Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work HAving already treated of the freeness of the grace of God in reference to our Imployments and sufferings I do intend to shew you also the freeness of the grace of God in reference to our Comforts and Consolations and this Text you see saith God hath given us Everlasting Consolation and tells us surther that God hath given us this everlasting Consolation through grace Therefore without any further explication you see that free Love is written upon all our spiritual Comforts For what is more free than gift Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father hath given us everlasting Consolation and hope through grace Therefore it is by the grace by the free grace of God that we are truly comforted There is much of the freeness of Gods grace and love laid out in our spiritual comforts and consolations For the opening of this Argument 1. I shall shew you that it is a great mercy to be truly Comforted 2. That it is possible for Gods own people to live a great while without any considerable Comfort 3. That it is not in the power of any Creature or any thing on this side God or Christ to comfort a poor distressed drooping soul 4. That when God doth give or bestow comfort upon any he gives and bestowes it in a way of free grace 5. To shew wherein the grace and love of God is manifested in the matter of our spiritual Comforts 6. Why God will deal with us in the way of free grace and love in the matter of our comforts 7. When a man may be truly said to be comforted in a way of free grace and love 8. What a poor drooping soul must do that he may be truly comforted in a way of free love and in case he be so comforted what returns he should make Of these in order First I say it is a great mercy to be truly comforted For it is a promised mercy and promised mercies are no small mercies now this is a mercy promised Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Secondly As this is a mercy promised so it is the proper birth fruit and effect of the holy Ghost Gal. 5.22 But the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith Joy and peace are the proper fruits of the holy Ghost and therefore no small mercies Thirdly As this comfort is the proper birth fruit and effect of the holy Ghost so it is the main part of the Kingdom of God Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat nor drink but righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost It is a main part of the Kingdom of God and if so no small matter Fourthly This comfort is reward also as well as a main part of the Kingdom of God Comfort and Joy in the holy Ghost is both duty and reward so it is promised in the forementioned Scripture Matt. 5. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted and if so then surely it is no small thing Fifthly As it is duty and reward so it is that grace whereby you are inabled to read your other graces When a man is under great Temptations Sorrows and Afflictions it is a hard thing to read his graces but now this helps us to read our Graces some will say they cannot read their graces they lie at the bottom As to explain it take this plain comparison There are many Fishes in a Fish-pond but now in rainy and foul weather the fish lye all at the bottom and are not to be seen but in fair weather the fish swim and are visible So if it be foul weather upon a soul if it be dark and gloomy weather the soul cannot read his graces but now when God shines upon him then he is inabled to read them yea though his graces lye at the bottom as I may say yet the poor soul is ablâ—â—o read them and if it be so it is no small thing 't is no small matter to read our graces our other graces Sixthly As it is that grace whereby you are inabled to read your other graces so it is that whereby you joy in all good things Grief and sorrow streighten the soul streighten the heart but joy and comfort dilate the soul widen and open the heart Psalm 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Seventhly As by this grace you are inabled to joy in all good things so it is also that grace whereby you are inabled to bear up against every evil thing to bear up under all afflictions Are you reproached by this comfort you are inabled to bear up against reproaches for saith the Apostle Peter If you be reproached for the name of Christ happy are you Are you reproached Comfort will turn that to your benefit and blessing Are you persecuted Blessed are you when men shall revile and persecute you rejoyce c. Are you not only persecuted but beaten too Comfort will bear up your hearts under all stripes and afflictions for we find Paul and Silas sung in the Stocks well but this is not all Eighthly This is that grace that will strengthen and establish you in the good waies of God Mark how they go together in 2 Thess 2.16 17. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work Comfort and establishment go together and if it be so it is no small matter Lastly This is that grace that will give a beauty and lustre to your profession The comforted Christian is the truly beautiful Christian If a man have never so much beauty in his face yet if his face be wrinkled with grief and blubbered with tears the beauty of his face is not seen but when joy and comfort comes that wipes off all and his beauty then is seen So here comfort doth not only take away reproach from your profession but it gives a lustre a beauty to your profession the comforted Christian I say is the truly beautiful Christian and if so surely it is a great mercy to be truly comforted That is the first thing in general that it is a great mercy to be truly comforted 2. As it is a great mercy to be truly comforted so it is possible for Gods own servants and dearest children to live a long time without any consideraable comfort any fundamental comfort their hearts may faint My heart and my soul fainteth saith the Psalmist and you know how it was with Daniel Dan. 10.17 You may see how he was bowed down he complains there was no strength remained in him till there came one and touched him and set him upon his legs again a good man may faint and want comfort and all the former comforts that he hath
