13 399 6 10 296 17 11 559 27 11 634 35 8 088 40 29 634 50 10 241  11 103 225 242 60 1 414 61 1 496 62 5 048  Jeremiah  2 2 185 13 25 321 17 09 269  Ezekiel  34 4 442 44 9 088  Hosea  2 19 074 7 11 105 14 4 85 86  5 633  9 115  Amos.  3 2 395  Jonah  1 5 144 151  Micah  3 11 405  Zephaniah  3 17 48  Zechariah  9 11 506  Malachy  4 2 411 429   431 434   436 438   478 558  Matthew  2 8 62 See in the first subject Circumspect walking c. 3 3 7 5 16 242 9 15 035 13 6 415 434  13 2  31 c. 562 16 24 594 18 3 579 19 22 381 22 2 36 53  19 497 24 28 672  37 173  45 3 25 from 1. to 14 Paraphrased from 5 to 18 33  3 103  5 119 140 to 144  6 197  7 221 240  8 262 286  9 301 314  10 319 325   338 363  11 377  12 ibid. 391 26 29 342  40 145  45 176 182 27 46 245  Luke  1 78 415 4 18 528 7 47 610 11 21 493  22 ibid. 12 29 513  39 208 17 26 151  27 ibid. 18 17 582 19 42 273 279 24 45 021  John  1 9 417  11 678 6 37 655  38 669  39 ibid.  45 653 8 32 484 566 605  33 481  34 491 10 17 368 12 32 672 14 21 394 17 9 41  13 350 533 20 23 401  Acts.  3 21 8 5 3 96 9 7 654 18 25 62. See in the first subject of Circumspect walking c. 20 26 679 26 18 270  Romans  2 4 128 4 15 485 6 7 492  17 499  22 542 7 13 548  14 61. See in the first subject of Circumspect walking 488 512  15 394  25 239 10 18 438 13 11 167  1 Corinthians  3 1 514 612 643 5 11 99 7 14 92  29 173 15 52 200 202  2 Corinthians  5 17 303 11 2 44 68  Galathians  1 6 483 3 2 485  23 500 4 24 486 5 17 238  Ephesians  4 13 576 5 8 495  15 53 55 57   63  16 See in the first subject of Circumspect walking  18 355 2 6 667 3 2 363  14 253  18 022  20 056 4 10 243  Collossians  1 24 127 2 4 250  15 493  19 569  1 Thessalonians  4 16 7 200  1 Timothy  4 15 639  Hebrews  1 2 416  3 039 2 24 502 4 16 62 11 40 433 12 13 665  17 285  James  1 2 337  19 461  1 Peter  2 2 630  16 540 3 19 436 4 18 309 5 5 249  9 619  2 Peter  1 5 624  12 328 3 17 250  18 249 604  1 John  2 20 104  24 24 3 2 351  9 12  3 John   2 618  Jude   12 589  Revelation  2 4 146  21 128 3 2 257 21 9 36 22 15 363 The Errata's following begins at The Parable of the ten Virgins PAge 2. line 30. blot out not p. 3. l. 29 for fast you read as fast as you p. 29. l. last for her own r. our own p. 71. l. 9. blot our for p. 75. l. 22. for we choose r. will choose p. 87. l. 5. for to fit loose r. to fit loose p. 105. l. 10. for bidden arts r. hidden parts p. 106. l. 23. for fall r. fill p. 115. l. 12. for All proressions r. All processions p. 117. l. 13. for widows case r. widows cruse p. 126. l. 34. blot out thou p. 165. l. 3. blot out and p. 188. l. 37. for he asleep r. be asleep p. 225. l. 17. for iâ— is r. is it p. 561. l. 29. for decy r. decay p. 428. l. 7. for Maditation r. Moditation p. 609. l. 32. for though be râ— though he MOSES IN THE MOUNT OR The beloved Disciple leaning on Iesus S bosom Being a Narrative of the Life and Death of Mr. John Murcot Minister of the Gospel and Teacher of the Church at Dublin Written by a Friend Prov. 7. 10. The memory of the just is blessed LONDON Printed by Robert White for Francis Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleet-street near the Inner-Temple Gate 1657. The Epistle to the Reader Christian Reader THOU maist haply be offended that I bring upon the Stage and present unto thy view the meer shadow of a man and not the living substance Sit but a while and thou shalt see something pass before thee worthy thy observation I must needs acknowledge a disparaging disproportion betwixt this Copy and the Original Had I drawn his Picture whilest alive I might have described his perfections in more resembling Characters but doing it since his death it cannot be expected I should draw him in any other then dead colours His Graces were more lively and sparkling in their exercise and operation then in this faint and languishing Representation However something I was willing to do to revive the memory of our departed friend and to make him known unto those who have not yet heard of him by the hearing of the ear Reader thou hast here a bright Torch that had much flame and but a little smoke and more matter for thy imitation then caution Be a follower of him who followed the Lord fully and having done his work is gone to receive his wages and to take up his place about the Throne Gods glory and thy spiritual advantage are in the eyes and aim of Dublin the 10 th of October 1655. thy souls friend J. G. Moses in the Mount OR The beloved Disciple leaning on Iesus's Bosom Being a Narrative of the life and death of Mr. Iohn Murcot Minister of the Gospel and Teacher of the Church at Dublin THE children of God are not without cause stiled his Workmanship his Building Every particular Believer is a little living Temple and made the Habitation of God through the Spirit such honour have all his Saints Christian Reader I am about to present unto thine eye a curious Piece a stately Structure framed by the hand of Free Grace in the Survey of which much of the wisdom and goodness of God will be eminently conspicuous I have several wel-furnished Rooms to lead thee to but must first pass through the Porch and Preface the grounds of my undertaking and so make the faâ—rer way for the ensuing Relation 1. It hath not been a thing novel and unheard of in the Church of God in such a way as this to
transmit unto Posterity the Names Memories Gracious Conversations of eminenter Saints especially Ministers who in their several Sphears and Generations have shined like stars of the first magnitude streaming and issuing forth a more then ordinary and illustrious Light 2. The lives of morally honest Heathens are both recorded and read with profit not only by fellow pagans but by us Christians Who knows not that Plutarchâ— lives have in them many things serving for Caution and Imitation More advantage doubtless will redound by reading the lives of the Evangelically spiritually and really religious 3 We have the warrant of sacred Writ which being not only Doctrinal but in a great part Historical doth much incourage to a Practise of this Nature The 11. Chap. of the Epistle to the Hebrews you will find to be an Epitome of the lives of the Fathers Now where we have the Spirit of God going before we may well follow after 4. The extraordinary strictness exemplary severity unwearied industry and activity of this man of God in the waies and work of the Lord do exceedingly excite and strongly provoke to make him thus publike and to propose the holiness of his life and comforts in death for the direction and consolation of those whose faces are set towards Sion and to whom this account of him shall come 5. That God may have the glory of what he had done in him in a way of gracious discoveries and manifestations of what he had done for him in a way of clear providences and encouraging dispensations of what he had done by him in giving success unto his labours and letting him see the travel of his soul to his no small solace and satisfaction 6. That the Name of such a Pleasant Plant and fruitful Bough might be preserved fresh green and verdant in the memories of Gods people eâ—ough himself be witheâ—ed lopt off by the hand of death and foâ— a while laid in the dust As Abel so other Saints though dead may yet speak and be made known And O what a glorious thing is it when departed souls are lodged in Abrahams blissful bosom and dead bodies intombed in living Sepulchres sending forth a sweet and refreshing savour into the nostrils of surviving friends A flower may smell sweet after it is cropt and a way made for the Sun to shine after it is set Mr. John Murcot the History of whose life is now to be related was born in the antient Town of Warwick of Parents considerable for their Extraction more for their shining and pious conversation His Fathers name Job Murcot who applyed himself to the study of the Law which brought him in a competent and comfortable subsistence though since humbled by the calamitous inconveniences of these distracted times whose various revolutions have occasioned a wasting and undoing unto many His mothers name before her marriage with his Father was Joan Townsend of raised parts and eminent piety the happy mother of an hopeful son the renowned Root from whence apppeared and sprouted up this fair and flourishing Branch planted by the Rivers of water who brought forth his fruit in his â—eason his leaves did not wither and whatsoever he did the Lord made it to prosper His Parents were conscientiously careful of his education made it their business to season him with sound and solid Principles in his young and tender years which he greedily suckt in as having an early thirst after God and he who erst while hung on his Mothers breast for milk now hangs on her lips for instruction His Parents perceiving in this their young Timothy an ardent desire to be intimately acquainted with the Scriptures and in order thereunto with Academical learning were very prone to contribute their endeavours towards the ripening of these hopeful Buddings and promising Beginnings and therefore in the first place committed him to the care and tuition of an able and godly School-master Mr. Dugard who instilled instruction both with his lips and life desirous to make him not only a Scholar but a Christian It s hard to say 〈◊〉 which was more diligent and industrious the Master in teaching or the Scholar in learning Time was not mispent and prodigally expended in the eager pursuite of childish vanities he ran at his first seting out and did not lazily loiter when he should be minding his work yea when other boyes would be sporting and playing he would be studiously retired solitariness and meditation being unto him instead of recreation Being competently furnished for the University his Father sent him to Oxford where he continued his former diligence in his studies under the conduct and oversight of Mr. Button his faithful and religious Tutor in Merton Colledge About two years after his thriving abode there the Kings Forces possessed themselves of Oxford put all things into an hurry and ingaged the students in such perplexing snares that Mr. Murcot to disintangle himself out of these uncouth inconveniences fled from Oxford disguised and repaired to the House of Mr. Leigh of Budworth an antient grave able and learned man and Minister of that place and there studied hard both day and night allowing himself but four hours for sleep so intent was he upon his Book and so wholly taken up with religious Exercises The cloud being blown over he repaired the second time to the University and his former diligence which caused the eyes of many to fix and fasten on him as perceiving something more then ordinary in him and expecting more than ordinary from him Though means and maintenance were now very short yet it did not discourage and cause him to deâ—ist he did not unbend the Bow and slacken the string he still stood an end to his Oar and with wonted diligence prosecuted his studies it being his meat and his drink to do his Fathers will Having taken his degree he returned to his old friend Mr. Leigh and was several waies useful to him who now called upon him to appear in publike which he did not without much fear and trembling as being conscious to himself of his own inabilities for so ponderous an employment and loth to put to his shoulders lest he should sink under the burden But being pressed and egged on by his friends and a Call from the Inhabitants of Ashbury he entred into the Lords Vineyard put his hand unto the Plough and was ordained a Minister at Manchestâ—â— He professed to use his own words that he was drawn as a Bear to the stake complaining and often bewailing his want of a sufficient stock of University learning The Lord was pleased to own him in his first attempts and endeavours giving him a seal unto his Ministry by the conversion of two especially who being awakened by his sound Doctrine smart expression and powerful delivery sadly bemoaned themselves and mourned over their lost condition even in publike From Ashbury a call being cleared up he removed to Eastham in Woral and gained mightily upon the affections of many especially the godly
endeavours His late journey to London heated his blood and disposed his already-wasting body to a dangerous distemper which discovered it self on the Lords day in his forenoons Sermon which after his return from the Congregation he laboured to conceal from his wife by endeavouring to eat though it were much against his stomach she perceiving some alteration in his countenance and carriage said You are not well pray preach not again to whom he replyed away away hinder me not Whereupon he retired to his study and adventured to preach again in the afternoon though with some difficulty and apparent symptoms of sickness in his very visage It was upon the spirits of some that this was the last time they should ever hear him One seeing and observing him in his return said Thou art almost in heaven I shall never see thee more The Text which he preached on that day is considerable Psal 4. 6. There be many that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us The former part viz. the enquiry Who will shew us any good he finished in the fore-noon and urged several arguments why men ought to sit loose from all things that are here below His expressions argued in him affections disingaged from matters dreggy and terrene One foot is off the earth already the other will be so too shortly He takes his flight from earth to heaven and in the afternoon made entrance on the latter part of the verse Lord lift thou up c. a suitable subject for him to speak to who was now about to enter into the gloomy horrours of the grave Those bright refulgent beams of heavenly light are never more seasonable then when we are upon the borders of the Land of darkness Ten glorious fruits and effects of the lifting up of the light of Gods countenance he held forth the heads of which because of the spirituality of the matter and being the words of a dying man and experienced Christian you will find in the Margin Judicious Christâ—ans plainly perceived him at that time to be wonderfully raised and his spreading sailes to be sweetly swelled with the powerful breathings of the Spirit for he spake more like one neer the Throne and in the company of Angels then one in a Pulpit and surrounded with mortalls At even the people according to their accustomed manner came crouding and thronging to Repetition His wife in vain perswaded him to dismiss the Assembly in repeating his Sermons Singing and Prayer he spent about two hours time At Supper he did eat a little with his wife and that chearfully yet complained of an unusual heaviness in his head and soreness in his eys when endeavouâ—ing to lift them up and took little rest the ensuing night The next morning seeing that he must be sick indeed he blessed the Lord that he found him in his work The Physitian being sent for and consulted with said he had got cold and was feavorish the second night is passed over with as little rest as the first A day of Thanksgiving in private for his own return from London and his wives late safe delivery was designed to be celebrated about this time the consideration of which occasioned some sadness whereupon to his wife he said This is sad love this looks as if the Lord would not accept of an Offering of praise from our hands And then he called for the Notes of a Thanksgiving Sermon preached long before by Doctor Jones on that passage of Hezekiah Who rendred not unto the Lord according to the benefit The third day as a choice Christian friend who came to visit him was discoursing with his wife he fell afleep and two or three hours after awaking he called for his wife who coming to him and kneeling down upon the beds side he fixed his eys on her and said dost thou know that place I will give them the Valley of Achor for a door of hope Who said yes He further asked her if she kâ—ew the meaning of it who expressing her apprehensions he said yea there it is and then a little nodding his head and pointing with his finger at her said Remâ—mber this Our valley of trouble shall be our door of hope About the fifth day in letting blood he fainted and with a low voyce said What means this it was not thus with me at Sir Roberts Kings To his wife looking upon him he said Now Love it is a weaning time He was more careful of Gods Service then of his own attendance causing the servants to leave him that so their duty to God in ways of worship might not be neglected The seventh day being the Sabbath he inquired who carried on the work and seemed to affect retirement and secret converse with God upon his own day Most part of the second week was passed over in a silent submission and quiet waiting on the Lord. The thirteenth day in the morning being Saturday his pains were very violent for an hour and half and extorted from him that doleful complaint Lord how long Ah my bowels my bowels I have grieved bowels this speaks much I have wanted bowels I have not been so pittiful towards others The Doctor being sent for and staying longer then was expected he said Lord give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man At night he was much refreshed chearful all night and prone to discourse and praised without any complaining and withall said I would have given the whole world for so much ease in the morning The Lords day in the morning the Doctor coming to him and looking on him wept to whom Master Murcot said How is it with me Doctor You may do well Brother I hope if you can get any sleep Master Murcot Tell me true how is my Pulse Doctor I confess it is but bad but you may do well if you can sleep which he indeavoured a while though in vain by closing his eys To his wife looking sadly on him he said Love canst thou pray for â—leep for me what saist thou to which her swelling grief permitted her not to return answer The rumouâ— of his weak condition being spread abroad a Doctor was sent from my Lord Deputy to see if there were any hope of life who speaking to him he said Doctor I am spent with sweating To his Sister he said and that without any amazement and peâ—turbation of spirit Sister I must now tell you I am not for this world and then lifting up himself he said Lord remember me how I have walked before thee in sincerity with all my might He wished the Sabbath were over that so he might do something about his Will though little were to be done His wife seeing hearing these passages said to him Now I see that you know that you must leave us He answered yes Love whereat she weeping he exhorted her to a Resignation to which she answered The Lord hath
sitâ—ing or standing may sometimes but presently awake aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus But then the sleep is a deeper security when the eyes are altogether closed and a man is fast though some sleep faster then others do some set themselves to sleep they give themselves to it others are overtaken with it it seizeth upon them like an armed man sometimes and herein they agree the Saints and hypocrites formal and powerful professors of Christ they all slumbered and slept they were all it seemeth overcharged with the cares of this world or somewhat or other that their watch was down and they were surprized And alas Brethren if the day of the Lord Jesus should come upon us almost any day would it not find us sleeping or if not sleeping yet slumbering at least but of this more afterwards Sixthly They all arose saith the text when the cry came at midnight It was high time then to awake as souldiers that watch for an enemy they fall asleep set some to watch suddenly there is an out-cry an alarum O how quickly are they raised If the last trumpet be the cry it shall raise all both hypocrites as well as Saints only the dead in Christ shall rise first be awakened out of the sleep of death If the cry be the Ministry of the word by some smart visitation it will rouze them all let hypocrites be as secure of their condition as they will they shall have a time of awakening Seventhly and lastly They trimmed their Lamps Some say only the wise Virgins trimmed their Lamps for the foolish had only dead Lamps such as gave no light shining before men but why then are they said to be extinguished or to be gone out Beloved the words of the Text carry it for all they all arose and trimmed their Lamps the copulative joines both sentences together and therefore the universal reacheth the latter part as well as the former except there were some limitation It should seem Brethren that hypocrites may make as fair a shew and deceive themselves or being deceived by their own hearts even very long to the very last they thought now to arise with Sampson and shake themselves when they have been sleeping upon the lap of their Dalilah but alas their Lamps were out they trimmed them and stirr'd them up to see if they would burn any longer but they were gone out or going out as some render it A sad thing Brethren for us to deceive your selves even to the very last cast until there be no remedy O what treacherous hearts have we Eighthly They agree also in the number here in the Parable five were wise and five were foolish for this we must remember what was premised that every particular is not to be squeezed and prest too sore nor can we conclude from hence an equal number of real Saints or painted hypocrites in the Church no more then where there are Chap. 13. three evil sorts of ground and but one good we can cònclude that there are three to one unsound professors who receive the word to one honest and good heart which bringeth forth fruit to perfection there may be more there may be less our Saviour in the general tells us many are called but few are chosen he might therefore here haply have some respect to the number of Virgins which might accompany the Bride which some say were five because the number consists of the first equal and the first unequal number even two and three because in a marriage a superiour and inferiour male and female are joyned together but that is a nicity however this we may take up from it in the general that there are some which are not what they profess some are foolish and some are wise in the Church Now I come to speak somewhat to that which is distinguishing in the Parable between formal and real professors of Jesus Christ in this Kingdom First then in the general the one are foolish and the other are wise all are not wise that are within the Church there are some fools Why but is it folly then for any man to prosess Christ No it is not folly simply considered in it self but a duty to confess him and hold him out before men but to stick here is folly as we shall see more hereafter blessed be the Lord that there are some wise though there be many foolish some that will not be put off with forms nor shadows but must have the substance the bread of life and not husks they will not satisfie them O that we were every one of us such Brethren Secondly The foolish they took no oyl in their vessels though their Lamps burned afterward were extinguished when they should stand them in stead to enter with the Bridegroom they had no oyl What is meant here by oyl and what by vessels for the first some say one thing some another some as the Papists say good works is the oyl which is the life of faith without which it is dead which is as if a man should call the flame of a Lamp the oyl that feeds it therefore Brethren according to the Scripture expression elsewhere by oyl I understand the saving grace of the spirit of Jesus Christ true justifying faith repentance never to be repented of and love out of a pure heart unfeigned faith unfeigned repentance unfeigned love and indeed all the graces of the spirit These are they that feed the flame in the Lamps of the Saints whatever hypocrites have which maketh a flame and their Lamps do burn by it of which more afterward because I would not stay you too long in the opening of it this they wanted they cared not to make sure of this to have this true saving grace so they had but as much as would make a blaze among men that they might be seen to have Lamps burning and shining as well as others the rest they cared not for Secondly For the vessels some say the Lamps they had no oyl in them but me thinks the Text distinguisheth between the Lamps and the vessels they took no oyl with their Lamps he doth not say in them but with them and the next verse the wise took oyl in their vessels with their Lamps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is of a large extent but it signifieth somewhat believed the Lamp It is likely they had some vessels they carried about with them full of oyl that when the Lamp needed they supplyed it still else it would go out so here the vessel may be meant the heart brethren a truly contrite heart is the vessel into which the Lord pours the oyl of his grace and spirit and hence there is a continual supply like the oyl in the Cruse it fails not Now this the foolish they cared not for but they had somewhat at present that would make their Lamps burn for holding out they forecast not for that therefore provided no oyl in their vessels no
