not able to finish it all that behold him begin to mock him saying this man began to build and was not able to finish c. if a man have not seriously considered what it may cost him to build up Christianity to build up his Soul he will faint and not finish why it may cost him the hatred of Father and Mother of Wife and Children of Brethren and Sisters yea loss of life it may cost him all these if he have not considered this and cast up what it may cost him this man will never finish but give over and give back when it comes to the tryal therefore in v. 53. it s said So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple If a man do not sit down and seriously weigh it may cost me all that I have the Jews would not forsake the honour of the people Joh. 5. How can ye believe that seek honour one of another it may cost you a right hand a right eye it may cost you all your wisdom and all your parts 1 Cor. 3. Let him that thinketh himself wise become a fool that he may be wise Christ tells you in Math. 13. of the good Merchant The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man seeking goodly Pearls who when he had found one Pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it he considered what a Pearl this was a goodly Pearl a rich Pearl not such a Pearl again in the world well is it such a Pearl I will part with all that I have for it Now if men and women do not cast aforehand what it may cost them to be Christians a thousand to one but they will let go Christ the Gadarens let him go for their Swine Judas let him go for thirty pieces of Silver Buy the truth and sell it not buy it whatsoever it cost when hard things come and men have not considered how they are like to part with their livelyhoods liberties and lives they will bid farewel to Christ and farewel to the Gospel and farewel to Profession and thus many have done in our dayes and in former times Such are like to prove unsound Fourthly They are like to prove unsound who do not mind the love of the truth as well as truth it self and receive the love of the truth 2. Thess 2.9.10 saith the Apostle there because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved There are three things in every truth very considerable there 's the notion there 's the loving of truth or love of truth and there 's the power The notion respects the head and that every man may have The love respects the affections and that few have The Power respects the whole man head heart and all and that onely the Godly have Now though men receive the notion of truth as the Devils may and so wicked men yet they may have unsound hearts and if you have not the love you will never have the power and unless you have the love and the power your hearts will be rotten and unsound for ever Therefore see what 's said here And for this cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Fifthly That man or woman which doth receive truth and withhold truth in unrighteousness so that he doth not glorifie the God of truth nor walk answerable unto truth that man will be found unsound at the last he will be discovered and made ashamed many receive truth and then they imprison it as they did John they shut him up in Prison and so many have truth but they Imprison it and if it makes a bustle in their hearts they put a gag into the mouth of truth that it shall not speak any further Rom. 1.21 26. Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful When they knew God they had notions and truths and received the knowledge of God They did not glorifie God as God but imprisoned those truths therefore For this Cause God gave them up to vile affections God left them now to the corruption of their own hearts they were unsound and were ashamed and confounded at last Therefore if truth comes in from a God of truth and you do not glorifie that God of truth nor walk answerable to the truth fear unsoundness there it 's said in Luke that he that knew his Masters will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes if thou knowest thy Lord and Masters will he hath reveal'd his mind unto thee and now thou doest not walk answerable to that thou hast an ill heart thou hast a corrupt Spirit and thou shalt be made ashamed yea thou shalt be beaten and that with many stripes do not many know they should not prophane the Lords day and yet will do it they will be Drunk Whore Game idle it abroad in the Fields these men shall be beaten with many stripes Many know they should not wrong their Neighbors nor oppress the poor and grind the faces of them but they will do it these men are ill Servants and the Lord will appear one day and discover them and beat them â—nd grind them to powder so that wheresoever truth comes and is imprisoned and the God of truth is not glorified nor men walk answerable there 's rottenness of heart and men will be ashamed at the last Sixthly Those who are forward to censure and judge others when themselves are guilty either of the same sins or of sins equivalent and proportionable for their nature to the sins of others that they condemn this argues unsoundness of heart and will prove a shame unto those persons at the last in Math. 7. Judge not that ye be not Judged for with what Judgment ye Judge ye shall be Judged and with what measure ye meet it shall be measured to you again and why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye hast thou no beam no mote thou shouldest cast out that but now when a man hath a beam in his own eye and sees a mote in anothers that 's evil Or how wilt thou say to thy Brother let me pull out the moat out of thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own eye Thou Hypocrite mark here 's unsoundness art thou a greater sinner and condemnest lesser sinners Thou Hypocrite and woe to Scribes and to Hypocrites in Rom. 2. beginning Therefore thou art inexcuseable O man whosoever thou art that Judgest For wherein thou Judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that Judgest doest the same things But we are sure that the Judgment of God is according to truth against them that commit such things thou judgest and condemnest another and
