presently 4. But to go on you see here again that Christ must begin to us before we can answer him He began to Mary and then she said Rabbony all the passages of salvation are done by way of Covenant by way of commerce and entercourse between God and man but God begins first In election indeed we choose him but he chuseth us first And he knoweth who are his and we know him but he knows us first And in calling we answer I but he calleth first and we do but eccho to his call in justification forgivness of sins we accept of justification and submit to the righteousness of Christ and Gods purpose of saving man that way but he giveth faith first for faith is the gift of God We glorifie him here on earth but it is from a result of Gods glorifying us in Heaven some earnests we have but they are of Gods giving All we do is but reflexion of his love first or his knowledge first The Christian soul saith thou art my God I but he saith first I am thy salvation As Augustine saith non frustra dicit anima Deus salus tua when God saith I am thy salvation it is eaâ—ie for the soul to say thou art my God And this may teach us in our devotions when we are to deal with God when we are to bring to him any request to desire him first to reveal himself to us desire Christ to reveal himsâ—lf by his spirit to us It is an errour in he case of mens devotions they think to bring something of their own strength and to break in as it were upon God without his discovery first But Paul saith Gal. 4. 9. We know God or rather are known of him We must desire that he would make known his heart to us first and then we shall know him again that the would speak to us by his spirit and then we shall answer to him again That he would say to our souls he is our salvation and then we may lay claim to him he is our God Desire the spirit of revelation to reveal his bowels and love to us in Christ by his holy spirit for certainly in every return of ours to Christ God begins to us all in all though not so sensibly but we ought to pray every day more and more for a sensible revelation that God would reveal his love to us in Christ And we cannot but answer if Christ saith Mary Mary cannot but answer Rabboni But you will say then it is not our fault but Christs fault if he must begin If God begins we shall answer I answer briefly That God doth alwayes begin to us and is before-hand with us in all dealings with our selves He giveth us many motions and never withdraweth himself from us but when he is despised and slighted first therefore let us take heed that we labour to answer Christs call vvhen he doth call If vve slight it then in a judicious course he ceaseth to speak further to us if vve slight his beginnings of revelations There be many degrees and passages to faith and assurance if vve do not observe the beginning hovv God begins to reveal himself to us by little and little speaking to us by his spirit in our hearts vvhen he begins then in a spirituall judgement sometimes he leaves us to our selves And therefore let us regard all the motions of the spirit and all the speeches of the spirit of Christ for he begins by little and little else our consciences will say afterward we are not saved because we would not be saved We would not yield to all the passages of salvation but when he was beforehand with us and offered many sweet motions yet we loved our sins better then our souls and so repelled all Therefore I beseech you do not refuse the sweet messages from Heaven the gracious and sweet motions of the spirit of Christ make much of them God hath begun to you be sure to answer Learn it of Mary when Christ began she set not her heart and infidelity against it but she opened her heart and said Rabboni learn therefore the duty of spirituall obedience when God speaks speak Lord for thy Servant heareth Do not shut your eares to the motions of Gods blessed spirit do not harden your hearts against his voice but open your hearts as she did Rabboni Our Saviour Christ here saith Mary but when after he had concealed himself from her a long time It is not presently Mary nor Rabboni He had coÌ„cealed himself a great while Christ doth not usually open himself fully at first though at first he doth in some degree but he observeth degrees as in the church in generall You see how that he discovers himself in his gracious promises by little and little darkly at first and at last the Sun of righteousness ariseth clearly So the day-Starre ariseth in our hearts by degrees It is a great while before Mary heareth the satisfying speech of Christ Mary But why doth Christ thus conceal himself in regard of his fuller manifestation It is partly to try and exercise our faith and other graces and therefore God doth seem to withdraw himself in the sence of his love 1. To see whether we can live by faith or whether we be all together addicted to sense as the world is who live altogether by sense and not by faith 2. He would have our patience tryed to the utmost he would have patience have its perfect work she had much patience to indure all this but her patience had not a perfect work till Christ spake 3. Christ will stir up and quicken zeal and fervency in his Children and therefore he seemed to deny the woman of Cnnaan first he giveth no answer but a harsh answer A Dogge And she works upon it though I am a Dogge yet Dogs have crumbs All which denyal was only to stir up zeal and earnestness And therefore though Christ doth not manifest himself to us at first yet it is to stir up zeal and affection to seek after him more earnestly A notable passage there is of this Cant. 3. 16. The soul sought Christ and sought long and sought in the use of all means but at length she waited and in waiting she found him 4. Christ doth this for to set a greater price upon his presence when he comes to make his presence highly valued when he doth discover himsâ—lf Desiderata diu magis placent Things long desired please more sweetly And things when wanted are ingratiated to us as warmth after cold and meat after hunger and so in every particular of this life And therefore God to set a greater price on his presence and that he would be held more strongly when he doth reveal himself he defers a long time That is one reason why he did defer revealing himself to Mary that she might have the more sweet contentment in him when he did reveal
as are taught of God Who can take away the opposite disposition of mans nature to goodness but God by his spirit who can shine into the soul and quicken the soul but Christ by his spirit who is above the heart and conscience but Christ by his spirit therefore take heed of formality submit your hearts to the great Prophet of the Church that Moses speaketh of Deut. 18. who shall be the great teacher of the Church lift up our hearts to him that he would teach our hearts and remove the naturall disposition that is in us that he would take off the veil from our hearts and teach not only what to do but to teach the very doing of them Teach us to hate what is ill teach us to believe and to resist all Satans temptations who can teach this but the great Teacher whose Chair is in Heaven therefore take heed of depending on formall things Lift your hearts to God that he would joyn his teaching with all other teaching This cannot be too much stood upon I beseech you therefore take it to heart Give me leave to add a few things more If Christ speaketh in generall to Mary she answereth in generall And when he speaks aloof to her she answereth aloof to him a far off and never gave him a direct answer till he gave a direct word to her When he said Mary she gave him a direct answer Rabboni not before I beseech you therefore let us not rest in generall promises and the generall graces that be so much stood on by some That God hath a like respect to all Trust not to that we must not enter into his secrets but let us obey his precepts and Commandements And withall remember this When we hear of a generall mercy and Commandement for all Nations to believe and that Christ came to save a world of sinners alas what is that to me unless thou by thy holy spirit speakest to my soul and saist in particular I am thy salvation and speakest familiarly to my soul Generalls are in some degrees comfortable But if I find not particular interest by the witness of thy holy spirit to my soul if thou sayst not to my soul I am thine and thou art mine all is to little purpose Therefore in the desires of our souls in prayer let us desire the Lord to reveal himself in particular We trust too much in Generalls God is mercifull and Christ came to redeem the World They be truths and good foundations for to sound faith upon but they will not do the deed till by daily prayer vve seek to the Lord that he vvould in a particular manner reveal himself to us This doth Paul pray for Ephes 1. That God would vouch safe to them the spirit of Revelation And this is the office of the holy Spirit his speciall office is to reveal to every one in particular his estate and condition to God-ward The Holy Ghost knoweth the secrets in the brest of God and in our own hearts Now the Holy Ghost only can reveal the particular love that lyeth in Gods brest to our particular souls And therefore we should desire God that the holy spirit may be sent to seal to us our particular salvation and never be quiet till we be sealed in particular assurance that we be they whom Christ came to save This we ought to labour for if we labour for it we shall