without price Esa 55. vers 1 2. 6. The outward and ordinary meanes of conveying of all Christs spirituall blessings into the hearts of Gods people is the right use of his holy Ordinances The Ordinances of God are canales gratiae the golden pipes by which the golden oyle of grace empties it self into the hearts of Gods people T is true but very sad to consider that many slight the Ordinances of Grace and not onely so but discourage others from waiting upon them by speaking according to the language of proud Pharaoh Exod. 5. 17. Ye are idle ye are idle therefore ye say let us go let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord So they say because the people of God are idle and unwilling to take paines in their callings they spend so much time more then others in gadding to hear sermons But alas though it be easie to hear sermons as they use to do yet as God requires and his people endeavour to do with prepared and fixed hearts is much harder to do then any exercise they were ever acquainted with But Wisdome is justified of her Children Mat. 11. 19. Holy David had better thoughts of Gods Ordinances Psal 84. 1. How amiable are thy tabernacles O Lord of hosts my soul longeth yed even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. And Vers 3. He seemeth to envy the Sparrowes that had liberty to build their nests near Gods Altars Vers 10. he addeth One day in thy Courts is better then a thousand else where If any demand why David is such an admirer and extoller of Gods Ordinances he gives a satisfying account Vers 11. The Lord will give grace and glory Grace and the first fruits of glory are wrought preserved and encreased in the hearts of Gods holy ones in the right use of Gods Ordinances Thus much shall serve for the first I come now to the second thing That the truly godly persons choice is unquestionably and incomparably the best choice which can be made I shall endeavour to make good this conclusion One would think that amongst a people professing Religion and so well instructed as we in England have been for above fourscore years a short proof might seem sufficient for this purpose For my part if there were not a line in the Bible to prove it besides the 1 Tim. 4. 8. I could not but judge that abundantly convincing Godlinesse saith the Apostle there is profitable for all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come This is truly asserted of that which the godly man chooseth but cannot be truly said of any thing in the whole world besides But because the practise of most doth plainly declare that they are not of a right belief in this weighty point I shall further confirm the goodnesse of the godly persons choice above all other choices that are or can be made by any ungodly person in the world by one unanswerable Demonstration which is as followeth Demonstration That good which the godly person chooseth is the best in order to all the Concernments af this life and that which is to come When this is made good more need not be spoken for the proof of the godly persons choice as the best choice which can possibly be made For all the concernments of all persons in the world are reducible to these two heads and therefore that choice which is the best in Order to both these is unquestionably and incomparably without all dispute the best choice that can be made I shall now addresse my self to hold forth the severall branches of this Demonstration in that order in which I have propounded them with their severall proofs The Concernments of this Life are 1. Temporall 2. Spirituall 1 The godly persons Choice is the best choice which can be made upon a Temporall account in reference to the outward good things of this Life Here two things are distinctly to be considered First The godly mans Personall Secondly His Relative Capacity First As to the godly man considered in respect of his Person his choice appeares to be better in reference to temporall good things then the choice of any ungodly person in the world The wicked chooseth creature comforts onely and looketh no further whether Gods blessing or curse go along with them but the truly godly person cannot be content with creature comforts in the greatest abundance if he cannot enjoy God with them The wicked careth not what course he takes to get them right or wrong much at one to him but the godly person seeks them onely in a way of righteousnesse There are these remarkable differences between the condition of godly and ungodly persons in reference to temporall good things 1. In point of security for the enjoyment of such a measure of worldly estate as shall be necessary for them The wicked person hath no sufficient security in this case T is possible he may vainly boast of his Michaelmas hundreds or thousands But alas who knows not but that through his own prodigality the violence and injustice of others and many other wayes God by his Providence may order things so that he and his may be reduced to extream wants before his death What age of the world abounds not with sad instances in this kind Bellesarius that sometimes was very rich before his death begg'd for an half penny The Apostle calls 1. Tim. 6. 17. them uncertain riches and well he may for we can have no more hold of them then of a flock of birds that sit in a mans yard which are presently upon the wing and are gone Prov. 23. 5. Riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away as an eagle towards heaven Oh that the greedy Mammonists would seriously and frequently consider this heart-weaning consideration But all the precious people of God who have made the choice the Text speaks of have Gods infallible promise which is the best security that can be desired that they shall never want any thing that is good for them the God of heaven their most wise and mercyfull Father being Judge while they continue in this world This comfortable truth may be proved by many Scripture Arguments but those words of the Psalmist Psal 34. 10. seem sufficient They that seek the Lord as all do that rightly chuse him shall not want any good thing Upon such a ground as this word of Promise David did and every true Christian may confidently expect at Gods hands what they shall need at any time Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want The true Christian who is in a poor and mean condition in the world if he be assured that he hath made this choice I am now speaking of may possibly live to see his purse often empty and his cupboard too but being under a full promise Psal 34. 10. he may answer his own soul when tempted by Satan to distrust Gods seasonable provision as Abraham did his