had may be Eclipsed Restore to me the joy of thy salvation Psalm 51.12 saith David his glory and comfort was eclipsed yea possibly a gracious soul may live a long time without comfort How long wilt thou forget yea forget me O Lord what for ever Psalm 13.1 I say a man may live a long time without any considerable comfort There is a time when God will try his people and see whether they will take comfort from his hand or from another hand it may be it may be so with you sometimes God may try whether you will wait upon him and believe in him and rest upon him for comfort 3. As a man may live long without comfort so it is not in the power of any thing on this side God and Christ to give comfort to a poor drooping soul this is the Lords prerogative I am the Lord that comforteth This is his name Father of mercies and God of all comfort and consolation and 2 Cor. 7.6 Nevertheless God that Comforteth those that are cast down comforted us c. It is Gods prerogative only to do it comforting work is creation work it is not in the power of the creature but of the Creator Isa 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him It is Gods work to comfort and not in the power of any other Man may be instrumental to comfort but it is none but God alone that can do the work But some may object and say can none but God alone comfort No none but God alone can rate off Satan If a great dog or mastiff be worrying a child or a sheep a stranger comes and strikes him and calls him off but the dog takes no notice of him but when the Master comes he rates him off presently none but the Master can do it So here it is none but God that can rate off Satan from worrying the poor drooping soul when it is under temptation none but God the Master It is not in the power of any creature but in the power of God alone it is in the power of none but the third person in the Trinity the spirit of God what needed the third person in the Trinity to have come into the world as he is now if any other could comfort As none can redeem but Christ the second person of the Trinity because the second person came from Heaven on purpose to redeem So none can comfort but God and his spirit because the third person came from Heaven to do it there is none but God alone that can comfort a poor soul That is the third particular 4. When God doth bestow comfort he bestows it and gives it in a way of free grace in a way of free love and grace See but how they go together in the Text Who hath given us everlasting consolation through grace I will give you one Scripture more to prove it and consider it well Job 33. you have there the draught of a mans Conversion First he goes on in his sin and all on a sudden God gives in a word to him at 14 15 verses For God speaketh once yea twice but man perceiveth it not In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumberings upon the bed Then He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction and then the soul is filled with horror of conscience as in verse 19. He is chastned also with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain And when God hath done thus then he justifies him and gives him faith and shews him true righteousness as in verse 23. If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto man his uprightness This is justification and when this is done then the Lord comforts him as in verse 25. His flesh shall be fresher than a childs he shall return to the days of his youth You see God comforts him in a way of free love and in the 26. verse He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy for he will render unto man his righteousness God comforts in a way of free love he comforts how he pleaseth and as far as he pleaseth but whensoever he comforts it is still I say in a way of free love You may see it in Isaiah 65.14 It is said Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but you shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howl for vexation of spirit and thus also saith the Lord in the former verse Behold my servants shall eat but ye shall be hungry behold my servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed God comforts whom he pleases and as far as he pleaseth and it is all free out of free love John 14.20 At that day you shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you and at verse 16. And I will pray the Father and he will give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever This work of comforting is properly the work of the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost breathes as the wind where it listeth and therefore I