which he would not go himselfe if need were Servants you have good Masters who put you about no worse worke then they would doe themselves And beleevers you have a sweet Saviour who did doe that himselfe about which he sets you and never will lay that burden upon your backes which he would not if need were beare himselfe Oh how tender and sweet is Christ to all his working members in not setting them about any service but what he is willing to doe himselfe Oh beleevers you may comfort your selves in any service to which Christ calls you with this thought what though the businesse be burdensome what though the worke be weakning yet still Christ is sweet kinde tender in that he hath set you about no other then what himselfe hath done 2. It s easie to see sweetnesse in the crrriage of Christ towards his working members in that he hath provided and accordingly gives incouragement unto them answerable to all the discouragement they doe or can meet withall Ezekiel was to go out upon some design for Christ and such was his weaknesse that he falls at the appearance of Christs coming to command him But mark what Christ saith to him Son of man stand upon thy feet Ezek. 2.1 Christ loves saith a late Commentator upon this to incourage man to his duty It s the weaknesse of beleevers when set about any worke they are apt to dispond and be discouraged But it s the sweetnesse of Christ he is ready to raise up your spirits and to take off their discouragements Three things usually discourage beleevers when they are to set about any businesse for Christ and Christ is so sweet as that he hath provided and doth give out incouragements answerable to them all 1. Internall reluctancy in your owne spirits I would Saints are unwillingly willing and willingly unwilling and I could doe this or that saith the beleever but I finde such reluctancy within my heart is so backward my spirit so unwilling that it discourageth me much why Christ hath said he will make thee willing His people shall be a willing people Psal 110.3 Christ hath provided a voyce behinde to put thee on to that whereunto thou art backward Thine eares shall heare a ward behinde thee because of the reluctancy that is in thee saying this is the way walke in it Esa 30.21 I will put my Spirit within you which is a free Spirit and because you are backward and unwilling he shall make you forward and willing and cause you sweetly to walke in my wayes Ezek. 36.28 Christ hath provided an incouragement answerable to this discouragement of thine Oh Beleever Thy spirit is unwilling and doth resist his Spirit shall rake that away 2 Disgrace and opposition from man is a great discouragement to working beleevers and Christ hath provided incouragement suited thereunto Men will deride me and oppose me if I do this or that The disgrace of the proud and the opposition of the violent do mightily weaken my hands in worke saith the beleever sometimes But know O soul Christ hath provided incouragement answerable to this Thou sayest men oppose thee Christ saith he is with thee Feare not I am with thee said the Vision to Paul Act. 18.10 Men thou sayest disgrace thee O weake-working soule The Father saith Christ will honour thee If any man serve me him will my Father honour Joh. 12.26 strengthen thy weake hands O working soule with these words Here is suitable incouragement unto thy discouragement in this particular also 3. Doubt of successe discourageth sometimes those who are upon worke for Christ The hands of the beleever begin to fall downe in the midst of his worke when he doubts of successe I shall labour in vaine saith the soul this discourageth me Your labour shall not be in vaine saith Christ let that incourage thee 1 Cor. 15.58 Moses being to goe to Pharoah about a gallant worke Israels freedome He doubts the successe But behold they will not beleeve me saith he Exod. 4.1 That discouraged him Christ therefore takes off that discouragement If they will not beleeve at the voice of the first signe they will or shall beleeve the voice of the latter saith the Lord. I would fight and resist Sathan Shall I be succesfull Yes O beleever Christ hath said so He i.e. Sathan shall flye Jam. 4.7 and the God of peace shall tread down Sathan under your feet Rom. 20. Thus answerable to all those discouragements which beleevers are liable to meet with Christ hath provided incouragements and this clearly argues Christ to be sweet in his carriage towards his working members But 3. In as much as Christ gives ability and strength to performe whatsoever he calls any beleever to it is cleare that his carriage is sweet to those which worke Christ gives power to doe what ever he sets beleevers about Ezekiel must stand on his feet alas he is weake and cannot Christs Spirit therefore enters into him that hee may Stand upon thy feet Son of man saith Christ and the Spirit entred into him and he stood up Ezek. 2.1 I thanke our Lord Christ who hath inabled me saith Paul unto Timothy 1 Ep. 1.12 the Apostles must preach to all Nations and Christ gives them tongues to inable them so to doe Ah! saith the poore soule the worke is weighty and I am weake True but Christ will make thee strong and able O weake soule If the burthen be big thy back shall be strengthened Christ will not lay a heavy burthen upon weake shoulders Doubtlesse he will strengthen thy shoulders O beleeving soule according to the weight of that he layes on I must answer before Kings and Councellors and States for Christ saith the beleever But alas the worke is weighty and I weake Feare not O beleever Christ will be with thee and will give thee a mouth and wisdome which all thy adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist Luke 21.15 I am to goe a long journey for