have it sometime or other for God loveth to be familiar with his Children He loveth not to be strange to them if they seek his love but to reveal himself first or last And few seek it but God revealeth himself by his spirit to them before they die if he doth not they are sure of it in Heaven And therefore they that be against particulars they are enemies to their own salvation Mary regarded not while Christ spake of generalls But when he came to particulars then Rabboni and not before Jesus saith unto her touch me not I am not yet ascended to my Father c. This verse containeth Christs Prohibition or Christs Commission or Charge His prohibition Touch me not and his reason for I am not yet ascended to my Father His Charge Go to my Brethren And then directeth what to say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God The words be very naturall and need no breaking up to you But I shall handle them as they follow one another Jesus said to her touch me not Touch me not Why he would have Thomas not only touch but to put his finger into his side that is more then touching him But our Saviours intent is to meet with a disposition in Mary something carnall something low and mean in regard of this glorious occasion Christ being now risen and glorified for his resurrection was the first degree of his glorification And therefore touch me not She came with too much a carnall mind to touch him when we said Rabboni it was not satisfaction enough for her to answer Rabboni but she runneth to him and claspeth him and clingeth about him as the affection of love did dictate to her But saith he touch me not in such a manner this is not a fit manner for thee to touch me in now I am risen again In a word she had a thought to converse with Christ in as familiar a manner as before when she powred oyntment on his head He was the same person but the case is altered that was in the dayes of his humiliation now he was risen again and it was the first degree of his glorification There was another manner of converse due to him and therefore touch me not Thou thinkest to touch me as thou didst before but thou must not do it She was too much addicted to his bodily presence 1. It is that that men will labour after and have laboured for even from the beginning of the world to be too much addicted to present things and to sense They will worship Christ but they must have a picture before them They will adore Christ but they must bring his body down into a peece of bread they must have a presence And so instead of raising their hearts to God and Christ in a heavenly manner they pull down God and Christ to them this the pride and base earthliness of man will do And therefore saith Christ touch me not in that manner It is not with me now as it was before We must take heed of mean and base conceits of Christ What saith Paul 2 Cor. 5. I know uo man now according to the flesh no not Christ himself now he is risen Christ was of such a Tribe Stature had such gifts and qualities What is that to me Christ is now Lord of Lords and King of Kings He is glorious in Heaven and so I conceive of him I know no man after the flesh no not Christ himself I forget what
of reverence for it includeth a mixt affection of fear and love And it is an affection of an inferior to a superior He is great therefore we ought to fear him He is good therefore we ought to love him There is with him beams of Majesty and bowels of compassion As there is beams of Majesty we ought to fear him as bowels of compassion we ought to love him so that fear and love mixt together is the affection we owe to God as our Father If we tremble and are afraid to go to him we know not he is loving If we go to him over boldly and sawcily we forget that he is great therefore we must think of his greatness that we forget not his goodness We must so think of his goodness that we forget not his greatness therefore go boldly to him with reverence to the Throne of Christ In the word Father there is more saving power then in ten thousand it toucheth his very bowels when a Child wanteth any thing and is in distress let it but say Father or Mother and the bowels of the Parents yearn upon him If God be our Father go to him boldly but with reverence go with affyance to his bowels Oh it is a perswasive word What cannot we look for from that Majesty that hath condescended to be called Father and to be a Father to us in all our necessities either we shall have what we want and lack or else we shall have that which is better he is a wise Father he answereth not alwayes according to our wills but alwayes according to our good He seeth it is for our good that we are not presently cōforted The Physitian giveth a sharp potion O I cannot indure the Chyrurgion lanceth oh I cannot indure it but the Chyrurgion knoweth it is not healing time even so we would be presently taken off from under crosses but God is a wise Father knoweth how long it is fit for us to continue under the Crosse Come to him boldly therefore under the name of a Father that he may move his bowels and surely will hear us For as in Psalm 27. when all forsook me my Father and Mother forsook me but the Lord took me up Fathers in the flesh and Mothers die but the Lord taketh us up he is an eternal Father and therefore a ground of eternal boldnesse with God and of everlasting comfort He was our Father before we had a Father in the world and he will be our Father when we shall cease to be in the world They be but Instruments under God to bring us into the world God is our true Father Our other Fathers are but under God to give us a being to fit us for Heaven He provideth the best inheritance and paternity for us in Heaven And therefore never be disconsolate but remember I go to my Father and your Father which is a word of eternal comfort He was our Father from eternity in election he will be our Father to eternity in glorification Can a Mother forget her Child yea though she should yet can I not forget thee thou art written in the palm of my hand God hath us alwayes in his eye A mother cannot alwayes think of her Child she sleepeth sometimes but God is a Father that never sleepeth The Keeper of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth And this is our comfort in all times and for eternity And therefore we ought to carry our selves to God reverently and go boldly to him and alwayes make use of him And this we should learn likewise to maintain a sweet frame between God and us shall God open such an advantage to us shall God be our Father and bear the gracious eternal affection of a Father and shall not we by prayer and faith fetch from our Father all we stand in need of As our Saviour saith you that be earthly Fathers when your Children ask such a thing will you deny And have we a Father so rich so loving and shall not we have intercourse with him in all our daily necessities What a Trade is open to us if we know what a comfort is laid up in the sweet relation of a Father Your Father knoweth what we stand in need of and he will give thee the spring of all graces not only a broken heart a spirit of life and vigor in his service but go to God and he will give thee his holy spirit which is the best thing next Christ that can be And therefore be incouraged to make intercourse between thee and God considering we have a Brother in Heaven our nature is there and our spirit is below we have the best things in Heaven next Christ on earth and God hath our flesh in Heaven by Christ and therefore why should we not be much in prayer and much in prayses in all our necessities Beloved it is a comfort of that largeness that I cannot express it I rather leave it to your admiration that you may see what use to make of this sweet relation of Father 1. But we must know that every one cannot say my Father for there are a company of men in the world that may say in some respects our Father but in other respects they cannot As our Saviour Christ saith peremptorily John 8. 44. You be of your Father the Devil They bragged of God their Father and they were of their Father the Devil Therefore consider who is fit to take this name into their mouths My Father mark the disposition of the Scribes and Pharisees and then you shall see who be fit to bragg of God as their Father They be very formal men look to their outward devotion who so devout as they They studied it but what were they for the inside they were malitious men they were satanical men men opposite to the power of Religion arrant Hypocrites painted Sepulchres It is no matter for Complement or formality an Hypocrite may have much of that in the eys of the world yet may be a Child of the Devil for all that and a Pharisee for all that Thou maist be malitious against the truth as the Pharisees sought Christs blood A man may be like Herod seeking the blood of Christ in his Members persecuting Christ as all cruel men do They seek to devour Christ in his professors what they can they disparage and dishearten them they are enemies to the power of Religion and to the Ordinances of God they be the Children of the Devil and therefore have no reason at all to bragg that God is their Father Indeed an inward bitter disposition against the power of Religion though under any formality is a Character of a satanical spirit such cannot say Our Father If they do it is an usurpation for their true Father is the Devil ◠Who then can say our Father those that by the spirit of the Father and the Son by the Holy Ghost are ingraffed
