to demonstration Reason the clearest and most evident that can be viz. because there is such entertainment due to it as nothing else can draw us to but this perswasion that it is the Word of God If we conceive it to be nothing but the word of man this apprehension will never raise the heart to such an estimation of it to such an acceptation of it as belongs to it This will never draw the heart to give it greater credence or greater reverence or obedience then appertaineth to the word of man Now this is infinitely short of that which appertaineth to the Word of God And therefore that we may come up to that that we may give the Word such entertainment as it ought to have we must know for certain that it is the Word of God and this I shall exemplifie in many particulars 1. Ye 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 reverence The Word of God must be received with holy fear This carriage of the heart is due to that which hath so great and so divine an Author as God is we ought to tremble at the Word of God Isa 66.5 To hearken to it not with an ordinary measure but with a very high degree of fear with such a fear as worketh trembling So did the Prophet Habakkuk as you may see Hab. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voyce rottenness was in my bones and I trembled in my self And so the holy Prophet David as he professeth of himself Psal 119.10 My heart trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgements that is of thy word as some understand it I fear and tremble at thy word for that hath frequently the name of the Judgements of God as you may see that place for instance Psal 19.8 Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the people not be afraid it is the Prophets question Amos 3.6 By the City understand the Church of God by the Trumpet the word of God and by the people the hearers of this word So that it is as if the Prophet should have said Shall the word of God be pronounced and the hearers not fear as who should say that were a strange and an incongruous thing indeed So that you see they that will give the word such entertainment as it ought to have must hear it and receive it with extraordinary fear and reverence Now this they will never do unless they know for certain that it is the Word of God If they be doubtful whether it be so or if they look upon it as the word of man they will be apt to disregard it and to give it no respect at all Nothing but this perswasion that it is the Word of the Almighty and the glorious God himself will raise the heart to such an high degree of fear and reverence as belongs to it No other apprehension of it will prevail to this effect but this alone will surely do it as the Apostle Paul insinuates 1 Cor. 14.24 If there come in an unbeleiver or unlearned person he is convinced he is judged the secrets of his heart are manifested by the word saith the Apostle there And what follows So falling down upon his face he will worship God and say that God is in you of a truth when he perceives that God is in you that you speak from God that that which you deliver is the word of God then he will fear and tremble and fall down and worship God 2. We must know for certain that it is word of God that we may give it such entertainment as it ought to have in point of credit and belief For you must know my Brethren that we owe this special and peculiar honor to the word of God beyond the word of any man to give compleat and absolute assent and credit to it Though it be never so unlikely never so much against appearance and above reason yet when the Lord hath spoken it when we have his word for it we ought to make no doubt or question of it Those truths which own him for the Author of them do not admit of any doubtful disquisition but rather call for absolute belief The very thoughts and cogitations must be captivated to faith when it appears that God hath spoken And therefore it is charged home on Israel as a very great offence that they believed not his word Psal 106.24 And on the other side it is observed to the praise of Nineveh that they believed God that is the word of God his Message sent them by the Prophet Jonah Jonah 3.5 And yet it was a most unlikely one VVhat probability that forty days should put a period to all the happiness and lustre of such a flourishing and famous City However they believed it because it was the word of God You see then what our duty is in this respect to hear the word with absolute belief this is the entertainment which we ought to give it Now this it will not find amongst us unless we be perswaded that it is the word of God the word of man can never challenge this from us for men are lyars as the Prophet David speaks they are deceitful on the ballance Though they give us good words yet when we come to prove them and to try them many times they prove too light Those that we think are best to be believed among them may deceive us so that there is no reason in the world why we should take what they deliver upon trust because they deliver it And therefore we are bid to sift the doctrines and to try the spirits because there be that say The Lord hath said when the Lord hath not spoken But when the word appears to be of God this apprehension and perswasion is enough to silence all objections that in appearance may be made against it This alone will raise the heart to entertain it with that absolute belief wherewith it ought to be received while we remember that the God who is the Author of it is the God of Truth yea he is the Truth it self His saying always is a faithful saying 1 Tim. 1.15 because it is the saying of the faithful God and therefore worthy of all acceptation 3. 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 humble resignation and submission to it For this belongeth to the word of God that we quarrel not against it but that we justifie it and submit to it So it is said of Johns hearers Luk. 7.29 30. All the people that heard him justified God yea the very Publicans the worst among them as it is noted there in that place So holy David I esteem all thy Commandements concerning all things to be right Psal 119.128 yea he will have him always to
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
his Priesthood must of necessity be co-extended and so for whomsoever he is a Priest to sacrifice for them also he is a Priest to intercede as he hath offered up himself for them so he hath offered up his prayers for them and will do to the worlds end Use And this to give you but a touch of Application may serve to hearten us exceedingly when we are are putting up our prayers for them who are as yet without the pale who have as yet no faith or grace at all in them It may be they are neer to us Parents Children Husbands Wives and we are often carried out in prayer for them that God would yet shew mercy to them that he would yet prevail upon them and cause them to come in to Jesus Christ That he would break their stubborn lusts and work unfeigned faith in them And while we are breathing out our souls to God in such a way as this is we are surpized with distrustful thoughts that we shall never speed in this request of ours God will never be entreated and so upon a sodain our affections cool our hearts grow dead and flat within us In such a case as this is it may be some encouragement and comfort to consider that Jesus Christ for ought we know hath prayed and may be praying to the Father for the very same person though for the present he believe not yet he may be such an one as shall believe as is appointed to believe in after-times And then he is as you have heard within the compass of our Saviours Intercession so that the prayers that we make for him are seconded by Christ in heaven While we are asking such a child or such a friend of God it may be Christ is asking him or her of God too according to the Covenant of the Father with the Son Ask of me and I will give thee And therefore let us not grow cold or faint in such a suit as this is but let us follow and pursue it to the utmost Let us not cease to pray for such a person let us not cast him out of our prayers whom Jesus Christ hath not cast out of his I pray saith he for such as shall believe and this for ought we know may be one of that number And thus far of the first particular by which our Saviour Christ describeth those for whom he prays viz. the time of their believing They are not such as did believe when Christ put up this supplication for them to the Father but such as should believe in after-times Proceed we to the second thing by which he sets them forth and that is by the Spirit of this faith of theirs they should believe in Jesus Christ Neither pray I for these alone saith Christ here but for them also which shall believe on me He doth not say for them which shall believe on God or for them which shall believe the Word of God but for them which shall believe on me so that the point to be observed is this DOCTRINE That true Believers do pitch their Faith on Jesus Christ and make him the object of it Christ is the object of a true beleiving faith So he is represented in my Text you see The faithful do beleive on him It 's true indeed that faith in general which even Reprobates and Devils have looks with an equal eye on all the Book of God assenteth to the truth of all in gross But justifying faith whith is the faith whereof we speak picks out this special object Jesus Christ which is imbraced and received By him saith the Apostle Paul that is by Christ and none but him all that believe are justified from all those things from which they could not have been justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13.39 The Law will never justifie us but condemn us No we are justified by faith in Christ and him alone who is revealed and manifested to us in the Gospel The Rightousness of God that is the righteousness which makes us righteous the righteousness of man will never do it No it must be the righteousness of God himself This is ours by faith in Christ as the Apostle shews Rom. 3.22 He that believeth in the Son hath life Joh. 3. ult Observe it well he saith not in the Father nor the Holy Ghost though certainly we must believe in both these But Christ is the immediate object of the faith which justifieth or of it as it justifieth He that believeth in the Son hath life the life of holiness and the life of righteousness for both of them are very clearly meant in that place Object But you will say perhaps Is not the Word of God and is not God himself and is not everlasting life the object of our faith how then is Christ as I have said and Christ alone the next and the immediate object of it Sol. To this because it is compounded as it were of divers things I must answer divers ways 1. For the Word of God that is not properly the object of the faith that justifieth but is so called by a figure because it holds forth and exhibits Christ who is indeed the proper object of this justifying faith Or secondly the Word of God although it may in some respects be called the object of faith that justifieth yet not qua justificat not as it justifieth as the School speaks It 's true that justifying faith believeth other things propounded in the Word of God But faith as it justifieth lays hold on Christ and him only not knowing any other thing here but Jesus Christ and him crucified 2. As for the second thing propounded in the Querie True it is that God the Father is the Object of our faith I mean the faith which justifyeth but not the next and the immediate Object of it Christ must be first laid hold upon and God in Christ Such trust have we through Christ in God saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.4 Even Turks and Jews and Arrians boast of faith in God you know amd yet because they apprehend not Jesus Christ they miserably lose their own souls He that denyeth and so by consequence believes not in the Son can never have the Father as you may see 1 John 2.23 He is like a man goes about to grasp a thing that is too big for him a large and smooth round-bodyed Cup it slips away out of his fingers whereas he might have held it by the handle The faith which justifies us my beloved apprehendeth Christ receiveth and layeth hold on him and then as it is added in the fore-alledged Scripture He that hath the Son hath the Father also 3. As for the third particular propounded whether salvation and eternal life be the object of our faith To say the truth salvation and eternal life is not so properly believed as hoped for Nor can it be so fitly called the object as the consequent and end of faith So the Apostle calls it 1 Pet.
fathers own son But you will say wise fathers have very often weak children But Jesus Christ is so his fathers son that he partaketh with him of his wisdom it is poured out into him in abundance And therefore he is sometimes called the wisdom of the father in the abstract as see 1 Cor. 1.24 Iesus Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God And if he be so very wise you may be sure he spake wise words and wise words are worth the marking In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 And out of question what he bringeth forth is of the treasure that is hid in him 2. But in the next place if you look upon him downwards with Relation to the Church you will see further reason why the words that Jesus spake should be so exactly noted and so carefully observed As he is the fathers wisdom so he is made to us wisdom as the Apostle Paul speaks 1 Cor. 1.30 His father hath appointed him to be the great Prophet of of his Church The great preacher the greater revealer of his truth and will to men and therefore out of question he can speak well and his words are worth the marking You may be sure the father would not send out such a Prophet to the Church as were not worth the listening to No no God hath annointed me to preach faith Christ himself Luke 4.18 not appointed me to preach but annointed me to preach endued me with abilities and gifts for that office God who in former times saith the Apostle spake to the fathers by the Prophets hath in these latter dayes spoken to us by the Son He was designed you see to be the spoksman for the father to the world to tell them what his mind is and to preach the Gospel to them We that are ordinary preachers of the Gospel we that are underlings to Christ in this business must be enabled with some competent ability in this respect or else we are not fit for this work And therefore when our Saviour sent out his disciples he promised to give them wisdom and a mouth that is matter and expression Luke 21.15 wisdom within together with a mouth to utter and to bring forth that wisdom To shew that both of these must go together in a preacher of the Gospel I know there is a latitude to be admitted and allowed in this regard but yet a competent ability to speak so as the people may be edified by it is indisputably required And if the under-ministers of Christ must have such a faculty how great ability then must their Master have Who was designed to be the great Preacher the great Prophet and as the Apostle stiles him the chief Bishop of our Souls And if he had such a transcendent faculty to speak then certainly the words he spake are fit to be commended c. Then secondly if you consider as whose the words were so in the next place what the words were you will allow them to be worthy of our choicest observation What the words were that Jesus spake either for the matter of them or for the efficacy of them let us a little weigh them in their order and we shall see they both help to this business 1. The words of Jesus for the matter of them commonly were Gospel words Such were the words to which my text alludes in the three chapters next before full of nothing else my brethren but Gospel-sweetness Gospel-Promises and Gospel-consolation against approaching troubles and afflictions these were the words that Jesus spake Christ in a sense my brethren was the first and certainly the chiefest preacher of the Gospel this great Salvation at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed afterwards by them that heard him Heb. 2.3 And hence the Gospel as you know is called Christs saying John 8.51 The Law was the fathers saying God spake these words The Gospel is the Sons saying This was spoken by the Son And hence saith Christ in the fore-alledged text if a man keep my saying he shall never see Death So that the sayings and the words of Jesus are very fit to be considered For his you see are Gospel-sayings and Gospel sayings are worthy of all acceptation as the Apostle tels you 1 Tim. 1.15 Indeed Law-Sayings are not so readily attended to and entertained You know my brethren on mount Sinai at the giving of the Law there were thunderings and lightnings and terrible voices and the event and issue was the people fled and would not hear they were not able to endure the noise But Gospel-sayings on the other side allure affection and invite attention Upon mount Tabor where our Saviour was transfigured there was a shining Sun a bright cloud a gentle and a pleasing voice and the Disciples said Edificemus Domine Let us build here c. 2. And as the words of Jesus for the matter of them were Gospel-words so for the efficacy of them they were saying words and so in that respect the words that Jesus spake are very fit to be commended c. The words that I speak saith our Saviour to the Jews are spirit and life John 6.63 they are so in their operation and effect they give Spirit and they work life And who would not attend unto and entertain such words as these are His saying if it be received and kept will surely save a man from death yea from eternal death We may depend upon it he binds it with a strong asseveration which he repeats twice for the more Surety Iohn 8.51 Verily verily I say unto you if a man keep my saying he shall never see death Death is not visible the meaning is he shall not be annoyed and hurted by it as you have the like Expression Jer. 5.12 We shall not see sword nor famine And should not such words be commended to the Church and embraced by the Church as save from death and bring eternal life with them The setting down of which upon Record in holy Scripture and leaving them to after-times hath been the life of many souls and will be yet of many more in every age even to the worlds end If you consider in the last place as whose the words were and what the words were that Jesus spake so the manner how he spake them you will see further reason yet why they should be commended c. For this you may depend upon Never man spake like him It is the attestation that is given him John 7.46 Which coming from his enemies the officers that went to take him is of the more validity Never spake man like this man Grace was poured into his lips as the expression is Psalm 45.2 to shew us that the grace there mentioned is a gift of utterance and a faculty of speech whereof the lips are instruments They are the lips that form the words we speak and bring them forth to those that hear them and hence this gift of
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
comparatively mean and much inferior to it and men will do it much more vehemently for a jewel then for a trifle so let us in this case and more particularly and distinctly let us earnestly maintain this excellent Gospel truth both by arguments and sufferings 1. Let us earnestly maintain it by our Arguments and Reasons The more excellent a truth is the more we must appear for it the more extreamly tender we must be of any opposition that is made against it the more we must endeavour to vindicate it and evince it and to convince the gain-sayers It is no wisdom for a man to lay out all his strength and heat on points of small consideration as many men who are as earnest and as hot in petty matters as it is possible for men to be and strive as much about words as the Apostles phrase is as they will about things But when the weighty points of Gospel truths come once in agitation when they are contradicted and opposed as they have been exceedingly of late days then it behoves us to bestir our selves to draw up all the arguments that we are able to call in all the reason that we have to defend and to make good such excellent and pretious things as these are We must contend for such truths for they are worth the striving for with all our might so the Apostle Jude would have us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earnestly contend or struggle for the faith delivered to the Saints Jude 2 1. I think he doth not mean the grace of faith but the doctrine of faith which is the Gospel and therefore it is added presently for there are certain men crept in among you turning the grace of God which is the subject of the Gospel into lasciviousness so that you see my Brethren Gospel truth must be contended for and that with earnestness even to an Agony as once Apollos convinced the dissenting Jews who doubted of that great point of the Gospel whether Jesus was that Christ or no and he did it mightily Act. 18.28 he did it as it were with all his might being fervent in spirit as it is said at the 25. verse so that if any in these latter times have been too earnest and too vehement as some have thought in asserting Gospel truth either in preaching or discourse they may the better be excused 2. Let us earnestly maintain this excelling Gospel truth as by our arguments so by our sufferings if God shall call us thereunto It is an extraordinary honor and establishment to any truth when some are raised up to suffer for it As on the other side it is a shame and a disparagement when the professors of it give it over and relinquish it assoon as times of tryal come Oh let not this dishonour come on the Gospel by our means Let us stick to it even to the loss of goods and liberty and life it self let us seal it with our blood Our Saviour Christ himself you know did not think his blood too dear to ratifie the New Covenant and to establish and confirm the Gospel to seal the truth of Gospel promises Let us not think that our blood is ill bestowed if it may serve in any measure to that end for which Christ shed his And as we must maintain this Gospel truth as an excellent truth both by our arguments and by our sufferings so we must obey it too as an excellent truth And this way we shall honour it exceedingly and hold it forth as excellent to all the world Indeed it is a greater honour and advancement to the Gospel to obey it then to defend it and maintain it We favour those sometimes whom we defend we always honour those whom we obey And this my Brethren is the greatest honour we can do the Gospel to set it up as our rule in our hearts and in our lives For you must know my Brethren that the Gospel as it saves from misery so it requireth duty too And hence we read not only of obedience to the Law but of obedience to the Gospel too 2 Thess 1.8 And do you yield it this obedience Do you live and do you walk by Gospel rules Brethren I make no question all of you expect salvation by the Gospel but do you hearken to the counsel and instruction of the Gospel You expect deliverance by it but do you yield obedience to it I pray stand still a little and consider with your selves and accordingly resolve When you prophane Gods holy day neglect the duties of his worship either in publique or in private blaspheme his name defraud and over-reach your Brethren when you please your selves with actual or contemplative uncleanness when you drink to drunkenness or walk in any other sinful courses be they what they will what doth the Gospel teach you these things I say as the Apostle have you so learned Christ out of the Gospel Doth the pure and holy Gospel of the Lord Jesus give any approbation to such courses and do you think my Brethren that the Gospel will ever save you if it do not guide and rule you that it will ever make you happy if it do not make you holy Now I beseech you my Beloved ponder it and weigh it well and look for no salvation by the Gospel unles you yield obedience to the Gospel For if you do first you dishonour it and secondly you disappoint yout selves 1. First you do exceedingly dishonour it you cast a blemish and a stain upon it you do not walk as becometh the Gospel of Christ but cause it to be evil thought and evil spoken of by wicked men as if Christ saved men that live and walk and persevere in lewdness and prophaness as if he favoured and allowed of such courses as if he fitted and provided heaven for swearers drunkards and unclean persons What kind of Doctrine may they think is that which holds out such beatitude to be expected and enjoyed by such wretches Thus you prejudice the Gospel you cast contempt upon it and take away its excellency in the eyes of wicked men 2. Whiles you expect salvation by the Gospel and do not yield obedience to the Gospel you strangely disappoint your selves and wofully delude your own souls You may be confident of heaven while you persist in such courses but when you come thither you will be ashamed as Job speaks chap. 6.20 Believe it Brethren salvation and instruction will not be divided you must take them both together you cannot have the former without obedience to the latter If you will hear and learn and practice what the Gospel teacheth you shall injoy that which the Gospel offereth If you will be obedient to the Gospel you shall be saved by the Gospel otherwise you cannot As Christ is the Author so the Gospel is the Instrument of life and salvation to them that obey it Assoon those black Infernal Legions that are already damned to everlasting chains and darkness shall be saved
