recapitulation all that which he had discoursed of at large and in them you may observe these two thing 1 A Description of God to whom he addresses this Prayer 2 The Substance of the Prayer it self The Description of God that he amplifies by these two things 1 From the Attributes and Qualities of God if I may so express it Now saith he the God of Peace 2 From the effects of his power and love That brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep And these Titles they are not here set down to adorn his Discourse meerly as an Ornament but they have all a peculiar efficacy as to the obtaining of the request which here he makes for them I shall beâ—â— with the first the Description of God from that Attribute Now the God of Peace The Title that is used in the Old Testament frequently is this The Lord of Hosts but in the New he is called The God of Peace There were darker Representations of the mercy and love of God then the more full discoveries of his grace were reserveâ—â—ll the coming of Christ Their Discoveries under the Old Testament were but as the Day-Star whsch usher'd in the Sun of Righteousness Now this Title of the God of Peace imparts two things 1 That he is the Author of Peace and works it 2 That he loves and desights in Peace First That he is the Author of it And if you consider Peace in all iâ—s notions and kinds it is a fruit of God and that which descends from him First Peace in Nature is the Harmony that is between all the parts of the World the union that is between the dis-agreeing Elements this is from God for without him the whole Creation would presently disband and return to its first Chaos of confusion Secondly Civil Peace which is among the Societies of men that which is so amiable and lovely and which needs no other foil to commend it and set off its lustre than the miseries of War this Peace comes from God also When there is a subjection to just Laws this is from God Every rash hand is able to make a wound or cast a fire-brand but it is onely the God of Peace that is able to heal breaches to allay those storms that are in a Nation You know those showers which render the Earth fruitful descend from Heaven from God so all the counsels of Peace descend from above The fiery Exhalations ascend from the Earth Counsels of War and Disturbance proceed from the â—â—vilish hearts of men Or thirdly If you consider that Rational Peace which is in the spirits of men i. e. when the Understanding exercises a coercion and restraint over our licentious Appetites when all our inferior Faculties are under the Empire and Conduct of Reason this proceeds also from God For since the Fall there is a great deal of Tumult many Ryots and Disorders in the Soul of a man Reason hates a bad Guide and our Appetitoâ— those are evil Instruments and do many times hurry Reason from its regular actings But fourthly much more if you consider Spirituâ—â— Peace that Peace doth not onely import an agreemenâ— of a man within himself but the agreement of the Soâ—â— with God This is the fruit of the Spirit and it I only God that is able to convey this peace to us And upon a particular account this Title is given to him by way of eminency and propriety as 1 He is alone able to allow and dispense this peace to us for all our sins are injuries committed against him against his Crown and Dignity all the Arrests of Conscience are made in the name of God and therefore it is only He that can speak peace As in the Civil State it is an Act of Supremacy to give a pardon only he that can condemn is able to speak a pardon so it is that God that is our Judge provoked and incensed by us he that hath a judiciall power to cast body and soule into hell-fire is alone able to speak peace and passe a Pardon for us in the Court of Heaven and this is experienced
Conspiracy of thy Thoughts and Passions against thy Peace Thou mayst be quiet within and yet have war with God because as in the world there may be a Truce when there is no Peace the War may still continue tho there be a Truces between 2 Princes Or rather there is not a Truce between God sinner but as a Town that is besieged for many days may not feel the Battery of their Enemy because he is undermining them to blow them up at once so God doth not many times make his Battery against sinners but he is undermining them and the Fall at the last will be dreadful if there be not a composition Vse 2. By way of Exhortation Let me press you all to follow Peace it is a Duty which the Gospel enjoyns with the greatest vehemency with the greatest force of words and expressions The Apostle when he is to seal up his affections to them he doth it with that Prayer 2 Thess 3.16 Now the God of Peace himself give you Peace always by all means What strange expressions First he gives you here the Title of the God of Peace and then he saith Himself The God of Peace himself There 's a great deal of force in that word Peace is so excellent a blessing and there is such an abhorrency in our corrupt nature to it that it is onely the Lord himself that is able to effect it As if the Apostle had said The Lord must bow the Heavens he must come down himself to create Peace among you and to express the greater vehemency of his desire he saith Give you peace always by all means So another Scripture Pursue Peace Follow Peace with all men a word that imports our pursuit after it though it run from us This is the strain and tenour of the Gospel and this becomes you as Christians When Christ came to purchase our Peace he came as a Lamb an innocent and meek Creature Behold the Lamb of God When the Holy Spirit descended to seal the priviledge of Peace to us he descended in the form of a Dove a gaul-less Creature in whom there is no rancour nor bitterness What a strong engagement should this be upon all of us to pursue and promote Peace And for your encouragement consider First That in the times of the Gospel all the Promises do as it were empty themselves into this blessing the blessing of Peace Thus Isa 11.6 you shall find there a gracious Promise respecting the times of the Gospel The Wolf also shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatling together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed their young Ones shall lie down together and the Lion shall eat straw like the Oxe That which I observe from thence is this that God here promises to cause an universal Peace and Unity under the Gospel though it be as difficult as to perswade the most disagreeing Natures to a peaceable cohabitation For here the Scripture instances in those Creatures between which there is the most natural and therefore the most fierce Animosities The Lord will reconcile men though their differences he never so great What is too hard for the God of Peace to effect Is not God of infinite power of infinite love then it should quicken us to pursue Peace 1 By Prayer to him because he is able to effect it Certainly that God that was able to bring Order into the World when it was a meer lump and mass of Confusion is able to bring peace and to unite our spirits And it is observable the greater our differences and divisions are the more will the power of the God appear in reconciling them 'T is said in the Psalms That God's Throne is in darkness i. e. His ways of Providence are very difficult for us to trace and find out â— and therefore when our Divisions are at the highest he is able by one word to allay the storm This should encourage us in Prayer This is the course of God to glorifie himself by putting a stop to the greatest Troubles when nearest to us and to work out one contrary by another To give you some Instances that so we may encourage our Faith and quicken our Prayer to God for this blessing Consider how still God hath made difficulties the way for enjoyment for instance The Promises that Sarah should be the Mother of a Child but he made way for that by her dead Womb for all that numerous Progeny which like the Stars of the Sky descended from her That he first maimed Jacob and then gave him the blessing He brought Joseph from the Prison to a Princely Palace First David was harassed with Troubles and then his head was deck'd with the Imperial Crown So if you look into the Kingdom of Christ who would have thought that a few Fishermen should have advanced the Empire of Christ in the World had you lived to have seen those despicable beginnings when a few unlearned men were the Heraulds and Preachers of Christ how would this have caused you to fail and sink in your Spirits and yet the Gospel hath been preached in all the parts of the World and that by a few Fishermen The Providences of God are like those plated Pictures if you look one way upon them there is the appearance of a Serpent if you look on the other side there 's the appearance of an Angel So here many times God is pleased to suffer exasperations to go very high that so his power may appear more eminent in the composure of them He it is that enables the Faith of his people to draw Water out of the Rock when the Fountain is dry that makes meat to come out of the Eater as in Sampson's Riddle that is able to bring a peaceable harmony out of devouring differences and therefore it should quicken our Prayers to him Secondly To make us more serious in our endeavours after peace Consider what a dishonour it is to the Gospel that those that profess themselves Sons of the same God Members of the same Christ Temples of the same Spirit should be at deadly jars one with another It is strange and unnatural that Lillies should prove Thorns to one another that those who are Saints in pretence should be Devils in practice to one another that God's Diamonds should cut one another this is very strange yet thus it is But how especially it is most sad when Religion which should restrain and bridle our Passions is made fewel and insentives of them How for distant is it from the counsel of the Apostle Rom. 14.10 where he speaks concerning their lesser differences One values one day above another another esteems every day alike what 's his counsel He speaks as a person that was fill'd with bowels and compassion Oh saith he let not him that doth not esteem the day judge him that doth For we
