be pleasing and acceptable to God in order to Practice and value our Lives for this End only that we may serve God it is a sign Grace is planted in the Heart But now ungodly Men neither care to know the ways of God nor to walk in them They that are willingly ignorant and do not search to know how God will be served and pleased and make this their Work they do not count God their chiefest Good They search not that they may not practice they err not in their Mind only but in their Hearts Psal. 95.10 It is a People that do err in their Hearts they have not known my ways To err in the Mind may be through invincible Ignorance but a Man errs in his Heart when he doth not desire to know God and to know his Will and what he must do in Worship and Conversation but saith I do not desire to know God Iob 21.14 Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the Knowledg of thy ways Therefore he that doth not make it his great Work and the Business of his Life to find out what God would have him do he is ungodly Usually this is found in Men half convinced they have not a Mind to know that which they have not a Mind to do and so they are willingly ignorant But now a godly Man makes it the Business of his Life still to follow God Foot by Foot to know more of his Mind and Will Rom. 12.2 That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect VVill of God Ephes. 5.12 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. A true Christian always practiseth what he knows and still searcheth that he may know more he would be always more useful for God and more according to his Heart that is the Study the great Business and Project of his Life to find out God's Will and then practise it What shall I do more for God Thirdly God must be acknowledged as the supream Truth and Authority and there if we be not moved with his Promises with his Threatnings and Counsels as the Words of the great God as if he had spoken from Heaven by an audible Voice if we do not yield him Reverence in his Worship and subject our Hearts and Lives unto his Laws it is Ungodliness 1 st We must receive the Counsels of his Word with all Reverence and Veneration as if God had spoke to us by a Voice from Heaven This is to receive the Word as the Word of God 2 Thess. 2.10 They received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved The Heathens received the Oracles of their Gods with great Reverence and were much moved when they had an Oracle but when the Word comes with a mighty convincing Power upon the Heart and you are not moved and affected this argues your Ungodliness So when we can drousily hear of the great things of Heaven and the Death of Christ and the Covenant of Grace and the glorious Salvation offered and are no more moved than with a Fable or with a Dream of Rubies dropping down from Heaven in the Night this is Ungodliness That there is a great deal of Ungodliness in this kind is clear by our Neglect of these Precious Things If a Man should proffer another a thousand Pound for a Trifle and he should not accept it you would not say it was because he prized that Trifle that is not profitable but because he did not believe the Offer So when God offers Heaven and Christ to us upon such easy terms as to part with nothing but our Sins which are better parted with than kept we do not honour him as the eternal Truth if we do not accept it but count him a Liar and this is the greatest Affront you can put upon God for he that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave of his Son 1 John 5.10 He that doth not regard the Offer of the Gospel certainly he believes it is not true and so he dishonours God as the supream Truth 2 dly If we would honour God as the supream Lord of Heaven and Earth we must reverence him in his Worship God is not only terrible in the high Places of the Field and there where he executes his dreadful Judgments and not only so in the Depths of the Sea where the Wonders of the Lord are seen but he is also terrible in his holy Places Psal. 68.35 O God thou art terrible out of thy holy Places Then are the Hearts of his People filled with most awful Apprehensions of his glorious Majesty and of his excellent Holiness and this makes them tremble But now when we do not come with these awful Apprehensions we do not own God as the supream Majesty and therefore when they brought him an unbeseeming Sacrifice saith the Lord Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the Deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathens This is not becoming my Majesty And the Saints of God never feel such Self-Abhorrency and Loathing of themselves as when they are worshipping God God is even dreadful then when he is most comfortable to his People Deut. 28.58 That thou mayst fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God Thy God this is the comfortablest Name in all the Scripture this is the Foundation of our Hope and this puts the Saints upon a Holy Reverence But now ungodly Men come with slight cold and careless Hearts their Thoughts are upon the Shop and the Cart and the Plough and any where else than upon God they dream nigh to him with their Lips but their Hearts are removed far from him They do not come to him as a great King and supream Majesty and Authority of all and so they dishonour God exceedingly Our Thoughts in Worship should be more taken up with his Glory 3 dly If we would honour God as supream there must be a willing Subjection of our Hearts and Lives to his Laws Usually here we stick in a want of Conformity thereto Men that love God as a Creator naturally hate him as a Law-giver Men love him as a Giver of Blessings but they would fain live at large Thoughts that strike at the Being of God and Doctrines of Liberty are welcome to a carnal Heart therefore it is tedious to them to hear of one to call them to account and it is pleasing to them to think which is an Argument of the highest Hatred that can be that there were no God to call them to a reckoning that they might let loose the Reins to vile Affections We would be absolute and Lords of our own Actions And this Subjection must be in Heart and Life There must be a Subjection of the Heart God's Authority is never more undermined than by a mere Form of
trouble us no more but that the World should not be a Snare to us He came not to exempt us from Trouble but to save us from our Sins Mat. 1.21 To deliver us from Wrath to come 1 Thess. 1.10 We have the Victory which he purchased for us if the Devil and the World do not hinder the Fruition of eternal Glory Our Victory over Satan is mostly gotten by Patience even to the Death and so those that are killed all the Day long are more than Conquerors through him that loved them Rom. 8.35 36 37. Satan's main Spight is not at your worldly Interests but your Souls God may give him sometimes a Power over your worldly and bodily Interests but he doth not give him a Power over your Souls Though he get his Will over your Bodies yet if he get not his Will over your Souls it is you that conquer and not Satan Therefore in the Christian sense Suffering is Conquering If he do not draw you away from God and Christ though he and his Instruments have great Power over you it is your Heel only is bruised but your Head is safe 2. It is not a total Exemption from Sin Necessary vital Grace is only absolutely secured you shall receive no deadly Wound to destroy your Salvation The Godly sometimes may be foiled Satan stirred up David to number the People 2 Corinth 11.2 3. I am jealous over you with a godly Iealousy for I have espoused you to one Husband that I may present you as a chaste Virgin to Christ. For I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his Subtilty so your Minds should bâ— corrupted from the Simplicity that is in Christ. 1 Cor. 7.5 That Satan tempt you not for your Incontinency Yea God may imploy Satan in punishing his People as when the Israelites murmured he sent evil Angels among them Psal. 78.49 and they were destroyed of the Destroyer 1 Cor. 10.10 Because careless Souls are apt to fall asleep God permitteth him to be the Executioner of his Indignation Vse 4. To animate and incourage Christ's Servants in their War against Satan's Kingdom at home and abroad within and without Not to give place to the Devil Ephes. 4.27 Christ whom we serve is more able to save than Satan is to destroy 1. The Devil is a Creature but Christ is the Sovereign Lord who hath Power over him and all Creatures The Devil 's tempting is by Leave Iob 1.12 And the Lord said unto Satan Behold all that he hath is in thy Power Luke 22.31 And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat He could not enter into the Herd of Swine without Leave from Christ Matth. 8.31 So the Devils besought him saying If thou cast us out suffer us to go away into the Herd of Swine When we are in Satan's Hands Satan is in God's Hands 2. The Devil is an Usurper Christ is the Heir of all things Satan is the God of this World by Usurpation but by lawful Ordination Jesus is both Lord and Christ Acts 2.36 Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ. 3. The Devil hath only a perswasive Force no constraining Efficacy He cannot change the Heart or create any new Principles and Habits there which were not before But God can put his Law into our inward Parts and write it in our Hearts Jer. 31.35 He can only propound alluring Baits or Objects to the outward Senses and Fancy but God worketh immediately on the Heart 4. If the Devil be vigilant and assiduous in his Temptations he is matched and overmatched Christ is always mindful of the Affairs of his People he doth ever make Intercession for us before God And he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Psal. 121.4 Satan daily bloweth the Bellows inflaming our Corruptions suggesting Temptations but the Spirit is as watchful in our Hearts maintaining his Interest there 5. The Devil's Malice is restrained for he is held in Chains of Darkness 2 Pet. 2.4 If God spared not the Angels that fell but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into Chains of Darkness to be reserved unto Iudgment Meaning thereby not only the powerful Restraints of Providence but the Horror of their own despairing Fears Chains imply Restraint but Chains of Darkness Horror he himself believeth and trembleth Iames 2.19 Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well the Devils also believe and tremble 6. The Lord Jesus doth often give out Demonstrations of his Power and Providence Partly in protecting strengthning assisting his People and prospering their just Endeavours for the Advancement of his Kingdom so that all the Machinations of the Wicked against them come to nought Partly in making fearful Havock and Destruction in Satan's Kingdom In protecting his People sometimes he destroyeth their Enemies Isa. 27.4 Who would set the Briars and Thorns against me in Battel I would go through them I would burn them together Sometimes infatuateth their Counsels Iob 5.12 13 14. He disappointeth the Devices of the Crafty so that their Hands cannot perform their Enterprise He taketh the Wise in their own Craftiness and the Counsel of the Froward is carried headlong They meet with Darkness in the Day-time and grope in the Noon-day as in the Night Sometimes he hideth his People in the Secret of his Presence Psal. 31.20 Thou shalt hide them in the Secret of thy Presence from the Pride of Man thou shalt keep them secretly in a Pavilion from the Strife of Tongues He smiteth his Enemies by an invisible Curse Job 20.26 All Darkness shall be hid in his secret Places a Fire not blown shall consume him it shall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle He divideth them 2 Chron. 20.23 The Children of Ammon and Moab rose up against the Inhabitants of Mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them and when they had made an end of the Inhabitants of Seir every one helped to destroy another Christ is the Assailant and makes fearful Havock in the Devil's Kingdom The Word of Truth is come into all the World and pulleth down Idolatrous and False Worship Coloss. 1.6 The Word of Truth is come unto you as it is in all the World and bringeth forth Fruit as it doth also in you since the Day ye heard of it and knew the Grace of God in Truth Sermon on Gen. 24.63 Isaac went out to meditate in the Field c. SERMONS ON THE XXIV Chapter OF GENESIS SERMON I. GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide THE Context is spent in describing the Journey of Rebecca with Abraham's Servant and the Text sheweth the occasion of the first interview between Isaac and Rebekah he goeth out into the Fields to meditate and of a sudden he seeth the Camels coming I cannot pass by this Accident
18. dele of l. 26. f. when r. then l. 31. r. so many begets l. 42. r. Nature P. 1090. l. 40. r. omnis impuritas est ex mixturà vitioris P. 1091. l. 59. r. is your Love more fixed are you more P. 1092. l. 45. r. sendeth P. 1093. l. 33. f. the r. their P. 1097. l. 4. r. he hath such f. agreeable r. unchangeable l. 33. r. to satisfy sober and moderate Desires dele our P. 1098. l. 20. r. Mourners in Zion l. 39. r. The man is become P. 1111. l. 11. r. affect P. 1126. l. 28. r. miscarry in it P. 1127. l. 39. f. an r. and. P. 1128. l. 18. r. bare P. 1133. l. 59. r. Saturn P. 1136. l. 27. dele not only l. 34. r. so it is if God P. 1141. l. 16. f. to r. they P. 1143. l. 16. f. means r. meats P. 1148. l. 18. f. gross r. great P. 1153. l. 33. f. his r. this P. 1155. l. 37. r. have been needed at needed put at do dele P. 1156. l. 43. f. gnaweth r. gnasheth P. 1158. l. 28. f. Laws r. Cares P. 1162. l. 38. r. to bring P. 1173. l. 52. f. Fruitlesness r. Brutishness P. 1185. l. 35. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 1186. l. 11. f. presented r. prescribed P. 1189. l. 50. f. to seed r. to their God P. 1193. l. 28. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 1196. l. 15. r. gentle P. 1205. l. 4. r. but those to whom P. 1210. l. 60. r. in his Nature P. 1231. l. 38. f. Gifts r. Gyves There are other literal Mistakes and false Pointings which the Reader may correct To the Right Honourable PHILIP Lord Wharton Baron of Wharton in the County of Westmorland MY LORD IT is not from the common Custom and Reasons of Dedications of Books to Persons eminent for Greatness and Piety viz. to recommend an obscure Author or to set off a mean Work that your Lordship's Name is inscribed to these Sermons The Author of them the late Reverend Dr. Thomas Manton was a Star of the first Magnitude in our Horizon and his Works praise him in the Gate and though the ensuing Sermons are far short of that Politeness and Exactness that they would have had if they had pass'd his own finishing Hand yet such as they are they plainly show their Author He was a Workman that needed not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth he was a faithful Labourer in God's Vineyard and though his Preaching was so constant yet in all his Sermons may be observed that Solidness of Judgment Exactness of Method Fulness of Matter Strength of Argument perswasive Elegancy together with such a serious Vein of Piety running through the whole as few have come near him but none have excelled him Your Lordship had the Opportunity of an intimate Acquaintance with him and the Advantage of sitting under his Ministry for many Years in whose Light you greatly rejoiced while God continued him with us and when he was pleased to remove him by Death the afflictive Sense you had of that great and publick as well as your own private Loss showed the high Value and Esteem you had of him But your Respects to him were not buried in his Grave but have been upon all Occasions ever since shown to his surviving Relations who desire hereby to make their publick Acknowledgments of your Lordship's signal Favours to them And I beg your Lordship upon this Occasion to give me leave to make the like Acknowledgments of that Support Countenance and Respects I have had from your Lordship for above sixteen Years I have been your Chaplain since it was by the means of this Author that I had the Honour of being taken into your Lordship's Family My Lord God hath set your Lordship in a very high and honourable Station in which you have shined as a Light upon a Hill And as he hath given you great Opportunities so he hath also given you a large Heart to serve him and this hath given you a large Room in the Hearts of those that fear God and hath made your Name to be truly Great and Honourable How amiable a thing is it to see Greatness and Goodness in Conjunction But alas how rare are the Instances of it in this degenerate Age How few Great Ones are there that countenance despised Religion But still when it hath been under the greatest Discouragements your Lordship hath publickly owned the Ways of God your House hath been always open to his faithful Ministers and your Interest hath always been improved for promoting the Interest of the Gospel God hath lengthned out your Life to a good old Age And that he may yet prolong your Life for further Service to his Name and Interest is the Prayer of all those who know your steady and unshaken Adherence to the Principles you have owned It hath pleased the wise God to exercise you with various Troubles in your declining Years in the Death of many of your nearest Relations especially in the late wide Breach he hath made in your Family by taking away your Religious Lady whose extraordinary Indowments of Mind exemplary Piety and singular Usefulness made her justly dear to you and admired by all that knew her Such a Trial as this would shock an ordinary and common Patience and Constancy of Mind yet God by the Supports of his Grace hath enabled you to bear it This amazing Stroak is a loud Call from God to a Recess from this World now the less desirable because so dear a part of your self is removed out of it and to a Preparation for a better State to which She is gone and your Lordship is hastning How pleasant will the meeting be when you shall again see each other and know and love one another in a better manner than in this World you could when all those Frailties and Infirmities which give sometimes a little Interruption to the Comfort of the nearest Relations in this State of Weakness and Mortality shall be fully done away In the mean time that God would strenghthen your Lordship's Faith and Patience that he would increase and multiply his Blessings Temporal and Spiritual on your Lordship and all the Branches of your Noble Family and that he would reward all that Labour of Love that you have shown to his Servants Name and Interest with an eternal Weight of Glory is the daily Prayer of Right Honourable Your Lordship 's most Obedient and Faithful Servant and Chaplain WILLIAM TAYLOR February 6. 169◠THE PREFACE Christian Reader T IS a singular Instance of the Divine Providence that he should call home the Labourers to Rest and Reward while yet their Labours are employed in the Vineyard The Reverend Dr. Manton now rests from his Labours the Comfort and Conscience of his Works follow him but the Usefulness of them yet abides with us This Mantle dropp'd from our Prophet when he was taken up and we
to live righteously towards all Men giving to all their Due in all Relations Superiours Inferiours and Equals owing nothing to any Man but Love a Debt which we must always pay and always owe That we may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things ver 10. This is that which recommends Religion to the Sons of Men 't is this Well-doing which puts to silence the Ignorance of foolish Men 1 Pet. 2.15 For Men are not much concern'd what we are to God if we be unjust false treacherous unfaithful and over-reaching towards our Neighbour And thirdly that we demean our selves in all the Turnings of our Conversation holily towards God Let our conscientious discharge of First-Table-Duties be the Test of our Uprightness in those of the Second Let our Honesty and Sincerity in those of the Second evidence our Holiness in those of the First 2. Come we now to that pleasing View of the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Where we find a twofold Design of Christ in his Death and Sufferings 1. He had a noble Design for us he dealt with God gave himself for us to him 2. He had a Design upon us too that he might purify us to himself He redeems us from this present World as well as from Wrath to come Gal. 1.4 Redeems us from our selves as well as from Sin and Satan Takes us not only out of the Hands of the Law and Iustice but out of our own That they who live should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5.15 Secondly Because Faith is a Grace that has always the labouring Oar a Grace that bears the Heat and Burden of the Day that has the World and the evil One to overcome and that it may be victorious over those must first learn to lay hold on God's own Strength and overcome him too And because this Grace unites us to Christ and then draws Virtue from Christ to maintain that Union and support the spiritual Life and because it ventures far flies high and runs great Risques and has therefore great need of good Security let us again read our Author 's glorious Discourses upon Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie we might have strong Consolation who have fled for Refuge to lay hold upon the Hope set before us A Word from a God that cannot lie is a sufficient Security for Faith to rest upon Upon this single Security we might safely venture the Weight of all our Souls the stress of all our Concerns 'T is upon this alone the Apostle Titus 1.1 2. encourages us to lay the Hope of eternal Life even upon the Promise of him that cannot lie But our gracious God knowing the weakness of our Faith the Fears and Iealousies of guilty Souls has added his Oath to his Word that from such double Security we might have strong Consolation O happy Souls for whose sakes God will vouchsafe to swear O miserable Sinners who will not give credence to a swearing God! a God that swears by Himself because he has no greater thing to swear by Had he sworn by the Heavens and Earth they shall perish and with them the Security had perish'd but he swears by Himself As I live saith the Lord And Faith having got this Ground to place its Engine upon is able to overturn the World What has it not been able to suffer when Divine Truth is its Warrant What has it not been able to do when the same Truth is its Security It has subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousness obtained Promises stopped the Mouths of Lions quenched the Violence of Fire escaped the Edg of the Sword grew strong out of Weakness waxed valiant in Fight and turned to flight the Armies of Aliens Heb. 11.33 34. I will add it has routed Legions of Devils triumph'd over Death the Grave and Hell challeng'd the whole World to come in and lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect for it has a God to justify the believing Sinner a Christ that died for the Sinner once and lives for ever at the Right Hand of God to make Intercession for him Rom. 8.33 34. Now then let Faith know its Security The Oath of Man when yet every Man is a Liar puts an end to all Controversies amongst Men Let the Oath of God who can no more lâ—e than he can die put an end to our slavish Fears perplexing Doubts all our suspicious of God and his Word and let the Soul return to its Rest for God has dealt graciously with it But I have forgot my self and wrong'd thee too Christian Reader whilst we wander and lose our selves in these pleasing Anticipations For more abundant Satisfaction in these and many important Truths I refer thee to the following Discourses only have Patience to be advertised of two or three smaller Matters 1. Rest fully assured that though these Pieces are Posthumous Births they are not Spurious but the Legitimate and Genuine Offspring of the same Father with those that were first born They carry the Lineaments the Signature the Image of their Elder Brother and have been compared Line by Line Word by Word with the Author's Manuscripts by an unquestionable Voucher 2. Let it not offend thee that the same Truths and perhaps in the same Words are repeated which frequently happens in the Course of any Man's Ministry when the same Subject has been formerly handled and yet Care has been taken as much as could possibly be to prevent all Nauseousness yet sometimes it could not be done without disjointing and mangling the Sermons 3. Be so just as not to impute the Crimes of the Printer to the Author or Publisher which yet are such as an ordinary Charity may pardon or a small Ingenuity correct The rest is only to commit thee Reader and these Discourses to the Blessing of our gracious God with whom remember Thy unworthy Servant in the Service of the Gospel VIN ALSOP Jan. 17. 169â— Books wrote by Dr. Manton and printed since his Death THE first Volume of Sermons on the 119 th Psalm The second Volume of Sermons on Matthew the 25 th Iohn the 17 th Romans the 6 th and the 8 th and the 5 th of the second Epistle to the Corinthians The third Volume of Sermons on the 11 th of the Hebrews with a Treatise of Self-denial and several Sermons on the Sacrament and other Occasions Twenty select Sermons in quarto An Exposition on the Lord's Prayer in 80. Several Sermons on the Rise Growth and Fall of Antichrist on 2 Thess. 2. Several Discourses tending to promote Peace and Holiness among Christians Sermons on Christ's Temptations and Transfiguration Wâ—th Christ's Eternal Existency and the Dignity of his Person asserted against the Socinians Most of the Author's Works are to
I would Gal. 5.17 Go to Christ for help he was sent for this purpose to redeem you from Iniquity and dissolve the Devil's Work 1 John 3.8 For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the Works of the Devil It is his Office to purge the Church to set us at Liberty to destroy Satan's Power to free us from our Passions and Corruptions therefore go complain to him of the strength of your Sins for he will help you Vse 4. Comfort in our Conflicts You are sure of a final Victory before you enter into the Combate e're long we shall be out of the reach of Temptation and the Spirit shall be all in all Vse 5. Examination 1. Art thou sensible of thy natural Bondage so as to grieve under it As the Apostle Rom. 7.23 24. I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of Sin which is in my Members O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death If it be not thus with thee Redemption by Christ will never be precious there is sighing and weariness they lay their sad Estate to Heart as the Church hung their Harps upon the Willows it is the Grief of their Souls that their Lusts held them in Captivity The Children of God complain more of the Relicks of Sin than wicked Men do of the full Power of it 2. Hast thou any Freedom Sense of Bondage is a good Preparative but it is not enough All Christ's Subjects are Kings they rule over their own Lusts though not freed from them altogether they strive against them and keep them under And there is not only a freedom from Ill but a freedom to Good Psal. 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power They do not serve God by Constraint but are free to Good and serve God with a great chearfulness as before they served their Lusts. Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward Man They consult with the Word of God which was before their Bondage and Terror they have an Ability and Strength to do that which is Good there is a new Life in them yet so as they are still excited by the Spirit Vse 6. It informeth us what is true Liberty not to live at large John 8.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free you shall be free indeed Not to have Power and Sovereignty over others not to exercise Command and Authority over others but to subdue our Lusts not to be left to our selves to do what we please that is the greatest Bondage Rom. 6.20 VVhen ye were the Servants of Sin ye were free from Righteousness but to do the Will of God 1 John 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins and in him is no Sin He died to take away Sin and to make us like himself that the World might know that he was a pure and holy Saviour SERMON XXI TITUS II. 14 And purifying unto himself a peculiar People c. IN this latter Branch I observed Christ's Act and then his Aim His Act he gave himself His Aim and Intention And here is the privative part of Deliverance To redeem us from all Iniquity This I have finished I come to the Positive part And purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good VVorks He never communicates his Blessings where he doth not bestow his Grace He did not only free us from Hell but from Sin It is well for the Godly that Christ came to take away the proud and carnal Heart to take away Corruption and Iniquity which is their greatest Eye-sore But this is not all there is a positive Blessing Christ did not only come to deliver us from Sin but communicate Grace That he might purify to himself a peculiar People Two Points I shall open to you I. That whomsoever Christ maketh his People he first purifieth them or by purifying them maketh them his People II. Those that are purified are reckoned his Treasure or peculiar People Doct. I. That whomsoever Christ maketh his People he first purifieth them or by purifying maketh them his People Here I shall shew you 1 st The Necessity 2 dly The Manner of it First The Necessity of this Purification 1. In regard of God Father Son and Holy Ghost Every Person in the God-head in the dispensation of Grace hath a distinct personal Operation Election is ascribed to the Father Redemption to the Son and effectual Application to the Holy Ghost Now every one of these Operations respects Holiness Election Ephes. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we might be holy and without blame before him in Love Redemption Ephes. 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word Sanctification 2 Thess. 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth It is for the Honour of every Person that their Intention may not be frustrate and chiefly upon this ground because by this means they would justify and honour their personal Operation to the World Those that are chosen by the Father must be of a choice Spirit Christ will not be the Head of an ulcerous Body he will not be like Nebuchadnezzar's Image whose Head was of fine Gold his Breast and his Arms of Silver his Belly and his Thighs of Brass his Legs of Iron his Feet part of Iron and part of Clay Dan. 2.32 33. A beautiful Head upon a Negro's Body is monstrous We are Vessels formed and set apart for the Master's use Those that are under his forming come new out of the Forge Unclean Vessels can never be used to any good purpose unless they be washed and sweetned They are to be looked upon as God's Choice Christ's Purchase and the Spirit 's Charge Or if you will have it in other Relations they are God's Children Christ's Members and the Spirit 's Temples God's Children must resemble their Father Christ's Members must be like their Head and the Holy Ghost will not dwell in a defiled Temple 2. With respect to themselves and their relation to one another they must be purified 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing that ye have purified your selves in obeying the Truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned Love of the Brethren see that ye love one another with a pure Heart fervently The Purification of our own Souls maketh us to love Purity in others for Similitude is the ground of Delight and Complacency No Man can delight in the Purity of others unless he be in some measure purified himself Holy Men are only fit for this Communion and Society others go in the way of Cain Jude v. 11. Who was of that wicked one and slew his Brother And wherefore slew he him because his own
