days to shew our love in our diligence in Ministring to the Saints as we have ability and as their necessity requireth Heb. 6.10 11. Another Grace that will much further our Assurance as trusting in God in all distresses and dangers and living by Faith on Gods promises Psal 31.14 I trusted in thee I said thou art my God The more we accustom our selves to trust in God the more confidently we shall be enabled to call God our God Another grace that will further our assurance is Uprightness when we walk in our Integrity that will scatter and dispel fears and bring in comfort Psal 112.4 Vnto the Vpright there ariseth Light in Darkness But I shall add no more upon this question Sect. 3. What they should do that can't make out their interest in Christ in a time of trouble and at the hour of Death Obj. It may be some will say it is true they that have an interest in Christ and know it may be of good chear under all the troubles of this Life and when they are to pass through the Valley of the Shadow of Death but what shall I do in an evil day and at the hour of Death that cannot to this day nor ever could make it out that I have a saving interest in Christ § Prayer a means to clear interest Encouragements to pray for this mercy A. 1. Pray to God to make clear to your Souls your interest in himself and his Son Jesus Christ Psal 35.3 Say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation That which David asks is not be thou my Salvation but 't is the satisfying his Soul with the knowledge that God was his Saviour and would give him Salvation Say unto my Soul That is Lord perswade my Soul Lord give my Soul satisfaction in this great case that thou art my Saviour and wilt confer Salvation upon me And what David prayed for in this kind that may we pray for also And for our encouragement to pray for the knowledge of your interest in Christ consider these things 1. Prayer is a means of Gods own appointing not only for the obtaining of the favour of God but also for the obtaining of the comfortable apprehensions of Gods love in Christ Job 33.26 He shall pray unto God and he shall be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy Here is a double blessing promised unto the man that prayeth unto God he shall obtain the favour of God and he shall see his face with joy that is he shall obtain the knowledge of Gods love to his Soul which shall put great joy and gladness into his heart 2. The knowledge of our interest in God as our Father and in Christ as our Saviour and Redeemer is promised in the new Covenant and what the Lord hath promised we may pray in Faith and Hope that we shall attain it See promises to this purpose Isa 60.16 Thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer That which is here promised is not I will be thy Saviour and thy Redeemer but the knowledge of our interest in Christ as our Saviour and our Redeemer It is not said thou shalt know that I am the Saviour of my people or the Saviour of those that trust in me Thon shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer Another promise of clearing our interest in Christ we have Joh. 14.20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you At that day what day is here meant some understand it of the future life when we shall live with Christ in Glory spoken of in the foregoing verse because I live ye shall live also at that day ye shall know And doubtless the full accomplishment of this promise is the priviledge of the other life to have a perfect understanding of the mystical Union between the Father and the Son and between Christ and Believers But it hath also a respect to clearing our Union with Christ in this life at that day that is after I am risen from the dead and gone to the Father and at that day that you set your love upon me and keep my Commandments and I shall pray the Father and he shall send you another comforter even the Spirit of truth he shall make it known to you that I am in you and you in me It may also relate to ver 13 14. When you shall earnestly pray to the Father in my name to have your union cleared in that day you shall know that I am in you and you in me If any say I have prayed to God to clear my Union with and my Interest in Christ and still I am in the dark about this matter I answer You must continue to seek this mercy the knowledge of your interest in God and Christ and that is the way to obtain it Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord § Such as can't make out their Interest in Christ should close with Christ that they may have an Interest in him 2. If you cant nor ever could make out your Interest in Christ yea suppose it be so that you have no interest in him come in now and close with him The door of Hope still stands open to your Souls It is yet an accepted time and a day of Salvation God still continueth to offer Christ to your Souls and prays you to accept of him 2 Cor. 5.20 VVe pray you in Christs stead be you reconciled to God If at length after a long neglecting of Christ you will come in and close with him you shall be saved by him Heb. 4.7 To day after so long a time as it is said to day if you will bear his voice harden not your hearts Those that had stood all the day idle even to the last hour were invited to go into the Vineyard and going upon the invitation had their reward Matth. 20.6 7 9. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle and saith unto them why stand ye here all the day idle Go ye also into the Vineyard and whatever is right that shall ye receive And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour they received every man a penny This penny is by the generality of Interpreters agreed to be eternal life and this eternal life shall be given to those that come into Christ at the last hour of the day though the former part of their time hath been spent in ideleness But some may say if a man hath reflected and lived without God in the day of his prosperity is there hope if such a man turn to God in the day of trouble that God will be found of him and be gracious unto him I answer There is hope for such as have neglected God along time if they turn to him in the day of their tròuble that he will be gracious unto them 2 Chron. 15.3 4.