say comforts whom and how he pleaseth and all in a way of free love and free grace That is the fourth particular 5. Wherein is the love the free love of God manifested to us in the matter of our comforts I answer in many things I will pitch but upon three only 1. The greater he is that giveth and the greater the thing is that is given and the lesser or meaner the person is that the thing is given unto the more free is the love of him that gives and bestows the thing Now this comfort and consolation is a great thing it is a very great matter it is a birth of the Holy Ghost Is that a small thing It is part of the Kingdom of God Is that a small matter It is both duty and reward Is that small It is that which exceeds all the Joy of the world Lift up the light of thy countenance upon me Thou hast put more gladness into my heart more than in the time that their oyle and their wine Increased Psalm 4.7 Ask a poor drooping soul and he will tell you that it is a great thing for it comes from a great God Isaiah 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I will dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite Ones Unto that soul that trembles unto that soul will God bring comfort and will be nigh unto him Now if a Prince should rise from his Throne to
you unto the self same thing whilst you live here then you are at his right hand now and then you may be sure to stand at his right hand at the day of judgement and so shall be sure to be saved for ever to all eternity Fourthly Those that are tender to Christs little ones that are tender to those that are despised in this world and ready to help and assist them according to their wants they shall surely be saved for ever Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you For I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in I was naked and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me in prison and ye came unto me And the righteous answer Lord when did we see thee sick or naked or hungry and fed thee and cloathed thee why saith he In as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Mat. 25.35 So I say look who these are that are tender of Christs little ones and are ready to help them and to relieve them according to their wants and necessities those are they that shall be saved to all eternity Fifthly Those that strive together for the Faith in times of affliction those are they that shall be saved for ever Phil. 1.27 That ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel So I say look who those are that in the time of persecution strive for the faith they shall surely be saved and that to all eternity Yet one thing more Sixthly Those that come to Christ in time of Temptation they shall be saved freely to all eternity for saith our Saviour Christ John 6.39 And this is my Fathers will that hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day in verse 37. saies Christ him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out and I will give you the reason saith he For it is the will of my Father that I should lose none which he hath given unto me but that they should rise at the last day How is it therefore with you Holy and beloved brethren in the Lord Do you come to Christ in your Temptations Do you strive together in love for the faith in time of persecution Are you tempted Are you brought low Remember this that Christ is able to raise you up and to save you to all eternity and therefore O soul doubt not of your salvation But some may say I am guilty of this doubting what shall I do that I may not doubt of my salvation This is too large a subject to speak to now I shall only say this to it Let me desire you to study much the freeness of the grace of God in general and consider also much and frequently the particular instances of grace and mercy that God hath shewn to others and you will find it is all of free grace yea and this scripture shews you that all is of free grace and therefore though it be a hard thing for us to get assurance of our salvation yet the particular instances and examples of the mercies that God hath bestowed upon others should much incourage us and bear us up and should stir us up to get assurance Grace and mercy being shewn to others doth not only shew that it may be had but that mercy hath been had When you see the Ice trodden then you say you will venture So say such a one was unworthy such a one prophane and yet he hath obtained mercy and why may not I Therefore if you would have assurance of your salvation think much of the freeness of the grace of God and withal consider the particular instances and examples of others that have obtained this mercy and that in a way of free grace and love too Fifthly And lastly to conclude Is it so that God saves the soul freely and that our salvation is only by the free grace and love of God Why then should we not come with boldness for salvation since it is so free O let none be discouraged but let it stir us up to come with boldness and to plead for it if it be free Is salvation free and will not poor sinners come to receive it Come O come freely for salvation Christ Jesus is willing to make good his own name and this is his name he is called Jesus and he shall save his people This is the will also of my Father that you should come unto me John 6. Christ Jesus hath now salvation in his hands and will you not come and ask for it But methinks