Proposition 6 and 7. Yet because such Doctrines will hardly down with flesh and blood which will divert and draw back I will subjoyn something more 1 Let the consideration of the end move you Is the glory of God think you your upmost end or no If not Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord upon this case Jer. 2.12 Isa 1.2 Mic. 6.1,2,3 That the whole Creation the very dumb and inanimate creatures should declare his glory and in conformity to his unbounded government and for the good of the Universe should deny their being their motion that light bodies contrary to their nature should move downward and heavy bodies contrary to their nature should move upward â—o preserve the Compages of things together That the Sun should stand still and go back at his beck and for mans benefit And that man whom God hath invested with an internal principle of knowledge and conscience to improve all means and motives to these high and noble ends that man on whom God hath imprinted the special marks of his love and likeness above all the Creatures on this side Angels to engage him in the pursuit of this end That man whom God hath so interessed in and intrusted with his Glory by all the mercies of Creation Conservation and in Christ that he may intend this end Yea more that a Christian who by that Name professeth to and before all the world that he doth first seek the Kingdome of God and the righteousness thereof that he is no longer his own but the Lords That he doth not live nor may dye to himself but to the Lord That himself and all he hath and is is devoted and delivered up to his service That a Christian who hath the Scriptures of God and Spirit of God besides the Servants of God to instigate and instruct him in and so many Ordinances Offices and Obligations to and from Christ to engage him to this end That a Christian should not all this while have intended the glory of God as his last end and scope Well may I say Hear O Heavens and give ear O earth But I may not thus dilate But do you say that you have intended and still do the Glory of God upmost Be it so and can you decline that duty because of the danger that attends it whereby his Glory in your and others good will be visibly furthered Will not men part with any with all else that is subordinate rather than with that end which is their supream Will not the Mariner rather part with all his loading than with one life How unworthy then are they of God and of his Gospel whom a Farm or Friend or Father or Wife or Life or any Fruition or Relation whatsoever shall hold from their Duty to God and Godliness from a Duty to his Glory and therein to their own felicity as this is manifestly Luke 14 12,34 Math. 10.37 2 Let the Constellation of Martyrs excite you Did they boggle at this Duty because it would bring danger when their Confession would give God the glory No Dungeon no Den no Distress no Stones no Straights no Fire no Furnace no Bonds nor Banishment nor bloody Tortures did or could move them from this Duty when they saw a manifest door of hope open that they should administer to others good and to Gods glory Recal the many instances I have given you and read over that Martyrology Heb. 11. Tell me was not the Confession of Christ their Duty in the Cases before them notwithstanding the arduous difficulties and calamities did visibly enough attend it Doubtless it was their Duty for we should call them rather Mad men than Martyrs that would eâ—pose themselves to such extremities for but a matter arbitrary If it were their Duty to confess Christ in such extremities for serving this end how got you a dispensation Should you not be followers of them and take them for an example of profession and of patience Heb. 6.12 Jam. 5.10,11 Seeing then you are compassed about with so great a cloud of Witnesses or Martyrs see that you run with patience the race that is set before you looking unto Jesus Heb. 12.1,2,3 3 Let the command of your Master engage you Need I give you the many express and iterated commands of Christ again to this purpose I must remit you to what hath been said already Is publick confession of Christ and his concerns a plain command as hath been instanced once and again Remember you may not loose where Christ hath bound you From what he hath made duty who or what can discharge you He hath not made the terms of your discharge from it at any time to be the extremity of your suffering for he hath often warned you of this and armed you for this but in that these ends will not thereby be secured but shipwrackt rather as you have seen already Propos 6 and 7. 