neither do believe nor shall believe Now all the question is which of these three sorts of people our Saviour Christ denoteth by the world in this place There is no colour to conceive that the world should here be taken for believers for such as did then believe when Christ spake these words the very next word that he adds doth evidently cross and dash that That the world may believe that thou hast sent me So then the world in this place apparently importeth unbelievers But whether such as beleived not for the present but should believe in after times Or such as neither did believe nor should believe Whether elected unbelievers or reprobated unbelievers will need a little briefly to be enquired and resolved Some of no small authority conceive that by the world is meant elected unbelievers such as did not then believe but should believe in after times conceive it with a saving and a justifying faith and that the rather for Christs Disciples unity among themselves And hence he prays That they may all be one as thou Father c. that the world may believe that thou sent me But if our Saviour had intended justifying faith in these words in probability he would have said that the world may believe in me They are but poor believers that come no further then barely to assent to this that Jesus Christ is sent of God the Father a reprobate may do this Besides which carries me exceedingly me thinks the world is here apparently opposed to such as did believe and should believe with a justifying faith Our Saviour mentions it as opposite to both these In the first place you know he prays for such as did believe when he made this prayer and then for such as should believe in after times Neither pray I for these only but for them also that shall believe on me that they may all be one c. That the world who neither do believe nor shall believe with a justifying faith may yet by this means be so far convinced as historically to assent to this That thou hast sent me q. d. This is that which I desire that they who shall in after times believe by my Apostles word may by their unity so far convince and work upon the world that never shall believe as that they may be brought to this at least to acknowledge that thou hast sent me For so believing here is nothing else but knowing or acknowledging and therefore in the 23. verse that word is used I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me You see the meaning of the words The point to be observed is this DOCTRINE The unity of Christs Disciples is one especial means to cause the world to have the better thoughts and apprehensions of their Master Though this will not convert the world and bring them to be true believers yet this will very much convince the world and make them look with a better eye on Christ and on the Doctrine of the Gospel when they that teach it and profess it harmoniously agree among themselves And hence is this Petition of our Saviour here that they may all be one c. that so the world although it be an enemy to me yet seeing the consent and love and unity of my Disciples of them that own me and profess me may be even forced to acknowledge and confess that I am sent of God that my Doctrine is of God and that I am not as the world is apt to think a seducer and impostor q.d. If my Disciples be not one among themselves if they be rent asunder by a spirit of division the world will never yield that I came forth from thee who art the God of love and peace That thou hast sent me down to be a Mediator and a Peace-maker to make up all the breaches and the differences between thee and thy people They will look strangely upon me and they will never be perswaded to acknowledge that I am come on such an Errand as this is And therefore I beseech thee Father that I may be entertained under the notion of a Mediator and that I may be looked upon as sent by thee do thou take care that my Disciples be at unity among themselves Now here I shall a little more distinctly shew you that the unity of Christs Disciples in Doctrine and Opinion and in Affection and in Conversation is one especial means to cause the world to have the better thoughts of Christ himself The unity of Christs Disciples in Doctrine and Opinion is one especial means c. If they maintain and hold the same things if they teach the same things they will the sooner gain the approbation and assent of those that are without But if they wrangle and contend this will make them more averse from Jesus Christ from the Gospel And truly no one thing almost hath kept men more aloof from Christ and the Doctrine of Salvation in and by through him then the perpetual hot and endless controversies and Disputes that have been among the Teachers of the Gospel Nay if they be not able to agree among themselves say they that are without even let them all alone we will carry till they do And therefore the Apostles still were very circumspect to manifest agreement and consent among themselves in that which they delivered to the people because they knew of how great consequence it was to further the success efficacy of their Doctrine It is observable that Paul joyns one or two together with himself in his Epistle sometimes Sylvanus sometimes Sylvanus and Timotheus who were not inspired men as it is probably conceived and so could not add a whit to the divine authority of his Epistle But yet he shews how they accorded all together for the better satisfaction of the people So the Apostles and the Elders and the Brethren go joyntly all together in the Resolutions of the Synod at Jerusalem Acts 15.23 that their decrees might find the readier entertainment among those to whom they sent them And though it be a certain and confessed truth that the agreement and consent of teachers neither doth nor can work saving faith in any The word it self my brethren as it is the Object so it is the instrumentall cause of faith yet it may prepare the heart and work it up to better thoughts and apprehensions both of Christ and of the Gospel The unity of Christs Disciples in affection and in conversation is one especial means c. If they live in unity and love and sweet accord together they that are Aliens to religion strangers to Jesus Christ and to his Gospel will think the better of them for their sakes But if they be continually brawling and opposing one another this keeps others off from Christ If he be owned and followed by none but by a company of wrangling quarrelsome contentious people they will
duty you do to him can be accepted 4. You can hope for no pardon of sin 5. Cannot come to God with boldness 124. What meant by the only true God p. 126. viz. the whole Essence of the Godhead 3. Doctr. That the Father Son and Holy Ghost is the only true God p. 128. Reason For he only hath being of himself 2. He is the living God 3. None can do that which he doth 4. He only is Eternal 1. Vse Be stirred up to confirm your faith of this Motives 1. For then the more and better we shall walk with him 2. Serve and obey him p. 130. Direct 1. Give full assent to the Scriptures 2. Know him to be above all other Gods 3. Be resolved not doubtful of this point 4. Pray for faith in this particular p. 133. 2. Vse Obey serve and honour him as the true God p. 134. 3. Vse Let us have no other God but him only p. 135. Serve the Lord and not Idols p. 136. Times p 138. Lusts neither your own nor that of others p. 139. 2. Fear none but him 3. Trust in him alone p. 140. 4. Vse Learn from hence to be at unity among our selves 5. Learn to see our happiness of having chosen him for our God p. 141. 4. Doctr. That Christ is the Apostle or Messenger of God p. 142. Explication 1. Sent from God and from heaven How possible p. 143. 2. Into the world 3. The errand on which he was sent viz. to make peace preach peace 4. Therefore fitly qualified with 1. Authority 2. Ability Fulness of Merit to make peace p. 145. Spirit to preach peace p. 145. 1. Vse Admire the mercy of the sender 2. Of him that would be sent Void of fear and constraint p. 147 2. Be all intreated to receive and entertain him For 1. His errand is your business 2. It 's for your good and advantage 3. The Father expects you should honour his Embassadour and Son 4. He will avenge the refusers of him 5. This Messenger can prevail with God for you p. 149. Direction 1. Receive him so as to hearken to him 2. To believe in him 3. To obey him p. 150. 5. Doct. Whoever wil be glorified with God in heaven must glorifie him first on earth p. 152 Reason It is the everlasting counsel and decree of God Vse 1. Against vain expecters of future glory p. 153. 2. Vse Learn to glorifie God here 1. By a vocal declaration 2. By a real representation in what you 1. are p. 154. 2. do p. 154. Gods glory how to be our aim in all Ver. 4 1. Doctr. That Christ was ordered by his Father in the work he did in this world p. 156. Expl. Christ was so ordered in his works of Satisfaction His obedience Active p. 157. Passive p. 158. Application p. 158. As by the 1. Promulgation of the Word 2. Internal operation of the Spirit p. 159. Reas 1. Christ was the Fathers creature 2. The Fathers servant p. 160. 1. Vse Admire the humble condescension of Christ 2. Learn to be humbled in like manner and to suffer willingly p. 161. 3. Vse Some do the good others the evil which God hath not given them to do p. 162. Danger of neglecting Gods order p. 164. How Christ had finished the work before his Passion p. 165. 2. Doct. Christ did not do his work by halves but went through with it p. 166. Sufferings of Christs body Natural Mystical 1. Vse Who guilty of adding to the works of Christ 2. Let us persevere in our work and finish it Five Motives hereunto p. 169. Ver. 5 What glory Christ prayed for Doct. Christ as Man in some measure partaker of the divine glory 1. By the grace of union 2. By the grace of dispensation from the Father p. 173. 1. Vse Know the advancement of our nature in the Person of Christ 2. Their personal advancement that belong to Christ partly in 1. Fruition 2. Assured expectation 3. This should make us despise the shame of this world 2. So to walk as not to be a shame to Christ p. 174. Ver. 6 How Christ had manifested Gods Name Doct. Christ made an absolute and compleat discovery of his Father to the people 1. By his Personal appearance in the flesh 2. By his Word and Gospel 3. By his Spirit p. 178. 2. Q. Why Christ only makes this discovery R. 1. None but he is able 2. None but he is fit to make this discovery p. 180. 3. Q. Why the discovery he makes is so full and absolute R. 1. As being the faithful Prophet of his Church 2. That the discovery may be effectual 1. Vse The ignorant inexcusable 2. Learn to bless his Name for this discovery 3. Grow up in the knowledge of this Name made known p. 182. 4. Vse Be satisfied with the discovery which Christ hath made search not beyond it Pride Sin Danger vanity thereof p. 184. 5. Vse Walk worthy of this discovery i. e. Despair not under sin or misery p. 185. 2. Doct. Some the Father giveth to Christ out of the world 2. A certain number of them 3. Being once the Lords they are no longer of the world Confirm 1. The actual members of Christ are dead with Christ and of another world as are their kindred and alliance p. 190. 3. Their habitation is spiritual so is their action and traffique 1. Vse Therefore the world storms and rageth at mens being given up to Christ 2. Examin Are we given up to Christ p. 192. Marks 1. They are not conformable to this present world 2. They speak the language of another world p. 193. 3. They dearly affect their Countreymen 3. Vse Think not strange of ill usage in the world p. 194. 4. Vse Regard not the things of this world 5. Follow not a multitude to sin It s safe and honorable to be retired 6. Be not troubled at worldly troubles 3. Doct. All Christs people were first belonging to the Father p. 197. 1. The Father essentially taken 2. All belonged to God 1. By Creation 2. By Election 3. Christs people not so his as not the Fathers 1 Vse Christ will tenderly keep those that are so given him Word of God Inward and Essential p. 202. Outward and Declaratory p. 202. 4. Doct. They whom the Father gives to Christ keep his word p. 203. Christs Word is kept In the memory by retaining In the heart by believing In the affections by loving In the life by obeying with obedience Active Passive Vse Exam. Are we so given up to Christ that we keep his Word p. 205. 2. Vse Direct For helping memory 1. Be intent and fix your mind on the Word 2. Get a good understanding 3. Value the Word 4. Strengthen the memory by meditation repetition conference 5. Set instantly to practice the truth you hear 6. Pray for the Spirit to do his Office 3. Vse of Examination Do we keep Christs word by Faith Some believe none of it 2. Some but part of it
to another So his Disciples p. 383. 1. Vse Exam. 1. Strangers to this world are not conformable thereunto 2. Love those of the other world 3. Have another language 2. Vse No wonder that they are made a gazing stock 3. Vse Live like heavenly Citizens 4. Vse Regard not this world nor vanities thereof p. 386 5. Vse Do not desire or phansie long continuance here 6. Vse Why should we be unwilling to part from hence p. 387. 2 Doct. The Word of God is the ordinary means of Sanctification Explicat 1. The work is begun 1. Preparatively by the Law 2. Really by the Gospel p. 389. 2. So it is carryed on 1. Vse Let Ministers be instant and diligent in preaching 1. Though the fruit of their endeavours be not always manifest 2. Though they want success they must labour still 3. So they shall not want recompence 4. The Elect are thereby brought to heaven 391. 2. Vse Let people be perswaded to hear the Word 3. Vse People thrive not in grace because they wait not on this Ordinance 4. Attend upon the Word 5. Vse That ye may profit by the Word Remove 1. Pride 2. Unbelief 3. Strong Passion 4. Prejudice against the Teacher 5. Labour to digest it 6. Use earnest prayer Ver. 17 Doct. The Word of God especially the Gospel is the Truth 1. The Word of God is all Truth 2. The Gospel is the Truth p. 396. Gospel-Truth the most excellent 1. Christ being the most precious subject thereof 2. The most delightful Subject 2. For the maner of revelation most perspicuous 3 For the confirmation 4. For the operation 1. Works grace 2. Infuseth life p. 398. 1. Vse The whole Word to be believed 2. Vse Let us give it the preferment 1. In our Inquisition 2. In our Acceptation p. 401. 3. Vse The Gospel-truth must be accordingly maintained 1. By our Arguments and Reasons 2. By our sufferings 3. Must be obeyed The disobedient reproved Ver. 18 Doct. The Apostles and Ministers of Christ are sent by him Cant. Not only by him But 1. By the Father and Holy Spirit 2. By the Church p. 407 1. Vse They blamed who take this honour upon themselves 2. Vse Therefore the Pastors power but ministerial 3. They must deliver his message p. 410. for his Ends. p. 410. 4. Vse Let the Church prove those that pretend to the Ministery Whether furnished with competent Ability 1. Of Knowledge 2. Of Utterance 3. Whether furnished with propensity and readiness to use their gift 4. Whether qualified with Sincerity p. 412. 5. Vse Entertain his Ministers 1. With double honour 2. Give them audience 6. Vse Bear with their plainess and sharpness of Reproof p. 413. 2. Doct. Ministers Commission not restrained to any Nation or Countrey Reas 1. His Kingdom to be erected 2. Churches to be planted over all the world p. 416. 1. Vse Ministers justified in their propagating the Church in America Promote it with our Prayers 2. Vse Matter of joy and thanksgiving p. 423. 3. Doct. The resemblance of Christs Mission with that of the Apostles The similitude and dissimilitude of their sending In regard of 1. their Authority and Power 2. In regard of Qualification 3. In relation to the Message 4. To the end for which they were sent p. 426. Ver. 19 1. Doct. Christ did willingly set himself a part to be an Offering and a Sacrifice to the Father Reason There was no power able to overcome him p. 432. 1. Vse As the greater was his love so should be our praise 2. Let us learn as willingly to offer up our selves and all we have p. 433. 2. Doct. Christ did offer himself for our Sanctification Reason His Design being not only to preserve and justifie but to save us too and glorifie himself in us 1. Vse Abuse not this grace 2. Be stirred up to strive after holiness 3. A terror to ungratious wretches 3. Doct. Christs Intercession extended to those that shall believe Vse This should encourage us to pray for the unconverted p. 438. 4. Doct. Christ the object of true believers faith Expl. How the Word 2. God 3. Heaven and Salvation the objects of faith p. 440. 1. Vse Be not satisfied with a general assent unto the Word 1. Endeavour to know Christ aright 2. Believe that Christ is such a one 3. Embrace this truth in the heart 2. Vse Hence appears the imperfection of inherent righteousness 3. The perfection of imputed righteousness and Justification 4. Relie on Christs for salvation p. 442 Ver. 20 Doct. The Gospel the instrumental means of faith Expl. The Law prepareth not worketh faith 1. Vse The sad condition of those that want the Gospel 2. Vse Revelations and new discoveries no ground of faith 3. Let unbelievers duly hear the Gospel p. 445. 2. Doct. It is the will of Christ that his Disciples should be one among themselves and one in God Though distant they are one 1. As having one Spirit 2 One faith 3. One heart and affection God and Christ are one 1. By Hypostatical union 2. By dear affection 3. By unexpressible agreement and consent So the Disciples are one in both 1. By mystical union c. 1. Vse Know the glorious priviledge of Christs Disciples It implying 1. Intimate Communion with God 2. Special interest in him 3. It imports great acquaintance with them both 1. They know God more immediately then others do 2. More distinctly p. 452. 3. That they have more easie and familiar access to him 4. More immediate injoyment of all comforts and content 5. The best safety 2. Vse Admire Gods goodness pleased so highly to advance and honour us 3. Vse Walk worthy of such an honour For 1. This aggravates sin committed in him 2. Makes it specially observed by him 3. To be more severely chastised p. 457. 3. Vse Let true believers use this their interest in all exigencies and strâ—ights 4. Let those without God not molest and hurt believers p. 58. 5. Vse Let true believers be knit to God and Christ in love Direct 1. Pray earnestly for it 2. Increase your knowledge of God 3. Have daily more Communion with him 4. Put away the love of worldly things 5. Frequent the company of those that love God 6. Vse Agree with God and Christ in all respects every way Else you are 1. Irregular 2. Undutiful 3. Agreement among our selves is nothing worth Ver. 21 World what it signifies Doct. Unity of Christs Disciples makes the world have better thoughts of their Master p. 466. Vse Divisions of the Church make Christ the Gospel and Religion to be undervalued and little set by Ver. 22 1. Doct. Christ communicates his glory to true believers 1. His Titles 2. Sitting at the right hand 3. Authority and power 4. His three Offices 5. Gifts p. 473. Ver. 23 Christ in believers and God in him for the union of all Doct. This is the perfection of believers union p. 477. Vse The defective union of worldly men 2. Doct.