every thing by name he knows every thing of a man to the very hair he knowes their parts and their very excrements of their parts he knew her and acknowledged her too Mary 1. It is a word of knowledg and familiar acquaintance and acknowledgment 2. It is a word of compassion because he had held her long and now could not longer He pittieth the state she was in he saw her ready to â—ink for grief and melt for sorrow and therefore he said Mary 3. As it is a word of compassion so it is a word full of exceeding love 4. And it is a word of peculiar appropriation Mary whom I have so much respected heretofore And a word of satisfaction on his part out of his pitty and out of his love and former familiarity acquaintance Mary I am the man thou seekest I know what all thy seekings tend to thou wantest him whom thou lovest thou wantest me I am he whom thou seekest She answered him again Rabboni which is interpreted Master She returned him an answer again she spake to him he first began then she follows she found the virtue of his speech in her heart there was an influence of it to her heart and his love witnessing to her heart raised her love to him again So it was an answer of Christs speech and from the same affection an answer of love and an answer of exceeding large affection and satisfaction to her soul Oh my Rabboni the soul of my soule the life of my life my joy my rock my all that can be dear to me Rabboni I have enough As he desired to give her satisfaction so she takes satisfaction in the word And yet it was not full satisfaction for after she claspes about him and would not let him go It was an affection that stirred up much desire more and more to have communion with him so that he was fain to check her afterward Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father she had not enough as indeed a believing affectionate soul hath never enough till it be in Heaven And thus you see the sweet intercourse upon the apparition and first discovery of Christ to Mary He spake to her and she answered him again with the same affection And it is a word of dependance as it is fit Rabboni my Master it is not only a word of honour not any superior but a superior in way of teaching there was submission of conscience to the Rabboni as the Rabboni labouring to sit in the consciences of people It is a Syriack word which signifieth in the originall Multiplication of knowledge in him that speaketh that laboureth to breed much knowledg in him that is spoken to and therefore it is a word of great respect and dependance She might well call him Rabboni for he was Master of Masters Rabboni of Rabbonies the Angel of the Covenant the great Doctor of the Church the great Gamaliel at whose feet all must fit and be taught So ye see what sense and affections are in these little words The fulness of heart that was in this Couple cannot be exprest were it possible to say all that could be said And therefore we leave the Hypothesis and come to make application of it to our selves First we may learn here that till Christ himself discovers himself no teaching will serve the turn No the teaching of Angels will not serve turn till Christ himself by his holy spirit discovers himself when Christ doth it it is done And therefore it should teach us so to attend upon the ministery as to look up to the great Doctor that hath his Chair in Heaven and teacheth the heart If he teach it is no matter how dull the Scholar is He is able to make any Scholar if he instruct I will not inlarge the point because there be particular places wherein they will be inlarged The second thing I will observe is this That Christ when he teacheth he doth it by words not by Crucifixes not by sights We lost our salvation and all our happiness by the ear and we must come to it by the ear again Adam by hearkening to Eve and Eve to the Serpent lost all and we must recover salvation therefore by the ear As we have heard so we shall see We must first hear and then see Life cometh in at the eare as well as death Faith ye know is the quickning of a Christian the spirituall life of a Christian now faith comes by hearing And therefore I beseech you in the bowels of Christ set aside prejudice and meekly attend Gods Ordinances Do not conâ—ider who we are we are but poor Ministers frail men as your selves But consider the Lord that is pleased to convey life and salvation and grace and whatsoever is fit to bring to Heaven this way therefore they that despise this way set light by salvation as the Apostle saith Acts 14. They judge themselves unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven They can read at home but is that the way God hath sanctified Did not the Manna stink when gathered on the Sabbath day There is a curse upon all private industry and devotion when it is with neglect of publick Ordinances She could have no comfort till Christ spake Nay the very sight of Christ could not comfort her Let this I pray you be enough that I may not inlarge the point any further This is the way for comfort We must hear him in his Ministers here if we 〈…〉 him comfortably 〈…〉 after Come ye blessed oâ— m◠〈◊〉 c. 3. It was but one word Mary and is there so much force in one word yea when it is uttered by Christ One word coming from Christ and set on the heart by the spirit of Christ hath a mighty efficacy The word had an efficacy in creating all things fiat fuit Let it be done it was done Let there be light there was light So let there be light in the understanding and there it shall be presently So in all Christs cures he said the word and it was done So in all spirituall cures let him say the word it is done Nay a very look of Christ if the spirit go along with it is able to convert the soul Respexit Christus flevit Petrus amare Christ lookt on Peter he wept bitterly what will his word do when his look will do so much It was but a word and but one word say but the word saith he in the Gospel and my Servant shall be healed This should make us desire that Christ would speak though but few words to the soul That he would cloath the words of men mightily with his word and with his spirit and then they will be mighty in operatioâ—â—nd works One word but it was a prâ—gnant word It was full of affection she knew it well enough Mary What to call her so familiarly so sweetly by her accustomed name it wrought on her bowels
should have been in the grave to this day And then think of our dignity to be Brother to him that is King of Heaven Lord of Lords Ruler of the whole world that hath all things subject to him O that our hearts were inlarged to conceive the wonderful comfort that every Christian hath in this Relation Go tell my Apostles under the sweet tearm of Brethren Who art thou will Satan say flesh and blood a peece of earth wretched Sot wilt thou claim kindred of Christ I saith the Christian-believing soul It is true if it were my own worthiness it were another matter but shall I give him the lie when he owned me for his Brother after his Resurrection shall I deny the Relation therefore never believe Satans tempting words and sinful flesh for Satan cometh to us in our own flesh and maketh us think God and Christ to be such and such I but what saith Christ himself believe him and not Satan that cometh to thee in thy own despairing dark doubting flesh Believe the word of Christ who calleth thee Brother if thou believest in him and castest thy self upon him This sheweth the dignity of a christian when he is once in Christ the excellent super-excellent transcendent glory of a christian When they told our Saviour Christ that his Mother and Brethren were to speak with him saith he they that hear my word and do it they are my Brother and Sister and my Mother This is the excellency of a christian that he is of so near a kin to Christ When we believe Christ it is all one as if we conceived Christ as if we were Brothers to Christ as if we were of the nearest kindred to him Nay it is more he preferreth Mother before Mother Brother before Brother ther Mother in spirit before Mother in the flesh and Brother in spirit before all other Brothers Therefore an excellent thing to be a christian When once a Christian giveth himself to Christ and denyeth his own doubting despairing heart which is the greatest enemy he hath 1. Then what belongeth to him then God is his and Christ is his he must have an inheritance he is fellow Heir without all are his 2. What carrieth he in him He carrieth in him the spirit of the Father and the Son and the graces of of the spirit which make him lovely to God 3. What cometh from him Having the pretious graces of the Holy Ghost in him what can come from him as a christian but grace and comfort to others He is a Tree of righteousness and what can come from a good Tree but good fruit so far he is so So if you regard what belongeth to them what is in them the inheritance they shall have or what cometh from a christian that is Brother of Christ he is an excellent person more excellent then his Neighbour there is no man in the world never so great but is a base person in comparison of a christian What will all be ere long if a man be not in Christ these things will add to our vexation It will be a misery to have had happiness the greater will be the misery when they must be parted withall And therefore raise your hearts to consider of the excellent condition of a christian when he is once the Brother of Christ I confess it is an hidden dignity as Paul saith our life is hid