shall all stand before the Judgment-Seat of Christ there we shall appear all upon a Level stand upon equal ground and receive our final doom from him This therefore should calm our Spirits Why may there not be some differences in Judgment without division in Affection for it is as impossible that all Judgments should be of the same extent as all our faces to be of the same colour and figure Therefore consider what an injury it is to our Profession how doth it obscure the glory of God and lustre of our Religion Thirdly Doth not the publick Enemy rejoyce over us I mean the Papists Do they not warm themselves at the sparks of our Divisions for you know the old Maxim of Divide and Reign Therefore it should compose our spirits and quicken us to labour after Union Vnmortifi'd Lusts are thence whence all Wars Enmities springs in the World The Apostle Paul when he would compose their differences he doth not lay down Rules to decide their Controversies but corrects their secret Passions Pride Self-seeking Revenge c. this being the Seed of all Disturbances in the Church And although these Lusts may not be conspicuous and visible to the eyes of men yet they are certainly the Fuel of our Distempers The sum of all is this Those that have the Spirit of God they cannot but mourn and be sensible of these Divisions I know a great part among us are unconcern'd some rejoyce those that are rather buried in the Affairs of the World and incumbred with much business or those that are steeped in the pleasures of sense are altogether unaffected with these things and stand as Neuters dis-regarding all events But the Saints of God cannot but mourn over them when our Divisions hinder the progress of the Gospel and are serviceable to nothing but to the Kingdom of Darkness Therefore I beseech you let what hath been spoken quicken you in your Prayers to God to pray for the peace of Jerusalem that 's the least effect of our love and desires after Peace and by all endeavours to labour to bring back Peace to us that we may see that Prophesie fulfilled in our time that the Lord shall be one and his Name one amongst us Doctor BATES His Afternoon SERMON Heb. 13.20 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ To whom be glory for ever and ever Amen THe Apostle describes God by the effects of his power and love That brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus The Resurrection of Christ from the dead is one of the most transcendent testimonies of God's love and power towards us 1 Of his Love because as the Anger of God was that which crucified our Saviour so on the contrary it must be his Love that should raise and restore him Christ when he died he looked upon God as an Enemy as a Judge and as those Colours which we see conveyed to us are unanswerable to the Medium through which we see them as if we look through a coloured Gloss we see the object of that colour So the Lord Jesus when he was upon the Cross looked upon God through the black cloud of our sins and through the red cloud of his Father's wrath and so died as a sacrifice to Divine Justice But when he was raised from the Grave that was the restimony of God's love to him and of his love to us for he died as our Surety he was arrested for our debt he was cast into the Grave as into a Prison But by his Resurrection he was redeemed from Prison and Judgment And therefore you shall find when Christ was risen he salutes his Disciples with this Peace be unto you Luk 24.31 There was the dawning of peace at the Incarnation of Christ for then the Angels sung Peace upon Earth but the compleat Sun-shine of peace was at his Resurrection when he had made full and compleat satisfaction to God's Justice for this was a clearing of him before all the World when God rais'd him from the grave And in this respect it was very agreeable for the Apostle to say The God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus 2 It was the effect of Infinite Power You know 't is naturally impossible for a dead body to quicken it self to revive but for the Lord Jesus who had the load of the sins of all the Elect upon him who was as it were secured in the grave by God's Justice and Power for him to rise again This must be an effect of Infinite Power in the great God This raising of Christ sometimes 't is attributed to the Son being God equal with the Father but here 't is attributed to God And therefore when the Scripture would speak with the greatest magnificence of the Power of God it expresses it thus That Power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead When Christ wrought deliverance for the lost world all those who were committed to his charge This could be no less than the work of an Infinite Power And upon this account also it is very proportionable to the design of the Apostle for that Prayer he makes to God is for that which onely can be accomplished by Infinite Love and infinite Power i.e. to make the Christian Hebrews perfect in every good work to do his will I come to a further description He that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus The Title of the Lord Jesus was only given to our Saviour after his Resurrection he was called Lord before and Jesus before but these two Titles were never united till after his Resurrection They came to see the place where the Body of the Lord Jesus lay the reason was this Because the Resurrection of Christ was a solemn Proclamation to the world that Christ was the Son of God 't is true this Title was iven him immediately upon the Conception but it was never compleatly declared to the world till after his Resurrection for before Christ was a Prince in disguise the beams of his Divinity was abated by the vail of his Humanity but then he was declared by power to be the Son of God It follows That great Shepherd of the Sheep For the opening of this 1 We will consider this Title of Christ 2 The person for whom this Title relates First This Title The great Shepheard 'T is a wonderful condescention in Christ that he will take upon him the Title of a Shepheard that which rather expresses Love and Care than Power and Dominion yet he is pleased to assume this Title to express his affection to us For the opening of it wherein he appears to be the great Shepheard I shall lay down these particulars 1 He is great in the Dignity of his Person
c. 8 The strange and wonderful Affections and tenderness that God hath wrought in his Children to the Gospel What meltings and mournings and what a spirit of Prayer hath God put upon his People 9 There are many young tender Plants and Buds of grace such in whom the Spirit of God hath stirred a hungring thirsting and longing after the great Concernments of Eternity I would upon these grounds with others of the like import hope and believe that the Lord will not remove his everlasting Gospel however he may correct his People for their trifling with and slighting the glorious Gospel I have several times thought what a day of darkness was upon the World in respect of Sin and Superstition When Christ brought the everlasting Gospel what a day of Darkness and Superstition was on the whole Earth But you know what the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 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 believe When it is nearest day then it is darkest There may be an hour of Darkness that may be upon the Gospel as to its liberty purity and glory and yet there may be a Sun-shining day ready to tread on the heels of it And so much for the Resolution of those Queries I shall proceed as I said and leave some Legacies with you which may by the finger of the Spirit be made advantageous to you whom we are not advantaged to speak unto you LEGACY 1. The first Legacy I would leave with you shall be this Secure your Interest in Christ Make it your great business your work your Heaven to secure your interest in Christ This is not an Age an Hour for a man to be between fears and hopes between doubting and believing Take not up in a name to live when you are dead God-ward and Christ-ward Take not up in an outward form and outward priviledges They cryed out The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord that had no interest in or love to the Lord of the Temple Follow God leave no means unattempted whereby your blessed interest may be cleared up Leg. 2. Make Christ and Scripture the onely foundation for your souls and faith to build on as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundations can no man lay then that which is layd even Jesus Christ Isa 28.6 Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a corner stone a pretious stone a sure foundation Ephes 2.10 Since its a very dangerous thing as much as your souls and eternity is worth for you to build on any thing besides Jesus Christ many will say Come build on this authority and that on this saying and that but take heed Leg. 3. In all places and company be sure to carry your soul-preservatives with you go into no place or company except you carry your soul-preservations with you that is a holy care and wisdom You know in infectious times men will carry outward preservatives with them you had need to carry your preservatives about you else you will be in danger of being infected with the ill customs and vanities of the times wherein you live and that is a third Leg. 4. I would leave with you is this look that all within you rises higher and higher by oppositions threatnings and sufferings that is that your faith your love your courage your zeal your resolutions and magnanimity rises higher by opposition and a spirit of prayer this it did Acts 4.18 19 20 21 29 30 31. compared all their sufferings did but raise up a more noble spirit in them they did but raise up their faith and courage So Acts 5.40 41 42. they looked on it as a grace to be disgraced for Christ and as an honour to bâ— dishonoured for him They say as David If thâ— be to be vile I will be more vile If to be found in thâ— way of my God to act for my God to be vile I will be more vile Leg. 5. Take more pains and make more Conscience of keeping your selves from sin than suffering from the pollutions and defilements of the day then from the sufferings of the day this Legacy I would beg that you would consider take more pains and make more conscience of keeping your selves from the evil of sin than the evil of punishment from the pollutions and corruptions of the times than the sufferings of the times Acts 2.40 Save your selves from this untoward generation Phil. 2.15 The Children of God must be harmless and blameless without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation Heb. 11. speaks full to the poin in hand Rev. 3 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy White was the habit of Nobles which imports the honour that God will put on those that keep their garments pure in a defiling day Rev. 8.4 And I heard another voyce from Heaven saying Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues If you will be tasting and sipping at Babylon's Cup you must resolve to receive more or lesse of Babylons plagues Leg. 6. I would leave with you is this Be alwayes doing or receiving good Our Lord and Master went up and down in this world doing good he was still doing good to body and soul he was acted by an untired power be still doing or receiving good this will make your lives comfortable your deaths happy and your accompt glorious in the great day of our Lord. Oh how useless are many men in their generation oh that our lips might be as so many Honey-combs that we might scarter knowledge Leg. 7. I would leave with you is this Set the highest examples and patterns before your face of grace and godliness for your imitation In the business of Faith set an Abraham before your eyes in the business of Courage set a Joshua In the business of uprightness set a Job of meekness a Moses c. There is a disadvantage that redounds to Christians by looking more backwards than forwards Men look on whom they excel not on those they fall short of Of all examples set them before you that are most eminent for grace and holiness for communion with God and acting for God next to Christ set the pattern of the choisest Saints before you Leg. 8. Hold fast your Integrity and rather let all go than let that go A man had better let liberty estate relations and life go than let his integrity go yea let Ordinances themselves go when they cannot be held with the hand of integrity Job 27. 5 6. God forbid that I should justify you till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my Righteousness I will hold fast and I will not let it go my heart shall not reproach