not all that is so called page 211 Believers priviledges page 256 379 450 451. 479 480 561 Their sins more hainous page 257 Have many enemies and why page 360 363 458 Object of Believers faith Christ page 439 The Word God Heaven and Salvation page 440 Believers loved as Christ page 478 479 Body of Christ Natural and Mystical page 167 Bodily outward worship not to be neglected page 12 Rules and directions for it page 13 C Certainty of salvation page 80 314 315 Christ the Fathers Son and Wisdom page 5 16 Our great Prophet and Preacher ib. 339 Glorified by the Father page 32 Author of all good to the Church page 34. 72 123 124 To be glorified by us and how page 42 44 One with the Father page 48 Came not to quicken and save all men page 105 Must be known page 119 120 123 Comforts to the sons of God in Christ page 17 22 Comforts to the godly page 17 22 70 253 257 342 452 518 Against injuries of the world page 194 258 352 To the distressed page 290 291 365 524 Our Conscience and Faith not subject to men page 65 Conference page 206 Sons by Creation page 15 19 By Creation all the world is the Fathers page 98 199 Knowledge of our Creation page 119 Christ the Fathers Creature page 160 Curiosity condemned page 183 445 Sinfulness thereof page 184 D. DEath not to be prayed for page 366 c. Believers Dead to the world page 190 Comforts against Death page 89 93 387 Desire good things page 49 Dishonourers of Christ page 38 39 c. 262 Disobedient condemned page 59 70 162 164. 404 Despair not of those that are dead in sin page 103 185 255 438 Disorderly walkers page 162 163 Divine glory communicated to Christ page 173 Discovery of the Father See Manifestation Doubtful are unbelievers page 210 212 Disobedience to the word whence it proceeds page 229 Discord the causes thereof page 296 Evils and inconveniencies thereof page 467 E. WHo the Elect page 192 197 Elect cannot perish page 99 312 End of all is Gods glory page 43 154 Eternal God 129. Eternal love of God page 509 Eternal life from Christ page 86 What it is page 87 To be sought after and how page 90 Christs free gift page 90 Unbought unsought untaught page 92 93 How it consists in knowledge and begun therein page 108 Enemies outward and inward page 353 360 363 Evil. How Christ preserveth from all Evil page 371 372 c. Excellency of Christs people above others page 257 Of the Gospel above other Truths page 397 F FAith page 90 120 129 133 See Belief Father God to be apprehended under that notion page 15 21 The Father glorified by Christ page 46 Fears of failing page 88 185 God must be feared page 117 140 Fearful are unbelievers page 211 Father essentially taken page 198 Free love and mercy of God and Christ page 91 92 147 Faithfulness of Christ and his Ministers 244 246. Signs page 247 Christs word to be kept by Faith page 207 208 226 To be heard with Fear page 225 G. GIft of Christ wonderful page 98 516 517 Some given to Christ in special manner page 97 189 Outward fitting Gestures in prayers requisite page 12 13 Gifts of Christ 35. See Qualification page 412 413 Glory of Christ page 32 33 170 472 Gospel the subject of Christs words page 6 8 To be attended 90. 114. The Instrument of life page 109 398 Means to Sanctification page 389 The Truth page 396 God not slack page 30 Glorifieth Christ page 32 Only true God page 126 Godhead of the Trinity page 128 They that have made choice of God happy page 141 They must glorifie God here who will be glorified hereafter page 152 Vain expecters of future Glory page 153 How God is to be glorified here page 154 The Glory that Christ prayed for page 170 171 Christ Glorified in those that are his page 261 472 H. HAters of Christ page 512 513 Hearers how they may profit by the Word page 395 396 Hearing necessary page 392 445 Heathen people in dangerous state page 121 251 534 Heavenly conversation alliance kindred 190 191. Marks thereof page 385 Honour of God to be aimed at page 49 50 154 Honour from honouring Christ page 44 Hour of God page 28 29 30 Hope of Heaven page 174 Hinderances to obedience page 223 We must be Humble as Christ was page 162 Humiliation of Christ page 161 Hypocritical gestures in prayer page 13 Humility commended page 542 543 Holiness of God page 280 Knowledge thereof very profitable page 281 282 Holiness to be laboured for page 435 I. IDols not to be served 136. Causes of Ignorance page 531 533 Ignorance an impediment to life page 109 Ignorant persons sad condition 113 444 inexcusable page 182 533 534 For the Instruction of others page 115 122 Incarnation of Christ page 178 Impatient are unbelievers page 209 210 Intercession of Christ page 250 252 253 267 340 352 438 Judging and censuring others unlawful page 65. 248 Judgements sent not so much for the destruction of enemies as preservation of friends page 77 How to Judge of true Ministers page 248 249 411 412 Imperfections of the Saints page 296 374 441 541 Joy Christ the Author and Original page 338 None to those that are out of Christ page 341 Means and matter of Joy page 343 348 Marks of spiritual Joy page 350 False Joy page 351 Justification page 442 Justice commended page 526 Justice and righteousness of God page 519 520 to be meditated page 528 A comfort to the righteous page 523 524 K. CHrist Keepeth those that are given him page 201 Word of Christ how Kept in the memory heart page 204 Power of God Keepeth those that belong to Christ page 285 How they are Kept and why page 286 287 312 313 Knowledge to be laboured for page 90 108 109 to 114 The beginning of eternal life page 108 109 Knowledge of God and Christ too necessary page 116 536 537 Knowledge of the Father without the knowledge of Christ is but vain and insufficient page 117 118 The most perfect Knowledge here imperfect page 541 543 L. LAnguage suitable for Christians page 193 385 Law none free from it page 60 Believers under the binding power of the Law page 61 62 How given to the righteous page 63 Law-giver none but Christ page 64 Life from Christ page 82 Life of Sanctification and Justication page 83 Christ our Lord by Creation Redemption Covenant page 19 Life not be valued 89 93 a mercy page 367 Come to Christ for Life page 93 Love towards God how to get and increase it page 460 461 552 553 Love of God and Christ to be admired 20. See Admire Love unto the Word 213. Marks thereof page 214 216 Loveliness of Christ page 515 516 Lusts of our own or others not to be obeyed page 139 Where Love is there is Christ page 558 559 Misery of those that have no
sometimes called a lye in Scripture as Ier. 10.11 his molten image is falshood or a lye because it hath not that divinity which it pretendeth to which it is supposed to have by those that worship and adore it And because it doth not yield that succour which it seems to promise You know what God affirmeth of the Idols of the Jews that they are no gods Ier. 5.7 My people have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no gods An oath is taken there by a Synecdoche for all the parts of holy worship as it is often in the holy Scripture so that the sense and meaning is q. d. My people have forsaken me the true God and worshipped them that are no gods So that the point is plain you see our God is the true God and the only true God Now the Scripture proves it further yet by Reason and Uses and Arguments in this present case it will not be unprofitable if I hint them briefly to you It appears that our God is the only true God because he and he only Reason 1 hath his being of himself He was before all things when there was nothing in the world besides him and consequently could not have his being of another Before the mountains were brought forth before the earth or world was made from everlasting to everlasting he is God Psal 90.2 he is the Lord the first and the last Isa 41.1 whereas the heathen gods are new and have their being of another and so indeed are no gods You know how David reasons They are not gods saith he and why so they are the works of mens hands Psalm 115.4 And Hosea to the same purpose Hos 8.6 The workman made it therefore it is not God Indeed it is so far from being God that it is scarce a creature it is nothing in the world Or if it be a creature it is of their own making The workman made it therefore it is not God It appears that our God is the only true God because he only is the Reason 2 living God It is the Prophets argument Ier. 10.10 The Lord is the true God But how doth this appear Why he is the living God as it is added in the next words Other gods are dead gods they have tongues and cannot speak they have feet but cannot walk And hence is the Apostles Exhortation to turn from such dead vanities as these unto the living God Reason 3 It appears that our God is the only true God as by his being and his life so by his operations and effects As it appears by what he is so it appears by what he doth Among the gods there is none like thee saith David Psalm 86.8 how doth he prove this neither are there any works like thy works And therefore the true God upbraids the heathen gods in this respect Isa 41.24 Behold you are of nothing and your work of nothing that is you are not able to do any thing you can do neither good nor evil as it is said in that place Not to speak of the creation of the heaven and the earth which is attributed to God in opposition to all other gods What can the gods of heathen or of professed Christians who make their honour or their wealth their gods what can they do to save a man in the time of his distress Riches deliver not in the day of death So that as the Prophet saith to the Idolaters of his time Isa 45.20 Ye pray unto a God that cannot save So we may say to these Idolaters of our times ye trust in gods that cannot save no this is proper to the true God There is no God besides me saith the Lord a just God and a Saviour and therefore addeth presently Look unto me and be you saved for I am God and there is none else Reason 4 It appears that our God is the only true God by the duration of his being as he is the first so he is the last Isa 41.4 he holds out when all fail For other gods they perish Ier. 10.11 Idols perish riches perish honours friends all perish but God endures to all eternity As he is from everlasting so he is to everlasting Psal 90.2 All other things are subject to decay and dissolution but he abides for evermore They do all perish saith the Psalmist Psalm 102.26 but thou shalt endure for ever They all wax old c. but thou art the same c. Use 1 Now is it so that our God is the true God Then let this serve in the first place to quicken us and stir us up to strengthen and confirm our faith in this particular and to endeavour to believe more fully and distinctly that our God is God indeed and verily the best among us have need of confirmation here for we are very apt to waver and to have doubtful thoughts about it And they that are most free from these have yet defects and imperfections in their faith of this as well as other parts of truth They have not yet attained to such a pitch but they must be adding to it and endeavour to get on to further measures and degrees And therefore let it be our labour and endeavour to encrease our faith in this particular and to grow up by full assurance of this fundamental truth that our God is the true God And to this I shall perswade and stir you up with some motives The more undoubtedly and firmly we believe that our God is the true God the more we will look to him the more we will walk with him and consequently we will converse the less among the creatures For hence it is because we have some doubts and haesitations in our faith of this particular that we have so great an eye upon the creature in our wayes that we approve our selves to men and seek the approbation and applause of men that we are afraid of men afraid of Creatures but are not afraid of God Whence is it my beloved but because we are not absolutely satisfied at all times that our God is indeed the true God but have thoughts arising in us or cast into us tending at least towards some scruple in this business and have not alwayes arguments at hand to put the matter out of all question and to suppress such thoughts as these as soon as they begin to stir in us Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man that shall be made as grass And forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath stretched out the Heavens and laid the foundations of the earth Esa 51.12 13. By which the Prophet intimates that we should never be transported so with sinful fears of men and creatures as we are but that the great Creator is set by either he is not in our thoughts or which is worse he is not in our faith And when we come to this my Brethren to have some scruples in our selves whether there
leave the business as it were in medio in suspence they pass to other thoughts and do not fully satisfie themselves in this particular whereas a man should never rest while there is any cloud upon his faith any scruple in his conscience Ah my Beloved will you be slight in such a matter as this is of such infinite concernment whether the God which you have chosen be the right or no How can you but be slight accordingly in all the duties of his service And therefore do not give it over till you be resolved Think with your selves I must determine either on or off either one way or the other And if you be necessitated to resolve our God will carry it from all the rest They that have taken other gods have taken them upon trust they have received them from the custom of the places in which they have been born and bred And most that worship our God take him but in such a way as this is But if you sift the business well you will find cause to stick to him whom you have chosen The more you prove him and examine him the better you will like him And therefore I beseech you do not halt in this business but come to some determination and decision Do as Elijah counsels Israel Be no longer unresolved If Baal be God then follow him but if the Lord be God then follow him Rest not in opinion here but sift it to the full Bring your selves to this disjunction If any other god be true why then there is no other way but I must worship him and serve him But if our God be the right then I must stick close to him If you be at this hand that you will absolutely satisfie your selves before you leave before you give the business over as this you are bound to do you will not leave it any longer in suspence nor suffer any doubtfull thoughts within you unexamined for then they will return again on all occasions you will find that this will strengthen faith exceedingly in this particular Our God will certainly be gainer and have very great advantage by coming on the test with any other Fourthly and lastly set all the Grace and all the strength you have on work in prayer that God himself would satisfie you fully and confirm your faith in this particular That he would leave no doubt within you concerning such a principle as this is which is the very Basis of Religion the foundation that supports the Fabrick of it and beareth up the weight of all the building A man will never come to God by faith or by repentance or obedience unless he first believe that God is Heb. 11.6 And therefore struggle with the Lord about it if faith begin to waver or to fail in any measure say as the Disciples did O Lord encrease our faith Lord strengthen us Lord do not suffer us to shake in this fundamental truth for this doth shake all with it A man may get a common an acquired faith by arguments and reasons and the like it may be brought into a man by custom but that will never satisfie a man compleatly constantly unless he have infused faith and that is the immediate gift of God himself If he will shew himself to any man then he shall see and know and be assured that he is the true God But if he will hide himself he can but only grope after him Use 2 Is it so that our God is the true God and are you satisfied of this do you know him to be so then serve and glorifie him as the true God Let him have that worship and that honour and obedience which the soveraignty of a God calls for If he be not the true God then take your liberty and walk according to your own lusts and according to your own pleasures abridge your selves of nothing to which the byass of your nature carries you take no pains in holy duties hear no more pray no more But if he be indeed the true God and you dare not to deny it then live and walk as if you did believe him to be so Stifle not these principles which you cannot contradict nor lay aside Take heed of doing as the Gentiles did Rom. 1.19 c. they liked not to retain God in their knowledge they had him there but they liked not to retain him because he was a trouble to them fain they would put him out again The apprehension of a God called upon them for some duty and was a curb and a restraint from some evils And therefore they were weary of such thoughts as these and sought to chase them from their meditations To say truth they did not like them and therefore would be rid of them They knew God that they were not able to avoid but yet they glorified him not as God And truly this is just the case of many Christians They do not serve they do not glorifie and worship God according to their knowledge of him They walk not answerably to their principles and to their light in this particular They yield him to be God and yet they do not trust in him they do not live to him they do not love they do not fear him and the like They live without God in the world and they do just as they would do if there were no God at all Now I beseech you my Beloved do but consider the extream danger of such a course as this is It is the ready way to be delivered up to strong delusions and to vile affections as you may see those Gentiles were in the very same case Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God therefore God gave them up to strong delusions in their intellectuall parts that they were vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened to vile affections in their sensual part that they committed all uncleanness and burned in their filthy lusts their hearts were like an Oven heated by the Baker they were set on fire of hell And hath it not been thus with many men in our daies they know God in a speculative and discoursive way at least they were convinced that he was the true God but they lived not according to their principles in this respect they abated of their strictness and devotion neglected duties which they had been wont exactly to perform forsook the Ordinances and the Worship of the Lord despised the Word of God glorified him not as God took carnal liberty against their knowledge and against their conscience And now how vain are they become in their imaginations how foolish in their fancies and opinions and conceits How hath God sent on many of them strong delusions to believe lyes that they might all be damned that believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness They knew the truth but they had pleasure in unrighteousness They took delight in some unrighteous way or other some secret way of wickedness or
