the blessing of the Gospel Hath Christ taken thee into his care and service and wilt thou not be guided by his rules but what are the rules of Christ in respect of God that we should not only serve him but serve him form a Principle of love it is not enough that we bring our bodies to God in every duty but that we also bring our hearts unto him this is that which our Saviour expects He tells us God is a Spirit John 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth bodily service profiteth nothing Alas men maybe much in out â—â—de duties and services and yet at last be rejected with scorn to their great grief unless they be serious That heed that what you do you do not against Christs Rules that you do not refuse his directions and Councels those that are acquainted with those rules there lies a special obligation upon them to observe them hath Christ taken the care of you himself and will you not live up to this kindness this is not to answer your ingagements Again I might shew you the great priviledges which all the true Members of Christ do partake of he hath sent his Spirit to be their guide his Spirit of Truth to lead them into all Truth the Spirit to enlighten the Soul to purge refine and sanctifie the Soul to excite assist strengthen and preserve the weak beginnings of Grace to guide and conduct the Soul into farther improvements and to witness to the comforts of God and will you contradict these Principles of Divine Grace God hath sent his Spirit to guide you that is to keep you from mistakes to prevent your miscarriage and will you yet go on in iniquity The great design of God in sending his Son and of his Son in sending his Spirit Was not only to redeem his People from hell and wrath but from sin and Satan and to make them a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works now what ingratitude is this to cross these designs of mercy Alas God cannot be the better for us I speak now to such as think that they do in sincerity name the Name of Christ so as to depart from iniquity for be sure of this that there is no possibility of reconciling two such contrary enemies as Christ and sin for he came into the world on this very errand to destroy the works of the Devil and this is your work to oppose the Devil and sin 2. The special obligations that they have laid upon themselves by their Covenants and Promises they that do aright name the Name of Christ have solemnly devoted themselves to Christ not only in their baptismal Vows but in reiterated Covenants now will you revoke them is this sutable to those engagements to break your word with God and to have your own promises to witness against you you that have owned his yoke as easie and submitted to his ways as desirable and made profession of these will you contradict all in your lives and conversations truly this is too ordinary in the world St. Paul Titus 1.16 doth very much lament some who in their words profess the Name of Christ but in their works deny him Verbal Professions are easie but practical Professions those that God looks for he is the bese Christian not that can talk most but live best and keep himself most unspotted from the pollutions of the world now remember the Vows that you made with God and consider the engagements that lie upon you from thence to have a tendder regard of Gods glory every iniquityis a contempt of God it is a rejecting of God from ruling over us it is a disparagement to his Gospel as if we thought we could spend our time better than in hi service as if we could live to better purpose than in minding those duties that he requires of us David was of another mind Psal 73. last It is good for me to draw neer to God Psal 84. A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand But what a reproach do you cast upon God and his wayes in that you see and fancie something in sin that you think worthy the making God you enemy for though you part with God and lose his favour yet you think there is something in sin that will recompense that loss every sinner doth so that allows himself in any sin Truly though God is gratious to us in affording us the liberty of approaching his presence yet while we allow our selves in any sin all our duties are but lost labour and to very little purpose and we can expect no other answer from God than we have in Psal 50. What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Name in thy mouth What was the matter Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my word behind thy back While men allow themselves in any sin all their duties are to no purpose Consider how much more God hath shewed of kindness to you than others and consider how many engagements are upon you beyond what are upon others certainly form both these God cannot but have higher expectations from you than any and will you thus requite the Lord or will you say as the people of Israel did when they were brought out of Egypt and met with streights and difficulties in the Wilderness Would to God we had died in Egypt was there not graves enough there So while you live under the temptations and snares of an evil world will you look on on these things as lovely and deservint to be fond of them Christ came to redeem you from them and you have accepted of that redemption and you have bound your selves