Christ but I have but weake legs saith the soul why Christ will strengthen thy legs O soule according to the length of thy journey I am to lift a great weight saith the soule and have but weake hands Christ will strengthen thy hands according to the weight which thou art to lift O poore soule what ever the worke be about which Christ sets any soule if the soule carry it self sincerely in doing Christ will shew himselfe sweetly in helping Howsoever hard-hearted Pharaoh may command the number of brickes and not give straw to helpe yet tender-hearted Christ will not If he command the soul to work he will send the Spirit to helpe with strength suitable to that worke 4. Christs carriage appeares to be sweet to working Beleevers in that he will perfect their worke by his owne strength wherein it was deficient by their weaknesse Thou workest all our workes for us and in us Esa 26.12 The beleever workes and leaves that which hee doth very imperfect
reasons given of this 1. Christ loves to make his carriage answerable to himselfe He is sweet in himselfe and therefore will shew it by being so to his As he will declare sweetnesse to those who are weak and cannot worke at all so will he shew sweetnesse to those who worke and are weake therein or thereby As Christ sees our condition he is moved with compassion He hath yerning bowells towards working beleevers and he cannot refraine such is his sweetnesse but he must shew it Men love to shew themselves as we say what they are Christ doth surely love to carry himselfe sweetly that beleevers may say As we have beard so have we seen in the Saviour of our God Others by their words told us that Christ was sweet and in our workes we finde it so When Christ spake to the man sicke of the palsie Thy sinnes be forgiven thee He did it that men might know the power of his God-head saith he giving the reason of that speech that ye may know the son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins Mat 9.6 As Christ speakes in such a manner as that he may be knowne to be what he is so he acts also he leads his working members gently and carries himselfe toward them sweetly that he may declare himselfe to be as he is 2. Christ sees that those that worke for him cannot worke without him Therefore it is that he carries himselfe so sweetly to them The strongest â—aint is too weake for any worke if left by Christ Indeed Christ cannot have his worke done by any soule in case he deale not sweetly with it The big Ewe cannot goe if not let gently and the working beleever cannot act if not dealt withall sweetly Without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 This Christ sees and therefore it is that he is thus sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 4.13 Because Christ knowes our weaknesse as that without him we can doe nothing therefore he shewes his sweetnesse that by him we may be able to doe all things by his strength 3. Christ is thus sweet in his carriage to wards his working members that he may leave all without excuse Christs carriage to his shall condemne wretches at the last day that will be none of his Sinners will be ready to say we did not serve thee because there was harshnesse in thee Thy worke was hard and thou wert austere Thy servants went for the most part in sackcloth while others wore filke c. Now Christ will stop their mouthes by his sweet carriage Wretches that will not worke for Christ shall be left without all excuse when they shall be told and convinced of the sweetnesse of Christ to his working members Christ is resolved to stop all mouthes in that day His sweetnesse to labourers shall silence loyterers His gentle leading of workers shall condemn the idle-living of wanderers The Ewes that have been big with young shall witnesse against those that would not have Christ to be their Shepherd Christs sweet carriage to the one shall convince and condemne the obstinate standing out of the other Wretches Christ cals upon you to work for him he hath given you talents and he bids you imploy them you are fearfull and sluggish you hide your talents and spare your pains you do not will not act or work for Christ Consider you shall be without excuse at the great day It will be foolish and false to plead Christ was a hard master His working members by their experience shall confute you and Christs sweet carriage to them shall leave you without apology or excuse CHAP. V. Some uses of the point HAving seen the sweetnesse of Christs carriage towards all his Ewes and such as are big with young i.e. those who work for him I shall offer some thing by way of application in some uses As 1. It serves to discover the difference between Christs service and all other service and between his carriage of himselfe towards those that worke for him and the carriage of all others towards any that worke for them If men serve the world they do not finde alway at least sweet carriage It s often seen among men after their worke is over the workman is oft forgotten It stands upon record as one of the greatest stains of the Roman State that after Scipio Africanus had sincerely and successefully served that Commonwealth when it was almost spent and ready to dye and had thereby raised it up he was banished or forced to inhabit in a poor waste desert Insomuch that when he dyed he commanded this to be ingraven over his sepulchre Ingrata patria ne ossa quidem mea habes The Commonwealth was so base as not to have his bones who saved their blood Solomon tells us of a poor man who had been very serviceable to a distracted State when it was warred against by a great Prince The poore man delivered the City by his wisdome but no man did so much as remember that same poor man Eccles 9.15 And it is reported of