I see salvation in your faces methinks I hear a voice among you saying What shall we do to be saved In answer to which thus Believe in the Lord Jesus and venture your salvation upon him And then if you will be saved you must become as little children for saith our Saviour unless you become as little children you cannot be saved Mat. 18.3 You cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven As little children how Why not seeking great things Little children do not seek great things you must become as little children low and humble not seeking great things for great things become not little children You must be willing to part with all at Christs command and for his service and for want of this the young man went away without eternal life Go and sell all that thou halt and follow me and he could not do it and he lost Heaven by it he would keep Earth and he lost Heaven by it But once more Be not only willing to part with all for Christs sake and at his command but go and cast your self at adventure upon his free grace and love and then go and work and perform duties and pray and use indeavour work as if there were no grace to be saved by and bear thy sâ—â—â— still upon free grace work as if theâ—â— were no grace and build upon the grace of God as though there were no works Thus do and you shall be freely saved to all Eternity for ever and for ever SERMON IV. NEHEM 5.15 The latter clause of the Verse But so did not I because of the fear of God IN this Chapter there are three things most considerable First The voice or cry at the beginning of the Chapter And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their Brethren the Jews And then Secondly You have made known to you what Nehemiah did in this case in the 6 and 7 verses And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words then I consulted with my self and I rebuked the Nobles and the Rulers c. Thirdly You hear more of Nehemiahs acting at the 14 and 15 verses Moreover from that time that I was
he will in Hell fire Thus now if you would have your fear strengthened then study these things consider and meditate upon these things But yet a little further If you would strengthen your fear of God more and more then labour after more Communion with him now in this world while you are here we use to say Too much familiarity breeds contempt but here it is not so for by familiarity and communion with God we shall have more sweetness and more delight in his wayes more strength in his service more comfort in our afflictions If you would therefore have these advantages then labour to walk more close with God and to have more communion with him labour therefore I say to have more communion with God if you would fear him more and more The greater a person is here on Earth as I told you before the more we fear him and the nearer he is in relation to us the more we reverence him My Friends would you obtain everlasting mercy would you have everlasting mercy belong to you then labour to fear the Lord in truth yet more and more and I beseech you to think of this Truth meditate upon it think of it upon all occasions and say do others slubber over duties so will not I because I fear the Lord do others walk injuriously so will not I because I fear the Lord do others do contrary to the will of God but so will not I because I fear the Lord Let this truth go up and down with you and it will keep you in your dealing both with God and man Remember the Charecter of one that fears the Lord He is one that cannot will not do as others do for so saith the Text But so did not I because of the fear of God SERMON V. PSAL. 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in Vnity IN this short Psalm we may see the excellency of the Saints Communion fellowship and Brotherly Agreement It is Described and Commended First Described from the fountain of it from God as a Father and therefore he sayes How good and how pleasant it is for Brethren Secondly Described also from the Act and Exercise thereof which is to dwell together in Vnity Secondly It is commended from the goodness and profitableness and pleasantness of it It is a good thing a profitable thing for brethren to dwell together in Unity behold how good it is in the eyes of men behold how pleasant it is beyond expression for brethren to dwell together in Vnity And the goodness and pleasantness of it is exprest by two similitudes It is compared to the precious Oyntment upon the head of Aaron verse 2. It is like the precious Oyntment upon the head that run down upon the beard even Aarons heard that went down to the skirts of his garment It is compared also to the dew that fell upon Hermon and the hills of Zion verse 3. As the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion c. Thus you see the design of this Psalm is to declare the goodness and profitableness of Unity between brethren from whence then I take up this Observation That a loving agreement between the Saints among themselves is exceeding pleasant and very profitable Some things are pleasant but not profitable and some things are profitable and not Pleasant as Physick c. but communion and fellowship and a loving agreement among the Saints is both pleasant and profitable First It is a pleasant thing for the Saints and people of God to agree together for the same word which is used here for pleasant is used also in the Hebrew for a Harmony of