but some mercy withal Heaven is all Mercy and Hell is all Misery but this life is made up of both 't is a twi-light Some good in every condition and therefore in Every thing we are to give Thanks unto God 'T is the duty of a Christian to be like unto Jesus Christ Reas 3 he was thankful in Every thing When he had not whereon to lay his head Father I thank thee Matth. 11.25 When he was to go to his agony and sweat drops of blood they sung an Hymne saies the text a Psalm of Praise So when a Christian is to go to his agony what ever agony he meets withal there is rise enough yet for his Thankfulnesse In Every thing be thankful As the Apostle hath it in the 5. to the Ephesians and the 20. Giving thanks alwaies for all things unto God even the father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ You will say Suppose that a Christian meet with some long Quest heavy and sharp Affliction is he to be Thankful then to be Thankful in that condition Yes Look I pray into the 24. of Esay Answ and the 15. verse Wherefore saies he glorifie ye the Lord in the fires even the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the Isles of the Sea Glorifie ye the Lord in the fires so ye reade it Some rather translate it thus Glorifie ye the Lord in Doctrines Vrim the same word that we translate Vrim for the Urim and Thummim But I would rather translate it Valleyes so Calvin for Doctrines does not sute with that which follows Glorifie ye the Lord in the Valleyes even the Name of the Lord God of Israel in the Isles of the Sea A Valley is a low place and dark now saies he though ye be in a dark condition removed from light Glorifie the Lord in the Valleyes glorifie the Lord there And good reason why the Saints should do so as ye will see if you look into the 1. of Zachary and the 8. verse I saw by night and behold a man riding upon a red horse and he stood among the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom and behind him were there red horses speckled and white This man upon a red horse plainly must be meant Christ who is here attended with red horses speckled and white to send forth and dispatch into the several parts of the world upon his design These other red horses they are behind him waiting upon him Now where is Christ He is among the myrtle-trees And where are the Myrtle-trees They are in the bottom The Saints and people of God for their fruitfulnesse they are called Myrtle-trees and sometimes their condition is as a Valley they are in the bottom but yet they are Myrtle-trees in the bottom and Jesus Christ is among these Myrtle-trees though they be in a bottom though they be in a Valley and therefore no wonder that we should praise and glorifie God in this condition Beloved what we may rejoyce in that we may praise God for Jam. 1.9 10. Rom. 5.3 Now saies the Apostle Let the brother of low-degree rejoyce in that he is exalted and let the brother of high degree rejoyce in that he is made low Rejoyce in Tribulation A man is to rejoyce more for the opportunity of exercising grace than in all prosperity there are some graces that cannot be exercised but in Tribulation cannot be exercised in Heaven Patience and the like Now then when Tribulation comes a Christian should thus look upon it I have hereby an opportunity of exercising that grace that I had not before and then he will blesse God and then he will be thankful in that condition when God takes away one mercy he gives another if he take away Moses he will give a Joshua if he take away Ely he will give a Samuel if he will take away Christs personal presence he wil send the holy Ghost And the truth is he does not so much take away as borrow a mercy and he payes it again with usery and advantage Onesimus goes away like a thief from Philemon but he returns again with profit to him and others As for these outward things they will prove but debts at the great day of Judgment riches now and gifts now but debts then and the lesse ye have of these outward things the lesse ye have to reckon for them In a bad day men they say Oh! that I had less my reckoning would be lesse the lesse ye have the lesse your reckoning will be The comfort of a mans life consists not in Muchness but fitness to his heart If a man have a great Farm and a small stock it is the only way to break him it 's better to have a Farm fit for ones stock than a great Farm The Lord he sees what our stock of grace is and accordingly he provides a Farm for every one of his Children and sometimes it is lessened but the reason is because the stock of grace is no bigger they have no more grace to stock it withal Our Gifts and our Parts and our Prosperity they are so strong sometimes that God is fain to mingle water therewithal that we may not be drunk I appeal to you are not the Saints gainers by all their losses are not they strengthened by all their weaknesse are not they bettered by all their crosses Surely then in all things they are to be thankful though their affliction be exceeding long sharp and grievous yet they are to be thankful in that condition But suppose now Quest that it be Persecution that a man is to be exercised with and that is bitter is a Christian to be Thankful then even in that condition Yes ye know what the Apostle saies To you it is given Answ Phil. 1.29 Phil. 1.22 John 18.37 not only to beleeve but to suffer Gods gift is worth our thanks And saies the Apostle All shall turn to the furtherance of the Gospel Is it not a great matter and worth our praise thankfulnesse that we should be trusted by God to bear witnesse to his Truth For this came I into the world saies Christ that I might bear witness to the Truth It was his design thereby ye are like to him and so honour him When were the Churches and people of God more pure than under Persecution and is it not a great mercy to be kept pure The more you suffer for any Truth the more that Truth shall be spread by you you die but the Truth lives your Estate dies and your Name dies and your Liberty dies but your dying Estate gives a living testimony unto the Truth When I am lift up saies Christ Joh. 12.23 meaning upon the Crosse I will draw all men after me And so shall you do when you are lift up upon the Crosse for any Truth ye shall draw all men after that Truth that ye are lift up for When have ye more communion with Jesus Christ than when ye suffer most for his
Truth Is it not a great mercy for a man to be glorified on this side heaven pray look upon that expression which ye have in the 13. of John the 30. and the 31. verses 'T is said concerning Christ himself that when Judas went out having received the sop Jesus saith Now is the Son of man glorified and God is glorified in him Verse the 30. Judas having received the sop went immediately out and it was night therefore when he was gone out Jesus saith Now is the son of man glorified Judas went out to betray him to bring him to the Crosse a false brother was gone out Now is the son of man glorified saies he Not only because the cross was the way to glory but the truth is he was glorified upon the Crosse there was a glory there You may observe it He did many miracles and when he had done those miracles he did not say then Now is the son of man glorified He was Transfigured and he did not say upon his Transfiguration Now is the son of man glorified But now he comes to suffer now he comes to the Crosse now saies he is the son of man glorified And indeed now is his love to poor sinners glorified Col. 2.15 The Apostle saies He triumphed over all principalities and powers upon the Crosse and his love triumphs over all our fins and our guilt and our unworthinesse Oh! then was free-grace and love when Christ was upon the Crosse Now is the son of man glorified And so it shall be with you When a false brother goes out to persecute you to betray you to bring you to the Crosse you may say so Now is the servant of the Lord glorified now is my love to Christ glorified never more glorified than now This makes the Apostle Peter speak in the 1. Peter 4.16 If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalf 'T is matter of Praise and Thanksgiving here saies he at the 13. verse Rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings Verse the 14. If ye be reproach't for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth on you That is saies one upon that place As Noahs Dove hovered over the water and found no place for to rest her foot upon untill she returned to the Ark So does the Spirit of God as it were hover over the souls of men it wanteth rest and when it sees a soul that suffers for the Truth there it lights there it rests there the Spirit of God and of glory rests I appeal to you which will be most comfortable think ye at the day of Judgment that ye have been persecuted for the Truth or that ye have been a persecutor of the Truth I know your Answer When a Christian is under persecution he may lift up his voice and say I might have been ingag'd against the Truth Ah! I might have been a persecutor of the Truth but blessed be God it is not so The Apostles went away rejoycing that they were accounted worthy to suffer for the Name of Christ Surely therefore there is matter of praise and thanksgiving even in this condition also in this condition a Christian should be thankful 't is the will of God our Father we should be thankfull here But suppose that a mans inward and spiritual condition be overclouded Quest and God withdraw and hide his face from a