Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	act_n	faith_n	word_n	2,063	5	4.6173	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B03501	The mystery of faith opened up: or Some sermons concerning faith (two where of were not formerly printed.) Wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulness of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed. Whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning the great salvation, one of these not formerly printed, and a third concerning death. / By that pious and worthy servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray, late minister of the Gospel in Glasgow. All these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected.	Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656.; Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.; Stirling, John, b. 1621?	1668 (1668)	Wing G1616; ESTC R177630	121,416	225

betwixt Christ and the believer Faith being indeed an uniting grace and that which knitteth the members to the head and to make this more fully appear we would point out a little what a sweet harmony and correspondency there is betwixt these two sister-graces to wit Faith and Love Faith is that nail which fasteneth the soul to Christ and Love is that grace which driveth that nail to the head Faith at first taketh but a tender grip of Christ and then love cometh in and maketh the soul take a more sure grip of him Secondly ye may see their harmony in this Faith is that grace which taketh hold as it were of the garment of Christ and of his words but Love that ambitious grace it taketh hold of the heart of Christ and as it were his heart doth melt in the hand of Love Thirdly it may be seen in this Faith is that grace which draweth the first draught of the likeness and Image of Christ upon a soul but that accomplishing grace of Love it doth compleat these first draughts and these imperfect lineaments of Christs Image which were first drawn on the soul Fourthly by Faith and love the heart of Christ and of the believer are so united that they are no more two but one Spirit 2. There is this second act that Faith exerciseth on Christ and it is in discovering the matchless excellencies and the transcendent properties of Jesus Christ O what large and precious cōmentaries doth Faith make upon Christ it is indeed that faithful spy which doth alwayes bring up a good report of him Hence it is that Faith is called understanding Coloss 2.2 because it is that grace which revealeth much of the precious truth of that noble object 3. And there is this third noble act of Faith exercising it self upon Christ viz. It maketh Christ precious to the soul according to that word 1. Pet. 2.7 unto you which believe he is pretious And if there were no other thing to speak forth its worth but that it is more then sufficient for no doubt this is the exercise of the higher House to be dwelling on the contemplation of Christs beauty and to have their souls transported with love towards him and with joy in him Reason and amazement are seldom companions but here they do sweetly join together First a Christian loveth Christ because of Christs actings and then he loveth all these actings because they come from Christ 2. Now secondly this pointeth out the precious excellency of the grace of Faith it is that grace which is most my sterious and sublime in its actings it hath a more divine and sublime way of acting then any other grace hence it is called The Mystery of Faith which speaketh this that the actings of Faith are mysteries to the most part of the world and I shall only point at these things which may speak out the mysterious actings of the grace of Faith 1. Faith can believe and fix it self on a word of promise although sense reason and probability seem to contradict the accomplishment of that promise Faith it walketh not by the low dictates of sense and reason but by a higher rule to wit The sure word of prophecy which is clear from Rom. 4.19 where Abraham believed the promise notwithstanding that sense and reason seemed to contradict it He considered not the deadness of his own body neither the barrenness of Sarahs womb but was strong in faith giving glory to God And it is cle●… from Heb. 11.29.30 where Faith believed their passing through the Red sea upon dry ground which was most contrary to sense and reason Faith be lieved the falling down of the walls of Jericho b● the blowing of rams horns which things are most impossible to sense and reason for sense will of tentimes cry out All men are liars and reaso● will say How can such a thing be and yet that he roick grace of Faith cryeth out Hath he spoke● it He will also do it Hath he said it Then 〈◊〉 shal come to pass 2. Faith can believe a word of promise notwithstanding that the dispensations of God seem to contradict it as was clear in Job who professed he would trust in God though he should ki●… him And no doubt but this was the practice o● believing Jacob he trusted that that promise should be accomplished that the elder should serve the younger though all the dispensations of Go● which he did meet with seemed to say that promise should not be accomplished 3. Faith can believe a word of promise even when the commands of God seem to contradic● the accomplishment of that promise this is clea● in that singular instance of Abrahams Faith that notwithstanding he was commanded to kill his promised seed upon whom did depend the accomplishment of the promises yet he believed that the promises should be performed And though there were indeed extrordinary and strange try●ls of his Faith as he had natural affections to wrestle with