could not be the least addition to him any way The meaning is that he had manifested and declared him to be glorious that he had shewed him in his glory to the world And this is that which he expresses clearly in the following verse saith he I have made known thy name to the men which thou hast given me And this he tels him he had done on earth It was done in heaven before the glory of the Lord was fully and immediately manifested there And now saith Christ it is done in earth too I have glorified thee on earth And hereupon he looks his Father should glorifie him with himself in heaven as it is added in the following words So that the point to be observed is this DOCTRINE Who ever will be glorified with God in heaven must glorifie him first on Earth Our Saviour Christ himself you see can have it on no other terms And therefore he desires it only upon this account saith he to God the Father I have glorified thee on Earth and now O Father glorifie me with thy self in heaven According to his first desire in his beginning of his prayer Father glorifie thy Son q. d. I should not look for any glory from thee unless I had brought glory to thee I should be far from any expectation that thou shouldst glorifie me with thy self in heaven unless I were assured in my self that I had glorified thee here upon the earth But seeing I have done the former I pray thee Father do the latter since I have glorified thee let me be glorified by thee And as it was with Christ the Head so it must be in some degree with all the Members No glory to be had in heaven till they have glorified God on earth It s true they merit not the glory they receive from God by that which they bring to God as Christ did but yet the one is not to be attained without the other They that bring God no glory in the present world shall have no glory from him in the world to come The Lord indeed will render glory to every man that worketh good and so glorifieth him as the Apostle shews Rom. 2.10 But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness and so dishonour God in their lives and conversations he will render nothing else but shame and ignominy and confusion They shall be raised to everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 and be made spectacles of shame to men and Angels Reas 1 And the ground is evident because so is the everlasting Counsel and Decree of God which is not to be altered or reversed Those whom he chuses for himself whom he predestinateth to be glorified with him in the world to come those he predestinateth also to bring glory to him in this present world As he predestinateth such to the inheritance above who is abundantly and out of measure glorious so he predestinates them also that they should be to the praise of his glory as the Apostle shews you Eph. 1.11 12. That he may manifest the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory so that you see as he prepares them unto glory as he appoints them to be glorified themselves so he prepares them and appoints them to bring glory to himself Rom. 9.23 To shew forth the praises of him that hath called them to his Kingdom and glory 1 Pet. 2.9 Thy people shall be all righteous saith the Lord of his Church Isa 60.21 The branch of my planting the work of my hands that I may be glorified Not only that they may be glorified but that I may be glorified too And if this be the purpose and decree of God will he not see it executed and fulfilled in all respects as well with reference to his glory as with reference to theirs shall his Counsel be accomplished in the one and not in the other do you imagine that the Lord will be put off in such a fashion that he will be disappointed of his end and of his purpose in such a business as this is No no assuredly if he predestinate men that they may be to the praise of his glory as well as that they may be glorified by him to his praise and to his glory they shall be And if they be not so at all it is apparent they are not predestinated by him and consequently they shall have no glory from him Now is it so my Brethren that whoever will be glorified with God Vse 1 in heaven must glorifie him first on earth This then may serve to shew the vanity of their conceit and apprehension who look for glory in the world to come and yet they bring the Lord no glory here It is the miserable folly and delusion of the greater part of men there is not one of us almost but thinks that God will glorifie him with himself hereafter He is an extraordinary man that doth not feed himself with this fancy And yet those very persons many of them who are strong in this opinion take no care to honour God in any of their ways nor to bring him any glory why my beloved how can you think now to be glorified with him Jesus Christ his own Son the darling of his own bosom could not have glory with him upon these terms He did not once so much as look for it Had he not glorified his Father here in this world he would not have expected that he should have glorified him with himself in heaven ye see he seeks it and desires it only upon this account And what now do you think to speed better with the Father then Jesus Christ his own Son do you imagine that you shall have glory from him though you bring no glory to him when Christ himself did not could not obtain it upon such terms as these are do you look in this regard to be preferred before Christ to have the better of God himself Ah my beloved do not gull your souls with this delusion I beseech you think upon it you who by your lewd and vitious conversations dishonour God continually you who lie in wickedness and wallow in uncleanness whose lives are full of nothing but prophaneness who are conscious to your selves that God hath not a whit of glory brought him by you unless ungodliness and sin will do it To whom a man may truly say as the Apostle doth to some Rom. 2.24 The name of God is blasphemed by your means do you expect that God should glorifie you with himself in heaven when you have done nothing else but dishonoured him on earth believe it he will be so far from this that seeing he hath not been glorified by you he will be glorified upon you He made you for his glory and glory he will have either one way or another he will not lose a farthing by you And if he be not glorified by your holy conversation he will be glorified in
and revealed of himself as thinking them too narrow and too mean a purchase for us and so presumptuously go on to search and dive and pry into his reserved secrets which he hath locked and sealed up we go beyond our own and enter upon his possession And this is that which the Apostle notes in these seducers they entred and intruded into those things which they had not seen for which they had no revelation from the Lord no demonstration from the Scriptures they were not things allowed for them to know and so their medling with them was intrusion And as it is a sinful thing so it is a dangerous thing to labour to know more of God then he hath manifested to us It is a matter of extream hazard The people of the Jews you know had certain bounds and limits set them at the promulgation of the Law beyond which none of them might dare to step no not a foot to gaze or pry Exod. 19.21 Their ground was measured out and so was Gods so much he allowed to them and so much he reserved to himself as long as they contained themselves within their compass they were safe But if out of a curious disposition any man adventured into Gods precincts there was no other way but death So God hath set us bounds and limits in our knowledge of himself so much he allows to us and so much he reserveth to himself So long as we contain our selves within the bounds of things revealed we are safe for they are ours as Moses tells us But if out of a vain desire to gaze and pry we enter upon secret things we have intruded upon Gods peculiar and we may justly fear his stroke Consider it is a fruitless thing to labour to know more of God then he hath manifested to us for more of him cannot be known And to seek to know more is the direct and ready way to lose that which we know already to press too near to gaze upon him is to have our eyes darkened till at last we see nothing Excellens visibile destruit sensum He dwelleth in light that no man can approach unto and therefore the Apostle Paul exhorting us to labor for the knowledge of the Lord and of his will advises us withall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be wise above that which is meet Rom. 12.3 Adam had a mind to know as much of God as God himself and by this means he came to know nothing And truly it is just with God to suffer such to err and wander in their vain imaginations who would be so overwise till they become meer fools as the Apostle Paul speaks Rom. 1.22 Is it so that Jesus Christ hath made an absolute c. then let us live Vse 5 and walk like men that have this rich discovery made to us Like men that know the Fathers Name All people will walk every one in the Name of his God saith the Prophet Micah Mic. 4.5 And why should not we add as he and we will walk in the Name of our God for ever and ever I shall perswade you to it especially in two Cases in times of sinful and of poenal misery 1. First when we are under sinful misery by reason of the guilt and power of our transgressions let us walk like men that have the Fathers Name made known to us We are apt in such a case sometimes to cast away all hopes of pardon and forgiveness to think that mercy is too narrow for us to say to God as Peter to our Saviour Depart from us for we are sinful men Why my Beloved do you know the Fathers Name the Name which he himself proclaimed to Moses Exod. 34.6 The Lord the Lord God patient and long-suffering merciful and gratious and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin All sorts all kinds and all degrees of sin And can you doubt whether there be enough of mercy in him to cure your sinful misery What do you want or what can you desire that is not to be found in his Name Are your sins many for the number of them and great for the measure of them The mercies of the Lord are more and greater he is abundant in goodness and truth Are they of divers sorts and divers kinds He forgiveth iniquity transgression and sin Have they been long continued and held out against God He is gratious and long-suffering Somewhat there is in Gods Name to answer all objections of the humble soul and to keep it from despair when iniquities do look most horrid and most black upon it 2. So in the second place when we are under poenal misery let us walk like men that have the Fathers Name made known to us What ever our distresses be either personal or National let us not give all for lost as most are very apt to do Oh we shall never be delivèred There is no other way but we must sink in this affliction Why my Beloved do you know the Name of God do you know his power and mercy How is it then that you have so little faith That you depend no more upon him mark what the Prophet David saith Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee And therefore while you are so diffident and faithless it is too apparent that you are not so well acquainted with the Fathers Name as you might and ought to be Now I beseech you my Beloved take in the discoveries that Christ hath made of this Name And when you are in any misery in any sinful in any poenal misery hide your selves in the Name of the Lord your God JOHN 17.6 Unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world AND thus far of our Saviours action in reference to his Apostles and Disciples of which he minds his Father here I have manifested thy Name Proceed we now to his description of the persons to whom he had made known his Fathers Name The men which thou gavest me out of the world The Father gives men to his Son Christ either for outward administration or else for inward union and incorporation Either to be his servants or to be his members Our Saviour clearly speaks of those that were bestowed on him in the latter way to be united to him as living members of his body And this is very evident because he saith that they were given him out of the world They that were bestowed upon him only for outward ministration as Judas was Or only in regard of outward profession as many others were were given him So that they were of the world still They were a part of the unbelieving world and of the wicked world the world that lies in wickedness notwithstanding this donation But as for them who did in deed and truth believe in him and were by faith incorporated into Jesus Christ they were the men that were given him out of the world That is they
having heard the Word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience That is the Word is fruitful in them notwithstanding persecutions and afflictions So was it in the Thessalonians as the Apostle testifies of them 1 Epist 2.13 When ye received the Word of God said he ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually also worketh in you And what was this effectual operation Constancy in sharp sufferings as you may see in the next verse And yet they would not let it go though they suffered much for it That of the Prophet David is remarkable Psal 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word He had rather have them against him then have the Word of God against him They threatned him if he obeyed and kept the Word The Word on the other side that threatned him if he renounced and disobeyed it Whom did he fear most why saith the Psalmist My heart standeth in awe of thy Word Though they be Princes very great men and though they threaten me and persecute me too yet I fear the Word of God more then I fear them I dare not disobey it how much soever I displease them how much soever I may suffer from them This is to keep the Word by obedience passive for it Thus much shall serve for the Explication of the point Now is it so that they whom the Father gives to Jesus Vse do keep his Word Here is a touch-stone then my Brethen by which you may try your selves whether you be given up to Christ or no. I have shewed you heretofore of how great Consequence it is for every one of us to be among the number of the men whom God makes over to his Son Christ Indeed so great that all our happiness both in the present life and that to come consists in it If God the Father bestow us not on Jesus Christ it had been infinitely better for us that we had never been born that he had never made us For we continue in the power and the possession of the Prince of this world his we are and with him must remain for ever Now my Beloved would you know whether you be yet made over to the Son of God or no Examine diligently whether you have kept the Word of God Thine they were saith Christ to God the Father and thou gavest them to me and they have kept thy Word And is it so with you my Brethren Consider it a little and proceed in the discovery according to the branches laid before in Explication of the point Have you kept it in your memories Abundance of you have read and heard much of the Word of God These many years it hath been preached to you you have had precept upon precept and line upon line here a little and there a little you have not been overlaid and dulled ouâ— with long Sermons but you had a little and a little A little on a Sabbath day and a little on a Lecture day Your lessons have been short that you might the better learn them But what have you retained of all this Indeed some of you have laid up these sayings in your hearts as Mary did you have them sure and safe there You have them ready and at hand to bring them forth on all occasions for the Direction and the Consolation of your selves and of your Brethren But for the greater number they have lost all nothing at all sticks by them The Word of God hath come to them as the Apostle says and they have let it go again I must acknowledge there is difference in the memories of men and some are subject to a natural defect so that they fail them strangely in their own affairs which are of most concernment to them But when the memories of men are sure and faithful to them in all other things but hold the Word of God no better then a Sive holds water that lets every drop go this is a very sad case It is a shrewd presumption that they are none of Christs Disciples But you will say How shall we amend this how shall we do that we may keep the Word of God in this respect I will give you two or three Directions 1. Keep your minds close to it let them not rove and wander while you hear it if they do you lose all This is the Apostles counsel to give earnest heed to be intent upon the things we hear to watch the words as they come forth out of the Preachers mouths Heb 2.1 and why so least at any time we let them slip If we would remember well there must not be the least diversion 2. Get a good understanding in the Word of God The observation of the Holy Ghost is notable for this purpose Luk 2.19 They understood not the sayings which he spake unto them But Mary kept all these sayings in her heart They kept them not because they did not understand them that which is not understood will very hardly be remembred They are our understanding hearers that carry all away while ignorant and sottish people keep nothing 3. Value the Word of God more and you shall find you will remember it the better See the necessity the excellency of it and then you will be careful how you lose it Esteem it as the Prophet David did above gold yea above fine gold He whose memory is weakest seldom forgets where he hath laid his gold 4. Strengthen memory by meditation repetition conference of what you hear If it be hard to take in holy Truths chafe them in rub them in and settle them by this means Let them be as a nail well fastned as the expression of the Wiseman is and set home with many strokes that they may not out again 5. Set instantly upon the practice of the truth delivered to you assoon as you hear it act it That which you do you will remember Mark that of the Apostle James 1.25 Not being a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word The doer then is no forgetful hearer Many men remember nothing because indeed they do nothing 6. When holy truths are gone with you when they are slipt away entreat the Holy Spirit to recal them Mind him humbly of his Office and of the end for which your Saviour sent him down into this lower world to bring things to remembrance which have been taught you Joh. 14.26 JOHN 17.6 And they have kept thy Word TO pass on to the Second branch of this discovery Have you kept the Word of God in your Hearts by believing This is a degree higher and reaches further then the other Many keep it in their memories who do not keep it in their hearts Many remember it who do not believe it And yet unless we do both we can have no assurance that we belong to Jesus Christ by the donation of the Father And is it so with you
hearts must be carryed out in dear affection to it If this be wanting all the rest is worth nothing You may perish notwithstanding as pesons that are out of Christ and be damned in hell for ever unless you come to love the Word of God as you may see in that remarkable Example 2 Thes 2.10 They received not the love of the Truth saith the Apostle there and what follows that they might be saved No salvation unless the Word the Truth of God be kept in the affections by the loving it And therefore it is added presently for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they might all be damned Oh then as you desire to have this sweet assurance in your souls that you belong to Jesus Christ and that you shall be saved by him examine whether you have kept the Word of God in this respect or no whether you have it dear in your affections And that you may the better try your selves in this regard I shall give you some discoveries If you love the Word of God you will desire on all occasions to converse with it Desire of union and communion is alwaies an effect and evidence of true affection You shall observe it in the Prophet David who was unparalleled in this respect for infinite affection to the Word of God It is a wonder to consider how his heart was set upon it And hence it was that when he was kept off from the enjoyment of the Word he had such vehement and enflamed desires to be partaker of it He panted and he gasped after it even as the Hart panteth after the water-brooks Oh when shall I appear before God Psal 42.2 when shall I be partaker of his Word and of his Ordinances once again when will it once be So in another place My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord where Ordinances were dispensed My heart and my flesh cryes out for the living God Psal 84.2 So that he envies the very Sparrows and the Swallows who were freer then himself to be near that place Yea his longing was so great that he was even heart-broken with it Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath to thy judgements at all times And have you such affections and such anhelations in you Let us examine it a little in these two particulars 1. Do you hear the Word of God as often as you may not only now and then when you have nothing else to do and when you have no other business to withdraw you but constantly on all occasions do you attend upon it as your main and chief business do you for the love you bear it neglect and set aside and under-value other things this is the Wisemans admonition Prov. 23.23 Buy the Truth and sell it not Sell it not for a little profit in the field or in the shop but rather buy it and redeem it with your loss of outward things Do you conceive that David of whose high affections you have heard would neglect any opportunity for being made partaker of the Word of God Oh how did he bewail the want of it How would he have struggled for it How eagerly would he have taken it with any outward disadvantage And this is that which Christ commendeth Mary for not for a work of supererogation as doing more then she was bound to do but for a regular account and estimation of the Word setting aside her houshold business that she might be partaker of it Luk. 10.42 Not only they that will not hear the Word of God at all but they that hear it seldom that suffer every worldly business to withdraw them from it will be found not to have loved it and esteemed it as they ought to do How shall we escape saith Paul Heb. 2.3 if we neglect so geeat salvation 2. Do you exercise your selves as in the hearing so in the reading and in the meditation of it Do you converse with the Word of God in private Doth it dwell with you in your houses as the Apostles phrase is Col. 3.16 For this you must know my Brethren that though you should be ordinary hearers of the best Ministry beneath Heaven yet you must not rest in that but you must exercise your selves in reading of the Word of God in private It was the Lords Commandement to the King himself that though he might plead want of leisure more then many others and though he had the ordinary help of the Levites Priests and Prophets more then others as David had both Gad and Nathan yet he must have his Bible still and must be constant in the reading of it as you may see Deut. 47.49 And it was that which cheered and supported Job in his affliction Job 23.12 that he could say uprightly in the presence of the Lord I have esteemed the Word of his mouth more then my necessary and appointed food More duly then he kept his meals he tyed himself to read and meditate in Gods-Word Among the Jews under Antiochus it was made capital for any man to have the Book of God by him And in Queen Maries days you know the danger was not less and then how did they prize a little piece of Holy Writ how did they value a few Chapters of the Bible If a poor a man could get a leaf or two how safely would he keep them in his bosom next his heart as the most pretious things he had How would he wear them out with reading in them God hath dealt more gratiously with us there is now no danger to have a Bible and therefore if we be not constant in the reading and the meditation of it we shew not such affection to it as we ought to do That is the first thing then if you love the Word of God you will desire on all occasions to converse with it both in publique and in private 2. If you love the Word of God you will endeavour to be inwardly acquainted with it we converse with many men with whom we are not intimate And so there are abundance that hear and read the Word of God and yet know little of the meaning of it But if you love it as you ought to do you will not satisfie your selves with this that you read so many Chapters in a day that you attend on every Sermon that is preached unless you find that you do in a measure understand the mind of God and the mind of Jesus Christ in those things If I affect a man exceedingly I shall endeavour what I can to get within him as we use to say not to know his face and to hear his words only but to be inwardly acquainted with his disposition and the purpose of his heart And so if you affect the Word you will strive to get into the bosom of it You will not be contented with a formal superficial knowledge of the letter of it but you will dive into the very bowels of the
