reason why carnall men cannot relish a pardon for sinne and justification and sanctification and holinesse nor goe boldly to God It may be they have good sweet notions of these but they have no spirituall taste or relish of them and all because they want spirituall life None but a Christian can have spirituall taste answerable to a spirituall life Taste is a kind of feeling one of the most necessary senses and a Christian cannot be without relish and feeling yea it is the very beeing of a Christian to have a taste of spirituall things Of all other senses there is a stronger application in taste the other senses fetch their objects afarre off but as for taste there is a neer application in it and therefore most necessary every life is maintained by tast Taste and see how good the Lord is Now taste doth two things it doth relish that that is good and disrelish the contrary there must be a spirituall taste to discerne of differences There can be no spirituall taste but it must know what is good and profitable for the soule and what is not because God will not have our tastes to be wronged yee see what course he takes First the eye seeth what things we taste on and if the eye be displeased so also is the smell Thus God layeth before us spirituall things knowledge of good and bad and giveth us many caveats and all because he would not have us to taste things hurtfull for the soule nor poison instead of meate Now when we have tasted that which is good let us take heed it be not a taste onely lest we fall into the sinne against the holy Ghost Againe beside taste there must be a disgesting of what we taste and that throughly in our understandings when we apprehend a thing to be true and good it must be disgested throughly into the affections Love to the best things must be above all other love whatsover yet this must be disgested Men oftentimes have sweet notions but alas they are but notions they doe not disgest them into their affections It is the last disgestion that nourisheth and when any spirituall truths are understood throughly then comes in spirituall strength and hereupon the soule comes and suckes in that virtue which is for the nourishment of it thus it is in the soule upon disgestion there is nourishment Againe there must be a faculty to retaine what wee have received that it maybe disgested yee have many that love to heare but they do not disgest If there be nothing in the soule nothing can be extracted and therefore we must learne to retaine necessary truths that so upon occasion they may come from the memory into the heart though indeed they are not in their proper place when they are in the memory only yet notwithstanding if they are there they may with ease be brought down into the soule Then we must labour to walke in the strength of spirituall things For what is the use of this Feast but to cherish both soule and spirit the use of spirituall things which we have through Christ is to cherish and enliven It conveyeth strength to us that we may walke in the strength of Christ as Elias did fourty daies in the strength of his food And consider though in our consciences and conditions we have variety of changes yet in Christ we have severall comforts suitable to all our severall conditions If so be our sinnes trouble us wee should watch over our selves that wee be not overmuch cast downe but feed upon spirituall things in consideration of pardon for sinne in the bloud of Christ this is the grand issue of all that Christ hath traced out in the forgivenesse of sinnes He is not he cannot be divided where he pardons sinnes he sanctifieth where he sanctifieth he writes his law in their hearts so that there is a chaine of spirituall favours where the first linke is all the rest follow where forgivenesse of sinne is there is the spirit and that spirit sanctifieth and comforts and is an earnest of everlasting life therefore feed especially upon the favours of God and get forgivenesse of sinnes and then all the rest of the chaine of grace and spirituall life will follow Sometimes wee stand in need of present grace and comfort and we are undone if comforts and grace are not at hand never considering the promises that are to come as that promise of Christ I will be with thee to the end of the world feare not No temptation shall befall us but we shall have an issue out of it and it shall worke together for the good of all those that feare God This is Aquavitaeâ—o â—o the soule of man therefore the gracious promises of Christ and his holy Spirit wee should ever remember to get into our soules for when all other comforts faile then commeth in the comforts of the Spirit who will be with us and uphold us in all extremities if we had nothing in this world to comfort our spirits yet let us rejoyce in hope of glory to come Our life is hid with Christ wee have the hidden Manna in him we rejoyce in hope of glory Rom. 5. 2. And the way to maintaine a Christian holy life is to make use of all the privileges of christianity and of those promises that convey these privileges to our soules Now that we may the better do this observe continually what it is that hinders us that we cannot feed upon spirituall things as we should doe whatsoever it is we must labour constantly to remove it Now what must follow after this Feast why spirituall chearefulnesse if we finde this in our duties of Christianity it is a signe we have fed upon spirituall things the nature of a spirituall Feast is to empty the foule of sinne and to fill it full of gracious thoughts and actions instead thereof it moderates all things it makes us use the world as if we used it not when wee can do this we may certainly know that our soules have tasted of abundance of benefit by this Feast A man that hath no spirituall joy is drowned for the most part in the contentments of the world drowned in riches and honours and these are like to strong waters immoderately taken instead of chearing the spirits exhaust and kill them He that hath the joy of heaven here by faith is mortified to all other base delights he only mindeth the things above where Christ is Col. 3. 1. And therefore the exhortation or rather command Seeke the things that are above hath this promise in fit method annex'd unto it and then all other things shall be cast in upon you Riches and honours in the world and if not them yet so much as is necessary and mortification of our sinnes and the lusts of the flesh Againe if we have fed upon spirituall things for our soules we shall be thankfull that man that hath tasted how good
hath overcome the the fear of death once what more is to be done What if they take away life they cannot take away that that is better than life the favor of God If we dye in the Lord we dye in the favor of God which is better than life and we shall be found in the Lord at the day of judgement and shall bee for ever with the Lord in heaven and therfore this is a ground of resolution in good causes notwithstanding all threats whatsoever because death it selfe is swallowed up in victory The worst the world can doe is to take away this Nature of ours when they have done that they have done all they can and when they have done that they have done a pleasure That is not to be feared saith Tertullian that frees us from all that is to be feared What is to be feared in the world every sicknesse every disgrace why death frees us from all We doe see every day takes away a peece of ones life and when death commeth it overthroweth it selfe for the soule goeth presently to the place of happinesse the body sleepeth awhile and death hath no more power He that beleeveth in mee saith Christ hee shall not see death but is past from death to life He shall not see spirituall death but as he lives in Christ shall dye in Christ and rise againe in Christ He that hath the life of grace begun shall have it consummate without interruption It s a point of wonderfull Comfort that death is so overcome that we bee in heaven already And it is no hard speech but stands with the truth of other points for are not Christ and we all one his body is there and is not he the head of his mysticall body hee that carried his naturall body will not hee carry his mysticall body thither too will hee bee in piece-meale in heaven Therefore we are in heaven already the best part of us We are represented in heaven for Christ represents us there as the Husband doth the Wife He hath taken up Heaven for us Christ cannot be divided as Austine saith we sit in heavenly places already with Christ And what a comfort is this that while wee live we are in heaven and that death cannot hinder us from our Resurrection which is the restoring of all things And therefore as the Apostle saith Comfort one another with these things These things indeed have much comfort in them Let us labour then to bee comfortable this use the Apostle makes of it and fruitfull in our places upon consideration of the victory we have by Christ 1 Cor. 15. It is an excellent Chapter that largely proveth Christs victory as the cause of our victory because hee is the first fruit that sanctifieth all the rest Finally my bretheren bee constant immoveable alwayes abound in the works of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. He raiseth that exhortation of fruitfulnesse and constancy from this very ground of the victory Christ hath gotten by death O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory thanks bee to God through Jesus Christ And therefore be constant immovable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord Make that use the Apostle doth of fruitfulnesse to God for Christ that we can thinke of death and sinne the devill and all his malice and not be afraid yea thinke of them all