Apostle Paul had such confidence of the Philippians welfare because he had them in his heart what confidence may we have in all our troubles from Christs having us in his heart and bearing us upon his heart continually and ever living to make intercession for us 2 Our Lord Jesus Christ in his intercession represents to his Father our troubles and dangers that we are exposed to while we are in the World and our shiftless condition and the hatred we meet with from the World and prays his Father to keep us by his divine power he prays not that we should be taken out of the World while we have service to do in the World but that we may be kept from the evils we are liable to in the World Joh. 17.9.11 14 15. Where observe 1. The Persons for whom Christ interceedeth and they are all that are his ver 9.10 I pray for them I pray not for the World but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine and all mine are thine and thine are mine 2. He represents to his Father the dangers they are in by being in the World where they are hated and want his presence with them ver 11.14 And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world I have given them thy Word and the world hath hated them 3. He commits them to his Fathers care and prays him to keep them by his divine power ver 11. Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me That which he mainly prayed for was not that they should be taken out of the world but kept from the evil ver 15. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World but keep them from the evil 4. The Arguments he useth in Prayer they are all mine and all thine and they glorifie me ver 10. All mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them 5. This Prayer of Christ for his wherein he hath prayed to his Father to keep them in his name whilst they are in this world was recorded on purpose to comfort our hearts under our troubles ver 13. These things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves And this Prayer of Christ was made not only for his Disciples that were then living but for all that should afterward believe on him to the end of the World ver 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word And what Christ prayed for God will assuredly grant Joh. 11.42 I know that thou hearest me always Obj. But how is the intercession of Christ a ground of comfort against the troubles of the world when notwithstanding the Prayer of Christ that they that are his may be kept from the evil they fall into as many and as great troubles as other men A. 1. Many troubles and afflictions are kept off at the intercession of Christ from those that are his For such is the malice of Satan and wicked men against the Saints that they would do them an hundred fold more mischief than they do if God should not restrain them Ps 124.2.3 4 5. Laban would have done Jacob much hurt but God would not suffer him to hurt him Gen. 31.7 Your Father hath deceived me and changed my wages ten times but God suffered him not to hurt me The Israelites when few in number when they went up and down from one place and one Kingdom to another were liable to many injuries but God prevented the malice of their adversaries Psal 105.14 He suffered no man to do them wrong 2. When God doth not keep off troubles and afflictions from the Members of Christ which is not absolutely prayed for God at the intercession of Christ keeps off the evil of trouble from the members of Christ The evil of trouble is when troubles make us sin against God and forsake the ways of God Mat. 13.21 VVhen Tribulation or Persecution ariseth because of thy word by and by he is offended that is falleth away as another Evangelist expresseth it 2 King 6.33 Behold this evil is of the Lord why should I wait for the Lord any longer The evil of troubles is when men fret and curse and blaspheme the name of God because of their troubles as Isa 8.21 Rev. 16.10.11 Now the Members of Christ are kept from these evils under their troubles 3. At the intercession of Christ the nature of troubles and afflictions are changed they are not evils but good things to the People of God Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted 4. At the intercession of Christ they that are Christs are upheld under their troubles and kept from fainting Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me Though we be not kept from trouble yet Christs Prayer is answered if we be kept by the power of God in our troubles kept from falling kept from fainting Now God for Christs sake keeps his people from falling and fainting under their troubles Psal 94.18 VVhen I said my Foot slippeth thy Mercy O Lord held me up Psal 116.8 Thou hast delivered my feet from falling Psal 118.13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me 3. The intercession of Christ is a ground of comfort under all our troubles because he interceedeth with his Father that the Spirit the comforter may be sent down into our hearts to abide with us for ever Joh. 14.1.16 17. Let not your heart be troubled I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth The Lord Jesus foreseeing that his Disciples would meet with many Tribulations that their hearts might not be troubled proposeth many grounds of comfort to them among others this is a principal one that he would interceed with his Father to give them his holy Spirit to be their Comforter to make his abode with them for ever But some may say though the Spirit the Comforter be sent down into our hearts to abide with us for ever yet many of the Servants of Christ that have the comforter want the comforts of the Spirit in their troubles Q. What shall we do that we may get the comforts of the Spirit in our afflictions A. 1. Walk in the fear of God both before trouble comes and when you walk in the midst of trouble for such as walk in the fear of God enjoy the comforts of the holy Ghost Act. 9.31 VValking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 2. Give your selves to prayer in the day of trouble Joh. 16.24 Ask and ye shall recieve that your joy may be full Christ told his Disciples ver 20. That they should weep and lament and be sorrowful but their forrow should be turned into joy and here he directs them the way to get comfort under their
