the death and suffering the active and passive obedience of Jesus Christ that was the meritorious cause thereof and therefore saith the Lord in Isaiah 53. when the Holy Ghost had been there spending a whole Chapter in setting forth the sufferings of Christ for poor sinners at length he comes to shew the comfortable and the sweet and glorious effects produced thereby in v. 12. Therefore will I devide him a Portion with the great and he shall divide the spoyl with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death Therefore will I divide him a Portion with the great what great is this Why 't is the great Devil that is so great in power that he leads Captive the greatest part of the World and he shall devide the spoyl with the strong which is the same mentioned before which is common with the Holy Ghost in the Old Testamenâ— to enjeminate expressions as if the Lord should have said because a poor man hath sinned therefore the Devil thinks for to have the Souls of all the Men and Women in the World but saith God I will divide him a Portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong as if the Lord should have said my Son shall have some Souls the Devil should not have all for there is some that I am resolved shall be the fruit of my Sons Travel as in the 11. v. of the 53 of Isa He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and shall be satisfied and Alegorical Metaphor taken from a Woman in Travel that though she hath a sharp Travel yet rejoyceth when a man is born into the world so though Christ did indure sore pangs in working out the salvation of his Elect yet he shall see of the Travel of his Soul I will divide him a Portion with the great Gods people are called his Portion as in Deut 32. v 9. The Lords Portion is his People Well saith God my Son shall have his Portion in Men and Women which the Devil doth think to bring to everlasting ruine and destruction well this is the second thing O my Friends that time and it ength would permit for the more clearing up of it is great truth to shew the glorious effects of the death and suffering of the Lord Jesus christ towards believers for the effects of his death doth extend it self to their adoption and comfort and consolation and happiness and glory hereafter all these benefits many more are the glorious effects of the death and suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ Then in the third place if every true believer shall be received into glory it may inform us how much we are ingaged to love the good spirit of God that doth seal up to our Souls our interest in Christ in whom alone 't is that we are brought to glory 't is the work of Gods spirit to show us our want of Christ and when he hath thus convinced us of our sins then 't is the work of this blessed spirit of God to bare up our Souls under the dreadful apprehensions of Gods wrath that is due to us for sin so 't is the work of the blessed Spirit of God to help the Soul to see that Christ dyed for Sinners and that he hath dyed for thee O Soul thou art a Believer 't is the holy spirit of God that doth comfort the Soul in trouble that doth settle the Soul in feaâ— that doth preserve the Soul in a persevering slate when it would be turned to the right hand or to the left O my Friends one may say of the Spirit of God as David did of the City of God glorious things are spoken of thee so I may say glorious things are spoken of thee O blessed Spirit of God and therefore as in Ephes 4. v. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed up to the day of Redemption In the fourth place if it be so that every true Believer shall be saved then it may inform us of the falthood of those erronious Tennets which hold forth of a possibility of falling away from true faith Paul and Silas did net say to the Goaler if thou believest and continuest to believe thou shalt be saved but if thou believest thou shalt be saved once a believer and ever a believer My friends I hope you have not forgot how I did endeavour in twelve particulars to shew you from whence the believers perseverence doth arise and all the Armenian Tennets in the world shall never be able to strike at the Root of any of these twelve foundations of a Believers perseverance As first thou that art a Believer thou hast the eternal decree of God ingaged for thy perseverance 2 Tim. 2 chap. 18 19. v. Heb. 6.17 Thou hast likewise the Eternal love of God as another ground of thy perseverance Jer. 31. v. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with love and kindness have I drawn thee my Friends I wonder how men that pretend to have understanding should be blinded so by the God of this world to think that the same everlasting love that did ingage God to set his love on us should ever be turned into hatred so as to leave us to our wills and so to perish for ever likewise the wisdom of God is engaged herein Christ makes it a mark of foolish man that doth begin te build a house is not able to finish it thou that art a believing Soul thou art Gods spiritual building and if he should begin to build and should not finish it it would demonstrate great folly in the Divine Majesty which to affert would be no less then blasphemy God being the fountain of wisdom likewise the faithfulness of God is engaged in it 1 Thes 5.24 25. Faithful is he that hath called you who also will do it will do what you may read in the 23 v. And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserv'd blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Till Christ shall come by judgment or by death that Soul in whom this good work is begun shall be carried on Phil 1. v. 6. He that hath begun a good work will finish it and we shewed likewise 't is clear from the new Covenant of grace that he hath entred into a new Covenant with the people and he hath therein engaged himself that he will put his fear into our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 Likewise the power of God is ingaged herein to preserver every true believer from total falling away from God 2 Fet. 1.5 Who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Likewise also the glory of the Son of God is engaged in it Christ is the foundation of this spiritual building he is the chief Corner Stone Now my Friends I pray mind it whensoever a house falls the foundation