by your Oathes and Seals and how sad will it be if those Seals do witness to your Condemnation both on Christs part and on your own part Christ will say one day These are the persons whom I have proffered Salvation to and they did seem to accept of it and to close wit it but they have cast off all and for saken all those designs of mercy that I had to their Souls and what can they now look for but wrath and destruction And so I have gone over the Doctrinal part of the Observation The first Use may be to awaken and startle Professors that though they do name the Name of Christ yet there is so much of iniquity allowed of and connived at by them we can never own Christ till we fall off from sin and Satan While we close with a contrary party we cannot approve our selves faithful to him there are but two parties in all the world Christ and the Devil now shall we pretend to Christ and wear his Colours and take his Livery upon us and call our selves his Subjects and yet allow our selves in the service of sin and Satan Let our Profession be never so high yet if we do so this is one word to unsay all and to contradict all again This I
and reverence from us on the one hand and love and obedience on the other It is the Doctrine of God and therefore it requires awe and reverence and it is the Doctrine of God our Saviour and therefore requires our love and chearful acceptance Oh! was this truth but throughly believed what strange wonders might the Gospel do in the Conversations of men How would it Conquer all prejudice against it How would it destroy all those false foundations that men build their hopes upon and make way for Christ to take hold of their hearts therefore labour to be fixt in the belief of this great Truth that the Gospel is the Word of God the Doctrine of God our Savior Doctr. 4. That this Doctrine of God our Saviour is a Priviledge so ominent that it both deserves and requires the utmost diligence of them that live under it to adorn it according to the capacity wherein they are Three things are to be spoken to in the opening of this Doctrine 1. That it is a priviledge very eminent to enjoy and be acquainted with this Doctrine of God our Saviour 2. That it is the duty of all that live under this Doctrine to adorn it to beautifie it to render it amiable and lovely to do what they can to gain it credit and reputation 3. Though there be difference in Persons some of a higher and some of a meaner capacity yet it concerns all to do what they can to adorn this Doctrine of God our Saviour 1. That it is an eminent privilledge to enjoy this Doctrine of God our Saviour it is meationed as the great Priviledge of the Jews Rom. 3. 2. Vnto them were committed the Oracles of God This single Priviledge the Apostle magnifies to the heigth this was the favour wherein God commended his love to them above others Psal 147.20 He bath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his Judgments they have not known them It is called the Grace that is the favour of God So in the Verse next the Text For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men that is this Doctrine of Grace or the Grace of God hath appeared in vouchfafeing this Gospel and so Jude 3 verse Christians are commanded to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints the word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was once out of the favour of God vouchsafed and committed to the Saints And that it is so eminent a Priviledge to live under this Doctrine of God our Saviour I shall prove by three Arguments 1. From the grand matters wherein this Doctrine doth instruct us 2. From the grand oppositions that all the enemies of Gods people have made against this Doctrine whereby they have laboured to deprive the Church of God of so great a mercie 3. From the singular Providence of God in ordering things so that the Church should not be destitute of this Doctrine to the end of the world from so many ages past since the publication of it and we our selves may be witnesses of it 1. It is an eminent priviledge because of the grand matters this Gospel instructs us it it is called the Doctrine of Salvation and the Doctrine of Godliness it is a Doctrine that teacheth us how we may be good and how we may do good and how we may enjoy for ever all that we call good Now these three things are of a vast comprehension and in all these it is infinitely transcending all the instructions of the most wise Moralists and the capacity of all humane accomplishments However the Philosophers in their time and others in after tlmes have by their endeavours gained renown to their names by this attempt yet how short have their Aphorismes come of the Gospel and what defects are there in their Rules in comparison of this Doctrine of God our Saviour Though in some things they have hit the right yet that light that was in them is as far different from the light of the Doctrine of God our Saviour as the light of a rush Candle differs from the Sun at noon day Now what ever was spoken of any of those matters contained in the Gospel by them obscurely this Doctrine of God our Saviour speaks our fully and clearly I shall shew in eight or nine instances thereof those great Principles wherein the design of this Doctrine of God our Saviour is to establish poor