thereof The Kingdom of God is not destroyed when it is removed but transplanted into a more fruitful Soil While Christ hath a body in the world he will find a Joseph of Arimathea to embalm it and preserve it for a resurrection When the glory of the Lord goes off from one Cherub it will find other Cherubims whereon to settle Ezek. 10.4.18 That glory which had dwelt is the material ark of the Sanctuary departs from thence to find a Throne in that Chariot which had been described Ezek. 1. Nay the departure of God from one Church renders his name more glorious in another * Rivet in Hos 1.10 p. 518. The rejection of the carnal Israel was the Preamble to the appearance of the spiritual Israel the Kingdom of the Messiah was rendred more large and illustrious by the dissolving of that Church that had confidence in the flesh trusted in their external rites and patcht the beauty and purity of divine Worship with their whorish additions just as the mortification of the flesh gives liveliness to the spirit and the pulling up noysom weeds from a garden makes room for the setting and flourishing growth of good plants 2. Though God unstakes the Church in one place yet he will not only have a Church but a professing Church in another It shall be said of Sion This and that man was born there It shall be said of Sion by God It shall be said of Sion by men If Christ confesseth none before his Father but such as confess him before men Luk. 12.8 shall he ever want imployment shall the world ever be at that pass as to bear none that profess him and so none to be owned by him at the right hand of his Father Shall he by whom all things subsist have none to acknowledg their subsistance by him The world may be the Inheritance of Christ but scarce counted his possession if there were not in some parts of it a body of subjects to justifie their Allegiance to him in the face of a persecuting generation Indeed when the Church was confined to the narrow limits of the carnal Israel the profession of the truth was contracted to a few though the faith of it might be alive in others only Caleb and Joshua among the whole body of the murmuring Israelites in the wilderness asserted the honour of God and maintained the truth of his promise though the belief of it might sparkle in the hearts of others under the ashes of their fears that hindered their discovery of it to others It was another time reduced to one and Elijah only had the boldness to make a declaration of the name of God though there were 7000 who had retain'd their purity while they had lost their courage to publish it 1 Kings 19.18 But in the Christian Church since the number of elect are more the profession will be greater in the midst of an universal Apostacy of pretenders Rev. 13.8 All that dwell upon the earth shall Worship him i. e. the Beast whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb. If their election be a preservative against an adoration of the Beast it is also a security against the denial of any such worship and an encouragement to profess the name of Christ when they shall be brought upon the stage This profession may lye much in the dark and not be so visible as before As a field of corn overtopt by weeds looks at a distance as if there were nothing else but the blew and red cockle and darnel but when we come near we see the good grain shews its head as well as the weeds but a professing people there will be one where or other 'T is a standing law of Christianity that a belief in the heart should be attended by confession with the mouth Rom. 10.9 And the Church is a congregation of people sounding the voice of Christ as he was preached and confest by the Apostles while there are believers there will be professors in Society together some Ordinances setled in being during the continuance of the world as the Supper 1 Cor. 11.6 implies a Society as the seat of the administration Baptism is a Ceremony of admission into a Society the Supper a feasting of several upon spiritual Viands Officers appointed imply a body professing some rules Math. 28.20 To what purpose are all these setled during the continuance of the world if they were not somewhere to be practised till that period of time how can they be practised without a Confederation and Society Without such a body all the Ordinances and Rules of Christ would be in vain and imply as little wisdom in enacting them as a want of power in not keeping up a Society in some part of the world to observe them according to his own prescriptions There will therefore be in some part or other of the world a Church openly professing the doctrine of truth 3. This Church or Sion shall have a numerous progeny The Spiritual Israel shall be as the Sand of the Sea which cannot be measured or numbred Hos 1.10 which was the promise made to Abraham Gen. 22.17 and renewed in the same terms to Jacob Gen. 32.12 The Church is a little flock in comparison of the carnal world yet it is numerous in it self though not in every place for sometimes there may not be above three found to withstand the worship of a Golden Image yet in some one or other place of the world and successively it shall be numerous he will not lose the honour of the feast he