my Rest. If What then then count me not a God the Imprecation is suppress'd because the Expression is dreadful it is not mentioned Furious Gallants belch out Curses against themselves whereas usually the Imprecatory Part in Scripture is not express'd but left to be conceived in silence However every Oath ends in an Imprecation and Curse and it is understood if it be not mentioned and express'd in all Oaths And this is that which makes the Oath to be the more binding for in Charity it is not to be supposed that a Man will draw God's Curse upon himself wittingly and willingly Now it is the Name of God which makes all other Oaths to be valid and binding we swear by a higher because our own Credit is lost Now when the Lord swears by Himself shall not he be believed when he could swear by no higher 3. This Advantage Faith hath by God's Oath it is a Pledg of his Love and good Will that he would condescend so far to give us his Oath for our Assurance and Satisfaction Man's Oath is necessary in weighty matters because we are vain and foolish and deceive and are deceived and our Vanity makes our Speech to be less believed but God's Oath is not necessary but only to shew his Love and Condescention he would satisfy us in the highest manner that possibly he could Man takes it ill if he be forced to his Oath O how far then doth the great God stoop to give us this Satisfaction over and above his Word he hath deposited his Oath What could God say more he is willing to do what he can not only for our Safety but for our Assurance Take this Observation the Lord not only hath given us an assuring Oath but an inviting Oath in Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I have no Pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his Way and live And all sheweth his Readiness to do good to his Creatures 4. God's Oath is an Argument that he delighteth in our Comfort and Assurance Some look upon doubting as a kind of Humility but it is quite contrary to the Aim of God's Oath With what care doth he provide not only for our Salvation but Security He would deliver us not only from Hurt but from Fear Certainly a fluctuating Spirit always like the Waves of the Sea tossed to and fro displeaseth the Lord exceedingly His Promise is confirmed by an Oath that the Comfort might be more strong and remain with us both in Life and Death and that he might take away all Doubt and Scruple Certainly it is not a thing acceptable with God always to be uncertain and in terms of Suspense Nothing can be more directly contrary to his purpose than a course of Doubting therefore it is not presumption to rise to Assurance as carnal Men think and godly Men fear 5. Consider the special Nature of God's Oath In every Oath God is invoked as a Witness and as a Judg. As God is called upon as a Witness so there is an Appeal and as he is called upon as a Judg so there is an Execration With Reverence and Wonder think of it In God's Oath there is as it were an Appeal to our Thoughts of him God appeals to the Reverence and Confidence we put in his Holiness Excellency and Power Nay and there is somewhat that answers the Imprecation and Execration and all his Excellency is laid at Pawn and exposed as it were to Forfeiture if he doth not make good his Word To clear it by Instances Sometimes the Lord swears by himself Jer. 51.14 Sometimes by his Holiness Amos 4.2 And in other places by his Excellency Amos 6.8 And by his Life As I live saith the Lord. Now in all these there is something answers the Appeal as if the Lord should say to the Creature What do you think of me Can you think that I will 〈◊〉 you As you esteem of me a Living Holy Excellent Glorious God so surely will I perform all my Promises Then there is something answers to the Execration or Appeal to God as a Judg there is his Honour laid at stake upon such an Issue never count me a Living Glorious Excellent God more God draws an Imprecation let me speak it with Reverence upon himself If I do not accomplish this for you All the Glory of his Godhead is laid at Pawn and Pledg with the Creature APPLICATION Vse 1. Information 1. We see the greatness of the Condescension of God Herein God considereth rather what is fit for our Infirmity than his own glorious Excellencies Such is the Sovereign Majesty of God that it is enough for him to declare his Mind to his Creatures to command what he would have done and to forbid what he dislikes but he addeth a Promise and would indent with us in the solemn way of a Covenant as if we were altogether free before the Contract Now as if his Word were not enough though it be enough he can as well deny his Nature as his Truth he can do all things but he cannot lie he addeth his Oath We take it ill to be forced to our Oath That God should engage himself at all is much for he is Debtor to no Man We account it a wrong to a Friend to require a Bond of him for the assuming of a free Gift God is willing to do any thing not only for our Safety but Assurance that the Comfort might be more strong and remain with us in Life and Death It is not acceptable to God that we should always fluctuate and be upon Terms of Uncertainty therefore he was pleased to yield thus far 2. What Reason we have to bind our selves to God There was no need on God's part why God should bind himself to us but great need on our part why we should bind our selves to God We start aside like a deceitful Bow and therefore we should solemnly bind our selves to God Psal. 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Iudgments We need the strongest Cords we have sometimes Motions to Good but they die presently and come to nothing Well then out of Necessity as well as out of Gratitude let our Engagement in the Covenant answer to the Lord's Only take heed of resting in it and take heed of breaking it Take heed of resting in it remember Peter's confident Promise would not bear him out a rash and presumptuous Confidence is soon disappointed What Feathers are we for all our Vows and Oaths when the Blast of a Temptation is let loose upon us Take heed of breaking it remember Ananias Acts 5. God hath a double Right an Oath bindeth us more than a bare Promise Better never have sworn than not perform our Vows 3. Now see the great Wrong you do to God in giving so little Credit to his Promises You make God a Liar 1 Iohn 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar But Iohn
were opened and the Heart serious they are more hardly obtained there are more natural Prejudices against our Coming to Christ and coming to Heaven The whole Earth is full of his Goodness God feedeth all his Creatures even the young Ravens that cry there is not a Worm but he provides for it but he pardoneth but a few blesseth but a few with spiritual Blessings saveth but a few But here is the Reason Bodily Wants are more pressing and Faith is presently put in Exercise Men are careless of their Souls and content themselves with some loose Hopes of Ease and eternal Welfare Certainly he that dareth not venture his Estate in Christ's Hands he dareth not venture his Soul there they say they find no Difficulty in believing in Christ for Pardon of Sin and eternal Life and yet cannot trust God for such Maintenance and Support as he giveth the young Ravens Iohn 11.24 Martha saith unto him I know that he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last Day As if it were an easier matter to raise him up after so many Years than after four Days But the Reason is Faith is not put to a present Trial and Men are careless of things to come and do not mind the Danger and Hazard of Eternity Certainly he that dareth not in the Use of means trust God for this Life doth not trust him for everlasting Life Eternal things are counted a Fancy but worldly things are desired in good earnest Vse 2. To press us to improve these two immutable Grounds that we may grow up into a greater Certainty His Saying is as immutable as his Swearing God's Word is valuable enough of it self but only because we count an Oath more sacred God hath added it over and above Men are slight in Speech but serious in an Oath Well then since you have a double hold-fast on God make use of it in Prayer and in Meditation in Prayer when you speak to God in Meditation when you discourse with your selves 1. In Prayer you may urge God with his Promise and Oath We put our selves in remembrance by pleading with God therefore God alloweth the humble Challenges of Faith Put me in remembrance saith God Isa. 43.26 or rather put your selves in remembrance By pleading with God we wrestle with him that we may catch a Heat our selves Tell the Lord what an hold-fast you have upon him shew him his Hand-writing As Austin said of his Mother she shewed him his Hand-writing Or as Tamur brought out to Iudah the Bracelets and Staff and Ring and said Whose are these So you may plead Ah Lord are not these thine own Promises and is not this thy Oath The Children of God have done both they put him in mind of his Word Psal. 119.49 Remember the Word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope As if he had said Lord thou hast invited my Hope I should never have had the Boldness to have expected so great a Mercy and Privilege in Christ if thy Promise was not passed God forgetteth not and yet he loveth that the Saints should put him in remembrance he would have you to revive these Grounds of Trust and Confidence Then they put him in mind of his Oath Psal. 89.49 Lord where are thy former Loving-kindnesses which thou swearest unto David in thy Truth It is a great advantage in believing thus to put in a modest Challenge to God 2. Improve God's Word and Oath in Meditation when you discourse with your selves And here I shall shew First How we may improve God's Oath in Meditation Secondly When and in what Seasons First How Thus. God that cannot lie hath passed his Word he who is Truth it self the supream Truth the Original of all Truth Then say Hath he given me his Word and Oath and why am I still upon Terms of suspense The Word of an honest Man is wont to be enough and an Oath is the end of Strife if there be a Controversy God hath passed his Oath and why doth the Controversy still remain between me and God How is it with me Is the Controversy ended and taken up Am I satisfied with God's Oath Do I live as one to whom God hath given such a high-way of Assurance The World lives by guess and devout Aims and have good Meanings and Conjectures Ay but Christians should not rest in a may be or content themselves with a possible Salvation with lazy Conjectures or loose Hopes Art thou still upon Uncertainty upon terms of Hesitancy and Suspense See how St. Iames describes them Chap. 1.8 A double-minded Man is unstable in all his ways and it is our Character we are double-minded divided between Hopes and Fears full of anxious Thoughts and as Chaff is driven in the Air or Waves tossed in the Sea to and fro with various and uncertain Motion so are we carried up and down Dost thou live up to the Assurance that God hath given thee and to the Preparation and Provision he hath made for thy Certainty and Confidence Briefly That you may know what a Sin it is to be upon Uncertainty consider the Dishonour you do to God and the Damage you do to your selves 1. The Dishonour you do to God Unbelief accuseth God not only of a Lie but of Perjury you accuse him of a Lie with respect to his Word and of Perjury with respect to his Oath and solemn Engagement 1 Iohn 5.10 He that believeth not God hath made him a Liar But God forbid will you say Why then are you so doubtful notwithstanding so many offers of Grace and Mercy Why so full of Trouble and Jealousy when Difficulties do arise O base barbarous Ingratitude you take a Stranger 's Oath but you deny God the Honour that you vouchsafe to any that bears the Face of a Man If a Man pass his Oath his Brother shall accept of it Exod. 22.11 and will you not do thus to the great God that cannot lie 2. The Damage you do to your selves you frustrate the Oath of God and weaken your own Comfort Wherefore did God give us his Oath What! that we might rest in a possible Salvation and walk with him as Dancers do upon Ropes every moment to be in fear of falling Did God lay so great a Foundation for so weak a Building Who would build a Hovel on such a Foundation as would serve to bear a Palace God's Oath is a Foundation for the highest Confidence and do you think God gave it only that you might rest in Conjectural Hopes and Uncertainties Nay you run the hazard of a dreadful Curse God hath sworn in Judgment as well as in Mercy Psal. 95.11 Vnto whom I sware in my Wrath that they should not enter inter my Rest. Do you think this Rest only concerned Canaan No but it reacheth the Unbelievers of all Ages O it is terrible when God swears against Us The greater his Condescension in the Gospel the greater is his Wrath when it is refused
1 Cor. 7.30 And they that weep as tho they wept not and they that rejoice as tho they rejoiced not and they that buy as tho they possessed not 2 Cor. 6.7 By the Word of Truth by the Power of God by the Armour of Righteousness on the right-hand and on the left by Honour and Dishonour by evil Report and good Report Phil. 4.12 I know how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need A Man must learn both Lessons or he learneth neither The Prevalency of any Earthly Love will always expose us to Disquiets and we should have more in God if we looked for less in the Creature but whilst we dote upon these things we are more sollicitous about getting or keeping and troubled at the want or loss of them 3. The great care is in the Text about the exercise of Faith on God and Christ Ye believe in God believe also in me Sense is the cause of Trouble Faith of Comfort Christ who is the true Physician of Souls knoweth what Cure is proper to the Disease Mountebanks would prescribe another Cure spare the Flesh or feed Men with carnal Hopes No ye believe in God believe also in me Tho God should not prevent the Evil feared or remove the Affliction yet if we can believe we are well enough Faith represents more Grounds of Comfort than Sense can of Trouble whilst it carrieth off the Heart from things seen to things unseen from things present to things future from the Creature to God who can give better things than the World can give or take from us Here are two Objects of Faith God and Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 To us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him One supream God from whom we derive all our Graces and to whom we direct all our Services and one Mediator by whom as a golden Pipe all our Mercies are conveyed to us and by whom also we have access to God for all that we stand in need of 4. Let us labour to keep our Consciences pure if we would not have our Hearts troubled Sin will bring on Trouble both inward and outward for it is the cause of Sufferings and it maketh them more grievous as we shall always walk in Pain till the Thorn be pulled out of our Foot Righteousness bringeth Peace and the Oil of Grace maketh way for the Oil of Gladness the Apostle bringeth this out of Melchisedec's Name and Title Heb. 7.2 First being by Interpretation King of Righteousness and after that also King of Salem which is King of Peace Elsewhere the Scripture doth attest it Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God And 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoicing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World David interposeth a Caution Psal. 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly 5. There are certain Ordinances appointed to fortify us against Soul-trouble The Word Psal. 119.50 This is my Comfort in mine Affliction for thy Word hath quickened me There are the fixed Grounds of that Hope and Comfort which will support and enliven us in the greatest Pressures God's Covenant and promised Mercies are Portion enough what Distresses soever he sendeth So Prayer if it be ingenuous thankful Prayer Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your Requests be made known unto God The Lord's-Supper it is our Viaticum non morientium not when we come to die Papists think so and therefore thrust the Sacrament into the Mouths of those that die if this be neglected they almost despair of their Salvation But it is Viaticum viventium of those that live Death is not a Journey but the end of a Journey a Passage in a Moment a Cessation from our Journey in this World which needeth no Viaticum a going out of the World like the putting out of a Lamp in a moment as the Lamp needeth no more Oil when it is to be extinguished We need this for our Journey in the World not our departure out of the World Acts 8.39 He went on his way rejoicing As it is our Antidote against the Corruption that is in the World through Lust so it is our Cordial against the Troubles of the World to give us more Joy of Faith more sense of God's Love It is the Feast provided for the refreshing of the weary and cherishing of the mournful Soul SERMON II. JOHN XIV 1 Let not your Heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me Doct. II. ONE great Means of easing our Hearts from Trouble is believing in God and Christ. To evidence this I shall consider I. The Act. II. The Object which is double 1. One part taken for granted Ye believe in God 2. The other part of the Object they were now invited and recommended unto Believe also in me I. For the Act. Faith in the general hath a comforting Property and a Power to allay Trouble As here the Disciples being in Trouble are exhorted by Christ to believe that is to renew their Faith David felt a blustering in his Spirit and how doth he allay the Storms Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God There is no such ready way to still unquiet Thoughts as to set Faith on work and to cast Anchor within the Vail hoping for and expecting Relief from God So the Primitive Christians when they were under great Heaviness in divers Trials how did they get any Comfort to keep themselves alive 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom tho now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory A lively Exercise of Faith will bring in much Joy to the Soul in hard Times and under sore Trials and not only keep it alive as Habak 2.4 The Iust shall live by Faith or make a Believer not barely to subsist but he fareth high and liveth at a wonderful rate of Comfort such as is for nature and kind tho not degree somewhat like the Joy of the Blessed Look into the Book of God and you shall find that all our Fears and Troubles are for want of Faith As for Instance Peter when he walked to Christ upon the Waters his Feet never sunk till his Faith failed Mat. 14.31 O thou of little Faith wherefore didst thou doubt The Wind was boisterous but there was Christ at hand He looketh at the Wind too much
are not given to all in the same Measure For in the Text there is intimated a Difference in the Distribution some have much others have little This is a thing often inculcated in Scripture as worthy to be taken notice of and seriously improved by us Therefore I shall give you I. Some Observations concerning it II. The Reasons of it III. The Uses I. Observations 1. That every one hath some Gift or other to be improved for God Some Relation some Opportunity and Advantage whereby he may glorify his Father which is in Heaven honour the Gospel and be useful to others In the Parable of the Talents one had five Talents another two another one he that had least had one Mat. 25.15 Some have publick Offices and move in an higher Sphere Others are in a private Condition where they may glorify God as Masters or as Servants as Parents or Children Husbands or Wives by performing the Duty of their Places Fidelity in the meanest piece of Service is acceptable to God and tendeth to his Glory and Honour Ephes. 6.8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any Man doth the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be Bond or Free He taketh notice of the poor Bond-servant who serveth God in his Calling as well as of the Free-men and Masters for God looketh not to the splendor and greatness of the Work but the honesty and sincerity of the Doer how mean soever he be And this tendeth to God's Honour Titus 2.10 Shewing all good Fidelity that they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things Religion is commended and well spoken of by means of the good carriage of a poor Servant Dent Imperatores tales tales Exactores fisci c. It is very notable that every one offered to the use of the Tabernable in Moses his time Gold or Silver or Brass or Chittim Wood or Goats-Hair or Badgers Skins some that which was more expensive others that which was more cheap and common but every one according to his several Ability So when Christ went to Ierusalem some strewed the way with Garments others cast down Branches some cried Hosannah that was all they could do The meanest Service hath its use and is not without a Reward Mat. 10.41 42. He that receiveth a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's Reward and he that receiveth a righteous Man in the Name of a righteous Man shall receive a righteous Man's Reward And whosoever shall give to one of these little ones a Cup of cold Water only in the Name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his Reward That is he that doth support and enable a Prophet to do the Work of him that sent him shall receive the same Reward that he should if he had been sent to prophesy yea the same as if he had received him that sent him even Christ that sent the Apostles or God that sent Christ For he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me ver 40. And for the other Branch He that receiveth a righteous Man in the Name of a righteous Man shall receive a righteous Man's Reward an holy Man sent to plant Holiness among them or recommend Holiness to them by his Doctrine or Practice shall receive the Benediction of a righteous Man the having a righteous Man in one's House maketh you partake in his Blessing Nay a Cup of cold Water given to another because he is a Disciple of Christ that is the least Service or good turn done to a Member of Christ shall not be forgotten As the least Injury is taken notice of as the putting forth of the Finger by way of mocking Isa. 58.9 The Lord would have none of those Upbraidings So that I observe two things here One is the difference To enable a Prophet is more than to entertain a righteous Man to entertain a righteous Man is more than a slight good turn The other is that the smalness or meanness of the Benefit whereby any of Christ's Followers are helped and refreshed shall not diminish Christ's Estimation of the Man 's good Affection 2. That there is great diversity in the Talents themselves Christ doth not give all to all nor to all alike The kinds of Gifts are various some are more earthly and bodily as Strength Wealth and Honour These are Gifts and to be imployed for God bodily Strength for the Labours of the Gospel As God helped the Levites that bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord 1 Chron. 15.26 by discharging bodily Lassitude and Weakness So for the defence of his Church He giveth sometimes notable Strength and Valour to exercise it as to Sampson and David's Worthies or mighty Men 1 Chron. 11.10 Wealth that we may honour God with our Substance Prov. 3.9 and make Friends of the Mammon of Vnrighteousness Luke 16.9 and occasion others to bless God for us So for Honour and Dignity that we may protect and shelter God's People As it is taken notice that Christ's Grave was with the Rich and Honourable Isa. 53.9 meaning Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus John 19.38 39. these eminent Men thought it their Duty to own Christ in his lowest Abasement So it is taken notice of Acts 17.4 A great multitude of the Greeks believed and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the chief Women not a few So would God put some Worldly Authority and Respect upon his Gospel lest it should seem only a Frenzy of the People But others are of a more spiritual nature as Gifts of the Mind Wisdom Knowledg Faith Love Hope With these especially God expecteth to be glorified For when he hath given us all things necessary to Life and Godliness he trusteth his Honour in our Hands that we may do some worthy thing for him in the World and quit our selves above the ordinary rate of Mankind either for the Glory of God or the Benefit of others Now among these Gifts some are common as Knowledg Utterance c. others saving and such as do accompany Salvation Heb. 6.9 as Faith and Love c. The common Gifts are several For to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdom to another the word of Knowledg by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit to another the Gifts of Healing by the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.8 9. Some are able to explain Truths soundly others to apply it closely Some have the Gift of Prayer and Utterance others are good to inform the Judgment Some to convince Gain-sayers others to stir up lively Affections It was observed in the three Ministers of â—eneva Vireto nemo docuit dulciùs Farello nemo tenuit fortiùs nemo doctiùs locâ—tus est Calvino No Man taught more sweetly than Viretus no Man held an Argument more strongly than Farellus no Man spoke more learnedly than Calvin Among Hearers some have more Wisdom some more Knowledg some more
of fruitfulness Rev. 2.10 Be thou Faithful to the Death and I will give â—hee a Crown of Life 1 Thess. 2.19 What is our Hope or Ioy or Crown of Rejoicing Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his coming Vse 1. Let this asswage the Envy and Trouble of the meanest If thy Gifts be mean thy Account will be so much the easier Alas it is no easy thing to stand in the Judgment How much have others to account for 2. To perswade those who have received greater Gifts than others to do so much the more good with them That which God will accept from others he will not accept from you You will be deeper in the state of Condemnation if your Fruit be not proportionable The Rich in this World must be rich in good Works 1 Tim. 6.18 That they do good that they be rich in good VVorks ready to distribute willing to communicate Those that have more Helps than ordinary should have the more Grace He fenced it and gathered out the Stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine c. and looked that it should bring forth Grapes Isa. 5.2 Heb. 6.7 8. The Earth which drinketh in the Rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth sorth Herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth Blessing from God But that which beareth Thorns and Briars is rejected and is nigh unto Cursing whose end is to be burned So for them that have more Grace Others have common Mercies but you have the great and special Mercies and should not you abound in Love and Holiness You are made partakers of a Divine Nature and therefore you should be somewhat more than ordinary Men. You have the Spirit and will you not walk in the Spirit and mortify the Flesh by it Surely God expecteth more from you for he hath given you more and will do more for you As there is a great difference between Heaven and Hell so should there be between your Lives and theirs that shall perish for ever A SERMON UPON DEUT. XXXII 51 Because ye trespassed against me among the Children of Israel at the Waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the Children of Israel I Shall give you some Strictures or short Notes on this Scripture The Words contain a Reason why Moses and Aaron were shut out of Canaan Because of their Sin at Meribah-Kadesh or the Waters of Strife Their Sin is doubly expressed here 1. Ye trespassed against me 2. Ye sanctified me not The one Expression seemeth to imply a Sin of Commission Ye trespassed against me that is disobeyed God The other a Sin of Omission Ye sanctified me not in the Eyes of the Children of Israel Or rather the one is a more general Expression it was a Trespass The other more particular shewing what sort of Trespass it was Not sanctifying God For the first This Sin is called Numb 27.14 A Rebellion against the Commandment of the Lord. In the Text a Trespass or a Transgression For the second More particularly Not sanctifying God is a Transgression with a Scandal annexed to it To sanctify God is to carry our selves to him as to a God of such Glory and Power to fear him above all and to love him and trust him above all In short to do that which God commandeth depending upon his Word and Promise by which we ascribe to him the Glory of his Truth Goodness and Power as counting him worthy to be feared and trusted whatever Temptations we have to the contrary Thus Isa. 8.13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your Fear and let him be your Dread 1 Pet. 3.15 Sanctify the Lord God in your Hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you with meekness and fear There was a Scandal annexed for it is said in the Text Among the Children of Israel and in the midst of the Children of Israel And elsewhere in the Eyes of the Children of Israel They publickly dishonoured God before all the People Moses used like words of Unbelief when the People lusted for Flesh at Taberah as now he did at Meribah when they murmured for want of Water Numb 11.21 22. And Moses said The People among whom I am are six hundred thousand Footmen and thou hast said I will give them Flesh that they may eat a whole Month. Shall the Flocks and the Herds be slain for them to suffice them Or shall all the Fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lord's Hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my Word shall come to pass to thee or not Unbelief will be always urging Difficulties against God's Promises But there was no threatning then that Unbelief was only professed in Secret only before the Lord but this was before all Israel And both Moses and Aaron are charged with this Sin and being both Partners in the Transgression they are both concerned in the Chastisement both are shut out of Canaan and died the one at Mount Hor the other at Mount Nebo Doct. That the Sins even of God's Children may cost them dear here in this World I. I shall reflect on the Instance in the Text. II. Give you general Reasons I. To give you some Reflections on the Instance in the Text. The History of it you have Numb 20. The People when the Water failed gather together against Moses and Aaron to chide ver 3. that is to resist or speak with bitter and reproachful words They menaced and therefore Moses and Aaron withdrew for fear of them and because of their Outrages and fell upon their Faces praying in the Door of the Sanctuary ver 6. and it is said the Glory of the Lord appeared to them that is in the Cloud as a sign that he heard their Prayer and would save them And the Lord biddeth Moses ver 8. to take his Rod and he and Aaron to speak to the Rock to give out Water enough for all Israel for them and their Beasts And this speaking to the Rock was to be done in the sight and hearing of all the People Upon this Moses and Aaron gather all the Congregation together before the Rock ver 10 11. and then he said Hear now ye Rebels must we fetch Water for you out of this Rock And he lift up his Hand and with his Rod smote the Rock twice and Water came out abundantly and the Congregation drank and their Beasts also This is the account of the History The Question now is Wherein was Moses his Sin in all this Some think in that Moses smote the Rock and spake to the People It is not said that he spake to the Rock as he is commanded by God he should only have spoken to the Rock not have smitten it But when God biddeth him take his Rod
