to our under standing The Holy Ghost is the Churches Interpreter he gave the Scriptures and he can reveal unto us the sense and meaning of the Scriptures He is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation because it is his work to make known to the Church the Spiritual Eph. 1. 17. sense of that word which God hath given to be the rule both of faith and manners Our Saviour when he was about to leave the world tells his Disciples That he would give them his Spirit to bee a guide in his absence He shall lead you saith he into Joh. 16. 13 14. all truth Now how the Holy Ghost should perform this work is laid down in the next Verse He shall take of mine and shew it unto you he shall so powerfully press the Doctrin of the Gospel upon their spirits that they should understand it to be Christs Doctrin It is by the effectual perswasions of the Spirit that wee beleeve the Divine authority of the word Secondly The Spirit of God is able to incline 2 The Spirit bows the heart to obey the Word Ezek. 36. 27. and move the heart to yeeld obedience to the Counsel of the Word It is Gods promise in the Covenant of Grace to his people that he will put his Spirit within them and cause them to walk in his Statutes and that they shall keep his Judgements and do them Did the Spirit only shew the Beleever the rule according to which God would have him walk and not enable him to a ready and cheerful endeavour to conform to it he would fall short of eternal life for man by Nature doth not only want light to see his way but a heart to walk in the way when it is discovered It is a good prayer which David makes to this purpose Incline mine heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness Psal 119. 36. The Spirit of God sweetens the rule and renders it acceptable and grateful to the heart The heart of man needs not only Moral perswasion but the strength of effectual and determining Grace to engage it to obedience The heart is naturally imprisoned that it cannot move God-ward until it bee set at liberty the Holy Ghost therefore which God hath given to be a guide draws it and then it runs I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt Psal 119. 32. enlarge my heart Heart-enlargement is as necessary for the Christian Travellor as Heart-inlightning Draw us saith the Church and we will run after thee The Spirit of God draws no man to Heaven against his Cant. 1. 4. will but yet he must and doth over-power the Will and make it willing Trahe quodammodo invitam ut facias voluntariam as Bernard glosseth upon that text Bernard in Loc. The renewed Soul findes too often an indisposition in it self to follow Christ and therefore doth still desire the attractive power of the Spirit Thirdly The Spirit of God is able to preserve the 3 The Spirit preserves from fainting Soul from tiring in the way and herein it excels all other guides No guide can give the Travellour strength when he is weary but the Spirit of God can and doth give fresh strength unto all those whom he guides The Prophet David having had experience of this in himself writes it down for the comfort of others He restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the Psal 23. 3. paths of righteousness for his names sake The Spirit of God hath a restorative vertue as well as an inlightning vertue Historians tell us that the rod of Myrtle in the hand of Travellours preserves them from weariness I know not how true that is but I am sure the Spirit of God in the heart of the Spiritual Travellor doth give him fresh strength when he is weary They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they Isa 40. 31. shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint The way of the Lord could not bee strength to the upright if the Spirit did not increase strength to such as walk in those ways The Holy Ghost is not only a Guide to the Beleever but his viaticum upon which he feeds till he come to the end of his Journey The Spirit of God doth by those continual influences which he gives out to the Saints in their Pilgrimage put new life into their hearts that they cannot tire till they come to take up their lodging in Heaven He anoints their heads with the fresh oyl of his Grace whereby they are enabled to go from one measure of strength to another till they appear before God in Sion It s said of the people of God that they shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing Psa 92. 14. Other trees have a time of bearing and a time of barrennesse but the trees that are planted in Gods house are never past bearing whence is it that the people of God dye bearing fruit but from the continuall influences of the Spirit of Grace If it be demanded how the holy Ghost preserves the Saints from fainting I answer briefly First He carries the divine promises open before them in his hand those great and precious promises as the Apostle By revealing the promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. calls them hee claps warm upon their hearts every morning and how can those tire so as to fall down who have such sovereign plasters upon their souls The promises of God are such water of life as that they will make the hearts of dying men live when Jonathan was faint hee did but dip the end of his rod in the hony comb and his Eyes were inlightned 1 Sam. 14. 27. The Spirit of God causeth the fainting travellors to dip their rods every day in the hony-comb of some promise and by such Cordialls recovers their decayed strength Secondly Hee gives them some glymses of the By giving some tasts of glory glory of that heavenly Country whither they are going Though the full meal of glory bee reserved till the saints come to heaven yet they have some litle tasts of it in this life The Scripture makes mention of the first fruits of the Spirit what are these but the foretasts Rom. 8. â—3 of eternall life they are some drops of that new wine which beleevers shall drink with Christ in the Kingdome of God they are as little bunches of grapes sent down from the celestiall Canaan The Spirit of God doth as it were cause them to peep into heaven and the least glimmerings of glory are sufficient to make the lame man leap as an Hart. The Apostles though they met with much affliction in the way to heaven yet they tell us they fainted not what was it that upheld them wee look not at the things 2 Cor. 4. 18. which are seen but at the things which are not seen The Spirit sometimes carries the Saints up to the top of