with comfort that we be not onely freed from their tyranny but they bee our friends Christ hath the Key of Hell and Death a saying taken from the custome of Governours that carryed the Key he hath the Government and Command of Hell and Death Now if Christ hath command of Death he will not suffer Death to hurt his Members or triumph alwayes over them he will keep them in the grave Our bodies are safe in the grave the dust is fitted for a heavenly for another manner of body than we have now and Christ that hath the Key will let them out againe Therefore trust awhile till times of restoring come and then we shall have a glorious soule and glorious body as the Apostle saith I beseech you think of these things and get comfort against the evill day And to that end be sure to get into Christ that wee may bee in Christ living and dying and bee found in Christ For what saith the Scripture Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. It is an argument of blessednesse to dye for the Lord but if it be not in the Lord it is to no purpose If there is granted this happinesse of dying for the Lord it is well but blessed are they that dye in the Lord. Why they rest from their labour Death takes them off from their labours All their good Workes goe to heaven with them So saith the Spirit whatsoever the Flesh saith and there is no resting till that time their life is full of troubles and combers and therefore labour to get assurance that wee are in Christ that wee bee in Christ and dye in Christ and then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ How besotted are wee to put away preparation of Death till it comes he that forgets Christ and getting into Christ all his life time it is Gods just judgment that he should forget himself in death We see how a villaine that hath no care of his owne life may have power of another mans life And therefore labour to bee ingraffed into Christ by faith and that we may know it by the Spirit of Christ prevailing in us over our naturall Corruptions more and more As the Apostle saith There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ for the spirit of life the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ hath freed me from the Law of sinne and death the condemning law of sinne If the Law of the spirit of life which is in Christ the head be in us in any measure it frees us from the condemning law of sinne that it carrieth us not whither it would then wee may say with comfort There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ for the law of the spirit of life in Christ hath freed us from the condemning tyrannizing law of sinne and death Sinne hath no Law It is in us as a subdued Rebell but it sets not up a Throne Some hope to bee saved by Christ and yet they set up sinne a Throne in the soule Sinne biddeth them defile themselves and they must obey it This is a wofull estate how can they expect to dye in the Lord but such as are freed by the Law of the Spirit of life New Lords new Lawes When Kings Conquer they bring fundamentall Lawes and when wee are taken from Satans Kingdome into the Kingdome of Christ the fundamentall Lawes are then altered Christ by his Spirit sets up a Law of believing
and praying and doing good and abstaining from evill the Law of the Spirit of life frees us from the Law of sinne and death I beseech you inlarge these things in your thoughts They bee things wee must all have use of beforehand against the evill day It should bee comfortable and usefull to us all to heare that our enemy our greatest enemy Death is swallowed up in victory And yet there 's more comfort in the Text. THE Fifth Sermon ISAIAH 25. 8. And all teares shall be wiped away from all faces NOt only death shall be swallowed up in victory but God will wipe away all tears from all eyes Religion shall be religion good things shall be good things nothing shall go under false notions all tears shall be wiped away we have now many causes of teares In the world there is continuall raising of clouds that distill into drops of teares had we nothing without us to raise a vapour to be distil'd in teares we are able to raise up mists from our owne mists from our owne doubts and conflicts within As we should weepe for our owne sinnes so for the sinnes of others as wee may see in Jeremy where the Prophet saith Oh that my head were a fountaine of teares that I might weepe continually for the sinnes of my people And indeed good men are easie to weepe as the heathen man observeth they are easie to lament not onely for their own sinnes but the sinnes and misery of another Our blessed Saviour himselfe we never read that he laughed wee have heard that he wept and for his very enemies Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem He shed teares for them that shed his bloud Teares were maine evidences of Christs sweetnesse of disposition as that hee would become man and a curse and die for us and that he would make so much of little children and call all to him that were weary and heavy laden that hee never refused any that came to him Hee that wept specially for the miseries and afflictions this shewed his gracious and sweet disposition And that in heaven he is so full of sympathies in glory that when Paul persecuted the Church Why dost thou persecute me So though he is free from passion in heaven he is not free from compassion from sympathie with his Church And so every child of God is ready not onely to grieve for his own sinnes and the miserie that followeth them but the sins and miseries of others Mine eyes gush out with rivers of teares saith the Prophet David when hee saw that men brake the law of God whom he loved A true naturall child takes to heart the disgrace of his father if we be not grieved to see our father disgraced wee are bastards not sonnes They that make a sport of sinne what are they Alas they have not one sparke of the spirit of adoption they are not children who rejoyce at that at which they should grieve So Saint Paul I have told you often and now tell you weeping there be many enemies of the crosse of Christ When he saw some men preach against and others enemies of the crosse of Christ whose end is damnation hee telleth them of it weeping Wee have cause therefore to mourne for the sinnes of others and for the miseries of others whether we respect God or the Church or our selves First the love of God moveth us to weepe when wee see him dishonored If we love the Church we should mourne for any sinnes that may prejudice their salvation Doth it not pitty any man to see an Oxe go to slaughter to see a man of parts otherwise by sinning against conscience going to slaughter to see an ordinary swearer an uncleane person a prophane wretch covering himselfe with pride as a garment scorning God and the world and all Can a Christian looke upon this see flesh and blood like himself under the Gospell under a cursed condition unavoidable without serious repentance and not be affected with it Can a man see a poore Asse fall under a burthen and not helpe to take it up and yet see man falling to hell and not be affected with it Thus we see wee have cause enough of teares And as there is cause so we should be sensible we ought to take to heart the afflictions of Joseph hee is a dead man that hath not sense in this kinde If wee go to the body and state or any thing about a man there is cause of griefe hath not every member many diseases and is not our lives a kind of hospitall some sicke of one thing some of another But as there is cause wee should bee sensible of it wee are flesh and not stones therefore it is a sottish opinion to be stockish and brutish as if to out-face sorrow and griefe were a glory When our Saviour was sent into the world Christi dolor dolor maximus there were no patience without sensiblenesse away then with that iron that flinty Phylosophy that thinks it a vertue to be stupid And as the Apostle saith Romans 1. 31. without naturall affections He counteth it the greatest judgement of God upon the soule yet they would have it a vertue Why should I smite them any more saith God they have no sense no feeling The proud Phylosopher thought it was not phylosophicall to weepe a proud stoicall humor but Christians desire it And therefore we ought to labour to be more sensible that we might make our peace and reverence the justice of God and be more sensible of him afterwards It is most true that Sapiens miser plus miser the more wise any man is the more sensible of misery And therefore of all men the best men have most griefe because they have most quicke senses they be not stupified with insensibility and resolutenesse to beare it bravely as the world but they apprehend with griefe the cause of griefe And as they have a more sanctified judgement than other men so they have a more wise affection of love and a quicker life of grace where life is there is sense and where there is a cleare sight or cause of griefe there is most griefe Therefore the best men have most griefe because they be most judicious most loving Then they have most grace to beare it out of all others therefore considering there is cause in our selves and in others of griefe continually wee ought to labour to be sensible of it else it were no favour to have teares wiped away So that there is cause of teares and teares is a duty of Christians sensible of the cause both of sinne and misery upon one and another And as it is an unavoidable griefe so it is good wee should grieve we must stoope to Gods course we must bring our hearts to it and pray that since our necessities and sins doe call for this dispensation that we must under correction he will make us sensible of his rod that
