we have offended God we must seek to him for pardon and mercy and the like But that God communicates himself through Christ and that not one drop of mercy in order to eternal life can be communicated from God but through Christ the mediator of this there is not one footstep in all the works of God This is that which is so supernaturall that 't is above perfect nature Adam knew nothing of this in his perfect estate Yea this is that which the Angels themselves desire to pry into looking upon it as a mighty depth 1 Peter 1. 12. the Angels stoop downe for so the word signifieth 't is as if a thing should lye in a deep pit and when any would see it they stoop down with their bodies to pry into the pit that 's the propriety of the word so the Angels they see a mighty depth in the mystery of the Gospell and they stoop downe to pry into it that they may know what it is Yea this is that which requires a worke of the spirit beyond the ordinary work of the spirit of God to reveale it to the soul 1 Cor. 2. 10. speaking there of the Mystery of the Gospell sayes the Apostle The spirit that searcheth the deep things of God c. discovers this that is the spirit of God in an extraordinary worke of his as he is a spirit searching the deep things of God so he is a discovering spirit of this truth unto us and therefore seeing it is thus it is not so light to be past over I you will say 't is true all must come through Jesus Christ well you see a little at first but there is much more in this truth then we are aware of 'T is a truth that is the most profitable of all the truths contained in the book of God there is no growing up in godlinesse till we come to know God in Christ the knowledge of God is something to worke upon the heart and many labour against their sinne because they see it is against the law of God and set upon duties because God requires them and this is well but till they come to understand indeed the mystery of the Gospell of Gods letting himselfe out unto his people through a mediator they doe but bungle in the wayes of godlinesse they doe not thrive and grow up in them and therefore these Christians that live under such a ministry where though they have many good truths revealed to them yet having but little of the mystery of Christ as the mediator their way of Christianity is very low they doe not sanctifie God in their conversation I remember a speech that Erasmus hath when they would have had him write against Luther and promised him a great Bishopricke for it he answers Luther is greater then that I can write against him for I am instructed more in one small page of Luther then out of whole Thomas Aquinas that was the great Schoolman So certainly the understanding but some one truth some one sentence in the mystery of the Gospell in this way of Gods communication of himselfe unto us through his Christ doth instruct the soul and cause it to thrive and grow up in godlinesse abundantly more then thousands of Sermons about meere moralities and you have a most admirable Text for this Ephes 3. 17. and so on That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge marke what followes That yee might be filled with all the fulnesse of God v. 19. By coming to know God in Christ that is to know Christ to be the way of Gods communicating himselfe unto us we come to be filled with all the fulnesse of God many Christians their hearts are very scant and empty there is not a fulnesse in their spirits and all because they know so little of God in Christ in this mystery of the Gospell Lastly there is no truth revealed in all the Scriptures whereby we can honour God so much as by this this indeed is the great honour that God would have in the world to be honoured in his Son and in the great designe he hath of bringing forth glorious things by his Son and therefore though we know never so much of God and would honour him meerely as the Creator of heaven and earth yet God doth not accept of that honour that is but to honour him in a naturall way we never know what it is to honour God aright so as to be accepted of him till we come to honour him in an Evangelicall way to honour him in his Son and yet the greatest honour he hath from most in the world yea from multitudes in the very Church of God that heare the mystery of Christ opened to them is tendred up to him meerly in a naturall way and not in this spirituall Evangelicall service of God You see now the consequence of the point let us then fall to it And First I shall shew you the truth of it in Scripture And Secondly how it comes to passe that there can be no good communicated to us from God in order to eternall life but by Christ And Thirdly how Christ comes to be the meanes and way of conveighance of all good unto us from his father Fourthly I shall instance in some speciall things great things wherein most of the goodnesse of God is communicated to us and shew you how in them Christ is all in all to us And Fifthly the reasons why God will have this way of communication of himselfe unto us through his Son why he will not communicate himselfe immediatly to us but through a mediator these are the five things for the doctrinall part For the first the course of Scripture especially of the new Testament runs this way you know that of Christ John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me there is no coming to the Father but by Christ and Christ he is the way and that in 1 Cor. 3. at the latter end sayes the Apostle there All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours How is that marke All are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods God the Father he is the principle of all good all firstly comes from him but it comes not from him immediatly he doth not say all are yours for ye are Gods because you have an interest in God therefore all comes to be yours no but all are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods so that you see here how that Christ comes between yours and Gods All good is in God true but how shall we come to partake of that good there is such a distance between these
law that we might receive the adoption of sons and especially that is very remarkable John 1. 12 But as many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name The word translated power is another word in the greek He gave them authority to become the sons of God 't is a word that imports more then bare power Every one will challenge a part in sonship that they are the children of God but only those that are in Christ have authority to challenge it as their due If a stranger should say he was the Kings son and were heire to the Crown it would cost him his life because he is none of the Kings son but if one be declared by Act of Parliament to be the right heire to the Crown then he hath authority to challenge it 'T is so here when once we come to be in Christ then we have authority to claime this priviledge to be the sons of God and heires of heaven And this great priviledge that is so mightily above us we have it in Christ not only by way of the redundancy of his merit but by our union with him we are married to Christ and by union with his person are made one with him and so are sons by vertue of his sonship And are therefore sons of God in a higher way then the Angels are the Angels are sons by creation but we are the sons of God in Christ by vertue of our union in his sonship as Christ is the son of God the second person in Trinity and we made one with him so we come to be the sons of God in a mysticall way of union with him and Christ is all in all in that And then in point of reconciliation and peace with God Christ is all in all there Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 1. It is not all the created power in heaven and earth that can bring true peace to a troubled soul there is no salve for a wounded spirit but the bloud of Christ applyed unto it t is he that is the brazen Serpent that is onely able to cure the strings of conscience as Luther sayes it is a harder matter of comfort an afflicted conscience then to raise the dead few think it so and wonder what people meane in being so troubled in conscience as they are I tell you were there not a mighty redeemer the conscience of a man or woman could never be pacified that once apprehends the wrath of God against them so that Christ is all in all there And so he is all in all in point of all our sanctification that is sanctification to life There is a generall kinde of sanctification the Scripture speaks of which comes some way from Christ but now I speak of that sanctification which is our spirituall life You know what the Scripture sayes John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and John 1. 