that that is the best way to conveigh true saving Grace unto them a spirit of life into them it is by this means rather than by others the Lord chooses this way rather than others You have received the Spirit saith Paul to the Galatians And how have you received it by the preaching of the Law or by the preaching of the Gospel Which way was the conveighance of the spirit of God to you Was it by the preaching of the Law or the preaching of the Gospel not by the one but by the other Though there be a great deal of use of preaching the Law yet that which doth conveigh the Spirit and grace into the Conscience it is the opening the riches of the treasure of the Grace of God in the Gospel therefore this Objection hath no strength in it to say we have no power in our selves God doth entreat and beseech because by this meanes he puts forth a power into the hearts of those he doth intend to save everlastingly If we should entreat dead men to rise it were a folly for us because we cannot conveigh any power into them but it is not in vain for God because he is able while he is entreating and beseeching to conveigh a power into them Obj. But you say in the second place what need the Lord do al this God might work it by a word from himselfe God might presently shew forth his almighty power to bring in sinners to himselfe he need not stand praying and intreating and answering Objections bringing of arguments and the like because he can by his almighty power bring in sinners he can breake the stoutest heart that lives upon the earth and pul downe the proudest spirit and therefore what need God do al this Ans I Answere who aâ—t thou O man that reasonest against God but if you wil have reasons there are many to be given First because God having to work with a rational creature he wil work suitable to the nature of that creature that he is working upon If God were to work meerly uppon stones to raise out of the stones children unto Abraham then God would but only speak the word and say let it be done it should be done but the Lord loves to do it in a way sutiable to a rational creature now that way is this First that the understanding should be inlightened and the heart should be gained and wrought upon they knowing what it doth it should come to do what it doth freely and wilingly though we have no free wil at the first yet when wee do embrace the gospel then the Lord doth cause the hearts of men to embrace it wilingly and this is a great part of the gospel of God to shew himselfe to his creature he wil work his own work but such a way as shal be suitable to his creature Again if the Lord should bring in sinners to himself by his almighty power then there would not so much of the beauty and riches of his grace appear as there doth this way If God should effectually work it by his own hand I say the glory of his grace would not so gloriously shine sorth Now it is the special designe that God hath in al his workes about redemption that the glory of the riches of his grace might appear to men and Angel's that they might magnify it Now what can be more to magnify grace then when a sinner shal come to vieu the several workings of Gods mercy towards him how the lord hath provided a way of Reconciliation and that though the soul were backward and hung of yet the Lord stil followed on and put on the soul and would not suffer the soul to die and perrish in the sins of it What wil magnifie Grace more than this the way of bringing in sinners to be reconciled unto himself wil be a principal subject for the Saints to be blessing of God to al eternity And therefore you Christians that have found the work of God bringing in your hearts to himself observe what Gods work is marke the several waies of Gods working with your souls For know that those several waies of Gods working with your souls now wil be the subject of your eternal praises in Heaven And hence it is that God doth go on in such several expressions that the riches of his Grace might appear the more fully Yea and further that by this means he might gain the hearts of sinners everlastingly to himself there is nothing wil gain them so unto God as this declaration of the riches of his Grace in the Gospel And when the sinner shal see not only that God is reconciled but how God hath set his heart upon it how earnest God hath bin in it this wil engage the heart of a sinner for ever unto God and hence it is that those sinners that have felt most of the Grace of God bringing them in to be reconciled are those that keep closest unto God As for such as are only stopt in the way of their sins by the terrors of the Law and are not acquainted with the mistery of the Grace of God in the Gospel they seldom hold out though for a while out of slavery to their consciences they do not commit such and such sins This I make no question one may be brought to do that hath no true saving Grace that they may not dare to commit a sin in secret for a while meerly our of terror of conscience But now these men they are only wrought upon by the terrors of the Law they seldom hold out but though conscience bear a strong hand to keep them from sin for a long time yet at length they break those bonds But now those that have not only conscience enlightned and do not see the danger of sin only but come to have these beames of the Grace and goodness of God let out into their hearts and their hearts are so gained unto God by this that they wil never depart from him but their hearts wil follow to the bountifulness of God The difference of these two may be exprest by this similitude Look how it is in frosty wether when the water is frozen there are two waies to come by the water the Husbandman goes in the morning and sees the water frozen and beates it to pieces and breaks the yce but though he doth so the next morning he comes and sees it frozen as much as before but when there comes warm weather and dissolves the yce then it quite goes away in flakes so hence the hearts of al sinners are frozen and God comes with the terror of the Law and beats them in pieces and breaks them that way I but at last they freeze again and grow as hard again as ever But now when the Lord comes with the beams of his Grace and shines upon them then their Hearts thaw and the yce goes away and their hearts come in flowing to God in another manner than
is such a mistake as indeed is a great dishonor to the work of God reconciliation of God in Christ We must put much upon that great work which God puts so much upon and if we did we might go up and down in the world with a world of comfort and it would increase sanctification Indeed to deny al kind of obleigment of the Law to God and to say that men are not bound to keep it as God being their Creator c there is an exstream vanity in it but to give the Law that which is its due and to give the Beleever his due too to shew how farr we are bound to it and how far delivered from it this is a great mistery of the Gospel and people should labor to understand it aright and take heed least out of a desire to apprehend the grace of God in Christ we do not go too farr in ovrthrowing our obligations to God by the Law One would think that this which I have delivered if mens spirits were not very wanton were enough namely that we are not under the sentence of condemnation though we are not freed from the Law and the duties thereof as God is our Creator and we should think the grace of God magnified in this and therefore thus far take hold and make use of this Grace of God in Christ as not to loose the comfort of it This is the first weakness that hinders men from preserveing the comfortable assurance of their peace with God Weakness 2. The second Weakness is this When men that are godly are ready to judg of Gods works through their weakness as works of enmity against them not only of their waies towards God as an argument that God and they are at enmity but they are ready to judg al the administrations of Gods providence as if they were the works of an enemy to them as if God were in them walking contrary to them This is a great weakness and dishonor unto God Let the wicked and ungodly judg so if they Wil. As God saith fury is not in me who would set the briars and the Thorns before him he wil go through them When God comes in outward waies of misery ungodly ones may look upon them as God walking in them contrary unto them they may look upon al his works as the works of an enimy and as one that intends their ruine and destruction they are to look