sendeth his Angels to fetch them and he helps them in their combat we must not therefore feare overmuch There is a naturall feare of death death wrought upon Christ himselfe God-man not only death but such a death he was to be left of his Father and lie under the sense of the wrath of God the seperation of that soule from the body he tooke upon him was terrible and therefore he saith If it be possible let this cup passe from me that was nature and without it he had not bin true man But that I say is that grace may be above nature death is a time of darknesse it strips us of earthly comforts friends callings imployments but then comes the eye of faith to lay hold on the victory of Christ in time to come when death shall be only swallowed up in victory and then the glorious state to come to which death bringeth us so that here faith must be above sense and grace above nature and therefore I beseech you let us labour for it There be two sorts of men to whom I would speake a little First those that in a kind of bravery seeme to slight death men of base spirits as we call them fooles vain-glorious spirits empty spirits Is there any creature unlesse in Christ able groundedly to slight so great an enemy as death armed with a sting of sinne and attended with hell and damnation The Romish and divellish spirits are terrible but if thy sinnes be not pardoned it is the most terrible thing in the world to die for there is a gulfe afterwards what shall we say then of single Combatants that for vain-glory are prodigall of their lives that for a foule word a little disgrace will venture on this enemy that is armed with sinne and if they dye they dye in sinne And which is the miserable condition of him that dyes in sinne his death opens the gate to another death which is eternall They say they have repented but there is no repentance of a sinne to be committed Canst thou repent of a sinne before it bee committed that is but a mockery of God And what saith the Scripture Is it not the most terrible judgement under heaven to dye in our sinnes A man that dyes in sinne dyes in hell he goeth from death to hell and that eternall I wonder therefore that the wisedome of flesh and bloud should take away mens wit and faith and grace and all so much as to slight death and repentance as if it were so easie Now beloved death is a terrible thing it hath a sting and thou shalt know it if thou hast not grace to feele the sting of it whilst thou livest when thou dyest the sting will revive then thy Conscience shall awake in hell Drunkennesse and jollity takes away sense of sinne but sinne will revive and conscience will revive God hath not put it into us for nought death is terrible if not disarmed before hand And if thou goe about to dye without disarming it before it will not be out-faced It is not an enemy to be scorned and slighted and therefore be Christians in good earnest else leave profession and perish eternally for wee must all dye and it is a greater matter than we take it but if we be true Christians it is the sweetest thing in the world an end of all misery a beginning of true happinesse an inlet to whatsoever is comfortable blessed are they that are in the Lord by faith and them that dye in the Lord their death is better than the day of life Our Birth-day brings us into misery and therefore let me speak to true Christians and bid them be ashamed of fearing death too much which of an enemy is become a reconciled friend This may in the next place yeeld great consolation to those that are in Christ Jesus that death by Christ is swallowed up in victory and the rather because the holy Ghost meaneth more than a bare victory over death Death is not onely subdued but is made a friend to us As Psalme 110. it is said his enemies shall bee his footstoole Now a footstoole is not onely trampled upon but an helpe to rise And so death is not onely subdued but it advanceth Gods Children and raiseth them higher It is not onely an enemy but a reconciled friend for he doth that which no friend in the world can doe It ends all our misery and is the inlet into all happinesse for eternity And whatsoever it strips us of here it giveth us advantage of better in another world It cuts off our pleasures and profits and Company and Callings here but what is that to our blessed change afterward to our praysing of God for ever to the Company of blessed soules and the profits and pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore And therefore it is not onely conquered but to shew the excellency of his power hee hath made it a friend of an enemy and the best friend in the world It indeed seperates soule from body but it joyneth the soule to Christ so that the conjunction wee have by it is better than the separation if the Conjunction makes us partake of our desire I desire to be dissolved saith St. Paul but that is not well translated I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all so that it is not onely not an enemy but a friend and therefore the Apostle makes it our joyncture part of our portion all things are yours Why you are Christs and Christ is Gods what are ours things present things to come life death And well may death be ours because sinne is our enemy that remainder that is kept in our nature to exercise us and humble us and fit us for grace as Austin saith I dare be bold to say it is profitable for some to fall to make them more carefull and watchfull and to prize mercy more so that not only Death but sinne and the devill himselfe is ours for his plots are for our good God over-shooteth him in his owne Bow Hee will give them over to Satan saith the Apostle that they may learne not to blaspheme yet though they have a spirit of blasphemy by the humbling of their bodies they be taught not to blaspheme so that not onely death but sinne and hee that brought sinne into the World the Devill are become our friends This being so it may be for speciall comfort that wee not feare the King of Feares The Devill hath great advantage by this affection of feare when it is set upon this object Death Overcome death and all troubles are overcome who will fear any thing that hath given up himself to God Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life The Devill knoweth that well enough Therefore feare not saith Christ them that can kill the body feare causeth snares saith Solomon snares of Conscience But if a man
can it enter into the heart of man to conceive of those joyes that the Church of God shall have when the marriage shall be consummated Joy in the Holy Ghost and peace of conscience they are hid from the world and sometimes from Gods people themselves though they shall injoy them hereafter All the former Feasts in times past were but types of this The Feast of Tabernacles the Feast of the Passeover the spirituall Manna and all other holy Feasts were but to signifie and to shew forth this Feast by Christ But there is this difference between the type and the thing signified by the type the Passeover Lambe was quite eaten up but this Passeover Christ that was slaine for sinne can never be eaten up We feed upon him with our soules he cannot be consumed as the Passeover Lambe nor as Manna which was gone when the Sunne arose yea that Manna that was laid up for a remembrance before the Arke became nothing but Christ is in heaven for evermore for the soule to feed upon Though these were resemblances yet these failed as it is fit resemblances should faile that is come short of the body of the thing it selfe Thus you see the spirituall comforts of a Christian may well and fitly be compared to a Feast Thus you see God provideth a Feast and inviteth all In the Sacrament you have a Feast a Feast of varieties not only bread but wine to shew the variety and fullnesse of comfort in Christ He intendeth full comfort As for our Adversaries the Papists they have dry Feasts they give the people the bread but the wine they keep for themselves but God in Christ intendeth us full comfort whatsoever Christ did it was full his merits are compleat and his joy was full He is fulnesse it selfe and therefore whatsoever comes from him must needs be as he himselfe is both full and sweet He intendeth us full consolation Therefore we ought to be prepared to partake of this Feast in such a manner as that we may have ful joy and ful comfort for there is in Christ enough to satisfie all the hungry soules in the world he himselfe being present at this heavenly banquet All fullnesse dwells in him from which we have all received and grace for grace Therefore let us labour to have large hearts for as our faith groweth more and more so we shall carry more comfort and more strength from this holy Feast As the poore widdow if her vessels had not failed the oyle had not ceased if there had bin more vessels there had been more oyle our soules are as these vessels let us therefore labour and make it our great businesse to have large soules soules capable to drinke in this spirituall oyle of gladnesse for as much faith as we bring to Christ so much comfort we shall carry from him The favours of God in Christ being infinite the more wee fetch from him the more glory we give unto him but if they were finite we should offend his bounty he might soon be drawne dry and so send us away with an uncomfortable answer that he was not able to relieve us But Christ is infinite and the more we have from him the more we may have to him that hath shall be given the oftner we goe to Christ the more honour and glory we bring unto him this is a banquet to the full Wee are now come to the banquet and Christ is the founder of it nay he is the Feast it selfe he is the Author of it and he it is that wee feed upon Let us labour not to be straight receivers of the Sacrament but sucke in abundance from Christ with a great deale of delight That we may come together not for the worse but the better considering what a great deale of strength and grace is required as very necessary for the maintaining of spirituall Life THE Second Sermon ISAIAH 25. 