16. And of his fulnesse have all we received and grace for grace There is the fulnesse of Christ conveyed into the soul so that our sanctification is not only from him meritoriously but efficiently yea and in a kinde materially too for he doth not only merit it and work it by his spirit but through our union with him there is a kinde of flowing of sanctification from him into us as the principle of our life as from the Liver there flowes bloud into all the parts of the body so through our union with Christ he having the fulnesse of the Godhead in him from him as from a fountaine sanctification flowes into the souls of the Saints there sanctification comes not so much from their strugling and endeavours and vowes and resolutions as it comes flowing to them from their clossing with Christ and their union with him there may be a great deal of striving and endeavouring that may be utterly ineffectuall for want of having recourse unto Christ as the spring and well head of all grace and holinesse I remember a Germane Devine professeth of himself that before he understood the grace of Christ in the Gospell he vowed and vowed and covenanted and covenanted a thousand times and could never overcome his corruptions till he understood Gods letting out of his grace through Christ and then he got strength against them and the reason why we faile in point of sanctification is because we think to get it all by maine strength but the ready way is to close with Christ by faith and then there will flow in life and grace to the soul there may be many morallities by the light of nature and the remainders of that light left in us but that is not the sanctification that is to life And hence it is that there is so much beauty and glory in the sanctification of the Saints because Christ is all in all in it and that there is such power and strength in it because it is of the strength of Christ for Christ is all in all in it And hence it is of an abiding nature and an immortall seed And therefore of a higher nature then that of Adams in innocency that lost but so cannot this because Christ is all in all in it so that Christ is all in our sanctification likewise Again he is all in all in the want of all things whatsoever we want doe we want grace doe we want gifts doe we want outward comforts in the world there is enough in Christ it is Christ that is instead of all that is better then all and that will supply all in his due time Those that know Christ and have acquaintance with him though they have this and that comfort taken from them yet they know how to make supply out of Christ they have that skill and art and mystery of godlinesse that they can make Christ to be all in all in the want of all and it is a great skill and mystery of godlinesse to know how to make up all in Christ in the want of all Again Christ to the Saints is all in all in the enjoyment of all when they enjoy never so much of creature comforts Christ is all in all in them the satisfaction that their soules have is not so much that they have the creatures that they have larger estates more friends greater comforts then others but in this they know how to enjoy Christ in all and can look upon it as a fruit of the covenant that God hath made with them in Christ and as coming from the fountaine of Gods eternall love and mercy in his Son Zech. 9. 11. God saies there As for thee also by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water That which is spoken there of the deliverance of the prisoners may be applied to all the mercies that a believer enjoyes whatever deliverance he hath from
excellency and glory that there is in God to know much of God in his own essence and being and elevates the sould to converse with God in a higher way abundantly then reason can doe though it is true a great deal of God is understood by reason And then by faith the soul comes to know what riches there are in these excellent and glorious things of God It first sees them in God and then after that it sees this God to be infinitely willing to communicate and let out himself to his creature And then by faith the soul converseth with the deep and glorious councels of God between himself and his Son It sees into the great designe God had in sending his Son into the world for the working and bringing to passe those high and glorious intentions he had in communicating himself to the children of men through a mediator Again faith converseth with the great things of the covenant of grace and there sees into those unsearchable riches as the Apostle speaks that have no footsteps in the creature so the word signifies we cannot see them by reason or the creature A speciall object faith works upon is the covenant of grace in the Gospell and it sees the riches that are revealed there And faith receives the testimony of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is appointed by the Father and the Son to witnesse these great things to manifest to the soul the deep things of God those things that are but meer notions otherwise to the heart of a man the spirit of God discovers these to the soul and so faith working upon these objects and closing with them as the proper spheare for it to move in it makes all those glorious things that are revealed concerning the happinesse of those that God intends eternall good unto substantiall and reall to the soul such things as the soul can build upon and dare venture its self and its eternall estate upon and we had need have a good foundation in those things we are content to venture our eternall estate upon and because it must be the work of faith when God intends to save the soul to have such apprehensions of the Gospell as to be willing to venture its eternall condition upon it therefore it had need have a sure foundation and hence faith is the substance of things hoped for and gives a reall being unto these things And as it makes them reall and substantiall so there is another thing included in this word It makes them present though they are but things hoped for yet by faith they have a present subsistence to the soul they are lookt upon by faith as now subsisting though in themselves they doe not faith partakes much of the nature of God it hath a kinde of omnipotent power in it out of nothing to create something there are many excellent works of faith and amongst the rest this is a speciall one to give a being to that which in itself hath none to make it for the present a substantiall reall being to the soul the work of faith in this kinde is very observable for evill things that are very high faith can make them at a mighty distance and for good things that are never so far off faith can make them to be as present to it Observe what the Scripture speakes of it this way first for evils that are very nigh and encompasse us round about when we are in the midst of them faith can put the evill at a distance as Psalm 91. 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee not come nigh thee If he had said it shall not be upon thee it had been somewhat but to say it shall not come nigh thee this is a strange kinde of expression how could it be said not to come nigh him when thousands fell on the both hands and he was in the midst of it it was by faith faith put that at a distance which was just upon him The strength of reason will help one when the plague is a great way off then a man thinks I am safe enough because farre enough from it but suppose the plague come into thy house into thy chamber now to believe a promise it shall not come nigh thee here is a mighty work of faith faith puts evils present at a farre distance And then on the other side for good things that are absent a great way off faith can make them as if they were really subsisting therefore Heb. 11. 13. It is said of the Fathers that they saw the promises afarre off and embraced them the word in the originall is saluted the promises now friends when they salute must be nigh one another their faith made the promises which were a great way off to be with them as if present therefore it is said of Abraham that he saw Christs day and rejoyced and the Scripture speaks of taking hold of eternall life and that we doe by faith and of being in heaven receiving the end of your faith T is not you shall receive but now you are receiving Psalm 108. 7. 8. God hath spoken in his holinesse I will rejoyce I will divide Sechem c. Gilead is mine Manasseth is mine marke is mine he presently concludes as if the thing were already done for it was so by faith faith gives a present subsistence to things Reason it self hath a great deale of power to make things that are future to be as present both in evill things and in good In evill things a man that is a contemplative man and hath a wicked heart he will fetch the sweetnesse of his lust and sinne which is a great way off and make it as present by mediation and roling it up and down in his thoughts in a way of discourse and so acts his sinne contemplatively though he may be in hell before he act it really Now as reason and discourse can fetch in a lust and make it as if it were present so reason can goe a great way in making a future good thing as if it were present And this is the difference between a rationall creature and a sensuall a sensuall creature is only for the things that are before it but now reason can fetch things that are absent and make them as present and in regard of this God hath a mighty advantage of mankinde either for the bringing of his wrath upon them or for bestowing happinesse upon them as you can fetch in your lusts that are absent and make them as present to you in your thoughts by the work and discourse of reason so by the worke of this faculty God can make evils and plagues though future yet to be as present with you And in this respect the wofull evill of those that perish eternally may be set out dreadfully namely thus they being reasonable creatures by the work of their reason they may fetch in all the
