as promises for all the Goods of this world knowing how useful the flesh of the Viper was to cure its poison the torments attending upon sin to check its temptations the apprehension of a Fever or other distemper annexed by consequence to restrain from those pleasant forbidden fruits which courted his Senses and sollicit his Phansie the deadly hook to keep from venturing on the bait the Sea from the Syren Thus when the Apostle exhorts the Hebrews to fear Lest any of them should seem to fall short of this Rest The word seem signifies not only an outward appearance of the things without a reality of the danger or misery forewarn'd of but in Let us take heed is also meant a real incurring the same without taking heed to the counsel given or it may be the Apostle chose to speak so to mitigate the sharpness of that which he spake of to the Hebrews that he might not be thought to conclude them Apostates but only to fear they may be so unless they look'd in good time warily to it Such charitable Rhetoric we read him using Heb. 6.9 But beloved we are persuaded better things of you and things that are near or accompany Salvation though we thus speak It may be also he saith Seem to stir up their fear and caution the more against such coldness sloth and inconstancy of mind as began to appear among the Hebrews which if not in time bewailed and rectified might hazard the prize set before them and fall to peremptory infidelity Thus he is charitably suspicious of them and jealous over them with a godly jealousie as he speaks 2 Cor. 11.2 and gives withall to understand that 't is not enough for a wise and thankful Christian to abhor and avoid utter Apostacies and final missing of Gods Rest but 't is their safety duty and honour to keep from the very approaches to it and appearances of it and not to give any occasions to others to hear or see or think that we are fallen or falling away Abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes 5.22 lest while you indulge your selves to sloth and give your selves over as far as you may with any hopes of attaining Heaven to the pleasures and cares or other concerns of this Life you do not only seem to fall short but do so indeed and plainly appear to do so And this is the last sence of the word lest ye seem that is appear and give too great undeniable evidence that you are of those that apostatize and fall short of Gods Rest So when it is said v. 2. The Gospel was preach'd as well to us as unto them It does not imply that the Gospel was preach'd as clearly and fully to them as unto us but that it was preach'd sufficiently to them in such a manner and measure revealed as was most suitable to those times by types and Prophesies spiritual and eternal things under the vail of external and visible temporal things yet so that the light shone through the vail on all their hearts who were attentive to the drift and true aim the grounds and reasons of them and to the Prophesies that went before and along with them to make them the clearlier understood The Apostle by saying As well to us speaks by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or intimation of so well at least and much better for to us the Gospel is preach'd without intervention of Types and Prophesies in its clear full actual exhibition unveiling those Types fulfilling those Prophesies revealing the whole Mystery of Godliness and Counsel of God much plainer dispensing the Light and Grace of Gods Spirit more generally and plentifully So that the Argument runs thus If they that had Gods Rest promised to them more obscurely and in a lower degree and measure yet fell short of it for want of being sound and constant in Faith and Obedience how much more shall they do so who having the Gospel preach'd unto them in its clearest fullest degree of light and power yet do not receive believe and obey it with faithful sincerity and perseverance Now by faith for want of which the Word preach'd did not profit them is meant such a firm well-grounded persuasion of Gods unchangeable all sufficient Wisdom and Truth as to adhere and cleave thereto against whatever appearing difficulties or temptations For the ancient Israelites they had most of them once believed God and Moses when they slew the Passover and sprinkled their Doors with the bloud thereof went out of Egypt though Pharaoh was ready to pursue them and went through the Red Sea into the Wilderness towards Canaan following the conduct of the Cloud and Pillar of Fire but when there arose any new difficulty or temptation Moses his absence for 40 days want of Water Bread for a while nay want of Flesh the Allurements of Women though Heathenish Idolaters the news of Gyants and high Walls they strangely forget the former evidences of Gods Faithfulness Power Goodness and Truth question and tempt him repine and murmur and turn back in their hearts to Egypt Wherefore 't was want of consideration and serious attentive frequent minding what they had formerly known and believed which continually