hath prepared though those that are invited prefer their Farms and Oxen before it but will find Guests in the high-ways he will spread his wings from East to West and in every place Incense shall be offered to his Name Mal. 1.11 The Church is compared to the morning Cant. 6.10 which from small beginnings in a short time fills the whole Hemisphere with light and the promises concerning it run all that way The Hills were to be covered with the shadow of it her boughs are to be sent out to the Sea and her branches to the River Psal 80.10 11. It was to spread it self like a goodly Cedar and be a dwelling-place to the Fowl of every wing Ezek. 17.23 Yea a numberless multitude from all Nations Kindreds People and Tongues are to stand before the Throne and before the Lamb Clothed with white Robes and Palms in their hands Rev. 7.9 adorned with innocency and crowned with victory No Monarchy ever did ever can so far stretch her bounds nor hath the Sun seen any place where it hath not seen some sprinkling of a Church Every Kingdom hath met with unpassable bounds but the Ensigns of Christ have not been limited The Church was once crowded up in a narrow compass of Judaea but since that her Territories are enlarged her Ensigns have flourished over many Countries Rahab Tyre Ethiopia the vast circuit of Asia and the deserts of
love of delight since he hath refined and beautified her by imparting to her of his own comliness Ezek. 16.14 Is it likely this affection should sink into carelesness And the fruit of so much love be dasht in peices Can such tenderness be so unconcerned as to let the apple of his eye be pluckt out To be a lazy spectator of the pillage of his Jewels by the powers of Hell to have the Center of his delight tost about at the pleasure of men and Devils Shall a Mother be careless of her sucking Child How then can that God whose tenderness to the Church cannot be equalled by the bowels of the most compassionate mother to her infants Surely God is concerned in honour to maintain against a feeble Devil and a decrepit world that which is the object of his almighty affection 8. In regard of the natural weakness of the Church No generous Prince but will think himself bound in honour to support the weaker subject no tender parent but will acknowledg himself obliged in affection to take a greater care of the weaker than the stronger Child The Gardiner adds props to the feeblest plants that are most exposed to the fury of the storms and have least strength to withstand them The powers of the world have always been the Churches enemies the wise have set their reason and the mighty their arms against her the Devil the God of this world is so far from being her friend that Sion hath been the only object of his spite He contrives only floods to drown her or mines to demolish her Her own friends are often so darkened or divided that they cannot some times for Ignorance and will not other times for peevishness hit upon and use the right means for her preservation 'T is an honourable thing then for that God who entitles himself the Father of the fatherless to shew his own power and grace in her establishment The fatherless condition of the Church is an argument she hath sometimes used to procure the assistance she wanted * Hos 14.3 With thee the fatherless finds mercy And the weakness of Jacob urged by the Prophet excited repentance in God and averted two Judgments which were threatned against that people Amos. 7.2 3 5 6. 'T is no mean motive to him to help the helpless this opportunity he delights to take when there was no man to help no intercessor to plead then his own arm brought Salvation When he saw no defenders but all ravagers no Physicians but all wounders then should the Spirit of the Lord lift up a standard Isa 59.16.19 To conclude if Sion the Gospel Church were not of as long a duration as the standing of the world God would lose the honour of his creation after the Devil by sin had made the creatures unuseful for those ends to which God had appointed them by his first institution The wisdom of God had been blurred the serpent would have Triumphed the Kingdom of God had been dissolved the enemy would have enjoy'd a remediless tyranny had not God put his hand to the work and erected a new Kingdom to himself out of the ruins of the fall And since God was pleased to take this course rather than create a new world and hath laid the foundation of a new Kingdom by drawing some out of that common rebellion the humane nature was fallen into and that he might do it with honour to himself hath sent his Son upon that errand by his blood to bring back man to God and his spirit to make men fit for a Communion with him and hath backt his affection to the Church with so much cost and pains for her welfare If after all this God should-desert his Church the dishonour of Gods wisdom the loss of the fruit of all his cost and pains the weakness of his affection or of his power to perform his promise and the ruin of his glory intended by those methods would be the issue which would be attended with the triumph of his revolted creature and greatest enemy This would be if God should cease picking out some men for his praise and keeping up his name and royalty in the earth 2. 