hope for great and glorious things as I gave you a hint of them Now let faith be exercised and strengthened in these things if all those blessed things we spak of were present to the soul O how would our hearts be above the creature how should we look upon all things here below as dung filth drosse how would our thoughts be raised in the admiration of spirituall and heavenly things how would our spirits be taken up in wondering at the glory of God that appeares in these things how would our hearts be enflamed with love to God! how would our conversations be in heaven for the present what heavenly thoughts and heavenly affections would be in us in all our wayes and how would we venture to goe through fire and water for God! to doe any thing suffer any thing be any thing for God And did our faith make such glorious things as these reall and substantial to us how substantial would our duties and services be Why is it then that our duties have so much vanity in them are so empty having nothing but circumstance in them certainly brethren if our faith gives a subsistance to such blessed glorious things of eternal life it will likewise give a subsistance to all our duties and services that we shall not tender to God empty and dead services Consider this you who though you dare not omit duties yet what empty duties doe you tender to God your works should be the works of faith and faith should give them a subsistance as well as it gives your hopes therefore satisfie not your selves with that faith that will not give a subsistance to your duties and doe not think it will give a subsistance to such glorious things we speak of Thus much of the first particular Faith is the substance of things hoped for I would faine speak a little of the second It is the evidence of things not seen There are two things here First that the things of grace spiritual and heavenly things are things not seen And secondly that faith gives an evidence to those things First that grace spirituall and heavenly things are things not seen The Apostle sayes Gal. 5. 19. 22. the works of the flesh are manifest but when he comes to the workes of the spirit he sayes the workes of the spirit are these he doth not say they are manifest for indeed they are things that are not seen though t is true the operations of them appear yet there is no externall work of grace but an hypocrite may doe it therefore the workes of the spirit cannot be said to be seen either by the eye of sense or reason And then for the things of heaven sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 2. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporall but the things which are not seen are eternall I might here discover to you how it comes to passe that spirituall and heavenly things are not seen unto sense and reason Many arguments I thought to have given to discover this I must but cull out two or three particulars The riches of a Christian in spirituall and heavenly things are like the riches of the Sea it may be outwardly you see nothing but hideous waves and a great deal of filth I but the riches are at the bottome and the riches of the earth are within and hidden they doe not appear so the riches and treasures of a Christian are things not seen they are things that are in the very bosome of God in the very heart of God Now as no man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of man so no man knowes the things of God but the spirit of God and him to whom God doth reveal them And then they are things that are beyond the principles of reason they are too high and so too glorious for such a faculty as reason is if an object be too glorious for sense it destroyes the sense so these objects are too high for reason and and therefore cannot be seen by reason And the blindnesse of man naturally is such that he cannot see these things And chiefly God so orders things in his providence that he goeth a quite contrary way as to sense and reason to that which he hath promised I say it is the way of God to hide his glorious excellencies by seeming to goe in the wayes of his providence directly crosse to what he hath promised we might shew how God hath hid from sense and reason his mercy to his own people that of Abraham is considerable there were two promises God made to Abraham the one of going out of his own country and carrying him to a land flowing with milk and honey the other that he would make his seed as the stars of heaven for multitude and that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed Mark now if Abraham had not had something to evidence that which was not seen he could never have seen the faithfulnesse of God in these promises for when he was gone out of his own country he comes to Ganaan the country promised but as soon as he was there he was ready to starve and was faine to flye to Egypt and if he had not had faith he would have fallen off and have been ready to turne back againe And then for the second promise That in his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed Abraham goeth on seaventy yeares and his wife had no childe and it ceased to be with her after the manner of women she was old and Abrahams body dead and after he had a child he must kill him and being saved Isaac must be forty yeares before he is married and when he is married he must have no childe in twenty yeares and in the first hundred and fifty yeares after the promise there was but seaventy of all his seed yet this was the promise that in his seed all the Nations of the earth should be blessed thus God seemes to goe crosse to what he promised We might instance also in Jacob God commands Jacob to returne from Laban and after that mark how God followes him First his uncle Laban followes him with thoughts to slay him Secondly In his Journey his wives nurse dyeth Thirdly his wife dyes Fourthly Dinay is ravished Fifthly his two Sons Simeon and Levy commit that villany that makes him stink in the nostrils of the people of the land Sixtly Esau comes to destroy him and all this in that journey that God commanded Jacob to take Now if Jacob had not had faith to look through these to the things that might encourage him in his way to things not seen it had been impossible he should have gone on So when God brings Israel to Canaan you know what a way they goe about through the wildernesse when they were come to Canaan a land flowing with milk and hony God
cut then thou art gone for ever For after death comes judgement In the meditation of this point me thinks I cannot but look upon God as beholding all the children of men in their fallen lost sinful and miserable estate with pity and compassion saying poor creatures they have sinned against me and have made themselves liable to eternal wrath which they understand not which they are not able to beare well a little time I will grant unto them to sue out their pardon and to come in and make up their peace with me and I will give them meanes for that end but let them look to themselves for according to the improvement of the time that I now give them so shall it be with them to all eternity if they neglect it they are gone for ever mercy then shall doe them no good so that the tenour upon which we all hold our lives it is no other then as a malefactor condemned to dye who hath granted to him through the favour of the Prince a little time of reprieval and some intimation withal given of a possibility in that time to sue out his pardon and according as he spends that time so it shall be with him for life or death Thus I say we all hold our lives we are all condemned before the Lord onely God hath out of his infinite grace provided a way and meanes of salvation for the children of men and gives us a little time we know not how long whether two or three dayes but as long as we live to look about us to provide for the making of our peace with him and if that be neglected all is gone and we are undone for ever great things then doe depend upon this uncertaine small time of our lives It is reported of Alexander that when he went against any City he did use to set up a lampe burning and would make proclamation that whosoever came in while this lampe was burning should finde favour and have his life but whosoever staid till this lampe was out he was but a dead man and must expect no mercy brethren know that God hath set up a lampe and our life is this lampe and God proclames Whosoever comes in while this lampe is burning shall finde mercy but if you stay till the lampe be out there is nothing but eternal misery to be expected Now this lampe of your lives may not onely goe out upon the consumption of the oyle but it may be put out by accidental meanes and if this lampe be once out and your work not done you are lost for ever We read 1 Kings 6. 7. that when Solomon was preparing the Temple he made all things so ready before hand that there was no noise of axe or hammer heard there Whosoever God intendeth for a living stone in the glorious Temple of Heaven he squares and fits them here there is no noyse of repentance and sorrow for sin after this life what is to be done must be done here nothing will doe it hereafter Whatsoever thou hast to doe doe it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nos knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whòther thou goest Eccles 9. 10. and Chapter 11. vers 3. In the place where the tree falleth there it lyeth Which way thou fallest when thou dyest that way thou shalt lie eternally if Godward then God is thine for ever if sinward then misery and destruction is thine for ever Eccles 12 7. Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it The souls of wicked men doe returne to God that gave them as well as the souls of the godly that is they doe presently returne to God to receive the sentence of their eternal doome from him and to be stated in their everlasting condition there is a mighty change in the soul immediately after it is departed from the body and is brought to stand before the glorious God to be stated in its eternal condition There are twelve houres in the day sayes Christ wherein a man may worke but the night comes when no man can work John 9. 4. The time of this life is thy working time I but the night is coming and then no man can work Revel 6. 