refreshment as the Christian hath 2. More Practical and Applicative Meditation is when we take our selves aside from worldly distractions that we may solemnly debate and study how to carry on the Holy Life with better success and advantage when we are wise in our Sphere Luke 16.8 The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their generation it is an Hebrew Phrase for the Manner Course and Sphere of our Lives Gen. 6.9 These are the generations of Noah Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and Noah walked with God so to be wise in our generation is to be wise in our manner of living and business So it is said Psalm 122.5 He will guide his affairs with discretion which noteth plotting and wise fore-sight choosing our way or devising our way as Solomon calleth it Prov. 16.9 A mans heart deviseth his way It is a great part of a Christians Employment The Scriptures call for it for a Minister 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth to devise how to carry on his Ministry with most Honour and Success So for Private Christians Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works We should consider one another each others Gifts Dispositions and Graces that so our Spiritual Converse and Commerce might be the more improved By this kind of Meditation Piety is made more prudent reasonable and orderly Christians that live at hap-hazard and order their Lives at adventure without these rational and wise Debates if they do not stain their Profession with foul indiscretions yet find much inconvenience and toyl in the Holy Life and are not half so useful as others are Certainly we should learn this of the Children of this World a wicked Man is plotting for his Lusts Rom. 13.14 Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the luste thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they make Provision they are catering how they may feed such a Lust and satisfie such a Carnal Desire Therefore certainly we should take care for the Conveniencies of the Holy Life how we may be most needful for God and pass through our Relations with most advantage and cast our businesses that they may be the least disadvantage to Religion and consider how particular Duties may be the most dexterously accomplished Psal. 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me These are the kinds of Meditation The Definition may be formed thus Meditation is that Duty or Exercise of Religion whereby the Mind is applyed to the serious and solemne Contemplation of Spiritual things for Practical Vses and Purposes I shall open the Description by the parts of it 1. It is a Duty and Exercise of Religion 1. That it is a Duty and Exercise of Religion appeareth by the Evidence of Scripture where it is commanded Ioshua 1.8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night It is made a Character of a Godly Man Psal. 1.2 His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night It is commended in the Practice and Example of the Saints that were most famous in Scripture Isaac in the Text Moses and David And as it is plain by the Evidence of Scripture so by the Light of Nature and Reason God that is a Spirit deserveth the most Pure and Spiritual Worship as well as such as is performed by the Body The Thoughts are the Eldest and Noblest Off-spring of the Soul and the solemn Consecration of them is fit for God In the Gospel Meditation is called for I find in the Old Testament the main thing there called for is Meditation in the Law in the Gospel we are directed to a new Object the Love of Christ Eph. 3.17 18 19. That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that is the Study of Saints I confess it is more called for in the Old Testament being gross and carnal they needed greater enforcements to Spiritual Duties but now it suiteth every way with the Nature of our Worship Iohn 4.24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Now Worship in Spirit and in Truth is more agreeable to our State Meditation is a pure and rational converse with God it is the flower and height of Consecrated Reason 2. It is not a Duty of an Arbitrary Concernment It is not only a Moral help that may be observed or omitted but a necessary Duty without which all Graces would languish and wither Faith is lean and ready to starve unless it be fed with continual Meditation on the Promises as David saith Psalm 119.92 Vnless thy law had been my delight I should then have perished in my affliction Thoughts are the Caterers of the Soul that purvey for Faith and fetch in Food and refresh it with the Comfort of the Promises Hope is low and doth not arise to such a fullness of expectation till by Meditation we take a deliberate view of our Hopes and Priviledges Gen. 13.17 Arise walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it for I will give it unto thee Our Hopes arise according to the largeness of our Thoughts it is a great advantage to have our Eyes open to view the Riches of our Inheritance and to have a distinct view of the hope of our Calling The Apostle prays for the Ephesians Chapt. 1.18 The eyes of your understandings being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of ehe glory of his inheritance in the Saints Men of barren thoughts are usually of low hopes and for want of getting to the top of Pisgah to view the Land our Hearts sink within us Certainly Hope thriveth best on the Mount of Meditation Then for Love the sparkles of Affection will not flow out unless we beat upon the Will by constant Thoughts Affection is nourished by Apprehension and the more constant and deliberate the Thoughts are the love is alwaies the deeper Those Christians that are backward to the Duty of Meditation find none of those impulses and meltings of Love that are in others they do not endeavour to comprehend the height and breadth and length and depth of the love of Christ and therefore no wonder that their Hearts are so narrow and so much straitned towards God Affections alwayes follow the rate of our thoughts if they are ponderous and serious Then for Obedience or keeping the Spirits constantly in a Religious Frame to others good Motions come like flashes of Lightning and are as soon gone as their thoughts
to do than to make the World at first The Object of Creation was pure Nothing but then as there was no Help so no Hinderance But now in Redemption there was Sin to be taken away and that was worse than any thing We deserv'd Ill his Justice and Truth had a Quarrel against us and therefore this was the harder Work and needed more of his Wisdom which now is discovered fully to us in the Gospel When God was to make Man though he was to be his noblest Creature next the Angels it was nothing to the Divine Power to make him of the Dust of the Earth Now Sin makes us worse than Earth Job 30.8 They were Children of Fools Children of base Men they were viler than the Earth Our Condition was worse here God's Justice opposed but Grace found out the Contrivance and sent Christ in the Form of a Servant who was in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God Phil. 2.6 7. 2. We discern the Freeness of Grace in the Gospel both in giving and accepting Whatever God doth is a Gift and what we do it is accepted of Grace In giving there 's a great deal of Grace made known there The Lord doth all freely Ioh. 1.16 And of his Fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace that is for Grace's sake He gives Christ gives Faith gives Pardon He gives the Condition as well as the Blessing Certainly now we have to do with a God of Grace who sits upon a Throne of Grace that he might bestow freely to all Comers Out of Christ and in the Law there God is discovered as sitting upon a Tribunal of Justice as he is described Psal. 97.2 Clouds and Darkness are round about him Righteousness and Iudgment are the Habitation of his Throne But now saith the Apostle Heb. 4.16 Let us come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and Grace to help in a time of need that we may have Mercy for Pardon and for acceptance of our Persons and Grace to help us against our Weaknesses This was figured out in the Law under the Law it was figured out by the Mercy-Seat between the Cherubims from whence God was giving out Answers but there the High-Priest could enter but once a Year and the way within the Veil was not fully made manifest Heb. 9.8 There was a Throne of Grace then but more of God's Tribunal of Justice there was Smoak and Thundering about his Throne But now let us draw near that we may obtain Grace take all freely out of God's Hand Then there is Grace manifested in accepting as well as giving God accepts of serious Repentance for compleat Innocence of Sincerity for Perfection of the Will for the Deed of a Person for Christ's sake and of the Works for the Person 's sake Thus God doth both give and accept freely That we do is not brought to the Ballance but Touch-stone Many times a good Work is not full Weight God doth not look to the Measure but to the Truth of Grace he requires Truth in the Reins 3. The Efficacy and Power of Grace is discovered in the Gospel Christ sendeth his Spirit to apply what he himself hath purchased One Person comes to merit and the other to accomplish the Fruit of his Merit Mark to stop the course of Grace Divine Justice did not only put in an Impediment but there was our Infidelity that hindred the Application of that which Christ was to merit and therefore as the second Person is to satisfy God so the third Person is to work upon us There was a double hinderance against the Business of our Salvation God's Justice for the Glory of God was to be repaired therefore Christ was to merit and there was our Unbelief therefore the Spirit must come and apply it First Christ suffered and when he was ascended then was the Spirit poured out Had it not been for the Gospel we should never have known the Efficacy and Power of Grace The Apostle puts the Question Gal. 3.2 This only would I learn of you Received ye the Spirit by the Works of the Law or by the Hearing of Faith How did you come to be acquainted with Grace This is the Seal which God would put upon the Excellency and Authority of the Gospel that he will associate and join in assistance with it the Operation of the Spirit to accompany it Look as it is with the Sun Light encreaseth with Heat the Morning-Beams are faint and gentle but at Noon the Sun shines out not only with Glory but with Strength So it is here the more the Light of the Gospel is encreased the more is the Efficacy and Power of it conveyed into the Sons of Men. The Dispensation of the Law is called the Oldness of the Letter and the Dispensation of the Gospel the Newness of the Spirit Rom. 7.6 But now ye are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in Newness of Spirit and not in the Oldness of the Letter In the meer Law-Dispensation there was only a literal Direction but no strength and ability to perform what is suggested Lex jubet Gratia juvat The Law commands but all the Commands of Grace help There is a Spirit that goeth along with the Gospel to qualify us for the Duties of it 2 Cor. 3.6 Who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit for the Letter killeth but the Spirit giveth Life With the Dispensation of the Gospel God joins the Virtue and Power of the Holy Ghost The Letter convinceth and so by consequence obligeth to Death for we cannot perform what it requireth of us but now there 's a Spirit goes along with the Gospel and so we are acquainted with the Efficacy of Grace 4. We are acquainted with the Largeness and Bounty of Grace The Benefits that come by Christ were not so clearly revealed in the Law there was no Type that I know of which figured Union with Christ. The Blood of Christ was figured by the Blood of Bulls and Goats Justification by the fleeing away of the Scape-Goat Sanctification by the Water of Purification But now Eternal Life is rarely mentioned in express Terms sometimes it is shadowed out in the Promise of inheriting the Land of Canaan as Hell is by going into Captivity but otherwise it is seldom mentioned 2 Tim. 1.10 But now it is made manifest speaking of the Grace of God by the appearing of our Saviour Christ who hath abolished Death and hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel The Gentiles had but glimmerings and gross Fancies about the future State Life and Immortality was never known to the purpose till Christ came in the Flesh and therefore Heaven is as sparingly mentioned in the Old Testament as Temporal Blessings are in the New In the New Testament we hear much of the Cross of Sufferings and Afflictions
came not to judg the World but to save the World So 1 Iohn 4.14 We have seen and do testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the World But then his second Coming is in more Majesty then he comes as a God to judg To consider him as a severe Judg that would make our Heart tremble but to consider him as a Saviour that 's comfortable then he remembers his old Relation for the Elect's sake In short he is the great God and our Saviour to shew his double Work and Office at the last Day he is a Saviour to his own People when he comes to shew himself to be the great God to punish the Wicked that would not accept of Grace and Salvation 4. To give us a Taste and Pledg both of his Willingness and Ability to do us good He is a mighty God and yet a Saviour Certainly there is a Difference between God and Man If we pardon and do good it is out of need because we dare not do otherwise but Jesus Christ is the mighty God strong enough to revenge yet our Saviour gracious enough to save and pardon The coupling of these Words shew that Christ is not a Saviour out of Necessity but good Will Men forbear their Enemies out of Policy not Pity 2 Sam. 3.19 These Men the Sons of Zerviah are too hard for me Power makes us cruel Who finds his Enemy and slays him not If a Man find his Enemy will he let him go well away 1 Sam. 24.19 Among Men observe it and you will find the weakest are most pitiful and merciful Why because they need Pity and Commiseration themselves from others But now Jesus Christ that hath the greatest Power hath also the greatest Mercy and the greatest Love he is the mighty God but yet the Prince of Peace He will be a mighty God rather in saving than in destroying though he hath all Power in his Hands yet he will exercise it in Acts of Mercy We abuse our Power to Acts of Oppression and Violence O when shall we learn of Christ to be mighty and yet saving There cannot be a happier Conjunction than when Greatness and Goodness Power and good Will are met together Remember Power is only given us to do good with it and to do good is some Resemblance of Christ. What a Comfort is this to the Faithful that Christ is the great God and also a Saviour both able and willing to do them good and to bestow abundance of Grace upon them 5. To shew what Christ is to the Saints wherever he shews himself a Saviour there he doth also shew himself to be a mighty God Together with Acts of Grace and Favour there are issued out Acts of Power and Strength there 's a concomitant Operation of Power together with an Act of Pardon and Grace I find the Scripture speaking of this he pardoneth as a strong God Mich. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee pardoning Iniquity c. In the Original who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a strong God like unto thee And so Iunius renders it So Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord the Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in Goodness and Truth keeping Mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Moses plainly alludes to it Numb 14.17 18. Now I beseech thee let the Power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying The Lord is long-suffering and of great Mercy forgiving Iniquity and Transgression Whenever God shews Grace in pardoning Sin he shews Power also in subduing Sin So Psal. 62.11 God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that Power belongs to God And presently ver 12. Also unto thee O Lord belongeth Mercy Both these are dispensed together Those that come to God for Relief are under a double Trouble distemper'd Affections as well as a guilty Conscience therefore know for your Comfort Mercy and Power belong to God and in the Dispensation they usually go together 2 Pet. 1.3 According as his Divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness Christians if you go to God aright you go to him not only for Life that you may be respited from Destruction but for Godliness not only for Acts of Grace but for Acts of Power as Wrath and Power are suted to the Reprobate so Mercy and Power to the Godly 6. To shew that Christ is not only a desirable Friend but a dreadful Adversary You must close with him as a Saviour or else you shall find him to your cost to be a mighty God you must submit to him or be destroyed you must accept of Mercy or feel the Power of his Wrath. And thus in Scripture Christ is represented with a golden Scepter and with an Iron Mace to dash his Enemies in Pieces like a Potâ—eâ—â—â— Vessel you must touch his golden Scepter or feel the Weight of his Iron Rod He that saveth can punish and crush as well as comfort Again we read of a Banner of Love and of a flying Roll of Curses and therefore as there is Mercy and Sweetness in Christ so he is represented as a dreadful Adversary Usually we presume on God's Mercy and fear Man's Power but this should not be so O! observe the Counsel the Lord gives Isa. 27.5 Let him take hold of my Strength that he may make Peace with me Blessed God! who is able to grapple and deal with thee in thy Strength but we overcome by yielding Let us humble our selves betimes that 's taking hold of his Strength and making Power our Friend It is an Allusion not to a Wrestler for so how can our Hands be strong and our Heart indure in the Day he shall deal with us but to a Suppliant when a Parent or Master is ready to strike the Child takes hold of his Arm and seeks terms of Peace and intreats him to pacify his Wrath So saith the Lord make Strength your Friend then his Power which otherwise would be your Enemy is ingaged to you 7. To preserve that mix'd Affection which best becomes the present State we are in Our State is mix'd and we act best under a mix'd Affection God would have us not only love him but fear him And therefore he is represented as a mighty God as well as a gracious Saviour that we may come to him with Reverence and yet with Confidence That 's the proper temper of a gracious Spirit in all our Addresses to God Psal. 2.10 Serve the Lord with Fear and rejoice with Trembling Fear mix'd and temper'd with Love is most regular so is Love that is guided with Fear Therefore when you pray to him and worship him and serve him remember he is the great God but lest that should breed Bondage and Dejection in your Spirits remember he is also our Saviour How sweet would this be if we could but make use of both these Titles
I would Gal. 5.17 Go to Christ for help he was sent for this purpose to redeem you from Iniquity and dissolve the Devil's Work 1 John 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil It is his Office to purge the Church to set us at Liberty to destroy Satan's Power to free us from our Passions and Corruptions therefore go complain to him of the strength of your Sins for he will help you Vse 4. Comfort in our Conflicts You are sure of a final Victory before you enter into the Combate e're long we shall be out of the reach of Temptation and the Spirit shall be all in all Vse 5. Examination 1. Art thou sensible of thy natural Bondage so as to grieve under it As the Apostle Rom. 7.23 24. I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of Sin which is in my Members O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death If it be not thus with thee Redemption by Christ will never be precious there is sighing and weariness they lay their sad Estate to Heart as the Church hung their Harps upon the Willows it is the Grief of their Souls that their Lusts held them in Captivity The Children of God complain more of the Relicks of Sin than wicked Men do of the full Power of it 2. Hast thou any Freedom Sense of Bondage is a good Preparative but it is not enough All Christ's Subjects are Kings they rule over their own Lusts though not freed from them altogether they strive against them and keep them under And there is not only a freedom from Ill but a freedom to Good Psal. 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power They do not serve God by Constraint but are free to Good and serve God with a great chearfulness as before they served their Lusts. Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward Man They consult with the Word of God which was before their Bondage and Terror they have an Ability and Strength to do that which is Good there is a new Life in them yet so as they are still excited by the Spirit Vse 6. It informeth us what is true Liberty not to live at large John 8.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed Not to have Power and Sovereignty over others not to exercise Command and Authority over others but to subdue our Lusts not to be left to our selves to do what we please that is the greatest Bondage Rom. 6.20 VVhen ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness but to do the Will of God 1 John 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin He died to take away Sin and to make us like himself that the World might know that he was a pure and holy Saviour SERMON XXI TITUS II. 14 And purifying unto himself a peculiar People c. IN this latter Branch I observed Christ's Act and then his Aim His Act he gave himself His Aim and Intention And here is the privative part of Deliverance To redeem us from all Iniquity This I have finished I come to the Positive part And purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good VVorks He never communicates his Blessings where he doth not bestow his Grace He did not only free us from Hell but from Sin It is well for the Godly that Christ came to take away the proud and carnal Heart to take away Corruption and Iniquity which is their greatest Eye-sore But this is not all there is a positive Blessing Christ did not only come to deliver us from Sin but communicate Grace That he might purify to himself a peculiar People Two Points I shall open to you I. That whomsoever Christ maketh his People he first purifieth them or by purifying them maketh them his People II. Those that are purified are reckoned his Treasure or peculiar People Doct. I. That whomsoever Christ maketh his People he first purifieth them or by purifying maketh them his People Here I shall shew you 1 st The Necessity 2 dly The Manner of it First The Necessity of this Purification 1. In regard of God Father Son and Holy Ghost Every Person in the God-head in the dispensation of Grace hath a distinct personal Operation Election is ascribed to the Father Redemption to the Son and effectual Application to the Holy Ghost Now every one of these Operations respects Holiness Election Ephes. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we might be holy and without blame before him in Love Redemption Ephes. 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word Sanctification 2 Thess. 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth It is for the Honour of every Person that their Intention may not be frustrate and chiefly upon this ground because by this means they would justify and honour their personal Operation to the World Those that are chosen by the Father must be of a choice Spirit Christ will not be the Head of an ulcerous Body he will not be like Nebuchadnezzar's Image whose Head was of fine Gold his Breast and his Arms of Silver his Belly and his Thighs of Brass his Legs of Iron his Feet part of Iron and part of Clay Dan. 2.32 33. A beautiful Head upon a Negro's Body is monstrous We are Vessels formed and set apart for the Master's use Those that are under his forming come new out of the Forge Unclean Vessels can never be used to any good purpose unless they be washed and sweetned They are to be looked upon as God's Choice Christ's Purchase and the Spirit 's Charge Or if you will have it in other Relations they are God's Children Christ's Members and the Spirit 's Temples God's Children must resemble their Father Christ's Members must be like their Head and the Holy Ghost will not dwell in a defiled Temple 2. With respect to themselves and their relation to one another they must be purified 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing that ye have purified your selves in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren see that ye love one another with a pure Heart fervently The Purification of our own Souls maketh us to love Purity in others for Similitude is the ground of Delight and Complacency No Man can delight in the Purity of others unless he be in some measure purified himself Holy Men are only fit for this Communion and Society others go in the way of Cain Jude v. 11. Who was of that wicked one and slew his Brother And wherefore slew he him because his own
Works were evil and his Brother 's righteous 1 Joh. 3.12 Carnal Professors that creep into the Church unawares are full of Envy Strife and Wrath. How can we edify one another in the holy Faith unless we be first holy A Man would think they should be purified to the Love of God nay but they must be purified to the Love of the Brethren 3. With respect to the World A distinct Body should have a distinct Excellency They are a People distinct from the World they are set apart for God Psal. 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself They are a chosen Generation Many other Societies excel the Church for Strength Policy and worldly Pomp but Holiness and Purity is the Church's Badg Psal. 93.5 Holiness becometh thy House O Lord for ever God's peculiar People must have a peculiar Excellency upon a double ground 1. Because of Likeness to God Exod. 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord among the Gods who is like thee glorious in Holiness It is God's Glory and therefore the Churches God is rich in Mercy but glorious in Holiness his Treasure is his Goodness but his Honour is his Holiness and immaculate Purity as among Men their Wealth is distinguished from their Honour 2. Because all the Ordinances hold it forth especially the Ordinance of Initiation So that it is the greatest Hypocrisy in the World to pretend to be God's People and not to be holy because they wear the Badges of Holiness they all come in by the washing of Water Men forget their Baptism 2 Pet. 1.9 He hath forgotten that he was purged from his old Sins Men that are only whited over with the Name of Christians and Sin is still new and fresh as an old thing they forget the Effect of their Baptism That a washed Man should be so foul and noisom still sure they forget or do not know what it is to be baptized into Christ. Secondly The Manner how he purifieth them There is on Christ's part the Spirit and Ordinances and his Merit reacheth to both and on our part Faith 1. On Christ's part 1. The Spirit is necessary Titus 3.5 He saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost applieth all the Grace which the Father intendeth and Christ hath purchased We are usually said to be saved by the Blood of Christ that was the Merit and Price There was a Grant on God the Father's part Rev. 19.8 To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine Linen clean and white An Authentick Act passeth in the Court of Heaven that we shall have fine Linen as Esther had Garments out of the King's Wardrobe But this is founded on Christ's Merits the Stream in which we are washed flowed out of Christ's Heart 1 Iohn 1.7 The Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin But then the Holy Ghost as the Executor of Christ's Will and Testament worketh and applieth all The Merit of the Creature is excluded by Christ's Merit and the Father's Grant the Power of the Creature is excluded by the Work of the Spirit he worketh with a respect to Christ's Blood As in the cleansing of the Leper the Bird was to be killed over running Water Levit. 14.5 So in the cleansing of the Sinner there is the Merit of Christ and the Work of the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God If we come to the Father the Father sends us to the Son otherwise he could not look upon us the Son sends us to the Spirit the Spirit sends us to Moses and the Prophets 2. The Ordinances Ephes. 5.26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word These are the Ordinances that are specially consecrated and to which Christ's Merit reacheth he hath not only procured the Gift of the Spirit but a Blessing on the Means that we may use them with Confidence The Word helpeth us by way of Declaration and Offer and Baptism concurreth sacramentally by way of signing and sealing and so it is a Means to confirm and provoke the Faith of a Receiver to lay hold on this Grace The Ordinances are an help to call to mind Baptism It is not good to balk the known and ordinary Means of Grace Christ hath purchased a Treasure that cannot be wasted Iohn 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctify my self that they also may be sanctified through the Truth When you come to hear you come to receive the Fruits of Christ's Purchase 2. On our part there is required Faith which also purifieth Acts 15.9 Purifying their Hearts by Faith Christ's Blood cleanseth the Gospel cleanseth Baptism cleanseth the Spirit cleanseth Faith cleanseth all these are not contrary but subordinate neither Christ nor the Word nor the Spirit worketh without an Act on our parts As under the Law the Priest was not only to wash and cleanse the Leper who herein represented God but also after the sprinkling of the Priest he was to wash himself Lev. 14.8 And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his Clothes and shave off all his Hair and wash himself in Water that he may be clean to shew that some Work is required on our part The Work of Faith is to apply to wait to work by Reflection and to stir up Love 1. To apply the Promises of God the Offers of Grace in the Word and the Blood of Christ and all these to purge out Corruption It applieth the Blood of Christ urgeth the Soul with it he died to purchase that Grace which thou wantest The Water and Soap cleanseth but the Hand of the Landress must apply it and rub the Clothes that are washed This is called sprinkling the Conscience with the Blood of Christ Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true Heart in full assurance of Faith having our Heart sprinkled from an evil Conscience and our Bodies washed with pure Water We should thus argue with our selves Surely Christ died to sanctify Sinners his Death cannot be in vain Grace is bought at a dear rate in the offers of the Word God maketh a tender why should I not accept of it Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Word preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it But we do not say What shall we say to these things By Faith the Plaister is laid on the Sore 2. In the Use of Means it waiteth for the sanctifying Virtue of the Blood of Christ and looketh upon them as Ordinances under a Blessing Isa. 45.24 Surely shall one say In the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength It casts out the Net at Christ's Commandment Micah 7.19 He will turn again he will have Compassion on us he will subdue our Iniquities and thou wilt cast all their Sins