Christian shall he can he be thankful in this condition is it his duty to be thankful now Yes For though God do withdraw Answ though he do hide his face and not shine upon a Christian yet it may be light with him Day may be day though the Sun do not shine forth in bright-beams And it may be day light it may be day upon a Christian soul though there be never a beam shines We are saved by faith and not by feeling Again Though Christ doth hide his face though he doth withdraw his Comforting presence he never withdraws his Supporting presence from a Christian sometimes more of that when least of the other Christ deals by a Christian as God dealt by Christ in his agony and on the Crosse though God withdrew his Comforting presence so as he cry'd out and said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27.46 Yet he had never more of Gods Supporting presence And so 't is with a Christian Though Christ may withdraw his Comforting presence yet he never withdraws his Supporting presence from them Besides Jesus Christ does so withdraw from a Christian as he does draw withall by his Spirit He seemed to withdraw from the Canaanitish woman but he did draw her to him by his Spirit When he withdraws in the 5. of the Canticles from his Spouse he leaues Myrrhe upon the ringles of the door And so when he withdraws from a Christian he leaues his Myrrhe upon the ringles of the heart the heart cannot be quiet cannot rest takes no contentment without him he does draw the soul to him while he seems to witndraw from the soul Lastly What a man would not lose for all the world that you will say is worthy of Praise and Thankfulness Now take a gracious soul a godly man when he is most deserted forsaken left as it were and he saies now Mercy is gone now Christ is gone Ask him but this Question If Christ be gone as you say why don't you renounce Christ and renounce all his waies He will tell you Oh! no I dare not renounce him for all the world But if he be quite gone Why don't you turn Drunkard why don't you turn Swearer and why don't you cast off all duties Oh! no that I dare not I have yet something left that I would not lose for all the world Is there not then matter of Praise and Thanksgiving in this condition Surely there is even in this condition also But you will say Quest Suppose that a man be oppressed with sad Temptations black and dark Temptations God does not only withdraw but Satan draws neer heavy and dreadful Temptations presse in upon him is it the will of God the Father that he should be Thankful in this condition also Yes Answ For is it not matter of Praise think ye and Thankfulnesse that your Enemy is overcome before you strike a stroke you shall be more than Conquerers write your Enemy overcome before you fight Job 16.33 Be of good comfort saies Christ I have overcome the world and so the god of the world Satan your Enemy is overcome before you do strike a stroke Besides Is it not matter of Praise and Thanksgiving That Satan can tempt you no more than your own Father gives him leave to do Simon Simon Luke 23.31 saies Christ Satan hath desired thee that he may winnow thee as wheat Mark the words He hath desired he was fain to aske leave first he could not winnow Peter till he
holy he is the more a man sees his sins pardoned the more is he engaged to Christ ibid 5 The more a man denies his own reghteousness the more holy is he with Gospel-holiness Page 21 SERMON II. Heb. 2.17 18. The second work of a high priest is to pray and intercede for the people Page 25 Proved Page 26 Cleered by opening 1 Wherein it consisteth 1 In owning our cause and souls to God his father Page 27 2 Carries the merit of his blood into the presence of God the Father Page 28 3 Answers the accusations that are brought in against us ibid 4 Cals for pardon of our sins at the hands of God Page 30 2 How powerful it is with God the father 1 The great interest he hath with his father Page 31 2 The inclination God the Father hath to the things Christ intercedeth for Page 32 3 upon what terms Christ was taken and admitted into heaven Page 34 3 He now intercedeth for us in heaven as our High-priest 1 He hath gone through more temptations than any High-priest ever did Page 35 2 He is filled with more compassions Page 36 3 He is more faithful in his office Page 37 4 He liveth for ever to intercede Page 38 5 He intercedeth at all times ibid 6 For all sins the sin against the holy-Ghost excepted 4 This conducech to our comfort and holiness To our comfort proved Page 39 Object I am afraid the Lord Christ doth not intercede for me Answ 1. It is no presumption to bear our selves upon the intercession of Jesus Christ Page 41 2 Who those are that Christ doth intercede for Page 42 3 How infinitely willing he is to intercede for us 1 He hath received his anointing for it Page 44 2 It is the work of his relation Page 45 3 It is the work of his office Page 46 To our holiness 1 The more we are engaged to come to Christ Page 48 2 The more we are engaged to appear on earth for him Page 49 3 The more we are engaged to lay out our selves for him Page 50 SERMON III Heb. 2.17 18. The third work of the High Priest to offer up the gifts of the people to God to present their duties to him Page 52 Proved Page 53 Cleered by particulars 1 What Christ doth when he offers up our gifts to God the Father Page 54 1 He takes our persons and carries them to God the Father in an unperceivable way to us ibid 2 He takes out the iniquity of our duties before he presents our duties to his father Page 55 3 He mingles his own intercession with what is good in our duties and so presents them as one work to his father Page 56 2 What acceptance this hath with God the Father Page 57 1 It was an agreement made between them before the world was ibid 2 He was made the great Lord treasurer of all grace Page 58 3 The father promiseth him his desire ibid 4 He hath put the keys of heaven and hell into his hands ibid 3 He doth Improve his acceptance for our acceptance Page 59 4 What abundance of acceptance we have in all our duties by him Page 60 Objections answered Page 62 5 How this makes for our comfort and holiness Page 64 For our comfort 1 Our duties are not lost Christ takes notice of them Page 65 2 We have liberty to go to the mercy seat and there meet with God ibid 3 We know how it shall go with us at the great day of judgment ibid 4 Being poor beggers we are releeved of God Page 66 Object How shall I know the Lord accepts my duty Answ 1 If thou find thy heart warm in duty or after duty thy duty is accepted Page 67 2 Can you pray and intercede for other godly men Page 68 3 If grace be larger under the Gospel than under the Law ibid For our holiness 1 To the ungodly 1 It keeps men from opposition to the wayes of God Page 69 2 It is a mighty encouragement to ungodly men to come to Christ Page 70 2 To the godly 1 Here 's an infinite reason why we should be much in duty ibid 2 Infinite reason why we should receive every truth that comes from Christ Page 71 3 It will make you more obedient in an evangelical way Page 72 4 The more a man rejoyceth in spirituall obedience the more humble he is Page 74 SERMON IIII Heb. 2.17 18. The fourth work of the High priest is to blesse the people Page 76 Proved ibid Opened 1 Wherein the blessing of Christ and of the Gospel consists Page 77 1 In the spiritual enjoyment of God in Christ Page 79 2 In the holy Ghost dwelling in our hearts ibid 2 What Christ doth when he doth blesse 1 He wisheth choyce blessings to them Page 80 2 He doth authoritively pronounce him blessed Page 81 3 He absolves them from all their sins ibid 4 He confers and bestows the blessing upon them ibid 5 He gives increase Page 82 3 That this belongs especially to Christ proved Page 83 4 That Jesus Christ is willing to blesse poor sinners Page 85 5 He doth this fully ibid Object We do not see it Answ 1. 'T is a hard thing to discern the blessing of Christ sometimes ibid 2 He doth not blesse as the world blesseth Page 84 3 Not as professors blesse Page 85 4 Not alwaies as godly men blesse ibid But 1. He blesseth such as are weak in gifts and grace Page 86 2 Such as he hath made use of in the work of God ibid 3 Such as are willing to leave all relations to follow him Page 87 4 He blesseth when the world curseth ibid 5 Such as graciously enjoy evangelical ordinances Page 88 6 All this conduceth to our comfort and holiness To our comfort Page 88 Object If I were assured God had blessed me I could have comfort Answ 1 It is a sign a man is blessed when others are blessed by him Page 90 2 When he is drawn the neerer to God by outward things Page 91 3 When he encreaseth and multiplieth ibid To our holinesse 1 it encourageth to come to the truth Page 92 2 To go on in it against all opposition Page 94 3 To go on though we have but weak parts ibid 4 To be contented with our condition Page 95 5 Continually to bless the Lord ibid Hebrews 2.18 SERMON I Text opened Page 98 Doct. God suffers his deerest children to suffer by the hand of temptation Page 101 Opened 1 There is an afflictive disposition in every temptation Page 101 2 God suffers his own children thus to suffer 1 The best many times suffer most Page 103 2 At that very time when they have most of God ibid 3 Satan many times seems to have the better of them Page 104 4 This continues a long time ibid Why God doth so 1 That they may be the more enlightened Page 104 2 That they may be cleansed ibid 3 That they may be