8. And I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed him Hell immediately followes death where death surprizeth any in their natural condition that have not finished the work of making their peace with God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to receive according to what we have done in the flesh whether it be good or bad It is not according to what we doe afterwards but according to what we have done here in the flesh so it must be with us for ever There can be no repenting no believing after this life body and soul being parted the whole man is not capable of a work of God upon it And besides immediately after death God takes all meanes away you shall never heare Sermon more never have admonition more never have good connsel more never have any working of Gods spirit more to draw you soules to Christ And not onely so but God then withdrawes himself so fully in regard of all the common workes of his spirit that there is a kinde of stating the soul in sin which yet cannot so properly in regard of God be said to be sin as evil so that it shall be impossible for thee to doe any thing but sin as the Saints though while they live here they have many lusts and corruptions in them yet immediately after death their souls are so fully possessed of the spirit that then they cannot sin so on the contrary though wicked men while they live here have divers common gifts of Gods spirit and many restraints upon them yet immediately after death they are so fully separated from God and God so fully withdraws himself from them that it is impossible for them to doe any thing else but sin and rebell against God and blaspheme him to his face There was in Adam in innocency a possibility not to have sinned there is in us while we live in this world an impossibility but that we should sin but in the world to come there is in the Saints an impossibility that ever they should sin and look how the impossibility is on the one hand with the Saints so is the impossibility directly contrary on the other hand with the wicked therefore the wicked must needs be stated in an everlasting evil condition There is no more possibility for the damned souls in hell ever to doe any thing but to blaspheme God then there is a possibility for the Saints in heaven ever to sin against God And yet further at the great day Christ gives up the kingdome to the Father and then there will be another manner of administration then before
you are a dead man it would make him call in his thoughts and compose his spirit so if thou hast a slight and wandring heart this is said to thee this day friend poor soul know what thou art doing even this dayes work concernes thy life thy eternal estate and take your selves off from all creatures til you have done so great a work so saies the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31 32. Brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they that have Wives be as if they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not the time is short The word is the time is wrapt up it is folded up it is a Metaphor taken from cloth that is folded even to the very fag end the time is all folded up sayes the Apostle therefore let your hearts be taken off from the creature Truly brethren whatever you think of this point yet those that understand themselves aright would not venture to be in an unconverted estate one half houre for ten thousand worlds for they know that when death comes then judgement also comes And you that are poor people who live hardly and in great extremity in this world yet so long as you live here your condition is comfortable for you have time to doe that worke that is of such mighty consequence for the good of your souls And indeed upon the consideration of this point peoples hearts should be taken off from the creature for a man had better live here in order to that great work though as a stock or log in the fire then to be taken away before he hath done that work he was sent into the world for When men are in paine they would faine dye I but did they know what will be the state and condition of a wicked man immediately after his death they would rather live though as the miseablest creature in the world And consider all you young ones now while God gives you time of this great work of making your peace with him If a man were to goe over Sea about a businesse of great weight after he comes upon the shore what should his first thought be let him first make sure of his great work and then be merry afterwards If thou hast made sure of this great work that thy peace is made up with God and that thy everlasting estate is secure then thou mayest be merry amongst thy friends and mayest live joyfully and comfortably all thy dayes It was the complaint of one that Art is long and life short but surely the art of providing for eternity is a long and difficult art and thy life is short and uncertaine O therefore doe not put off this great work as Seneca speakes of some they are alwayes about to doe they will and they will and are about to live but never live O that you that are young ones would begin betimes and this point setled upon the hearts of young ones would cause them to apply themselves with all their might to the great work of their souls And that which you do be sure you do it with all your might which is the Argument of the Holy Ghost Eccles 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest If ever thou hadst a work to put forth thy strength about O doe it here doe not onely have some faint wishes and desires and some sudden good moods as perhaps at the hearing of such a truth as this is you have some sudden wishes and inclinations no but work out your salvation with feare and trembling and be sure to take hold of all opportunities seeing so much depends upon the short time of your lives If a man were to goe over Sea for his life and had a faire day and winde it were desperate madnesse for him to say Well I have two or three dayes more to goe over in and therefore I will not go now and so neglects his gale and when those days are past and the last day comes he thinks to go over but cannot have a wind for a world so many think they will repent when they come to dye O but take heed when thou hast a gale that thou doest not neglect it for feare it never come again and know that if the Lord stirres any of your hearts this day or any other day by his word and you neglect it and goe to your businesse and shops and to your sensual pleasures and delights you may hereafter desire to have such a time of the working of Gods spirit againe and if you would give a thousand worlds for it were it in your power you cannot have it therefore take heed you doe not neglect this great work And upon this ground labour to make sure work for if a man had a work to doe and having done it amisse he might mend it afterwards he need not be so exact about it but if a man be set about a work and he knowes when it is gone out of his hands he can never mend it he will not be carelesse in it but will lay his work to the rule and labour to make all sure Know it is so with you about your eternal condition that which you doe in this world must be available for ever you cannot mend it afterwards If after you see your selves cast you should say O Lord give me farther time and let me come into the world againe and then I will mend this and the other fault that I was rebuked for God will say no you cannot returne into the world again therefore it neerly concernes you to make all sure while you have time And doe not rest upon blinde hopes and desperate adventures I hope it will be thus and thus with me but entertaine this thought What if it should prove otherwise what if I should miscarry this will mightily daunt the heart of a man especially if he knows that upon his miscarriage he is undone for ever Yet further which is another branch of the exhortation my brethren never baulk any way of God for feare of suffering be willing to suffer any hardship for Gods way How doth that follow thus If the time of thy life be that upon which the stating of thy eternal condition depends then it concerns thee to goe through stitch whatever comes in thy way as for instance suppose a man were going to such a place and he must be there at such a time for his life and riding apace through the streets the dogs bark at him as usually the dogs bark most at those who ride fastest how little doth he regard the barking of the dogs but did a man ride onely for his recreation then it would be a little troublesome to him And when a man rides for his life though the clouds gather
people from Egypt and carrying of them through the Red-sea And this song is the most ancient song that ever was in the world it is the first in Scripture and we know of no Author before Moses those that were skilfull in the way of Poetry were many hundred yeares after Moses It is a spirituall and most excellent song the stile of it is full of Elegancy the matter of exceeding variety it is Eucharisticall Triumphant Propheticall and 't is pitty we have not such an excellent song as this is turned into Meeter to be sung in our Congregations And it is a most delightfull song and therefore you shall observe when God promised a great mercy to his people in which they should exceedingly rejoyce he hath reference to this song Hosea 2. 