Apostle expresseth 2 Cor. 5. 4. the Saints investiture with glory by the Metaphor of putting on a garment not that wee would bee unclothed but clothed upon when God shall fully glorify his saints there shall be no part of the body no power of the Soul unglorified If I should fall upon a discourse of the particular happinesses which the glorified Souls and bodies of Saints shall enjoy in heaven I should tire out your patience Let it â—uffice to say this that whatsoever makes for the perfection of both shall be fully possessed by both The Schoolmen speak much of the Stole of the Soul and the Stole of the body the Saints shall have those robes put upon them and shall not want any one Pearl or Spangle that belongs to the perfection of either The state of glory is described by our comming unto a perfect man Eph. 4. 13. The Saints here are in their Nonage the highest Beleever is but a stripling at best but when we come to heaven then wee are perfect men The first moment the Soul peeps into glory it shall have all graces in perfection Could wee speak with those blessed souls that are now in heaven they would tell us they desire nothing but the company of those earthly Tabernacles in which they dwelled while they were in this World and to these they shall be re-united at the Resurrection Secondly The glory which the Saints shall possess 2 It is a pure glory is a pure glory There is not the least mixture of any thing that is unglorious or dishonourable if it were not pure it would not be perfect There are but two things that can stain the glory of the Saints Sin and Sorrow and both these shall be for ever abolished The Saints in glory shall bee as free from Sin as the Sun is from darkness No defilement shall enter into Heaven The Soul when it leaves the Body is perfectly healed of all kinde of sinful distempers and the Body when it comes out of the Fining-pot of the grave shall not have so much as the smell of sin upon it Sin brought Death into the VVorld and Death carries out Sin The Dominion of sin is removed from the Saints in this Life but then shall the very Being of sin be removed Unbelief pride of heart the Body of Death which Beleevers complain against with so much sadness in this world shall never trouble them more for ever Here the Spirit lusteth against the flesh Gal. 5. 17. and the flesh lusteth against the Spirit but in Heaven there shall be no such sinful Lusts to warre against the Soul There shall be no concupiscence in the Members Non erit concupiscentia in membris non exurget rebellio carnis c. Cyprian no rebellion of the Flesh no crookedness in the VVill no disorder in the Affections Nature shall then be every way intire and perfect The Church shall at the Day of Judgement be presented without spot or wrinckle or any such thing Here the Saints are black and comly here they are ring-straked spotted and speckled as Jacobs Cattel were here they are partly Spiritual and partly Carnal but in Heaven they shall be wholly Spiritual Nothing like sin shall appear on the glorified Bodies and Souls of Saints to all eternity All Natural weaknesses shall be done away much more all sinful weaknesses As Sin shall be abolished so shall Sorrow All sorrow is the fruit of sin and when the Mother is dead no more Off-spring can be expected It was told St. John That those Saints which he saw arrayed in white Robes were come out of great tribulation When Rev. 7. 14 man is born he comes into tribulation but a Saint when he dyes goes out of tribulation The Dead which dye in the Lord are said to rest from their labours Rev. 14. 13 In Heaven the Children of God shall enjoy perfect freedom from whatsoever is troublesom Grief Fear Temptation pain of Body anguish of Minde shall be heard of no more for ever There is no groaning no crying no death no vexation no sickness to be heard of in the streets of that City where the Saints inhabit The body shall be raised a powerful body an immortal an incorruptible body The very roots of all distempers shall be pluckt up out of the body and therefore the distempers themselves shall cease And for outward violence that hath no place neither there are no oppressors in Heaven no injurious persons no bloudy Task-masters to impose burdens or inflict stripes When a Saint is past Death he is past the fear of all misery When the body is wrapt up in the Winding-sheet it is past all tribulation Thirdly It is a satisfactory glory It is such a glory 3 It is a satisfying glory as doth give full contentment to the heart that possesseth it If it did not satisfie it would not be perfect The Prophet David speaking of the happy state of Heaven saith I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Psal 17. 15 likeness Though there are several degrees of Glory in Omnibus una salus Sanctis sed gloria dispar Heaven as is more than probably gathered by Divines from Scripture yet all grant That he that enjoys the lowest degree is fully satisfied with what hee enjoys he is not capable of desiring any one degree of glory above what he possesseth God himself is the Objective happiness of the Saints and he that enjoys God must of necessity be satisfied with the enjoyment of him The glory of this World doth not content the heart Ambitious Haman thought all he had nothing Hest 5. 