upon every trouble if it be but the least distemper of their body as the beginnings of eternal wrath and a making way for eternal misery for ought they know But they that are reconciled to God it is their weakness if they should look upon the greatest affliction they meet withal as a work of Gods coming towards them as an enimy No you must know that there is this power in your reconciliation with God in Christ as First That there is nothing that ever God doth towards you that doth tend to everlasting wrath nothing whatever it be Here is thy comfort that thou mayest build upon this though thy affliction be sore and though they be long upon thy body or estate perhaps thou loosest al that thou hast and it may be God delivers thee up into the hand of thine enemies and they trample upon thee as dirt yet nothing of al this tends to eternal wrath As on the contrary though a wicked man may have a great many favors from God and fruits of his patience yet no wicked man hath ground to make such an interpretation of any good thing he injoyes from God as to think that this doth tend to his eternal good So those that are beleevers though they meet with never so great afflictions yet they have not sufficient ground to make this interpretation of those afflictions that they tend to their utter undoing And one would think that this were enough on the other side for men to beleeve that whatsoever afflictions they meet withal in this world the wrath of God in al those afflictions is taken away they shal not tend to their ruine and eeternal misery that though the afflictions themselves may remaine yet the poyson of every affliction which is the wrath of God is taken away by Christ Nay whatsoever befals us in this world is so far from tending to eternal misery that it is through the love of God tending to thy good that which doth seem to be most cross to thy desires yet it is such as tends to thy everlasting good in Christ And this one would think is enough for the sattisfaction of mens hearts in the point of afflictions As what was delivered before may be enough concerning our freedome from the Law So what I have now writ in being chastened for our sins Take but these two things that no evil no chastisement that shal befal us shal tend to our everlasting misery nay nothing shal befal us but it is out of love and tends to our eternal good These two being granted one would thing one might grant any thing else that God may shew a fatherly displeasure against us for our sins though not as a revenging judg that God may exercise his wisdom that way to mannifest his holiness and how he disliks sin c. One would think this might safely be granted granting the other two And indeed these two and the other concerning the Law al our divines that are Orthrodax grant and these are enough to satisfie us about the free grace of God in Christ and beleevers be throughly revited and grounded in this they may come to keep the assurance of their peace with God for what shal hinder either their sins or Gods afflictions now neither of these should hinder a beleevers peace but that he may be able stil to preserve it looking upon God through Christ This is concerning the loosing of the assurance of our peace through weakness CHAP. 26. We may loose the asserance of our Peace with God by our sinful walking SEcondly we may come to loose our peace the assurance of our peace with God through sinfulnes through our loose and carnal walking with God by this means we may come to fear that such walking cannot stand with the condition of a Beleever and then indeed a beleever is put to a nonplus and it wil be a great while before he can be satisfied In the other when it is but a dayly infirmity and when it is such as he strivs against he is easily satisfied but when it comes to that that it is very like walking after the flesh as indeed many fal so fouly as you can scarcly perceive any difference between one that works after the flesh and him his exceedingly clouds the light of Gods favour and exceedingly hinders the Comfort of his peace with God And O how justly may the Lord abraid thee and say what did I set that infinit wisdome of mine a work to find out such a way of Reconciliation with thee and is it worth no
another expression there is I have a baptisme to be baptized with and how am I streightned till it be accomplished Christ was streightned in his heart til the work was done You may see how much the heart of Christ was in it to be reconciled unto sinners when became to do the thing indeed when the wrath of God was even just comming upon him then though nature had some kind of reluctancy he saieh if it be possible let this cup pass from me to shew how sensible his humane nature was of it yet presently Not my wil but thy wil but thy wil be done And the scriptue tells us that he did make his soul an offering for sin and that he layd down his life And further after that Christ had layed down his life and risen again mark one expression more that shews how willing Christ is to have sinners reconciled and brought in unto the Father and to be at peace with him and that is very remarkable in Luke 24. verse 46. And so on note what was that first preaching of Christ repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand So here in this world in his bodily presence this may seem to be his last sermon What was it he said unto them Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer Wel in vers 47. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name amongst al nations begining at Jerusalem and ye are witnesses of these things and then by and by he was caught up into heaven That which I note this scripture for is this that after Christ had been so notoriously abused in his sufferings yet this did not hinder his earnest thirsting after reconciliation of those that had put him to death and had so abused him saith he it is written that it behoved Christ to suffer c. To begin at Jerusalem and that is that that I would have done The repentance should be preached to al nations but begin at Jerusalem Why begin at Jerusalem Because Jerusalem was the place where Christ was put to death immediately befâ—â—â— he was crowned with Thorns mockt a Reed put into his hands spit upon The Children of Barrabas rather than him yea and they cryed Away with him they carried him to the Cross and there nailed him til he was dead and thus they dealt with Christ there yet Christ would have repetance preacht to al Nations but saith he above al think of Jerusalem and begin at Jerusalem let them have it in the first place Jerusalem that took away my life that killed me If any thing in the world could take of the heart of Christ from being reconciled to sinners one would have thought that that which he had done to him at Jerusalem should have taken of his heart but he would have them begin at Jerusalem It is a notable Text of Scripture to us and you shal find it the most remarkable conversion and bringing in of sinners was at that Sermon of Peter when Peter charged them that they had crucified Christ the most famous conversion that ever was made of those people that put Christ to death the most famous work of Gods reconcling sinners to himself of Christ bringing in of sinners by the preaching of the Gospel it was by bringing in of those sinners and therefore in the last Sermon that Christ preached from Heaven as the first Sermon upon Earth and the last Sermon upon Earth and the most solemn Sermon that was at the dedication of the Temple is altogether about bringing in sinners to be reconciled to God So the last Sermon that he preacht from Heaven or that ever he wil preach til he comes again so in Revel 22.17 And the spirit the Bride said come let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst say Come and whosoever wil let him take the water of life freely These are the last words in effect that are at the conclusion of the book that ever Christ would speak til he came to Judgment never would he speak more in that way to the children of men until he came in a new world But in this word here is the last in this expression Let him that is athirst and whosoever wil let him come and take of the water of life freely Now the Objections they wil come in as first CHAP. 78. Objections Answered concerning the willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners OBject You wil say Why should God do al this and Christ do al this you tel us that God is so willing to be reconciled and hath so exprest himself and Christ so