it is most probable to imagine that he intended he should smite the Rock with it as was before done at Rephidim Exod. 17.6 Thou shalt smite the Rock and there shall come Water out of it that the People may drink But here there is no Command of smiting therefore some think he should only have lifted up his Rod in the Eyes of the People as the Signal of former Miracles Others think his Error was in smiting twice when once had been enough to declare their Faith and Reliance on God's Promise But the Scripture doth seem to refer us to another cause their Disobedience and Unbelief not manifested in his smiting so much as in his speaking Psal. 106.32 33. They angred him also at the Waters of Strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes because they provoked his Spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his Lips Therefore the Sin was Impatience mingled with Diffidence and this in the sight of all the People 1. He was in a great Passion more than was usual with him at other times as appeareth by the manner of his speaking Ye Rebels and also the doubling of his Stroke sheweth the Heat of his Anger Now the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God James 1.20 The Passion was in it self a fault but withal it disturbed him so that he could not discharge that Duty which was incumbent upon him in the manner that he ought to do it with Faith and Affiance in God or so as he might set out his Goodness Power and Truth He spake in a Provocation not as became a meek and faithful Servant of the Lord that desired to glorify him in the Eyes of the People 2. There was Unbelief and Distrust in it Must we fetch you Water out of this Rock A Speech that savoured of doubting which needed not considering what an express Promise they had from God Therefore God saith Numb 20.12 Because ye believed me not They spake as if it were impossible to fetch Water out of the Rock when God had assured them of the contrary or at least such an abundance for them all as might be sufficient for all the Multitude with their Beasts and Cattel Or if their Faith in God's Power was clear they might doubt of his Mercy that God would do such a thing for a murmuring and unthankful People 3. There was Scandal in it In this they did not endeavour as they ought to set forth God's Glory and Power in the Eyes of all the People They should have charged the Rock to yield forth Water and have given the People a good Example of believing and obeying God's Words in their greatest Straits ver 12. Ye believed me not to sanctify me in the Eyes of the Children of Israel That is they did not publickly before the People shew Affiance in God as became them Therefore the words are to be noted ver 13. This is the Water of Meribah because the Children of Israel strove with the Lord and he was sanctified in them Tho Moses and Aaron sanctified him not by Faith and Obedience yet God sanctified himself 1. Among the People by giving Water for their Thirst So it 's said Isa. 48.21 When he led them through the Deserts he caused the Waters to flow out of the Rock for them he clave the Rock also and the Waters gushed forth And as for them so for their Cattel yea the wild Beasts of the Wilderness had benefit by this Mercy of God to his People So Isa. 43.20 The Beasts of the Field shall honour me the Dragons and the Owls because I give Waters in the Wilderness and Rivers in the Desert to give Drink to my People my Chosen 2. He was sanctified in Moses and Aaron by punishing their Disobedience Thus it is taken Ezek. 38.16 That the Heathen may know me when I shall be sanctified in thee O Gog before their Eyes that is by punishing them for their Sins for thereby God makes himself known to be an holy and powerful God So Levit. 10.3 I will be sanctified in them that come nigh unto me and before all the People I will be glorified either by doing good to them that serve him aright or by punishing them that transgress his Precepts This is the History Now observe it in three things 1 st The State and Quality of the Persons 1. Moses was an eminent Servant of the Lord faithful in all his House Deut. 34.5 So Moses the Servant of the Lord died Tho Men be holy for the main yet it doth not justify their Failings or excuse their evil Actions as if they were not Sins nor hinder God's Wrath from breaking out upon them temporally tho they be exempted from eternal Condemnation For God is no Respecter of Persons Behold the Righteous shall be recompensed in the Earth much more the Wicked and the Sinner Prov. 11.31 If the Faults of the Righteous whom God loveth with a Fatherly Love in Christ be not without Chastisement surely the Wicked cannot escape Their Sins are not by design but by surprise not committed with a strong Will but out of Frailty and being commited they are retracted by Repentance As Moses often mentioneth this Sin and at his Death maketh here an acknowledgment of God's Justice against him for it that his Example might be a warning to all People not to disobey God's Commandments or disbelieve his Word Yet God will be known to be an holy God by the notable Inconveniences God's People often bring upon themselves here in the World This Truth is ushered in with an Ecce Behold the Righteous shall be recompensed in the Earth that is observe the just and most wise Government of our supream Lord Behold it it is a certain Truth and deserveth our most solemn Consideration Many Miseries we may have in our Pilgrimage for they are recompensed upon Earth and our Chastisements are confined only to the present Life 2. He was a very meek Man Numb 12.3 Now the Man Moses was very meek above all the Men that were upon the Face of the Earth This Commendation the Spirit of God giveth to Moses tho by Moses his own Pen. Now Meekness is a Vertue which keepeth a mean in Anger and avenging our selves when we are offended wronged and contemned Yet this meek Man could be thus angry Psal. 106.32 They angred him also at the Waters of Strife and ver 33. They provoked his Spirit In the holiest Men there are Relicks of Sin unmortified and such Weakness as they may readily fall into Sin in the hour of Temptation and such Sin as may cost them dear Who would have thought his Spirit should be so grieved and imbittered It is a dangerous Sin to mingle our Passions with God's publick Service or to go about the Work that he sets us to do with any carnal Perturbation Therefore we had need watch over our selves 3. He was a Man greatly provoked yet this doth not exempt him from Blame and Correction Tho Men
seem the cheapest Matter in the World But whoever is a Christian indeed makes a full and absolute Resignation of himself and all he hath He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Mark 10.37 He that loveth any thing more than Christ can never hold out in Heaven's way When the Profession of Religion grows cheap and is low God sends some trouble or other to raise the price that those that will go to the cost may be known what they are I. VSE For Reproof unto two sorts 1. Those that are so unwilling to part with a little Portion of their Goods when the Lord hath need of some supply from them for his Servants and their poor fellow Christians They are so far from being Content to part with all for the Glory of God and good of their Brethren that they are backward and will part with nothing for the maintenance of God's Worship and Relief of the Poor it must be drawn and wrung from them as if all were lost Men act as if their Goods were at their own dispose O how dwelleth the Love of God in them 1 Iohn 3.17 Whoso hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 2. It reproveth those that shift and wriggle and Dispute themselves out of their Duty and all to shake off the Cross and avoid suffering whereas they should with a ready mind take it up Gal. 6.12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh they constrain you to be circumcised only least they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ that is they did Judaise to avoid trouble from the Iews Thô they were not guilty of a total Apostacy yet to take off the Edge of the Iews they disputed themselves into such evil complyance It is true to escape suffering by lawful means is Commanded Mat. 10.23 When they persecute you in this City flee ye into another To remove our selves when a Storm comes this is commanded Prov. 22.3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil and bideth himself but the simple pass on and are punished But to do any thing to prejudice the Truth to shift and turn and all to shake off the Cross this is sinful and forbidden 3. It Reproveth those that do with such Impatience suffer the Loss of any outward thing either by God's immediate Providence or by the violence of men for the Profession of the Truth O this should not be but you should cheerfully and willingly yield it up to God Lev. 10.3 And Aaron held his peace Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods 1 Cor. 7.30 We should mourn as if we mourned not In all worldly Losses we are to shew that we expect better things and that our Hearts are not here and that we have such an Esteem for Christ that he is so worthy and so necessary for us that we should be glad to follow him naked II. VSE To press us to be of such a Spirit to be willing to part with all when Christ will have us and when the Sence of our Duty and his Honour requires it of us This seems to be a hard Lesson but to help us to learn it something must be avoided and something considered 1. Something must be Avoided As 1. Love of the World and Addictedness to the Creature We must hang loose to outward things or we shall never be ready to forgoe them for Christ's sake If there be any secret Idol in your Heart God will bring it forth and put it to the Tryal whether you love him or your Idol most Now the World is a great Idol to keep us from God 1 Ioh. 5.3 4 5. This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous For whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God The connexion between these Verses is thus Whoever will keep the Commandment must overcome the World which is a great Lett thereto therefore we have need of a Heart to look after better things and loosen the Heart from the World which is that Faith that overcometh the World This Precept is hard but it is only to those that are wedded to present things therefore Contempt of the World and of the Possessions and Riches of it is necessary for all that will not make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and render themselves uncapable of the Duties of their Holy Calling 2. Distrust of God's Alsufficiency and trust in the Means is that which makes this Precept difficult He that durst not trust in God will certainly be unfaithful to him Here is our danger resting in the Means as if there could be no supply but from Creatures 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded nor trust in uncertain riches There is the great Bane of Men we cannot see how we can be well without Friends Wealth Liberty Favour Preferment and such and such Revenues by the year We would fain be on the surest side and on the gathering hand and that is the Reason it is so hard to forsake all and trust our selves alone with God's Alsufficiency And therefore if you would bring your Heart hereunto you must strengthen Faith in the Providence of God and bring thy Heart to lean upon that and not inferiour Means and trust him upon his Word then it will be easie It is no unreasonable thing that I require of you it is but that which is due to any honest Man especially if you have had tryal of him you will trust him upon his Word even without a Pawn So you should trust God thô you can see nothing but Nakedness and Poverty and all manner of Inconvenience In time past God hath not been wanting to you he hath given you better things and will he deny thee daily Bread 2. Some things are to be considered if you would thus forsake all for the discharge of a good Conscience There is God's Right and our own compleat Resignation when we first took Christ I suppose you have done so or certainly you are not Christians Our Hopes in the World to come Heaven is worth something But I shall pitch only upon two things 1. Others have quitted Wealth upon far meaner lower and more inconsiderable Respects than you are called to do it therefore certainly you should quit it for Conscience of your Duty to God Anacreon restored five Talents to Polycrates because he was so troubled with Cares about keeping of them saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those things were not worth the care laid out about keeping of them Another cast his Wealth into the Sea saying
they call Christ Lord and Saviour but do not rest upon him for Salvation nor obey him therefore this will be of no use to them as to Eternal Life So Mat. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father that is in Heaven Thô we profess Christianity and seem to have a great Respect to Christ's Memory yet without the practice of Faith and Obedience we shall have no Benefit by Christ and shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Only those who being condemned by the Law fly to Christ by Faith and study to bring forth the Fruits of Newness of Life shall be saved by him Again Iohn 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed There are Disciples in Name and there are Christ's Disciples indeed such as are so in Truth Life and Practice Whatever Priviledges Men may have by their outward Profession and Shew yet they have no ground of solid Comfort till they persevere to walk according to Christ's Direction and continue in his Word Thus when we renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh and cleave to Christ as Prince and Saviour and resign up our selves to his Use when this is done in reality then do we enter our selves indeed to be his Disciples This is implyed in our Baptism as in the Primitive Times when they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Iustin Martyr phraseth it they did solemnly renounce Christ's Enemies and profess to choose him for their Lord and Master and yielded up themselves to be guided by him in his own way to Heaven And the Apostle telleth us 1 Pet. 3.21 Baptism saveth us not the putting away of the filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God that is an hearty acceptance of God's Offers and an engagement in his strength to do his Commandments Secondly Why this is necessary beyond Alms and all other Amiable Qualities 1. Because Heathens and Men of a false Religion may Excell in Charity and other Moralities and yet without true Grace they are nothing The Apostle tells us The Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law Rom. 2.14 And that they excelled in Charity as well as other things appears by Titus 3.14 Let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses Who are they that he calls ours also Compare it with v. 8. That they which have believed in God be careful to maintain good works that is those of our Religion as well as the Iews and Pagans The Gentiles were much given to Charity Paul saith Acts 28.2 The barbarous people shewed us no little kindness Mercy had an Altar in every City of Greece The Alchoran of the Turks say That if men knew what a pleasant thing it was to give Alms rather than want somewhat to give they would slice out their own Flesh So that the Gentiles and men not under the Institution of Christ those that are without the Covenant and Promise and Grace may be addicted to Alms. But now all this is nothing without true Grace 1 Cor. 13.3 Thô I bestow all my Goods to feed the poor and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing A Man would think there were a Contradiction in the Apostles Speech for how can one bestow all his Goods to feed the Poor and yet want Charity If this be not Charity what is I would not Interpret it If I bestow all my Goods upon the Poor Hypocritically for it is a hard thing to conceive Hypocrisie should go to such a length but there is the Grace of Charity and the Natural Amiable Quality of Charity If a Man have not a renewed Heart if it be a meer Natural Motion without Spiritual Grace and that cannot be till they enter themselves Disciples to Christ in the way spoken of it is nothing The Apostle commends the Macedonians that were a poor People yet did exceedingly stretch themselves to contribute to the Poor Saints at Ierusalem 2. Cor. 8.5 And this they did not as we hoped but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God And here was the true Method before they gave their Goods they offered their Hearts to God they gave up themselves to the Lord Christ to be his Disciples they entred themselves into his Service This is the true Fountain of Charity and then it comes to something 2. There is need of Faith in Christ in order to our Acceptance with God and Reconciliation with him and therefore all the Good Works we do will not profit us till we become Disciples of Christ Why till we Believe his Atonement and Reconciliation is not reckoned to us for the Gifts of Enemies are giftless and unacceptable Since the Fall there is no way of acceptance with God till we change our Copy and come to claim by a new Covenant Nothing will render us acceptable to God but compleat Innocence or else Repentance and Faith in Christ. While we stand upon our own Bottom alas the least Failing is damnable and spoils all the good we do for without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 and Rom. 8.8 They that are in the Flesh cannot please God VSE To shew the Necessity of becoming the Disciples of Christ that you may not satisfie your selves with any thing you do without it or beneath it till you have taken Christ for your Saviour But you will say What need this ado we are Christians are not we dedicated to his Service Baptized in his Name I answer three things 1. There is the more need of entring your selves Disciples of Christ because you are Baptized that you may fill up your Baptism with answerable Duty The Apostle Paul presseth to put on Christ Rom. 13.14 But put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and that because they had put on Christ Colos. 3.10 Seeing ye have put on the new man We are more engaged by our Profession and Covenant sealed in Baptism if we have put on Christ Sacramentaally we must put him on really Rom. 6.11 Reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto Sin but alive unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And indeed this is so far from being an Objection that it binds us the more strongly However God may deal with Infidels to be sure it will not fare well with you if you mock God with an empty Formality and put him off with a Baptismal Regeneration without a real Regeneration if ye put on Christ in Profession and do not really put him on and know his Grace in Truth All are engaged the more strongly that live in the Church not only by the common necessity that is upon all Mankind of running to a Redeemer but because of their Profession Rom. 6.3 4 5. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Iesus Christ were baptized into his Death Therefore we are buried
Diseases he ascended up into a Mountain or retired into a Ship and leaves the Multitude and when they would have crowned him King he refused it all these were Arguments and Instances of his Humility Hear and wonder at what you read Iohn 13.3 Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God A magnificent Preface Now one would have thought that some rare act of Empire Soveraignty and Domination should have followed No Verse 4.5 He riseth from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a towel and girded himself After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash his Disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded The Disciples did not wash the feet of their Lord but the Lord washed the Disciples feet and what was the meaning of this see Verse 15. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you 3. In Love to the Saints Iohn 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Iohn 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you Oh how express are these Injunctions There is nothing in which Christ was more Eminent than in his Love no rancour of Spirit no boyling up of Envy but all Love The Apostle propounds it to Husbands Eph. 2.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church Now how did Christ love his Church with a great Love so as to dye for his Church The Love of Christ was sincere not for By ends he loved Saints as Saints because of his Interest in them So should we love those in whom we see most of the Image of God It was not a blaze but a constant abiding Love whom he loves he loves unto the end so must we love the Saints It is true Jesus loved some above others Iohn was the beloved Disciple John 21.20 There was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Flower of the Disciples whom he loved most but he loved them all We should Love not in Word but in Deed and in Truth Oh be filled with Love to God and Love to the Saints who have his Image stamped upon them You that are Believers have cause to love one another have we not all the same Father Are we not Children begotten of the same Holy Seed the Word Do we not all suck at the same Breasts of the Promises Do we not all sit at the same Table at the Lords Supper Are we not all cloathed with the same Robe of Christ's Righteousness and do we not all expect the same Glory 4. In his Vsefulness and Profitableness And of this the whole Gospel is a Narrative and History Therefore when the Apostle would summ up the Life of Christ he tells us this Acts 10.38 He went about doing good giving Eyes to the Blind Feet to the Lame Speech to the Dumb healing every sickness and every Disease among the people Matth. 9.35 full of Compassion to the Souls of Men. Jesus Christ was nothing else but Charity covered over with Flesh and Blood he was always either giving of Blessings or forgiving of Sins All his Miracles were not actions of Pomp but of Relief and Succour unless it were blasting the Fig. tree and sending the Herd of Swine into the Sea and the Figg-tree was Barren and the Swine was of little use in the Jewish Countries All the Miracles of Christ were salutary and healing We never read he destroyed one Man by Miracle but saved many Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Oh that we could learn this none is born for himself but for the Community and it is better to give than to receive 5. In his Piety towards God If you consider the History of Christ you will find him much in Acts of Devotion he was Frequent and Fervent and Reverent in Prayer Frequent Mark 1.35 And in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed And Luke 6.12 He went out into a Mountain to pray and continued all night in Prayer to God Alas we are weary in our ordinary stinted Offices of the day how soon do we grow weary of calling upon God! but Christ spends whole Nights in Prayer He was Fervent Luke 22.44 And being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly And he was Reverent when he was in the Garden he kneeled down and prayed Luke 22.41 And he fell on his face and prayed Mat. 26.39 He was a most diligent Observer of the Sabbath Luke 4.16 As his custom was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day he was diligent in frequenting the Publick Assemblies Oh how doth this confute those that out of height of Spirit and a proud Conceit of themselves are above Ordinances and say they were appointed only for Christians of the lower form He praised God for mean and course fare when he had but five Barley Loaves and two Fishes He took the loaves and when he had given thanks he distributed to the Disciples John 6.11 Alas when our Tables are full furnished we have scarce any serious Thoughts of God that giveth us richly all things to enjoy 6. In his Spirituality and Heavenly-mindedness Christ came from Heaven and he lived in Heaven all the while he was upon the Earth When he was at the Well of Samaria conferring with the Woman there he discourseth of the Well that springs up to Everlasting Life Iohn 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life He drew her from a Discourse of ordinary water to a Discourse of the Water of Life When he was at Supper at the Pharisee's House he discourseth of eating Bread in God's Kingdom Luke 14.15 Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God When he had wrought the Miracle of the Loaves he discourseth of the Bread of Life and the Mannah that came down from Heaven Iohn 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth but for the meat which endureth to everlasting Life which the Son of Man shall give unto you When he was at the Feast of Tabernacles where they were wont to pour out water and so to make a Pool near the Temple he discourseth of Rivers of water and of the flowings of the Spirit Iohn 7.38.39 He that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive A rare Pattern for us to follow We should labour as to see all things in God so to see God in all things and to be heavenly minded
They do not make us corrupt or put Corruption into us but only discover the Corruption that is there already as when we fill a leaky Vessel the unsoundness of it is seen as soon as it is fill'd it begins to run out Our Corruptions are drawn out by these things and plainly discovered to the World when the Fault is not in the Riches but in the Lust. 2. When Wealth is spoken of as an Estate full of spiritual danger it is rather to check our desires of it than to lessen God's Bounty as if there were no Obligation upon us by thâ—se Temporal Blessings If we covet and seek great things for our selves we do but run into the mouth of Temptation 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition We are to bless God for his Bounty but we are to guard our own Hearts and contract our desires before the Will of God is declar'd When we ask Riches we know not what we ask Do not aim at great things for your selves in the World 3. Wealth considered not as sought by us but as given by God needeth peculiar and special Grace to improve it because we must not only look to the manner of Acquisition but to the manner of Fruition It is true we have honestly acquired it it comes to us fairly but then we must see how we enjoy it Some are rich because they are wicked having gotten their Wealth by unjust and indirect means but others are Wicked because they are Rich being corrupted by the Enjoyment of them There are some Gifts of God that are Absolutè bona so absolutely good that they can never be evil such things do certainly make the owner or him that possesseth them good too as the Graces of the Spirit Faith in Christ the Love of God Fear of his Name but one may be rich but yet never the better Nay consider Man in statu lapso fallen from God to the Creature he is easily made worse and usually is too and that by the good things he doth enjoy if the Lord doth not vouchsafe to him his Grace 4. I Answer again When Temporal Blessings follow Eternal then it is well as Wisdom with an Inheritance is good And Solomon asked Wisdom and with it God gave him Riches and Honour in great abundance but where they are given singly and apart so they are given to God's Enemies Elijah was poor and Ahab rich Paul that holy Man was in Prison and bound with a Chain and Nero at the same time Emperor of the World God hath Gifts for all his Creatures some in one way some in another shall find him a good God Jesus Christ that gave his Holy Spirit to the best of the Apostles gave the Bagg to Iudas Nay Jesus Christ himself that had the Spirit without measure chose a poor Estate He that made a Fish to pay him Tribute could as well have made Men to do so he that multiplyed a few Loaves could have encreased his Stock he that made the World could have built himself a stately Pallace but when he was rich yet for our sakes he became poor 2 Cor. 8.9 that he might lanctifie holy Poverty in his own Person and honour by it his own Example and usually he cuts his Children short while wicked Men live in Plenty Therefore they that meerly have Riches that is that have it apart from Grace are in a worse Condition than those that are kept low and bare As a Child may be Dieted for its Health while a Servant is left to a free Allowance so God knows our Weakness And they understand nothing in Divinity that do not know this that God works congruously and will not only give strength but will also abate the Temptation it self and not suffer us to have over much in the World lest it should become a Snare to us So much for the Persons spoken of They that have Riches 2. The Priviledge in Debate that which is denyed or hardly vouchsafed to them is Entering into the Kingdom of God By which is meant 1. The Kingdom of Grace and so the meaning is they are uncapable of the Doctrine of Christ as the thorny Ground was of the good Seed Now what are they that answer to the thorny ground they that are choaked with the Cares and Riches and Pleasures of this Life Luk. 8.14 that 's the Heart wherein Christianity cannot enter with any good effect and success these choak and destroy many hopeful seeds of Grace which would otherwise spring forth in a lively diligence and earnest pursuit of that one thing necessary And this may be the meaning of how hardly do they enter viz. the great difficulty of rich Men's becoming the Disciples of Christ and the truth is at the first setting forth of the Gospel it was verified by plain Experience for it is said Matth. 11.5 among other Miracles which Christ wrought he tells us the poor have the Gospel preached unto them it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are all to be Gospelled and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not many wise men after the flesh nor many mighty nor many noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 not many of that Order and Rank 2. Entering into the Kingdom of God may be expounded of being made partakers of his Glory in the Kingdom of Heaven this follows necessarily upon the former for if they are uncapable of Grace they are uncapable of Glory And this is true too Iames 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this World rich in Faith and Heirs of the Kingdom And this was such a truth that even the Scoffers and Opposers of the Christian Religion took notice of it Iulian the Apostate in his Epistle to Ecebolius speaking scoffingly of those Passages saith I have taken away from these Gallileans some of their wealth that they might not be deprived of the Heavenly Kingdom which their Master promised them 3. The thing spoken of these Persons with respect to that Priviledge there the Form 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Have it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Hesichius a form of Admiration And the matter How hardly It is not an utter impossibility but a very great difficulty All Men are saved with difficulty If the righteous scarcely are saved 1 Pet. 4.18 It is no easie matter but it is more difficult for them than others It is passionately expressed Oh how hardly it is the greatest difficulty imaginable such as made the Disciples wonder they were astonished at his words Ver. 24. Afterwards it is set forth by the Proverb of a Camel passing through the Eye of a Needle Ver. 25. Many foolish Conceits men have about this whereas in truth it is nothing but a Iewish Proverb to shew it is a very unusual thing of extraordinary difficulty not to be removed but by the Almighty Power of God but with God all things are possible V. 27. Not