6. In this Mountaine shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all people a Feast of fat things a Feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of Marrow of Wine on the Lees well refined I Have shewed that Christ and his benefits are compared to a Feast and in what respects they are fitly resembled by a Feast and have prest that we should prepare for it first by getting large hearts Now in the second place that we may have comfort at this Feast we must labour for spirituall appetite for to what end and purpose is that man at a Feast that hath no stomack I shall therefore shew what meanes we are to use to get eager stomacks and holy appetites after this Feast 1. The Appetite is raised with soure things as anguish of Spirit and mournfulnesse of heart for sinne if we will ever relish Christ aright we must labour to have a quick apprehension of our sinnes we must do as the Jewes did at the Passeover They eat it with soure Herbs that they might thereby have the sharper stomacks So must we we must cast our eyes into our owne hearts and consider what vile wretches we are how full of sinne and vanity and this will be as soure Herbs to the Paschall Lambe We must joyne the sweet benefits and privileges that wee have in Christ with the consideration of our owne wretched and miserable condition and then this heavenly ordinance cannot but be sweet and comfortable to our soules I beseech you enter into your owne soules and consider seriously under what guilt you lie and this will whet your appetite A full stomack despiseth the honey comb but in this appetite there is sense of emptines from that sense of emptines paine and from pain an earnest desire of satisfaction thus it is in spirituall things we want Christ and all the spirituall comforts that flow from him There is an emptines in us and we see a need every day to feed upon the mercies of God in Christ There is an emptines in our souls there must be a sense of that emptines and pain from that sense which must stir up a strong endeavour to follow after that that we doe desire Then Christ indeed is sweet when wee finde our soules hungring and thirsting after him Againe if so bee wee would have that appetite of Spirit that is fit for this Feast wee must purge our souls from the corruptions of Flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God we must cleanse our soules from those lusts and passions that dayly cleave unto them all crudities must be taken away that the edge of the stomack may not be flatted for while these earthly carnall Corruptions lye upon the soule we can expect no spirituall appetite to heavenly things Let us therefore examine our selves what filth lies upon our soules and what corrupt inclinations are there that so they may be purged and our desires be carryed fully after Christ in the Sacrament Another means to get appetite is to consider
bloud and in that the love and mercy of God in Christ in giving him to death for us and Christs love to give himself to satisfie Divine Justice these be the things intended which onely the soule sees and apprehendeth And so all things in the Church indeed are mysteries the incarnation of Christ the union of both natures that Christ should save the world by such a way as he did that he should bring us to glory by shame to life by death to blessing and happinesse by being a curse for us it is a mystery to bring contrary out of contrary That so glorious a person as God should be covered with our weake and sinnefull nature it was a mystery the Jewes stumbled at it light came and the darkenesse could not comprehend the light And as Christ was a mystery himselfe so the Church is a mystery that God should so much delight in a company of poore men the off-scowring of the world to make them temples of his holy Spirit and heires of heaven men that were under the scorne of the world this is a mystery so all is mysticall the head the members the body the Church and every particular point of Religion there is a mystery in repentance no man knoweth what sorrow for sin is but the true gracious person no man knowes what it is to believe but he that hath an heart to believe no man knoweth what peace of conscience and joy of the holy Ghost is but those that feele it so that is a mystery And therefore great is the mystery of godlinesse saith the Apostle not onely in the points themselves but even the practice of Religion is a mystery too Repentance and Faith and new obedience and love and the comforts of Religion are all mysteries there is a vaile upon them in all these points that a carnall man cannot see them You see then in what sense there is a vaile of the things and in what sense there is a vaile on mens hearts that is either the things themselves are hid or if the things be open they want sight and light of knowledge and they want faith to believe Beloved we live in times that the object is cleare to us the things themselves are made cleare as who knoweth not what Christ is and the notion of the incarnation and of the union with him wee know them notionally they be opened and revealed to us very clearely all the articles of faith and misteries of Religion so that there is no obscurity in the object the things are cleare specially in these places of knowledge But yet notwithstanding there is a vaile upon the soule The soule of every man that is not graciously wrought upon by the spirit of God hath a vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe First of all of Ignorance There is a vaile of ignorance in many and in all men naturally a vaile of ignorance of spirituall things for unlesse they be revealed they can never be knowne to Angels themselves The Angels themselves know not the Gospell till it be opened and therefore they be students in it continually and the best men in the world know nothing in the Gospell further then it is revealed but there is a vaile of ignorance upon them that know these things notionally because they do not know them as they should know them they doe not know them in propria specie spirituall and heavenly things as spirituall and heavenly things they doe not know spirituall things as spirituall things they have a humane knowledge of spirituall things Those that want grace they know the Grammer of the Scripture and Divinity and they know how to discourse as Schoolemen doe from one thing to another and to argue they know the Logicke and Rhetoricke of the Scripture but they sticke in the stile there is something they are ignorant of That is they have not an eye of knowledge as wee call it they doe not see the things themselves but onely they see things by another bodies spirit and they have no light of their owne And so no man knoweth naturally but the children of God what originall sinne is what corruption of nature is nor knowes sinne in its owne odious colours to be filthy and to be dangerous as it is to draw the curse and vengeance of God upon it this is not knowne but by the spirit revealing the odiousnesse of sinne that the soule may apprehend it as Christ did when he suffered for it and as God doth A gracious man seeth it as God seeth it because by the spirit of God hee seeth the filthinesse and odiousnesse of it and the danger it draweth after it And so in any points of Religion naturally a man sees not them spiritually as they are and as God sees them but he seeth them by a humane light hee seeth heavenly things by a humane light notionally and meerely to discourse of them he seeth not intritively into the things themselves he seeth them sub aliena specie under another representation then their owne onely a godly man seeth spirituall things as the spirit of God and seeth them as they are knowes sinne as it is knoweth grace to be as it is and knoweth faith what it is to believe what it is to have peace of conscience and the pardon of sinnes he knoweth these things in some sense intritively though not so as he shall doe when he shall see these things in heaven when he shall see face to face There is a great difference in it hee sees them intritively in respect of the knowledge of other men though he sees but in a glasse in regard of the knowledge hee shall have in heaven As Saint Paul saith for wee see but as in a glasse but he that sees in a glasse seeth more life then he that sees the dead picture of a man So though we see but in a glasse heavenly things yet wee see them better then those that see them in a dead notion though it be nothing to the knowledge wee shall have in heaven yet it is incomparable above the knowledge of any carnall naturall man upon the earth Againe naturally men have vailes of ignorance upon the most divine things of spirituall things such as is union and as is the communion between Christ and us and the mystery of regeneration in the new creature such as is the joy in the holy Ghost the inward peace of conscience I will not name the particulars to insist on them but give you onely an iustance though they know the notion of these things yet they are altogether ignorant of them their knowledge is a meere outward light it is a light radicated in the soule It is not as the light of the Moone which receiveth light from the Sunne but it is a light radicated and incorporated into the soule as the light of the Sunne is by the spirit it is in the soule it is not onely upon the soule but in the soule the heart sees
