lips drop hony his arms sweetly embrace them The Saints shall have a spring-tyde of joy and it shall never be low-water the Saints shall at that day put off their mourning and exchange their sables for white robes Then shall the winter be past the rain of tears be over and gone * Cant. 2.11 12. the flowers of joy shall appear and after the weeping of the Dove the time of the singing of birds shall come This is the great consolation the Jubily of the blessed which shall never expire in this life the people of God taste of joy but in heaven the full vessels shall be broach'd There is a river in the midst of the heavenly Paradise which hath a fountain to feed it Psal 36.8 9. The times we are cast into being for the present sad and cloudy it will not be amisse for the reviving the hearts of Gods people to speak a little of these comforts which God reserves in heaven for his mourners They shall be comforted The greatnesse of these celestial comforts is most fitly in Scripture expressed by the joy of a feast mourning shall be turned into feasting and it shall be a marriage-feast which is usually kept with the greatest solemnity Rev. 19.9 Blessed are they which are called into the marriage-supper of the Lamb. Bullinger and Gregory the great do understand this Supper of the Lamb to be meant of the Saints supping with Christ in heaven * Ibi gratia sine merito charitas fine modo Bernard Rev. 14.13 men after hard labour go to supper So when the Saints shall rest from their labours * Ibi gratia sine merito charitas fine modo Bernard Rev. 14.13 they shall sup with Christ in glory Now to speak something of the last great Supper It will be a great Supper 1. In regard of the Founder of this Feast God it is the Supper of a King therefore sumptuous and magnificent Psalm 95.3 The Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods Where should there be state and magnificence but in a Kings Court 2. It will be a great Supper in regard of the cheere and provision this exceeds all Hyperbolies What blessed fruit doth the tree of life in Paradise yield Rev. 2.7 Christ will lead his Spouse into the banquetting-house and feast her with those rare Viands and cause her to drink that spiced wine that heavenly Nectar and Ambrosia wherewith the Angelical powers are infinitely refreshed First Every dish served in at this heavenly Supper shall be sweet to our palate there is no dish here we do not love Christ will make such savory meat as he is sure his Spouse loves Secondly There shall be no want here there is no want at a Feast the various fulnesse in Christ will prevent a scarcity and it will be a fulnesse without surfeit because a fresh course will continually be served in Thirdly they who eate of this Supper shall never hunger more hunger is a sharp sawce the Lambs Supper shall not only satisfie hunger but prevent it Rev. 7.16 They shall hunger no more 3. It will be a great Supper in regard of the company invited Company adds to a Feast and is of it self sawce to sharpen and provoke the appetite Saints Angels Archangels will be at this Supper nay Christ himself will be both Founder and Guest the Scripture calls it an innumerable company * Cedit in solatium beatoram qui eo sanè laetiores quo plures sunt c. Heb. 12. and that which makes the society sweeter is that there shall be perfect love at this Feast The Motto shall be cor unum via una one heart and one way all the guests shall be linked together with the golden chain of charity 4. It will be a great supper in regard of the holy mirth Eccles 10.19 a feast is made for mirth at this supper there shall be joy and nothing but joy Psalm 16. ult There is no weeping at a feast O what triumph and acclamations will there be There are two things at this Supper of the Lamb will create joy and mirth 1. When the Saints shall think with themselves that they are kept from a worse supper The Devils have a supper such an one as it is a black banquet there are two dishes serv'd in weeping and gnashing of teeth every bit they eate makes their hearts ake who would deny them their dinner here who must have such a supper 2. It will be matter of joy at the Supper of the Lamb that the Master of the Feast bids all his guests welcome the Saints shall have the smiles of Gods face the kisses of his lips he will lead them into the wine-cellar and display the Banner of love over them The Saints shall be as ful of solace as sanctity What is a Feast without mirth worldly mirth is flashy empty this shall be infinitely delightful and ravishing 5. It will be a great supper for the musick This will be a marriage-supper and what better musick than the Bridegroomes voyce saying my Spouse my undefiled Take thy fill of love there will be the Angels Anthems * Ibi Angelorum Chori concinnut Aug. The Saints triumphs the Angels those trumpeters of heaven shall sound forth the excellencies of Jehovah