yet over the belly of all these believing Abraham he giveth Faith to the promise and bringeth his son Isaac to the Altar though he did receive him back again this is clear from Heb. 11.17.18.19 4. Faith can exercise it self upon the promise notwithstanding that callenges and convictions of unworthinesse and guilt do wait on the Christian this is clear 2 Sam. 23.5 that although his house was not so with God as did become yet he believed the promise as likewise it is clear from Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me and yet that doth not interrupt his faith but he saith As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away And certainly it were a noble and precious act of Faith to believe notwithstanding of unanswerable challenges of guilt the best way both to crucifie our Idols and to answer those challenges is believing and hoping against hope and closing with Christ this is clear from Isa 64.6.7 compared with ver 8. where after strange challenges the Prophet hath a strange word but now O Lord thou art our Father There is an Emphasis in the word now for all this yet thou art now our Father 5. And lastly this pointeth out the mysterious acting of the grace of Faith that it exerciseth it self upon an invisible object even upon Christ not yet seen according to that word 1 Pet. 5.8 Whom having not seen yet ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing 〈◊〉 I pose the greater part of you who are here wh●ther or not these be two of the greatest parado●… and mysteries unto you For is not this a m●stery to love him whom we never saw Whom having not seen yet ye love To love an absent a●… unseen Christ is a mystery to the most part of th● world and is not this a mystery to believe on his whom we never saw In whom though ye see hi● not yet believing And I shal add this that Fai●… can hold fast its interest with God notwithstanding the most

indeed that tree which if we cast into the waters of Mar●h they will presently become sweet for is it not below the child of hope to be much anxious about these things that he meets with here when he sincerely knoweth that commandment shal come forth Lift up your heads for the day of your eternal redemption draweth near even the day when all the rivers of his sorrows shal sweetly run into the Ocean of everlasting delight 3. A Christian that is much in assurance he is much in communion and fellowship with God as is clear from the Song 1.13.14 and Song 2.3 where when once she cometh to that to be perswaded that Christ was her beloved then she sate down under his shadow and his fruit was pleasant unto here taste for the assured Christian doth taste of these crums that fall from that higher Table and no doubt those that have tasted of that old wine will not straightway desire the new because the old is better And then fourthly it is the way to keep you from apostasie and making defection from God Faith is that grace that will make you continue with Christ in all his temptations as is clear from 2. Pet. 1 10. where this is set down as a fruit of making our calling and election sure that if we do these things we shall never fail Faith maketh a Christian to live a dependent life For would you know the Motto of a Christian It is this self diffidence and Christ-dependence as is clear from that word in the Song 8.5 that while we are walking through this wilderness we are leaning upon our well-beloved 5. This assurance will help a Christian to overcome many temptations There are four sorts of temptations that assault the Christian There are temptations of desire temptations of love temptations of hope and temptations of anxiety all which a Christian through this noble grace of assurance may sweetly overcome He that hath once made Christ his own what can he desire but him As Psal 17.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord. What can he love more then Christ or love besides Christ all his love being drowned as it were in that Ocean of his excellencies and a sweet complacency found in the enjoyment of him And as to hope will not assurance make a Christian cry forth Now Lord what wait I for 〈◊〉 mine hope is in thee And when the heart is anxious doth not assurance make the Christian to hear the indignation of the Lord and partiently submit unto the cross since there is a sweet connexion between his cross and his Crown Rom. 8.35.36 If he suffer with him he shal also reign with him And lastly there is this argument to press you to assurance that it sweetneth the thoughts of death It maketh death unto a Christian not the King of terrors but the King of desires And it is upon these grounds that assurance maketh death refreshful unto a Christian 1. He knoweth that it is the funeral of all his miseries and the birth-day of all his blessed and eternal enjoyments 2. That it is the coronation day of a Christian and the day when he shall have that marriage betwixt Christ and him sweetly solemnized and that when he is to step that last step he knoweth that death will make him change his place but not his company And O that we could once win unto this to seal that conclusion without presumption My Beloved is mine and I am his We might without presumption sing one of the Songs of Sion even while we are in this strange land And taking Christ in our arms might sweetly cry forth Now lettest ●hou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Comfort your selves in this ' that all your clouds shall once pass away and that that truth shal once come to pass which was confirmed by the oath of an Angel with his hand lifted up towards heaven that time shal be no more Time shal once sweetly die out