Cardinall Woolsey that upon his death-bed he should say in much sadnesse of spirit If I had so faithfully served Jesus Christ as I have done my Master Hen. the 8. he would not have cast me off as my Master the King hath Oh! that men could but see the difference that is between the service of man and the service of Christ How ever the sons of men will deale like themselves with their servants sordidly the son of God will deal with his sweetly 2. This Doctrine may also reproove these who deale not with Christs working members as Christ doth Oh how cursedly and coursely do many deal with Christs workmen How doe they deride ride disgrace oppose and persecute the Ewes of Christ i.e. those that are big and travell in work for him How did a company of vile persons vilifie Paul who yet was as an Ewe ready to bring forth who was in travell with the Galathians as with Christs Lambs And then those that were borne after the flesh did persecute him that was both borne and bearing after the Spirit even so it is now But neverthelesse what saith the Scripture what saith the point Christ deales sweetly with his working members Are not they then to be reproved that deal harshly Be reproved therefore all of you especially you that pretend to the worke of Christ for not dealing kindly with his working servants seest thou a person or preacher that doth the worke of the Lord that preacheth Christ worketh for Christ be reproved for thy unkinde unchristian dealing with him as knowing that in that thou art very unlike to Jesus Christ Be reproved therefore O ye rugged spirits who deale ruggedly with any of Christs working members what though they differ from thy way if they doe Christs worke Christ deals sweetly with them and so should you 3. The truth of this Doctrine falls heavy upon those who being both inabled for and called to the
worke of Christ in any kinde and yet refuse it Friend how is it that Christ hath given thee a talent and thou wilt not occupy it for his use How is it that Christ hath given thee parts and set thee in place and afforded thee opportunities to serve him and yet thou wilt not worke Darest thou say either that he is a hard Master or that his work is unreasonable or his carriage unkinde Be convinced ye loyterers that will not labour for Jesus Christ At the day of account you will want an excuse when all the working members of Jesus Christ shall come and say The worke that we did for Christ was honourable the incouragement which we received from Christ was unspeakable and his carriage to us all along was passing sweet and amiable then will you be dumb and speechlesse as not having any thing to say for your selves why you stood out from his worke and service 4. The Doctrine speakes incouragement to all those who labour for the Lord who are at worke for Christ You that are in Christs Vineyard that labour though in the heat of the day who sweat in the service for your Saviour consider his carriage is and will be sweet towards you Goe on hold on give not out you are in his service who is very sweet what ever the carriage of the standers by be his will be like himselfe i.e. loving Ob. But yet will you say we find harsh usage in the world meerly for being in this worke We thinke wee should be dealt better withall by men if we did do so much for Christ Surely if we were onely Lambes our selves we should finde kinder carriage But this renders us hatefull and makes men harsh that we are Ewes big with young i.e. that we are indeavouring to bring forth somewhat for Christ that we would have others Lambes as well as our selves and that we can never be well but when at work Ans Well be it so yet be not discouraged It is your glory to be Christs Ews Christ hath dealt wel with you in making you able to work for him and he will carry himselfe kindly to you while you worke for him What though the travellers by the way curse and revile the labourers in the field so long as the Lord of the harvest Boaz like blesse you and speake kindly to them the Lord be with you Verily ye working Saints who are labouring for the Lord Christ you have no just ground of discouragement from all the unkinde usage of the creature so long as you have the kinde carriage of Christ Oh! be not discouraged so as to give out but be rather incouraged so as to goe on in the work of the Lord for as much as you know your labour shall not be in vaine and that Christs carriage to you-ward shall be sweet 5. Lastly the Doctrine speakes comfort to all the working members of the Lord Jesus You Ewes that are big with young here is a point big with comfort You goe on heavily you groan while in travell you cry out as the Prophet in another case My belly my belly well he of good comfort Christ is with you and will be sweet in his carriage to you while you worke Christ can not be away Christ is not absent and idle while you are travelling in his worke no he is present and will be helpfull he will be with you and lead you gently Q. What is thy worke O blessed Ewe what art ready to bring forth A. will some say my worke is wofull I am working too not to bring forth any great good but to cast forth great evill Christ hath set me on worke to cleanse a kennell to carry out a dunghill I meane to conquer corruption and to cast out lusts and the very smell of my lusts is ready to choak me and which is worse I can scarce master my worke nay it almost over-masters me yea and I have cryed more then once and againe thrice have I besought Christ and yet I labour in this worke and can doe but little at it Be it so O working soule yet Christ is and will be kinde His grace shall be sufficient for thee and his strength shall be perfected in thy weaknesse as 't is 2 Cor. 12.9 He will inable thee in time to master