that Jesus Christ is my High-Priest so as to have satisfied for me Ah if I did but know that the Lord jesus Christ were my High-Priest in this particular so as to have satisfied for me then should I have comfort indeed how shall I discover that I am afraid he hath not satisfied for me And why not for thee man or woman why not for thee Ans 1 I shall tell you what I have heard concerning a young man that lay upon his death bed and went to Heaven While he was lying upon his death bed he comforted himself in this That the Lord Christ died for sinners Oh! blessed be the Lord saies he Jesus Christ hath died for me Satan came in with this temptation to him I but young man why for thee Christ died for sinners but why for thee how canst thou make that appear that Christ died for thee Nay Satan saies he and why not for me Ah the Lord Jesus he died for sinners and therefore Satan why not for me So he held his comfort and went up to Heaven triumphing So say I to thee poor drooping soul that labours under Temptation Why not for thee why not for thee and say so unto Satan Why not for me Again Christs satisfaction it lies open for all sorts of sinners to come unto it As the promise Ans 2 it runs indefinitely and if a man come to the promise and apply it his very applying the promise does make it His. You say Oh! that I did but know that the promise belongs to me I say thy very resting upon the promise makes it to belong to thee So the satisfaction of Jesus Christ this piece of Christs Priestly Office it lies open for all sorts of sinners for to come unto it and your very resting upon it and applying it to your own souls it makes it to belong unto you Furthermore If Jesus Christ be willing that you should think that he hath satisfied for you Ans 3 then it is no presumption for you to think so Now saies he at the Lords Supper Take my blood that is shed for thee I apply it to thee Behold thy King cometh unto thee When he rode upon an Asses colt it was not said Behold thy Lord cometh but behold thy King cometh to thee he would have every one so to think More especially Ans 4 If that a poor Christian now might not to unto Jesus Christ as unto his High-Priest and say that he is an High-Priest to me then are we Christians in a great deal worser condition than the Jews were for when a Jew had sinned he might carry his sacrifice to the Priest and he might say That this Priest here belongs to me And there was never a Jew amongst all the people of the Jewes but when the High-Priest sprinkled the Mercy-Seat but he might say This he hath done for me Now we are not in a worse condition than the Jews were this High-Priest is beyond all the High-Priests that ever was before him and therefore there is never a poor Christian but he may go to the Lord Christ and say Oh! my High-Priest and this my High-Priest hath satisfied for me Oh! what comfort is here to poor drooping souls Lift up your heads O all ye Saints and Children of God me thinks here is that indeed that might bring you off your own sands When there is no water in the river but his own the tyde comes not in no sea-water only the water of the river the native water as I may so speak then your bottoms your ships they stand upon the sands but when the tyde comes in then they are raised and come off the sands then And so long as thou hast nothing in thy own channel but thine own righteousness thou stickest upon the sands in the deep mire But now when the tyde of the Lords satisfaction comes in there is a full-sea of mercy and satisfaction able to swim the heaviest vessel made by Jesus Christ Ah me thinks this should lift up a poor soul and fetch him off from his sands Be of good Comfort them Thus it 's evident how this truth does much conduce to our Comfort But you will say Quest Does it not much conduce to our Grace or Holiness too Or if it do I pray how Yes Answ 1 This truth does conduce much to our Holiness too You shall observe that the new Covenant of grace it is laid and founded upo the satisfaction of jesus Christ upopn the Crosse upon that oblation Three times the Apostle Paul makes mention of the new Covenant of grace in the book of the Hebrews the 8 9 and 10. Chapters and in all these places he laies the Covenant of grace and founds it upon the satisfaction of Jesus Christ But especially in the 9. Chapter the 13 14 and 15. verses The 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Then at the 15. And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Testament For this cause plainly laying the new Covenant of grace upon the satisfaction of Jesus Christ upon this part of his Priestly Office So then thou maiest now go unto God the Father and say Lord thou hast made a Covenant of grace with poor man and this Covenant of grace is founded upon the Priestly Office and satisfaction of Jesus Christ and the Lord Jesus Christ he hath satisfied for me and the new Covenant promises that we shall be all taught of God Lord I amignorant Oh! therefore now by the satisfaction of Christ let me be taught of thee that I may be made wise unto salvation And so again Lord thou hast made a Covenant of grace with poor man this is laid upon the satisfaction of Jesus Christ The Covenant of grace saies I will write my Law in your inward parts Now O Lord seeing Jesus Christ hath founded this Covenant in his blood and I am one of those that he hath made satisfaction for Oh! write thy Law in my inward parts that I may do all thy wills But again Answ 2 in the Second place that we may see how this do conduce to our Holiness Strengthen faith and we strengthen all if faith be weakened all grace is weakened Strengthen your faith and you strengthen all your Holiness and all your Graces The way to strengthen a bough or a branch of the tree is not to carry dung up into the tree but to lay it to the root Strengthen the root and ye strengthen all the branches Faith is the Root-grace now the knowledge and the thorow degesting of this truth That the Lord Jesus Christ is our great High-Priest in this point of satisfaction it does wonderfull strengthen our faith For the more I know that God is willing and and Christ willing to shew mercy unto me the more my faith is strengthened I know this That every man is willing
to do the work of his office if he be faithful A Porter is willing to carry a burden why because it is his office to do it It is the office of Jesus Christ for to bear our sins It is his Office to be the great High-Priest that does satisfie God the Father for our sins Surely therefore he is willing to do it for he is faithful in his office But besides Answ 3 The more I see an holy Necessity upon Christ Jesus for to show mercy to me the more my faith rises It 's very remarkable The Lord Jesus Christ as God he may refuse and might refuse whether he would show mercy to us or no But now as a High-Priest he cannot refuse a poor sinner that does come unto him If I know that Christ is able to satisfie is able to show mercy to me my faith stirs a little at the sight of Christs ability If I know that Christ be willing to show mercy to me my faith rises higher but if I know that Christ cannot refuse me if I do come unto him then my faith rises up to a great height indeed When a poor sinner amongst the Jews had sinned and brought his sacrifice to the High-Priest the Priest might not refuse it Our Lord Jesus Christ is our great High-Priest I say as God he may refuse but now he being our great High-Priest therefore when a poor sinner comes to Jesus Christ as a High-Priest he cannot refuse Oh! what a great strengthening is this to faith Strengthen faith and you strengthen all the right understanding of this truth doth wonderfully strengthen faith Further Answ 4 The more a man is ingaged to Jesus Christ and takes himself to be ingaged to him the more Holy he is the more a man sees himself freed from sin by Christ the more he takes himself to be ingaged to Christ for freeing of him from his sin Now this truth tels us how Christ hath satisfied for our sins freed us from sin and so we shall be the more ingaged to Christ If a man were going to prison even at the Compter door for a great sum of money and the door were unlocking if a man should come and speak to the Sergeant Hold your hands here is money for you I will pay this mans debt and laies the money down would not this poor debtor take himself for ever ingaged to that man that should thus come and lay down the money and free him so seasonably from the Compter and prison Thus it was with the Lord Christ Ah we were all going to prison everlasting prison chains of darkness and he comes and laies down the money makes full satisfaction to God the Father as our great High-Priest Oh! what an ingagement is this to every soul unto the Lord Christ to become the Lord Christs for ever Lastly The more a man does deny his own righteousness Answ 5 the more Holy he is with Gospel-Holiness It is said of the Jewes That they going about to establish their own righteousness submitted not unto the righteousness of Christ So on the contrary when a man does go about to establish the righteousness of Christ then he submits unto it and then he denies his own righteousness The more we see a fulness of satisfaction made by Jesus Christ for all our sins unto God the Father the more we acknowledge Christs righteousness and the more we establish it and the more we shall be brought off from all our own righteousness Oh! Therefore now as ever you do desire to have more