in eternitie and ye may be looking after new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness O! long to be with him for Christ longeth to have you with him SERMON III. JOHN 3.23 This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ c. THere are three most precious and cardinal graces which a Christian ought mainly to pursue there is that exalting grace of Faith that comforting grace of Hope and that aspiring grace of Love And if once a Christian did take up that heavenly difference that is betwixt these sister-graces he might be provoked to move after them most swiftly as the chariots of Aminadab And there is this difference between these graces Faith is a sober and silent grace Hope is a patient and submissive grace Love is an ambitious and impatient grace Faith cryeth out O my soul be silent unto God Hope cryeth out I will wait patiently for the Lord until the vision shal speak But Love it cryeth out How long art thou a coming And it is waiting to hear the sound of his feet coming over the mountains of separation That is the Motto of Hope Quod defertur non aufertur that which is delayed saith Hope is not altogether taken away and made void And that may be the divine embleme of the grace of Love It is Sight infolding Desire in 〈◊〉 arms and it is desire cloathed with wings treading upon Delay and Impediments There is this second difference between these graces the grace of Faith it embraceth the truth of the promises the grace of Hope it embraceth the goodness of the thing that is promised but that exalting grace of Love it imbraceth the Promiser Faith cryeth out Hath he spoken it he will also do it Hope cryeth out Good is the word of the Lord be it unto thy servant according to thy promise And Love it cryeth out in an higher note As is the apple tree amongst the trees of the wood so is my well-Beloved amongst the sons Thirdly there is that difference between these graces Faith it overcometh temptations Hope it overcometh difficulties but Love stayeth at home and divideth the spoil There is a sweet correspondence between those graces in this Faith it fighteth and conquereth and Hope it fighteth and conquereth but Love it doth enjoy the trophies of the victory And fourthly there is this difference the noble grace of Faith it shal once evanish into sight That noble grace of Hope it shall once vanish into possession and enjoyment but that constant grace of Love it shal be the eter 〈◊〉 companion of a Christian and shall walk in with him unto the streets of the New Jerusalem And I would ask you that question What a day shal it be when Faith shal cede to Sight What a day shal it be when Hope shal yeeld its place to Love and Love and Sight shal eternally fit down and solace themselves in these blessed mysteries these everlasting consolations of heaven

Christian when he is much in the exercise of secret Prayer and of much conversing and corresponding with God in that duty as is clear in that word from Dan. 2.21 When Daniel was praying at the evening oblation ●n the 23 verse he meets with a divine intimation of his peace with God O man greatly beloved of God as the Original hath it O man of great desires for he was desireable indeed and precious to him who holdeth the Saints in his right hand IV. This is also a fealing time to a Christian when he is called to the exercise of some great work and is to be put upon some eminent holy imployment this is clear Jer. 1.5 where Jeremiah being called to preach the Gospel unto such a rebellious people then he hath his eternal election declared unto him Before thou wast formed in the womb I knew thee Christ as it were giveth them that to be meat to them for fourty dayes and that in the strength of it they may go many a days journey V. There is also another sealing time when a Christian is first begotten to a precious and everlasting hope for when at first Christians begin to be acquainted with Christ even then sometimes 〈◊〉 declareth to them his boundless everlasting love And this is the ground why some of those who a●… but babes in Christ are so much in the exercise 〈◊〉 diligence so much in the exercise of the grace 〈◊〉 love and so much in the exercise of the grace 〈◊〉 tenderness it is even because of the solemn impresion of their interest in Christ that as it were they are dayly taken in to read their own names 〈◊〉 legible letters in the lambs book of life VI. And there is that last time that is a sealing time to a Christian and that is when he is p●… under some sad and afflicting dispensation Wh●… the furnace is hot seven times more then ordinary Then doth God condescend to manifest himself 〈◊〉 his own When was it that John met with mo●… of the revelations of heaven Was it not wh● he was in the I le of Patmos for the testimony 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ his Kingdom and patience of our ble●sed Lord Rev. 1.9 And that place 2 Cor. 4 1● Though our outward man decay yet our inward man is renewed day by day Now we would press you to be more serious 〈◊〉 the exercise of this precious grace And I shal 〈◊〉 you the cōpend of Christianity in these few words 1. By faith to solace your selves in Christs invisible vertues and excellencies And 2. by hope to b● viewing that precious crown and those everlasting dignities that are to be given to the Saints And 〈◊〉 by mortification to be crucifying your idols And 4. by patience to be possessing your souls unti● once ye shall pass through that dark land to the valley of everlasting delight And as for those that contemn and undervalue the blood of this everlasting Covenant and I would have all those that delight not in closing with