unmerciful and an uncharitable man is a wicked and an ungodly man Let it bee the care of all those amongst you who are rich in estate to be rich in good works Let every man lay up for the poor according as God hath prospered him remembering that saying of Christ. Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and yee gave mee meat I was thirsty and yee gave mee drink I was a stranger and yee took mee in naked and yee cloathed mee I was sick and yee visited mee I was in prison and yee came unto mee 14 Take heed of separating from the publick Assemblies of the Saints I have found by experience that all our Church-calamities have sprung from this root Hee that separates from the publick worship is like a man tumbling down a hill and never leaving till hee comes to the bottome of it I could relate many sad stories of persons professing godliness who out of dislike to our Church-meetings began at first to separate from them and after many changes and alterations are turned some of them Anabaptists some Quakers some Ranters some direct Atheists But I forbear you must hold communion with all those Churches with which Christ holds communion you must separate from the sins of Christians but not from the Ordinances of Christ. Take heed of unchurching the Churches of Christ lest you prove Schismaticks instead of being true Christians 15 Though you never live to see the times setled yet labour to get your consciences setled Pray for the Spirit of Truth to guide you into all Truth in these erring dayes Remember that saying of Christ If thine eye bee evil thy whole body shall bee full of darknesse if therefore the light that is in you bee darkness how great is that darkness God hath given you your understandings to be the guide of the whole man As the Eye is the guide of the body and the Sun of the world so is the understanding of the man therefore you must in praying pray that God would give you a right understanding in all things Pray not onely for the grace of Sanctification but ofâ— Illumination Avoid as soul-poyson all Doctrines 1 Which tend to liberty open a door to prophaneness and are contrary to godliness 2 Which hold forth a superstitious strictness above what is required in the Woâ—d 3 Which are Antimagistratical and Antiministerial 4 Which lift up corrupt nature and exalt unsanctified reason 5 Which preach free-grace to the utter ruine of good works 6 Which lessen the priviledges of Infants and makes their condition worse under the New Testament than under the Old 7 Which are contrary to the Analogy of Faith the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer 16 Take heed lest being led away with the errour of the wicked you fall from your own sted fastness Take heed of a threefold Apostacy of which this Nation is deeply guilty Of Apostacy 1 In your Judgements from the Truths of Christ and from the Faith once delivered to the Saints 2 In your Affections from that ancient love desire and delight which the Saints of God have had heretofore and you your selves once had in and towards the Ordinances of Christ and the godly and learned Ministers of Christ. 3 In your conversations from that humble and exact walking with God in all good duties both towards God and man which was the credit and honour of the good old Puritan in former daies Let mee speak to you in the words of the Apostles Paul and Peter Wherefore my beloved Brethren bee yee stedfast and unmoveable c. The God of grace who hath called you into his eternal glory by Jesus Christ make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you 17 Remember that it is the will of Jesus Christ that you who partake of the same word of life and of the same Sacramental Bread and Wine should admonish one another exhort one another watch over one another bear the burdens of one another provoke one another to love and good works seek the good of one another and not your own good only That you should warn the unruly comfort the feeble-minded and support the weak That this is your duty appears from Col. 3. 16. Phil. 2. 4. Heb. 1. 24. Gal. 6. 1. Rom. 15. 2. Rom. 14. 7. 2. Cor. 5. 15. 1 Thes. 5. 11 13 14. The 12th vers speaks of Ministerial and authoritative admonition but the 13 and 14. verses of fraternal and charitative These Texts will rise up in Iudgement against thousands of Christians at the last day I do not say that you are to admonish none but those of your own Society Admonition is an act of mercy It is spiritualis Eleemosyna spiritual Almes and you are bound by the royal law of charity by the communion of Saints the communion of Churches and communion of natures to distribute these spiritual almes to all that need them as God shall give occasion But this I say you ought especially to admonish them and watch over them This is novum though not solum vinculum Some Divines think that one chief reason why the Israelites were punished for Achans sin was because they did not admonish him and watch-over him For the Israelites were commanded in the plural number Josh. 6. 18. Keep your selves from the accursed thing c. Hee was one of the body and because they did not watch over him they communicated in his sin and in his punishment There is an excellent Law in this Nation That every Parish shall provide for its own poor And by parity of reason it is as just and equal That every Congregation should chiefly and especially look to the souls of their own members to warn them admonish them exhort them and watch over them That you may the better discharge this duty you must labour to bee acquainted one with another as far as your Callings and Relations will give you leave It is a great and common sin and much to bee lamented That there is so little knowledge and acquaintance between those that are of the same Congregation They sit in the same Pew together partake of the same Sacrament and yet converse no more together than if one lived at York and the other at London And when they do converse together it is a meer civill and outward converse as amongst sober heathens But there is very little Religious society between them for the spiritual edification one of another Now this must needs bee a great sin For how can you watch over one another edifie and admonish one another How can you support the weak comfort the feeble-minded if not spiritually acquainted one with another And yet it is not my opinion that every member of a Congregation is bound to know every fellow-member I beleeve it was not so in the Church of Jerusalem or of Samaria It is incredible to think that they all knew one