down from Heaven for their aspiring But the Son of God was equal with God the Father He thought it no robbery to be equal with God Ver. 6. and yet he made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man and being found in fashion as a man be humbled himself Ver. 7 8. Certainly if any had Cause to stand upon his Terms Jesus Christ had much more That Preface is notable and very magnificent Ioh. 13.3 Iesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God And what follows He washed his Disciples Feet Ver. 4 5. Thus the Boughs that are most laden hang their heads and the Sun at the highest casts the least shadow Jesus Christ indeed was high excellent and glorious yet he would condescend to set his Disciples such a Pattern of Humility But now who more proud and disdainful than the Rich when Men have any thing in the World they grow high and lofty On when we consider the Pride of Man to Man we may more stand wondering at the Condescentions of God to Man As soon as a Man hath any Estate in the World he is altered presently 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this World that they be not high-minded Many that in their low Estate were humble and meek in Prosperity grow proud and disdainful Many that were forward and zealous grow cold and slothful in spiritual things many that while they were kept dependant upon God were diligent in Hearing profitable in Conference thought it no disgrace to instruct their Families were patient of Reproof but when the World comes in upon them no such matter As the Moon is never Eclips'd but in the full so all the Grace that they seemed to have it is under an Eclipse when they are in the full of Prosperity 2. In Purity and Holiness He that saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk even as he walked 1 Joh. 2.6 And 1 Ioh. 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him puriâ—ieth himself even as he is pure And 1 Ioh. 4.17 As he is so are we in the World Now Prosperity and true Holiness seldom go together they are Afflictions that promote Holiness They verily for a few dayes chastened us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby Heb. 12.10 11. Then are men most serious when they feel the Rod and are pinched with some Necessity but when they are full they wax wanton kick with the Heel and throw off all respects to God and Godliness Secondly As the Difficulty ariseth from the General Duties that are common to them with others so it ariseth also from this More is required of them that are rich and great in this World than of others They should be Eminent and Exemplary for Holiness They have larger Accounts to make to God than others for our Account must be according to our Receipts Luk. 12.48 Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom Men have committed much of him they will ask the more Among Men this is a constant Rule and so it is with God the Account is according to the thing with which ye are trusted they that have more must account for more Now certainly more is required of Great and rich Men than of others upon four accounts They have greater Obligations more Opportunities for spiritual Improvement they have larger Abilities and Advantages of honouring God and because of the Influence of their Example 1. They have greater Obligations Certainly they to whom God hath been more bountiful are bound to be more dutiful than others It is not enough to render to God but we must render according to what we have received It was Hezekiah's Fault 2 Chron. 32.25 Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him The Rent must be paid according to the Value of the Farm God will not accept that at the Hands of a Rich Man which he would accept from a Poor Man which hath not such great Obligations A Man that hath tasted of the Bounty of God's Providence and hath had Fulness and Plenty of all things it is required he should serve God more chearfully than others Deut. 28.47 Their Duties are greater and their sins are greater As you know the Prophet aggravates David's sin by the Mercies he had received in the 2 d Sam. 12.7 8 9. I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul And I gave thee thy Master's House and thy Master's Wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Iudah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight They have tasted more of the Bounty and Goodness of his Providence and have had more than others to revive the sense of God and keep up the memorial of God in their Hearts 2. They have more Opportunities of being free to good Duties as being not so straitly bound to bodily Labour for present Maintenance nor burdened with so many Cares and Distractions of this Life and so have more time and leisure for studying the Mind of God in his Word and improving themselves in the Knowledge of the Truth and Meditating the Statutes of God as David professeth he did all the day long And look as the Apostle speaks of married and single Persons 1 Cor. 7.32 33. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord how he may please the Lord but he that is married careth for the things that are of the World how he may please his Wife They that are in a single Estate have more leisure to attend the Service of God greater Opportunities of Holy Privacy and Meditation upon the Promises of God are less distracted and divided with the Cares of the World and have nothing else to do but to serve God and study to please him So it is true of Poor and Rich those that live in a plentiful Condition O what a great deal of Time and Leisure have they for religious Duties better Education more Helps more Advantages therefore they are more bound to addict and give up themselves to the study of Divine things A little Knowledge of God he will accept of in a poor Tradesman that is divided and distracted with the Cares of the World and have not such leisure to attend the Service of God and the Opportunities of holy Privacy and Meditation which he will not accept of in the Rich that have so many Opportunities to furnish themselves with Knowledge and have little else to do but
the Nature of it 2. The Properties of it 3. The Examples of Scripture First Let us see the Nature of it and thereby we shall best judge of the growth of it Faith is a Grace whereby we believe God's Word in general and especially the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ and do receive him and rest upon him for Grace here and Glory hereafter First The general Object of Faith is the whole Word of God Acts 24.14 Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Certainly the General Faith goeth before the Particular for there is no Building without a Foundation so that the General Faith is a firm and hearty Assent to such things as are revealed by God because revealed by him In which Description we may consider 1. The Object of this Grace Things revealed by God as revealed by him 2. The Act It is an Assent 3. The Adjuncts or Qualifications of this Act it is a firm cordial or hearty Assent 1. The Objects of Faith considered Materially are such things as are contained in the Divine Revelation Formally these things by Faith are apprehended under that Consideration as revealed by God by Vertue of the Truth and Authority of his Testimony The Objects of Faith materially considered are all such things as are contained in the Word of God or revealed by him which are of a different Nature Precepts Promises Threatnings Histories of Facts done Mysteries of Godliness All these are apprehended and improved by Faith to the use of Holy Living or entertaining Communion with God through Christ only among these Objects some are more noble and excellent others of lesser weight and moment The chief Objects of Faith are those things which are absolutely necessary to Salvation and without which we can neither be Holy here nor Happy hereafter such are those things which we specially call Articles of Faith as briefly comprehending all the Mysteries of Salvation the Decalogue c. But many other things are contained in the Word of God and conduce to the Confirmation and fuller understanding of these things though not of like weight and importance with them as for instance divers Histories and Miracles which are spoken of in Scripture as also some lesser Doctrines which only belong to the greater Fulness and Perfection of Knowledge The first sort of things must be explicitly and distinctly known and believed an implicit Faith may suffice for the rest Now an Implicit Faith we call that Faith by which we believe things not distinctly and apart but as they are contained in their Common Principle as for instance he that believeth the Book of Iudges to be a Book divinely inspired and yet hath never read it or heard it read by others he doth indeed believe the Histories contained therein to be true but not by an explicit Faith for he knoweth them not but by an implicit and general Faith as he is perswaded the Book was Indited by the Spirit of God but he who hath read the Book and knoweth particularly what is said of Samson Gideon Baruk and others of the Lord's Worthies and believeth it he hath a distinct and explicit Faith of these things The Believers of the Old Testament knew the Messiah and Redeemer of the World implicitly and not with that particularity which is required of Believers in the New And so do many weak Christians assent to all things contained in the Word of God by an implicit Faith though they do only expresly and explicitly believe things necessary to Salvation which is not said to justifie Laziness in any or an overly Carelesness in any matters of Religion as if we should acquiesce in the Knowledge of a few necessary things and seek no farther No The Word of God must dwell in us richly in all Wisdom Col. 3.16 For thô things absolutely necessary are but few yet other Points have their Use and conduce both to the Confirmation and Improvement of the rest But hitherto we have only spoken of the Object of Faith materially considered we must speak also of the Formal Consideration Things revealed by God as revealed by him for every Assent even that which is given to things contained in the Word of God cannot be called Faith For Instance if a Man should certainly hold and maintain any Point of Religion as the Creation of the World out of nothing but not upon the account of God's Revealing any such Truth but for some other Reason which seemeth necessary and cogent to him he cannot be said to believe this Article or to understand it by Faith as it is said Heb. 11.3 Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the word of God For Faith is an Assent to a Divine Testimony but when we know things by other ways and means of Assurance it is not Faith whatever it be So if a Man should believe the passages of God's Providence towards the Israelites upon the Relation of Iosephus the Historian and not upon the Authority of the Sacred Writers who have delivered it to us he cannot be said to have Faith Which also may be said of them who adhere to the true Religion only out of Custom and the happy Chance of their Birth and Education or because they received it by Tradition from their Ancestors or the bare warrant of their present Teachers or evidence of Reason Secondly The next thing which the Description offereth to us is the Act of Faith about this Object whiâ—h is an Assent The Formal Object of Faith is some Divine Truth as we have seen Now the Understanding hath a double Act about Truth Apprehension and Dijudication or exercising a Judgment about it So in these Divine Truths First We apprehend the Nature or Tenor of them or consider what is propounded to us in the Word of God which is Knowledge or Apprehension But then Secondly We judge or determine concerning the truth of these things which is Acknowledgment or Assent and this is the Act proper to Faith Thirdly The Adjuncts or Qualifications of this Assent come now to be considered They are two 1. It is a firm Assent 2. It is a Cordial and Hearty Assent 1. As it is a Firm Assent so Faith is distinguished from many things that look like it or pass for it in the World as First Non-contradiction or not questioning the Truths of Religion which is all the Faith that most have and cometh from their Inadvertency and Carelesness about Divine Maâ—ters They do not object against the Truth of what the Gospel propoundeth because they do not regard it and weigh it in their serious Thoughts This differeth little from Childrens learning Questions of Catechism or saying things by rote they can say over the Articles of their Belief and never doubted of them you may teach them to think and say any thing what you please for they say it and never consider of it So most Men in the Christian World talk at the same rate that others do but consider not
next World but to carry us thither with Comfort supplying us in a way most conducible to his Glory and our Welfare Psal. 84.11 The Lord is a Sun and Shield the Lord will give Grace and Glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly All things are yours Ordinances Providences 1 Cor. 3.21 For all things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is God's 2. Hereafter That Christ will give us Eternal Glory and Happiness in the other World 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting And Iohn 20.31 These are written that ye might believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name This is the main Blessing which Faith aimeth at 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your Souls By this all Temptations of Sense are defeated Now if you would know whether your Faith groweth or no you must discover it by the Firmness of your Assent or the Resolvedness of your Consent or the Peace and Confidence of your Relyance 1. For Assent If you believe the Word of Gâ—d especially the Gospel part with an Assent so strong that you can resolve to venture your whole Happiness in this bottom and let go all that you may obtain the Hopes which the Gospel offereth to you certainly he hath a strong Faith who taketh Gods Promises for his whole Felicity and God's Word for his only Security he needeth no more nor no better Thing nor surer Conveyance to engage him to hazard all that he hath when the Enjoyment of it is inconsistent with his Fidelity to Christ. 2. Your Consent A full entire Hearty Consent to resign your Selves to Christ not a feeble Consent such as is contradicted by every foolish and hurtful Lust but a prevalent Consent such as can maintain it self notwithstanding Difficulties Temptations and Oppositions of the Flesh and controll all other Desires and Delights whatsoever 3. For Relyance When you can trust him for deliverance from the Guilt Power and Punishment of Sin and to quicken strengthen and preserve Grace in you to everlasting Life You trust him in all his Offices as a Priest when you believe his Merits and Sacrifice and Comfort your selves with his Gracious Promises and Covenant and come to God with more boldness and Hope of Mercy upon the account of his Intercession especially in all Extremities and Necessities Heb. 4.14 15 16. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God Let us hold fast our Profession for we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need You trust him as a Prophet when you give up your selves as his Disciples to the Conduct of his Word and Spirit being parswaded that he will infallibly teach you the way to true Happiness Ioh. 6.68 Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life You trust him as a King when you become his Subjects and are perswaded that he will Govern you in Truth and Righteousness in order to your Salvation and defend you by his mighty Power from all your Enemies 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And 2 Tim. 4.18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom To whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen SERMON III. ON 2 THESS I. v. 3. Your Faith groweth exceedingly and the Charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth THE Growth and Encrease of Faith may be Judged of 1. By the Nature of Faith 2. The Properties of it 3. The Examples and Instances of great Faith in Scripture We are now upon the Second Thing the Properties 1. A Dependance upon God for something that lyeth out of Sight That this is an Essential Property of Faith appeareth by the Description of it Heb. 11.1 The Evidence of things not seen that is not seen by Sense and Reason Some things are invisible by reason of their Nature as God for no man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 And therefore he is called the Invisible God Col. 1.15 And some things by reason of their Distance because they are Absent and Future as the Glory of the World to come and therefore 't is an Object of Faith and Hope Rom. 8.24 For hope that is seen is not hope for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for it Vision and Possession exclude Hope and leave no room and place for it Now without Faith a Man can have no sight of these things 2 Pet. 1.9 He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off There is a mist upon Eternity and we cannot look beyond the Clouds of this lower World unless we have the Eagle-eye of Faith but by Faith we can see them so as to frame our Lives accordingly 2 Cor. 5.7 For we walk by Faith and not by Sight By Sense we see what is pleasing or displeasing to the Flesh but by Faith what conduceth to the saving or losing of the Soul Faith being very much like Sight and serving us for the Government of the Soul as Sight doth for the Body it may much be explained by it Now to Bodily Sight there must be an Object a Medium to make the Object conspicuous and a Faculty or Organ 1. The Great Object of Faith is Eternal Life as procured by Christ and promised in the Gospel There is no use of Sight where nothing is to be seen therefore the Object is set before us in the view of Faith in the Promises of the Gospel Heb. 6.18 and Heb. 12.2 God's Truth is as certain as Sight it self can be in it we see all things promised as sure and near 2. The Medium As we see Colours in the Light of the Air so these Spiritual and heavenly things in the Light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 12. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of a man which is in him even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God Now we have received not the Spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God 3. The Eye or Visive Power A Blind Man cannot see at Noon-day nor the sharpest Sight at Midnight Now this
hath revealed because he hath revealed them therefore the Divine Revelation must be conveyed to them by some means or other The Third There is no Hearing without a Preacher some Messenger or Interpreter that may bring Tydings of Pardon and Life by Christ. Then for the Fourth Branch How shall they Preach except they be sent that is come with Authority Evidence and Power whereby it may be known that he is a Messenger authorized and sent by God that the things propounded may be received as a certain Truth of God's own Revelation that we may depend upon the Credit of his Word and that with such a lively and effectual Belief as may prevail with us to Assent unto it and embrace it notwithstanding all Difficulties and Objections to the contrary Now such is the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ which Inviteth us to call upon his Name or Name our selves by the Name of Christ because we may Believe in him and run all Hazards for him 2 Tim. 1.12 Why Because we have heard of him the Fame of his Doctrine so suitable to the Glory of God and the Necessities of Mankind and the Fame of his Miracles especially his Death and Resurrection and that by Authentick Preachers or Faithful Men authorized by God and sufficiently owned by him as those that are Commissioned to Instruct the World and to Teach them the way of Salvation So that the Word is the great Means to work Faith 2. 'T is the Warrant of Faith which stateth the Laws of Commerce between us and God which sheweth how far God hath Obliged himself and we may depend upon him as appeareth by the Words of Christ Ioh. 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall believe in me through their word The Principal Object of Faith is Christ we believe in him and the Warrant of Faith is the Word that is the Doctrine which by the Apostles is consigned to the use of the Church For these and no other Christ Prayeth and according to this way or Law of Grace God offereth himself to be reconciled to his Creatures So that here you may hold him to his Covenant the Word is gone out of his Lips and without this you make Promises to your selves which God will not stand unto 3. 'T is the Object of Faith or the thing which we do believe Acts 24.14 I believe all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets and add to that in the Writings of the Apostles to make the Object of the Christian Faith compleat take in also what is written in the Apostles for We are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone Eph. 2.20 That is the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ being the chief summe and scope of it who is to be accepted of as he is revealed and offered in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament betwixt which there is a sweet Harmony and Agreement But because this is too bulky and large for us to manage at one time let us consider the summe of the Scriptures in the Method wherein God hath put it and that is the Covenant of Grace ratified by the Blood of Christ which is the most glorious Discovery whereby God hath made known himself to his Creatures Psal. 138.2 I will praise thy Name for thy loving kindness and thy truth for thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name There we see that God's Word is the chiefest Discovery that he hath made of himself to the Creature for 't is magnified above all his Name that is it doth set forth God above all that is named famed spoken or believed or known or understood of God And what is the Matter of his Word his loving Kindness and his Truth that is in the Word there are contained Admirable Promises which God will certainly perform to the utmost Importance of them There we see his Mercy and loving Kindness in making such great Promises The Promises of the New Covenant are beyond all Expression great and precious 2 Pet. 1.4 they contain as much as the Heart of Man can desire all Spiritual and eternal Riches Pardon of Sin taking away the Stony Heart Eternal Life these are offered to Men to Believe And then his Truth and Fidelity in performing these Promises most punctually to all those that do Believe and will accept the Pardon Grace and Blessedness offered and behave themselves accordingly Well then God's Mercies in Christ to them that Repent Believe and Obey God are the Matter and Object of our Faith 4. The Word is the Security and Strength of our Faith 1. As it puts God's Grace into the way of a Promise 2. As this Promise is the Promise of God First We have much Advantage in Believing by the Formality of a Promise A Promise is more than a Purpose more than a Doctrinal Declaration more than a Prediction or Prophecy 1. More than a Purpose A Purpose is only the Thought of the Heart a thing secret and hidden but a Promise is open and manifest A Purpose is the Intention of a Person a Promise is his Intention revealed whereby we have a Knowledge of the good intended to us If God had only purposed to give us Eternal Life we might at last have enjoyed it but we could not have known it before hand It would have been as an hidden Treasure Promises are the Eruptions and Over-flows of God's Love to us his Heart is so big with Kindness and Designs of Goodness that it cannot stay 'till the accomplishment of things Isa. 42.9 Before they spring forth I tell you of them God's Purposes are a Sealed Fountain but his Promises are a Fountain broken open bubling forth He might have done us good and given us no Notice but Love concealed would not be so much for our Comfort Besides they are Obligations which God taketh upon himself Promittendi se fecit debitorem So far as God hath Promised so far he hath made himself a Debtor God's Purposes are unchangeable but his Promises are a Security put into our Hands so that we have a greater Hold fast upon God now the Word is gone out of his Lips Psal. 89.34 We may put the Bond in suit throw him in his Hand-writing Psal. 119.49 Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope We have the Pawn of the thing Promised which we must hold fast 'till Performance cometh His Truth and Holiness lye at stake and are as it were impawned with the Creature 2. 'T is more than a Doctrinal Declaration 'T is one thing to reveal a thing another to Promise it A Doctrine maketh a thing known but a Promise maketh a thing sure A Doctrine giveth us Notice but a Promise giveth us Right and Interest if we be qualified Christ hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Doctrine of the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 But he hath not only manifested
but granted assured it to Believers by the Promises of the Gospel 1 Ioh. 2.25 'T is so conveyed to us as that we may be sure of Obtaining it 3. 'T is more than a Prophecy or simple Prediction Scripture Prophecies will be fulfilled because of God's Veracity but Scripture Promises will be fulfilled not only because of God's Veracity but also because of his Fidelity and Justice As by our Promise another Man cometh to have a right to the thing promised therefore it is just it should be given unto him so 't is in God 't was his Mercy and Goodness to make the Promise but his Holiness and Justice bindeth him to make it good 1 Ioh. 1.9 He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins And as for Pardon so for Life 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the righteous Iudge shall give me on that day It becometh a Debt of Grace This may be illustrated by what Divines say of an Assertory Lye and a Promissory Lye An assertory Lye is when we speak of a thing past or present otherwise than it is and a promissory Lye is when we speak of a thing for the time to come which we never intend to perform and this is the worst sort of Lyes because it doth not only pervert the end of Speech which is Truth but also defeateth another of that Right which we seem to give him by our Promise in the thing promised which is a farther degree of Injustice Now we should apprehend God to be very far from this Titus 1.2 In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began And Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which 't was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong Consolation Secondly 'T is the Promise of God In every Promise that it be certain and firm three things are required 1. That it be made seriously and heartily with a purpose to perform it 2. That he that promiseth continue in his Purpose without change of Mind 3. That it be in the Power of him that promiseth to perform what he hath so promised Now in the Promise of God there can be no doubt of any of these things Certainly God meaneth as he speaketh when he promiseth Eternal Life to the Faithful Servants and Disciples of Jesus Christ for what need had he to court his Creatures into a false and imaginary Happiness which he never meant to bestow upon them to send his Son with a Commission from Heaven to assure them of it who also wrought Miracles to confirm the Message that he brought from God dyed upon this Truth and rose again and entred into the Happiness that he spoke of to give us Assurance and a visible demonstration of the Truth of it sent abroad his Apostles to invite the World to embrace it his Holy Spirit accompanying them and sealing their Message also with divers Signs and Wonders And surely he doth continue in the same mind for there is no repeal of this Law of Grace and He is able to perform it for what difficulty is there which Omnipotency cannot subdue and overcome Surely what God hath promised he is fully able to perform 2. The Acts of Faith about the Word 1. We are to Believe and Credit it upon solid and sufficient Evidence 't is said Heb. 11.11 They saw these things afar off and were perswaded of them And Acts 13.48 When the Gentiles heard this they glorified the Word of God and believed that is Blessed God for his glorious Mercy revealed in the Gospel the sound Belief and firm Assent leadeth on other things for the most powerful Truths work not 'till they are believed 1 Thes. 2.13 Ye received the Word not as the Word of Man but as it is in truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Here beginneth the Efficacy Now usually we receive the Truth at first upon low and insufficient Evidence but afterwards our Assent is upon better grounds and more valid and strong as the Samaritans Joh. 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World Her saying was much for the Woman had testified that she had met with an Holy Person that had told her of all that ever she did So Nathaniel was drawn to Christ by Philip's perswasion but when he perceived that he knew the Heart and secret things Ioh. 1.48 49. He saith unto him whence knowest thou me Iesus answered and said unto him Before that Philip called thee when thou wast under the Figg-tree I saw thee Nathaniel answered and saith unto him Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel Christ then promiseth him farther Assurance and greater Evidence which should beget a more confirmed and strong Faith Verse the 50 th Iesus answered and said unto him Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Figg-tree believest thou thou shalt see greater things than these The Church is in possession of a Religion which God hath Blessed throughout successions of Ages and we received the Doctrine of the Gospel and New Covenant upon report and hearsay hereafter we see farther and better grounds and the Scriptures are owned with more certainty of Evidence Well then here is the first thing Assent or a receiving all Truths about Supernatural things upon the Credit of God's Word 2. The Work of Faith is to apply these things For the closer such Blessed Truths are laid to our own Souls the more we feel the vertue of them Iob 5.27 Lo this it is know thou it for thy good Rom. 8.31 VVhat shall we then say to these things The Promise includeth you as well as others and promiseth and offereth you Pardon and Life if you will believe in Christ Therefore the Application I press you to is not a Claim of Priviledges stay a while there but an exciting your selves to perform the Duties of the Gospel that you may turn away from all other ways of Felicity and choose this alone Faith must be Applicative and the closer the Application the better But there is a difference between the Application which is an Excitement of your Duty and that Application which is an assurance of your Interest Acts 13.20 To you is this word of Salvation sent 'T is my Duty to make general Grace particular but not presently and at first dash to enter my Plea and Claim but to oblige me to take God's Way God calleth upon me to Repent and Believe in Christ that I may have Pardon and Life 3. We are heartily to Consent to this Blessed Covenant which is contained in the Word of God taking the Promises offered for our Happiness resolving upon the Duties required as our Work Acts 2.41 They received the word gladly and were baptized There was a Precept and a Promise Verse 38. they accepted the Counsel and