exposed them to fall away to unbelief and disobedience Such are the grounds and motives of Faith propounded in Scripture that they who attend impartially and seriously cannot with any true reason deny their assent and approbation of that Doctrine which they prove and and blind the heart that final impenitency and infidelity is the issue in too too many Let no man then deceive himself with presumptious Hopes of entring Gods Rest on bare profession of his Gospel for that may be counterfeit and void of any well grounded faith sure to fail in time of Trial. Thus we see the word and means of grace though never so wisely and powerfully dispenced may prove very generally ineffectual for want of being mixt with faith in the partakers And that they who enjoy the means of grace and yet are not wrought upon by them to faith and obedience sincere and durable their call and profession of being the People of God does them not onely no good but hastens and aggravates their condemnation is it not time then for those who live in the light of the Gospel as never I think any Nation did for Hundreds of Years if this hath not to look to their hearts and lives impartially and thence discover what grounds and stability of faith there is in the one what fruits and good effects in the other and if they find themselves at a loss to take the blame intirely and wholly to themselves not to the want of means and motives Pastors or Teachers skillful and faithful but to the want of their own attention and consideration their taking up their profession of Christianity on no better or surer grounds than that which a Pagan or Mahometan relies on for their wicked errors Or if they have taken it up on better and know
dissembling false hearted flatterer to his pride and ambition a slanderous sycophant detractor and whisperer to his envy a brawling railing reviler to his wrath or anger a bloody assassinate to his revenge a griping extortioner or theevish cheater to his covetousness a seducer and tempter that is an assistant to Satan in ruining his own and other Mens Souls And when all this is done see what wearisom restless toyle remains for the sinner He would live for ever in this World but sees he must die and be call'd to account and seeing that he would die for ever and turn to nothing but that he sees he cannot neither He would have Gods favour but dares not come near him He would live in peace and approbation with himself but a civil War and contrary desires lusts and passions contrary each to one another and all to reason tear and divide him from himself He would live at Rest and Peace with other Men but his covetousness and pride makes him injurious his wrath and revenge his malice and envy makes him impatient and quite bereave him of this Peace He would be rich but either his sloth will not gather or his lusts and vain glory scatters as fast as his industry gets He would live in safety and ease but his haughty ambition makes him endure labour and danger day and night He would be in honour and high repute but his sordid lusts and cowardly fears griping covetousness or wrathfull revenge makes him hateful and contemptible His pride and ambition would command all Men but it makes him first fawn and flatter bow and cringe to those whom he secretly hates and scorns He would be true to his own principles and religion not give himself the lie by professing what he doth not believe but his love of the World and fear of poverty or of death doth so disturb the Rest of his Soul that he coucheth under every load complies and conforms to any profession of faith or worship which those who prevail would have him subscribe to till he lay down his faith hope and conscience at the feet of a Man whose breath is in his nostrils who threatens and strikes and is no more Thus he that serves is restless indeed opprest and tired with contrary Tyrants crossing and thwarting one another till they wrack and tear the Man in pieces and drag him to everlasting trouble anguish and sorrow How sweet then and highly pretious is that Rest which faith in God through Jesus Christ enters into when under the light and worth of that truth which it hath received it guides and subdues all its appetites affections and passions from a right principle by a right rule to a right end which is nothing but God and his word God as its author governour and happiness or perfect Rest For though the Rest be yet imperfect because the World the Flesh and the Devil do yet oppose it yet Christ hath promised that no opposition shall overthrow it unless we willfully and obstinately grieve that Spirit of truth holiness and comfort which was given us as the Seal of our faith and peace with God the preserver and finisher of this Rest the assurance of our present adoption and future inheritance if we will but wisely and thankfully value that Rest into which we are enter'd humbly and watchfully pray unto Christ to confirm and increase it all oppositions shall prove advantages all dangers travails and labours so many