Grace more Holiness more Comfort study and study much this Priestly office of Jesus Christ There are many that complain that they cannot profit under the means of grace That they have hard hearts That the waies and Ordinances of God are not sweet to them Prayer they do perform but with no sweetness they do not relish the blood and Spirit of Christ upon their spirits in their duties c. Many complain that their sins and temptations like the sons of Zarviah are too mighty for them and that one day they shall be slain by the hand of Saul such a lust such a corruption No wonder that we have these complaints when we do not go unto the store-house of comfort and grace that the Lord hath set open for us The Priestly office of Christ it is the great Magazine and Storehouse of all that grace and comfort which we have on this side heaven if ye do not go unto it is it any wonder that ye want comfort or that ye want grace I appeal to you now are there not some nay many that never went to Jesus Christ as their High-Priest to this day Ah are there not some even Professors that do not know what the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ meanes Oh! No wonder poor soule so uncomfortable no more stength against thy temptations If the State should appoint a man for to relieve poor maimed souldiers that go a begging if they meet with the sawme man that is appointed by the State and they beg of him in the streets as an ordinary man he relieves them not but now if they come unto him as a man appointed by the State for relief of such then he relieves them according to the duty of his place So it is with men they go to Christ in an ordinary way they do not go to Christ as the great Lord Treasurer of all our grace as our great High-Priest they do not go unto him as in office set up in office by God the Father for such reliefe they do not addresse themselves to him as their High-Priest to make satisfaction for them and therefore they go away and have no relief But would we have more strength against corruption would we walk more comfortably in our course would we find the waies of God Ordinances and duties more sweet and comfortable to our souls then reade and consider that place in the Canticles 2.3 As the apple-tree among the treesof the wood so is my beloved among the sons I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my tast The spouse speaks it concerning Christ What is this fruit of Christ Your Justification Adoption Vocation Sanctification Consolation it is al the fruit of Christ All your own Duties your Prayers Reading Meditation they are all the fruit of Christ The injoyment of al his Ordinances al your spiritual priviledges under the Gospel they are the fruit of Christ Now saies she I sate down under his shadow and his fruit it was sweet unto my tast As it is unto a man that does love fruit be it Pears Apples Cherries or the like I love this fruit saies he but yet notwithstanding I must needs go where this fruit grows and gather it off the tree and when he hath gone to the tree and taken the fruit off the tree saies he I sate down under the tree I had not the fruit the Apple or Cherry brought unto
my house but I went unto the tree and gathered it off the tree and I sate down under the shadow of the tree and Oh! how sweet was the fruit unto me So saies the soul so saies the Spouse of Jesus Christ I sate down under the shadow of Jesus Christ and then his fruit was sweet unto my tast It may be we have had other shadows we have sate down under the shadow of our Estate our outward Estate hath been sweet unto our tast We have sate down it may be under the shadow of friendship and the fruit of friendship hath been sweet unto our tast But behold here a tree the tree of life whose shadow reaches to the end of the earth Ah Come Come and sit down under the shadow of Jesus Christ If there be ever a poor soul that never yet knew what Comfort meant Ah Come Come under the shadow of the Lord Jesus The Priestly Office of Jesus Christ it hath a very sweet shadow Come therefore you that say you cannot profit under the means and you that complain of such and such temptations and such and such sins and that you were never yet comforted your consciences never pacified Come now and sit down under the shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ I tell thee from the Lord thus fruit of His it shall be sweet unto thy tast thou shalt go to Prayer and Prayer shall be sweet unto thy soul though heretofore thou couldst find no sweetness in it so the Word and other Ordinances shall be sweeter unto thee than the hony or the hony combe Thus it 's evident how comfortable the Priestly Office of Jesus Christs and how much conducing unto our Comfort and Holiness Oh! therefore let us study now study the Priestly Office of Jesus Christ and come and sit down under his shadow and the Lord make his fruit sweet unto all our souls And thus I have opened and applyed the first particular of Christs Priestly Office The Second follows c. SERMON II. HEBREWES 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him Preached at Stepney Maii. 2. 1647. to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to godliness to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that He himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted I Have begun to discover from these words That the Friestly Office of Jesus Christ is the great Magazine and Storehouse of all that grace and comfort which we have in this world that whereby we are succoured and relieved against all Temptations This hath been made good in the Generall and in one Particular work of the High Priest If we now inquire further what the work of the High-Priest was and is that accordingly we may address our selves unto Jesus Christ for succour We shall find that it is also to Pray and Intercede for the people To make reconciliation for the sins of the people saies the text To make Atonement for the sins of the people saies the old Testament Which Reconciliation or Atonement was made in the times of the old Testament not only by offering of a sacrifice but by taking the blood thereof and presenting that with Praers and intercessions unto God to accept of it for the sins of the people As we shall find in that same 16. of Livitieus After the sacrifice was kild the Priest was to take the blood of it and sprinkle it with his finger upon the Mercy-Seat as we reade in the 14. verse And at the 12. and 13. He shall take a Censer full of burning coals of fire from off the Alter before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the vaile And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the Mercy-Seat He was to cause a cloud of incense to arise upon the Mercy-Seat All which was a great Type of the Prayers and Intercessions of Jesus Christ who having once offered up himself a sacrifice for our sins hath carried the blood and the vertue of it into Heaven there sprinkled the Mercy-Seat and there still by his Intercessions does appear for us As it is proved at large in the 9. Chapter of this Epistle to the Hebrews 11. and 12 verses But Christ being come an High-Priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands that is to say not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood be entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us And at the 24. verse For Christ is not entered into the Holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into Heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us And if you duely consider this book of the Hebrews you will find that this work of Christs Intercession is The Essential work of his Priestly-Office it seems rather to go beyond the former than to fall short of it Hebrews the 8. Chapter and the 4. verse For if he were on earth he should not be a Priest That is look as it was in the times of the old Testament if the Priest had only offered a sacrifice and had not gone into the holy of holiest with the blood thereof sprinkling the Mercy-Seat praying and interceding that it might be accepted for the sins of the people the Priest had not done the work of the Priest and so he had not been a compleat Priest So now saies the Apostle if Jesus Christ had only offred up himself here a sacrifice and had not gone into Heaven the holy of holiest and carried the power and the vertue of his death thither to pray and intercede for us he had not done the work of the great High-Priest Every Priest might sacrifice but every Priest might not go into the Holy of Holiest that belonged only to the High-Priest to do Now therefore Jesus Christ going into Heaven the Holy of Holiest there to make Intercession for us is the great and the special work of this High-Priest That I may cleer up this mysterious Truth I shall deliver my self these Four waies by opening First Wherein the Intercession of Christ consisteth and what he doth when we say he intercedes in Heaven for us Secondly How powerfull and prevailing his Intercessions are with God the Father Thirdly That he doth now intercede as our great High-Priest and in a more transcendent and eminent way and manner than ever any High-Priest did before Fourthly This does conduce to our Comfort and to our Holiness First If it be demanded Quest Wherein consisteth this Intercession of Jesus Christ I Answer Answ 1 First it consists in this His appearing for us in Heaven his owning of our Cause and of our souls to God the Father It is the word that is used in that 9.
