Judgment and Hell are a part of our Bondage But now what cause have we to bless God Rom. 8.1 There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Then to be under the Power of Sin is a woful Bondage to be at the beck of every Lust and carnal Suggestion Men rejoice in their Bondage they think there is no such Life as to live at large and to do as we list but the more liberty we take in Sin the greater Slavery the Work is Drudgery and the Reward is Death Sin hath reigned unto Death Rom. 5.21 2 Pet. 2.19 While they promise them Liberty they themselves are the Servants of Corruption for of whom a Man is overcome of the same is he brought into Bondage It is the saddest Judgment to be given up to our own Will to be given up to Satan to be given up to Self What a Slavery is this when we see Mischief and know not how to avoid it Conscience is held a Prisoner we cannot see a Vanity but the Heart lingereth after it and groweth sick as Ahab for Naboth's Vineyard Duties of Godliness are esteemed an heavy Task the Law of God is impelling to Duty and the Law of Sin impelling to Evil. What Thanks is due to God for delivering us from so great a Bondage Vse 2. To press us to avoid Sin Mortify the Lust and prevent the Action let it not reign in the Heart nor be discovered in the Life and Conversation Christ died that the Body of Sin might be destroyed Rom. 6.6 And he died to redeem us from our vain Conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Consider when Sin remains in its Power and while you serve Sin what Dishonour you do to God and what Disadvantage it is to your selves 1. The Dishonour you do to God to all the Persons in the Godhead To the Father by making void the whole Plot of Redemption This was the eternal Project and Design as it were of God the Father the wise Counsel his Wisdom found out to remedy the Fall of Man Jesus Christ was ordained before all Worlds to redeem us from our vain Conversation 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World The Lord projected this way of Restitution from all Eternity that this Course should be taken to destroy Sin Now will you go about to make all this void Then you wrong God the Son and that many ways You disparage the worth of his Price as if it was not sufficient to purchase Grace and so seek to put your Redeemer to shame Nay you disparage the Purity of his Person for you were redeemed with the Blood of Christ as a Lamb without spot and blemish Nay you disparage the Greatness and Extremity of his Sufferings It cost him dear to purchase Grace and Deliverance from Sin and you slight it and make nothing of it Then you rob him of the Greatness of his Purchase he bought us with this great Price that we might not be our own and live to our Lusts. Such as are bought with Money are theirs who bought them 1 Cor. 6.20 For ye are bought with a Price therefore glorify God in your Body and in your Spirit which are his Did Christ pay our Debts and shall we like desperate Prodigals do nothing but encrease them by our Sin Then you disparage the Holy Ghost the Spirit whom Christ doth shed abroad to accomplish his Work 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty The great Work of the Holy Ghost is to free us from the Bondage of Sin Have you the Assistance of such a Spirit and can you not resist carnal Motions And are you taken with every vain Delight a Fashion a sensual Bait Thus consider what a dishonour it is to God to let Sin live if Christ died to redeem us You do as much as in you lieth to defeat the Project of God the Father the Purchase of the Son and the Work of the Spirit 2. It is a Disadvantage to your selves You cut off your own Claim and declare you have no Interest and Share in Christ if Sin live for he came to redeem us from Iniquity We cannot have an Interest in any part of Christ's Redemption till this be for all these go together God's Anger is not appeased the Devil's Power is not restrained the Law 's Curse is still in force as long as Sin lives You can have no Comfort if you be not freed from Sin the Wrath of God is against you and Hell is your Portion nay if you are not redeemed from all Sin for he redeems us from all Iniquity A Bird that is tied by the Leg may make a shew of escape but it is fast enough So though many may abstain from gross Sins for they that commit such shew plainly they are acted by the Spirit of the Devil yet if one Sin remains unmortified it enthralleth as well as many but if it reigns in the Soul you have no Interest in Christ. Object You will say Why should we mortify what should we trouble our selves about this Christ hath done all this Answ. No Christ hath redeemed us from all Iniquity but his Redemption doth not make void but oblige our Endeavours for he undertook as God's Surety that Sin should be destroyed and as our Surety that we should not serve Sin Rom. 6.6 Our Old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve Sin There 's a Work on God's part he undertook for the pouring out of Grace and on our part that we should be watchful and strive against Sin and watch against all Occasions of it And he hath given us encouragement so to do Non pugna sublata est sed Victoria It is not the Conflict against Sin that is taken away by Christ but the Victory of Sin Look as when the Israelites had a Promise that God would give their Enemies into their Hands the meaning was