and not before the greatness of their sin in selling their Brother Gen 42. 21. They open the ear to Discipline In prosperity wee turn a deaf ear to the voyce of the charmer though he charm never so wisely But adversity openeth the ear and causeth us to attend When God spake upon Mount Sinah in a terrible manner then the people said unto Moses Speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and wee will hear it and do it Deut. 5. 27. Memorable is that Text Jer. 2. 24. A wilde Ass used to the Wilderness that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure in her occasion who can turn her away all they that seek her will not weary themselves in her month they shall finde her in her month that is when she is great with young and near her time A wicked man in the day of his prosperity is like a wilde Ass used to the wilderness hee snuffeth at any that shall reprove him hee is of an uncircumcised ear and a rebellious heart but in his month that is when hee is bigge with Afflictions then hee will be easily found this will open his ear to Discipline 3 They will open the mouth to confess sin Judg. 10. 15. 4 They will command us to depart from iniquity Job 36. ◠9 10. Afflictions are Gods Furnaces to purge out the dross of our sins Gods files to pare off our spiritual rust Gods Fannes to winnow out our chaffe In prosperity wee gather much soil but adversity purgeth and purifieth us This is its proper work to work out unrighteousness Dan. 11. 35. Dan. 12. 10. 3 Gods end is not only to keep us from sin but to make us holy and righteous therefore it is said Isa. 26. 9. When they judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness And Heb. 12. 10. Hee for our profit that wee may bee partakers of his holiness As the waters that drowned the old world did not hurt the Ark of Noah but bare it up above the earth and as they increased so the Ark was lifted up nearer and nearer to Heaven So Afflictions when sanctified do not prejudice the Saints of God but lift them up nearer unto God in holiness and heavenly-mindedness 4 Gods design in afflicting his children is to make the world bitter unto them and Christ sweet 1 To imbitter the world There are two lame leggs upon which all worldly things stand uncertainty and insufficiency All earthly things are like the earth founded upon nothing They are like heaps made of wax that quickly melt away Riches and honours wise and children have wings and flye away they are like unto Absoloms Mule they will fail us when wee have most need of them They may puffe up the soul but they cannot satisfie it inflare possunt satiare animam non possunt They are all vanity and vexation of spirit so saith the Preacher but most people in time of health will not beleeve these things but when some great sickness betides them this is as a real Sermon to make out the truth of them then they see that a Velvet slipper cannot cure the Gout nor a golden cap the head ache Prov. 〈◊〉 4. That riches avail not in the day of wrath and this imbitters the world 2 To make Christ sweet and precious When Christ and his Disciples were in a ship together Mat. 8. 25. it is said That Christ was asleep and as long as the Sea was calm his Disciples suffered him to sleep but when they were ready to bee drowned then they awoke Christ and said Master save us wee perish Even the best of Saints when fatted with outward plenty and abundance are prone to suffer Christ 〈◊〉 lye asleep within them and so neglect the lively actings of Faith upon Christ but when the storms of affliction and outward calamity begin to arise and they are ready to bee overwhelmed with distresses then None but Christ none but Christ. 5 Gods design in afflicting his children is to prove and improve their graces 1 To prove their graces Rev. 2. 10. Deut. 8. 2. to prove the truth and the strength of them 1 The truth and sincerity of their graces For this cause he loaded Iob with afflictions to try whether hee served God for his Camels and Oxen or for love to God As Solomons sword tried the true Mother from the false So the sword of affliction discovers the sincere Christian from the hypocrite Distresses are divine touchstones to try whether we be true or counterfeit Saints That grace is true which upon tryal is found true 2 To try the strength of our graces For it requires a strong faith to indure great afflictions That Faith which will suffice for a little affliction will not suffice for a great one Peter had faith enough to come to Christ upon the Sea but assoon as the storm began to arise his Faith began to fail and Christ said Why art thou afraid O thou of little Faith Mat. 14. 30 31. It must bee a strong Faith that must keep us from sinking in the day of great Distress 2 To improve our graces It is reported of the Lionesse that she leaves her young ones till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and howling and then at last gasp shee relieves relieves them and by this means they become more couragious So God brings his children into the deeps and suffers Ionah to bee three daies and three nights in the belly of the Whale and David to cry till his throat was dry Psal. 69. 3. and suffers his Apostles to bee all the night in a great storm till the fourth watch and then hee comes and rebukes the winds and by this means hee mightily increaseth their patience and dependence upon God and their Faith in Christ. As the Palm-tree the more it is depressed the higher stronger and fruitfuller it grows So doth the graces of Gods people Lastly Gods aim in afflicting his people is to put an edge upon their prayers and all their other holy services 1 Upon Prayer What a famous Prayer did Manasseh make when hee was under his iron fetters It is thrice mentioned 2 Chron. 33. 13 18 19. When Paul was struck off his horse and struck with blindness then hee prayed to purpose Therefore it is said Act. 9. 11. Behold hee prayeth In prosperity wee pray heavily and drowsily but adversity adds wings to our prayers Isa. 26. 16. The very heathen Marriners cryed aloud to God in a storm It is an ordinary saying Qui nescit orare discat navigare There are no Saylors so wicked but they will pray when in a great storm 2 Upon Preaching Prosperity glutteth the spiritual appetite adversity whetreth it 3 Upon a Sacrament How sweet is a Sacrament to a true Saint after a long and great sickness 1 It makes God and the word of God precious If God sets our Corn-fields on fire as Absalom did Ioabs then hee shall
and comforts under soul-troubles There is no Monarch can furnish his table with such variety of delicates as God hath furnished his Word with variety of comforts 2 The Word of God is not only the Magazine of all true comfort but the Fountain from whence it is derived All the comfort that you receive by reading of good books is fetched out of this Book All the refreshings that the Ambassadors of Christ administer to you are borrowed from this Fountain As the King of Israel answered the woman that cried out saying Help my Lord O King If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee So will all the true Ministers of Christ say to any distressed soul that cries out for comfort How can wee comfort you if the Word of God doth not comfort you All our comforts must bee fetcht from thence 3 It will comfort us at such a time when no outward thing can comfort us And that is when wee are under soul-agonies and when our soul sits upon our lips ready to depart when wee are sailing into the Ocean of Eternity then even then the promises of the Word will comfort us When gold and silver Father and Mother Friends and Physitians are miserable comforters then will one promise out of the Word fill us full of joy unspeakable and glorious 4 The Comforts of the Word exceed all other Comforts for they are pure and purifying sure and satisfying they are soul-supporting soul-comforting and soul-ravishing they are durable and everlasting The comforts of the world are not worthy to bee named that day in which wee speak of the comforts of the Word They are not consolationes but consolatiunculae At best they are but bodily unsatisfying and transitory Many times they are sinful and soul-damning 5 The Word of God is not onely a Magazine and a Fountain of comfort but also a touchstone by which wee must try all our comforts whether they bee true and real or no. All joyes hopes and assurances must bee tryed by the Word and if not rightly grounded thereupon are false and soul-delusions 6 It is as an Apothecaries shop or a Physitians dispensatory out of which wee may fetch all manner of Medicines to cure all the diseases of our souls Art thou spiritually lame blinde or dumb c. The Word will open blinde eyes make the dumb to speak and the lame to walk If dead in sins and trespasses the Word when it is the sword of the Spirit will quicken thee It is as a corrasive to eat sin out of thy heart therefore David saith I have hid thy Word in mine heart that I might not sin against thee 7 It is a spiritual Armory out of which wee may fetch all manner of Weapons to conquer the Devil and his temptations 2 Corint 10. 