unto ye like unto me hear ye him And now here in this 17. of Matthew at the transfiguration Moses and Elias appeared which they did not in the 3. of Matthew First Consider that the Emphasis may lie upon the word Hear and not upon the word Him only This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hear ye him His face did shine as the Sun and his rayment was white as the light And Christ appeared in great glory and they stood looking upon him Nay saies the Lord from Heaven do not make it a gazing matter but Hear him don't stand looking upon him but Hear him He don't appear in such a glory in the 3. of Matthew when he was baptized and therefore those words are not added there But again Here now in the 17. Chapter of Matthew at the Transfiguration appears Moses and Elias Behold at the 3. verse There appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him Moses that gave the Law Elias that restored it Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord 't is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here Three Tabernacles one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Peter and so the rest of the Disciples began for to equallize Moses to Jesus Christ One for Moses and one for Elias and one for Jesus Christ no more for Christ than for Moses Now the Lord takes Peter off from all his mistakings Your eye is upon Moses saith he but I saith the Lord God Almighty am wel pleased in my Son This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased I am well pleased with you and with your Duties through this my Son and not through Moses and therefore Hear Christ and not Moses He laies this in upon it that therefore they should be Evangelical and hear Jesus Christ because the Lord Christ gives acceptance unto all and by him God is well pleased with them Again further The more glory Christ does appear in the greater reason there is why we should hear him Now here the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in glory his face did shine as the Sun and his raiment was white as the light In the 3. of Matthew he was there baptized and he did not appear in glory but now here he appears in glory and therefore saies the Lord now Hear him this is your glorious Saviour Hear him Beloved what greater glory can Jesus Christ appear to your souls in than this the glory of his love he takes every one of your Duties and your Prayers and he carries them in to the bosome of God the Father and by him you have acceptance Oh! what a glorious Saviour have ye therefore Hear him This is that if any thing will make ye very Obedient to Christ more than to Moses to be Evangelical in all your Duties Yet further The more a man can rejoyce in spiritual priviledges with humility and the more humble a man is and yet can rejoyce in his spiritual priviledges the more holy he is there goes a great deal of Holiness to it to joyn these two together for a man to rejoyce in his spiritual priviledges and yet to be humble and to walk very humbly Some there are that look upon ther spiritual priviledges and rejoyce much but they don't walk humbly Some labour to walk humbly and are much troubled in the consideration of their own evil but they don't rejoyce in their spiritual priviledges Give me a Christian that doth both and he is a blessed man The study of this Truth that is now before you will teach you to do both to do both together For what a great priviledge is this not a figh not a groane not a duty but the Lord Christ takes it and carries it in and presents it to God the Father for me whereby I have acceptance Considering this here is matter of much joy and rejoycing I but It is Christ that does it there is no such worthiness in mine own duty it were lost and cast away if Jesus Christ did not take it in his hand and carry it into the bosome of God the Father and therefore why should I not walk humbly I conclude all with this If that the Lord Jesus Christ our great High-Priest offers up all our Gifts unto God the Father whereby we have acceptance What infinite cause have we all to be Thankful to God for Christ and to love Jesus Christ for ever Suppose one of you had been among the Disciples when the Lord Christ wash't his Disciples feet and he should have come and wash't your feet and have done it would not your heart have glowed with love to Jesus Christ Yet when the Lord Jesus Christ wash't his Disciples feet it was in the daies of his flesh when he was here on the earth but now he is in glory and yet for all this he takes your dirty prayers and does as it were wash the feet of your prayers that he may present them to God the Father he washes your tears over again in his bloud and presents them to God the Father he takes all your Duties and perfumes them with his intercessions and so presents them unto God the Father Oh! what cause have we to love Jesus Christ Oh! you that never loved Christ love him now and you that have loved him before love him much more you that fear the lord love the Lord and let us all even go away with our hearts warmed with this love blessing and praising the Name of the Lord. And thus I have led you into a Third work of our great Hight Priest which is this To offer up the Gifts of the people unto God the Father A Fourth follows c. SERMON IV. HEBREWES 2.17 18. Wherefore in all thing it behoved him Preached at Stepney May. 16. 1647. to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High-Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people For in that He himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succou them that are tempted IT hath been opened and applied that the work of the High-Priest was and is To satisfie for the sins of the people to make Intercession for them and to offer up their Gifts unto God the Father all which Christ doth for us I shall speak of one work more of our great High-Priest and that is To bless the people We reade in the Old-Testament of two sorts of High-Priests One according to the order of Aaron the Levitical High-Priest as I may so speak and his work was for to Bless the People as we may reade in the 6. Chapter of Numbers the 23. verse Speak unto Aaron and unto his Sons saying On this wise ye shall bless the Children of Israel saying unto them c. There was another High-Priest not according to this order of Aaron and that was Melchisedec and he also did Blesse Abraham And the Apostle speaking of him
as a great Type of and in relation to Jesus Christ our great High-Priest in the 7. Chapter of this book of the Hebrews and the 6. verse saith That he blessed Abrabam But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham and Blessed him that had the Promises So then this Blessing of the people being the work of both the High-Priests and both Aaron and Melchisedec being great types of Jesus Christ our High-Priest Surely it must needs be one of the great works of our High-Priest for to blesse the people For the opening and cleering up of this Truth I shall endeavour to discover First What the Blessing of Christ our High-Priest is wherein consists and what Christ doth when he doth Bless the people Secondly That it belongs unto Jesus Christ especially for to Bless the people Thirdly That our Lord and Saviour Christ our great High-Priest is exceeding willing for to Bless poor sinners and that this Blessing of the people is a work whereunto he is much inclined and wherein he is much delighted Fourthly That he doth this and doth it fully Fifthly according to our method How all this doth conduce unto our Comfort and unto our Holiness First If ye aske me What the Blessing of Christ Quest 1 and of the Gospel is and wherein it consists I answer First in the General That the Blessing of the Gospel Answ and of Christ consisteth in Spiritual things especially and not in Temporal And therefore saith the Apostle in that 1. of the Ephesians and the 3. verse Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ The Curse and Judgments of God that do befal men now under the Gospel are not in outward afflictions and bodily troubles so much as in Spiritual miseries Blindness of mind and Hardness of heart And so also on the contrary the blessing of the Gospel doth not consist much in Outward things as in Spiritual Who hath blessed us with Spiritual blessings Indeed if we look into the old Testament we shall find That when Moses did bless the people he blest them much in Temporal blessings in the 28. of Deuteronomy and the 2. verse All these things shall come upon thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God What blessings are those Blessed shalt thou be in the city and blessed shalt thou be in the field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattel the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheep blessed shall be thy basket and thy store Thus he goes on in outward blessings But now if we look into the Gospel and consider the blessings of Jesus Christ and lay them together with Moses we shall find them to be Spiritual blessings In the 5. of Matthew and the 3. verse c. Blessed are the poor in spirit for their's is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are those that mourn for they sall be comforted Indeed the promise of the earth comes is at the 5. vers but he returns again to Spiritual blessings Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after rightousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Here are Spiritual blessings this is the stream of the Gospel it runs this way When the Lord blesseth a man he gives him that which is sutable to