the ordinary means by which he sanctifieth his people in a way of inchoation O then let Ministers be here intreated and prevailed withall as they desire the Reformation and Conversion of their people the working of unfeigned faith and grace in them to be diligent and instant in preaching the Word and Gospel unto them if they would have them turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Let them lay out themselves in indefatigable pains this way Let them be instant as the Apostle Paul exhorteth Timothy in season and out of season and spare no labour to accomplish such a blessed end as this is Object But some may say perhaps That they have preached long and laboured hard and yet they see no issue no success of all their labours Their people are not turned to the Lord no grace appeareth in their lives and conversations so that they are exceedingly discouraged and disheartned in the work of God Sol. To this I shall reply in two or three particulars and I shall be brief in them for I am very sensible that other things will be more suitable to this Assembly First the fruit of their endeavours who faithfully dispense the Word of God is not always manifest Eliah thought he had been left alone and yet even then there were seven thousand men that had not bowed the knee to Baal Among the Rulers there were some who were indeed converted and believed in Christ and yet because they were but novices and newly entred they were fearful to acknowledge and confess him Grace is not always wrought with observation as our Saviour sheweth Mat. 13.13 It is compared to Seed in Scripture which after it is sowen lies hid and covered in the earth a while and is not seen And therefore faithful Teachers should not be disheartned because they cannot see the fruit of their indeavours it may be they have sowen the seed that may spring up and flourish in another age And they have laid the good foundation under ground and out of sight on which another faithful Minister may build and raise a very goodly frame And herein is that saying sometimes verified to use our Saviours own word Joh. 4.37 One soweth and another reapeth The Prophets laboured and the Apostles entred on their labours and so it is at this day Though their labour be in vain respectively to their desired issue and success the conversion of their people they ought not to desist from it No they must work the work of God they must continue preaching still though no fruit at all should follow Thou shalt speak my words unto them saith the Lord unto EZekiel chap. 2.7 whether they will hear or whether they will forbear for they are a rebellious house And the Apostles exhortation is very apposite to this purpose 2 Tim. 4.4 They shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables What now must Timothy desist from preaching any more unto them No saith the Apostle watch thou in all things endure affliction make full proof of thy Ministry Be diligent perform thy duty and leave the success to God Waiting if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the Truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil by whom they are led Captive at his will If they continue in their ministerial labours though no apparent good be done by it they want not great encouragement They are to God a sweet savour in Christ not in them that are saved only but in them that perish too 2 Cor. 2 15. Though they spend their strength in vain with reference to the conversion of the people yet their judgement is with the Lord and their work is with their God that is the recompence and reward of it Isa 49.4 And they have their recompence secundum laborem non secundum proventum as Bernard speaks according to their labour and not according to the issue and success But in the last place my Beloved if after all their tiring pains and tedious expectation God should be pleased so to bless their labours to make them happy instruments of bringing in his chosen to him their comfort would be very great in this world their recompence exceeding glorious in the world to come For they that are not only wise themselves but also are the instruments of making others wise too shall have a great deal of glory they shall shine as the stars in the Kingdom of God for ever and ever And as the Ministers are hence encouraged to preach the Word so in Vse 2 the second place the people may be perswaded hence to hear it attend upon it If you be yet without the Covenant and have not any saving grace in you this is the ready way to have it wrought in your souls It is the Word by which God sanctifieth in a way of inchoation and if the Lord be pleased to concurr with it you may be sanctified by this means you are not able to convert your selves My Brethren you are not able to renew and sanctifie your selves but the blessed Word of God if he be pleased to add vertue to it may operate and bring about these great effects The Law that is the Word of God converts the soul the Truth that is the Word of truth so is the Gospel called in opposition to the types and shadows of the Law renews and sanctifies the heart according to our Saviour Christs Petition to his Father here in the behalf of his Disciples Sanctifie them with thy Truth thy Word is truth And therefore you that are strangers to the life of grace be you intreated and prevailed withal to put your selves under the powerful preaching of the Word and Gospel of the Lord Jesus O wait upon the doors of Wisedoms house be swift to hear attend upon the Word of God lay hold on every opportunity to be partakers of this holy Ordinance and then perhaps it may in time become a word of grace unto you you may be sanctified by this Truth Vse 3 Is it so That the Word of God is the ordinary means by which he sanctifieth his people in a further measure by which he works not only the beginnings but also the increase of grace which is the second member of the point We see then what the reason is why many Christians do not grow make no increase at all in holiness and grace nay rather in a declining and abating hand there may be many causes of it and this is not the least of the decay of many men because they do not wait upon the powerful preaching of the Word of God which is the means to make them prosper and to thrive in grace You may take notice of too many such who while they constantly attended on the means were zealous lively active fruitful Christians their gifts were always on the growing hand But since they have remitted of their diligence in this
be a God at all or if there be whether ours which we have chosen be the right and true God it is impossible but we should so far as those doubts prevail upon us go out from him and apply our selves to those things which are obvious to the sence which we see and know to be The more undoubtedly and firmly we believe that our God is the true God the more perfectly and fully we shall serve him and obey him the more we shall trust in him the more we shall seek to him the more we shall strive to please him according to the strengthening or weakening of our faith in this particular will be the measure of our service and obedience to him of our reliance and dependence on him For even as if a man believe there is no God at all he will not serve him he will not roll himself upon him whom he thinketh not to be So if he believe it weakly and with many haesitations that there is a God or that the God which he hath chosen is the true God he will fear him and he will trust him very weakly and remisly He will be on and off and up and down according to the ebbings and the flowings of his faith But if we have a strong and an unshaken confidence that our God is God indeed then we will set our selves to serve him fully and without halting Then we will trust him perfectly we will apply our selves to please him in all our ways and all our actions But you will ask me then how shall we do to put this matter out of all question that our God is the true God and what means shall we use to satisfie our selves and to confirm our faith in this particular because it is a Point of such concernment and hath such influence in our lives I shall give you some Directions First Endeavour to the utmost of your power to give compleat and full assent and credit to the Scripture admit not any doubt in that particular One main thing that the Scripture doth is to give testimony to the God whom we worship and if we can but say that this witness is true there is an end of this business So far as we believe the Scripture we cannot but believe without any haesitation that our God is the true God If we be satisfied of the one we cannot possibly have any scruple of the other And therefore we should spend our thoughts upon such meditations as will settle us in this We should consider with our selves the strange Consent of Scripture-writers living in so many Ages the strange accomplishment of Scripture-Prophesies the strange effect of Scripture-admonitions exhortations threatnings Though it be carried in a low and easie stile how it commands us and prevaileth more upon us then all the Eloquence of men and Angels could ever do were it united altogether Especially we should observe we that are God's I mean for to such I now speak what admirable operation it hath had upon our own hearts how it hath pierced in and made a separation between our very joynts and marrow how it hath even told us all that ever we have done how it hath cast us down with sorrow unconceivable and then raised us up again with joy unspeakable and glorious how it hath altered and changed us and turned us clear about and made us to renounce our profits pleasures and delights our wills our reasons and desires yea to deny our selves that we might walk by this Rule Such things as these methinks should mightily confirm us in the truth of this that the Scripture is the very Word of God And then this cannot chuse but follow out of all dispute that our God is the true God Secondly Examine all pretenders to the Godhead and see if any of them have so good a Plea so good a Title to the Deity as the God whom we worship This I suppose is out of question with you that there is a God this is apparent by the current and the joynt-consent of men in all times and in all places For this is not a thing that hath been taught by this or that sect or held by this or that people But all sects how much soever they have differed in all other things have held this and all Nations how wide soever each from other in place or manners have taught this But now the thing we are upon is who this God is whether ours or any other And truly my Beloved if this be once admitted that there is a God our God will carry it from any other that hath laid any claim to it As for the Idols of the Heathen stocks and stones I know you will not think it worthy your consideration whether any of them were the true God And for the gods which the Barbarians worshipped the Sun the Moon the very beasts themselves of every sort they are no great pretenders neither we need no more then ordinary reason to convince us that these can be no Gods For to say truth they are below men The Romane gods are more considerable then the other and yet they were but men as Jupiter and Saturn and the like Yea to say truth they were vile and wicked men addicted to the grossest vices and such as led most prophane and lewd lives Yea they were mortal men and therefore certainly they were not Gods And hence their very Worshippers would shew you in one place a Temple and in another place a Sepulchre erected to the same God which is a most apparent Contradiction And truly if a man consider who have pretended to the Godhead besides our God and what poor things they were it will exceedingly establish and confirm him in this business You cannot think that if there be a God as that is granted of all hands he is concealed from the world till this time And truly for the other gods that have been worshipped if you will but examine them you will apparently discover them to have deluded and deceived the world so that you may exceedingly confirm your faith in this respect by an induction of particulars This god and that god cannot be the true God and so along in all the rest And therefore our God is undoubtedly the true God And you shall find the Lord to have such poor Competitors that you will certainly cry out at last as being fully satisfied The Lord is God the Lord is God Be sure to sift this business to the full when you set your selves about it and not to leave it undetermined in your own thoughts Never give over till you be resolved and till you be established in the present truth It is the fault of many men yea I believe of many good men that when some thoughts of Atheism are cast in and when they have some doubts arising in their hearts whether the Lord be God or no as this the very best may have they do not altogether scatter them before they leave them but
see 1 Pet. 1.12 we would not foolishly mispend so much of our pretious time in empty frothy and unnecessary studies nor waste away that Lamp of reason in our bosoms in unprofitable blazes but we would set more time apart to look into the Patent of salvation and to acquaint our selves with Jesus Christ before hand that when we come into his presence at the latter day we may be entertained as friends and not as strangers You hear that Gospel truth is the study of the Angels they had a little inckling of it and it was so ravishing that they must dive and prie into it they were not able to forbear it Oh Fools and Ideots that we are that now the Lord hath made it plain to us we should be so careless of it that now the knowledge of it is attainable we should wilfully neglect that pretious truth which was so studied and enquired into in Heaven which Angels reacht after and yet when all was done came short of the discovery Secondly Since Gospel truth excells all other truth let us give it the preferment as in our Inquisition so in our acceptation and let us value it and prize it above other truth Every truth of God is pretious but this truth is most pretious and therefore should be most esteemed and layed up with most care All the sayings of God are worthy of acceptation but Gospel sayings are worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 all that is possible to entertain them with And therefore the Prophets call the time of the Gospel tempus acceptabile the acceptable time the year of the Lord Isa 16.2 And if we look into the Scriptures my beloved we shall see what worthy acceptation it hath found Zacheus made haste and received our Saviour gladly into his house Luke 19.6 So did the brethren at Jerusalem receive the Apostles because they brought the Gospel with them Acts 21.17 So did the Bereans receive the Gospel it self with all readiness of mind or forward affection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17.11 So did the Galathians receive the Apostle with the honour of an Angel even as Jesus Christ himself because he preached this excelling truth to them Gal. 4.14 The Merchant in the Parable you know did dearly purchase it the Saints did earnestly contend for it and took the Kingdom of heaven by violence And hath it found the like esteem with you my brethren have you received and entertained it as a transcendent and excellent truth have your souls been even ravisht with the knowledge of it have you preferred it in your thoughts and your desires before all other knowledge yea before all other things Alas how many are there that never valued it who think it to be foolishness in comparison of that which brings them worldly profit or advantage It is a miserable thing to see how this incomparable Gospel is slighted in the world Now I beseech you my beloved think upon it what is it that you despise The wisdom of God in a mysterie which is adorned with so many glorious Titles in the Scripture to raise our hearts and our affections to it without which all the wisdom and all the learning in the world is nothing else but loss and dung And who is it that you despise in it for the contempt and undervaluing of the Gospel carries in it more dishonour to every person of the Trinity then any other sin It is a shamefull undervaluing of the Fathers wisdom which he hath shewed in no one thing so much as in the revelation of the Gospel and therefore it is called the wisdom of God as if the Gospel were the short abridgement the summ and the Epitome of Gods wisdom It is a fearfull slighting of the Fathers love as if in all the business of our Saviours passion he had but put himself to needless compassion and shewed such love to men as he might very wel have kept in his own bosome for any thing we either need it or care for it It is an horrible contempt to Jesus Christ to suffer him to stand waiting at our doors even till his head be full of dew and his locks with the drops of the night to put in his fingers by the hole of