deep hypocrisie that is in mens hearts or if they had do I think they were to use it but serve Gods holy ends in following Christ his example who suffered a Devil though a white one he was indeed in the likenes of an Angel of light yet he did suffer him in his family until it broke out into scandal There is much in this one reason 1. What deep hypocrisie may lurk in the hearts of men under a plausible profession so that men can suspect nothing many times as you see Ananias and Saphira Simon Magus and others Judas carried it so cunningly and seemed so zealous and full of charity O why was this waste c. when the Spirit of Christ went with his spirit and saw his fetches and deep ends he said it because he had the bag and was a thief the more he had to row in the more bold he might make with it and it would the less be mist but his paint was so exact and so near the life that the Disciples took him to be as real as themselves any of them rather suspecting themselves then him his heart was too deep for them to fathom Because 2. They had not such an infallible spirit given nor have any of the Churches now such a spirit given whereby to know the secrets of mens heart nor do I find that the Apostles had such a spirit given them now and then indeed they had some secret things and actions revealed to them but not that incommunicable property of God to search the heart I the Lord search the heart and try the reins Peter indeed had that private action and falshood of Ananias revealed to him and from thence he concluded Sathan had filled his heart in that he lyed against the Holy ghost but what is this to the searching of the heart and this that was revealed was but for an act now and then in Acts 10. He knew not that there were men sent for him from Cornelius until the Spirit of God told him and revealed it to him so that he had not that knowledge which he had of secret things not made known in an ordinary way by sense he had it not habitually but by several acts Or if they had such a spirit which none can prove they did not act by it in admitting persons for then such as those would never have been admitted Yea 3. If the Church had such a spirit it is very likely she were not to act by it in admission For our Saviour himself though he knew whom he â—ad chosen and knew from the beginning who should betray him yet he did admit him that he knew would prove a Devil and therefore he acted therein according to his humanity and to leave us a pattern that though we may suspect happily such or such a person and not savour them according to that discerning which God hath given us of the spirits of men yet if not scandalous not to reject them making such a profession of Christ as according to charity and Scripture-rules we ought to hope well of And methinks there is somewhat in that Parable of the tares though while in the blade they were scarce discernable from the wheat yet it seemeth by the Parable that now they were come to such a growth as they did discern them therefore came with that Question whether they should pluck them up and yet he would not have if so they were not thorns and thistles and such as would altogether choak the Corn though they might hinder it if only Hypocrites though discovered if they can be discovered without prophaness and scandal they are not to be pluckt up from among the good Corn and hence it is that there are good and bad in the visible Church though the bad seem to be good all are Virgins but all are not wise virgins For the Application of this We may hence take notice of the great indulgence of God and the largeness of his grace and the riches of his patience and long-suffering to poor Creatures in that he takes many as his own within the verge and comprehension of this his Covenant that never really partake of the saving benefits of the Covenant So you know it was with Israel though they were as the sand of the sea yet a remnant should be saved All are not Israel that are of Israel that is true and yet they are of Israel though they be not Israel that is as true Now that the Lord should admit of such to be of Israel that never were nor are like to be Israel this is largeness of bounty Alas how many wild Olives are graffed in among the branches which remain and partake of the fatness of the Olive the priviledges and ordinances and gifts of God bestowed on his Church for edification and yet shall be cast out as branches broken off dryed and withered shall be taken away as barren and unprofitable and burn for ever if thou continue not in this goodness thou shalt be cut off It is not the manner of men to plant such in their vine yards as they know will bring forth nothing but leaves no fruits but sowr the grapes of Sodom and yet this the manner of God to such as shall be cast out into utter darkness yet should be admitted to be the children of the kingdom 2. That he owneth many as separated to himself in such a way before they come to own him and though they dwell under his shadow and shine and in droppings and dew of heaven yet a long time bring forth nothing do nothing but abuse his grace and this riches of his goodness and yet at last notwithstanding all he should go on to separate them to a nearer holiness to himself seize upon their hearts put another principle and seed into them whereby they should be fruitful for the time to come Ordinary experience teacheth us this how many years many a poor formal Professor hath walkt under the means of grace and passed for a Saint and yet hath been in the gall of bitterness but the Lord out of his infinit mercy and rich grace hath healed him afterward It is no question it is the case of some that that very grace which they have so long hypocritically pretended to and abused was that at last which seized upon them Why but you will say this is no priviledge nor mercy to be members of Christ his visible Church if we therein enjoy not Christ and for our Children to be owned as those separated to Christ and yet though Children of the kingdom and be cast out for none are like to sink so low into hell as those which are cast out of the kingdom such as so often abuse mercies and Gospel-grace tendered to them I answer It is true the name of the Lord our God is great and fearful as in that place of Deuteronomy And the nearer a people have been drawn to Christ within the
drunk the cup of the Lord and it hath been a cup of deadly wine to thy soul thou hast eaten and drunken thy judgement and condemnation so often that thou art even stupifyed and past feeling it is to be feared it not onely argues a desperately hard heart to come and look upon Christ crucifyed held out in those Ordinances as our meat and drink to nourish us and not to relent but it hardens us so much the more Thou mayst yet come oft ento receive the Supper of the Lord but as often as thou dost it thou dost but more deeply poyson and fill thy soul O! Brethren that the Lord would let us see this day whether this be our condition and we have rotten hearts covered over with a glorious profession that we might not dare to draw near for we cannot have a Wedding-garment upon us brethren if we have not the habits of grace if we have not Christ for righteousness and holiness how can we act that grace which we have not Thou art fit for any thing else but for the worship of God thou art fit for thine own occasions and fit to serve the Devil to be at his beck but not to worship God in those Ordinances remember remember brethren though you may have somewhat now to answer us when we preach this word and to answer your own consciences and can make a shift to silence them when they tell you though you have a profession and name and are reckoned among the Saints yet you never were born again never did put on Christ indeed you cannot have a wedding garment though you may brethren deceive your selves and us and take this and that for a wedding-garment when the Lord Jesus shall come and ask you how comest thou in hither without a wedding garment thou hadst not a dram of grace thou never puttest me on for righteousness in believing how camest thou hither how durst thou be so bold as to draw nigh to my table to meddle with my precious blood and body broken for sinners when thou haddest not a wedding garment on you shall then be speechless it shall be so evident O take him bind him hand and foot hang these Ordinances and priviledges which he hath so long abused my blood and body which he hath eaten and drunk that is to say Sacramentally the signs of them as those in 1 Cor. 10. they did all eat the same spiritual meat c. and yet most of them perished sink him sink him he hath trampled my blood under his foot counted it an unholy thing else he would never have cared to have come with an unholy heart to it therefore now I will trample his soul in my fury unto the lowermost hell O! how this will sharpen the teeth of the gnawing worm to eternity O how this will inrage the flames of those everlasting burnings therefore consider this your sad condition let it be a terrible word to you the Lord give you hearts to tremble at it And in the last place Let us take heed how we rest and lean upon a profession and a name Methinks there needs no more Arguments to move us then what hath been spoken already What folly is it for a man to hang his weight upon that which he is told will break and then he falls into an irrecoverable gulf O! that we had that alway sounding in our ears in the seventh of Mat. Lord Lord open to us we have done this and that heard thee preach done wonderful works they were visible Saints surely at least and yet he calls them workers of iniquity which they might do in secret acts with pretences for God but intending themselves What if Simon Magus had had that power to give the gift of the Holy Ghost and had done it and replenished his purse by it for likely he that would have bought it would have been as ready to have sold it again he might have past for a Saint but what would his end have been O Brethren consider your latter end the Lord teach you that one point of wisdom that so in time 〈◊〉 may flee from that wrath to come But so much for this Doctrine also Verse 3 and 4. And they that were foolish took their Lamps and took no oyl with them But the wise took oyl in their vessels with their Lamps WE may read a wise man or a fool in his actions and so here the foolish took no oyl with their Lamps and what more foolish then that For the opening of the words I shall not need to say much by the Lamps I understand here a profession of Jesus Christ a name a shew the Apostle speaks of the Saints as light-bearers they should be burning and shining lights as John was Light there is and sometimes appearing heat even in formal professors as you see in the case of John how zealous for God And Judas a man would have thought him zealous when he said Why is this waste but it is like the light of the glow-worm touch it and it hath neither light nor heat they are indeed sparks of our own kindling as it is in that place of Isaiah the sparks there may be the action of Devotion and Duty which may be elicited or educed by the help of nature and of education and custom the conscience being enlightened by the Law of God in some measure and self-love working somewhat in men will put them on to do something to quiet their Consciences but alas these sparks quickly go out and the Lamp is put out in obscure darkness There may be also somewhat of Common-grace some enlightning of the minde and some kinde of affection as the second ground received the word gladly and Herod heard John gladly but a great difference between these and the Disciples who receiveed the word gladly the one rejoyced happily in that which in the word is suitable to a carnal appetite as the Eloquence as those in the Prophet thou art to them as one that plays on an Instrument but the other rejoyced in that of Christ which is therein found So the Bee is pleased with the Flower the Sheep with the Blade the Bird with the Seed and the Swine with the Root But new for the oyl in the vessels what is that The foolish took no oyl in their vessels with their lamps By this I understand brethren the oyl of the Spirit ye have received an anointing the Spirit of grace and the grace of the Spirit of Christ the Spirit dwelling in us there is a Cruse opened that will never be drawn dry like the Fountain of waters or Rivers springing up with eternal life it never sails By this then I understand the true saving work of grace in the heart a receiving of the Spirit of grace the Spirit of Christ by faith as the Apostle speaks by the hearing of faith by the Gospel the word of faith which was blessed to the working of saith in
that this is folly but the world counteth this the greatest folly that can be to make so much ado about the soul-affairs to trouble themselves so much about the interest in Christ they are the wise men that have heads deep and large to compass their designs for the world and to have a profession of Christ the thing may be of some use but the thing it self it is but a burthen they will never trouble themselves with a Lamp and a Vessel full of Oyl besides it is enough to have a Lamp But surely Brethren the Lord judgeth otherwise you see who is the fool in Christs sense and what will it avail if a man the world account him a wise man and he himself deem himself a wise man and Jesus Christ accounteth him a fool he never giveth names for nothing they are sure to answer them sooner or later the easiest course Brethren is not the wisest then the Sluggard were the wisest man 2. It may serve to reprove and convince us of much folly then that is among us Stultorum plena sunt omnia all Proressions are ful of fools and none more then the Profession of Jesus Christ for the higher the end the greater the folly in pretending to it and missing of it I doubt brethren all the Congregation are full of such fools as these are it appears to be so in the Prophets time Who is wise saith he and he will consider these things c. and Prudent and he shall know them Who is wise by this interrogation there is implied a paucity of them as in that Who is there among you that walks in darkness and seeth no light they are not very ordinary so again Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed May I not take up the Prophets complaint now and say who in this Congregation is wise who so wise as to consider their latter end to provide for it not to rest in a name in a profession Some I doubt not but there are who are able to produce their Evidences Christ in them the hope of Glory but are they so many as were to be wished brethren do you not take up short of Jesus Christ rest in the means as you have heard before 3. Then it shall serve to stir us up to awaken us to look about us for that is one thing also which that interrogation imports to stir us up to Consider our wayes and our Condition and State Whether we have this oyl in our vessel as well as in the Lamp surely Brethren For Motives 4. This is a very pressing one which our Saviour covertly giveth in the Text they were foolish virgins which took no oyl and the Prophet Who is wise and he will consider these things for men would not be counted fools of all things men had rather be wicked and counted so then be counted fools and will rather shew their wit in froth and jests and over-reaching then be counted fools you know the affectation of wisdom was the first temptation and ever since vain man would be wise though he be born like a wild Asses Colt we are most stupid Creatures and yet would have a name to be wise and are indeed contented to be fools in Gods account rather then we would not be wise men in our own account and the account of the world desperate fools this is cum ratione insanire if any thing be O brethren if we would be wise indeed take the advice of wisdom it self or the wonderful Councellor take heed of resting in this Condition without oyl in your vessels he is wise indeed that is wise in the latter end that thou mayst be wise in the latter end he that liveth in reputation of a wise man he thinketh himself so and dyeth a fool in the account of God himself and all others this is the fool in grain the more care to get and keep our vessels full of oyl the more wiser we shall approve our selves 2. Dear friends Consider seriously now You think you follow Jesus Christ and your Lamps are burning but what a sad disappointment will it be and confusion For hope disappointed confounds a man as it is in Job they are confounded because they hoped you hope for heaven now if you be disappointed and your Lamps go out in obscure darkness just when you have the most need of them O how will you be able to bear it O therefore whatever you do labour to get this oyl make sure of this brethren never give the Lord over follow him up and down in all the wayes of grace until thou have gotten thy vessel full thy heart filled with grace with his fear his love with humility self-denial O look to it that thou close with Christ that you do not mistake somewhat else instead of him beg the Spirit Brethren to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith and you may have all grace to abound towards you and in you that having an al-sufficiency alway in all things you may abound in every good work your hearts being ful there being a Spring to eternal life that your Lamps may never be put out but you may appear wise in your latter end which trieth indeed which are the wise and which the foolish Virgins O be diligent in improving all the Ordinances for that end received ye the Spirit by the works of the the Law or by the hearing of Faith You have heard it is the dew wherein the Manna descends it is the vehiculum we come to hear all of us O take heed how you hear with what hearts you come before him and how you attend to this word do you know in what part of it the Spirit will descend will come upon the heart at which Sermon in which part of the Sermon O brethren if we come with vessels full conceited with Pride full of Earth stopped up with the world how can we expect this oyl should be poured into us therefore Come labour to bring your empty vessels to the Lord in his Ordinances for it is observable as long as there was an empty vessel the oyl run in the widows case and so it would be here he never sent a poor empty broken Spirit a poor Creature poor in spirit to come humbled and trembling in sense of its wants and worthlesness he never sent them away empty when the vessel is full he will not pour out the oyl it would be lost there is no room to receive it Again Labour to number your days brethren that you may apply your hearts unto wisdom to this wisdom to salvation this is a rich piece of skill that is not to be learned but in the school of Christ to number our days Consider the shortness of our time how short we cannot tell for ought we know this night he was a fool in grain