things by a spirituall conception of them There be degrees of discerning things The highest degree is to see things face to face as they be in heaven The next to that is to see them in a glasse for there I see the motion and true species of a man though not so clearly as when I see him face to face therefore We soone forget the species of it in a glasse Wee have more fixednesse of the other because there is more reality We see things put into Water and that is lesse but then there is a sight of man in Pictures which is lesse than the rest because we see not the motion It is even so a carnall man scarce sees the dead resemblance of things In Moses time they saw things in water as it were blindly though true but we see things in a glasse of truth as clearly as possibly we can in this world In heaven wee shall see face to face shall see him as he is And then will be the joy of this excellent Feast and the consummation of all sweet promises which here we can but have a taste of So that is the first reason of it that God is onely the taker away of the vaile which ariseth from the unsuitablenesse between the soule and divine Truths There is nothing in the heart of man but a contrariety to divine light The very naturall knowledge that is contrary naturall Conscience that onely checketh for grosse sinnes but not for spirituall sinnes Obedience and Civill life that makes a man full of pride and armeth him against selfe-denyall and against the righteousnesse of Christ and Justification There is nothing in the soule but without grace riseth against the soule in divine things Againe there is such disproportion between the soule being full of sinne and guiltinesse and heavenly things that are so great that the heart of man will not believe unlesse God convinceth the soule that God is so good and gracious though they be great and excellent yet God will bestow them upon our soules and therefore he sendeth the Spirit that over-powers the soule though it bee full of feare and guilt that sinne contracts Though we be never so unworthy he will magnifie his grace to poore sinners and without that the soule will never believe there is such an infinite disproportion betweene the soule and the things between the sinfull soule and the spirit so that God must over-power the soule to make it believe The Scripture is full of this As we are naturally ignorant and full of unbeliefe so God onely can over-power the soule and take away the vaile of Ignorance All the Angels in heaven and all the Creatures in the world the most skilfull men in the world cannot bring light into the soule they cannot bring light into the heart they can speake of divine things but they understand them little but to bring light into the heart that the heart may taste of them and yield obedience to believe that they cannot doe And therefore all Gods children they bee Theodidactoi taught of God God onely hath the privilege to teach the heart to bend and bow the heart to believe So that God onely by his Spirit takes away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe Now the third thing is that this is peculiar to the Church and to the Children of God to have the vaile taken off In this Mountaine saith the Scripture the vail of all Faces shall be swallowed up or taken away I partly shewed in the former point that it is peculiar to Gods Children to have the vaile taken off There is a vailin all things either the things be hid from them as amongst the Gentiles or if the things bee revealed there is a vaile upon the heart their lusts raise up a cloud which untill God subdue by the holy Spirit they bee darke yea darknesse it selfe Goshen was onely light when all Egypt was in darknesse so there is light onely in the Church and all other parts in the world are in darknesse And amongst men in the Church there is a darknesse upon the soule of unregenerate men that bee not sanctified and subdued by the Spirit of God And all godly men are lightsome nay they be lights in the world As wicked men are darknesse so gracious men by the Spirit of God are made lights of the world from him that is the true light Christ himselfe It is peculiar to the Church to know the greatest good and the greatest evill It is no where but in the Church who are the people of God None but Gods Elect can know the greatest evill that is sinne which the Spirit of God revealeth And the greatest good that is Gods mercy in Christ and sanctifying grace The same Spirit doth both As light doth discover foul things as well as faire so the same Spirit of God discovers the loathsomenesse of sinne and the sweetnesse of grace Where the one is there is never the other where there is not truely a deep discerning of sinne there is never knowledge of grace there is none but in the Church those that have the Spirit of illumination they have sanctification likewise We shall make use of all together You see then what naturally we are and that Gods grace must take away the vaile and this is from all them within the Church and in the Church those whom God is pleased to sanctifie In the fourth place Where this vaile is taken off from any there is with it spirituall joy and feasting as here he joyneth them both together I will make a feast of fat things and will take away the vaile The reason of the connexion of this is that same Spirit that is a Spirit of Revelations is a Spirit of Comfort And the same Spirit that is the Spirit of Comfort is a Spirit of Revelation All sweetnesse that the soule relisheth commeth from light and all light that is spirituall conveyeth sweetnesse both together Beloved there is a marvailous sweetnesse in divine Truths in Christ is all marrow and in Religion forgivenesse of sinnes and inward peace and joy and grace fitting us to be like to Christ and for heaven they be incredibly sweet they bee all marrow I but they are onely so to them that know them now Gods Spirit that revealeth these things to us doth breed a taste in the soule The Spirit of illumination of Gods Children is a Spirit of sanctification likewise and that sanctification alters the taste and relish of the will and affections that with discovery of these things there is a taste and relish of them It is sapida Scientia a savory knowledge they have And therefore where he maketh a Feast he taketh away the vaile and where hee takes away the vaile hee makes a Feast what a wonderfull satisfaction hath the soule when the vaile is taken off to see God in Christ reconciled to see sin pardoned to see the beginnings of
grace which shall bee finished and accomplished in glory to discerne that peace which passeth understanding c. What a marvellous sweetnesse are in these things They cannot be revealed to the knowledge spiritually but there is a Feast in the soule wherein the soule doth solace it selfe so both these goe together And therefore we should not rest in that revealing that doth not bring a savor with it to the soule undoubtedly that knowledge hath no solace and comfort for the soule that is not by divine Revelation of heavenly truths We see the dependence of these one upon another Then let us make this Use of all Since there is a vail over all men by nature the work of ignorance and unbeliefe and since God onely taketh it away by his Holy Spirit and since that onely those that be godly and sanctified have this taken off While this is there is a spirituall feast joy and comfort and strength then let us labour to have this vaile taken off let us labour to have the eyes of our understandings enlightned to have our hearts subdued to believe let us take notice of our naturall condition We are drowned and inwarpt in darknesse the best of us all It is not having knowledge what wee are by nature it is not any knowledge that can bring us to heaven there must be a revelation a taking away of the vaile How many content themselves with common light of Education and traditionary knowledge so they were bred and catechized and under such a Ministery but for spirituall knowledge of spirituall things how little is it cared for And yet this is necessary to salvation There is great occasion to presie this that we rest not in common knowledge If Religion be not knowne to purpose its like Lightning which directs not a man in his way but dazles him and puts him quite out of his way Many have flashes of knowledge that affect them a little but this affection is soon gone and directs them not a whit in the wayes of life and therefore labour that the will and affections may be subject Beg of God a fleshy heart an heart yeelding to the truth We know eare-truths will harden as none is harder than a common formall Christian A man had better fall into the hands of Papists than into the hands of a formall hypocriticall Christian Why they pride themselves in their profession No Persecuters worse than the Scribes and Pharisees that stood in their own light They were more cruell than Pilate And therefore if wee bee informed but not truly transformed to love the truth we know and hate the evill we know it maketh us worse And then it inrageth men the more The more they know the more they be enraged Men when truths be prest which they purpose not to obey they fret against the Ordinance and cast stones as it were in the face of truth When Physick doth raise humors but is not strong enough to carry them away they indanger the body And where light is not strong enough to dispell corruption when it raiseth corruption it inrageth it When men know Truth and are not moulded into it they first rage against it and then by little and little fall from it and grow extreme enemies to it It s a dangerous thing therefore to rest in naked knowledge Beg then of God that he would take away the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe that light and life may goe together and so wee shall be fit to feast with the Lord. Now that