the lock to humble empty and deny himself to suffer the indignities and wrongs of men the heavy wrath of God himself and after all to have that pretious blood which was drawn out with such woful agonies and with such exquisite and horrid tortures counted no other then the blood of a common Malefactor no more regarded nor lookt after no though presented and offered to us and that with obsecrations and intreaties too who is able to express such baseness as this is It is a high indignity to the blessed Spirit of grace to suffer him to wait in vain to move and to perswade in vain to beg and to beseech in vain till we do even weary him and send him sad from us Oh let us tremble of such contemptuous usage of the Father of the Son and of the Spirit in the contempt of their Gospel And henceforth let us receive it and embrace it as an excelling truth as that which is of singular behoof and use and consequently calls for singular esteem from us Vse 2 Is it so That the Word of God especially the Gospel is the truth That Gospel truth is the truth that it excells all other truth Then certainly it lies on the professors of this truth to have a carriage answerable to it to have an excellent carriage according to this excellent truth that so it may not be disparaged and dishonoured by our unsuitable and unagreeing conversations As it is glorious in it self so it should be glorified by us and among us as the Apostles phrase is 2 Thess 3.1 As it is excellent in it self so it should be presented to the world as excellent by us while we adorn it by our holy lives as the Apostle Paul exhorteth Tit. 2.10 that we adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things And in a word my Brethren We must walk as becometh the Gospel of Christ this excellent Gospel Phil. 1.27 And to this end I shall commend unto you but these two things First you must maintain it as an excellent truth Secondly you must obey it as an excellent truth This Gospel truth must be maintained by you as an excellent truth Indeed my Brethren you must stand for all Truth you must never be against it but you must be always for it as the Apostle Paul insinuates 2 Cor 13.8 I can do nothing against the truth but for the truth But you must stand for Gospel truth rather and more then for any other truth because it is of more concernment and of more use We are more eager and earnest in asserting the right and interest we have in things of worth then in things of smaller value That which is excellent will have more to stand for it then that which is
Why should we not rejoyce to resign all to him and to be under his authority and jurisdiction as the Prophet counselleth us Zach. 9.9 Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Sion and why so because thy King cometh to thee and he is just Even so say I to you my Brethren God is a very just and righteous God and he desires to be received and entertained by you That you would set your gates open that he may enter and sit upon the Throne in your hearts Say to him now Ride on Lord because of thy righteousness Come in Lord and take command of us We would willingly be ruled by such a just and righteous Prince as thou art Vse 4 Is God a very just and righteous God Where then shall the wicked and ungodly appear What will they do who are unrighteous when the time of judgement comes who have lived in the continued and voluntary breach of all his laws what will they plead why they should not be condemned Me thinks the justice and the uprightness of the Judge should astonish and affright them who have so ill a cause so bad a matter to be heard before him If they whose hearts and lives are full of all unrighteousness be judg'd with just and righteous judgement if they receive according to their works what think you will their portion be Ah my Beloved lay it seriously to heart you that run out with the intemperate you that oppress and grind the poor that are abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate how will you hold up your heads when the day of reckoning cometh and all your sins shall be laid open in their colors when God shall bring every work to judgement and every secret thing when he shall rip up all your close abominations and all your secret wickednesses that never any eye saw when the books shall be laid open and all the black bills read when God shall say to the Ministers of vengeance Go give them now according as their works have been Look how much they have sinned and how much wickedness they have committed so much sorrow and torment give them Oh then what wringing of hands what renting of hearts what cries and lamentations will there be able to make a Rock relent and a Flint to fall asunder and yet God will stand out immoveable against them all for he is a righteous God nothing will bend him from the rule of Justice And as this serves for terrour to the wicked so for comfort to the Vse 5 righteous that God is such a just and righteous God But you will say What reason have we to rejoyce in this Quest For if we have but justice from him we are certainly undone for what have we deserved but death and ruine To this I answer If we have justice from him we are well enough Answ and this we shall be sure to have and therefore let us take comfort I speak not now of such a justice as respects the merit of the work for this we are delivered from but I speak of such a justice as respects the truth of his promise by which he hath engaged himself that he will forgive our sins that he will reward our labours that he will punish all our enemies and if he keep his word with us as he is bound to do in justice I hope we are in a very good case His righteousness lies at stake for all those by reason of his Covenant and Engagement to us Indeed before he made the Covenant he was free he might have done according to his own pleasure But having made it he is bound he is held to it and may not vary Now he must forgive our sins or else he is unrighteous as the Apostle John insinuates in 1 Joh. 1.9 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Now he must reward our labours or else he is unjust as the Apostle Paul speaks Heb. 6.10 The Lord is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour He doth not say the Lord is not unmerciful but the Lord is not unrighteous Now he must give us everlasting rest and render everlasting trouble to our enemies and that upon the same ground And therefore saith the same Apostle 2 Thes 1.6 It is a righteous thing with him to render tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us So that you see the justice and the righteousness of God which is a ground of horrour to the wicked yet it is a ground of comfort to the godly It is very ill for them it is very well for us that God is such a righteous God It is their loss and it is our gain And the cause is manifest for he proceeds with them according unto such a justice as respects the merit of the work and he proceeds with us according unto such a justice as respects the verity and truth of his promise And therefore though ungodly men have cause to fear and tremble at it yet we have reason to rejoyce at it And this is clearly intimated by the Prophet David in the fore-alledged place which indeed is very notable to this purpose Psal 96. ult Let the heavens rejoyce saith he and so on And why so for he shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth Observe it well the world with righteousness the people that stand in opposition to the world his people with his truth The world with such a righteousness as looks upon the merit of their works His own people with such a righteousness as looks upon the truth of his promise His people with his truth Righteousness and truth do kiss each other O let the people of the Lord rejoyce that they shall have righteous judgement that God will do according to his promise and his Covenant with them when the great day of retribution cometh That he will in this respect be just and righteous to forgive them and reward them Let them be glad of this for ever Vse 6 I have but one thing more to add and that shall be a word of humble Admonition to the Deputies and Ministers of God Preached at the Assize Superior and Inferior Magistrates to labour to conform themselves to him in this respect and to be just and righteous as he is They are under him and for him and therefore should endeavour to be like him Honorable and Beloved the Land abounds with wickedness of every kind there is much unrighteous dealing everywhere with God and man This calls for righteous dealing from them that bear the Sword of Justice that these abominations may be purged out and that our breaches may be yet repaired In such a time as this when there are such abuses such blasphemies such prophanations of the day and Ordinances of the Lord such swearing drunkenness uncleanness incest c. as former ages have not equal'd Justice should flow down like water to wash away this filth from us and
true believers Now of all these he saith expresly that they know not God You must not understand it absolutely that they know him not at all in no respect and under no consideration The very Heathen know him in a sense and in a measure There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat to be known of God by the works of the creation and by the things that he hath made Rom. 1.19 even by the book of Creatures which the Heathens have and study And therefore it is charged upon them afterwards at ver 21. that when they knew God they glorified him not as God They did not glorifie him according to their knowledge of him And if the Heathen who have but the Book of Creatures know the Lord a little Professed Christians who have the Book of Scriptures know him more I say professed Christians who have no interest at all in Christ no truth of saving grace in them even these may go far in a notional speculative discoursive knowledge of the Lord beyond many sound believers and yet these are of the world So that our Saviour means not absolutely when he saith to his Father here The world hath not known thee q. d. they have not known thee at all But they have not known thee so in such a manner and with such a kind of knowledge as I and true believers do Oh Righteous Father the world hath not known thee but I have known thee and these have known that thou hast sent me and I have declared unto them thy name all that is necessary to be known of thee You see the meaning of the words The world here is opposed to Jesus Christ and true believers So that it is not mundus mundus but mundus immundus as Austin calls it It is the unbelieving and unsanctified world saith our Saviour knows not God He means not that they know him not at all but they know him not aright How and in what respects they know him not a right I shall open by and by In the mean time the Point is this DOCTRINE That unbelievers and unsanctified persons know not God at least they know him not in such a manner and with such a knowledge as they ought to do This is the usual Character of such in Scripture This is the Character of unbelieving Heathens they are the Gentiles that know not God 1 Thes 4.5 This is the Character of unbelieving Christians they know not God and obey not the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 1.8 So that all unbelieving and unsanctified persons whether they be Heathens or professed Christians are ignorant of God yea though they discourse of him and that excellently too and pretend acquaintance with him as those whom the Apostle mentions Tit. 1.16 They profess they know God but in works they deny him Yea though they cry to God as Israel did my God we know thee while they cast off the thing that is good Hosea 8.2 3. yet they know not God indeed Their knowledge of him is not right and sound and consequently is not worthy of the name of knowledge as I shall evidently clear it to you in a few particulars Unbelievers c. know not God in such a manner and with such a kind of knowledge as they ought to do in that they know him not with an affective knowledge so as to love him and delight in him Knowledge in Scripture doth connote affection and that which carries not the heart and the affections with it deserveth not the name of knowledge And therefore men are frequently affirmed in Scripture not to know that which they do not like and love The Ox knows his owner c. but Israel knows not me saith God Isa 1.3 Why certainly they knew him if any people under Heaven knew him with a discursive and a speculative knowledge I but they knew him not with an affective knowledge Their knowledge of him drew not out their hearts to him and therefore in the Lords interpretation and construction it was no knowledge For he saith of them expresly Israel hath not known me In that they know him not with an effective knowledge so as to serve him and obey him with such a knowledge as brings forth practice and obedience That which is separate from this is no knowledge In which respect it is that the Apostle stiles it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.20 A form of knowledge There is the shew but not the truth When Christ is said in Scripture to have known no sin we cannot understand it to be meant of intellectual knowledge for then he could not have discoursed of it so that he knew no sin in Paul is he did no sin in Peter They that knew God Rom. 1.18 because they did not live accordingly and glorified him not as God are therefore said not to have kept him and retained him in their knowledge ver 28. God made his wayes and statutes known to Israel he dealt not so with any Nation And yet even of them he saith It is a people that do err in their hearts and they have not known my wayes Psal 95.10 Brethren there is an error in the heart as well as in the brain and a kind of ignorance arising from the will as well as from the understanding and this takes off the name of knowledge from that which is but speculation only And therefore sinners are universally termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignorant erring persons Heb. 5.2 And that alone is by the Holy Ghost thought worthy of the name of knowledge that sinketh from the brain into the heart and so appeareth in the life setting all on work for God In which respect it is the Covenant of the Lord with his people that he will put his Law into their inward parts and write it in their hearts Not in their minds and understandings only the seat and principle of speculation but in their hearts the principle of action So that they shall not only have it in their minds to know it but in their hearts to practice it and to obey it This only this is right knowledge A good understanding have all they that do his Commandments Psal 119.10 They only understand and know the Lord effectually and savingly that obey the will of God Hereby we know we know him as we ought to do if we keep his Commandments Others may have understanding only these have good understanding For this God sets the finger of a hand against Josiah to point him out to special observation Jer. 22.16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy was not this to know me saith the Lord. q. d. This was knowledge to the purpose this was true and real knowledge of the Lord indeed which made him strict and carefull in the performance of his duty In that that they know him not in Christ and to know God out of Christ is all one as not to know him as I have shewed at large out of the third verse