with Christ in God We have a life a glorious life but it is hid It is dark sometimes under melancholy sometimes under temptations sometimes under the afflictions of the world and disgrace and so it is an hidden excellency but it is a true excellency The world knoweth us not more then they know God and Christ but it is no matter God knoweth us by name He knew Mary by name as it is said in Isaiah I have called thee by name He is a Shepheard that knoweth his sheep by name and is known of them He knoweth thee and thee and thee by name yea and the hairs of thy head are numbred and therefore it matters not though thy dignities be hid with the world yet God knoweth them he hath written all thy members in a book and he hath a book of remembrance of thee And therefore it is no matter though it be an hidden dignity it is a true dignity to be a brother of Christ Let us oppose this to the disgrace of the world and to all temptations of discouragement whatsoever What are all discouragements to this they fall all before this that we are the Sons of God and Brethren of Christ What can discourage a man that is thus apprehensive of this Excellency upon good tearms I will inlarge the point no further but leave it to your own meditations and the spirit of God work with it Go to my Brethren When doth he bid her go now after his Resurrection when he was to ascend to Heaven The first degree of his glory was his Resurrection after his lowest abasement in the grave You see that honour doth not change Christs disposition as it doth amongst men when they be advanced to great places they will not look on their old friends and acquaintance but Christ had no such disposition he owneth his poor Disciples in their greatest abasements Go tell my Brethren Now when he was in state of glory ready to go to Heaven and he giveth them a more comfortable title now then ever before In the Gospel he called them Servants and friends and Apostles and Disciples but now Brethren a word of all sweetness and nothing but sweetness Go tell my brethren presently Christ would have no delay for he saw they had present need Christs love is a quickening love and the fruits of it are very speedy There is more then angelicall swiftness in Christ when there is need of him God helpeth at need in the most seasonable time and he knoweth the time best of all He did but rise in the morning and the very same day Go tell my Brethren ye have Cant. 2. that Christ cometh leaping upon the Mountains when he was to help his Church he leaped over the Mountains as in the eight verse The voice of my Beloved behold he cometh leaping upon the Mountains skipping upon the Hills He cometh from Heaven to Earth from the Earth to the Grave and now he is risen he is all in hast he maketh no stay because his manner of dispatch is to help and comfort by the Ministry of others God quickly do not stand imbracing of me but go and tell my Brethren But why then do not we find comfort sooner that are afflicted Answ Beloved where is the fault Is it in Christ you stand out at staves end with Christ you will not imbrace comforts when they be offered or else you be not sufficiently humbled for he is wise as he is swift he knoweth which be the best times You see then that Christ as soon as
ashamed to see Christ come to such an end they were full of unbelief though Christ had told them he would rise again they could not believe and so what with fear and what with doubt and what with grief for their using of Christ so unkindly and leaving him certainly they were in a perplexed and disconsolate condition yet now go and tell my Brethren We see then that after relapses when we be in state of grace to deal unkindly with Christ must needs be matter of grief and shame yet if we be humbled for it and cast down even then Christ hath a sweet message for us by his holy spirit Go tell my Brethren In the Canticles The Church the spouse of Christ had dealt unkindly with Christ by losing him and forsaking him Chap. 3. 5. In the third Chapter she had lost him and sought him on her bed but found him not she rose and went to the watchmen and then went through the City but found him not at length she found him whom her soul loved Then Christ speaks most sweetly and comfortably to her in the beginning of the fourth Chapter but especially in the sixth Chapter after she had dealt most unkindly with Christ He standeth at the door knocking and waiting till his locks dropt with rain in resemblance of a Lover that standeth at the door and is not suffered to come in Afterward he leaveth her for this unkindnesse yet not so but that there was some sweet relish left upon the door God alwayes leaveth something in his Children to long after him and at length after much longing Christ manifesteth himself sweetly to her Chap. 6. 4. and breaketh out Thou art beautiful O my love as Tirzah comely as Jerusalem terrible as an Army with banners turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me thy hair is as a flock of Goats c. and so goeth on my Love my Dove my undefiled one He could not satisfie himself in the commendations of his Church being as it were overcome with love And this sheweth that after we have dealt unkindly with Christ and our consciences are ashamed and abashed with it as it is fit they should yet if we will wait awhile and be content not be desperate nor yield to temptation if we stay but a while Christ will manifest himself to us and shew that he valueth and prizeth the hidden graces we cannot see he can see gold in oare He can see hidden love and hidden faith and grace that we cannot see in temptations and he will manifest all at length and shew his love when we stand most in need of it We see it in David who was deeply humbled for his folly with Bathsheba for there was not one but many fins as murder and adultery c. yet being now humbled God sent him and Bathshebah wise Solomon to succeed him in his Kingdom He forgetteth all and so you see our Saviour Christ forgetteth all their unkindness he biddeth her not go tell my Renegate Disciples that owned not me they care not for me I care not for them I am above death and all and now will use them as they did me oh no but go tell my brethren without mentioning any thing that they have done unkindly What is the reason it is sufficient to a gracious soul that it is thus It is the course of God but there be reasons to give satisfaction First the love of Christ to a poor disconsolate afflicted soul is most seasonable when they have relaps'd and dealt unkindly with Christ then Christ not only forgiveth but forgets all nay and calleth them under the tearm of Brethren which is more then forgiving and forgetting Oh now it is seasonable for there is a wonderful dejection of spirit after unkind usage of Christ in a soul that knowes what Christ means It is as a shower of rain after great drought it falleth weighty upon the soul Secondly The freedom of Christs love most appeareth then when no desert of ours can move it for is not that love free when we have dealt unkindly with him and joyned with the world and with the flesh and dealt slipperily with him that then he will speak kindly to us and make love to us Lord if I had had my due what would have become of me If he had sent them word according to their deserts he might have said go tell the Apostate base people that have dealt unworthily with me whom I will send to Hell Oh no but tell my Brethren his free love appeareth most at such times when our souls are most dejected Thirdly Satan roareth then most then he most of all sheweth his horns when we are relapsed oh saith he if thou hadst never found kindness it had been something but thou hast dealt unworthily that hast had so many favours and dost thou so requite the Lord of glory Now this love of Christ doth exceedingly confound Satan and trouble his plots he knoweth then that God leaveth men and he joyneth with a guilty conscience and a guilty conscience maketh them to fear all they have deserved shall I look God in the face Christ in the face when I have used them thus shall I receive the Sacrament and joyn with Gods people now Satan doth joyn with guilt of conscience and carrieth it further and when God seeth them dejected and humbled for this he speaketh more comfort to them then ever before There is none of us all I can except none but had need of this have we dealt so unkindly with Christ since our conversion have not we dealt proudly and unkindly and carlesly with him and if we have the love of Christ in our brests it will shame and abash us Now if we have joyned with a temptation Satan will say will you go to God and to prayer that have served God thus shall I yield to this temptation if we can shame our selves and say Lord I take all shame to my self I have dealt most unworthily with thee we shall hear a voice of comfort presently And therefore whatsoever our condition be be invited to repentance though thou hast fallen and fallen again I have dealt unkindly did not Peter so and yet go tell my Disciples and tell Peter The Pope will have him head of the Church I am sure he was head in forsaking of Christ and indeed Christ ever upbraided Peter with forsaking of him now only he biddeth him feed feed feed that he might take more notice of it but he was so kind that he never cast it into his teeth Obj. But saith the poor drooping soul if I had never tasted of mercy it had been something Answ But object not that for though Peters offence was great yet his offence was great and though thy sins be great yet if thy repentance and humiliation be answerable thou shalt have most comfort of all And therefore let no man be discouraged If we