15. And I will give her Vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for a doore of hope and she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the Land of Egypt When God intended any great mercy to his people he would have them sing according to this song of Moses So then if God be in a way of mercy if he be opening a doore of hope to us you see how seasonable this song is And 't is a Typicall song as of the deliverance of Gods people out of Egypt so a Type of the deliverance of Gods people from the bondage of Antichrist therefore it is very observable that this song was to be sung againe when the people of God should be delivered from Antichrist In Revel 15. and the beginning you may see Gods judgements upon Antichrist and in vers 3. it is said they sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy workes Lord God almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints By this you may see that God would shew us that the bondage under Antichrist is like the bondage in Egypt and therefore Rome is called Egypt in the Revelations because when we shall be delivred from Antichristian bondage we shall renew this song of Moses So that if we now expect deliverance from bondage under Antichrist it is good for us to acquaint our selves with this song because it is that which shall be sung over againe when the bondage of Antichrist is removed It is a miraculous song according to the opinion of Austin he brings in this song as one of the miracles that is that God did at the same time by the spirit inspire all the people of Israel that they sung together one and the same song and therefore it was miraculous true if it had been so but the Scripture is not cleere in that But we leave generalls and come to the words though there be many excellent things in the Chapter to make way to that I have read yet because I would not be hindered I will come instantly to the words which are as it were a recapitulation of all containing the substance of all as if he had said I have spoken of many particulars that God doth for his people but there is none like unto the Lord who is glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises doing wonders There are four things you see then wherein the name of God is advanced here First there is none like the Lord Secondly glorious in holinesse Thirdly fearefull in praises Fourthly doing wonders I confesse when my thoughts were first to speake upon this Text I intended onely the third particular the opening of that Title of God fearefull in praises we finde not any such Title that I know of in all the book of God but onely in this place but because I saw there was much of God in the two former therefore I thought it might be usefull to shew you what there is of God in them and was unwilling to passe them by For the two first then who is like to thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse who is like to thee this you see is put by way of interrogation now interrogations in Scripture are especially brought in two wayes First by way of admiration Secondly by way of negation Sometimes by way of admiration Isaiah 63. 1. Who is this that cometh from Edom with died garments from Bozrah Many others we might name by way of admiration and by way of negation you know there are hundreds of examples and both these we are to understand here in the Text First by way of admiration who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods c. The spirit of Moses and the people being struck with astonishment at the glory of God now manifested by the great workes he did they â—â—mire and say who is like unto thee O Lord and then by way of negation who is like unto thee O Lord that is there is none like unto thee that is the first expression of the glory of God the lifting up of the name of God above all things whatsoever there is none like to God And God doth much glory in this expression of his glory that there is none like to him we have it very often in Scripture 1 Chron. 17. 20. O Lord there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee according to all that we have heard with our eares So in Psalm 86. 8. Among the Gods there is none like unto thee O Lord and Psalm 89. 6. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord we might name divers other places where God glories much in this expression of his glory and the people of God have gloried much in it and there is great cause they should doe so It is said of the godly Machabees that at first by reason their name was an offence meeting with this sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods and being much taken with it they wrote the first Hebrew Letter of every word in this sentence in their ensignes of warre and carried them about with them and upon this ground they were called the Machabees glorying in this Title of God who is like unto thee And upon this ground the Holy Ghost concludes that all should honour and glorifie God because there is none like unto him Psal 86. 8. Among the Gods there is none like unto thee O Lord neither are there any works like unto thy works Mark what followes in 9. 10. 11. 12. verses All Nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy name for thou art great and doest wondrous things for thou art God alone teach me thy way O Lord I will walke in thy truth unite my heart to feare thy name I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore Thus you see how the
could sweare by no greater he sware by himselfe so I may say when God could sweare by no excellency above this he swares by his holinesse Again God glories in heaven it selfe as the habitation of his holinesse heaven is the habitation of Gods glory there God lets out his glory fully but what is that glory why the top of all is the holinesse of God Isaiah 63. 15. Looke downe from heaven and behold from the habitation of thy holinesse and thy glory yea the throne of God is Gods holinesse Psal 47. 8. God sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse you know Kings upon their thrones are exalted and lifted up so is God lifted up upon the throne of his holinesse Solomon he made himselfe a throne of Ivory and overlaid it with the best gold 1 Kings 10. 18. But the throne of God is a throne of holinesse a throne of bright shining holinesse Again when God reloyces in his people he doth it as they are a holy people Deut. 7. 6. For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himselfe above all the people that are upon the face of the earth Yea further you shall finde that this attribute of holinesse is more especially ascribed to the third person in the Trinity God the Father is a holy God the Son he is the holy one of God but the Holy ghost hath his name from Holinesse and t is very observable that all the three persons challenge an equall share in the working of holinesse in the creature it being such a part of Gods glory that all the three persons work it wheresoever it is as the Father he is a Sanctifier Jude speaks of the work of sanctification wrought by God the Father in the first verse of his Epistle To them that are sanctified by God the Father And then for the Son Eph. 5. 25 26. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himselfe for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word Christ he gives himselfe for his Church to what end Not that he might bring it to Heaven onely but that he might sanctifie it also and then the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God So that all the three persons come in for a share in this work this is the glorious work of Father Son and Holy ghost But yet further for the demonstration of it holinesse must needs be the glory of God because it is the highest perfection and rectitude of an Intelligent free Agent An Intelligent free Agent is the highest being of all and holinesse is the rectitude of that being and therefore must needs be glorious Hence it is that grace is called Gods image because it is that which represents God in his highest excellency for that is properly an Image of another thing that sets it out in the excellency of it if it doe it onely in a common and generall way it is not an Image of it And then in Scripture holinesse is called the beauty of God Psalm 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that I will seeke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple Now what is Gods beauty but the beauty of holinesse the holinesse of God appearing in his Ordinances and his worship is the luster and beauty of the infinite glory of God as Psalm 110. 3. the Ordinances are called the beauty of holinesse Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse c. Yea holinesse some seeds of it the very Image of it onely in the creature is called the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God the very beginnings of the work of holiness in the hearts of Saints is called the glory of God much more then the infinite holinesse of Gods own nature Further it is holinesse that puts a luster upon all the other attributes of God and makes them glorious and honourable Psalm 111. 9. Holy and reverend is his name the name of God is therefore reverend because holy so take all the height of excellencies that are in God yet if they be such as you can conceive them separated from his holinesse they doe not make his name reverend and this shewes how infinitely it concernes us to labour after holinesse if all the excellencies of God cannot make his name reverend being separated from holinesse then let the creature have what excellency it wil for parts for estate for dignity and honour in the world take away holiness you cannot say reverend is his name but holy and reverend is his name so it is said of God his name is reverend because holy Again Gods name is glorious by holinesse because it is the speciall end of all his works to advance holinesse a workman when he drawes a worke he shewes Art in the beginning of it but when he comes to the top of it there he shewes the excellency of his workmanship 't is so with God God will be honoured in all his workes of creation and providence but now come to the height and pitch of all and 't is that he might be honoured as a holy God and that he might have a holy people to honour him here and to all eternity I say holinesse is that which God aymed at in creating of heaven and earth 't is that which God aymes at in all the wayes of his providence It is the great businesse for which the son of God came into the world that he might redeem to himselfe a people to serve him in holinesse 't is the end of the great councell of God from all eternity yea and that he might manifest the beauty of his own holinesse in those two great attributes Mercy and Justice which are the branches of his holinesse that he might make them shine to all eternity this is that God aymes at therefore holinesse must needes be the glory of Gods name Now a little for the third but what is the reason that this Title is given to God here in this Song of Moses glorious in holinesse the reason is this to shew that the infinite excellency of Gods power is such that it is without any mixture of the least evill in the exercise of it here was an act of mighty power put forth and God was infinitely holy in this act of his power It is otherwise with men observe the difference between God and man It is a very hard thing for a man to doe great things and to manifest great power without a mixture of evill as 't is with the waters while