4. It is that little Brook out of which every David may fetch five smooth stones to destroy the Devil These five smooth stones are five texts of Scripture three of these Christ took out of the brook of the Word by which he subdued the Devil Mat. 4. 4. 7 10. 8 It is the Sun of the Christian VVorld As the Sun is the light of the Natural VVorld and without it the World is but a Chaos and a Dungeon full of darkness So is the VVord of God the light of the spiritual world without which a Christian is under an eternal night Therefore David saith Thy VVord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Psal. 119. 105. What would all the World avail if no Sun to illighten it and what comfort would all the wealth of it afford us if no word to instruct and counsel us For this is the Christians compass to sail to Heaven by his staffe to walk withall to Heaven his spiritual bladders to keep his soul from drowning The Cork to keep up the net of his soul from sinking Afflictions are like the lead of the Net which weigheth it down but the Word is as the Cork which keeps it up that it sinks not So saith David in the Text Unless thy Law had been my delights c. Vse If the Word of God bee of such invaluable excellency absolute necessity and of such admirable use 1 Let us bless God exceedingly for revealing his will unto us in the Word It was a great honour and priviledge to the Iews that to them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. And it is our great happiness that wee have not only the same Oracles of God which they have but an addition of the New Testament for the clearer discoverie of the mysteries of salvation unto us If God be to bee praised for every crum of bread we eat much more for giving us his VVord which is the bread of life and the only food of our souls Blessed bee God who hath not only given us the book of the Creatures and the book of Nature to know himself and his will by but also and especially the Book of the Scriptures whereby wee come to know those things of God and of Christ which neither the Book of Nature nor of the creatures can reveal unto us Let us bless God not only for revealing his will in his VVord but for revealing it by writing Before the time of Moses God discovered his Will by immediate revelations from Heaven But wee have a surer word of Prophecy a Pet. 1. 19. surer to us than a voyce from Heaven For the Devil saith the Apostle transforms himself into an Angel of light Hee hath his apparitions and revelations hee is Gods ape and in imitation of God he appears to his Disciples and makes them beleeve it is God that appears and not the Devil Thus hee appeared to Saul in the likenesse of Samuel And if God should now at this day discover his way of worship and his Divine Will by Revelations how easily would men bee deceived and mistake Diabolical delusions for Divine Revelations and therefore let us blesse God for the written word which is surer and safer as to us than an immediate Revelation There are some that are apt to think that if an Angel should come from Heaven and reveal Gods Will to them it would work more upon them than the written word but I would have these men study the conference between Abraham and Dives Luke 16. 27 28 29 30 31. Habent Mosen Prophetas c. They have Moses and the Prophets if they will not profit by them neither would they profit by any that should come out of Hell or down from Heaven to them For it is the same God that speaks by his written Word and by a voyce from Heaven The difference is only in the outward cloathing and therefore if Gods speaking by writing will not amend us No more will Gods speaking by a voyce O bless God exceedingly for the written Word Let us cleave close to it and not expect any Revelations from Heaven of new truths but say with the Apostle
Gal. 1. 8 9. Use 2. Let us prize the word of God above gold yea above fine gold Let us read it diligently reverently praying to God to give us the same spirit that wrote it to inable us to understand it and conscientiously to practise it Let us make it the joy and rejoycing of our heart and as it is in the Text Let us make it our Delights but of this I spake in the former point The onely motive I shall now use to perswade you to make the Word your Delights shall bee this in the Text. Because it will keep you from perishing in the time of your greatest affliction It will comfort you when you have most need of it that is under heart-sinking-afflictions and at the hour of death and it will comfort you when all outward comforts and creatures fail It wil bee food to strengthen your weake Faith Physick to cure the remainders of corruptions it will bee a Cordial to revive your drooping spirits and fainting souls It will make you more than Conquerors over all temptations and distresses Quest. But now the great Question is How a childe of God ought to manage and make use of the word of God so as to make it a Conduit of support and comfort in the day of his greatest Afflictions Answ. To bee able to do this there is a great deal of spiritual wisdom and understanding required For the word to many people is like Sauls Armour to David which was so cumbersome to him that hee could not wear it There are many know not how to use the Word so as to bee comforted by it As the woman of Samaria told Christ Ioh. 4. 