St. Pauls-Church-yard Books in Fol. THe Works of Joseph Hall Bishop of Norwich Dubartas's Divine Weeks and Works Lexicon Anglo-Graeco-Latinum Nov Test or a compleat Alphabetical Concordance of all the words contained in the New Testament both English Greek and Latine in three distinct Tables viz. The 1 English 2 Greek 3 Latine whereby any word may be rendred into Greek and Latine English and Latine Greek and English Together with the several significations etymons derivations force and emphasis and divers acceptations in Scripture of each word as also the divers readings in English Greek and Latine each annexed to their proper tables By Andrew Sympson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine Characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming Vertues and formal Duties and the true Christian in his real grace and sincere Obedience as also between 2. The blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly eclipsing saving grace and the reigning sins of the unregenerate that pretend to that godliness they never had By Samuel Crook B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Somersetshire the Author of The Guide to true Blessedness Remains of the Reverend Mr. William Fenner Minister of Rochford in Essex being 1 A continuation of his Alarm to drowsie Saints 2 A Treatise of effectual calling 3 The killing power of the Law 4 The Spiritual Watch. 5 The New Birth 6 A Christians ingrafting into Christ 7 A Treatise of the Sabbath In Quarto Jus Divinum Ministerii Evangelici or the Divine Right of the Gospel Ministry by the Provincial Assembly of London Bethshemeth clouded or Animadversions on the Rabbinical Talmud of Rabbi John Rogers wherein you have his Spirit Anatomized Principles examined and reasons in some measure refuted By Zachariah Crofton Minister of the Word at Buttolphs Algate London Refreshing streams flowing from the fulness of Jesus Christ in several Sermons By William Colvil Minister of Gods Word in Edenburgh The Husbands Authority unveiled wherein is moderately discussed whether or no it be lawful for a good man to beat his bad Wife The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ By Richard Baxter A Treatise of Self-denial By Tho. Wilson The Crown of Righteousness a Sermon at the Funeral of Tho. Hodges Esq By Tho. Watson Minister of Gods Word at Stephens Walbrook London A late great Shipwrack of faith a Sermon Preached by Daniel Cawdry of Great Billing in Northamptonshire Self-denial A Sermon Preached to the Assembly of Divines By Edward Reynolds D.D. Peace of Church a Visitation Sermon By Edward Reynolds D.D. Animalis Homo five concio-lat habita ad Academicos Oxonienses Edwardo Reynolds The Quakers Jesus or the unswadling of that Babe James Naylor which a wicked Toleration hath Midwiv'd into the world discovering the Principles of the Quakers in general a Narrative of the substance of his Examinations and his Disciples as it was taken from his own mouth in their answer before the Magistrates of Bristol also the management of it in Parliament By William Grigge Citizen of Bristol An Exposition with practical Observations on the eighteenth nineteenth twentieth and one and twentieth Chapters of the Book of Job being forty two Lectures delivered in Magnus Church near the Bridge By Jos Caryl preacher of the Word and Pastor of the Congregation there A Dispute between Walter Roswel and Richard Coppin The Agreement of the Associated Ministers of Norfolk and Norwich concerning the publick and their resolutions to revive it in their several Congregations together with some Explanatory discourses declaring the particular grounds moving to the Agreement expressed in the several Articles An Exhortation to the members of their respective Congregations exciting them to a submission to and mutual Assistance of their Ministers in this Method of Instruction quarto The first General Epistle of St. John the Apostle Unfolded and Applyed in 37 Sermons preached at St. Dyonis Back church by Nath. Hardy The Second Part. A sad Prógnostick of Approaching Judgement A Sermon preached at St. Gregories By Nath. Hardy The Pilgrims Wish or the Saints Longing A Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mris Anne Dudson Jan. 11. 1658. By Nath. Hardy Mans last Journey to his Long home Preached at the Funeral of the Right Honorable Robert Earl of Warwick who dyed May 30. 1659. By Nath. Hardy Several Sermons preached before the Parliament By Alexander Henderson George Gillespy Miles Corbet A Paraphrase on the Canticles By George Sands The Kings Cabinet opened Large Octavo Enchiridion Medicum containing thr causes signs and cures of all those Diseases which do daily afflict the body of man together with a Treatise De facultatibus medicamentorum dofibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the sum of Practical Divinity preached in the Wilderness and delivered by our Saviour in his Sermon on the Mount being observations on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chpaters of St. Matthew to which is prefixed Prolegomena or a Preface by way of Dialogue wherein the perfection and perspicuity of the Scriptures is vindicated from the calumnies of Anabaptists and Papists By Tho. White Preacher of Gods Word Piscator in omnes Pauli Epistolas Gods Fearers are Gods Favourites several Sermons By Antho. Tucker A practical Discourse of Prayer By Tho. Cobbet Records Arithmetick Small Octavo A Treatise of the power of godliness consisting of three parts 1. Wherin it consists 2. Cautions against and discovery of several mistakes and hinderances most common to the people of God 3. Several means and helps for the attaining of it By Tho. White Directions and perswasions to a sound Conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation of Souls and of those Scandals Heresies and desperate Apostacies which are the consequents of a counterfeit and superficial change being the first of those Books mentioned in the Call to the unconverted By Richard Baxter Confirmation and Restauration the necessary means of Reformation and Reconciliation for healing of the corruptions and divisions of the Churches submissively but earnestly tendred to the consideration of the Soveraign Powers Magistrates Ministers and People that they may awake and be up and doing in the execution of so much as appears to be necessary as they are true to Christ his Church and Gospel and to their own and others Souls and to the peace and welfare of these and as they will answer the neglect to c. at their peril By Richard Baxter A Prospâ—ct of Eternity or mans everlasting condition opened and applyed By Iohn Wells Minister of Olaves Iewry London Ovids Festivals The Arcadian Princess By Rich. Brathwait Esq Truths manifest The Golden mean or some serious considerations for a more full and frequent administration of though not free admission unto the Sacrament of the Lords Supper By Stephen Geree Minister of Abinger in Surrey In large twelves Boccace's Tales or the Quintessence of Wit Mirth Eloquence and conversation framed in ten days out of an hundred curious Pieces
somewhat higher and above yours but it is not without yours nay to say truth my interest is for yours God is my Father that he may be yours in me Oh my beloved what melting joy and comfort is here for every member of the Lord Christ in regard of this relation I give you but a hint in three particulars First being the sons of God in Christ we may be sure that he will hear us in and by and through Christ He always hears his son Christ and never puts him off with a denial Thou art my son this day c. Ask of me and I will give thee Psal 2.7 and this our Saviour Christ himself professes Iohn â—1 4 and as the Father always hears his son Christ so he doth always hear his Sons in Christ And truly if the first be once admitted the latter follows unavoidably For Christ the eldest Son is intercessor for his brethren in all their regular requests he never faileth to put in with them so that they cannot be denied unless he be denied too Christ and they must either stand or fall together Secondly being Sons of God in Christ we may be confident he will provide for us He hath provided very well for Christ he is not his Son only but he is his Heir too yea he is heir of all without exception Heb. 1.2 And as Christ is the Son and Heir of God so we are sons and heirs of God in Christ there is not a younger brother of us Thou art no more a servant but a son Gal. 4.7 And if a son then an heir of God through Christ If Sons of God through Christ then Heirs of God through Christ too If we be sons then also heirs Rom. 8.17 yea we are heirs of all as Christ is and therefore it is added presently Heirs of God joynt-heirs with Christ Jesus Christ as Mediator is not Heir to any thing but we are joynt-heirs and have a joynt-right with him there is an Inventory of our riches 1 Cor. 3.21 Thirdly being Sons of God we may be confident he will protect us Fathers use to protect their children if they can God can and therefore will As Naomi laid Ruths childe in her bosom Ruth 4.16 so God lays his children Isa 4.11 and that is certainly a safe place And as the Eagle spreads her wings over her young and carries them upon her wings Prov. 32 1â— so God throws his children under the wings of his protection and carries them above the reach of danger This is very sweet comfort be your troubles what they will you have a Father that is able to secure you that is very tender of you that hath set a guard upon you Heb. 1. ult Psal 34.7 John 17.1 Father the hour is come Use 2 IS God the Father of the Lord Christ And consequently Christ the Son of God the Father Why then I say as the Apostle He is the Lord of all Gal. 4.1 He is not a servant in the house but a Son over the house Heb. 3.6 And therefore he must be obeyed and served according to the Psalmists Exhortation Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord. Well then my brethren let us think of this and let us hearken to that Counsel and advice of Christ himself Take my yoke my service on you Brethren let me engage you all this day for this Lord and his service let me perswade you to receive him for the Lord your righteousness Not to call him Lord only but to take him for your Lord and to use him as your Lord and to yield him all that service and obedience which the name calls for Ah my Beloved let us not do in this regard as the greater part of Christians in name and in profession do Let us not wear the badge and cognizance of Jesus Christ and say he is our Lord and Master and the like and in the mean time never do his will nor take any pains at all in his service For this is but to deal with Christ as the perfidious Jews did to put a purple robe upon him and to bow down before him and to call him Hail Master and in the self-same breath to buffet him and spit upon him But as we call him Lord so let us carry and demean our selves towards him as our Lord and Master and let us yield to him that obedience which is due to him And to this end let us consider what engagements lye upon us to draw us and to hold us to the service of this Lord which I shall briefly lay before you as motives to perswade The first is an Engagement of Creation he is the image of the invisible God saith the Apostle Col. 1.15 The first born of every creature that is the Lord of every creature for the first born is Lord of all And why the Lord of every creature You have the reason in the following words For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth All things were made by him and therefore it is fit that all should serve him Nay my Beloved they were not made by him only but they were made for him too as it is added there in that place all things were created by him and for him By his power and for his use And therefore if we be not useful to him if we do not serve him we cross the very end of our creation The brutish and unreasonable creatures serve him in their kind and measure and therefore David saith that all things serve him But we are bound to serve him much more because in our Creation we received more from him He made us Lords of all his creatures â—â—at we might have no Lord but him He made the whole creation to be serviceable to us that we might be the more engaged and the better able to be serviceable to himself that we might serve him for it all that we might serve him with it all He put all things under us and truly we are bound the more my Brethren to be under him and subject to him he made us men he gave us reason which he gave not to other creatures the greater reason have we to obey him and to improve our parts and gifts in his service Indeed we cannot chose but see that it is all the reason of the world that as we have all from him so we should use all for him The next is an engagement of Redemption which binds us to the service of the Lord. As he is the Lord that made us so he is the Lord that bought us as the Apostles phrase is 2 Pet. 2.1 He purchased us my Brethren us I mean that are his own at a very dear rate and therefore it is just that we should serve him especially since it is evident that this was his intention in his purchase He bought us out of Sins and Satans hands not that we might be absolutely free from all commands but that we might be his servants He gave himself
you resemble God your Father Jesus Christ his eldest son is the very picture of him as we are wont to say the express of his fathers person They are so like in all respects that he that knoweth one of them cannot but know the other too The resemblance is so perfect and so absolute in all respects that in seeing one of them you see the other And hence said Christ to Philip John 14 19. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also And truly we that are the younger sons of God though we be not so like him yet we are very much like him And therefore we are said to be renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created us Col. 3.10 And the new man is said to be renewed after God in holiness Ephes 4.24 And are you thus conformed to God do you bear his Image so that every one that sees you and observes you may judge who is your father Are you holy as God is and are you mercifull as God is and are you perfect in desire and endeavour as your Father that is in Heaven is perfect do you love your enemies do you bless them that curse you and pray for them that despitefully use you that you may shew your selves to be the children of your Father who makes his Sun to shine his rain to fall upon the evil and the good Mat. 5.44 are you freely merciful lending and doing good to those where there is nothing to be hoped for but unkindness for your good will that you may make it to appear you are the children of the highest who is kind to the unthankfull and unkinde Luk. 6.35 These are good evidences of your interest in the Father-hood of God But if you be prophane and vicious and cruel and unmerciful as the greater number are I may say to such as you are as once our Saviour to the wicked Jews You are of your Father the Devil and his works you do If God be your Father as you bear your Fathers Image see you have your Fathers Spirit The Spirit of the Father is that which the Apostle calls the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 So that if we be Sons we have this Spirit poured out upon us But you will say that every one almost pretendeth to the Spirit and it is evident that many are deceived in this particular How shall we know infallibly whether the spirit which we think we have be the spirit of the Father yea or no Why my beloved the Spirit of the Father iâ— an active Spirit where it is it leadeth men even where it will it carries them and guides them in its own way And as many as are led by this Spirit they are Sons of God Rom. 8.14 Well then thus far we are clear if we be the Sons of God as we have his spirit so we are led by his Spirit we walk not after the flesh but after the spirit The flesh calls and the spirit calls This is the way walk in it The flesh would have us follow it the spirit would have us follow it And the event is this if we be the Sons of God we leave the flesh and go after Gods Spirit We walk not after c. So then if you would know whether you be the Sons of God examine whether you be guided by his spirit yea or no And this may be discovered by the course you take and by the path in which you walk Gods Spirit guides and leads you always in the way of God which is prescribed and chalked out before you in the word of God And this is clearly and expresly taught us in that alledgement of the Covenant mentioned Exod. 36.27 I will put my Spirit upon you saith the Lord to his people And what shall this Spirit do it shall cause you to walk in my Statutes and to keep my Commandments and do them It shall not give you new directions it shall not shew you new ways and new paths other then those which are beaten out in Scripture but it shall cause you to walk in my Statutes If then you err and wander from the ways of Gods Statutes and walk on in your own ways as the Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles the way of your own hearts which of your selves you choose and follow your ways of drunkenness uncleanness prophanation of Gods holy day c. if you walk in the way of Cain a way of cruelty and malice and run greedily after the error of Balaam for a reward as Jude speaks ver 11. A way of covetousness and unlawfull gain you are not guided by the Spirit of the Father but by the spirit of the wicked one which ruleth in the children of disobedience But if you keep the ways of God the ways of truth and love and holiness and peace the way that is so evilly spoken of by lewd prophane and vitious men And are no sooner swerved from it in the least degree but you are crying to the Lord with Moses Lord shew us thy way with David I am gone astray Lord seek thy servant enquiring of your brethren to direct you and striving to get in again you are guided by the spirit of your father and may be confident that you are the sons of God If God be your Father and you be his children you are a company of singular and choice people As you are like your Father and consequently like your brethren too so you are unlike other men you dwell alone and are not like to other people And as the sons of Kings and Nobles differ from the sons of other men they have another kinde of garb and habit and behaviour Even so the Sons of God the King of Kings do manifestly differ from the children of the world The Lord hath singled them and drawn them out and put them in another way so that they are men of wonder in the world their ways are of another fashion And this declareth them to be the children of the High God he owns them only upon this condition as you may see 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Come out saith God and be ye separate and I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God almighty Now my beloved are you thus come out and separated from the world which lies in wickedness as the Apostle speaks have you left your old haunts your old courses your old Companions and Associates with whom you ran out formerly to the same excess of riot are you accounted gazing stocks and wonders to the world because you are so different from them in all your ways And can you say in the uprightness of your hearts that this your singular and holy walking is not in shew and in hypocrisie but in sincerity and truth you may assure your selves you are the sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty But if you walk according to the course and fashion of the world if