Musick such as when they rise to the highest strains of the Violl when the strings are all put in order to make up a Harmony so pleasant is it such pleasantness is there in the Saints Agreement The same word is used also in the Hebrew for the pleasantness of a corn-field when a field is clothed with corn though it be cut down yet it is very pleasant O how pleasant is it and such is the Saints agreement The same word in the Psalmist is used also for the sweetness of honey and of sweet things in opposition to bitter things And thus you see the pleasantness of it by its being compared to the Harmony of Musick to the corn-field to the sweetness of honey to the precious Oyntment that ran down Aarons beard and to the dew that fell upon Hermon and the Hills of Zion and all this is to discover the pleasantness profitableness and sweetness of the Saints Agreement Behold how good and how pleasant it is c. It is a pleasant thing to behold the Sun but it is much more pleasant to behold the Saints Agreement and Unity among themselves There are many times breakings and losings in the love of the Saints and therefore when they come to an agreement and union among themselves again it must needs be very pleasant and profitable and sweet for things once lost and found again are very sweet And upon this Account it is that the Commandment of love is called a new Commandment because it is broken so often and so often renewed again And the Psalmist speaks here of the sweetness and pleasantness of Unity because there is no sweetness in division but Unity is a good way and means to keep out trouble and evil division from among a people And Further the more difficulty any mercy is obtained with the sweeter it is when obtained there are many things which are hard to come by but when they are obtained they are sweet and so there are many difficulties in the way of love and sweet agreement and the people of God are incumbred with many difficulties they have many things to put them out of the way of love and of sweet agreement among themselves and therefore saith the Apostle Phil. 1.27 Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel Again The more suitable any thing is to our condition the more pleasant and sweet it is Now this brotherly love and union is a conjunction of suitable things and is suitable to our condition and suitable things are delightful unto men and the more suitable any thing is the more we delight in it And this agreement this union is every way suitable to our own condition as we are men and is also suitable to all the creatures for they run together and agree together And it is suitable to us also as we are Christians it is suitable to Christs command A new command saith he I give unto you that you love one another It is suitable to Christs own example who hath loved us and suitable also to the Gospel which
is a Gospel of peace Let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel that you be of one spirit and of one mind So I say this holy agreement is every way suitable and therefore the more pleasant and delightful and so it ought to be unto us Secondly As it is pleasant and delightful so it is a profitable good Behold how good a thing it is it is very profitable For is it not profitable for the dew to fall upon Hermon and upon the hills of Zion to make them fruitfull Why such is the dew of holy agreement when it falls upon the hearts of men And this doth make men increase and multiply in the Church and to be fruitful in good works the Psalmist saith God commandeth his blessing and when God blesseth we shall certainly increase and multiply and this I say did increase the Church and hereby are the Saints both increased and delighted by the blessing of God on them they do increase in things that are good and profitable and this was the thing which Christ prayed for yea prayed for again and again yea as I said it is the great thing which Christ hath commanded A new command c. Is it not therefore good and profitable to love one another Again This is the mercy and the grace that is promised specially in the latter times glorious things are spoken of and promised to the last daies and this is one of those things which are promised and if so it is then certainly good and profitable Again This is the Legacy which Christ left with his disciples and people saith he Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you John 14.27 and therefore surely this agreement among brethren is very good and profitable Again Certainly it is good and profitable to walk worthy of the high calling to which Christ hath called us as the Apostle speaks Eph. 4.1 2 3. I beseech you to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with long suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace c. Again Is it not good and profitable that our prayers should be heard that God should hear and grant our requests and prayers Why look into the Scriptures and you will find that our love is a help to our prayers it is a help unto us whereby to have our prayers heard and answered Again Is it not good and profitable for a man to know that he is a child of God and that he hath an interest in Christ Why look into 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren There is a day of death of natural death whereby man shall pass from life to death and there is likewise a time of spiritual life when a man passeth from death