4 Let the competition of interests be attended by you 1. Between whom is it Between God and man the Creator and the creature your selves and your Savior Whether they must now lose their honor and your obedience by the suspension and secrecy of your confession Or you must lose your hopes of ease honor c. by the plainess and publickness of your confession Not onely Christianity but the whole Creation will come in and plead against you and for him in this case Psal 19.1,2 c. Rom. 1.20,21 2. Between what is the competition Let the matter motives main-spring scope be considered Is it not between spirituals yea eternals and your temporals Whether they must not be foregone at least forborn rather than these forsaken And if the moments of Salvation and your immortal Souls be of no more worth than this momentary ease and enjoyments then farewell confession conscience and the Kingdom of grace and glory also Is it not between a spirit of faith and sound love on the one hand and a spirit of fear and self-self-love on the other Whether they must not sit down in silence for the sake of these and these steer sway and supersede them Whether the flesh must not onely oppose but overcome the spirit and the spirit be ordered and over-born by the flesh If this must be granted tell us no more of godliness Is it not between Gods glory and self-safety Whether that must not be subordinated unto this and this be secured and sought beyond and above that Whether since one must lose and part with something God should not rather lose his present government and glory then thou shouldst part with thy present life and liberty To this issue it runs and if thou art thus resolved I must call thee no more a man but a monster but a devil that wouldst stoop and bend heaven to earth and set man above his Maker and as if this were not madness enough interpretatively and in effect to deny thy self herein to be a Creature
salvation is not onely intimated Isa 45.22,23 but insisted on Rom. 10.8.9,10 If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus thou shalt be saved for with the mouth confession is made to salvation 'T is in vain to plead for salvation upon believing with the mind if there be not confession also with the mouth in a capable subject An habitual disposition to confess all the known truths of Christ is still found in all such as are saved 1 Jo. 5.10.14 Job 34.22 And though there may be found in such an actual declining of that confession they may be called to make at some times and under strong tentations which we read to have been in Jeremy and Moses as well as in Jonah yet an allowed and habitual declining of and with-drawing from the confession of Jesus in any his known truths and ways is not consistent with a state of salvation For God doth not will not save them that go on in any allowed iniquity Ps 68.21 125.5 3 Is not God celebrated or glorified by it Yea if you confess that Jesus Christ is Lord it is to the glory of the Father Phil. 2.11 And will you not glorifie the Father who is so willing to glorifie you and hath created and kept you for his glory Ps 4.3 Is 43 7.21 Sirs you break all the bonds wherein you stand indebted to him as Creatures as Men as Christians if you do not glorifie him And you cannot glorifie himself but in and through his Son Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 4.11 Col. 3.17 4 Hath not God himself confessed Christ in a sense witnessed and attested to his excellencies Yea by an immediate voice from heaven once and again Math. 3.17 17 5. And our Savior instanceth and improveth this testimony Jo. 5.32 8.18 O you that call God Father why are you so flat so fearful should you not be followers of him as dear children according to your several capacities and callings He received from God the Father honor and glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased Eph 5. â— 2 Pet 1.17 and shall he receive no honor from you whom he hath so richly honored 5 'T is a glory that God put 's upon you when he calleth you forth to confess his Son Jesus Christ The godly have acknowledged it to be such Jo 21.24 Act. 26.16 and God accounts it to be such Joh. 1.7 Act. 9.15 None of the Angels were ever called to confess Christ in a passive way as you are who are called to suffer for him Nor any other of the creatures can confess him in an active way as you may who are called to speak of and for him and to perform reasonable service to him Consider this and can you be henceforth averse to what so much concerns both your eternal glory in the highest heavens and your eminent glory here upon earth likewise II. Look you to our glorified Savior Brethren 1 How is he dignified He hath a name above every name he is the brightness of his Fathers glory the express image of his person far exalted above all principalities and powers c Is he not worthy of your witnessing to Is there any cause of shame as to him Or covert for silence as to you Where can you match me with such matter of confession and for celebration Lo the thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand that are saying with loud acclamations Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing c. Rev 5 11,12,13 4,11 2 How he is described The witness the faithful witness the faithful and true witness