thy worke Sinne shall not have dominion over thee Rom. 6.14 Thou shalt be made Lord over thy lusts There is a blood of sprinkling which shall cleanse thy kennell Thou resistest thy sinne unto blood and thou dost bleed while at worke against corruption yet it remaines thou sayest But know still Christ is sweet and his carriage to thee shall be so And therefore though all thy blood and sweat will not cleanse thy soul nor do away thy sinne yet the blood of Christ shall as 't is 1 Joh. 1.7 Ob. But oh saith another soule I am at harder worke then this It s my worke to war with the Wolfe I am labouring against Sathan Many temptations daily beset me Not any messenger of Sathan but Sathan himselfe doth beset me Surely you will say my worke is grievous is it not Resp True but thy Lord is gracious Christ is with thee all this while O working soule He hath promised thee to make away for thy escape 1 Cor. 11.12 you may expect kinde carriage even while you are in this worke and know that he will helpe you to goe through with it The very God of peace will or shall shortly tread down Sathan under your feet Ro. 16.20 It may be Sathan doth stand ready to devour that blessed birth wherewith thou travellest but know Christ is near also and he will help thee Build upon it O thou working beleever Christs carriage shall be kinde unto thee Ob. Nay but saith another working soule I have been labouring a long while the work about which I have been set is almost over but first I want a little strength to perfect it and secondly I am in much feare whether when 't is done it shall be accepted Now this grieves me this troubles me Resp Well but hear O soul thou art at worke for a kinde and sweet Master who will helpe thee with strength to perfect thy worke and crowne thy worke with acceptation when perfected For helpe Know he will worke all our workes for us and in us Esa 26. 12. He will worke in you both to will and to doe and that of his good pleasure Philip. 2.13 yea the Spirit of Christ which is the power from on high shall helpe our infirmities Rom. 8.26 This is the sweetnesse of Christ whom ye serve that never did any servant faile in his worke for want of his helpe And For acceptance Be confident O beleever Christ will accept of every endeavour of thine in his worke It s Christs nature to accept of what we have and not to looke for what we have not Pigeons are welcome where Lambs are wanting Sighs are sweet and groans are acceptable unto
and tender towards thee in his carriage The head takes care of the whole body and every member in particular but especially of the weake and that because such Beleevers 1 Cor. 12.27 Christ is the head of his body and ye are members yea ye weake little ones in particular And doubtlesse the bead because wise will have a tender care of the toes because weake I feare I shall breake saith the weake soule surely if Christ be not the kinder to me I shall dye my spirit will faile very soone if his carriage be not very sweet Christ knowes thy feare O thou feeble soule and 't is his feare too His language seems to be such Esa 57.17 The spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made Adam marr'd thee poor soule Christ made thee and surely he will not suffer his worke to fall which would if thy spirit should faile We let our bigger boyes run by themselves while we lead our little ones in our hands and shew much tendernesse to them and this we doe because our least is the weakest Christ is that and more then that in point of under carriage to his children that we are to ours Surely if we who are evill know how to be tender in our carriage towards our weake children How much more doth Christ who is the everlasting yea and ever-loving Father know how to expresse much sweetnesse and tendernesse in his carriage towards his children and that upon this very ground their weaknesse Thirdly Christ will carry himselfe thus that his carriage may be convincing Evill men have hard thoughts of Jesus Christ and sometimes they speake as they thinke Wretches thinke that Christ is like them because they want bowells they conclude that Christ wants too Their bowells are brasse and they will not beleeve that Christs are better Now Christs sweet carriage towards weake beleevers confutes all this and might convince that his nature is as his name love weak beleevers Christ will make you his witnesses And that you may testifie his carriage to be sweet to all his servants he will be sweet to you who can doe him but little service Christ resolves to make his Lambs beare him witnesse against the Wolves His carriage shall beare him record that he would have gathered softly and sweetly like as a hen gathers her chickens Mat. 23.27 Mat. 25.44 And because he knows Goats will be apt to word it as at the last day he will appeale to the experience of his Lambs to testifie for his carriage He that had but two talents and used them as well as he could shall be evidence enough against the evill servant that Christ is not an austere man That Christ may stop their mouthes that are idle and will not worke he will fill their mouths that are sincere though weake Thy little cisterne O weake beleever shall be filled with sweetnesse because Christ will use thy cisterne as an evidence of his sea Christ will at once evince and convince others wickednesse by the sweetnesse of his carriage towards thee notwithstanding thy weaknesse CHAP. VII Some Vses of all this I Am loath to let so precious a point goe without its application It may be of singular use if Christ will be so sweet as to helpe I hope hee will and therefore First this might informe us in the difference between Christs carriage and the creatures We have a proverb The weakest is turned to the wall but men practise