to life Now how shall I know whether I am passed from death to life Why if I love the brethren Yea saith Christ Hereby shall all know that you are my disciples if you love one another not only your selves shall know it but others shall know it also and is it not then very good and profitable For hereby you shall know that your prayers are heard and by this also you shall know that you are passed from death to life and hereby you shall not only know your selves to be Christs disciples but others shall know it also and if it be so then certainly it must be good and profitable Again This will give a relish and a savour to all your injoyments it is the salt of all your comforts Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another Although our condition be never so prosperous yet if we cannot agree among our selves if love and peace be wanting that sowrs all the rest and though the ordinances be never so sweet and our priviledges never so many yet if we be not united together in love all is made sowre this is that which sowrs all our enjoyments the want of love and agreement for that gives a relish to all our enjoyments when we have it Again This is that which will make all things easie unto you though they be never so hard in themselves whereas the contrary will make all things hard though never so easie If I am to do a work or a service for one why though the work be never so hard of it self yet love will make it easie many complain and say they cannot profit by the Ordinances why what is the reason It is for want of love to them there are jarrs and contentions between friend and friend between this man and the other man why it is for want of love Love would make all things easie for you though never so hard Now put all these things together and then you may see what a pleasant and profitable thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity to love to unite to live in unity one with another Well then if this be so why should we not all abound in it why do not we love and agree one with another if it be so good and profitable as we have heard then let us all agree together But it may be some will say we do live together in love and unity and we are united one to another But First Yet give me leave to mind you of what the Apostle saith 1 Thess 4.9 But as touching brotherly love you need not that I write unto you for you your selves are taught of God to love one another and indeed ye do it towards all the brethren which are in all Macedonia but we beseech you brethren that you increase more and more Though you do it yet we beseech you to increase it more and more and so I say to you yea and Christ hath commanded it also and you must do it in obedience to his command Secondly If our love be right as it should be then we shall love others also even our neighbours and friends and brethren we shall love them as our selves The second Commandment saith our Saviour is like unto it that you love your neighbour as your self Pray for your selves do all the good you can for your selves avoid all iniquity that may come upon your selves and to prove your love to be right do all this for your neighbours also and love them as your selves Thirdly If our love be as it should be we shall then love others because they are godly let them be of this opinion or of the other opinion yet that matters not though they be not of my opinion yet if my love be right I love them because they are godly and I love him most that is most godly and as his increaseth godliness so must my love increase toward him Fourthly If your love be true and such as it ought to be then you will love one another and love your brother as Christ loved
and more one toward another But you may say further suppose there be a difference in the matter of our Judgements or opinions what shall we do to remove it Why First Be sure of this that you do not mistake the meaning of that Scripture which your judgement is founded upon It is said There was a division among the people because of Christ why for what was it what was the reason of it It was because of misunderstanding and for want of a right understanding of Christ So I say this division may come for want of a right understanding of the Scriptures upon which our judgement is grounded and founded But Secondly Consider O man whether you do not settle your judgement upon the judgement or opinion of any or upon the knowledge of another Hast thou faith saith the Apostle have it to thy self before God Rom. 14.22 But is not a man then to confess his faith before others when he is called to it Yes But the Apostle speaks here of lesser things if thou hast faith have it to thy self in little disputable things and do not rely upon others but look to thy self and give things a time in due time God will reveal saith the Apostle Thirdly if you desire this holy agreement then do what you can to keep union in the Ministry and between the Ministry It was not for nothing that our Saviour prayed John 17.11 21. Holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us It is not good for people to cry I am for Paul and I am for Apollo and I am for Cephas and the like this is the way to make division therefore do all you can to live in love and unity for love is of God and the contrary is of the Devil Fourthly Take heed of disputation what have we got this many years by disputation those that are weak are sooner