my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my desire and all my Salvation although he make it not to grow See what was Davids comfort when he was speaking his last words it was his interest in the Everlasting Covenant He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant and the assurance he had of his Salvation by virtue of this Covenant This is all my Salvation 7. Interest in Christ is a ground of strong consolation under all sorts of troubles and against the terrours of Death because when Christ is ours all his saving benefits are ours As Ahab said to Benhadad 1 King 20.4 I am thine and all that I have So may I say If Christ be thine all that Christ hath is thine Hence such as are interested in Christ are said to be joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 When Christ is ours all things are ours things present and things to come life and death this world and the world to come adversitie and prosperitie all things are ours ordained and designed for our good 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. 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 and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods And if this will not comfort us to hear that life and death things present and things to come the Kingdom of Heaven and all things are ours what else will VVhen Christ is ours his Righteousness is ours Phil. 3.9 His blood and all that he hath purchased with his blood all his merits are ours and his intercession is ours God is our Father the Spirit is our comforter Heaven is our Inheritance yea all good things are ours Obs How is this true that they are Christs have all things when as many that are Christs are ful of wants they want Riches Friends c. and in great straits and have suffered the loss of all things for Christ and can these be consistent together that a man should have all things and yet want many things A. 1. They that are Christs have all things vertually in that contentment and satisfaction which they have in Christ and from Christ They are or may be as well contented as if they had all the world Thus it was with the Apostle in his wants and straits when he was as poor to outward appearance as a man that hath nothing he was as well contented as if he had possessed the whole world 2 Cor. 6.10 As having nothing and yet possessing all things A man that hath a contented mind is as well satisfied as if he had all the world Gen. 33.11 Take I pray thee my blessing that is brought unto thee because God hath dealt graciously with me and I have enough The Hebrew is li chol I have all things Hence note that they have enough that have contented and satisfied minds they have all things 2. They that are Christs have all things in the providential care of God though they be poor and in straits and have suffered the loss of all things the providence of God takes care of them to supply them with all things that are needful with all things that are good for them 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you The providence of God taketh such care for us in all things that we need not trouble our selves with anxious thoughts or cares about any thing but may cast all our care upon the Lord. The Providence of God doth and will take care of us to supply us with all needful things and all things that are good for us Phil 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ 3. They have all things in the Covenant and Promise of God For in the Covenant there are all things promised that they do or can desire 2 Sam. 23.5 He hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant and this is all my Salvation and all my desire VVe can't desire more then Grace and Glory and all good things now these are all promised to us Ps 84.11 The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly And what things are ours by promise are ours by a better and a more sure tenure then what is ours by actual possession without a promise because what we have in our possession may be lost may be taken from us but the promises no creature can take from us 4. They have all things eminently and transcendently in God and Christ in having God for their portion and Christ for their Saviour What Solomon saith of mony Eccl. 10.19 Mony answereth all things The same may be said as truly of God and Christ God answereth all things and Christ answereth all things When we enjoy God who is the fountain of all good in the enjoyment of him for our God we do inherit all things Rev. 21.7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son They have all things in Christ their head what the head hath the head hath it for the good of the Members Now Christ our head hath all things for the good of his church Eph. 1.22 And gave him to be the head over all things in the Church 5. They have the good of all things though not the actual possession of all things Rom. 8.28 VVe know that all things work together for good to them that love God Yea their very wants are for their good for they put them upon living by Faith and stir up in them a Spirit of Prayer and keep them humble c. 6. They are heirs of all things though they are not come to the full enjoyment of their inheritance for they are joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 If children then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ And Christ is heir of all things Heb. 1.2 Hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things The heir while a child is Lord of all though he hath not the actual possession of his inheritance Gal. 4.1 So it is with us we are heirs of all things by virtue of our Union with Christ though we have not the actual possession of our inheritance 8. Interest in Christ is a ground of strong consolation under all troubles of life and terrors of death because all that are Christs are blessed in and by Christ and are so blessed as no troubles nor death it self can make them miserable but after their Union with Christ they are blessed and shall continue blessed for ever I shall open the blessedness of such as are Christs in these particulars 1. All that are Christs are in a most blessed and happy condition Psal 2.12 Blessed are all they that put their trust