interest that the Saints have in God and the ground of it Their great interest in God is this that whatsoever they ask they receive of him they have such interest that God grants their Prayers whatever they ask And the ground of it is because they keep his Commandements and do those things that are pleasing in his fight Now least they might scruple what Commandements they were that he mean't he tells them in the Verse read of two especially and that is That they believe and that they love one another There be three great Commandements in the Gospel Believing Loving and Repenting Two you have here in the Verse the third in Acts 17.30 The Lord commands every man every where to repent and these two of Loving and Repenting cannot be rightly performed without the first Believing Believing in the Son of God for that love which is without faith is but natural love and that Repentance which is without faith in the Son of God is but legal repentance but that love and that repentance which springs from faith in the Son of God is spiritual love and spiritual repentance The Apostle tells you in 1 Tim. 1.5 The end of the Commandement is charity out of a Pure heart and of a good Conscience and of faith unfeigned If love dont come from faith unfeigned it is not spiritual love In the words read you have First the Commander in the word his Secondly The thing commanded Believing Thirdly The object or person in whom they are to believe or we are to believe set out First by his Relation the Son of God Secondly by his Titles Jesus and Christ The Commander here is God there is none greater than he and therefore his Commands are of greatest authority if in the word of a King there be power how much more in the word of the great and high God and 't is not a verbal Command onely but 't is a written Command that all may take notice of it and may yield obedience unto it The point that I shall commend unto you is this Doct. That believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is a duty under Command In Mark 1.15 saith he Repent ye and believe the Gospel Repentance is commanded and believing the Gospel is commanded and a man cannot believe the Gospel unless he believe in the Son of God I shall not multiply Scriptures to prove it the Text is enough This is his command that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ Now I shall in the prosecution of this point shew you what is imployed in Believing 2. What 's meant by the Name of the Son of God 3. What believing in the name of the Son of God doth also imply And then answer some questions and improve the point For the first what is implyed in believing First Knowledge is implyed in it 't is a blind faith where there is no knowledge the Papists believe as the Church believes and such a faith is a fancy rather than true faith Paul saith I know in whom I have believed and in Joh. 17.3 knowledge there is put for faith so essential is it to faith that it is put for faith it self this is life eternal that they might know thee the onely true God So that in believing there must be knowledge and understanding else it will be a blind believing a blind faith Secondly In believing there is implyed assent of the understanding to the truth that is propounded truth is the object of the understanding As Christ came into the World to save sinners I must assent unto this truth God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Such truths and Propositions as these there must be the assent of the understanding unto and Papists will go thus far in the point of faith and make the very formal nature of faith to lye in assent 't is a truth there must be assent but assent is not enough They place it altogether in the understanding and fix it there but the Devils believe and tremble and give assent unto truths they said Christ was the Son of God they gave assent yea the Devils believe and tremble therefore this is not enough though this is required and necessary assent there must be but there must be more than assent But Thirdly There must be Consent which brings in the heart and will and looks at the goodness of the truth or person some good that is in any truth propounded or any person to be believed in Rom. 10.9 10. If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart Not in thine head for with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness with the heart man believes there must be the heart in believing and not the head and understanding onely so that there must be consent of the will and heart unto the thing believed Now this consent must be free and full to have Christ and whole Christ to have Christ at the best and have Christ at the worst whatever may fall out in true believing there is such a free and full consent that it will have Christ whatever it cost Fourthly Lastly in believing there must be affiance a confidence or trust and that you will find express'd in Eph. 1.12 that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ there must be trusting After we know and give assent and consent then we must trust and depend and rely upon Christ So in 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed in your margin it is whom I have trusted so that there is a trust a confidence a relyance a recumbency a dependance upon the Lord Jesus Christ where there is a right believing Thus you see what is implyed in believing Secondly What 's meant by the name of Jesus Christ Not the Letters or Syllables as many bow at the name of Jesus that is not the meaning but Name is put for the Thing or put for the person Psal 34.3 Let us exalt his Name together that is God himself let us exalt God himself so thou shalt reverence that dreadful name Jehovah that 's God himself and when you read of Sanctifying the name of God in Scripture that is God himself And so here Rom. 10.13 you will find by Name is meant God himself whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved that is shall call upon God himself And Acts 4.12 There is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved that is there is no person but Jesus whereby you can be saved And Joh. 3.18 he that believeth on him is not Condemned but he that believeth not is Condemned already because he hath not believed in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God Now what is it to believe in his name or in him First it implyes the receiving into our heads and hearts all things God hath revealed from Heaven concerning him As that he is the Son of God that God gave him for