into Christ by a spirit of adoption and have the stamp of the Father upon them The likeness of the Father and of Christ whom God begetsto his own likeness that are in a word like Christ Christ is the first Son and in him and for his sake we are Sons He is the natural Son and they may say our Father that labor to express the disposition of Christ who is the first Son See this disposition of Christ in the Gospel how marvellously patient he was under the hand of his Father obedienâ— to the death of his Crosse humbled full of love full of goodness He went about doing good Do we thâ—n walk as Christ did carry we the image of the second Adam have we the patient humble meek disposition of Christ in our measure do we love Christ in his members God in his Image do we love the Ordinances and the power of Reâ—igion this sheweth what we are and is our conversation sutable to our inward disposition do we walk in light do we shew by our conversation whose Children we are do our speeches give a Character of the inward man If this be in us though in never so small a measure with comfort we may say our Father But may not another man that is not in Christ come to God under the sweet name of our Father yea he may come to him as his Father by creation and providence or sacramentally a Father or as brought into the Church and having God to create him and to provide for him Lord thou hast shewed thy self a gracious Father thus far though I cannot from any inward perswasion say My Father Thus far as I can I say my Father strive against our spiritual infidelity believe God and cast our selves on his gracious promises in Christ God will meet us at the same time and he will send us his spirit to make us his Sons And therefore let no man that hath been a wicked liver be discouraged from going to God in the name of a Father in that wherein he is a Father Lord thou hast created me and preserved me and it is thy mercy I am not in Hell yet thou offer'st to be my Father in Christ thou hast made gracious promises and invited me and upon this when the heart yieldeth to the gracious apprehensions of God as a Father there is a spirit of faith wrought in the heart presently therefore think of the name of a Father and the very thoughts of it will bring the spirit of adoption Only it speaks no comfort to the bitter malicious satanical enemies of Christ and the power of Religion they be Children of the Devil But now poor souls that groan under the burden of sin let them think that God is a Father and of the mercies of God though they do not see they be interested in them By the very contemplation of the mercies of God in Christ and his inviting them to receive them the spirit of God will be wrought in the soul whereby they may have confidence to come to God as a Father I desire you therefore to remember this it is the first Sermon of our Saviour Christ after his Resurrection and therefore forget not to think of God as a Father and Christ as a Brother Indeed whatsoever comfort is in any relation God and Christ have taken it on them A Father is more comprehensive then any other Title Christ is Father and Husband and Spouse And God is our Rock and Shield and whatsoever is comfortable he hath taken on him and in Christ we may command him to be so And if we had ten thousand Worlds they could not be compared to the comforts that arise from hence that we can call God Father It is more to us if we could improve it in our spiritual Trade for Heaven then if we had a thousand worlds especially in dayes of affliction and in the hour of death For it improveth whatsoev er is in the bowels of God for poor distressed souls When nothing else will comfort this will comfort if we can say to God Father Though we cannot make a distinct prayer yet if we can say Father God can pick matter out of our broken Language Now Christ is ascended up to Heaven he doth us more good then he did when he was upon the earth The Sun in the Firmament yieldeth us heat and comfort but if it were nearer it would do us hurt or if further off it would not do us so much good God hath placed it being a common light of the world high to inlighten inferior bodies and to convey influence by means into them And so Christ the Son of righteousness being ascended and advanced to Heaven doth more good then on earth And therefore saith he it is for your good that I ascend It is for our good that we have Christ in Heaven to appear there for us I ascend to my Father and to your Father Father is here taken personally not essentially though it be true in that sense to my Father as the first person of the Trinity especially Christ might well say I ascend to my Father now for he was risen again and was mightily declared to be the Son of God by his Resurrection from the dead Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee that is this day have I declared thee It is said of things fiunt cum pate fiunt they are done when they be open and declared to be done Christ was the Son of God when he rose again because he was discovered by his glorious Resurrection to be so indeed And therefore Christ may well say after his Resurrection I go to my Father and your Father Observe from hence That God in Christ is our Father We say Relations are Minimae entitatis they are little entities founded on others but they are maximae consequentiae of great concernment I beseech you before I leave the point give me leave to go on a little further in this to shew that wonderful mercy that admirable goodness which the tongues and hearts of all the men in the world and Angels in Heaven are not able to express that love of God which is contained in the Relation he hath taken on him in Christ to be our Father 1. Consider who and whom Who the great God that hath the Son to solace himself in he did not adopt us because he wanted Sons he had Sons of his own and Sons of his love to sollace himself in what need he have took Traitors Rebels enemies to make them his Sons Oh it is a marvellous advancement of our nature that God should in Christ become our Father It is said Psalm 113. God abaseth himself to behold things below and indeed so he doth with reverence be it spoken to his great Majesty he abaseth himself in regard of things below In regard of us worms of the earth that be enemies yea Devils by nature For
many ye shall see the Devil in them in their lying and opposing of goodness And God will alwayes have some amongst men to shew others what they would be if God left them to themselves God abaseth himself to behold things below Not that it is a diminution of Majesty to do it but God in Christ hath stooped so low that he could go no lower and he is advanced as high in our nature as can be How could God become a man a curse God in the second person with us God in the first person to be so near to us as a Father and God in the second person to make him a Father to be so low as Christ was which is to be as low as hell it self 2. Consider to whom this message is sent He is your Father even a Father to you the Disciples now you are disconsolate God owneth us for his Children at the worst He took our condition notwithstanding all our infirmities When we be pronest by a work of the spirit to condemn our selves then God is nearest to justifie us When the poor prodigal said I am unworthy to be a Son make me an Houshold Servant you see how the Father entertaineth him So the poor Publican dareth not lift up his eyes and yet went away justified David when he could not pray but murmur and rebell and said in his heart all men are lyars yet thou heardst the voice of my prayer even then when he could not pray but groan and sigh to God I said I am cast out of thy sight yet thou regardest the voice of my prayers When he said out of a murmuring spirit and rebelliousness of nature I am cast out of thy sight A Speech that tended to desperation yet God heard the voice of his prayer When Job said I clothed my self in dust and ashes God said to him I have accepted thee When we by the spirit think our selves unworthy to be accepted or to look to Heaven or to tread upon the Earth then God looketh on us worthy in his Son and never more worthy then when we acknowledg our own unworthiness Go tell my Disciples at this time when they had dealt so unworthily I go to their Father It is from his own bowels and not any goodness in us that he loveth us He loveth the work of his own spirit his own nature that that is of his own Though the Child hath many infirmities yet the Father seeth the nature of the Child and therefore loveth it God seeth his Image of holiness in us in some poor measure and he loveth his own in us And he loveth our love to him which is in some measure Though the Disciples had got into corners after their unkind dealing with Christ yet he knew they loved him As where there is love there will be a reflection of his love back again And then God knoweth if he should not shew mercy to sinners he should have none to serve him on earth And therefore saith the Psalmist Psal 130. v. 4. There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared that is worshipped If God were not merciful to sinners where should he have any to worship him And therefore God sheweth himself to be a Father even to sinful Creatures even in their wickedness he seeth his own nature in them He seeth