brought in by humiliation than by Disputation Fifthly If after all this there do remain division among you by reason of your judgements or opinions then remember the Apostles rule and be sure to walk by it for saith he as we instanced before Let no man think more highly of himself than he ought to think but to think soberly as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith The Apostle directs us to live humbly and walk meekly one toward another and not to be rash or to think highly of our selves But further Sixthly If we would live in love and unity then let us look upon other mens infirmities in conjunction with their excellencies and their excellencies in conjunction with their infirmities and thereby the one will take away or hide the other Let us not pore only upon a mans infirmities upon his Euts as I may say he is a godly man but therefore if you would agree joyn his infirmities and his excellencies together and then look upon him Seventhly If you should meet with any provocation that may weaken your love one toward another then be sure to take that as an opportunity to exercise your patience and your love when you meet a beggar in the streets full of sores then you think you have an opportunity to exercise your charity to give something And so you should say when you are provoked by another to debilitate your love and affection you may say why now have I an opportunity to exercise my patience Again Eighthly If you will live in love and unity then you must resolve with the grace of God to love where you are not beloved let love rise above all difficulties labour for a Gospel spirit to love though you are not loved A Legal spirit is a fretful spirit saith Christ you know not of what spirit you are of labour I say after a Gospel spirit yea the spirit of Christ who was as a Lamb he opened not his mouth if you would live in love and unity then take heed of a Legal spirit and labour after this Gospel spirit Again Ninthly If you would agree together and live in love and unity then be humbled for the want of love to one another and take heed for the future of those things that hinder your love one toward another there are four or five of them observe them and take heed of them First Pride A proud man is much given to contention Secondly Passion For though a man dislikes and is sorry for what he hath done in his passion when it is over and though what he doth in his passion be one thing and what he doth in his serious consideration is another thing yet we are to take great heed of passion Thirdly Another enemy to love is strangeness strangeness ends in enmity when brethren and friends grow strangers one to another then they surmise things one of another and that destroys love and unity Fourthly Another is designing one against another true love knows no designs upon others no man can endure to have designs laid against him designing causeth anger enmity and hatred and hinders true love one toward another Fifthly Another is whispering a whisperer separateth true friends Pro. 16.28 But now if any one should come to me and tell me any thing against a brother I would not believe the whisperer till I had spoken with the other for a cause can never be truly known nor judged of till both parties have been heard speak Thus you may see the five things that hinder love that is Pride Passion Strangeness designing one upon another and hearkning unto whisperers Now as you desire to live in love and unity observe these things and take heed of them Tenthly Let me say to you holy and beloved brethren if you would love one another then forgive one another and live more unto God who loveth you live more to God lest he should turn his love to hatred and wrath against you 11. Strengthen your love to God himself the more love you have to God the more will you love others 12. If you would live in love and Unity then you must willingly take wrong and give up your right for peace sake and for agreement saith Abraham to Lot Let there be no difference between my heardmen and thy heardmen for we are brethren Now Abraham was the elder and therefore it was his right to have the choice but yet for peace sake he gives up his right and sayes to Lot Take what you will the right hand or the left there was a division between them and the Cananites were in the land and therefore it was no good time for them to be at difference one with another when the Cananites were in the land it was no good time then for good men to strive and therefore Abraham for peace sake gives up his right so I say for peace sake and for a holy agreement you should