Creatures 1. That every mans truest self is his Soul This is a principle often inculcated in this Doctrine most men take their lusts for themselves and therefore our Saviour when he would shew the necessity of self-denial he calls to the plucking out of right eyes and to the cutting off our our right hands These are our very selves the limbs and members of us Our lusts are as the whole body of corruption is compared in the Scripture to the whole man for it is called the old man as a man consists of several members so by reason of the corruption of our Nature every lust is called our Member every part of man being corrupted Ephes 4.21 Put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts So the work of Mortification is commanded in the Members Col. 3.5 it branches forth this old man in its several members as fornication uncleanness covetousness Idolatry and the like Sinners are apt to account their lusts themselves their pride and ambition c. and if they be toucht in any of these sins it is as a dagger to their very hearts Again others account their natural selves themselves though not their corrupt members thus did that rich person Luke 12.19 he speaks to his Soul saying Soul thou hast goods laid up for many years c. he thought these to be proper food for his Soul for himself That which any man makes his chief Idol or that which is the reigning lust in any particular person that sin is predominate in any person that he is apt to account himself and is very tender and nice of and is not willing that it should be prejudiced or hurt But it is the common Language of the Scripture to speak of the Soul as the man as if it ws the person The Soul being the principal part of man it is srequently put for the whole man Gen. 14.21 The King of Sodom said give me the Persons and when Abraham â—â—conmted those five Kings and rescued Lot that was taken by them in the Hebrew it is Giveme the Souls Souls is taken there for 〈◊〉 s Genes 17.14 That Soul shall be 〈◊〉 rom his people even those that should deipâ—sâ—â—r neglect Circumcision which was then an instâ—â—tion of God in force the Soul that is the â—â—â—en Gen. 36.6 And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all the persons of his house in the Margin it is read and all the Souls of his house and so it is in the Hebrew Gen.
this account because they are persons that partake of humane nature it is very natural for man to envy others good the spirit that dwells in us lusteth to envy Jam. 4.5 not the good spirit of God but our natural spirits our corrupt spirits it was the sin of Cain he envied the acceptance of Abels Sacrifice God had respect to Abel and his Sacrifice but to Cain he had not respect and this filled Cain with envy and that envy ended in murder Nay this is that distemper that is born with us as St. Augustine observes who seeing two little Infants at the breasts of their Mother the one lookt with a pale face upon the other envying at what the other received he drew this Observation from hence how natural this sin of envy is and how hardly it is cast off the best men may be surprized with this sin Joshua a man eminent for his holiness every thing in him almost was commendable yet we read of him Numb 11.28 One ran and told Moses that Eldad and Medad did Prophesie in the Camp and Joshua the son of Nun the servant of Moses one of his young men answered and said My Lord Moses forbid them speaking of their Prophesying Peter envied John the beloved Disciple that singular favour he had from Christ John 21. And Peter seeing him said to Jesus Lord what shall this man do it is natural for us when others are on the too of the world and we at the bottom to cast a wry look upon them the spirio that dwelleth in man lusteth to envy Now the best Antidote we have against this ill frame and temper is the Doctrine of God our Saviour it teacheth us to rejoyce in the good that others enjoy though we do not enjoy the same our selves if God give others health and we do not enjoy it our selves yet rejoyce in their health blessing God for others Comforts though we our selves are under streights and blessing God for others blessings though we do not partake of the same 5. This Doctrine teacheth us to carry it towards all men humbly and tenderly in all their concerns pride and passion are the great disturbancies of all humane Societie St. James tells us James 3.13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge amongst you let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom but if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lie not against truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish But the wisdom that is from above is first pure and then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie This Doctrine furnisheth us with Arguments to be humble though our condition be never so high and to carry it humbly and gently and that with all meekness with those with whom we converse To be humble 1. Because we have nothing of our own We have nothing that we have not received Who made thee to differ from another To differ as to outward respects in health in abundance what ever difference there is it is of Gods making So as to a difference in respect of parts and gifts and graces this is a humbling consideration that we have nothing