if they might never see any of them that remain Christlesse as themselves do A great many think they have done all that belongs to them if they provide estates for their relations wives and children to live gallantly in the world but never take the least care about their soules more precious then the world But when they meet together before Christs Tribunal may not many women with better warrant say to their husbands then Moses wife did to him Thou hast been a bloudy husband to me And many children Oh thou cruel Father if you had according to your duty instructed corrected and given me an holy example I had never been so sinful and so miserable as now I am And so servants cry out bitterly Oh that I had never entered within the door of that family of such a gracelesse Master who in stead of helping me to heaven haled me with violence to the pit of destruction On earth t is a common speech amongst the wicked The more the merrier not so in hell Luke 16. 21. Then he said I pray therefore father that thou wouldest send him to my fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them least they also come into this place of torment I cannot be so charitable as to think so good a thing as Charity dwels among the damned crew But he knew that if they came to hell his torments would be the greater and therefore desired never to see them more Mat. 8. 12. They that miscarry in the other world they weep and gnash their teeth The more therefore who are damned the louder and more hideous roaring and the greater number of ghastly and frightful persons Mat. 13. 41. who gnash their teeth The saints in the life to come shall never be afflicted with any unacceptable company for a day hour or moment and the wicked shall never be refreshed with a pleasing companion although it be but for the least space of time which is imaginable 4. All the godly persons shall enjoy the comfortable condition before mentioned to all eternity and all the wicked shall endure that woful misery for ever This great big-bellied Epithet Eternall is that which heightens happines or misery to the utmost I begin with the first branch The Saints happinesse will be and they shall know that it will be everlasting Psal 16. 11. In thy presence is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore This proves the joy of glorified ones shall be everlasting And if we look into 1 Thes 4. 17. we may observe Paul speaking in the name of believers We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we shall be ever with the Lord. And if the Saints in this life know that their happinesse shall be everlasting in the life to come surely the knowledge of the saints Triumphant is not lesse then the knowledge of the saints Militant this being so that their happinesse shall be everlasting and they know it shall be so The Apostle might well adde vers 18. Wherefore comfort one another with these words It is not possible or needful that more comfortable words should be spoken to any of the Children of men Ubi est summum bonum ibi summa faelicitas summa jucunditas vera libertas perfecta charitas aeterna securitas secura aeternitas Bernard Medit. cap. 4. Now as for the wicked Eternity is that which renders their condition amazingly unspeakably and unconceivably woful Esa 33. 14. The sinners in Sion are afraid fearfulnesse hath surprized the hypocrites What is the matter There follow two hard Questions Who shall dwell with devouring fire although for a short space of time But the hardest Question of all is Who shall endure everlasting burnings If the damned in hell could in truth say which they cannot I have been roaring and yelling many years in this burning lake but after so many hundred or thousand years I shall certainly be delivered out of this place of Torment The thoughts of being delivered although after a long time would wonderfully abate their misery But when they speak that which is the truth in this case Here I have been a great while weeping and gnashing my teeth and so must be for ever This Eternity is as I may so speak The very hell of hell What more confounding words ever did or can God speak or wicked ones hear then those words which God will ere long pronounce in their hearing Mat. 25. 41. Depart ye our sed into everlasting fire When the wicked have been in hell as many years as there are hairs on their heads stars in the firmament or sands upon the Sea-shore they are as farre from the end of their torments as they were the first moment they dropt into the burning lake I have now dispatch't the Demonstration of the Doctrine by which it clearly appears that in reference to all the concernments of both worlds The godly mans choice is unquestionably and incomparably the best choice that can be made The third thing that I promised was to vindicate this glorious Doctrine from the Objections and Cavils that are brought against it to name them all were a very long if possible task I shall take notice of two principal ones which being clearly propounded and fully answered I shall hasten to the Application Object The Scripture declares That the Choice you speak of will infallibly expose us to many Afflictions Acts 14. 22. We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God Let the people of God walk never so wisely and holily there is no avoiding of the Crosse If any think to go to Heaven without tribulation he must as the Emperor Constantine told the Heretick Acesias erect a ladder and go up alone Now the Apostle tels us Heb. 12. 11. No chastning for the present seems to be joyous but grievous How then can that choice be so much approved that renders our condition so grievous in this world Sol. Before I Answer this Objection I must premise That although this and a thousand such Objections framed by Satan or his instruments cannot prevailingly alter the choice of any that have in truth given up their names and hearts to God and his precious waies yet needlesse discouragements may be upon their spirits by means thereof Again This consideration of afflictions that they who walk in Gods waies meet with may dishearten others from making this choice when invited and provoked to enter into the way of life I shall therefore give in something by way of answer for the satisfaction of both these sort of persons who are herein concerned Sol. 1. To take off the discouragements of those who have made this holy and happy choice the Text speaks of I can in this haste name but a few things but I hope enough for their relief to be considered by them I do not dare not deny That