to pass that your Churches your Families your hearts are so choakt with tares and weeds What could we answer him should we have a word to say for our selves well the Lord affect our hearts with it so much for this Vse The next use of the point shall be a distinguishing word between the sleep of Formalists sinners and the sleep which is incident to the Saints the people of God the wise Virgins slept their sleep and the foolish theirs and however in the expression there seems to be no difference yet there is a difference sure between them to be found for it may be this may trouble some poor souls who may think because they sleep therefore they are surely of the foolish Virgins And others may be emboldned and their hands strengthened What the best sleep as well as others therefore though this be my Condition yet all shall be well I would therefore add a word or two to this First Then remember this Sinners at the best and Hypocrites at the best their hearts are asleep and the Saints at the worst their hearts are awake indeed in naturals we use to say when a person is ready to drop asleep his heart is asleep already but it is not so in Spirituals with the people of God Judas when he was at the best that ever he was before he discovered his covetousness in the business of the poor he was unsound at the heart his heart was dead indeed it is a dead sleep that is upon their hearts and yet he walkt up and down as men in a deep sleep sometimes will do in a strange manner but his heart was asleep Now Peter he he fell asleep too in the matter of his denial of Christ but his heart was awake though the senses were closed up for a time yet when the Son of righteousness broke forth upon him lookt upon him you see he presently waked so the Church I sleep but my heart wakes in the deepest sleep of the Church of Christ the heart is awake there are divers apprehensions of this Some understand it thus I sleep but my heart wakes that is to say Christ who is as the heart to the Church the seal of life and vital spirits he wakes or else taking the Church Collectively she sleepeth but the heart waketh that is to say she may miscarry in some lesser matters as External but in the main the fundamentals the heart of religion in that she never fals altogether But we shall speak to it as it respects particular persons as wel as the general as doubtless it doth I sleep but my heart waketh the Church was Lazy and drousie slumbred and slept but yet not so but that the heart was awake it was not a dead sleep and this will appear if we consider two or three things 1. The Church then hath a Conscience not altogether past feeling but in fome measure awakened and then 2. The will and affections not altogether lost and gone in such a Condition 1. Then the Conscience that hath yet some stirring and that will appear because 1. The Church here knew the voice of her beloved even when she was asleep when he came and called to her my love my dove my undefiled open to me She now knew the voice of Christ so many a drousie soul that is slumbering and sleeping knoweth the hints and motions of the Spirit which he hath but alas hath not power to obey for sleep hath so overcome them security hath so seized upon them that though they hear yet they do not as me thinks in that very business of Jehoshai which I have thought strange of when his Conscience was awake he would hear the voice of the Lord in Micah he thought all the rest of the Prophets of Baal were false he would have the Word of the Lord from the mouth of a true Prophet a man would have thought now he should have done it presently being an upright hearted man also no yet if you read the text you shall find he went with Ahab notwistanding here he had a Conscience awake plainly but yet he did not obey he was so far engaged now to Ahab not only in affinity but his word was out and his honour at stake and though Conscience likely might check him for the thing as well as put him on to enquire of a true Prophet yet those Lusts now love to his own honour and carnal interest and affection laid him asleep he went up notwithstanding well this is the case in this place Can we not many of us set our seals to this truth how often in a fit of security have we had Convictions and Checks we have heard the voice of Christ open to me my love let my word have rooâ— in thee this thou dost is not pleasing to me O why wilt thou shut me out deal so unkindly with me yet your persons asleep though we hear many things we heed them not much but turn upon our beds as the door upon the hinges and cannot get off 2. Conscience is so awake usually in the people of God as to tell them they are asleep they have somewhat secretly whispering them in the ears that they are not in the right way they are slothful or sluggish David I think was in a deep a sleep as any that we read of yet I can hardly think but David had this within him some grudgings and misgivings that all was not well with him at that time But because happily this may be common to them with Hopocrites except they be very fast asleep indeed therefore I will rather insist upon the third 3. I say usually the People of God as they know they are asleep when they are asleep so they complain of it they rest not so questionless sinners do usually there is nothing disturbeth them so far as to complain of it I sleep saith the Church but my heart is awake it appeared the heart was awake indeed because she complained of it as a man that is droufre and cannot keep his eyes open he naps and nods it may be and wakeneth again or if he apprehend himself in danger to have any pressing business upon him if he sleep longer it is unquietly his mind is troubled with the thing and it wakes him often and he wouldshake it off but cannot laboriosius dormiunt quam vigilant saith one â—o our Annot. So the Conscience might then when asleep lash them stir them up many times tel them they do amiss prick them for it Nowan Hypocrite will hardly complain of his sleepiness not in reality â—f it be a practice that may â—et him off with men to be whining and complaining he will complain happily more to men then to the Lord but this poor Creature that sears the Lord his sleep O it lieth like lead at his heart he groans under it But then for the Will that also is awake in part when a Child of God sleepeth It was so with Paul
do which may advantage himself or others how can a man pray when he cannot act his faith nor act his love nor his zeal and fervency of Spirit but all are a sleep Ah what weak service hath the Lord from many of us upon this account 4. Another Consideration shall be this the unseasonableness of the thing Every thing is beautified by the season and if it be out of season it is uncomely It is not a walking honestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honestly or comely to sleep now brethren it is enough for â—inners that are of the night that never â—aw the day-star appear nor the Sun of righteousness arise upon them for them to lie sleeping now it is something suitable for they that sleep saith the Apostle sleep in the night and they that are drunk are drunk in the night the night was for sleep naturally and therefore man goeth forth to labour and to his work until the evening So in spirituals it is most unsuitable to sleep in the day-time brethren if you believe you are of the day and not of the night as the Apostle saith We count him a Drone a Lusk or Lurden that shall sleep in the day-time It was David his fault to be upon the bed in the day-time And so likely Isâ—bosheth except the Custom of the place being hot might excuse it Well then hath the Lord in in finite riches of grace brought thee out of the dark night made it day with thee when it is night with many families and poor souls about thee and wilt thou make it â—ight by sleeping it is unseasonable it is enough for them that are in darkness to sleep Again 2. Consider It is the time wherein you are called upon to act for God and for your own souls It is not only the day but the time for work It is our harvest brethren wherein should lay up not for many years as the fool in the Gospel said but for eternity treasure up grace for eternity lay up a good foundation for the time to come O how richly laden are some of the Saints over others are that have made a profession of Christ as long as they live what is the reason why they have slept while they should have gathered he that gathereth in Summer is a wise son but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame there the one is opposed to the other that soul will cloth himself with shame and Confusion one day that sleepeth in harvest in the time of labour wherefore doth the Bridegroom tarry but to give you space to repent to work out your salvation in and instead of working shall we sleep out this time and will it be Comfortable in the end will it be comfortable if instead of labouring in the vineyard we sleep all the heat of the day what account shall we make when we come to receive the recompence 3. Yet more unseasonable it is also If you consider that usually the time of this falling asleep is after a good while converse and walking with God then men fall a napping the wise virgins they had their oyl and their Lamps burning it is true they had provided for the main and it is likely went forth to meet him but in the way the nearer they came to their journeys end for there must be some good competent time sure before they would conclude that the Bridegroom tarried and then they lay aside all and fall asleep Remember that of the Apostle knowing the season saith he that now it is high time for you to awake for now is your salvation nearer then when you believed Now is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to awake out of sleep now is salvation nearer What is the meaning of this the meaning is now is the most unseasonable time of all other for you to be asleep now you should press hard forward now just at your journies end as a Traveller or a man in a race holds up his head all the way and maketh speed and when he is near the journies end and should lay hold upon the goal that then he should sit down and sleep this is unseasonable and utterly unsafe if he expect to obtain by his running Ah brethren sure you would obtain else why did you run if you expected not a reward Now may I not say with the Apostle you did many of you run well but who hindred you how came it to pass you dropt asleep or are you inclining to it O take heed it is not safe at the end of your race the night is past the day is come or the night the time of this ignorance for our life is compared to the vision of God in heaven may well be compared to a night and that to day well this day is at hand it is nearer then when you began to believe for that is the meaning of that Phrase as such a King reigned that is to say began to raign ordinarily in Scripture Well then it is utterly unseasonable therefore let me beg of you brethren and the Lord prevail with our hearts to take heed of it Fifthly Another Consideration shal be this that while you lay your selves to sleco you lose God and Christ you lose their presence when the soul open to Jesus Christ he cometh in and the father and Holy Spirit with him and they bring their dainties with them and abundantly refresh the soul with his love which is better then wine and as long as the soul doth give him entertainment and followeth to improve its Communion with him he will sâ—ay but truly brethren if we sleep he will not then tarry but he takes his leave and leaveth us sleeping and alas before we are aware we have lost him and know not where to find him It was Sampsons case alas his strength was in the presence of God with him when he departed he was as as another man he lies down upon Dalilahs lap and then he fals asleep and at last he was robbed of his strength God was departed from him he he had many forewarnings but he was bewitched with a Lust it did so imprison his reason that he could not see what he was to do at last he wist not that God was departed from him he went thinking to shake himself as at other times but alas his strength was gone Ah brethren if a man have a Dalilah it is sive to one but sooner or later it will lull him asleep and if it can but get him asleep it is easie to get away the Lords presence from him and he know it not untill afterward Sixtly Another Argument shal be not only that not only when we fall asleep we not only lose the Lord Jesus and the presence of his Spirit but we then shall keep him out also the senses are locke up A Servant fast asleep when his Master cometh home he may knock long enough before he open to him why alas
God as the Apostle did not by sense nor what we feeâ— though never so much yet that must not be our life or if never so little that must not be our death but still live by faith in the son of God who liveth for ever and therefore his people shall not dye nor their Lamps be put out in obscure darkness 3. Consider then have we not declined have not our Lamps burned much clearer then now they do hath not our light been clearer then now it is and our warmth been more then now it is this is matter of humbling to us Have we not received much mixture of error in these erting times we cannot imagine how much darkness it brings upon our Lamps to have one error mixed with much truth Besides may not the Lord Jesus say to us all I have somewhat against you all in that you have left your first love Time was when you were zealous for the house of God and it did even eat you up now you are grown to a Gallio's spirit care not for these things Now we seek our own things and nest our selves in security it is well with us and therefore we consider not the danger poor souls are in by such as go up and down with the power of delusion few mourners in Zion for these things If the Church were under persecution it is likely we should lament truly I look upon its present state as more destructive to it so many Vipers â—ating at the very heart and bowels of Religion where is our burning of zeal for God against these things sure it should humble us 4. We see that Believers may decline and these times do give an abundant proof of it how many that have been as burning and shining lights have been benighted and inveloped in the most Egyptian darkness entertaning the most desperate opinions walking after their own Lusts and yet afterwards have been restored O how should this make us fear before him be not high-minded but fear here thou seest one and there another their lamps next to a being quite extinct yet thou hast light and heat maintained O boast not thy self lift not up thy self but fear before the Lord humility indeed is a kind of a nurse of the graces conservatrix virtutum as Bernard saith If he spared not the Angels in their pride will he spare thee A Novise is in danger of falling into the condemnation of the Devil in danger of being puffed up He giveth grace to the lowly but resisteth the proud Some do observe that word be ye cloathed with humility 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ye cloathed the word cometh from a word signifying a knot because it ties all together as I may say and so knitteth the graces together as pearls upon a Braslet if the knot be broken they are quickly lost It is indeed brethren the thief in the candle the great waster the Moth in the cloath consumeth it and spoyleth the beauty and strength of it It is the worm at the root of the Guord it will smite it and we see it by sad experience when men grow so proud and pretend to Angelical perfection in our days they fall as low as hell and brutish bestiality in their lusts O therefore let us labour to walk humbly with God be not high-minded though at present we stand and flourish and shine and burn we are liable to declinings 5. If we be so liable to declinings then it should teach us so much the more to be diligent in improving I am sure the Apostle giveth it as a preservative against declining and apostatizing But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ grow in grace and in knowledge knowledge is that whereby the Lord doth reveal himself to his people from grace to grace as you have it in that place of the Apostle whom beholding as in a glass c. But observe here keep your selves that is fall not from your own stedfastness and how should this be One means is to grow in grace If we would not have our Lamps burn dim and low we must labour to supply them so as they may increase the path of the just is as a shining light which shineth more and more to the perfect day and the wind of that Spirit which bloweth where it listeth it riseth higher and higher as some note O see to it then ordinarily while the fruit is in growth the leaves wither not nor the fruit fals except in some great storm or wind Labour to grow then first in bigness then in sweetness grow more mellow sweet full of love humility and self-denial 6. If we be so liable to decline it should teach us to avoid all those things which tend to a declining else we shall never avoid the thing it self we must take heed of sleeping then for though our Lamps be never so bright when we begin to sleep when we awake they will burn low if not extinct and will have great need of trimming up Security is the undoing evil in all things where was the joy of Davids faith when he began to be secure Psal 30. 7. Take heed of putting off the day of his appearing that will gender to security and that security will bring a neglect of our Lamps and then they will grow low and decline 2. Take we heed of false Teachers try the Spirits whether they be of God or no they have a strange influence upon the life and liveliness of mens profession were they not these that hindered the Galathians Ye did run well who hath hindered you who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth Ye did run well in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rase wherein they had Lamps or Torches but who hath hindered you The Apostle Peter maketh it the immediate cause of the backsliding and declining at least if not utter apostacy Beware saith he lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be carried out of his way to go with another the power of error is greater then we are aware of The Apostle speaks thus This I say lest any man deceive you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with enticing words beguile you They have cunning craftiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cogging with the die Satan changing himself into an Angel of light and his Ministers into Ministers of light and cogging with the die like cunning and deceitful Gamsters how easie is it to deceive the hearts of the simple yea the hearts of his but that they are kept by that power But a great way they may prevail and so we may lose our stedfastness and therefore take heed what spirits we give ear to Alas do we not see in our days what fearful work Satan hath made among Professors how many have their Lamps quite put out that went for zealous
Christians are become meer Atheists how many have suffered a great abatement in their zeal and vigour and life and closeness of walking with God by this means O therefore take heed of falshood at the beginning 3. Take we heed of learning their ways by conversing with dead-hearted Professors where there is not that life and power that light and heat but a cold luke-warm frame for such as our Company is such shall we be in a great measure why must men make no friendship with an angry man lest he learn his ways And truly brethren a formal Professor a loose Professor that hath little of the power of Godliness upon him he is a quench-coal and by degrees you shall find your selves growing to a more listless indifferency then before therefore though you may pity them pray for them stir them up and provoke them as occasion serveth yet that inward familiarity as to lie in their bosoms which will be followed with a conformity to them take heed of you shall find it will work a declining 4. Take heed of deceiving our selves with false measures and weights The Apostle tell us of some that compared themselves with themselves and were not wise or comparing themselves with some others which are haply behind them this maketh them slack So the Church of Laodicea what was the reason of their lukewarmness they lost their love the heat and burning of their Lamps were gone whatever light they had why they thought they were rich and had need of nothing they needed not that eye-salve to buy of Christ nor gold nor raiment O this is the desperate undoing sin indeed when men think now O they bless God they are rich it is for others to press forward they need not walk so painfully as others their corruptions are more subdued then others Si dixisti sufsiciat periisti See Phil. 3. I forget what is behind c. 5. Arm your selves against the smiles and discouragements of the world for though like Sampsons foxes they look with their faces contrary waies yet the effect is one and the same not to fire but to quench that light and heat that is in a believer for the smiles of the world are her embraces she doth use to smother with them and as I may say overlay a soul when Davids mountain was made strong and by Gods favour too then he began to be secure to fal asleep and his Lamp was almost gone when God hid his face from him his comfort was lost in a great measure How many Demas's are there which forsake the work of Christ for this present world yea indeed many that can endure the frowns of the world yet are overcome by her smiles Jesurun kicked not nor forgot the God of her salvation so much as when she waxed fat So in that of Nehemiah they took strong Cities and a fat land and possessed houses full of all wels digged vineyards and olive-yards and fruit-trees in abunndance so they did eat and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in the great goodness notwithstanding they were disobedient and rebelled against thee and cast thy Law behind their backs c. and slew the Prophets which testified against them O watâ—h against this take heed we do not abate our earnestness after more and more of Christ lest while we are panting like the Hart after the water brooks we take up with a drop for all the Creature-comforts in the world are no more and our thirst after spirituals be more cooled and we solace our selves under our Guord instead of the Aple-tree the sweet shadow of Christ And to this end alway keep fresh upon your hearts the love of Jesus his smiles when the Diamond is present the Load-stone cannot draw Again Arm we our selves against the frowns of the world discouragements we must expect to meet with sooner or latter specially if we do not like a hollow-hearted bulrush bow and bend and comply with every thing a notable embleme of an Hypocrite If we stand firm like an Oke or Cedar we shall feel strong gusts It may be some of us have known what they meant and some have had experience of their weakness to bear up against them O how should this humble us and make â—s double our watch Satan will raise a storm if the Lord permit him thinking on a sudden to blow out our Lamps but we must arm against it and be sure to go on though it be weeping As the Milch-kine that carried the Ark up from the Philistins to Bethlehem they had their Calves left at home which were a strong avocation and yet saith the Text they went strait forward lowing and lamenting after their Calves but yet they went forward It may be we may be put to it as that Marquess of Vioum in Italy even Galeacius that forsook house and lands and wife and children and all for Christ It may be we cannot do it without some reluctancy yet it must be done it may be we shall have many discouragements from our own hearts strong temptations violent temptations haply more then ever yet we have had so that we cannot go on but weeping and wailing yet resolve upon it by his grace however we will go on such a well-grounded resolution often renewed with a waiting upon the Spirit for his strength to perform it will carry a man on far 6. Be sure not to neglect the Ordinances of Christ nor be slight in the using of them And one of the two I doubt we are often guilty of and therefore we may thank our selves for much of the deadness that groweth upon us daily these are the golden Pipes whereby this Oyl is conveyed continually from the Lord Jesus for the keeping our Lamps alive and lively Would you not wither but continue your verdour and greenness you must keep close to the waters of the Sanctuary they shall be like Trees planted by the rivers of water his leaf shall never fail he that delights in the Law of God meditates in it day and night there is private conversation with God And they that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God yea in old age they shall flourish and bâ—ing forth more abundantly when many times it is the declining time A diligent careful serious use of all the Ordinances with an eye to faith seeing through them all but as empty pipes without his presence to fill them this exceedingly conduceth 7. Be sure your aim be as high as heaven and the perfection which shall be at the resurrection of the dead So the Apostle Nâ—t that I count that I have attained but I press hard forward and all his diligence was that he might attain the resurrection of the dead by a Metonymie of the Adjunct it is put for the perfection of that 〈…〉 aâ—e at the resurrection see how high he aimed at and therefore he did not languish nor