did endure And so it will do any of us in the like case This is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith 1 Joh. 5.4 And therefore when we are so quickly overcome and brought to choose sin rather then affliction it is a sign we want faith By this you see there are too many who do not keep the Word of God in their hearts by believing Now I beseech you my Beloved as you would have this assurance that you are of the number of those that belong to Christ by the donation of the Father keep his words if you observe your Faith to waver or to fail in any point abase and judge your selves for it And that you may the better know how far to judge and how far to acquit your selves in this particular I shall give you some Cautions 1. You are not bound to credit every thing that is presented to you under the name and title of the Word of God To give a suddain and inconsiderate assent to all that the best Minister delivers to you because he teaches it and you are well perswaded of the man You may nay more then so you ought to try before you trust in this case Prove every thing saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5.21 and then hold fast that which is good It is observed of the Bereans that they were not so servilly addicted and engaged to any Teachers how excellent soever their endowments were as to receive upon their credit any thing that they delivered No their manner was to search the Scriptures whether things were so Act. 17.11 And yet it is notable that they are said to have received the Word of God with all readiness of mind for all this The Lord requires no greater readiness of mind then this in entertaining or believing any thing that is delivered in his Name that is to take it upon some trial 2. It is no sign of infidelity to move some questions with an aym at satisfaction concerning things delivered either in or from the Word If it be done with holy reverence and with an humble and sincere desire of satisfaction and instruction it is a very good course So did the blessed Virgin make a question concerning what the Angel had delivered to her Luke 1.34 A question not of opposition but of inquisition How shall these things be This way of making doubts and questions it seems was used in the Jewish Church and Christ approved it by his Example Luk. 2.46 47. So it is said of the Apostle Paul that he reasoned with the Jews out of the Scriptures Act. 17.2 And if such reasonings were more in use not reasonings against the Word but out of the Word there would assuredly be more faith then there is at this day 3. Nay though it be a sign of weakness it is no sign of utter infidelity to have some doubtful thoughts arising in our hearts concerning the most clear and pregnant Truths that are revealed in the Word of God David had such thoughts as these and yet he was a good man though this indeed were no part of his goodness Psal 89.19 37 38. There you have first the Lords assurance that he will establish David and protect him And at last he comes to swear that he will not lye to David his Throne shall endure for ever c. And yet observe how David faileth in the very next words but thou hast cast off and abhorred thou hast made void the Covenant of thy servant This was his great infirmity and yet you see it was not incompatible with grace It may befall a Saint to have such unbelieving thoughts as these provided that he pray against them strive against them and be humbled for them As David was when he had motions to distrust the Providence of God to question this great truth of God as Psal 73. this did so trouble him that at vers 21. he saith his very heart was grieved and he was pricked in his reins because he was so foolish and so ignorant And while it is thus with us we need not thereupon to doubt our interest in Jesus Christ But if we entertain such thoughts as these and bid them welcome when they come c. if we never pray nor strive against our unbelief nor grow up into any certainty in matters of Religion If we resolvedly reject the Word of God either in part or in the whole this is a very sad case If I speak the truth saith Christ why do you not believe me Joh. 8.46 And mark what follows presently ye therefore hear me not that is believe me not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you So that it is a formidable thing you see not to believe the Word of Christ It shews that men are none of Christs And therefore let us give assent to the whole Word of God the precepts promises and threatnings that Christ may own us that he may say concerning us to God the Father Thine they were and thou gavest them to me And thus we have dispatched the first and second branch of the discovery Proceed we to the third Have you kept the Word of God in your affections by loving it it is somewhat to remember it it is more to give assent and credit to it but it is most of all to love and delight in it And yet unless you reach to this you can have no assurance that you belong to Jesus Christ and that you are bestowed upon him by the Father The very Devils know the Word of God and think upon it and believe it too they are convinced of the truth of it and yet they are so far from loving it or taking any pleasure in it that they tremble at it They perceive it is against them they look upon it as an Enemy that speaks sad things to them and so they are afraid of it They fear it with a slavish fear and slavish fear casteth out love To say the truth the more they credit it the less they love it and the more they tremble at it And so it is in some degree with wicked and ungodly men They give assent to the letter of the Scripture they believe it to be true but they have no affection to it because it is no friend to them and their courses It crosses them in every thing they have a mind to and therefore they are at enmity with it and their hearts rise up against it they receive the knowledge and in some sort the belief but they do not receive the love of the Truth But you my Brethren must go further yet if you will clear your interest in Jesus Christ you must go beyond Devils yea you must go beyond the best of carnal and unsanctified men you must not satisfie your selves with this that you know the Word of God that you have it in your mindes that you are able to discourse of it that you believe it to be true in all particulars But more then so your
be justified when he speaketh and clear even when he judgeth Psal 51.4 when it is hardest to acquit him and to stoop to him So that you see my Brethren we must justifie the Lord in his reproofs and threatnings how sharp soever they may seem to be As Rehoboam and the Princes did when they were sharply menaced be the Prophet they replyed not they fretted not against him but confessed the Lord is righteous 2 Chron. 12.6 And Hezekiah when Isaiah dealt so roundly with him in the Name of God Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken 2 King 20.19 Yea God requireth this of all his people that they say Amen to every Curse of his and that they set their seal to it as you may see Deut. 27.26 This is the entertainment which we ought to give the word of God in this respect meekly and humbly to submit to it even when it seemeth to be most against us and not so much as once to mutter or repine at it Now this we shall not do unless we look upon it as the word of God Nothing but such an apprehension of it will bring the heart to such a temper and put the spirit into such a frame as this is That which comes to us under the notion of the word of man will never be so yeilded to No the heart will boyl and rage and rise against it But when it hath the stamp of God upon it it stoops the spirit to submission Such entertainment you may see it found in Eli upon this account It is the Lord when Samuel who was then a child declared to him what the Lord resolved to bring upon him and his house saith Eli it becomes me to be humble and sumit to this and not to murmur and repine against it for it is the Lord 1 Sam. 3.18 As Hezekiah Isa 38.15 What shall I say for he hath said it to me And so in every truth that is delivered to us in every precept that is laid upon us in every reprehension that is given us in every Commination that is thundred out against us if we consider with our selves whoever be the messenger it is the Lord that speaketh this it is the word of God and not of man this and only this will make us in all humility to stoop to it 4. We must know for certain that it is the word of God that we may give it such entertainment as it ought to have in point of obedience Herein the word of God is singular it must be absolutely and universally obeyed and that not only with the outward but also with the inward man It doth not only take command upon the members but even the spirit and the conscience must be subject to it And that without delay without question without exception without reservation assoon as that which is delivered to us appears to be the word of God there is no room for disputation or expostulation but obedience All that the Lord Commandeth we must do Exod. 1â— 8 if he command it we must do it This is the entertainment which we ought to give the word of God The word of man can challenge no such honour and respect from us All the commands of men are limited and are to be obeyed so far and but so far as they agree with the commands of God or else at least as they are not repugnant to them And consequently while we look on any word as that which comes from man or as that which is of man we cannot yeild it such obedience as is peculiar to the word of God But when we know once that it is of God when we are certain that he is the Author of it we shall no longer think our selves at liberty to obey or disobey No this perswasion will convince us that it is absolutely necessary to resign our selves to the obedience of this word of his who is such a Law-giver as is able either to save or to destroy and with whom every disobedience receiveth a just recompence of reward JOHN 17.7 Now they have known that all things c. Vse 1 NOw is it so that they that will give the word such entertainment c. We see the reason then my Brethren why the word is so unworthily and slightly entertained by the greater part of men why it hath no greater reverence no greater credit no more submission no more obedience then it meets withall from those that are the ordinary hearers of it Alas how is it disrespected and despise everv where how little credit doth it find with me how do their hearts and spirits rise against it when it meeteth with corruptions and crosses them in their ways and their humors how far are they from yeilding absolute obedience to it in every thing that it requires of them And what 's the cause of all this Truly the main and principal is this that they believe it not to be indeed and truth the word of God When it is read or preached to them either they call the matter into question and are in very great suspense whether it be the word of God or no or else they peremptorily resolve as Israel did It is not he Jer. 5.12 It is not God that speaks to us this is not the word of God and then no wonder though it be neglected and despised by them They hear a man and so accordingly resolve that that which is delivered to them is of man and that it hath no higher Author then the man that speaks to them And some of them will now and then express themselves Preachers may say their pleasure in a pulpit and the like And hence it is my Brethen that their respect and entertainment of it is answerable to their apprehension of it such as belongeth to the word of man and no more They regard it and believe it and obey it just as farre as they themselves please But you will say perhaps if you could hear the Lord himself speak to you Oh how would you fear before him how would you stoop to him how would you yeild obedience to his voyce But who is this that you hear a man such as your selves are whose weaknesses and failings and infirmities are known to you Oh but remember that though you have this treasure in earthen vessels yet it is a treasure still and it is of God still That all the messengers of God in their regular prescripts ought to be instead of God and instead of Christ to you That it is not they that speak but the Holy Ghost himself that speaketh by them Mat. 10.20 And therefore even as he that heareth them heareth God so on the other side he that despiseth them despiseth God himself Luk. 10.16 They were but men that preached to the Thessalonians the Apostle and his fellows so that they might have made the same objection and so have kept themselves from due and reverend entertainment of the word which they delivered But they
the world the world would love its own but because ye are not of the world therefore the world hates you And hence it comes to pass that it persues them persecutes them casts them out creates them all the trouble and vexation that it can so that they are not like to have a quiet hour almost in this world Besides the evils and afflictions to which they are exposed by the necessity of nature as man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards Job 5.7 distempers and diseases in their bodies loss of their estates and friends and earthly comforts and the like ungodly men come in with their additions The Church of Christ while she is here is ill-seated she grows in an ill place as he himself affirmeth of her 2 Cant. 2. as the Lilly among thorns so is my Love among the daughters She is environed and begirt with them so that she is annoyed and hurt and pierct on every side She cannot stir but one or other of her thorny neighbours hath her by the sleeve She dwels in Mesech while she dwells in this world and hath her habitation in the Tents of Kedar in the midst of wicked men so that she is beleaguered as it were and hem'd about with those that hate her and desire her ruine This is the state and the condition of the Saints while they are here they are continually vexed and troubled So that no marvel though our Saviour tells his own Apostles In the world you shall have tribulation Iohn 16.33 That is your portion as long as you remain here The world hath alwayes been an evil and uncomfortable place to Christs Disciples in this respect that it is a place of sinning Indeed my brethren they are troubled with the sins of other men their righteous souls are vexed with their filthy conversations Rivers of waters run down their eyes because men keep not Gods Law But they are chiefly troubled with their own sins from which they are not to be wholly freed while they remain in this world As long as they continue here they are perpetually in Sathans danger who is the Prince of this world and whose authority and power is confined to this life There will never be an absolute and perfect cure of sin in any of the Saints till this corruption have put on incorruption And hence perhaps the corruptions of our natures are stiled worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 And our members that are upon the earth Col. 3.5 because we cannot possibly be rid of them while we are here upon the earth and while we live in this world The Apostle Paul compares himself and others of the Saints to earthen Vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 And earthen vessels when they were legally defiled could not be made clean again till they were broken all in pieces as you may see Lev. 11.33 So we my brethen are not to be fully cleansed till we be shivered all in pieces We are not to be wholly rescued from the bondage to corruption till death translate is to another world And then he that is dead saith the Apostle is free from sin Rom. 6.7 So that no marvel though the world be a place of such disquiet and discomfort to the Saints For how can they be fully comfortable here while they are alwayes sinning against God He that hath entred into rest indeed hath ceased from his own works as the Apostle speaks Heb. 4.10 Till then he cannot wholly cease from those that are most properly his own works but is in danger of offending God and falling into sin continually and so can have no rest here Nay my beloved no man knows how far the Lord may suffer him to fall in this world Though it be a certain truth that they that are elect can never wholly fall away from God yet they may sin exceedingly to the dishonour of the Lord the scandal of their brethren and the irreparable wounding of their name while they have a day to live And this they are in danger of I mean of falling fearfully so long as they remain here What deadly falls have many of Gods worthies taken in their latter times It is observable that Davids first wayes are commended 2 Chron. 