condition but if you will goe on in the way that God is beginning with you in stirring your consciences if you will continue you shall come to know more then yet you know Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and then in vers 33. say they we are Abrahams seed and were never in bondage to any man how sayest thou ye shall be made free See here they begin to snarle againe Master Calvin I remember thinks that these are the words rather of some other of the Jewes that were present then of those that are said before to believe but others think it may be understood even of those that are said to believe for though they did begin to assent to the doctrine of Christ and were very much convinced yet there was still abundance of frowardnesse perversnesse and crookednesse in their spirits so that they begin againe to wrangle with Christ especially when he doth but intimate to them any thing of their bondage It is a usual thing for many people that have some stirrings of conscience and some beginnings of the working of Gods spirit in them and it may be saving ones too yet to continue a long time in much frowardnesse and perversnesse of spirit if they be opposed in their way Therefore say they doe you speak to us of bondage and tells us of freedome why We were never in bondage to any vers 33. What never in bondage to any were not the Jewes in bondage to the Babylonians when in captivity to them and were they not at this very time in bondage to the Romans and yet we were never in bondage thus carnall hearts till grace fully subdue them are very loth to know their wretched condition they love not to heare of any thing that discovers to them the misery that they are in they were never in bondage they say but yet Christ pittyeth them he did not take advantage to fling away presently because he saw them continue still in their perversnesse and snarling at what he spake but tells them what bondage he meant As if he should say the truth is though you think your selves free yet there is a bondage that you are in and such a bondage that none can deliver you but the Son of God alone If the Son therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed Thus we come to the words of the Text. These words you see then hold forth unto us the blessed liberty of the Gospel that freedome that believers have by Christ I come then presently to the maine doctrinal conclusion which is this There is a blessed liberty that Christians enjoy by Christ and only by him This doctrine of Christian liberty that is enjoyed by Christ is a Treasury of abundance of admirable consolation and much of the mystery of the Gospell is contained in this doctrine I should enlarge my discourse too farre and seek to gripe too much should I think to give you but a view of this doctrine in all the points of it If we should intend to handle it at large I should shew to you 1. What that is that Christ doth set believers free from 2. The priviledges of this freedome they have by Christ 3. The Subject of it who it is that hath this freedome 4. By whom it comes how it is by the Son and onely by him 5. The price and purchase of this freedome 6. The interest that believers have in this freedome how they come to be enfranchised and to have interest in it And 7. the application of it But should I goe this way to work it is but little I should be able to doe therefore I will not graspe so much I intend therefore to handle but one speciall thing in this our freedome by Christ If I should shew to you first of all what we are freed from then there is the freedome from the law the freedome from the power of sinne the freedome from the bondage of feare the freedome from an accusing conscience the freedome from slavishnesse in the performance of holy duties we are set at liberty in holy duties the freedome from death and the evill of that the freedome from the slavery of the devill and the freedome from the ceremonial law but neither must we seek to gripe all these particulars to shew you our freedome in these I shall onely pitch upon one and that is our freedome from the law If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed The doctrine of freedome from the law is the subject that we are to handle at this time and when I speak of freedome from the law I meane not freedome from obedience to the law t is an erronious conceit to think we are freed from obedience to the law and it is a conceit too meane and absurd for us to spend time about it now that have so little and having to deal in a matter of so great consequence as we have for what is the law but the image of God the very beame of the wisdome and holinesse of God himself if you look at it as requiring obedience and for any to say we should be freed from obedience to the law is as much as to say we should be freed from the image of God from the beame of the wisdome and holinesse of God himself therefore we will spend no time about that but when I speak of freedome from the law I mean freedome from the rigour of the law from the condemning sentence of the law in which all the rigour of it appeares Wherefore then it is necessary first to give you a view of the bondage that we are all in under the law unlesse delivered by Christ And then Secondly I shall endeavour to open to you wherein the liberty of the Gospell doth consist that Christ hath purchased for us These two things brethren have in them the chiefe doctrine of divinity and except you be well instructed and setled in these two you cannot know aright any point of religion For the first I will be but briefe in that though there be many particulars in it for it is the second I chiefly intend And for a preparation to this first this I shall tell you before hand that I shall name many things unto you that will seem exceeding hard but yet take this consideration along that although the things I name to you appeare never so hard yet they are but in order to that which I shall afterward deliver to you that shall have much comfort and peace in it If I tell you any thing of your bondage it is onely to this end that you may know the blessednesse of your freedome and liberty Wherefore then for the rigour of the law that you may know what you are freed from you must know what this is and what you are all under by nature as considered out of Christ for so the holy Ghost expresseth our subjection to the law he saith we are
the world and takest thy fill of pleasure and bearest all before thee and wilt have thy minde and art stout and stubborn in thy way and scornest the truthes of God by his Ministers but what wilt thou doe in the day of visitation when the time shall come that puts an end unto thy dayes here O the change that wil then be in thy spirit God will then look upon thee with indignation and say O wretched creature that hast spent thy dayes in vanity thou shalt continue no longer in this world and now the wrath of the Almighty is let out upon thee Thou art upon thy sick bed in distresse and conscience now is awakened and tortures that soul of thine and tells thee that such and such wickednesse at such a time in such a company in such a chamber thou didst commit and thou beginst now to curse thy selfe for thy folly and for neglecting the day of grace and salvation and now thy time is almost gone well thy sicknesse encreaseth thy paines continue thy friends are all sent for and they come about thee bewailing of thee and thou beginnest to look gastly and drawest thy breath short and the devil waits for his prey thy mouth falls thy soul departs and there is an end of thee an end of all thy pride and an end of all thy stoutnesse and an end of all thy vanity and wickednesse and this is the man that hath not made God his portion mercy hath had her time but thou hast neglected it and now thou art gone for ever We speak much of the mercy of God and is it not rich mercy for God to give to thee a wretched sinful creature such a blessed time of repentance as thou hast in this world for God to call and cry to thee and to tender thee grace and pardon and peace he did not doe so to the Angels that sinned when they committed but one sin against God he cast them away and would not so much as treat with them about any termes of peace and therefore seeing thou hast had thy time already let all the Angels in Heaven and Saints and creatures yea and devils themselves acknowledge that God was merciful to this man to this wretched man and woman that had such a faire time though now judgement be upon them O my brethren the thoughts of death under this notion hath a great deal in it to work upon your hearts I remember I have heard of one that used to pray six times a day and being asked why he spent so much time in praying he gave no other answer but this I must dye I must dye that which was to come after would put a period to the time of his life upon which so much did depend O that we had hearts to consider it and that