not that they should not strike a Stroke but they were to fight the Battels of the Lord So when Christ hath redeemed us from Iniquity yet we are to use all spiritual means of Mortification to subdue the Lusts and to prevent the Act of Sin It will be our great Condemnation when we have so much help that still Sin should remain Certainly he is very lazy that will not ply the Oar that hath both Wind and Tide on his side And when the Lord Christ hath purchased Grace and the Spirit yet we will not endeavour against Sin Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled again in the Yoke of Bondage Gal. 5.1 Vse 3. Direction When-ever you are troubled with your Sins and Lusts are too hard for you go to Christ. It is his Office to redeem you from your Iniquity and the Tyranny of Sin Therefore when you feel any Corruption stir go and complain to him as Paul did I cannot do the things
hanging upon a Tree We should look upon Christ crucified as if the thing were now a doing before our Eyes Gal. 3.1 Before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified before you Though it be past long ago it is present to Faith For he is lifted up that by the Eye of Faith we should look to him and see not only the thing but the end use and vertue of this Mistery The Brazen Serpent was a sufficient Remedy for the stung Israelites none that looked towards it perished the Cure never failed and Jesus Christ lifted up and being eyed is sufficient to cure the guilt of Sin and pain of Conscience through Sin and to heal our Diseased Souls and free them from the power of Corruption For being made a Curse for us the Blessing cometh freely upon the believing Gentiles even the gift of the Spirit Isa. 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed 2. The Superexcellency of Christ above this and all the Shadows and Types of him The Type doth express the thing signified but yet the Truth doth much exceed the Shadow The Brazen Serpent was but a Sign of Salvation so called in the Book of Wisdom chap. 16.6 But Christ is the Author of Salvation Heb. 5.9 The Serpent benefitted only the Israelites but Christ all Nations both Iew and Gentile Isa. 11.10 In that day there shall be a root of Iesse which shall stand for an ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious It freed them from present Death but yet so that they might dye by other means but Christ hath freed us not only from the Death of the Body but of the Soul and this for ever as in the Text That they should not perish but have everlasting life So Iohn 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye There Natural Life is preferred but for a while here Eternal Life obtained This benefit might last for a day or two but Iesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 Christ ever retaineth his healing Vertue This was but a piece of Brass while they lodged it in the Temple but Christ is a Mediator to all Eternity It was a great wickedness to worship the Brazen Serpent therefore Hezekiah broke it in pieces when once he understood the People to be guilty of that Idolatry 2 Kings 18.4 He brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made for unto those dayes the children of Israel did burn incense to it and he called it Neâ—ushâ—an or a piece of Brass but it is our Duty to worship Christ All men must honour the Son as they honour the Father Iohn 5.23 And Heb. 1.6 Let all the angels of God worship him Phil. 2.9 10. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name That at the name of Iesus every knee should bow When the Israelites worshipped the Brazen Serpent it was broken in pieces but they shall be broken in pieces themselves that deny Christ his due Worship Psalm 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potters vessel Dan. 2.44 And in the dayes of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and shall stand for ever The Kingdom that will not submit to him shall be broken in pieces Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Thus it sets forth Christ. 3. Faith is set forth or the Way and Means how we come to have benefit by Christ. It is not enough to look to what Christ hath done but what we must do that we may be partaâ—ers of him The way of Cure was by a look so it is believing in him that bringeth home the Blessing to our Souls From this Type we learn 1. The necessity of Faith None had benefit by the Brazen Serpent but those that looked on it The Promise was made to those that observed the Command Numb 21.8 Every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live If a Man turned away his Eyes and refused Gods Remedy the biting was Mortal to him As there is a necessity Christ should die so there is a necessity you should believe for besides Impetration there must be Application and the work of the Spirit is as necessary to apply Grace as the work of the Mediator to obtain Grace for us A deep well will do you no good without a Bucket nor the purchase of Salvation unless you apply it 2. An Incouragement of Faith 1. To broken-hearted Sinners if you are stung with Sin you may look to Christ. It was ground enough for any bitten Israelite to look to this Brazen Serpent because he had need he found himself bitten and thirsted for cure by this appointed means A felt Sense of Sin is warrant enough to look to Christ as the offered remedy Look not altogether to your soar to your sins but to Christ as the means of healing Indeed there must be a feeling and a sense of Sin or else there is no work for Christ to do what should an hail Israelite do with the Brazen Serpent Their looking began in a sense of pain none troubled their Thoughts about it till they were stung Compunction goeth before Faith The Israelites cryed out Oh! What shall we do for these fiery Serpents So Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do An impoisoned dagger was flung into their Souls and then What shall we do The Goaler came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas and said Sirs what must I do to be saved Acts 16.29 30. And they said verse 31. Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Only look upon the Serpent A Sinner must first feel himself a Sinner before he will or can come to Christ but then come The son of man is lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Some that know not themselves believers have been welcome to Christ but never any that know not themselves Sinners 2. To lapsed Believers The Serpents were left to sting the Israelites while they were in that place only the Brazen Serpent was lifted up God did not presently take away the Serpents only he gave a Remedy for such as were bitten Sin is not abolished but whilest we are in this Station the Remedy is still offered we are never so cured but we may be bitten again The disobedient Israelites needed this Motive and Chastisement to keep them in
willing to return to their Obedience to God expecting their help and discharge from Gods Grace in Christ. It is opposed to such as are Righteous in their own Eyes Such as do in some measure feel their Sins are humbled for them desirous to be freed from them lost Sinners broken-hearted and grieved and wounded for their transgressions These are respected in Christs Commission Isa. 61.1 2. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening the prison doors to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Here is Christs calling to his Ministry and the exercise of his prophetical Office described Sent to preach the spiritual deliverance from sin and Sathan But to whom To such as are humbled and thoroughly touched with a lively sense of their Sin for which purpose God maketh use of legal sorrow to awaken Sinners and prepare them before Conversion II. That Christ recovereth us out of this lapsed Estate by Calling There is a two-fold Calling of Christ by which he calleth Men 1. Outward 2. Inward 1. Outwardly By the Ministry of the Word by which he inviteth Men to come out of their Sins offering Grace and Salvation in the outward means Thus Iohn preached Repentance Mat. 3.20 Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand When the Kingdom of Grace was about to be set up by the Gospel the great Duty called for was Repentance For the Gospel findeth Men involved in an evil way like mad Men out of their Wits and they must return to their Wits again if they would be capable of it Now they must change their course if they will receive benefit by it Thus Iohn preached and Jesus Christ came with the same form of proclamation Mark 1.15 The kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the gospel The great business to which he called was to be willing to own the benefit offered by Christ and to return to the Duty which they owed to their Creator So his Apostles when sent abroad by him spake to Men in the same note Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins And Acts 3.19 Repent that your sins may be blotted out They offered Pardon and Life upon these termes 2. Inwardly By the effectual working of the Blessed Spirit inclining and moving their hearts to obey that outward Calling in forsaking their Sins and turning to the Lord by true Repentance We have need of a Saviour to help us to Repentance as well as to help us to pardon And God hath exalted him to such an end Acts 3.26 God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins He by the Gospel giveth leave to repent Acts 11.18 And when they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying That then God also to the Gentiles granted repentance to life Which is a great Mercy The Law doth not say I will not the Death of a Sinner but that he turn and live but the Lord saith do and live sin and dye This favour was not vouchsafed to Angels Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He took not hold of Angels That he giveth us space to repent as well as leave that by his Providence he may do and doth to many that perish Revel 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not God is not quick and severe upon every Miscarriage He might have cut us off betimes as we crush Serpents in the Egg and destroy venomous Creatures when they are young But this is not all he giveth Grace to repent yea Repentance its self whereby Mans Heart is changed This is by his Spirit 2 Tim. 2.25 If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth The Evangelical Call carries its own blessing with it III. The Means of Application or the Duty on Mans part is Repentance For to that he calleth them here Here let me shew you these four things 1. What Repentance is 2. The kinds of it 3. That this is the way of our Recovery 4. The suitableness of this qualification to the Grace of the New Covenant I. What Repentance is It is turning of the whole heart from Sin and Sathan to serve God in newness of Life Or a turning from Sin because God hath forbidden it to that which is good because God hath commanded it There are in it as in every action two tearms a quo and ad quem We turn from something and we turn to something 1. The terminus a quo we turn from something From Sin Acts 8.22 Repent of thy wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from thy wickedness and from dead works Heb. 6.1 from Sathan Sathan is sometimes made the terme because the Sinner falleth to his share Acts 26.18 To turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan to God 2. The terminus ad quem is to God Acts 20.21 To the truth 2 Tim. 2.