but what we have received 2. We have received nothing but upon the account of free-grace we have nothing but what God gives and we deserve nothing but what his goodness inclines him to bestow all is the gift of God and all that God gives he hath no other motive to move him to bestow but only his own Goodness there is no motive in us at all we have despised his mercy and rejected his kindness we are unfit and unwilling to receive them it is only free grace bestows them we have nothing but what God gives and we deserve nothing but what free Grace bestows 3 All those favours that God vouchsafes to us are to humble us whilst he lifts us up above others it is to lay us low in our own thoughts in our own esteem the more we have received the greater debtors we are to Divine Grace it teacheth us that all our liftings up are of his mercy and to keep our hearts low though we be in a high condition in an humble frame under our great advantages not despising our inferiors and not carrying it supercisiously towards them that are our equals In a word this Doctrine teacheth us to carry it so towards all men as becomes them that are alike servants to one and the same Master Observe though there are different sorts of persons here upon earth one is superior and another is inferior and subordinate yet God is superior to all and therefore the Apostle frequently propounds this as the measure of our performing duties to our inferior Relations and to our superior Relations too to do it as unto God Col. 4.4 do it heartily do it as to God let us carry it humbly to all men we are all servants to the same Master let us be in what rank or condition soever It is observed by a Learned Writer that there is nothing makes a difference as to worldly greatness but only man sickness makes no difference the grave makes no difference the general Judgement makes no difference God makes no difference high and low are all levelled in these respects 6. In our carriage towards men this Doctrine is the greatest Antidote against all unpeaceable behaviour Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Peaee so far as it is consistent with holiness The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceableâ— not but that there may be a necessary vindication and defence of mens rights and proprieties the Scripture doth not condemn that but it must be with a peaceable frame and disposition of spirit and with an unwilling willingness when men are forced to that way Ephes 4.1 2 3. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness and with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Follow peace with all men do all you can to preserve peace Eph. 5.2 Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us Do but consider what a lovely thing would this Doctrine of God our Saviour appear to be would Professors but live up to these Rules not to dare to do the least wrong to others but to bear the greatest wrongs from others to look upon our selves as obliged to do all the good we can to others to the Souls to the bodies to the concerns of others c. what security can men have for all that is in danger by men more than they have by these Principles and what greater assurance can they have of all the good men are capable of doing them which
may be heretical in their lives as well as in their Opinions to these the Apostle gives advice here in the Text that he should charge every one that names the Name of Christ to depart from iniquity How many are there that rest satisfied with a form of Godliness but deny the power of it these are the persons whom St. Paul gives Timothy advice here that he should labour to redeem from those formalities in which they rested that they should not think it enough to name the Name of Christ but they should express their sincerity therein by departing from iniquity In the words you have these two particulars 1. The persons to whom this advice is given that is to such as name the Name of Christ I shall shew you how it is used briefly in the Scripture There is a naming of the Name of Christ by profession they that own the Truths and Principles of Religion they that profess the Doctrines which our Saviour hath revealed in the Gospel Micha 4.5 it is spoken there of two sorts of persons of those that worship false gods and of those that worship the true God For all the people every one will walk in the Name of his God that is they own those Rules and acknowledge those Principles and we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever This is a naming of Christ by way of profession 2. There is a naming of Christ in all the duties of Religion as in our Prayers Whatever you ask in my Name of the Father he will give it in our duties all must be offered up in his Name God hath given him a Name above every Name above all things in heaven and earth that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow that is in prayer Now in the former sense the naming the Name of Christ by profession is to be taken in opposition to Heathens who name the Name of other gods Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy Name Psal 79.6 3. There is a naming the Name of Christ in our Vows and Covenants and thus in our Baptism we vow to become his and hence it is that we are said to baptized in the Name of