me so long as I live look aâ— the drowning man holds fast that which is cast forth for to save him as the Souldier holds fast his Sword and Buckler on which his life depends So saith Job I will hold fast my integrity my heart shall not reproach me I had rather all the world should reproach me and my heart justify me then that my heart should reproach me and all the world justify me that man will make but a sad exchange that shall exchange his integrity for any worldly concernment Integrity maintained in the soul will be a feast of fat things in the worst of dayes but let a man loose his Integrity and it is not in the power of all the world to make a feast of fat things in that soul Leg. 9. That I would leave with you is this Let not a day passe over your head without calling the whole man to an exact accompt Well where have you been acting to day Hands what have you done for God to day Tongue what have you spoke for God to day this will be an advantage many wayes unto you but I can only touch on these Legacies Leg. 10. Labour mightily for a healing Spirit This Legacy I would leave with you as matter of great concernment Labour mightily for a healing spirit away with all discriminating names whatâ— ever that may hinder the applying of Balm to heaâ— your wounds labour for a he ling spirit discord and division become no Christian for Wolves tâ— worry the Lambs is no wonder but for one Laâ—â— to worry another this is unnaturall and monstrous God hath made his wrath to smoak against us for the divisions and heart-burnings that have been amongst us Labour for a onenesse in love and affection with every one that is one with Christ let their forms be what they will that which wins most upon Christs heart should winn most upon ours and that is his owne Grace and Holinesse The question should be What of the Father What of the Son What of the Spirit shines in this or that person and accordingly let your love and your affections run out That is the tenth Legacy Leg. 11. Be most in the spirituall exercises of Religion Improve this Legacy for much of the life and comfort joy and peace of your souls is wrapt up in it I say be most in the Spiritual exercises of Religion There are externall exercises as hearing preaching praying and conference and there are the more spirituall exercises of Religion exercise of Grace Meditation Self-judging self-tryall and examination Bodily exercise will profit nothing if abstracted from those more spirituall The glory that God hath and the comfort and advantage that will redound to your souls is mostly from the spirituall exercises of Religion How rare is it to find men in the work of Meditation of Tryall and examination and of bringing home of truths to their owne soules Leg. 12. Take no truths upon trust but all upon tryall 1 Thes 5.21 So 1 John 4.1 Act. 17.11 It was the glory of that Church that they would not trust Paul himself Paul that had the advantage above all for externall qualifications no not Paul himself Take no truth upon trust bring them to the ballance of the Sanctuary if they will nor hold weight there reject them Leg. 13. The lesser and fewer opportunities and advantages you have in publique to better and enrich your souls the more aboundantly addresse your souls to God in private Malac. 3.16 17. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another c. Leg. 14. Walk in those wayes that are directly crosse and contrary to the vain sinfull and superstitious wayes that men of a formall carnall lukewarm spirit walk in this is the great concernment of Christians But more of that by and by Leg. 15. Lock upon all the things of this world as you will look upon them when you come to dye At what a poor rate do men look on the things of this world when they come to dye What a low value do men set upon the pomp and glory of iâ— when there is but a step between them and eternity Men now may put a maske upon them but then they will appeare in their own colours Men would not venture the losse of such great things for them did they but look on them now as they will doe at the last day Leg. 16. Never put off your Conscience with any plea or with any argument that you dare not stand by in the great day of your accompt It 's dreadfull to consider how many in these dayes put off their consciences We did this and that for our families they would have else perished I have complyed thus and wronged my conscience thus for this and that concernment Wil a man stand by this argument when he comes before Jesus Christ at the last day Because of the souls of men many plead this or that Christ doth not stand in need of indirect wayes to save soules he hath wayes enough to bring in soules to himselfe Leg. 17. Eye more minde more and lay to heart more the Spirituall and Internall workings of God in your soules than the externall Providences of God in the world Beloved God looks that we should consider the operations of his hand and the despising the works of his hands is so provoking to him that he threatens them to lead them into Captivity for not considering of them But above all look to the work that God is carrying on in your soules not a soul but he is carrying on some work or other in it either blinding or enlightning bettering or worstening and therefore look to what God is doing in thy soul All the motions of God within you are steps to eternity and every soul shall be blest or curst saved oâ— lost to all eternity not according to outward dispensations but according to the inward operations of God in your souls Observe what humbling work reforming work sanctifying work he is about in thy spirit what he is doing in that little world within thee If God should carry on never so glorious a work in the world as a conquest of the Nations to Christ What would it advantage thee if sin Sathan and the world should triumph in thy soul and carry the day there Leg. 18. Look as well on the bright side as on the darke side of the cloud on the bright side of Providence as well as on the dark side of Providence Beloved there is a great weaknesse amongst Christians they doe so pore on the dark side of the Providence as that they have no heart to consider of the bright side If you look on the dark side of the Providence of God to Joseth How terrible and amazing was it But if you look on the bright side his forescore yeares raign How glorious was it If you look on the dark side of the Providence of God to David in his five yeares banishment much will arise to startle
you but if you turne to the bright side his fourty yeares raign in glory How amiable was it Look on the darke side of the Providence of God to Job Oh how terrible was it in the first of Job but compare this with the last of Job where you have the bright side of the cloud and there God doubles all his mercies to him Consider the patience of Job and the end that the Lord made with him do not remember the beginning only for that was thâ— darke side but turne to the end of him and there was his bright side Many sinnes many temptations and much affliction would be prevented by Christians looking on the bright side of Providence as well as on the dark Leg. 19. Keep up pretious thoughts of God under the sowrest sharpest and severest Dispensations of God to you Psal 22.1 2 3. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring oh my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent There was the Psalmist under smart dispensations but What pretious thoughts hath he of God under all But Thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the prayses of Israel though I am thus and thus afflicted yet thou art holy Psal 65.5 By terrible things in Righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation Leg. 20. Hold on and hold cut in the wayes of well-doing in the want of all outward encouragments and in the face of all outward discouragments It s nothing to hold out when we meet with nothing but encouragements but to hold out in the face of all discouragements is a Christians duty Psal 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet have we not dealt fasly in thy Covenant our heart is not turned back neither have we declined from thy wayes t is perseveravce that crownes all Be thou faithfull to the death and I will give thee a crown of life Rev. 2.10 And he that endureth to the end shall be saved Mat. 24. It s perseveranâ—◠〈◊〉 well-doing that crownes all our actions If 〈…〉 began in the Spirit don't end in the flesh do not go away from the Captain of your salvation follow the Lambe though others follow the Beast and the false prophets Leg. 21. In all your naturall civill and Religious actions let divine glory still rest on your soules Rom. 14.7 8. 