'T is for the exercise of the Offices of Christ that Sion should be establisht He is Prophet Priest and King which are all titles of relation Prophet implies some to be instructed a Priest some to offer for and a King some to be ruled put one relation and you must necessarily put the other If there were no Church preserv'd in the world he would be a nominal Prophet without any disciples a King without subjects and a Priest without suppliants to be atoned by him upon earth Now Christ is the wonderfull Counsellour the everlasting Father and the Government is laid upon his Shoulders to what end to order and establish the Kingdom of God Isa 9.6 7. All the strength and vigor he had as it was from God so it was intended for God * Thou madest the Son of man strong for thy self Psa 80.17 And the reason is because though God hath given up the administration of things to Christ yet he hath not devested himself of his right nor can For God is the chief Lord and the relation of creatures not ceasing the relation of Lord and Creator cannot cease And therefore since the right of God continues the grant of the uttermost ends of the earth to be the inheritance possession of Christ includes not only a gift but an Office to preserve protect establish and improve his possession for those ends for which he had the grant and to prevent all that may impair it As he had a right and strength by the order of God to rear it so he hath an Office and Power to establish it as well as to erect it and Christ is the same in all his offices yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 The same in credit with God in faithfulness to his Office the vertue of his blood the force of his arm and compassions to bleeding Sion 1. 'T is his part as a Prophet to establish it in Doctrine 'T is his part externally to raise his truth when it lyes gasping in the rubbish of errour and refine his worship when it is daub'd with Superstition and Idolatry Internally to clear the understanding to know his truth quicken the will to imbrace it rivet the word in the conscience and enflame the affections to love and delight in it Certainly the promise of the abiding of his Spirit implies the efficacy of his operation while he abides He is to provide against the subtilty and rapine of fox like Hereticks that they spoil not the tender vine Cant. 2.15 And to furnish the Church with gifts for the preserving and increasing her The perpetual exercise of this prophetical office he promised them when he gave the Apostles a Charter for his presence to the end of the world Mat. 28.20 Which was in relation to their ministry and
punishment Psal 22.1 But thou art holy when he expostulates with God why he had forsaken him justifies Gods holiness Howsoever thou dealest with me thou art holy in all thy waies Thou dost me no wrong why should I complain when holiness and hatred of sin guides thee in all those actings with me 4. How earnest should we be to get rid of sin By pardon by Sanctification Guilt is the sting of punishment Sin only embitters trouble The Remission and Mortification of sin is the health of the Soul If the arrows head be out of a wound the cure will be more easy Look upon my affliction and my pain and forgive all my sin saith the Psalmist Psal 25.8 forgiveness of sin would mitigate the sharpness of his pain 5. How should we act faith on God in Christ before and under such a condition of punishment As we can never love God too much because he is the highest good so we can never trust God too much because he is one of immutable truth when we are in straits it is not for want of faithfulness in God but for want of Faith in us that we are many times not preserved We distrust God and this is the cause we fall into many distresses which otherwise would not come upon us or be quickly removed from us Did we grasp the promises closely and plead them earnestly we should often find the deliverance we desire We pray but we pray not in Faith we cry for deliverance but not with confidence we plead Gods power but forget his promise Many temporal promises are not perform'd to us not for want of truth in God but for want of faith in us Particular fiduciary acts will draw out the riches of a promise for want of which we remain poor in the midst of abundance Some think that the promise made to Josiah of his dying in peace which phrase is usually meant in Scripture of a peacable death upon the bed was not performed because Josiah was out of the way against the precept of God and therefore could not act faith requisite to the fulfilling of that promise for faith is much dampt in its actings under present contracted guilt †Tho. Goodwin This Faith in promises for outward preservation is not an absolute infallible assurance that God will bestow such outward things because the promises themselves are not absolute but it is rather an indefinite act of recumbency and submission referring it to his good pleasure towards us But it is certain we are very much defective in acting Faith upon promises for temporal mercies because it is an Epidemical distemper in us to trust God with our Souls rather than with our bodies and outward concerns 1. Exercise Faith before