Christ which doth not only imply a desire to partake of those priviledges which Christ hath purchased but an obligation which we lay upon our selves to own him as our Lord and to submit to all his Commands and to be guided by his Will and Laws Acts 19.5 They were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus 4. There is a naming the Name of Christ in our expectations and hopes when we build all our confidence upon him alone The desires of our Souls are to thee and to the Remembrance of thy Name We look for no other mercy but what the Lord gives and no other help but what he vouchsafes these are the persons to whom St. Paul gives this advice Secondly Here is the advice and counsel it self Let all such persons depart from iniquity the Word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be an Apostate from sin and Satan When Luther was challenged by the Jesuites for being an Apostate because he had renounced his old Principles says he I confess I am but it is from the Devil Such an Apostacie is no reproach to a person nay such is of absolute necessity for we are all by nature servants to sin and in subjection to Satan Now let him depart from iniquity depart from the practice of it and from the love of it and as much as he can from any inclination to it you can never reconcile the profession of Christ and the practice of sin together that is the meaning of the Apostle doest thou name the Name of Christ and go on in sin Your lives are a contradiction to your profession Let every one that names c. depart from iniquity But then observe the extent here let every one not only those that so name the Name of Christ as having the Doctrine of Christ committed especially to them to communicate to other thus we read of naming the Name of Christ they taught in his Name but it is meant of all that profess the Name of Christ let every one in any way though he be but in a way of outward profession only let him make it his designe to depart from inquity The Observation is this Doct. There are special obligations upon all to depart from iniquity who name the Name of Christ I shall spak to these two heads in opening the Doctrinal part 1. That here are great ingagements upon all men to depart from iniquity this I shall prove from these Arguments 1. The first may from the nature of sin what is sin but our disease our burden and that which endangers our utter ruine should men be in love with poyson Should men hug that viper that will sting them to death the right knowledge of sin doth sufficiently evidence this now what is sin It is a transgression of Gods Law it is a trampling upon Gods Authority it is a refusing him to rule over us it is a making God our enemy it is a daring of him in the open field Do you provoke the Lord to anger are you stronger than he dare you enter the lists with the great God you will pity those distracted persons that labour for their own ruine and would hasten their own death by some kind of violence or other this is the practice of every sinner 2. In respect of God that obligation that lies upon all sorts of persons to have more reverend and high thoughts of God then to slight his Laws we are all his Creatures we owe our very beings to him it is God that made us we are his Creatures and the workmanship of his hands God may very well expect those beings which he hath given us should be imployed for him Shall a man plant a Vineyard and not eat of the fruit thereof If God hath made us men and bestowed natural endowments upon us and hath put us into a capacity for his service may not God reasonably expect that he should receive the fruit of all his charges and pains upon his account it was that God was so 〈…〉 with his antient people for all the 〈…〉 he had shewed to them says he When I looked for grapes behold they brought forth with grapes I have made you capable of my service will you imploy your selves in the service of other Masters your beings you have received from me is it not reasonable they should be imployed to his Glory since they have been received from his bounty Again in respect of Gods continuance and preservation of our beings this is from him Alas should not God support us every moment we should sink into our first nothing Heb. 1. Vpholding all things by things by the Word of his power it was God that first breathed life into us
he had power to stand and ability to resist all oppositions and temptations but still he was left to a mutable will But our estate of Recovery is another kind of Estate as to our security in it because it depends upon Jesus Christ as I shall shew when I come to speak of that part of the Text The love of God is a fixt love because it is in and through Jesus Christ Apl. For the Application of this point How abundantly well are they provided for that have the love of God for their portion though they have nothing else though they have not a a Friend on Earth yet if they have the God of Heaven to be their Friend if they have God to own and stand by thm they have enough This was Saint Pauls comfort Though no man stood by me yet the Lord stood by me 2 Tim. 4.16.17 Though thou hast no estate nor Friend nor Creature comfort yet in having the love of God thou hast all nay ten thosand times more then all You may judge what a refreshing it was to the Prophet