him In the times of the Gospel men are more Spiritual than they were in the times of the Law therefore Gospel-blessings they are Spiritual blessings Every thing gives and communicates to another according to what it hath it self The Sun communicates light unto the world because it hath light it self And man communicates the nature of man unto his child because he hath the nature of man himself So our Lord Christ when he Blesses he communicates according unto what he hath himself and his blessings especially consisting in spiritual things so he doth blesse Indeed as in the times of the Old Testament there were Spiritual blessings that were mixt with Temporal by vertue of the Covenant that was made with Abraham So now Outward blessings are thrown in as an overplus but yet notwithstanding though they be not spiritual in their nature they are spiritual in their end and so it is true to say That the blessing of the Gospel and of Christ is a spiritual blessing But more particularly if yet ask me wherein this consisteth I shall name but Two things First This Blessing of the Gospel or of Christ it consists in a supernatural and spiritual injoyment of God in Christ the love and favour of God in Christ When the Priests blest in the time of the old Testament in that 6. of Numbers they said The Lord cause his face for to shine upon you The Lord make his face for to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee the Lord blesse thee and keepe thee Verse 24 25 26. Which the Spostle Paul expounding in the 2 Cor. the 13. Chapter and the 14. verse renders it thus The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen The Lord blesse thee the Lord cause his face to shine upon you the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you Three times the Lord the Lord the Lord noting the Trinity which the Apostle here explains by the Father the Son and the holy Spirit Blessed are the pure in heart Mat. 5.8 for they shall see God Seeing of God is a blessing out of the mouth of Christ a Gospel-blessign And what is it for a man to see God In the phrase of the old Testament the Hebrew to See it is ordinarily used for to Injoy In the 4. Psalme Who will shew us any good The word in the Hebrew is Who will make us to See any good that is t Injoy good So then to see God it is to injoy him When Jacob injoyed God he saw him and the place it was called Peniel for he had seen the Lord and there the Lord blest him There 's no seeing of God but in Christ And therefore I say that herein confists the blessing of the Gospel in a supernatural and spiritual in joyment of God in Christ the favour and love of God in Christ Again It consists also in the Inhabitation of the holy Ghost in our hearts the giving out of the holy Ghost unto the hearts of men And therefore it is added in that place of the Corinthians And the Communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen That must needs be the great blessing of the Gospel and so of Christ that is the thing promised in the Gospel What is that If we look into the 1. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles and the 4. verse It is said
so will I comfort you and then it follows They shall rejoyce your hearts shall rejoyce But take heed your spirituall joy after Victory don't degenerate into carnal joy and you be drunk therewith 'T is reported of the English that once going into Spain and taking in a Town there after they had taken it in there being much wine in the Town the souldiers fell a drinking of themselves drunk and the Country came down upon them and beat them out and recovered the Town again So 't is with many They have a Victory over temptation and they begin to rejoyce spiritually but their spiritual joy degenerates into carnal joy and they are drunk with their joy and so lose their Victory Beloved Joy not in your Joy but in the God of your Joy after Victory And if you have the better after temptation if you have the better be sure of this That you improve your Victory to more assurance If the Devil get the better of you he 'le be sure to improve his Victory to your despair I say if he get the better of you he will be sure to improve his Victory to your despair Therefore if you get the better of him be sure that you improve your Victory to more assurance of Gods love in Christ Yea my beloved for ought I know there is no temptation that a child of God meets withal but he may improve it to more assurance As thus Surely If I were the Devils own he would never trouble me thus When the strong man keeps the house all is at peace and all is at quiet Now ever since from the very first day that I have set my face towards heaven and Christ Oh! how have I been troubled and tempted and perplexed and vexed in my spirit Surely therefore I am none of the Devils Now if I had been his own I should have been more quiet under him but because I am thus troubled I hope in the Lord I am none of the Devils I am the child of God Thus a man may improve And Oh! what a good thing were it if we did make improvement of our temptations what gracious improvement might we make of all our temptations and what a blessed issue might we have in our temptations if we did go unto Christ for succour I beseech you therefore in the Lord when as any temptation arises go unto Jesus Christ he is a succouring Christ He hath National succours and he hath Family succours and he hath Personal succours You have National temptations and you have Family temptations and you have Personal temptations Soul-temptations temptations when you are alone Therefore go unto Christ for succour To conclude I beseech you beloved in the Lord go to Christ and try him put him to it The greater your temptation is the more fit work for Christ to cure do not despair do not sit down go to Jesus Christ you shal find him better than I have spoken you shall not find him worse he will go beyond my words he will not fall short of my words As the Devill goes about like a roaring lyon seeking whom he may devour So Jesus Christ in the Gospel goes up and down with his succour seeking whom he may succour Go to him for succour and the God of peace even Jesus Christ himself tread down Satan under our feet shortly SERMON III. Of TEMPTATION LUKE 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not AFTER our greatest injoyments of God usually follow the greatest temptations of Satan And therefore our Saviour speaks these words unto his Disciples In the 19. verse of this Chapter we find them at the Lords Supper with Christ himself This is my body which is given for you This do in remembrance of me Having received the Supper with Christ himself and having had sweet Communion with him there our Saviour gives them out a most gracious and blessed promise at the 28 29 30. verses Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint to you a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Having said thus unto them He comes in the very next words to acquaint them with a great temptation that was coming down upon them all and therefore these words are knit together with the former by the word And And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired Though you have had this Communion with me and though I have made you this gracious and blessed promise know that there is a great storm of temptation coming down upon you Here are two things The Danger of the temptation and the Remedy against it The Danger in the 31. and the Remedy in the 32. verse In the 31. verse we have considerable The Tempter called Satan which signifies an Adversary The Tempted and those are not Simon only but all the Disciples Satan hath desiredyou 't is in the Plural number he directs his speech unto Simon but the temptation spreads larger upon all the Disciples That he may sift you The Manner of the temptation in Two expressions Satan hath Desired you according to the Original word Satan hath challenged you into the field 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one man does another And hath desired you that he may sift you as wheat and leave you nothing but chaffe Plainly then here this Observation The Lord Jesus Christ does give leave sometimes unto Satan Doct. to tempt and winnow his own and best Disciples Christs own and best Disciples are exposed to Satans temptings and winnowings not Peter only but James and John and all the beloved Disciples of Jesus Christ were exposed here unto Satans winnowings He hath desired You in the Plural number not thee Peter only but you all my Disciples that he may sift you as wheat For the clearing and making out of this Truth I shall labour to discover First What great power Satan hath to tempt molest and annoy the children of men Secondly That he puts forth this power especially upon the Saints Christs own-and bestDisciples Thirdly How he comes by this power and why God the Father gives him this leave And so to the Applycation First Quest 1 If ye aske me What power Satan hath to infest molest and thus to tempt the children of men I answer Answ 1 First ye know that Satan is an Angel still and being an Angel he is a Superiour creature to man and therefore according to the rank of Creation he hath a great deal of power over man Man hath a great power over the Beasts for man is a Superiour The Beasts have a great deal of power over the Herbs and the grasse for the Beast is the Superiour The Angels by Creation are Superiour to man Satan though fallen is an