is true Conversion where they are not only changed but quickned Heathens have been changed from Prophaneness to a moral course If you pretend to close with Christ and find no Life you can take no comfort in your Faith it is but a Cloud a Fancy John 10.10 I am come that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly So for Repentance and trouble for Sin if no Zeal follows it it is naught Rev. 3.19 Be zealous therefore and repent So for being Members of the Church you cannot take comfort of being Christ's Members without Zeal for all the true Members of Christ's Mystical Body are living Stones 1 Pet. 2.5 Ye also as lively Stones are built up a Spiritual House It is true in the outward Building there are some carved Stones So in the visible Church there are many polished with Gifts which may serve in their place to hold up the Building but they are not living Stones for they want Life And then for Hope it is but a Fancy and Dream if we be dead and sluggish It is called a lively Hope 1 Pet. 1.3 And if thou art drowsy still and neglectful of God surely thou art but in a Dream Canst thou take Comfort in this that thou art a constant Hearer of the Word if thou art as backward to Holiness and good Works as ever Phil. 2.16 Holding forth the Word of Life The Word is the Word of Life it doth not leave us dull slow and backward If there be not Life and Zeal all is nothing 11. Consider how odious want of Zeal is to God He will not own a cold careless neutral Spirit Rev. 3.16 So then because thou art luke-warm and neither hot nor cold I will spue thee out of my Mouth Cold lazy Professors that have nothing but a dead Form are as luke-warm Water to the Stomach and there is nothing the Stomach nauseates so much as that which is luke-warm So will God cast them out with much loathing he will uncase and pluck off their Masks and reveal them to the Congregation and make them odious this is worse than stark cold It is not enough that we are not violent against the Ways of God but are you zealous for God otherwise you are odious to God Mat. 25.30 Cast ye the unprofitable Servant into outer Darkness and not only the grosly Wicked but the unprofitable Servant Though he did not abuse his Talent nor embezel it away yet he hid it in a Napkin If you hide your Talent be it Parts Estate or Authority are you then zealous for God Useless Sapless Lifeless Christians incur the Penalty of Damnation as well as the openly Wicked they are cast into Hell therefore rest not in a dead Form 12. Consider how dishonourable it is to the living God to serve him with a dead Heart and cold Affections when he hath indented with you upon such glorious and noble Terms Heathens that worship the Sun offer to him a flying Horse because of the swiftness of his Motion 2 Kings 23.11 He took away the Horses that the Kings of Judah had given to the Sun So our worshipping of the living God must not be dead and cold Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without Spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God God that is a living God must have lively Service but Men worship him as a dead Idol In an earthly Matter we would not be so cold and careless in our Treaties and Transactions Malachi 1.8 Offer it to thy Governour will he be pleased with you or accept your Person saith the Lord What you do it must be done with all the Heart and all the Might Consider Religion is not a Fancy You do not worship the Vanities of the Gentiles therefore be not dead cold and careless You worship the living God and he will be served with Life Zeal and strength of Affection SERMONS UPON HEBREWS VI. 18 SERMON I. HEB. VI. 18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have a strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us TO give you the Occasion of these Words we must look back into the Context The Apostle proveth the firmness of the Promises and yet the great need of Faith and Patience e're they be accomplished He proveth both by the Instance of Abraham who was long exercised in waiting and had God's Promise ratified with the most solemn Assurance that can be conceived under Heaven with an Oath which is held sacred and inviolable among all Nations But here some might object That if Abraham had such a special Assurance from God what is that to us To this the Apostle replies That tho God's Oath were given to Abraham yet it concerns all the Heirs of Promise every Believer hath the same ground of Certainty that Abraham had so it is asserted ver 17. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of Promise the Immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath There is an Emphasis in the Phrase more abundantly God's Oath was not given out of Necessity but out of Condescension Not out of Necessity as if his Word was not valid and authentick without an Oath but he would give his Oath that over and above and by all solemn ways of Assurance the Lord would provide for our Certainty and Assurance that we might have strong Consolation upon solid Grounds That by two immutable things c. In the Words we have the Purport and the Aim of God's Oath which is to give Believers more solemn Assurance Take notice of three things 1. The Ground of this Assurance That by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie 2. The Fruit of this Assurance That we might have strong Consolation 3. The Persons to whom God hath given this Assurance we who have fled for Refuge to lay hold of the Hope that is set before us Sutable to the three Parts there are three main Points I. God's Word and Oath are the immutable Grounds of a Believer's Certainty and Confidence II. That the Fruit of this Confidence and Certainty is strong Consolation III. That the Persons to whom God hath deposited his Oath and by it administreth so strong a Comfort and Consolation are those who fly for Refuge to take hold of the Hope that is set before them Doct. I. That God's Word and God's Oath are the immutable Grounds of a Believer's Confidence and Certainty for these are the two immutable things spoken of I shall speak of each distinctly First God's single Word is an immutable Ground having this you have enough And so it will appear if you consider the Power and the Certainty of it 1. The Power of God's Word His Word is nothing else but the Declaration of his powerful Will the Force of it was discovered in creating
in all our Enjoyments If God gives you deliverance you may say as Hezekiah Isa. 38.17 Thou hast in love to my Soul delivered it from the Pit of Corruption You are loved into Mercy Whatsoever you enjoy it is not as a Creature but as an Heir What a Comfort then will a Christian take in a morsel of Bread when he causes God's special Love in it more than worldly Men can take in their greatest Possessions Look as a mean Remembrance from a Friend is better than a Royal Gift from an Enemy so this makes thy Meat and Bread sweet when sent from thy Father in Heaven when thou hast it as an Heir of Promise 6. This will make Afflictions sweet their very Property is altered they are not now vindictive Dispensations but such as belong to the Covenant of Grace and so they will not do us harm In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me Psal. 119.75 When you can make this Reflection the Lord seeth I want this else I should not be exercised with such Providences At least there is a Supply of inward Comfort and then a heavy Burden is nothing to a sound Back If God strikes Sin is pardoned and the Sting of Affliction is taken away 7. It will sweeten Death it self thou knowest whither thou art going Death is a sad stroak to wicked Men which sends the Body to the Grave and the Soul to Hell it must needs be a King of Terrors to them But Death to those that have this strong Consolation is as Haman was to Mordecai from a Mischief it is made a Means to do us Honour Christ hath delivered us both from the Hurt and Fear of Death Heb. 2.14 15. That through Death he might destroy him that had the Power of Death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of Death were all their life-time subject to Bondage So that we may entertain it with Delight as Iacob looked upon the Chariots that were sent for him with rejoicing This is a Messenger to carry me to Christ and who would refuse to be happy Phil. 1.23 I desire to depart and to be with Christ. They know Death is but a loosing from the Body that they may be joined to Christ and they had rather lose a thousand Bodies than Fellowship with Christ their Souls are sent away in peace to the place of Bliss 8. This makes the Day of Judgment sweet Look as the betrothed Virgin longs for the Day of Espousals and when the Bridegroom will come or as a Woman longs for the return of her Husband that is gone a long Voyage so the Soul that is betrothed to Christ longs for the return of the Bridegroom that he may carry it into his Father's House 9. It will make the Thoughts of Heaven sweet When a Christian walks abroad and points up to Heaven he may say there is the place of my Bliss and everlasting Abode One would think this were enough to ravish the Heart of any Man and make him do any thing even run to the ends of the Earth to gain this strong Consolation But we are backward and slow therefore here is the great Question What shall we do to get and keep this great Comfort I shall give you a few Directions Many rest in Notions when they see the Way they are discouraged and go no farther But will you engage before the Lord to observe these things if you find them according to Scripture First Then how to get these strong Consolations 1. Lay a good Foundation by meditating upon the Mercy and Truth of God in the Gospel Our first Comfort ariseth from Meditation or the serious Act of Faith on the Mercy and Truth of God as settled Assurance ariseth from a sight of Evidence God usually gives us at first Conversion a taste of his Goodness and Sweetness which differeth from Assurance 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby If so be ye have â—â—sted that the Lord is gracious Usually at first when the Soul is taken up with deep Thoughts of God's Love and Mercy in Christ God lets in some Comfort and Sweetness into the Soul which though it be not Assurance and a solemn Testimony of our Interest in Christ yet it is a Refreshment which the Soul receiveth while it admires the Riches and the Bounty and the Certainty of God's Grace However this is a Taste a Beginning that maketh as look after a more assured sense of God's Grace Briefly there must be believing Thoughts of God's Mercy and Truth I call this Meditation because all the direct Acts of Faith are performed and carried on by the help of the Thoughts Faith engageth us in solemn musing and deep Thoughts fasten things upon the Spirit As Eggs are hatched by a constant Incubation so when the Soul museth Comfort ariseth The two things you should often propound are Mercy and Truth because they are the Iâ—â—hin and Boaâ— the two Pillars which support the Covenant of Grace for it was made in Mercy and kept in Truth Therefore it is said Mich. 7.20 Thou wilt perform the Truth to Jacob and Mercy to Abraham The Covenant was made first with Abraham therefore it was Mercy to him but it was made good to Iacob therefore it was Truth to him In the 89th Psalm they are seven times coupled the one is the Fountain the other the Pipe and Conveyance it springs from Mercy and is conveyed and dispensed in Truth Therefore the Psalmist saith Psal. 25.10 All the Paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to them that keep his Covenant and his Testimonies It is free that it may be sure and sure that it may be free These are the two Attributes God doth glorify in the Covenant of Grace and in all his Dispensations of Grace 1. Meditate of the Mercy and Love of God In the Covenant of Works God would glorify his Justice but his great Aim in the Covenant of Grace is to glorify his Mercy Ephes. 1.6 To the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath accepted us in the Beloved God would make Grace glorious Justice seeks a fit Object Mercy only a fit Occasion The Question of Justice is To whom is it due But the Question of Mercy is Who wants it who needs it Well then though Satan and our own Hearts may make many Objections there is enough indeed to overwhelm us to damn us when we look to our selves But what will God glorify Grace Grace This is the Banner he hath spread over the Church in defiance of all the Powers of Darkness He hath brought me to the Banqueting-house and his Banner over me was Love Cant. 2.4 You must refresh your Souls with a sense of God's Mercy every day get a sprinkling of Christ's Blood upon your Heart Now in the establishing Assurance this is necessary for the Spirit sealeth us a Spirit of Promise upon terms of Mercy and Grace Ephes. 1.13 Ye were sealed
Here is God to satisfy us There is an infinite Latitude in the Object of Faith Father Son and Holy Ghost with all their Powers and Capacities to do us Good No Pain so great but he can mitigate or remove it no Danger so dreadful or so likely but he can prevent it no Misery so deep but he can deliver us from it no Enemies so strong but he can vanquish them no Want that he cannot supply Gen. 17.1 The Lord appeared to Abraham and said unto him I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect When we have a Want that God cannot supply or a Sickness that God cannot cure or a Danger that he cannot prevent or a Misery that he cannot remove or can produce any Enemies or Creatures that are too hard for God then we have leave to yield to Trouble and Despondency of Heart Chuse God as your Portion and chief Happiness and you shall want nothing Psal. 23.6 Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the Days of my Life Surely could we more believe in God our Hearts would be more ballanced and kept steady not tost up and down with various Occurrences Whatever falleth out we have a God still to rejoice in and depend upon Habak 3.18 Yet will I rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation He supposeth himself not only in some necessity but in extremity not only kept bare but reduced to nothing 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet alway rejoicing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things You have all things in him 2. Here is Christ as Mediator We have great Advantage by that Consideration 1. Hereby we see God in our Nature and so nearer at hand and ready to help us and more accessible for us to come at than as God considered in the mere Deity John 1.14 The VVord was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us God is come down and become our Neighbour yea like one of us Bone of our Bone and Flesh of our Flesh. Though he has removed his Dwelling again into Heaven yet it is for our sakes our Nature is there though our Persons be not He is sat down as our Agent Heb. 8.1 VVe have such an High-Priest who is sat on the right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 4.15 For we have not an High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all Points tempted like as we are yet without Sin God in our Flesh will not be strange to us We are bidden Isa. 58.7 not to hide our selves from our own Flesh. Gen. 29.14 And Laban said unto him Surely thou art my Bone and my Flesh and he abode with him 2. In the Mystery of Redemption all the Divine Persons put themselves in an Order for our Faith to take hold of Faith may close with any one of the Persons of the Blessed Trinity provided we divide not the Divine Essence in our Thoughts But in the Mystery of Redemption all is made obvious and handy to our Faith The Father considered as the Fountain of the Deity to whom we come for Grace and Mercy The second Person clothed with our Flesh through whom we come Being assisted and enabled to come by the Holy Spirit who is the third Person Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an Access by one Spirit unto the Father This is that full and satisfying Object with which Faith closeth when it acteth most distinctly In the Father there we see original Love or original Authority and infinite free Grace Iohn 3.16 For God so loved the VVorld that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life In the Son everlasting Righteousness and Redemption Heb. 9.12 Neither by the Blood of Goats and Calves but by his own Blood he entred in once into the holy Place having obtained eternal Redemption for us In the Spirit infinite Virtue and Power for the applying of Christ's Purchase for he createth a new Spirit in us he createth the Fruit of the Lips Peace Peace It is God that must be satisfied and by God must this Satisfaction be made and by him that is God must this Satisfaction be applied before we can have the Comfort of it You have all in one Verse 1 Pet. 1.2 Elect according to the fore-knowledg of God the Father through the Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and the sprinkling of the Blood of Iesus Christ. So ver 21 22. VVho by him do believe in God that raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope might be in God seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit In the Father we see Elective Love in the Son there is full Redemption and by the Spirit effectual Application The Father appoints Blessedness to us the Son purchaseth it for us and the Holy Ghost carrieth it on powerfully and invincibly The Salvation of poor Sinners is a Work wherein all the Persons of the blessed Trinity are engaged and do concur therein by a several distinct personal Operation Surely that is a noble Work wherein such Agents are imployed and our Hearts must be raised to give equal Glory to all the Persons knowingly and distinctly and explicitely The Father out of his good Pleasure electing Sinners to Grace and Glory The Son by his Obedience and Suffering purchasing the same for them The Holy Ghost by his Power working Grace in them and preparing them for that Blessedness which the Father hath appointed and Christ hath purchased for them 3. In believing of Christ as Mediator our Troubles are stopped at the Fountain-head It is not the Wrath and Fury of the Creature but the Wrath of God which maketh us miserable and nothing can fully comfort us if God be apprehended as an Enemy or not fully reconciled to us Now God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself 2 Cor. 5.19 There was Enmity stopped God in our Nature suffering for us dying for us and paying a full Ransom for our Sins so that now all true Believers may draw nigh to him as a reconciled God for Christ hath merited Favour for all those who come to God by him 4. By believing in Christ as Mediator we may be assured of his purchase of Glory for us which is the great Cordial against all Trouble whatsoever 1 Thess. 5.9 10. For God hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain Salvation by Iesus Christ who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him He biddeth them comfort one another with these Words ver 18. When a great Judgment is a coming upon Men because of their Sins a Believer is Affliction-proof because he hath secured his eternal Interests by Christ. Here our Lord Jesus telleth them he was going to Heaven to prepare a Place for them Whilst we flatter our selves with temporal
next World but to carry us thither with Comfort supplying us in a way most conducible to his Glory and our Welfare Psal. 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly All things are yours Ordinances Providences 1 Cor. 3.21 For all things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is God's 2. Hereafter That Christ will give us Eternal Glory and Happiness in the other World 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting And Iohn 20.31 These are written that ye might believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name This is the main Blessing which Faith aimeth at 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your Souls By this all Temptations of Sense are defeated Now if you would know whether your Faith groweth or no you must discover it by the Firmness of your Assent or the Resolvedness of your Consent or the Peace and Confidence of your Relyance 1. For Assent If you believe the Word of Gâ—d especially the Gospel part with an Assent so strong that you can resolve to venture your whole Happiness in this bottom and let go all that you may obtain the Hopes which the Gospel offereth to you certainly he hath a strong Faith who taketh Gods Promises for his whole Felicity and God's Word for his only Security he needeth no more nor no better Thing nor surer Conveyance to engage him to hazard all that he hath when the Enjoyment of it is inconsistent with his Fidelity to Christ. 2. Your Consent A full entire Hearty Consent to resign your Selves to Christ not a feeble Consent such as is contradicted by every foolish and hurtful Lust but a prevalent Consent such as can maintain it self notwithstanding Difficulties Temptations and Oppositions of the Flesh and controll all other Desires and Delights whatsoever 3. For Relyance When you can trust him for deliverance from the Guilt Power and Punishment of Sin and to quicken strengthen and preserve Grace in you to everlasting Life You trust him in all his Offices as a Priest when you believe his Merits and Sacrifice and Comfort your selves with his Gracious Promises and Covenant and come to God with more boldness and Hope of Mercy upon the account of his Intercession especially in all Extremities and Necessities Heb. 4.14 15 16. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God Let us hold fast our Profession for we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need You trust him as a Prophet when you give up your selves as his Disciples to the Conduct of his Word and Spirit being parswaded that he will infallibly teach you the way to true Happiness Ioh. 6.68 Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life You trust him as a King when you become his Subjects and are perswaded that he will Govern you in Truth and Righteousness in order to your Salvation and defend you by his mighty Power from all your Enemies 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And 2 Tim. 4.18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom To whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen SERMON III. ON 2 THESS I. v. 3. Your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth THE Growth and Encrease of Faith may be Judged of 1. By the Nature of Faith 2. The Properties of it 3. The Examples and Instances of great Faith in Scripture We are now upon the Second Thing the Properties 1. A Dependance upon God for something that lyeth out of Sight That this is an Essential Property of Faith appeareth by the Description of it Heb. 11.1 The Evidence of things not seen that is not seen by Sense and Reason Some things are invisible by reason of their Nature as God for no man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 And therefore he is called the Invisible God Col. 1.15 And some things by reason of their Distance because they are Absent and Future as the Glory of the World to come and therefore 't is an Object of Faith and Hope Rom. 8.24 For hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for it Vision and Possession exclude Hope and leave no room and place for it Now without Faith a Man can have no sight of these things 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off There is a mist upon Eternity and we cannot look beyond the Clouds of this lower World unless we have the Eagle-eye of Faith but by Faith we can see them so as to frame our Lives accordingly 2 Cor. 5.7 For we walk by Faith and not by Sight By Sense we see what is pleasing or displeasing to the Flesh but by Faith what conduceth to the saving or losing of the Soul Faith being very much like Sight and serving us for the Government of the Soul as Sight doth for the Body it may much be explained by it Now to Bodily Sight there must be an Object a Medium to make the Object conspicuous and a Faculty or Organ 1. The Great Object of Faith is Eternal Life as procured by Christ and promised in the Gospel There is no use of Sight where nothing is to be seen therefore the Object is set before us in the view of Faith in the Promises of the Gospel Heb. 6.18 and Heb. 12.2 God's Truth is as certain as Sight it self can be in it we see all things promised as sure and near 2. The Medium As we see Colours in the Light of the Air so these Spiritual and heavenly things in the Light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 12. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of a man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God 3. The Eye or Visive Power A Blind Man cannot see at Noon-day nor the sharpest Sight at Midnight Now this