Rev. 1.5 3.14 He faithfully declared the whole will of his Father that was requisite for us either to know or do in order to our happiness Jo. 15.15 Heb. 3.2 And can we preachers or people unfaithfully detain what is due from us to acknowledge to his honor especially when our own happiness is bound up therewith also His followers are described by their faithfulness and by having his Fathers name written not in their backs or in their breasts or in their hands more occultly but in their foreheads more observedly and openly and they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth Rev. 17.14 14.1,4 3 What is he doing Now that he is entred to the holiest of all and hath enough to take up his heart to all eternity Yet is he bearing our names upon his heart as the high priest did the names of the tribes upon his breast-plate for a memorial before the Lord continually Exod. 28.29,30 He is now appearing and advocating for us to his Father and against our accusers Hebr. 6.20 9.24 1 Jo. 2.1 with Rev. 12.10 Where is our loyalty and thankfulness where is our love and tenderness while so many assume the liberty of appearing against him of accusing and condemning him in his holy word ways and worship that yet there are so few found to appear for him and plead his cause against the wicked and to advocate his concernments before the world was it so in the primitive times even in the most terrible of persecutions You know it was not where then is your faith love sense zeal or gratitude 4 What a disquisition doth he make True it is that as to his bodily presence he is now in heaven But his eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men And if you shall deny his name decliâ—e his truths and interest or defile his worship and institutions shall he not search it out Yea he seeth it and will requite it with his hand his eyes are as a flame of fire he seeth by his own light as fiery eyes are said to do needeth not any forreign light or medium to see or judge by He searcheth the inmost recesses of the heart and actions he will easily pierce and break thorough all those subtil coverts and secret vails of self-ease sensual indulgencies self-interest c. which men weave unto themselves and he will burn them up He knoweth his confessors in the Asian Churches by name and signally commends them he knoweth the careless temporizers and Laodicean neuters and severally chides and threatens them Rev ch 2 and 3. III. Look you to the glorified Spirits Angels and souls made perfect Lo there the Thrones and Crowns of and for the true confessors None that did ever here seal a good confession but are there set down with Christ in his kingdom Rev. 3.21 Mat. 19.28 Yea behold not onely the glorified condition of every true confessor but how they have and do give testimony to our Lord in glory Rev. 19.6,7 10.6.9.11 Behold the Angels those glorious Spirits 1 How gratefully they are imployed herein as their highest work and business These Golden Cherubims are still with greatest admiration looking on and with greatest affection looking into the ark of God the things of Christ which are now reported
act as you would keep and crown your Profession and Testimony to the truth of Jesus Lo here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the Commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Rev. 119.14,12 Patience is that which must compose you to and for Confession VVhen you are out of a spirit of patience you are out of your self-possession and therefore unfit for this sacred Profession or to suffer persecution Therefore our holy Master who hath given us an example of patience in profession gives us also this exhortation in order to our profession that in patience we possess our selves 1 Pet. 2.21 Luke 21.19 with 14. c. Patience will compleat you in confession and compensate other wants and adversities which befall you therein by giving you a self-composedness a sweet constancy and serene conscience and sweet communion with and experience of that God that Christ which you suffer is and for Let patience have but its perfect work and ye shall be entire wanting nothing Iam. 1.4 Patience will quiet and comfort you also therein notwithstanding persecutions For patience works experience by and under them and this again works hope which maketh not ashamed and it waits also for the expected end and happy issue promised Rom. 5.4,5 Ia. 5.7 Mic. 7.7 c. Be patient therefore Brethren The more patience the better profession and the more perseverance Stablish your hearts against the difficulties that discourage you and in and to the duties to be discharged by you And be you followers of them who through faith and patience have accomplished their Profession and do inherit the Promises Isa 5.8,10,11 Hebr. 6.11 3 Keep up a spirit of prayer The most eminent for the spirit of prayer have been most eminent for sincere and steady Profession Witness Elijah Jacob Moses Daniel c 'T is