and the Saints those noble Queristers shall take down their harps from the willows and joyne in consort with the Angels praysing and blessing God Rev. 15.2 3. I saw them that had gotten the victory over the Beast having the Harps of God and they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints c. O the sweet harmony at this Feast it shall be Musick without discord 6. This Supper is great in regard of the place where it shall be celebrated in the Paradise of God Rev. 2.7 It is a stately Palace stately 1. For its scituation 't is in excelsis of a very great heighth Rev. 21.8 For its prospect all sparkling beauties are there concentred and the delight of the prospect is propriety that is the best prospect where a man can see furthest on his own ground 3. For its amplitude this Royal Feast shall be kept in a most spacious Room a Room infinitely greater than the whole firmament one Star whereof if we may believe Astronomers is bigger than the whole earth though there be such a multitude as no man can number of all Nations Kindreds People and Tongues Revel 7.9 yet the Table is long enough and the Room spatious enough for all the Guests Aulus Gellius in his 13th Book makes this to be one of those four things which are requisite to a Feast locus electus a fit place The Empyrean heaven bespangled with light arrayed with rich hangings embroydered with glory seated above all the visible orbs is the place of the Marriage-supper this doth infinitely transcend the
the wicked are of no account with God they are vile persons Nahum 1.14 I will make thy grave for thou art vile therefore the wicked are compared to chaffe Psal 1.4 to dross Psal 119.119 There is little use of a wicked man while he lives and no loss of him when he dies there is only a little chaffe blown away which may well be spared But Gods children are precious in his sight they are his jewels Mal. 3.17 The wicked are but lumber which serves only to cumber the ground but Gods children are his jewels locked up in the Cabinet of his Decree from all eternity Gods children are the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 very dear and tender to him and the eye-lid of his special Providence doth cover them the Lord accounts every thing of his children precious 1. Their name is precious the wicked do leave their name for a curse Isa 65.15 The names of Gods children are embalmed Isa 60.15 So precious are their names that God enters them down in the book of life and Christ carries them on his breast How precious must their name needs be who have Gods own Name written upon them Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh I will write upon him the Name of my God 2. Their prayers are precious Cant. 2.14 O my Dove in the clifts of the Rock let me hear thy voyce for sweet is thy voyce Every childe of God is this Dove prayer is the voyce of the Dove and sweet is this voyce The prayer of Gods children is as sweet to him as Musick a wicked mans prayer is as the howling of a Dog Hosea 7.14 The prayer of the Saints is as the singing of the Bird the finger of Gods Spirit touching the Lute-strings of their hearts they make melody to the Lord. Isa 56.7 Their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar 3. Their tears are precious they drop as pearls from their eyes I have seen thy tears Isa 38.5 The tears of Gods children drop as precious wine into Gods bottle Psal 56.8 Put thou my tears into thy bottle A tear from a broken heart is a Present for the King of heaven 4. Their BLOOD is precious Psal 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints This is the blood God will chiefly make inquisition for Athaliah shed the blood of the Kings children 2 Kings 11.1 The Saints are the children of the most High and such as shed their blood shall pay dear for it Rev. 16.6 Thou hast given them blood to drink for they are worthy 2. God looks upon his children as persons of honour Isa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable c. 1. God esteems them honourable he calls them a Crown and a Royal Diadem Isa 62.3 He calls them his glory Isa 46.13 Israel my glory 2. God makes them honourable as a King creates Dukes Marquesses Earles Barons c. so God installs his children into honour he creates them noble persons persons of Renown David thought it no small honour to be the Kings son-in-law 1 Sam. 18.18 Who am I that I should be son-in-law to the King What an infinite honour is it to be the children of the High God to be of the blood-royal of heaven The Saints are of an Ancient Family they are sprung from the Ancient of dayes Dan. 7.9 That is the best Pedigree which is fetched from heaven here the youngest childe is an heir a co-heir with Christ who is heir of all Hebr. 1.2 Rom. 8.17 Consider the honour of Gods children 1. Positively 2. Comparatively 1. Positively 1. They have the titles of honour they are called Kings