1 Cor. 10.31 In all your hearings in all your prayings let the glory of Christ carry it in all your closet-dutyes let the glory of Christ lye nearest your hearts Leg. 22. Record all Speciall favours mercies providences and experiences T is true a man should do nothing else should he record all the favours and experiences of God towards him and therefore my Legacy is Record all Speciall favours peculiar experiences Little doe you know the advantage that will redound to your soul upon this account by recording all the experiences of the shinings of his face of the leadings of his Spirit many a Christian looseth much by neglecting this duty Leg. 23. Never enter upon the tryall of your estate but when your hearts are at the best and in the fitest temper T is a great designe of Sathan when the soul is deserted and strangely afflicted to put the soul on trying wroke Come see what thou art worth for another world what thou hast to shew for a better state for an interest in Christ a title for heaven this is not a time to be about this worke thy work is now to get off from this temptation and therfore to pray and believe and wait upon God and to be found in all those wayes whereby you may get off the temptation Leg. 24. Alwayes make the Scripture and not your selves nor your carnal reason nor your bare opinion the Judges of your spiritual state and condition I cannot see my condition to be good I cannot perceive it What must your sense and your carnall reason be the Judge of your spiritual state Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this rule it is because there is no light no morning in them John 12.48 The word that I have spoken the same shall judge you in the last day The Scripture is that which must determine the case in the great day whether you have grace or no or whether it be true or no. Leg. 25. Make much conscience of making good the terms on which you closed with Christ you know the terms how that you would deny your selves take up his Cross and follow the Lamb wheresoever he should go Now you are put to take up the Cross to deny your selves to follow the Lamb over hedge and ditch through thick and thin do not turn your backs on Christ the worst of Christ is better then the best of the world make conscience of making good your terms to deny your self your natural self your sinful self your religious self and to follow him and if you do so oh what an honour will it be to Christ and advantage to your souls and a joy to the upright Leg. 26. Walk by no rule but such as you dare dy by and stand by in the great day of Jesus Christ You may have many wayes prescribed to worship by but walk by none but such as you dare dye by and stand by before Jesus Christ walk not by a multitude for who dare stand by that rule when he comes to dy Make not the example of great men a rule to go by for who dare dye by and stand by this in the great day of accompt Do not make any authority that stands in opposition to the authority of Christ a rule to walk by for who dare stand by this before Jesus Christ Ah Sirs walk by no rule but what you dare dye by and stand by at the great day Leg. 27. And lastly sit down and rejoyce with fear Psal 2. Let the Righteous rejoyce but let them rejoyce with fear Rejoyce that God hath done your souls good by the everlasting Gospel that he did not leave you till he brought you to an acceptance of to a closing with and a resignation of your souls to Christ and the clearing up of your interest in him Rejoyce that you have had the everlasting Gospel in so much light purity power and glory as you have had for many years together Rejoyce in the riches of grace that hath carryed it in such a way towards you And weep that you have provoked God to take away the Gospel that you have no more improved it that you have so neglected the seasons and opportunities of enriching your souls When you should have come to Church-fellowship any thing would turn you out of the way Oh sit down and tremble under your barrenness under all your leanness notwithstanding all the cost and
charge that God hath been at that you have grown no more into communion with God and conformity to God and into the lively hope of the everlasting fruition of God Here are your Legacies and the Lord make them to work in your souls and then they will be of singular use to you to preserve you so that you may give up your accompt before the great and glorious God with joy Labour to make conscience of putting these Legacies into practice of sucking at these breasts which will be of use to us till we shall be gathered up into the fruition of God where we shall need no more Ordinances no more preaching or praying Mr. MEDE His Fare-wel SERMON 1 Cor. 1.3 Grace be unto you and Peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ YOu will wonder possibly that I should pitch on the Apostles Salutation for my Valediction and make that the Conclusion of my Preaching which he made the Beginning of his Writing and therefore I have made a double Plea for it I find that this was a form of Blessing peculiar to this Apostle both in the beginning and end of this Epistle for as there is scarcely one Epistle but begins with it so many end with it likewise As in Eph. 6. ver ult The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit So in the 2d of the Thessalonians the last verse of the last Chapter The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all So that I finding the Apostle to use it frequently at the beginning and end of his Writing I thought as I made it the matter of my prayer for you in the beginning so I might make it my farewel to you in the ending and therefore Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Besides this As Isaac said to his Jacob concerning his Venison when his Father asked him How he found it so quickly he answered Because the Lord thy God brought it to me The same I may say of this Scripture for Considering of what subject I should speak in my last Labours here among you this Scripture came to my thoughts and opening the Book came immediately to my sight and therefore I may say God brought it to me Which I no sooner looked upon but methinks I saw the Apostle on Mount Ger sim and his mouth filled with blessing for what greater blessing can a man wish then that which comprehends all blessings and that is Grace and Peace Being therefore now to part I thought to go to the top of the Mount and leave with you Grace and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ In which words there are two generals 1. A double Blessing desired 2. A double Spring discovered 1. A double Blessing desired and that is Gratâ— and Peace Grace is of all Blessings the richest Peace is of all Comforts the sweetest both these the Apostle begs for the Corâ—nthians and so do I for you Beloved Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ 2. Here is a double Fountain discovered and that is the Father and the Son God and Christ The Father is called the God of Grace the Son is called the Prince of Peace not that grace is from the Father without Peace nor Peace from the Son without grace but both grace and peace are from God the Father through the Lord Christ The Order of the words is worth noting Grace be to you and peace First grace then peace for there can be no peace without grace nor grace but there will be peace but there can be no true peace but from God nor from God but as he is a Father nor from God as a Father but as our Father and he cannot be said to be our Father but through our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore he saith Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ both are manifested as a golden Chain linked together not grace without peace nor peace without grace but both conjoyned together to cram the believers soul with grace and peace Now from the Order of the words we might raise several Observations 1. That Peace is the fruit of Grace 2. That Grace and Peace are both from God 3. That Love which is the spring of Grace and Peace is from God as a Father 4. That we share not in his Love but only as he is our Father All is from propriety First Our Father then Grace and Peace from God our Father 5. That God is our Father onely through Christ But before we draw any thing from the Text by way of Observation we will speak to the terms by way of Explication Grace be to you What is here meant by Grace This is a sweet word iâ— perfumes the breath it cherishes the Conscience 〈◊〉 warms the Heart it ravishes the Soul As the Spouse was ravished with the rayes of Christs glory so Christ revives the Soul with one of his Gracious rayes discovered to the Heart Grace is the life of the Soul thou art dead till grace quickens thee thou art lost till grace finds thee undone till grace saves thee Grace is the Marna of Angelsâ— the spiritual Bread which those that are holy in being 〈◊〉 rished with and subsist by Angels live on 〈◊〉 and stand by Grace Man that shares in the grace of God is made fellow-Communor with Angels eats Angels food and shares in Angels blessings Grace is the substance of the Scripture the end of the Law the fulness of the Gospel Gregory calls it the Heart and Soul of God I am sure Grace is the Heart and Soul of the Word It 's a little word but it comprehends all good here is more then Homers Iliads in a Nut-shell it 's the Epitome of all the good in Heaven and Earth name any word that signifies good to the Soul here or hereafter and it is found in the Index in this little word Grace Grace comprehends Gods love to us and out love to God and as Gods love to us is the sum of all Mercy so our love to God is the sum of all Duty grace is the new birth of the Soul whereby it takes up another Nature a new Nature a spiritual God-like Nature as Christ was born and thereby took on him the Nature of man and was made flesh so man is born by grace and thereby takes upon him the Nature of God and is made Spirit and here you have at once the great Mystery of grace in the lowest debasement of a Saviour and the highest advancement of a Sinner For the Lord Christ could not be more debased then to be born It was nothing so great an abasement for Christ to dye as for him to be born for being once made man it is no wonder for to dye but being the great God it s a wonder that ever he should be made man Lo here is the