waited for the Promise Our Respect to the Word is made up of a mixture of Obedience and Dependance there must be a Consent to both and we must resolve for the Holy and Heavenly Life Faith is an Act of the Will as well as of the Understanding Heb. 11.13 These all dyed in Faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them Besides being perswaded there is embracing The promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us 2 Cor. 1.20 And they are exceeding great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 In one place you have both 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the World to save Sinners Therefore embrace them you must with all your Hearts and submit to this way of Covenanting with God 4. Your Judgments must highly esteem these Promises and your Hearts find full Contentment and Satisfaction in them We read often of receiving the Word with Joy and the confidence and rejoycing of Hope Heb. 3.6 Usually the Word of God hath too cold and slight Entertainment in our Affections and we do not value those precious Promises as we ought to do they should be dearer to us than our Lives and give us more Satisfaction than all the Enjoyments of the World Psal. 119.111 I have taken thy Testimonies as an heritage for ever they are the rejoycing of my Soul they do you good to your very Heart and the more you are acquainted with them the more you will see the worth of them Luke 6.23 Rejoyce and leap for joy for great is your reward in Heaven And of the Eunuch when he had sealed Covenant with God Acts 8.39 It is said he went his way rejoycing Faith cannot do its Office that it begets an Holy Gratitude to God to draw us off from the Allurements of Sense and fortifie us against Adversities and Troubles and engage us to the Duties of Christianity which are distrustful to Flesh and Blood unless it did fill our Hearts with an higher and better Joy than the World yieldeth Surely 't is Comfortable to be pardoned and reconciled to God to be in the Way and under the Hopes of Eternal Life Thirdly The Effects which these Acts produce These may be stated by the several Uses for which the Word of God serveth 1. T is the Seed of a New Life 2. The Constant Rule of all our Actions 3. The sure Charter of our Hopes 4. Our Strength and Preservation against all Temptations from the Devil the World and the Flesh. 5. Our Comfort and Cordial in all Afflictions 1. 'T is the Seed of a New Life 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of Corruptible seed but of Incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever And Iames 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures And also 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature When we so believe the Pardon and Grace and Blessedness offered that our Hearts are changed into the Life and Likeness of God for the Truth is not rightly owned and believed till this Change be wrought both in Heart and Life then we are cast into the Mould of this Doctrine Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine that was delivered to you Gospel Truths serve not for Speculation or meer Talk and Discourse but for Sanctification and therefore if this Seed be sown and engrafted in your Hearts and you begin to live to God an Holy and Heavenly Life you have the surest Evidence of your Faith for Causes are made sensible to us by their Effects 'T is usually brought as a proof of the Word the Sanctifying Vertue of it so 't is of the Sincerity of your Faith for the Word profiteth not unless it be mingled with Faith and since both Faith and the Word concurr to this Effect it may be ascribed to either Surely therefore if we believe the Word of God and value it as we ought it doth leave the Impression of God's Image upon us for it is the fairest Draught and Representation of God that ever was in the Law and Life of Christ 2 Cor. 3.18 If our Souls and Lives be a Transcript of the Word this Image is thence deduced to us by the Spirit and of necessity it must be so for Christs comforting Promises of Mercy and Glory are made to these New Creatures who live the Holy and Heavenly Life They have God's mark and Signature upon them and therefore are said to be sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 2.30 and Eph. 1.3 This Renovation of the Soul is the Seal of God the Pledge of his Love and the Earnest of the heavenly Inheritance 2. The Constant Rule of all our Actions There is a fixed determined Rule from whence we cannot swerve and vary without Sin and if we would have Communion with God here or enjoy him hereafter We must keep close to this Rule Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God This Rule that is the Word of God which directeth us as to our General Path and Way and all our steps or particular Actions Psal. 119.105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths We must hide the Word in our Hearts Psal. 119.110 Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee We must consult with it upon all occasions as willing to understand our Duty Psal. 119.24 Thy Testiminies also are my delight and my Counsellors And because we may mistake thrô Error of Mind or be tempted aside thro' aversion of Heart and manifold Temptations Therefore we must earnestly beg it of God Psal. 119.133 Order my steps in thy VVord and let not any Iniquity have dominion over me And we must use all study our selves Rom. 12.2 and constant watchfulness Eph. 5.15 See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Now that which I say is this When the Word ruleth the main Course of our Lives and teacheth us how to live in the World soberly righteously and godly the tenderness of the Word and high respect to it that we dare not transgress it whatever Temptations we have so to do sheweth that Faith hath obtained its effect in us For trembling at the Word fearing of a Commandment and whatever of that kind is spoken of in the Scripture they are all Fruits of Faith 3. 'T is the Charter of our Hopes Iohn 20.31 These things are written that ye might have life through his Name 1 Iohn 5.11 This is the Record that God hath given unto us eternal life and this life is in his Son Now the Work of Faith
is to lay hold upon eternal life 1 Tim. 6.12 that is seize upon it as ours as assured to us by the Word of God or to take it as our Happiness and accordingly pursue after it Eph. 1.13 In whom ye trusted after ye heard the word of Truth the Gospel of your Salvation Now when we choose this Felicity for our Portion set our Hearts upon it make it the chief Care and Business of our Lives to seek it and do all as Means thereunto carry our selves as Strangers and Pilgrims in the World and look for no great Matters here but wholly depend upon God's faithful Word for this Happiness to come then is Faith wrought in us 4. 'T is our Strength and Preservative against all Temptations from the Devil the World and the Flesh The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit Eph. 6.17 A Weapon of excellent use in the Spiritual Warfare And 't is said 1 Ioh. 2.14 Ye are strong and the word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one This helpeth us to ward off the bloâ—â— of any Temptation When the Heart is well stocked and furnished with this Word of God you have something to oppose still to Darken the Splendoâ— of the World to check the Desires of the Fâ—esh and so do the better carry on a continual Warfare and Watchfulness And so the Fleshly Inclination is overruled and the Profits Honours and Pleasures of the World have less force upon us VVhen the Devil sheweth the Bait and the Flesh is ready to swallow it Faith sheweth the Hook A Belief of the VVord of God being of a lively and vigorous Nature produceth Noble effects in us It casteth down all that rebellâ—th against God and casteth out all that would be preferred before him Psal. 37.31 The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide A lively active Sense of his Duty is kept fresh upon his heart 5. To be our Comfort and Cordial in our Afflictions Psal. 119.59 This is my Comfort in my Affliction thy VVord hath quickened me Verse 92. Vnless thy Law had been my delight I should then have perished in my Affliction Heb. 12.5 Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto Children My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him So Psal. 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul God's Comforts are such as God alloweth or God worketh The Matter of both is in the Scriptures though the Spirit be the Author of them and the Instrument he worketh by is Faith In Wants and Streights how sweet is it to a Believer to consider how amply we are provided for in the Covenant When Gods Hand is heavy upon us and Providence represents him as an angry Judge yet the Covenant represents him as a Father In a time of Tryal one promise of God will give you more true Comfort and Support than all the arguings of men Fourthly The Notes whereby we discern a strong and grown Faith as to this Property of it its respect to the Word 1. When the Consolations laid down in the Word of God are more prized than any extraordinary Dispensations Certainly 't is a weakness when Men undervalue the Comfoâ—ts of the Word as slender empty unsatisfactory and would have the Manifestations of God's Love exhibited to them in some singular and extraordinary way Eliphaz chargeth it on Iob wrongfully Iob 15.11 Are the Consolations of God small with thee is there any secret thing with thee God's ordinary way is the sure way the other layeth us open to a Snare Surely our Consciences are best settled in the ordinary way of God's Word in a way of Faith Repentance and close walking with God but as Naaman despised the Waters of Iordan so many despise the ordinary Comforts and would have Signs and Wonders to assure them These may long sit in darkness because if God comforts them not in their way they will not be comforted at all Now though God sometimes in Condescention to his People may grant their desires as Christ did to Thomas yet 't is with an upbraiding of their Weakness and Unbelief Ioh. 20.28 You should acquiesce in the common allowance of God's People least you seem to reflect on the Wisdom and Goodness of God and lay open your selves to some false Consolation and dream of Comfort while we affect new Rules without the Compass of the Word especially when we find not our expectations there speedily answered like hasty Patients ready to tamper with every Medicine they hear of rather than submit to a regular Course of Physick Gregory telleth us of a Lady of the Emperors Court that never ceased importuning him to seek from God a Revelation from Heaven that they should be saved Rem difficilem petivit inutilem 'T was a thing difficult and unprofitable difficult for him to obtain and unprofitable for her to ask having a surer way by the Scriptures 2 Pet. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have a more sure word of Prophecy than Oracles The adhering of the Soul to the Promises is the unquestionable way to obtain peace Luther as he confesseth was often tempted to ask for Signs or some Special Revelation He tells also how strongly he withstood these Temptations Pactum feci cum Domino meo ne mihi mittat Visiones vel etiam Angelos contentus enim sum hoc dono quod habeo Scripturam Sanctam quae abunde docet suppeditat omnia quae necessaria sunt tam ad hanc vitam tam ad â—uturam I indented with the Lord my God that he would never send me Dreams and Visions I am well contented with the Gift of the Scriptures 2. When the Word is matter of Joy and firm Confidence to us before there is any appearance of performance This in two Cases 1. In Case of Delay when 't is long e're God appeareth and Faith doth not require the Existence and Pre-essence of the thing believed only the Promise of it Therefore though the Promise be delayed it eyeth the Blessing at a distance Heb. 11.13 These all dyed in Faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off were perswaded of them and embraced them Abraham was one of them Ioh. 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad And we if we would be strong Believers must do likewise Heb. 6.12 Be not slothful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the promises A Christian is not to be valued by his Enjoyments but his Hopes Heaven is all performance Here he dealeth with us by Promises but you will find his payment sure and that God in effect is better than all his Promises for they cannot signifie and convey the full Sense of all that God meaneth to bestow Therefore we must wait whether the Promise be to be fulfilled in this Life or
great stay to the Souls of true Believers to cause them with Comfort to trust themselves and all their Affairs in the hands of Christ. We have no reason to doubt of his Care Protection and Merciful Disposal of us and if poor sick and desolate you may go to him it is in the power of his hands to help you 1. There is no want but he can easily supply it Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want 2. There is no pain or suffering but he can easily mitigate or remove it Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 3. There is no danger so great from which he is not able to deliver thee Dan. 3.17 18. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Where can we be so safe as in the Love and Covenant of such an Almighty Saviour Get but this imprinted upon your Hearts and it will beget a strong and stedfast Confidence in him 6. He reasoneth from the strict Discipline observed in the Roman Armies where there was no disputing of Commands or questioning Why and Wherefore I am a man under Authority having Soldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my Servant do this and he doth it Verse 9 th Where he compareth Person with Person I am a Man thou a God Condition with Condition a subordinate Officer with Christ the Supream Lord He knew what it was to obey and to have Power over others Power with Power his Power over Soldiers and Servants with Christ's Command over all Events Health and Sickness Life and Death Reasoning for God and his Promises is a great advantage We are Naturally acute in reasoning against Faith but when the Understanding is quick and ready to invent Arguments to encourage Faith it is a good sign VSE Go you and do likewise From the Example of the Centurion let me encourage you 1. To readiness of Believing Iames 3.17 The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated This is opposite to that slowness of Heart to believe which we read of Luke 24.25 Oh Fools and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken These are more receptive and easie to entertain a Doctrine than others Iohn 7.17 If any Man do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God The Sincere and Renewed need less ado to convince them There is a light Credulity Prov. 14.15 The Simple believeth every word and there is the readiness of a Sincere Mind to embrace the Truth We are to captivate our Understandings to the Obedience of Faith but not every Fancy lest we be like Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine Eph. 4.14 No a Christian must not be like a Reed shaken with the Wind nor believe every Spirit but yet where the Truth is sufficiently evidenced we must embrace it Most of our Hesitancy in Religion comes not so much from the Conflict between our Light and the Doubts of our Mind as from the Conflict between our Light and Lusts which maketh us irresolute but a sincere Heart soon overcometh the difficulty 2. To represent our Necessity to Christ and referr the Event to him to commit and submit all to him There is an Alsufficiency of Power and Infinite Pity and Goodness that we need not trouble our selves about the Event Submission before the Event is Faith as after it is Patience This is true Faith in such Cases as the Centurion came about to referr all to Christ. 3. To be Humble In all our Commerce with Christ Faith must produce a real Humility Faith is most high when the Heart is most low Luke 18.11 12 13 14. The Pâ—arisee stood and prayed saying God! I thank thee I am not as other men are c. I fast twice a week I give tithes of all that I possess And the Publican standing afar off would not so much as lift up his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a Sinner I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted The one changelled a Debt the other begged a Favour Humble Supplications to God become us better than proud Expostulations 4. To meditate often on the Soveraign Dominion of Christ and his Power over all things that fall out in the World To keep us from warping and running to unlawful shifts God propoundeth his Alsufficiency to our Faith when we enter into Covenant with him Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect He hath Power enough to help defend and reward us we need not seek elsewhere for a Protector or Paymaster the Word of his Providence is enough he can heal our Diseases supply our Necessities or bless a little as he did the Pulse to the captive Children Dan. 1.15 Their Countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the Children which did eat the portion of the Kings meat A SERMON ON MATTH XV. v. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Then Iesus went thence and departed into the Coasts of Tyre and Sidon And behold a Woman of Canaan came out of the same Coasts and cryed unto him saying Have mercy on me O Lord thou Son of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil But he answered her not a word and his Disciples came and besought him saying Send her away for she cryeth after us But he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Then came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me But he answered and said It is not meet to take the Childrens bread and cast it to Dogs And she saith Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their Masters Table And Iesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt And her Daughter was made whole from that very hour WE come now to the Second Instance of a Great and Grown Faith This ought to be considered by us In the Centurion me had an Instance of a reasoning Faith now of a wrestling Faith Faith wrestling with grievous Temptations but at length obtaining help from God We ought to consider this for these Reasons 1. Because Christ pronounceth it to be great Faith and so proper for our Imitation O Woman great is thy Faith It is the Faith of a Woman a
In some Sence it is our Duty to consider them that we may not go about the most serious Work hand over head Christ bids us sit down and count the Charges Luke 14.28 For which of you intending to build a lower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it The Saints are wont to put hard cases to themselves Psal. 3.6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about And Psal. 23.4 Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil 2. Therefore the Ends must be observed We must consider them to prevent Slightness and to weaken our Security but not to weaken our Confidence in the Promise When they are urged against the Promise they impeach the Truth of God but when we consider them to prevent Slightness it is good The Difficulties of Salvation must be sufficiently understood oâ—herwise we think to do the Work of an Age in a Breath Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Josh. 24.19 And Ioshuâ— said unto the People Ye â—annot serve the Lord for he be is a holy God It is not so easie a Matter as you take it to be 3. Difficulties must be thought on to quicken Faith not to weaken it If they be pleaded against the Promise they weaken Faith if they be pleaded to drive us to the Promise they quicken Faith What greater Arguments are there to press us to dependance than to consider our Impotency the loosness of our Hearts and the strength of Temptations 2 Chron. 20.12 For we have no might against this great Company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are unto thee But to plead against the Promise is to Consult with the Wisdom of the Flesh and it hath ever fared ill with the Saints Luk. 1.18 And Zacharias said unto the Angel Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my Wife well stricken in years Therefore for a while he was struck dumb So Moses Numb 20.12 Hear now ye Rebels must â—e fetch you water out of the Rock God had bidden him smite the Rock and assured him the Water should flow but he pleadeth the natural Impossibility therefore he was shut out of Canaan So that Noble Man 2 Kings 7.2 Then a Lord on whose hand the King leaned answered the Man of God and said Behold if the Lord would make Windows in Heaven might this thing be And he said Behold thou shalt see it with thine Eyes but shalt not eat thereof But he that will not believe the Truth of a Promise shall not partake of the Benefit of it Well then as Abraham regarded not the great Difficulties that might be pleaded to his Faith from his own and his Wife's Age so must not we Secondly I shall shew you the Inconveniences of this sinful considering the Difficulties in all the parts of Faith Assent Consent and Affiance 1. As to Assent There are many Difficulties which may be objected against the Truths propounded in the Word but it is enough to a Believer that God hath revealed them in his Word and propounded them to his Faith Reason is apt to reply as Nicodemus when Christ spake to him of Regeneration Iohn 3.9 How can these things be Carnal Reason keepeth Men from simple believing or resting on what is revealed till they see a Reason for every thing Now we see a Reason why we do believe and that is the Word of God or Divine Revelation though we do not see a Reason of every thing which we do believe for many things are Mysteries In such cases we must receive Truths as we do Pills not chew but swallow them take them upon the Credit of the Revealer To chew produceth a loathsom Ejection to swallow a wholsom Remedy Believing in the common Notion of it is a receiving of Truths upon Trust from another so it differeth from knowing And Divine Faith is a receiving such things as God hath revealed because he hath revealed them Therefore our first Enquiry is Whether these things be so or no Not how they can be so There we begin at the wrong end In many Cases constat de re the thing is evident in Scripture whereby it is revealed but how it can be is beyound our reach the Modus is not certain Now when we should believe we dispute and so cavil rather than enquire If it be not plainly revealed by God you may reject it without Sin and Danger but if it be you must not contradict all that you cannot comprehend otherwise dangerous Mischiefs will ensue The True God will be no God to you because you cannot comprehend the Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Divine Essence Christ will be no Christ because you cannot comprehend how a Virgin should conceive or how a God should become Man It is sufficient that it is revealed in Scripture which carrieth it's own Evidence in it's Forehead shining by it's own Light hath the Seal and Stamp of God upon it and moreover is confirmed by Miracles and handed and brought down to us by the Universal Tradition of the Church through the Successions of all Ages in whose Experience God hath blessed it to the converting comforting and sanctifying of many Souls In short to see a thing in it's Evidence is not to believe but to receive it on the Credit of the Testifyer If you will not credit it unless the thing be evident in it's self without his Word you do not believe Christ but your own Reason and instead of being thankful for the Revelation you quarrel with his Truth because it is in some things above your Capacity You should be satisfied with the bare Word of God and captivate your Understandings to the Obedience of it 2. As to Consent and Acceptance There are many things may be objected against entring into Covenant with Christ as our Unworthiness the fickleness and loosness of our Hearts how unable we are to keep Covenant with him but these things must not be alledged against our Duty and the free offers of the Lord's Grace 1. Our great Unworthiness This is one Reason why the instance of Abraham is produced by Paul as a pattern of Faith to the Gentiles As Abraham considered not his Natural Incapacity to have Children so they not their unworthiness to be Adopted into God's Covenant The Gentiles were not a People unto God but were over-looked in the Dispensations of his Grace but Hosea 2.23 I will have Mercy upon her that had not obtained Mercy and I will say unto them that were not my People Thou art my People and they shall say Thou art my God Our condition is not so desperate that the Mercy of the New Covenant cannot reach us and recover us So for particular Christians they exclude and repell
will not hearken to the Voice of Charmers charming never so wisely So Mat. 11.17 We have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented The sweetest Strains of Grace move not the obstinate Sinner If an Angel come from Heaven he cannot bring you better Arguments for the Gospel is the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 If one came from the Dead he cannot present you with more powerful Motives Luke 16.31 If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the Dead O why will you not be perswaded You do in effect say Let God do or say what he will he shall not have my Heart Well then this Unteachableness and Unperswadibleness is another Property of Hardness of Heart and Slowness of Heart and Backwardness to God's Work is a Degree to it 2. It is inflexible to the Motions of God's Spirit God doth not only invite Sinners by the Word but knocketh at their Hearts by the pressing Motions and Impulsions of his Grace and yet they do not open to him to give him entrance How often have we eluded the Importunity of many warm Convictions and baffled many Pangs and Checks of Conscience Acts 7.51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in Heart and Ears ye do always resist the Holy Ghost Their Ears are said to be uncircumcised as they do resist the Counsels of the Word and their Hearts as they do resist the Motions of the Spirit who enforceth Truths with a clearer Light and Conviction upon their Hearts There are many importunate Motions and Convictions which they slight and oppose An hard Heart goeth to Hell with Violence the Word standeth in the way and the Spirit standeth in the way but still they break through and so their Condemnation is more just As the Prophet said Isa. 7.13 Is it a small thing for you to weary Men but ye will weary my God also Wicked Men do not only grieve God's Ministers and Messengers but his Spirit in refusing to accept his gracious Offers The Crime would be less if the Counsel of the Messengers were not enforced by the Motions and Inspirations of the Holy Ghost God is not behind-hand with a Sinner If the Words of Men offer occasion of Suspicion and Prejudice yet these inward Checks and Excitements in their own Bosoms to be more serious and diligent carry their own Evidence with them and upon such a close Application we should be ashamed to give God the Denial But they resist all inward and outward Means of Reformation they resist the Spirit as well as despise the Minister But can the Spirit be resisted Certainly no when he worketh according to an eternal Purpose of Grace for God never made a Creature too hard for himself Yea it is said even of wicked Men Acts 6.10 They were not able to resist the Wisdom and Spirit by which he spake The meaning is they could not hinder his Workings tho they thwarted his Motions the Light was so clear that they could not hinder the shining of it nor contradict it but out of obstinate Malice But how are they said to resist the Holy Ghost We had need to vindicate the Place because it is usually urged against the Efficacy of Divine Grace The Operation of the Spirit is not irresistible say they for the Jews did always resist it We may grant the whole Wicked Men of an hard Heart may resist the common Operations of the Spirit his Light and his Motions but the Opposition of the Elect is overpowered by the Efficacy of Grace There is a Spirit of Resistance in us but the stronger Operation of the Holy Ghost maketh it to give place we may kick against the Pricks till the Soul be awakened and then God hath us at his own beck Tho the Grace of Conversion be not common to Elect and Reprobate yet the Grace that tendeth to Conversion is common and this may be resisted God may knock at the Heart that is never opened to him they may have Excitements but alas they are as the Rock or Adamant to the Tool There is no Impression left upon them Obj. But if God will use a fainter Operation why are they to blame I answer God is not bound but they are bound to prepare their Hearts to receive his Motions let them prove God a Debtor and they may excuse themselves for their Disobedience III. The Kinds of Hardness These will be known by these Distinctions 1. The first Distinction is that Hardness of Heart is either 1. Natural or 2. Voluntary and Acquired or 3. Penal and Judicial 1. Natural Hardness of Heart is a part of inbred Corruption which remaineth with us till God take it away by Grace Ezek. 11.19 I will take away the stony Heart out of their Flesh and I will give them an Heart of Flesh. The Stone in the Heart is a Disease that all Adam's Posterity are subject unto it runs in the Blood It is not incident to Nabals only or such as he was Men of a churlish and crabbed Temper no all Men are sick and most Men die of this Disease We brought it with us into the World a strong Bent to carnal Things and by consequence an Averseness from God and it is a mighty Work of Grace if we do not carry it with us out of the World When Nabal died his Heart was a Stone and so might yours 2. Acquired and Voluntary when Men do wittingly and willingly reject the Counsel of God and strengthen themselves in their natural Disobedience and Obstinacy or being invited to Faith and Repentance by God out of love to Sin resist God's Call and put away the Word from them and refuse to obey Psal. 95.8 Harden not your Hearts It is our own Act. And 2 Kings 17.14 They would not hear but hardned their Necks like to the Neck of their Fathers This increaseth our natural Hardness and maketh it grow more and more till it be stiffned and settled in an Aversion to God as a crooked Stick or Twig by growing becometh more difficult to be made streight By every Act of Sin we lessen our Awe of God and having ventured once grow more bold to sin a second time Men when they first put forth to Sea are very fearful but afterwards laugh at Storms so when a Man cometh off safe from Sin he will venture again By every Act of Disobedience our Incapacity to receive Grace is increased and our Inclination to carnal Vanities is strengthned By frequent Acts we are confirmed in the Habit. But nothing increaseth this voluntary Hardness so much as refusing Grace as no Water is so apt to freeze as that that hath been once heated God is provoked when we refuse his Grace upon a closer Application and the Heart is encouraged to continue in Sin So that by their Carelesness and Delay Men are hardning by Degrees Every Call defeated addeth one Degree of Hardness more and so God is more
hath to do with a hard Heart he will not steal out of the Field but go away with Honour and Triumph This was to be a publick Instance and for Intimation to the World 1 Sam. 6.6 Wherefore then do ye harden your Hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardned their Hearts when he had wrought wonderfully among them did they not let the People go and they departed The Philistines took warning by it and it will be our Condemnation if we do not 7. In all these Plagues I observe that Pharaoh now and then had his devout Pangs In an hard Heart there may be some Relentings but no true Repentance We have him confessing Exod. 9.27 I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my People are wicked And chap. 10.16 17. I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you Now therefore forgive I pray thee my Sin only this once and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this Death only So chap. 12.32 Be gone and bless me also Hardned Sinners may have their Gripes and sensible Touches and so some faint Purposes of Reformation But that which was defective and sheweth it was not true Repentance was 1. Because it was only extorted by present Horror Job 27.10 Will he always call upon God A Still will send forth Water as well as a Fountain but it is by Drops and by Force Prov. 5.11 12 13. And thou mourn at last when thy Flesh and thy Body are consumed and say How have I hated Instruction and my Heart despised Reproof and have not obeyed the Voice of my Teachers nor inclined mine Ear to them that instructed me The Leacher hath his penitent Moods A Malefactor on the Rack will confess freely Vows of Men are very frequent O that Men would be such when they are well as they promised to be when they were sick 2. Because the Aim of all was Ease and Safety Pharaoh's Cry is not Take away Iniquity but Take away this Plague Offers of Nature after Ease are found in Hypocrites Esau sought the Privileges of the Birth-right with Tears quia perdiderat non quia vendiderat not because he sold it but because he had lost it Nature may be sensible of present Evil. 3. Because it was vanishing The good Motions of an hard Heart are of no long continuance they pass through and are gone like a Flash of Lightning Pharaoh his Remorse for the Frogs and Grashoppers was as a Cloud soon blown over Till there be sound Repentance Remorse must needs be short for it is an unpleasing Penance Water heated is the colder afterwards because it is rarified after it hath thawed a little it will freeze the harder Pharaoh after every Respite was hardned anew it is the Temper of those that are doomed to Destruction 4. Because his Purposes came so short and lame of what God expected An hard Heart when it cannot prevail against God would fain compound with him First he gave leave Exod. 8.25 Go ye sacrifice to God in the Land Then ver 28. I will let ye go that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the Wilderness only ye shall not go very far away Then chap. 10.11 Go now ye that are Men and serve the Lord. Their Children were to remain for Hostages Then ver 24. Go ye serve the Lord only let your Flocks and your Herds be stayed let your little ones also go with you Their Cattle were to remain for a Pawn and their Flocks and their Herds for a Forfeiture if they returned not and a Recompence for the Damage of Egypt But God would not abate him a Hoof. An hard Heart yieldeth to God by halves Pharaoh hucketh with him first they might sacrifice in the Land then go a little way three Days Journey then he would keep their Children then their Flocks and Herds An hard Heart never yieldeth to God his whole Demand the Devil is loth to let go his hold How do Men huck with God in Duties contrary to their Affections or prejudicial to their Interests 2 Kings 5.18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy Servant that when my Master goeth into the House of Rimmon to worship there and he leaneth on my Hand and I bow my self in the House of Rimmon when I bow my self in the House of Rimmon the Lord pardon thy Servant in this thing They have their Reservations and in this and that thing they will be excused These are but deceitful Pangs Pharaoh doth often eat his Words and retract every Grant 8. In process of Time his Hardness is improved into Rage and downright Malice Exod. 10.28 Get thee from me take heed to thy self see my Face no more for in the Day thou seest my Face thou shalt die Vessels when they come to the Lees they grow sowre and tart so Pharaoh began to run Dregs Or as Beasts by long baiting grow mad and furious so it was with Pharaoh Men first slight the Truth and then are hardned against it and then come to persecute it A River when it hath been long kept up swelleth and beareth down the Bank and Rampire so do wicked Men rage when their Consciences cannot withstand the Light and their Hearts will not yield to it 9. At length Pharaoh is willing to let them go After much ado God may get something from a hard Heart but it is no sooner given but retracted like Fire struck out of a Flint it is hardly got and quickly gone Hosea 6.4 Your Goodness is as a Morning Cloud and as the early Dew it goeth away Many may have some shew of Goodness at least at some times who yet are little the better and their Condition nothing the better it proveth a great Snare and Neckâ—break to them its Unfoundness is presently seen in its Unconstancy 10. The last News that we hear of hardning Pharaoh's Heart was a little before his Destruction Exod. 14.8 And the Lord hardned the Heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt and he pursued after the Children of Israel Pharaoh begrudgeth his own Grant as if he had yielded too far Hardness of Heart will not leave us till it hath wrought our full and final Destruction God always besotteth when he meaneth to destroy Never any were hardned but to their own Ruine As God that loveth his own loveth them to the end so God that hateth those that are hardned hateth them to the end Pharaoh is first plagued and then destroyed This is the upshot of all Iob 9.4 Who hath hardned himself against him and prospered The Beginning is Imposture and Delusion the Middle Obstinacy and the End Ruine II. How God hardneth It is a Point that needeth Explication God is not and cannot be the Author of Sin if God should cause it Man should sin of necessity and then his Punishment would not be just he being under Force God hath not brought upon any a necessity of sinning and God that is Good cannot be the cause of Evil