in you that will be like to make this blessed resolution frustrated in you and set the edge of your Petitions of your humiliation against this for if you do not this you do nothing Many men have been very well resolved to walk according to the Word in many things but when they come to act their resolutions there is some lust or other that prevails against them and this they do not mortifie and so are able to do nothing Well then my Brethren you have purposes perhaps to keep the Word of God in such and such particulars You are extreamly sensible that you have failed but now it shall be so no more I but there is some lust or other a lust of pride or covetousness or uncleanness which if it be not mortified will blast all strike that and kill that and then you may with comfort hope that you shall approve your selves such as are given up to Christ in that you keep his Word And thus we have at length dispatched the Character of those who are bestowed on Jesus Christ by the donation of the Father they are such as keep his Word that is the Word of God the Father So saith our Saviour here of his Apostles and Disciples they have kept thy Word Now in the following verses he proceeds to shew how they were brought to keep the Word of God and by what means it came to pass that they receive it and believed it and embraced it and obeyed it Why saith our Saviour they did it upon this account because they were perswaded and convinced that it was the very word which I received of my Father to deliver They knew for certain that it was not any thing which I as man devised and invented of my self but it was the very message which my Father put into my mouth and therefore they gave heed to it Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee for I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from thee Now this if you observe it well is both expressed and amplified First it is nakedly expressed Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee Then it is amplyfied in the succeeding verse For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me and they have received them c. And here our Saviour doth these two things First he declares his own fidelity in the delivery of his message from his Father to his people for I have given to them the words which thou gavest me those very words and no others And then he shews the issue and event of this faithfulness of his in his Apostles and Disciples and that especially in two respects First with relation to the message which he brought they have received them saith he that is the words which I delivered to them in thy Name Secondly then with relation to himself the Messenger they have known surely that I came from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me Let us at this time make a little entrance on this discovery of our Saviour as it is nakedly expressed Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee These words as I have hinted formerly my Brethren are annexed to those immediately before which we have even now dispatched to shew the means and way by which our Saviours hearers came to keep the Word which he delivered to them from his Father Why saith our Saviour this was a great inducement to it because they were perswaded that it was of thee that it was thy word indeed and not my own If I had spoken to them in my own Name or brought my own word to them they would never have received it But this was that which made them keep thy word because they knew that it was thine Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me you must conceive it to deliver or declare to my Disciples or as it is explained in the following verse all the words which thou hast given me are of thee So that the point apparently suggested here is plainly thus DOCTRINE They that will give the Word such entertainment as it ought to have must know for certain that it is the word of God Had not our Saviours hearers been convinced of this had they conceived and apprehended that it came from him meerly as he was a man they would never have believed it or embraced it and obeyed it as they did But this was that which made them keep it in the sense that hath been said because they knew that that which Christ delivered to them was the Word of God And to this end it is that Christ is so exactly cautious to perswade his hearers still that the message which he brings them is not of or from himself but from his Father My doctrine is not mine saith he but his that sent me Joh. 7.16 He that speaketh of himself he seeks his own glory but he that seeks his glory that hath sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him And in the following Chapter at the 28. verse As my Father hath taught me so I speak Even as the Father said to me so I speak Joh. 12.50 The words that I speak unto you I speak not of my self Joh. 14.10 And this he beats so much upon to gain the better credit and respect and entertainment to his Message By which he intimates that he could look for no acceptance or regard among them if that which he delivered to them were not Gods Word It is observable in Nicodemus that this was that which made him come to Christ to hear him and be taught by him because he was perswaded that he was a Teacher come from God as his own expression is John 3.2 that he had somewhat to deliver to him from the Lord. Had it not been for this perswasion he had never waited on him And this was that which wrought upon the Thessalonians and brought them to a meet receiving of the Word because they looked upon it as the Word of God himself So the Apostle testifies of them 1 Thes 2.13 when ye received the Word which ye heard of us saith he ye received it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God If you had apprehended it to be the word of man and not of God you would not have regarded it and entertained it as you did But this was that which drew your hearts to such an high account and estimation of it because you were perswaded that it was in truth the Word of God not in appearance only and in the apprehensions and conceits of men but really in deed and truth the Word of God So that the point is plain you see They that will give c. And there is such reason for it as amounts
did otherwife as the Apostle testifies of them to their commendation 1 Thess 2.13 The word which ye heard of us saith the Apostle there ye received it not as the word of men though ye received it of us who are but men yet ye received it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God Is it so that they that will give the word of God such entertainment Vse 2 as it ought to have must know c. You see then what you are to do if you desire to entertain the word aright and to receive it in such a manner as you ought to do you find perhaps much slightness and irreverence and stubbornness and disobedience in your hearts against it you cannot bring your hearts to such a temper in the reading or the hearing of it as you unfeignedly desire to do your thoughts are wandring or your hearts are unbelieving or your lusts are struggling or your corrupt and carnal reason is gainsaying while you are attending on it Something or other there is still that hinders you from a right receiving of it And this is a continual grief and burthen to you Now my Beloved I will shew you how you shall help all this at once You must come to be assured to know for certain that that which is delivered in or from the Scripture is the word of God If you have any secret unbelief of this any doubt in this particular do what you will in all respects besides and labour what you can you will never bring your selves to give the word such entertainment as it ought to have This one defect will hurt you more then all the means that you can use besides will help you And truly Satan knowing well of how great consequence it is endeavours what he can if not to overthrow us utterly at least to weaken us in this assurance And if he can but weaken us in this and make as faint in this assurance that that which is delivered in or from the Scripture is the word of God he knows he doth much work at once He weakens by proportion our Reverence our Assent Submission and Obedience with it And verily my Brethren though it may not be perceived yet this is that which lies at the bottom and is the main original of all that slightness and incredulity and obstinacy and disobedience which many of the pretious Saints of God discover in themselves in relation to the word and know not how to remedy They are not firmly and inviolably setled and confirmed in this perswasion that it is the word of God Their faith is weak in this particular and so accordingly they are weak in all those things which concern the due and right receiving of it For even as if a man believe it not to be the word of God at all he will give it no fear no faith no submission no obedience So on the other side if he believe it weakly and with many hesitations he will accordingly be weak in all these he will be on and of and up and down according to the ebbings and the flowings of his faith And therefore I beseech you my Beloved strive and labour what you can to strengthen and fortifie your selves in this perswasion which is of such concernment to you And certainly the best among us have need of Confirmation here for we are apt sometimes to waver and to have doubtful thoughts about it And they that are most free from these have yet defects and imperfections in their faith of this as well as other parts of holy truth They have not yet attained to such a pitch but they may be adding to it and go on to further measures and degrees And therefore let it be our labour and endeavour to encrease our faith in this particular and to grow up to full assurance of this inviolable principle that That which is delivered in the Scripture is verily the word of God Now that you may know this for certain I shall do two things First I shall lay down such considerations as make it credible And in the next place I shall shew you what you are to do that it may be certain to you As for the first of these my Brethren there are many things that make it very credible that whatsoever is delivered in or from the Srripture is the word of God I shall name a few of them as 1. The evident accomplishment of all the prophesies contained in it I mean of all excepting those the time of whose fulfilling is not come in It hath been Ruled long ago that De futuris contingentibus non datur determinata veritas Man cannot certainly determine of future things that are contingent He cannot do it of himself and by his own fore-sight Now this the Prophets and Apostles did as by the issue and event is manifest and therefore it appears that in their prophesies they were directed by the All-knowing and Omniscient God 2. It is made credible by the harmonious testimony of the Church in every age who have assented to it and acknowledged and received it as that which comprehendeth and containeth the divine and holy Oracles of God himself And however divers Churches have been at very sharp dissentions about divers other things yet herein they have still agreed and none of them have once so much as questioned whether the Scripture be the word of God or no. 3. It is made credible by the almost incredible consent between the Scribes and Pen-men of it who writing in such divers places tongues and seasons must needs unreconcileably have crossed and thwarted one another had they been guided by their own spirits We see how men that write upon the Scripture differ in their Expositions of it and speak directly one against another How more would the Prophets and Apostles then have jarred unless they had been all directed by the same Spirit We know in reason men would far more easily agree in Explicating Principles already made then in composing those Principles and Rules themselves if every man had liberty to frame what Axioms he thought good himself and to set them down for text And therefore certainly the Pen-men of the Scripture were guided all by one viz. the Holy Ghost himself who lead them into one Truth 4. It is made credible by the effectual and mighty working of it on the hearts and souls of men above all other writings whatsoever For however it be carried in a low and easie stile yet it commands us and prevails upon us more then all the eloquence of men and Angels could possibly do were it united all together And herein I appeal to Gods people let them consider with themselves what wonderful effects it hath wrought upon their hearts how it hath pierced in and made a separation between their very joynts and marrow how it hath even told them all that ever they have done how it hath cast them down with unutterable sorrow and then raised
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
and nourish discords and dissentions For these if we will give them entertainment will set our hearts on fire of hell And therefore when our thoughts begin to work apace in any injury or provocation that is offered to us and to tell us strange things that it is not to be born and that it may not be endured let us smother and suppress them let us not give place to them no not for an hour no not for a moment It is observed of Abraham that when the fowls came down upon his sacrifice he drove them away Gen. 15.11 so when such foul and noisome thoughts as these offer to pitch upon our heart let them have no footing there no let us watch them narrowly that we may suddenly chase them away And let us follow the advice of the Apostle Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke to love Let us consider that and think on that which may stir us up to love let our imaginations work and dwell upon such thoughts as these and not those which lead on to Contestation and Dissention As we should chase away the thoughts so we should avoid the persons that make and nourish breaches and divisions It is the Apostles Counsel that we should mark them that cause divisions and offences and avoid them Rom. 16.17 Mark them not to join with them but to decline them and avoid them Brethren you shall observe that there are some of all hands whose work it is to make peace and to compose breaches And there are others on the other side who are as busie as it is possible for men to be to make rents and separations and divisions And it is our unhappiness that these dividers work goes onward faster then the others Indeed it is an easie thing for one to rip faster then two or three can sow Alas how many are there in these wrangling times who are continually medling and who make this their work and business to see how they can set men one against another how they can blow the coals of discord and kindle them into a flame how they can heighten the contention and the animosity that is too high already among those who are in name at least and in profession Christs Disciples Now I beseech you my beloved as the Apostle doth the Romans in the fore-alledged Scripture Mark these men let them be of what side they will if they be of this spirit do you set a mark upon them that you may know them another time and that you decline them and avoid them It is a bitter imprecation of the Apostle Pauls Gal. 2.12 I wish they were cut off that trouble you Truly I wish that they who are the troublers of our Sions peace the main and unwearied sticklers in our Church-divisions who would not have things come to an accord and a friendly composition for ends which they best know I wish they were cut off from all communion with the Saints That all the people of the Lord on all sides would look aloof upon them and avoid them as the pests of this Nation And certainly if all men would avoid them and keep off from them they would have the less work and we should have the less trouble If we would be at nearest unity among our selves we must be furnished with abundance of that wisdom which cometh from above as the Apostle cals it James 3.17 For that is gentle peaceable easie to be be entreated full of mercy and good fruits Contentious persons may applaud their own wits and think themselves extreamly wise and subtil in making good the quarrels which they undertake But what saith the Apostle ver 14. if you have bitter strife and envy in your hearts glory not lye not against the truth This wisdom descendeth not from above And if it come not from above from heaven it cometh from beneath from earth from hell it is earthly sensual devilish What ever mens abilities or parts or reaches are if they be alwayes quarrelling and falling out as many are it is apparent that they want this blessed wisdom To say the truth my brethren it is want of wit that is much of the cause of all this Anger resteth in the bosom of fools and so the wise man tells us that every fool will be medling Prov. 20.3 It is an honor for a man to cease from strife but every fool will be medling It is the property of every fool to do so You have a sort of men my Brethren that will be at the end of every quarrel If there be any difference or strife near them they will be sure to have a finger in the pie they will never sit out Now would you know what kind of men these are They are a company of fools a company of busie medling fools and were it not for such Idiots we might have much more peace then we have at this day If men were ballasted with wisdom they would not be a tempering and a making variance as they do And if indignities and wrongs were offered to them they would easily digest them and possess their souls in patience and therefore let us labour after this wisdom and let us follow the advise and counsel of our Saviour Mar. 9 50. Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another First let us have the salt of wisedom in our selves and then we shall have unity and peace with others If we would be one and if we would have peace the blessing we must be under the commanding and the ruling power of peace the vertue It must sit upon the throne in our hearts as the Apostle Paul exhorts Col. 3.15 Let the peace of God rule in your hearts Brethren when you are any way exasperated or provoked so that your passions rise or swell and are ready to break out into intemperate words or actions when you are hardly able to contain your selves then let the ruling power of peace appear by stilling and composing all again And let this holy disposition be so strong within you that neither pride nor wrath nor malice nor any other lust may be able to controll it There is a story that the Swevians had a Law among them that in a fray where swords were drawn if a woman or a child did cry but peace a great way of they were bound to end the quarrel or else he died that struck the next stroke after peace was named So if your passions be at war within you to use the Apostles phrase if they be up in arms and you do but think of peace or any friend perswade to peace let all be husht and quiet presently and let that passion die let it be crucified that dares to stir when peace is mentioned So let the peace of God rule in our hearts let it triumph in all and over all our provocations that we may bear them all with an unmoved and undisturbed spirit Let us be earnest with the Lord in prayer that he would make