be kept from wrath to come and to have everlasting life Now can you have greater benefit then to be delivered from all evil and enjoy all good God commands us therefore to believe that we might partake of these benefits God commands men to repent he would have them repent and be saved 2 Pet. 3.9 so here he commands them to believe and he would have them come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved 1 Tim. 2.4 God commands you to believe in his Son Jesus Christ that you might not perish but be sav'd he is very willing why will you dye why do not you come to my Son and believe in him I have lay'd help upon him that is mighty why do you not look for help from him God is willing that poor sinners should have the benefit that is to be had from Christ Thirdly I infer from hence a sufficient answer to all Objections that a doubting Soul can make Doubting souls are apt to make many Objections against believing troubled souls are ready to raise Objections Object I am not elected saith one and therefore it is not for me to believe Answ What saith God here dont thou look after thine election that 's a secret hidden thing but here 's a command that is visible and thy duty and I command thee to believe on my Son Jesus Christ Object I am a great sinner saith another and God will not pardon my sins Answ I but God commands thee to believe that thou mayest have pardon of thy sins though they be very great Object I have relapsed often into the same sin into passion and wantonness and covetousness and worldliness and the like I have a hard heart saith another I have no qualifications and dispositions The promises dont belong to me saith another I am not humbled enough I am dead and dull and weak and it 's not for such a one as I am to believe in Christ Answ Well know there 's nothing in us fits us to believe and nothing should hinder us from believing why here 's Gods command and shall thy indisposition or thy sins and fears cross and null a command of the great God whether shall prevail Gods command or thy fancy thy sins indispositions or want of qualifications here 's a command of the great God that thou believe in his Son Jesus Christ stop therefore the mouth of every Objection and say well here 's my duty God hath commanded me to believe Moses wrangles with God a great while but he must go at last so God hath commanded me to believe and I will lay down all my Objections and do my duty I will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ This concerns us all that we should not stick at any thing but answer Death Corruptions Flesh and World with this that he commands me to believe and shall I not obey the voice of God and when it is so for my good and I shall have relief against all that troubles me and burthens me and the like Fourthly We may see here also what is the right and best course for a troubled soul to take being wounded with sin and wearied with its sins We usually take the wrong course and the wrong way when we have sin'd and offended God we pray we mourn we groan we reform and labour to walk more exactly these things are not to be condemned I but it is not the right course to have the soul healed and therefore all comes to little of this nature Many have thoughts by such courses to please God and to make God some amends for their sins but this will never do it the right way is to hearken unto God here I command you to believe saith he 1 Joh. 2.1 I write unto you that ye sin not yea but we shall sin well If any do sin what then We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins we are to go presently to Jesus Christ who is our Advocate and propitiation for our sins and to believe this well Jesus Christ is my Advocate and propitiation for my sin which I have fallen into through infirmity or temptation or incogitancy or any occasion whatsoever this is the way Did not Nathan deal thus with David when he had sinned he tells him the Lord hath forgiven thy sins and David comes to his penetential Psalms after his belief that his sin was forgiven and that 's the true repentance that flows from the apprehension of Gods mercy towards us in the forgiveness of sins When the soul hath sinned observe it it must be setled upon that which can take away sin and upon a righteousness that is not its own but is far beyond its own now who is that can do this but the Lord Jesus Christ For the first the soul must be setled upon him that can take away sin 1 Joh. 29. Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world Behold him and look upon him that takes away the sin of the world he shall take away your sin the guilt of it the trouble of it and the vexation of it it must be the Lord Jesus Christ 't is not your Prayers nor repentance nor any thing comes from you can do it no 't is the Lord Jesus Christ alone that takes away sin Heb. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins 't is the Lord Jesus Christ alone that purges away sins Christ being without sin comes to take away sin and to purge away sin so that he condemns sin in the flesh Rom. 8.3 and our old man was Crucified with him Rom. 6.6 so that now there is nothing man can do that tends to the taking away of sin there 's nothing left for any man or woman in the world to do to take away sin but the Lord Jesus Christ he hath taken away sin and I am to believe on the Son of God who hath taken away sin and doth take away the sins of his people that they commit daily And if you will say as 't is in the 16 Prov. 6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged By mercy and truth what 's the meaning of that that is by Gods promise in sending Jesus Christ and his truth in performing his promise iniquity is purged by Jesus Christ whom he sent and fulfilled and made good the promise so that sin is purged by Jesus Christ and by none else Therefore when we have sinned we are to look to Christ and to Christ alone Secondly So for righteousness it is Christ's must stand us in stead not our own as there is no sin to be satisfied for now but all is satisfied for in and by Jesus Christ so there is no new righteousness to be wrought now by any for salvation but what Christ hath already wrought Christs righteousness is everlasting righteousness perfect righteousness he hath brought in everlasting and perfect righteousness and 2 Cor. 5. last he was made sin