willing to be reconciled and hath so exprest himself by entreating and beseeching but both God and Christ knows we can do nothing of our selves and therefore to what end is al this that you have spoken as if we should go into Golgothus or burial places and entreat the dead to rise out of their graves To what purpose would it be we are dead in sins and trespasses and now if we can do nothing al that you have spoken is but to little purpose To that purpose I answer First though it is true we are dead in sins and trespases and are not able to performe any true saving work by our own strength yet first al those expressions of God and Christ in his word and so of the ministers of God in their names it may be of this use to stir up common gifts and graces of the spirit of God in us and that is for to have them stirred up to the utmost that possible may be people must not think that because they cannot do any worke that is indeed saving in it self any work of spiritual life that therefore there is nothing to be done by them we are to know that though the saving works of God be more rare yet there are common workes of the spirit that God doth dispence to many yea to most and in some degree or other to al especially to those that live under the sound of the Gospel there are none that live under the sound of the Gospel but they have some common gifts of the Spirit of God in one degree or other Now the Lord would have these stirred up to the utmost though it cannot be in a sanctified way and these expressions of God Christ to sinners have a great deal of efficacy in them to stir up what common gifts of Gods Spirit you have and if sinners do not this they cannot expect that God should do much towards them Consider what power God hath given them and what common gifts they have already and let that be acted to the utmost and then they may wait stil for more from God This is a truth that there are none that do perish but God hath this to charge them with that they did not stir up the common gifts of Gods spirit Secondly though we cannot do any thing of our selves yet God knows
himself and the Father must look upon him as the Head of a Covenant to which we belong likwise So that his obedience and sufferring is to be looked upon now not as done by a private person But looked upon as the obedience and suffering of a publick Person of one that Bears our Names before God the Father And herein there is a further mistery of godlines The reconciliation between man and man is only when one that is a stranger comes and stands between and mediateth there is not required such a union between him that he mediateth for and himselfe But Christ comes not in meerly as a third person between God and us but he comes to take our very natures upon him and we are made one in the covenant of grace he as the Head and we as the members That look as Adam stood before God as the Head of the first Covenant of works and so we were al looked upon at first in him and dyed in him So Christ who is called the Second Adam stands before the Lord as the Head of the Second Covenant and al those that he doth mediate for and whom he doth seek to reconcile to the father stand al before the father in him so that his work is imputed to be theirs and the Lord looketh upon them in their Head fulfiling that Second Covenant of life and peace that he hath made with poor creatures in him So that you must not only look upon Christ to be a Saviour as the Son of God in Heaven but if you would look upon him with comfort you must look upon him as the head of a second Covenant and upon your selves joyned with him as members of him and so presented unto the father through him Thus God was in Christ reconciling himself to the world God looking upon Christ and through Christ as the head of the Covenant of grace upon al those that Christ did undertake for as Covenanters Joyned together with him comes to be reconciled to al those which shal be everlastingly Saved This is the mistery of the Gospel God in Christ reconciling the world to himself What Christ was hath been opened And what Christ hath undertaken and how God looks upon us through this mediator These things you must search into and cry unto God that by his Spirit he whuld open these misteries of the Gospel unto you and then you shal see much of the mistery of grace and of the minde of god and so come to have abundance of peace with God notwithstanding al the present remainders of uncleannes that are in your hearts CHAP. 17. How we come to have intrest in what Christ hath done is further opened WE have shewed in the former chapter what Christ doth for the Continuance of this peace between God and us that he is at the right hand of God there making intercession for the Saints continualy so that if ther be any thing that might in its own nature break the peace between God and us this our mediator sits at the right hand of the Father and there by his intercession he continually presents himself for the removing of it and for the continuance of the peace between God and us that there may no Breach fal out for the time to come this I say Christ undertakes to do and this is a special work of his Mediation namly his being Continually at the right hand of the Father and there presenting himselfe unto God for the keping and mantaining of this peace which he hath made between the Father and us Again if it be demanded how we come to have an Intrest in this that Christ doth which was the fourth thing propounded in the twelfth chapter in his Satisfaction in al that he undertakes The Answeer was this That Christ is made the Head of a second Covenant for as the foundation of the Breach that was between God and us at the first came by the first man Adam who was the Head of the first Covenant in whom we al Sinned and so turned enimies unto God So Jesus Christ is made a Second Adam and the head of a Second Covenant and al those that are looked upon as the posterity of the Second Adam for so it must be they are looked upon as one in him As al that were of the posterity of the first Adam were looked upon as one man in him and so the Breach was made and enmity came between God and al that one mans posterity so al that are to be of the Posterity of the Second Adam that are either actually of him or are to be born of him by a Spiritual generation which in the Scripture is tearmed Regeneration al those are looked upon as one with him and hence it is that in the 1. Cor. 15.47 the Apostle speakes of the first and second Adam as if there were no more but two men in the world for indeed ther are no more in that sense nor ever were The first man saith the apostle is of the Earth Earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven Heavenly here is the first man and the Second man Why you wil say are there but two men in the world No not in that sense that is there were never but two men that did represent al others and under those two men are al other men in the world represented before God Al the children of men that fel from God the are represented in the first Adam who was the Head of the first Covenant and they stand under that covenant And al those that God intends to be reconciled unto and to glorifie they are represented before God in the second Adam who is the Head of the Second Covenant It is true if we speake properly Caine was in order the second man in the world but Christ is the Second man that is the Head of a second Covenant the Second man that God did enter into the Covenant withal for other men and in that sense he alone was the second man As in the same sense Adam is Called the first man so that God is Reconciled to the world in Christ that is as in the first Adam the Breach was made between God and man so in the second Adam Reconciliation is made between God and man And as God imputeth that which the first Adam did to his Posterity for Condemnation so that which the Second Adam did he doth impute to the Posterity of that Second Adam for life and Reconciliation And that you have more largly discussed in the most part of the fift Chapter of the Rom. especially from the middle of the Chapter to the end CHAP. 18. Eight Consequences of Our Reconciliation being made in Christ 1. It is a deep Mystery 2. It is very free 3. It is sure and certain 4. It is full 5. It is an honorable way 6. Yet in such a way as doth debase man 7. It is firm and everlasting 8. This Reconciliation was a very difficult work THere are yet