some love some work of respect in them and if he should not love them he would have none to fear him Beloved live upon this I spake before of the love of Christ Here is the love of God the Father who is content to be a Father even in our sinful condition If God be a Father to us as to Christ then let not our hearts be discouraged in afflictions persecutions temptations God was a Father to Christ in his desertion God leaveth us to our selves sometimes and we fear his love Did not he leave his own Son upon the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yet he ceased not to be a Father For persecution of enemies was not Christs whole life fill'd up with persecution and yet a Son For temptations thou art tempted and thinkest thou art none of Gods Children Satan did tempt our blessed Saviour that he might be a merciful Saviour and know how to succour thee in times of temptation therefore be not discouraged say not when thou art deserted persecuted asflicted tempted God is not thy Father for by that reason thou maist argue God was none of Christs Father God was Christs Father notwithstanding his desertion for a time and notwithstanding his afflictions in the world his persecutions of all sorts of men and notwithstanding his temptations God was his Father still This we must observe Father is not a relation to day and none to morrow It is an eternal relation Dum percutis pater es Dum Castigas pater es saith Augustine while thou strikest us thou art our Father whilst thou correctest us thou art our Father Parents are tender to their weakest and sick Children and God is most tender of all to them that be weak Go tell Peter And therefore never be out of conceipt of God or Christ we cannot be in a condition wherein on any sound grounds we may run from God But if this be so let us learn of God to be indulgent If it were to speak to Ministers I should be large to advise them to preach the Law and the Gospel The very Law is preached in mercy The Lord taketh a severe course but it is to order us All Gods severity is reducible to mercy and Christ all his afflictions humiliations and abasements do they come from unfatherly affection no but to draw us home to him And therefore never be terrible to any but with a bowel of compassion but with a mind that they may see themselves and see the comforts they have in Christ We ought to be of his affection the great Pastor and Bishop of the Church And so for ordinary Christians they should be indulgent one to another Some are alwayes cutting in Ulcers always wounding and tearing themselves with ill usage and misconstruction keeping themselves from growing up in a better life by observing the infirmities of them that be better then themselves Oh but go tell my Brethren that my Father owneth them for his Children which may be a use of marvellous comfort to us Shall a Child be always prowling for it self we think there is neither Father nor Mother to take care for it your heavenly Father knoweth what you need We ought to labor for contentment in all conditions for God is our Father And for others if God be our Father let us look to others that be our brethren own them and carry our selves to them as brethren Let the strong carythēselves lowly to the weak it is a sign of greatest strength to be most indulgent Many account it great commendations on their part to be censorious and to
be severe I but that is the greatest part of their weakness if they have any goodness in them For who was more indulgent to the Disciples then Christ who saw their weakness He bore with all their infirmities Where we see any goodness let us bear with many weaknesses we ought to be peaceable men Beati sunt pacifici they that be appeased in their consciences in sense of their own pardon are ready to shew mercy to others Busie contentions quarrelsom dispositions argue they never found comfort from God himself If God be a Father and we are Brethren it is a levelling word it bringeth Mountains down and filleth up vallies All are Brethren take them in what condition you will if they be great in the world Brethren of an high degree yet brother levelleth thē If they be of low degree yet it filleth them up raiseth thē to the height in this brotherhood And therefore go tel my Brethren tell them all for they be all equally Brethren If I were to speak to persons of quality and great parts as I am to speak to mean let them be put in mind of their condition Nothing should raise us up so high as to forget the everlasting relation of Brother Infirmity should not so far prevail with us as to forget that which the Children of God have to eternity And for other persons more eminent if he be a King let him not so mind that as to forget all other For all relations determine in death and must be laid in the dust all must stand on equal ground before Gods Barre and they that have most to answer for have the highest accompt of all and therefore it is ground of humility to all Let them that are in greatest eminency consider this Paul after conversion could say henceforth know I no man after the flesh There is a great deal of humanity in the World complement is very ordinary which is the Picture and out-side of humanity but Christian love which is a degree above humanity the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brotherly love that is the scorn of the world They will own a Brother in office but owning them in the sweet bonds of Brotherhood as they are the Sons of God here is Heaven make much of them in that kind that is a strange thing in the world but we must know what it meaneth before we come to Heaven we must respect a Christian be he what he will be under all his infirmities if he hath a good spirit in him which God the Father seeth and Christ seeth We must bear love to all Saints Some will make much of an eminent man that hath excellent parts because there may be some countenance from such persons but here is sincerity that beareth love to all Saints He wraps them up all in the general tearm Go tell Peter amongst the rest that hath offended more then the rest If you will know whether you be true Brethren or no or Sons of God or no make a use of tryal by what is formerly delivered I shall inlarge my self in that point because all dependeth upon it God is the Father of all by creation he is the Father in a general Covenant of all that receive the Sacrament and are baptized But if they have no other relation to God but so they may go to Hell as Judas and others did therefore we must know whether we may claim this relation of Father on good grounds or no else it is an usurpation 1. Those that belong to God the spirit of God witnesseth to them that they are Sons They that are adopted have the spirit of adoption in some degree God sendeth his spirit into their hearts that assures them that they be Gods Children And howsoever this is the first yet God giveth some intimation by his spirit that they look to God in another familiar manner then before and he looks on them in a Fatherly manner so there be some intimations and insinuations and hints though the spirit of adoption witnesseth not fully and gloriously to the soul always because we are not fitted for it but sometimes in great afflictions and desertions Where the spirit of God is there is Communion with God in the spirit of adoption And when the voice of the spirit of adoption speaks not lowdly yet there is a work of the spirit there is something in us renewed by the spirit there is something of the new Creature When a Christian cannot hear God say to his soul I am thy salvation yet a man may see a work of grace there is a love to God to the Ordinances to the people of God a mourning because he cannot mourn a sighing because he hath not an heart plyable He is discordant with his condition when he is disconsolate so that there is a work of the spirit helpeth him in his worst condition Besides there is a spirit of supplication in some measure though he cannot make set discourses to God yet he can in a sweet manner lay open his sorrow and grief to God and leave them in his bosom They be broken words perhaps but God can pluck sense out of them God knoweth the meaning of the sighing of his own spirit though broken speeches So that where there is any tongue for God in a man there is a spirit of prayer there is not a strangeness of God to go altogether by but the spirit hath a kind of acquaintance with God and it goeth to God in a familiarity and layeth forth grief and putteth forth Petitions in another manner then the World doth Again a Christian in the worst condition God not only shineth on him through the Cloud but there is a spirit in him that sigheth to go through all thick Clouds to God There is a spirit of supplication and of love in some degree for that is promised The spirit shall help our infirmities when we know not how to pray the intercourse and Communion with God is never broken off where there is any spirit of adoption Therefore Jonas and David and the rest though they could not pray yet they sighed to God and would not leave him If they could not imbrace Christ they would touch the hem of his garment They will not yield to the stream altogether but strive against it And though they be carried away with the strength of the stream and see no goodness in themselves yet they that be with them shall see a spirit striving to another condition then they are in Something of Christs something of Gods spirit there will be in them And take them at the worst they will appear better then the civil man that thinks himself a glorious man though he hath nothing but for shew and fashion who would be in such a mans condition without some brokenness of heart some sighs 2. Likewise we may know it by our sympathy and Antipathy Our sympathy with them that be good and antipathy