bottle a broken cistern wherein no water is you shall have a denial from the Creature but Christ never denied any that came in the sense of his wants and waited upon him for supply and so much for this Lest there be not enough for you and us they might well doubt indeed whether there would be enough for themselves and them for even now their own Lamps had need of a supply though the form of words seem to carry a doubtfulness in them there might be enough and there might not yet I cannot believe but the wise Virgins knew full well and so they do know at this day that there is not enough for them and others This is most sutable to the Analogy of Faith in other Scriptures The Doctrinal Note from thence will be this There are none have any surplâ—sage of Grace or more then will serve their own turn They have none to spare lest there be not enough for you and us and that this is so other Scriptures plainly speak If the righteous scarcely be saved saith the Apostle the righteous be he as eminent as he may in righteousness and holiness yet he is scarcely saved so as through many difficulties many a hard pull he hath when all is ready to fail him but that God never fails him else all were gone His flesh and his heart fails him many times Strive to enter in at the strait gate saith our Saviour for many shall seek to enter and shall not be able Suppose that some men strive more then others yet all will be little enough they shall hard and sharp be saved they have none to spare he that gathered much had nothing over saith the Text concerning the Manna though some are more industrious painful Christians then others yet they have nothing over the very Angels in Heaven that have such a fulness as no Creature on earth yet hath yet they cannot spare a jot of their fulness though they be so full not a jot of their holiness how much more we then First Let a man begin never so yong to look towards heaven as young Timothy and young Sam. and yet they shall not have any more then what is necessary for themselves to have a man would think he that beginneth so yong should in time grow to be exceeding rich in faith and good works that if there were any works of supererrogation these should be the men but yet we find not in Scripture any of them in so high a strain 2. If a man be never so earnest diligent and forward zealous for God though he serve the Lord instantly night and day yet shall he have no grace to spare David was a man of strong affections as most Christians and as warm they were toward God as strong were his desires after him and love to him as will appear by his spiritual breathings and was as much in following after God and after grace in so much that when he was debarred from the Tabernacle and Ordinances where he used to behold the goings of God the way of God his glorious power and grace when shut out from these how sadly doth he take on you may see then by the stir and disquietness of his heart in the interruption that he was strongly bent to follow after Christ and yet at the close of all had he any to spare Yea 3. Let a man continue so to the end if it were possible without any interruption in his growth and yet he shall have no grace to spare had the Apostle any to spare who was a man labored as abundantly as any other yea more then they all and yet he was nothing and when all was done he would be found in Christ not having his own righteousness upon him he had not yet attained the resurrection from the dead But then 2. For the opening of the Point let us note this also That though a Christian may have more gifts of Grace then may be sufficient for Salvation yet he never hath more especially saving grace then is needful I mean he hath none to spare a man indeed haply might spare some of his gifts but none of his Grace though it is true whatever Talents the Lord bestoweth to fit a man for his Condition his place he should be answerable to the Lord and so they are necessary to the fruitful carrying on of his Calling or Condition yet to heaven they are not so necessary but all the Grace a man hath is necessary for him so necessary as he can spare none especially that Grace which is more particularly a mans own if I may so call it and that is sincerity and uprightness of heart others do partake with us in the sweet effects of the other Graces of faith and love c. but the sincerity of all without the rest are nothing this is more especially our own and who is there that could ever say that he had so much uprightness of heart that he could spare any of it can a man spare any of his life this is the life of Religion and Grace 3. Another thing to make this out will be this The greatest Grace where it is given usually hath the greatest corruption to wrestle with a spring-tyde of Grace a spring-tyde of Corruption strong workings of the spirit strong lustings of the flesh and strong temptations such as many of us never knew what they meant so that a Child of God indeed that is proved knoweth that he hath little enough for himself though it may be God hath given him more then to many others where sin abounds Grace abounds may there not be temptations to exercise the strongest Faith Some Goliah-lust or another which requireth all their faith and humility and patience to encounter with it we never turned Gods treasuries of temptation to know what he hath in store for poor souls 4. Let a Child of God have never so much Grace here yet he fals short of the resurrection of the dead short of that pitch which he ought to aim at Indeed if men could reach this fulness of the measure of the stature of Christ and go beyond it then there might be some thoughts of having somewhat to spare but until then we are alway on the wanting hand sure alway under emptiness Now though some be so bold as to plead for a perfection in our days we see by a divine hand upon them they are let loose to all manner of wickedness and except that were the perfection I understand not what perfection they are capable of 5. When they have attained to the top and pitch brethren yet alas if God should enter into judgement with us we should never be able to stand as you have it therefore the Apostle would be found in him when he had done all surely then brethren if when all is done there is such an imperfection incompleatness as to justification and eternal life that we must go out of all deny
of what you have heard in a great part while I have been upon this parable already and all of it doubtless at other times you have heard again and again but I would put you in remembrance as is necessary and then 2. The arguments to confirm this point and so to the Application First then a man is ready or this is a part of it when he hath gotten this oyl in his vessel without this no readiness though the foolish Virgins be awaked after their long profession and falling asleep yet you see they are unready and are all in a hurry as people unready use to be when the Bridegrom cometh they are going to them that sell that they might buy oyl therefore they were unready my meaning is Brethren untill a man hath received from the Lord the spirit of holiness to dwell in him to be a living Cruse of oyl that never fails to be a spring of grace in his soul to water and refresh and supply him in all his conditions a man is not ready to enter Paul was a chosen Vessel but though he was a strict man I pray you mind it Brethren I doubt stricter then most of us the strictest sect of the Pharisees and touching the Law blameless at least in the Pharisees sense in the outward observance of the Law which is more then many can say Well now when the Lord meeteth him going to Damascus If he had called for him out of the world had he been ready for him surely no woful had been his condition there must then be a holiness without which there is no seeing God This is one thing then he that hath the root of the matter in him the seed of God in him he is ready in part so far he is prepared 2. There must be also the brightness shining the activity of the graces they must be in act or stirred up and bettered before we can be ready for the wise Virgins were not ready though they had oyl in their vessels because their Lamps were not trimmed their oyl grew low must be supplyed therefore they go about that work in the first place If Christ had come and given them no warning but taken them sleeping they had been all unready therefore you shall find still in Scripture the graces of the Saints smell sweetest and be most lively usually toward their latter end When was Paul or David or any of them more sweet they must stand with their loins girded and Lamps burning else they are not ready altogether 3. There must be mortifying of corruption a subduing of iniquity in a good part in how great a measure is hard to say It is true at the first when we believe sin hath its deadly wound but it many times recovers in a great measure and strugleth hard for life it must have many a thrust a blow by the sword of the Spirit wielded by the hand of faith before it will die When our Saviour saw how lively that pride and ambition was in his Disciples he telleth them they must be converted and become like little children in respect of that emulation before they could enter into the Kingdom of God When sin had gotten such a hand over David had he been fit to have dyed then to have entred into glory then though I believe it cast him not out of the state of grace yet it laid him in a swoon and prevailed much against him now was he ready to enter while sin was so strong surely no We must first overcome before we sit down with him in his Throne we must fight the good fight of which this is a great part and how low the Lord will have our corruptions brought and how much deadned he will have the root of sin before he tumble down the walls of these Tabernacles of clay we are not able to say 4. A man is never ready until he can go out of all this and the main thing with him is to be found in Jesus Christ c. This is indeed the first and last upon the matter of all for Christ is all we are ready then to go in to our heavenly Father when we have our elder Brothers garments upon us when we have put on Christ which is for holiness as you have heard for redemption from our sins our vain conversations our foolish and hurtful lusts But withall if we have him not on and girded close to us for righteousness we are not ready if we have him on but he sitteth loose upon us therefore you shall find this was the main thing the Apostle Paul minded and strove after that he might be found in Jesus not having his own righteousness upon him he speaks of the day of death and appearing before him the resurrection that he may be found then in Jesus When we have done all if we deny not all we undo all again this only will terminate the sight of the Father he will see through all other coverings whatsoever therefore the Apostle prayeth that One siphorus may find mercy in that day It is mercy then that must stand us in stead even when we have done all Remember this brethren as a fourth part of this readiness 5. A finishing our work so our Saviour I have finished my work c. Joh. 17. 4 5. and thus Paul I have finished my course c. 2 Tim. 4. 7. And thus David Acts 13. 36. served his generation c. Now these are the readinesses for an entrance But we must know that some of the Saints have not only an entrance but an entrance is ministred to them abundantly into glory they go with a full sail not only make a shift though it is true they have no oyl to spare from themselves for they can spare none of their abundant entrance it is that wherein God is most glorified in them and this they cannot part with and themselves have greates comfort in Now this is not common indeed to all Believers I pray you mind that lest any poor soul should be causelesly discouraged because he findeth not that readiness for it to which afterwards we shall speak First then to this abundant entrance into glory as a readiness or preparation there is required besides a faith in Jesus Christ for righteousness holiness redemption a knowledge reflecting whereby they know that it is thus with them many a poor soul hath the salvation of God near him and Jesus Christ in their arms and knoweth it not and is weeping after Christ when he stands by him as he did Mary and it may be if they should now die they would think themselves undone the terrours of God are ready to cut them off the fear of what would become of them and yet they shall have an entrance into glory too they would not miscarry but they pass as through a narrow pinching wicket But now a man that hath a perswasion he hath an abundant entrance into glory there must be then
they come to see to it in some measure 2. Others are ready and know it but are not so thankful for it have not the sweetness of their condition so fresh upon their spirits because they do not oftentimes review their condition 3. There are many that are unready and think themselves ready and O how is it likely it should be better with them until they come to know how the case stands with them will any go to buy Gold that they might be rich or white Rayment that they might be cloathed untill they see they are poor and naked surely no. 4. Others are unready and though their hearts misgive them they are unready yet they care not much for it or else they know not how it is with them and they are contented to be ignorant Now except the Lord perswade us all brethren to look into our state it is never like to be better with us such as we are such shall we be found at the appearing of Christ yea every day farther and farther off Therefore shall I beg of you brethren that you would consider it set some time apart it is the weightiest business you have to do in the world you will have a time for all other necessary things your eating drinking managing your civil affairs and is the soul-concernment the least that you should so slight it Well then wil you this day retire your selves deal effectually with your hearts what if this night you should be taken away or you should never see Sabbath more are you ready for the coming of Jesus Christ I doubt our hearts would answer no alas our work is to do alas how many poor souls that have not a week a moneth haply to live yet have not one dram of Grace O put that question have you this oyl have you the Spirit of Grace and Supplication given to you have you Christ dwelling in you and transforming and changing you into his image from Glory to Glory Ah dear friends what mean our loathsom conversations then what mean the vileness of our hearts the fulness and rottenness and sin that is there are you mortified in any good measure or no It may be you have forsaken the pollutions of the world but is the heart of sin killed hath it its deaths wound out of which continually the life and spirits of sin are emptying are you weary of it do you loath it and your selves for its vileness O do not deceive your selves Again Are your Graces lively It may be thou hast a spark but it is buried in the ashes Indeed I doubt brethren these times of prosperity to the Church bury more Christians alive then any days that ever we saw why now are we ready are our Lamps burning our loins girded O how active and stirring and lively are the Graces of the Spirit in some over they are in others you are so far unready for the coming of Jesus Christ and so far it will be uncomfortable to you besides do ye live by faith above all this for righteousness else we are not ready Is this the top of all that we might be found in him saith the Apostle search and see take heed you have to do with desperately wicked and deceitful hearts Again Are we ready for the abundant entrance how few of us have this perswasion our calling and election is not made sure we do not know what would become of us if God should call for us how can his coming be comfortable to us we are so far from waiting for his coming that every thought of it goeth cold to our hearts that which should most warm us refresh us O brethren let me beg of you for Jesus sake no longer to slight this great and necessary work give your hearts no rest until you see whether you be ready or no. Suppose you shall find your selves unready it is better to know it in time then when it is too late now there is hope if you be not ready you may obtain mercy you may make the more haste to get ready that that day may be a blessed a comfortable day to your souls 3. Then brethren If we be not ready for his appearing shall I beg of you brethren for Jesus sake and for your poor souls sake that you would now resolve whatever business be done you would not leave this at six and sevens It is the one thing necessary you have to do nothing will yield you a dram of comfort nor arm your hearts against the fears of death but this nothing will give you entrance into Glory but this Indeed if riches would be an entrance or he that keeps the doors and openeth and no man shutteth could be bribed with the multitude of gold it were somewhat for men to heap it up as the dust and raiment as the clay if men were admitted according to their glorious apparrel or if the riches of the head and treasuries of humane knowledge would do it Scholars might do well to spend all their time in searching after that and none or little or none to make ready for the appearing of Jesus Christ but surely brethren surely you will find nothing will find an entrance but readiness for his coming The Lord give you believing hearts this day how unwearied are men for other things which are trifles and will not profit and not one hour in an hundred spent seriously with their own souls And though some men have more time then others yet surely brethren he that is most busie must find time for this great work or misearry O therefore labour press hard after it use all means possible you must take pains brethren such unready hearts as we have will not be had in readiness without much and constant pains-taking As a Garden that is quickly overgrown with weeds it must be taken pains with again and again so here c. And so in keeping an house clean and ready there must be pains taken with it Ah brethren except your souls follow hard after Christ you will never find him to your comfort The Lord touch your hearts and then you shall find him Again you will say Why I hope I am ready Well then labour to maintain this readiness Alas how soon is the sweetest frame lost think not I have now done the main work therefore you may take more liberty then other men now you may indulge your selves take more ease more liberty about the world then other men Alas brethren how soon will the world and cares of it overcharge you how hard a thing is it to buy as if you possessed not to use it as if you used it not and if you be overcharged with the cares of the world this day will overtake you at unawares Yea I tell you brethren if that day take you at unawares as I doubt if it should come at any day upon us it would take many of us when we are overcharged O ease your selves of some of your burthen have