but granted assured it to Believers by the Promises of the Gospel 1 Ioh. 2.25 'T is so conveyed to us as that we may be sure of Obtaining it 3. 'T is more than a Prophecy or simple Prediction Scripture Prophecies will be fulfilled because of God's Veracity but Scripture Promises will be fulfilled not only because of God's Veracity but also because of his Fidelity and Justice As by our Promise another Man cometh to have a right to the thing promised therefore it is just it should be given unto him so 't is in God 't was his Mercy and Goodness to make the Promise but his Holiness and Justice bindeth him to make it good 1 Ioh. 1.9 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And as for Pardon so for Life 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the righteous Iudge shall give me on that day It becometh a Debt of Grace This may be illustrated by what Divines say of an Assertory Lye and a Promissory Lye An assertory Lye is when we speak of a thing past or present otherwise than it is and a promissory Lye is when we speak of a thing for the time to come which we never intend to perform and this is the worst sort of Lyes because it doth not only pervert the end of Speech which is Truth but also defeateth another of that Right which we seem to give him by our Promise in the thing promised which is a farther degree of Injustice Now we should apprehend God to be very far from this Titus 1.2 In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began And Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which 't was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong Consolation Secondly 'T is the Promise of God In every Promise that it be certain and firm three things are required 1. That it be made seriously and heartily with a purpose to perform it 2. That he that promiseth continue in his Purpose without change of Mind 3. That it be in the Power of him that promiseth to perform what he hath so promised Now in the Promise of God there can be no doubt of any of these things Certainly God meaneth as he speaketh when he promiseth Eternal Life to the Faithful Servants and Disciples of Jesus Christ for what need had he to court his Creatures into a false and imaginary Happiness which he never meant to bestow upon them to send his Son with a Commission from Heaven to assure them of it who also wrought Miracles to confirm the Message that he brought from God dyed upon this Truth and rose again and entred into the Happiness that he spoke of to give us Assurance and a visible demonstration of the Truth of it sent abroad his Apostles to invite the World to embrace it his Holy Spirit accompanying them and sealing their Message also with divers Signs and Wonders And surely he doth continue in the same mind for there is no repeal of this Law of Grace and He is able to perform it for what difficulty is there which Omnipotency cannot subdue and overcome Surely what God hath promised he is fully able to perform 2. The Acts of Faith about the Word 1. We are to Believe and Credit it upon solid and sufficient Evidence 't is said Heb. 11.11 They saw these things afar off and were perswaded of them And Acts 13.48 When the Gentiles heard this they glorified the Word of God and believed that is Blessed God for his glorious Mercy revealed in the Gospel the sound Belief and firm Assent leadeth on other things for the most powerful Truths work not 'till they are believed 1 Thes. 2.13 Ye received the Word not as the Word of Man but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Here beginneth the Efficacy Now usually we receive the Truth at first upon low and insufficient Evidence but afterwards our Assent is upon better grounds and more valid and strong as the Samaritans Joh. 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World Her saying was much for the Woman had testified that she had met with an Holy Person that had told her of all that ever she did So Nathaniel was drawn to Christ by Philip's perswasion but when he perceived that he knew the Heart and secret things Ioh. 1.48 49. He saith unto him whence knowest thou me Iesus answered and said unto him Before that Philip called thee when thou wast under the Figg-tree I saw thee Nathaniel answered and saith unto him Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel Christ then promiseth him farther Assurance and greater Evidence which should beget a more confirmed and strong Faith Verse the 50 th Iesus answered and said unto him Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Figg-tree believest thou thou shalt see greater things than these The Church is in possession of a Religion which God hath Blessed throughout successions of Ages and we received the Doctrine of the Gospel and New Covenant upon report and hearsay hereafter we see farther and better grounds and the Scriptures are owned with more certainty of Evidence Well then here is the first thing Assent or a receiving all Truths about Supernatural things upon the Credit of God's Word 2. The Work of Faith is to apply these things For the closer such Blessed Truths are laid to our own Souls the more we feel the vertue of them Iob 5.27 Lo this it is know thou it for thy good Rom. 8.31 VVhat shall we then say to these things The Promise includeth you as well as others and promiseth and offereth you Pardon and Life if you will believe in Christ Therefore the Application I press you to is not a Claim of Priviledges stay a while there but an exciting your selves to perform the Duties of the Gospel that you may turn away from all other ways of Felicity and choose this alone Faith must be Applicative and the closer the Application the better But there is a difference between the Application which is an Excitement of your Duty and that Application which is an assurance of your Interest Acts 13.20 To you is this word of Salvation sent 'T is my Duty to make general Grace particular but not presently and at first dash to enter my Plea and Claim but to oblige me to take God's Way God calleth upon me to Repent and Believe in Christ that I may have Pardon and Life 3. We are heartily to Consent to this Blessed Covenant which is contained in the Word of God taking the Promises offered for our Happiness resolving upon the Duties required as our Work Acts 2.41 They received the word gladly and were baptized There was a Precept and a Promise Verse 38. they accepted the Counsel and
Faith and wherein the greatness of it lay 2. How this Faith was bred and begotten in him 3. The Effects and Fruits of it or how it discovered its self I. The Nature of his Faith It was a firm Perswasion that all Power and Authority was eminently in Christ and that he could do what he pleased The great End of Christ in all his Miracles was to discover himself to be the Son of God and one in whom the Divine Nature and Power resided and so by consequence that true Messiah and Saviour of the World This was Peter's Confession of Faith Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the Son of the living God The Promised Messiah the anointed Saviour of the World And with Peter all the rest of the Disciples join Iohn 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God This the Samaritans being Convinced and Converted confessed also Ioh. 4.42 We know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World This Martha acknowledges Ioh. 11.27 She saith unto him yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God that should come into the VVorld This was it which the Apostles preached Acts 13.23 Of this Man's seed hath God according to his Promise raised unto Israel a Saviour Iesus This they required of all whom they Converted to the Christian Faith Acts 8.37 I believe that Iesus Christ is the Son of God Now this the Centurion cometh off roundly with being firmly perswaded of a Divine Power and Authority in Christ for he ascribeth an Omnipotency to his Word and reasoneth it out notably Speak but the word and my Servant shall be healed Ver. 8 9. For I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say to this man goe and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my Servant do this and he doeth it Here then was the greatness of his Faith Objection You will say then all have great Faith for all the Christian World professeth this truth that Jesus is the Son of God Papists and Protestants Carnal and Renewed the rabble of Nominal Christians as well as the seriously Godly are of this Opinion that Jesus is the Son of God and the Saviour of the World Answer 1. Distinguere Tempora You must distinguish of the times In that Age there was no humane reason to believe this Truth Antiquity was against it and therefore when Paul preached Jesus they said He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods Acts 17.18 Authority was against it 1 Cor. 2.8 Which none of the Princes of this World knew for had they known it they would not have Crucifyed the Lord of glory Authority not only Civil but Ecclesiastical was against it Acts 4.11 This is the Stone which was set at nought of you builders The universal Consent of the habitable World was against it Only a small handfull of contemptible People owned him Luk. 12.32 Fear not little Flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At that time it was the Critical Point the hated Truth that the Carpenter's Son should be owned as the Son of God Those bleak Winds that blew in our Backs and thrust us onward to Believe blew in their Faces and drove them from it Those very Reasons which move us to own Christ moved them to reject him For many Ages the Name of Christ hath been in Request and Honour but then it was a despised way For Men to lay aside their old Religion and Temples and Altars and Ceremonies and Rights of Worship for the new way of Jesus of Nazareth never heard of before born of a Jewish Woman living in a mean way Crucifyed like a Malefactor and dead and buried that he should be owned as the Son of God and the Saviour of the World what could be to appearance more unreasonable Alas what should we have done if we had been put to encounter with these Difficulties and Prejudices and no sooner did any Man own this truth but he was presently exposed to all manner of Troubles and Persecutions brought before Magistrates tortured murthered by all the Cruel Deaths that could be devised and all this to be endured upon the hopes of an unseen World Therefore then it was an undoubted Truth 1 Iohn 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Iesus is the Son of God is born of God And 1 Iohn 4.2 Every Spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh is of God Nay somewhat less than Faith and great Faith At his first appearance a certain perswasion impressed upon the Soul by the Spirit of God of the Divine Power and Alsufficiency of Christ so as to repair to him for help was Faith and great Faith when the vail of his Humane Nature and Infirmities did not keep the Eye of Faith from seeing him to have a Divine Power thô they could not unriddle all the Mysteries about his Person and Office this was accepted for Saving Faith 2. The Speculative Belief of this Truth was not sufficient then no more than it is now but the Practical Improvement Grant that Truth that Jesus is the Son of God and other things will follow as that we must obey his Laws and depend upon his Promises and make use of his Power and trust our selves in his hands otherwise the bare acknowledgment was not sufficient If a Man had at that time with some kind of Belief owned Christ as the Son of God and yet could not overcome the shame and fear of the World he would not have been accepted for it is said 1 Iohn 5.5 Who is he that overcometh the World but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God Unless that effect followed the Belief was vain Therefore it is said Iohn 2.23 24 25. Many believed in his Name when they saw the Miracles which he did But Iesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men And needed not that any should testifie of man for he knew what was in Man Christ knew the inside of Men and therefore knew this Faith was unlikely to bear any stress or hold out against Temptations Men might be convinced of some Excellency and Divine Power in Christ and yet remain unconverted So Acts 8. Simon Magus believed in Christ yet remained in the gall of bitterness and bond of Iniquity So we read again Iohn 8.30 31. As he spake these words many believed on him Then said Iesus to those Iews which believed on him if ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed Some are his Disciples in shew not truly and really being not settled and rooted in the Faith So it is noted Iohn 12.42 43. Nevertheless among the chief Rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God They had Faith but it was too weak to encounter Temptations they were too
great stay to the Souls of true Believers to cause them with Comfort to trust themselves and all their Affairs in the hands of Christ. We have no reason to doubt of his Care Protection and Merciful Disposal of us and if poor sick and desolate you may go to him it is in the power of his hands to help you 1. There is no want but he can easily supply it Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want 2. There is no pain or suffering but he can easily mitigate or remove it Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 3. There is no danger so great from which he is not able to deliver thee Dan. 3.17 18. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Where can we be so safe as in the Love and Covenant of such an Almighty Saviour Get but this imprinted upon your Hearts and it will beget a strong and stedfast Confidence in him 6. He reasoneth from the strict Discipline observed in the Roman Armies where there was no disputing of Commands or questioning Why and Wherefore I am a man under Authority having Soldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my Servant do this and he doth it Verse 9 th Where he compareth Person with Person I am a Man thou a God Condition with Condition a subordinate Officer with Christ the Supream Lord He knew what it was to obey and to have Power over others Power with Power his Power over Soldiers and Servants with Christ's Command over all Events Health and Sickness Life and Death Reasoning for God and his Promises is a great advantage We are Naturally acute in reasoning against Faith but when the Understanding is quick and ready to invent Arguments to encourage Faith it is a good sign VSE Go you and do likewise From the Example of the Centurion let me encourage you 1. To readiness of Believing Iames 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated This is opposite to that slowness of Heart to believe which we read of Luke 24.25 Oh Fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken These are more receptive and easie to entertain a Doctrine than others Iohn 7.17 If any Man do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God The Sincere and Renewed need less ado to convince them There is a light Credulity Prov. 14.15 The Simple believeth every word and there is the readiness of a Sincere Mind to embrace the Truth We are to captivate our Understandings to the Obedience of Faith but not every Fancy lest we be like Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine Eph. 4.14 No a Christian must not be like a Reed shaken with the Wind nor believe every Spirit but yet where the Truth is sufficiently evidenced we must embrace it Most of our Hesitancy in Religion comes not so much from the Conflict between our Light and the Doubts of our Mind as from the Conflict between our Light and Lusts which maketh us irresolute but a sincere Heart soon overcometh the difficulty 2. To represent our Necessity to Christ and referr the Event to him to commit and submit all to him There is an Alsufficiency of Power and Infinite Pity and Goodness that we need not trouble our selves about the Event Submission before the Event is Faith as after it is Patience This is true Faith in such Cases as the Centurion came about to referr all to Christ. 3. To be Humble In all our Commerce with Christ Faith must produce a real Humility Faith is most high when the Heart is most low Luke 18.11 12 13 14. The Pâ—arisee stood and prayed saying God! I thank thee I am not as other men are c. I fast twice a week I give tithes of all that I possess And the Publican standing afar off would not so much as lift up his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted The one changelled a Debt the other begged a Favour Humble Supplications to God become us better than proud Expostulations 4. To meditate often on the Soveraign Dominion of Christ and his Power over all things that fall out in the World To keep us from warping and running to unlawful shifts God propoundeth his Alsufficiency to our Faith when we enter into Covenant with him Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect He hath Power enough to help defend and reward us we need not seek elsewhere for a Protector or Paymaster the Word of his Providence is enough he can heal our Diseases supply our Necessities or bless a little as he did the Pulse to the captive Children Dan. 1.15 Their Countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the Children which did eat the portion of the Kings meat A SERMON ON MATTH XV. v. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Then Iesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon And behold a Woman of Canaan came out of the same Coasts and cryed unto him saying Have mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil But he answered her not a word and his Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she cryeth after us But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and cast it to Dogs And she saith Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table And Iesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her Daughter was made whole from that very hour WE come now to the Second Instance of a Great and Grown Faith This ought to be considered by us In the Centurion me had an Instance of a reasoning Faith now of a wrestling Faith Faith wrestling with grievous Temptations but at length obtaining help from God We ought to consider this for these Reasons 1. Because Christ pronounceth it to be great Faith and so proper for our Imitation O Woman great is thy Faith It is the Faith of a Woman a
will not hearken to the Voice of Charmers charming never so wisely So Mat. 11.17 We have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented The sweetest Strains of Grace move not the obstinate Sinner If an Angel come from Heaven he cannot bring you better Arguments for the Gospel is the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 If one came from the Dead he cannot present you with more powerful Motives Luke 16.31 If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the Dead O why will you not be perswaded You do in effect say Let God do or say what he will he shall not have my Heart Well then this Unteachableness and Unperswadibleness is another Property of Hardness of Heart and Slowness of Heart and Backwardness to God's Work is a Degree to it 2. It is inflexible to the Motions of God's Spirit God doth not only invite Sinners by the Word but knocketh at their Hearts by the pressing Motions and Impulsions of his Grace and yet they do not open to him to give him entrance How often have we eluded the Importunity of many warm Convictions and baffled many Pangs and Checks of Conscience Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost Their Ears are said to be uncircumcised as they do resist the Counsels of the Word and their Hearts as they do resist the Motions of the Spirit who enforceth Truths with a clearer Light and Conviction upon their Hearts There are many importunate Motions and Convictions which they slight and oppose An hard Heart goeth to Hell with Violence the Word standeth in the way and the Spirit standeth in the way but still they break through and so their Condemnation is more just As the Prophet said Isa. 7.13 Is it a small thing for you to weary Men but ye will weary my God also Wicked Men do not only grieve God's Ministers and Messengers but his Spirit in refusing to accept his gracious Offers The Crime would be less if the Counsel of the Messengers were not enforced by the Motions and Inspirations of the Holy Ghost God is not behind-hand with a Sinner If the Words of Men offer occasion of Suspicion and Prejudice yet these inward Checks and Excitements in their own Bosoms to be more serious and diligent carry their own Evidence with them and upon such a close Application we should be ashamed to give God the Denial But they resist all inward and outward Means of Reformation they resist the Spirit as well as despise the Minister But can the Spirit be resisted Certainly no when he worketh according to an eternal Purpose of Grace for God never made a Creature too hard for himself Yea it is said even of wicked Men Acts 6.10 They were not able to resist the Wisdom and Spirit by which he spake The meaning is they could not hinder his Workings tho they thwarted his Motions the Light was so clear that they could not hinder the shining of it nor contradict it but out of obstinate Malice But how are they said to resist the Holy Ghost We had need to vindicate the Place because it is usually urged against the Efficacy of Divine Grace The Operation of the Spirit is not irresistible say they for the Jews did always resist it We may grant the whole Wicked Men of an hard Heart may resist the common Operations of the Spirit his Light and his Motions but the Opposition of the Elect is overpowered by the Efficacy of Grace There is a Spirit of Resistance in us but the stronger Operation of the Holy Ghost maketh it to give place we may kick against the Pricks till the Soul be awakened and then God hath us at his own beck Tho the Grace of Conversion be not common to Elect and Reprobate yet the Grace that tendeth to Conversion is common and this may be resisted God may knock at the Heart that is never opened to him they may have Excitements but alas they are as the Rock or Adamant to the Tool There is no Impression left upon them Obj. But if God will use a fainter Operation why are they to blame I answer God is not bound but they are bound to prepare their Hearts to receive his Motions let them prove God a Debtor and they may excuse themselves for their Disobedience III. The Kinds of Hardness These will be known by these Distinctions 1. The first Distinction is that Hardness of Heart is either 1. Natural or 2. Voluntary and Acquired or 3. Penal and Judicial 1. Natural Hardness of Heart is a part of inbred Corruption which remaineth with us till God take it away by Grace Ezek. 11.19 I will take away the stony Heart out of their Flesh and I will give them an Heart of Flesh. The Stone in the Heart is a Disease that all Adam's Posterity are subject unto it runs in the Blood It is not incident to Nabals only or such as he was Men of a churlish and crabbed Temper no all Men are sick and most Men die of this Disease We brought it with us into the World a strong Bent to carnal Things and by consequence an Averseness from God and it is a mighty Work of Grace if we do not carry it with us out of the World When Nabal died his Heart was a Stone and so might yours 2. Acquired and Voluntary when Men do wittingly and willingly reject the Counsel of God and strengthen themselves in their natural Disobedience and Obstinacy or being invited to Faith and Repentance by God out of love to Sin resist God's Call and put away the Word from them and refuse to obey Psal. 95.8 Harden not your Hearts It is our own Act. And 2 Kings 17.14 They would not hear but hardned their Necks like to the Neck of their Fathers This increaseth our natural Hardness and maketh it grow more and more till it be stiffned and settled in an Aversion to God as a crooked Stick or Twig by growing becometh more difficult to be made streight By every Act of Sin we lessen our Awe of God and having ventured once grow more bold to sin a second time Men when they first put forth to Sea are very fearful but afterwards laugh at Storms so when a Man cometh off safe from Sin he will venture again By every Act of Disobedience our Incapacity to receive Grace is increased and our Inclination to carnal Vanities is strengthned By frequent Acts we are confirmed in the Habit. But nothing increaseth this voluntary Hardness so much as refusing Grace as no Water is so apt to freeze as that that hath been once heated God is provoked when we refuse his Grace upon a closer Application and the Heart is encouraged to continue in Sin So that by their Carelesness and Delay Men are hardning by Degrees Every Call defeated addeth one Degree of Hardness more and so God is more
Meditation because it is the Product and Issue of it as Psalm 5.1 Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation Implying that his Prayer was but the expressions of his deliberate and premeditated thoughts So Psalm 19.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer It is the vent of the thoughts 2. Whereby the mind is applyed to the serious and solemn consideration I add this to distinguish it from Occasional Meditation and those good thoughts that accidentally rush into our minds and to note the care and intenseness of the Soul in such an Exercise Prov. 18.1 Through desire a man having separated himself seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdom then is a Man fit for these Solemn and Holy Thoughts and for intermeddling with all Wise and Divine Matters when he hath divorced himself from other Cares and is able to keep his Understanding under a prudent Confinement 3. Of Spiritual things This noteth the Object and so I call Matters that are of an useful Consideration as for instance God that we may fear him Sin that we may abhor it the Works of God for the Creators Glory any useful Subâ—ect So David limiteth it Psalm 49.3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding He meaneth of the State and end of Man Generally the Object in the Old Testament is of the Law 4. For Practical Vses and Inferences This noteth the end Meditation is not to puzzle the Head with Notions but to better the Heart The proper use of this Exercise is to set on those great Practical Heads of Religion to work the Heart to a greater care of Duty and Detestation of Sin To a greater care of Duty Psalm 119.15 I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes and to a greater detestation and hatred of Sin Psalm 119.11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee SERMON II. GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even tide II. I AM now come to the Necessity and Profit of Meditation or Motives to press to this Duty I shall urge such as will serve also for Marks for when it is well performed you will find these Effects wrought in you Meditation is the Mother and Nurse of Knowledge and Godlyness the great Instrument in all the Offices of Grace it helpeth on the work of Grace upon the Understanding Affections and Life for the understanding of the Doctrine of Godlyness for the provoking of Godly Affections and for the Heavenly Life 1. In point of Understanding it is of great Advantage to us in the entertainment of the Doctrines of Religion 1. To give us a clearer and more distinct sight of them A Man seeth the Meaning Scope and Order of all points of Religion when he cometh to meditate on them Knowledge without Meditation is but an hear-say Knowledge we talk after one another like Parrots and as the Moon that shineth with another lustre without any Light rooted in its own Body Rom. 2.20 Which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Map of Knowledge we have nothing but the lean apprehension of others As the Philosopher said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they repeat them by Rote without Affection and Belief so we speak one after another by Rote but do not so distinctly discern the Worth and Excellency of Christianity as when we come to meditate upon it Iohn 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world Most Mens Knowledge is but Traditional they never made an Essay and tasted the sweetness of Christ or of their own thoughts oh do but try bare apprehensions of the report of Christ is but Tradition not Religion When we come to exercise our own thoughts thereon then we see him our selves the sight is more clear when it is steady and fixed To one that passeth by to see Men dancing and frisking seemeth lightness and madness but when he cometh nearer and heareth the Musick and observeth that they keep time and pace and measure with it he findeth Art in that which he thought Frenzy The Beauty and Excellency of Religion is not discerned by a transient glance when we come to meditate and so see what is our Beloved above all Beloveds then we admire him The Christian Religion is not to be taken up by Chance but by Choice not because we know no other but because we know no better then our Affections to it are the more Rational the Judgment having had a clearer sight and tryal 2. That we may the better retain them When an Apple is tossed to and fro in the hand it smelleth of it when the Apple is gone as when Civet hath been long kept in the Box the Sent remaineth when the Civet is taken out A constant Light is a great Friend to Memory and Sermons meditated on are remembred long after they are delivered We do not forget those Friends whom we have entertained with any Solemnity Solemn and Serious Thoughts leave a charge upon the Memory 3. That they may be alwayes more ready and present with us All Sins do arise out of incogitancy or forgetfulness As for instance distrust Heb. 12.5 Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children Luke 24.6 He is not here but is risen remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee A Temptation gets the start of Holy Thoughts It were a mighty Advantage to have Truths alwaies ready Now this is the Spirits Office Iohn 14.26 But the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you But now for an outward help there is no such thing as Meditation Prov. 6.21 22. Bind them continually upon thine heart and tye them about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee that is it shall be alwaies present with thee Continual Meditation maketh Religious Thoughts actual and present 2. It is a great advantage to the work of Grace upon the Affections Ponderous Thoughts are the bellows that kindle and inflame the Affections they blow up those latent sparkles of Grace that are in the Soul Impute Thoughts stain the Heart and convey a taint and filth to the Soul 2 Pet. 2.14 Having eyes full of adultery When the Fancy is rolled upon unclean Objects Lust is kindled Lust Revenge Covetousness they are all fed with thoughts a wicked Spirit distilleth Sin into the quintessence of Villany the imaginations of the Heart are evil So suitably good