11. The Well is deep and thou hast nothing to draw with So may â—I say The word of God is a deep Well it is a Well of salvation but it is deep and the deeper the sweeter but most people want Buckets to draw with they want a spiritual Art to fetch out of these Wells of salvation divine supportation and consolation and therefore to help you in this great work you must know That the word of God may bee divided into three parts Into Commandements Threatnings and Promises And though a Christian must not neglect the commanding and threatning word yet if ever hee would make the word a Channel of Divine comfort hee must study the promising-word for the Promises are a Christians Magna Charta for Heaven All comfort must bee built upon a Scripture promise else it is presumption not true comfort The Promises are pabulum fidei anima fidei the food of faith and the soul of faith As faith is the life of a Christian so the promises are the life of Faith Faith is a dead Faith if it hath no promise to quicken it As the Promises are of no use without Faith to apply them so Faith is of no use without a Promise to lay hold on And the great reason why the people of God walk uncomfortably in their afflictions is because they do not chew the Promises they are rare Cordials but as a man cannot taste the sweetness of a Cordial unless hee chew it no more can wee receive any spiritual refreshment from the Promises unless wee meditate on them The promises are as a Mine full of rich treasure but as Mines unless wee digge deep into them wee can never get the gold and silver hid in them no more can wee injoy the soul-ravishing comfort of the promises unlesse we digge into them by a serious consideration of them They are as a garden full of rare flowers able to sweeten any condition But because wee doe not walk in this garden and pick out these flowers hence it is that wee live so disconsolately and dejectedly under our afflictions There are many rare stories declaring the comfort that some of Gods Saints have received from the promises in the day of their distresse Mr. Bilney that blessed Martyr was much wounded in Conscience by reason of the great â—n hee committed in subscribing to the Popish errors but hee was much comforted by reading those words 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the VVorld to save sinners of which I am the chief Beza was supported under his troubles by the words of Christ Iohn 10. 27 28 29. Mr. Bolton tells us of one that was upheld under great affliction and comforted from Isa. 26. 3. Of another from Isa. 57. 15. I knew a young maid that went triumphantly to Heaven by the refreshing shee found in that well known Text Matth. 11. 28. and many that have been wonderfully cheared by reading the eight Chapter of the Romans and by that Text 1 Ioh. 3. 14. VVee know that wee have passed from death unto life because wee love the Brethren The truth is there is no promise but if God bee pleased to illighten it and shew us our interest in it will afford a Harvest of joy It is with Promises as it is with Sermons That Sermon which once heard did not at all work upon us the same Sermon heard at another time may exceedingly affect us And the same Text of Scripture which sometimes doth not at all comfort us may at another time convey much comfort to us Two men troubled in conscience may both of them read the same chapter and hear the same Sermon and one of them may have his troubled minde pacified and the other continue troubled and the reason is because the Spirit of God makes the Word effectual to one and not to the other How often hath a distressed Saint read Mat. 11. 28. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Ioh. 10. 27 28. Isa. 26. 3. Isa. 57 15. 1 Ioh. 3. 14. and found no comfort in reading of them But if the Spirit of God did come in and open his eyes to behold the rich mercies wrapt up in these promises and his interest in them they would fill him with comfort above expression And therefore if ever you would make the Word of God Gods instrument to conveigh support and comfort to you in the time of soul-sinking afflictions you must study the promises and pray unto God that his Spirit may irradiate them and shew you the fulness of them and your interest in them Quest. How must wee improve the promises so as to make them spiritual bladders to keep us from being drowned in the deep waters of Affliction Ans. You must doe three things 1 You must make a Catalogue of the Promises 2 You must seriously ponder and meditate on them 3 You must apply them to your own souls as belonging to you in particular 1 You must make a Catalogue of the Promises you must gather them up as they lye scattered in the Word into a spiritual Nose-gay and binde them together You must doe as they that gather up ends of Gold and Silver you must lose none Every promise is as a ray of gold as a Star in the firmament And
though there are starrs of divers magnitudes differing from one another in glory yet every star hath its beauty and benefit So though some Promises are more glorious than others like the Sun in comparison of the Moon yet every promise hath its beauty and lustre and as star-light in a dark night is very comfortable so in the dark night of affliction every little promise will afford unspeakable comfort to a troubled soul. To help you in making this Catalogue give mee leave to suggest three things 1 Bee sure to make it in time of health Woe bee to those that have their promises to gather when they should make use of them You that sleight the promises in prosperity shall receive no comfort from them in adversity 2 Forget not to treasure up all those promises which God hath made to his children in the day of their adversity As for example God hath promised in all our afflictions to bee with us Isa. 43. 2. When thou passest through the waters I will bee with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee c. hee will bee with you to protect and direct you to support and comfort you If three Saints bee put into the fiery Furnace the Son of God will make the fourth Dan. 3. 25. 2 God will be afflicted in all our afflictions Isa. 63. 9. he suffers in all our sufferings Act. 9. 4. 3 Hee will make our beds in our sicknesses Psal. 41. 3. hee will condescend to the lowest office for our ease and refreshment 4 Hee will know our souls in adversity Psal. 31. 7. hee will know us to pitty us and to succour and to help us 5 Hee will keep us from the evill of all afflictions Job 5. 19. God hath not promised to keep his people from afflictions but to keep them from the hurt of them Though they are not good in themselves yet hee will turne them to our good Heb. 12. 10. 1 Cor. 11. 32. Ier. 24. 5. The good Figs were carried into Captivity for their good God hath promised that all things shall worke together for our good Rom. 8. 28. not only all Ordinances c. but all Afflictions c. 6 God hath promised to lay no more upon us than wee are able to bear but either to give us less pain or greater patience 1 Cor. 10. 13. And though in a little wrath hee hide his face from us for a moment yet with everlasting kindness will he have mercy on us c. Isa. 54. 7 8. These and many such like Promises will bee as so many spiritual Cordials to revive our fainting spirits and as so many Pillars to uphold us under the greatest Affliction 3 For the compleating of this Catalogue you may make use of many excellent Books written for this purpose wherein you shall have Promises of all kindes both spiritual and temporal gathered together Yet let mee advise you not to rest satisfied with the Collections of others but when you read the Bible and meet with a suitable promise with which God is pleased to affect your hearts take the pains to write it down and one such promise of your own writing will work more powerfully upon your souls than many others of anothers gathering So much for the first viz. Make a Catalogue of the Promises The End of the third Sermon AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER Reader THis and the following Sermon contains a large Discourse about the Promises which because it may bee thought by some to bee impertinent to the Text and rather a Digression from it than an explication of it I crave leave to informe thee of