we may have true saving knowledge first we must attend meekly upon Gods Ordinances which be sanctified to this end to let in light to the soule Will we know sinne and our state by nature and how to come out of it then together with this Revelation must come an heavenly strength into the soule a heavenly taste and relish and therefore attend upon the Ordinances And labour for an humble soule empty of our selves And doe not think to break into heavenly things with strength of parts God must reveal God must take away the vaile only by his holy Spirit in the Ordinance The vaile is taken away from the oject in opening of Truths but the vaile must bee taken away from the object and from the heart too there must bee knowledge of the object as well as an object the object must bee sanctified and fitted to the persons else divine Truths will never be understood divinely nor spirituall Truths spiritually Labour to be emptied of your selves In what measure we are emptied of our self-conceitednesse and understanding wee bee fill'd in divine things in what measure we are emptied of our selves we are filled with the Spirit of God and knowledge and grace As a vessell in what measure it is emptied in that measure it is fit to be fill'd with more supervenient liquor so in what measure we grow in self-denyall and humility in that measure wee are filled likewise with knowledge He will teach an humble soule that stands not in its own light what it is to repent to believe to love what it is to be patient under the Crosse what it is to live holily and dye comfortably The Spirit of God will teach an humble selfe-denying soule all these things and therefore labour for an humble empty soule and not to cast our selves too much into the sinnes and fashions of the times As the Apostle Rom. 12. Be not conformed to this world but be yee transformed by the renewing of your minde c. When a man casteth himselfe into the mould of the times and will live as the rest doe he shall never understand the secrets of God and the good pleasure of God for the world must be condemned The world goeth the broad way And therefore we must not consider what others doe but what God teacheth us to do And adde to this What we know let us labour to practise Iohn 7. 17. But he that doth the will of my Father shall know of every Doctrine whether it be of God or no. We must doe and we shall know But can wee doe before we know The meaning is this that we have first breeding and education and some light of the Spirit turneth it presently to practice by obedience to that knowledge And then you shall know more hee that doth these things hee shall know all They shall know that doe practice what they know already To him that hath shall be given That is to him that hath some knowledge and putteth in practice what he hath God will increase the talent of his knowledge hee shall know more and more till God revealeth himselfe fully in the world to come And therefore be faithfull to our selves and true to the knowledge we have love it and put it into practice when divine truths are discovered let the heart affect them lest God giveth us up to believe lies We have many given up to this sinne because when
this is said for the time to come he wil swallow up death but Paul saith it is also past and swallowed up already faith saith it is done and so it is in our head Were it not comfortable now to all true hearted Christians to heare that the Church fareth better and that the enemies were swallowed up for they be but the instruments of this inferiour death let us get the spirit of faith and see them all conquered for certainly they shall have the worst at last He that hath swallowed up death in victory will swallow up all that be the cause of death And therefore the Scripture speaks of these things as past Babilon is fallen as a milstone cast into the bottome of the Sea Get a spirit of faith and wee shall never be much troubled with Babilon for all the enemies of Christ and adherents to that man of sinne must downe and partake of the judgement threatned in the Revelations Heaven hath concluded it and all the policy of Rome and hell cannot disanull it they be already swallowed up to faith and Christ will rule till hee hath put them all under his feet which shall be done not only to destroy them but to raise himselfe higher in giving them up to their confusion Againe if death be swallowed up in victory labour to be one with Christ crucified for union with him begin with union with Christ crucified The first union is with Christ abased and then with Christ glorified And therefore labour to see sinne that brought in death subdued by the power of Christs death in some measure and then wee shall have comfort in his death glorified For in my holy mount death is swallowed up that is the true Church of Christ labour to be members of Christ otherwise death will come as a tyrant indeed armed with a terrible sting in his full force to assaile you It is the most terrible thing to see death come armed with the wrath and anger of God and attended with hell and damnation Labour therefore to be one with Christ crucified to get our sinnes crucified and our selves partakers of his death and then no damnation no feare of death to them that are in Christ they may die but they are freed from eternall death and they shall rise againe even as Christs body rose to glory Get therefore into Christ and desire the power of his death subduing sinne In what measure we grow in that wee grow in boldnesse and joy and whatsoever priviledges follow Christ Againe when wee be in Christ true members of him then let us be thankfull to God for this victory thankfull to Jesus Christ that hath given us victory when wee thinke of death of sinne of judgement of hell of damnation let us be framed as a Christian should Now let him that hath the most terrible and fearfull things in the world as conquered enemies say oh blessed be God for Christ and blessed be Christ for dying for us and by death disarming death of his sting that now wee can thinke of it in our judgements quietly now we can thinke of all these as conquered enemies this is the fruit of Christs death they are not onely enemies but friends in Christ Sinne the remainder of it the guilt of it that bindeth over to damnation is taken away the remainders of it serve to humble us make us feele the power of pardon and to desire another world where we shall be all spirituall so that death is a part of our joynture All things are yours life and death death doth us many excellent services it is a doore and passage to life death is the death of it selfe destroyeth it selfe Wee never truly live till wee die and when wee die we are past feare of death So that sinne dieth misery dieth death dieth though it takes us from comforts and employments and friends here yet it is a change to a better place and better company and better employments and better condition to be in a glorious condition to eternity and therefore wee have cause to blesse God in Christ that tooke our nature and in our nature disarmed our greatest enemy sinne and so disarmed death and freed us from the wrath of of God and hell and damnation Oh we can never be thankfull enough for this Againe if death be swallowed up in victory let us be ashamed of the feare of death because Christ saith he will swallow him up as he hath already in his own person Shall wee be afraid of an enemy that is swallowed up in our head and shall be swallowed up in every one of us If we cherish feare we shew we looke not for an interest in this promise for it is a promise that in this holy mountaine death shall be swallowed up in victory and why should we feare a conquered enemy none will feare an enemy that is conquered Object But how came Christ to feare death and we not to fear Answ Christ had to deale with death armed with a terrible sting with sinne and the wrath of God for sin And therefore when he was to die Father let this cup passe from me But death is disarmed to us He had to encounter with sinne and the wrath of God and death in all its strength But we are not so we are to deale with death like the brazen Serpent that hath the shape of death but no sting at all It s become a drone ever since it lost its sting in Christ Life tooke death that death might take life as he said The meaning is Christs life it selfe tooke death that wee that were so subject to death that we were death it selfe might take life Oh blessed consideration nothing comparable to the consideration of the death of Christ it is the death of deaths And then againe wee are sure of victory it is conquered in our head and shall be in us But you say wee are to conflict with the pangs of death and many troubles meet in death It is true but it is conquered to faith and in Christ our head we must fight Christ traineth us to overcome death our selves by faith and then wee are sure of victory Joyne these two together it is conquered in Christ our head and shall be conquered of us death keeps our dust and must give them all againe Obj. But in the mean time we die Ans 'T is so but we are sure of victory he will protect us in our combate that hath conquered for us we fight against death and the terror of it in the strength and faith of his victory joyne these three together Hee that hath been our Saviour in life will be so to death and not exclusively then to leave us but to death and in death for ever yea most ready to helpe us in our last conflict Indeed to wicked men death is terrible for he sendeth the devill to fetch them out of the world but for these that be his he