to him from whom they have received it as the gift of God 2. To let nothing be wanting for the nourishing and for the strengthening of it by the Application of former experiences of Gods goodness also to be careful that they wound not not weaken their Faith by running themselves into those streights and exâ—gâ—ncies which they have not a clear and special call unto either upon a civil or religious account but I must pass by those things because my time is already passed by and conclude with one Use of Exhortation or rather of invitation to those which are yet out of Christ and oh that God would be pleased to put some word into my mouth which might beget in thee an earnest desire and panting after an interest in Jesus Christ the glorious object of our faith oh that I could hear some of you crying our with the poor Goaler what shall I do to be sav'd in the time of sickness who will not cry out what shall I do to be restored to my health the want of outward mercies are quickly felt but how few are sensible of their want in spirituals beware likewise that the Devil ensnare you into desparation by perswading tâ—ee that thou hast no faith and therefore art a reprobate for there is not a Saint on earth nor an Angel in Heaven to whom Gods final reprobation is revealed touching any particular person yet in this life who hath not sinned the sin against he Holy Ghost be not therefore by these wiles of Sathan discouraged from waiting on the Ordinances or make thee say I have no hope I have loved strangers and after them I will go but remember this that as great sinners as thou have attained to this Faith and are now in glory with the Lord but on the other hand let not presumption ceise your heart for of these two snares of the Devil I may justly say what was said of Saul and David in another case Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands so I may likewise say that dispair hath slain his thousands but presumption hath ten thousands oh my Friends take heed of presumptions prôcrastination in the great concerns of your pretious souls 't is the present time that God calls for 't is to day if you will hear his voyce harden not your heart Psal 95. acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee Job 22.21 you that are in the prime strength and flower of your years forget not that momento to remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth Eccles 12.1 Agree with thine Adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him Mat. 5.25 Now is the accepâ—ed time and now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.3 On poor soul whilst thou flatterest thy self with future Repentance thou wouldest do well to consider both the shortness and uncertainty of thy life thou mayst resolve to repent tomorrow and before tomorrow thou mayst be in Hell therefore poor soul I do beseech thee as if God did beseech thee by me slip no present opportunity of thy hearing the word preached where it is preached in the power and purity of it for there mayst thou expect the presence of God with it and his blessing upon it and though thou shouldest come there with the Devil of unbelief in thy heart thou knowest not but there God may cast him out and if it shall be thus with thee in thy waiting on Gods Ordinances that there shall be any stirrings on thy heart and the word feâ— home upon thee Take heed the pleasures or cares of the world do not choak it but follow home with serious meditation and beg of God to confirm it with his power and thou knowest not how soon God may be pleased to set it home with such power as may make thee cry out what shall I do to be saved and though the work may be somwhat strange to thy corrupt nature yet if God be pleased to undertake the work it shall prevail and then what reason hast thou poor soul to bless the Lord for his unspeakable mercy to thee-wards to bring thee from darkness unto light from the power of Sathan unto God and it will not be long e're thou shalt be for ever adoreing the riches of Gods free grace towards thee in Jesus Christ to whom with the Father the highest and ultimate object of our Faith and the holy spirit be all honour and glory and praise Amen FINIS ERRATA PAge 29. line 18. for he 'l suffer read he have suffered p. 48. l. â— 10. for make the ears thin and empty r. make thin the ears of thy holy Conversation p. 11. l. 4 5. are misplaced p. 111. l. 19. for living read loving l. 20. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 21. l. 21. for Lamasebachthani read Lama-gnazabtanie p. 13. l. 12. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 21. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