13 because he wanted something hee would have had The want of Mordecays knee at the Kings gate made him forget the sweetness of the Queens Banquet The Royal feast did not satisfie because Mordecai the Jew was not Servitor at the Table The Queens Wine was not sweet to his taste because Mordecai was not Cup-bearer The heart of man is too bigge to be filled either with worldly riches or worldly honour But the blessed Saints in glory are every way satisfied The Soul is so filled with the glory of God that there is no room to contain another ray Fourthly It is an everlasting glory it is a glory without abatement and without end The Apostle 4 It is an eternal glory calls it an eternal weight of glory All the glory of this World is of a fading nature it is a withering flower 2 Cor. 4. 17 and no better Hamans fall was as sudden as his rise The same person is cried up and decried in one day by the breath of the people The Thrones of glory which are on earth are often leveld with the ground Kings lose their Crowns and Scepters many times by violence if they keep them till death yet then do they and their pomp descend together into the Grave The Sun of earthly glory hath its setting as well as rising But the glory
have all his Sons with him in his own Kingdom The glorious bosome of Abraham is ordained for the Sons of God and the Sons of God are ordained for it Heaven is entayled upon the Sons and Daughters of God and this Entayl can never be cut off This is sufficient to prove that which was asserted namely That those that are guided by the Counsel of God shall be received into glory Thirdly When shall the Saints enter into the actuall 3 When this glory is to be possessed possession of this glory For the resolving of this question I shall briefly lay down two Propositions which contain the whole state of the matter First The Souls of Gods Elect do immediatly upon 1 The Soul enters upon it at death their departure out of the body posses this happiness There were some of old in the Church who thought that the Souls of men did sleep with their Bodies and that they did not either enjoy happiness or suffer torment till the Resurrection Reverend Calv. Tractat. Theol. par 2. Calvin hath a learned Treatise which he calls Psychopannychia wherein he doth confute this absurd Opinion which it seems had infected many in those times the very mentioning of it is a sufficient Confutation Those that know any thing of Scripture or of the Spiritual Nature of the reasonable Soul of Man cannot but understand the vanity of this opinion If I could swallow down such a gross Opinion as that of Soul-sleeping is I should imagine those mens Souls were in a dead sleep who did first broach this Doctrin The Soul of Man is a Spirit and Spirits do neither eate nor sleep as Bodies do The reasonable Soul is a substance distinct from the Body and therefore doth not dye or sleep with the Body Our Saviour speaks of men that can kill the Body but hee tells his Disciples they could not kill the Soul If Mat. 10. 28 the Soul did sleep with the Body those that did kill the one would kill the other also The Apostle Paul Phil. 1. 23 desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ His Body was not presently to be with Christ He did beleeve that that should lodge in the dust for a time but his Soul he knew should ascend to Heaven when the Body did descend to the Grave Jesus Christ tells that Luk. 23. 43 penitent Thief that he should be with him that very day in Paradice The Body of our blessed Saviour went to the Grave and so also did the body of the Thief but both their Souls ascended immediatly to Heaven The Preacher speaking of the dissolution of Man by death tells us That the dust shall return to the Eccles 12. 7 earth as it was and the Spirit shall return to God that gave it The Soul of Lazarus was taken into Heaven as soon as it was breathed out of the sheath of the body When the bodies of the Saints retire to the House of Sleepers as the Grave is called their Souls are immediately transported to Heaven the Land of the Living Secondly Both Soul and Body shall enjoy all this 2 The whole man shall enjoy it at the Day of Judgement glory at the Day of Judgement The Scripture speaks of a general Resurrection both of the just and unjust As there is an Autumn or Leaf-fall of Death so there will be a Spring-time of Resurrection Those two old Friends the Soul and Body which have been separated by death shall then meet again and then they shall partake together of the same condition The Saints compleat glory is adjourned to that day but then it shall be fully enjoyed When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall yee also appear with Col. 3. 4 him in glory In that day shall all Saints bee glorified together and every Saint wholly glorified The Apostle Paul tels us that Christs appearing to Judge the World is the day of the Elects general Coronation 2 Tim. 4. 8. The Crown is laid up amongst the other Regalia but at that day the Diadem shall be actually set upon the head of the Beleever and after that shall he wear it without weariness or fear of losing it to all eternity Having thus opened the Doctrin I come to the The Application Application which I shall dispatch in a few particulars First It strengthens our faith in that Article of 1 That there is an eternal life eternal life Though Atheists and Epicures scoff and deride the Doctrin of everlasting Life yet let the Saints of God beleeve it If in this life only we had 1 Cor. 15. 19. hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable but blessed be God there is another and a better being than can be expected in this World Every stripe inflicted upon the backs of Gods Saints every mournful tear that distilleth from their eyes every pensive thought arising in their hearts every temptation assaulting them every hours defection every moments hiding of Gods face in this life are to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks manifest tokens of a 2 Thes 1. 