Idol Shepherds they knew not how to feed their flock and therefore Christ lookt on the people as sheep scattered abroad for all the Scribes and Pharisees They did not understand that there was heart-murder or heart-adultery untill our blessed Saviour instructed them The Scribes and Pharisees they did but strike at the bough only but our Saviour preached with authority and not at the Scribes did And withall I answer Secondly That beyond all peradventure our blessed Saviour saw that although the Scribes and Pharisees did teach some truths yet by their life and doctrine they did more mischief then good and therefore the more credit they had among the people the more mischief they were like to do and therefore from hence our blessed Lord and Saviour calls them a generation of vipers But I hope you will not count it an argument of the breach of the Churches peace to speak vilely of a vile Ministry It was no more than John Baptist did and then our Saviour did Thirdly No mans sin deserves so sharply to be reproved as the sins of Ministers because their sins of all others are the chief sins committed in a land at the Sanctuary prophanesse too too often begins Therefore when Gods people met in their publick faâ—â—â— made 〈◊〉 confession of those 〈◊〉 of the first magnitude by which they had most provoked the Lord they do 〈◊〉 confession chiefly of the sins of these Magistrates and their Ministers Neh. 9.33 34. The Jews there bewailed the sins of their Magistrates and Ministers as the particular cause of their plagues On the sins of the Teachers are the Teachers of sin and therefore no mans sin deserves to be so sharply reproved as the scandalous sins of Ministers Now if you love your souls take heed and beware of a prophane delight in lewd loose dissolute Ministers We find the Lord complaining of the wickednesse of the Prophets and of the Priest and People Jer. 5. ult the People did take a prophane delight in false Prophets and in polluted Priests and so likewise in the Prophet Micah chap 2. ver 11. the people although they did oppose the Prophet Micah and other true Prophets yet they did approve of and delight in false Prophets such â—s were of their own leven their own way and mould such as would flatter them and promise them wine and strong drink and are there not many such people in the world that had rather hear such a Minister than such as preach close-walking with God and of getting to Heaven under pain of damnation Will you cry up and will you prophanely delight in a Ministry that shall preach Peace Peace to all prophane rebellious people in short such a one as will poyson you in his Doctrine or in his example Thirdly take heed and beware of sinful idolizing of godly faithful Ministers the Apostle decries this with much zeal ardency and fervency of spirit what is Pauls planting and what is Apollo's watering 1 Cor. 3.5 6. as excellent gifts parts and graces as these men had yeâ— they look higher so it is your duty to look abâ—â—◠〈◊〉 parts and above 〈…〉 and graces Paul and Apollo cannot give 〈◊〉 Paul indeed may plant but there is no rooting 〈◊〉 of these plants but by Christ And read ver 7. it is God and he only that can give increase as Elisha's Servant could carry his Masters staffe and lay it on the dead child but the Child could not be raised to life untill Elisha came himself thus gâ—dly faithful Ministers can but lay Gods Message before you but unless the Lord set it to the heart never a dead soul can be raised from the death of sin to the life of grace and holinesse Remember godly and faithful Ministers although they have the Lords Sword yet they have not the Lord Christs Arm and alas what can the Lord Christs Sword do without his Arm Fourthly take heed of being leavened with prejudice against the Ministry of the word because of the misdemeanour or miscarriage of the Minister Surely the efficacy of the Word and Sacraments doth not depend on the quality of the Minister It is the word of the Lord that converts not the person of the Dispencer or Speaker A seed that is sown in a good soyl may yea will grow and thrive although perhaps the Sower had a very dirty hand as 2 Cor. 2.3 the Apostle tells the Corinthians that they are saith he the Epistle of Christs Ministry by us the Hand is Christs Ministers are but the Pen. Hence it was that the Ministry of the Scribes and Phariseeâ— was not to be rejected but to be esteemed so long as they failed not in the substance thereof and hence the Apostle rejoyceth that Christ was preached of the false Apostles Phil. 1.15 16 17 18. though out of envy take heed therefore and beware of a total separation from disserting of and forsaking Church assemblies and yet I conceive it is a very rare thing for unconverted Ministers to convert some For what saith the Lord by the Prophet Zephania Zeph. 3.1 2 3 4. Oh saith the Lord to Jerusalem that bath such Prophets and such Priests woe to such a City to such a Country to such a Parish and what saith Christ himself in Matth. 15.14 Let them alone oft times it falls out so that it made Archbishop Abbot speak in a Lecture of his and professe that his heart did even bleed within him to think of the precious souls of many people who had such Ministers that if they had not been in the Ministry they would not have been fit Hogherds fâ—r Swine And yet we must remember not to tie the efficacy of the word and Sacraments to the goodnesse or badnesse of a Ministers person Fifthly take heed and beware of being leavened with prejudice against all Ministers because of the vilenesse and monster-like unbeseeming carriage of some Ministers It hath been granted over and over that some Ministers evil licentious carriage and conversations are notorious the Lord knows too many Ministers have Esau's hands with Jacobs voice what then must this redound to the general disgrace of all Ministers Because some professors of the Law live lawlesse must therefore all be censured and condemned for lawlesse livers Because Judas was a Devil and a Son of perdition will you therefore say that all the Disciples of Christ were naught Perhaps you do know some Sir Johns some blind Seers some blind Watchmen who know not Heavens way some blind Droans Or secondly some that carry themselves insolently as Jer. 20.1 2. as Pasher did Or thirdly some that are too too like that evil servant in the Gospel as Luke 12.45 Or perhaps you know fourthly some apostatizing Demusses who embrace this present world and revolt from their principles and profession as 2 Tim. 4.10 Or perhaps yoâ— know fifthly some aspiring and climbing Deatrephes 〈◊〉 3 John 9. Perhaps you know some such as these as I have instanced what then is there any profession as
comfort yet you have little in comparison of what you may have if you seek for it 2 Study the excellent nature of the comfort how little soever a man hath of this spiritual comfort it will sweeâ— his condition be it what it will be When a man hath communion with the Spirit of God he hath comfort in all conditions then though a mans condition be never so bad yet it is very good Hab. 2.17 Though the Fig-tree shall not blossome though the fruit be not in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall cease and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation He can fetch hope and ground his faith upon the Promises though the Providences and Dispensations of God be never so mysterious the comfort of the Spirit doth make up the want of all other comforts the comforts of Ordinances are sweet comforts Sermons-comforts are sweet comforts Sacraments-comforts are sweet comforts Ah but the comfort of the Spirit can supply the want of all these all outward crosses do not hinder these inward comforts a man that hath these comforts may have a feast with bread and water a little of this comfort is able to sweeten a whole Ocean of sorrow In the multitude of the thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Psal 94.10 So that when the hearts of Gods people are filled with sad thoughts what will become of themselves What will become of their Families what will become of the Church of God what will become of the Ministry of the Gospel and of the Ordinances of Christ they are full of sad fears and distracting thoughts when they have a multitude of thoughts in the midst of all these spiritual comforts can comfort and refresh the soul Oh labour after a greater share of this comfort God hath cast us upon sad times wherein we shall have need of more than ordinary comfort we are like to have troubles without if we have not peace within it will be very sad we are like to lose much of Christ bodily presence I mean in his Ordinances many of those Messengers that represent the person of Christ and stand in his stead if we should not enjoy the other Comforter our estates would be doleful If we have darkness without and darkness within how sad will that darkness be 3. Labour to get more communion from the Spirit of God This will raise and sublimate your natural comforts and turn them into spiritual comforts A man never relisheth these outward comforts till he come to taste the ravishment and sweetness of the holy Ghost till he taste the love of God these give them a higher lustre than the men of the world though they enjoy much comfort yet they do not enjoy half that a Child of God doth the litttle that the righteous hath is better than the great revenues of the wicked to a Child of God a Dinner of green hearbs is more savory and pleasant to him than the stalled Oxe because a Child of God hath better sauce with it Worldly men they smell to their flowers it is only the godly man that sucks out the honey that all things are given to him in love out of this he sucks comfort A gracious heart sees all these outward comforts that they are purchased with the blood of Christ and therefore these should do him good and he may take comfort that he hopes for what he hath not as well as for what he may have and he may take comfort in his condition be it what it will he sees all is for his good such a one believeth what he feeth not So he believeth Gods wayes are wayes of truth though some more sweet and some more bitter Labour after communion with the Spirit in his comforting work is another This is the best preservative against all intanglements of sin whatsoever It is a great hour of temptation and if our comforts do not lie above the world we shall be greatly ensnared by the world If a man 〈◊〉 sweet meats he cannot relish ordinary food so while these sweet comforts lie upon the soul he cannot relish these ordinary things in the world What do ye tempt me with these things sayes a Child of God what are these to the comforts of the Holy Ghost The heart of man will seek comfort one way or another and if he hath it not from the Spirit of God he will seek it some other way it he hath not comfort from the Spirit of God he will seek somâ— sparks of his own kindling rather then they will sit in darkness without comfort they will light their candle at the Devils sire And as he delivereth from temptation on the right so he delivereth from temptation on the left hand he that is filled with the comforts of the holy Ghost what are sufferings to such a man He hath that within him that wil carry him through all danger here is that comfort and that life by Christ which may ease us in our greatest crosses this will make a child of God speak of the sufferings of this World as a light matter Our light affliction which is but for a moment shall work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory they took joyfully the spoyling of their goods because in heaven they had a better and more enduring substance Heb. 11.35 Some were tortured receiving no deliverance because in heaven they had a better substance Oh if you would be kept from the snares of the world let your comforts be above the power and danger of temptation from any thing here below 3 By way of Direction How shall we have communion and act Faith upon the holy Ghost as our Comforter The holy Ghost is designed and appointed by God the Father to this Office Now you know none love to be slighted in their office and if we do not act Faith upon the holy Ghost we slight his Office therefore we should have recourse to him in a way of believing As we should act Faith upon Christ for the pardon of sin so we should act Faith upon the holy Ghost for a sense of that pardon 2 Go often to Jesus Christ and beg him and beseech him to intreat the Father for you Go to God the Father in the name of Christ and beg it upon the account of Christs prayer and intercession that he would send the Comforter and you have good argument to enforce the Petition the very same as the Disciples That Christ would when he wâ—â—â— away pray the Father and he should send you another Comforter Christ tells them that some there were that would kill theâ— and in so doing think they did God good service therefore Christ in compassion to them in the state that he left them in prayes the Father that he would send the Comforter So now we