more then so but that thou castest of the comfort of it that thou mightest give liberty to thy loosnes and negligence and to have the flesh have satisfaction And so Christ himself may abraid the what shal I come from the bosom of my father and take upon me the form of a servant and be made a curse that I might make peace between my father and thee and is it worth no more but this that thou castest away the Comfort of thy assurance for such a sinful distemper of heart to give thy liberty to live after the flesh Yea the Holy spirit may come and a braid thee and say What shal I come and reveal the deep councells of God towards thee and shew thee what those things were that God from all eternity hath done for thee shal I open the misteries of Christ unto thee and draw thy heart unto him and shal I speak peace unto thee and yet when al is done thou shouldest regard this so little as for the sattisfaction of some base distemper of heart loose that which I have thus brought to thee loose the comfort of al that I have done for thee both Father Son and Holy Spirit may abraid thy negligence and the loosness of thy heart and life Yea and thine own Conscience may tell thee and say did not I often hint unto thee that if thou didst give liberty to thy selfe to walk thus and thus loosely thou shalt loose thy comfort and thou shouldst ' come to apprehend God to be a terror to thee and wilt thou even in these dayes of troble when men crie out of feares and dangers take such a foolish course to loose thy peace with God Is there any thing in the base distemper of thy heart that can countervail this loss Look upon those that walk holylie and closs with God and let their Conversations abraid thee they keep their hearts cleane and maintaine their peace with God and when they lie down they lie down in peace and they awake in the comfortable assurance of their peace and when thy heare of warrs and rumors of warrs yet so long as they can look up to God as their reconciled Father their hearts are fixed and stable and though they suffer the spoyleing of their goods and â—he loss of all that is deare unto them yet they know that within their bosom there is that which wil afford comfort enough unto them And yet thou through the giveing sattisfaction to some base and sinful distemper or lust canst not think upon God without terror can'st not apprehend him but as an enemy O! unworthy soul how shouldest thou be confounded in thy own thoughts for the loosness and negligence of heart in preserving that peace which Christ hath wrought between the Father and thee so strangly and so wonderfully Work these things my Brethren upon your hearts any ground all upon this that we are reconciled to God in Christ our Reconciliation was wrought by such a strang way as by Christ and it cost his blood to work it therefore if we have any hope of our peace with God we had need looke to it to preserve it CHAP. 27. Use 6. Give God the glory of our Reconciliation Againe we have yet a further Use here If God be reconciled to us in Christ it teacheth us to give God the glory of this great worke adore the infinite wisdome and mercy and goodnes of God in this work of his towards us reconciling us to himselfe in Jesus Christ When Christ was born the Angels Sang glory to God on high peace on earth and it was upon that ground that they Sang it as if they should have said O Lord what a way is here for thee to make peace upon earth that thou shouldest send thy Son here we looke upon a poore Infant in a manger and this Infant is the eternal God the second person in Trinity that hath thus taken mans nature upon him and here he lyes in the cratch even the same person that made the world What a strang work of God is this to bring peace upon Earth peace after such a way as this glory be to God on high And this is the thing we should spend our dayes in to adore the infinite wisdom and goodnes of God in this way of his in reconciling the world to himselfe in Christ God expects that al the children of men to whom Christ comes to be made known to should even fal upon their faces and spend their days in adoring and praysing and magnifying this great work of God God expects that we should have mighty high thoughts of this work and if our thoughts be not high of this work and be nor lift up above al Creatures we do but take the name of God in vaine God doth not care for any other glory we give him except we give him the glory of this work It is true when we see the works of God in the Earth and in the Seas we should glorifie Gods power and Gods wisdom c. But except your heart be taken with this master peece as I may so terme it with this great work of God of Reconciling himselfe to the world in Christ God wil rject al your other gloryfyings of him I mean so reject them as he wil not accept of them in comparison therefore this is the thing that God accepteth above al and this is the comandement of God that we should beleeve in his son and that we should give the Father the glory due unto him for reconciling himselfe to the world in his Son This is the worke that shal be done in Heaven to al eternity This is the thing that God himselfe delights in above al that ever he hath done that takes up his heart above al. And if it do not take up your hearts but you look upon it as an ordinary thing and so indeed count the blood of Christ as a comon thing O! know it is a high indignity in that thing in which he doth expect most glory from And let me say this Hath God revealed this work of his Son unto thee and is thy heart taken with this great work that God hath done and art thou continualy adoring of the greatness of that work of God peace be unto thee for this is as Good an evidence that thou art reconciled unto God in Christ as any I know But I must hasten CHAP. 28. Use 7. To love Christ And do or suffer for him AGain Is it in Christ that we are reconciled unto God O! let Christ be beloved by us Let us say with the blessed Martyr Lambert None but Christ None but Christ which he spake too when he came to the stake to be burnt for Christ a good Lessen for us by the way to take out that may come to suffer very hard things for that which we have undertaken to do in obedience to God yet for us to rejoyce when we come to suffer banishment or loss of goods or
of al these things was before God from al eternity As a work man when he goes to build an House or to build a ship he hath the platform thereof in his head before he strikes a strook So the great work of our Election of our Vocation Justification Reconciliation adoption sanctification and glorification the Lord had the platforme of al before him it was all in his Head as it were and he was exercised about it before the world began so that if thou art a Beleiver it now comes to be knowen that the Lord from al eternity was exercised about thee and thy good and about the Contrivance of thy Salvation and fore saw how thou wouldest fal from him and be made a child of wrath and an Heir of Hel. And then he saw a way how to recover thee out of that condition and how to bring this to pass how he would cast thy lot to live in such a place and in such an age of the world wherein the Gospel and the misteries thereof should be preached and that thou shouldest come under such a ministery and that just at the preaching of such a sermon such a truth should be darted into thy heart and applied unto thee and that then he would send his holy spirit to fasten that truth upon thy heart the Lord plotted al this from eternity and this is that which the Lord was busied about as we may speak with reverence before the world began Vse 3. Another Use is this It is a good establishment for us to help us to beleeve that eternal happiness that is to come that part of eternity that is a parte post Becaâ—se we have God revealeing his love to us in that part of eternity that is a parte ante God hath shewed that from eternity he hath been plotting our good Surely then it is no more for God to make us happy on the other side of eternity then it was for him to be plotting our happiness in the former part of eternity So that a Beleever may see his happy condition in this He is now injoying that peece of Gods love that is between two Oceans of eternity of love As if there were a little River and on each side there wer a mighty Ocean of Water now the streame of Gods love and mercy runs towards thee thou now dost receive abundance of good from God the Lord sweetneth thy life and now comforts and refresheth thy heart with his grace art thou glad of this and is this peece of the mercy of