5. righteous Judgement to come and of a state of happiness to be possessed The present condition of the Saints should not be so afflicting if there were not an Afterward of everlasting blessedness to be enjoyed God would not suffer his holy ones to eate so many sowre Breakfasts on Earth if he had not prepared for them such a sweet Supper in Heaven Secondly It shews us that a holy life is of absolute 2 That holiness is necessary for the attaining of happiness necessity unto salvation There is no admittance unto glory but to those who are guided by the Counsel of Gods VVord and Spirit Mans holiness is not the Meritorious cause of salvation but it is the way which leads to salvation The way of holiness is that which brings the Soul to communion with the God of holiness No person shall have one foots breadth in Gods Tabernacle but he that is of cleanhands and a pure heart Psal 15. 1 2. There is no coming to the Non est via ad regnam sine primitiis regni c. Bern. Kingdom without the first fruits of the Kingdom No man shall reign with Christ in Heaven but hee that first reigns as a King over his own corruptions Sinners would be as weary of Heaven should they bee taken thither unrenewed as Saints would be of Hell Men do but deceive themselves who think to pass immediately from a state of Corruption into a state of Glory There is neither work nor company in Heaven fit for wicked men Without holiness no man Heb. 12. 14. shall see the Lord. He shall never sit down with Christ at Gods right hand of glory who hath not been guided by the right hand of his grace Thirdly Let the Saints meditate much on this 3 Medtâ—te on this glory Coelestial glory God hath revealed to the Elect this
pageantry Secondly The Glory which the Psalmist doth now meditate on was a heart-quieting glory The thoughts of this Glory whatsoever it was allayed that indignation which hee had in himself because of the prosperity of wicked men and therefore it must needs bee heavenly Glory such glory as the ungodly shall never enjoy for it is opposed to their glory No worldly glory can suppresse such mutinous rageings as were now in Davids heart worldly glory doth rather swell these waters than asswage them The greater advancement an ambitious heart hath the more doth it boil with envy at the glory of others Thirdly The words following do as I conceive clearly determine the sense to everlasting glory whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee The glory hee hath in his eye is that which consists in the enjoyment of God Now God is not enjoyed to a Saints full contentment till the Soul be landed in heaven Having given the sense of the Text I shall come to the Observations And I shall begin with the former branch of the Text. Thou shall guide mee with thy Counsel I shall consider this branch both as Davids desire and as Davids priviledge If wee look upon it as Davids prayer The lesson will be this That it is the desire of true beleevers to be guided in this life by the Counsel of God If we consider it as Davids privilege the point will bee this That all true Saints shall be guided in this life by the Counsel of God I shall handle these two points distinctly and then make a joint Application of both And I beginne with the first which ariseth from the Text considered as Davids prayer The First Doctrine T is the desire of Saints to bee guided by Gods Counsel It is the earnest desire of all reall Saints of all true Beleevers to be guided in this life by the Counsell of God The same spirit which taught David teacheth other Saints to make this desire to God If wee should travel over all nations and consult the children of God one by one from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof there would not one of that vast number refuse to subscribe to this prayer Lord be our guide There is not a day passeth over the heads of any of those that use to call upon the name of the Lord but they do make this request to heaven under some expression or other that they may have the blessing of divine guidance Scripture proofs Psa 5. 8. The Prophet David very frequently in his retired Devotion beates upon this string Lead mee O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine enemies make thy way plain before my face Hee saw himself beset with cruell enemies which indeavoured to make a prey of him and therefore goes to a righteous God for defence and preservation for this Text as Molerus well observes is to be understood of Gods preserving Justice and not of his condemning Justice And in another place shew mee thy waies O Lord teach mee thy paths Psa 25. 4. 5. lead mee in thy truth and teach mee His heart is so exceedingly drawn out after this blessing that he doth in various expressions repeat it again and again And to the same purpose elsewhere For thy name sake Psa 31. 3. lead mee and guide me And when hee was in that benighted condition that hee did walk in thick darkness and saw no light hee goes to the God of his exceeding joy and tenders up the same prayer O send out thy Psa 43. 3. light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hil and to thy Tabernacles He knew though he was in darknesse yet God could light him a Candle and make his darknesse to be light And yet again as if hee would never let this request depart out of his heart Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity Psa 119. 132. have dominion over mee For the more profitable handling of the point two things are to be opened First what is to bee understood by this expression The Doctrine opened Gods Counsel Secondly Why Beleevers do so importunately pray for this divine guidance First The guiding Counsel of God comprehends Gods Counsell what it comprehends three things 1 The word of God 2 The Spirit of God 3 The wise Providence of God First The word of God Thus divers Interpreters 1 The word of God In tua lege in tuis praecepâ—is deduxisti me Menoch in loc carry it I mean the written word This is frequently called the Counsel of God because therein is contained whatsoever God would have men beleeve or do for his Glory and their own Salvation The written word is the Divine Rule which God hath given In observatione praeceptorum So Carthus both for matters of Doctrin and matters of Practice or obedience The Holy Ghost charging sinfull men with disobedience against the word of God doth express it in these terms yee have set at nought all my Counsell and again They would none of my Counsell Pro. 1. 