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth To holiness and newness of Life Rom. 6.4 To life Acts 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life 2. The kinds of it There is a general Repentance which consists in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2.11 When a Man renounceth all sin and devoteth himself to God And there is a particular repentance for any provoking Sin Acts 8.22 Repent and pray that if it be possible the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Again There is a Repentance at our first Conversion which is our passing from Death to Life or our entrance by the strait gate Matth. 7.14 And there is a Repentance afterwards which belongeth to our walking in the narrow way For after Conversion we need it still and not in our Natural Estate only 'T is not only necessary for a Sinner yet unregenerate yet unreconciled to God without which he cannot expect any peace with God or benefit by the New Covenant but also for a Believer till his full and final Recovery This Repentance after Conversion is either occasional or constant 1. Occasional After any offence given or breach between us and God Repentance is necessary to obtain pardon of Sins after Justification as well as before it God saith to the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.5 Repent and do thy first works So verse 19. Whom I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Where Repentance is put for a necessary means of removing Gods rebuke and quarrel from them whom he loveth The promise is made
Suppose these Worldly rich Men should take to the serious Profession of Religion as some of them do and so mask and varnish over a Heart wholly wedded to the World and Worldly things with some kind of form and garb of Religion and it may be the strictest too yet they can never walk worthy of it nor hold and maintain it with any power and vigour They are Enemies to the Cross of Christ and why they mind earthly things Phil. 3.18 19. Christ speaks of selling and forsaking all and they are for getting and taking all into their own hands Now it is more difficult for them that have any thing in the World to comply with Christ's Commands Surely they that live in a lower Condition have less Temptations The young Man here went away sad For he had great Possessions I shall mention a Story of a Souldier of Antigonus which is well known because it helps to set forth what we have now in hand This Person had a very loathsom Disease upon him which made his Soul desire to be divorced from his Body and then none so ready and forward to venture himself in all Battails as he and when the General admiring his Valour got him to be Cured then he that had been so prodigal of his Life before was as shy tender and wary of it as others when he had a Life worth the keeping he was loth to venture and expose it to danger I apply it to this purpose It may be when the World disappoints thee thou art ready to venture thy little All for Christianity but if any thing may make the World sweet to thee none so sparing so afraid and ashamed to own Christ as they Certainly it conduceth much to the safety of Grace to have the Temptation removed as well as to have the Lust abated Rebus in angustis facile est contemnere vitam He that hath little can soon part with it whereas Riches expose to Apostacy 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us having loved this present World 4. It maketh Men apt to take up their rest here and to sit down satisfied with the World as their chiefest good without any earnest longing for or looking after a better Estate Psal. 17.14 From men of the World which have their portion in this Life small hope or desire of the Pleasures of another World they will have their Heaven here and therefore how hardly shall they enter into the Kingdom of Heaven The Lord will not remove us à deliciis ad delicias from Dalilah's Lap to Abraham's Bosom from carnal to spiritual Delights and the truth is they have no mind to be removed Iames 5.5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth and been wanton Here we are in a place of Exile Banishment separation from God where God doth not exhibit himself in that Latitude which he doth in the other World and yet here they seek their Felicity Luk. 6.24 Woe unto you that are rich for you have received your Consolation God requires of us Contentation and allows us a temperate use and holy delight in the Blessings of his Providence but we are not to take our whole Comfort here for that is meant by our Consolation and sit down drunk with Temporal Happiness that will make us mindless of those other things offered to us in the Gospel and kept for us in