evidences of Gods faithfulness to us and ours to him of his being our all sufficient shield and supporter here our exceeding reward and satisfactory Rest for evermore Now see what a blessed Rest there is in faith and holiness and all those graces which wait on them Faith in God gives the mind a Sabboth of Rest from all those anxious perplexing enquiries and self contradicting resolutions which humane reason left to it self is vexed with and settles the heart on that divine Wisdom and truth which can neither deceive nor be deceived humbling at once the understanding and advancing it because it is its greatest advancement to be humbled under God who never fails to honour those who honour him and makes the conscience arise and rejoyce to see that it hath submitted it self to such a guide Take faith in its meanest Offices of trusting God in our temporal affairs resigning our selves to his wisdom power and goodness as one that can and will chuse better for us than we our selves what peace and rest is this to our Souls from all those servile fears and cares those base submissions and baser oppressions which the covetous worldling or cowardly trembling unbeliever undergoes Though the Waters rage and the Earth shake yet he whose heart trusts in the Lord that all things shall work together for good he is the only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a squar'd Man whom no change can make a changeling because his heart stands fast and believes in the faithful God he is gotten above this region of meteors clouds and winds because the Lord is his sun and shield which no cloud can intercept no wind shake But then in the higher Offices of faith whereby it considers and embraces the glorious truth of God our Redeemer and Saviour and sees that they are as certainly true as gloriously great That former sins confessed and forsaken are blotted out for the merits of Christ the Law satisfied by such a surety Satans accusations silenced by such an Advocat That afflictions and death have lost their sting and are turned into benefits That he who hath begun a good work will also finish it and never leave us in life and death untill he hath brought us to perfect Rest and full happiness both of soul and body what fruit can this produce but peace and joy in the holy Ghost cheerful constancy and perseverance in doing and suffering the will of God It rescues us from all those trembling fears and sorrowful agonies which else must seize upon our hearts from the weakness of the flesh and the strength of our enemies from the curse of the Law and the horrors of conscience from the malice and subtilty of the World and the Devil How well then might St. Paul say we that believe enter Gods Rest do already in good degree shall compleatly and unchangeably if we persevere Hope the second Christian grace is so near of kin to Faith that 't is lineally derived from it and born of it nor can that heart but find a comfortable blessed Rest which hopes in the fountain of all blessedness hopes to see and enjoy him for ever and in that hope purifies himself All other hopes are dead or dying sure to leave him void of Rest full of anxiety that builds on them This is the only lively hope as Saint Peter calls it because placed in the fountain of life and joy it self This is that grace which applies to our selves the general promises the Souls Anchor which makes it ride safe and triumphant in
ornament of a quiet Spirit very pretious in Gods sight and therefore ought to be so in ours I appeal to the reason and experience of any Man whether it be not rest and ease to forgive an injury rather than be provoked to revenge and to lay aside the consideration of other Mens malice envy and peevishness rather than imitate it and suffer the vexing remembrance of it to boil and ferment in our watchful minds until it hath conquered and transform'd us into the same troublesom evil Is it not Peace and a blessed Rest to sit still and lift up no hands but those of Charity and Charitable prayer rather than labour in fighting and wounding one another To hold ones peace than to rail and revile Which hath more Rest in it to study to be quiet and do ones own business or to be prying and intermedling with other Mens office faults or secrets To speak evil of no Man or to be always finding fault and speaking the worst we can of any who differ from us in any respect Which is the greatest trouble and burthen meekly to obey our Lawfull Governours in Church and State where God hath not commanded the contrary or be allways disputing against a few harmless indifferent ceremonies untill we have quarre'ld our selves and others into a causeless scandalous pernitious separation Then for humble contented patience that precept of the Old Testament but wisdom and mystery of the New Thou shalt not covet but be content patiently with thy own portion what is it but a Rest rather than burthen a purchase or priviledge rather than duty when once learnt Let the Carnal or Worldly Man with his bored tub