Christ and those who have not misbelief as their cross to consider this The wrath of the living and eternal God doth abide upon them who do not believe according to that word John 3.36 He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him It is a remarkable phrase because of this the wrath of God will not be a pilgrim to a misbeliever that will turn aside to tarry but for a night but the wrath of God to them who will not believe shal be their houshold companion and shall dwell with them And wo wo to them eternally who have this sad and everlasting companion to abide with them the wrath of a living God There is one thing we would have those knowing that amongst all those who are eternally to be debarred from Jesus Christ mi●believers are put in the formost rank Revel 21.8 There he is to put away the the fearfull and unbelieving And from 2 Thess 1.18 When Christ shall come from Heaven with ten thousand of his Saints What to do It is even to execute vengeance on those that obey not the truth of the Gospel That is who do not believe and I pose your own hearts with this whether or not your names be written there in that roll amongst those who shall be cut off And that word 2 Thess 2 12. That they might be damned wh● be believed not but took pleasure in unrighteousness O but the wrath of a dying Christ and of a crucified Saviour is drea●ful It is more sad and terrible then the wrath 〈◊〉 God should have been if Christ had not die● I will tell you O hypocrits in Zion the wor● news that ever was published in your ears and 〈◊〉 is this Christ died and rose again and to tho● that are begotten to a lively hope they are gla●tyding of great joy and therein they may comfo● themselves but ye may wear a rough garment 〈◊〉 deceive and go to heaven in your own apprehensions but O the sad disappointments that is wa●ting on many such And to close with this w● would obtest you as you would answer to you terrible and dreadful Judge that shal stand o● day upon his Throne which he shal fix in th● clouds we obtest you by all the joyes of heave● and we obtest you by all the everlasting pains 〈◊〉 hell and we obtest you by all the curses that a●… written in the volume of this book and by a● the sweet and comfortable promises that are i● the everlasting Gospel and by the love that yo● own to your immortal souls and as you would not crucifie Christ afresh believe and embrac● the offers which are presented now unto you● Know ye whether or not this shall be the las● summons that you shal get to believe That so● if ye do reject it Christ shal come from heaven and pronounce that sad and lamentable Sentence to you Depart from me ye cursed I know you not Now to him that can bless these things unto you we desire to give praise SERMON III. JOHN 3.23 This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ c. IT was a command that Solomon gave unto his son Prov. 22.26 That he should not be surety for debt nor be one of those that striketh hands But O! what spotless breaches of that command hath our blessed Lord Jesus committed when he did condescend to be surety for our debt and to pay that which was impossible for us to satisfy Hath not Christ made a precious exchange with sinners He wreathed about his own precious neck that bond and yoke of our iniquities and hath given to us that unweariable easie and portable yoke of his commandments amongst which this is one That we should believe on him spotless Christ was made sin for us that sinful we might be made the righteousness of God in him And is not this the condemnation of the World that we will not believe on him That

To you that believe Christ is precious And that word that Luke hath in his 7. chap. at the close That she to whom much was forgiven loved much Now lest this likewise should prove a discouragement to any I would only have you take notice of this that a Christian may be a believer and yet want the sensible discoveries of this that Christ is matchlesly precious to him but this is certain that when they are in the lively exercise of Faith it is impossible then for them not to esteem Christ matchless and I would speak this likewise to many who are here Have you not been living these ten years in Faith And I would pose you with this Esteem you not your Idols more matchless then Christ and more of worth then he It is impossible that there can be any lively exercise of faith and not esteem Christ matchless It is not to say it with your mouth and contradict it with your heart will do the business for if your heart could speak it would say I would sell Christ for thirty pieces of silver but mine idols would I sell at no rate Are there not many of you who love the world and its pleasures better then eternity of joy O! know you not that word O ye desperately ignorant of the truths of God! That he who loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him And yet notwithstanding of the light of the Word yet you would sell your immortal souls with Esau for a moss of pottage O! but it is a poor bargain when you have sold the eternity of joy for a passing world and for its transitory delights I would earnestly know what shal be your thoughts in that day when you shall be standing upon the utmost line betwixt time and eternity O! what will be your thoughts at that day But you are to follow on to endless pain by appearance and then you are to leave your idols I shall only desire that you may read the word Isai 10.3 What will ye do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shal come from far To whom will ye flee for help And where will ye leave your glory You shall then preach mortification to the life though all