must go to God those Ministers that were wont to comfort us are now to be taken from us our Barnabaâ—'s Sons of consolation their mouths are to be stopped though Ordinances are now to be dammed up the houses of God made places of defilement our Teachers are removed into corners our troubles increase and we have none to tell us how long the light of our eys the comfort of our hearts in respect of the outward means are going from us whither shall we go we want bread for our souls we want cordials for our hearts blessed Saviour pity us and since thou wilt not come to us in thy own presence as thy Ambassadors do come to us by thy Spirit do now in heaven as thou didst on earth pray the Father for us do not leave us as so many Orphans without father or mother but send thy Spirit to refresh our souls see how we are hated and reviled and we must suffer these things now Let us have thy spirit 3 If you would have communion with the Spirit of Christ in his comforting work Take heed that you do not lay up your comforts in the creature This is for to seek for the living among the dead those that rejoyce in the creature rejoyce in a thing of nought and you that have an interest in God God will not take it well at your hands to seek it any where else no not in Ordinances though God would have you to seek comfort in Ordinances yet he would not have you to seek comfort from Ordinances 4 Sit down and be much in duty Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches If you look at the beginning of the Psalm you shall find this Psalm was penn'd when David was deprived of the Ordinances of God Many a man complains that he lives uncomfortably no wonder when he little thinks on Christ 5 Be much in the exercise of grace Then they walked in the fear of the Lord when they walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 6. Take heed of quenching and grieving the Spirit your Comforter by neglecting his motions or by acting any thing against the mind of the Spirit Do not sin against him as your enlightning Spirit that will hinder him as your Comforter I close with a word of Comfort to the people of God If it be one of the great works of the Spirit of God here is matter of great comfort to those that stick close to Jesus Christ 1. Sure your comforts will be satisfying Comforts sufficient because they are comforts of the Spirits working The Lord Jesus hath promised to make up the want of his bodily presence by sending his Spirit He was now going from them and tells them That he could not stay and this was sad newes to the Disciples who where ready to break their hearts and the best comfort that he could afford them was to tell them That he would send the Comforter If Christ can comfort his people in the absence of himself surely he can comfort them in the want of all other comforts that relate either to soul or body and so in the want of mercies in the want of outward Ordinances he can comfort the soul It is the Spirit of God that can comfort in the use of these and if he will he can do it in the want of them he can comfort us in the wildernesse where no water is when he doth deny the meanes he can cumfort us without where he denies the stream he can make us drink out at the Fountain 7. And Lastly The people of God find hereby that their comforts are abiding Your liberty your friends ah Ordinances and Ministers may be taken from you your Ministers may be banish'd your Ministers may be imprison'd but here is a Comforter that abides for ever And though they may keep your Ministers out of the Pulpit yet they shall not take the Comforter out of your hearts So that when I shall not Preach any more to you I shall Pray the Father that he would send you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Mr. Bull of Newington-Green His Farewel Sermon in the afternoon Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his Grace who is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified THe words are part of S. Pauls Farewel-Sermon or discourse to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus one of those famous seven Churches of Asia that we read of in the book of the Revelations It is not to be doubted as Calvin doth Comment upon the place that though the Apostle speaks immediately to the Elders yet he doth comprehenâ— the whole Church in the Speech Our holy Apostle had been a long time with the Church preaching among them taking pains with them both in publick and private as you may see in the 20 verse and declares to them the whole Counsel of God verse 27. and now being called away taken off by divine Providence by the will of his Master the last and best office that he thought he could do for them was to commit them to the care of God and to leave them in his arms and to recommend them to his Grace It would be more then the time would permit to look over the whole Apostles Sermon which is partly Narrative and partly Consolatory Narrative to put them in mind in what manner he had preached to them from verse 17. to verse 27. And it s partly Consolatory from the 27. to the Text wherein the Apostle could hold no longer but his love constrains him and makes him to break forth into this pathetical wish or rather prayer And now Brethren I commend you to his grace As if he had said I am just now going 〈◊〉 you not knowing that I shall see your face any more now I am a dying man as to my conversing with you anâ— more now I am departing this is the best Legacie I can bequeath unto To commend you to God and to his grace And he speaks to persons as standing in the same relation with God and Christ and having the same Father and the same elder Brother As if he should have said you are as dear to me as my own flesh as if you were my brethren by consanguinity and it is my sorrow that I must leave you but as it is my greatest grief to part with you yet I must leave you and this is the comfort that I shall leave you in safe hands I do not leave you to the wide world I do not leave you as Orphans without a Father as Sheep without a Shepherd but I commend you to God and to his grace O happy word Though I must leave you yet I trust God who is able will keep you as God is present every-where
burden any where else God will not lend you a finger to help you but if you place your hope in God God will help you your extremity shall be his opportunity 4 You must take God to be the guide of your hearts if you would have the priviledge of Gods guard you must keep in Gods way keep in Gods way and you will be sure of Gods protection do you keep Gods precepts and God will keep your person do what God commands and avoid what God for bids and then you need not fear what will become of you Let the World frown and Friends forsake you resolve that you will follow God wheresoever he leads you then he will be your God all your dayes and he will guide you here by his counsel till at last he bring you to his glory And this leads me to the second Exhortation in respect to the Gospel Secondly Brethren I commend you to the word of Gods grace I commend you to the Precepts of God to be obeyed by them I commend you to the Promises of God to be believed by you 1 Keep them and hold them fast carefully it is your treasure it is your life keep it and it will keep you it is all that you can shew for Heaven I leave it as a Depositum if you part with it take heed how you will answer it at the last day it is the talent which God hath committed to you for which you will be commended for keeping at the great day Hold fast the word of Gods grace there is old tugging by the Devil and his Instruments either to pull you from the word or the word from you Let any thing go rather than the Gospel let your Friends your Estates your Lives rather than let go the Gospel Study Gods word do not keep them by for no purpose Search the Scriptures for in them you hope for eternall life There 's the pearl of great price there is direction there is comfort this book of God will make you wise unto salvation If you never hear Sermon more you have enough by the use of the Bible to carry you to Heaven There 's Divinity there is holinesse and heaven almost in every syllable when you cannot have it preached to you Be much in the study of it Then practice it conscionably Be not only hearers but doers of it let your conversation be such as becomes the Gospel It was the Apostles advice to the Philippians and it 's mine to you Let your conversation be such as becomes the Gospel Let your conversation become the Precepts the Priviledges the Promises of the Gospel Having then thus commended you to God give me leave before we part to commend God and his Gospel to you 1. Make it your daily business to walk with God make him the companion of your lives converse with God every day in the inward of your hearts He that is a stranger with God God will soon be a stranger to him and if you neglect God one day you may be to seek him when you may most need him 2. Live in the daily exercise of grace and godlinesse 1. Live in the continual exercise of Faith live by it you have need of the exercise of that grace every day you caâ— as well live without food as live without faith it is that grace which feeds upon Christ 2 Be much in the exercise of the fear of the Lord all the day long be afraid to sin against God in the secret of your souls mind his presence in all places in all company in all businesses 3 Be much in the exercise of Humility live humbly and think better of others then your selves Humility will exceedingly adorn your profession 4 Be much in the exercise of Repentance Be frequent and constant in prayer Pray continually do it spiritually and do it exactly as to the season of it 5 Be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Whatever you do for God do it with all your might do not put off God with the skin but give him the marrow 6 Be careful not onely to keep up secret but Family-worship the less preaching there is in publick the more catechising and instructing there should be in private I