we knew even now in this our day the things that belong to our everlasting peace before it be too late Brethren these things are of infinite concernment to your immortal souls the Lord grant they may be prevalent upon every one of us We may apply this dreadfulnesse of death that followes upon the meditation of this point I have been upon unto divers sorts of people as first me thinkes it should be of great force and efficacy to work upon the hearts of old people your time is neer you had need be sure that your work is done for certainly you have no long time for the accomplishing of that great work of making your peace with God it is three or foure a clock as it were in your day of grace the Sun is setting with you Now if a man be to goe a journey upon his life and hath neglected the fore-noon and much of the after-noon also and sees the Sun draw low he thinkes with himself I had need make haste now for if the Sun be once set and I not at my journeyes end I am a lost man my life is gone They that goe over where the Sea is dry at one time and flowes at another but so that if they misse but half an houre they are dead men if by their watch they finde the time is almost come for the waters to returne then their hearts are daunted and they say one to another we had need make haste for the time is almost at an end O consider this you old men that have neglected the time of your youth and now your time is almost at an end know in this your day the things of your peace double now your diligence It is a most dreadful thing to see an old wicked man an old sinner an old scorner an old carnal wretch that never understood the great businesse that he came into the world for Secondly this concernes all prophane wretches who instead of doing the work of their time and preparing for their everlasting estate goe directly backwards and make the breach between God and their souls wider If a man have a journey to goe for his life and he must goe it before the Sun be set and he goes a quite contrary way when he begins to reflect upon himself he then sayes where am I If the Sun goe downe before I am at my journeyes end I am a dead man so is it with you that goe on in wayes of prophanesse God hath sent you here to live to the praise of his name and to work out your salvation with feare and trembling and you have gone directly backward and the time of your lives hath been spent in nothing else but in making your selves seaven-fold more the children of wrath then before you had need now look to your selves for if you dye in your course of prophanesse you are undone for ever Thirdly for those that have been heretofore in a good forwardnesse in the way of life and salvation that have had some stirrings of conscience in them but yet through the violence of their lusts have been turned back againe and have fallen off from their former state certainly this point might strike thee to the heart As a man that is to goe over the Sea for his life by such a time and he hath a good gale for the present but when he is come neer the haven a great gust drives him back againe O what a sad condition is this man in so is it with thee the time was when thou hadst a good gale God came graciously to thee by the work of his spirit and thou seemedst to be in a good forwardnesse in the work thou wast borne for but the gust of fin and the violence of lust hath carried thee quite back againe and now thou art further off then before how should this awaken thee to improve all thy time and opportunities to the uttermost for the good of thy soul Againe this concernes those that upon every discontent wish themselves dead as some froward people if any thing crosses them they presently wish themselves in the grave O vaine man and woman dost thou know what thou doest
The consideration of Gods holiness should humble us and make us ashamed for the remainder of that unholiness that is in our hearts 28 7. If God be glorious in holiness then we have all need of Jesus Christ 29 SERMON II. THe words are briefly opened 31 Doctrine That Christ is the onely means of conveyance of all good that God the Father intends to communicate unto the children of men in order to eternall life he is all and in all 32 This truth is the great point of Divinity that is absolutely necessary to eternall life 33 T is the sum of the Gospel and the most supernaturall truth revealed in all the book of God ibid. A truth the Angels themselves desire to pry into ibid. T is that which requires the work of the Spirit beyond the ordinary works of the Spirit of God to reveale it 34 T is a truth that is the most profitable of all the truths contained in all the book of God ibid. There is no truth in Scripture whereby we honour God so much as by this 35 The Doctrine proved 36 How it comes to passe that there can be no good communicated unto us from God in order to eternall life but by Christ 1. Because of the breach of the first Covenant that God made with mankind 37 2. There is such an infinite distance between God and man that there can be no comming together but by Christ 38 3. There is the strength and curse of the law upon every soule naturally that keeps the soul from mercy ibid. 4. There are the cries of infinite justice against men which must have satisfaction ibid. How Christ is all in all to us in Gods communication of good to us 1. From the covenant that God the father made with his son from all eternity 39 2. Christ actually comes to be the way of conveyance of all good to us by taking our nature upon him and so making us reconcileable to God ibid. 3. Christ was content to come into the world to be made the head of a second covenant between God and mankinde to perform whatever God the Father should require for the satisfaction of divine justice 40 4. By this means God in forgiving of sin goes in a way of justice as well as in a way of meccy 41 5. And he is the way of conveying good to us as by his satisfaction so by his intercession 42 Some speciall great things we have from God instanced in and that Christ is all in all in those things 1. Christ is all in all in the point of Justification and pardon of sin and the acceptation of us as righteous 42 It is not all that we have done nor all that we can possibly doe that can be our justification 43 It is not what God enables us to doe that can be the formality of our justification ibid. It is not onely what we can doe or can be enabled to doe but t is not Gods mercy added if barely considered that can eeke out our justification 44 2. Christ is all in all in point of Adoption 45 3. Christ is all in all in point of our reconciliation and peace with God 46 4. Christ is all in all in point of all our Sanctification that is Sanctification to life ibid. 5. Christ is all in all in the want of all things 47 6. Christ is all in all in the enjoyment of all ibid. And as Christ is all in all in the good we have from God so he is all in all in what ever we tender up to God 48 Reasons why God will have this way of communication of himselfe unto us through his Son 1. That hereby God might manifest to all the children of men what a dreadfull breach their sins had made between God and them 50 2. God takes this way because he sees it is the most advantageous for the manifestation of his glory 51 The glory of his mercy ibid. The glory of his justice ibid. The glory of his wisdom 52 The glory of his holiness ibid. 3. God saw there could be no such way to draw poor sinners to himselfe as this 53 4. God doth it to endeare his mercy to his Saints for ever 55 5. God delights to honour his Son and therefore makes him to be the means of conveyance of all good to those he intends it to ibid. Use 1. To admire the depths of the councell of God and the infinite glory of the riches of his grace unto mankind ibid. The work of Redemption greater then the work of Creation 56 2. We should blesse God that ever we knew Christ and that the mysterie of the Gospel hath been revealed to us 57 3. It shews how deare Jesus Christ should be unto us 59 4. If we have an interest in Christ it should satisfie and content us though we have nothing or be nothing in our selves 60 5. We should be willing to give up all to Christ ibid. 6. Christ should be the rule of our prizing all things ibid. 7. The heart should with mighty intention be carried forth toward Jesus Christ ibid. 8. In seeking after God we should be sure to take Christ along with us 61 SERMON III. THe words of the Text opened 63 There are great things that the Saints hope for they are men of hopes 64 Nine particulars instanced in that the Saints hope for ibid. The hopes of the Saints are raised up in their hearts by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost 65 The different judgement of the Holy ghost and carnall hearts 1. About earthly things 66 2. About spirituall things 67 Spirituall and heavenly things that are the objects of faith are reall and substantiall things and faith gives them that substance 68 They are substantiall for 1. They have more in them then appears to be in them ibid. 2. They have much of God in them ibid. 3. They are the very centre of the thoughts and intentions of God himselfe and that which he aimes at in all his works towards his creatures 69 4. They have a reall and substantiall operation upon the soules of those that are acquainted with them ibid. 5. They have an eternall subsistency ibid. And faith gives them aubstantiall being for 1. It is faith that carries the son ocontemplate upon God himselfe 70 2. By faith the soul comes to know what riches there are in the glorious things of God ibid. 3. Faith converseth with the glorious counsels of God ibid. 4. Faith converseth with the great things of the covenant of grace ibid. 5. Faith receives the testimony of the Holy Ghost ibid. Faith makes the things of God that are absent and but hoped for yet to be present to the soul 71 Evils that are very nigh faith can make them at a mighty distance ibid. Good things that are absent and a great way off faith can make them as if they were really subsisting ibid. Faith makes the things of God that are absent to be as present 1. Because it sees