God read it as the word of God A company of prophane wretches you shal have the scums and basest of the people that will discourse and to grace their Discourse they must have Scripture phrases but whose word is it it is the word of the great God Eglon was a Heathen King and yet when a Message came from God hee arose up and made obeysance Wee should never read the Word but with reverence considering whose book it is and that we must be judged by it another day If it be the word I beseech you consider what we say and know that God will make every part of it good there shall not a jot of it faile nothing of it shall miscarry God speaketh all these words And therefore if you be blasphemers you shall not carry it away guiltlesse God hath said it if you continue not to obey you are under Gods curse unlesse you repent you shall perish every threat God will make good you must repent and get into Christ else perish eternally God hath said it and we may confirme it in the unfolding and reading of it the time is comming for the execution of it and then God is peremptory Now God waiteth our leisure and intreateth us but if wee will not repent wee shall have that Arrow in our sides that will never be gotten out till we dye in hell whose sinnes are condemned in Scripture they are condemned by God and whom we shut heaven to by opening the Scriptures God will shut heaven to The opening of the Scriptures is the opening of heaven If the Scripture saith a man that liveth in such a sinne shall not be saved heaven shall be shut to him he is in a state of death he is strucken and remaineth in danger till he repenteth How many live in sins against Conscience that are under the guilt and danger of their sinnes they be wounded they be struck by the word there is a threat against their sinnes although it be not executed and they be as much in danger of eternall death as a condemned Traytor onely God suffers them to live that they may make their peace they have blessed times of visitation O make use of it it is the word of God and know that God will make every part of his word good in threats as well as in promises Take occasion from hence likewise to shame our selves for our infidelity in the promises when wee are in any disconsolate estate we are in Jobs case being in trouble the consolation of the Almighty seemed light to him These be the comforts of God When we come to comfort some though the sweet promises of the Gospell be opened yet they doe not consider them as being the word the consolations of the Almighty and therefore they seem light to them But it should not be so Consider they be the comforts of the word and therefore we should heare them with faith labour to affect them and shame our selves Is this Gods word that giveth this direction that giveth this comfort and shall I not regard it Is it the consolation of the Almighty and shall not I embrace it Therefore we should be ashamed not to be more affected with the heavenly sweet things promised of God than we are A man that refuseth heavenly Comforts to imbrace comforts below how should hee reflect upon himselfe with shame Hath God promised such things God that cannot lye and shall I lose my hope of all these glorious things for the enjoying of the pleasures of sin for a season I professe my selfe to be a Christian where is my faith where is my hope A man must acknowledge either I have no faith for if I had faith believing God speaking these excellent things I would not venture my losse of them to get the enjoyment of poor temporary things here for the good things promised in another world Labour therefore to bring mens hearts to believe the word and desire God to seale it to our soules that it is so I will give one direction Labour for the Spirit of God that writ the word that indited the word Beg of God to â—eale to our soules that it is the word and that he would sanctifie our hearts to be suitable to the word and never rest till wee can finde God by his Spirit seasoning our hearts so that the relish of our soules may suit to the relish of divine truths that when wee heare them we may relish the truth in them and may so feele the worke of Gods Spirit that we may bee able to say hee is our God And when we heare of any threatning we may tremble at it and any sinne discovered wee may hate it For unlesse wee by the Spirit of God have something wrought in us suitable to the word we shall never believe the word to bee the word And therefore pray the Lord by his Spirit to frame our hearts to be suitable to divine Truths and so frame them in our affections that we may find the word in our joy in our love in our patience that all may be seasoned with the word of God When there is a relish in the word and in the soule suitable to it then a man is a Christian indeed to purpose till then men will Apostatize turne Papist turne Atheist or any thing because there is a distance betweene the soule and the word the word is not ingraffed into the soule they doe not know the word to bee the word by arguments fetched from the word and therefore they fall from the power of the word But if we will not fall from divine truths get truth written in the heart and our hearts so seasoned by it and made so harmonious and suitable to it that we may imbrace it to death that we may live and dye in it To goe on In that day shall it be said loe this is our God we have waited for him Here is a gracious promise that shutteth up all spoken before He spake of great things before And now here is a promise of a day wherein hee will make all things promised good to the soule of every believing Christian In that day it shall be said this is our God wee have waited for him he will save us It is an excellent portion of Scripture to shew the gracious disposition that the Spirit of God will worke in all those that imbrace the gracious promises of God The time shall come when they shall say Loe this is our God wee have waited for him and now wee enjoy him The points considerable are these First of all by supposition that there bee glorious excellent things promised to the people of God Rich and precious promises of Feasting of taking away the vaile of conquest over death by victory of wiping away teares and removing rebukes great things if vve goe no farther than my Text. Secondly these have haâ— day vvhen they shall bee performed vvhich is not presently for
homeward yet hee will have it a state of good that we may not sinke in the way And not onely promises for in the way to heaven God keeps not all for heaven he lets in drops of comfort oftentimes in the midst of misery hee doth reveale himselfe more glorious and sweet then at other times there is nothing reserved for us in another world but wee have a beginning a taste an earnest of it here to support us till wee come to the full possession of what remaineth Wee shall have full communion of Saints there wee have it here in the taste of it Wee know what it is to be acquainted with them that be gracious spirits Wee have praising of God for ever there we know the sweetnesse of it here in the house of God which made David desire this one thing that hee might dwell in the house of God to visit the beauty of God c. There wee shall have perfect peace here we have inward peace unspeakable and glorious a peace that passeth understanding in the beginning of it There we shall have joy without all mixture of contrariety here we have joy and joy unspeakable and full of glory There is nothing in heaven that is perfect that is sweet and good and comfortable but we have a taste and earnest of it here The spirit will be all in all there there is somthing of it in us now more light in our understandings more obedience in our wills more and more love in our affections and it is growing more and more And therefore all is not kept for time to come we have somthing beginning here besides promises there is some little degrees of performance so that the state between us and heaven is a state mixt of good and imperfection Now God hath fitted graces suitable to that condition and that is expectation or waiting a fit grace and a fit disposition of soule from imperfect condition that is afterwards to be perfected for fruition is the condition of perfect happinesse not of waiting for waiting implieth imperfection This waiting carrieth with it almost all graces waiting for better times in glory to come it hath to support it It is a carriage of soule that is supported with many graces For first we wait for that we believe we have a spirit of faith to leade to it And then we hope before we waite and hope is the anchor of the soule that stayeth the soule in all the waves and miseries of the world it is the helmet that keeps off all the blowes This hope issues from faith for what we believe we hope for the accomplishment of it So that all graces make way for waiting or accompany it The graces that accompany the waiting for good things in time to come are patience to endure all griefes between us and the full possession of heaven Then long suffering which is nothing else but patience lengthned because troubles are lengthned and the time is lengthned So there is patience and patience lengthned which we call long suffering and then together with patience and long suffering there is contentment without murmuring at the dispensation of God something in the soule that he would have it to be so Hee that hath a heart to rise because hee hath not what hee would have hee doth not wait with that grace of waiting that issueth from a right spring God reserveth joy for the time to come for our home wee should be content to have communion with God and the soules of perfect men and not murmure though God exerciseth us with many crosses here And therefore the Scripture calleth it a silence In silence and in hope shall be your strength The soule keepeth silence to God in this waiting condition