25. 30. And the Apostle Paul speaking of his ministeriall faithfulnesse in making known the mind of God perfectly unto the Church represents it under the very same expression I have not shamed to declare unto you Acts 20. 27. all the Counsell of God The holy Scriptures are called a light shining in a dark place A Lamp unto our feet 2 Pet. 1. 19. Psa 119. 105. They are the Rule of faith and manners the very expression of the wisdome of God Austin calls the Scripture the Epistle of God to the Creatures by Quid est scriptura sacra nisi quaedam Epistola Omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam suam in qua verba Dei soâ—ant cor Dei discitur Aug. which they understand the very heart of God Almighty God hath in the sacred Scriptures as it were unbowelled himself and unfolded all his Counsell to the creatures as farre as it is necessary to be known for their direction and guidance to everlasting life The Holy Scripture is as one calls it very fitly Fidei mensura morum errorum censura ad coelos viam monstrans cynosura The measure of faith the censure of manners and errors and a guide that shews us the way to eternall happinesse in heaven It is os spiritus Sancti manus Spiritus Sancti the very mouth of the Holy Ghost whereby the Elect are called and the hand of the Holy Ghost whereby such as are called and faithful and chosen are guided to life and peace Shut up the Scriptures and men will be in the dark as to the understanding of Gods Counsel Take away the Scriptures and there will be no certain Rule to direct men what is to be done or what is to be beleeved Should this blessed word be lost the Elect would want a Counsellor and
Heresies of destruction as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 1. The Lord will by his counsel so guide all his Saints that they shall not live and dye in any of these Heresies As there are Devilish Works so there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devilish Doctrins or doctrins of Devils as the Scripture calls them 2 Tim. 4. 1. God will by the conduct of his grace guide his Elect that they shall not embrace these Doctrins VVant of truth will shut men out of Heaven as well as want of grace Heresie is a fruit of the Flesh as well as Drunkenness or VVitchcraft Gal. 5. 19 20 Truth is a piece of Gods Image as well as Holiness The grace of faith unites us to God but the Doctrin of faith strengthens this union so farre as any swerves from the truth hee swerves from God If that which yee have heard from the beginning shall remain in you yee also shall continue in 1 Joh. 2. 24. the Son and in the Father Eximia laus sanae Doctrinae saith Calvin VVe may from this text learn what an excellent thing sound Doctrin is in it we finde whatsoever appertains to the true injoyment of God and by it we are united both to the Father and the Son That Man of Sin is become the Antichrist not only because of false worship which he maintains but also because of the Corruption of the faith Truth is a piece of the furniture and riches of the Soul as well as Holiness A Gospel-spirit is a Spirit of a sound minde as well as a spirit of faith and love 2 Tim. 1. 7. Diseases in the head are mortal as well as Diseases in the heart Now when God promiseth to guide his people hee hath respect to this he will ingrave the truth in their mindes he will lead them in the way of truth and if at any time they turn aside to the error of the wicked his grace and his power shall recover them Secondly God will guide his people in matters 2 In matters of practise of practise his Eye shall be upon them to conduct them in the paths of righteousnesse As hee will teach them what to beleeve so hee will direct them what to practise He shall keep the feet of his Saints so Hannah 1 Sam. 2. 9. in her song of thanksgiving This promise as it refers to new obedience comprizeth these four particulars First God will let them see what is sinne and 1 God will make them know his will what is duty hee will shew them his way and make his paths plain before their face When others are in the dark they shall have the light of God upon their Tabernacles The secret of the Lord saith David is with them that fear him and hee will shew them his Covenant Psa 25. 14. God will cause them to understand and know the meaning of his Law his statutes shall not be to them a riddle or a sealed book but they shall be so plain that hee that runs may read them God will interpret the holy Commandement that they shall be able in all things necessary to salvation to understand the sense and meaning of it this is that which God promiseth 1 Joh. 2. 27. the anointing which yee have received of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you God will so inlighten their minds by his Spirit that when they read the word or hear it preached they shall be able to say this is the mind of God Secondly God will give them a heart and a will 2 God will give them an heart to obey to embrace his Commandements to reject sinne and close with duty When others find their hearts rebelling against the Law they shall find their hearts ready to comply and yeeld obedience universally to it David often praies that God would incline his heart to his testimonies This God doth for every Saint he doth sweetly and yet powerfully bow the soul to a free spontaneous and ready obedience so that it chuseth the way of Gods statutes and cleaves to his testimonies This is the meaning of that gracious promise I Ezek. 36. 26 27 will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and yee shall keep my judgements and do them God doth not only lay his Commandements before a Beleevers face but writes them in his heart and then Jer. 31. 