that had no wedding garment upon him yet came to the Feast Sure he went no further then the externals you see he is cast out into utter darkness Now this may be called the Marriage or the Feast because here below they are necessary for us as signs of that spiritual communion the Lord seeth it good we have these royal dainties thus represented to us by visible sensible things because of our weakness and to magnifie his own condescending Grace to us to make that mysterie of salvation by a crucified Christ which all the reason in the world cannot fathom and that which neither eye hath seen nor ear heard yet in a sort visible to the eye and to be perceived by the ear that we might even in this sacramental sense even touch and taste and handle as I may say the word of life 2. As they are seals and pledges of this spiritual communion being seals of the Covenant of Grace whereof Jesus Christ is the sum and substance it sealeth it up to a believers Faith and so stands us in great stead And 3. It is a means of our spiritual communion the Conduit-pipe that runs wine the dishes that hold the dainties though but gold as Kings and Princes use to be served up in such State yet it is not them we feed upon they are but the means the vehicula and therefore because they have such a respect to our spiritual communion with Jesus Christ they may be so called But secondly the internal communion with Jesus Christ is that indeed which is the Feast the Marriage-feast even here below to eat and drink the flesh and blood of the Son of God which giveth life and maintains life this is the Feast Eat and drink yea drink abundantly saith the Lord I shall be satisfied abundantly with the goodness of thy house abundantly satisfied watered inebriated with the fatness of thy house what is that not meerly with the Ordinances no but with Christin them beholding his might and glory in the Ordinances the mighty prevailing of the Spirit of Christ against our unbelief to quiet all our doubtings O it is this to see the good of the chosen of the Lord those choice inward refreshings which the poor believers have from the presence and powerful workings of Christ in them to the joy of faith and to strengthen against corruption to strengthen for action for suffering his will this is that they cry out after even after the living God to enjoy him And all this is but the Kingdom of God below this is but the first course as I may say of this feast For secondly The Kingdom of glory as well as the Kingdom of grace which is that now I am to speak to this is a feast a Marriage here called that is to say a Marriage-feast for what is the Kingdom of grace here below but a foretaste of heaven as Grotius upon Matth. 22. saith As in the Marriage-feast at Cana of Galilee contrary to the usual manner our Saviour kept his best wine last so it is here as by and by we shall see here the wine the spirits indeed But a little to prove this by a Scripture or two that it may appear plain ye that have continued with me in my temptation I appoint to you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom So many shall come from the East and from the West and shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven sit down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their table jesture Joh. 12. 2. they that sit at the Table are Guests But now eating and drinking in Scripture many times do signifie a feasting and so it is here to be taken and let it be noted by way of further proof that the Jews did not ordinarily drink wine except at their feasts and then they did drink abundantly if the observation of some be true as Piscator in his Schol. upon Math. 26. 29. cited by Mr. Brinsly but whether so or no sure we are they did use to drink more liberally then eat the fat and drink the sweet when it was a good day or a merry day to them for his heart was merry his heart was good and the sadness of the heart was called the evil of the heart in the Hebrew often insomuch that the ordinary word in the Hebrew for a feast is a drinking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in Ahashuerus his feast is called and Labans feast is called a drinking and it appears by the abundance of wine our Saviour made at the Marriage-feast at Cana of Galilee Therefore you shall find that the feast which Christ maketh is a feast of wines on the Lees well refined come and buy wine and milk without money and without price And so for this Kingdom of heaven this Marriage-feast at the height is called a drinking of new wine with them in the Kindgom of the Father that is to say the Kingdom of glory called his Fathers Kingdom because at that day that is to say at the day of the resurrection he will give up his dispensatory Kingdom to his Father that God may be all in all And for other reasons but I must not stay upon that Well here he will drink new wine with them which is nothing else but a periphrasis of this feast this Marriage-feast in heaven The cup of blessing the cup of consolation the cup of health or salvation is the feast of Christ here below but this now must be drunk new in the Kingdom of his Father there will be a new feast of wine a feast of new wine And so much for the proof of this Now we must understand Brethren that this feast in heaven is not any corporal thing I hope it is needless to tell any of you this the heathens dream of an Elysian-field and the Mahometans of their carnal delights after death those are poor husks that will not satisfie a soul of a child of God here they are sordid and infinitely below a heaven-born spirit no it must be somewhat of as high a nature as the spring from whence they come Why you may judge what it is in the General Brethren though particularly we know not what we shall be What is the Kingdom of heaven here below but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy-Ghost the sweet and spiritual communion with Jesus Christ the fellowship of his death and sufferings life and resurrection whereby we are in part changed into his Image that a man liveth upon will change him ordinarily therefore the King you know would have the children in Dan. fed with a portion of his meat generous-spirited wine will beget more and better spirits then course and cold c. So here by this communion we are changed in part though alas in how little a part But now in heaven Brethren the same communion
though he profess never so much love to Israel And O if he would give me a house full of gold and silver I cannot go beyond the Word of the Lord And O that my latter end might be as his Yet the Lord can see he is but a wretch for all this therefore Brethren I beg of you that it may be a searching word to us all Whether ever we have known him or be known of him have you ever touched him with the touch of faith for the pardon of your sins for the healing of your corruptions and have you found healing come from him yea or no have you known him the power of his death the power of his life and Spirit yea or no If you have not the Spirit of Christ you are none of his whose ever you be and he will not own you be sure Brethren for his sons for his friends to admit you to the feast except you be his indeed Ah dear friends I doubt many of us will be found with the foolish Virgins following after the creature resting in somewhat else beside the Lord Jesus Do not think your crying Lord Lord will do it this you may do and fall short did not Judas come with his hail Master and kiss him and yet his heart full of treason against him was this his kindness to Jesus Christ and do not many of us kiss him salute him with a kiss of love and homage or obedience in shew and yet in our lives deliver him up to be scourged by our loosness of carriage that there is no difference between us and other men open the mouths of the wicked and this constantly and without a returning to him will he own such a soul think you O how can we be contented to be uncertain in our conditions lest when all is done we should be disowned shut out at that day Thirdly Then Brethren let us all labour and be exhorted to it to study to approve our hearts to God more then to men a needful lesson to us all and it will be our wisdom surely for alas what if men know us and own us and favour us as Saints and precious people and Jesus Christ will not know our souls will this countervail O Brethren see to it that your praise be not of men but of God! O how apt we are to be lifted up and cheared if men think well of us and dejected if we suffer in their breasts if they disown us to be cast out of their hearts would go to our hearts it may be and we could not be quiet Alas what is this to that fearful sentence I know you not If Christ disown us what is it if all the Saints should own us and if he own us what should it discourage us though they none of them own us O labour to be more inward Christians and build your comforts upon the sure mercies of David in Jesus Christ No matter what is the rising way in the world which is the rising Sun Look to the mind of Christ keep a conscience void of offence toward him and make this your work to be found in him when all is done not in your gifts not in your duties not in your graces but in Christ O such a soul knoweth the Lord Jesus and such a soul is known of him and shall be known to all eternity Fourthly Here is an encouraging word to poor doubting souls It may be they are ready to pass this fearful sentence upon themselves sooner then many a wretched hard-hearted hypocrite to whom it properly belongs No matter man though thy gifts be not so great as another mans thou canst do little or hast not those sweet refreshings and enlargements which another hath Is thy heart approved to Jesus Christ canst thou approve thy soul to him that thou lovest him as Peter Lord thou knowest that I love thee though it may be not so much as other Saints do nor so much as the great things he hath done for thee call for yet thou lovest him and wouldst fain love him more be of good 〈◊〉 for thou art known of him If any man love God he is known of God A Judas may be an open professor of Christ and come to him in the day And a poor Nicodemus at the first dare but come in the night it may be and was a very shallow Scholar in Christ's School which is the discouragement of many a poor soul And Judas in the mean time a renowned Teacher of others and yet behold how the one betrayes the Lord Jesus and the other sticks to him when he was dead and professeth him openly at such a time as that when there was most discouragement against it O therefore Brethren though your grace be weak and little at the first if there be the root of the matter in thee if thou canst approve thy heart thou lovest him there is nothing in heaven nor in earth thou wouldest have in comparison of him though thy infirmities be many temptations be many thou art a poor wearied creature it may be with thine own heart be of good comfort the Lord Jesus hath already owned thee and he will own thee in that day And me thinks Brethren as on the one hand when such bold confident souls that make no other reckoning but of salvation but they reckon without Jesus Christ when they meet with so sad a disappointment in stead of an admittance they meet with I know you not O how will their hearts dye within them So on the other hand when a poor trembling doubting Thomas that it may be knoweth not what to think of himself nor his condition he is searching and trying and praying and fasting and humbling running and pressing hard forward and can get little ground of his corruptions which much discourageth him O he walks tremblingly lest he should receive this fearful sentence at the last that the Lord Jesus knoweth him not hath never had any thing to do with him notwithstanding all his profession sin is in strength corruption prevails though it is the bitterness of his soul O when such a poor doubting creature that haply many times looks for nothing but a fearful sentence depart from me shall have this pronounced O come thou poor soul I know thee I have known thee from the beginning of the world though thou hast been doubting of my love yet I know thee though thou hast been made black with affliction and thy visage so marr'd as others knew thee not refuge failed thee no man cared for thee for thy soul yet I know thee though thou hast been wounded with many sins many temptations and walked under many a discouraged heart yet I know thee O how will this be as everlasting life from eternal death to such a soul So that the soul shall now have now more place for doubting the satisfaction shall come with a mandamus he will speak salvation to the heart that it cannot
heart and see could he do so for his child though a Mother may take down much bitterness for her child yet would she be content to open a vein to bleed to death to redeem its life when ready to perish I know David in his passion said Would God I had dyed for thee but if Absalom had been alive and in cold bood he had been put to it I question though his affections were strong to his Son but they would have been as strong to himself Self is a mans nearest friend but now the Lord Jesus you see did it for his poor sinful people yea for strangers for enemies Brethren consider of it If any of us were Physitians here is a poor wounded creature lies in the way as the poor man in the Gospel fell among thieves left wounded and half-dead which of us now could find in our hearts to open our own veins and be emptied of all our blood and liâ—e that such a poor wretch might be supplied now this the Lord Jesus doth for such Sinners as we are Brethren if there must be pouncing and pricking he endures it lancing he endures it contusion he endures it For he was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquites the chastisement of our peace was upon him and through his stripes we are healed his stripes are not the bodily buffetings his crown of thorns and such things were nothing in comparison no it is the lashing of his spirit the wounding of his soul the travel of his soul the agonies wrestlings with his Fathers displeasure to an agony when God laid on him so heavily that he was ready to faint and sink and his soul almost fetched at every blow O dear Saviour that ever the cure of such sinfull dust and ashes should cost thee so dear and we so little prize it But 2. That which he prescribes to us though there be some bitterness in it yet no more then must needs it may be a sprinkling from the top of the cup of trembling which may put us into a fear and trembling so much as he seeth needfull to imbitter sin to us it is true if love were perfect here below while graces are imperfect and our ingenuity perfect the looking upon a crucified Christ for us would be the greatest imbittering of sin to us in the world but we are very dull an 〈…〉 ow of heart and therefore a little taste we must our selves that we may gather from thence what the Lord Jesus indured for us we that never felt what a wounded Spirit meant and what the clouding of the face of God from us meant though we may hear of the sufferings of Christ we are not able to be sensible of them and so not to prize that love as strong as death but when a poor creature hath had a drop or two of scalding wrath fall upon his conscience a lash or two though gently upon his spirit that maketh him roar in the disquietness of his â—oul O thinketh he then if a drop or two be so full of terror and amazement what then was the whole Cup what was the dregs how should I have born that if my blessed Saviour had not taken it off for me That which did so parch him who was the Green Tree that he said he thirsted surely would have consumed the dry If he were as a Bottle dryed in the smoak it would have consumed us to ashes If it made Him sweat in such a manner it would have altogether dissolved our frame that we should have perished for ever O if a little wrath when God hideth his face be such a Hell in many souls What a Hell then had Jesus Christ in his soul when wrath was poured out to the utmost for he was not spared a jot And then to make us out of love with sin wherein doth lie the very heart of the core and of the cure surely such are the bowels of God in Christ that as he delighteth not in the death of a sinner so neither doth he delight in bringing the creature to life through so much bitterness and grief if any other means would so effectually work us out of love with sin as this for the Wise God surely would take the most effectual course it is all needfull else he would never do it Why but you will say that hatred of sin is never kindly except the love to Jesus Christ be the ground of it ye that love the Lord hate evil this takes the ingenuous spirit off from Omissions and Commissions It is true but yet consider brethren wherefore do we love Him but because he loved us when his love is revealed and manifested this warmeth melteth the heart indeareth the soul to him until the Lord Jesus be pleased to open and unfold his bowels of love to a sinner he will never love him now whereby should we estimate the love of Jesus Christ to poor sinners but by the unsearchably rich 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he paid for them O the price of every drop of that blessed blood that run trickling down to the earth especially if it be considered by what means it was squeezed out of him this setteth a rate upon his love it is not love in word but in deed and in truth if nothing else will be a price to redeem them but his blood it shall go he is not dear of it to the last drop yea not to part with it by opening a vein but to have it extract out of the veins by the pores of his body O by the unspeakable weight of wrath upon his Spirit Now how can we judge of this except we have had a little taste of it our selves when we are put into a little sweat in our own wrestlings with the displeasure of God O then we see what our Saviour indured for us If a man would set the highest estimate upon love among men this should be the rate of it would they willingly have the face of God in Christ hidden from them for a year or two for the dearest friend they have in the world you that have felt what this lashing of your Spirit is that your breath was even gone at every blow and you were ready to perish and you had fainted except you had believed some secret undiscerned support Tell me would you redeem the life yea the souls of your dearest friends that you had in this world by lying under a wounded Spirit having a Hell kindled in your souls that should burn all your days I cannot tell I know dear Friends will do much one for another O saith one I could lay my hands under their feet to do them good O I could redeem their lives with my own Would God I had died for thee and haply because he saw he was in such a sad condition for his soul but David wouldst thou have been content to roar all thy days in the disquietness of thy soul to have his waves and billows to
Servants or to deliver all such relations no but it is meant here surely of a spiritual Liberty a freedom of the soul from its thraldom nay himself cometh to be a servant did he not rather sanctifie such a condition and relation then abolish it Secondly Then taking it for spiritual Liberty that is to say a freedom from Spiritual evils the subjection whereunto is a bondage to the poor creature we must know yet further that we may take it either in a larger or in a more restrained sense in a more restrained only for that liberty and freedom which the Saints have ever had through the Lord Jesus since the Covenant of Grace was preached to them and they closed with it for we must know that ever before Christ came in the flesh Believers believed in him to come they had a liberty through him as to the main parts of it and necessarily to salvation though haply not in that degree that now ordinarily Believers indeed have that freedom but there were some yoaks upon them then which now we are delivered from they are broken from off the necks of the Saints yea and such as were pinching yoaks indeed but yet less considerable by far then those from which they were delivered and set free so that now we see there is a larger liberty and more glorious which the sons of God have which will better appear when we come to speak to the parts of it only this I thought good to premiâ—e lost any should think that liberty began only when Christ was revealed in the flesh for it was the smallest part that then was added though I say the other liberty from the sore condemning destroying bondage of the soul they had before haply is now heightned to believers and so much by way of premise For the opening of this spiritual Liberty we shall consider 1. It s Subject 2. Its Causes 3. Its Parts extensive and intensive if we may so speak that is to say the degrees of it First then for the subject of this Liberty they are all Christians that are so indeed therefore it is called Christian Liberty not only from Christ the Author but from the Subjects they are Christians Believers both Jews and Gentiles Bond or Free Male or Female Jerusalem saith the Apostle which is above is free which is the Mother of us all all such then as receive the Gospel as the poor are said to do all those upon whom the Sun of righteousness doth arise they are set free they do go forth for the partial subject of this liberty that will better appear when we come to speak of the parts of this liberty some are for the freeing the minde some the will some the conscience some the whole man but of this afterward Secondly Then for the causes of this liberty which is here promised we shall speak to some of them First then The principal efficient cause is the Father Son and Spirit the work of the Trinity ad extra are individed the Father it is that cals us to liberty Ye are called to liberty saith the Apostle use it not as a cloke to the flesh I marvel saith the Apostle that you are so soon removed from him who hath called you into the Grace of Christ unto another Gospel The Apostle meaneth the calling to liberty which he cals the Grace of Christ and that Doctrine of the false teachers that would subject them again to the Law and Ceremonies and to that bondage subvert their liberty he cals it another Gospel And for the Son we have it If the Son make you free you shall be free indeed and stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free false Brethren came to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage And for the Spirit it is as clear The Law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death the mighty powerful working of the Spirit is called the Law of the Spirit as the powerful operation of Sin is called the Law of Sin and so in that place where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and so the Spirit of Adoption it is that succedeth the Spirit of Bondage and setteth us free from that Bondage Secondly The impulsive cause is meerly his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his good pleasure yea his tender mercy his bowels So it is in the Original The bowels of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us there is the arising of the Sun of rightousness upon us and the effect of it you have before That we being delivered from the hands of all our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness c. It is not misery is the motive only else he would do it for all as well as some for we are all of us in the same bondage naturally one as well as another Thirdly The meritorious cause is the blood of Jesus Christ no less then the blood of the Kings son is the price of the liberty of poor Slaves in bondage this must needs be tender mercy indeed rich love indeed so saith the Apostle That through death he might destroy him that hath the power of death that is the Devil no less then a Kings ransom is paid for the liberty of every poor creature that is made free and therefore he took upon him flesh and blood because the children were partakers of the same that he might die for them and to deliver them that for fear of death were in bondage all their life-time of which more afterward we are now speaking to the meritorious cause the price of his pretious mercy even the blood of Jesus Christ Fourthly The means of conferring or conveiging this liberty to poor Sinners is the Gospel of liberty the Covenant of Grace held out in the Gospel is the means and this is plain in many places As in that of Isaiah The Spirit of the Lord is upon me therefore he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives if ever any preaching was the Gospel Christs preaching was and the Covenant who himself was given to be the Covenant to the people sure he would preach nothing but that or in subordination to that as he doth preach the Law too as would easily appear but we may not digress and so in thaâ— other place of Luke where either that or some of the fore-cited places in Isaiah are quoted Ye shall know the truth saith our Saviour and the truth shall make you free by truth there I take it is not meant indefinitely any truth whatever no nor a scriptural truth but the Gospel of truth which is called the truth Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ it is such a truth so pure and precious For his word is like