one to another here goes a fool that must dy like a dog in a string because for a little money he hath forfeited his life to justice exposed his name and friends to a lasting reproach and his whole self to the danger of everlasting misery in the other world At such times the children of men should be of better behaviour pittying and praying for the woful sinner and blessing the name of God for keeping them as prone as others from falling into such reproachful and dangerous miscarriages But if it be so bitter when under misery to want the compassion of foolish and hard-hearted men t is abundantly more miserable under far greater misery to be reproached but not pittyed by him who is a God of infinite wisdome and most tender compassion That this fearful and sad condition will befal the wicked is evident from those words of God by Solomon Prov. 1. 22. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and ye scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge Because I have called and ye have refused I have stretched out my hands and none regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh When your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind when distresse and anguish cometh upon you Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. When sinners are weeping yelling and gnashing their teeth under Gods fearful vengeance and they calling aloud for favour and God regards their cry no more then men regard the howling of beasts and barking of dogs but laughs in their faces as it were and mocks them telling them they were simple ones and stark fools who for the pleasures of sinne which last and they knew would last but for a season they wilfully exposed themselves to that fearfull indignation of God which they were often assured would be intollerable and everlasting One would wonder with what face any such sinner can look upon God and beg his mercy when God may suddenly put them to silence by telling them he damnes none but those who choose damnation and how can they reasonably except against their own choice I easily imagine what will be pleaded by sinners in this case They never did nor can any choose such misery for their portion nothing is more abhorring to their thoughts That which is the Object of the Wills choice must be presented under the form and notion of good to the creature But this appears to them in that form which is most contrary to the creatures good and welfare Well Let sinners please themselves never so much with such seemingly learned Objections God will quickly out-argue them Deut. 30. God by Moses calls upon the people to walk in the way of holy obedience to all his commandments and not to dare to disobey any of them and backs his exhortation to obedience with promises of blessing and his dehortation from disobedience with terrible threatnings then vers 14. shuts up that discourse after this manner I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both thou and thy seed may live In which remarkable words according to Gods interpretation of them which is alwayes according to truth it is manifestly apparant that they who choose the way of obedience choose life and so by the Law of Contraries they who choose the way of Disobedience choose death which is a comprehensive word including the fearful misery of both worlds It may 2 Thes 1. 8. 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Ephes 5. 7. 1 John 3. 5. be truly said to all ignorant persons covetous muckworm's disobedient sinners and every other person abiding in their unregenerate estate You are in love with everlasting burnings you long to be in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone which shall never be quenched because they walk in those ways and continue in that estate which infallibly brings to that misery As we say to persons that feed on such meates as are unwholesome and dangerous you long to be sick and be in your grave because they will not forbear what will make them sick bring them to the house of rotteness And God himselfe whose language will not be reformed by any deluded sinners vain philosophy speakes after the same rate Pro. 8. 36. He that sinnes against me wrongeth his owne soul all they that hate me as all do who do not make the choice I have been speaking of love Death And if so how can it be with reason expected that God Angels or men should pitty them under it I remember what God by Solomon saith Pro. 3. 5. Lean not to thine owne understanding and Prov. 26. 12. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool then of him Certainly if wicked ones would cease to be both Judges parties in their own case which is the most foolish and unreasonable thing in the world to contend for they must be forced to acknowledge the choice I am pleading for to be the best choice Let this be put to the votes of Heaven and earth I had almost said and of hell also to consider what choice is best and it will be clearly carried for the godli's against the wicked's choyce To begin with the votes of heaven God the Father Son and holy Ghost as you have heard do command all men to make and commend and reward them most highly for making the holy choice The innumerable company of holy angels manifest their approbation of it by rejoycing when any person Luk. 15. 7. truly repents and thereby declaredly forsaketh his former choice and ownes no choice but that which Mary in the Text made Hence it is usually said the teares of the penitent are the wine of Angels that is they are much refreshed to observe them And for all the glorified Spirits which are before Gods holy throne Ephes 2. 10. Heb. 12. 14. Rev. 21. 27. in heaven they had never been admitted into that blisful place if they had not chosen the holy path which leads to it Let us now come down to gather the Votes of the earth Let holy David as such speak for himself and consequently the sense of all holy ones Psal 119. 30 I have chosen the way of truth and vers 173. I have chosen thy precepts But then let us consider whether any thing of this nature may be expected from the wicked Certainly at some times when under great outward afflictions inward awaknings of Conscience and under the sentence of death in their own apprehensions some of them wil speak more holy truths in an hour then they have done in seven years before they abound