notwithstanding both these 1 Pet. 1.5 And thus you see the point is clear that Jesus Christ doth keep them safe who are bestowed upon him by his Father in the sense before exprest Not safe from sinning and from suffering but safe from losing whatever their afflictions whatever their trangressions be Those whom thou gavest me I kept saith he and none of them is lost Object But you will interrupt me with our Saviours own exception in the very next words but the Son of perdition none of them is lost but the Son of perdition so that one of them was lost who was bestowed upon him by the Father Sol. To this some answer that the particle But is not exceptive but adversitative and so doth not at all imply that Iudas was bestowed upon our Saviour by the Father Those whom thou gavest me I kept and none of them no not one of them is lost But as for Judas he indeed is gone being none of that number He is not given to me by election but is indeed the Son of perdition But if it be allowed to be exceptive and so that Judas was in some respect bestowed upon our Saviour by the Father it will not follow that he was so bestowed upon him as the rest were Indeed the Father gave him Judas for outward Ministration as the rest of the Apostles but not for inward union and incorporation as the rest He gave him Judas for a Servant as the rest not for a member as the rest he was not bestowed upon our Saviour by election as the rest for he was a reprobate and therefore called the Son of perdition But why then doth Christ except him Because he was in some respect bestowed upon him as the rest and for ought appeared then in all respects And therefore though our Saviour Christs exception be improper as to the Grammar of the words as Calvin very well observes upon the Text yet it is not improper as to the sence of those that heard him For any thing that they were able to discover he was as much bestowed on Christ as any of the rest of the Apostles And therefore though this but might have been spared if all things had been rightly understood yet it was very necessary with respect to them who thought far better of that hypocrite then he deserved None of them is lost saith Christ but he who though he be accounted for the present of the number yet he is indeed and will in time appear to be the Son of perdition Vse 1 Now is it so that Jesus Christ doth keep them safe who are bestowed upon him by the Father They are exceedingly mistaken then who hold and teach that Christ may and doth often lose those whom the Father gives him And that not only for outward Ministration but even for inward union and incorporation That he that is in Christ to day may be out of Christ to morrow That he that is elect to day may be reprobate to morrow that he that is to day an heir of salvation may be to morrow a child of perdition A Doctrine infinitely prejudicial to the honour of our Saviour as if he were regardless of that which is bestowed upon him by his Father and looked upon it as not worth the keeping As if he were unfaithfull to the trust that is reposed in him by the Father He commits a people to him to be kept and saved by him The Father doth it to this very end that he may give eternal life to as many as he hath given him John 17.2 And what doth Jesus Christ abandon them to ruine and destruction notwithstanding No my beloved mark what John the Baptist saith John 3.35 The Father loves the Son saith he and hath given all things into his hands you must conceive it all things of one sort he hath bestowed upon him so that he hath put them into his hand to honour them and to keep and preserve them all his elect and chosen people for all things of another sort he hath as the Apostle speaks put under his feet to tread upon them and to ruine and destroy them But what doth Jesus Christ with those his Father gives him in the former way why as his Father would he should do he keeps them and he gives eternal life to them as it is added in the next verse Yea they have everlasting life as that is the expression there they have it in the present world in regard of inchoation and are as sure of the perfection of it in the world to come as if they had it in their own possession And to affirm that such may perish and be lost for ever is to make the Son of God unfaithfull to the Father which is a horrid derogation Or if not so at least unable to preserve them from destruction Save them he would but it is not in his power Whereas the Apostle tell us that he is able to save his people to the utmost Heb. 7.25 And he himself who is the truth it self affirms that none shall pluck them out of his hand Iohn 10.28 The world would the devil would the flesh would many would but none shall He hath power to overtop them and to master and controul them so that they shall not have their will in this business And as this Doctrine that they may be lost whom God the Father gives to Jesus Christ is very prejudicial to the honour of our Saviour so to the comfort of his poor people Alas my brethren what solid and enduring comfort will the best condition that they can be in afford them if they be not sure to keep it Suppose they give all diligence to make their calling and election sure yea suppose they make it sure Though they be sure they are elect they are not sure they shall continue so by this doctrine they may be reprobates to morrow suppose they prove themselves whether they be in Christ or no Suppose they prove they be in Christ they cannot prove they shall continue so by this doctrine they may be out of Christ to morrow And is not this cold comfort Ah my beloved how will it sting the soul that is about to take her flight for another world to be at such uncertainty when all the consolation she can have is only this that for the present she belongs to Christ but the next hour before she get away out of the world he may lose her and disown her and so she is undone for ever John making mention of the Locusts that crawl out of the bottomless pit and they are Antichristian Teachers affirmeth that they shall torment men Apoc. 9.5 and that with exquisite and horrid torture it shall be like the torment of a Scorpion that striketh a man as it is added in the next words which torment they shall put men to by teaching Antichristian doctrine And truly my Beloved this doctrine of the possibility of falling quite away from Christ and being lost
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
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
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
respect they are sensibly decayed and they are nothing like the men that they were in former times Fall into discourse with them alas their wonted faculty is gone either you shall find them dead and stupid as it were not having any savory word to say in any matter that concerns Religion or else they talk is so far of so barren so unprofitable that it administers no grace no benefit at all to them that hear it Follow them into their houses and there you shall observe that many holy exercises and religious houshold duties which had been formerly set up and constantly performed perhaps for divers years together are either utterly neglected or else discharged in such a cold and formal manner that there is no life in them Enquire of other men who knew them in their first beginning and they will tell you all is gone their wonted heat and zeal and forwardness is come to nothing and in them the Proverb is verifyed The Dog is turned to his own vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Vse 4 Is it so That the word of God is the ordinary means by which he sanctifieth his people not only in a way of inchoation but also in a way of augmentation Here then we see what we must do if we desire to thrive in holiness to make a daily progress and increase in grace We must attend upon the preaching of the Gospel And truly there is little hope that we should ever grow as Christians without the use of this means The tree that spreads and flourisheth and brings forth much fruit is said by David to be planted by the water side Psal 1.3 Even so the thriving and the growing Christian must be planted by the means he must be near the Word of God those waters of the Sanctuary as the Prophet calls them That saving Doctrine must drop down upon him as the rain it must distil upon him as the dew and as the smaller rain upon the herbs and as the showrs upon the grass as Moses speaks Deut. 32.2 or else he will be like in time to wither and decay and come to nothing Vse 5 Is it so That the Word of God is the ordinary means by which he sanctifieth his people not only in a way of inchoation but also in a way of augmentation Then certainly those men are in an ill condition who though they constantly enjoy the preaching of the Gospel yet do not thrive nor grow by it they hear it Sabbath after Sabbath yea and perhaps repeat it with their families and yet are not a jot the better for it any way Look at what point they were for knowledge practice and obedience many years ago at the very same they stay they are the very same men there is no alteration on them they have not gained any ground on their corruptions they are not grown a jot more constant and fervent in religious duties then in former times What is the reason that the Gospel produceth not its genuine effect in these men and that it bringeth forth no augmentation no increase of inward grace or outward obedience the fault is not in the inefficacy of the Gospel simply considered in it self but in the hardness and deadness of their hearts and as we use to say of ground that is manured and drest and watered much if it yieldeth no increase that it is very barren ground just so we may conclude of these men And certainly their case is fearful if they so continue as the Apostle shews us in the same Similitude Heb. 6.7 The earth that drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth blessing from God But on the other side that which bringeth bryers and thorns is rejected and nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned And therefore I beseech you my Beloved as increase and growth in grace is one effect in Gods Word so let it bring forth this effect in you and that it may so do I shall prescribe you some directions Remove those impediments that hinder growth and profiting by the Word of God and they are principally such as follow 1. The first is pride and loftiness of heart and spirit for when a man is puft up with a self opinion of his own sufficiency and thinks he knows as much as all the Preachers in the world can tell him how can he profit by the Gospel He is so full that when the water of the Word is poured upon him either it runneth over and is spilt upon the ground or else returneth back upon the face of him that poured it If therefore you desire to thrive by it come to hear it my Beloved with teachable and humble spirits the Lord will teach the humble his ways 2. Infidelity or unbelief for if we give no credit to the Word of God if we believe not the report of the Word of God his arm will never be revealed to us we shall not benefit nor profit by it And therefore this is yielded as the reason why the Jews were not a whit the better for the Word Heb. 4.2 The Word did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it 3. The third impediment is strong passion for as obstructions in the stomach hinder growth by bodily and outward food so vehement and head-strong passions do keep us from receiving growth and nourishment and augmentation by the Word of God You shall observe it commonly that men that have such furious and unbridled passions in them that will not be subdued by reason nor by Scripture do seldom profit by the preaching of the Gospel no it must be received with meekness if we mean to grow by it Jam. 1.12 And therefore the Apostle yields it as the reason why the Corinthians could not bear strong meat substantial solid truths their stomachs were not able to digest them they were so cloid with these obstructions 1 Cor. 3.2 4. Prejudice against the gifts or person of the Teacher this will exceedingly abate the power and hinder the success and profit of his teaching If once the heart be prepossest with jealousies and sinister thoughts and disaffection to the Minister there is but little hope of any benefit that such a man will reap by his labours These are the lets which we must labour to remove if we desire to thrive and grow by hearing of the Word of God If we desire to grow and to increase by it we must not hear it only but labour to digest it too A man shall never thrive and prosper by the meat he eats if he digest it not unless there be concoction and assimilation of it to the substance of the person that is nourished Let such a person feed as plentifully as he will there will be no augmentation So let us hear as much and as often as we will if we do not digest the Word of God the
truth saith our Saviour in my text It is thine and therefore truth For he that is the author of it he is the God of truth as the Prophet David stiles him Psal 31.5 Observe it well he 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 revelations of himself to men All that comes from him is truth He is the faithfull and the true witness Apoc. 3.14 Not only true and faithfull as a God but true and faithfull as a witness And his word is his witness not his ordinary saying only but his witness to confirm us and assure us of that which is delivered to us to work and strengthen faith in us And therefore it is called the Testimony or the witness of the Lord I think no less then twenty times in Scripture Now for the second branch the Gospell is the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a specialty above the rest of holy Scripture Thy word is truth saith our Saviour in my Text that is thy sanctifying word which is the Gospell Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth The Law as far as I am able to remember is nowhere called distinctly by it self the word of truth but the Gospel commonly not in my Text alone but elswhere often Indeed the Psalmist prayes to God Take not thy word of truth away out of my mouth but he intends the promises for which he hoped as you may see in that place Psalm 119.43 And all the promises you know are Gospel they are in Christ yea and in Christ Amen But on the other side the Law is mentioned as in some respect contradistinct to truth The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ 1 John 17. And yet you must not apprehend the Gospel to be truer then the Law or any parts of Scripture If it be truer they are absolutely false But it delivers truth of greater excellency then the rest of Scripture doth as will appear if you consider either the subject matter of it or the Revelation of it or the Confirmation of it or the Operation of it Gospel truth excelleth for the matter of it Christ is the subject matter of the Gospel and therefore it is called the word of Christ Col. 3.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly not of Christ the Author only but of Christ the subject matter and herein it surpasses and transcends not all other Books only that handle other arguments but even all other parts and parcels of the Book of God it self For Christ is the most pretious and delicious matter He is the richest and the sweetest subject in the world 1. Christ the Subject of the Gospel is the most rich and pretious subject He is the wealth and treasure of the faithfull soul there is in him an endless Myne and infinite Mass of inestimable riches And therefore the Apostle having spoken of the riches of the glory of the Gospel adds in the words immediately anexed which riches is Christ in you Col. 1.27 In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 A treasure is much but treasures are more But when all the treasures that are in the world shall be gathered together and laid in a heap there must needs be vast and riches And this transported the Apostle Paul and swallowed up his thoughts and words as unable to conceive it or express it yea even ravished him beyond himself that he was entrusted to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 He found no end no bottome of them he could not reach the heigth and depth and length and breadth of those treasures they had such immense and endless dimensions 2. Christ the subject of the Gospel is the sweetest and most delicious subject in the world It was the only thing that weakned the delight that Austin took in reading of a certain work of Cicero's because he could not find the name of Christ in it That is a pleasant name indeed to every true believing soul and wheresoever that is found or whatsoever writing hath that high and holy person for the subject of it whom to know is life eternal should be read with full delight and high pleasure And therefore that which treats of Jesus Christ is stiled Gospel good news and good tydings yea good tydings of great joy It tells us of a Jesus a Saviour a deliverer out of bondage to sin and Sathan and damnation out of the most sad and miserable thraldom in the world and this is infinitely sweet Oh with what melting self-consuming wishes and desires doth the poor distressed Captive long to hear of a Redeemer how welcome is this news to him and such a one is Jesus Christ to us and therefore it is sweet to hear of him And as the Gospel tells us of deliverance out of bondage so of admission to such incomparable priviledges here to such unutterable happiness hereafter as cannot choose but melt the heart with ravishing delight that hath assurance of a share in them As Gospel truth excelleth for the subject matter of it Jesus Christ so for the manner of the revelation of it The trurh in the Old Testament was covered with a Vail not of Types and Shaddows only but of dark expressions too so that it was obscure and hid But now it is unvailed as it were and therefore the Apostle tells us that we behold it now with open face 2 Cor. 3.18 There is nothing now to hide it The truth of the Old Testament is likened to the glimmering twilight in the dawning of the day or to the faint and dimmer twinkling of a star But Gospel truth is likened to the shining of the Sun at noon-day And therefore we that live under Gospel-revelation are called the Children of the light and of the day 1 Thes 5.5 And the Apostle tells us that now the grace of God which brings salvation hath appeared Tit. 2.11 It is a Metaphor in which the Gospel is resembled to a glorious Light that having been obscured and masked awhile even as the Sun when it is overcast and mufled with a dark and gloomy cloud at length shines forth with admirable brightness and shewes it self with darling splendor to the world Though it were hid from ages and from generations yet it is now made manifest unto the Saints Col. 1.26 Gospel truth excelleth for the confirmation of it It is better ratified then other truth Truth may not be believed you know it may not gain assent from those that hear it for want of solid and substantial confirmation But Gospel truth hath this preheminency that it is now established to the very utmost by the death of Christ himself He hath sealed it with his blood and therefore we have reason to believe it Indeed the truth of the Old Testament was ratified and confirmed yea it was confirmed in blood But this was but the
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