all the worst when they have gotten a little peace and therefore though before they walked mournfully before God and were diligent in following hard after him now they slack their pace grow remiss they have their consolations the loaves they would have and now they may take their ease O this is a horrible abuse of this liberty for therefore the Lord speaks peace that we might not return to folly and we quite cross because he hath spoken peace to us therefore give up our selves to folly is not this to walk contrary to him and will he not walk contrary to you is not this to make our liberty a cloak an occasion to the flesh a handle for the flesh to take hold of and so to bring you into bondage again and so make more work for Christ to set you at liberty again Brethren can we make our liberty a cloak to the flesh and do you think the Lord will not pluck that cloak over our ears and shew us our nakedness again and make us know how we come by it again before we have it and therefore take heed of this I beseech you lest your liberty degenerate into licentiousness Maxima libertate minima licentia said that Antient. But yet more particularly take heed of abusing of your liberty in the use of things lawful in themselves and indifferent it is a sign of a heart that hath little fear of offending God that dare walk just at the very brink upon the very line of destruction between sin and lawful liberty if it can be assigned You find the Apostle of another Spirit rather then offend his weak Brother he would never eat meat while he lived why how would he live rather upon herbs and fruits and such things then to eat flesh as long as he lived too I tell you Brethren in our daies though there is much discourse of liberty there is little true use of it when a man will offend all the people of God and his Brethren rather then he will part with an excrement and a woman rather then sorbear her spotting and painting and bedlam nakedness If the things be lawful in themselves which I think they are not or a man will rather grieve all the people of God then cross his humor this is sad Again Brethren one man may have a greater liberty then another in this case and another greater then he in another case as for instance now Abraham might look upon Sodom when it was flaming but Lot might not because there he had his desirable things lest it should draw back his heart from the journey now commanded him and so if a man do but observe when temptations and lusts meet together where his corruption lies what is the scum of his heart and what doth use to fire his lusts there he may not give himself such a liberty as another may whose temptation lies in another thing as if a mans temptation lie to excess in eating in drinking it is not lawsul for such a man now to look upon the wine when red c. to come in the danger of such a temptation and so if a man have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease to sin he may not behold an object that another may whose temptation lies not there In a word look to it Brethren that we serve one another in love this is opposed to using our liberty as a Cloak to the flesh to bear one anothers burdens Brethren we are not at liberty one from another we may not say with Cain Am I my Brothers keeper we ought not to despise the infirmities of the weak because they see not as we see and therefore are grieved and offended at many things that we make nothing of here we ought to bear their infirmities to cover them to labour to inform them and forbear them not despise them become all things to them that we may lawfully as the Apostle became all things but a sinner to gain them this is serving one another in love and the labour of love either to God or men is a free service indeed we are rather ready to serve our selves one of another for ought I perceive generally it is so then serve one another in love Brethren I doubt there is little love for Christ sake though there may be some for our own and then all the liberty we talk of it is but bondage the Law of love is a Law of liberty indeed but enough of this Fourthly Then look to it that we being free from sin we become the servants of righteousness that is to say that you give up your selves yield your selves unto God unto Christ as instruments for the holy Spirit to play upon as instruments tools weapons of righteousness for the Lord to make use of even as he pleaseth this is the end of all that liberty held out in the Covenant of grace that we being delivered from the hands of all our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives Now hath the Lord then set thee free brought thee out of the horrible pit broken off the shakles knockt them off set open the prison what can we do less then this spend our selves now in his service O if men would but consider how much of their strength and spirits sin hath had while we were under that bondage Me thinks it should put us on so much the more earnestly specially considering how our service addeth nothing to him it is for our own good as you heard before and it is all he expecteth for delivering of us What poor Gally-slave would not most willingly yield to a Noble-man to be his servant where his service is honourable and pleasant and delightful so be he would redeem him why this is the very case Beside if we consider the fruit here and the reward hereafter the Apostle puts both together and I will not put them asunder the first-fruits and the harvest they have their fruit unto holiness the more we serve the Lord Christ the more easie pleasant and delightful will his service be the more our souls will shine with the beauty of holiness as the bondage groweth by continuance so doth the freedom by this service I dare say the more acquaintance any poor heart hath with a diligent close humble upright walking with God the more pleasant the waies of God are to him yea and the more holy that man groweth it must needs be so because he hath more communion with the Fountain of holiness even God in Jesus Christ and the Spirit also would you be holy Brethren would you be more and more freed from the remainders of bondage which are upon you Believe it the only way is to lay out your selves more in the service of Christ the Spirit of Christ will delight to be where he is entertained where his motions are received every hint is taken and followed and improved and the
in the Gospel inculcate this upon the Disciples fear not him that can kill the body but fear him that killeth soul and body And so if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if by the Spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live these threatnings surely would not have been written to Believers except they were to make some use of them to be as an awe upon their spirits to keep them from sinning to be a quickning to their souls Now on the other hand it is true that there ought not to be in us such a fear as to distract us to drive us from to weaken our Spirits to disable us from duty to cloud and drown all our delight in his waies to blot out our apprehensions of his loveliness and compassion and bowels so as to beget hard thoughts in our hearts of God which will produce hatred of him such a fear ought not to be in us and though there may be a spice of it sometimes even in the best when they are not themselves yet this is not the prevailing principle in the soul but an holy fear of offending him which ariseth from a mixture of love towards him and holy reverence and awe of him and of his Majesty and Greatness and truly Brethren this is no enemy to spiritual liberty But I must not dwell so long upon things But secondly the main thing that I know most troubles a gracious heart is that he finds himself so much under the power of sin O I find not this freedom this liberty you speak of I am a wretch then under the power of my corruptions O the sad complaints to Christians to men continually from some poor disconsolate souls and to speak a little for their consolation if the Lord breath in it First Brethren you must know this that as sin hath had a time of settling and rooting there will be a time of unsettling it thou art of yesterday it may be and dost thou think to be so free the first day as they that have many years been wresting and fighting and praying and fasting and mourning and believing down their lusts This is a great mistake it is infinite mercy that thou hast thy hands let loose and thy feet out of the mire and clay and that thou art set upon a Rock that thou hast now a standing and liberty to fight thou must not expect a liberty from fighting and conflicting with sin while thou art in the flesh mind you the Apostles two or three verses of the same Epistle to the Romans he saith the Law of the Spirit of life the powerful working of the Spirit of life hath set him free from the Law of sin and death and yet a few verses before O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death thou groanest under the burthen whereby it appears thou art delivered in a great part thou art willing to be freed and when the will is disintangled the man is free in a great part Secondly Brethren know this for your comfort that your labour is not in vain striving against sin fighting with it you are sure to overcome though sin lie hard upon you you shall overcome it First the Lord he is able to break all the bonds if he will deliver Peter out of prison what shall hinder his chains shall fall from his hands the Iron-gates shall open of their own accord before him nothing shall be able to hold them It was somewhat hard for Israel to believe that they should be delivered out of Egypt and somewhat a strange Message of Moses at the first even as one should be sent to the great Turk to tell him the God of the Christians commands him to let them go but God tells him and them that he is that he is I am hath sent me the great God who is being it self and from himself he is what he is he is able to destroy the Egyptians dost thou believe this that he can subdue thine iniquities thy strong impetuous violent lusts Secondly then he will do it he heard Israel groaning under bondage and came down to deliver them he remembered his Covenant it was his faithfulness Brethren that brought him out the self-same day the Lord delivered them and the Lord will keep time to a day with thee that groanest under this bondage if thou werâ— but humbled if it had done its work upon thee for that and such like ends he would not suffer sin to prevail upon thee any longer for he letteth not lusts loose upon a soul to woorry it but to humble it make it out of love with sin to drive it to himself to make it for ever cleave closer to him now there is promise upon promise for this you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free he speaks this to his Disciples who did already know it in part know himself the truth the way and the life and the truth in opposition to shadows grace and truth came by Jesus Christ and it shall make you free how many promises are there as in the text therefore surely he will do it Now what an encouragement it is to fight when we are sure to overcome yea to endure hardship in this conflict But thirdly consider it is the very office of Jesus Christ the work which he received of his Father is to destroy the works of the Devil to destroy strong holds to lead captivity captive therefore he came into the world if it had not been for such poor creatures as are under bondage there had been no need of Christ he came to give himself a ransom for many and to preach deliverance to them and the opening of the prison to them that are bound you have heard already and therefore he was annointed of his Father and received the Spirit that he might set open the prison doors Now poor burthened souls if any such whose body ofsin and death presseth them down sore and they walk heavily goâ— to him spread your condition before him put him in mind wherefore he came into the world to set open the prison to loose the prisoners and thou hast an infirmity and haply been bound with it many years beseech him to exercise his Office towards thy poor soul the Lord loveth to hear his people earnest and importunate to plead it thus with him but if thou canst not yet be sure he will do the work which his Father hath given him to do and what is that but to set at liberty such prisoners as thou art that groan under the burthen and bondage of their lusts Fourthly Consider how pittiful a heart he bears to his people labouring under corruption when we are weak it may be sometimes the spirits of a poor creature are spent in labour in other services and he thinketh he should be as lively then as at another time but it is not likly so to be
argument whereby the grace of Christ is as highly advanced as by any other whatsoever that he should therefore increase the strength of his poor weak children that they may draw more strongly from him and their hearts more enlarged to receive more abundantly from his fulness as a strong child will draw harder and harder still the arms of the trees as they grow stronger and stronger so they suck more juice from the root still to feed them and carry them on Now I say this is sweet to the soul and it may be a character also of our growth if we do grow in grace indeed we shall grow up into him we shall find a greater drawing of our hearts after him still and suck more strongly from him This the first Secondly another thing comprehended under this growing up into Christ may be this that all our growth is to his honour it ends in him who alone is exalted by it it is the honour of the head when the members grow and become by the communication of the animal spirits more vigorous and active and fit for the discharge of their several works this is the glory of the head this may be understood two waies First it is the end of the thing it self finis operis the thing doth much advance him when others behold such a fulness of strength and power flowing forth from Jesus Christ upon the members to see the members of a body languid and weak and withered it is not for the honour of the head specially if generally so though there may be also particular causes as obstructions and the like but these are not so visible What an honour is it to Christ to see a poor soul th 〈…〉 now is as weak as water like the poor man in the Gospel Lord help my unbelief that ere long through the supply of grace from Christ is able to say My Lord and my God to see a poor soul lie languishing under a lust and not be able to stir and yet ere long able to triumph over it to see a poor soul that ere while was cleaving to the ground and to the dust could not get up the heart and now after a while upon Eagles wings running without weariness and walking without faintness is not this to the honour of Christ But secondly It must be so intended by us else our growth is not right in the end our end in desires of and Gods end in working we must look to the end Brethren we desire strength against this and that corruption to wax more valiant in this fight to conquer to triumph over them we would have such a measure of knowledge such a measure of faith but what is our end is Christ the end in all this is it that we may more advance him Ah that soul that indeed groweth into Christ Brethren groweth downward into the root can be content to be any thing to be nothing that his blessed Saviour may be advanced so it was with John Ah so with David if the Lord will lay me aside and I must not build him a Temple but my son must do it it is the Lord why should I not submit So if Moses must not bring them into Canaan he is contented O he would not have Joshua in another case envy for his sake he wished all the Lords people were Prophets God would have the greater glory when the Lord ofâ—ered to make of him a greater people O what then wilt thou do to thy great name the enemies will say then that thou broughtest them out to destroy them he had rather die and perish and be nothing then God should be dishonoured O dear friends let this be considered if we grow we grow up into him I say it may serve for a piece of tryal though delivered in this place I would have my whole discourse as applicatory as may be Sixthly In a true growth we must know there is an uniformity as you know one member groweth in the body as well as another if it be a true growth where some of the members receive no nourishment but all the growth is found in the root this is a disease and not the effect of the principle of life within them as you see it in the Rickets a disease now ordinarily known by that name but this uniformity is two-fold First in respect of the Church And secondly of each particular member thereof in regard of the graces of the Spirit which are growing in them First then for the Church of Christ there is an uniform growth there that is to say the Lord Jesus doth not communicate his sap and vigour and vertue so to one as to spend it on him and leave another without but every wild Olive grafted into the Olive either visible or invsible Church the visible there is meant in that place of the Apostle in whom the whole body being c. they receive accordingly either the common influences of the Spirit with the Ordinances whereby they grow up in that which we call common grace and one as well as another there is none sure but thriveth more or less Secondly for the invisible there is none so grafted but he groweth he is one Spirit with the Lord and therefore sure must needs grow that hath a continual supply of the Spirit as the Apostle in that forecited place the Lord Jesus in his invisible body hath no withered arm nor legs whatever there be in the visible whatever dead and drie sticks may cleave to the visible Olive there is none so cleaveth to the invisible it is impossible a soul should hold the head and hold inward communion and fellowship with him and yet not to grow but this is but for the Church which thus uniformly groweth one member as well as another Now secondly for particular members they also grow and that uniformly also grow not in one grace only or in this grace or that grace nor in another no but they grow uniformly that a man should be all faith and no love it is impossible or all love and no knowledge it cannot be there must be an uniformity in growth if right that were more like a wen and its growth then growth of the body you would not esteem that a growth that a man should grow all in the eye and it should become as big as the body almost so that he could see wonderfully but in the mean time the rest of the parts are as small as when they were born grow in one grace and grow in every grace grow in sincerity and grow in humility grow in faith and grow in love grow in all A timpany a growth of one member more then all the rest is monstrous and so it would be in grace Now though through defect or super fluity in natural causes there may be a monstrosity in a birth or growth yet it cannot be in respect of Christ who doth alike extend his influence to the growth and increase