willingly give up your right and render up your own right to preserve peace and Unity one with another O friends love one another that you may declare your selves to be heavenly children to be children of your heavenly Father consider Phil. 1.27 Only let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come or be absent I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one Spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel O friends let me beseech you to love one another and to take all advantages that may increase your love how can you shew your face before the free love and grace of God if you do not love one another with what face can you go to God for free grace and love when you your selves have no love for your brethren If a poor man should do a rich man a great deal of prejudice and if this rich man should nevertheless invite this poor man to a feast and welcome him and do him abundance of good would you not say that this is wonderful love and kindness because the poor man is no way able to gratify him or to make any requital for what he receives but only by thankfulness it may be he may be thankful to him why thus it is with us now this is our own case for we have done great injury to God and yet God hath loved us and hath given us blessings and riches and what doth he expect for it all surely no reward from us for he knows we are poor and not able to gratify him no he expects nothing but only that we should love one another saies God you can do nothing for me all that I desire is that you would love one another in Truth How then I say will you be able to shew your faces before the God of heaven if you love not one Another O look after this love which is so much commended in this little Psalm O how sweet and perfuming it is it is as sweet as honey is is like unto the Oyl that ran down Aarons beard like the dew upon Hermon and as the dew that fell down upon the mountains of Zion yea this is that which is sweet and profitable that which will perfume you now if you do desire that Gods perfumes may come upon you and that the dew of Gods blessings may fall upon you labour more and more to love one another and let not love be wanting I cannot tell how it may be with you yet let me desire you as you would honour your selves now and as you desire happiness in this life and also to be blessed hereafter to all Eternity observe this new Commandment to love one another and as you do desire to declare that you have received free grace and that you have that seal with which God seals the soul for his own to live with him for ever be exhorted to be of one mind and love one another Rejoyce in the Lord and be of one mind be united one to another and let your hearts abound in love more and more one toward another SERMON VI. MICAH 6.9 The Lords voice cryeth unto the City and the man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it MEthinks I see a great rod ready to be layd upon the back of this Nation and I would therefore at this time endeavour to inform you what the voice of this Rod is and have to that end chosen this Scripture to speak unto In this Chapter then you have Gods controversy with his own people set down at the end of the 2. verse For the Lord hath a controversy with his people and he will plead with Israel And then he chargeth them with First Unthankfulness for many years in the 3.4 5. verses O my people what have I done unto thee and wherewith have have I done unto thee and wherewith have I wearied thee testifie against me for I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt c. Secondly He Chargeth them with formality and shews them the evill of it in the 6. and 7. verses Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams c. And then Thirthly He pleades against them in the 8. verse He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God And then Fourthly He seals up the Sentence in this verse of my Text. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City and the man of Wisdom shall see thy name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Wherein you have three things especially remarkable First The people the Lords voice cryeth unto and that is unto the City the Lords voice cryeth unto the City Secondly You have en exhortation to hear the voice of the Rod. Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Thirdly You have an Argument to press you so to do It is your wisdom the man of wisdom shall see thy name The Lords voice cryeth unto the City that is unto Samaria and Jerusalem the Chief Cities And the man of wisdom shall see thy name The dispensations of God in the way of his mercy or Justice are his name As a man is known by his name so God is known by his dispensations which though they be dark to the world yet the man of wisdom shall see them and discern them Therefore hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it the Rod that is the Rod of Correction Now there is First The Rod of power and dignity He shall send his rod out of Zion Secondly There is a rod of Discrimination Ezek. 20.37 I will cause you to pass under the Rod and I will bring you under the bond of the Covenant Thirdly There is the rod of direction Thy rod and thy staff they shall comfort me Fourthly There is a rod of Government both Ecclesiastical and civil As for Ecclesiastical saith Paul shall I come unto you with a rod and as for civil he that spareth the rod hateth the Child Fifthly There is a rod of Destruction thou shalt break them with a Rod of Iron and dash them to peices like a potters vessel Psalm 2.9 Now it is a rod of Correction that we are to understand here from whence I take up this Observation That when God visits the transgressions of his people with a rod it is their best wisdom to hear the rod and who hath appointed it It is their true Interest and best wisdom so to do For the opening and cleering hereof I shall speak to these 4. or 5. Propositions First That God doth not steal upon a people with his Judgements but he first warns them before he smites them Secondly When God smites his own people he deals with them in the way of rod. Thirdly That Gods Rod is a teaching Rod. Fourthly That the message of the Rod is commonly sent to the