God sweet unto thee poor soul look on this side and look on the other side and see those Oceans of Eternal Love on both sides towards thee Alas this is a little that thou hast now but if thou lookest on one side there thou shalt see that eternal love of God that was toward thee before the world was made And if thou lookest on the other side thou shalt see eternal life in al that glory which shal never have an end which thou shalt actually be possessed of and that which thou art for the present in the possession of is a little stream in comparison of these two great Oceans of love that are from eternity to eternity And when thou hearest that God intends to make thee happy for ever and that thou shalt continue a glorious and blessed creature as long as God himself shal live and that thou shalt be happy as long as God shal be happy Perhaps thou thinkest how is this possible is it possible for such a poor fraile creature as I am to live to be happy as long as God himself shal be happy Yes do not doubt of it though it be a great thing for God hath had a love to thee from al eternity therefore though it is true there be many frailties and many sins of thine yet that cannot hinder thee of that eternal mercy that God hath been plotting for thee Methinks the Apostle argues after this manner Galla. 3.17 The Covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ the Law which four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul that it should make the promise of none effect Observe the Apostles argument the Law saith he cannot disanul the promise of Grace Why Because it was four hundered and thirty yeares after the promise was made and that which came so long after cannot disanul that which was before We may make use of the argument thus Surely if thou beest one that belongest to this transaction of God with his Son the sins that now thou fallest into cannot take away Gods love from thee cannot hinder thee from being happy for ever VVhy Because the Covenant of God with his Son for thy happiness was not four hundred and thirty years ago but hundred of millions of thousands years ago therefore that which is now done cannot disanul that which was from al eternity â—â—mfort thy self with this when thou hearest that God was reconciling himself to the world even before the world it self was yea from al Eternity VSE 4. Again It should stir al to begin betimes to get grace and Reconciliation with God You that are yong ones and are now in the flower of your youth crowned with rose buds Consider this God he was working for your good before the world be you working for his glory as soon as you can Shal not I give the begining of my years my first fruits to God who loved me and was working for me before ever I was borne therefore it is fit he should have as much of my time as can be VSE 5. Yea this should also be a mighty argument to put us al on to be constant in holy walking with God because the lord hath been working from Eternity and wil be working to eternity for our good and therfore that time which we have we should serve and glorifie God in it For suppose we should live ten thousand yeares or ten thousand millions of years in this world Suppose God should require us to live and serve him in the way we do now Eternally we should not think much of it for we serve God but one peece of eternity that is that part of eternity which is comming But God is merciful to us in both peeces of Eternity his mercy is to us on both sides from everlasting to everlasting God is before hand with us in his mercy and in his love his love was from eternity and shal Continue to eternity and therefore we should not think much to serve God and to glorifie him in waies of holiness al the time that we are appointed to live and when we have don al we cannot com neer to those workings which he hath been at for us But I shal leaâ— his point the Lord seal it with his bleessing upon our spirits CHAP. 33. Of Gods Reconciling the world to himselfe THE next point being the seventh propounded in the first chapter is That God was Reconcileng the World to himselfe So the
the great Bishop of their souls He wil come with his visitations one day and when that is come then they shal not have encouragement that have read Service and wore Suâ—plices every day But they shal be able to look upon his face with joy that have been faithful in the work of the Ministery of the Gospel and those that they have done good unto shal be their joy and their Crown at that day In 2. Phil. 16. Saith the Apostle to the Philipians amongst other exhortations he exhorts them that they should hold forth the word the word of life do thus and thus saith he Oh! manifest the power of the Gospel in your lives that I may rejoyce in the day of Jesus Christ that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain It is an argument to prevail with people to embrace the Gospel that they may recompence those that labor amongst them with this recompence that they may have joy in the day of Jesus Christ that they may be able to come to Christ and say blessed Savior here am I and those whom thou hast given me here are reasons enough I wil pass therfore bretheren from the point only thus much CHAP. 58 Use 1. The horrible wickednss of those that are idle in the Ministery FIrst you may see what an horrible wickedness it is for any that take upon them to be the Ministers of the Gospel and yet be idle to be an idle shepheard to be unfaithful in this it is a most detestable wickedness of all men in the world those men have given up their spirits to wickedness that have the weight of the Ministery of the Gospel to lie upon their charge and yet they are idle Oh! it is woful that ever that man was borne that should take upon him such a glorious Ministery as the Ministery of the Gospel and therein be negligent of preaching or by a scandalous life do mischif unto others It had been better that he had never been born saith the Apostle Woe to me if I preach not So may they say wo to us if we be negligent in it and wo to us if we by our scandalous lives hinder the fruit of our own preaching and of other mens preaching also But we shal let that pass CHAP. 59. Vse 2 IN the second place labor you to inform your selves in this when you see any faithful Minister earnest in this work of his ministration know what the ground is perhaps some of you wonder at it why he cannot content himself as some others know where the ground lies In this from whence it comes it is the Ministery of the Gospel that is committed to him and he knows it is a Glorious Ministery and he sees much of Jesus Christ in it and the Glory of God shines in it and if he be faithful and hath any love to Christ and Saints and their souls it is impossible but that he must needs be earnest in it Paul was so earnest that the people thought him mad and that in this very Chapter where my text is verse 13. You may think we are besides our selves wel it is for your cause and it is the love of Christ constrains us we cannot but do that we do as the Apostle Peter saith in another pleace So saith any faithful Minister think of it what you wil we cannot but speak what the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ is what it is that we have seen and what it is that we have heard out of the Ministery of the Gosple our selves and the love of Christ constrains us and then in verse 11. knowing therefore the terror of the Lord then much more the grace of the Lord we perswade men If so be that God would but convince you of this that when you heare any thing of the mistery of the Gospel opened to you and any earnestness of spirit manifested in it I say if you were convinced that the ground and principle of it is this the apprehension of the glory of this ministration as it is such in an excellent Ministery Therefore it is that all faithful Ministers of God are so earnest in the ministration of it It would prevaile more with your hearts to receive what is delivered in such a way But we let that pass and come to that which is the maiâ—e in the text CHAP. 60. The fourth Doctrine propounded in the 45. Chapter viz. That God and Christ are exceeding wiling and desirous to be reconciled to sinners As though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God You have not in any scripture that I know more fully set out a more earnest desire of Jesus Christ to be reconciled unto sinners than here is this expression is after the manner of men to express the earnestness of Gods heart in his desires