times or an inchanter or a wiâ—ch or a charmer or a consulter with familiar spirits or a wizard or a necromancer For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord and because of the abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee For these nations which thou shalt possess hearkned unto observers of times and unto diviners but as for thee the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the middest of thee of thy brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken It would make Religion ridiculous like a story of Hobgoblins and Bugbears wherewith we fright Children or like the fond superstitions of the Heathens that held the World under the servility and bondage of scrupulous fears 2. It is not so sure a way How could we trust or believe any one that should bring a message from the dead since impostors are so rise Satan can turn himself into an Angel of Light What security can we have against delusions How miserably we may be deceived by Stories from the dead is to be seen in Popery Therefore it is a favour that we have such a sure rule Gal. 1.8 But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you let him be accursed We shall never be free from evil designs 3. It is not so effectual a course as some think The great Doctor of the Church arose from the dead which was confirmed by Five Hundred Witnesses nothing so credible and yet they would not believe and repent for all that The Iews would not believe Lazarus when after he had been four days dead he was raised up again 4. 'T is not so familiar a way and therefore not so fit to instil Faith and reduce Men to God's purpose by degrees as the written word to which we may have recourse without affrightment and that at all times This Spirit must be supposed to appear but rarely for if it were frequent and settled into a constant converse the way would be contemned But here we may view and review the Counsel of God in our most deliberate and serious thoughts and by searching come to know the mind of God Faith groweth in a rational way Acts 17.11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures dayly whether these things were so 1. VSE Information 1. That Man is apt to indent with God about believing and repenting upon terms of his own making Matth. 27.42 If he be the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him Psal. 78.19 Can God furnish a table in the wilderness Matth. 4.3 If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread Many require Miracles or new Apostles that maketh them turn Seekers or a Testimony from the dead a Spirit or a Vision and that maketh them turn Atheists or an Infallible Interpreter that should solve all questions or excuse them from the pains of Study and Prayer and that maketh them turn Papists Thus foolishly would we give Laws to Heaven and prescribe to God how he shall reveal his mind to Men. God will not alwaies give sensible confirmation 2. There lye more prejudices by far against any way of our devising than against the course which God hath instituted for the furthering of our Repentance Man is an ill Caterer for himself the People slighted Moses and would hear God himself speak But when he thundred upon the Mount then they say Let us no more hear the voice of God for then we shall dye Exod. 20.19 And they said unto Moses speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we dye All Gods institutions are full of reason and if we had Eyes to see it we could not be better provided for 3. God in giving the Scriptures hath done more for us than we could imagine yea better than we could wish to our selves He hath certainly done enough to leave us without excuse You think if one came from the dead this would be better but you have more and therefore if you be damned it will not be for want of Power but want of Will you have more than if one came from the dead Try what you can do with Moses and the Prophets It is a great Mercy to have a Rule by which all Doctrines are to be tryed to have a Standard and Measure of Faith and that put into Writing to preserve it against the weakness of Memory and the Treachery of evil designs and that translated into all Languages That we have such a Rule and so thoroughly finished is a great Mercy 4. That we are apt to betray present advantages by wishes of another Dispensation as that we may have Oracles and Miracles It is but a shift to think of other means than God hath provided They that believe not the Word will not believe one that should come from the dead Extraordinary means will not work upon them upon whom ordinary do not prevail Whatever Dispensation God uses Man is Man still Psalm 78.22 23 24. They believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation though he had commanded the clouds from above and had opened the doors of heaven And had rained down Manna upon them to eat and had given them the corn of heaven There were Unbelievers and Carnal Wretches when there were Miracles and so there would be still Though there were never so sufficient proof yet such is our perverseness that we shall slight Gods Counsel Man is ever at odds with the present Dispensation It is a sign the heart is out of order or else any Doctrine that is of God would set it a work 5. Those that like not the Message will ever quarrel at the Messenger and when the heart is wanting something is wanting We have means enough to believe it is our own carelesness and obstinacy that we do not Matth. 11.18 19. Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they say he hath a Devil The Son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners There is alwayes one exception or another 6. How credulous we are to Fables and how incredulous as to undoubted Truths Spirits and Apparitions these things are regarded by us but the Testimony of the Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures is little regarded 2. VSE To exhort us to improve the Scriptures to Repentance This is the great work Here I shall shew you 1. What Repentance is 2. What the Holy Scriptures offer to work us to Repentance 3. How we may improve these I. What Repentance is It is a turning of the whole Heart from Sin and Satan to serve God in newness of Life Or a turning from Sin because God
Obedience to his Holy Will The Sap is not seen but the Apples and Fruit appear Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance Matth. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance we can else have no comfortable evidence of it 3. It is for the honour of Christ as well as our own comfort and safety Obedience maketh Faith visible and sensible 2 Thess. 1.11 12. And fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power That the name of our Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him An Holy Conversation bringeth Doctrines near to our Senses and thereby it is more clear and powerful to gain upon others Christ hath the Honour we the Reward Iohn 15.8 Herein is my father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit so shall ye be my disciples And Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Uniform practice is such a fruit of Grace as representeth the Doctrine of Life with advantage to the Consciences of others otherwise we shall never do any great things for Christ in the World A Second SERMON On ACTS xxiv 14 15 16. Believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets And have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man VSE I. IS disproof of the Nullifidians and Solifidians Those that cry up good Life without Faith and on the other side that cry up empty Faith without Obedience and Holiness 1. Nullifidians who are very rife among us who do as wisely as those that would plant a Tree by the Top and not by the Root so they cry up a Morality without the Faith and Hope of the Gospel and that Love to God which is ingendred by it and so out of a Fondness of Pagan strictness and Philosophick institution defie the Religion they were bred up in There can be no true Love to God or Man without the Faith of the Gospel the Apostle telleth us Rom. 7.4 That we are married to him who was raised from the dead that we may bring forth fruit to God As the Children who are born before Marriage are Illegitimate so all that Justice and Temperance and Charity which is not cherished in us by the Love of God and Faith in Christ and the Hopes of the other World is but Mock-Grace and Bastard-Holiness and is not acceptable to God I shall prove two things 1. That Morality is not kindly unless it be founded on the Gospel and never so thoroughly promoted as by the Principles laid down there Titus 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world The more we believe all things contained in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles the more we are taught how to live Soberly Righteously and Godly in the present World There we have the true Principle of Obedience viz. Love to God fed and bred in us by his Love to us in Christ the true Incouragement and Motive of Obedience the Hopes of the other World the true Rule of Obedience Gods Mind revealed in his Word and perfecting the Light of Nature so far as it discovereth any thing of our Duty to God Neighbour and Self Here is better Furniture than we can have elsewhere a forcible Principle and a Glorious Hope and an exact Rule Now they that would cry up right Reason in defiance of these are not Christs Disciples but would make him theirs and teach him and his Apostles how to speak and teach the way to true Happiness and so are guilty of great unthankfulness for this Blessed Revelation which we have in the Gospel 2. That true Morality and good Conscience cannot be had without the Faith of the Gospel So that we are not only better provided but indeed cannot performe such Obedience as is acceptable to God without Faith in Christ. And therefore I shall shew you the defects that are in Mens Obedience till they believe in Christ. 1. There is a defect in their State they are not reconciled to God till they be in Christ and therefore he will not accept an Offering at their hands who neglect his Grace and will not sue out their atonement with him in that penitent and broken-hearted way which he hath appointed in the New Covenant Let them first sue out their pardon in the Name of Christ and then begin with a new Course of Obedience God is first placandus then placendus First his Wrath is to be appeased and then he will accept of our Duties and Actions First our Persons are accepted and then our Duties and Offerings Gen. 4.4 The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering Abel being a Believer and under Grace as the Apostle explaineth it Heb. 11.4 By Faith Abel offered unto God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witness that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead yet speaketh That is he was justified and accepted with God this is such a principle of Reason that Lilius Gyraldus saith it was the Custom of the Heathens Vt prius iratos Deos placarent postea invocarent propitios First To appease their Gods and then to pray unto them Man cometh as a Sinner to God and therefore first he must deprecate his Wrath and use all Means how God may be pacified and appeased 2. There is a defect in the Actions themselves 1. In the Root there is not a clear Fountain or Principle of Grace in their Hearts and then Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Iob 14.4 A clear Stream out of a dirty Puddle How can he performe a good Action which is naturally corrupt Without the Spirit of Christ all our good Actions have a blemish The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Eph. 5.9 It is but wild Fruit unless it be the Fruit of the Spirit and floweth from the Grace of Regeneration and that new State of Heart into which we are put by Jesus Christ Iohn 15.5 I am the vine ye are tht branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing One that is in Christ will be fruitful to God but without him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seorsim a me or apart from him there is no bringing forth Fruit to God it is not nihil magnum some great thing ye cannot work Miracles without me but nihil nothing nothing saving and acceptable to God 2. In a manner they do not obey God with that Purity that
without the apprehension of his doing good Psalm 119.68 Thou art good and doest good And of him and to him and through him are all things Rom. 11.36 Gods Essential Goodness is not I confess the first inviting Motive to draw our Hearts to him but his beneficial Goodness Yet the infinite perfection of his Nature is also an Object of our Love and Delight For the Creature was made for him and our good and benefit is not the last end As the Angels admire and adore God not only for his benefits but also for his Holiness and Soveraign Majesty and Dominion Isa. 6.3 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory So should we who are to laud God and serve God on Earth as he is served in Heaven Matth. 6.10 Admire him and delight in him for his Holyness and the infinite perfection of his Nature Surely we are not only to bless him but praise him Psalm 145.2 Every day will I bless thee and I will praise thy name for ever and ever And verse 10. All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy saints shall bless thee These two words have their distinct reference Blessing to his Benefits and Praise to his Excellencies and when we praise God for his Glorious Being we should do it in a delightful manner Psalm 135.3 Praise ye the Lord for the Lord is good sing praises unto his name for it is pleasant It is pleasant and delightful to think of or speak of or shew forth the Excellencies of his Heavenly Majesty Again his Holiness is an amiable thing and therefore the Object of our Delectation If we must delight in the Saints because of their Holiness though they have never done us good Psalm 16.3 But to the saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight If we are to account them the excellent ones of the Earth because of the Image and Beauty of God that is upon them then surely we are much more to love God not only because of his Benefits but because of his Holiness Yea if we are to love the Law of God and to delight in it as it is pure Psalm 119.140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it Then surely we are to love God also because of the immaculate purity of his Nature and to delight in him At least this is one though not the only nor the first reason of our love to him and delight in him 2. We are to delight and rejoyce in God as he hath discovered himself to us in Christ. That was the foundation of his beneficial goodness and the greatest discovery of the amiable Nature of God that ever was made to the Creature Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Rom. 5.8 Bâ—â— God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed foâ— us That we might not conceive God to be all Wrath and inexorable unless upon hard terms therefore Christ came as the express Image of his Person full of Grace and Truth Well then God reconciled in Christ is the Life and Spirit of all our joy and gladness In Christ we see him accessable near to us and within the reach of our Commerce as dwelling in our Nature In Christ we see him gracious and propitious to us ready to do us good Luke 1.46 47. My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour We have a great and a good God in Christ he is God and our Saviour 3. We rejoyce in God as we reâ—oyce in the fruits of our Redemption or in all those Spiritual Blessings which are offered or given to us by Christ such as Reconciliation or Gods admitting of us into the priviledges of his Holy Covenant Rom. 5.11 We joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Clear that once and the cause of all our sadness and drooping discouragements is taken out of the way The bottom cause of our bondage and fears is the quarrel God hath against us by reason of Sin we can never be soundly merry and comfortable till that be taken up for as long as we apprehend him an Enemy and an Avenger how can we rejoyce in him So Psalm 32.11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart The Psalmist speaketh of the pardon of Sins it is Davids Maschil an instruction from his own experience he begins the Psalm Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven whose sin is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not sin Then he concludeth rejoyce ye upright A Man that is condemned for some Criminal Offence and ready to be executed oh what joy hath he when he hath received his pardon So we should rejoyce in God who are as it were brought back again from the Gibbet and have received our Atonement So also in the gift of the Holy Spirit to sanctifie and heal our Natures if the Angels who are but the Spectators and Lookers on rejoyce in the Conversion of a Sinner should not the Parties interessed Luke 15.10 There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth So in the hopes of Glory Luke 10.20 Rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God 4. We rejoyce in God when we delight to do his Will and are fitted for his Use and Service To be set and kept in the way to Heaven is a greater Comfort to us than if we had all the World bestowed upon us Psalm 119.14 I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches David had experience of both as a puissant King and as Gods Servant So 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world In Carnal Rejoycing Men seek to conceal and hide the grounds of their Joy as being ashamed of them the Worldling in his Bags the Voluptuous in the Instruments of his Pleasure the Glutton will not point to his Dishes nor the Drunkard to his Pots and say This is my Rejoycing but a Christian dareth own his Joy this is my rejoycing that God hath taught me his wayes and inabled me to walk in them 5. We also rejoyce in God when we rejoyce in the Blessings of his Providence as they come from God and lead to God Ioel 2.23 Be glad then ye children of Zion and rejoyce in the Lord your God for he hath given you the former rain moderately and he will cause to come down for you the rain the former rain and the latter rain in the first moneth So Gods care in protecting us Psalm 5.11 But let all those that put
Head of the wicked State Sentence was past before and the Devil feareth it Matth. 8.29 Art thou come to torment us before the time He was condemned before but then the Sentence is fully executed upon him he is finally punished and shall for ever remain among the damned 2. Non ratione malitiae not in regard of Malice and Enmity for the Enmity ever continueth between the two Seeds and Sathan will ever be doing though it â—e to his loss 1 Iohn 3.8 He sinneth from the beginning and therefore he is not so destroyed as if he desired not the ruine and destruction of Men. He is as malicious as ever He is alwayes at the old trade of destroying Souls and watcheth all advantages to that end and purpose 2 Pet. 5.8 The Devil like a roaring lyon goeth about seeking whom he may devour 3. Then affirmatively it remaineth that it is Ratione potentiae in regard of Power but how far is his power destroyed For still he governeth the wicked and possesseth a great part of the World The Devils are called Eph. 6.12 Rulers of the darkness of this world The Gods of the Heathen Idolatrous Superstitious World and still he molesteth the Godly whether considered singly and apart or in their Communities and Societies Singly he may sometimes trouble them and soarly shake them as wheat is tossed to and from when it is winnowed in a Sieve Luke 22.31 or in their Communities and Societies The Devil by his Instruments may soarly distress them Psalm 129.1 2. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth upward that is from the beginning of their being a People unto God or else corrupts them 1 Cor. 11.3 I fear least by any means Sathan should corrupt you and therefore we must see how far his power is destroyed I Answer 1. It may be considered either 1. With respect to Christ the Author of our Deliverance Or 2. With respect to Men who are the Subjects of this Deliverance or the Persons delivered 1. With respect to Christ our Deliverer 1. There is enough done by way of Merit to break the Power of Sathan or that whole Kingdom of Darkness which is united under one Head called the Devil The Price and Ransom is fully paid for Captive Souls and there needeth no more to be done by way of Merit and Satisfaction to dissolve that woful work which Sathan hath introduced into the World Col. 2.15 He hath spoiled principalities and powers triumphing over them on his cross 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Both these places shew there is enough done for the benefit of particular Believers and for the success of the Gospel over false Religions He hath devested evil Spirits of their Power thrown them out of their Temples silenced their Oracles he hath made it publickly discernable by the suâ—cess of the Christian Religion in the World he hath purchased the power of recovering Souls out of their Apostacy at a dear rate 1 Pet. 1.18 We are not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold but with the precious blood of the Son of God Well then the value of the Blood of Christ is sufficient 2. Christ is upon the Throne and we are under his protection Therefore the Devil cannot totally prevail over those that have an Interest in him either as to single Believers Iohn 10.28 And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand Or to their Communities and Societies Matth. 16.18 Vpon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it The Gates of Hell signifie their Power and Policy there was their Armory and there they sate in Counsel Christ expecteth their most fierce and furious assaults but all should be to no purpose but as the dashing of the waves against a Rock which ends in foam and the shame of the Oppressors and Assailants So that besides his Merit on the Cross there is his Power in Heaven where he is to rule in the midst of his Adversaries Psalm 110.1 Sit at my right hand until I make thy foes thy footstool There he is exalted in that Humane Nature which he had assumed to the highest pitch of Glory Majesty and Authority 3. Though there be not a total destruction of the Kingdom of Sathan yet it remaineth in an absolute subjection to the Throne of the Mediator The Kingdom of Sin and Sathan are so far destroyed as not to hinder Gods great Design the Demonstration of Mercy to the Elect and to be subservient to the Demonstration of his Justice towards others who either contemn or neglect the Remedy offered that the Elect may obtain though the rest be hardned 2 Thess 9 and 13. Even him whose coming is after the working of Sathan with all power and signs and lying wonders c. But we are bound to give thanks alwaies to God for you brethren because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth 4. Christ will in time destroy all opposite Reigns and Kingdoms some sooner other latter but there will be an Universal and Absolute subjection to Christ at the day of Judgment when Infernal Spirits shall bow the knee to him Isa. 45.23 compared with Phil. 2.10 He hath given him a name above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee shouâ—d bow And Rom. 14.10 11. The Mistery of Iniquity will then be finished and come to nothing and the Saints shall judge the Evil Angels 1 Cor. 6.3 that is when they are crowned they shall pass Sentence against the Evil Spirits But in the mean time you will say we are assaulted Therefore 2. With respect to Men who are to be delivered so Sathans Power may be considered with respect to single Persons or his Interest in the corrupt World 1. As to single and individual Persons So Sathans Power over them is by reason of Sin which was introduced into the World by his Subtilty and Malice Now these may be considered with respect to Conversion and Confirmation 1. Conversion When the Reign of Sin is broken they are rescued out of Sathans hands Col. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power of Sathan and translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son And Acts 26.18 To turn us from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan to God Luke 11.21 When a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted 'T is the fruit of his Victorious Grace As long as Sin reigneth Sathan is in peaceable possession For when he had lost his Seat in Heaven he affected to set up a Throne in the Hearts of Men and to Lord it over them as his Slaves But now the reign of Sin is broken when he puts an Enmity into your Hearts against
you If you be sollicitous about the word of Christ and the matters of Duty contained therein you have a great advantage at the Throne of Grace So Psal. 66.18 If I regard Iniquity in my Heart the Lord will not hear me Many that pray are as Ice a little thawed above but hard at bottom they have not such a strong setled Resolution to walk more closely and orderly with God but allow some secret Lust and so marr their own Audience and Acceptance with God II. For Reasons 1. With respect to God 1. His Observance 2. His Acceptance 1. With respect to Gods Observance He is an All-seeing Spirit and therefore will not be mocked with a vain appearance or a little bodily exercise but the Prayers we make to him we must find them in our Hearts 1 Sam. 16.7 For God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the Heart We may Act the Parrot before men but God looks to what there is in the Heart 1 Chron. 28.9 Know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect Heart and with a willing Mind for the Lord searcheth all Hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the Thoughts A man up in the Air seeth the Spring as well as the River and its course we that stand by see the course but not the Spring God understandeth whether we are inclined and encouraged whether we are habitually inclined to God Ier. 5.3 O Lord are not thine eyes on the Truth Rom. 8.27 And he that searcheth the Heart knoweth what is the Mâ—nd of the Spirit because he maketh Intercession for the Saints according to the will of God He knows a belch of the Flesh from a groan of the Spirit He understandeth our desires as well as our Words So whether we are encouraged by the Grace of the New Covenant and Sense of our own qualification 1 Ioh. 3.20 21. If our Heart condemn us God is greater than our Heart and knoweth all things Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we Confidence towards God 2. With respect to Gods Acceptance God granteth not our Prayers till our Hearts be fixedly bent towards him Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their Heart thou wilt cause thine Ear to hear When God hath put it into their Hearts to pray and awakened their desires then he will hear Dan. 10.12 From the first day that thou didst set thine Heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard God hath accepted the Heart without the Tongue but never accepted the Tongue without the Heart Moses cryed to God when he spake not one word Exod. 8.12 and God heard him 2. With respect to us 1. The part which the Heart beareth in all humane Actions It is fons actionum ad extra and it is terminus actionum ad intra In our actings towards God Prov. 4.23 Keep thy Heart with all diligence for out of it are the Issues of Life and in our receipts from God this is the thing that God aimeth at Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the Heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you Prayer is not a receiving duty as hearing In praying the Heart begins in hearing it ends the Duty 2. With respect to our carriage in Prayer We do not conceive a Prayer but impose a Prayer upon our selves if the Tongue guide the Heart rather than the Heart the Tongue Like Children that cast stones into the Mine but do not draw Oar out of the Mine Acts 2.26 Therefore did my Heart rejoice and my Tongue was glad I. Vse Information 1. What need is there of Recollection before we come to pray that we may not force upon our selves what chance offereth but may have a Prayer in our Hearts before we have it in our Tongues Psal. 45.1 My Heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the King my Tongue is as the Pen of a ready Writer Usually we offer to God a dough-baked Sacrifice Only that I may not grate upon a tender Conscience there is an habitual Preparation and an actual Preparation The habitual Preparation lyeth in a broken hearted Sense of our wants radicated Inclination or bent of Heart towards God and Heavenly Things and in a Confidence and Liberty towards God The actual Preparation lyeth in such a Sense of our Necessities as the present Case doth deserve such a quickening of our desires after Heavenly Things as may fill us with Life such a remembrance of the Grace of God in Christ and our own Sincerity that our Hearts may not reproach us when dealing with God as a Father Again I distinguish that our requests are Ordinary or Extraordinary Ordinary When we ask daily supplies of Grace having no particular streight Temptation Difficulty or Business of moment then in hand Here the Habitual Preparation with little or no Actual Preparation serveth in our daily Prayers for necessary Blessings Extraordinary as in some notable trial difficult Streight Conflict Temptation or when we seek some special Benefit and upon eminent Occasions then as our Necessities are greater so our Acts of Prayer are more earnest Psal 109 4. For my love they are my Adversaries but I give my self unto Prayer Our Lord Jesus Christ being in an Agony prayed more earnestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22.44 And so it resolveth this Case What if I have not such a feeling of strong and earnest desire or the over ruling bent of the general Inclination Yet keep not off from Prayer 1. Good desires are to be asked of God 2. Such desires as you have must be expressed 3. Prayer is the usual way to quicken and increase them 4 Turning away from God is the means to kill them 2. It informeth us what need we have of more help than our own if we must find every Prayer in our Heart which we utter with our Tongues Three things are necessary in Prayer The Humane Spirit or natural Faculty that I may by my Understanding work on my Will The New Nature Faith Hope and Love to believe in God and see him before me to incline me to God as my chief good and to hope for Benefit from him The Divine Spirit to excite these Graces Iude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 The Spirit it self also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh Intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered The Spirit works not on us as blocks but as rational Creatures nor does it blow on a dead Coal II. Vse Caution Do not take every thing for Prayer which looks like it 1. Bodily exercise Mâ—ny by the Agitation of the bodily Spirits work themselves into some vehemency their Voice is heard on high but the Heart is dead and cold quibus arteriis opus est These fill up only a little