of the whole Verse in this one Point Doctrine That it is the Duty of Christians to sequester and set apart some time and place for Solemn Meditation or the Exercising their Souls in Heavenly and Holy Things My purpose is to speak of Meditation a Duty unaccustomed and unpractised both the Practice and the Knowledge of it are become Strangers to us The times are times of Action and Tumult and we all think that we have so much to do with others that few desire to Converse with God and themselves Our Case is somewhat like theirs in Nehemiah's time Nehem. 4.17 With one hand they wrought in the work and with the other hand held a weapon We are forced to fight and quarrel for our Religion that we may rescue the Innocent and Holy Principles of it from violation and scorn I observe that many Christians use the Sword they spend the heat and strength of their Spirits in Controversies but I doubt they do not use the Trowel enough and are not so serious in Private Retirements as they are earnest in Publick Defences Therefore I shall make it my work to press the Duty of Meditation My Method shall be this I shall shew 1. What Meditation is 2. The Necessity and Profit of it 3. The Rules that serve to guide us in this Holy Work and Business 4. The Lets and Hindrances of it with the Helps and Remedies against them 5. The Object or Matters upon which you are to Meditate which I shall handle 1. Generally 2. Particularly I shall give you some hints of Meditation on those Objects which are most usual and most practical I. What Meditation is Before I can define it I must distinguish it 1. There is that which we call Occasional Meditation which is an Act by which the Soul Spiritualizeth every Object about which it is Conversant A Gracious Heart is like an Alymbeck it can distil Useful Meditations out of all things it meeteth with Look as it seeth all things in God so it seeth God in all things Our Lord at the Well discourseth of the water of life Iohn 21.10 At the Supper of the Pharisee one discourseth of eating bread in the kingdom of God Luke 14.15 There is a Chimistry and Holy Art that a Christian hath to turn Water into Wine Brass into Gold to make Earthly Occasions and Objects to minister Spiritual and Heavenly Thoughts God trained up the Old Church by Types and Ceremonies that upon a Common Object they might Ascend to Spiritual Thoughts and Our Lord in the New Testament taught by Parables and Similitudes taken from Ordinary Functions and Offices among Men that in every Trade and Calling we might be employed in our Worldly Business with an Heavenly Mind that whether in the Shop or at the Loom or in the Field we might still think of Christ and Heaven There is a Parable of Merchant-Men a Parable of the Sower a Parable of a Man calling his Servants to an Account in all these similitudes Christ would teach us that we should still think of God and Heaven So small a matter as a grain of Mustard-seed may yield many Spiritual Applications 2. There is set and solemn Meditation Now this is of several sorts or rather they are but several parts of the same Exercise 1. There is a Reflexive Meditation by which we wholly fall upon our selves This is nothing else but a solemn Parley between a Man and his own Heart Psal. 4.4 Commune with your own hearts upon your bed and be still When in a solemn Retirement Reason and inward Discourse returneth and falleth back upon it self Of all the parts of Meditation this is the most difficult for here a Man is to exercise Dominion over his Soul and to be his own Accuser and Judge It is against self-love and carnal-ease We see all our shifts are to avoid our own Company and to run away from our selves Guilty Man like a Basiliske dyeth by seeing himself Hence the Worldly Man choaketh his Soul with business lest his Thoughts for want of work like a Mill should grind upon it self the Voluptuous Person melteth away his dayes in Pleasure and charmeth his Soul into a deep sleep with the Potion of outward Delights lest it should awake and talk with him Oh then necessary it is that a Christian should take some time to discourse with himself to ask of our own Souls What we are What we have been What we have done Ier. 8.6 What Streights what Temptations we have passed thorough and how we have overcome them You would think it strange of Two Men that Conversed every day for Forty or Fifty years and all this while they did not know one another yet this is the Case between us and our Souls we live a long time in the World and are Strangers to our selves 2. There is a Meditation which is more direct and that is of two sorts 1. Dogmatical whose Object is the Word 2. Practical Whose Object is our own Lives There is more of search and apprehension in the First there is more of Plot and Contrivance in the Second the one is more conversant about Doctrines the other about Things the latter catcheth hold of the heel of the former for where Dogmatical Meditation endeth there Practical Meditation beginneth 1. Dogmatical Meditation is when we exercise our selves in the Doctrines of the Word and consider how Truths known may be useful to us It differeth from Study partly in the Object Study is conversant about a thing unknown in whole or in part Rom. 12.2 That ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God but Meditation is an Act of Knowledge reiterated or a return of the mind to that point to which it arrived before it is the inculcation or whetting of a known Truth the pawse of Reason on something already conceived and known or a calling to remembrance what we know before Partly in the end the end of Study is Information but the end of Meditation is Practice or a work upon the Affections Ioshua 1.8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein Study is like a Winters Sun that shineth but warmeth not but Meditation is like the blowing up of the Fire where we do not mind the blaze but the heat The Fruit of Study is to hoard up Truth but the Fruit of Meditation is to practise it Curious Inquiries have more of the Student in them than the Christian. In Study we are rather like Vintners that take in Wines to store themselves for Sale in Meditation we are like Private Men that buy Wine for our Use and Comfort A Vintners Cellar may be better stored than a Noblemans but he hath it for others Use. The Student may have more of Notion and Knowledge his Cellar may be fuller but he hath it not for tast and necessary
refreshment as the Christian hath 2. More Practical and Applicative Meditation is when we take our selves aside from worldly distractions that we may solemnly debate and study how to carry on the Holy Life with better success and advantage when we are wise in our Sphere Luke 16.8 The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their generation it is an Hebrew Phrase for the Manner Course and Sphere of our Lives Gen. 6.9 These are the generations of Noah Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and Noah walked with God so to be wise in our generation is to be wise in our manner of living and business So it is said Psalm 122.5 He will guide his affairs with discretion which noteth plotting and wise fore-sight choosing our way or devising our way as Solomon calleth it Prov. 16.9 A mans heart deviseth his way It is a great part of a Christians Employment The Scriptures call for it for a Minister 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth to devise how to carry on his Ministry with most Honour and Success So for Private Christians Heb. 10.24 Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works We should consider one another each others Gifts Dispositions and Graces that so our Spiritual Converse and Commerce might be the more improved By this kind of Meditation Piety is made more prudent reasonable and orderly Christians that live at hap-hazard and order their Lives at adventure without these rational and wise Debates if they do not stain their Profession with foul indiscretions yet find much inconvenience and toyl in the Holy Life and are not half so useful as others are Certainly we should learn this of the Children of this World a wicked Man is plotting for his Lusts Rom. 13.14 Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the luste thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they make Provision they are catering how they may feed such a Lust and satisfie such a Carnal Desire Therefore certainly we should take care for the Conveniencies of the Holy Life how we may be most needful for God and pass through our Relations with most advantage and cast our businesses that they may be the least disadvantage to Religion and consider how particular Duties may be the most dexterously accomplished Psal. 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me These are the kinds of Meditation The Definition may be formed thus Meditation is that Duty or Exercise of Religion whereby the Mind is applyed to the serious and solemne Contemplation of Spiritual things for Practical Vses and Purposes I shall open the Description by the parts of it 1. It is a Duty and Exercise of Religion 1. That it is a Duty and Exercise of Religion appeareth by the Evidence of Scripture where it is commanded Ioshua 1.8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night It is made a Character of a Godly Man Psal. 1.2 His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night It is commended in the Practice and Example of the Saints that were most famous in Scripture Isaac in the Text Moses and David And as it is plain by the Evidence of Scripture so by the Light of Nature and Reason God that is a Spirit deserveth the most Pure and Spiritual Worship as well as such as is performed by the Body The Thoughts are the Eldest and Noblest Off-spring of the Soul and the solemn Consecration of them is fit for God In the Gospel Meditation is called for I find in the Old Testament the main thing there called for is Meditation in the Law in the Gospel we are directed to a new Object the Love of Christ Eph. 3.17 18 19. That ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that is the Study of Saints I confess it is more called for in the Old Testament being gross and carnal they needed greater enforcements to Spiritual Duties but now it suiteth every way with the Nature of our Worship Iohn 4.24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Now Worship in Spirit and in Truth is more agreeable to our State Meditation is a pure and rational converse with God it is the flower and height of Consecrated Reason 2. It is not a Duty of an Arbitrary Concernment It is not only a Moral help that may be observed or omitted but a necessary Duty without which all Graces would languish and wither Faith is lean and ready to starve unless it be fed with continual Meditation on the Promises as David saith Psalm 119.92 Vnless thy law had been my delight I should then have perished in my affliction Thoughts are the Caterers of the Soul that purvey for Faith and fetch in Food and refresh it with the Comfort of the Promises Hope is low and doth not arise to such a fullness of expectation till by Meditation we take a deliberate view of our Hopes and Priviledges Gen. 13.17 Arise walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it for I will give it unto thee Our Hopes arise according to the largeness of our Thoughts it is a great advantage to have our Eyes open to view the Riches of our Inheritance and to have a distinct view of the hope of our Calling The Apostle prays for the Ephesians Chapt. 1.18 The eyes of your understandings being enlightned that ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of ehe glory of his inheritance in the Saints Men of barren thoughts are usually of low hopes and for want of getting to the top of Pisgah to view the Land our Hearts sink within us Certainly Hope thriveth best on the Mount of Meditation Then for Love the sparkles of Affection will not flow out unless we beat upon the Will by constant Thoughts Affection is nourished by Apprehension and the more constant and deliberate the Thoughts are the love is alwaies the deeper Those Christians that are backward to the Duty of Meditation find none of those impulses and meltings of Love that are in others they do not endeavour to comprehend the height and breadth and length and depth of the love of Christ and therefore no wonder that their Hearts are so narrow and so much straitned towards God Affections alwayes follow the rate of our thoughts if they are ponderous and serious Then for Obedience or keeping the Spirits constantly in a Religious Frame to others good Motions come like flashes of Lightning and are as soon gone as their thoughts
and Spirits and yet there is Sin in the Work and Hell in the Wages Oh consider if it seem difficult which is better to labour for a Season or suffer for ever which is the end of them that live in the constant neglect of a known Duty 3. There is nothing so hard in God's Service but he hath manifested Love enough to sweeten it We begrudge a few thoughts of God and God had thoughts of us before all Worlds Psal. 40.5 Many O Lord my God! are the wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in number unto thee if I would declare and speak of them they are more than can be numbred Psalm 109.13 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me O God How great is the summ of them Who can tell what a condescention it was for Infiniteness to think of poor Worms and that he should before all Worlds plot and design our Salvation And when the Plot came out there was a great deal of Love to sweeten Duty the Lord Jesus Christ thought no Danger too great no Suffering or Extremity too hard no work too difficult for our sakes what a Mercy is this God hath not only required Obedience but discovered a Love that may sweeten the difficulties of it 4. There is no difficulty in Religion wholly insuperable and too hard for an Active and Industrious Spirit Those that follow on after God do at length find him to their Comfort A faint pursuit is the cause of discouragement When a flint doth not strike fire at the first we strike again Prov. 10.4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich It is a Rule in Grace as well as Nature Let us therefore follow on till we have overcome the difficulty that is before us 5. A Lazy backward Heart must be urged forward with the greater importunity When David was shy of God's Presence he layes a Command upon himself Psal. 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord He maketh Reason to issue out a Decree and positive Conclusion So Psalm 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue So by just Analogy we may gather that the Soul should in this case determine I will go and try and see what may be done I will keep off from God no longer but will go to him 2. Another Lett and Hindrance is Love of Pleasures Men that would pass their time in Mirth are unwilling to be so solemn and serious When Childrens minds are set to play it is irksome to hear of School or of their Books so when the Heart is set for Pleasure it is a hard matter to bring the Soul to Religious Performances How shall we do to wean the Soul from Pleasures 1. Consider to love Pleasure is to gratifie the Beast in us rather than the Angel Man is in part an Angel and in part a Beast he hath a Nature common to both now when Men study altogether to gratifie their sensual part it is to turn Men into Beasts To serve our lowest faculty and to enjoy pleasures without remorse is the happyness of the Beasts to eat and drink and sleep and sport is but to do as the Beasts do A Mans Delight should be in the pure and free Exercises of Reason If Men would exercise themselves herein they would find the greatest delectation would be in the contemplation and view of Truth Psalm 19.8 The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart That Taste which Hypocrites have of the good word of God Heb. 6.5 is meerly such as Scholars have in the height of Speculation and Study because the Gospel is such an excellent Contrivance and a sublime satisfying Truth Nulla major voluptas quam fastidium voluptatis there is no greater pleasure than a disdain of sensual pleasures 2. Consider the sweetness of Religious Exercises is far better than that of Carnal Pleasures as that heat is more Manly that is gotten by exercise than by hovering over the Fire It is hard I confess to abjure accustomed Delights Pleasantness is connatural to us but we should consider that by Communion with God in Spiritual Exercises Delight is not abrogated but preferred and advanced to a more noble becoming Object it is taken out of Egypt that it may grow in Canaan transplanted out of a Fenn into a Paradice that it may thrive in a better Soyl it is less Dreggy but more Masculine and Grave Psalm 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord Eph. 5.4 Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks We keep the Affection but change the Object The Comforts of Christianity are expressed by terms proper to the Delights of the Senses to teach us this Excellent Art to keep the Affection and change the Object and by an Holy Sleight and Wile to couzen the Soul into better Joyes Here Delight is most pure and more free no excess is vitious Castae deliciae meae sunt Scripturae tuae thy Scriptures are my chast Delights The Pleasures of the World are but sugard baits a Man may soon loose himself but here by Tryal you will find the same sweetness with less hazard and danger 3. We may make choice of Matter more pleasant to allure the Soul All the Objects of Meditation are not dark and gloomy there are some things pleasing to Nature the variety of Providences the Beauty of the Creation the excellent contrivance of the Gospel All Objects are not mournful and in case of such a Temptation we may allure the Soul and when we are not so fit for the severe Exercises of the Closet we may as Isaac go out into the Fields to meditate and heighten Fancy and Imagination by Objects more pleasant 3. The next general Hindrance is a Guilty Conscience When the Soul is under the burden of Guilt we are loath to be serious and alone lest the Mind should fall on it self of all things we then desire to flee the Company of our selves and therefore Meditation is an unpleasant Duty We cannot think of God but as of a Judge nor of a World to come but as of our own Ruine A guilty Conscience would fain obliterate the thoughts of God as the guilty Heathens Rom. 1.28 They did not like to retain God in their knowledge that is Actual Sound Distinct Thoughts of God It is said Iames 2.19 The Devils believe and tremble Thoughts of God impressed the more horrour on them therefore they cryed out Matth. 8.29 Art thou come hither to torment us before the time So guilty Men are under these horrors They are all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 which though it be not alwaies felt is soon awakened Iob 21.14 Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What shall we
be Grave and Serious The Mind is according to the course of the Life You flatter your selves when you think you are able to command Spiritual Thoughts on a sudden when you have suffered your thoughts to rove and wander Prov. 17.24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth here and there and every where 5. Watch against the first Diversion how plausible soever it be look upon it as an intruding that breaks the rank The Devil injects good thoughts sometimes that he might divert your other thoughts Charge your thoughts that they may not disturb your Meditation Cant. 3.5 I charge you O ye daughters of Ierusalem that you stir not up nor awake my love till he please 6. When you come to meditate in Gods Presence do not bring the World with you purge your selves of all Carnal Affections Ezek. 33.31 Their heart goeth after their covetousness Alwaies consider this the prevailing Lust will engross the thoughts to a distracted Mind no place is a solitude the very Closet is a Market-place Therefore before Meditation we should purge our Hearts of Worldly Affections SERMON IV. GENESIS xxiv 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the even-tide I Shall not wholly divert from the Subject in hand though I shall a little interrupt the Method of it My purpose is now to speak of that Meditation that is proper to the Sacrament The main part of that Worship is dispatched in Thoughts Here we come to put Reason to the Highest and most Sublime Use to be an Instrument and Servant to Faith and Love But now the Thoughts proper to the Lords Supper are many There are an Union of Mysteries yea so many that they are a burden to some Christians and a snare to those that are most scrupulous It will be necessary therefore to give you some Directions how you may guide your selves in this Duty for your best advantage It is a matter of great profit to be wise and skilful in Duties Many that know the general Nature of them know not how to manage them David saith Psalm 119.27 Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works intimating that then we performe Duties with most success when we go about them with most Wisdom and Understanding and when we are skilled in the way of Gods Precepts we shall understand those Marvellous Acts of Grace which he vouchsafeth to his People Now it is good that every one according to his Talent should help one anothers Joy and therefore I shall now speak a little to this purpose and the rather because it will much conduce to the opening of the Doctrine of Meditation in the general My Method shall be this 1. I will shew the usual defects of Christians in this Service with their necessary Remedies 2. I shall handle some cases First The usual defects and faults of People in this Duty I mean so far as they concern Meditation and they are Four Barrenness Stupidity Roving of Thoughts and a lazy Formality 1. Barrenness This is a great trouble to Christians when their Understandings are unfruitful and they cannot inlarge themselves in pertinent and necessary thoughts Now how shall we do to get our Hearts to be fruitful in Holy Thoughts 1. There must be a Solemn Preparation for this Service It is good to breathe our selves in some Religious Exercises before-hand that we may run the more freely without fainting Spiritual Dispositions do not come on us of a sudden Christians are deceived that look for rapt and sudden motions there must be a time to put off the Shoes off our Feet when we come upon Holy Ground to converse with God in so sweet a Service we must lay aside the Distractions of the World and not come roaking from the World into Gods presence There must be a time to raise the Soul into a Zealous Height and Ardour there must be a blowing of the fire for here you come to the flame your thoughts are to flame out in great and raised ascents Cant. 1.12 While the king sitteth at his table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof Wood doth not blaze and flame as soon as it is laid on 2. Those solemn and preparative thoughts are chiefly to be spent in these two things The Nature of the Supper and the Love of Christ in the institution of it 1. The Nature of the Supper You are to consider the great things that are offered to you and the great Blessings and Benefits which God cometh to represent exhibit and seal up to your Souls Matth. 11.7 What went ye out into the wilderness for to see Christ examineth the grounds of their Resort and Concourse to him It is good to consider what we are about and the Dainties of the Banquet we are invited to what assurance the outward Signs are to give you what Communion we have with Christ and his Graces We are barren because we do not consider our Work and the Nature and Importance of it 2. The Love of Christ in the Institution of it 1. The Time when it was instituted 1 Cor. 11.23 The Lord Iesus Christ the same night in which he was betrayed took bread The Lord Jesus Christ had thoughts of the greatest good to Man when Man was executing the greatest Spight and Malice against him And the rather because it is an Act of Mercy that Christ frequently useth to surprize Sinners in the midst of their wickedness when Saul was breathing out threatnings against the Disciples God had a design of Love to him and smites him from his Horse Some are smitten with Conviction in the height of Provocations We read in Ecclesiastical Story of a young Man that came to stab St. Iohn was converted by him so many come to jear and catch at a Sermon and have been converted by it 2. The Rights which he instituted appointing Bread and Wine Symbols of Pleasure and Delight as a Physician conveys health to us in a Golden Pill so doth Christ convey Spiritual nourishment to us by those Elements which we take Pleasure in The outward Observance is comfortable God doth not require us to lance our selves and to exercise the Body with Whips and Cords the Rights are not bloody as in Circumcision but Bread and Wine And yet this is nothing to the inward sweetness Meat and Drink which the World knows not of Iohn 4.32 I have meat to eat which ye know not of 3. The Advantage and Relief that Faith has from these things of Sense God speaketh to you now not by Words but things He doth as it were embody Religion and represent it to the Senses Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you That is in the Word or Sacraments here God doth as it were hold forth Christ dying before your eyes
Private Duties There is a greater engagement upon us than others because we have the help of Art and Education and have greater advantages than others and therefore we should not lose so sweet a Comfort It is strange that Papists confine it altogether to Spiritual Men as if it were not a Lay-Duty and usually we lay it aside as if Study would serve the turn and it did not belong to us V. My work is now to speak of the Object of Meditation which I am first to handle in general and then in special First In the General Consideration of the Object I am to speak 1. Of the Choice of the Object 2. The Manner how to work upon it 1. For the Choice of the Object I need not press you to choose that which is seasonable and what suiteth with your own case A Sermon worketh more forcibly when it is suitable so do Thoughts when they are seasonable and direct to the present Case of the Soul Psal. 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul he meaneth sad thoughts then it was his advantage to exercise himself in seasonable comforts like a Shower of Rain on new Mowen Grass it would be burnt up with the drought which if Rain had come seasonably might have flourished and grown up with a fair Herbage so the Soul is parched with a Temptation if it be not watered with suitable thoughts We faint not saith the Apostle For we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4.16 18. viz. by reviving our Christian hopes And therefore the Exigencies of the Soul must be served Food in Thirst doth enrage rather than please It is not enough to consider what is good but what is seasonable things mis-timed and mis-placed lose their force and operation as the Blood when it is in Vessels is the Continent of Life but when it is out it breedeth Diseases so Truths out of their Order and Place do not nourish the Heart but oppress it as if you should talk of Hell and the Severity of Gods Judgment to those that are dejected this were to speak to the grief of those whom God hath wounded and when the back is ready to break to lay on more load I shall for the present having spoken largely in the general Directions give you but Two Rules 1. Choose that which is profitable There is a great deal of difference between the Objects of Meditation some are more speculative others altogether Practical There are matters speculative revealed in the Word which yet have their Use and Profit as the Fall of the Angels the Order of Providence c. yet out of these the Heart may distil Matter of Practical Use and Profit All the benefit we receive from these Truths lyeth in our Meditation of them But then there are others that are altogether Practical and these should chiefly be chosen The Mind of Man is the Mill of God not to grind Chaff but Wheat Matters Practical are there to be ground for Bread to the Soul they that hunt after Fanzies do but mis-employ their Thoughts and beat Chaff into Dust and do not grind good Corn for nourishment And that is the Reason why many times mean Christians excel those of the best gifts because they spend their time in subtle Inventions and Enquiries and whilst we strive to be more subtle they are more sincere Oh consider the Soul is diseased while it is only fed with Quails and fine Notions there is more Delicacy but less Nourishment Notions that are Airy tickle the fancy and move the lighter part of the Affections but those Considerations that are grave and masculine convince most soundly and work most deeply Wisdom entreth into the heart Prov. 2.10 Look as Wicked Men do not please themselves in abstractions of Sin they devise Wickedness to accomplish it so the Christian should not satisfie himself with nice Speculations but employ his thoughts about Practical Matters to promote Holyness in his Heart and Life 2. Chose Matters to Meditate upon in and orderly an apt Method But you will say Do you think this useful to confine the Soul to Method in Meditation to prescribe a set course to our selves Shall we not justle out seasonable thoughts I Answer 1. It is lawful and necessary to prescribe to our selves a Course and Method partly that we may know our Work and that we may not be to seek both of a Subject and how to work upon it therefore that you may keep your Religious Exercises together and know how to pass from one to another it is good to keep a set Course Partly Because things work with us according to Method it is the way of Knowledge and Affection the Soul finds it an Excellent Advantage when things are aptly suited and ranked in their Order God himself hath disposed all his works in order so should we ours You will find an Advantage when you take your Rise low and go on from Matters more plain and obvious to those that are more Mysterious There are Shallowes for the Lambs of God and there are deeps for those of an higher growth and stature You must pass from the most obvious Matter of Christianity to those that are of more sublime speculation The Rise of the Sun is first low and gildeth with its beams the Eastern parts and then riseth higher to the top of the Heavens so in your progress there are the Third Heavens to which you must ascend but first you must pass the first and second Heavens Before we search the depths of the Spirit it is good to search the depths of the Belly I compare Pauls Expression with Solomons to begin with the knowledge of our selves before we come to the knowledge of God Prius redi ad te quam rimari praesumas quae supra te is a Rule of Bernard who was of much Experience in these Exercises first return to our selves and by an orderly progress to go on from Examination of our selves before we soar up to the Contemplation of the Divine Glory You know what Christ saith Iohn 3.12 If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things They were Spiritual Matters he spake of Regeneration and Principles of Religion yet in comparison of deeper Mysteries of Religion and because he had set them out by Earthly Similitudes of Generation Water and the Wind he called them earthly things Christ trained up his own Disciples this way first he begins with plain Matters Iohn 16.12 I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them yet There were greater Mysteries above the reach and size of their present Capacity So the Apostle Paul speaketh of Wisdom for them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 Howbeit we speak wisdom to them that are perfect that is for them that had made some progress in Religion perfect not absolutely but in