their desires for them But is it so with the wicked Who dare affirme it while they are wicked they do not cannot desire to partake of all spirituall blessings A cursed Balaam Num. 23. 10. may desire to die the death of the righteous but no wicked man alive while such can desire to live the life of the righteous 1. They do not desire it Hear their own words Luke 19. 14. We will not have this man rule over us This was a very plain but yet a very rude and rebellious message and yet such dust-heaps are found in every corner such masterlesse monsters rise every where So that by their own confession they may be judged and condemned for being unwilling to live as the holy subjects of the King of Saints in this life 2. They cannot desire it Rom. 8. 7. The carnall mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither-indeed can be By these words we see plainly the best of an unregenerate person is not onely averse but utterly adverse to the rule of holinesse and the Will being guided by the Understanding If the carnall mind as the Apostle here plainly asserteth be enmity against the law of God the rule of holinesse the carnall will cannot possibly be for conformity to it 3. The Meritorious cause of all the good which the truly godly person chuseth is the precious bloud of the Sonne of God Spirituall Causa procalactica graces and comforts here and the eternall glory of the other world are no cheap things but most costly and accordingly ought to be valued and improved by us Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Redemption is a very comprehensive word and many times is put for all the benefits of the Covenant of Grace So that every godly person may write this superscription upon his pardon assurance perseverance and all the other benefits he partakes of by Christ in this life These are the price of bloud and that the best bloud called precious 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. and that worthily because the bloud of God Act. 20. 28. And so being the bloud of an infinite person and consequently the price an infinite price This will much more hold true concerning the glory of the other world Heb. 10. 19. Having therefore brethren boldnesse to enter into the holiest by the bloud of Jesus No getting to the shore of glory but by a sinners swimming upon the most precious stream of a Saviours bloud These things ought to be frequently the meditations of Christians to inflame their loves to a most lovely and loving Saviour and to quicken them to endeavour suitable praises for all their costly priviledges in both worlds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The Formall Act of this Choice is that whereby they preferre Christ and all his spiritual blessings before all worldly things whatever This is the inseparable property of all and onely truly godly persons That they esteem God and the things of God above all other things is evident in the example of godly David as appeares by those remarkable words recorded in the 119. Psal 30. I have chosen the way of truth and Vers 173. I have chosen thy precepts compared with Vers 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly farre more then any thing in the whole world Psal 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then hony to my mouth And Vers 72. The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of gold and silver Those words of the 4. Psal v. 6 7. Many there be that say who will shew us any good The many in the Text are all the ungodly The good was temporall as is clear from the seventh Verse But now godly David prayes for the light of Gods countenance i. e. the manifestation of his favour to his soul and professeth that such a precious mercy being obtained would make him more glad then any worldling could possibly be when his corn and wine encreased Yea Psal 63. 3. He preferres Gods loving kindnesse before life it selfe And that as Satan truly is to be preferred before all other worldly things whatsoever Job 2. 4. Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give for his life But no wicked person living doth set such an high value upon God and the things of God But if God be twelve with him some worldly Object to which he is inordinately affected is alwaies thirteen as appears by those words Luke 14. 14. when Christ was speaking of the priviledge of the righteous at the resurrection one that hears him cries out Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God as if he had said in other words that is a glorious and happy estate I choose that for my portion Christ presently to discover his hypocrisie propounds the parable of the guests who were invited to partake of that priviledge he seemed so much to admire vers 16 17. and then we read vers 18. they all with one consent made excuses They seemed much to esteem the priviledge of Christians at the resurrection but their Oxen Farmes Wives lay much nearer to their heares for which we read vers 21. That the Master of the house was very angry as he had great cause as shall be hereafter proved Causa proâ—gumena 5. The Fountain of all the good the godly person chooseth is the Free Grace and favour of God towards his precious people which they all do deservedly admire in this life and will upon further grounds more perfectly admire to all eternity in the life to come The shoutings of all the godly in both worlds are and ought to be Grace Grace T is not considerable what carnall Sophisters may object against this truth because it was asserted in the third branch of the description That all the godly persons priviledges in both worlds were dearly purchased for them by the most precious bloud of Christ the Son of God and thereupon as they conceive Gods conferring those priviledges upon the Elect seems rather if not onely an Act of Justice and not at all of Grace In this hast I shall say no more and I think more need not be said then to name that pregnant Text of the Apostle for the confounding of that carnall cavil Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace According to blessed Pauls divinity Christs bloud as the meritorious cause of Redemption and Remission is very well consistent with the grace yea the riches of the grace of God the Father T is very true they were exceedingly costly to Christ we are the greater debtours to his love for being willing by so great a price to purchase our peace t is as true they are not costly to us we have them without money and