of insatiable desires cry as the Horseleach give give and seek after wealth as he should after God without bounds Yet the Heathen Philosopher could resolve it the only way to true Rest not to seek to raise our fortunes to our desires but to bring down our desires to our fortunes and present condition The one is not onely uncertain because not in any Mans power but impossible because his desires increase with his purchases as fire with fewel whereas the other is possible and certain Contentment and patience glorifies God by placing its wealth in his favours who having promised him necessaries here and a Kingdom hereafter hath taught and obliged him to be contented with any fare upon the way because he sees his being so confirms and increaseth his future happiness Nullo egere Dei est quà m paucissimis Deo proximum As for sobriety temperance chastity reason secondded by experience assures any Man that to drink to the quenching of ones thirst or at most to the moderate cheering one Spirits to eat to the satisfying ones hunger or at most to the gratifying of festival joy hospitality friendship and thankful delight in what God hath bountifully given is all the good that is to be had from Meat and Drink that 't is a trouble as well as a sin to swill as if one were in a Feaver or till one brings himself to a Feaver or Dropsy to Eat and Drink till reason is drowned smothered and buried under the load and till the Phantastick forced pleasure of two or three mispent hours end in the pain of head and stomach for whole days after if not in some villainous lust or passion and bloudy quarrel in sickness and death both of Soul and Body The conscience finds all trouble in it and the Body it self for gratifying of which God and Conscience was despised find no Rest within some hours And what comparison between the rest safety health and honour of either virginal or conjugal chastity which keeps the desires of the flesh under the power of reason and faith lives in the hope of seeing God preserves the bond of love in Families inviolated and the unclean shameful excesses of wandring lust which are conceived with fear and anxiety brought forth and finisht with shame and sorrow begin in disorder of Soul and Body end in loathing begin in trouble end in worse burn at first and consume at last the peace of the mind if not the health of the Body also besides the confusions tumults quarrels it breeds in Families and all for the sneaking brutish delight of a few minutes There is indeed one grace which seems to have little Rest in it The suffering persecutions to death rather than disown the Truth or violate duty But God hath made so many promises to mitigate and temper all temptations to the strength which we either now have or shall receive upon our prayers of his turning to good whatsoever seems most evil And of his rewarding our courage and patience with so much the greater weight of glory that these promises being believed we are enabled as well as obliged not only to be contented but joyful also in tribulations for truth and righteousness sake and therefore no wonder if suffering miseries for the honour of God and our Lord Jesus for the furtherance of our own salvation and other Mens hath more rest than trouble in it without this Rest a flow of all other good things which this world can give will leave a Man but a miserable wearied Traveller under a heavy load and burthen of discontents and sorrows and with this Rest all labour and sorrow is inconsistent and though we may not expect to have this promised eternal Rest endless felicity as our deserved wages yet we may and ought to hope for it as our promised reward Angels and Saints departed this life they have it allready the Devils and damned are past all Hope Great pains and labour do the Men of this World take but not in order to this Rest and therefore a Multitude of mistaken sinners lay out the chief of their days and time in pursuance of pleasures and honours and profits of this World as if Heaven and Salvation were easy atchievments as if they might with a wish only at the last come to die the death of the righteous who had so notoriously lived the life of the wicked 'T is not only the doing of evil but the not doing of good which shall be punished at the last day the judge shall then condemn for not feedings for not clothing Go ye cursed into everlasting fire for I was hungry and ye fed me not for I was naked and ye clothed me not Not doing of good is none of the least evils He that sits still and moves not one step towards this Rest by wearing Christs Yoak and bearing his burthen shall lose Heaven as infallibly as he that runs from it who so hides his Talent shall receive no other wages save that of the slothful Servant The way to Heaven is narrow the Gate straight it must be striving that gives us entrance not only the hopes of Heaven but the escaping of Hell makes it our duty to be doing of good and by so doing we express our fear lest a promise of Rest being left any of us should seem