two things 1 That the Promises are the Principal grounds of Comfort to a Childe of God in the day of his Adversity They are his chiefe City of Refuge when all Creature-comforts faile when hee suffers Ship-wrack of all humane props these are his Planks upon which hee swims safe to the shoar of Heaven All Comfort that is not founded upon a Promise is Delusion not true Consolation And therefore a Discourse about them cannot rationally bee interpreted Eccentrical to the Text. 2 That there are diverse particulars added to these Sermons concerning the Nature Necessity Excellency and Vsefulness of the Promises which were not mentioned in the preaching of them And if any of them shall appeare to bee Heterogenial to the Text yet if they prove serviceable to heighten thy esteeme of the Promises and to quicken thee to a more serious and frequent Meditation on them and Application of them I hope thou art not at all injured And I may justly desire that thou wouldest not bee offended It is reported of Saint Austin in his life written by Possidius that by a digression in one of his Sermons from his Text hee converted an Hereticke from his erroneous Opinions If any passage in these two Sermons prove usefull to turne thee from thy sinfull Negligence and to awaken thee to a more diligent study of the precious Promises I shall account it a happy and blessed Digression For herein especially consisteth the difference betweene a Religious Christian and a Moral Man A Morâ—l Man will abstaine from the outward acts of sinne But hee knowes not what it is to live upon Promises Hee never tasted any sweetnesse in a Promise Hee lives upon Creatures not upon Promises and therefore when Creatures faile his heart sinkes like a stone and hee is at his Wits end and Faiths end But a Religious Christian lives upon Promises and not upon Creatures and therefore when Creatures faile hee hath the Promises to live on Hee labours to taste the sweetnesse that is in them Hee lives upon Promises when Providence seemes to run crosse to Promises They are his fiery Chariot to carry him up to Heaven If then these ensuing Sermons inflame thy affections with a greater love to the Promises and a greater care to meditate on them and to get an interest in them thou hast cause to bless God and to pray for Thy unworthy Servant in Christ ED. CALAMY MEDITATE ON THE Promises SERMON IV. PSAL. 119. 92. Unless thy Law had been my Delights I should then have perished in mine Afflictions HEE that would improve the Promises so as to make them Spiritual Bladders to keep him from being drowned in the deep waters of Affliction must not only make a Catalogue of the Promises but hee must also 2 Fixedly and seriously meditate on them first hee must treasure up these Iewels in his heart and then unlock them by meditation first hee must make his Nose-gay and then smell of it The Word of God as I have said is as a Garden full of excellent Promises as so many choice flowers And it is our duty to walk often in this Garden to gather up all the flowers that lye scattered in it into several Nose-gayes to binde them together if I may so speake with the threed of Faith and then every day to smell of them The Promises are the Saints
make the VVord of God a Conduit of comfort in the day of your distresse you must not only meditate on the commanding and thâ—eating word but on the premising VVord The Commandements and threatnings must drive you to the Promises you must not only study your corruptions to humble you but also the Promises to comfort you I doe not say you must not study your corruptions but you must joyn the study of the Promises together with them If Abraham had minded only the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe and of his own body hee had never beleeved c. but hee was strong in Faith and staggered not because hee considered not his owne body now dead when hee was about an hundred years old nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe but was fully perswaded that what God had promised hee was able to performe If Sarah had considered only that shee was past age shee would never have beleeved that shee should have a Childe but she eyed the Promise and judged him faithful who had promised and that made her beleeve If a Saint of God looks only downwards upon the deadnesse of his heart and meditates only upon his sins and infirmities hee will never bee comforted in the day of his distresse But hee must also look upwards unto the Promises seriously ponder and fixedly study them which will bee as strong Pillars to support him and keep him from falling into despair in the hour of tribulation Q. What are the Meditations which we must have in reference and relation to the Promises in the day of our distress Ans. I will rank them into nine particulars 1 You must meditate upon the three great truths already mentioned 1 That God commands nothing as our duty which he hath not promised as his gift 2 That God in the Covenant of grace will accept of less than hee requires in the Covenant of works 3 That if wee truly beleeve in Christ God will accept of his righteousnesse as a satisfaction for our unrighteousnesse 2 You must meditate upon the excellency and preciousnesse of the Promises they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding great and precious Promises They are precious in five respects 1 Because they cost a great price even the bloud of Christ to purchase them They are all made to us in Christ and for Christ they are in him yea and in him Amen The Covenant which is the Pandecta and Cabinet of all the Promises was sealed with his Bloud 2 Because they assure us of great and precious things they assure us of our interest in God of our justification reconciliation adoption sanctification and glorification Heaven it self is nothing else but the injoyment of the Promises Heb. 6. 12. The Promises are Heaven folded up Heaven is the Promise unfolded For the Promises are nothing else but the eternal purposes of God towards his Children made manifest The purposes of God are his concealed Promises and the Promises are his revealed purposes The Promises are the kisses of Iesus Christ they discover his dear love and when hee discovers to us our interest in them then hee kisses us with the kisses of his mouth and fills us with joy unspeakable and glorious They are made by God and they make over God to us as our portion and Christ as our Saviour and the Spirit as our Sanctifier and all good things both here and hereafter as our inheritance and therefore may well bee called exceeding great and precious Promises 3 Because they put a price upon the New Testament for wherein doth the New Testament exceed the Old unless it be in this because it is founded upon better Promises Heb. 8. 6. and bringeth in a better hope Hebrews 7. 19. 4 Because they put a price upon all the blessings of God A little mercy reached out to us as a fruit of a Promise is more worth than a world of blessings comming to us meerly by way of providence A man may receive blessings from God upon a double account either ex largitate or ex promisso either by way of providence or by way of Promise 1 By way of Providence Thus God gives the earth to the sons of men Psal. 115. 16. Thus hee gave one hundred twenty and seven Provinces to Ahashuerus Thus he sets up the basest of men to rule over Nations Dan. 4. 