doth the Gospel teach us To live soberly righteously and godly To injoy God to live with Man and the government of our selves We have enough if we have all this But we have all this in as ample manner as heart can wish for and therefore he that cometh from the dead must either preach the same Doctrine and then it is needless and superfluous or contrary things and then how shall we believe him who are forewarned Gal. 1.8 But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Christ enters a caution against them 2. Better Arguments cannot be urged nor more perswasively The Gospel is the wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 And surely God knoweth all the Wards of the Lock and what kind of Keys will fit the Heart of Man He hath laid forth the riches of Wisdom and Grace upon this Blessed design and hence it is that we have such Mysterious Doctrines such Dreadful Threatnings such Sweet Promises such strong Obligations from the Death and Incarnation of the Son of God from the Example of Christ which doth secure our Direction and incourage our Practice Out of what Rock was Man hewen if all this will not work upon him What must God do Provide a better Heaven a hotter Hell another Son to dye for us or a more forcible and incouraging Example than that of Jesus Christ What 's the matter that the wicked Sinner will not be allured and made tame charme the charmer never so wisely What do we need more to move us Shall God pipe to you in a sweeter strain than that of Gospel-Grace or Gospel-Promises Is the giving himself and his Christ a price too cheap to purchase your hearts Or must he thunder to you in a more dreadful accent than the horrours of Everlasting Darkness Are these but poor and mean Scarecrows to tell you of a Pit without a bottom of a Worm that never dyeth of a Fire that shall never be quenched Or what is the matter that the Sinner stirreth not Is the Scripture a dead Letter And needeth it to be actuated and enforced by a living voice God hath provided us Apostles and Prophets to write Scriptures so Pastors and Teachers to explain and apply Scriptures Eph. 4.11 He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Men who are concerned as well as our selves the value of whose credit we know by their faithfulness in other things that have the same Temptations Affections and Necessities as we have Men with whom we may more familiarly converse and with less fright than with one from the dead Oh but one that cometh from the dead is supposed to testifie his own sight and knowledge and so to speak more feelingly And have not Gods Messengers some experience Cannot they say we declare to you the things which we have seen and heard and felt Have they not been scorched by the Spirit of Conviction tasted Comfort felt a change in their own hearts What can any Messenger from the dead say that hath not been told you over again and again a thousand times Would he say that all shall dye That you see with your Eyes that presently after Death cometh Judgment That you pretend to believe already that the Torments of Hell are terrible and insupportable This God hath told you over and over And if we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater 1 Iohn 5.9 That you must repent and be converted This is that that is sounded in your Ears every day Therefore we are better provided already than to need the horrour of an Apparition or a warning from one among the dead 3. It is not because he could propound these Truths with more certainty for these things are already propounded to our Understandings and we have sensible confirmation 1. They are propounded to our understandings with a fair and full credibility The Holy Scriptures have in themselves a self-evidencing light by which they make it out to the Consciences of Men that they are of God Every thing that hath passed the hand of God discovereth its Author all Gods works have his Signature and Impression upon them which is legible and visible to every attentive beholder Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse Psal. 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work Not a pile of grass but sheweth its Maker Praesentem refert quaelibet herba Deum and surely his Word which he hath magnified above all his name Psal. 138.2 is not altogether without such an impress and stamp of God upon it therein being revealed things most worthy of the Truth Wisdom Goodness and Holyness of God and suitable to that Wisdom and Truth that is in us so far as there is any in us What shall I speak of the most satisfactory way of Reconciliation with God The fairest draught of Moral perfection far beyond all that which is of meer Humane Recommendation Here is no dead fly in this box of Ointment but all pure and holy without mixture nothing so accommodate to the necessities of Man and fit to bring us to the injoyment of that which the reasonable Nature aimeth at What shall I speak of the Majesty of the Stile the genuine simplicity of the Narrations the Harmony of the Parts the Sublimity of the Doctrines the Impartiality and Purity of the Precepts the overflow of God's Love in the Promises the glorious Rewards the certainty of the Prophesies All which are so many innate Characters and Evidences of the Divine Authority of these Writings by which they clearly insinuate themselves with wonderful force and power into the Consciences of Men 2 Cor. 4.2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness not handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God There was an evidence in the Truth it self preached by the Apostles so there is in the word written by the Apostle for the voice could add nothing to it and the Writing take nothing from it A Man of Art and Judgment discovereth himself in every Book he writeth Aristotles Writings shew him a Person of great knowledge Can a Book have God for its Author and have nothing to discover its Author 'T is unreasonable Masters in Writing or Painting shew their hand the Scripture doth not stand or fall to the courtesies of Man Well then if these things be so as certainly they are so we have more certainty by the Word it self than possibly we can have by a Messenger from the dead yea or a voice from Heaven for it hath such a signature of God upon it that we need go no
further 2 Pet. 1.18 19. And this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy Mount who have also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a more sure word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts What greater confirmation could the Apostles expect than that voice from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth. 17.5 Yet Peter who heard that voice telleth us that comparatively we have greater security from and by the written Word not in it self but as it is given in evidence to us so that there is no compare between it and one from the dead 2. We have sensible Confirmations VVe are wrought upon by sence now is not ordinarily the word as sensibly confirmed to us as it would be by a Vision or Apparition from the dead 1. There is the Holyness of Professors 1 Cor. 14.25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth 1 Pet. 4.4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot speaking evil of you Is it not more wonder to see a Living Man that hath not devested himself of the Interests and Concernments of Flesh and Blood to deny himself for things to come then to hear a tale from a dead Man 2. There is the constancy of the Martyrs that have ratified this Truth with the loss of their dearest concernments Revel 12.11 And they overcame by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death 'T is possible a Man may suffer for a false Religion and Sacrifice a stout Body to a stubborn mind But is there no true Gold because there hath been some counterfeit Coin The Devils Martyrs have not been so many for number nor for Temper and Quality so Holy so VVise so Meek as the Champions of the Truth The Christian Religion can shew you Persons of all Ages young and old of all Sexes Men and VVomen of all Conditions of Life Noble and of Low Degree of all Qualities Learned and Unlearned See Sermons on John 17. p. 256. 3. Then there is the inward feeling of Gods Children they find a Power in the word convincing changing comforting fortifying their hearts These can speak of what they hear feel and tast as well as one that cometh from the dead They have answerable impressions on their hearts Heb. 8.10 I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts 2 Cor. 3.3 Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart All this stampt upon the heart in legible Characters A true Christian is the lively transcript of his Religion the Scriptures are the Original and every Believer is the Copy it is gone over again in his heart 4. Those that have no Experience of this have a secret fear of the power of the word Iohn 3.20 For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved He will not come to the light because he is afraid of the Majesty of God shining forth in the Scriptures Men dare not muse upon and seriously consider the Doctrine therein contained Atheisme lyeth in the heart the Seat of desires Psalm 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God Men question the word because they would not have it true they are willing to indulge their lusts and therefore they are afraid of the word that forbiddeth them As Ahab was loath to hear Michajah because he prophesied evil Strong Lust maketh us incredulous A Malefactor desireth to destroy the Records and Evidences that are against him 5. There are also outward Effects of the Power of the VVord its propagation throughout all the VVorld within thirty years or thereabout the Doctrine it self contrary to Nature it doth not court the Senses nor woe the Flesh it doth not make offers of splendour of Life or Pleasures and Profits but biddeth us deny these things and expect troubles the drift of it is to teach Men to row against the stream of Flesh and Blood to renounce our Lusts deny our Interests And this was done by a â—ew Fishermen who had no long Sword no Publick Interest or Authority to back them and that in the face of the Learned VVorld when all Civil Disciplines were in there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and height The word prevailed against Ancient Customs the Ark was to be set up in the Temple that was already occupied and possessed by Dagon 6. Then consider the many sensible Effects of the VVord as the Accomplishment of Prophecies Promises Threatnings and Answer of Prayers Gods Providence is a Comment upon Scripture It is an Authentick Register and Infallible Prognostication and Kalender VVe need not have one come from the dead to tell the truth of it it is fulfilled before our eyes every day 4. Or else they can convey a Power or expect that God will co-operate more with their report than with the Holy Scriptures Surely they are finite Creatures though passed out of this Life Nothing can convert and turn the heart of Man but the Infinite Power of God all the Angels in Heaven cannot pluck one Sinner out of the State of Nature VVe read one Angel could destroy One Hundred Eighty Five Thousand in Senacheribs Hoast 1 Kings 19.35 But all the Angels cannot convert one Soul But will God co-operate Alas when all prejudices are removed Men are nothing the better till the Lord puts in his Grace the Iews suppose Moses and the Prophets to be of God they were confirmed by notable Miracles the fame of which continue among them But the matter is about Gods Efficacy But now God concurreth with his instituted Course common means of Gods appointing have a singular efficacy annexed as Reading Acts 8.32 Hearing Mark 4.24 Meditation Acts 17.11 Christ dyed to sanctifie Ordinances Eph. 5.26 and there if ever shall we meet with the Power and Grace of God Secondly Against it There are more rational prejudices that lye against any other way than this way that God hath taken As to instance in the matter in hand 1. It is no mean scruple about the lawfulness of hearkning to one that should come from the Dead since they are out of the Sphere of our Commerce and it is a disparagement to the great Doctor of the Church Against consulting with the Dead See Deut 18.10 11 12 with 14 15. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire or that useth divination or an observer of
thee to repentance And shall we use all these as Weapons of Unrighteousness Food Rayment Peace Plenty Ah but his Christ above all Oh never any sinned as I have done The Devil sinned but Christ never dyed for him as he did for me Iudas sinned but he was never pardoned as I have been Achan sinned but he had not that Light and Knowledge of the Gospel that I have had he did not live under such Means as I have injoyed we content our selves with an hasty Sigh Oh but it is a deep Sorrow that is required and an active pungent grief renting the heart Ioel 2.13 Afflicting the soul Levit. 16.29 Matth. 26.75 Peter wept bitterly When we are touched with a sense of our unkindness to God we shall mourn 4. Indignation which is an Act of our hatred against Sin hatred quickned into a Zeal against it Indignation is the Souls expulsive faculty when we heartily renounce it as unsuitable to our present resolutions professions and hopes Isa. 30.22 Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto them Get ye hence So Hosea 14.8 Ephraim shall say What have I any more to do with idols The Soul saith first when it is convinced Oh what have I done And then What shall I do And then What have I any more to do If a Christian did remember what he is and what he hopeth for these Questions would be more rise with him Repentance is not a bare purpose to leave Sin but to leave it with an hatred and deep displeasure against it SERMON II. LUKE xvi 30 31. And he said Nay father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Secondly I Now proceed to the next terme which is the Terminus ad quem turning to God which is done in two things 1. A Setled Purpose and Solemne Dedication of our selves to his Use and Service which is a Resolution taken up upon Debates of Conscience Luke 15.17 18. And when he came to himself he said how many hired servants of my fathers have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger I will arise and go to my father First he came to himself then I will go to my Father This ariseth out of a sense of Gods Mercy in Christ Rom. 12.1 I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service Lord accept me for thine and is the Fruit of super-natural Grace Iames 1.18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth and is accompanied with shame that God so long hath been kept out of his Right 1 Pet. 4.3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquetings and abominable idolatries and a purpose to serve him with all our might 2. It is seconded by a real performance Matth. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance Without these he is a Lyar and deceiveth his own Soul if the Heart be not more watchful over it self affraid to offend God and grieve his Spirit more tender of the least Sin more careful to please God in all things more close at work in the business of Eternal Life These are fruits worthy of Repentance this is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which we do more than Carnal Hypocrites Fruits suitable to the power of Grace working in us and to our professions of respect to God This is the summ of the Doctrine of Repentance II. What doth the Scripture offer to perswade us to this work 1. It clearly layeth down the absolute and indispensible necessity of it in grown Persons or such as are come to years of discretion Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Luke 13.5 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them as I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel One way or the other turn or dye it is no moot point or matter of Controversie There are many Controversies about other things but in this all is clear Many will say there is such a doubtfulness that every one bringeth Scripture and maketh a nose of wax of it ductile and pliable to his own fancy But in points of absolute Duty it is fully clear and in the Marks of one that shall go to Heaven or to Hell especially in the Doctrine of Repentance Make use of the Scriptures and practice conscientiously according to your Light and God will clear up his mind to you By Study and Prayer and Practice you will come to an increase of Knowledge Iohn 7.17 If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self 2. It doth not only call for Repentance but a speedy Repentance Heb. 3.7 8. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Ioel 2.12 Therefore also now saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your heart God standeth upon now If the Season were not determined yet the Nature of the thing would bear it A necessary work that is to be once done should not be left to uncertainties But because Men are loose and arbitrary and think they may make use of Repentance at their leisure therefore the Scripture is as peremptory for the Time as for the thing Now and to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Assoon as you are convinced of your sinful estate Why not now Sin is such an evil that you cannot be rid of it too soon Sin is as a Poyson in the Bowels a Fire in a Building Now who will say we will get an Antidote next Week Or quench the Fire hereafter Sin is a Wound and shall we let it alone till it fester and rankle No Wound so dangerous as that which destroyeth Body and Soul no Fire so dreadful as the Wrath of God no Poyson so hurtful as that of Sin it robbeth us of Eternal Life God hath not given us leave for a day nor for a moment If a Man were banished by Proclamation and it were Death whoever should entertain and harbour him after ten dayes till the time were out there were no danger but God faith now When we are in any trouble we cannot brook any delay Psalm 102.2 In the day when I call
and Conscience saith the contrary Or are we innocent Or hath God provided another way than Christ 2 Obedience Every thing is written and must be reviewed If things were forgotten assoon as we forget them we need not revise our Acts or be so careful of our Conversations Oh but we must come to an account Iames 2.12 So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty Psalm 1.5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous What a shameful story will there be produced against careless Sinners All the business of our lives is to stand in the great Congregation and to appear with confidence Would a Man give way to vain thoughts if he knew he were to give an account or to vain Discourse if he thought every idle word would be brought to Judgment or to Carnal Actions though never so secret if he thought that all these would come to a review or neglect the Duties of his Calling if he knew he were to give an account of his Stewardship or be unmerciful to the Poor if he did think of Have you fed Have you cloathed Or that he should be examined upon these questions 3. The Consideration of Hell or the Dreadful Punishment of Sin For this is the matter in this Text. This is useful to think of Hell that we may shun it presumption is a Coward Matth. 3.7 8. O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance There is a forced Repentance they that do not weep for their Sins for a while here shall there mourn for ever with a fruitless Repentance It is peace upon Earth What is Hell 1. There is poena damni the Punishment of loss a separation from the presence of God and Everlasting Exile Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25.41 Luke 13.25 26. When once the master of the house is risen and hath shut the door and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord Lord open to us and he shall answer and say unto you I know ye not whence ye are and verse 28. When ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out When God turned Adam out of Paradise it was sad but then he cloathed him made him Coats of skins Adam was a Rebellious Child and was turned out of Doors but God had a care of him would not turn him out of Doors without his Garments gave him the promise of the Seed of the Woman hopes of a better Paradise This is the worst part of Hell to have a glimpse of God the remembrance of which shall remain with them for ever and then to be shut out Thou shalt see it with thine eyes but not taste it As a Prodigal reduced to Rags goeth by the Lands and Houses he hath sold with a sad Heart 2. The poena sensus The Punishments of Sense the Worm of Conscience and the Fire of Gods VVrath The worm of Conscience the Sting of Conscience when we think of our folly and imprudence A Man may run away from his Conscience now by sleeping reading working drinking sporting as Cain built Cities and Saul called for Musick But in Hell there are no such Diversions not a Thought free Day nor Night but Memoria praeteritorum the remembrance of what is past slighted Means abused Comforts wasted Time and Sensus praesentium a Sense of what is present the understanding maketh Heaven or Hell and metus futurorum a fear of what is to come for ever and ever Oh blind Fools that we did not think of these things aforehand The pleasures of the VVorld for a Thousand years will not countervail one minutes torment And then the Fire shall never be quenched Heb. 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the the living God Do but make tryal and put your finger in the Candle and see how you can bear it Isa. 33.14 Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings III. How to improve the Scriptures to Repentance 1. Believe them as you would an Oracle or one from the dead Consider the Authority and Veracity of God The Authority of God God Commandeth Men to repent charge the heart in the Name of God as it will answer to him another day If God had bidden thee do some greater thing wouldst not thou have done it VVill you contradict your Maker The Veracity of God these things are true If you had heard a voice from Heaven as Abraham or had a Vision or a Messenger sent out of the other VVorld you would believe you would think him to have a very hard heart that is not warned by an Oracle or frighted by an Apparition God himself hath spoken in his VVord and is not he of Credit You would fly in the face of him that should give you the lye and will you give the lye to the God of Truth VVe should be ashamed that the VVord which is a greater and surer Revelation than Oracles or Apparitions should prevail no more with us and that all those Arts of Grace which are used in the Scriptures do not perswade us to Obedience and Amendment of Life There is more Reason to perswade a Rational Man that the Scriptures are true and worth the heeding than to perswade him of the Truth of any voice from Heaven or Message by one from the Dead There you are warned that if you are un-believing un-holy or un-charitable you shall go to Hell and as Lot seemed to his Sons in law as one that mocked e n. 19.14 so we are looked on as if we were in jest and it were a matter of course to make one another sad by repeating of Matters mournful and lamentable If thou hadst seen a Ghost this last Night or a Devil had appeared to thee in Mans shape thou wouldst have been terrified and shall not the threatnings of the word startle thee So when you are spoken to concerning the joyes of Heaven it should not seem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an idle tale as it is said Luke 24.11 And their words seemed unto them as idle tales and they believed them not The Report of Christ's Resurrection was an idle tale If an Angel had told you that within such a compass of years you should be in another world he would have been credited but you have a more sure word of Prophesie we tell you the same from Gods word and yet we are not regarded as the Israelites did not believe the Spies 2. Urge thy Heart with it Recollect your selves Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things Come to your selves Luke 15.17 And when he came to himself The Prodigal came to himself before he thought of returning to his Father Psalm 22.27 All the ends of the
Office 1. As to his Person There we must consider the Original Holyness of his Natures Divine and Humane Divine he is called Isa. 45.21 A just God and a Saviour Humane he was wholly free from that Original Contagion wherewith others that come of Adam are defiled Luke 1.35 That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God Now add to this his perfect Actual Obedience to God both in Heart and Life and this either to the Common Law of Duty that lyeth upon all Mankind for it became him to fulfil all righteousness Matth. 3.15 Or that particular Law of Mediation which was proper to himself Heb. 5.8 Though he were a Son yet he learned obedience by the things he suffered by which he answered the end of the Law which we have broken and was also the meritorious cause of the Covenant of Grace by which all Blessings are conveyed to us 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Well then his Personal Holyness did make him acceptable to God and should make him amiable to us He loved righteousness and hated iniquity Adam in the state of Innocency did perfectly love Righteousness and hate Sin but not constantly for he soon fell Believers in the state of Regeneration love Righteousness and hate Iniquity sincerely and constantly but not perfectly but Christ when he assumed our Nature did love righteousness and hate Iniquity both perfectly and constantly in Heart and Practice and this even to the Death This qualified him for his Office of Prophet Priest and King As a Prophet who is so fit to teach the World Holyness as one that hath a perfect love to Holyness and hatred of Sin and this manifested in our Nature Angels are Holy and Righteous but not so as Christ who besides the Essential Purity and Holyness of the God-head hath also assumed our Nature and preserved it in Purity and Innocency And therefore his Nature and Practice agreeth with his design 1 Iohn 3.5 He was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin So as a Priest his Holyness gave a value both to the Merit of his Sacrifice and Intercession Heb. 7.25 26. Wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them For such an high priest became us who is holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Here was a pure unspotted Sacrifice offered up to God here upon Earth and pleaded and represented in Heaven He that was to satisfie in the behalf of others needed to be free from the defilement of Sin himself that he might be not only our Ransome but our Patterne Then as a King this Purity and Holyness is necessary not only that he might powerfully Effect but also Favour and Patronize all that is good Holy and Just in the World For Prov. 15.9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness The one are the Objects of his Abomination the other of his love The Wicked are for a while prosperous and successful therefore they think God loveth them but they are an abomination to him into whose hands all Judgment is put They cannot collect or conclude his approbation from his forbearance no nor any neglect of Humane Affairs as if they were left to their own Chance and Arbitrement No all that can be gathered from hence is his great forbearance and Mercy to the worst while he is inviting them to Repentance On the other side you have the disposition of the Regenerate set forth who do not perfunctorily and by the bye do that which is Holy and Righteous but set their whole Heart and Desire to it They follow after Righteousness their business is to be eminently Holy and surely they are loved by Christ For he that hateth Iniquity and loveth Righteousness will love those that follow after it than which nothing more sweet honourable and blessed can be thought of by us than to be loved by our Redeemer To have a Prince love us or a Wise or Learned Man love us we highly value it What is it then to have Christ love us This will not be a barren or an empty Love Well then he is fit to be the King of the World 2. All this while we have spoken of his Personal Holyness which maketh him acceptable to God and amiable to us and qualifieth him for his Office Now let us see how he sheweth this love to Holyness and hatred to Iniquity in his Office as well as in his Person The general terme whereby this Office is expressed is Mediator The Three particular Functions are those of Prophet Priest and King 1. As to the general terme Mediator whose work it is to bring Heaven and Earth to kiss each other or to make Peace between God and Man God offended and Man guilty All that he did herein was out of his Love love to Righteousness and hatred of Iniquity which was the great Make-bate between God and us therefore surely his chief design was to destroy Sin and to promote Holyness So much we are told Dan. 9.24 That the Messiah shall come to finish transgressions and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophesie and to anoint the most holy The great business for which the Mediator came into the World was to destroy the Reign and Power of Sin and to advance the practice of all goodness and Holyness and to recover the lost World to God Now because his Heart was so much set upon this God anointed him with the oyl of gladness above his fellows 2. Come we to those Three particular Functions wherein this Office is exercised those of Prophet Priest and King 1. As a Prophet by his Doctrine he sheweth that he loveth Righteousness and hateth Iniquity for the whole frame of it discovereth and breatheth out nothing else but an hatred against Sin and a Love to Holyness Iohn 17.17 Sanctifie them through the truth thy word is truth Psalm 119.140 Thy word is very pure All the Histories Misteries Precepts Promises Threatnings aim at this one business that Sin may be subdued in us and brought into disrepute and disesteem in the world The Histories are certain Patterns and Example of Holyness and those taken from Men and Women that had not devested themselves of the Interests and Concernments of Flesh and Blood no more than we have and yet pleased and served God in their several Generations to excite us to like diligence and Self-Denyal Heb. 6.12 Be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises The Misteries are not only to raise our wonder but breed a true Spirit of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 And without controversie great is the mistery of