true a listless saying prayer will not produce any such signal effects But a lively praying in prayer as is said of Elias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he prayed in prayer they will both prevail with God and preserve you and the interest of Godliness Ja. 5 17. There were in Iudes time such as had exchanged their strict profession for a sensual practice But by what meanes might the Saints to whom he writes be preserved therefrom By praying in the Holy Ghost So might they keep themselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life Iude 19,20 The spirit of Prayer bears down what stands in the way of Profession both inwardly in your selves and outwardly amongst sinners The Priests of Baal fell before it and Peter bound with two chaines was freed by it 1 Kings 18.36 c. Acts 12.5,6 c. The spirit of prayer brings in divine skill and strength and whatever else is requisite to make good our Profession or to make our Profession good Ia. 1.5 Acts 4.29 Rom. 8.26,27 The spirit of prayer binds also devout soules to a strict and steady perseverance suitable to their own prayers and this holy Profession Eph. 6.18 Rom. 8.15,17 Cease not prayers then which ingage God interess the Gospel and improve his perfections and promises unto thy strengthning and that without might and unto all patience suffering with joyfulness Col. 1.11 Thus far of the meanes how we may the manner followeth how we should confess Christ And though the former parts of this discourse may afford directions at least implicit I shall yet adde some things to direct you more explicitely You must confess Christ then 1. Vnderstandingly With your own and to others understanding With your own Far be it that you should not understand what you say or whereof you affirm The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way Unless you have how can you give a reason of the hope that is in you And indeed without understanding what you profess you act therein the part of a Parrot rather then of a Professor 1 Tim. 1.7 Eph. 5.17 1 Pet. 3.15 Prov. 14.8 Your Confession must be to others understanding also You should rather speak five words with your understanding that by your voice you may teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue or which is to the same effect in unknown termes Else you speak to the aire rather then to advantage and edification and are Barbarians to others who did you speak words easie to be understood might happily bless God for you and be built up in godliness by you 1 Cor. 14 2 20. Let thy mouth then speak of wisdom and the meditation of thy heart be of understanding Psal 49.3 2. Vndoubtedly As beleevers should not be of doubtful mindes so nor of doubtful mouthes but without cloudie obscurities should confess openly as things are according to the plainness and simplicity of the Gospel and the present circumstances wherein they are after the precedents of Jesus himself and John his fore-runner Luke 13.8 2 Cor. 12.13 Iohn 10.24,25 1.19 24. Your discourses should drive home to the consciences of them that hear you that by manifestation of the Truth you may commend your selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God That if their consciences do not acquit you as the Pharisees once did Paul yet they may awe and accuse them 2 Cor. 4 2,5,11 Act. 23,9,24,25 3. Vndauntedly With boldness of spirit within and boldness of speech without yea with all boldness alwayes Phil. 1.20 Act. 4.29 you should open your mouth with boldnesse to make known the mystery of the Gospel This will shake the confidences of sinners and both search and seize the consciences and spirits of the hearers strengthen the communion of Saints and is sealed with the concurrence of God himself Eph. 6.19 Act. 4.13 13.46 4.31,32 14.3 Consider I beseech you the precious consequence the pattern of Christ the primitive Confessors the prints of God and his Gospel upon your Cause and Call and what then may daunt or dismay you Sirs you should wax confident not cold by our bonds and be much more bold not more backward to speak the Word of God without fear Phil. 1.14 Eph. 6.20 4. Vndividedly both as to your selves and as to other Saints Confession is a work that requireth a ready concourse of your whole selves of the soul and spirit and body for the outward act and inward animation Rom. 10.9 1 Pet. 3.15 And a real concurrence of all the Saints Gebal and Ammon and Amalek combine in ungodliness and shall the godly quarrel one the other in the Gospel Oâ—… Where are the golden taches of the Tabernacle that should unite the many Curtains into one tent of Confessors Alas for the staffe of beauty and for the staffe of bands so strangely broken When shall Christians stand fast in one spirit with one mind and strive together for the faith of the Gospel and no more against one another in ungodly factions The unity of Confessors will be their glory and his also to whom they confess 'T is