17.3 By which the Holy Ghost insinuates that his last wayes were not answerable to them He speaking of Jehosaphat walked in the first wayes of his Father David Indeed the latter wayes of David were blemished with extremity of sin and scandal The like is also noted of Solomon 1 King 11.9 And Asa 2 Chron. 16.10 And Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.35 And how then can the world but but be a doleful and uncomfortable place to Christs Disciples where they are in such hazard How can they but complain as Rebecca sometimes did though in another case If I must still be troubled with my lusts and my corruptions if I must still be over-ruled by them thus what good will continuance in the world do me The world hath alwayes been and is an evil c. in this respect that it is a place of banishment from Jesus Christ from him in whom their very souls delight This makes it sad and grievous to them that they have not Christ with them And this is that at which our Saviour aimeth in my text I am no more in this world but these are in the world There is the dolefulness of their condition that they are to continue here without me Indeed we are debarred of the immediate presence of the Lord while we remain in this world And therefore it is said expresly 2 Cor. 5.6 That whilest we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. And is not this a grievous thing to be kept from the enjoyment of such a one as Christ is Especially to him that knows him and is well acquainted with him and hath tasted of his sweetness can you blame him if he be weary of the world and if it be a trouble to him to continue here if be be willing to be absent from the body that so he may be present with the Lord What holy heart can choose but find a weariness in that place let it be otherwise as pleasant as it will which keeps Christ and him asunder and hinders him from the compleat fruition of his blessed Saviour Who would not gladly leave a place in which as long as he continues Christ and he must be asunder Vse 1 Now is it so my brethren that the world hath alwayes been and is an evil c. Then let it be a Caveat to us not to cast as we are very apt to do on too much joy and comfort here Our manner is when things look a little well and when we have some present quiet and content to promise great and extraodinary matters to our selves To sing a requiem to our souls with the rich man in the Gospel take thine ease eat drink and be merry It s true the men of this world may have some content and quietness and
with God in prayer let us consider what a holy God he is and let us labour to be holy too Let us be separate from the remainder of the world as he himself advises us 2 Cor. 6 17. and touch no unclean thing and then we have his promise that he will receive us The meditation of the holiness of God as it will be very usefull to prepare us and to make us fit for prayer so it will be very helpfull to us in the parts of prayer and that both in confession and petition and thanksgiving 1. It will help to humble us in the confession of our sins While we consider that they are so filthy and unclean and God upon the other side whom we confess them to so holy This cannot choose if it be duely weighed but shame us wonderfully in the presence of the Lord that we have been and are so filthy before such an holy God Indeed we ought to be ashamed to commit iniquity being such an odious thing The Lord hath planted shame in man to be a bridle as it were to check him to curb him and to hold him in from sinfull courses But if we have not been ashamed in the commission we ought especially to be ashamed in the confession as God advises Israel Be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes Ezek. 36.2 To review our sins with shame and to cry out as Daniel doth Dan. 9.8 to us belongeth confusion c. And Ezra in his sad confession Ezra 9.6 Oh my God I blush saith he and am ashamed to lift up my face to thee We should remember our evil wayes and our doings that are not good and loath our selves for our abominations Ezek. 36.30 we should remember and be confounded and never open our mouths any more because of our shame We should cast ashes on our heads and rent our hearts and cry unclean unclean Lev. 13.45 And there is no one thing that will confound and shame us more then the consideration of the matchless purity and holiness of God whom by our sins we hâ—ve offended Oh this will make us wonder that he should endure such filthy persons in his presence 2. As it will humble us in the confession of our sins so it will encourage us in our petitions for the cure of sin As it will make us low in our confessions so it will make us high in our petitions For how is sin which is uncleanness removed and cured in any of us but by holiness And is it not a comfort to us when we are making our requests for holiness that we are praying to the Holy God who is holy in himself and who is the original of all the holiness that is communicated to the Creature who is the Sanctifier of his people Is it not comfortable that when we come to draw that we are at the Well-head If you observe it is the great petition that our Saviour hath to make in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples verse 17. Sanctifie them with thy truth and this he prosecutes throughout And therefore he begins his prayer for them Holy Father 3. It will enlarge us in our thanksgivings to the Lord for holiness when we consider whence it came and by whom it was bestowed We shall see what cause we have to praise the Lord the Donor and Dispenser of it As David intimateth in that memorable place to this purpose Psal 97.12 Rejoice in the Lord ye righteous ye that are sanctified ye that are holy and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness And yet again Psal 30.4 Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness And thus far of the Object of our Saviours Prayer as he is mentioned by his title Father and his attribute Holy Holy Father Proceed we now to enter on the parts of it There are two things especially for which our Saviour is a suitor to his Father in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples Preservation and Sanctification To these may be reduced and referred all that he desires for them preservation in my text and onward to ver 17. Sanctification in the rest that follow First he desireth preservation Keep them through thy own name And this desire of his he backs especially with two reasons and they are weighty and of great importance First he would have his Father keep them now because he himself had kept them and kept them very safe till now While I was with them in the world saith he I kept them and none of them is lost but the Son of perdition but he who was designed to be lost And now I come to thee saith Christ I am to be no more among them and therefore I beseech thee now receive them into thy special care and tuition Here I resign them safe and whole and sound to thee I pray thee keep them henceforward as well as I have done to this time Secondly he would have his Father keep them because they were in such a dangerous place where they were in great peril every day and every hour where they were hated and maligned upon all hand and that for the truths sake I have given them thy word and the world hath hated them and so on And therefore I beseech thee Father look to them and keep them from the evil as it is added in the next verse The evil of fault and the evil of pain Some other things are interposed and touched incidentally which shall be handled in their places The thing desired is first in order to be handled before we pitch upon the Arguments and Reasons with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth this desire of his and this as we have heard is preservation And here we have to be considered two things First the means by which our Saviour here desires that his Apostles and Disciples might be kept and that is by or through his Fathers name Holy Father keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given me And Secondly the end for which he prayes they might be kept that they may be one as we are So that you see the supplication of our Saviour Christ is full he prayes both for the Means and End desireth that the end might be attained for them by the means Begin we with the means by which our Saviour here desires that his Apostles and Disciples might be kept and that is through his Fathers name Holy Father keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me The name of God is generally taken for any thing that makes him known to men as one man is distinguished from another by his name Particularly it imports sometimes the attributes of God now one and then another of them Sometimes his attribute of mercy as that is called the name of God Exod. 34.5 6. The Lord descended in a Cloud and there proclaimed the name of God And what was that The Lord the Lord God mercifull and gratious and
fail Luk. 16.17 that is to miss of execution and accomplishment Fail it may in the Letter and Paper of it but not in the fulfilling of it No saith our Saviour Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Word shall not pass away Mat. 24 35. Heaven and Earth are more inconstant and variable then my Word is and therefore the Apostle Peter speaking of the Prophesies of Scripture saith that they are sure 2 Pet. 1.19 We have saith he a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do weâ—â—â—hat ye take heed Not as if the Prophets words or writings were in thâ—â—selves more sure then the Apostles but to the Jews they were more sure For they received the Prophets words and writings but they rejected the Apostles Well sure the writings and predictions of the Prophets are you see we may rest safely upon them and conclude That whatsoever is foretold c. And it must needs be so my Brethren For The Author of the Prophesies is unchangeable and true and consesequently whatsoever he foretels or any Messenger of his from him must surely be accomplished and fulfilled 1. The Author of the Prophesies as well as other parts of Scripture is unchangeable He is the Lord that changeth not Mal. 3.6 He is yesterday to day the same for ever Heb. 13.8 And therefore what be saith must come to pass men say sometimes that they will do a thing to day which yet they alter and revoke again to morrow But if God say a thing to day he will stand to it firm to morrow he will not change his resolution He is not as man that he should lye and as the son of man that he should repent But he hath seemed to repent Object and to change his resolution in many things foretold in Scripture For instance he foretold by Jonah that Nineveh should be destroyed at the end of forty days Jonah 3.4 yet when they were expired he did not as he had foretold so that he altered in appearance yea it is said expressly that he repented of his Commination so that he brought it not to execution God repented of the evil which he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not Jonah 3.10 For clearing this Sol. you may remember that universal rule which God lays down for the better understanding of all Prophetical Praedictions in a way of Commination Jer. 18.7 The sum is this that they have all of them annexed to them or implyed at least if not an exprest condition And so had this against the Ninivites Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be destroyed conceive it if they be not humbled that was the reserved condition But they were humbled repented though they were preserved God did not otherwise then he determined and yet indeed he is said to have repented because he did so that he seemed to repent For as a man if he have threatned that thus and thus he is resolved to do and after do not so if he have power is said to change his mind and to repent of what he said Even so the Lord when he had threatned Niniveh and had concealed the condition because he spared it afterwards and did not just according the letter of the Commination is said to have repented because he seemed to do that which in a man would have discovered change and alteration of his resolution And even as anger is ascribed to the Lord Non per affectum sed per effectum as the Schoolmen say The passion or affection of it is not properly attributed to God but the effect and fruit is Vengeance is mine and I will repay it Even so repentance is not in the nature of the Lord but the effect and issue of it is usually ascribed to him The recalling or undoing of a thing which as far as we could judge by his words or by his works or our deserts or any other evidence that was before us seemed unto us to have been his intent and purpose to have done 2. And as the Author of the Prophesies as well as other parts of Scripture is unchangeable so he is true Yea He is the God of Truth as the Prophet David stiles him Psal 31.5 And therefore that which he foretells must be accomplished and fulfilled Observe it well my Brethren the Prophet doth not say He is the true God in himself and in his nature but he is the God of Truth in his discoveries and in his revelation of himself to men All that comes from him is truth He is the faithful and the true witness Apoc. 3.14 Not only true and faithful as a God but true and faithful as a witness In all the testimonies that he gives of himself or of his Son or of his works already done or intended to be done there is nothing else but truth He cannot be the Author of a falsehood it is impossible as the Apostle tells you Heb. 6.18 It is impossible that he should lye He can assoon deny himself put off his Deity cease to be God as father an untruth and therefore that which he foretels must be accomplished in his season And as the Author of the Prophesies is unchangeable and true so the Word of God it self of which the Prophesies are part is so also The Word of God is unchangeable and true even as God himself is and therefore all the Prophesies and the Praedictions of it must be accomplished and fulfilled 1. The Word of God is an unchangeable an unalterable Word when he hath said a thing and said it absolutely that must stand there is no revocation of it in the sense that he hath said it Thy Word O Lord saith holy David is setled in heaven Psal 119.89 It is an Established thing never to be removed again And therefore it is said to be setled in heaven There are great changes here below continually but there is none above in heaven and there the Word of God is setled above the reach of any alteration All flesh is grass saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.24 all the glory of man as the flower of grass the grass withereth and the flower thereof fadeth away but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever 2. And as it is unchangeable so it is true yea it is the Word of Truth It is an Epithite that is imposed upon it often Thy Word is true from the beginning saith the Psalmist to the Lord Psal 119.160 And so it shall be to the end And therefore it is added presently The judgements of the Lord endure for ever not in their being only but their truth You know the Scripture is often called a testimony or a witness Either it is a testimony that the Father gives us of the Son or that the Son gives us of the Father either it is a witness to us of things that have been done or else which is a little stronger it is a witness to us of things that shall be done Now this is a condition absolutely