by the Gospel as they that cast behind their backs the precepts of the Gospel and will not walk accordingly in their lives and conversations It is a dreadful sentence to this purpose able to break the hearts of wicked men and to shake their joynts in pieces 2 Thess 1.8 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Indeed as Gospel truth is most excellent so disobedience to this Gospel truth is most dangerous we know what a fearful doom and dreadful sentence the Apostle thunders out against it Heb. 10.26 If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth the Gospel truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin From which perversly wrested though Novatus did extract that desperate Heresie of his denying hope of pardon unto those who after they were once baptized relapsed into sin Yet those uncomfortable inferences being laid aside this is most evidently taught us in that Scripture viz. That where the mind hath been enlightned once with Gospel truth it tends exceedingly to the increase and aggravation of those sins that are committed after and against it And therefore upon these considerations labour to walk worthy of so glorious a Gospel and so great a Salvation JOHN 17.18 As thou sent me into the world c. AND thus far of our Saviours Prayer in the behalf of his Apostles and Disciples for Sanctification Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth Proceed we to the arguments and reasons with which he urgeth and enforceth this Petition request of his And they are two Whereof the first is taken from the business and employment that he is setting them about viz. the very same in some respect at least which he himself hath hitherto sustained and undergone by the appointment of the Father As thou hast sent me into the world so I have sent them into the world I am now about to send them it is as good as done already For yet they had not their Commission to preach the Gospel to all the world to every creature And therefore thou hadst need to sanctifie them saith our Saviour to his Father by a more full discovery of thy truth to them that so they may be fitted and enabled for such a service as this is It is extreamly necessary that they should be qualified with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit to the very utmost being to go upon the very self same errand and business on which thou hast imployed me Sanctifie them saith our Saviour Why might the Father answer why so Cause enough saith Jesus Christ for as thou hast sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world There are two things to be considered in the words There is something positive and there is in the second place something comparative 1. There is something positive in these words which Christ affirmeth positively of himself and his Apostles That which he affirmeth positively of himself is that his Father hath sent him into the world That which he affirmeth positively of his Apostles and Disciples is That he is sending them into the world There is something Comparative in which our Saviour Christ compares his Fathers sending him with his own sending his Apostles As thou hast sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world I shall but touch on that which Christ affirmeth positively of himself and that as you have heard is that his Father hath sent him down into the world He would not suffer him to stay in heaven but sent him forth upon some weighty and important business so that the point to be observed is this DOCTRINE That Jesus Christ was sent into the world by the appointment and command of God the Father The word in the Original importeth an authoritative sending which is accordingly submitted to and yield to by the person that is sent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith our Saviour to the Father Thou hast sent me into the world so sent that I accordingly am come into the world I have stoopt to thy mission But this hath for the substance of it been handled on the third verse and therefore I shall wave the further prosecution of it here and pass on to the following words JOHN 17.18 Even so have I also sent them into the world AND thus of that which Jesus Christ hath affirmed of himself in relation to his Father Thou hast sent me into the world Proceed we now to that which he affirms of his Apostles and in them of his succeeding Ministers in relation to himself I also have sent them into the world And here we have to be considered three things First the author of the Mission I I stands for Jesus I have sent Secondly the term or local object of the Mission the world without restraint or limitation all the world I have sent them into the world Not into Judea only but into the world Thirdly the comparison between our Saviours mission of his Apostles and Embassadors and his Fathers mission of himself suggested in the word also I also have sent them into the world as thou sent me into the world even so have I also sent them c. As the parts so the Observations are three First the Apostles and Ministers of Jesus Christ are sent by him they are of Christs own sending Secondly Christ doth not send them particularly or restrictively to any Countrey or to any Nation But their Commission leaves them free to all the world Thirdly Jesus Christ sends his Apostles and his Ministers even as his Father sent him There is a great similitude between Gods sending Christ into the world and Christs sending his Apostles and Ministers into the world I shall handle these distinctly as God shall give ability and opportunity Beginning with the first DOCTRINE The Apostles and the Ministers of Jesus Christ are sent by him they are of Christs own sending For the Apostles they have their very name from sending The word in the Original importeth such a one as is dispatched upon the errand of another upon the business that another sends him in And Christ is often said to send them There are two memorable missions of them mentioned in the Gospel story The first a little after he had called them Mat. 10.1 c. When he had called his twelve Disciples and they were his twelve Apostles as they are stiled ver 2. he gave them power against unclean spirits And these twelve he sent forth ver 1. and after at ver 16. Behold I send you forth saith he as sheep among Wolves The second memorable mission of them was a little after he was risen from the dead and was even ready to ascend Joh. 20.21 Even as my Father sent me so send I you And this is that which the Apostle Paul acknowledges that he was
too In that the Father sends the Son to save his people by his merit and his Spirit The Son sends his Ministers to save them by the application of his merit and his Spirit to them in the preaching of the Gospel The Father sends the Son to save them by dying for them the Son sends his Ministers to save them by preaching to them and so by crucifying Christ again before their eyes as Gal. 3.1 The Father sends his Son to save his people meritoriously and by way of effectual operation The Son sends his Ministers to save them Ministerially and by way of vocal Declaration so that Christ only is the proper Saviour and Ministers at most are but the Instrumental Saviours of his people Vse 1 Now is it so my Brethren That there is a great similitude between the Fathers sending c. Here then my Brethren is a perfect pattern for all the Minsters of Jesus Christ they must look on him that sent them and see what power he was endued withal what errand he was sent on and for what ends and so act accordingly As God invested him with power and sent him into the world to preach the Gospel and to save his people So Jesus Christ hath invested them with power to do the same thing for the same end So that they must not aim at the destruction and the hardning of the people No they must make this their business how they may bring about their conversion and salvation It 's true they must be sons of Thunder now and then as well as sons of Consolation they must preach the Law sometimes as well as the sweet comforts of the Gospel they must threaten men sometimes with wrath and hell and eternal condemnation But then they must not do it so as wishing that these things might come upon them but rather that they might avoid them They must threaten them with wrath that they may flee from the wrath to come and threaten with hell that they may escape the damnation of hell they must preach the Law with Gospel purposes and Evangelical intentions they must send out the avenger of blood to dog them at the heels that they may fly to the City of refuge They must use sharpness now and then it cannot be avoided But it must be for the same end that the Apostle speaks of 2 Cor. 13.10 where having minded the Corinthians that in case he must use sharpness according to the power the Lord had given him he had authority from Christ to do it but mark in the succeeding words to what end for edification and not for destruction according to the power the Lord hath given me for edification and not for destruction And therefore it is very notable that when our Saviour Christ had said to his Disciples All power is given to me both in heaven and in earth and having put a part of that power and authority of his on his Apostles having sent them as his Father sent him he doth not say to them as God doth to the Prophet Jer. 1.10 I have set you over the Nations and over the Kingdoms to root out and to destroy but I have sent you to the Nations to teach them and to baptize them that they may be saved He doth not make them rooters but planters he doth not bid them to go out and preach damnation to the people in the first place but go and preach the Gospel to them that they may be saved And the Apostle speaking of the execution of this Commission and authority in the Administration of the censures of the Church saith he would give a foul offendor up to Satan for no other end but this even for his good and his salvation 1 Cor. 5.34 I have already judged saith he concerning him that hath so done this deed with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh the carnal part that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord So that when we threaten judgement when we retain the sins of men when we give them up to Satan either in preaching or in Church-censure our aim is that their corruption may be mortified and that their spirits may be saved by this means And all the Ministers of Christ ought to have this continually in their eye how they may reach this great end they must remember that Jesus Christ hath sent them as God the Father sent him and that was not to condemn the world but that the world by him might be saved And thus of the First Argument with which our Saviour presseth and enforceth his Petition to his Father in behalf of his Apostles for Sanctification which hath been taken from the business and imployment that he is setting them about viz the very same in some respect which he himself hath hitherto sustained and undergone by the appointment of the Father Sanctifie them with thy Truth thy Word is Truth Why might the Father answer why so Cause enough saith Jesus Christ for as thou hast sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world and therefore thou hadst need to sanctifie them that so they may be fitted and enabled for such a service as this is JOHN 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth PRoceed we to the Second Argument with which he backs the same Petition and it is taken from the end for which he sanctified himself And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth q. d. It was the very end at which I aimed in sanctifying of my self that they might be sanctified it was my scope and drift in that business and therefore I beseech thee Father let me not be disappointed of my purpose let not this great design of mine be frustrated but do thou sanctifie them with the truth because I sanctified my self for their sakes with this intent that they might also be sanctified through the truth Two things we have apparently presented to us in the words what our Saviour did and why he did it First what our Saviour did He sanctified himself Secondly then why he did it and this is in the first place generally exprest that it was for their sakes for his Apostles and Disciples sakes that he sanctified himself And then it is particularly and expresly specified in what regard it was for their sakes that they might also be sanctified through the truth The difficulty of the text lies especially in this how Christ is said to sanctifie himself and what he means by that expression for their sakes I sanctifie my self To sanctifie is properly to make holy now a person or a thing is made holy especially two wayes viz. by qualification when holiness and grace is put into it when a man is made partaker of the saving gifts and graces of the holy spirit then he is said in Scripture to
be sanctified By consecration a person or a thing is made holy when it is set apart for holy uses In this respect the Sabbath day is holy in this respect the Temple the Utensils and Vessels of the house of God in this respect the Priests were holy Thus all the first born of the Jews were holy and set apart for God And therefore having charged Moses to sanctifie the first born thus he explains it afterwards Exod. 13.2 12. Thou shalt set them apart to God and in a word thus all the Sacrifices and oblations under the Ceremonial Law were holy they were consecrated things For consecrated things are sanctified things as I might give you instances enough in that particular Thou shalt annoint them saith the Lord speaking of Aaron and his Sons Exod. 28.4 and thou shalt consecrate and sanctifie them that they may Minister unto me in the Priests office So after speaking of the Ramm of consecration Aaron and his Sons shall eat it saith the Lord to consecrate them and to sanctifie them Exod. 29.33 Now all the question is in which of these respects our Saviour here is said to sanctifie himself whether by way of qualification or of consecration I must acknowledge I have heretofore conceived it in the former way as in a way of qualification that he made himself holy by the communication of the gifts and graces of the holy spirit to his humane nature For though it be a certain truth that Christ was not neither could be made holy of not holy privatively as man who by the fall had wholly lost his holiness is sanctified and made holy by regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Yet it is very manifest that Christ was sanctified and made holy of not holy negatively for there was once a time when Christ as man had not this holiness inherent in his humane nature because there was a time viz. before his incarnation when his humane nature had not a being in the world And thus Christ was sanctified for his Apostles and Disciples sake his peoples sake That they might be sanctified That is he was endued abundantly with the gifts of holiness and the graces of sanctification to this end that he might communicate them and dispense them to his people and that they might be sanctified by this means That of his fulness they might all receive and grace for grace So that this looks extreamly well you see as the meaning of the Text. And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth But yet I find interpreters even universally running in another stream and understanding it of being sanctified in a way of consecration The former I suppose they leave because indeed it is not consonant to Scripture phrase For Jesus Christ to say as man that he sanctified himself in a way of qualification That is to say that he endued himself with the sanctifying gifts and graces of the holy spirit It is usually affirmed that God the Father sanctified him That it pleased the Father that in him should all the fulness of the holy spirit dwell Col. 1.19 That God even his God did annoint him with the oyl of his spirit Psal 45.7 And therefore he is called him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world John 10.36 Besides it seems not to be congruous that Christ should pray his Father to sanctifie his Apostles and Disciples because for his part he had sanctified himself with the graces of the spirit to this end that they might be sanctified by communication of those graces to them And therefore I shall run down with the common stream of exposition and understand our Saviour here to tell his Father that he sanctified himself by way of Consecration That he set himself apart to be a Priest an Altar an Offring and a Sacrifice to God the Father for the sins of his people And that to this end that they might be sanctified by this means Not only that they might be justified but that they might be sanctified too And sanctified through the truth through the effectual revelation of the Gospel to them which is called the truth in Scripture Or truly sanctified as it is rendred in the Margine not only in the Type and Figure as the Offrings and Sacrifices of the Ceremonial Law but in reality and truth And on this ground our Saviour prayes his Father to sanctifie his Apostles and Disciples that he might not be disappointed of his great end for which he sanctified himself and made himself an offring to his Father Sanctifie them with the truth And why so Why for their sakes I sanctifice my self I set my self apart to be a Sacrifice to thy justice that they also might be sanctified with the truth The words thus opened yield us out two Observations First Jesus Christ did willingly and freely set himself apart to be an Offring and a Sacrifice to God the Father Secondly he did this for his peoples sakes and that to this end that they might be sanctified by this means DOCTRINE 1. Jesus Christ did willingly and freely set himself apart to be an Offring and a Sacrifice to God the Father He was not forced to become an Expiation for the sins of men No he did it of himself and of his own accord I sanctifie my self saith our Saviour in my text by consecration So he is said to offer up himself Heb. 7.27 To humble himself and to become obedient conceive it passively obedient to the death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 T is true indeed the death and passion of our Saviour was necessary if we look to God the Father and his eternal Counsel and Decree for he was slain in that respect i. e. appointed to be slain from the beginning of the world It was determined to be done as the Apostle speaks Acts 4.28 And therefore it behoved him to suffer as himself speaks Luke 24.46 and he must be lifted up upon the Cross an unavoidable necessity was laid upon him John 3.14 And as his death was necessary if we look to God the Father so it was violent my Brethren if we look to men With murderous and wicked hands they slew him Acts 2.23 They kild and crucified the Lord of glory But if we look to Christ himself his death and passion was a voluntary thing to which he willingly resigned and yielded up himself His life was not extorted from him but he laid it down himself John 10.17 He was delivered up to death by God the Father Acts 2.23 He was delivered up by Judas and the Jews too Mat. 27.2 And yet he freely yielded up himself he loved us and gave himself for us Gal. 2.20 he gave himself for us an Offring and a sacrifice to God Ephes 5.2 He sanctified himself for our sakes and set himself apart to this hard and sharp service so that the Point is plain you see That Jesus Christ did willingly and freely set himself apart to
1.9 Receiving the end saith he Conceive it the perfection or the reward of your faith even the salvation of your souls Salvation then you see my brethren is the end Christ is the object of our faith Use 1 Is Christ the Object of a true believers faith Then do not satisfie your selves my brethren with a general assent to sacred Revelation neither do you rest in this that you believe the word of God in gross Alas how many men that have been throughly convinced of the truth of all the Scripture are notwithstanding under everlasting Chains and darkness the Devils themselves believe and tremble They believe the word historically you must understand it and because it makes against them the greater their faith is the greater is their fear As therefore you desire to be absolved and acquitted from the guilt of all your sins which else will sink you down into the pit of Hell for ever to be invested with the righteousness of Christ without which you can never have admittance to the marriage of the Lamb nor to those joyes and pleasures at the Lords right hand for evermore lay hold on Jesus Christ and clasp the arms of faith about him Men and brethren to you is this salvation sent and we declare unto you glad tydings preaching through Christ the forgiveness of sins and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not have been justified by the Law of Moses We offer and exhibit Christ unto you and we beseech you to accept him that you may be saved We stand and cry Ho every one that thirsteth came to this water Now as you tender the salvation of your pretious souls let faith make out to Jesus Christ that comes towards her let her fasten on her object And that you may the better know what I perswade you to I shall shew you very briefly that there are four acts of the soul in reference to Jesus Christ wherein the essence and the being of justifying faith consists Whereof the former two are of the understanding and the two latter of the will I shall but only touch at them 1. Well then the first thing you are to do you must endeavour to know Christ aright distinct explicite knowledge of him in a measure is necessary to the being of this justifying faith And therefore knowledge is sometimes put for faith in Scripture by his knowledge or the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justifie many saith the Father of the Son Isa 53.11 And here to be a little more distinct you must know that Christ is a compleat and al-sufficient Saviour to free you from the wrath of God and to bring you to eternal life That he is offered by the Lord to you as well as any other for so the messengers of God have their Commission to make an universal tender of him to all to whom they preach without exception Go preach the Gospel to every creature Mark 16.15 And what is it to preach the Gospel to them but to say as the Angel to the Shepherds Luke 2.10 11. I bring you good tydings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And as Peter to the Jews Acts 2.39 The promise is to you and to your children yea and to all that are afar off as many as the Lord our God shall call Yea you must know that Christ is offered to you so that you are peremptorily commanded and required to believe in him Come to me saith our Saviour Mat. 11.28 i. e. Believe in me for so himself expounds the phrase as you may see John 6.35 all you that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest This is the first thing requisite to justifying faith of which Christ is the proper Object 2. The second act is the Assent and Credit of the mind to this that Christ is such a one indeed and that God offers him indeed in such a way as hath been said And that in this his gracious offer he intendeth as he saith That Christ and all his merits will be yours if you accept him This you must consent to you must say with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and in relation to this act it is that faith is called believing John 3.36 and elsewhere often in the Scripture 3. The third act is the yeelding of the Will to this external exhibition of the Son of God this blessed offer of him in the Gospel not only for the certain truth but the incomparable excellency of it when the heart accepteth of it and embraceth it and saith with the Apostle in the fore-alledged Scripture 1 Tim. 1.15 This saying as it is a faithfull one so it is worthy of all acceptation It is a faithfull saying saith the Understanding and therefore I will give assent to it It is a saying worthy of all acceptation saith the will and therefore I will close with it So the faith of the Fathers is described Heb. 11.13 in which all the three acts which we have mentioned are wrapt up together They saw the promises conceive it with the understandings eye they knew them and they understood them They were perswaded of them they gave assent to them and they received them and embraced them for both these terms are there used not the words and surface of them but Christ in them In which respect this act of faith is sometimes called receiving of Christ as see John 1.12 To as many as received him c. So that believing and receiving are all one this is the third act 4. The fourth and last act is a resting a relying and recumbency on Christ for mercy and salvation this is the great act of the soul in faith A roling of it self on Jesus Christ expecting life and happiness no other way and by no other mean but him only And this is that which is so often called believing in the Son of God believing in his name trusting in him as the Apostle Pauls expression is Ephes 1.12 or trusting to him for all the good that we expect or look for These are the four great acts of faith and Christ you see is the immediate and proper object of them all So that you easily perceive what I intend when I perswade you and exhort you to fasten on this object and to believe in Jesus Christ Object But you will say perhaps as that is now a great Objection the Creature is not able to believe it is an impotent and dead thing what can the Creature do And why do you perswade it to believe Sol. True my beloved it can do nothing and you would have it to do nothing by this Rule Keep away the means from it and when will it attain the end It hath no faith it is not able to believe but faith comes by this means by the perswasions and intreaties