your Dedication of them to God in Baptism It is a mockery to Dedicate them to God and to Breed them up for the Devil the World and the Flesh. God complaineth Ezek. 16.20 Thou hast taken thy Sons and thy Daughters which thou hast born to me and these thou hast Sacrificed unto them to be devoured It is as disingenuous to Offer them to God and â—rain them up for the World or the Flesh. If they prove openly sensual we are troubled but if they secretly please the Flesh we mind it not but rather are secretly helpful to them in it if worldly we applaud them Thus do we betray those Souls which we should be a means to save 6. If they prove naught the Affliction will be double if you have not used the means to prevent it If by your carnal fondness you have born with their sin and given them their wills or indulge it by the evil example of your careless walking or out of sloth have neglected unwearyed endeavours to instruct them in godliness But when you have done your part you can the better submit to the will of God A Sermon on Phil. Iv. 8 Finally Brethren whatsoever things are True whatsoever things are Honest whatsoever things are Iust whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are Lovely whatsoever things are of good Report If there be any Vertue and if there be any Praise think on these things Here is a General Rule for the regulating of our Conversations In it observe 1 The bounds of our Duty are fixed in seven things True Iust Honest Pure Lovely of good Report if any Vertue or if any Praise 2. The accuracy and care that we should use not to transgress these bounds Think on these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligently take heed to them that you may practise them Doct. That Christianity doth Adopt Moralities or precepts of good manners into its frame and constitution Here I shall inquire 1. What these Moralities are as they are here set forth to us in the Text. 2. In what manner Christianity doth enforce them 3. For what reasons I. What are these Moralities 1. Whatsoever things are true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this concerneth both our Speeches and our Actions 1. For our speeches that they be free from lying and falsehood Ephes. 4.25 Wherefore putting away Lying speak every man truth with his Neighbour for we are members one of another Lying is when men wittingly and willingly and with a purpose to deceive speak that which is false The matter of a lye is falsehood and the formality of it is an intention to deceive Now this we may do two ways either by way of assertion or promise The lying assertion is concerning what is past and present thus Ananias lyed to the Holy Ghost when he brought part of the price instead of all Act. 5.3 Eut Peter said Ananias Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the Land The Promissory lie is when we Promise that which we mean not to perform Prov. 19.22 The desire of a man is his kindness and a poor man is better than a lyar That which men should desire is to be in a capacity to shew kindness or do good for greatness in the world is valuable upon this account as it giveth a man a power to shew kindness to others But many that covet the praise and reputation of it are very forward in promises but fail in performance Now a poor man that loveth you and will do his best is a surer Friend than such great men as only give you good words and sprinkle you with a little Court holy water But this should be far from a Christian for he is to keep his word though it be to his hurt Psal. 15.4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord he that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not Lying is a sin most contrary to the nature of God who is Truth its self but the Devil is called the Father of Lies And it is most contrary to the new nature Ephes. 4.24 25. And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Wherefore puting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbour Isa. 63.8 And he said Surely they are my People Children that will not lie It is most contrary to humane Society for commerce is kept up by Truth 2. For Truth in actions we should always keep the integrity of a good Conscience Psal. 32.2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity in whose Spirit there is no guile 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Consciences that in simplicity and Godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversations in the World and more especially to you ward And Truth Sincerity and candour should be seen in all that we do Satan assaults you with wiles but your strength lyeth in down-right honesty Ephes. 6.14 Stand therefore having your loins girt about with Truth and having on the Brest-plate of Righteousness This will give you courage in the day of sore tryal and comfort in the very Agonies of Death Isai. 38.2 â— And Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall and prayed unto the Lord and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Therefore we must carry our selves sincerely free from Hypocrisie and Dissimulation whether towards God or men 2. The next boundary is Whatsoever things are Honest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grave and venerable free from scurrility lightness and vanity in word or in deed Religionis a serious thing and accordingly leaveth an impression upon the heart and maketh them serious that profess it The Apostle would have the Christian Women to carry themselves as Women professing godliness 1 Tim 2.9 10. In like manner also That Women Adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastness and sobriety not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or Costly Aray but which becometh Women Professing Godliness with good works And surely all Christians should be of a modest and good behaviour A garish levity will not become them that live in constant Communion with a great God This cannot but make the Heart more awful and serious especially in the more aged Titus 2.2 That the aged men be Sober Grave Temperate sound in Faith in Charity in Patience 3. Whatsoever things are Iust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving to every one what is due and doing to others as we would be dealt with our selves Therefore we must defraud no Man of his Right whether Superiours Mat. 22.21 Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods Or Inferiours Col. 4.1 Masters give unto your Servants that which
Conversations that they might do nothing but what was agreeable to Truth Equity Sobriety exact Justice Purity Chastity and Vertue This for the first Question II. In what manner Christianity doth enforce them This is to be regarded because there is a great deal of do about Morality which some press to the neglect of Faith and the Love of God Some make their whole Religion to be a meer Morality and so turn Christianity into Morality whereas a good Christian turneth his Morality into Religion all his second Table duties into first Table duties Heb. 13.16 But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Sacrifice is a Duty of the first Table yet Alms is called a Sacrifice well-pleasing unto God But to make this more fully appear let me shew you 1. That Christianity deriveth all good Conversation from the highest Fountain the Spirit of God 2. From the truest Principles Faith in Christ and Love to God 3. It directeth it by the highest Rule the Will of God 4. And to the highest End the glorifying and injoying of God All else is but Bastard Morality Apocryphal Holiness that is not thus deduced 1. It deriveth all these things from the highest Fountain the Spirit of Sanctification by which we are fitted for all these Duties Eph. 5.9 For the Fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodness Righteousness and Truth These commendable Vertues are also in a Christian as the Fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance And till we live in the Spirit we are altogether unfit to do any thing acceptably to God No Vertue is truly saving and acceptable but what floweth from the Grace of Regeneration 2. It maketh them to grow out of their proper Principles Faith in Christ and Love to God 1. Faith in Christ. The Apostle telleth us Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God Not only without the general Faith of Gods Being and Bounty but also without Faith in Christ Rom. 7.4 We are married to Christ that we may bring forth Fruit unto God As the Children that are born before Marriage are Illegitimate so all that Justice Temperance and Charity which doth not fâ—ow from Faith in Christ is but Mock-Grace and Bastard Holiness 2. Love to God Gal. 5.6 Faith worketh by Love and therefore maketh us tender of doing any thing that may displease or dishonour God Titus 2.11 12. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts we should live Soberly Righteously and Godly in the present World If you understand it of objective Grace then the Gospel teaching is by way of Instruction as a Man teacheth a Learner or if of subjective Grace it is by way of Persuasion and powerful Excitement or both that it may be Morality is not kindly unless founded on the Gospel and never so thoroughly promoted as by the Principles laid down there Now no wonder they that never felt the force of Faith in Christ and love to God upon their Souls do so much cry up bare Morality Well then Christ healeth our Souls by his Spirit and the Spirit worketh by Faith and Love which are the true Principles of Grace in the Heart 3. It directeth it by the highest Rule which is Gods Mind revealed in his Word the absolute rule of right and wrong Alas what partial Directions are there elsewhere but Psal. 19.7 The Law of the Lord is perfect Converting the Soul Others have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Work of the Law written in their Hearts Rom. 2.15 What cold enforcements Now they that cry up right Reason in deâ—â—ance of Scripture and would refer us to another rule they are not thankful for this Blessed Revelation 4 It is aimed at the highest End the glorifying of God and the enjoying of God The pleasing and glorifying of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Phil. â— 11 Being fâ—lled with the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Iesus Christ unto the Glory and Praise of God And the enjoying of God Acts 24.14 15 16. But this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets And have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Iust and Vnjust And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward Men. They have a care of all this Justice Charity Temperance in order to the attainment of Everlasting Happiness in the Vision and Fruition of God Others mind nothing but their Interests in the World Acts 24.26 He hoped also that Money should have been given him of Paul that he might loose him therefore he sent for him the oftner and communed with him III. For what Reasons 1. Because Grace doth not abolish so much of Nature as is good but refines and sublimates it by causing us to act from higher principles and to higher ends As the Apostle saith that Onesimus was dear to Philemon both in the Flesh and in the Lord Philem. 16. so if any thing be pure good lovely praise-worthy in the Eye of Nature Christianity doth not abolish but establish it Therefore a Christian should come behind none in these praise-worthy qualities The Law of God requireth this at our hands on better terms he that sinneth against Nature and Grace too is worse than an Infidel 1 Tim. 5.8 But if any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own House he hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel Rom. 14 17 18. For the Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. 2. Because these conduce to the honour of religion The credit of Religion dependeth much on the credit of the persons that profess it Ezek. 36 20 21. And when they entred unto the Heathen whither they went they prophaned my Holy Name when they said to them These are the People of the Lord and are gone forth out of his Land But I had pity for my Holy Name which the House of Israel had profaned among the Heathen 2 Sam. 12.14 Howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to Blaspheme the Child also that is born unto thee shall surely die 2 Pet. 2.2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of If they should be â—alse Unjust Turbulent Unclean what will Men think of God and Christ and the Religion which he hath established Christiane ubi
to everlasting Destruction In the former respect we are compared to lost Sheep who when they are once out of the way know not how to find it again Psal. 14.3 They are all gone aside And Isa. 53.6 All we like Sheep have gone astray Swine and other Creatures if they wander all day will easily find the way home again but we are gone astray like Sheep Domini errare per me potui redire non potui Lord I have wandred of my self but I cannot return of my self In the second respect as they are in the way to destruction so we are compared to the lost Son who undid himself and wasted his substance with riotous living Luk. 15.13 So we are lost by reason of Original Sin or the corruption introduced by Adam's first sin Hereditarily derived to us from our first parents Psal. 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me And also by reason of actual sins whereby we involve our selves more and more in the wrath and curse of God Eph. 2.1 2. And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience And v. 3. We were by nature the Children of wrath even as others Take one distinction more Some are lost totally and others totally and finally too All men in their natural estate whether they be sensible or insensible of it are lost totally Isa. 53.6 All we like Sheep have gone astray not one excepted The Elect though for the present they are totally lost yet they are not finally lost But those that still continue in their impenitency and unbelief are both totally and finally lost justly given over and designed to everlasting Perdition and Destruction In which sense Iudas is called the Son of Perdition John 17.12 Those which thou hast given me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition unbelief persisted in is a sign of Perdition Therefore the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 4.3 If our Gospel be hid it is hid to those that are lost Well then such as refuse the Gospel are in an actual state of perdition and while they continue to repel and refuse the benefit of the Gospel there is no hope of them Thus we are really and indeed lost 2. Some are lost and undone in their own sense and feeling All by reason of sin are in a lost state but some are apprehensive of it when the Soul is made sensible of its utter perishing condition and fear of its aggravated punishment by reason of actual sin as the lost Son apprehended his perishing for want of Bread Luk. 15.17 And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants of my Fathers have Bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger Thus would Christ represent the sensible sinner that is apprehensive of his condition Now such a sense is necessary to prepare us for a more broken-hearted and thankful acceptance of the Grace of the Gospel 1. Because the Scripture speaketh of an awakening before Conversion Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light While we are asleep we are neither sensible of our misery nor care for our remedy but please our selves with Dreams and Fancies but when a Man's Conscience doth rouse him up out of the sleep of sin and awaken him to some sight and sense of his miserable condition he is in a good measure prepared to hearken to the offers of the Gospel and to be afâ—ected with and entertain the Grace of Christ so Psal. 22.27 All the Nations of the Earth shall remember and turn to the Lord first remember then turn They are like Men sleeping and distracted before they do not consider whence they are what they are doing whither they are going what shall become of them to all Eternity 2. Till we are sensible of our lost estate we have not that trouble for sin that hunger and thirst for Grace which the Scripture expresseth every where in the calls and invitations of the Gospel As Mat. 9.12 13. The whole need not the Physician but they that are sick I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance And Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Isa. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters Heb. 6.18 Who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us They that are Heart-whole will not value the Spiritual Physician neither will they that feel not their load care for offers of ease None will prize Bread but the hungry nor come to the Waters but the thirsty nor make haste to the City of refuge but those that see an Avenger of Blood at their Heels Or to devest these things of their Metaphor sin unseen grieveth not that which the Eye seeth not the Heart rueth not it is the hungry Conscience that cannot be satisfied without Christ's renewing and reconciling Grace 'T is the Curse driveth us to the promise and the Tribunal of God's Justice to the Throne of Grace One Covenant to another None do with such sighs and groans mourn and wait in the use of Means till they obtain Mercy as those who have a sight and sense of their lost estate or their sad and miserable case by nature 3. It appeareth by the Types the deliverance of the Children of Israel out of Egypt and Babylon which figured our restauration by Christ. Now God would not deliver his people out of Egypt till they sighed and groaned out of the anguish of their Spirits for their cruel bondage Exod. 3.7 I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for I know their sorrows So God delivered them not out of their Captivity of Babylon till they were sensible of their being ready to perish under it Ezek. 37.11 Behold they say our Bones are dried and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Now the great truth figured hereby is our perishing condition under the captivity of Sin before the Spirit of Life entereth into us 4. By experience it appeareth that Christ is not valued nor his Grace so highly prized till Men have a sensible awakening knowledge of their own misery and lost estate by reason of sin When sin is sin indeed then grace is grace indeed and Christ is Christ indeed if Men have a superficial sense of sin they have a superficial Faith in Christ. The slight person doth the work of an Age in a breath We are all sinners but God is merciful Christ died for sinners and there is an end both of their Law and Gospel Work If Men have a Doctrinal and Speculative knowledge of sin they have also a
Faith standeth us in most stead Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Then by the one we are freed from the guilt of Sin and so have deliverance from Eternal Death By the other we have not only right but entrance into Eternal Glory What is our whole scope but to be absolved by Christ at last and enter into Eternal Life Finally these two are to be regarded to obviate their mistake who think indeed that Faith and it may be Repentance is necessary to pardon or to dissolve our Obligation to Punishment but not new Obedience But in their place all the Conditions are necessary They think new Obedience is necessary to Salvation or Eternal Life but not to Justification But Salvation is as gracious an Act of Mercy as free and undeserved a Gift as Pardon Rom. 6.23 The wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. Eternal Life is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wages but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gift of God It is as much merited by Christ as the other and therefore as proper a part yea the chief part of the Hope of Righteousness by Faith and that which is only waited for and not injoyed III. What is the work of the Spirit in this business in urging Believers to wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith I Answer the work of the Spirit doth either concern the Duties of the new Covenant or the Priviledges of the new Covenant or what is common to them both I begin with the latter 1. What is common to them both He doth convince us of the Truth of the Gospel both of means and end that there is such an Hope and the Righteousness of Faith is the only way to obtain it Now this he doth Externally and Internally 1. Externally and by way of Objective Evidence All the certainty that we have of the Gospel is by the Spirit Acts 5.32 We are Witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost which he hath given to them that obey him And Iohn 15. 26 27. When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning Mark in both these places the two solemn Witnesses are the Spirit and the Apostles the one Principal the other Ministerial the one declaring Doctrine and Matter of Fact the other assuring the World of the Truth of their Testimony The Apostles testified of Christs sayings and doings and the Holy Ghost which came down upon them and the rest that consorted with them and was given in some measure to those that obeyed their Doctrine was an undoubted Evidence that God owned it from Heaven Here was enough to open mens Eyes and to give them a right understanding of his Person and Doctrine that it was of God The Visible Gifts of the Holy Ghost and his powerful working in the Hearts of men in order to their Conversion unto God These admirable Gifts and Graces shed abroad upon men were a Notable Conviction to the World that Christ was a Teacher sent from God to teach men the way to Eternal Life and Happiness This did afford sufficient matter of Confirmation and Conviction by the Spirit shed abroad and poured forth on the Christian Church 2. Internally inlightning their Minds and inclining their Hearts to imbrace the Truth Which maketh the former Testimony effectual So the Apostle prayeth Eph. 1.17 For the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of Christ the eyes of their understanding being inlightned that they might know what is the hope of his Calling and the Riches of the Glory of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light To the sight of any thing these things are necessary an Object a Medium a Faculty As in outward sight an Object that may be seen a convenient light to represent it and make the Object perspicuous An Organ or Faculty of seeing in the Eye Unless there be an Object you bid a man see nothing Unless there be a Medium a due light to represent it as in a fog or at Midnight the sharpest sight can see nothing Unless there be a Faculty neither the Object nor Medium will avail a Blind-man cannot see any thing at Noon-day Now here is an Object the way of Salvation by Christ A convenient light it is represented in the Gospel And the Faculty is prepared for the Eyes of the Mind are opened by the Spirit that we may see both Way and End the necessity of Holiness and the reality of future Glory and Blessedness Alas without this sight we busie our selves about Vanities and Childish Toys and never Mind the things which are most necessary certainly we can have no saving understanding of Spiritual Truths neither what is the Benefit of Christianity or the blessed Condition of Gods People Nor what are the Duties of Christianity so as our Hearts may be held to them or how we may behave our selves as true Believers 2. The Work of the Spirit as to the Duties of the new Covenant He doth not only convince us of the Reality and the Necessity of Christs Obedience and our Holiness but by his Powerful Operation frameth and inclineth our Hearts to the Duties required of us Faith it self is wrought in us by this Holy Spirit for it is the Gift of God Eph. 2.8 And so is Repentance and Obedience Heb. 8.10 I will write my Laws upon their Hearts and put them into their Minds Moses his Law was written on Tables of Stone as a Rule without them but Christs Law on the Heart and Mind as drawing and inclining them to obey it The Renewing Grace of the Spirit of God doth prepare us and fit us and his exciting Grace doth quicken us that we may do what is pleasing in his sight And therefore if we profess to live under the new Covenant we are inexcusable if we do not bestir our selves and accomplish the work of Faith with Power and obey from the Heart the Doctrine delivered to us Indeed the Spirit doth most naturally put us upon spiritual Worship and spiritual Holiness these things agree most with his Being and Nature The observances of the Law were carnal yet as long as Gods command continued the Spirit inclined to Obedience to them But a better Law being enacted by Christ the Spirit that proceedeth from the Father and the Son suiteth his Operations accordingly For he cometh into us as Christs Spirit He shall take of mine and glorifie me John 16.14 All that he doth accordeth with Christ as Christs Will doth with the Father 3. The work of the Spirit as to the priviledges of the New Covenant which are pardon and life 1. As to Pardon he is the Comforter He cometh
true Religion will give rest and quiet to the Soul Thirdly That the Christian Religion doth abundantly provide for true Peace of Conscience and Ease of Mind 1. Because it discovereth the Matter of true Peace 2. The Way how it may be attained 1. The Matter of true Peace is Pardon and Life or sufficient Provision to appease our guilty fears and satisfie our desires of Happiness 1. Man being Gods Creature and therefore his Subject and having faulted in his Obedience and Subjection to him and knowing the Judgment of God counteth himself worthy of Death Rom. 1.32 And this fear of Death and Vengeance that ensueth it is â—o ingrained and implanted in the Conscience that unless some fit course of 〈◊〉 and Justification be propounded and that with good Authority man is 〈◊〉 restless and troubled and knoweth not what to do to get rid of the 〈…〉 Soul Micah 6.7 Shall I give my first born for my Transgression the fruit 〈…〉 for the Sin of my Soul Now the great design which the Scriptures 〈…〉 to set forth a grant of Pardon upon Gracious and Commodious Terms 〈…〉 will but accept of it It is the excellency of the Christian Religion above 〈…〉 Religions Micah 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity 〈…〉 by the Transgression of the Remnant of his Heritage he retaineth not his 〈…〉 ever because he delighteth in Mercy If the Question were put to you which 〈◊〉 put to the Spouse Cant. 5.9 What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved What is there in Christ above other Gods of the Nations that you make so much 〈◊〉 about him What is it draweth your Hearts so to love him and cleave to him in the greatest Hazards and Extremities This you might Answer He hath set afoot a pardoning Covenant so suited to the Necessities of Man and the Nature of God that all the World cannot shew the like 2 For the other Matter of our Peace a fit Happiness to satisfie our Desires Man having an Immortal Spirit gropeth about for an Immortal and Eternal good Acts 17.27 or such an Estate in the other World as may comfort him against the labours and sorrows and the frailty and shortness of the present Life All Nations have a conceit of the Immortality of the Soul if at any time they doubt of it they cannot wholly blot the sense of it out of their Hearts Surely all desire it and it would give much ease to their Mind if it might be undubitably made out to them that there is such an Immortal Estate They that fully knew it not were pleased with the shadow of it and sought it in fame they would not have their Memory die with them As those that want Children take Pleasure in little Dogs and Cats so did they embrace a poor Shadow for the Substance To be sure most men die Anxious and when they leap into Eternity they know not where their feet shall light But now it is said 2 Tim. 1.10 That Christ hath abolished Death and hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel He hath made a clear Revelation of that which was not so certainly known before The Heathens guessed at it sometimes they seemed to see it and sometimes doubted of it as men travelling sometimes see a spire of a steeple before them at a distance and anon they lose the sight of it again and so cannot tell certainly whether they see it yea or no. The Law like a Dumb-man made many signs and set forth Eternity by long Life and Heaven by Canaan But now the Gospel clearly speaketh it out and scattereth all the Mists and Clouds about Eternity 2. The Way how we surely may be made partakers of Pardon and Life and there it telleth us First What Christ hath done Secondly What we must do Christ hath sufficiently laid the Foundation and all that we must do is but to apply what he hath purchased and provided for us 1. What Christ hath done The Word that is nigh thee referreth to things already done for us Christs Death and Resurrection 1. His Incarnation and Death for Christ needeth not to be brought down from Heaven any more He once descended from Heaven and was made Flesh and dwelt among us for a double end Partly to reveal these things to us and the way how to obtain them with sufficient Evidence and Certainty One great Errand that he had in the World was to reveal the Will of God to lost Mankind for their recovery and to bring them to the fuller Knowledge of God and the Pardon of Sins and the Truth of the Unseen World and the way thereunto Luke 1.77 To give Knowledge of Salvation unto his People by the Remission of their Sins And not only so but partly also to be a Mediator and Reconciler between God and Man and lay down his Life as a Sacrifice for Sin and a ransom for Souls Eph. 5.2 Who hath given himself for us an Offering and Sacrifice to God Mat. 20.28 He gave his Life a ransom for many We have both Heb. 3.1 Consider the Apostle and High-Priest of our Profession Iesus Christ. Well then herein lay the Advantage of the Gospel above the Law that required all to be done by us but the Gospel referreth us to things already done for us by another who was sent from God to reveal his Fathers will to us and to redeem us to God He suffered the Penalty due for our breach of the Law there is nothing required of us but our thankful Acceptance and hearty consent to follow Christs Conduct and Direction well then he needeth not be brought down from Heaven any more or descend to help and redeem the World 2. His Resurrection and Ascension For that is the second Question Who shall descend into the Deep to bring up Christ again from the Dead No that needeth not He is risen already and gone again to Heaven to assure us of the Truth of his Doctrine and the value of his Sacrifice and the reality of the other World For he himself is entred into the Glory he spake of and so giveth us a visible Demonstration of the Truth and reality of it And also he is sate down at the right Hand of God that he might apply Salvation to us by his powerful and all-conquering Spirit But it is the Resurrection we must chiefly insist upon for God by raising him from the Dead hath declared him to be a sufficiently authorized Messenger and set him forth to be the Person to be believed in heard and obeyed in his Name When Christ was crucified and buried though a Grave stone was sealed and a guard of Souldiers set to watch it yet Angels appeared and rolled away the Stone and spake to those that enquired after him Yea Christ himself often appeared to his Disciples conversed with them forty days instructed them in things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and then went to Heaven and poured out the Spirit and for an