necessary to a testimony or a witness that it declare the truth and nothing else Or else how shall it be depended and relyed upon and so how shall the Scripture be the Word of Faith as it is called unless it be the Word of Truth How shall this testimony challenge faith from us unless it utter truth to us How shall it be believed if it be not wholly true and therefore truth is frequently ascribed to it as a witness The testimonies of the Lord are sure saith David Psal 19.7 That which they tell hath been and that which they foretell shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled Vse 1 And this by way of use and application may serve for terror in the first place unto those against whom there is any thing foretold in Scripture in a way of Commination for it shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled How should they tremble for fear of God and how should they be afraid of his judgements though only hanging in the threatning How should their hearts dissolve within them when they hear his threatning words denounc't against them How should the Adulterer tremble when he hears that flaming Commination Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge how should the drunkard tremble when he hears those dreadful woes that are denounced to drunkards up and down the Prophets everywhere How should the wretched worldling tremble when he hears that dreadfull threatning that no covetous person hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God How should the lier and the dogg that barks and snarls and snaps at holiness and the unclean wretch tremble when they hear that such shall have their everlasting portion in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone And so for other sinners against whom there are heavy things foretold in Scripture how should they shake and quiver when they read and hear them But alas there are abundance who steel and fortifie their hearts against them who give no credit to the threatnings of the word as if they were but bruta fulmina but empty cracks who when they hear them thundred out against them say with Israel Jer. 5.12 It is not he neither shall evil come upon us nor shall we see sword or famine Oh my beloved do not belye the Lord in this fashion do not delude your own souls Believe it Judgement is towards you as the Expression is Hosea 5.1 although it be not actually upon you The wrath of God commeth it is a comming still and in the end depend upon it it will come home What do you think that if you do such things you shall escape the vengeance of God No be assured that if you persevere without repentance you shall feel it with a witness There is not any thing denounced against you in the Scripture but shall be fulfilled upon you to the utmost And Secondly it serves for sweet and pretious comfort to the Vse 2 Church since all the good that is foretold in Scripture shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled You that are members of the Church look over all the Book of God collect together all the promises contained in it from the beginning of it to the end consider all the choice and pretious mercies that are contained in those promises and satisfie your souls with a certain expectation of them all There is not one of all those promises shall fall unaccomplished to the ground or fail of execution in the Lords time And therefore look on all the good things promised there as sure mercies so they are called the sure mercies of David which shall not fail you when the season comes And when you meet with any thing that specially concerns you in such a case or such a condition that might be a support and comfort to you in affliction and the like Oh give not way to one unbelieving thought do not forsake your own mercies Remember it is the word of the Lord which as the Angel said shall be fulfilled in its season And so for any good thing that is foretold in Scripture to the Church as there are glorious things you know foretold concerning it in after times that God will raise it to an admirable state of glory and felicity which while the world continues shall not be overthrown again Let us not make any question but they shall absolutely and compleatly be accomplished and fulfilled And therefore let us strengthen and confirm our hearts in the assured expectation of it and let us put those promises in suit in our Petitions as Isaiah in the same case Chap. 62.1 And let us stand upon our watch-towers waiting for the execution of them Let us account it our especial happiness that we live under promises that shall surely be accomplished though they should be never fulfilled in our time Let us embrace them as the Fathers did yea though they be afar off Oh let us hugg them and take especial joy and comfort in them And though the Lord should take us hence before he bring them into act and execution yet let us cheer our hearts with the apprehension of the happiness and glory that shall be upon the Church after we are dead and gone And so dye with our arms full of promises and our hearts full of faith and our souls full of comfort Vse 3 To pass on to a third use Since this is so that whatsoever is foretold in Scripture shall surely be accomplished and fulfilled whatsoever is foretold in a way of Commination or in a way of Consolation by way of threatning or by way of promise Let us endeavour to believe both and act our faith upon them Let us work up our hearts to give a firm and full assent to all the threatnings and to all the promises though that which is delivered in the Scripture either way be never so improbable never so much against corrupt reason never so impossible to a humane apprehension Let us depend upon it that the word of God shall be fulfilled to the very utmost Let us imitate the faith of the antient Saints of God as I shall give you some examples of it in reference to both of these both to the threatnings and the promises of Scripture As for the threatnings That which the Lord denounced to Noah that he might publish it to all the world that he would utterly destroy all flesh from off the earth and by a flood of water too was as improbable as any thing almost could be as like to be derided by the wise men of the world Yet Noah being warned of God believed it and so accordingly prepared the Ark as you may see Heb. 11.7 And so that Commination by the Prophet Jonah was almost incredible that Nineveh so flourishing so glorious and so great a City should be destroyed in forty dayes and yet it is observed to the praise of Nineveh that they believed God that is the word of God his threatning message sent them by the Prophet Jonah 3.5 So for the promises of
truth thy word is truth And here we have two things to be considered A Supplication and an Explication First We have here our Saviours Supplication to his Father in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples Sanctifie them through thy truth And then we have this Explication in which he shews what he intends by truth viz. the word of God Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Begin we with the Supplication in which you may take notice with me of these two particulars First the thing desired Sanctification Sanctifie them saith our Saviour And then the outward instrumental means by which he prayes they may be sanctified the truth of God that is the word as he explains it afterwards Sanctifie them through thy truth Both yeild us our this Observation DOCTRINE The word of God is the ordinary Means by which he Sanctifies his people It is the instrument in Gods hands by which he doth this great work He sanctifies them he is the God of all grace he calleth and he makes perfect stablisheth strengthneth settleth them But he doth it by this means according to our Saviours prayer here Sanctifie them through thy truth And here I shall distinctly cleer these two things First that the word of God is the ordinary Means by which he sanctifies his people in a way of inchoation by which he begins that work in them by which he converteth them regenerates them and makes them to become new creatures And this we find abundantly exemplified in the times of the Apostle how mightily the word of God prevailed to the Conversion of their hearers and to the working of unfeigned faith and grace in them You may behold three thousand sinners wrought upon by one Sermon Acts 2.41 And yet again as if these had been a few five thousand by another Sermon Acts 4.4 And hence it is my brethren that the word is called the word of grace because it works grace in Gods people But whether this be the work of the Law or of the Gospel whether one or both of them be the ordinary means by which God sanctifies his people will need to be a little further opened and resolved And I shall shew you from the Scripture that both of them are instruments in Gods hand by which he sanctifies his people 1. God sanctifies his people preparatively by the Law The Law converts and worketh grace by way of preparation It shews a man his sin and his trangression it emptieth him of all opinion of himself it humbles him and layes him low in apprehension of his own unworthiness And so indeed it makes him fit to entertain the grace of God for he will give his grace unto the humble John Baptists rough and rigid preaching of the Law you know my brethren must prepare the way for Christ He must be like a Pioner to go before him to bring down every high exalted thought to make the Mountains levell with the Valleyes He must be like a Harbinger to ride before and take up room for Jesus Christ to write his name upon the heart This heart is taken up for Christ To cause these everlasting doors to be set open to him when he comes And when the heart is thus prepared thus emptied and thus opened once then it is fit for Jesus Christ with all the graces of his spirit to enter in and dwell there And this is all that God doth by the Law he sanctifieth men by way of preparation and predisposition only But 2. The means by which he sanctifieth them indeed and works the truth and the reality of saving grace in them is the preaching of the Gospel and therefore the Apostle puts the question to the renewed Galathians Gal. 3.2 This only would I learn of you saith he received ye the spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith q. d. for this I appeal to you I put the matter to your consciences whether the saving graces of the spirit were not first wrote in you by the hearing of faith that is by hearing the doctrine of faith which is the Gospel And hence the Gospel is sometimes called the grace of God as you may see that place for instance Titus 2.11 and that not formaliter for so the Gospel is not neither can it be the grace of God neither that grace which is in God I mean his free and undeserved favour nor yet that grace which is communicated and dispensed from him to us I mean the gifts of his spirit whether they be such as appertain to edification or sanctification but effective as the School-men speak the Gospel is the grace of God because the grace of God is the effect and issue of the Gospel The Gospel is the instrumental means of grace and holiness which it effecteth under God and worketh in the hearts of his people And under this expression it is set in opposition to the Law For as the Law doth not reveal the grace of God in Jesus Christ the Mediator and Redeemer as the Gospel doth so neither doth it work the grace of God I mean the saving gifts of his spirit and therefore it is called the Ministration of the Letter and not the Ministration of the Spirit because there goes no spirit with it Or if it carry any of the spirit with it it is the spirit of fear and bondage and legal humiliation and not the spirit of adoption and sanctification But on the other side the Gospel carries spirit in the ministration of it which it conveyes into the heart of those that hear it and embrace it as they ought to do It operateth and begetteth the endowments of the spirit and worketh grace and sanctification And as the word of God is the ordinary means by which he begins the work of Sanctification So it is the means also by which he carries on the same work to further measures and degrees They were sanctified already for whom our Saviour makes this prayer in my text the work was begun in them they were his own Apostles and Disciples and yet for them he prays sanctifie them with thy Truth q. d. Sanctifie them yet more fully make them yet more gratious and more humble and more holy by a more full discovery of the Truth revealed in thy Word to them Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is truth Indeed the Word my Brethren as it is incorruptible seed by which men are regenerate and born again to God as the Apostle shews 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible but incorruptible seed by the Word of God so it is milk which nourishes and makes them thrive and grow while they are but babes in Christ and it is also strong meat on which they feed until they come ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ This for clearing of the point proceed we to the Application Vse 1 Is it so That the Word of God is
bread of life by serious meditation by application of it to our own particular estate there will be no increase of grace by it Lastly Let us seek to God by earnest prayer that he would bless his Word to us that sucking this sincere milk we may grow thereby Paul may plant and Apollo may water but the success if any be must be from God as the Apostle shews 1 Cor. 3.6 and therefore must seek it at his hands Before we go to hear him speaking to us in his Word let him hear us speaking to him in our prayers that he would sanctifie his holy Ordinance and make it by his blessing to become a means of our increase in holiness and grace until we come to be compleat in Christ Jesus Seeing the Word is but an Instrument in his hand let us pray that he would mannage it and weild it and make it powerful and successful Let us renew our Saviours supplication in the Text every time we go to hear Lord sanctifie us with thy truth thy truth alone and of it self will never do it unless thou sanctifie us by it and therefore Lord do thou appear in this business Sanctifie us with thy truth thy Word is truth JOHN 17.17 Thy Word is truth OUR Saviour as he is a Mediator of Redemption to his people so of Intercession too He finished the former as his own expression is and he began the latter while he was here in this world The Chapter is a model of it wherein he gives his Apostles and Disciples a fore-taste from which they might a little guess what he was like to do more fully for them when he was ascended and sate down at the right hand of his Father to be an everlasting Advocate and Intercessor for his Church and people And here there are two things especially which he desires in their behalf to which at least all the rest may be reduced Preservation and Sanctification He enters on the latter in the verse now read and so did we the last occasion And here we have as I have shewed you the Supplication and the Explication The Supplication Sanctifie them with thy truth The Explication what is meant by truth the Word of God Thy Word is truth The last Lords-day I dispatched the Supplication so that the Explication comes to be insisted on at this time Thy Word is truth It seems to be an answer to the self same question which Pilate sometimes put to Christ himself but would not tarry for a resolution What is truth So sanctifie them saith our Saviour with thy truth But what is truth you have the answer in the following clause Thy Word is truth There is the Word God and there is the word of God The one is Christ the Son of God for he is called the Word in Scripture and he is the Word God as you may see that place for instance 1 Joh. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God The other is the will of God revealed and manifested in the Scripture And it is called the word of God because as the words of men discover what their mind is which else you were not able to imagine so the Word of God the Scripture discovers to us what the mind of God is so far as it is necessary to salvation Now this Word saith our Saviour here is truth Thy Word is truth It is not only true but truth it self and so indeed is all the Scripture the Law and Gospel both of them are all truth conformable in all respects to the Idaea of them in the mind of God But yet the Gospel is the Truth by way of Excellencie above the rest of holy Scripture Not that the Law or any other part of the Old Testament is not so true as Gospel is for there are no degrees in truth as truth Words are either true alike or some are true and others false But the Old Testament and legal truths are not be compared in some respects to the New Testament and Gospel truths These have the odds and the advantage of the other And therefore this I mean the Gospel is principally called the Truth in the language of the Scripture as I shall shew you more at large hereafter And this at least is chiefly aimed at by our Saviour when he saith thy Word is truth for of that truth he speaks apparently which is the instrumental means by which God sanctifies his people And that is not legal truth God doth not sanctifie men by the preaching of the Law save only in a way of preparation and predisposition The Gospel only works the truth and the reality of holiness and grace as I have shewed abundantly out of the former member of the Text. And therefore it is Gospel truth that is especially intended here which is the only proper instrument of sanctification Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is truth So then the Observation lies before us DOCTRINE The word of God of God especially the Gospel is the Truth In prosecution of the Point I have two things to cleer to you before I come to application First That the word of God is all truth there is no falsehood or deceit in it and I shall be brief on that Then that the Gospel is the truth by way of excellence and in a specialty above the rest of Holy Scripture I do not say the Gospel is more true then other things contained in the book of God but it is truth of more concernment and of more use as I shall make it evidently and distinctly to appear to you As for the first of these the word of God is all truth so it is stiled in the letter of my text without restraint or limitation Thy word is truth Whether it be the word of History the things that are historically represented to us in the Scripture or the word of precept or the word of promise or the word of threatning all is truth If you look to the intention of the Author of the word God hath delivered nothing in it with a purpose to deceive Or if you look to the matter of the word the things themselves that are delivered in the Scripture they are indeed as they are there expressed The sayings of the Lord are true sayings Apoc. 19.9 whether they be the sayings of the Father or the sayings of the Son For God the Father hath his saying God spake these words in the preface to the Law And God the Son hath his saying Verily I say unto you if a man keep my saying he shall never see death John 8.51 And both of these the sayings of the one and of the other the sayings of the Father the Law of works the sayings of the Son the Law of faith are absolutely and exactly true there is no falshood or deceit in them They are the true sayings of God And they must needs be true because they are the sayings of God Thy word is