to be reconcilced to sinners and that is our point of doctrine our doctrine shal be the scope of these expressions not the very words but the scope and the ground of it It is this Doct. 4. That God and Jesus Christ is exceeding willing and very desirous to be reconciled unto sinners Now the thing that I am to open to you is to shew this in the several manifestations of it several demonstrations of the willingness and desire that is in God and Christ to be reconciled unto sinners and then answer a question about it why they are not reconciled to God if God be so willing and the like and then for application of it The next point wil come in stead of the Uses That therefore the Ministers of God they should intreat likewise and beseech you and by al means labor to draw your Souls to be reconciled unto God CHAP. 61. The First Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners FOr the First The willingness of God for Reconciliation with sinners Why God manifests this To begin a little low and then to rise higher God ministers this first by his patience towards sinners in that the Lord is long suffering toward sinners he doth manifest thereby that he is willing to be reconciled the Scripture draws an argument from thence in Rom. 2.4 as if the Apostle should say the patience of God holds this forth unto you that you should come in and repent that so you might obtain mercy from God or otherwise it doth lead you to repentance Except it should hold forth Gods willingness to be reconciled it could not draw the heart to repentance but it leads and this hath a great deal of force to draw the heart of man to repentance Because it holds forth the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners If God were not willing to be reconciled to you he would take you off and there were an end of you or at least he would excercise such patience that should not lead you to repentance as he did with the Devils as soon as they had sinned
from the absolute necessity that lies upon sinners to come and be reconciled unto God shewing them that certainly they wil be lost undone and eternally damned if they do not come in He that beleeveth not the wrath of God abides upon him You are lost and undone creatures except you do come in And sometimes arguments taken from the excellency of the benefit and profit that there is in comming in to God and being reconciled unto al the Glorious promises of the Gospel are so many powerful arguments to draw the hearts of sinners to run in to be reconciled unto God I might be very large in this in shewing of the particular arguments that God doth use but take that one ful argument that we have to perswade sinners to come in In Prov. 1.23 Turne you at my reproof behold I wil pour my spirit upon you I wil make known my word unto you He speaks here to simple ones Scorners Fools Turne you at my reproofe behold I wil pour my spirit out upon you saith God as if God should say though you are Scorners yet the truth is my heart works towards you my heart doth yearn towards you and if you would but turne to me I would pour forth my heart to you you shal have my very spirit my very heart let out unto you if you wil turne unto me What an argument is here to prevail with the hardest hearts in the world For God himself to come and say unto a sinner to one that hath Scorned him and his wayes and to a Fool that hath gone on in waies of folly and wickedness for God to come and say unto him Oh wretched sinner come in come in turne to me turne to me for my heart is ful my heart is top ful turn to me I wil pour forth my heart to thee Al those promises of giving rest to thy soul of giving life eternal eternal salvation Glory Peace and Comfort and a Kingdom shal al be made good to thee The Lord therefore suites himself unto us in such arguments so close as may out-bid other comforts that we have in the word in any waies of sin and therefore tels them of Hony and Milk and Rayment and Gold and Silver and al such things as are precious in the eyes of men such as are of esteem with us and tenders his Son unto us upon such kind of notions that every one of them might be prevalent arguments to gaine the hearts of sinners to come in unto God this is the way of God that he comes into the hearts of his people with the most prevalent arguments such reasons as one would think were impossible to be gainsaid I appeal to the hearts of those who have been acquainted with the work of God upon them How did God come to your hearts did he not come with mighty strong arguments to you The Devil he tempted and he comes with strong arguments and God he comes and tempts with strong arguments the Devil draws and God draws Gods mercies draw stronger than the Devil can Oh! it was mercy to that soul and the truth is when the Lord pleases to work effectually upon the soul he can present stronger arguments to draw the heart of a sinner to him than it is possible for the Devil to prevaile against CHAP. 72. The Twelfth Argument Manifesting the exceâ—ding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners ANother way is this in answering al Objections that lie in the hearts of sinners whatsoever Objections lie in the hearts of sinners God hath waies to answer al those and he doth it in his word and by his Spirit As now What would a sinner object If you object your unworthiness of such mercies as God doth offer unto you and therefore it is unlikly that ever God wil bestow that mercy on you observe Esa 55. there is a place that God intends directly to answer that objection that it may never hinder any sinner from comming in unto him saith God Come ye to the waters and he that hath no monies come ye buy and eat yea come buy Wine and Milk without mony and without price Note in one verse there is three times Come without Mony he that hath no Mony come and Eat and then buy without Mony and then without price What is the meaning of this here you are to know that the promises of the Gospel are set out to you by Wine Milk so by bread afterwards by those things that are most delightful most useful for the nature of man the Gospel is set out by such things and so it is in Scripture by things that are the most excellent of al. Somtimes by a Kingdom for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand there is the argument the Kingdom of God is at hand and somtimes by a marriage when God sends to people to be reconciled he sends to them with this Argument that it is to marry them to his Son And somtimes by a Supper that God the Father invites too a Supper wherein there is al kind of dainties the great King makes a Supper at the marriage of his Son and there are powerful Arguments that God useth O but I am unworthy saith a poor soul What that such a one as I so vile so wretched and every way unworthy should have such things this was the policy of the Devil at the first the Devil labors to make sinners to slight the Gospel to set at naught the counsels of God so you have it in Prov. 1. to account the bloud of the Covenant a common thing that is the first way But if he cannot prevail that way but the Lord doth shine through al mists and il conceipts of the Gospel and shews unto the Soul the excellency and beuty of his Son and of the glorious things that are in the Gospel then the Devil comes the other way Indeed saith he there are glorious things but thou art unworthy thou art a wretched base vile Creature and canst thou think that God should grant such things as these to thee now the Lord answers this Objection What saith God Come without Money What is that that is though thou hast no worthiness in thy self though thou hast no a bilities to buy any thing that is good yet come come yet close with my Grace that shal make thee rich enough thou shalt have money enough that way Come without mony without price let never that Objection hinder thee that thou art unworthy unable to do any thing the Lord cals thee without Money offers freely to thee therefore in the latter end of the Book of the Revelation it is said in the last Chapter the 17. ver And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come and whosoever wil let him take of the water of life freely How shal I ever think to have it It is free so that this