more then flesh and blood with you And therefore have you overcome temptation go away and be very thankful and say Oh! though flesh and blood be against me yet I have more than flesh and blood with me praise the Lord much And if you have been overcome with temptation yet be not discouraged for ye hear the Doctrine God doth suffer his own dear children to be tempted to be buffeted to be exposed to Satans temptings and to Satans winnowings But though ye be tempted and it be a temptation of Satan yet ye hear withall That 't is the property and disposition of Gods own people to grieve and mourn under their temptation as if it were all their own and nothing of Satans Wherefore now my beloved having heard these things think on them and the Lord blesse them to you every day more and more SERMON IV. Of TEMPTATION LUKE 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Preached at Stepney Oct. 17 1647. Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not YE find that these words hold forth the relation of a great storme of temptation coming down upon Christ's Disciples The Danger of it And the Remedy against it Of the Danger somewhat ye heard from the 31. verse And now I am to speak unto the 32. verse But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Here is somewhat Implied and somwhat Exprest Implied Satans Design and his great Design upon their faith Exprest Christs love and care his special love and care over them and towards them in this temptation As if he should say thus Simon Simon Satan hath desired to tempt you not only thee but all my Disciples the temptation is great and in this temptation his great design is upon your faith but I have spoken unto my Father and your Father that your faith may not fail So that hence you may observe thus much That in the time of temptation Doct. Satans great Design is upon the faith of the Saints to make their faith fail He doth not say But I have prayed for thee that thy Prayer faile not or that thy Patience fail not or that thy Love fail not but I have prayed that thy Faith fail not So that Satans great design in all his temptations is upon the faith of the Saints that he may make their faith to faile them For the further clearing and opening of these words and of this Truth I shall labour to shew you First What it is for to fail in our faith and how far the Saints may fail in their faith in time of temptation Secondly What an evilthing it is for the Saints to faile in their faith in time of temptation Thirdly That Satans great design in all his temptations is upon our faith Fourthly How Satan labours to weaken our faith in the time of temptation what strokes he gives unto our faith and how we shall be able to bare off those blows in the time of temptation that so our faith fail not If ye aske me Quest 1 What it is for to fail in faith here The word in the Original signifies Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Eclipse as the Eclipse of the Sun or of the Moon and the words may be so translated But I have prayed for thee that thy faith be not Eclipsed But according to the ordinary acception of that word Eclipse Peters faith did fail for it was much Eclipsed The word signifies also a total defect such as Judas made who of a Disciple became an Enemy a Traitour and in stead of beleeving fell to despair and so Peters faith did not faile A mans faith is said to faile Either when it fals short of what it hath been or what it should be and in both these respects Peters faith did fail It fell short of what it had been it fell short of what it should be But there is a Two fold failing in faith One in regard of the Acting and Exercise of faith and another in regard of the grace of faith it self In regard of the Acting Working and Exercise of faith Peters faith did fail but in regard of the grace it self so it failed not The Lutherans they say and contend much for it That a regenerate mans faith may fail totally and finally in time of temptation and so they say that Peters faith failed here when he denied his Lord and Master because it is said in the next words When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren As if his faith had failed so far as he should need a new conversion But that word translated When thou art converted as divers of the learned do well observe may be translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again thus I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and do thou strengthen thy brethren again do thou return to that work again And so you have the same word used in the Septuagint translated in the 58. Psalm at the 6. verse Wilt thou not revive us again The word in the Hebrew is thus Wilt thou not convert or turn unto us and revive us which we translate Wilt thou not revive us again And so the words here may be translated being an Hebraisme But do thou strengthen thy brethren again But suppose that the words stand according to their present translation it does not argue that Peter did fail totally in this temptation for the whole life of a Christian here is a continual converting and turning to God We repent and repent again turn and we turn again Every day we turn unto God yet more and more every day brings forth another conversion yet not so as if the former conversion were made void And if the faith of a beleever would fail totally in the time of a temptation what should be the meaning of those words in the 1. of Joh. 5. Chapter and the 18. verse We know that whosoever is born of God sins not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not The wicked one that is Satan he toucheth him not But now if Satan could tempt a godly man and prevail so far in his temptation as to make his faith fail totally then he would touch him to the purpose but saies the text he keeps himself and the wicked one toucheth him not and therefore his faith cannot fail totally a regenerate mans faith cannot fail totally And ye know what is said in that 7. of Matthew at the 24. and 25. verses Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man which hath built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the flouds came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not because it was founded upon a rock Now every Beleever is founded upon a rock Christ and therefore though the rain descend and the flouds come and the winds blow and
a prison he rattles chaines in the ears of a poor beleever and so labours to scare him away from his conscience and from his faith and from the Truth and Cause of God and the good waies of Christ How shold we ward off this blow Quest First Answ 1 Before the temptaton comes labour to possesse your heart much with the Mercy and priviledge of suffering for the Cause Truth Name and Way of Christ To you it is given not only to beleeve but to suffer 't is a great Gift A suffering opportunity and a suffering heart is a great Gift from God Is it not a great mercy to be conformable to Jesus Christ our head For this Cause saies Christ came I into the world that I might bear witness unto the truth Is it not a great mercy to be confessed at the last day before all the world Angels and men He that confesses me before men saies Christ Him will I confess before my father c. Is it not a great mercy to live and reigne with Christ a thousand years ye know that Scripture I shall not speak of the meaning of it now but cerainly there is a great deal of glory promised there living and reigning with Christ a thousand years and the promise is made unto those that do acknowledge and own the Cause and Truth of God and Jesus Christ Possesse your heart much with the priviledge and mercy of bearing witness to the Truth the Cause and the good way of Christ before your temptation comes Secondly Answ 2 If you would bear off the blow of this temptation Be sure that you look upon both sides of your suffering or bearing witness to the Truth Cause or way of Christ the Dark side and the Light side let them not be sundered When the Lord cals for any of his people to suffer at any time for him he does give them more strength than before and he does give them more Comfort and Consolation than they had before Now Satan comes and holds forth the suffering he makes mention of the suffering but he hides the Strength and the Consolation Either Satan holds forth the suffering alone or else if he do mention any strength or comfort that a gracious soul shall have in the suffering 't is but the same strength that he hath now he don't speak of the strength he shall have then and the great Consolation that he shall have then when the suffering comes and so these being parted the Suffering and the Consolation being parted now our faith fails When ever therefore this temptation does come upon you answer thus Satan here thou bringest the suffering before me and causest that to come before me but thou doest not tell me of the strength I shall have and of the consolation I shal receive Satan I shall not have the strength I have now nor the consolation I have now but I shall have more strength then when the suffering comes and I shall have more consolation when as the affliction comes than I had before Keep these together don't look only upon the one side of your suffering and witness-bearing but look upon both sides together and thus you shall be able to stand and ride out the storm of this temptation But you will say Quest We have heard of the several blowes that Satan gives unto our faith unto the faith of Reliance unto the faith of Assurance and unto the faith of Acknowledgment how he labours to weaken all these our faiths and how we should bear off al these blows But there may be yet