blood of Bulls and Goats But now it is confirmed by the blood of Christ himself which is a better and a more effectual confirmation And this is that which the Apostle shews at large Heb. 9.16 and in the following verses So that the blood which ratified the Old Testament was but the shaddow and the Type of that which ratifies the new and therefore this hath the advantage of the other I must confess that the Old Testament was ratified by the death of Jesus Christ in destination for so he was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world But this is ratified by the death of Christ in actual execution which is if not in it self to us at least a cleerer and a better confirmation Gospel truth excelleth for the operation of it it hath effects transcendently beyond all other truth that ever was revealed to the world I shall name but two only suggested in those two great Gospel Epithites the word of grace the word of life 1. Gospel truth works grace Not common grace and common sorrow and humiliation and repentance as the Law doth but saving grace And therefore it is called the word of grace Acts 20.32 It is so exclusively it worketh grace alone without the help and the assistance of the Law in that business Something the Law may do towards us indeed but it doth nothing in the work of grace Of his own will begat he us saith the Apostle by the word of truth that is the Gospel James 1.18 That only that is properly and strictly sanctifying truth Sanctifie them with thy truth 2. Gospel truth infuseth life and that no other truth can do The Law indeed can kill but it cannot make alive It is the Ministry of death and condemnation The Gospel only is the Ministry of life and of Salvation And therefore this exceeds the other and surpasseth it in glory as the Apostle shews at large 2 Cor. 3.6 7 c. In this respect we find the Gospel called the word of life 1 John 1.1 because it is the word that worketh life It is the quickning word that raises men from death to life to the life of grace in this world and to the life of glory in the world to come And thus I think we have sufficiently cleered the point the word of God especially the Gospel is the truth Proceed we now to make some application of it according to the divers branches of the point in order I shall but touch upon the first because I would no be prevented in the second Is it so my brethren that the word of God is all truth then certainly Vse 1 it ought all to be believed This truth on Gods part calls for faith on ours For what is faith but the belief of truth as the Apostle Paul defines it 2 Thes 2.13 He hath chosen us to Salvation through Sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth So that if the word be truth it ought to be believed by us And this our Saviour Christ insinuates in his expostulation with the Jews John 8.46 If I say truth why do you not believe me Though that which is delivered in the word of God be never so improbable never so much above corrupt reason never so impossible to a humane apprehension yet it admitteth not of doubtfull Disputation and Expostulation but rather calls for absolute belief And therefore they are deeply to be censured who give no credit to the word of truth further then their private spirits close with it who do not answer Gods truth with their faith They read it and they hear it preached but they yield no assent to it No they oppose it and dispute against it they are meer Scepticks in religion There are a multitude of such in these times They consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine which is according to godliness as the Apostle Paul speaks 1 Tim. 6.3 4. Whereas they that have ever felt the saving power of Gods word have their thoughts captivated to it and will say as the Apostle we can do nothing we can speak nothing against the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 These men upon the other side when they hear the truth of God delivered to them speak against it contradicting and blaspheming as the stubborn Jews did Acts 13.45 They do not only ask with Mary how shall this be A question not of opposition but of inquisition Luke 1.34 But even peremptorily determine they can never be And thus they belye the Lord like those of whom the Prophet speaks Jer. 5.12 This in a word for application of the former member of the point We shall now apply the latter Vse 2 Is it so that the word of God especially the Gospel is the truth Is Gospel truth excelling truth Then let us give it the preferment before any other truth both in our inquisition and our acceptation Let us dive into it most and let us value and prize it most First Let us give it the due preferment in our inquisition let us dive into it most and labour more to be acquainted with it then with any other truth Let us read those books let us hear those Preachers and let us nourish those studies which help us most to this knowledge let us make this our main endeavour to be seen in Gospel truth let us undervalue and neglect all other knowledge incomparison of this It is the dangerous mistake of the greater part of men who had rather be acquainted with the matters of the world and to be skild in secular and humane learning then in the doctrine of the Gospel How do abundance plod to dive into the secrets and depths of nature and set their wits upon the tenter-hooks to search into the mysteries of Arts and Trades how do they beat and work their brains to get abundance of experience and skill in worldly dealings and employments but take no pains at all in hearing reading meditation to dive into the mysteries of Jesus Christ Tell me my beloved have you ever among all your earnest strivings after insight either into humane knowledge or into matters of the world been half so studious and industrious to search into this Gospel truth to be acquainted with Christ Jesus who is the subject of the Gospel to know that he was born and lived and dyed for you to know him and the virtue of his resurrection not by speculation only but experience raising you up to newness of life to know that he loved you and gave himself for you Alas the hearts of a great many of you cannot choose but tell you that you have hardly ever spent a serious thought on this And the very best among us cannot choose but say that we have been too slight and careless in our enquiries into this knowledge Ah my beloved had we the spirit of the Apostle Paul or of those blessed Angels who desire to peep and pry into the Gospel truth as you may
me This out of question is a truth in some sense or else he would not have the world to know it How it must be understood I shall shew you by and by In the mean time the point is this DOCTRINE That God the Father loves believers even as he loves Christ himself This is much I must acknowledge And yet you see it is the clear express assertion of the Text Thou hast loved them saith Christ even as thou hast loved me To make way to the opening of it this must be premised as a thing to be fore-known that Christ must here be looked upon as Man and Mediator of the Church so he hath been considered all along this prayer Now under this consideration the Father loves believers as he loves him But you will ask me How as he doth him what is the sense of that expression there lies the weight of all indeed and therefore I shall lay it open to you in a few particulars 1. God the Father loves believers as really and truly as he loves Christ as he hath loved Christ so he hath also loved them He hath not loved Christ and not them but he hath loved Christ and them The one of them as well that is as truly as the other And even as all the love which he declares to Jesus Christ is real and from the very heart-root if I might express it so so all the love which he discovers to believers is of the very same stamp It is a love without dissimulation in all respects as high and dear and cordial as it seems to be 2. God the Father loves believers everlastingly even as he loves Christ And everlastingly he loves them upon both hands à parte ante and à parte post from everlasting to everlasting First he loves believers from everlasting even as he loves Christ for as the time cannot be mentioned look back as far as you are able wherein the Father did not love the Son so neither can the time be mentioned wherein he did not love believers You know Election was from everlasting and therefore love must be from everlasting too which is indeed the Cause and Fountain of Election as Ephes 1.5 Having predestinated us to be his children in Christ Jesus according to the good pleasure of his will You see Election flows from the good pleasure of the will of God that is not only from that pleasure of his will which in it self is good for so doth Reprobation too but from the pleasure of his will which is good to us his creatures It issues from his love that is his free and undeserved favour So that you see he bears good will to true believers even in the instant of Election which is from all Eternity and so by consequence before they have a being in the world And this he doth in Christ as the Apostle shews Ephes 1.3 he chooses us in Christ In the first place he chooses Christ and then he chooses us in Christ He loves and chooses him first as Man and Mediator of the Church and then he loves and chooses us in him with the same love with which he loves him Secondly God the Father loves believers to everlasting even as he doth love Christ as he doth never cease to love Christ so he doth never cease to love them His love to them is like his love to Christ himself immutable he never alters it nor takes it off again The Mountains may depart and the Hills may be removed but his kindness shall not depart from his people neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy upon thee Isa 54.10 No it is an everlasting kindness ver 8. an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 A mercy that endures for ever Psal 106. So that as he loveth Christ from the beginning to the end so he loves believers too He loveth them in this respect even as he loveth him But hath not God been very angry Object and displeased with those whom he hath seemed to love in former times have they not most bitterly complained of it as the Church Lament 5. ult where she concludeth her discourse though not her misery with this wofull Epilogue But thou hast utterly rejected us thou art very wrath against us And how then shall we take it for a truth that God doth never cease to love believers as he doth never cease to love Christ True it is the Lord is many times offended with believers Sol. as he was with Christ himself He was offended with our Saviour for believers sins he is offended with believers for their own sins Iniquity wheresoever he finds it whether by imputation or commission makes him angry But you must know my brethren that it is one thing to be angry with a person and another thing to hate him It s true indeed that hatred cannot stand with love for it desireth the not being of the object of it but anger may consist with it And even as we are angry many times with those we love best and who are infinitely dear to us so God was angry with his dearest Son and he is angry with his dearest Saints and with his best beloved people and yet his love is firm and constant and unalterable to them notwithstanding as will appear if you consider First the shortness Secondly the fruits of this anger First Gods anger with his people is no lasting anger There is so great a mixture of love and kindness and compassion in it that it is overcome again upon a suddain it is very quickly gone Indeed his anger to the wicked is an anger like his love to his people everlasting They are a people with whom the Lord is angry for ever But his anger to his people is but short It is but little and that little is nothing it is but for a moment Isa 54.8 and that is recompensed with everlasting kindness too In a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy en thee It s true that David said in his distress that God had cast him off and that his love and mercy was clean gone for ever But he corrects himself again in his advised and deliberate thoughts and ingenuously confesses that he spake the former in his haste Psal 31.22 and that the latter was his infirmity Psal 77.10 Secondly as for the second the effects of Gods anger are such as relish strongly of his love to his people They are not such as he is wont to shew on reprobates and vessels of wrath They are not rigorous punishments to satisfie his justice but loving chastisements to hinder and prevent the execution of it For when they are afflicted they are not punished in propriety of speech but chastned and that to this end that they may not be condemned 1 Cor. 11.32 They are not such as fit them for destruction and border on damnation as those which he inflicteth on the