love Thus then you see now to know whether your faith be right in Jesus Christ being commanded to believe in him One thing more and that is if faith lye under a Command let us all then be obedient to this Command and labour to believe in his Son Jesus Christ more and more if we have no faith let us do it if we have faith let us do it more and more I shall give you two or three motives and answer a question and so conclude First for Motives know you can never truly love God till your sins are forgiven you you will think God is not your God till your sins are forgiven but if you find that your sins are forgiven you you will love God then to purpose you will love God then in truth and in strength Mary loved much why many sins were forgiven her now unless you believe in Jesus Christ you cannot have the forgiveness of your sins and so you will be questioning whether God love you or whether he be not a hard God and a hard Master and dont pardon your sins and so you cannot love God truly and love God with strength If therefore you would love God with truth and strength believe in his Son Jesus Christ that you may know your sins are forgiven Secondly This believing in the Lord Jesus Christ makes our persons very acceptable unto God Eph. 1.6 he hath made us accepted in his Beloved How are we made accepted by faith in him if we have not faith in him we are not accepted therefore the Apostles put us to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 There 's the acceptation of your persons And so of your Prayers our Prayers will never speed in Heaven and have gracious Returns unless we believe in the Son of God 't is for Christs sake that our Prayers are heard as you may see in the verse before the Text and the Text together whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandments And what 's one Command That we belieive on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ why now our Prayers come to be heard when we keep his Commandments Lastly It is that which doth exalt the grace of God and honours him very much to believe in his Son Jesus Christ It 's said in 1 Joh. 5. He that believes not hath made God a Lyar. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself There 's encouragement to believe in the Son of God He that believeth not God hath made him a Lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is one record that God hath given us eternal life in him And this is another that he Commands us to believe in him that we may have this eternal life Now what a dishonour is this to the God of truth to make him a lyar but now to believe in his Son doth exalt the free grace of God God hath made all the promises to Jesus Christ and in Christ they are all yea and Amen And mark it All the promises of God in him are Yea and and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 When we believe in his Son Jesus Christ in whom they are all concentred in whom they are all yea and Amen but if you do not believe in the Son of God They are not all to the honour of God God hath not his glory in that way that he looks for by Jesus Christ So that we should believe in the Son of God because it doth exalt his honour and his free grace and promotes his Glory abundantly and the contrary brings reproach and dishonour upon God One question more But happily some will say I cannot believe what should I do To that Soul and to all of us I would say thus much First attend diligently unto the means by which God works faith Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Attend now unto the means the Gospel especially which is the means that God hath appointed to work faith by and doth work faith by Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your Salvation When they heard the word of truth the Gospel of Salvation then they came to trust in him So when people do attend unto the means of Grace and attend seriously unto it God doth work faith and increase faith where it is by the same means You know Pipes dont give water but water comes through Pipes so the Gospel is the Pipe through which God lets out this water of grace and conveys it unto us and will you see it performed in Acts 13.48 And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed When they heard the Gospel Preached as many as were ordained to eternal life believed they attended upon the word and the means of grace and it was not in vain they believed Attend therefore upon the Gospel and the word Preached as an Ordinance of God appointted and designed of God purposely to work faith in your Souls many persons they come to hear the Word they come only to hear a man what he can say and what notions and new things there may be but they come not to it as an ordinance of God appointed to work grace and faith in the soul and so miss of their expectation upon that account Secondly Consider how freely Jesus Christ is offered in the Gospel and offered unto you and at what a cheap rate Christ is to be had In Isa 55 come without money and without price come and drink of the waters of life freely Why the Lord Jesus Christ is a free gift Rom. 5.15 saith the Apostle not as the offence so also is the free gift A free gift Jesus Christ and grace is and Joh. 4.10 If thou haddest known the gift of God O Christ is the gift of God and what is required now but receiving of this gift will you not receive a gift and such a gift as this is when it is tendred to you by God himself and tendred to you in such a glorious manner and God doth put off this rich gift at a very low rate if you will receive it Rev. 3.20 I stand at the dore and knock if any man hear my voice and open the dore I will come into him and Ch. 22.17 whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely here 's Christ with the water of life and bread of life with his Righteousness with all that is useful for you for the present and to eternity here he is receive him O how great will our condemnation be if we dont receive him when as he is offered so freely to us 3. Lastly you cannot believe you say and I believe you too you cannot believe I but pray unto God to inable you