33. the Soul resolves never to depart from the obedience of them Gods Commandements at least some of them are grievous to an unbeleever but to one whom God guides every Commandement is sweet and precious he reads no Commandement but hee entertains it with that prayer of the Psalmist O that my Psal 119. 5. ways were directed to keep thy statutes This prayer God answers to every Soul that is led by him hee heals the Gangren of the corrupt will by removing the sowrnes that is upon it and by his enlarging grace enables it willingly to run the way of his Commandements so that the Beleever can say I delight to do thy Will O God yea thy Law is within my heart God bores the Ear and the Soul is no longer rebellious God orders the steps of his Saints and causeth them to delight in his way Thirdly God doth recover them from all their 3 God raiseth them when they fall falls The best of Beleevers have a spice of the Spiritual Falling-sickness they stumble and fall This promise of Divine guidance gives security of timely resurrection from such lapses It is upon Record in Scripture for the comfort of Beleevers that though Psal 37. 24. they fall they shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth them with his hand When they sink into misery God will lift them up and when they slip into sin God will restore them He will put the bones into their places when they are disjoynted and when iniquities prevail over them he will purge them away David fell through the power of temptation but God restored him Peter sunk down through his heedlesness but God lifted him up again Noah and Lot were overtaken and ensnared but God cut the cords of the Net and set them both free As oft as Corruption casts the Saints down so often doth the grace of God set them on their feet again Beleevers have as many Spiritual resurrections as they have Spiritual deaths they have as many Spiritual awakenings as they have Spiritual sleeps Fourthly God will give them perseverance to 4 God gives them perseverance hold out to the end This promise of guidance implyes perseverance Gods guidance would be insufficient if it did not comprehend this grace It is promised to the righteous That they shall hold on their Job 17. 9. way and to them that have clean hands that they shall grow stronger and stronger God furnisheth beleevers with daily supplies of strength for their daily journyings He gives
Bless God for this guidance of Divine guidance When you have any occasion to go to a Lawyer for Counsel you give him his Fee without asking VVhen you hire a guide to conduct you in the way you are willing to give him satisfaction God expects that his people should with thankfulness acknowledge his great kindness in laying his VVord before them in putting his Spirit within them in making his Providence subservient for their safe conduct David wisely and Psal 16. 7. graciously resolves upon this I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel my reins also instruct me in the night seasons God did not only give him his VVord to advise him but his Spirit to teach him The Holy Ghost did stamp such powerful impressions on his affections which he calls his reins that hee was effectually bowed to embrace the Counsels of the VVord VVhen the Wise Men that went to finde out Christ saw the Star the text saith they were exceeding Mat. 2. 10. glad had not that directing Star gone before them they had never found the Babe Jesus No doubt the Children of Israel lift up their hearts and glorified God when that pillar of Cloud and Fire was erected among them And should not the Beleevers heart rejoyce and leap for joy that hath as certain a guide to go before him as that was Let mee but hint some advantages which accrue to the people of God by reason of this guiding Counsell and they cannot but see cause of continuall thansgivings I shall but instance in three particulars First By vertue of this divine guidance you are 1 Hereby are wee preserved from sin preserved from those sinfull waies in which others walk to their everlasting ruine The Prophet David found this benefit Concerning the works of men by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer hereupon he praies in the very next words hold Psa 17. 4 5. up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not Why is it that the Saints do not defile their precious Souls with those horrid blasphemies wherewith others are infected but because they are guided by the Counsell of God That you are not Drunkards Murtherers Covenant-breakers Idolaters Lyers is from hence because God is pleased continually to guide you That you do not swim down the stream with others in a corrupt age that you keep faith and a good conscience in a faithlesse and adulterous generation it is to be ascribed to this guidance of heaven That you do not deny Christ that bought you that you do not reject the Scriptures that you do nor forsake the Ordinances and Ministry as many do that you have not washed your hands in innocent blood and conspired against the life of the righteous it is because God hath led you by the Counsell of his word and spirit The best and holyest person in this assembly would have acted his part in the most horrid designs that others have been imployed in carrying on if God had left him to his own heart If you therefore account it a mercy that you have not stained your hearts and hands and consciences with the black and bloody guilt of the worst of sinnes bless the Lord who hath given you Counsell Secondly By means of this guidance you are kept safe from those dangers whereby others have been 2 Hereby are wee kept from danger overtaken It was by reason of the Pillar of Cloud that the people of God escaped the fury of Pharaoh Exo. 14. 