such a time Furnish your selves with the comforts of the Covenant and the efficacy of the death of Christ In bodily distempers our minds are discomposed and we cannot have that Freedom of thoughts and spiritual reflections This is the way to engage God who is the best assistant a very present help in time of trouble 2. Exercise it in the use of spiritual means God never Commanded us to trust him but in his own methods That is not trust in God which is attended with any wilful Omissions If we be careful in doing our duty God will be careful in doing what belongs to him Prayer is the best means for Faith to exercise it self in A spirit of Prayer before-hand is a sign of good success When the heart is drawn out to cry it is a sign God stands ready with the mercy in his hand Times of distress are times of calling upon God Psal 18.6 In my distress I called upon the Lord and he heard my cry God is to be acknowledged in all our ways Prov. 3.6 In the beginning by prayer for his direction in the end by praises for the success We are usually more earnest in trouble We have not at all times an equal fervency Christ himself some say had not for when he was in his agony he prayed more earnestly than before Luke 22.44 3. Act Faith upon the Relation God bears to you He is our Father We trust earthly Fathers and are confident they will not abuse us How much more ought we to trust our heavenly Father and not doubt of his sincerity towards us The greater the trouble the more we should plead Gods relation to us Our Saviour in the garden Mat. 26.39 42. at his entrance into his passion for us prays to God by the title of my Father whereas at other times he calls God Father without that appropriation But now he would excite his confidence and trust in God and those promises he had made him to assist him in that hour 4. Act Faith upon the attributes of God There is nothing in God can affright a believer There is not an attribute but seems fixed in God to encourage our dependance on him in any strait wisdom mercy truth omniscience power justice too for what comfort could we have to trust in an unjust God All which attributes are promised to be assistant to a believer in any case of need in the Covenant of grace where God makes himself over to us as our God and therefore all that God hath and is is promised there for our good Upon the Power of God Gods Omnipotence was the ground of our Saviours prayer to him in his distress and that which the Apostle seems to intimate his eyeing of Heb. 5.7 He offered up prayers unto him that was able to save him from death And Psal 16.1 The Psalmist or rather Christ pleads the power of God Preserve me O Lord for in thee do I put my trust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aquila renders it strong Plead the truth of God in his promise The promise that preceded the threatning viz. The bruising the Serpents head the defeating all his plots and designs whereof this was one to bring man into a state of punishment There is a promise which hath been especially tryed and made good though all in the book of God have been found true Psal 18.30 The Word of the Lord is tryed Not one word but the truth of it hath been tryed but especially this word That God is a buckler to them that trust in him i. e. That he will preserve and defend depending believers 5. Act Faith upon Christ Hath God delivered Christ to death It must be for some glorious end not for destruction of the Creature that might have been done without the death of his Son but for remission if so there is sufficient ground to trust him for every thing else We have a merciful high Priest which encourageth us to make our addresses to him He cannot but be touched with the feeling of our infirmities our penal infirmities which he suffered our sinful infirmities for which he suffered Where can he shew his mercy but in our misery Are we under Gods strokes Christ himself felt them that he might the better pity us
man Page 118 †Feasts of Love in the Primitive times no Divine institution Page 747. Fervency of the new Creature in the service of God Page 90. Vid. Dulness Fewness of new-Creatures Page 105. of Believers in all ages Page 671. 714. should make those that are good better Page 745. of sins doth not render a man safe Page 113 †Fitness of Christ to be a Redeemer a. Page 286. ad 298. Foreknowledge of God overthrown by the Patrons of free-will Page 158. of things that depend on the liberty of the Will its manner Page 158 9. 207. Forgetfulness of sin no argument of a pardon Page 114 †Forgiving others we should be ready to it Page 379. no pardon without it Page 116 †Free Agents God's wisdom in governing them Page 179 180. Foundations of the Church make it stable Page 35 6 †Fulness of Christ from the Father Page 287 8. 1333. Vid. Fitness Fundamentals whether not believing one of them be consistent with Faith Page 607. G. GLory of God and Salvation of Believers link't together Page 285. should be principally our aim Page 384. of God and Christ linked together Page 385. can 't be given him by those that know him not Page 40◠of God too great for man to bear the sight of Page 497 8. the Church the only seat of it Page 32 †to be pleaded in Prayer for pardon Page 117 †Glory of Christ-essential and Mediatory how they differ Page 328. 