17. 2 By way of Promise Thus hee gives health wealth and all outward comforts unto his children For godlinesse hath the Promise of this life and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. Now you must know that a little blessing coming to us as a fruit of the Promise is more worth than a thousand blessings comming to us only by way of Providence And therefore David saith A little that the righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psalm 37. 16. And the reason is 1 Because blessings given by vertue of a Promise are signes of Gods special love and come flowing to us from the same love with which God gives us Christ they are the fruit of Covenant-love 2 Because wee have them as blessings A man may have a blessing and yet not have it as a blessing The Israelites had Quails sent them immediately from God which was a blessing in it self but was not sent to them as a blessing For while the meat was in their mouthes the wrath of God came upon them The wicked have blessings but not as blessings but as the Cup in Benjamins Sack which proved a snare to him rather than a mercy But the godly have blessings as blessings They have grace with them to improve them for Gods glory they have not only the blessings but a thankful heart for them and a fruitful heart under them which is a certaine signe that they have them as blessings 3 Because they are pledges to them of better mercies and beginnings of better They are not merces but arrha not their wages but an earnest of Heaven Now a farthing given as an earnest of a thousand a year is more worth than many pounds given as a reward A wicked man hath outward blessings as his portion his Heaven his All but a godly man that hath them by vertue of a Promise hath them as a pledge of Heaven and as a beginning of eternal mercies 5 The Promises are precious because they producâ— great and precious effects They are not only excellent in themselves but are also very powerful and operative upon all beleevers The Promises as one saith sealed by the Bloud of Christ ratified by the Oath of God testified by the Spirit of truth delivered by the hand of mercy and received by the hand of Faith are operative words and produce rare effects in the soul. They have Power 1 A Sanctifying 2 A Comforting 1 A soul-sanctifying Power Therefore they are said to make us partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. I say of the Divine Nature not by the communication of the Divine Essence but
the first it is said How much more shall your Father in Heaven give good things c. In the second How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit c. Grace and Glory and all outward good things are his It is said of the Great Duke of Guise that though hee was poore as to his present possessions yet hee was the richest man in France in Bills Bonds and Obligations because hee had ingaged all the Noble-men in France unto himselfe by preferring of them A true and real Christian is the richest man in the World in Promises and Obligations for hee hath the Great God ingaged by promise to bee his God and the God of his As Charles the first commanded his Herald in a challenge to Francis the first King of France to proclaim him with all his titles stiling him Emperour of Germany King of Castile Arragon Naples Sicily c. But Francis commanded his Herald to call him so often King of France as the other had titles by all his Countries implying that France alone was more worth than all his Countries So when a wicked man brags of his Lordships and great possessions when hee boasteth of his thousands a year a childe of God may say God is mine God is mine c. I am richer than all the wicked men in the world 6 You must meditate on the latitude and extension of the Promises The Promises are the Saints Catholicon and Panacea There is no condition a Childe of God can bee in but hee may finde not onely a Promise but a suitable and seasonable Promise to comfort him in it And herein especially consisteth the spiritual Excellency and heavenly Wisdome of a Christian not onely to study the Promises in general but to labour to finde out and having found out to meditate upon such kinde of Promises which are most suitable and most seasonable to the condition hee is in As for example If thou art poor in estate meditate on Psalm 34. 10. Matth. 6. 33. Heb. 13. 5. If barren and without children meditate on Isa. 56. 5. If persecuted for Christs sake meditate on Matth. 5. 10. 1 Pet. 4. 12 13 14. Psal. â—4 12. If sick and under tormenting pains meditate on Psal. 50. 15. Isa. 63. 9. Rom. 8. 28. If reproached slandered and falsely accused meditate on Mat. 10. 25. Mat. 5. 11 12. Luke 6. 22 23. If Satan tempts thee and thou art not able to resist him meditate on Rom. 16. 20. 1 Cor. 10. 13. Gen. 3. 15. 1 Ioh. 3. 8. If thy corruptions bee too strong for thee meditate on Rom. 6. 14. Micah 7. 19. If God hides his face from thee and thou sittest in darkness and seest no light meditate on Isa. 50. 10. Isa. 54. 7 8. If ready to faint in waiting upon God and in expecting the fulfilling of his Promises meditate on Isa. 30. 18. Isa. 63. 3. Isa. 40. 28 29 30. Mal. 3. 1. If ready to dye and full of fears and doubts meditate on 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Hos. 13. 14. Rev. 14. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. 2 Cor. 5. 1 8. 7 You must meditate on the variety of the Promises and their difference and distinction one from the other The Promises are like unto the stars in the firmament 1 For their multitude they are very many The Scripture is bespangled with Promises as the Heavens are with stars It were happy if the Saints would prove spiritual Astronomers and make it their work to study the nature of these stars 2 For their beauty excellency and influence Every star is beautifull in its kinde and very usefull and advantagious so are the Promises And as the stars are most comfortable in the darkness of the night so are the Promises in the night of trouble and adversity 3 And especially for their distinction and difference For one star differeth from another in glory 1 Cor. 15. 41. There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars So do the Promises differ exceedingly one from the other in beauty and excellency Some are temporal some spiritual some of things that are eternal Some are conditional some absolute some are Promises to those that have grace some are Promises of grace some are general others particular Some are Original Fundamental and Fountain-Promises as the promise of Jesus Christ of God being our God and of the Holy Ghost Others are derivative depending and rivolet-promises as the promises of all outward comforts here and of eternal life hereafter Now it is our duty to take notice of every ray of gold to meditate upon all the Promises both spiritual temporal and eternal both conditional and absolute both of grace and to grace both general and particular but especially of the Original and Fundamental Promises the Fountain Promises from whence all others as so many streams and rivolets are deduced and derived 8 You must meditate on the usefulfulness and profitableness of the Promises I have already shewed you that they are the Conduits of grace and comfort that they have a soul-sanctifying and a soul-comforting-power Give mee leave to adde That the Promises are 1 The breathings of Divine love and affection 2 The life and soul of Faith 3 The Anchor of Hope 4 The VVings of Prayer 5 The Foundation of Industry 6 The Rayes and Beams of the Son of Righteousness and upon all these accounts are very usefull and advantagious 1 They are the breathings of Divine love and affection It is an Argument of Gods wonderful love to his children that hee is pleased to enter into a Promise and Covenant to bee their God and to give them Christ and in Christ all blessings here and hereafter Wee read Gen. 17. 