the time of mortification shall be then cut off O but to hear a worldly minded man when eternity of pain is looking him in the face preach out concerning the vanity of this world might it not preswade you that the world is a fancy and a dream that shal flee away and shal leave you in the day of your greatest strait IV. And there is this fourth evidence of faith that a Christian who doth truly believe he is that Christian who entertaineth a divine jealousie and a holy suspition of himself whether or not he doth believe I love not that faith which is void of fear this was clear in the practice of believing Noah that though by faith he built the Ark yet he had fear mixed with his faith I know that there are some who are ignorant concerning this what it is to doubt concerning eternal peace and more it is not every one that doubteth that certainly shal get heaven fore I think an hypocrite may doubt concerning his eternal salvation however I think the exercise of an hypocrite under his doubtings it is more the exercise of his judgement then the exercise of his conscience And I may say that if all the exercise of the Law which is preached in these dayes were narrowly searched it would be more the exercise of light then the exercise of conscience We speak these things as our doubt which was never our exercise and we make these things our publick exercise which was never our private and chamber-exercise And I think that if all that a Christian did speak to God in prayer were his exercise he would speak less and wonder more We would be speechless when we go to God for often if we did speak nothing but our exercise we would have nothing to say And certainly it is true that often we fall into that woful sin of desperate lying against the holy Ghost by flattering God with our mouth and lying unto him with our tongue And I shall only say these two words there are some who have this for their great design viz. they would be at peace with their conscience and also they would beat peace with their idols they would gladly reconcile conscience and their idols together That is their great design And there are some whose design is a little more refined they study rather to be reconciled with their conscience then to be reconciled with God Their great aim they shoot at is this to get their conscience quieted though they know not what it is to have the soul-comforting peace of God to quiet them V. Now there is this last evidence of Faith that justifying faith is a faith which putteth the Christian to be much in the exercise of those duties by which it may be maintained for we must keep faith as the apple of our eye and for that end I would only give you these three things by which faith must be kept in exercise and a real Christian will be endeavoring i● some measure to attain unto these 1. It keepeth faith much in exercise to be much in marking and taking notice of the divine exercise and proofs of the love of God wherewith a Christian doth meet as is clear from that word in Rom. 5.4 Experience worketh hope I durst be bold to charge the most part that are indeed in Christ with this that they are too little in remarking and taking notice of the experiences of his love You should mark the place of your experience and much more you should mark the experience it self as is clear from Scripture that the very place where Christians did meet with experience in such an enjoyment of God they marked it Ezech. 1.1 By the rivers of Chebar the heavens were opened and I saw the visions of God And Gen. 32.30 Jacob called the place Peni●l The place of being after seeing of the face of God it was so remarkable unto him And we conceive that you would mark these two things mainly in your practice First you would mark if you can possibly the first day of your closing with Christ and your coming out of Egypt and we may allude unto that command if not more then allude to it in Deut. 16.1 Observe the moneth of Abib and keep the Passeover unto the Lord thy God for in the moneth of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee out of the land of Egypt And secondly we would have you much in marking these experiences which have encreased your faith and which have strengthened your love and which have made you mortifie your idols These are experiences especially to be marked 2. Faith is kept in exercise and we win to the lively assurance of our interest in God which we would press upon you by being

for that end that it might be communicated unto all his members and so out of his fulness we shal receive and grace for grace But secondly the Text holdeth more part●cularly this excellent object of Faith to be t●… Name of his Son That ye believe in the Name 〈◊〉 his Son And here indeed we may be at a stand It is long since Agar did non plus all the wo●… with that question What is his Name and wh●… is his Sons Name if thou canst tell O how little a thing can be known of him And O how brutish is this generation that knoweth so much lesse then might be known of him in such a day of the Gospel But that we may speak a little according to our weak measure of Faith as closing with the Name of Christ His Name is his glorious attributes by which he revealeth so much of himself in the Scriptures as poor mortals can take up We did show you before that there was three of these that were the main pillars 〈◊〉 justifying Faith Faithfulness Omnipotency a●… his infinite Love and Mercy And how from the●… may be answered all the objections of sense o● carnal reason and of misbelief arising from convictions of unworthiness And certain it is tha● faith in all its conflicts maketh much use of th● Names of Christ And there is not an object tha● a poor tempted soul can make but faith can fram● an answer to it out of some of these excelle●… Names of God or of his Son Christ It woul● be a more long-some work than I intend to le● you see this in all But I shall only instance tha● in One glorious Name of God by which he proclaimeth his glory Exod. 34. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for ●…usands forgiving iniquity transgression and 〈◊〉 and that will by no means clear the guilty c. think there are seven ordinary objections which ●ay be answered from that place First it is an ●dinary objection which misbelievers do make ●hat they are under the strength of their corrup●ion that they are black as the Tents of Kedar and not beautiful as the Curtains of Solomon And doth not the first letter of that Name an●ner this that he is a merciful Lord the one im●orting his ability to save and to bring down every high imagination The other importing is infinite delight to help those that have no rength and are under the power of their adver●ries the power of God being of no larger ex●nt then this love There is that second ob●ection of misbelief that we have nothing to com●end us to Christ but all that we have to boast of are infirmities and imperfections and this ●s abundantly answered from that second letter 〈◊〉 his name that he is Gracious which impor●…th the freedom of the dispensations of his love ●hat he walketh not with us according to that ●…le of merit but according to that golden and ex●ellent rule of love It is a great dispute whether Mercy or Grace be the greatest wonder whether ●he love of Christ or the freedom of it be the ●reatest mystery sure both these put together ●ake up a matchless wonder Thirdly misbelief will object that we have forsaken him dayes without number and that we cannot trace b●… our apostacy unto the first day of its rise and not that abundantly answered from that letter 〈◊〉 his Name that he is long-suffering This be●… that glorious attribute in God the glory of wh●… he defireth to magnifie above all his Name Fourthly misbelief doth ordinarily propose this objection that we have multiplied our transgression and have committed whoordome under every gr●… tree and have given gifts to our lovers even ●…ring our idols so that we may take up that 〈◊〉 mentation Is not our sin great and our transgresion infinite And is not this also answered 〈◊〉 that letter of his Name that he is abundant goodness That though sin abound in us y● grace doth much more superabound in him W● confess indeed that there are some that may w●… under that condition that if they had no oth●… exercise throughout eternity but to make confession they might confess and never ma●… any needless repetition And truly in some 〈◊〉 spect it is a mercy that we are mysteries unto 〈◊〉 selves for if we did know compleatly the sev● abominations of our hearts and these mysteri●… actings of the body of death we would be in 〈◊〉 zard to choose strangling and death rather 〈◊〉 life Yet may not one glimpse of that abunda● goodness satisfie us and calm the storm Fift●ty saith misbelief we know that we have brok● our vowes and covenants with God and that 〈◊〉 these things that we have taken on have be●… but as flax before the fire of temptation so t●… ●e have no hope that he will have mercy upon ●hose that have broken wedlock and have not seen stedfast in his covenant But is not that ●undantly answered from that letter of his Name That he is abundant in truth which spea●eth that That though we deny our selves yet he abideth faithful and doth not alter the words that hath gone out of his mouth It is the infini●e blessedness of man that though he be changeable yet they have to do with one that is an unchangeable being Sixthly there is that objection That notwithstanding all these things are matters of encouragement to some yet they know ●ot whether or not the lot of everlasting love hath fallen upon them and whether their names ●e in the ancient records of heaven But this is answered from that letter of his Name He kee●eth mercy for thousands which showeth us that great number of those upon whom the lot of ever●asting love shal fall And if there were no other ●entence in all the Scripture this might be a suf●icient matter of a song and might make us cry ●ut Who is like unto him whose compassions have ●o end And who desires to magnifie his mercy ●…ove all his works And lastly misbelief maketh his objection They have sinned not only against ●ight not only against vows not only after much ●njoyment of God but even after the application 〈◊〉 threatnings so that they conceive that their ●aker will not have mercy upon such Yet this is ●ally answered likewise from that letter of his Name He forgiveth transgression iniquity and sin which three words do abundantly speak forth that there is no transgression which he will no● pardon there being but one particular among●… all that innumerable number of sins which lo●geth in the heart of fallen men that he declared unpardonable and there is none of our disease 〈◊〉 that is above the infinite art of love and concerning which we can take up that complaint There is no balm in Gilead and there is no I hysician there And though providence may muster up many impossibilities yet let Faith take the promise in the one hand and impossibilities in the