otherwise cast them into the kennell and trample upon them there Ah Lord how unlike are men to Christ He is very tender to wards his weake members they are very harsh Christ carries weake Saints in his bosome and men will not let them be in their land O England England thy unkinde carriage to Christs weake ones makes me much feare lest he destroy thee How darest thou be cruell to them to whom Christ is kinde Verily Christ will destroy thee if thou cease not from these unkinde that I say not unmercifull carriages of thine towards his Those that he embraceth thou persecutest Feare lest he teare thee like a Lion for mis-using of his Lambs I have sometimes wondred that ever any who pretend to be shepherds under Christ should preach or presse a non-bearing ☜ with those in the Kingdome whom Christ beares in his bosome Surely these sub-shepherds differ very much from the supreme-shepherd who is kinde and tender to all but especially the weake of his flocke Secondly This doctrine might beget in us lamentation over many who are indeed Christs Lambs but are apt to utter unkinde and untrue speeches of their shepherd It makes me sad to heare a Lamb of Christ sigh and say Surely Christ will cast off me I am so feeble that I can do nothing that is good and so foule that I doe much which is bad I am so weake that I cannot come to him and therefore I cannot thinke that he will be so kinde to come to me Ah poore soules when did you ever finde Christ so unkinde in his carriage as to make you speake thus when was Christ a wildernesse to thee what harshenesse hast thou ever found in him that thou speakest thus hardly of him Surely I lament to heare thee saying 't is in vaine to wait on Christ But I bleed to heare thee crying as they Jer. 23.1 Thou wilt never more come at him why poore soule why is not Christ sweet is not his carriage tender doth he not gather with his arme doth not he carry in his bosome I he doth so by some but he will not so by me Yes by thee O poore soule 't is his custome to be sweet in his carriage to his weake members such as thou art verily I lament to heare any speake otherwise of Christ then he is and they shall finde Thirdly the sweetnesse of Christs carriage reproves the sowrenesse of ours towards his weake members The Prophet asketh the question as if it were strange who hath despised the day of small things Zach. 4.10 Though few or rather none should yet many do despise shall I say or discourage or both or worse such as in whom the day of grace is but dawned But be reproved ye rugged spirits Christ beares much with his weak ones and you bear but little Thou darest not deny but that such are in the faith but thou wilt say they come not up to beleeve all that thou dost they are weake what then wilt not thou beare with them shall the elder son beat the little childe his brother because he is not so big as he shall the Dr. in Christs Schoole disdaine and abuse the under-graduate because not so profound as himselfe should the strong beat the weaks because they are not so strong as they Rom. 15.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e to beare upon our shâ—ulders should not they rather beare with them what because some of the Lambs cannot follow so fast as the strong of the flock
over-much straine the place of the Prophet here by applying this phrase to this thing also Sad experience tells us that the chastest soules of the Saints are sometimes in this respect guilty of spirituall adultery Beleevers are sometimes big of illegitimate births and conceptions Lust sometimes may conceive and they may be big with young in that respect also 3. It may allude unto those that are weake by reason of sorrow and sufferings And thus the Holy Ghost doth often use the Metaphor of being big with young As Esa 26.18 We have been with childe and been in paine And thus the great sorrow and trouble unto which God threatens to bring his people is set out by their being as it were big with young and holding their hands upon their sides Jer. 30.6 CHAP. II. Christs carriage to such as are weake by worke demonstrated to be sweet THe first branch or kinde of that accidentall weaknesse unto which beleevers are lyable is as in the formen Chapter I noted weaknesse by worke So that now according to the method which I propounded I am to shew and make good this Proposition viz. The carriage of Jesus Christ is very sweet to every beleever that is weake by reason of worke Sinners are sometimes big with young in regard of wicked workes whereunto Sathan excites them Hence is that phrase Psal 7.14 He travelleth with iniquity and conceiveth mischiefe Now towards such God carries himselfe severely and is as the Psalmists there notes angry i.e. with them every day v. 11. Saints are sometimes big with young in regard of good workes unto which the Spirit doth stir them And towards these Christ carries himselfe sweetly For as the Prophet here speaks he leads them gently The expression notes two things as proving the Proposition 1. That Jesus Christ is so sweet to those that are weak while in or about some holy worke that he is with them and leads them As he said to his Apostles Behold I am with you to the end of the world that was in regard of strength and assistance so he doth to all his working members Hee doth assist them He is with them And he leads them Beleevers are sent about some worke of Christ sometimes as it were a long way and Christ that he may shew himselfe sweet goes with them and leads them The Ewe big with young is unweldy and it is paine unto it to goe Now the shepherd that is sweet leads it And the belcever big with young i.e. bent resolved upon some good businesse for Christ is weake and in paine it is while in travell till it be delivered