and this silence quells all risings in the soule presently As David my soule kept silence unto the Lord. It will still all risings of the heart issuing from a resignation of the soule to God to doe as he will have us to doe So it implieth patience and long suffering contentment holy silence without murmuring and repining And then it implies watchfulnesse over our selves till wee come to the full accomplishment of the promises that we carry not our selves unworthily in the meane time That wee should not spend the time of our waiting in wickednesse to fetch sorrow from the devill and the world to comfortus or to be beholding to Satan This is no waiting but murmuring and rebellion when in crosses and discomforts we cannot be content but must be beholding to the Devill so there must bee watchfulnesse and not onely so but fruitfulnesse in waiting For he waits that waiteth in doing good that waiteth in observance hee waiteth for his Masters comming that is doing his duty all the time in a fruitfull course of observance and obedience else it is no waiting waiting is not meerly a distance of time but a filling up of that time with all gracious carriage with obedience and with silence with long suffering and contentment and watchfulnesse wee take not any ill course and observance and with fruitfulnesse that wee may fill up times of waiting till performance with all the graces that we may have communion with God It is another manner of grace then the world thinks What is the reason of all the wickednesse of the world and barrennesse and voluptuousnesse but because they have not learned to wait They heare of good things and precious things promised but they would have present payment they will have somthing in hand As Dives sonne sonne thou hast had thy good things here they will have their good things here And what is the reason of wickednesse but because they will have present pleasures of sinnes Wee must preferre the afflictions of Christ before the pleasures of sin Now that shortnesse of spirit to have reward here is the cause of all sinne They have no hope nor obedience nor expectation to endure the continuance of diuturnity where then is patience and hope and contentment The character of a Christian is that he is in a waiting condition and hath the grace of waiting others will have the pleasures of sin their profits and contentments else they will cracke their consciences and sell Christ God heaven and all A Christian as he hath excellent things above the world so he hath the grace of expectation and all the graces that store up and maintain that expectation till the performance come And therefore it is an hard thing to be a good Christian another thing then the world taketh it to be For marke I beseech you what is between us and heaven that wee must goe through if ever wee will come there Between us and heaven the thing promised there be many Crosses to be met withall and they must be borne and borne as a Christian should doe Through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of Heaven Besides crosses there be scandalous offences
consistent 88 Wee must justifie God in all 25 K. KNOVVLEDGE True knowledge is transforming 52 Desires to know more 51 Practise what wee know 49 L. LIGHT Naturall men want light 36 Naturally their light without heat 39 M. Majestie of the Scriptures 101 Christ compared to Manna 13 Religion makes not melancholy 26 Why Christians are melancholy 26 Christians have a mixture here 82 Church compared to a Mountaine 4 Mysteriousnesse of Scriptures 101 P. Plenty at the Gospell-feast 11 Preparation for this feast 16 Wee must purge the soule of sinne 16 Practise of what we know 49 Of Gods promises and their performance 107 Promises free and full 112 Promises long before performed why 113 114 Promises shall bee surely performed 121 152 Time of performance in Gods hand 152 Gods time best of performmance 154 Reason of Gods performance 152 R. Of the Rebukes of Gods people 89 Christ and his Members subject unto Reproaches 90 Christ will rowle away Reproach 93 How to carry our selves under Reproach 94 15 How wee must Relish the Word 22 Scriptures may bee proved to be the word of God by Reason 103 Christ a Rock 14 S. Sacrament of Lords Supper a feast 15 Sense of sinne 17 Soule hath her senses 21 Men naturally want sight 36 We must not judge by sight 79 Scandals against Religion 92 Holy Scriptures Word of God 99 Are supreame Iudge 100 Searching power of the Word 102 Spirit indited and interprets the Word 106 Sinne greatest cause of Sorrow 85 No Sorrow in heaven 84 Comfort in Sufferings 81 Naturall men see not things spiritually 38 Spirituall things are mysterious 35 36 Church excellent society 3 Wee must walke in the strength of Spirituall Refreshment 23 T. Of spirituall Taste 22 Wee have but a Taste here of what wee shall have hereafter 115 TEARES vide WEEP God will wipe away Tears 77 78 Signes of right Teares 86 87 88 Thankfulnesse to God for removing vaile 25 for Christs Conquest over Death 62 for accomplishment of promises 156 Gods Time of performance set best 154 Types of the Gospel 12 13 14 15 V. A Vaile over mens hearts 35 Unbeliefe is that Vaile 40 God onely can take away the Vaile 42 43 Meanes to have the Vaile removed 46 47 There is variety in Christ 10 Unbeliefe in every sinne 41 Christs victory over death 55 57 W. Of WAITING Our duty to waite upon God 115 It s hard to wait on God 118 Waiting overcomes all 119 120 Many graces exercised in waiting 116 117 Why God will have us to wait 150 151 Incouragements to waite 153 154. Good men apt to weepe 72 73 74 75 Though wee cannot weep yet wee must mourne 86 Spirit witnesses that the holy Scripture is Gods Word 101 Gods Word is to bee heard as the Word of God 104 God will make all his VVord good 16 FINIS The principal subjects handled in these Sermons 1. Of the Marriage-feast between Christ his Church Prov. 9. 2. Matth. 22. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 55. 1. Rev. 22. 17. Gen. 49. 20. Super omnia vultus accessére boni 2. Of the vail of ignorance and unbeliefe and the removall of it 3. Of Christs conquest over Death Heb. 2. 14 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 13. 14. 4. Of the Christians teares and the wiping them away 5. Of the Rebukes and Reproaches of Gods people and the taking of them away 6. Of the Promises 7. Of the holy Scriptures and the divine Authority of them 8. waiting upon God Isai 26. 8. Isai 8. 17. The connexion of the Text. 1 Observ The Church the most excellent of all societies The Church built upon the strongest foundation 2 Obs Of the visibility of the Church The Mountaine is the Church God makes a Feast for his people The Lord of Hoasts the founder of the Feast This Feast is for all people Christ the chiefe dish in the Feast Why Christ with his benefits is compared to a Feast 1. Because the favours we have by Christ are choice ones 2. There is variety of favours in Christ Christ like the Indian plant Coquus good for all things 3. There is sufficiency and fulnesse in Christ 4. As a Feast for many so Christ is a feast for the community of Saints 5. Because we have the glorious attire of Christ as men put on choice garments at Feasts 6. Because he was resembled by the Paschal Lambe which was choosen foure daies before out of the flock 2. By Manna to which Christ answers in many particulars Surely those that are spirituall taste Christ 3. By the rock in the wildernesse 4. By all the Jewish festivalls 5. By the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Use Be prepared for this Feast 1. Labour for large hearts to receive much 2. Labour for spirituall appetite First means to get appetite soure herbes sense of sin and misery Second Means Third Means Fourth Means Acquaintance with those that are good Fifth Means We know not how long wee have to live Wee should hold out against hunger to come â—… 3. Get a spirituall disposition of soul to heavenly things The soule hath her senses Two things in spirituall tast Vse 4. Wee must labour for a digestion of spirituall things Vse 5. Wee must walk in the strength of spirituall favour Consequents of this Feast is spirituall chearfulnesse 2. Thankfulnesse 3. Justifie the waies of God against carnall slanders Object Religious people are melancholy Answ It s because they are not more religious A man may be ignorant of his comforts A Christian at the worst is happier then a worldling at the best Labour to partake of this Feast All invited We are sure to perish without Christ Honour God by taking alotted comforts The Spirit of God must work us to a relish of spirituall things We must bring something to the Feast though not of our owne Wee must bring empty soules and a spirit of Faith and a spirit of Love The services of this Feast Obs There is a vail over all mens spirits by nature A two-fold vaile 1. Of the things themselves 2 Of the souls not seeing or not beleeving 3 There must be a light to make things visible All things in religion are mysterious 1. There 's a vaile of ignorance on all naturall men Naturall men know not spirituall things in their proper species A godly man sees spirituall things intritively The light of the godly is a light with influence the light of the wicked is without it Simile Simile Simile There is a vaile of unbeliefe over the unregenerate Ignorance and unbeliefe act in all sinnes 2. Obser God only can take off the vaile of ignorance and unbeliefe Reas Because of the unsuitablenes between the soule and spirituall things Foure things required in sight Foure degrees of discerning things Reas 2. Reas 3. And a disproportion also Reas 4. No creature Angels or men can bring light into the soule 3 Obs It s peculiar to the Church to have the vaile taken away It s