as he rose we shall arise As verily as he is at Gods right hand we shall be there too for by faith we sit now in heavenly places with Christ and we shall judge the world and be for ever with the Lord. Whatsoever we see in Christ interest our selves in it And therefore we must not conceive of Christ as a severed person but conceive of our selves in union and communion with Christ our head and to conceive of Christ as our head and surety and second Adam And as a quickening spirit that communicateth all to us And therefore when we are to deal with God be sure to go through Christ as we expect all from God through Christ so give all to God through Christ again Be sure to take Benjamin with us when we go come cloathed with the Garments of our elder Brother and do not doubt when we come with Christ for else we dishonour Christ shall I come in the sweet name and mediation of my Saviour that hath perfected salvation and not be accepted of God when God hath ordained him for that purpose If we stagger and doubt to receive any thing at Gods hands we wrong not only Gods bounty but Christ the Mediator carry this therefore all along with us do all in him and desire God to pardon all for his sake and God will regard us Let us therefore make this use of it and add this further That if so be God is first the Father of Christ before he is our Father and first the God of Christ before he is our God and that all our good is dependent upon what God is to Christ first then doth not this follow from hence that we should not only thank God for our selves but thank God for whatsoever he hath done to Christ not only comfort our selves in it but let God have the glory of it And this the spirit of God in the holy Apostles Peter and Paul led them to Ephes 1. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ what and nothing but so nay with a reduplication Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ even because he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because out of his infinite depth of wisdom and goodness he hath found out a way to save us in Christ to be a Father to him and in him a Father to us It is said of the Virgin Mary Aâ— Generations shall call her blessed Why because she was Mother of the person that was God she was the Mother of Christ in humane nature and of God because we may not sever the persons And shall we blesse the Virgin Mary as Mother of God and not God as Father of Christ If she be the Mother of Christ-man then God is the Father of whole Christ and therefore blessed be God not only that he is our Father and our God but that he might be thus with satisfaction to divine justice he hath found out such a way to be the Father of Christ and Christ as man is an object of Gods love and predestination as well as we We deserved nothing at Gods hands but he found out â—uch a way by taking the nature of man into unity of his second person and so became a Father of Christ and of us And therefore blesse God who hath predestinated Christ to â—e the Lamb of God that hath freed him from sin and raised him from the dead that hath carried him into Heaven and set him at his right hand ordained him to be judg of quick and dead Are these things severed from us no they be favours that be ours in Christ his first then ours And therefore whensoever we think of any thing Christ hath of his glory in Heaven as he is King of Heaven and earth and hath all power committed to him glorisie God for it and think of it this is mine he is mine Husband my head he hath taken up that glory and whatsoever is in Heaven and injoyeth them he hath taken it up for me and therefore we should blesse God for it So the Apostle Peter blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that hath begot us again to an inheritance immortal undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in the Heavens He hath begot us to a lively hope through the Resurrection of Christ from the dead So it is from the Resurrection of Christ from the dead that Christ saith God is my Father and your Father since Gods justice is satisfied by my Resurrection that is declared to be satisfied I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God I beseech you let us not lose the comfort of these things since our Saviour Christ intendeth them for comfort To come to the words First Christ saith God was his God and our God because his God In what sense is God Christs God As mediator as man both in regard of his person and in regard of his office God is Christs God every way See Psal 22. which is a Psalm of Christ David being but a type of him in it Thou art my God from my mothers womb and so God is Christs God in his particular person from his Mothers womb For first God was Christs God when by his holy spirit he sanctified him in his Mothers womb and brought him out into the world Let the foolish disputes of Fryars and dreams and dotages of dunsical times go But thou art my God from my Mothers womb And 2. He is Christs God because he saved him from the massacre of the Infants Our Saviour Christ makes that prayer in Psal 22. on the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 3. God was Christs God in protecting of him in his young time and afterward in going along with him still to his death and in death my God my God still He would own God to be his God still when God had deserted him to his sense and feeling yet my God still So God was Christs God as Christ wasâ—man take Christ as mediator God is the God of Christ for God the Father hath by his Authority put on Christ whatsoever he hath The Father hath sent him into the world The Father sealed him the Father set him out as a propitiation for our sins The Father hath declared him and annointed him and all these tearms of Authority whereby the Father hath shewed himself to be Christs God even in his office of Mediatorship So in regard of the care of his person from his Mothers womb and for ever and in regard of his office as Mediator he might well say I go to my God In regard of the intimate familiarity and acquaintance maintained even on the Crosse he might say my God But the comfort of it lyeth in the second clause That as God is the God of Christ so he is our God because he is the God of Christ What is it to be a God to any In a
and some presumptuous persons to snatch at it when it doth not belong to them Those to whom God is a God indeed in a sweet relation of the Covenant of grace to be their God as to the Patriarks Prophets Christ the Apostles he giveth his holy spirit to witness so much to them Though the voice of the spirit is not alwayes heard in the best Children of God yet he giveth them the holy spirit that though it doth not alwayes witness yet it alwayes works something in them which may be an evidence that they are Gods 2. Now the spirit of adoption and Sonship is known by a spirit of supplication especially Whom God is a God to he vouchsafeth a spirit of prayer to go to him in all their necessities which is an issue or branch of their faith He giveth them faith to believe it and prayer to make use of it for God will not give this great priviledge without heart to make use of it which is done by faith and prayer and prayer is nothing but the frame of faith Acts 9. As soon as Paul was a good man presently after his conversion Behold he prayeth The child cryeth as soon as born and the child of God is known by his praying as soon as he is converted an intercourse is opened between God and the soul which a christian soul will never neglect If they are plac't in the worst condition they will pray to God or at least sigh and groan which is a prayer that God can make sense of Those that have any strong places of defence in trouble they will be sure to fly to that in times of war they will betake them to their Castle and place of munition And so they that be Gods in time of danger run presently to God he is their rock their refuge and place of defence repair to him by faith and prayer The name of the Lord is a Tower of defence the righteous in trouble fly thither and they are safe A man may know what his God is by his retyring in times of extremity Your carnal man if he hath any place to retire to it is to his friends to his purse to bring him out He will go to that which his instinct will specially lead him to in times of trouble As every Creature together with the nature of it hath received an instinct from God to go to the place of refuge wherein it is safe as the weakest Creature hath strongest refuge The Conies a poor weak Creature hide themselves most strongly out of instinct they have their own weakness So Gods Child being privy of his weakness and need of support and strength hath the strongest support that may be and runneth to his God Worldly men have many shifts as the wily Fox hath but a Christian hath but one but that is a great one he goeth to his God in time of need And therefore you may know who is in covenant with God in times of extremity especially by a spirit of faith a spirit of prayer In times of extremity no man but a Christian can pray with any comfort with any sweet familiarity Abba Father But they be like Pharaoh Go Moses pray to your God He had