Now Jesus Christ to shew his sweetnesse to such a soule takes it by the arme as it were and leads it 2. That Christs carriage may appeare to be sweet he is not onely present to lead but tenderly present to lead gently He leads softly that he may lead sweetly I know there is but one word in the originall but it includes both these viz. the act and the manner of the act The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies as Hebricians know commode leniter ducere i.e. to lead commodiously softly David Kimchi glosfeth it he shall lead them according to their quiet or commodity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. so as may suit best with their quietnesse and ease Jesus Christ doth not drive furiously but tenderly He doth not as the same Rabbin notes over-drive his flocke but gently softly and sweetly he leads all his weake-working members He will lead you O ye working beleevers according to your weaknesse step by step Pedetentim as Vatablus glosseth the place Christ will not first lay a heavy burden upon your backe and then come after lashing to make you runne when it may be you can hardly goe But he will come and lead you and walke with you your owne pace As he will assist so he will assist sweetly He will lead gently Thus as Jacob the most faithfull and mercifull man that ever was a shepherd said of his flocks and herds with young he would not over-drive them but said he I will lead on softly according as the cattell that goeth before me can be able to endure or as it is in the Hebrew according to the ease of their feet Gen. 33.14 In like manner Jesus Christ he will softly lead for the word is the same in both places his Ewes big with young he will gently lead those that labour in any worke of his Thus sweet is his carriage towards those that are weake by reason of any great worke about which he sets them at any time and with which they are big by the Holy Ghosts over-shadowing of them Working beleevers minde it Your work you say is hard it over-powers your strength and it makes you weake remember Christs carriage shall be sweet He will be with you in your worke And that it may appeare he is tender and mindfull of your weaknesse he will lead you and that very gently so saith the Prophet He shall gently lead those that are with young CHAP. III. Six pariculars shewing Christs carriage to be sweet to all weake-working Beleevers THat you may yet more clearly see the sweetnesse of Christs carriage towards all such members of his as are weake in regard of worke I shall declare it in six particulars 1. Christs carriage appears to be sweet and tender towards his weake-working members in that he puts them about no other worke then such as himselfe both done Masters and Sovereignes carry themselves sweetly to servants Nihil lege ulla sanciret in alios cu jus non ipse primus in se daret documentū Dan. Par. in Hist Univers medull p. 40. and subjects when they imploy them in no worser workes then themselves would doe It s reported of Lycurgus the great Law-maker that he imposed nothing by Law upon others of which he did not first shew a patterne in his owne practise 'T is true of Jesus Christ you read of no work which he requires of his which himselfe did not while in the flesh Doth he require beleevers to resist Sathan fight with the Devill Jam. 4.7 He did the same himselfe Matth. 4. Doth Christ call upon beleevers to pray alwayes 1 Thess 5.17 and strive in prayer Rom. 15.30 He did as much himselfe while on earth He prayed often he prayed long all night Luke 6.12 and fervently with strong cryes and teares Heb. 5.7 Are beleevers called to fast an extraordinary worke and such as is not for every day no nor for every Christian as Divines gather from Luke 5.36 37. why consider Jesus Christ in this worke went before them He fasted and that longer then he requires us even forty dayes as t is Matth. 4. Must Ministers preach dispute contest for the truths of the Gospel they are to doe no more then what Christ hath done before them Beleevers did Christ ever call you to any service about
because of his weaknesse But Christ comes and perfects that imperfection because of his sweetnesse Lord saith the Psalmist thou wilt perfect that which concerneth me Psal 138.8 The beleever is set on the worke of prayer and Christ sends the Spirit to helpe his infirmities And at the end of prayer he takes it and mingles with it his own incense and so presents it perfect to the Father His pure water perfects the soules puddle Looke as the writing-Schoole-Master not onely holds the hand of the learner in every letter but after al takes the pen and perfects the whole So Jesus Christ holds the hand all the while the beleever is writing suppose a love-letter to Heaven and because of the shaking of the beleevers weake hand there are after all many imperfections he takes the golden pen of his owne grace and perfects every letter that it comes to the Fathers hand perfect O the darke and deformed lines that beleevers draw when set about some curious peece How imperfectly doe they performe that about which they are set sometimes But oh the sweetnesse of Christ who comes with his owne pencill and after all perfects those imperfections Beleevers carry themselves weakly in all their workes and almost mar all about which they are set but Christ carries himselfe sweetly and comes and mends all that they doe amisse making their botched and bungled workes very brave with his owne hand Surely beleeving soules you have found this How many times did Christ set off that duty richly which came from thee poorly How oft hath he perfected thy imperfect performances when thy weaknesse came short hath not his sweetnesse made it up Beleeve it friends Christ carries himself