the World to come 5. They are apt to wax proud and scornful and impatient of Reproof and so grow licentious and lose the benefit of the Remedies that might reclaim them from their Errors 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this World that they be not high minded I interpret it of this sort of Pride when Men grow scornful of Admonition Licentious in sin and hate Reproof All Pride is incident to Riches but especially this Pride for as soon as a Man hath any thing about him he begins to speak higher and look higher and fare higher and to display the ensigns of his Vanity in his Apparel but chiefly his Heart is higher and so grows impatient of check and so cannot bear the means God hath appointed to warn him of his Danger and Duty They think we are too bold thus to deal with them and speak to them It is observed of Beasts that they never grow fierce but when they are in good plight so usually Men when they are full grow scornful and fierce and cannot endure to hear the mind of God powerfully and plainly set forth Great Men have great Spirits and they will not stoop to such base and mean Persons as the Messengers of Christ Ier. 5.5 I will get me to the great Men and will speak unto them c. but they have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds Jer. 13.15 Hear ye and give ear be not proud for the Lord hath spoken Men are high and scornful and if they have any thing to bear them out in Contempt of the Lord's Message they set themselves to oppose Christ and his Interest and dash against the Corner-stone thô they are broken in pieces They are the great and Yokeless Men of the World that will come under no Rule and no Awe of Christianity 6. They are Wanton and Sensual and so must needs be careless of Heaven and heavenly things Partly as Sensuality brings a Brawn and Deadness upon the Heart and takes off all sense and feeling and savouriness of Spirit Hos. 4.11 Whoredom and Wine and new Wine take away the Heart that is infatuate Men and make them of such a base Bruitish Spirit that they are uncapable of sound reasoning or of entertaining the Doctrine of Godliness 1 Tim. 5.6 She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth A Life of Pleasure brings on a strange Deadness and Infatuation upon the Soul partly as Sensuality engrosseth the time and causeth us to waste those precious Hours in which we should make Provision for Eternity to eat drink and be merry and knit one Carnal Pleasure to another and so leaves no room for any serious sober Thoughts of God Christ and the World to come and Necessity of Regeneration and taking the way of Holiness Luk. 12.19 I will say to my Soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry And partly as Sensuality doth strengthen our Enemy The greatest Enemy we have is the Flesh and the more we please it the more we set back our Salvation Now when Men nourish their Heart and strengthen their Corruptions how can they be overcome by the Power of the Lord's Grace Iames 5.5 Ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter They add Fuel to their Lusts and make Corrupt Nature more active and stirring than otherwise it would be Now rich Men are very sensual and apt to please the Flesh yea they can hardly avoid it in the Plenty of Accommodations they enjoy as Scripture and Experience witnesseth Sodom was a pleasant and fruitful Place
gone and there is none shut up or left When humane help begins to fail and is spent then God's Power is seen The lean Cheeks and the faint Voice and the pale Colour of a hunger-starved Beggar moves more than all the Canting Entreaties of a sturdy one When we are sufficiently humbled in the sense of our own Unworthiness and can entirely cast our selves upon God out of a Confidence of his Power help will not be far off for he really pities those that are indeed miserable and have a sense of it and sets his Power on work for their relief 10. We can never expect to be free from biting Cares and Perplexities about the various Occurrences of this Life until we can entirely cast our selves upon God's Alsufficiency and Power O but when you are once got upon the Rock then you will not be tost with the uncertain Waves Isa. 26.3 4. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thâ—e Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Iehovah is everlasting strength In the ebbings and flowings of the Creature a Man is safe and fixed for he hath that which answers all things A Man that hath no Lands yet if he hath Money the wise Man tells us that answereth all things and he may do well enough So if a Man hath nothing in the Creature yet if he hath the Power of God that answereth all things he can rejoyce in God when Creatures fail Heb. 3.17 18. As having nothing yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 The Almighty God carryeth the Purse we have all things in God and he will supply us as he seeth it to be best with respect to his own Glory and their Eternal Condition And therefore if you would be freed from all these floating Uncertainties and those tempestuous Agitations of Spirit by which you are tost too and fro you will never come to this 'till you encourage your selves in the sense of God's Power and Alsufficiency SERMON I. ON 2 THESS I. v. 3. We are bound to thank God always for you Brethren as it is meet because that your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth THe first part of this Epistle is Gratulatory for the Thessalonians Perseverance and Increase in Grace In which First the Apostle giveth Thanks to God Secondly He telleth of the Fame thereof in the Churches Verse the 4 th That he might the better encourage and exhort them to continue By both he intimateth his Love and spiritual Affection to them In his Thanksgiving to God we may take Notice of 1. The Affectionate Manner 2. The Matter of this Thanksgiving The increase of their Faith and Charity For the Manner It is done Emphatically We are bound to thank God alwayes for you as it is meet There are three emphatical words Alwayes This Work of God among them was much upon his Heart and still gave him new Matter of Praising God in their behalf Then there is the Obligation from Iustice and Equity signified in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are bound And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is meet there the Expression is stronger He doth not only tell them that he did it but that he ought to do it We are bound and it is meet The first Expression respects the Mercy of God so there was a Debt of Duty lying upon him there was Justice in the Case The second respects their Estate It was meet Becoming the Condition into which Grace had brought them and so there was Equity in the Case Some refer this last Clause to the Performance of the Duty that he gave Thanks as was meet that is in that manner which so great a Benefit deserveth not slightly and perfunctorily but with great rejoicing But rather it refers to the Apostle's Judgment of their Estate As it is meet Hearing what I do for me to Judge of you For a parallel Expression doth thus explain it Phil. 1.7 Even as it is meet for me to think thus of you all He conceived himself bound to Judge of them all to be such as had owned the Lord with a sincere Faith and his People with a sincere Love and were likely to continue therein Not his Affection but his Judgment inclined him to think so the Church of the Thessalonians and every Member thereof had given such real and evident Signs of the Grace of God in them that he was bound to give God special Thanks for this Grace The Gospel hath and may be blessed in some places so far that all the Members of particular Churches have given positive Evidences of true Grace in them and that to the most discerning Christians and those who were best able to judge It is yet possible and therefore why should we not endeavour after it It is meet for me to Judge so I Hope you are so therefore I count my self bound to give Thanks to God From this Preface four Points are Observable 1. That 't is a Debt we owe to God to give Thanks for his Benefits 2. That in Thanksgiving to God we should specially own his Spiritual Benefits 3. That not only the Spiritual Benefits vouchsafed to our selves but to others also must be acknowledged with Thankfulness 4. That in Thanksgiving for Spiritual Benefits whether to our selves or others the Increase of Grace must be acknowledged as well as the Beginnings of it In the former Epistle he gave Thanks to God for their Faith and Love here for the increase and growth of both Your Faith groweth exceedingly and your Love aboundeth 1 Doct. That it is a Debt we owe to God to give Thanks for his Benefits Paul saith here not only we do but we are bound 1. Justice requireth it for the Benefits were given upon this Condition that we should Praise God for them Psal. 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me This is God's Pact and Agreement with us That we shall have the Benefit and he will have the Glory As the King of Sodom said to Abraham Give me the Persons and take the Goods to thy self agen Gen. 14.21 So in effect God saith to us You shall have the Comfort but let me have the Honour We our selves Consent to this Covenant we seldom make Prayers in our distress but we promise Thankfulness Hosea 14.2 Take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our Lips We engage to offer Praise when our Requests are heard Now when God heareth and granteth our requests there is an Obligation upon us to glorifie God for the Mercies received But now though God be sought to in our Necessities there is no more mention of him when our Turns are served We are forward in Supplications but backward in Gratulations All the Lepers could beg Health yet but one returned to give God the Glory Luk. 17.18 Surely we
their Broach was fashioned to the shape of a Cross a transverse piece of Wood thrust through the Shoulders of the Lamb and why should we not believe this Holy Man who was well acquainted with the Jewish affairs being born at Sychem Besides the notable Providence of God that Christ's Legs should not be broken 3. The fruits and benefits of this Sacrifice 1. By the sprinkling the Blood of the Lamb he that destroyeth the first born of the Aegytians could not touch them Heb. 11 28. This secured them against the destroying Angel to teach us that the justice of God doth only spare them whose Consciences are sprinkled with the Blood of Christ. The Blood of the Lamb and the Blood of Christ was shed for this end that it might be sprinkled and being sprinkled might exempt and free us from Death So the Apostle St. Peter speaketh of the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus by which the Elect are sanctified and saved 