some temptation possibly that does not fall within the compass of these temptations these directions are pointed against these particular temptations but I have other temptations that don't fall within the compass of these whereby Satan labours to weaken my faith and to make my faith to fail What general Rules and Directions may be given by which a man should so walk as that Satan may not make his faith to fail in the time of his temptation First Answ 1 Before your temptation comes while you are upon even ground Study and look much into the Scripture and into every corner and nook thereof as I may so speak laying and treasuring up Promises and Words sutable to every condition Let the Word of the Lord dwell in you richly that so when a temptation comes ye may have a word sutable at hand and this will help ye to bear off the strength of the temptation when it comes Secondly Answ 2 Either a particular Word and Promise does come unt ye or it does not in the time of your temptation If it do come unto ye Take heed that ye dont ' measure your selves or your condition by the warmth and life and inlargment of your heart which ye have at the coming in of the word And if a particular word or Scripture and promise do not come unto you in the time of your temptation don't measure your selves and your condition by the straightness and deadnesse of your heart which you have at that time when a particular word does not come Thirdly If temptaion come Answ 3 Look much unto the infirmities of Jesus Christ not the sinful infirmities for so he had none but he had many other infirmities And ye know what the Spouse in the time of Desertion saies in the book of the Canticles His left hand is under my head and with his right hand he does imbrace me The right hand is a hand of power and the left hand is a hand of weaknesse and in the time of Desertion and Temptation it 's a great relief to a poor soul to consider the infirmities of Jesus Christ his left hand is under our head then As when a man is inlarged in heart 't is good to consider of Christs Example that so he may be humbled under his inlargement So when a man is in Desertion or Temptation it 's good for to think of Christs Infirmities that so he may not be overwhelmed or cast down too much Fourthly If temptation do come be sure of this Answ 4 That ye don't conclude it is no temptation Satan tempts and then he tempts a man to think it is no temptation So long as a poor soul thinks it is but a temptation his heart is borne up with comfort and he saies It is but a temptation and it will be over shortly and the Lord Jesus Christ will pity me for 't is but a temptation and so his heart is borne up with comfort waiting upon God But if the Devil can get a man so far as to make him think it is no temptation but worse than a temptation then his heart fails and his faith failes Therefore I beseech ye If a temptation come don't conclude it is no temptation but say Oh! it may be 't is a temptation and therefore I will wait on God Fifthly If temptation come Answ 5 Remember thine own soul of the waies of God with thee Gods waies ye know
are in the deep and his footsteps are not known but as the Heavens are greater than the earth so are Gods waies of mercy beyond our waies Now therefore if a drak temptation do come upon ye and ye see no way to get out say O but my soul remember Gods waies are infinite and his waies are beyond our waies and though I see no way God hath infinite waies he walks over mulbery-trees and his waies have been in the deep and so it hath been all along with my soul and therefore now O my soul wait on God Sixthly Answ 6 If temptation come if Satan come Do you run to Christ and look how Satan appears to you so do you apply the Attributes of Christ to you sutable to his temptation Does Satan set a temptation unto your breast observe what temptation it is and take an Attribute of Christ sutable to that temptation and set it to the breast of that temptation For Example Does Satan come and tempt as a Serpent Then remember that Jesus Christ is the brasen serpent Does Satan come and present himself as a roaring Lyon Now remember that Jesus Christ is the Lyon of the tribe of Judah Does Satan come and present himself as an Accuser Now remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is an advocate Beloved in the time of temptation ye are to run to Christ that is true but that is not all but you are to observe how your temptation lies and apply that Attribute of Christ to your soul which is sutable to your temptation do this and your faith shall not faile in time of temptation Seventhly Answ 7 and lastly Above all things take the Shield of faith Take the Shield of faith that your faith may not fail for the way to beleeve is to beleeve the way to pray is to pray the way to hear is to hear the way to receive is to receive the way to perform duty is to perform duty the way to exercise grace is to exercise grace When temptation therefore does come upon thee that thy faith may not fail now stir up thy self to this work of faith and to beleeve and if ye beleeve that ye shall overcome ye shall overcome and if ye beleeve that ye shall prevaile against your temptations ye shall prevaile against your temptations And poor soul if thou canst relie upon Christ and beleeve that thou shalt be justified thou shalt be justified and if thou canst by faith relie upon the Promise the Promise shall belong to thee Wherefore stir up your selves now to beleeve when temptation comes When ye have to deal with an Enemy here among men I don't say beleeve ye shall overcome your enemy and ye shall overcome a man may beleeve he shal overcome his outward enemy here in the field and yet fall before him and not overcome but having to deal with this enemy Gods enemy your fathers enemy and your enemy beleeve ye shall overcome him and ye shall overcome him Quest But shall we overcome him Only if we beleeve Answ Who ever thou art that speakest or thinkest thus Doest thou make on Only of beleeving I tell thee from the Lord It is an harder thing to beleeve than to keep all the Commandements for there is something in Nature towards the keeping of the ten Commandements but nothing in Nature towards beleeving in Christ And poor soul doest thou make an Only of beleeving thou doest not know what beleeving means but I say unto thee from the Lord Beleeve that thou shalt overcome and thou shalt overcome beleeve that thou shalt prevaile against Satan and thou shalt prevail against him beleeve that thy sins shal be pardoned through Christ and relie upon him and thy sins shal be pardoned Whensoever therefore any temptation comes Oh! run to Christ cry unto Christ and rest upon Christ and say Lord I do beleeve help thou my unbelief Beloved in the Lord ye have heard That in all Satans temptations his great design is upon your faith to weaken your faith therefore let it be all your design in all your temptations to strengthen your faith and to look to your faith Which that ye may do think on all these things and the Lord bless them to you SERMON V. Of TEMPTATION LUKE 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat Preached at Stepney Oct. 24 1647. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not THese words as ye have heard acquaints us with a great temptation that was to come down upon Christs Disciples Concerning which ye have here The Danger of the temptation And the Remedy against it For the Danger of the temptation I have spoken already and now come unto this 32. verse But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Here is something Implyed and somthing Exprest Satans design implyed which is and was to weaken the faith of Christs Disciples to make their faith to fail And of that ye have heard already Now that which is exprest is Christs tender care of and love unto his Disciples in regard of their temptations And this love and care of his towards his Disciples under temptation is Exprest in many things First in the forewarning of them of a temptation coming upon them there is his love and care in that he told them of the temptation before it came And then also He prayed for them Yea He prayed for them before they were tempted Yea And he tels them that he did pray for them that they might have assurance of his help in the time of their temptation Great was his love and care to and for his Disciples unders their temptation And so the Observation is this Christs love and mercy Doct. is never more at work for his Disciples and people then when they are most assaulted by Satan When Satan is most busie to tempt and assault their faith then is Christs love and mercy most at work to keep and defend both them and their faith We don't reade of such a prayer for Peter before We reade indeed that our saviour said unto Peter Vnto thee do I give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church but we don't reade there that he prayed for Peter But here he prayes and for Peter in particular I have prayed for Thee Why because now his temptations were to be more than Ordinary and therefore Christs love and care was drawn out and exprest in a more than ordinary way For the clearing of this Truth unto ye I shall labour to discover First Wherein the love care and mercy of Christ is expressed unto his people under their temptations Secondly That this love and care of his is most expressed when they are most tempted Thirdly What there is in the heart of Christ that does thus incline him to this indulgence or mercy And so to the Application First Quest 1 If