20. and his host when they did pursue them with such impoysoned malice The Pillar came between the Camp of the Egyptians and the Camp of Israel so that the one came not neer the other all the night Gods guiding presence with beleevers is for protection as well as direction As God marcheth in the Vann of the Army to shew his people the way so his presence is in the â—ere to prevent their danger Thy righteousnesse shall go before thee saith the Prophet to the beleever and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward Isa 58. 8. The fiery darts of Devills would long since have gangren'd your flesh and the venom of their Arrows drunk up your spirits if God by his guiding presence had not stood by you for defence The same God that hath been a wall of fire for your protection hath been a wall of fire for your enemies destruction When Israel saw themselves on dry land and the Egyptians dead on the shore then they sung praises to God Exo. 15. 1. It is by vertue of the fiery Pillar that you have to this day escaped the rage of your Pursuers let the remembrance of it inflame your hearts into the highest praises 3 Hereby is our way sweetned Thirdly by means of this guidance the way of your pilgrimage hath been sweetned to you A good guide doth not only preserve the passenger from dangerous paths but by his discourse and company renders the journey comfortable Through Gods guiding presence that hath been with you in the way you have enjoyed sweet communion with him you have had many a daies comfortable converse with God you have hereby had opportunity to open your souls to him to lay your doubts fears temptations before his face God did not only direct the people of Israel by the Pillar of Cloud but hee did from thence reveal himself to them upon all occasions Hee spake to them saith David out of the fiery Pillar God in guiding Psa 99. 7. the Saints by his Counsell doth familiarly make himself known to them who is this that commeth out Cant. 8 5. of the Wildernesse leaning upon her beloved The phrase doth not only signify conduct but familiarity God by the guiding of his people gives them opportunity to see the boylings of his affection towards them and to unlock all their secrets unto him Hee tels them many a pleasant story whereby their drooping hearts are cheered and gives them leave to declare all their griefs whereby their souls are dis-burthened Now let mee again beseech you and charge you O yee holy ones of God by all the sinnes from which you have been preserved by all the dangers from which you have been delivered and by all the sweet comforts which you have received by the guiding Counsell of God to get your hearts fired into flames of holy praises Secondly Bee willing to submit to the guidance 2 Submit to this guidance of Gods Counsell Do not pull away the shoulder do not harden your hearts be not stiff-necked but where Gods bids you go thither resolve to go The Children of Israel did move when the Pillar of Cloud moved and they went which way soever it went and when the Pillar stood still then they pitched their Tents At the Commandement of the Lord they journeyed and at the Commandement of the Lord they pitched Num 9. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. their Tents
Heaven do him service with all the gladnesse of their hearts and cheerfull service is the best service Lift up therefore the hands which hang down and revive the Spirits that are overwhelmed Powre out no more tears for your deceased friends who are removed from a sea of trouble to a haven of rest where they are gloryfied with God and where they do actually glorify God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in the highest perfection Comfort your selves and comfort one another with these words Having finished the Scripture Text I shall say something to the providentiall Text. The sad providence which hath occasioned this mournfull meeting preacheth many spirituall lessons to us all First God hath by death carried a young gentlewoman out of the world Strength and Beauty Youth and flourishing daies cannot priviledge any from the Grave This providence repeats in our ears that serious Counsell of the wiseman Remember thy Creator i◠the daies of thy Youth Eccle. 12. 1. If wee look into the Tombs wee shall find many cloysted up there whose bones were moystned with marrow and whose breasts were full of Milk The beauty of Rachel will not keep her from the dust The strength of Sampson will not preserve him from death The budding Flower falls to the earth as well as that which is withered The green Ear of Corn is nipt off as well as that which is ripe for the Sickle You that have your veins full of bloud must come to Golgotha as well as those whose Natural moysture decrepid Old Age hath dried up Secondly God hath removed a Gentlewoman of good rank and quality as to outward things It is not natural Parentage or Wealth that can put Death out of Commission Riches avail not in the day of death VVealthy Abraham is gone to the place of rottenness as well as Lazarus the Begger If a man would give a Coffin full of Gold to ransome himself from the Grave it would not be accepted There is neither Redemption nor Exchange of Prisoners in this VVar The rich mans Wealth is his strong City Prov. 10. 15. Death will storm this City and carry a way the Owner notwithstanding all his riches Neither the Guards of Princes nor the Revenues of their Crowns can keep off Death for one moment Death can enter the Kings Court as easily as the Beggars Cottage When God sends Death to attatch a Mortal Creature it esteems not Riches no not Gold nor all the forces of strength Thirdly God hath taken away a religious Gentlewoman Holiness and Piety do not deliver any from the Grave The first of Mortals that dyed was a righteous man The bloud of the righteous Abel Righteousness preserves from eternal Death not from the Temporal Grace in the Saints never dyes but the Saints dye notwithstanding all their graces Beleevers must be wrapt in the Winding-sheet as well as unbeleevers The godly must lye under the Hears-cloth as well as the wicked Abraham is dead and the Prophets are dead There is cause of mourning over dead Saints