know no more likely means then the setting up the worship of God in private families 7. Prize the Sabbath be strict and exact in the observation of the Lords day I have shewed you many times wherein the spiritual observation of it doth consist it is your seed-time your market-day it is a sign you shall one day celebrate an everlasting Sabbath with God in the highest heavens 8 Be stedfast in the ways of God in a back-sliding age Keep your ground while others fall away stand fast in faith be not ashamed to own Christ before all the World teckon upon the reproaches of Christ and count them greater riches then the Treasures in Egypt Do not place Religion in a few shadows when the substance is neglected do not think that God will be put off with the skin without the substance and by your holy conversation labour to put to filence the foolishness and ignorance of wicked men that â—en may have nothing to accuse you but in the maâ—â—ers of Jesus Christ that you may cut off occasion from them that seek occasion Let no reproach make you lay aside holiness and say If this be to be vile I will be vile still And love all those that have been instrumental for your spiritual comfort Forget not to contribute to the necessities of the poor Saints think that God hath given you your Estates for such a time as this for this is acceptable to God Blesse them that curse you pray for them that despightfully use you so shall you heap coals of fire upon their heads when you are reviled revile not again Do your duty to your Superiours to those that God hath set over you and so carry your selves as it was in the case of Daniel that they may find nothing against you save in the matter of your God In all things let your conversation be as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ That I may rejoyce in the day of the Lord Jesus that we have not run in vain and laboured in vain And labour to keep up that Christian love which in this place hath been more eminent than any where I know I would preach St. Johns Doctrine Little children love one another And that my expression may be pathetical I shall speak it in the words of the Apostle in Phil. 2.1 2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind I now have but a word more speaking of yours and mine own comfort under this sad Dispensation 1. It is a Ministers comfort that when he is taken from his people he can yet Commend them to
Regeneration 1. A Christian may know his real Conversion and Translation to eternal life Such a great and real change is there wrought in every Beleever at his Conversion and this wrought by such a great efficient and infinite cause the Spirit of God and this cause working by such real and powerful means and instruments the great Word of God and this done notwithstanding the great opposition that is made by a poor sinner against the word and when wrought it hath such real and grand effects upon a Beleever that 't is impossible but a Beleever must needs know this his transition from death to life Secondly Love to the Brethren is the great symptome of mens Regeneration Love to the Brethren not taken solely singly as if this was the onely Character but concomitantly taken with others but beyond and above all others this is the privy seal of God on the soul if yee have inflamed it with love hee may know hee is passed from death to life The Use was of Confutation of the Papists those grand enemies to Gospel-Truths and Beleevers peace They abhor this Doctrine of Assurance by it their Purgatory would fall down their Popes Kitchin would grow cold They tell us Beleevers cannot attain Assurance in this world no. 1. Why hath God commanded us to make our Calling and Election sure and will God command impossibilities such as cannot be wrought by our or his own power 2. Other Saints have attained this Assurance this New Name and White Stone within them Obj. That 's by extraordinary Revelation Answ This is not upon proof was not the Assurance of Gods people in Scripture grounded upon general promises Had they many of them either extrinsecal signs or marks to assure them of it did it not spring from principles common to all Beleevers Obj. But suppose they have Assurance to day they may lose it to morrow man is a mutable creature hee may be a Childe of God in the morning and a brat of Hell in the evening Answ 'T is true man is a mutable creature yet is hee preserved by an immutable God man is a weak creature but yet is preserved by the power of God unto salvation man as a Creature is no less mutable in Heaven than upon Earth there preserved by God therefore why not here Obj. This is a doctrine that tends to looseness Answ Not so it did not work looseness in Paul Job c. I labour more than they all Nothing under Heaven so soveraign to stave off and preserve from lust as the assurance of Gods love to the soul Such assurance comes from the highest act of faith and one of the great things of Faith is to purifie the heart and life Such an Assurance must needs constrain the soul The love of Christ constraintâ—is Nay so far is it from inclining to looseness that it casts the soul upon its knees lifts up the souls hands sends him to Heaven continually constantly arms it with petitions resolutions never to let the Lord of Heaven and Earth alone gives him no rest begging of him as for other things so especially for this Lord as thou art pleased to give mee the priviledge of enjoying promises so give mee the power to perform duty Thus saith hee thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven And so I am come as far as The Sixth Sermon Matth. 6.10 Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven THere is a twofold Will of God 1. Preceptive to be done by us 2. Providential to be done upon us The Minister carried the words in the last sense the will of God be done upon us hence 't was observed Gods Children must not only do but submit to their heavenly Fathers providential will They must not onely do his will the will of his precepts but they must submit to his will the will of his providence Let God do what hee will they must lay down their head upon the block and with patience and resignation say Thy will be done There are two grand Instances wherein Saints ought to shew this submission First When God deprives them of spiritual priviledges and enjoyments they must submit now they must not murmure then and that upon these considerations 1. Suppose a deprivation of publick Ordinances yet the holy Scriptures are left 2. The holy Spirit too that shall bring home the Scriptures to the conscience 3. There are old experiences of former love to live upon 4. Yet none can detain or debar us from making secret addresses unto God 5. 'T is a most noble thing it becomes a Christian exceedingly to live upon pulse yet thrive 6. By the want of such publick Ordinances God thinks fit to convince his people of their folly in sinning away the Gospel Secondly When the Lord makes a breach upon our temporal comforts and estates now for submission and that upon these accounts 1. Come what will come yet no strange thing is or can happen to us no temptation but what is common to man 2. With what comely submission have those old Beleevers behaved themselves to the will of God Eliah Job Samuel Daniel and the Captain of our salvation our blessed Saviour not my will but thy will be done 3. There 's a glorious day coming when God will unriddle all his dark providences and shew you that there is love in the bowels of them 4. God hath made a breach upon some of thy comforts how many comforts hath hee yet left thee 5. Thou art now deprived of thy comforts thou hast enjoyed twenty years thou hast reason to be thankful it was continued so long and not to murmure that 't was taken away now 6. Thou hast some goods the best of goods there 's no plundring a man of his grace no putting of him out of Gods favour 7. God doth thee a kindness in this were it good for thee it should be continued to thee Hee with-holds no good thing hee takes away nothing but what is evil or would be so this life is a transitory vapour and hadst thou enjoyed it thou couldst not long 8. Compare thy self with thy self and others the other day thou was a pittiful poor brat and what shalt thou bee compare thy self with others wee are low how many thousands far beneath us 9. All outward things are not properly formally good or evil as wee fancy them to be good or evil so they are they are but fancies Use Labour after this submissive frame of Spirit get but this and this will evidence that though hee frowns yet hee favours thee this will make thy Faith appear to bee a glorious Faith it will shew that the Kingdome of God is not only come to thee but in thee and rules in thy heart to that end But what shall I do to submit 1. Let not a day of adversity take thee unawares 2. Do not over-value thy self do not think too great of thy self that the wind must not blow onthee 3. Retract the superlative of
thy desires do not look at so much as what is necessary 4. Design nothing as thy main end and business but the honour and glory of God mind but his honour and let him alone to take care of thy external Comforts Beleever who art so much in his heart in his book in his soul that hee numbers the very hairs of thy head And thus wee fall upon The Seventh Sermon Matth. 