there is no duty that God requires of me but I know my heart is with it if the Lord wil but reveal to me Now in this case having before felt the work of God drawing thee to Christ and if thy heart be thus kept to God this is one good Argument that certainly God and thou are not enemies Secondly if thou canst but say thus there is no Argument that is so prevalent with me to make me not sin as this for fear of breaking peace between God and me this is the thing that makes my sin sting my Soul indeed because by that I come to lose some of that sweeness of the assurance of my peace with God Canst thou say so keep thy heart but in such a frame though thou hast many weaknesses that thou canst say whatsoever sin the Lord reveals to me yet my heart is against it and whatsoever duty the Lord requires of me yet I know my heart is with it and if there be any thing that I do not know Oh! that I knew it more and more and there is nothing that I fear sin for so much as this because that I see it breaks the peace between God and my Soul Is it so with thy poor soul I pronounce in the name of God Peace be unto thee Though thy heart be not as thou would'st have it thou maist conclude this certainly God that hath manifested such Grace in drawing thy heart unto himself at the first wil not cast thee off Certainly God had some greater end in working so wonderfully towards thee than to throw thee off except the Lord had some great thoughts of heart in glorifying himself in thee and to do thee good he would never have wrought so upon thy heart as he hath done There are others that live under the light of the Gospel but the Lord doth never come to their hearts to speak to them as inwardly to draw their hearts and that by his own Spirit as he hath done to thee the Lord hath not had so great thoughts of heart to glorifie his name upon them in the day of his Grace as towards thee in the working of his Grace So certainly to thee the Lord is about to do great things that grace of his that hath been so strong upon thee as it hath been it wil carry thee through al difficulties Certainly the Grace of God hath been strong and it wil be strong and therefore build upon it If thou hast an hard heart do not say thou hast an hard heart and therefore Gods heart is not towards thee No but rather say thou hast an hard heart and therefore thou wilt look towards God to break thy hard heart and bring thy frozen and cold heart to these Beams of Gods Grace and stand under these Heavenly influences If thou beest sensible of the hardness of thy heart and then to sit down sullenly and heavily and think because of this God wil reject thee this is not the way to get thy heart softened but rather cal to mind what the grace of God hath been towards thee and how the heart of God is towards sinners to be reconciled unto them and what he hath done for the like such sinners as thou art and so keep thy heart under the warme beams of the Gospel and thereby thou wilt gain a great deal more than sitting down in a sullen way Those kind of Herbs that grow under the warm Sun grow the better and the Fruit ripens better than those that grow out of the Sunne So the Heart that can keep it self continually in the Sunne of this mercy and goodness of God thus expressing himself in the Gospel willing to be reconciled to sinners this heart wil thrive more abundantly than those that shal ly down sullenly and discontentedly This is a mighty encouragement for al sinners to come to be reconciled a mighty strong encouragement to them the Lord invites and beseeches in the Gospel and sends his ministers to do it and requires them that they should do it in his name What should hinder them but that any sinner none excepted should come and be reconciled We cannot tel who they are that shal not be reconciled and therefore we may say concerning any particular sinner What should hinder thee but that thou shouldest come in to be reconciled And if God entreates and Christ entreates and Ministers entreate and thou entreatest What letts thee but that thou maist be reconciled As the Eunuch said Here is Water enough why may I not be baptised So here is mercy enough why maist thou not be reconciled Hast thou such thoughts as these are See that God is willing to be reconciled to sinners wel when I get home I am resolved to throw my self before the Lord Christ and I am able to cry to him for reconciliation for I am damned and undone for ever else and and I heare that there is a way to be reconciled to him wel this shal be my work now I wil set upon it presently I wil never leave crying to God til I have found Gods Grace comming to me Art thou resolved upon this Wel go on and fal down in thy crying to God for mercy make this point part of thy petition Lord I have heard that thou art willing to be reconciled now Lord here is a wretched sinner comes in to be reconciled to thee what hinders now when both shal entreate Suppose two were fallen out one with the other but now when both sides are wrought upon and one he professes himself not only willing but earnestly desirous to be reconciled and the other he comes and expresses himself so too surely both these wil agree Now it is true many times between man and man their expressions are but very slight and there is not that at the bottom of their hearts that they express with their mouthes When two are fallen out and one comes to them and saith why wil you not be at peace with such a man Oh! yes saith he I am willing So come to the other and he saies the same he is willing and yet their hearts are not right perhapps one to the other But now in this case between God and thy poor soul be confident that on Gods side it is most real and do thou but make it out that thy heart is real in desiring after peace with God and fully understand what thou dost when thou dost desire peace with God So that thou wilt not be at peace with any sin and desire it fully and then when thou shalt get it then thy heart shal be praising God and say I shal live to the praise of God for ever and that shal be my endeavor I would faine have at but wil God be at peace Yes God shal get as much as thou shalt by it he shal thereby get that that he did especially intend and aime at in making the world The great designe that God had in making the world was to magnify the
shal make way for another duty certainly that soul wil persevere in Duty But here is the difference between that which is done by the strength of a natural conscience and that which is done out of a principle of true sanctifying Grace I beseech you observe it There are many I suppose are much troubled in this case of conscience they say that one that hath but the strength of a natural conscience he may performe duty out of this strength of a natural conscience how can I know then when I performe duty out of a gracious principle a principle of sanctifying Grace and that my duties are not out of the strength oâ— natural conscience If I would give but one note and were to study never so long of it I would give this note rather than any one and that is this use I am now upon If one duty that thou performest give strength to another duty and make thee fitter for it and inableâ—h thee to another duty this is a sign that it is not meerly out of a natural conscience for a natural conscience though it puts me upon the doing of it yet it puts not strength in me to do it but a Gracious principle puts me upon the doing of it and puts strength in me to do it therefore when I am put upon a duty upon conscience and I find that one duty doth fit me for another this is surely a gracious principle not only fitteth me in the same kind for so you may say meerly through use I come to be more perfect but when it fits in another kind in another way by excercise we come to be more fit for that habit but here now in spiritual duties one maketh way for another though it be in another kind in another way this certainly comes from Grace therefore if you mark this argument that Gods mercies but makes way for another therefore you wil have one duty make way for another this is a certaine signe of continuance of mercy to thy soul Again seventhly VSE 7. It should be a use of reprehension of our unbeleeving hearts thus It is the way of God when he comes in one mercy that we should look upon it as a door of hope for further but yet mark ye our unbeleeving hearts wil usually draw consequences from Gods mercies to nourish unbelief quite contrary to the raising hope and faith not to make Gods mercies a door of hope to let in mercy but make it a door of unbeleif to shut out mercy as you shal find an unbeleeving heart working from mercies thus I they are mercies indeed but they wil never hold they are mercies but they are to prepare me for greater Judgments and thus an unbeleeving heart