them as certainly as if they were already 73 2. Faith looks upon the present possession of things ibid. 1. In Christ our head ibid. 2. We have the first-fruits of the Spirit ibid. 3. This time is nothing to eternity ibid. 4. Faith eyes the things of Heaven continually 74 5. The Saints enjoy all in God ibid. Faith it selfe is a very substantiall thing ibid. The vanity of the faith of most people discovered 75 We must learn to strengthen and exercise our faith in the things we hope for ibid. Spirituall and heavenly things are things not seen 76 1. They are hidden 77 2. They are beyond the principles of reason ibid. 3. The blindness of man naturally is such that he can not see these things ibid. 4. God orders things so in his providence that he goeth a contrary way as to sense and reason to what he hath promised ibid. We should cease wondering that men of excellent parts and reason doe not see the things of God 79 Faith doth evidence and make spirituall things clear 80 If faith be an evidence to other things then it is an evidence to it selfe 81 One way to be freed from doubts and feares is by renewing the act of faith it selfe 82 It is no presumption to cast ones selfe upon the free grace of God in Christ ibid. Christians should be afraid of unbeliefe as well as of presumption 83 The admirable use of faith 84 T is a wonderfull mercy to have faith to evidence all the glorious things of God ibid. Faith can make those that are of weak parts to see the great things of God 85 SERMON IV. Doctrine THere is a blessed liberty that Christians enjoy by Christ and onely by him 88 In what sense Christians are freed from the Law 89 The rigour of the Law opened in seventeen particulars 1. It requires hard things of those that are under it 90 2. It requires things which are impossible to be performed by those that are under it 91 3. The Law exacts all of us under the condition of perfection ibid. 4. The Law accepts of no surety 92 5. The rigour of the Law is such that it acceps of no endeavours short of perfection ibid. 6. The Law requires constancy in all we doe ibid. 7. The Law exacts the obedience it requires exceeding rigorously 93 8. There is this rigour in the Law that upon any the least breach of it it doth utterly disenable the soul for ever performing any obedience to it again ibid. 9. The Law requires as perfect obedience as if we had all principles that might enable us to keep it ibid. 10. It requires it of us and yet gives us no strength to doe what it requires 94 11. In all the Law doth it strikes at our life ibid. 12. Vpon any breach it doth presently binde over the soul to everlasting death ibid. 13. When the Law is once offended it will never be made amends again by any thing we are able to doe ibid. 14. The Law accepts of no repentance 95 15. The Law when it hath opened our wounds and miseries it shews us no means of deliverance ibid. 16. The Law accidentally stirs up lust ibid. 17. The promises of the Law are but mean and low in comparison of the promises of the Gospel ibid. This rigour of the Law will not seem hard if we consider 1. That we have to deale with a God of infinite justice and worth 96 2. If we consider that state of perfection wherein God made man at first ibid. 3. If we understand aright what sin is ibid. 4. If we consider those things that we all take for granted that yet are as hard as these ibid. Use 1. All men in their naturall condition are in a very evill case 97 2. The saving of a soule is a great and mighty work ibid. 3. T is a vaine thing for carnal hearts to trust to their good meanings ibid. 4. If God reveal himself to a man onely by the law it is impossible but the soul must flye from him ibid. The liberty of the Gospel is a precious liberty 98 Our bondage under the law and liberty under the Gospel opened from Gal. 4. 21 c. ibid. The liberty of the Gospel opened in seventeen particulars 1. If thou beest a believer in Christ thou shalt not be cast for thy eternal estate by the law 100. 2. Thy Law-giver is no other then he that is thy husband and thy advocate ibid. 3. Thou art made a law to thy self by having the law of God written in thy heart 101. 4. Though there be many imperfections in what thou doest yet if God can spye out but the least good thing in thee he will take notice of that and cast away all the evil ibid. 5. If there be a desire in thee to doe good God accepts the will for the deed 102 6. Though the Gospel call for obedience yet it doth it in a sweet and loving way ibid. 7. The Gospel and liberty of it comes with abundance of life and strength 103 8. God doth compassionate those that are made free by the Gospel ibid. 9. The Gospel hath a mighty efficacy to melt the heart ibid. 10. The Gospel as it hath a melting power so it hath a healing power ibid. 11. Sins against the Gospel shall not have power to root out any habits of grace 104 12. The Gospel takes advantage at our misery to pardon us ibid. 13. All that is required of us may be accepted from another ibid. 14. The grace of the Gospel shewes a way wherein God shall have all the wrong made him up that ever thy sins did him ibid. 15. There is a perfect righteousnesse made over unto us in the Gospel 105. 16. The Gospel proclames admirable promises ibid. 17. The covenant of the Gospel shall never be forfeited ibid. SERMON V. THe Text opened 107. 108. Doctrine That the onely time that men have to provide for their eternal condition is the time of this life if it be not done here there is no help afterward for after death comes judgement 109 This point is one of the most serious points that concernes the children of men ibid. Wicked men when they die are stated in an irrecoverable evill condition ibid. The tenor upon which we all hold our lives 110 There can be no repenting nor believing after this life 112 After death God takes away all means of grace ibid. The souls of wicked men are then stated in such a condition that they can doe nothing but sin ibid. At the great day Christ gives up the Kingdom to the Father 113 Presently after death the wrath of God is let out fully into the soules of the wicked ibid. Use 1. We have cause to blesse God for the continuance of our lives especially those that have not throughly made their peace with God and are not upon certain and infallible terms in this great businesse of providing for their eternall estates ibid. 114 115 Use 2. Those are to be reproved that mispend and squander away the precious time of their lives about vanities and neglect the great businesse that they were sent into the world for 116 Time an exceeding precious thing ibid. Few think of the passing away of their time or that any great matter depends upon the time of their lives here in this world 117 Use 3. When death findes any man unprepared in an estate of unregeneracy that hath not made his peace with God it must needs be exceeding dreadfull because it brings judgement and states such a one in his eternall condition 120 Gods wrath let out fully upon the wicked immediately after death 121 Then they must bid an everlasting farewell to all comforts that ever they did enjoy ibid. The dreadfulnesse of death is applicable 1. To old people whose time is neer at an end therefore had need be sure that that great work be done of making their peace with God 123 2. To prophane wretches who instead of doing the work of their time and preparing for their everlasting estate goe directly backwards and make the breach between God and their soules wider 124 3. To those that have heretofore been in a good forwardnesse in the way of life and salvation but yet through the violence of their lusts have been turnd back againe ibid. 4. To those that upon every discontent wish themselves dead 125 5. To those that upon every drunken occasion for a word or two will venture their lives ibid. 6. To those that in trouble and anguish of conscience are ready to lay violent hands upon themselves ibid. 7. To those that have been upon their death beds as they thought and in danger of everlasting ruine and did then promise if they lived what new people they would be but afterwards forgot all 126 The efficacy and worth of a thing is when it is done in the season of it 127 The consideration of time and the worth of it should take off all sleightnesse of heart and roving dispositions 128 The consideration of this point should take off peoples hearts from the creature ibid. All young ones should now while God gives them time labour to make their peace with him 129 The danger of putting off the worke of repentance till we die 130 We should labour to make sure work in the great business of our eternall estate because that which is done in this world is available for ever ibid. Wee should not baulk any way of God for feare of suffering ibid. Temptations to sinne are to be repelled by the consideration of the great business we came into the world for 131 FINIS ERRATA IN some of the books p. 8. l. 33. for reference read inference p. 9. l. 11. for notion r. Nation l. 19. for Numb 27. r. Numb 23. p. 17. l. 27. for so take all r. take all p. 23. l. 19. for them r. him p. 25. l. 3. observe no stop at consciences p. 26. l. 26. for in this holy worship r. in his holy worship p. 31. read the text thus but Christ is all and in all p. 37. l. 33. for the humane r. humane p. 54. l. 24. read doe but take this one rule for that p. 76. last line for 2 Cor. 2. r. 2 Cor. 4. p. 99. l. 30. for Levit. 29. r. Levit. 25.