will require it of him It 's spoken of Christ who was the Prophet to be raised up in the room of Moses and saith God whosoever will not hearken to what he shall speak in my name in my stead I will require it of him what Christ did was in the Fathers stead they were his words he spake his works that he did so that to do in the name of Christ is to do as Christ himself would do as if Christ were present to do what Christ would do and speak what Christ would speak and think what the Lord Christ would think that 's to do things in his name in his stead Fourthly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them according to the will of Christ Joh. 16.23 compared with the 1 Joh. 5.14 Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name shall be given unto you now in 1 Joh. 5.14 saith John who was the beloved Disciple and told you Christs words in the Gospel he interprets them here and tells you this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us What is according to his will is in his name whatsoever we ask or whatsoever we do according to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ that is in the name of Christ and so the proposition En is taken in Scripture for according Joh. 3.21 he that doth the truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to God according to the will of God Men don't properly do their works in God but according to the will and mind of God so that when we do act either in word or deed according to the will of Christ then we do things in the name of Christ Fifthly to do all in the name of Christ is to do all for the sake of Christ so you will find the name of Christ to be taken Mark 9.37 whosoever shall receive one such Child in my name receiveth me that is whosoever receiveth one of such Children for my name sake receiveth me so in the 41 v. whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name that is for my sake so that to do things for the sake of Christ is to do things in the name of Christ Joh. 17.12 I kept them in thy name that is for thy sake in 4. Eph. 1. I therefore the Prisoner of the Lord a Prisoner in the Lord saith your Margin but properly 't is a Prisoner for the Lord 't is for the Lords sake that I am a Prisoner so that to do things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is to do them for his sake and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of the same force with other Prepositions as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye shall be hated of all Nations for my sake Mat. 24.9 and so in Acts 9.16 how great things he must suffer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for my name And in the 19 Mat. 29. he that hath forsaken houses or any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for my name sake so then to do things in the name of Christ is to do them for Christs sake as when Beggars do beg of you for Christs sake to bestow an alms upon them if you give them an Alms for Christs sake that 's in the name of Christ Sixthly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them to the honour and glory of his name to do them to Christs account so that Christ may not be damnified nor suffer any way but that Christs name may be honoured 2 Cor. 8.7 saith the Apostle as ye abound in every thing in faith in utterance in knowledge and in your love to us the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your love towards us so that the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies towards So here to do all in the name of Christ is to do all towards Christ towards the honouring of Christ suitable to that in 1 Cor. 10.31 whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God do all to the glory of his name do all to the manifestation of Christ and his name let our words and actions be such as may hold forth something of Christ hold forth the name of Christ Rev. 2.13 Antipas did hold fast the name of Christ the truths of Christ the graces of Christ the profession of Christs Doctrine and Acts 9.15 Go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and Kings and the Children of Israel he must hold forth my name and declare something of me that may be for my honour and glory it 's said in 2 Phil. 16. holding forth the word of life when we hold forth the word of life we hold forth the name of Christ and this is for the honour of Christ when Christians hold forth Christs meekness Christs humility Christs patience Christs love any truth of Christ any thing of Christ then they do things in the name of Christ they do honour and glorifie Christ 1. Cor. 14.25 if one come into the Church that believeth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all and the secreâ—s of his heart are made manifest and so falling down upon his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth They held forth something of God they held forth the name of God and God was glorified and a heathen or a stranger coming in saith of a truth God is in you Christs works declared the Father to be in him Joh. 14.10.11 The Father that dwelleth in me he doth the works believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me or else believe me for the very works sake The works that I do do hold forth the Father why they are done in the Fathers name and he is glorified by the works that I do and Christ glorified his Father here on earth by doing of his Fathers will and his Fathers works Seventhly Lastly to do things in the name of Christ is to do them by invocating of Christ by invocating of the name of Christ and so Beza and Zanchy and others interpret this place Mat. 18.20 where two or three are gathered together in my name that is invocating of me calling upon my name to call upon the Lord for councel for direction for our thoughts for our words for our actions this is doing things in the name of Christ It was the practice of the Saints to do so 1 Cor. 1.2 unto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord they called upon the name of Jesus Christ to have councel and direction and advice from him for their words and actions and all their