no cause of wondring Saints never live till they dye then they live for ever These are general Meditations More particularly In reference to this Gentlewoman I shall speak somewhat concerning her Life and something concerning her Death and that not so much for her sake as the benefit of others Concerning her Life these things are remarkable God vouchsafed her the blessing of godly and The Worshipful Joseph Brand Esq and Mrs. Thomasin Brand his religious Consort religious education Her worthy Parents were studious not only to provide wealth for her but their greatest care was that Christ might be formed in her And this did much redound to their comfort for she was as both of them have often expressed a dutiful and obedient Childe The care of Parents for the religious Education of their Children doth ordinarily return to a good account in this life When Parents teach Children to obey him that is the Father of Spirits God usually bows their hearts to be dutiful to their earthly Parents Shee was a respective and loving Wife to her Husband which made her deservedly accounted by him The desire of his eyes Shee was a helpe meet for him a suitable Yoke-fellow who walked with him hand in hand in the ways of God The contentment he had in the enjoyment of such a Companion doth much increase the sorrow of his heart for the loss of her Shee was of an humble and meek spirit The enjoyment of the things of this Life did not swell her heart Those that were acquainted with her can truly give this testimony of her That shee did not inordinately minde high things but could condescend to them of low estate A full Purse and an humble Heart do not always meet together Shee was no follower of the vain fashions of the VVorld Her Apparrel was decent and modest not gairish The Apostle gives this advice to VVomen To adorn themselves in modest apparrel with shamefastness and sobriety as becometh women professing godliness 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. This Gentlewoman did dress her self in this Scripture-glass Spotted faces and naked breasts are Arguments of light spirits and unmortified hearts God was pleased by his Grace to preserve this Gentlewoman in a wanton Age from these vanities Shee did labour to keep fast the faith that was once delivered to the Saints Though shee was but young having not fully compleated the twentieth year of her age yet was shee not one of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks silly Women that are drawn away by the cunning craftiness of those that creep into Houses and lead many captive Shee was a lover of all the Ordinances of God and a frequenter of that instituted Ministry which God hath given testimony unto by the conversion of many souls God kept her by his Grace that shee did not tread upon the threshold of those infectious places where Errours and Blasphemies are usually broached Concerning her death I have not much to speak A good Life cannot but end in a blessed Death Her Sickness was not very long but it was very sharp Many tormenting pains were in her head which could not be removed till the last medicine of Death took them away In her Sickness shee was very frequent in Prayer for her self and did importunately desire help from the prayers of others I was daily praying with her by her own desire for divers days together and sometimes twice a day which gave me more opportunity to be acquainted with her estate Shee was for some time fearful of Death as not having that full Assurance shee longed for but at last God gave her the victory over those fears About two or three days before the Soul took its leave of the Body God was graciously pleased to give her in plenty of comfort Her sorrowful Husband and Parents coming into the Chamber shee brake forth into these expressions or to this effect Now hath God abundantly manifested his love to my Soul in Jesus Christ you are not able to conceive the joy I feel nor am I able to express it I am now sure that Jesus Christ is mine I know that my sins are forgiven me for his sake I am now both willing and desirous to dye that I may be with Christ This consolation cannot but be judged to be from the blessed Spirit of God because it was the fruit of Prayer and because it was given in after deep humblings and Spiritual Conflicts as also because it was followed with many self-abhorrings which are the genuine effects of Gospel-comfort VVhen shee mentioned these comforts shee did usually adde some such expression as this I am a very unworthy Creature but I hope I am not deceived One very considerable passage I cannot but acquaint you with Some days before her death her gracious Mother seeing the means used for her recovery to be in-effectual retired her self into her closet to pray for her Amongst other Petitions she was very importunate that God would give her pardon and peace Soon after returning into the room where shee lay shee found those very words in her mouth Pardon and Peace God hath sealed up to my Soul pardon and peace through Jesus Christ This was a very signal testimony that God had answered her request Thus she continued sometimes bewayling her sins with much sorrow sometimes sending up holy ejaculations to God as she was able That God would never fail her nor forsake her sometimes expressing her confidence of the love of God in such words as these I have the whole Armour of God upon me God hath given me the shield of faith the breast-plate of Righteousness the helmet of Salvation I have now overcome the fiery darts of Satan I do not in the least fear him or death Amongst other Petitions shee had frequently this in her mouth Guide mee Lord by thy counsel until thou bring me to glory That which now remains is To intreat all of us that are here present to resolve and endeavour to be guided both in matters of faith and obedience by the powerful counsel of Gods blessed VVord and Spirit that when our eyes are closed up by death we may be received in eternal glory FINIS