the service of his people and alas that our reward may be the more abundant our Crowns of grace may be the more weighty so that there is not a step from the very Cradle to the Crown of glory but all is grace and growing until it be swallowed up of that fulness Secondly He is honoured indeed so much the more Brethren by our growth fortes oreantur fortibus O when his people come to that strength to bear the Cross of Jesus Christ to deny themselves to hate their lives for his sake which the Disciples at all times were not ripe for how doth this honour the Lord Jesus O what Spirit is that whereby they are acted that even their enemies themselves have been confounded with the consideration of it and so when they are strong in faith giving glory to God a man weak in faith a child a babe that staggers at every difficulty is questioning upon every occasion whether God be with them as Israel because they had no water O said they is God among us because there was no water now this is not to his honour to have children live in a family together eat and drink of the best and yet to be alway children weaklings as I may say consumpsit this is a dishonour to their Father and Mother so it is in this case what is more choice Brethren then the bread from heaven this wine and milk which is to be had in Jesus Christ which Believers live upon and yet if they be weaklings how doth it dishonour Jesus Christ his flesh is meat indeed and his blood drink indeed but if we come not on with it it will be hard to perswade men so but where they see us go from strength to strength that we can do singular things for Christ in prosperity in affliction which others cannot do O they will be ready to say surely that which these men feed upon is rare and excellent diet indeed Now Brethren alas this glory is nothing to God it is only that he may be acknowledged among men in the way of his grace which addeth nothing to him but to poor creatures it doth yet it is all he requireth and he is jealous of it indeed Now for infants truly Brethren though they act little among men specially while properly infants that cannot speak for him thence they have their names Infants there may be little appearance yet the very consideration of this that the Lord should infuse grace yea such rich grace as you heard into them me thinks should take us up sometimes with more admiration then we are taken up with it for I say no man dare deny but that they may have grace and some of them have grace and all of them that die in infancy for ought we know have Now how admirable is it but God hath made it visible in some extraordinary cases as in John is it stupendious that the like babe should leap in the womb for joy at the hearing of the report of Jesus more then the most of Believers likely would have done upon a bare report Beside how many instances of little children wrought upon even as soon as they can speak I say that can make it appear in an admirable manner and to call God Father at very tender years yea know him to be their God and they his and that they shall have a Kingdom prepared for them me thinks these things are enough to convince us there is no such necessity of years Brethren And then is it not the more admirable is not Christ more to be admired Again it is much for the comfort of his people and truly this the Lord hath much in his eye next to his own glory which indeed is much magnified by the comfortable walking of his people the more then a man groweth up in the knowledge of the things freely given of God by the Spirit of Christ the more comfortably he walks such are an ornament to their profession an encouragement and invitation of others to enter upon the same waies when they see the faces of the Saints that shine to be anointed with the oyl of gladness and the Kingdom of God in them to consist in righteousness and joy and peace this encourageth others that otherwise would be disheartened Now I say the Lord is very tender of his peoples comfort do but observe it and you shall find Brethren the blood and Spirit of the Lord Jesus to run through all the veins of the Scripture and all for the consolation of the Saints these things I write to you that your joy might be full and that through consolation of the Scripture we might have hope else why are there so many promises so often repeated again and again how many promises of remission of sins set forth in various expressions every way to affect and meet with every mans condition but that his design is the comfort of his people and wherefore are the examples of the Saints proposed to us their falls their restoring again but for our comfort and hope surely this is the design Brethren and therefore surely he will carry on his people in the knowledge and understanding of them the closing with them else the work is done but imperfectly for what though the righteousness of God be revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith except there be an eye opened and as the light groweth clearer so the eye groweth stronger and clearer to behold it it will be little matter of comfort to the people of God what is a man the better as to comfort to have rich means and knoweth nothing of it at all and then to grow in grace in all the graces of the Spirit Brethren this doth wonderfully help to the comfort of the Saints What is the complaint of the most of men O they cannot lâ—ft up their heads they cannot carry a cheerful heart why O they think they are hypocrites they are not right with God or they are in unbelief they cannot believe in Jesus Christ they cannot do this or that or they cannot see that there is any thing right in them Why Brethren it will not satisfie a tender heart except he see and discover somewhat in himself of Gods working now when it is small as a Mustard-seed as a Cypress-seed it is scarce discernable but as it groweth from strength to strength at last he cometh to see it when sincerity of hâ—art doth more ordinarily and strongly prevail against the sly and subtile insinuations of sin upon the heart O then the soul can see that his heart is right with God and so for faith when it is strong and acts strongly upon the Lord Jesus the soul doth even feel that it doth believe and so an end is brought to all those sad complaints let men of corrupt minds say what they will Brethren the appearances of grace in the soul is a notable evidence of our being cloathed with the righteousness of
in young persons this is the case Besides these passions they are wonderful unconstant and there is no judgement by them at all they do so strangely ebb and flow some mens natures are more passionate apt to grieve to be affected with every little thing and there a little matter will set their passions afloat others are more stock-like it is much that moveth their affection Now a little thing will not move them But suppose that thou dost not grow in these so much how is thy understanding dost thou grow there abound in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ before thou wast empty knewest very little now thou hast a Treasury of knowledge and thou goest on herein do we grow in our judgements Brethren dost thou not value Christ and grace at a higher rate then before counting all things dross in comparison of him dost thou not cleave to the Lord with more full and strong purpose of heart then before this is growth indeed to the purpose Eighthly If thou grow not in bigness dost thou grow in sweetness this is growth Brethren At first Christians run up to a great height a pace they grow in knowledge but afterwards they grow in the sanctifiedness of that knowledge Alas when they know much they know little as they ought Now thou comest to know it as thou oughtest so as to humble thee so as to endear thee to Christ more Now thou art more peaceable more apt to forgive less censorious hast not so much of that dividing spirit that formerly thou hadst dost thou grow I say in sweetness therefore if thou grow so so much in heat this is the fatness and the sweetness of the growth and there is great comfort in this Ninthly In the last place as David said of the Covenant of God and his family though he make it not to grow yet saith he this is all my hope and all my salvation yet he trusted in him It is God that maketh it to grow Brethren and he is free and rich in his influences and what if he make it not to grow for a time what then wilt thou question all his work in thee No no but rather labour to believe it away Here are many promises trust in him though he make it not to grow hang upon him still for this growth and if he still make it not to grow yet still make this thy salvation his Covenant if he see not such a measure fit for thee be humbled for what thou findest to be the obstruction but cast not away thy confidence though he make it not to grow and thus much for this FINIS Christ his Willingness to accept Humbled Sinners John 6. 37. and he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out IN this Chapter after the Miracle of the five hundred men fed with five loaves and two fishes ver 9 10 c. which was no small Miracle indeed and argued devine power to multiply so small a quantity into a sufficiency for so many hungry bellies and here if ever was made good that that man liveth not by bread alone but by the Word of God and so it is when he hath never so much much more where he hath but little and inconsiderable hath but Pulse instead of dainty fare a cruse of oyl a little meal I say after this Miracle our Saviour had woon so far upon their affections if not their understandings though very carnal they concluded this was that Prophet which they expected ver 14. that is to say a special Prophet beside John the Baptist or Elias as they thought he should come again be born again misunderstanding that place in Mal. 4. and beside Christ the Messiah they expected another Prophet before him as the Antients Chrysost Theoph. Cyril and Beza also conceive and seemeth very plain in that place of John why dost thou Baptize if thou neither be Elias nor that Prophet nor yet the Christ where he is distinguished from Christ and yet me thinks here they were carried further in their apprehensions of Christ then to take him for such a Prophet for saith the Text Our Saviour seeing that they would come and take him by violence to make him King he withdrew himself into a Mount ver 15. therefore it should seem they had some kind of flash that he was the Messiah according to their carnal conceipt of the Messiah that he should be a temporal King and come in pomp they would needs now make him King Well our Saviour now going to his Disciples upon the Sea and when he came into the ship it was forthwith ashore O how sweetly and swiftly doth any work of Christ or for Christ go on when he himself is with us the multitude they follow him their bellies all this while were their instructers their gods and their guides ye follow me because of the loaves saith our Saviour and therefore he takes this occasion to stir them up to seek for that food that perisheth not they were sensible of the hunger of their bellies and were taken with his power to make such provision for the body even where there was nothing in comparison O but their poor souls were in a starving condition and they were not sensible of this and therefore our Saviour endeavours to raise their apprehensions somewhat higher spending much of the Chapter afterwards in setting forth himself the true the spiritual Shew-bread or bread of faces if they had but stomacks and appetites suitable to the necessities of their poor perishing souls But alas they had not aseeing eye nor a hearing ear nor a believing heart when they heard of bread of which if they did eat they should never hunger Lord give us this bread said they but they knew not well what they said for alas this bread was tendered to them but they had no mind to it as the fountain of water was near to Hagar but she saw it not so the bread of life was now offering himself to them but they knew it not and therefore our Saviour reproveth them you also saith he have seen me and yet believe not this bread is spiritual I am the bread but spiritually understood for it is the Spirit that quickeneth but the flesh profiteth nothing saith he even to his own Disciples who were already stumbled at this Sermon of his concerning eating his flesh and drinking his blood but saith our Saviour ye believe not that is to say ye will not take of this bread eat of it receive and apply the benefit of my death and resurrection and ascention and intercession and all I understand by this bread in a spiritual sense whereby the soul is nourished to eternal life and this was a sad symptom unto them that they were not belonging to Gods purpose of grace they had little ground to conclude it as yet for our Saviour saith all that the Father hath given me shall come as yet ye believe not ye have not
displeasure when that cup of trembling and astonishment was to be put into his hand to be drunk off to the very dregs but yet he willingly undertook this took it off to the bottom that nothing might remain of the dregs to his people which potion put him into a bloody sweat filled him with horror and even astonished him but hath he done all this and is it possible he should now slight it by casting out any poor soul purchased with so dear a rate that now cometh to him O surely it cannot be Sixthly Because this would be to undo what the Father hath done For it is the Fathers work to draw a poor soul to teach them as you have heard before they can come to Jesus Christ No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him you could not have a desire towards the Lord Jesus not a breathing after the water-brooks the Fountain of life which is in Jesus Christ but that the Father hath breathed it into thee now the Lord Jesus if he should cast out a poor soul that cometh with such breathings after him would quench the Spirit would put out the light of Israel should destroy the works of his Father instead of destroying the works of the devil therefore surely it cannot be that he should cast out any poor soul that cometh to him that his Father hath drawn with the cords of a man and with the cords of love Is it the work of a Saviour to cut the cords whereby poor creatures are drawn to him and not rather of a murderer a soul-destroyer and can we have such hard thoughts of Christ our dearest Saviour O far be it from us this cannot be Seventhly He would hereby bring upon himself the imputation of delusion and mocking of poor sinners not only because of his Promise and offers of Grace but in two respects among others for I will not dwell too long upon these things First Because of the many invitations that he hath made to poor creatures to come to him O mind how he proclaims it to every one that thirsteth Come come buy wine and milk without money or monies worth you that have no worthiness nor any money to buy an acccptation come to the Waters and what then when they come to the Fountain to the Waters will the Lord Jesus shut them out cast them away is there any such imposture in him Come to me all that are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest what then is a poor soul perswaded of his burthen and where rest is to be had and cometh to Jesus Christ ready to sink at his foot and faint away under his burthen and will he there suffer him to perish and turn away his face from him I beseech you saith the Apostle as if God did beseech you by us to be reconciled to God ye rebels for so we are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye run-aways what do you mean why will ye perish Why will ye dye saith he O house of Israel why now if a rebel turn and his heart relent and he would fain close with this Prince of Peace that would fain be at peace with him do you think he will turn his back upon him Surely no he might have done it to the thief upon the Cross that truly repented and believed as to any if he would but if he should do so then sinners had something to answer indeed that there is reason wherefore we should not come to thee who would come to be mocked to be deceived tantalized to have the fountain opened and stand open for any to come that will come and when we are willing then to rowl a stone upon it is not this deceiving the Jews indeed took Christ to be a deceiver and therefore they came not to him I wish we be not many of us Jews in heart though we be Christians in name our conversation witnesseth to our faces for why else do not sinners come to Jesus Christ except they look upon all these invitations of Christ as delusions but take heed that as they perished so we also perish not in the same gain-saying Secondly He would be convicted of imposture if he should reject any poor soul that cometh to him because it is he also that draweth them as well as the Father else they could not come So he saith When I am lifted up I will draw all men unto me that is to say all that the Father hath given me I will draw to me and so he doth objective as the carkass draweth the Eagles together as the willow branch draweth the Lambs after it as a fair lovely object draweth the eye sweet melody draweth the ear and effective also for what the Father doth he doth also for he and the Father are one Now doth the Lord Jesus draw and perswade men send forth his Spirit which is his arm unbared and stretched out to lay hold upon the hearts of sinners to draw them to make them willing to accept of deliverance and salvation in him from the filthiness and power as well as from the guilt of sin and when they come will he shut them out were not this horrible deceit O surely Jesus Christ cannot so deceive poor creatures these are most unworthy thoughts of him Eighthly and lastly It is inconsistent with his bowels and tenderness which naturally he hath to poor sinners specially such as the Father hath given unto him could the Father shut out the Prodigal Son when he returned to him his bowels would not bear it he ran and met him c. Joseph made it a little strange at the first to his Brethren and spake a little roughly to them but mind you he could not hold he was fain to go into a place to weep egerere dolorem to empty his affection into tears for them to see those Brethren of his that had done him so much wrong dealt so hardly with him O when he heard them confess what they had done and their consciences smit them for it then doubtless his bowels were rowled together within him and for a while I say he made a shift to cover it and put some of them into prison but all this while his bowels were moved and was he not a type of Jesus Christ in this haply as I may say in other respects I shall not determine it but when a poor sinner cometh to Jesus Christ that hath sold him for a lust dealt hardly with him crucified him and now he is convinced of it he mourns for it and mourns over him did Josephs bowels yearn and do not the Lord Jesus his bowels is the love of women to be compared to the love of Jesus Christ O surely no he may seem for a while to turn his back upon a poor creature but all this while the fire of love is burning within and will burst out into a flame all this while what workings