them I would say this that there are some who will have ten desires for death when they will not have one for the death of the body of death But it were good for thee who art such to be desiring the death of the body of death then shouldest thou be in a more suteable frame to desire to dye 3. Some will have hearty desires to dye and yet when death cometh they will be as unwilling to dye as any It hath been observed that some who have much desired to dye when death came have cryed out O spare a little that I may recover strength c. There is a great difference between a desire to dye and death it self It is an easy thing to desire to dye but it is a very great business to meet with death and to look it in the face when it cometh We think death ere it come near to us to be but childrens play but when we meet with it it maketh us change our thoughts for it is a great business to dye Quest. 2. Is it lawful for a Christian to desire to live when he is summoned to dye Answ In some cases is it lawful for a Christian to desire to live even when he is summoned to dye which is clear from the practise of David Psal 39.13 where he prayeth that the Lord will spare him a little it is also clear from the practise of good Hezekiah Isai 38.3 when he was commanded to set his house in order for he should dye and not live he cryed forth Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore Or as the word is in the Original he wept with great weeping but to guard this take these two Cautions Caution 1. Thy desires to live when thou art summoned to dye should not be peremptory but with submission to the will of God that if it be his pleasure to remove thee presently out of time thou shouldst be content to dye Caution 2. Thy desires to live should have gracious principles and also a very gracious end as is most clear from David Psalm 39.13 where he saith O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go from hence and be no more his desire to live was that he might have victory over his Idols as if he had said my desire to live is that I may have strength to wrestle with and overcome my idols and without all controversy Hezekiahs desire was a most precious and well-grounded desire However I would say this unto thee that thou shouldest examine thy desires to live as much if not more as thy desires to dye for we are ready to shun death if we could but he is that universal King unto whom all of us must be subject ere long Now in the words that are read unto you there are these six things which may be clearly observed from them First that it is a most true and infallible truth that all persons shal once see death as is clear in these words VVho is he that liveth and shal not see death Secondly that this truth that we shal once see death is not much believed or thought upon by many therefore it is that the Psalmist doubleth the assertion VVho is he that liveth and shal not see death Shal he deliver his soul that is his life from the hand that is from the power of the Grave Thirdly that sometimes a Christian may win to the solid Faith of this truth that once he must dye this the Psalmist wan unto as it is also clear in that word who VVho is he that liveth and shal not see death Fourthly that the certainty of this that once we shal dye should be kept in our mind therefore that note of attention Selah is put to it as if he had said Take heed that there is none living that shal not dye Fifthly that howbeit some persons put the evil day far away as if they were not to see death yet is the day coming when they shall see death and death shal take them by the hand Sixthly we shal take notice of this from the context that the Christian who is much in minding the brevity of his life will believe the certainty of his death The Psalmist was speaking of the shortness of his life in the preceeding verse and in this verse he speaketh of the certainty of death Now as for the first of these things observed viz. That it is certain and most sure that we must all once dye I hope there are none of you here who will deny it although I confess some few of you believe it yet said the woman of Tekoah 2 Sam. 14. VVe must all dye and be like water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again and God doth not accept the person of any And Job 30.13 I know thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living And it is very clear Eccles 8.8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit neither hath he any power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that war neither shal wickedness deliver those that are given to it It is also clear Heb 9.27 It is appointed unto all men once to die So it is most clear that we must dye I remember of one Philip King of Macedonia who had one substitute for this very end to cry at his chamber-door every morning Memento mori memento mori momento mori Remember thou art to dye And it is reported to have been the practise of the Nobles of Greece that in the day wherein their Emperor was crowned that they presented a marble ston● unto him and he was enquired after what fashion he would have his Tomb-stone made Which practise speak this unto us that although these were most destitute of the light of the Scriptures they were very mindful of death Believe me death may surprise us before we be aware for it is most certain that we must dye but there is nothing more uncertain then the way how and the time when we shal dye Death will surprise some as it did Abel in the open field Gen. 4.8 Death will surprise some as it did Eglon in his parlour Judges 3.21 And death will surprise some as it did Saul and Jonathan in the flight 1 Sam. 31. Now in speaking unto this point I shal first speak a little to those advantages which attend those that live within continual fight of death Secondly I shal give you some considerations to press you to prepare for death Thirdly I shal give you some directions to help you to prepare for death And then we shal proceed unto the second point of doctrine which we observed from the Text and shal speak a few things from it unto you and so come to a close for this time First then we conceive