no such familiarity with God as to pray for himself And so carnal men will say pray to your God And many like Devils will have no cōmunion with God in their prosperity but their whole life is a provoking of God to emnity by swearing loose debauched irregular Carriages hateful even to moral men their hearts tell them they be even like Satan VVhat dost thou come to torment us before our time what hast thou to do with me what have they to do with God they have scarce a Bible in their Chambers If one it is for fashion sake And that they may not appear to be naught they will hold conformity in publick assemblies but for private familiarity they have nothing to do with it The shew of Religion goeth under an opprobrious name but if they would put off the shew it were nothing and not make ostentation of what they are not but they have no communion with God in prayer They will go for Gods people and own him for their God when they have no trading with him so much as by prayer Take heed we deceive not our selves I beseech you salvation dependeth upon it 3. We may further try whether our claim of God to be our God be a good claim on good grounds by our siding by our partaking for those whom God is a God to in a peculiar manner will be sure to side with God God hath two things in the world he prizes more then all the world that is his Children and Church His cause and Religion they that be Gods will be sure to side with the Church they will stand and fall with the Church and the cause of Religion they will live and die with it But a carnal Polititian that hath perhaps great parts of nature he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Grecian calleth him they be for all turns they can bring themselves to any figure like water that will receive any figure Take it put it into a Vessel that is square it will be square put it into a round Vessel it will be round How can they own God for their God when they will not seek him and they are yet to chuse their God and Religion And because they will be sure to be safe in all times they will own no Religion in any time And beloved is it possible any such should say with confidence God is their God will he own them that will not own him nor his Church nor his cause you know Jehu cried out who is on my side who cast her out And so God in doubtful times of danger cryeth out who is on my side who stand out appear if you be on my side if you be on my side own my cause if you be not on my side if you have no degree of goodness it will appear Christian wisdom is one thing carnal policy is another thing The wisdom of the flesh is emnity with God Many applaud and think themselves for some body in this kind but this wisdom is emnity it self against God When a man will be wise in a distinct kind of wisdom from God when he will have a cause severed from God will not side with God he must look that God will accompt him his enemy and make him his but especially in the hour of death and deep extremity he shall not be able to look God in the face to whom he hath been a traitor in the Church and in the cause of Religion And therefore as we will be able to own God for our God especially in doubtful and dangerous times side with the Church and side with Religion It was objected to that good Jehonadab a good man have we any thing to do with
again from the dead our Lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant By the blood of Christ there is an everlasting Covenant God will be our God to death and in death and for ever For this relation being on Gods part extendeth it self from forgiveness of sins to life everlasting It is alwayes the blood of Christ is the blood of an everlasting Covenant I will marry thee to me for ever It holdeth sure on Gods part Let us therefore labor to maintain this assurance of salvation from Gods love 2. But for our comfort we must do our parts too though it begin with God It beginneth on Gods part He loveth us first and imbraceth us first and we must love again and imbrace again We must desire of God grace to answer relation Therefore I will prescribe some rules how we may say God is our God with comfort That we may have the comfort of it by making good our interest in him to make it good that we are Sonnes as well as to call him Father that we are his people as well as to call him our God his spouse as well as call him our Husband And because this cometh from God joyn this withall our endeavors Lord thou must begin I desire to shew my self as a spouse to thee but thou must discover thy self to me I desire to love thee but discover thy love first all I can do is but reflection Thou must shine on me first so desire God to reveal himself more and more in Christ Jesus and then we cannot but carry our selves to him as we should do in our Relation This day we must perform the relation on our sides there be two words that go to this heavenly bargain The Covenant consisteth of two parts Now deâ—ire God by his grace to inable us to do our part for he doth both And desire him according to his promise to teach us to love him and to write his Law in our hearts to do what is good and circumcise our hearts and give his holy spirit We aske no more then he hath promised and so go boldly to him Lord thou hast made a Covenant with us we cannot keep it without thee thou hast not only promised grace and gifts but the grace to perform the Covenant on our parts must come from thee And this God will do therefore in the use of means attend upon him and looking to him we shall have grace to do our parts and then maintain this assurance without which we cannot live as Christians should live That we may further maintain this Relation that God is our God Let us labor to get into Christ for it is in him that God is our Father and to grow up in Christ to growe more and more to grow up in faith and in all grace A gratious Christian never wanteth arguments of assurance of salvation It is the dead-hearted Christian the careless Christian therefore labor as to be in Christ so to grow up in the knowledge of Christ And so to know God in Christ labor to see the face of God in Christ for in him are all the beams of his love as the beames of the Sun in a glasse are gathered so the beams of all Gods love meet in Christ So lovely is God in Christ whatsoever we have in Christ it is from God in Christ And whatsoever we have from God it is through Christ therefore growe in the knowledge of Christ in faith in Christ To this end are the Sacraments that we might growe up in him and be fed into Christ And then we may make right use of it as the Ordinance that God hath sanctified for this end And as God doth take us out set a stamp upoÌ„ us so labor to make choyce of God more more choice of God in Christ for there be the 2. objects of our faith love Chuse God for our God esteem him above all and renounce all other and resign our selves wholly to him for all is ours when God is ours He setteth us apart from other men taking us out and appropriateth us to himself chuseth us for his Jewels I beseech you labor daily to chuse God to be your God If we say we are Gods let us make choyce of him at the same time and appropriate him with our choyce He is mine in particular there is renunciation of all others I have served other Gods heretofore the world and the flesh and the favor of man have been my God but they shall be my God no more If we chuse him not and appropriate him as ours and renounce all other and give our selves to him we cannot say he is our God this we should practice every day In the solicitation of sin or despair for sin make use of this choice and appropriation and resignation If we be tempted to any sin why I am not mine own I am Gods I have chosen him to be my God I have appropriated my self to him I have renounced all other I have offered my self to him therefore what have I to do with sin with this temptation I have taken the Sacrament on it that God is mine and Christ is mine with all his benefits therefor e if there be any solicitatioÌ„ to sin make this use of it so we shal grow in assurance of our interest in God when we can make use of it on all occasions If when we be moved to any sin by Satan or our own flesh which is a Devil within us this is contrary to my Covenant this is contrary to the renewing of the Covenant so often renewed in the Sacrament therefore I will not commit it It is contrary to the State I am advanced to and contrary to my relation God is my Father and my God and therefore I must be his and what have I to do with sin what hath pride to do with a heart bequeathed to God what hath lust and filthiness what hath injustice or any thing else that is sinful to do in a heart that hath dedicated and consecrated it self to God who hath given up himself and all he can do and to whom we have given up all we have and shall we give our strength to sin and Satan his enemies Thus we should grow in assurance exercising the increase and knowledge of our interest I beseech you therefore let us use these and the like things to make God our God And if any temptation for sin be joyned as Satan cannot but solicit to sin so he laboreth when we have sinned to tempt to despair for sin for they be the two wayes by which Satan prevails Now fetch comfort against both from hence God is my God and my Father and Christ teacheth them to call him so and therefore notwithstanding sin I may go to God and call him Father The Disciples though their sin was great yet on their humility they were to