1095 6. too great for man to bear the sight of Page 1082. Vid. Exaltation God his happiness consists in the knowledge of himself Page 399. the most excellent object Page 458. Gospel the study of it a means of Regeneration Page 64. should be adorn'd by the Regenerate Page 128. men naturally Enemies to it Page 145. 154. 514 515. received by but a few Page 165 6. alone cannot regenerate Page 170. its power in changing men admirable Page 235 6. of Divine Authority Page 236. why so much oppos'd ib. how injurious to God they are that obstruct it Page 236. shall never be banisht out of the World Page 237. 1294. God hath some to beget where it is sent Page 237. 239. its propagation Page 303 4. how great a blessing Page 346 7. denyal of its truths and doubting its Doctrines are unbelief Page 608. a refusal to comply with its terms is unbelief Page 600. worthy credit Page 671. gives the clearest light Page 690. its contempt brings speedy misery Page 694 5. the instrument of Regeneration Page 231. Vid. Word study of it a means to divine knowledge Page 519. Vid. Scriptures the excellency of its state Page 504. indulges not sin Page 1114. difference between it and the Law Page 594. removed from particular Churches Page 1295 6 7. Vid. Church its removal a great judgment and to be feared Page 1297 8 9. shall never be totally taken from these Western parts Page 1300. sad presages of its eclips among us Page 1300 1 2. God to be praised for its continuance Page 1302 3. to be improved while enjoyed Page 1303. its removal how prevented Page 1303 4. Vid. Christian Religion Word Goodness of God known by the Creatures Page 479. by Christ Page 345. 501. ad 505. slighted by unbelief Page 618 19 20. wonderful towards total and partial unbelief Page 654 5. Vide Love of God Government of the World for the good of a Believer Page 386 7. Grace most opposes the most beloved sin Page 3. no natural priviledge gives a title to it Page 4. 139. the least degree of it matter of comfort Page 51. all seminally in a renew'd man Page 87. weak at first Page 88. 1358. predominant in the new-Creature Page 95. active in him Vid. Activity Superior to morality Page 107. given gradually Page 117. should be kept in its vigour Page 126. from God only Page 139. can 't be merited Page 149 50. man hath a subjective capacity of it Page 147. can 't be actuated or preserv'd by a mans own strength Page 174 5. common general or more particular Page 176. common what power men have by it Page 180. ad 187. Special God's denyal of it to men vindicated Page 190 91 92. 213. habitual not to be trusted in Page 202 3. of God and Christ's merit not inconsistent Page 255 6. promised to Christ for men Page 280. preserving strengthning encreasing quickning and perfecting from God only Page 223. to be expected from God in Christ Page 378 9. can 't be or continue without knowledge and encrease in knowledge a Page 404. ad 409. saving knowledge an evidence of it Page 448 9. to be examin'd and how Page 777 796 831. 1365. excited by self-examination Page 795. not to be rested on Page 832. fruit of Christs death Page 864 1328. doth not priviledge sin Page 1293. abounding in it a sign of mortification Page 1319. its operations may be interrupted Page 1348. the comfort of it may be lost Page 1349 opprest will recover Page 1350. should be laboured for Page 1365. to be admired Page 1366 7. 118 †all to be ascribed to it Page 1367 8 9. Vid. Regenerate to be much exercised Page 1373. Christ the author and pattern of it Page 1337 8. causes delight in Prayer Page 59 †Growth in Grace urged Page 127 8. will be where Grace is ibid. must be uniform Page 128. what necessary to it Page 223 409 410 455 761. a 1370. ad 1376. Christ intercedes for it Page 1343 4. Grace weak shall be victorious a Page 1324. ad 1348. Vid. Perseverance comfort to those in whom ' its weak Page 116 117 1358 9. not to be despised by men Page 1369. directions to preserve and encrease it a Page 1370 ad 1376. Graces Christ furnisht with them how by whom and why a Page 291. ad 298. 1333. Vid. Fulness of Christ eminently manifested in his death Page 312 313 903 4 5. H. HAbit good must be before good actions Page 21 22. 171. none in nature to be awaken'd Page 74. infused in Regeneration Page 85 6. of grace but one though it hath various names Page 86 87. evil innate in all Page 143. contracted Page 143. the cause of unbelief Page 739 740 Happiness some desires of it in all Page 55 56 648. the folly to neglect it seeing 't is necessary and possible Page 701. consists in the knowledge of God and Christ only Page 391. Head Christ a common one Page 275. Vid. Imputation Heart sense of Gods authority there a mark of Regeneration Page 119 120. none but God can work on it Page 208. Heathens saw the necessity of Regeneration Page 18 19. their unbelief negative and no sin Page 607 608 689. how the cause of their ruin Page 607 8. 676. shall be condemned for sins against the light of nature Page 689. 690. their notions of God worse than any in Christianity appear to be Page 656. Heaven no natural priviledge intitles to it Page 4. Regeneration necessary to an entrance into it