hansel to the new Gospel by Peters Exhortation three thousand were converted at once and afterwards evidenced the Truth of their Doctrine by Miracles There is no need that Christ should rise again in the Eye and view of all those that would believe in him Here is ground enough in that which was once already done 2. What we must do verse 9. Confess with the Mouth and believe with the Heart that is be really perswaded of the Truth of what is done for us and thankfully own it and acknowledge it to the World resigning up our selves to the discipline of his Spirit whatever it costs us This is all that is required of us But though these two only be mentioned we must understand those things which belong to either of them 1. To begin with that first mentioned If thou wilt confess with thy Mouth There is a Confession both in Word and Deed the one must not contradict the other The Apostle telleth us of some that profess they know God but in works they deny him Tit. 1.16 So it is true of confessing Christ or Holiness of Life Works are a part of Profession or Confession as also Invocation is a branch of this Confession as appeareth by the 13. ver For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved Confession then implieth all visible Godliness and Holiness of Life for the Holy Thankful Life is a constant Hymn to God or a practical Acknowledgment of the Benefits we have by â—hrist and so all Christianity is a Confession It is necessary also that this Confession be made in spight of all Persecution and Danger Heb. 4.14 Let us hold fast our Profession In those days believing with the Heart was not so costly as Confession with the Mouth It exposed them to great troubles yet a Christian must be resolute and trust Christ with all Dan. 6.10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and his Window being open in his Chamber toward Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime 2. So for the other Believing with the Heart implieth not a dead Faith but Operative Iam. 2.20 Faith without Works is Dead Not a cold opinion but such as worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 Not a general Assent but an applicative Faith Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am chief Owning him as our Lord and Saviour Do this and then you believe with the Heart to Righteousness and confess with the Mouth to Salvation That is you are so pardoned that at length you are saved They that could thus take Christ and venture all upon the security of his Word and wholly resign up themselves to God upon these Hopes were in a safe Condition or a state of Peace Fourthly The Gospel so clearly stating these things there is no reason of doubtful suspence All demurring must be upon one of these two Reasons either the Difficulty of the thing or Want of certainty but neither of them is just in this Case 1. Not the Difficulty of the Conditions For believing with the Heart and confessing with the Mouth are easie to be understood and easie to be observed by the Power of the Spirit For the Gospel is the Power of God to Salvation Rom. 1.16 If God will put this into our Heart and Mouth and give what he requireth why should we snuff at these Conditions as unreasonable and troublesome What more reasonable than to own him with the greatest hazard from whom we expect such Benefits as Pardon and Life And to consent to follow his Direction who will bring us out of our Misery to perfect Happiness And to venture all for him who by a condescending Act of astonishing love stooped so low for us It is true Confession may be costly but it is not an impossible thing We should be willing to suffer the loss of all things for his sake Especially when God is ready powerfully to assist and help us Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me 2. Want of Certainty We do not know whether this be the way of God yea or no I Answer 1. There is no doubt that reasonably can be urged Either this is the way of God or none The way of Heathenism is sottish and fabulous 1 Cor. 8.5 They have Lords many and Gods many And the way of the Iews yieldeth no relief if the Gospel be excluded The way of the Mahometans is ridiculous and beareth no dispute Therefore this is the way or none Obj. But why do you haesitate You did not see Christ in the Flesh. Ans. But we may love him for all that and believe in him though we never saw him 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice He must not be fetched out of Heaven again nor raised from the dead again It is not necessary to our Faith that we should see Christ with bodily Eyes when we have most certain and firm Arguments by which his Resurrection may be proved Obj. But we live not in the Age of Miracles Oracles and Visions which People had in former times Ans. Man is apt to indent with God and to prescribe to God that he may believe upon Terms of his own making Let him now come down from the Cross then we will believe him Mat. 27.42 Can he prepare a Table in the Wilderness Psal. 78.19 If thou be the Son of God command that these Stones be made Bread Mat. 4.3 We are not to think that God should be at our Beck and do what we require Many require new Apostles and Miracles that maketh them turn Scepticks and Atheists We must not prescribe to God how he shall reveal his Mind to men but submit to the way he seeth best and fittest for us 2. There lye more prejudices by far against any way of our own devising than the course God hath taken The People slighted Moses and would hear God himself speak but when it thundred upon the Mount they cryed out Exod. 20.19 Speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die We would have Miracles but thereby the simplicity of Christianity is lost and it would lay us open to the jugling tricks of Wonder-mongers and that would be little for our safety We would have one from the dead Luke 16.30 But they are out of the Sphere of our commerce That is no familiar way nor so fit to instil Faith and reduce men to Obedience to God And if we should learn our Religion from Ghosts and Apparitions we should never be free from Delusion Gal. 1.8 But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we
Ghost yet there is but one the only and true God 2. He is represented by his Relation to the Creatures the Father 'T is not taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Personally but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially as often in Scripture as Isa. 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us Meaning not only the first Person but all the rest And Mat. 5.16 Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And Mat. 6.9 Our Father which art in Heaven Jam. 3.9 Therefore we bless God even the Father In all these and many other places Father Son and Holy Ghost is the only true God and called Father 3. He is set forth by his Dignity and Preheminence as the first cause and last end For from him are all things and we in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. To him and for him I take the Marginal Reading so Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things 2. What is said of the Mediatour He is described 1. By his Person or Name signifying his Person Iesus Christ. There is no other Name given under Heaven Acts 4.12 c. 2. By his Dignity Lord that is Mediator Christ is often set forth by this Term or Title Acts 2.36 God has made that same Iesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. He is Lord over all Creatures and over the House of God Phil. 2.11 And that every Tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father He died for that End and Purpose Rom. 14.9 To this End Christ both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of dead and living Therefore we should own him as such Iohn 20.28 My Lord and my God Both in Word and Deed. In Word Phil. 2.11 That every Tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is Lord. Indeed in worship Psal. 45.11 He is thy Lord worship thou him In ordinary Practice and Conversation Loving Serving Sâ—udying to please him â—n all things Luke 6.46 Why call you me Lord and do not the things which I say Col. 1 10. Walk worthy of the Lord in all pleasing 'T is our Comfort that he is Head over all things Eph. 1.22 So he is able to Subject the Church to himself by his Spirit to vanquish its Enemies and defend us by his Power And 't is both our Comfort and Duty that he is our Lord. He purchased us by his Blood Acts 20.28 and Eph. 1.14 â—herefore the Church is given him as an Inheritance Psal. 2.8 We are married to him in the Covenant of Grace Therefore he appeaseth the Wrath of God by his Passion and Intercession He cherisheth and takes care of us 3. The Appropriation of this Office and Dignity to him alone one Lord Iesus Christ. To set up other Lords of our Faith or other Mediators between God and us is a wrong to Christ. There is but one Mediator either of Redemption or Intercession and no Saints or Angels share in this Honour 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Iesus Eph. 4.5 One Lord. Without Partner or Substitute He will communicate this Glory and Dominion over his Church to no other in whole or in part 4. The distinctness of his Operation as Mediator from what was said concerning the Father 'T is said of the Father Of whom and for whom are all things but of the Mediator it is said By whom are all things and we by him God is the Fountain of all Heavenly Gifts Iam. 1.17 And Christ is the Pipe and Conveyance God is the ultimate Object of our worship and by the Mediator do we make our Addresses and Applications to him Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father From God all things have their Being as from their Spring and Cause both in a way of Nature and Grace So all things by the Mediator Doct. That the owning and worshipping God by the Mediator Iesus Christ is the summ of the Christian Religion Natural Religion owneth a God but the Christian Religion owneth a Mediator and Father Son and Holy Ghost for that only true God and Jesus Christ for that Mediator See other Scriptures Iohn 17.3 And this is Life Eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent There is the summ of what is necessary to Life Eternal that God is to be known loved obeyed worshipped and injoyed and the Lord Jesus as our Redeemer and Saviour to bring us home to God and to procure for us the Gifts of Pardon and Life and this Life to be begun here and perfected in Heaven So 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is but one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Iesus Here are the two great Points of the Christian Religion one God in whom is all our Trust and Confidence and one Lord Jesus the only Mediator for the Restauration and Reconciliation of Man with God Here I shall shew you 1. The Necessity of a Mediator 2. The Fitness of Christ for this Office 3. The Benefit and Fruit of it 4. Who are the Parties interested in these Comforts and most concerned in these Duties I. The Necessity of a Mediator in this lapsed and faln Estate of Mankind Two things infer and inforce this Necessity Distance and Difference Distance by reason of Impurity and Difference by reason of Enmity Both these occur in the Case between God and Men. God is a God of Glorious Majesty and we are poor Creatures God is an Holy God a God of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity and we are sinful Creatures As Creatures unworthy of immediate access to God as lapsed and under the guilt of Sin and desert of Punishment and unable to deliver our selves cannot draw nigh to him with any Comfort 1. Our Distance Which is so great that it is a Condescention for God to take notice that there are such Creatures in the World Psal. 113.6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things which are in Heaven and Earth The Excellency and Majesty of God is so great that either Angels or Men are unworthy to approach his Presence Now as Inferiour and mean People dare not approach the presence of a great Prince but by some powerful Friend and Intercessor at Court so our distance produceth our fears and estrangedness and backwardness to draw nigh unto God and so hindreth our Love and Confidence in him Well then to depend upon one so far above us that he will take notice of us take care for us relieving us in our Necessities and Streights and help us out of all our Miseries and finally save us requireth a Mediator one that is more near and dear to God than we are which can be no other than Jesus Christ as I shall shew by and by When a Sinner looketh only at God as in himself he is confounded and amazed as quite
terms Therefore he revealeth and perswadeth us to accept the conditions of the New Covenant and to cast away all our rebellion against God and enter into his Peace 2 Cor. 5.20 Now then we are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God They plead in his Name and by vertue of his Power Secondly As a King and Lord so he maketh these terms part of the New Law for the remedying of lapsed Mankind Heb. 5.8 Though he were a Son yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered And not only so but he subdueth us to himself Luke 11.21 By strong hand rescueth us out of the power of the Devil and giveth us Grace to serve him acceptably Heb. 12.28 And taketh us into his care and ruleth us and protecteth us till we enter into everlasting life His Lordship is a great part of his Mediation III. The Comforts and Duties thence resulting namely from Christ's being constituted as Mediatour as they are laid forth in the Text. 1. I observe That the Father's Honour and Glory is still secured and preserved safe and intire notwithstanding the giving the Glory to Christ as the Lord of the New Creation The Glory of the Mediatour doth no way impair and infringe the Fathers Glory That is apparent partly because all the good we have is from the Father but onely by Christ. For when the Father is spoken of 't is said From him are all things but when the Mediatour then 't is said By him which notes a subordinate operation or administration as Lord Deputy under the Father and therefore in the subjection of the Creature unto Christ the Glory of the Father is expresly reserved Phil. 2.11 That every Tongue should confess that Iesus is Lord to the Glory of the Father Again it 's apparent because it 's said We are to him or for him The Mediatour does not lead us off from God but to him Therefore both our love to God and subjection to him must still be preserved 1. Our love You must not think of the Father that he is all Wrath severe and inexorable and his Favour not to be gain'd but upon hard terms no if he himself had not loved us we could never have had Christ for our Redeemer All things are of him not only in a way of Creation but Redemption and one great end of sending Christ was to shew the amiableness of the Divine Nature Christ himself was sent by the Father John 3.16 God so loved the World that he sent his onely begotten Son 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their trespasses to them Rom. 8.32 God spared not his own Son but delivered him for us all 2. Our Subjection and Obedience Rev. 5.9 Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood His antient right in us is not disannull'd but promoted We are redeemed to his Service and Obedience See 1 Cor. 6.19 20 Which are God's viz. By a right beneficial as a farther obligation God is the Efficient and Final Cause of all things Therefore still our Subjection to God and Love to God must be preserved 2. I observe That the expressions here used imply Returns as well as Receipts Look to the Expressions in both Clauses either concerning the one God or the one Mediatour The one God From him are all things and we by him or for him As from his bounty and goodness so for his honour and service Prov. 16.4 God hath made all things for himself 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God Whether it be in a way of Nature or Grace all things come of God These words do especially concern Christians All matters of Grace come from the Father to us for his Glory All things that belong to the New Creation as appeareth by the last clause we by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for him See Eph. 1.12 That we should be to the praise of his glory So for what is said of the Mediatour and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things That is which we receive from God and we by him that is all the services which we return to God again Not onely Blessings come from the Father to us but we also must return duty and service to God by the same Mediatour Receipts come from God by Christ and Returns go back by Christ to God Which is to be noted by them who are all for Receipts but think not of Returns And also by them who own God in their Mercies but make Returns in their own Name No all that duty which we perform to God 't is by the Mediatour All Christianity is a coming to God by Christ Heb. 7.25 If we believe in God 't is by him 1 Pet. 1.2 By whom we believe in God If we love God 't is in Christ. If we pray to God 't is in and through him Ephes. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one Spirit unto the Father If we praise God 't is in and by Christ Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Iesus Christ to the Glory and Praise of God Otherwise our Duties are not acceptable and pleasing to him 3. I observe That in the Receipts we expect from God there is great encouragement to expect them For God is represented as a fountain of Grace as a Father as a God and Father that acts by a Mediatour whose Merit is exprest as large as the Father's Power 1. As a Fountain of Grace he is the supream Cause of all things from whom all creatures have their life and being A Fountain ever-flowing and over-flowing What can we ask of him which he is not able to do Psal 57.2 I will cry unto God most high unto God that pâ—rformeth all things for me If it be pardon of sin or the gift of the spirit If subduing Enemies or everlasting Salvation he is able to give it you If it be strength against Temptations or Grace to serve him acceptably you come to a God from whom are all things VVhen a Man seriously worshippeth God he turneth his back upon all other things and turneth his face to God as the supream Lord and Fountain of all Happiness You may with confidence present your Petitions to him that can perform all things 2. You come to God as a Father If you take it personally 't is comfortable to come to him as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ephes. 3.14 or essentially as a Father of the whole family of the faithful He loveth us dearly VVe have the Supream God for our Father and shall not we trust in him 2 Cor. 6.18 And I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters VVho would distrust a Father and an Omnipotent Father VVhen we remember not onely his sufficiency but his love to us and our
God Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens c. 2. God in our Nature was Abased Crucified made Sin made a Curse for us that he might pacifie the Justice of God and reconcile us to him So that besides the infinite Mercy and Power of God there is the Infinite Righteousness and everlasting Redemption of a Mediator God offended with Man is fully satisfied with the Ransom paid for Sinners by Christ Mat. 3.17 This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 3. God having laid such a foundation and bestowed so great a gift upon us will not stick at any thing which is necessarily required to make us fully and eternally happy Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but gave him up c. shall he not with him freely give us all things Here in the Text 't is said All things are by him such abundant provision hath he made for Mans Salvation Surely here is a broad foundation for our comfort and hope Here is God appeased the works of the Devil dissolved our wounded Natures healed our Enemies vanquished by him as the Captain of our Salvation the Church defended and maintained by him as supream Head and Pastor all kept quiet by him between God and Us as our Agent and Advocate and finally he will bring us into the immediate presence of God that we may remain with him for evermore 4. Besides the dignity of his person consider the suitableness of his office to our necessity The dignity of his person must not be over-looked for he is God-man and therefore he is accepted by the Father and may be relied upon by us Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Besides the institution there is an intrinsick value Act. 20.28 'T is called the Blood of God But what a suitable as well as valuable a remedy do his Offices of King Priest and Prophet make him By these three Offices he exerciseth the Office of Mediator The three Offices are alluded unto Iohn 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life The Way as a Priest Truth as a Prophet Life as a King The Way because he hath removed the legal exclusion we were fugitives exiled and then Truth to direct us and give us the knowledge of Gods Nature and Will The Life To begin a Life of Grace in us by his Spirit which shall be perfected in Heaven So 1 Cor. 1.30 But of him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption All the offices of Christ are there expressed with a suitableness to our misery Wisdom as a Prophet to cure our ignorance and folly we had no true sense of the evil we deserved nor the good we wanted nor of the way to remove the one or obtain the other but he convinceth and instructeth us in all these things We lye also under the guilt and power of sin that is our second necessity and so Christ is made Righteousness and Sanctification as a Priest for he gave himself to cleanse us from sin Eph. 5.26 We are also liable to many miseries introduced by sin yea under a necessity of dying and perishing for ever therefore Christ is made Redemption as a King and as Captain of our Salvation at length fully redeemed us from all evil Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Bodies Luk. 21.28 And when these things begin to come to pass then lift up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Eph. 4.30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby ye are seal'd to the day of Redemption Thus you see how amply we are provided for in Christ. It may as well be said By him are all things as it may be said of the Father From whom are all things Secondly Another improvement is to ingage and incourage us to make those returns of Love Worship and Obedience Service and Glory which are expected and required of us There is something which reflecteth from us upon God from all this Grace and Mercy which God dispensed by the Mediator We must be for him and we must be by him 'T is more than if it were said we must serve him glorifie him We in our whole capacity we must be whatever we are and do whatever we do to God and for God by the Mediator 1. We must enter into Covenant with him and give the Hand to the Lord and consent to be his Isa. 44.5 One shall say I am the Lord 's another shall call himself by the Name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his Hand unto the Lord. They should enter their Names to God to be entred into his Muster-Roll or Listed among the Faithful that belong to him and are Listed for his service a Member of that Body whereof Christ is Head a subject of that Kingdom whereof Christ is King 2 Cor. 8.5 'T is said But first gave their own selves unto the Lord. Rom. 12.1 Present your Bodies a living Sacrifice Holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service Christ gave himself a Sin-offering and we give up our selves a Thank-offering 2. There must be a strong love to God ever at work in our Hearts levelling and directing all our actions to his glory and this love must be an impression of the love shewed to us by Christ a thankful sense of his Mercies and Benefits 1 Iohn 4.19 We love him because he loved us first 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constraineth us Love is an earnest bent and inclination of Heart towards our chief good and last end and its effect and work is to devote our selves to his Service Will and Honour longing after more of God and continually seeking for it Psal. 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is A Soul that hath chosen God for its portion cannot want him nor be long without him nor satisfied with any partial enjoyment of him therefore still seeketh for more The main work of this life is a desirous seeking after God and getting nearer to their last end by all the means which God hath appointed us to use 3. There must be a constant study and care to please honour and glorifie this God Acts 27.23 Whos 's I am and whom I serve If we be dedicated to God there must be a conscience of our dedication that we may live unto God and this not now and then but in our whole course All our Faculties Bodies Souls 1 Cor. 6.19 20. What! know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the Holy
Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow We are not so firm as God but remission of Sins is one of the Covenant priviledges and remaineth notwithstanding the defects and failings on our part When we grow secure and neglect our duty and do not watch over our selves the jealous God will watch over us and take away the fuel of our Lusts and quicken us to Repentance and the remembrance of our duty The sharpest rods and sorest stripes may stand and do stand with his Covenant-love to them Psal. 119.75 I know that in Faithfulness hast thou afflicted me Yea not only so but they are part of his Covenanting-Administrations they are Fatherly Corrections and Medicinal Preservatives against sinning they are token of God's hating Sin in his People but not of the rejection of their Persons but rather effects of his Love to the persons corrected II. The Confirmation 1. In the General God's Bill and Bond hath a Seal annexed to it A Seal is to make a thing unquestionable The Prophet in his bargain for the Field of Anathoth Ier. 32.10 11. saith I subscribed the Evidence and Sealed it and I took the Evidence of the purchase which was Sealed according to the Law and Custom The Sealing of the Deeds was an assurance by which an Inheritance was made over and a Covenant and Bargain ratified was Sealed by both Parties So is Gods Covenant sealed for the more assurance by God and us 2. I shall shew particularly the nature of the Seal on God's part and ours 1. The Seal of the Covenant hath an impression suitable to God's part the Lord knoweth those that are his where there is a double comfort and ground of assurance to God's Covenant-People 1. They are his 2. He knoweth them 1. They are his 1. By Election from all Eternity Iohn 17.6 Thine they were By this there is a distinction between them and others in the purposes of his Grace When the Lord had all Adam's Posterity under his all-seeing Eye he did out of his free Love chuse some from among others to be the objects of his special Grace 2. By effectual calling which is their actual choice by which a distinction is made between them and others in time 2 Thess. 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth His actual Choice is there meant Iohn 15.19 I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you The World knoweth not the secrets of God's Election but they see the effects The first foundation of a Believer's Salvation was laid in Election but it is acted and compleated when God calleth them from the rest of the World and sets them apart for himself 3. They are his by entering into Covenant with him and an Act of Consecration on their part Ezek. 16.8 Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of Love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy Nakedness yea I sware unto thee and enter'd into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine They surrender themselves to the Lord's use 2 Chron. 30.8 Now be ye not stiff Necked as your Fathers were but yield your selves unto the Lord. Give your hand to God Now all this maketh the Foundation or the Covenant of the Lord sure to them so that they shall not Miscarry by damnable Errors and willful Sin as others do God's eternal Election keepeth them from the Teint of Errors Matth. 24.24 Insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. The Elect cannot altogether be seduced and drawn away from Christ because of the purpose of God which is backed by his invincible power and care over them Actual Election or effectual Calling giveth them a discerning Spirit 2 Thess. 2.13 But we are bound always to give thanks to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth Their Minds are savingly enlightned and their Wills renewed so that they are kept safe Their Covenant-Dedication doth particularly entitle them to God's care so that they are guided by God's Spirit and guarded by his continual Providence till the work begun in them be perfected Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Iesus Christ. 2. God knoweth them Knowing is put for 1. His particular notice of them as his peculiar People of all that belong to the Election of his Grace He knoweth their Persons Ier. 1.5 Before I formed thee in the Belly I knew thee God hath a special care of them that they may not dye in their unregenerate condition He knoweth their Names Exod. 33.12 I know thee by Name and thou hast also found grace in my sight and Vers. 17. I will do this thing also which thou hast spoken for thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name And it is said of Jesus Christ that he calleth his own Sheep by name and leadeth them out Iohn 10.3 He knoweth all his Flock particularly their Names and their Number by Head and Poll even to the meanest and poorest Saint Iohn Andrew Thomas He knoweth their Necessities Streights and Temptations Cares Griefs Fears Wants Difficulties and Dangers Matth. 6.32 Your Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things He knoweth who wanteth Food and Rayment and Protection His Eye is never off the Saints Psal. 56.8 Thou tellest my wandrings put then my Tears into thy Bottle are they not in thy Book Not a drop but is in God's Bottle God doth number their Tears reckon all the steps of their Wandrings and Pilgrimages every weary step through Ziph and Hareph I tell you it is God's Business in Heaven to look after his Saints The Eyes of the Lord run too and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him 2 Chron. 16.9 He knoweth all their employments and how they are to be fitted for them Gal. 1.15 It pleased God who separated me from my Mother's Womb and called me by his Grace He dateth God's Law from that time This Child is appointed to be a Vessel of Mercy to be employed in an especial manner for God's Glory Thus Ieremy was designed to be a Prophet before he was bred or born Paul to be an Apostle in his Mothers Womb An instance we have of God's particular knowledge in the 9 th of the Acts the 11th vers The Lord said unto 〈…〉 go into the street which is called Straight and enquire in the Hous◠of Judas 〈…〉 called Saul of Tarsus for behold he prayeth Such a Town such a Street 〈…〉 Person about such a work God taketh notice of
is in his Heart And those that are either contriving Sin or musing upon Vanity will bewray themselves in their Speeches 6. That familiar Converse with those whose Hearts are nothing worth will little tend to our profit but rather to our hurt For to this end is it spoken by the Holy Ghost to direct us in the choise of our company They that have the Spirit of Grace are most likely in their Discourses to minister Grace to the Hearers and should be most acceptable to those that have the same Spirit and can savour Spiritual things If we are as in a prison when we are in good company who use Gracious Talk 't is none of the best signs Our Souls are grown out of rellish with Spiritual and Heavenly things if such kind of Discourse doth not please us Surely this is the company that is most likely to be most fruitful and profitable to us Prov. 20.15 The lips of knowledge are a precious Iewel But in vain and idle company what can you meet with but vanity and that which is little worth A Trifle not a Jewel Impertinency Levity Folly Immodesty Worldliness Pride is all that you can gather from others and we have too much of this our selves already Depraved Nature needeth no helps to deprave it more but all the means of Cure that can be used Prov. 10.21 The lips of the righteous feed many but fools dye for want of knowledge Surely then it will be our Wisdom to be intimate with those that discourse of Holy things where you may have something of value but nothing but idle Talk is to be expected from them whose Hearts are nothing worth II. The Reasons 1. Because they are not furnished with those Graces which do serve in munimentum ornamentum or emolumentum which may serve to defend their own Souls or be delightful in the eyes of God or make them profitable to others and those are Faith Hope and Love They never felt the quickning virtue of Faith nor were wrought by it to the true love of God and an Holy and Heavenly Mind Those that were never acquainted with the virtue of Faith and the power of Divine Love and the quickning efficacy of an Heavenly Hope certainly they have base dead poor and unworthy Spirits and can do no eminent thing for God in the World nor for the Salvation of their own Souls I prove it from the use of these Graces they are in munimentum for Defence 1 Thess. 5.8 But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breast-plate of faith and love and for an Helmet the hope of salvation Rom. 13.12 Let us put on the Armor of light Grace is our sure Defence against the Teint of the sensual ignorant and brutish World These have a Spirit that carrieth them to God and Divine and Heavenly things and so are clarified and purified from the dregs of Sense Faith purifieth Acts. 15.9 Purifying their heart by faith Love purifieth 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the Brethren see that ye love one another and Hope purifieth 1 Ioh. 3.3 He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Again these Graces serve in Ornamentum for Ornament to make us amiable in the sight of God and Men and therefore Holiness is called an Ornament of great price and the righteous are called the excellent ones of the earth Psal. 16.3 Whereas the wicked are called vile persons Psal. 15.4 And Prov. 12.26 The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor He hath an Heart which others have not and a Spirit to which they are strangers And it is said of Daniel that he had an excellent Spirit found in him Dan. 6.3 Certainly there is not such a noble Spirit in the World as that of a true Christian. Again they are in emolumentum utilitatem for profit These things are given us to profit others 2 Pet. 1.8 If these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall not be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ Iesus our Lord. Now fruitfulness is for the Honour of Christ and the good of others they shall make you a Man can have no Rest or Peace in his Soul till he be useful and fruitful and they cannot satisfie themselves with doing a little good but still they must do more for these Graces do mightily enlarge the heart of a Man that they are not satisfied unless they take all occasions of promoting the Glory of God and the good of Souls Faith working by Love and Hope constraineth them 2. They are byassed with carnal Affections and Inclinations which fill their Minds with vanity or are seasoned with the wisdom of the flesh so that all they speak and do hath a Tang of it therefore their Spirits are slight drossie sensual Take in all the operations of the Soul they study to please the Flesh they value all things by the interests of the Flesh. But because Thoughts are principally intended here as the Fountain of our Speeches I shall only instance in them And 1. I take for granted that the wisdom of the Flesh is that which inclineth and disposeth us to savour and rellish the Pleasures Honours and Profits of the World These are the three baits 1 Iohn 2.16 All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life And the wisdom of the flesh suiteth with them Iam. 3.15 This wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sâ—nsual devilish 2. The operations of our Minds are either 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Discourses and Reasonings 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musings and Imaginations or 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contrivances and Devises and the Hearts of carnal and unsanctified Men are wholly taken up about these things 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the Debates and Discourses of their minds are of no value and tend to no serious and profitable use Certainly Mens Affections have an influence upon their Opinions and their Opinions have an influence upon their Thoughts Therefore those who make the flesh their principle rule and end they have in their hearts many corrupt Principles and Opinions about the things of God and against the being of God Psal. 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God that it is folly to deny present advantages for a future and unseen Happiness 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him That there is no profit in serving of God Iob 21.15 What is the Almighty that we should serve him Or what profit shall we have if we pray to him That the ways of God are grievous and unequal Ezek. 18.25 Yet ye say the way of the Lord is not equal That they shall do well enough Deut. 29.19 And it come to pass when he hears the words of this
how miserable a thing it is to have a drossy unsanctified Heart even though your Life should be never so blameless Now the Spirit of God calleth upon us to shew our selves Men Isa. 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves men bring it again to mind O ye transgressors And if you will never sit alone and commune with your selves about these weighty Matters your Condemnation is just Motives to quicken us how much it concerneth you to get your Hearts sanctified 1. Because of the two great Competitors God and Satan how earnest they are for the Heart It is God's Choice Prov. 23.26 My son give me thy heart This is that which God craveth and every good Man should say Lord I give it unto thee It pleaseth God to hide our Hearts from one anothers knowledge but he seeth them whether they be kept in a right frame yea or no. Men are incompetent Judges of the Heart therefore they look to the outward appearance but God's Eye is upon the Heart 1 Sam. 16.7 Man looketh unto the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart Psal. 41.6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom If we have a wise and understanding Heart a choice and excellent Spirit On the other side it is that which Satan striveth for most the greatest Contest between God and Satan is who shall have the Heart of Man As Acts 5.3 Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye to the Holy Ghost So Luke 22.3 Then entred Satan into Iudas Then he gets into the Man when he gets into the Heart Iohn 13.2 The Devil having now put into the heart of Iudas to betray him This is the Castle the Enemy would surprize he maintaineth his Interest there by vain and sinful Thoughts 2. The importance of the Heart as to our Speeches and Actions it is Fons Actionum ad extra the Fountain of all our outward Actions we bring every thing out of the Heart Matth. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things The Tongue Eyes Hands and Feet are but Instruments to execute the motions of the Heart The Prophet cast Salt into the Spring to cure the brackishness of the Water 2 Kings 22.21 And it is Terminus actionum ad intra the principle of our internal Actions Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which was delivered you Means 1. Earnest Prayer to God Psal. 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me God beginneth to us that we may imitate him Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always Psal. 86.11 Unite my heart to fear thy name The Heart naturally is scattered to vain Objects 2. Treasuring up the Counsels of the Word Psal. 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 6.20 21 22. My son keep thy fathers commandments and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee 3. Serious Caution that bad Principles be not rooted in us Heb. 3.12 Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God 4. Watching against vain Pleasures which render it brutish sottish frothy and stupid Hosea 4.11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart The generosity bravery and spriteliness of the Heart 5. If gotten keep it Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence Our first business is to get an Heart worth the keeping a vain Heart is better thrown away than kept When the Heart is renewed and changed keep it pure and loyal to God First get out Sin then keep it out We keep it by a constant watchfulness over the Senses Iob 31.1 I made a Covenant with my eyes why then should I look upon a maid Over the Thoughts Prov. 15.26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. Over the Affections and Passions Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts 6. Increase it to a Choice an excellent Spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind A Sermon on Acts x. 34 35. Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him THese Words are Peter's reply to Cornelius who sent for him to hear the Gospel from his mouth For the entertaining of this Message both Peter and Cornelius were aforehand prepared severally by God Peter by a Vision Cornelius by an Oracle So much ado was needful to gather in the first Fruits of the Gentiles In the Words take notice of two Things 1. Peter's acknowledgment of his former Mistake Vers. 34. 2. His assertion of the positive Truth which he learned by this Providence Vers. 35. First In the acknowledgment of his former Error you may observe three things 1. The Preface or Introduction Then Peter opened his mouth and said Prophane Spirits cavil at this Expression as needless For how could he speak say they without opening his mouth But they mind not that it is an Hebraism frequently used in Scripture concerning them that are about to speak any thing weighty upon mature deliberation As of our Lord Christ it is said Matth. 5.2 He opened his mouth and taught them saying So Psal. 78.2 I will open my mouth in a parable Prov. 8.2 I will speak of excellent things the opening of my mouth shall be right things To open the Mouth is to speak considerately prudently confidently Would to God that those that scoff at these things would never open their Mouths to worse purpose 2. The means of his Conviction Of a truth I perceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Phrase is used of those that are apparently convinced and perswaded to change their Opinion The Latines would express it A vero vinci to be overcome by the Truth it self Peter once thought that it was unlawful for a Man that is a Jew to keep company with or go to one that is of another Nation as he himself expresseth it Vers. 28. But being prepared by his Vision and now convinced by the Words of Cornelius he perceived the contrary 3. The Error That God was a Respecter of Persons or had so confined his Respect to the Jewish Nation that
you shall command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink down into your Ears Close Application Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Job 5.27 Loe thus we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good And therefore as things are duly thought on so they must be closely applied These three acts of the Soul have each of them a distinct and proper Work Sound belief worketh on the clearness and certainty of the things asserted Serious Consideration on the greatness and importance of them Close Application on their pertinency and suitableness to us See all in one place 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying worthy of all acceptation That Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief These are all necessary to make any truth operative Sound belief for we are not affected with what we believe not Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Therefore to awaken diligence the truth of things is pleaded 2 Pet. 1.5 10 16. Give all diligence to add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge Give diligence to make your calling and Election sure for we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty Heb. 2.3 4. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him The first rousing Question when Men heard any Sermon about any Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel was Is this true For Consideration Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus our Lord. Without Consideration the weightiest things lie by as if they were not Sleepy reason is as none The most important Truths have no force upon us till Consideration awakeneth us Then for Application what concerneth us not is passed over Unless we hear things with a care to apply them we shall never make use of them Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of our Salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise 'T is not enough to know the Gospel to be a Doctrine of Salvation to others but we must look upon it as a Doctrine that bringeth Salvation to our own doors and leaveth it upon our choice A Plaister doth not heal at a distance till it be applied to the Sore Truths are too remote till we set the edge and point of them to our own Hearts Well then by this way we Preach to our selves Day and Night by exciting our Faith in God and Christ and Glory to come and by serious Consideration stirring up all God's graces in our selves and reproving our selves for all our Sins and calling a backward Heart to all the duties required of us This is the work of Close Application 5. They prosper best in Grace that most faithfully and diligently use the means Here I shall prove two things 1. That we are to use the means For wherefore hath Christ appointed them but that we should use them His Church is not like a Statuaries Shop where the Image or Statue doth nothing but the Carver or Artificer doth all But 't is compared to a School where Christ is the Teacher to teach us our Duty and we are Disciples to learn it And to a Kingdom where Christ is the Monarch and Sovereign and we are Subjects ingaged by Covenant to Obey him and the manner of his Government 't is not meerly natural ruling us as he doth the other Creatures by a Rod of Iron or in a way of absolute power as they cannot do otherwise but Moral by Laws Promises Threatnings working Faith by preaching and Love Hope and Obedience are the ends of Faith Certainly he governeth Man as Man not by Physical Motions only but by Moral Motives to which we must attend consider and improve Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man with bands of Love Christ hath not to deal with Stones or Brick or Timber but with Men. God hath fitted the means to do their work and for these ends we must use them If he did ordinarily work without them he would never have appointed them to this end He could have done it with one powerful fiat one creating word or beck of his will but he hath set another train and order of Causes and therefore he will work by them because he worketh on all things according to their Nature and this is suitable to the nature of Man We never knew of any Man that came to Knowledge Faith or Love without means Therefore 't is presumption for us to expect it And the greatest neglecters and despisers of Means are every where the most graceless and the worst of Men Therefore it concerneth us to use them 〈◊〉 the greater diligence and care We may learn from our Adversary the Devil he sheweth his Malice to Souls in opposing the means either by depriving Men of them 2 Thess. 2.18 Wherefore we would have come unto you even I Paul once and again but Satan hindred us or keeping them from them by thraldom or filling them with prejudice Iohn 8.4.4 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him 2 Cor. 44. In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine upon them Or from the Faithful using of them Matth. 13.19 When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in his Heart He watcheth them in all their Postures As soon as Men begin to be serious and to take heed what they hear he disturbeth the Work Well then the Means have an Aptitude and subservient Efficacy which we ought to regard 2. They prosper best that do most faithfully and diligently use the means I shall prove that by the double reason of the Text. 1. With what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again In the Allegation of this Proverbial Speech I shall observe two things 1. That there is a Law of Commerce between God and his Creatures or else how shall we know what to expect And the ordinary Rule
are his Members and belong to him Rom. 8.9 If ye have not the spirit of Christ ye are none of his 3. He blesseth his Word and Sacraments to this end and purpose Iohn 17.19 For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth We hear of Christ by the Spirit and of the Spirit in the Ordinances and Duties of Religion Eph. 5.26 By the washing of water through the word Two are here mentioned the Word and washing of Water The one containeth our Charter or Grant of Christ and all his Benefits to every one that believes in him Iohn 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The other is the Seal of it to assure us and be a pledge to us that Christ will be as good as his word Rom. 4.11 He received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith 1. The Word is a powerful Instrument Iohn 17.19 I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth John 15.3 Ye are clean through the word That warneth us of our Duty sheweth our Danger encourageth us by Promises to run to Christ for this Benefit holds forth his Blood as the meritorious Cause 2. Sacraments assure God will be as good as his word The doubting Soul saith â—how shall I know 2 Kings 20.8 What shall be the sign By these visible Things God assures us of the Truth of his Covenant Use. It sheweth us how and where we should look for this benefit of Sanctification From Christ by the Spirit in the Ordinances Look not to these singly but all together Holy Things do not sanctify us but we pollute them when we look to them singly Hag. 2.13 14. If one that is unclean touch any of these shall it be unclean The Priests answered It shall be unclean So is this people that which they offer is unclean Fowl Bodies the more you nourish them the more you hurt them 2. Go not to the Spirit alone without having accepted Christ and received him into your Hearts so upward Christ tendeth to the Spirit the Spirit to Ordinances Christ undertaketh to be a Sanctifier that you may have recourse to him A Sermon on Hebr. xiii 5 For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee IN the former part of the Verse the Apostle dissuadeth from Covetousness and perswadeth to Contentment The Motive to inforce the one and the other is God's Promise Many of our Distempers would have no more place if we did oftener study the Promises He saith that is God that He whose Voice should only be heard in the Church The Pythagoreans would use to say in their School 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath said It should much more be reason enough with Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he said But where doth the force of the Inference lye Apply it to the first part Let your conversation be without covetousness for he hath said I answer Covetousness is rooted in a Diffidence and fear of Want Now that Fear is irrational if we regard what he hath said God will maintain us as long as he hath Work for us to do He that is perswaded that God will not leave him will not be much troubled Apply it now to the second Branch Be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee And how is that inferred I answer The comfort of our Condition doth not depend on outward Provisions so much as in God's Promises therefore though you have little be content If God denieth the Creature he will vouchsafe his own Presence and what need we care for the want of a Candle when we have the Sun Once more The Connexion between the Dissuasive and Exhortation and the Promise is to be observed Be not covetous be content for he hath said I will never leave thee And Men would have less trouble if they could learn to cast themselves upon God's allowance If we could depend more we should crave less The Promise well applied would not only allay our Fears but moderate our Desires Lust is ravenous and therefore suspicious If we believe his Word we shall have enough to glorifie God enough for that condition wherein God will make use of us Fixing upon Carnal Hopes doth but make trouble for your selves Carnal Affections prescribe God a Task which he will never perform Psal. 78.18 They asked meat for the lusts Not Meat for their Necessities but Meat for their Lusts. God never undertook to maintain us at such a rate to give us so much by the Year such Portions for our Children The Sheep must be left to the Shepherd to choose their Pastures bare or better grown Be content and then Faith will be more easie We may pray for a Competency and are bound to submit to an Extremity He hath said Where hath he said it Every where in the Word more especially to Ioshua in particular Iosh. 1.5 As I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee To all his People in general Deut. 31.6 8. Be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the Lord thy God he it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee David bids Salomon be confident of it 1 Chron. 28.20 David said to Salomon his son be strong and of good courage and do it fear not nor be dismayed for the Lord God even my God will be with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee So Iacob Gen. 28.15 I will not leave thee till I have done all that I have spoken to thee of It is pleaded by Salomon 1 King 8.57 The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us You see it is a known Truth and to be made use of upon all occasions of Tryal It was spoken to Ioshua when he was to fight the Lord's Battels To Israel when they had not as yet a foot of Land to possess To Iacob when to pass through many Services To Salomon when to go about a costly Work And God having said it so often delights to be challenged upon his Word and to have this Promise put in suit Before I come to shew you the full purport and drift of this Promise let me observe 1. Though the Promises were made upon a particular occasion to some of God's People yet they are of a general Use. Well then Promises made to one Saint concern another also Why 1. Because God is alike affected to all his Children he beareth them the same love His Saints now are as dear to him as ever Therefore as he would not leave Ioshua or Iacob or Salomon so he will not leave others that trust in him This honour have all his Saints Psal. 149.9 2. They have