sweetly toward working beleevers 5. The carriage of Christ appears to be sweet towards c. in that he comes in often to the soules of his working members with refreshing in the midst of their labours Beleevers are weake and while at worke are apt to be weary and to faine But Christ shews himself sweet in that he visits them and refreshes them in their worke 'T was the praise of Boaz and 't was a sweet carriage of his when he went into the field where his servants reaped to incourage them in their work And it s the praise of Christs sweet carriage toward working beleeevers that he visits them frequently and incourageth them sweetly while they are about his worke Baruch was at worke for Christ when he had written the words of Christ at the mouth of Jeremiah but he began to flag and saint And Christ gave a particular Prophesie to the Prophet to comfort and refresh Baruch Jer. 46. Christ gives power to the faint to them who by working have as it were no might Esa 40.29 he refresheth and gives strength Daniel was at a great worke and his strength was almost gone while he fasted and there came like the appearance of a man that was not Christ but an Angel from Christ and he strengthned him Oh the sweet refreshings which Christ by his Spirit brings into the soules of weak Saints even when they are ready to saint and sinke in their work How oft O beleeving soul hath Christ refreshed thee by his sweet spirituall smilings on thee even in the time of duty and while thou wert about his worke Surely thou must needs say Christ carries himself sweetly toward working beleevers doth not thy experience in this particular seale to this truth 6. It is evident that the carriage of Christ is sweet to the working Saints in that at the end of their worke be gives them rest and reward It s sweetnesse in Christ that he should accept any worke of the beleevers but more that he should reward Christ will deale sweetly with his working servants he hath made beds of rest for them in glory Sathan deals not so They shall rest in their beds Esa 57.2 his servants never rest to eternity I am weary saith the working beleever Thou shalt rest anon oh weak soul There remains a rest to the people of God Heb. 4.9 The word is a keeping of a Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a sweet and a long Sabbath remaines for you O working Saints and the morning thereof is ready to dawne or about morn and 't will be day You shall rest from your labours Apoc. 14.11 Christs will is sweet to thy soule O weak beleever and he hath provided rest for thee There is a Sabbath appointed for your soules Working Paul shall have that rest yea and weake thou too when the day shall dawne You who are thus troubled shall have rest with us saith the Apostle when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with the Angel of his power 2 Thes 1.7 And if rest be not enough to declare Christ to be sweet to his working members they shall haue reward also You shall not lose your labour yee working Saints Christ comes and his reward is with him Apoc. 22.12 you shall not worke all day and all night too Beleevers You shall rest at right and have reward in the morning The upright shall have dominion in the morning Psal 49.14 For a dayes work you shall have eternities rest For a little labour in this world you shall have an everlasting reward in the other world Oh sweet Christ that givest long rest for a little labour and great reward for little worke Surely when you shall in the end of your dayes-work go into Immanuels land and there rest your soules upon the rosie bankes that are by the Chrystall streames which runne there you will cry out oh How sweet is Christ towards his working members that gives such ravishing rest to them after all their works for him when the day shall be in which Christ shall come with Crownes of glory to put upon the heads of working Saints and you shall feel the weight of that glory with which you shall then be crowned then you will say oh the sweetnesse of Christ towards working beleevers who gives such an eternall weight of glory for such light and temporall works as the best Saints do Conclude O thou beleeving Ewe who art big with young that the day comes in which thou shalt travell and bring forth and then thou shalt see that Christ deals sweetly with such as thou art when for the joy of that rest and reward which thou shalt have hereafter thou shalt forget thy worke and thy weaknesse under which thou didst groan and travell here The shadows apace flye away and the day begins to dawne in which Christ shall give both sweet glorious ravishing eternall rest and reward to all his working members and then shall the fulnesse of this truth be sung viz. that Christs is very sweet to all weak-working beleevers CHAP. IV. Some reasons of the point YOu have seen both that and how Christ carries himselfe sweet to working beleevers I will now adde a word why Christ doth thus And there may be to omit others three