Daniel Dan. 9.23 At the beginning of thy Supplications the Commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved when Daniel was ready to faint under his Vision in the 10. Chap. 7.8 in the 11. verse O Daniel greatly beloved what greater word could be spoken then this A man greatly beloved of the great God Psal 144.15 Happy is the People that is in such a case yea happy is that People whose God is the Lord. Let our condition be what it will in all other respects yet if we have but this single priviledge there is enough in this alone to make us happy Though we be under reproaches as St. Pauls was yet he be being clear in his Conscience towards God that he had a Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man he trampled on those Reproaches It s a small thing for me to be judged by mans Judgment We pass through good report and ill report If our condition be want what can he want who hath an interest in him in whom is infinite fulness If our condition be Sufferings what suffering can be harsh to them that have the presence and love of God to sweeten them Here is our strength and comfort indeed but if God with hold his love or suspend the manifestation of it where are we Death it self which is the King of Terrors is no terrour to us if we have but the love of God there is enough in that to turn the dark Valley of the shadow of death into a pleasant entry into everlasting glory Psal 23.4 Though I walk through the Valley of the the shadow of death I will fear no evil For thou art with me thy Red and thy Staff they comfort me Why because thou art with me with me why God is with all his Creatures he is every where Yea but with me in thy favour and love and care and tenderness to uphold support and comfort me when none else can comfort me 2. Appl. The next use is by way of examination You see this priviledge is highly great it is no small matter any of us to know in what posture we stand in reference to it It is our great and cheif concern for all depends upon this theefore let me perswade you from hence to examine your interest in the love of God And although the love of God as it is in him is secret and invisible to us yet it discovers its self in its Fruits and Effects so that it may become discoverable There are many hidden Causes but they may be discovered by their effects as we know the nature of a Tree by the Fruit and the nature of a Fountain by the Stream Now if we would know the love of God to us the truest way to discern it is by our love to God Examine your selves by this 1 John 4.19 We love him because he first loved us If thou hast any spark of love to God to his truth to his ways to his ordinances to his People all these are as so many Fruits of his love to thee He loved thee first and that love kindled in thy heart a love to him Love to God is a spark that comes from Heaven But you will say our love to God may be as hidden and difficult a thing for us to discern in regard especially of the deceitfulness of our hearts as the love of God to us is I shall therefore turn you to one place of Scripture Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Comandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him He is loved of God that keeps his Commandments that is that makes it his design and endeavour so to do Now consider what love do you find in your hearts towards God his truth and his ways c. and from hence you may reasonably conclude his love to you 2. A second Rule by which we may be helped in discerning whether we have any right or title to the love of God is this What have you received those Mercies from God that are the infallible Pledges of his peculiar love there are no kind of outward Mercies almost but God may and does sometimes bestow those things in anger God answered the People of Israel in many of their rash requests in anger he gave them quailes in anger c. Again these outward Mercies at best if they do not come in anger are but Fruits of Gods common bounty But now what Mercies do you partaâ—â—e of which are infallible Pledges of his special love there are such Mercies there are indeed some Mercies that may be called in a 〈…〉 gâ—â—â—shing Mercies in respect of their 〈◊〉 and conducenâ—â—â—o bring us to partake â—of 〈◊〉 Mercies indeed as the Gospel for instance 〈◊〉 Yet God vouch fafes this to them 〈…〉 by it as the Jews had the sword Psâ—lâ— 147â—19 20. He shewed his word unto 〈◊〉 his Statutes and his Judgements unto Israel He hath not deâ—â—lt so with any Nation and as for his Judgements they have not known themâ— Rom. 9.2 To them were committed the Oracles of God Herein God hath been good to his People above others the body of his professing People Rom. 9.2 Theirs is the Covenant and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the Promises Yet this Mercy though it be a more limited Mercy then ordinary and common Mercies are yet is no such distinguishing Mercy but that we may be Partakers of it and yet not have an interest of Gods peculiar love This sadly appears for alas how many are there that live under the Gospel and yet are so far from reaping that salvation which the Gospel brings that it only heightens their misery and condemnation How many woes did our Saviour denounce against those Cities that enjoyed the Gospel in so great a plenty and yet