And ye shal then b● confounded because this is your sin Believe me there was never an offer of this everlasting Gospel and of Christ in it made unto you that shal not at death before or after it be brought to your remembrance And O how sad and doleful will it be to you when Christ shal open the Book where your sins are written and begin with the sin of slighting the great Salvation Thus I invited you when you were twelve years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were thirty years old but ye would not come I invited you when you were sixty years old and ye would not come What will ye answer to this Have ye any thing to say Or must ye not stand speechless before your Judge when he shall put home this challenge unto you Therefore think seriously upon it how ye will answer to it 6. Challenge Will be for your sinning oftentimes against light And O how painful and sad a challenge will that be at the day of death when it will be said Thou sinned with a witness in thy bosom that thou wast doing wrong Thy conscience will say Oftentimes I did tell thee this is sinful yet wouldest thou not abstain from it And what will ye answer to this 7. Challenge Oftentimes ye sinned upon very small temptations and what will ye answer to that Must ye not then confess it and say Oh how often have I deserted Christ and embraced my idols upon a small temptation Now I intreat you be thinking what ye will answer to these seven most material challenges which certainly shal be presented to you at death I assure you ye must either answer all your challenges in Christ else ye will not get them well answered Therefore I would exhort you to embrace the Gospel and Christ in it that so let death propose never so many challenges unto you ye may answer them all as David did viz. God hath made with me an everlasting covenant And that will answer all your challenges Though my house be not so with God yet I have the everlasting covenant to ●il● my salvation upon Now to press you to make use of Christ I shal give you these four considerations Consideration 1. If ye embrace not Christ now death will be very unpleasant to you O what else can comfort thee when going through the region of death but this I am Christs I am Christs Is there any other thing can comfort● thee in that day but only this I am Christs and he is mine Consideration 2. If ye embrace not Christ and the great Salvation now it will be an hundred to one if ever ye get time or liberty to do it when ye are going to dye For although many delay their closing with Christ till death yet scarcely one of a hundred getteth favor to grip Christ at death Therefore think on it for you will not get your mind so composed at death as ye imagine nor all things done as ye suppose therefore now embrace the great Salvation Consideration 3. If ye delay your closing with Christ till death seize upon you ye shal never be able to make up that loss For will the dead rise and praise God Or shal any one come from the Land of forgetfulness to take hold upon a crucified Savior Therefore O will ye take him for your Salvation Consideration 4. If ye will take Christ now he shal be your guide when ye are going thorow the valley and shadow of death And O how blessed is the person that can sing that word Psalm 48.14 This is my God he will be my guide even unto death If ye can sing that pleasant song O how may ye be comforted when your eye-strings shal begin to break O how happy is he who can say Though I walk thorow the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill for I know that the Lord is with me Now this is the acceptable day and the year of Salvation therefore do not delay but embrace Christ lest death surprise you ere ye be aware and so the acceptable day be lost But unto these who think they may delay till death I say surely there are many damned Atheists in hell that sometimes did think as ye think I will make all wrongs right when death and I shal meet I hope that three days repentance will satisfy for all my wrongs for I am sure there are many in hell who did never get three days to think upon their former wayes Therefore O come come and embrace Christ presently Now are ye all perswaded of this truth that ye shal once see death Then study a tender walking for believe me there are many of us that shal go thorow death with many bruised bones because of untender walking before God We know it is not the multitude of words can perswade you to embrace Christ for many of you never minded the thing but believe me death will preach these things unto you in a more terrible manner then we can do at this time Therefore I say to each of you O prepare to meet thy God for if death find you in an estranged estate from God I defie the Angels in Heaven to free you out of that estate and the day is coming wherein thou shalt cry out O slighter of the great Salvation that I am I would give ten thousand worlds for one Sermon again that I once he●… wherein Christ was freely offered to me when th● shalt be tormented without hope of remedy therefore while it is to day harden not your heart● for your late wishes shal not be granted when are gone if ye make not haste O therefore has● haste in time and come out from the land of your c●ptivity and from the house of your bondage a● take Christ for your Redeemer the guide of yo● youth and old age Now unto him who can le●… you thorow all these steps betwixt you and Heven be eternal praise Amen FINIS