Apostle saith 't is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing and in as much as experience seales to this Scripture truth that some have a zeale of God but not according to knowledge Therefore ere I proceed to presse this use I shall premise this that foure things are to be wisely heeded by all such as expect Christs sweetnesse in their sufferings If you therefore look to experience the truth of this doctrine in your owne soules minde them You must look in all your sufferings that 1. Your cause be good 2. Your call be cleare 3. Your carriage meek And 4. Your end be right 1. Looke that your cause be good It s not for every cause that a Christian should ingage unto sufferings Neither will Christ let forth sweetnesse to every sufferer Let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a theife or as an evill-doer or as a busie-body in other mens matters 1 Pet 9.15 To suffer in these or the like cases is not Christian neither will it be comfortable Some men suffer rather as malefactors then as Martyrs To suffer either for disturbing a States tranquillity or for endeavouring the introduction or setling a peoples slavery is so far from having a Divine that it wants a morall approbation And certainly such sufferers have little reason to expect Christs sweetnesse As ever therefore you would that in your sufferings you should be able to say Christ is sweet make sure of this that your cause be good 2. See also that your call be clear Christ calls not all to Martyrdome no more then he doth to Ministery The one is a gift as well as the other To you its given to suffer Philip. 1.29 As preaching so likewise suffering without a call will have little comfort I am perswaded both the reason why some have been in the Pulpit without successe by Christ and others have been in the prison without sweetnesse hath been this viz. want of call It s true sometimes one called to preach may want successe and also one called to suffer may not presently finde comfort as in godly Glovers case But certainly without a call either to the one or the other a soule hath no just warrant to expect comfort As false prophets of old ran before God sent them Jer. 29.9 So some false Martyrs of late have suffered ere Christ called them Be therefore wise to cleare your call If that be sure you need not doubt but Christ will bee sweet Indeed when truth suffers by our silence we are called to speake And when our life will be Christs deniall we are called to dye When I am before a Magistrate for Christs sake He then calls me not to be ashamed of him And when sin and suffering surround me so as that I am necessitated to take the one if I will leave the other then without doubt I may conclude that Christ calls me to suffering and that in it his carriage towards me shall be sweet But 3. Let your carriage be as your Saviours in your sufferings if you 'l have his sweetnesse i.e. let it be meek It s possible to be sinfull in ones carriage when one is righteous in his case And if so it s no wonder if Christ be not found sweet To be feirce and and raging to raile and revile in suffering hath more of a Beast then a Man Surely it s not beseeming humanity and unworthy of Christianity Christians should be as Lambs in their sufferings Sheepishnesse in this is Saint-ship It s true the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Christs name Act. 5.41 But they never reviled the powers under which they suffered It becomes Christians to give blessings for curses all manner of evill speaking is to be put away Ephes 4.31 Satyricall invectives are not becomming Saints especially in sufferings Christ was a Lamb dumb before the shearers so saith the Scripture opened he not his mouth Act. 8.32 Surely the more we have the likenesse of his Spirit the more may we expect the tastes of his sweetnesse in all our sufferings for his sake and the Gospels 4. Lastly eye your end in all your sufferings If thy end be either selfe or Schisme how canst thou expect Christ should be sweet to thee in thy sufferings Some have dyed that their names might live Many I fear venture and act unto sufferings rather to maintain their own tenets then Christs truths Socrates dyed to justifie that there was but one God but whether he dyed not for his owne opinion rather then for Gods sake is no great scruple 'T is sure one may I wish none did suffer as much for selfish as sublime respects Some suffer as they doe i.e. for their own glory A Roman spirit can hold to suffering and death An opposing spirit will put on some to dye rather then to yeeld The Apostle hath left it a cleare thing that 't is possible to give ones body to be burnt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies strong love and sincere Charitas signifies spirituall love and sublime and yet to want true divine love for so I render that place 1 Cor. 13. I beseech you to minde Christs glory truths propagation the maintenance of equity and righteousnesse in all your sufferings if you expect Christs sweetnesse Having therefore premised these things let me onely intreat you to minde them Indeed it is and must be your wisdome to see your cause be good your call cleare your carriage meek your end right And if then go on fear not flinch not let sufferings come when where how they will Christ is and will be sweet unto you in them But If you draw back his soule will have no pleasure in you Nor can your soules expect any from him Certainly if you draw backe from persecution you draw on to perdition Christ is not so sweet in his dealing with Martyrs but he is as dreadful in his discoveries to Apostates Aske Spira how dolefull a condition denying is hee 'l tell you that he could feel no comfort enter into his heart and that there is no place there but onely for torments and bitter vexings of spirit Hee 'l sadly relate to you that he knew that justification was to be expected by Christ but he denied it to keep his fraile life from adversity his wife and children from poverty But now behold how bitter is this life to me c. There is no punishment so great but I have deserved it for this so heynous offence I assure you it is no small matter to deny Christ and yet 't is more ordinary then commonly men doe conceive it c. Well I beseech you beloved take heed of denying Christ for feare of sufferings 'T is sweet to suffer for Christ and if you doe you will finde it so Hee 'l as one said pour out love upon the soul when the body pours out blood upon the truth But in case the soule to keep its blood deny Christs truth