2 3. when God told Abraham that hee would make a Covenant with him hee fell on his face as astonished at so great a mercy and as thankfully acknowledging the goodness of God towards him The like wee read of David When God by Nathan made a promise to him hee goes into Gods house and prayes Who am I O Lord and what is my house that the Lord my God should do this c. The Promises are the Cabinets of the tender bowels of God they contain the dear and tender love of God towards his elect children God by promising makes himself a debtor to them Now that God who is bound to none no not to the Angels of Heaven should enter into bonds and binde himselfe to give grace and glory to his elect children this is love above expression And there is nothing moved God to do this but as I have said his free grace and mercy For though God bee now bound out of justice and faithfulness to fulfill his Promises yet nothing moved him to make these promises but his love and mercy as David saith of what God had promised to him 2 Sam. 7. 21. According to thine own heart ex mero motu voluntatis and according to thy Word not
for any thing in mee For what am I O Lord c. Thus you see how the Promises are the breathings of Divine love and affection and upon this account are very usefull and profitable For love is loves loadstone therefore the Apostle saith Wee love him because hee loved us first The sense of Gods love to us will kindle a love in us to God Even as the beams of the Sun reflecting upon a VVall heats those that walk by the Wall So the Beams of Gods love shining into our souls warms our hearts with the love of God The lovâ— of God constrains us as saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. 14. There is a compulsive and constraining power in love What did not Iacob do for the love of Rachel How was Mephibosheth affected with the love of David 2 Sam. 9. 8. It is our duty to love those that hate us but not to love those that love us is more than heathenish and brutish 2 They are the life and soule of Faith Faith without a Promise to act upon is as a body without a soul as a dead flower which hath no beauty or sweetness in it But Faith grounded upon the Promises will inable a Christian to advance in all manner of holiness What made Abraham forsake his Country and his Fathers house and go hee knew not whither Nothing moved him to this but because God had promised to make him a great Nation and hee beleeved it Of all graces none so causal of holiness as the grace of Faith It is a world overcoming heart-purifying life-sanctifying wonder-working grace and therefore the Promises must needs bee very usefull because they are the life and soul of Faith 3 They are the Anchor of Hope Hope is called an Anchor of the soule both sure and stedfast But the Promises are the Anchor of Hope All Hope of Heaven which is not founded upon a Promise is presumption and not Hope Presumption is when a man hopes to go to Heaven upon no ground or upon an insufficient ground But true Hope is a Hope grounded upon a Scripture-Promise And Hope bottomed upon Divine Promises will mightily availe unto purity and holiness Abraham Isaac and Iacob lived as pilgrims and strangers upon earth because they looked and hoped for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Old Testament Saints would not accept deliverance upon sinfull termes because they hoped for a better Resurrection The Papists and Arminians are much mistaken in teaching That the assurance of salvation is an enemy to godliness The Scripture saith the quite contrary 1 Ioh. 3. 3. Hee that hath this Hope purifieth himselfe even as hee is pure The true Hope of Heaven will make us live heavenly 4 They are the Wings of Prayer Prayer is a Divine Cordial to convey grace from Heaven into our soules It is a Key to unlock the bowels of mercy which are in God The best way to obtain holiness is upon our knees the best posture to fight against the Devil is upon our knees and therefore Prayer is not put as a part of our spiritual Armour but added as that which must bee an ingredient in every part and which will make every part effectual But now the Promises are the Wings of Prayer Prayer without a Promise is as a Bird without VVings And therefore wee read both of Iacob and Iehoshaphat how they urged God in their prayers with his Promises And certainly the Prayers of the Saints winged with divine promises will quickly flye up to Heaven and draw down grace and comfort into theâ— souls And upon this account it is that the Promises are so useful to a Christian because they are so helpfull in prayer When wee pray weâ— must urge God with his Promises and say Lord Hast thou not said Thâ—â— wilt circumcise our hearts to love theâ— thou wilt subdue our sinnes thou wilâ— give the Spirit to those that aske it Lord Thou art faithfull fulfill thesâ— thine own promises And wee must remember this great Truth That the Promises God makes to us to mortifieâ— our sins for us are greater helps against sin than our promises to God to mortifie sin Many men in the day of their distress vow and promise to leave sin and fight against it in the strength of these promises and in stead of conquering sin are conquered by sin But if wee fight against sin in the strength of Christ and of his promises if wee urge God in prayer with his owne Word wee shall at last get victory over it For hee hath said That sin shall not have dominion over us Rom. 6. 14. 5 They are the foundation of Induâ—try The promises do not make men â—azy and idle as some scandalously say 〈◊〉 they are the ground of all true laâ—our and industry therefore the Apostles perswade us from the consideration of the Promises unto the study of soul-purification to have our conversation without covetousness to flee from Idolatry and to separate our selves from sinfull communion Divine promises are â—reat incouragements unto spiritual diâ—â—gence Object Though conditional Promiâ—es bee the foundation of industry beâ—ause wee cannot have the thing promiâ—es unless wee perform the conditions yet absolute Promises say some are foundations of lasiness and therefore they a firm there are no absolute Promises in Scripture Answ. Absolute Promises are made foundations of industry in Scripture as well as Conditional The Apostle exhorts us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling because it is God 〈◊〉 worketh in us both to will and to do of hiâ— owne good pleasure And the reason is because God performeth nothing which hee promiseth though never so absolutely but in the diligent and conscientious use of the means on our part God promiseth Ezek. 36. 26. to give us a new heart and a new spirit c. but theâ— hee adds vers 37. I will yet 〈◊〉 this bee inquired of by the house of Israel 6 They are the rayes and beams as one saith of Christ the Son of Righteousness in whom they are founded and established As all the liâ—es in a Circumference though never so distant carry a man to one and the same Center So all the Promises carry us to Christ the Center For the Promises are not made for any thing in us nor have they any stability from us but they are made in and for Christ unto us unto Christ in our behalf and unto us so far as we are Members of Christ. Now Jesus Christ is the ground of all soul-purification soul-consolation and soul-salvation And therefore I may safely conclude that the promises are most singularly usefull and advantagious And that it is the duty of all those that desire to live holily and comfortably to consider and ponder the profitableness and beneficialness of the Promises 9 And lastly you must meditate on the great necessity that lyeth upon all men to get a