A Spiritual LOOKING-GLASS Wherein Is briefly discoursed the Excellency and the necessity of saving FAITH AND Likewise how it may be known whether we have this FAITH or no. BEING The Substance of two Sermons Published in London July the 23. 1671. By Sam. Pack Preacher of the Gospel Printed in the Year 1671. A Spiritual Looking-glass Acts 16. V. 31. And they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved IN this Chapter we have a conspicuous manifestation of that enmity that is in the Devil that evil one against God the fountain of goodness We see in this Chapter that no sooner had the Lord Jesus Christ that Prince of peace sent Paul and Silas those Sons of Peace to Preach unto the World the Gospel of peace in order to the bringing in of poor Souls to the God of peace but presently the Devil shewed his enmity against mod by endeavouring to stop the course of the mospel and thereby to hinder Souls from coming to Jesus Christ The Prince of Darkness that rules in the hearts of the Children of darkness did no sooner see that ouâ— Lord Jesus Christ had by his Servant Paul cast the Devil of sooth-saying out of a Maid but presently be shews his enmity in filling the heart of her Master with a persecuting spirit being ushered in by an inordinate love to the World and this we see in the 19. vers And when her Masters saw the hope of their gains was gone that caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the Market place unto the Rulers This poor Maids Masters instead of being thankful to God that bad gained the Soul of a poor Maid thâ—t did practice unlawful arts he was inraged because that their temporal earthly gain was gone I do verily thâ—nk that t is one of the surest peices of Armour that the Devil hath even this inordinate love to the World for the defence of his own Kingdom when the Devil sees that no course will serve to keep souls at a distance from Christ then he betakes himself to this wâ—apon the inordinate love to the world and that doth seldom or never fail him and this we may see in Demus Demus he made a large profession of Christ as you may see in the Epistle to Philemon 24. v and yet you see the Devil overcame him with this approved peice of armour inordâ—nate love the world ancl did thereby bring him to Apostacy 2. Tim. 4.10 well we see how far the Devil did prevail not only to set this poor Maids Masters in a rage but also to set the Rulers in a rage likewise nay he prevailed so far that they were scourged and they were thrown into Prison and cast into very great afflictions and had their feet made fast in the stocks new one would have thouâ—ht that it was high time for the Devil to get into his Chariot of Tryumph now one would have thought that the enemy having such advantage and those servants of God such disacvantage as they had that now the Gospel would have been stopped in that place and that the Devil should have lost no more of his Subjects for my Friends if you look in 1 he beginning of the Chapter you shall see in the 9th vers there appeared to Paul a Vision for to go over to Macedonia without question this Vision which Paul saw was a great encouragement to him to go to Mâ—â—edonia and now when he was come there as soon as ever he had cast a Devil out of one Maid presently they must be cast inro Prison without question had not God come in with fresh supplies of comfort these poor men would have been at a great loss they would have been much disheartned in their work and this the Devid knew would be a very great discouragement to them Ezek. 1.16 but now my Friends behold a wheel within a wheel all this while the providence of God doth seem to go upon the wheels as if he had not cared what became of his Servants nor what became of his own glory and of these poor souls that he had commanded these men to come into Macedonia to convert but now my Friends here is a wheel within a wneel here is the over-ruling and the infinite wisdom of God appearing in the very nick of time catching the crafty in his own device Job 5.12.13 and carrying the counsel of the wicked and a crafty Devil that having vented his malice and his rage against the servants of mod thought himself now sure enough of the day and that his Kingdom should not be molested in that place but we see that though the Devil is called an old Serpent yet the Antient of days did out-wit him Rev. 20.2 Dan. 7.22 1 Pet. 5.8 and though the Devil is called a Lyon for his strength and power and a a roaring Lyon for his fury yet the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah was too many for him our Lord Christ did make this very â—ages of Sathan this discovery of his malice a means to throw down the Devils Kingdom and to exalt and propagate hâ—s own for we see that when Paul and Silas was brought into the Prison instead of being discouraged they sung Psalms instead of lying there until the Irons had entred into their souls every Prisoners bands was unloosned well what follows the Goaler he comes in and he finds the doors open he thought his prisoners had been fled and now what course doth he take he draws out his sword to murder himself he had been doing what lay in him to murther his soul all the days of his life before and now he was about by one act to murther both soul and body together Now without question the Devil that had encoutaged him in the exasperating of his cruelty on these worthy servants of God he was now as ready to rejoyce in the downfall of this poor Creature My Friends by the way I pray excuse this digression O let it be a means to make us have very low contemptible thoughts of this ill conditioned Master the Devil that when his servants have done him the utmost seâ—vice they can he is so far from having ever the better thoughts of them and from loving of them the better that he doth wait his opportunity and doth prompt them on in those actions that he may bring inevitable ruine and and destruction upon them I do verily believe this that when the Devil saw the poor mans sword drawn and the point of it ready to be set again his breast that he did rejoyce to see the poor man ready to tumble headlong into everlasting flames but now this wise God Rom. 16.27 Rev. 1.14 whose head is as white as wool did frustrate the expectation of this subtile serpent he did catch the crafty in his own devices you need not question but the Devil did endeavour to help forward this cruty which this Goaler did exercise towards these seâ—vants of God and you