wil work out arguments of unbeleef from the very mercies of God themselves This is a great sin for God bestows mercys to raise up hope and to help thy faith to work not to helpe thy unbeleef to work and yet bretheren there are many christians that make no other use of Gods mercies but meerly to nourish their unbeleefe and to strengthen their unbeleefe whereas they should make them a doore of hope Again an eight Use should be this USE 8. Be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful doth one mercy of God make way for anorher let one good action I mean of Mercy to your brother make way for another do not say I have done so much already and therefore I may now go on in my covetousness no if so be thou hast gracious principles one action of Mercy must make way for another one forgivness of thy brother in one thing must make way for another one action of liberality must make way for another thus God dealeth with thee and do thou so with thy brother for so is the command Be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful Now the last Use which I intended most of al and is the cheife Use of the point is this USE 9. A Use of Exhortation to us al to follow God on in the way of his Mercies when God hath opened a doore of hope to us let us follow on after God 63. Psalme 8. the Psalmest there speakes of God unto them but marke what use he makes of it my soule saith he follows hard after God O! this should be our course doth God come at any time particularly to us in any way of Mercy Let our soule follow hard after God when Jacob was wrastling with the Angel and day began to dawne the Angel would have been gone O! strive and wrastle the more What! doth the day dawn many times thou art wrastling a longe time with God stil there is nothing but darkness in thy soul but thou doest hold on through Gods Grace to thee at length the day beginneth to dawne God beginneth to let in some light to thy Soul and yet it may be even at that time God seemeth as if he would be gon O! stir up thy self then and wrastle indeed when the day beginneth to dawn O! that thou mightest have more might then as you know that place that God bids David and his people when you hear the noise saith he in the mulbery trees bestir your selves for God is going out before you then So I may say when you feel God stirring in your hearts and have some impressions of God upon your spirits O! bestir your selves follow on the good work of the Lord. I remember we read in the gospel of the poore blind man crying after Christ O! Son of David have Mercy upon me some would have had him hold his peace but at length Christ pittying of him asketh who it is that cryed after him and those that were by came â—o the bâ—ind man and saied thus to him be of good comfort for he cals thee I have observed that he went as fast as he coâ—ld then and â—eared no danger of stumbling at any place So I may say to many of your souls it may be your case at this present thou hast bin crying for the sight of thy eyes O! that he would shew me his truth and open the gospel and the misteries of it O! that he would open my heart and give me a soft heart and a beleeving heart whereas I have an unbeleeving heart wel be of good comfort he cals thee now he works by his spirit and calls thee O! now bestir thy selfe and go on after God in this way It is a special part of the wisdome and duty of Christians to observe what are the waies of Gods mercy towards them as I told you before the connections of them so I mean the beginings of them and therefore take this one note It is a great reason why many Christians are so long time in darkness and under the spirit of bondage because they do not observe the beginnings of Gods mercy how God beginneth with them because they have not al the mercy they would have therefore they neglect the observation of the beginnings
your estates for the reformation of religion for the getting of the truthâ— and ordinances of God to be in freedom amongst us We know that both the state and necessity of our brethren cals for free liberal hearts and you that have the crown of glory in regard of age c. are to go before others be you free to lay out for them Remember it is reported of the Romans for the honor of them that at the very time that Hanibal was in the feild they would be purchasing of those fields when their enemy was there and would give a round sume for them Be not so distrustful but be willing to disburse in this way that may be so much for the reliefe of our brethren in Ierland and for the setting up of the gospel there though for the present there be some hazards Ordinarily those that are Old are ful of fears and distrust but of al they should be the freest from them And in the last place 10. Let your praiers be and your imbracing of the gospel so for the present as you may have hope when you die that you shal leave the gospel as an inheritance to your children afterwards with what comfort may an aged man or woman die unlesse they may have hope the gospel shal be left to their children Not many years since when old people died that had any sight in the waies of God they died with trembling hearts for they thought Now I am going and what miseries my Child may be brought to see I know not it may be he may be brought up in popery and Idolitry but now when you die you may have a hope to leave the Gospel as an inheritance to your Children especialy if your prayers be strong and your imbracements of it as it ought to be It is said of Justin the younger that he ran mad with this conceite that the Roman Empire should decay in his time he was so extreamly perplexed with such a thought So it should be with every generation what that the gospel should decay and the entail and evidence of it be cut off in my time it should go near every one of us and therefore incourage your selves and let there be a youthful vigour in your spirits to see to propagate the Gospel that you may have hopes to leave it to your posterities when you are gone and it is not longe you shal have it for consider you have had a blessed talant of grace in the time God hath afforded to you I dare say that there was never eighty years since the world began so happy for the revelation of the mistry of Godlyness as hath bin for these last eighty years they that have lived them have had such an eighty years that cul out any eighty years since the begining of the world never had a nation such an eighty years as this nation hath had therefore know that you have much to answer for and remember this If you have any Godliness at al you have made many covenants and vows to God in your times fulfil them before you dy die not in Gods debt you have put up many praiers and every prayer is an ingagement to you in the waies of Godliness and if you thus beautify your Crown when you come to die O! how sweet wil death be to you your pilow wil be soft when you come to die if you can say so according to your measure as Christ did in Joh. 17. Father glorifie me with thy selfe I have finished the work thou hast given me to do Think but with your selves you that are ancient if you were to die whether you are able to say thus as Christ did for so you may say in your measure though not so perfectly as Christ did Father glorifie me with thy selfe I have finished the work thou hast given me to do Thou knowest it hath bin my care in the daies of my poor pilgrimage to finish this great work thou gavest me to finish in this world O! How sweet wil death be to such an one that shal die so ESE 3 One word to you that are young and so I have done al Is it such a crown of Glory to be found Old in the waies of righteousness Do you then begin to be Godly betimes that if you live in this world you may have this crown set upon your heads when you are ancient for is it not better for you to be plants of Gods house then weeds upon the dunghil Those that are wicked are but as weeds upon a dunghil but you that are Godly are as plants in Gods own orchard in the last of the Romans 3. We find that Andromicus and Junia are commended because they were in Christ before saint Paul They were in Christ before me It is an honorable thing to be in Christ before others this is honorable when you are yong and then going on in the waies of Godliness al your young time and so in your midle age and til you come to be Old Here in my text you have this crown prepared for you for so saith the Holy Ghost here The hoary head is a crown of Glory if it be found in the waies of righteousness FINIS