a right and portion in all the Promises This is that which God saith Exod. 19. 5. If you will obey my voyce indeed then yee shall bee a peculiar treasure c. If yee will obey my voyce indeed not only in word and in shew but in deed and in truth Thus Ierem. 7. 5 7. If yee thorowly amend your wayes if yee thorowly execute judgement c. then will I cause you to dwell in this place c. If yee thorowly amend c. not only in some things but in all things not only outwardly but inwardly also This Rule is expresly delivered by the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse hath the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come If thou beest a godly man in a Gospel-sense that is one who truly and sincerely indeavoureth to bee godly If thou makest Gods Will thy Rule to live by and not thine own Gods glory thy end and not thy own carnal interest Gods love thy Principle If thy Rules Aimes and Principles bee godly all the Promises of this Life and of the Life to come belong to thee It is worth observing that all the Promises of Life and Salvation are conditional Happiness is entailed upon Holiness Glory upon Grace You shall read in Scripture of the blessings of the Covenant and of the bond of the Covenant of the blessings of the Promises and of the condition of the Promises If ever you would assure your selves of your interest in the blessings of the Covenant you must try your selves by your sincere performance of the condition Thus Christ is promised to none but such as beleeve pardon of sin to none but such as repent and Heaven to none but such as persevere in well doing Tell mee then Canst thou say as in Gods presence that thou hast respect to all Gods Commandements though thou failest in all yet thou hast respect to all that thou obeyest God in deed and in truth and that thou sincerely labourest to bee godly This is a certaine signe that all the Promises are thy portion but you that are ungodly and doe not thorowly amend your wayes you that sleight undervalue and despise the commanding Word you have no part no portion in the promising word But it may bee a distressed Christian though without just cause will say that hee is afraid that hee doth not sincerely obey the commanding word and therefore dares not apply to himself the promising word wherefore I adde Rule 2. 2 The more thou art afraid lest thou shouldest have no right to the Promises the more right thou hast in all probability to them This I speak only to the distressed Christian not that I commend his fear But this I say This fear which thou art possessed withall is a probable signe that thou hast an interest in the Promises For a presumptuous Sinner never doubts of his right to them but takes it as a Maxime not to bee denied that they belong to him It is a comfortable saying of Mr. Greenhams When thou hearest the Promises and art in a cold sweat and hast a fear and trembling seizing upon thee lest they should not belong to thee doubt not but that they doe belong to thee For Christ hath said Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will give you rest And the Prophet Isaiah calls upon those who are of a fearful heart to bee strong and fear not and tells us for our comfort that God will look with an eye of favour upon him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at his word Rule 3. 3 The more sensible thou art of thine own unworthiness to lay hold upon the Promises the more thou art fitted and qualified to lay hold upon them For the promises are as I have shewed the fruit of Free-grace Nothing moved God to enter into a Covenant with his people and thereby to become their Debtor but his free love Free grace brought Christ down from Heaven and it is Free Grace must carry us up to Heaven Christ himself is called the gift of God John 4. 10. Moses tells the Israelites Deut. 7. 7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number than any people c. but because the Lord loved you and because hee would keep the Oath which hee had sworn unto your Fathers hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you c. God doth not love us because wee are worthy of his love but because hee loves us therefore hee makes us worthy Wee must not bring worthinesse to Christ but fetch worthinesse from Christ. And therefore if thou beest sensible of thine owne nothingnesse emptinesse and unworthinesse lay hold upon that excellent Promise Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Blessed are those who are sensible of their spiritual wants for to them belongs the Kingdome of Heaven as certainly as if they were already in it Rule 4. 4 Study thy interest in the main and fundamental Promise and that will help thee to make out thy interest in all the other The main and fundamental Promise is the Promise of Christ. For all Promises whither Spiritual oâ— Temporal are made to us in and thorough him God hath promised never to leave us nor forsake us and that all things shall work together for our good that is if wee be in Christ God hath said all things are ours whether Paul or Apollos whether life or death whether things present or things to come but it is with this Promise if wee bee Christs Whosoever takes any comfort from any Temporal promise and is not in Christ doth but delude and cheat himself This then is thy work O Christian study thy interest in Christ make out that and make out all If no interest in Christ no interest in the Promises If an interest in Christ an interest in the Promises let this then be thy daily business to make it out to thy soul that Christ is thine Quest. How shall I bee able to doe this Answ. For this purpose you must diligently study three things 1 The Universality of the Promise of Christ. 2 The Freenesse of it 3 The condition upon which hee is tendred 1 The Universality of the promise of Christ. Christ Jesus with all his benefits is promised to every one who is willing to lay hold on him as hee is tendred in the Gospel The Apostles are commanded to go into all the world and to preach the Gospel to every creature hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved c. If thou hast a heart to beleeve bee thy sins never so great it is for the honour of Iesus Christ to pardon them As the Sea covers great Rocks as well as small so the Mercy of God in Christ will pardon great sins as well as little It will