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ. There was not only Blood shed but Blood sprinkled so Heb. 12.24 And to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things than the blood of Abel God said of the blood of the Paschal Lamb Exod. 12.23 For the Lord will pass through to smite the Aegyptians and when he seeth the blood upon the Lintel and on the two side posts the Lord will pass over the Door and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you So when Wrath maketh inquisition for Sinners God beholding his Sons Blood wherewith the Elect are sprinkled they are exempted from the Curse wherein others have intangled and involved themselves for saith the Apostle Paul Rom. 5.9 Being justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him So that we need not fear the Sword of the destroying Angel whither he be an Angel of Darkness or an Evil Angel for God hath delivered us from the power of Darkness by the Blood of his Son Col. 1.13 or an Heavenly Angel by the same blood he hath reconciled all things unto himself both in Heaven and in Earth Col. 1.20 Those Angels which were heretofore set as a guard upon the Earthly Paradise with a Flaming Sword to keep us out from thence do carry us into the Heavenly Paradise Luke 16.22 The Begger died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom and are Ministring Spirits sent forth for the Heirs of Promise not to destroy them but to keep them and preserve them Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation 2. In that very Night in which the Paschal Lamb was slain the Israelites obtained their freedom and deliverance out of Aegypt So hath Christ by his Blood freed us from the slavery of Sin the Devil and the World and called us into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God 1 Cor. 7.23 Ye are bought with a price be not ye the Servants of Men. So Heb. 2.15 That he might deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life time subject to Bondage And Iohn 8.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed We are redeemed unto God as they went into the Wilderness to worship God 3. In that very Night God exercised Judgments on the Gods of the Aegytians So it is said Exod. 12.12 Against all the Gods of the Aegyptians will I exercise Iudgment And it is repeated Numb 33.4 For the Aegyptians buried all their first born which the Lord had smitten among them upon their Gods also the Lord executed Iudgments Some say by slaying the Beasts which the Aegyptians Worshipped as the Oxe Ionathan in his Paraphrase saith that all their Idols of Metal melted and their Idols of Stone and Earth were broken in pieces and their Idols of Wood were burned to Ashes whether this or that we cannot tell because the Scripture is silent but surely these threatnings were not in vain and wanted not there certain effect Certain we are that by the blood of Christ the Devils Kingdom goeth down Iohn 12.31 32. Now shall the Prince of this World be cast out And I if I be lifted up from the Earth will draw all men unto me As Christ's Kingdom goeth up the Idols are thrown to the Moles and to the Bats Isa. 2.20 And God will famish all the Gods of the Earth Zeph. 2.11 And in the 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain conversations received by tradition from your Fothers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot The blood of Christ fetcheth over men from their inveterate Customs and Superstitions And Rev. 12.11 They overcame by the blood of the Lamb. And 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 4. How shall we be partakers of those good things which come to us from the Lamb of God Two things were required of these Israelites that they should sprinkle the blood of this Lamb upon the Lintel and the two side Posts And then eat his flesh in an Holy and Religious manner and if any of the Israelites had neglected either of these he had refused the grace annexed to this Ordinance and so lost the benefit of it So if we neglect the means by which Christ is to be applyed we lose our benefit by him 1. They were to sprinkle the Lintel and the two side Posts of their doors At another time God gave them direction to write his Law on the door Posts Deut. 11.20 Thou shalt write them upon the door Posts of thy house and upon thy gates Which I mention that we may the better understand what is meant by them By these Door Posts are meant our Hearts for these God sprinkleth with the blood of his Son Heb. 10.22 Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience And upon these hearts of ours doth he write his Laws Ier. 31.32 I will put my law in their Inward parts and write it in their hearts For the Hearts of Men are as open to God as the Doors of our Houses are to our selves Now our hearts are sprinkled with the blood of Christ when we firmly believe that God is propitiated by the blood of Christ and will spare all those who in a broken Hearted manner sue out their pardon in Christ's name unfeignedly devoting themselves to God Oh than Let every one of us get our hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ and apply it to our Consciences and say with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.15 Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief And again Gal. 6.14 God forâ—id that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Iesus Christ by whom the World