to be as mercifull as God is if you look to the degree For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are his thoughts above ours in this particular But yet we may be mercifull as he is though not as mercifull as he is So in the Text our Saviour prayes for his Disciples That they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us The meaning is not that they may be one as nearly that is impossible but as truly as we are That as we are in one another so they may in some respect be all in us How and in what respect they may be so I shall shew at large anon in the mean time the point is this DOCTRINE It is the will of Jesus Christ that his Disciples should not only be one among themselves but that they also should be one in God Indeed it is the will of Jesus Christ that his Disciples should be one Vse 4 among themselves That they should be all one as you have it in my Text Indeed he shed his blood for this purpose Eph. 2.14 that though they be of divers Nations as for instance Jews and Gentiles yet they may be both one as in the fore-alledged Scripture He is our peace saith the Apostle there who hath made both one having abolished in his flesh the enmity to make in himself of twain of Jews and Gentiles one man Though they be of divers places some in heaven and some on earth and though they that are on earth are many of them many thousand miles asunder yet he would have them to be all one It is his project and design to gather all things into one which are in heaven and which are in earth as Ephes 1.10 But you will ask me How can this be done that they that are so distant should be one I answer Very easily because the bonds of this conjunction are not carnal but spiritual So that they may be one without a corporeal or local union From him the head saith the Apostle all the body by joints and bands is knit together Col. 2.19 Part of the body is in heaven and part of it is on earth and here some persons are in one some in another quarter of the earth yet all the body so divided and so distant as you see by joints and bands is knit together And you will easily conceive it when you consider what these bands are 1. They have all one spirit and so in that respect are one I speak not of the spirit or soul of a man but of the spirit of the Lord Christ which being one dwells in all the Saints at once and so makes them one too yea let them be as distant as they will And as the formal reason of the union of the members of the body natural consisteth not so much in contiguity as animation by the same soul so that if any part be mortified and if the soul give over to enliven it it is no more to be esteemed a member notwithstanding its external and corporeal inherence to the body So though the Saints be far from one another in regard of place yet they are closely knit together by the same spirit being joyned to the Lord they are all one spirit and so indeed are all one 2. They have all one faith one at least in fundamentals and one faith makes one as Ephes 4.4 5. They that are of many faiths in fundamentals cannot come so close together to be all one and therefore Jesus Christ when he ascended up on high gave gifts unto men for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come all both Jews and Gentiles come in the unity of the faith c. So that there is a unity in the faith you see and to say truth my Brethren faith will make a union at a distance as well as if the persons joyned were all together What doth th the corporal or local presence of the parties contribute to the union that is made by faith which is a spiritual and invisible thing and consequently joineth in a spiritual and invisible manner which no division or distance in regard of place can hinder 3. They have all one heart and one affection and so in that respect are one The multitude of believers were of one heart Act. 4.32 Though they were multitudes yet they had but one heart and when there is but one heart there is a great Oness The understanding is the principle of speculation the heart the seat of love and of affection And the Saints are so united and linked togther in affection as if they had among them but one common principle of this affection as if they had but one heart and therefore the Apostle speaking of the faithful saith that they were knit together in love Col. 2.2 The term there used importeth such a knitting as is between the divers parts and peices of a building For so the Saints though there be Millions of them in the world yet they are built up altogether to a spiritual house 1 Pet. 2.5 And love is as it were the morter and the pins the ligaments and tyes of the connexion and elsewhere it is called a bond Col. 3.10 Above all these things put on charity which is the bond of perfectness with which we are perfectly joined together 1 Cor. 1.10 Now love will make a union at a distance as well as near at hand The nearness of the place simply considered in it self contributes nothing to the nearness and to the strength of the affection No love will reach a person at the other end of all the earth as well as if he were just by us in the very next room or in the very next dwelling You see both that and how it is the will of Jesus Christ that his Disciples should be one among themselves which is the first thing in the point But now there is a Second branch he would not have them only to be one among themselves but he would have them also to be one in God This is the special thing for which he is a Suitor to his Father in my Text That they may be all one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Not one among themselves alone but one in us which is indeed a very high thing Now that you may the better know what Christ intends in this particular you must consider that he speaks to God the Father as man and Mediator in this place For he speaks in prayer here and consequently when he saith As thou Father art in me and I in thee he speaks not of the union which is between his Father and himself as he is God For in that consideration the Father and the Son are so in one another that they are the very same The same Essence for so the union is Identical though they
ought not to condemn and censure him again If he chide us we ought not to chide him again But if he love us we may we must love him again Yea he expecteth that we should return him love for love for he loves to be beloved Is it the will of Jesus Christ that true believers should be one in God Vse in the Father and the Son by sweet agreement and consent Then I beseech you my Beloved comply with Jesus Christ in this particular As God and Jesus Christ agree in every thing so do you agree with them Bring your mind to the mind of God and to the will of God that you may be of one mind and one will Have you no judgement of your own as different from Gods but judge of things as God doth Let his wisdom be your wisdom his reason your reason and his determination your determination Have you no wills of your own my Brethren but let the will of God be your will let it rule and order you Let your will be so melted and resolved into the will of God that as far as it is possible God and you may have but one will That he may never cross you and you may never cross him Consent to him in every thing if he say any thing true Lord if he do any thing good Lord Yea though it be against you in your ends and in your natural desires yet say as Hezekiah to the Prophet when he received a heavy threatning Good is the word of the Lord which he hath spoken Take heed there be no difference between God and you in any thing let not him say one thing and you another will one thing and you another But say you as God says and will you as God wills that so you may be swallowed up in God and that you may be one in him And to this end I propound three things 1. If God and you agree not every way in all respects you are out and not he And therefore it is best in all things to conform your minds and wills to his His mind and his will is always right and yours if they dissent are always crooked and oblique and therefore it is best to bring your mindes and wills to his and not to think to bring his to your own The Malon when he tries the wall that he hath builded by his rule and findes them not to suit together he doth not go and cut the rule and bring it to the wall but he goes and mends the wall till he have brought it to the rule So if your minds and wills do not agree with God's the fault is not in his but yours and therefore you must bend your minds and wills till you have brought them straight like his and not endeavour to make his crooked like your own 2. If God and you agree not every way as you are irregular so you are undutiful You are his servants and you are his creatures and therefore ought in all things to be ruled by him The Masters will must be the servants will in lawful things and therefore in the Civil Law the servant is accounted in the Master and not as a distinct person And much more the Creators will must be the creatures will He gives it being both the beginning and continuance of it and he that gives being may give Law to regulate the motions and the operations of the being that he gives and may not be contested with in any particular 3. If we agree not all in God our agreement and accord among our selves is worth nothing So far it is to be approved as it doth unite in God Then it is good and right indeed when as the Father and the Son agree together so we agree with both of them in the very same things If we be of one mind and heart in things wherein the Father and the Son are not of one mind with us it were better we did differ then unite for we unite not in a right center But if as we be one among our selves so we be one in the Father and the Son this is indeed a blessed union If Brethren so dwell together in unity that all of them do dwell together in this one God this is a happy and a heavenly conjunction And therefore I beseech you my Beloved let us look to this that as we all agree so we all agree in God and Jesus Christ Let us examin still whether our consent in any thing do meet and unite with theirs Let us see what their mind and will is and let us all accord in that together For though we be not one against another if God be against us all it is a very sad case The Apostle John makes mention of love in the truth 2 Joh. 15. Love in error is not to be accounted of but to be avoided rather but love in truth is very pretious consent in error is not to be rejoyced in but consent in truth my Brethren is a comfortable thing For this is consent in God who is so often called Truth in Scripture And if we so agree and so consent we may depend upon it we have Gods agreement and consent with us and therefore let this be our great care that Jesus Christ may have his will in this business according to his prayer in my Text That they may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us JOHN 17.21 That the world may believe that thou hast sent me VVE are upon the matter of our Saviours Prayer for them who should believe in him by his Apostles word And there are two main things as I have noted formerly that he desires in their behalf First that they might be all one Then that they might be all in one place The first of these requests of his he propounds and prosecutes propounds it in the verse which we have even now insisted on That they all may be one c. And then he prosecutes it with divers arguments and reasons in this and the succeeding verses Whereof the first is taken from the furtherance that this neer unity of theirs would be to the acceptance of our Saviour in the world That the world may believe that thou hast sent me That they may all be one as c. Why so That the world may believe c. For Explication of the terms the difficulty lies especially in this viz. what sort of people our Saviour Christ intendeth by the world here For to say truth the world is taken divers ways I think more differently then any other phrase almost in Scripture Sometimes we find it used for elect and sanctified and sometimes for reprobate and unsanctified persons Sometimes we find it taken for believers and sometimes for unbelievers as I could give you instances of both these And when for unbelievers sometimes for those who believe not for the present but shall believe in after times sometimes for those who
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
like Christ himself that they are of another world as he is No marvel then though they be made a gazing stock and a wonder in the world If Turks or Indians walk along the streets the common people use to gaze upon them and so wonder at their habit and deportment c. And are not Christs Disciples of another Countrey yea of an other world Are they not men of singularity Are not their wayes and fashions divers from the fashions of this world No marvell then though they be men of wonder as the Prophet speaks Zac. 3.8 though they be hooted at and though they be made as spectacles and gazing stocks to worldly men Use 3 Is it so that Christs Disciples c. Then let them live like men of another world shining as lights amidst a perverse and crooked generation that sit in darkness and in the shaddow of death Let Heaven appear in their discourses and their Conversation Here we may remain and must till God be pleased to call us hence but our continuance here must be accompanied with a reserved exemption of our selves from the Contagion of the times and with an earnest and unwearied striving against the stream of the corruptions of the places where we live not following a multitude to do evil We must be separated from the world my brethren not in place but in affection and in Conversation I pray not saith our Saviour ver 15. of this Chapter that thou wouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil We must not on consideration of the notorious lewdness and prophaness of the inhabitants of this world who vex our souls with their ungodly deeds desire the Lord to carry us to Heaven in a fiery Chariot as he did Elijah to take us presently out of this world but rather to preserve us in it that we may keep our robes pure and undefiled among so many garments spotted with the flesh That against the violent and restless oppositions and temptations of the world and worldly men we may stand impregnable shewing our selves the sons of God by overcoming it and them The veriest wretch may keep himself from grosser acts when he hath no occasions nor allurements to them But in the midst of millions of enticements and commanding provocations and in a world that lies in wickedness to be singular in goodness this is indeed like Christs Disciple who himself was holy harmless separate from sinners It was Tullies commendation of Muraena Non tam laudaâ—dâ—s Muraena quod in Asia vixerit quam quod in Asia continenter vixerit Muraena deserved not so much commendations that he lived in Asia as that he lived continently there amongst such a loose and effaeminate people where his Chastity must of necessity suffer many encounters And Gods of Job that there was none like him in the earth Such must we strive to be and come as neer the pattern as we may Use 4 Is it so that Christs Disciples c. Then let them not regard this world nor the vanities thereof We see that Travellers and Strangers do not set their hearts on any thing they meet with in the way If they see stately Houses Orchards Gardens if they hear curious musick c. they are not taken up with these things No they keep on their way and are not hindred nor withdrawn by the most pleasing Avocations Doth any Traveller fall a building at his Inn a planting or a sowing by the way And therefore seeing we are of another world and consequently strangers here let us not set our hearts and our affections on the things that are beneath but on the things that are above let us use this world as though we used it not for necessity alone and not so much for profit or delight to further us in holy duties not to stop us to help heavenward not to hinder O let us not by scraping up the dung of this world disgrace our Countrey and bring it to a low esteem with worldly men Let it not be said to us as Anacharsis said to Atticus opbraiding him because he was a Scythian Mihi inquit dedecori est patria at patriae tu My Countrey is a shame to me but thou art dishonour to thy Countrey No let us honour it let carnal wretches know that it is a wealthy place that there we have a rich inheritance and large possessions and that our Father who is king thereof is well able to provide for all his children Is it so that Christs Disciples c. Then let us not desire nor fancy Use 5 to our selves my brethren any long continuance here but let us be preparing for our journey home A stranger makes no long abode or residence in any place he tarries for a night or so and passeth onward to the Countrey where he dwelleth And therefore seeing we are of another world let us alwayes be thinking of our journey home and making preparation for it every day I say as Moses Deut. 32.29 O that men were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Is it so that Christs Disciples c. Why are they so unwilling then Use 6 to leave this world Why are they so averse from death and dissolution and departure hence Indeed for wicked and ungodly wretches who are the men of this world as the Psalmist calls them who have their portion in this present world no portion in the other it is no wonder that they should be loth die O death how bitter needs must thy remembrance be to him that lives at ease and rest in his possessions But unto you who are of another world I say as Christ to his Disciples Arise let us go hence Why my beloved what is the matter with you What are you loth to go home Methinks you should consider with your selves that when you die you go to your own world your own Father your own friends where you shall be as welcome as your hearts can wish God your Father will receive you Christ your brother will embrace you Triumphant Saints and Angels will rejoyce in you And after all the troubles of a tedious journey you shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven feasting it in companies feeding on the hidden Manna and drinking deeply of the pure and Christall River of Water of Life proceeding from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. And who would willingly remain abroad in an unpleasing Pilgrimage and not choose rather to come home to such sweet Company and to such blessed Entertainment as this is And thus we have at length dispatched the first part of our Saviours prayer in behalf of his Apostles and Disciples who were then about him and in it the first main thing which he desireth for them preservation The second follows now in order to be entred on and here the main thing that he seeks in their behalf is Sanctification Sanctifie them through thy