10.30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbred FRom this Text you had this great Conclusion The special and distinct providence of God extending to the smallest things and creatures and in a special manner to the smallest Concernments of Beleevers is a great Argument to remove their fears and inordinate cares and to quiet and confirm their souls in confidence upon God The very hairs of c. Is it so then 1. Wee have no reason to repine at wicked men when they prosper let them ruffle puff throw and swear what then they will cut off the head no they cannot touch a hair 2. Be not over-much troubled with any particulat changes or passages in the world they are all managed by a particular and distinct providence 3. Fear not man slavishly this use our Saviour makes of it 4. This rebukes our inordinate and distracting cares thou art mighty inquisitive what shall I eat what shall I drink wherewithall shall I be cloathed Friend thy hairs are numbred content thy self God will take care c. 5. In all passages of the world observe and acknowledge not only a general but be sure to observe a particular providence and then conclude 1. That nothing shall befall thee for want of faithfulness sufficiency knowledge love in God 2. Nothing shall come unto thee that shall in the least damnifie or injure thee 3. That all the plots designs contrivances attempts of the Devil and all his party against Gods Church are all under a providence they are all numbred All the hours of thy sufferings all thy tears fears griefs pains wants every one numbred Thou tells the clock at midnight under thy pains and God tells thy pains more than thou the clock nay more the hairs of thy head are numbred therefore not the meanest Beleever in the greatest croud is over-looked by God And then all thy worldly concernments thy relations diseases c. are all numbred Nay more remember this Beleever all thy distrusts disquiets murmurings dispondences the meanest lust unseen and the most secret sin are all numbred 6. Are our hairs numbred this is sad news for unbeleevers are your hairs numbred then certainly your oaths curses contempts of Gods people all your sinful thoughts words actions wilful omissions of commanded duties commissions of forbidden sins all your disputings against God his People his Word Waies Will are all upon the file they are all numbred 7. What an incouragement is there here for poor sinners to come in to God Do but come in to God and thou shalt come into such a condition of safety that thy very hairs shall be all numbred and if thou wilt not come in certainly thou are wanting to thy self for look as well as thou canst to thy self thou hast not a promise to keep one hair of thy head till to morrow morning not a promise of a sup of water bit of bread not a promise for one minutes safety till to morrow morning And if so be that thou hast not a God no interest in him if God should turn his back on thee a thousand to one but afflictions come and if afflictions come thy heart 's gone thou having no spiritual strength in heart no eternal Rock of Ages to flye to no wonder if thou faint under them and so thou wilt certainly do if a Beleever that hath but little strength is apt to faint thou that hast no strength will utterly fall when afflictions findes thee And this leads to The Eighth Sermon Prov. 24.10 If thou faint in the day of Adversity thy strength is small THe Observation from hence was To faint in the day of trouble argues a mans inward strength to be but small His judgement weak his reason low his graces feeble his inward comfort peace and joy not much but very little This 1. Shews whence our mis-givings of heart whence our want of liveliness of Spirit in and under troubles proceed even from hence that our strength is but small 2. Teaches us how to judge what our spiritual strength is namely this way how dost thou bear afflictions how is it with thee in a day of distress dost thou faint and fail it argues thy strength is but small 3. By way of dehortation do not thou faint in the day of affliction of adversity Take heed of fainting in three things 1. Under work or duty be it never so great grievous troublesome or dangerous 2. Under the with-holdings of mercy be they never so long detained 3. Under afflictions be they or may they be never so grievous whether 1. Publick Afflictions the afflictions of the Church of God Suppose Sion is now clad in Sackcloth there 's a time coming when shee shall be arrayed in Scarlet when the Whores Scarlet shall be turned into Raggs the Churches Raggs shall bee turned into Gold Or 2. Personal Afflictions faint not under them be it this or that or the other be they never so great never so long or never so many But what shall I do to bear up my spirit and to preserve mee from fainting 1. Live in the holy dependance and filial fear of the great God hee that fears God most to be sure will faint least 2. Strengthen grace there are two graces to be strengthened viz. Strengthen Faith I had fainted unless I had beleeved c. Strengthen Patience dejection of soul usually comes from impatience 3. Be much in prayer Is any man afflicted let him not go and sinfully snivil and complain but let him pray 4. Make use of heart-strengthening considerations and that is 1. Turn over the Promises they are left on purpose as Gods Bottle his Vial of Cordials to keep the soul from fainting 2. What ever befalls remember it proceeds from Gods love 3. All that God aims at is to do thee good 4. Be the affliction never so great 't is as necessary as prosperity as health this thy Physick is as necessary as thy food 5. The issue of all a Crown of glory These light afflictions which are but for a moment worketh out for us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory And therefore if so be there be such principles from which afflictions flow and such ends to which they are managed 't is no wonder Christ will not pray that wee may be taken out of the world from Affliction but kept in this world from the evil So wee fall on The Ninth Sermon John 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil GOd hath spoken once yea
and 't is in vain for us to build on any Foundation but this for 't is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure c. Col. 2.12 through the Faith of the operation of God working in you or doing in you or causing in you or making in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight Our work is to depend on God's work our outward working depends on God's inward working Again that which is acceptable in God's sight but 't is only through Jesus Christ Good works themselves though never so good agreeable to the Law and Gospel yet if God look not on our persons and works through Christ they will not serve the turn ye cannot be accepted working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Will God be pleased with nothing but onely for Christ Jesus his sake and if it do not please Christ will it not please God 'T is truly plainly verily so That which God cannot accept of through Christ he doth not accept of at all But now things are so ordered that God hath put all things into Christ's hands Christ Jesus hath the ordering of the Worship and Government of the Church he hath the making of all the Articles of the Christian's Creed a Christian is bound to believe nothing but what Christ teaches as necessary to Salvation so that in Christ we are compleat if we believe as he teaches us to believe and if we worship God as he teaches us to worship God and have such order and government concerning his house and walk so as we desire in all things to please our Lord and Master and have him before our eye then are we returned unto Christ the Shepherd and Bishop of our Souls But if we present God with any kind of Creed Model of Worship 〈◊〉 Government that hath not Christ's Image and Stamp upon it God will say as Christ concerning the Money Whose Image or Superscription doth it bear If we can say Christ's the way of Worship we have learn'd from Christ that Order and Government in the Church we have learn'd from Christ then the Father and Son will own it If it have Man's Superscription on it not God's or Christ's I cannot tell how we should presume it can be acceptable to God through Christ for God hath so confin'd himself he will not be pleased but through Christ and that all Matters of Religion in the New Testament should be ordered according to Christ's mind as the Old according to Moses ' This necessary we enquire after Christ's mind in what we do If we can do any thing and in doing it are sure it will be acceptable to God through Christ well and good otherwise not This is the Apostle's Prayer That God would make them perfect in every good work to do his will working in them that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ The Doxology Whether we refer it to God or Christ 't is all one we have no body to honour and glorifie in the Church but God through Christ We cannot tell how to divide those that are so nearly united Therefore when we glorifie God we glorifie Christ And this we must observe God hath ordered all man's Concernments so that we have nothing to plead for our Souls Salvation but God's Grace the Rule is his Word his Gospel that he hath made known to us and therefore Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom There is a great deal of Do in God's Church about This and That he that must determine the business is Christ and there are but two ways the determining of things for the present and for the time to come hereafter by questioning the matter of fact for the present by making of your Rule When the question comes concerning the Matter of Fact these he receives our Rule What hath Christ said How hath Christ provided in things of this nature It 's plainly so and so but in dubious Matter and Customs and the like I know not how to answer them when we come to answer Christ when he shall put the Question Did you not know whom you was bound to fear Did I not speak nothing at all in the Case neither generally not particularly Could you not by any means come to understand my mind I doubt we shall not be able to answer this But we must say we found a certain state in the Word but having Laws and Customs among our selves therein were at a stand Why saith Christ was your Laws and Customs above or below my Word Must your Law be ruled by my Word or my Word by your Doctrine Did not all Christians hold out this that the Word of Christ was above all Authority in the Matters of Christ Shall the Members of the Body become greater then the Head Therefore you could not be ignorant in this Case your own professing me to be so great in all my Natures and Offices but when you come to practice then you will deny me Shall we be able to answer this We must consider of this that if we would please God it must be through Christ and then we must carry our selves as directed by Christ Jesus in his Word and nothing can take us off that Principle no pretence whatsoever for Christian Religion is such a thing in the nature and substance of it as Jesus Christ is the Author of Therefore if Christ be the Author all that belongs to Christian Religion as to its substance we should-account nothing â—â—moment in Reâ—gion but onely that which we can â—â—â—lbe to Christ 〈◊〉 the Author of it The care of 〈◊〉 Church is in thâ— hand of Christ whatsoever Providences are let in on thâ— Church to exercise or try the 〈◊〉 all must be boâ—â— patiently but every Member muâ—â—â—orship him God hath made Jesus Christ a Shepherd c. In what he findâ— fault we must not justifie what he commands we must approve what he calls to be done we must practise what is not his we must not own as his Much may be drawn from this both for Instruction and Consolation that Christ is the great Shepherd Though he dye in his Members he shall rise in his Members I may say though he dye in his Ministers he shall rise in his Minsters Isa 59.21 As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever This is a part of the Covenant that the Word and Spirit of Christ shall be continued among the Members throughout all Ages God will provide his Children shall not live without a Spirit neither without his Word God hath engaged himself for both for the one as well for the other that there shall be a super-addition