Rev. 1.6 The excellent of the Earth Psal 16.2 Vessels of honour 2 Tim. 2.21 2. They have their Scutchion you may see the Saints Scutchion or Coat-Armour the Scripture hath set forth their Heraldry sometimes they give the Lyon in regard of their courage Prov. 1.28 Sometimes they give the Eagle in regard of their sublimeness they are ever flying up to heaven upon the two wings of faith and love Isa 40.31 They shall mount up with wings as Eagles sometimes they give the Dove in regard of their meekness and innocency Cant. 2.14 This shews the children of God to be persons of Renown 2. Consider the honour of Gods children comparatively and this comparison is double Compare the chidren of God 1. With Adam 2. With the Angels 1. Compare the children of God with Adam in a state of innocency Adam was a person of honour he was the sole Monarch of the World all the creatures did vail to him as their Soveraign he was placed in the garden of Eden which was a Paradise of pleasure he was crowned with all the contentments of the Earth nay more Adam was Gods lively picture he was made in the likeness of God himself yet the state of the meanest of Gods children by Adoption is far more excellent and honourable than the state of Adam was when he wore the Robe of innocency for Adams condition though it was glorious yet mutable and was soon lost Adam was a bright star yet a falling star but Gods children by Adoption are in a state unalterable Adam had a posse non peccare a possibility of standing but believers have a non posse peccare an impossibility of falling once adopted and ever adopted as Isaac said when he had given the blessing to Jacob I have blessed him and he shall be blessed Gen 27.33 So may we say of all Gods children they are adopted and they shall be adopted so that Gods children are in a better and more glorious condition now than Adam was in all his Regal Honour and Majesty 2. Let us ascend as high as heaven and compare Gods children with the glorious and blessed Angels Gods children are equal to the Angels in some sense above them and then sure they must needs be persons of honour 1. Gods children are equal to the Angels this is acknowledged by some of the Angels themselves Rev. 19.10 I am thy fellow-servant here is a Parallel made between John the Divine and the Angel the Angel saith to John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am thy fellow-servant 2. The children of God by Adoption are in some sense above the Angels and that two wayes 1. The Angels are servants to Gods children Hebr. 1.14 Though they are glorious spirits yet ministring spirits The Angels are the Saints servitors we have examples in Scripture of Angels attending the persons of Gods children we read of Angels waiting upon Abraham Moses Daniel the Virgin Mary c. Nor do the Angels only service to Gods children while they live but at their death too Lazarus had a Convoy of Angels to carry him into the Paradise of God thus we see the children of God have a preheminence and dignity above the Angels the Angels are their servants both living and dying and this is the more to be observed because it is never said in Scripture that the
sacred embleam how he did begirt himself with with our flesh the blessed angels stood wondring at this how the divine nature could be girdled with the humane 3. He taught them exemplo by example ver 5. he poureth water into a Bason and began to wash his disciples feet he teacheth them humility by his own example he stoops to the meanest office he washeth his disciples feet and this he did for their imitation ver 14. ye ought also to wash one anothers feet Now our Lord Christ having thus taught his disciples by Doctrine Embleam and Example he makes as it were the Use of all in the words of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you know these things happy are ye if ye do them A text that deserves to be engraven in letters of gold upon our hearts a text that if well observed will help us to reap benefit by all other texts A Sermon is never heard a right till it be practised I shall therefore make this Sermon to be by the blessing of God as a selvidg to keep the rest from ravelling out That were an happy Sermon which would help you to put all the other Sermons you have heard in practice If you know these things c. by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things our Saviour by a Synecdoche comprehends all the matters of religion though more particularly those two things he had been immediately before speaking of love and humility In the Text there is 1. a Supposition if ye know and do 2. A benediction happy are ye Doctr. From whence this Doctrine ariseth That it is not the Knowledg of the points of religion but the Practice of them that makes a man happy Had Christ said if ye know these things happy are ye and there had made a stop and gone no further we should have thought knowledg had been enough to have made one happy but Christ staies not here but goes further happy are ye if ye do them Christ doth not put happiness upon knowing but doing So that the Doctrine clearly results That it is not knowledg but practice renders a man blessed This Proposition consists of two Branches and I shall handle them distinctly 1. That Knowledg alone in the mysteries of religion will not make a man happy 2. That it is the Practique part of religion makes a man happy 1. Branch of the Doct. 1. That Knowledg alone in the mysteries of religion will not make a man happy Mat. 7.21 Luk. 