that he is a Son for there are sons whom fathers will deny in every thing almost because they have deserved ill of them and so they bear but little love to them But Christ is not such a Son no as he is a Son so he is a beloved son it is the Fathers attestation of him Mat. 3.17 This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And that is a second reason why Christ may have even what he will of God the Father because he bears such dear affection to him And this is intimated also in the Text it self saith Christ in the words mediately before which we have even now dispatched thou hast loved me saith he and what follows Father I will q. d. I know thou will let me have my will because thou lovest me Reason 3 Yet this is not sufficient neither that he is a Son and a beloved Son too For there are sons that are very well beloved who yet will ask that of their fathers many times which would be neither beneficial for them to receive nor honourable for their fathers to bestow upon them and God himself hath some of these sons who now and then put up their supplications and requests for that which would be neither good for them to have nor him to give and therefore they receive the answer that the two Disciples did Ye know not what ye ask But Jesus Christ is none of those sons he never faileth in the least degree in the matter or the manner of his prayers He never asketh what he should not ask he never asketh what he should in such a manner as he should not And that is a third reason why he may have even what he will of God the Father because as he is a Son and a beloved Son so he is such a Son as never asketh any thing amiss he never prays but just according to his Fathers own will His will as he is Man and Mediator agrees in every thing and all respects with the will of God the Father And therefore while the Father lets our Saviour have his will he hath his own and if he should not let him have his will he should not have his own neither We that are adopted sons are many times mistaken in the supplications that we make to God we do not ask according to his will and hence it is my Brethren that he doth not always hear us But Jesus Christ who is the Fathers own begotten Son is never at a loss in this respect He never misses of conforming his desires to his Fathers own pleasure and hence it is that his Will is a law with God the Father Reason 4 And then there is a fourth reason which is more then all the rest why Christs Will is a Law with God the Father because indeed he willeth nothing but that which he deserves of him If he sue for any thing as Mediator in the behalf of his people it is but that which he hath dearly bought and paid for So that his Father ought not in justice to deny him His Intercession as Divines observe is nothing else but the presenting of his merits to the Father And this is that which makes him bold and confident as you see him in my Text Father I will have it thus That which I seek I have purchased with my blood and therefore let me not be wronged but let me have what I have paid for Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am q. d. Thou knowest that I have bought that place for them and I have satisfied thee for it to the very utmost and therefore I will have them to be there and I must not be denyed Now is it so my Brethren that the will of Christ is as it were c. Vse 1 The first serves to let us see their happiness who have Christ to speak for them They who have him to be their Intercessor and to present his supplications and requests for them are in a very good Condition for they can want no good thing They might stand begging long enough themselves and never speed But if Christ do undertake to plead for them if he put in a good word for them all is ended presently they have a gracious answer out of hand God may deny them as I shewed you while they are speaking for themselves but if Christ speak for them he can never be denyed he may have what he will of God the Father O the the blessedness of those to whom this glorious priviledge belongs and who have such a powerful Advocate as Christ is Is it so that the will of Christ c. why then if we have any suit Vse 2 to make or any supplication to present let us not go directly to the Father but let us get the Lord Christ to speak for us And then we may be confident that all is sure We may be denyed but he cannot But how shall we make Christ to be our Spokesman and our Advocate in all supplications that we make to God I will give you two directions 1. We must walk by his Rule the Rule that he would have us guide our prayers and our supplications by We must be sure to put up such petitions and none but such as are agreeable to his will For as the Father will not grant the suit that is not suitable to his will if we ask any thing according to his will he hears us otherwise he doth not so Christ will not take the suit that is not suitable to his will And to say truth that is the reason why the Father doth not grant it viz. because the Son doth not present it and pursue it for if he do it never fails of audience or success If Christ undertake it once his Father never puts it off with a denyal His will is as it were a Law with God the Father Brethren our Saviour is not such an Advocate as pleads for fees and undertaketh any thing that any Clyent puts into his hands No what he likes and what he hath a mind to he pursues and prosecutes with God the Father and never leaves till he obtain a grant from him but if he mislike the suit if it agree not with his mind or will he never speaks a word in it and then it never speeds with God For as the Father granteth all that Christ desires so he denyeth all in which he doth not shew himself an Intercessor If Christ the Mediator do not own it the Father never gives assent to it And therefore he must be engaged and interested in every suit we make to God by framing it agreeably to his will 2. We must act by his Spirit who knows his mind as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 2.11 and what will surely take and rellish with him Beloved if the Spirit draw up the Petition Christ will present and follow it and get it signed But if the Spirit have no hand in it
and people that condemned and scourged and crucified the Lord of glory And now my brethren Will you say to me as the Disciples to our Saviour when he told them that one of them should betray him Will you ask me man by man Is it I and is it I No I expect to hear you say It is not I. What I an enemy to Christ I defie it and they that are his greatest enemies will be as bold and resolute in the denyal as any other And therefore as our Saviour gave a sign to the Disciples by which the Traytor might be known so I will give you certain signs out of Scripture by which the enemies of Christ may be discovered First they that are willing to submit to sin and are unwilling to submit to Christ they are enemies to Christ I will a little stand on either branch of this mark They that are willing to submit to sin they are enemies to Christ 'T is true indeed men may be taken captive by it as Saint Paul was they may be forc't to obey it in some certain acts notwithstanding all their striving by the power of a temptation which they are no way able to resist and yet may be the friends of Christ they may unfaignedly and dearly love the Lord Jesus But if they render up themselves to any lust if they make a Covenant with it as being willing and resolved to obey it if not content that they are sold by Adam they sell themselves to sin as Ahab did they are enemies to Christ No man can serve two Masters that are contrary as God and Mammon Christ and sin for saith our Saviour He will love the one and hate the other Mat. 6.24 So then if you be servants voluntarily engaged to any sin as being willing to obey it in the lusts thereof Whether it be drunkenness or swearing or uncleanness or the like If you resolve it is a sweet it is a profitable sin I will not strive nor pray against it because I mean not to forsake it you do indeed hate Christ It may be you do think that you may serve a lust and love the Lord Christ too But you deceive your own souls for the Truth of God hath said it that he that loves the one will hate the other As they that serve Christ hate sin so they that serve sin hate Christ And for the second branch of this mark as they that willingly obey sin so they that are unwilling to obey Christ they are enemies to Christ You are my friends saith Christ to his Disciples if you do whatsoever I command you Joh. 15.14 otherwise you are not And hence he styleth those his enemies who will not have him rule over them Luk. 19.27 Observe it well he saith not simply Those that will not have me raign but those mine enemies that will not have me raign over them bring them forth and slay them before me If then you will not stoop to Christ and to the Scepter of his Kingdom if you will not have him rule you if you will not do the things that he commands you but are resolved to walk according to your own humors and though you are informed what is good and what the Lord requireth of you yet you hate to be reformed and pluck away the shoulder as the Prophet speaks and say with those rebellious wretches Psal 2.3 Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from us that we may walk at liberty and that there may be no restraint from any thing that seemeth good in our own eyes be not deceived for you are Adversaries of the Lord Christ 2. They are enemies to Christ that love that which Christ hates and hate that which Christ loves It is the property of near and bosome friends to will and nill to love and hate the same things and enemies are just upon the other hand and so it is in this case They that are in love with sin which is the thing the only thing which Christ hates are surely out of love with Christ They that love the Lord hate evil Psal 97.10 and I may say as well They that love evil hate the Lord. It 's true that such as love him may commit it but yet they have a strange antipathy against it they hate it with a perfect hatred and every false way they utterly abhor And hence it is that they endeavour to destroy it to crucifie it every day to put it to the cruellest and basest death and if they had it in their power they would shew it no mercy You would not use a Turk a Toad as such a man would use sin But when a man shall cocker it and stroke it and delight in it when he shall not endure to have it striken with the hammer or wounded with the Sword of Gods Word but shall be ready to do violence to any man that offers it a blow or gives it but an ill word the heart of such a person is not right towards Christ And even as they are enemies to Christ who love that which Christ hates so also they who hate that which Christ loves and that is holiness and grace which he cannot choose but love because it is a beam of his own light a gift of his own spirit a stamp of his own Image a part of his own fulness for of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace But you will say Who hates this I answer they that persecute and scorn and vex their brethren for their strictness and preciseness because they follow that which good is because they fear an oath because they run not out with them to the same excess of riot they are the men that hate grace For it is holiness and grace you see that is the proper object and indeed the formal reason of their hatred And they that hate their brethren for their holiness and grace which they have received from Christ by which they are conformable and like to Christ would hate him so much more then them if he should come and live among them by how much he is holier then they are And therefore let not such as say they could affect and like of such a person well enough but that he is so pure and so precise he will not do as they do pretend any love to Christ For certainly the same affections of spite and malice and reproach which they discover against such men they would with so much greater bitterness express against the Lord Christ if he were conversant upon the earth by how much he exceedeth and transcendeth them in holiness and grace 3. They that are friends to the enemies of Christ and enemies to the friends of Christ are enemies to Christ himself Be they who they will that close with those that live in enmity against Christ and help them in their opposition to his truth and to his cause and to his glory they can never love Christ No if they did
they could never side with those that are professed adversaries to the Lord Jesus and who endeavour to subvert and overthrow his worship and religion and destroy his people And certainly Christ cannot choose but take them for his enemies and use them like his enemies while they incorporate themselves with those that live in open opposition and hostility against him And as the friends unto the enemies of Christ even so the enemies unto the friends of Christ are enemies to Christ himself They that are adversaries to the Saints who are as it is said of Abraham the friends of God the friends of Christ must needs be adversaries to the Lord Jesus There is a Covenant and a League of love between the Lord and them and the league is not defensive only but offensive too he that toucheth them saith Christ toucheth the Apple of mine eye touch them touch me Zac. 2.8 Nay they are not alone in Covenant with him but more then so my brethren they are one with him And therefore they are called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 For as the body is one and hath many members and all the members are but one body so also is Christ conceive it Christ in aggregate comprizing all the Church with him for caput corpus unus est Christus as Austin speaks the head and the body is but one Christ and that which is the name of Christ Jer. 23.6 This is his name by which he shall be called The Lord our Righteousness is the Churchss name too Jer. 33.16 This is the name wherewith she shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Indeed his people are the members of his body and he can never be a friend unto the head who is an adversary to the members Now if on triall by the former evidences you find that you hate Christ believe it God hates you The dearer his affection to his Son Christ is the greater is his hatred of the enemies of Christ The union is so neer and the love so infinite between the Father and the Son that God may truly say to Jesus Christ Do not I hate them that hate thee I hate them with a perfect hatred as though they were mine enemies And I will surely take a course with them I will bring them low enough Sit thou at my right hand there sit thou still unmoved and undisturbed till I have made thine enemies thy footstool JOHN 17.24 For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world IS it so that God the Father dearly loveth Jesus Christ hence then it Vse 2 follows that as he hates them that hate Christ so on the other side he loveth them that love Christ The dear affection that he bears to Christ draws out his very heart to all those that love Christ And this is that which Jesus Christ himself teacheth John 14.21 He that loveth me saith Christ shall be loved of my Father Let him be what he will of what condition or estate he will never so poor and mean and despicable in the world if he do really and truly love me my Father loves that man and loves him dearly for my sake Nay saith the Father this man is my Sons friend he bears a very great affection to my Son Christ and therefore I must needs esteem and love him for my Sons sake I have alwayes loved my Son even from all eternity and that out of all measure and upon this account my love and my affection overflows to all those that love him Oh how should this prevail with every one of us to love Christ and love him dearly since God the Father will requite us to the utmost for all the love we shew to him all the love that we lay out on Jesus Christ he will pay us back again and pay us in the same coin We may depend upon it that we shall have love for love If we love Christ the Father he will love us And is the Fathers love worth nothing Ah my beloved it bringeth with it all the happiness and mercy that a poor soul is capable of And therefore I beseech you let us love Christ let Christ have our love that we may have the Fathers love And here to warm your hearts a little and to draw them out to Christ take notice of these few things 1. View him in himself behold him in the choiceness and excellency of his own beauty There is no spot nor imperfection in him in the very least degree He is fairer then the children of men Psal 45.2 then any of them all let them be what they will for they have blemishes but he hath none All the perfections in the world do meet in him so that there can be nothing added to him Indeed my brethren he is altogether lovely All others have their imperfections and defects something there is unlovely in them but he is altogether lovely And this is that which makes the Church so far in love with him She is taken with his beauty and the delicious savour of his ointments the sweetness of the graces that are in him Cant. 1.3 How is she ravisht in the contemplation of him Cant. 5.8 What is thy beloved more then another beloved say the daughters to her there What is he more saith she me thinks she is an end with that word Why have you no eyes to see He is transcendent incomparable and so describeth him from top to toe and then concludes This is my beloved O ye daughters look upon him this is he As who should say now judge you whether I have cause to love him yea or no. And therefore I am not ashamed to own it and if you meet with my beloved you may tell him that I love him yea that I am sick of love 2. Consider in the next place what he is to you what interest and propriety you have in him Why my beloved he is yours I speak this to believers only And this the Church and Spouse of Christ professeth often I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine and yields this as the reason of the high and dear affection that she bears him A woman you will say hath cause to love her own husband Now Jesus Christ is the husband of the Church she is his wife his spouse his second self she is called by his name We are thine say the people of the Lord the heathen are not so nor are they called by thy name So that the Saints in this respect are infinitely more obliged to love him then these that are without the pale because they have not such relation to him 3. Let the exceeding love of Christ to you draw out your love to him again Amor they say is Câ—s amoris And so let his love be a whet to you Consider he hath loved you and therefore you have reason to love him again This reason doth not hold on both sides we cannot say that we have loved Christ and therefore he hath cause to love us