wit the redemption of our bodies When we shall know more fully what Honour and Blessedness belongeth to the Children of God now it doth not appear what we shall be So pardon of Sin shall be then compleat Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. All pardoned Sins shall never be remembred more our Absolution shall be solemnly pronounced by the Judge upon the Bench. That is the great Regeneration Matth. 19.28 You that have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel So for Redemption Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption When all the Effects of Sin shall cease for Death remaineth on the Body till that day 7. This Work of taking away Sin is carried on with respect to Christ's threefold Office of King Priest and Prophet 1. As a Priest so he taketh away Sin by his Merit having purchased a Power and a Virtue whereby our Natures may be healed and cleansed and our Peace made with God In this sense it is said 1 Iohn 1.7 The blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin 2. As a Prophet so he taketh away Sin by his Doctrine which is fit for such a purpose as it commandeth and requireth Purity and Holiness and inviteth us to it by notable Promises and encourageth us by blessed Examples especially of Jesus Christ himself and the perfect Pattern of his holy Obedience and heavenly Life Iohn 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 3. As a King so he taketh away Sin by his Spirit So backward are our Minds so bad our Hearts so strong our Lusts so manifold our Temptations that beâ—â— Teaching will not serve the turn without a Spirit of Light Life and Love to open our Eyes and change our Hearts and incline us and bring us back again to God Therefore it is said Titus 3.5 6. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy-Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our saviour His Merit giveth us Confidence his Word Means and Helps and his sanctifying Spirit maketh all effectual to the Soul III. That this is the great End and Scope of Christ's coming into the World appeareth by sundry Scriptures 1 Iohn 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin He was manifested in the Flesh and manifested in the Gospel for this end He came as an holy innocent Saviour to take away Sin Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins Not to ease them of their Trouble only but chiefly to destroy Sin with the mischievous Effects of it He is a Saviour that saves us from Sin not in Sin Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Not only from the Curse of the Law but from all Iniquity The Mediator's Blessing was not to free us from the Roman Yoke but from the slavery and bondage of Sin Acts 3.26 Unto you first God having raised up his son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Reasons 1. Sin is the great Make-bate between God and us The first breach was by Sin and still it continueth the distance Isa. 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Till Sin be taken out of the way there can be no perfect Communion betwen God and the Creature The Purity of God is irreconcilable to Sin though not to the Sinner and therefore though the Sinner be pardoned the Sin must be taken away 2. Sin is the great Disease of Mankind and the cause of all Misery therefore Christ came to stop Mischief at the Fountain Head Take away Sin and you take away Wrath for when the Cause is gone the Effect ceaseth Those who are most sensible of their true Evil do mainly desire the taking away of Sin Pharaoh said Take away this Plague but the Church saith Take away all iniquity Hosea 14.2 Many seek to get rid of Trouble and Temporal Afflictions but not of Sin because they have a gross sense of Things and measure their Happiness and Misery by their outward Condition Hosea 7.14 They assemble themselves for corn and wine and they rebel against me They sought not God's Favour but Corn and Wine and Oyl Others if they mind Spiritual Things they mind only pardon of Sins and ease of Conscience but not to be freed from the Power of it as if a Man that had broken his Leg should only desire to be eased of the smart but not to have it set again But the true Penitent is troubled with the Stain as well as the Guilt therefore the Promise is suited to such 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Others if they would be freed from Sin they respect only the preventing the outward Act but you must abstain from the Lust 2 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. If they look after the Heart and inward Man it is some Branch of Sin not the Root or the Change of the Heart and so die Impenitent Evil Practices do not flow from a present Temptation but an evil Nature All these lose their labour they neither get rid of Trouble nor prevent the Act nor are free from the breach of God's Law but Christ would make a thorough Cure 3. Taking away of Sin is a greater benefit than Impunity or taking away the Punishment Those Means which have a more immediate Connexion with the last End are more noble than those which are more remote The last End is the Glory of God Now the Holiness and Subjection of the Creature is a nearer means to it than our Comfort and Pardon Christ's End was to fit us for God's Use and therefore his End was to sanctifie us and free us from Sin 1 Use Is Caution Let us renounce all Sin that we may not make Christ's coming into the World in vain You go about to frustrate your Redeemer's End and so to put him to shame if you cherish Sin for then you cherish that which he came to destroy 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil that is dissolve unty and loose this Knot The Work of the Devil is to bring us into Sin and Misery and will you tie the Knot the faster If you go about to frustrate his Undertaking you renounce all Benefit by him and slight the Price of
Person and Sacrifice was approved of God is evident not only as he appointed it and surely he will Accept what he hath Appointed not only also by the Miracles which he wrought when alive which evidenced his Commission Acts 2.22 Iesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you but chiefly by the Resurrection of Christ which was not only a Testimony of the Truth and Dignity of his Person Rom. 1.4 And declared to be the son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead but it was a clear Argument of the perfectness of his Satisfaction For unless he had abundantly satisfied God how could God who as a just Judge had appointed him to die for our Sins raise him up from the Dead Would an upright Judge deliver a Debtor or his Surety from Prison unless first full Payment had been made Would God shew himself willing to be Reconciled to us if yet there remained any Wrath to be appeased any farther Ransom necessary to be paid for us Now in the Scripture Christ is sometimes said to rise from the Dead to shew his Divine Power sometimes to be raised by God to shew the Fulness of his Satisfaction Acts 2.24 Whom God hath raised up having loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be holden of them When Christ was raised our Surety was let out of Prison And the Scripture hath delivered it to us under that Notion Isa. 53.8 He was taken from Prison and from judgment and who shall declare his Generation For he was cut off from the land of the Living for the transgression of my people was he stricken The Lord sent an Angel to remove his Grave-stone not to supply any lack of Power in Christ but to shew he was fully Appeased and Satisfied Therefore it is said Heb. 13.20 Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Iesus that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant Mark through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant he is become the God of Peace through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant he brought Christ from the Dead He doth not only do us good but le ts go our Surety through the Virtue of that Blood The Phrase of Bringing again from the Dead is Emphatical Christ did not break Prison but was brought forth as the Apostles Acts 16.39 The Magistrates came to the Prison and brought them out Christ rose not only by his own Power but by the Father's Authority If our Surety had perished in Prison we could have no Assurance or if he had continued still under Death the World could have no Discharge But Christ rose again and is not only taken out of Prison but carried up to God in Glory and Honour 1 Tim. 3.16 Received up into glory It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Actively he Ascended but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Passively he was Raised up God hath Rewarded him And therefore he hath perfectly done his Work God hath not only taken him out of the Grave but taken him up to Glory Certainly God is well pleased since he hath given him not only a Discharge but a Reward Christ undertaking for us is somewhat like that of Reuben for Benjamin Gen. 43.9 I will be surety for him of my hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee then let me bear the blame for ever Let me see thy Face no more Christ undertook to carry it through and failed not in the Enterprize III. What Comfort is this to poor Sinners since though there be a full Satisfaction Conditions are required which we are not able to perform e're we can have Benefit and we find Sin remaining in us so that it is finished and unfinished as to us I answer There is great Comfort in God's general Grace before it be particularly applied and exhibited to us in the Effects and Sense thereof A sufficient Sacrifice and Ransom given for you is the Foundation of all solid Peace for it is the Foundation of the Gospel or of the Covenant of Grace I shall prove it by these Reasons 1. Because this answereth the grand Scruple which haunteth the Creature and is at the bottom of all our Fears namely how God's Justice shall be appeased Micah 6.6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings with calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oyl Shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul The way of appeasing God's Anger hath been an old Controversie that hath troubled all Nations and till it be answered and fully determined Man is not perfect as appertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9.9 Though God be infinitely Merciful yet he is infinitely Just and we can expect no more from his Mercy than we may fear from his Justice Guilty Nature still presageth Evil to us till there be something Penal endured and something of Price and Value given to appease Justice 2. That God now looketh for no Satisfaction at your hand it is all done perfectly by Christ all is finished he satisfied for us that we might not be obliged to satisfie in our own Persons Heb. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Isa. 53.5 By his stripes we are healed It was at his Cost that our Recovery was brought about 3. In this Provision we see the Will of God putting forth it self for our help in the most astonishing way that could be imagined 1 Tim. 3.16 Without controversie great is the mystery of godliness God manifested in the flesh 1 John 4.10 Herein was love not that we loved God but God loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins This is such an unusual expression of Love such an engaging Instance so much surpassing our Thoughts that we cannot sufficiently admire it When God laid such a broad Foundation surely he intended some notable Grace to us 4. Here is a full Answer to those usual Objections which are raised by broken Hearts as the number and greatness and heinousness of our Sins for as such they shall not be your Ruine As great as they are God can with honour pardon them for barely to plead the number of Sins or greatness of Sins is to lessen the Price The Messiah came Dan. 9.24 To finish transgression and to make an end of sin and to bring in everlasting Righteousness There is no Sin so great but the Redeemer's Merit can countervail it And no Man shall perish for the want of the Payment of his Ransom or an Expiatory Sacrifice for his Sins He may
they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me Now it is a blessed thing to see what we love and possess what we see The Priests here though they do not worship an unknown God yet they worship an unseen God The Romans when they brake into the Sanctum Sanctorum and saw no Image there gave out that the High-Priest did worship the Clouds The World suspecteth the God whom we worship but there we see him Face to Face with a clear and distinct Vision 2 Cor. 5.7 For we walk by Faith not by Sight There Vision succeedeth in the room of Faith Fruition of Hope and perfect Love of that weak Adherence which now we put forth towards God If God should suffer himself to be seen by his Creature in the Condition to which Sin hath reduced him it would prove rather a ground of Fear and Astonishment than of Love and Fruition or else the Majesty must be clouded with some Allay of Condescention which would not sufficiently reveal him to us The immediate Presence of God which is our Felicity in Heaven would be our Misery upon Earth The Scripture telleth us Exod. 33.20 No Man shall see him and live And Manoah Judg. 13.22 We shall surely die because we have seen God We cannot look upon this glorious Sun but we are in danger of losing our Life together with our Sight The Scripture sometimes maketh God to dwell in Darkness sometimes in Light inaccessible to note the Incapacity of our Faculties and the incomprehensible Splendor of his glorious Majesty We are not able to pierce through this Darkness or endure this Light But the Majesty of God is not there formidable but comfortable for we shall behold the glorious God in a glorified Estate both of Soul and Body 2. We shall serve him perfectly and without Weakness Weariness and Distraction 1. Here is Weakness What dull and low Conceptions have we of God! What heartless irreverent and poor Expressions of his glorious Excellency whenever we come to worship before him such as should make us ashamed to open our Lips before the Lord Isai. 6.5 Wo is me for I am undone saith the Prophet Isaiah for I am a Man of unclean Lips and I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean Lips for mine Eâ—es have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Or as Iob 40.4 Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my Hand upon my Mouth The best of God's Servants when their Eyes are but a little opened to see the Glory of that God they speak to how sensible would they be of the Shortness of their Apprehension and Expressions of that God they speak to Alas how can such narrow Hearts frame an Apprehension or receive an Impression of such an infinite Greatness and eternal Goodness as there is in God! But when we shall see him as he is then we shall better praise him and conceive more sutably of him 2. Here is Weariness and we cannot endure long under our weak Duties neither as to the Frame of Body nor Mind but there God in Communion is always new and fresh to us every Moment And the more we look upon the Object the more is the Faculty fortified and strengthened in conversing with God Matth. 18.10 In Heaven their Angels do always behold the Face of my Father which is in Heaven The blessed Spirits are never weary of beholding God and injoying his glorious Presence 3. Here is Distraction We pretend when we worship God to leave the World and turn the back upon all things else and to set our selves before the Throne of God but alas we bring the Flesh along with us and that will have its Excursions and so our Hearts are stolen away from under Christ's own Arm We mingle Sulphur with our Incense groan under divers Infirmities We cannot do what we would do Gal. 5.17 But there is nothing to divert us from thinking of God there is no Blemish in Priest or Sacrifice nothing will appear in us displeasing unto God which is a Comfort in our present Weaknesses 3. We shall then serve God uninterruptedly for there shall be no Impediment of Business nor Need of Sleep Here earthly Occasions straiten Christ and crowd up his Interest in the Soul and we spend almost half our time in Sleep not shewing one Act of Thankfulness to God but then we shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thess. 4. 17. We shall always stand before his Throne of Glory and abide in his blessed Presence Our Labour shall not need Repose nor shall the Night ever draw a Curtain upon that Day There will be no Miseries Wants and Necessities to distract us and take off our Minds The whole Strength of our Souls is carried out to God and our time is spent wholly and only in worshipping and serving God Constant and perpetual solemn Service is a Celestial Privilege and they that serve God most uninterruptedly come nearest Heaven For there Christ is ever with us and we ever with him 2 Cor. 5.8 We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. When absent from the Body we are present with the Lord and shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth 4. There we are admitted into a nearer Communion with God than now in this mortal Estate We draw nigh to him now but we are not so nigh but there is some Distance But in the Palace of Glory our Approach will be so near as to take away all Distance and we shall have immediate and full Communion with God Now God is in Heaven and we upon Earth we receive no more of God than an Ordinance can convey to us Here and there he droppeth in a little Comfort and Quickening into the Soul the Pipe cannot convey much and the Vessel can hold less the Means are narrow and the Person is not capacitated to be filled up with all the Fulness of God But then the Lord will do his Work by himself the means shall not straiten him God will communicate himself without Means and be instead of all Means he will be all in all and therefore will communicate his Grace in full Perfection The more we draw nigh to God here the more like him Moses while he conversed with God in the Mount his Face shone Christ was transformed in his Prayers Luke 9.29 And as he prayed the Fashion of his Countenance was altered and his Raiment was white and glistering So by Proportion in Heaven the nearer we draw to God the more we injoy of him 1 Iohn 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Perfection of Holiness is the Glory and Happiness of the Saints in Heaven As Iron by lying in the Fire seemeth to be all Fire when it is red hot the Qualities of Fire are imprinted on it So we by being
Thoughts that they will find it an help to their Meditation Would God make Laws with a Sanction of Penalty and Reward and never look after them more Doth he delight in the Prosperity of his Servants or their Afflictions Would he raise Hopes and Desires which he never meant to satisfy give the Wicked Power to afflict and vex his People and never call them to an Account bid us venture our All for him and give us no Recompence If such Thoughts were more frequent with us God would bless them to the increase of Faith Love and Hope Vse 3. Is to perswade us to live in the constant Hopes of this blessed Estate in the Life to come Hope is a certain and earnest Expectation of the promised Blessedness Let me shew you 1. The Necessity of this Hope 2. The Encouragements of it 1. The Necessity of the Hope of Eternal Glory should always be cherished in us 1. Because it is a special Act of the New Nature 1 Pet. 1.3 Who hath begotten us to a lively Hope Assoon as we are Children we look for a Child's Portion The New Nature presently discovereth it self by its tendency to its End and Rest which is the Fruition of God in Heaven Indeed the Scriptures speak of a twofold Hope one that is the immediate Effect of Regeneration and flows from our acceptance of the New Covenant and dependeth upon the conditional offer of Eternal Life we take it for our Happiness resolving to seek it in God's way without this we are not new Creatures There is another Hope which is the fruit of Experience and belongeth to the seasoned and tried Christian who hath approved his own Fidelity to God and hath had much trial of God's Fidelity to him This is spoken of Rom. 5.4 Patience worketh Experience and Experience Hope This produceth not a conditional Certainty but an actual Confidence of our own Salvation The former is more necessary for we live by it but this is very comfortable 2. Because it is the great End why the Scriptures were written to beget and raise this Hope in us Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope It is the business and design of these holy Books 3. Because the keeping up of this Hope with Zeal and Industry is the distinguishing Character between the temporary and the sincere Convert The one loseth his Taste and Comfort and so casteth off the Profession of Godliness or neglecteth the powerful Practice of it the other is diligent serious patient mortified heavenly and holy because he holdeth fast the Confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 And his End sweetens his Work for this Grace doth quicken the whole Spiritual Life Titus 2.12 13. Teaching us that denying Vngodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present VVorld Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious Appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. 4. Because we have nothing else to support us and fortify us against the Difficulties that fall out between our first Right to Eternal Life and our full Possession of it In our Journey to Heaven there are many Sufferings and Trials which must be undergone and Hope is our Strength and Support He that sets his Face Heavenward will find Difficulties that attend his Service Temptations that assault his Constancy and Troubles and Calamities to which his Religion exposeth him now it is Hope carrieth us through and therefore it is compared to an Anchor Heb. 6.19 Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the Vail And to an Helmet Eph. 6.17 And take the Helmet of Salvation Compared with 1 Thess. 5.8 And for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation As we would not go to Sea without an Anchor and to War without an Helmet so we must not think of carrying on the Spiritual Life without Hope Nothing else will compose the Mind and keep it stable in the Floods of Temptation or cause us to hold up our Heads in our daily Conflicts and Encounters Without this Anchor our Souls are in danger of spiritual Shipwrack without this Helmet our Heads are exposed to deadly Blows from Sin Satan and worldly Discouragements 5. We shall need it not only while we live but we shall have most need of it when we come to die They that are destitute of the Hope of Glory then are in a dangerous woful and most lamentable Case Job 27.8 For what is the Hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul They may be full of Presumption and blind Confidence while they live but what Hope have they when they come to die All their worldly Advantages will afford them no solid Comfort They live in a presumptuous Dream that all shall be well but then they die stupid and sensless or else despairing and their Hopes fail them when they have most need of them 2. The Encouragements of it 1. God's gracious Covenant and Promises God would not invite and raise an Hope to disappoint it for surely God will not disappoint the Creature that dependeth upon his Word and therefore we are allowed to challenge God upon his Word Psal. 119.49 Remember the VVord unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope It contains a double Argument the Promise was of God's making and the Hope of his Operation the Grant of the New Covenant and his Influence by the Spirit We have a strong Tie upon God as he giveth us the Promise which is a ground of Hope we may humbly put the Bond in Suit and when his Spirit hath caused the Hope it is not with a purpose to defeat it 2. Consider what a Foundation God hath laid for his Promises 2 Tim. 2.19 The Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal The Lord knoweth them that are his 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 3. Observe what God hath given you by way of Earnest Hope is not built upon Promises alone but also upon Assurances and Earnest the Promises are contained in the Word of God but the Earnest is given into our Hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed us and given the Earnest of his Spirit in our Hearts 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the Earnest of the Spirit Eph. 1.13 14. In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of Promise which is the Earnest of our Inheritance until the Redemption of the purchased Possession unto the praise of his Glory Tho God be Truth it self and promiseth nothing but what he meaneth to perform yet he will give Earnest of his Promises and a Pledg of his Affection
to us An Earnest is a part of the Sum which is promised so is the Earnest of the Spirit a part of the promised Felicity God would not altogether weary us and burden us with Expectation but giveth us somewhat in hand Surely he that giveth us Earnest will give us the whole Sum the Earnest of the Spirit consisteth in Light Life Grace Joy one Dram of these is more precious than all the World and yet these are but an Earnest Now having such a Confirmation in the midst of our Doubts and Fears let us with more Confidence look to receive the whole in due Season 4. Some already have got home to God upon the same Terms and in the same Way in which you expect to get home to him Think often of the Happiness of the Blessed who are now enjoying what we expect and are in possession of that supreme Good which we hope for They are entred into the Joy of our Lord and have neither Miseries to fear nor Blessings to desire beyond what they enjoy they possess all that they love And tho the time of our Advancement to these Privileges be not yet come yet we should look and long for it We are all of the same Family Eph. 3.15 Of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named It is but one Houshold some live in the upper Room some in the lower some in Heaven some on Earth but we are all of the same Society and Community Heb. 12.23 To the general Assembly and Church of the First-born which are written in Heaven We are said to be already come into this Fellowship only they have gotten the start of us and are made perfect before us that we should follow after We are reconciled to the same God by the same Christ Col 1.20 By him to reconcile all things unto himself by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven And we expect our Portion from the Bounty of the same Father If he hath been so good to that part of the Family which is now in Heaven will he not be as good to the other Part also Therefore they that are working out their Salvation with fear and trembling may encourage themselves and look upon this Felicity as prepared for them tho not enjoyed by them It will one day be their Portion as well as those others who have passed the Pikes and are now triumphing with God A SERMON UPON ROMANS II. 7 To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality eternal Life IN this Scripture we have a plain and full Character of the Heirs of Promise or a short but compleat Description of that Good which is necessary to Life The Words are occasioned by the Apostle's mentioning of the righteous Judgment of God which rendereth to every Man according to their Works That General mentioned in ver 6. is more distinctly explained in the next Verses wherein he sheweth how the righteous Judg will carry himself towards the Good and towards the Bad in the Judgment of Absolution and Condemnation towards the Good in the Text toward the Bad ver 8. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness Indignation and Wrath. The one is a Reward of Grace and the other is a Punishment awarded by his exact Justice We are to consider the first of these the Reward of Grace To them who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality eternal Life In the Words observe the Qualification and the Reward 1. The Qualification or Description of the Heirs of Promise 1. By their End and Design They seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality 2. The Means or way wherein they seek it by well-doing 3. Their Constancy and Perseverance in that way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by patient Continuance Well then 1 st Here is a short and full Description of those who shall be saved They are those who out of the Hope of the eternal Reward persevere in the Obedience of the Truth for they that continue in well-doing are opposed to them that obey not the Truth but obey Vnrighteousness Whereby is intended those that sin against the Light of Nature and refuse the Direction of the Gospel So that well-doing must be stated partly by the Light of Nature and partly by the Light of Scripture or rather by this latter alone as it comprizeth and explaineth the other And their Constancy and patient Continuance in this Work is as considerable as the Work it self Continuance implieth a constant Tenour of Righteousness and Holiness and patient Continuance implies Continuance notwithstanding Temptations to the contrary or bearing the Persecutions which they underwent for the Duties of the Christian Profession still going on in the Pursuit of that Reward which Christ hath promised 2. The Reward is Eternal Life This they looked and this they laboured for They were not carried on upon temporal Incouragements but eternal Bliss in the World to come And this is an excellent Counterpoise against the Loss or the Discomforts of the present Life Doct. That God will give Eternal Life to all those who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek after it The Point will be best opened by discussing the Circumstances of the Text. I shall speak I. Of the Qualification II. Of the Reward I. The Qualification And there I must speak First Of their Design and Aim They seek for Glory Honour and Immortality In all Businesses and Affairs the end must be first thought of Now these Persons which are here described propound to themselves the noblest and highest End which the Heart of Man can pitch upon even Glory Honour and Immortality Amongst Men the Ambitious who aspire to Crowns and Kingdoms and aim at perpetual Fame by their Vertues and rare Exploits are judged Persons of greater Gallantry than covetous Muckworms and brutish Epicures yet their highest Thoughts and Designs are very base and low in comparison of sincere Christians who by patient Continuance in well-doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality and whom nothing less will content and satisfy than the Injoyment of God himself in his Heavenly Kingdom and all that Happiness which he hath promised to his faithful Servants The Threshold will not content them but the Throne Their End is far more noble than the Designs of all the rest of the World And whereas others do carry themselves but as an higher and wiser sort of Beasts and so are unworthy of an immortal Soul these carry themselves as Men possessed with a Divine Spirit The Beasts have an Instinct that guideth them to seek things convenient for that Life which they have And a Man that is satisfied with his Portion here and only relisheth the Contentments of the rational and bodily Life carrieth himself more like a living Creature than a rational Creature more like a Beast than like a Man All their Business and Bustle is to have their