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say It is not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the speculation of the most glorious truths can bring a man to heaven If a man could discourse de omni scibili if his head were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Treasury of wisdom an Ocean of learning as it is said Hyperbolically of Albinus Beringarius Hermolaus Barbarus and others yet this could not entitle him to happiness his knowledg might make him admired but not blessed If a man knew all the policies of State the mysteries of Trade the subtilty of Arts the system of Divinity all this could not crown him with happiness Indeed knowledg in the Theory of Religion hath a beauty in it next to the Pearl of grace this gold is most pretious Knowledg is the enriching of the minde it is a faire garland to look upon but as Rachel though beautiful yet being barren said give me children or I dye so if knowledg doth not bring forth the child of obedience it will dye and come to nothing I would by no means disparage knowledg knowledg is the Pilot to guide us in our obedience if zeal be not according to knowledg it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will-worship it is the setting up an altar to an unknown God Knowledg must usher in obedience it is as abominable to God to offer up the blinde as the lame Final ignorance damnes Hose 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledg The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are cut down or fell'd like Trees so that there is a necessity of knowledg knowledg is the elder sister but obedience is better than knowledg here the elder must serve the younger knowledg may put us into the way of happiness but it is only practice brings us thither That knowledg alone cannot make a man happy I shall prove by three demonstrations 1. Knowledg alone doth not make a man better therefore it cannot make him happy bare knowledg hath no influence it doth not leave a spiritual tincture of holiness behind it doth inform not transform knowledg of it self hath no power upon the heart to make it more divine it is like weak physick that doth not work it doth not warm the affections or purge the conscience it doth not fetch vertue from Christ to dry up the bloody issue of sin a man may receive the truth in the light of it not in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10 the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a form of knowledg Rom. 2.20 Knowledg alone is but a dead form having nothing to animate it he that hath knowledg only is a spiritual stil-born he looks like a Christian but hath neither appetite nor motion Knowledg alone makes men monsters in religion they are all head but no feet they do not walk in Christ Col. 2.6 A man may have knowledg and be neglective of his duty as Plutarch said of the Grecians they knew what was just but did it not A man may have knowledg and be prophane he may have a clear head and a foul heart The sun may shine when the way is dirty the understanding may be irradiated when the foot of a sinner treads in unholy paths now then if knowledg abstracted from practice doth not make a man better then it cannot make him happy 2. Knowledg alone will not save therefore it will not make a man happy if knowledg alone will save then all that have knowledg shall be saved but that is not true for then Judas should be saved he had knowledge enough then the Divel should be saved he can transform himself into an Angel of light he is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the great knowledge he hath a man may have knowledge and be no better than a Divel hell is full of learned heads now if knowledge alone will not save then it will not put a man into a state of blessedness 3. Knowledge alone makes a mans case worse therefore it cannot make him happy 1. Knowledge takes away all excuse and apology Joh. 15.22 Now ye have no cloak for your sin 2. Knowledge adds to a mans torment Woe unto thee Corazin it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgement than for thee It will be better with Indians than Christians living in a contradiction to their knowledge Luke 12.47 That servant which knew his Lords will and did not according to his will shall