to chaâ—e it in our hearts 32 Oyl Motives to have it in our Vessels 115 Oyl of grace how to know we have it 118 Oyl in your vessels must surely be had in readiness 217 Oyl they that go to the Saints for it are like to have a denyal 302 P Papists reproved for taking upon them to sell grace 306 Papists are like to foolish Virgins 299 Parable what is it 1 People of God have slept 156 People of God that make profession of Jesus Christ an exhortation to them 232 People of God have considerations to stir them up to cut off all delayes 293 People of God that are guided by the Spirit it is a comfort to them 318 Perfection in this life there is not 192 Plots and Purposes how it comes to pass that many are taken away in the midst of them 213 Prayer we are to be much in it 253 Profession without the enjoyment of the Spirit is but folly 104 Professions all are full of folls 115 Professors formal what such are to know 265 Professors formal a startling word to them 280 Professors real to them a word of Exhortation 282 Professors trifling a warning word to them 316. Their doleful condition 371. See Saints Formalists Promises from them conclude that Christ will not put away any soul 84 Prophecyings they that despise them what to remember 24 Put away from Christ the souls objections answered 85 R Readiness labour to maintain it 337 Reaidness what is meant by it 326 Ready such as are when Christ cometh do enter with him into glory 325 Ready a child of God may be before he desire it and desire it before he be ready 329 330 Ready soul is in a blessed condition 332 Ready are we put this question 333 Ready to enter what need there is to look to it 372 With Directions what to do 373 374 Refuges how hard it is to beat a man off from them 319 Refuges what they should teach those that are brought off from them 321 Rejoyce in Christ the soul must 79 See willing Resurrection of the dead a Saint falls short of this though he have never so much grace here 311 S Saints seeming and real in what respect called and compared to Virgins 10 Saints real and formal the things that do distinguish them 14 Saints priviledges 60 Saints ought to communicate their experiences each to other 305 Saints may have a good esteem of hypocrites 229 Saint-ship what is requisite to it 89 Similitude is the mother of mistakes 271 Sins greatness wherein it lies 151 Sin how to know whether the conflict of it be right or no 238 Sinners hearts are full of self-confidence and presumption 383 Sleep what kind is it 145 Noted by two degrees ibid. Sleep the causes of it 147 Sleep of Formalists and Saints do differ 1â—7 Sleep considerations to stir us up out of it 163 Sleep they that are in it will find no ease 169 Sleep that we are kept from it considerations to heighten our praises 177 Sleep we are apt to be when most need to be awake 187 Sleep what it argues 192 Sleep is matter of deep humiliation ibid. Sleeping the sad effects of it is matter of mourning 155 Sleeping cautions against it 171 Sleepy the end why God leaves his people in such a frame 153 Slumbering and sleeping what is meant by it 12 145 Slumbering and sleeping the time considerable 143 Slumbering and sleeping incident to the best of Saints 144 Slumbering and sleeping argues an hour of need to watch in 196 Sorrow for sin how to know whether it be right or no 235 Souls dejected have arguments set before them to close with Christ 58 Soul of man hath two things in it considerable 106 Souls evil or loss 112 Souls doubting to them a word of encouragement 407 Spirit of Christ is the greatest woer 44 Spirit of grace there is need to keep in with him 195 Spirit must not be grieved when we have his presence 254 Spirits prophane reproved 135 T Teachers false and their waies are to be taken heed of 250 Teachers of God have a pattern set before them 24 Temptation hath an hour See Awaking Things the same inculcated upon Believers bespeaks somewhat more to be learned 28 Time is to be made good use of both by Saints and Sinners 139 140 Time unknown what is it put for 208 Truth for the abusing of it a word for conviction 130 Truths divine have cautions against the nauseating of them 27 V Vessel what is meant by it 15 Virgins why so called 10 Virgins foolish their request to the wise Virgins 262 286 Virgins wise their answer to the foolish Virgins 301 314. See Lamps Vnderstanding in man is very dull 20 Vnion between Christ and his people so sure that it cannot be shaken 87 Vnreadiness what is meant by it 365 Vnready two or three persons likely will be found 367 Vnregenerate estate See Members W Watch what is the end of such men as do or do not 18 Watch the reason wherefore 211 Watch to it men are perswaded 216 Willing to close They whom Christ hath made so should labour to make it sure 75 Wisdom wherein it lies 105 Wisdom for the compleating of it hath three things 106 Wisdom of a pretended and real Saint compared 108 Wisdom of a Saint and a fool wherein it appears 113 Withdrawing between Christ and us their difference 87 World See Church Workers of iniquity what is understood by that 398 Y Yield up themselves to Christ To such a word of comfort 86 The second Alphabetical Table containing the principal heads and matter in the foregoing Treatise of Christ the Sun of Righteousness hath healing in his wings A ACquaintance we gain with God by prayer 625 Afflictions outward from them there is freedom 505 From 1. The fear of them 2. The presence of them 3. The evil of them from 506 to 507 Arise when Christ doth upon a soul he brings enlargement to it 479 508 Arising of the Sun of righteousness on them what is meant by it 434 B Bondage the Authors of it 486 Bondage there is 1. By Captivity 487 2. By sale ibid. 3. By birth 489 4. By tenure and usurpation 490 Bondage to sin its consequences 492 Bondage the guilt of sin is a part of it 494 Bondage sinners that are in it exhorted to close with the promise of going forth 529 Bondage what God requires of them that are set free from it 536 Bondage unto men be not brought under 544 See Sin C Ceremonies of men from these there is freedom 508 Children are made free by grace not by natural generation 518 Children may be free in the account of the Church and yet be the servants of sin 520 Children of Believers can grow 581 Christ is to be valued by us 423 Christ of him there is great necessity 452 Christ is the only pipe through which grace is conveyed 568 Come to Christ considerations so to do 473 Communion of Saints in
Judas when he pleadeth for the poor yet alas God knew the bottom of the business but I say they making such a profession now when they fall asleep it is as much to the dishonour of God as if a real Saint do fall asleep as now for instance suppose two one wise one foolish they fall into some giddy opinion of the times O let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall or else both grow worldly covetous griping or vain indeed cast off the ways of Gods worship the great Apostacy of our times Now I say this is alike dishonourable to God but it is not alike dangerous for the one he sleepeth and his sleep proveth the sleep of death as the foolish Virgins did for though they were roused with the Cry Conscience was a waked it may be yet their hearts were never roused up out of their sleep they were dead-hearted from the beginning and so they remained they never did arise from the dead that Christ might give them life the one when he waketh hath neither oyl nor Lamp neither reality nor profession the other hath both though the Lamp want triming there is not that lively expression of Christ in their Conversations as should be and therefore the light needeth snuffing the one hath the root under ground but the other neither root nor branches so that you see there is a difference between the sleeping of the Child of God and the son of Satan the wise and the foolish Virgins The third Vse of the Doctrine may be this If so be the people of God may thus sleep Then brethren It may be a warning word to us all to take heed of it to avoid it if it fall upon us I mean the people of God it will prove bitterness in the latter end Do you believe this that you are lyable as well as others to sleep that you have the seed within you have those Lusts such foul hearts which with their steam are in danger to benight you every morning every day do you believe this and do you believe it is a part of folly the folly of the wise Virgins to sleep what need more to be said to you concerning these things will not you avoid that which you judge evil But because we have to do with poor sleepy Creatures whose souls it may be are roady to drop asleep even when they are hearing this let me a little sot it on the Lord make the impression by his own spirit and bore your ears seal instruction to all our hearts 1. Then consider brethren that if once we fall asleep we lose our discerning between good and evil in a great measure the Saints that are of experience they have their fenses exercised to discern between good and evil you may happily wake in your sleep but your eyes are shut brethren and it is a wonder of mercy if you do not dash your selves to pieces upon this rock of offence or that rock of offence this stone of stumbling c. as men in their sleep sometimes will get up and climb indeed to the top of the house and are they not in great danger of breaking their necks would you not pitty such a man O such is the Condition of a Child of God that hath a sleepy soul a soul in a deep sleep thou wilt be ready to judge evil good and good evil Jonah his soul was asleep that sin of his laid him asleep though a good man and do you not know how sadly he missed it I do well to be angry yea even to the death what could Gain almost have said worse then he did in this fit A man in a sleep cannot discern light from darkness neither of tasts nor smels all is one to him when once Peter was asleep he could deny and forswear the Lord-Jesus David in a sleep he cannot discern between the chance of war and down-right murther between shewing kindness to his faithful servant one of his worthies in Israel and making his Neighbour drunk a sad Condition Asa in such a time when he was asleep as appears clearly a little before his saith was lively and he could relie upon God for the ruin of the Ethiopians Lybians yet now he relies upon Benhadad King of Syria to help-him against the King of Israel even Basha he was asleep sure that forsakes God to relie upon an enemy and takes such an evil Course to wish him to break his Covenant Then the Lord sent Hanani the Prophet telling him plainly he had done very foolishly he would not bear it he would not be roused out of his sleep brought to repentance Claps the Prophet in Prison oppresseth the people O what will a man stick at brethren when he cannot discern between good and evil where the senses are closed what will not a blind man run upon and yet a good man also and this leads to a second 2. When a man is once asleep alas brethren the passages between head and heart they are obstructed that nothing almost that he heareth will awake him So David when he was asleep you see how sadly he carryed it he went to the Ordinances questionless in the house of God from time to time or likely he did so and yet he lay in that condition for all that alas the word of God sunk not with him at all you know you may call upon a sleepy person that is fast many times again and again and and he answers not or if it move him a little or stir him alas he understands it not he heareth a sound which troubles him but he understands it not and so returneth to his rest again this is the very case of a poor soul asleep you hear indeed but as if you heard not as a man that hath his mind taken up with another thing he heareth but he heedeth not so a poor soul asleep goeth from Ordinance to Ordinance from Sermon to to Sermon and heareth but the word sticks in the ear it reacheth not the heart ordinarily and is not this sad brethren Who would willingly be in this Condition that knoweth what it is to have a fellowship with God heart-Communion with God in his Ordinances 3. Another Motive may be this The poor service God is like to have from us then when we are asleep some indeed he may have but it will be so poor as if none at all what kind of service will that man do his Master that is ready to drop asleep every step he goeth as David what service did he do the Lord while he lay in that deep sleep alas his mouth was stopped he was not able to shew forth the praise of God until he had opened it And the reason is plain because the graces of the Spirit though they be within us it may be there is the root of the matter there are the habits yet we cannot exercise them A man asleep hath life and he breatheth but what Acts can he
them This is just like the foolish Virgins Brethren the Lord deliver poor souls from such an end as God made with them as you have it in the Parable here It is the way indeed to stop our mouths to hang too much upon any creature 3. It may be we are a little better instructed many of us then to think that men can give grace But it may be we expect it from Ordinances which alas are but empty pipes though they be golden and precious pipes this opus operatum sticks closer to us then we are aware many of us I doubt If men did not look for it from Ordinances would they not labour to bring better frames of heart with them and bring the Lord along with them to the Ordinances that his presence might fill them Well let us take heed of this Brethren sit not down by broken Cisterns for they all say it is not in us the Word saith and Prayer saith and Receiving saith it is not in us we can give no more then we have we are but the means And therefore let us all learn to be wise in this point to salvation go where it is to be had to the Fountain his fulness Jesus Christ is the Olive Tree he that emptieth himself into the golden pipes O therefore in all our wants of grace make out to him eye him in every Ordinance the fatness and sweetness must come from the root and not the branches therefore look to it Brethren that we be in him abide in him live by faith in him in Ordinances above them Yea when we have most refreshings in them remember who it is that hath filled them lest when all is done we prove our selves but foolish Virgins But so much for this Doctrine Verse 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEre we have the wise Virgins answer to the foolish Virgins request their request was that they might have some of their oyl because their Lamps were gone out to this the wise Virgins answer wherein we must note concerning the reading of the words they may be read two waies either by way of redundancy yiélding to the cutting off that particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but go you rather to them that sell and then the words are read thus lest there be not enough for you and us go you rather to them that sell Or else by way of Elypsis they are read and then the defect is to be supplyed as in our translation not so lest there be not enough for you and us not so are not expressed in the Original but are supplyed as you see they are written in another Character Such defective speeches are ordinary in Scripture as in that of Abraham and Sarah when Abimilech asked him What saist thou that thou hast done this thing and he said because I thought that surely the fear of God is not in this place and they will slay me for my wives sake here somewhat is to be supplyed his resolution to dissemble his wife that is concealed and supposed and only the reason expressed and so it is here Now which way ever we read the words the sense is the same still and in both the denyal is implyed and but implyed yet necessarily implyed for without it the sense is not full nor clear as if we should read them thus lest there be not enough for you and us but go and buy for your selves there is not a compleat sense but read them either of the other waies and the sense is full and plain as by adding the denyal as in our Bibles not so lest there be not enough or else by cutting off that but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus lest there be not enough for us and you go and buy for your selves here the denyal is implyed also and must be understood But because generally they are read as in that translation by the most learned and godly as Beza Grotius So then the denyal being here necessarily supposed and supplyed from thence I would take up this Note They that go to the Saints for grace for oyl are like to have a denyal Here at last they went to them when they had spent their time and opportunity of getting grace they go to the wise Virgins for grace but they were too wise to give an yielding answer to such a request Indeed so far is that rock the Lord Jesus higher then we that we are exceeding prone rather to take up nearer and any where ready to hang our hopes upon every hedge You see the Prodigal as long as ever he could hold out he would never come unto his Father The poor man in the Cospel brought his child to the Disciples first to have him healed before they went to Christ until they found them empty that they were Physitians of no value healing was not in them and so it is with us all If we can have grace by any other means we would not come to Christ such is our natural enmity against him such is our despondency many times when we come to be sensible of our condition But alas every creature if they understand themselves must needs say it is not in me to give as Peter said in another case of healing Why look you upon us as if we had healed this man by our holiness But let me give you some few considerations to make it out and then we will apply it First then It is above their fulness though many a child of God have a great fulness of grace indeed be ye filled with the Spirit and not with wine saith the Apostle and so that you may be filled with all the fulness of God there may be an abounding of grace yea of all grace towards them that in all things alway they might have an all-sufficiency though I think there are but very few that here below do know by experience such a fulness by comprehending the height and depth and breadth and length of this love of Jesus Christ but suppose every child of God be thus filled every wise Virgin sooner or later yet it is not a fulness of redundancy that is to say such a fulness as that from it there can be spared any thing for another as we shall add by and by It is but the fulness of a Cistern not of a Fountain which can still shed abroad and be full still So it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell in Jesus Christ All fulness that of his fulness we might receive grace for grace Of his fulness he is the fulness of the Sun the fulness of a Sea of a Fountain and such is no creatures fulness there can be no redundance Secondly As their fulness is not enough so also have they not a strength and power to communicate of their grace to another no more then a man can devide and part his life between him and another that is dead it is above his power and therefore in Scripture usually it
is called a new creature to shew us the great transcendent power whereby Jesus Christ is formed in a soul It is the Fathers proper work through the Son by the Spirit the Father giveth it the Son purchaseth it the Spirit applyeth it and works it Create in me a clean heart O God renew a right Spirit within me saith David holiness is a creation and peace is a creation he will create the fruit of the lips peace peace a creation is of nothing or somewhat utterly unfit to receive such a form or being so that the fruit of the lips they are weak and cannot reach such an effect it is Gods Almighty power and the same power that raised up Jesus from the dead that must raise a dead soul to believe in Jesus Christ When Rachel would have of Jacob that which was beyond his power to give he saith Am I in Gods stead that I should give thee children So may the people of God and Ministers say to some sometimes who come to them as if they could give them peace or comfort and expect that as soon as ever they speak a word presently all their doubts and fears should be quelled and subdued no no it is too heavy a weight you lay upon them it is a thing above their reach This the second Thirdly If they were able to do it they have no authority no commission to do it and therefore they may not do it Jesus Christ was annointed for this very end to do the thing I come to do thy will O God in the 40. Psal and what is that will Why that none that the Father hath given him should be lost or perish but his blood and Spirit should be given to them grace and glory should be given to them this is the will of God even your Sanctification and this will he came to do it was that the Father designed him to to deliver his people from their sins therefore was the spirit poured out in such a full measure yea without measure upon the head of this our high-Priest that it might run down to the very skirt of his garment to the very lowest Christian that belongs unto him It is not every member in the body nor any other but the head which is made the seat of the animal Spirits to communicate them to the least and lowest member Now it is not what men are able to do but what they have Commission to do that is authentick If they were able there is no Commission the Lord Jesus only came Authorized to open the Prison doors to Preach deliverance and to give deliverance to the Captives This the third Fourthly If all these did concur in men yet they might want a heart when all is done and then all the rest would avail little to us in our necessity and though it be true the Saints do retain bowels of mercy and do put them on and long-suffering and patience yet alas how short-nostrilled are the best of the Saints in comparison of God Moses his patience was at an end yet the weakest man and had often interceded for them yet ye Rebels must we fetch water out of the rock for you though the murmuring was not against him but against God If a sinner put off getting grace and coming to Christ until the last our patience will hardly hold out so long let the power of my Lord be great as thou hast said c. herein our weakness doth much appear we are ready to cast off and give up men if they come not in quickly and if afterward they do come in we are ready to shut our hearts against them But if there were a heart yet there is no power and that will answer all therefore if we go to the creature for grace we are like to have a denyal Before we apply this or else as a part of the Application shall be to speak somewhat by way of satisfaction to a doubt This seemeth to cross the Scriptures are not the Saints bound to communicate one to another to do good forget not is not this of a larger sense then meerly giving a little of our estates to them if in want So again when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren saith our Saviour to Peter and how can you say then that if we go to the Saints for grace we are like to have a denyal To this I answer the Saints may and ought to communicate their experiences to others as their necessity requireth the humble shall hear hereof and be glad how when his soul made her boast in God And so again the Psalmist as a type of Christ He brought me up out of the horrible pit out of the mierie clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings he hath put a new song in my mouth c. And what then Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in God And so saith the Apostle That ye may comfort others with the comforts wherewith your selves are comforted of God this is doubtless a duty to communicate our experiences and also to exhort one another while it is called to day as the Apostle hath it and to reprove one another this is a duty but this is far from giving of grace For the more distinct understanding therefore of this note only two or three particulars 1. For any merit of our works we cannot give for indeed there is none at all If we deserve any thing at the hands of God it is wrath and ruine it is meer mercy we are not consumed every time we approach this consuming fire with our filthy garments upon us because his compassions fail not when we have done all commanded if we could do it we are but improfitable servants but alas how infinitely short do we fail of what is commanded in many things in all things we offend all for who doth any thing as he should our sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared to the glory there must be a proportion in merit now they are light that is weighty they are for a moment that is eternal and a far more exceeding and eternal weight Now no man can give that which he hath not 2. The glory of our works That we cannot give away that is the Lords that others may see them and glorisie your Father which is in heaven Mat. 5. 16. 3. The influence of them upon others hearts That we cannot give neither we may speak and do plant and water but it it God that giveth the increase the husband-man may plough and sow and harrow but he cannot give the rain of heaven former and later he cannot give power to the seed to dye and rise again it is beyond his reach who can touch the heart but the Lord he is the God of the Spirits whose dwellings are with our spirits especially and he can fashion them as he pleaseth