counsel thee saith Christ unto the Church of Laodicea To buy of me tryed Gold that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thy nakedness may be covered and the shame thereof may not be seen was not this good and sweet counsel that the Lord Christ did give to the Church that was poor and naked and shameful and destitute of all good So that the counsels of God are sweet counsels Secondly Are not the invitations that we find in the word very sweet sweet invitations are there made unto poor sinners Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye unto the waters and he that hath no money come buy and eat come buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Here is a Hive of Honey and Honey-combs in these words come come come here 's water to quench your thirst here 's wine to comfort your hearts here 's milk to nourish you and cause you to thrive and grow in the wayes of God here 's bread to strengthen you and here 's all free without money How sweet are these invitations come come come and for such things as are so excellent and so precious so that of the Lord Christ in Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and all of you come unto me and I will give you rest how sweet is this now to a burthened soul to a burthened conscience for a man or woman that is in straights and knows not what to do to come to the Lord Christ and they shall have rest in the 14. Hos 1. saith the Lord there O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity one would have conceived that Israel should have first sought to God who had offended God but God comes to delinquent Israel and saith O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquities Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the Calves of our lips he puts words into their mouths how sweet are these invitations of the Lord to poor sinners So in Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world There 's sweetness in the invitations that the word holds out unto us Thirdly Are not the promises in the word of God very sweet sweet yea sweet as the Honey-comb There are many great and gracious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 they are exceeding great precious promises to have a promise from a great man that is able to perform his promise and faithful is sweet unto a poor man but to have exceeding great and precious promises from the great God who is able and willing to perform and faithful and will not fail how sweet are these promises to the Sons of men Ezek. 36.25 26. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Are not here sweet promises very sweet promises promise upon promise And all the promises of God they are very sweet Jer. 32.40 I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me what a sweet promise is this to poor souls that fear they shall fall away and shall not hold out to the end God will put his fear into them and they shall not depart from him I will heal their backslidings and love them freely Hos 14. full of sweet and precious promises is the word of God Fourthly Is not the Gospel and the Doctrines of it very sweet Is not the Gospel glad tidings Luke 2.10 11. Behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy to you this day is born a Saviour 'T is a Gospel of reconciliation that declares the reconciliation of poor sinners unto the great and holy God 2 Cor. 5.19 it is the Ministration of life and of Righteousness 2 Cor. 3.8.9 it is the Doctrine of Christ 2 Joh. 9. what gracious words came out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus never man said his enemies spake like this man but there 's sweetness in this Doctrine is it not sweet that rich mercy is held out unto the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief what a sweet saying is this here is mercy held out to the chief of sinners so that all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven how sweet is this Matth. 12.31 So that God hath freely given his Son Joh. 3.16 God hath so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here is a sweet truth unto those that will understand truth there is more sweetness in it than they can taste or find out he is a propitiation in this is manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his onely begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and to be the propitiation for our sins 1 Joh. 4.9 10 14 15. By him we shall live he is the Saviour of his body the Saviour of sinners So how sweet is that 1 Cor. 1.30 He is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption Here 's sweetness in these things that we are freely justified by him Rom. 3.24 Acts 13.38 39. How sweet is that saying of the Lord Jesus Christ Joh. 6.37 if there were no more in all the Gospel but that all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Let any poor creatures come unto me in their rags in their filth in their guilt in their sores I will not cast them out I will not send them away discouraged but they shall find favour in mine eyes So the Doctrine of Christs intercession with the Father 1 Joh. 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous He is an Advocate to intercede for us and to order all things for our good so that there 's a great deal of sweetness in the word of God Fifthly There is sweetness in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ Christ washed his Disciples feet what sweetness is there in it to think that the Lord of glory and the Prince of life and the Heir of the world should humble himself so as to