Faith Some Christians know not all things which are contained in the Prophets and Apostles and yet in a sense they do believe by an implicite Faith As Agrippa believed the Prophets Acts 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the prophets I know that thou believest Yet he was ignorant of some things revealed by them So all Christians own the Writings of the Apostles and Prophets as the Rule and Warrant of Faith yet they do not discerne every Truth therein contained They do believe that whatever the Prophets and Apostles say and have written is true and so are ready to believe all things which shall be demonstrated to them to be written or said by them But by an explicite Faith they believe all Fundamental Truths such as are absolutely necessary to Salvation and usually most other Truths which are next to Fundamentals The Fundamentals are set down Iohn 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent That God is to be known loved obeyed worshipped and injoyed and that the Lord Jesus is our Redeemer and Saviour to bring us home to God with his gifts of Pardon and Life to be begun by the Spirit here and perfected in Heaven Thirdly The Act believing It is not enough not to deny or not to contradict but we must actually and positively believe The Reason why the generality of People living in the Christian World feel so little force of their Faith is from their inadvertency they leap into the Christian Faith by the advantage of their Birth but do not consider what they believe nor why they should believe it and how they are concerned in it and so may be rather said not to contradict than to believe But true Faith is a positive firm assent excited in us by the Spirit of God As the Apostle saith of some that were zealous for the Law Vnderstanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 So the Rabble of Common Christians may be zealous for the Gospel yet are not instructed in the Nature and Grounds of it what and why they should believe A sound belief requireth a thorough understanding of what we believe and a deep consideration of the Grounds and Reasons why we are to believe it And then it is such a fixed assent as is not perplexed and haunted with doubts about the truth of it And such a close adherence as is not discouraged with difficulties and oppositions It would be much better with the Christian World if every one that carryeth the name of a Christian could say I believe all that is written in the prophets and the apostles In short To a sound belief there is necessary 1. A Knowledge or full Instruction in the things which we believe for it is said 1 Iohn 4.16 We have known and believed the love that God hath to us first known and then believed 2. A due Conviction of the Certainty of them Luke 1.4 That thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed And Iohn 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God And Iohn 17.8 They have known surely that I came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me 3. This Faith doth not only imply a bare intellectual assent but a practical trust and affiance For the Nature of the Object requireth so much Christianity doth not only propound bare Truths to be assented unto but joyful comfortable Truths suitable to our necessity and desires and therefore we must depend upon them seek our Happyness in them in the way appointed by God which is nothing but practical trust and affiance Therefore it is not a bare Opinion but a relyance upon God that he will make good his word to us whilest we continue with Patience in well-doing Therefore we are said to belong to Christ if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Heb. 3.6 4. Those Truths which are contained in the word are to be considered with application that we may know them for our good Iob 5.27 Hear it and know thou it for thy good Every Doctrine which upon search we find to be sound and good we must make application of it to our selves that it may affect our own Hearts if Threatnings that we may escape the Curse if Comforts or Promises Rom. 8.32 What shall we say to these things The promise of Pardon to all Believers is so universal that it includeth you as well as others Christ is offered to every Creature that he may be yours as well as anothers and the offer of Heaven and Eternal Life is so propounded that you should ingage your Hearts to seek after it and closely to adhere to it till you obtain it But to apply it so as to be perswaded that your own Sins are already pardoned that you are an Heir of Glory that you are Christs as to actual Interest you must have good Evidence for that from a Spiritual Sense of your own Qualifications but it belongeth not to Faith simply taken Thus we have set forth a Christian in his first part as a Believer II. The Apostle asserts his Hope And have hope towards God which they themselves allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust 1. Mark that he propoundeth his hope as the immediate effect and product of Faith for when I believe then I must look and long and prepare for the Blessedness offered otherwise my Faith is but a cold Opinion not such a Faith as will subdue the inclinations and Interests of the Flesh nor make the Labours and Sufferings of the Spiritual Life tolerable And that is true Faith which breatheth and longeth after the end of all Religion and looketh for it What will it do me good to believe the Doctrines of the Prophets and Apostles if I expect no good from thence Faith would be vain and Religion vain Only note here that Hope is two-fold 1. One the Fruit of Regeneration or the immediate effect of Conversion to God 1 Pet. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope And this is nothing else but a seeking and looking for an Happiness in another and in an unseen World with a longing desire and diligent care to obtain it It is Faith to place my Happiness so high and so far from sense now when my desires and delights are there and my daily care is to get thither and to live in a continual preparation for it and desirous expectation of it and to deny my self and suffer any loss and pain to get thither this is the work of Hope 2. There is an Hope built upon experience Rom. 5.4 5. And experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost
Evangelist there explaineth his meaning so that there needeth no further scruple about the sense of the words It followeth that whosoever All Persons are invited without exclusion of any that universal particle comprehendeth Sinners of all sorts and sizes of all ranks and conditions in the World Believeth in him This answereth to looking upon the Brazen Serpent Believing is a looking to Christ a looking upon him by the Eye of Faith Shall not perish but have eternal life He shall escape the present danger which he feareth Souls shall be healed and delivered from Hell and Life Eternal is restored to them Doct. That we ought to consider Salvation by Christ as prefigured and represented by the history of the brazen Serpent As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of Man be lifted up And Christ here propoundeth it to Nicodemus 1. It is useful to consider the Types partly to confirm our Faith when we see the Harmony between the Testaments There are Historical Types and Prophetical Types Historical Types are only Patterns and Examples 1 Cor. 10.11 All these things hapned to them for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ensamples or Types so the Providences of God to his Antient People 1 Cor. 10.9 Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents Prophetical Types were instituted to prefigure a thing to come as the Ceremonies of the Law were Figures of better things to come Now we see the Gospel is not a Novel Invention only hatched in that Age when it was first set a foot no it was long since foretold not only by words but things there was a preparation made for it And partly to help our Meditation we reflect upon these things with more delight and sweetness whilest we view the Agreement between the Truth and the Type When we know the Person yet we delight to see the Picture and so we may take a view of things with a grateful variety We see them double when we consider both the Shadow and the Mistery Partly to increase our thankfulness we have not such dark and long prospects through which they only could look to Christ we may see him more clearly in the Doctrines of the Gospel where he is evidently set forth unto us and as it were crucified before our eyes Gal. 3.1 Surely then we are more obliged to mind these things The more clearly and convincingly Christ is represented to us the more will our negligence be aggravated and our contempt the greater if we make light of these things 2. Among other Types the Brazen Serpent must not be forgotten partly because it doth in a most lively and full manner represent Christ Here a word is a Sermon and we cannot think of the Brazen Serpent but the necessity the remedy the means of Application do presently offer themselves to our thoughts And partly because this took off the great scandal and Iewish exception against Christ which was the ignominy of the Cross. Therefore to a Doctor of the Law he doth not produce the Paschal Lamb or other Figures but the Brazen Serpent as clearly representing the Cause Quality and Fruit of his Sufferings 3. To help you in this Consideration I shall 1. Give the History 2. The Typical Use of it First The History in Numb 21.6 7 8 9. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bite the people and much people of Israel dyed Therefore the people came unto Moses and said we have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the â—ord that he take away the serpents from us and Moses prayed for the people And the Lord said unto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it he shall live And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived The Sin occasioning the Judgment was there murmuring at Moses and Aaron and their loathing of Manna for this God sendeth fiery Serpents Observe how God suiteth the Judgment to the Sin venomous Tongues are plagued with venomous Serpents It is said Eccl. 10.11 Surely the serpent shall bite without inchantment and a babler is no better And again Psalm 140.3 They have sharpned their tongues like a serpent Adders poison is under their lips They have a Bag of Water under their Tongues which is most poisonous and inflaming which in biting is broken But this was not the Asp but the Chersydrus a sort of Serpent which abideth on Land as well as in Water whilst it liveth in the Water it is not altogether so venomous as when it cometh to live on the dry Land and in this part of the thirsty howling Wilderness these kind of Serpents were most fiery and burning and at that time of the year when the Israelites were there which was about the end of August For Aaron dyed in the first day of the fifth moneth Numb 33.38 which was about the Tenth of Iuly and the Children of Israel mourned thirty days before they journeyed Numb 20.29 And when they journeyed from Mount Hor then we read of their murmuring and Gods plaguing them with fiery Serpents Observe again that God that bringeth Manna from Heaven can also send Serpents God is not all Honey abused Mercy is turned into fury and when his favours are despised he hath Judgments to sting us and if Men will loath their Food God will chastise them with poison But again to the History These Serpents which God sent are called fiery serpents partly for their colour being of a shining glistring skin the word in the Original is Seraphim-burners a Name given to the Angels Isa. 6.2 Above it stood the Seraphims which Angels are called elsewhere flames of fire Psalm 104.4 Partly because their venomous stinging and biting did cause a raging heat and grievous burning in the Bodies of the Israelites And it seemeth they were a kind of Serpents with Wings not of Feathers but of a cartilaginous substance like the Wings of a Bat and did here and there seize upon them and bite them or at least they are said to flie because of their swift Motion whereby suddenly jerking they shoot themselves forward or dart themselves out of Trees on Men or Beasts as they pass by them There is a plain allusion to those flying Serpents Isa. 14.29 Out of the serpents hole shall come forth a cockatrice and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent And indeed that Wilderness through which the Israelites passed did abound with many sorts of these Serpents Therefore it is said Deut. 8.15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions Well then they go to Moses and said we have sinned for we have spoken against God and against
proper to the Mediatory Dispensation His Kingdom is to be a Spiritual Kingdom therefore his Means are suited his Spirit his Word his Providence 1. His sweet but powerful Spirit convincing Men of the Truth of his Religion And what can stand before the All-conquering force of it Iohn 16.8 9 10 11. And when he is come he shall reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment Of sin because they believe not on me Of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged He shall demonstrate to the World that Christ was the Messiah and therefore they are guilty of great sins who will not believe on him that he was a Righteous and Innocent Person and no Seducer Because he rose from the dead and went to the Father That he was an exalted Prince above Sathan or whatever was looked upon as Divine Powers because he converted most parts of the Habitable World and brought home Sinners from their Idolatries to Repentance and change of Life 2. His Word which is called the Rod of his strength Psalm 110.2 and the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 These Weapons are not Carnal but Mighty through God The World cannot resist its convincing Power 2 Cor. 10.4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down strong holds Those that feel it not fear it Iohn 3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light least his deeds should be reproved 3. His Providence All Judgment is put into his hands Iohn 5.22 All Events that fall out in the World they are not left to an uncertain contingency but under the Government of a Supream Providence which is in Christs hands 2. In the External Management of the Mediatorial Kingdom there are many vicissitudes and changes of the outward Condition of the Church The Harmony of Providence requireth it for the punishment of the Unthankful for the Tryal of the Sincere for the Reward of the Faithful and Destruction of the Ungodly Sometimes God doth notably defeat Sathan and his Instruments and the Devils Kingdom visibly goeth to wrack as at the first promulgation of the Gospel though the whole World lay in wickedness and Sathan every where had his Temples wherein he was worshipped his Oracles resorted to with great Reverence he ate the Fat of their Sacrifices drank the Wine of their Drink-Offerings yea often the Blood of their Sons and Daughters was offered to him yet all his strong holds were demolished the Idols whom their Fathers prayed to in their Adversity and Distresses and blest in their Prosperity are in a suddain set nought 3. Why this is great matter of praise and thankful acknowledgment 1. Because this is the great instance of the favour God hath put upon Man his dignifying of them above other Creatures that he would not wholly desert us in our faln Estate when the Devil had overthrown us by sin that the Son of God must come from Heaven to deliver us from the Bondage Sathan had led us into In our Redemption Titus 3.4 After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Surely this is a great Mistery 1 Tim. 3.16 Christ made Man dyed for Men rose again carried our Nature into Heaven reigneth there over all his Enemies as God incarnate what will raise your hearts in thanksgiving if these things do not They are plain points they need no descants more than a Diamond doth painting 2. The many benefits that result to us thereby 1. A Capacity to serve and please God the most considerable part of the Creation had been else out of joynt God was robbed of the Use and Service of Mankind Luke 1.74 75. That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life We were in our Natural Estate governed and ruled by Sathan Eph. 2.3 4. easily taken Captive by him working upon the desires of our flesh 2 Tim. 2.26 we had no remorse for it nor desire to change our Condition Luke 11 21 22. All was in a sinful quiet and peace as when Wind and Tyde go together but now this carnal security is disturbed we are recovered and changed and made meet to serve and please God 2. A right to the Priviledges of the New Covenant which are Pardon and Life Acts 26.18 To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified And Col. 1.12 13 14. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins 3. The Honour that redoundeth to God thereby By weak and despised Means God brings about the Ends of his Glory the Party delivered was faln Man who gave up at first Assault the Deliverer is Christ found in fashion as another Man 1 Cor. 1.25 The weakness of God is stronger than men That which in Mans Opinion hath least Wisdom Strength and Vertue in it that doth all By Man and Man crucified VSE If it be so great a Mercy see that you be partakers of it see that Sathans Power be destroyed as to your Souls Christ doth not only enter upon the World by Conquest but hath much to do with every individual Person before he can settle his Kingdom in their hearts There is a Combat between Christ and Sathan for the rescue of every Sinner and we are not easily brought to change Masters 'T is long e're we awaken 2 Tim. 2.26 That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil And after we are awakened e're we consent to part with our beloved Lusts. Now yield to him suffer him to save you You look to the outward Interest of Christ in the World and you do well but 't is easier to bring Men to own the True Religion than to bring them under the power of it The Victory we are concerned in is the taming our own flesh and overcoming the Corruptions and Carnal Inclinations or to set up Christs Government in the Heart where once Sathan ruled The Kingdom of Christ within us is most comfortable to us Luke 17.20 21. If once you are Christs you will most really be for his Interest in the World and there is an Enmity put into you Gen. 3.15 I will put enmity between the two seeds 2. If it be so great a Mercy then do not loose it but use the Means appointed for your safety 1. By Baptisme you are ingaged for you are listed under Christs Banner we
your Dedication of them to God in Baptism It is a mockery to Dedicate them to God and to Breed them up for the Devil the World and the Flesh. God complaineth Ezek. 16.20 Thou hast taken thy Sons and thy Daughters which thou hast born to me and these thou hast Sacrificed unto them to be devoured It is as disingenuous to Offer them to God and â—rain them up for the World or the Flesh. If they prove openly sensual we are troubled but if they secretly please the Flesh we mind it not but rather are secretly helpful to them in it if worldly we applaud them Thus do we betray those Souls which we should be a means to save 6. If they prove naught the Affliction will be double if you have not used the means to prevent it If by your carnal fondness you have born with their sin and given them their wills or indulge it by the evil example of your careless walking or out of sloth have neglected unwearyed endeavours to instruct them in godliness But when you have done your part you can the better submit to the will of God A Sermon on Phil. Iv. 8 Finally Brethren whatsoever things are True whatsoever things are Honest whatsoever things are Iust whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are Lovely whatsoever things are of good Report If there be any Vertue and if there be any Praise think on these things Here is a General Rule for the regulating of our Conversations In it observe 1 The bounds of our Duty are fixed in seven things True Iust Honest Pure Lovely of good Report if any Vertue or if any Praise 2. The accuracy and care that we should use not to transgress these bounds Think on these things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diligently take heed to them that you may practise them Doct. That Christianity doth Adopt Moralities or precepts of good manners into its frame and constitution Here I shall inquire 1. What these Moralities are as they are here set forth to us in the Text. 2. In what manner Christianity doth enforce them 3. For what reasons I. What are these Moralities 1. Whatsoever things are true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this concerneth both our Speeches and our Actions 1. For our speeches that they be free from lying and falsehood Ephes. 4.25 Wherefore putting away Lying speak every man truth with his Neighbour for we are members one of another Lying is when men wittingly and willingly and with a purpose to deceive speak that which is false The matter of a lye is falsehood and the formality of it is an intention to deceive Now this we may do two ways either by way of assertion or promise The lying assertion is concerning what is past and present thus Ananias lyed to the Holy Ghost when he brought part of the price instead of all Act. 5.3 Eut Peter said Ananias Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the Land The Promissory lie is when we Promise that which we mean not to perform Prov. 19.22 The desire of a man is his kindness and a poor man is better than a lyar That which men should desire is to be in a capacity to shew kindness or do good for greatness in the world is valuable upon this account as it giveth a man a power to shew kindness to others But many that covet the praise and reputation of it are very forward in promises but fail in performance Now a poor man that loveth you and will do his best is a surer Friend than such great men as only give you good words and sprinkle you with a little Court holy water But this should be far from a Christian for he is to keep his word though it be to his hurt Psal. 15.4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord he that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not Lying is a sin most contrary to the nature of God who is Truth its self but the Devil is called the Father of Lies And it is most contrary to the new nature Ephes. 4.24 25. And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Wherefore puting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbour Isa. 63.8 And he said Surely they are my People Children that will not lie It is most contrary to humane Society for commerce is kept up by Truth 2. For Truth in actions we should always keep the integrity of a good Conscience Psal. 32.2 Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity in whose Spirit there is no guile 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Consciences that in simplicity and Godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversations in the World and more especially to you ward And Truth Sincerity and candour should be seen in all that we do Satan assaults you with wiles but your strength lyeth in down-right honesty Ephes. 6.14 Stand therefore having your loins girt about with Truth and having on the Brest-plate of Righteousness This will give you courage in the day of sore tryal and comfort in the very Agonies of Death Isai. 38.2 â— And Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall and prayed unto the Lord and said Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Therefore we must carry our selves sincerely free from Hypocrisie and Dissimulation whether towards God or men 2. The next boundary is Whatsoever things are Honest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grave and venerable free from scurrility lightness and vanity in word or in deed Religionis a serious thing and accordingly leaveth an impression upon the heart and maketh them serious that profess it The Apostle would have the Christian Women to carry themselves as Women professing godliness 1 Tim 2.9 10. In like manner also That Women Adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefastness and sobriety not with broidered Hair or Gold or Pearls or Costly Aray but which becometh Women Professing Godliness with good works And surely all Christians should be of a modest and good behaviour A garish levity will not become them that live in constant Communion with a great God This cannot but make the Heart more awful and serious especially in the more aged Titus 2.2 That the aged men be Sober Grave Temperate sound in Faith in Charity in Patience 3. Whatsoever things are Iust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving to every one what is due and doing to others as we would be dealt with our selves Therefore we must defraud no Man of his Right whether Superiours Mat. 22.21 Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods Or Inferiours Col. 4.1 Masters give unto your Servants that which
the preference intended 1. On the one side here is sitting at the Threshold on the other side dwelling in the Tents He had distinguished before the Travellers to the House of God and the Dwellers in the House of God vers 4. c. Here a day in God's Courts and a perpetual service in God's House The lowest degree and place about God is more honourable for one day though they die the next as Kimchi than to have a perpetual abode in the Tents of wickedness 2. He calleth the one the House of God the other but a Tent to shew the stability of their estate who live in Communion with God and the uncertainty of their Happiness who are strangers to him they live but in a Tent a moveable Habitation 3. He calleth the one the House of my God as challenging an interest in him And so the place of his Presence Power and Habitation being the more dear to him as every thing that relateth to God is made precious for his sake But he calleth the other Tents of wickedness There was great wealth but nothing but profaneness and corruption Well then you see that David speaketh as a man that had a mind to prefer the one before the other One day in God's Courts Not in Atriis suis Coelestibus in his Court of Heaven as some of the Antients would carry it but here in his Church A few hours spent with God were more than the longest life without him Doct. 1. That God's People have a great value and an high esteem for his Ordinances 2. They do not only value them but value them and esteem them above other things 1. The esteem and value they have for his Ordinances simply considered This is a reason of the Context why there was such longing desire on his own part such earnest pressing forward on the Peoples part who came up to worship at Ierusalem For a day in thy Courts c. Reasons of it 1. Nature or a spiritual instinct All Creatures naturally desire to preserve that life which they have and therefore by a natural propension run thither from whence they received it Meer instinct without instruction carrieth the brute Creatures to the Teats of their Dams And every effect looketh to the cause to receive from it its last perfection Trees that receive life from the Earth and the Sun send forth their Branches to receive the Sun and spread their Roots into the Earth which brought them forth Fishes will not live out of the Water that breedeth them Chickens are no sooner out of the shell but they shroud themselves under the Feathers of the Hen by whom they were at first hatched The little Lamb runneth to the Dam's Teat though there be a thousand Sheep of the same Wooll and Colour as if it said Here I received that which I have and here will I seek that which I want By such a native inbred desire do the Saints run to God to seek a supply of strength and nourishment 1 Pet. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As New born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby Young Children are not taught to suck The young born Child runneth to the Dug not by instruction but instinct Iam. 1.18 19. Of his own will begat he us by the Word of Truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures Wherefore my beloved Brethren let every man be swift to hear The same thing that teacheth the young Lambs to suck or new born Babes to draw the Dug or the Chicken to seek a cherishing under the Dam's wings the same thing teacheth the Children of God to prize the Ordinances The cause is inbred appetite not persuasion and discourse but inclination Grace is called a New Nature which hath an appetite joyned with it after its proper supplies 2. The next cause of this value and esteem is experience They find it so sweet that they long for more 1 Pet. 2.2 3. As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Certainly a man that hath had any taste of Communion with God will desire a fuller measure as by tasting of excellent meats our appetite to them is not cloyed but the more provoked Carnal men do not know what it is to enjoy God in his Ordinances and therefore they do not long for them They never tasted the sweetness of the Word nor of God's Love in Christ. David says Psal. 19.10 The Statutes of the Lord are more to be desired than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than the Honey or the Honey-comb The Children of God find more true pleasure in the Ordinances of God than in all things in the World What is the reason that to carnal men they are but as dry chips burdensom exercises melancholy interruptions but to the other nothing so sweet more pleasurable than the richest and choicest sensualities that are most eagerly pursued and gustfully enjoyed by us The reason is given in the 11th verse Moreover by them is thy Servant warned and in keeping them there is great reward There we come to learn wisdom against our spiritual dangers and there we learn the way of godliness and obedience which besides it own sweetness heapeth upon us the richest rewards as having the promises of this life and that which is to come He commendeth the Word from his own experience He had felt the effects and good use of it in his own heart he had his broken heart bound up They find that Christ doth heal their Souls remove their anguish sanctifie their Natures give them the promised help in Temptations warn them of sins and snares relieve them in distress bridle their corruptions So Psal. 63.1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no Water is To see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary He that once hath had a sight of God and a taste of God would not be long out of his company He compareth his desire of Communion with God with hunger and thirst and maketh it greater than the hunger and thirst which men suffer in a dry Wilderness where there is no refreshment to be had He had seen God and would fain see him again the remembrance of the pleasures of the Sanctuary revived his desires So that besides Nature there is Experience 3. There is yet a third Cause and that is Necessity We should take delight in the Means of Grace and Ordinances of God though we stood in no need of them because they carry such a suitableness with the New Nature and because they are means to exhibit more of God to us But our Imperfection is great and this is the only way to get it supplied Decays are very incident to us and how else shall
Verse 8th The word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth and in thy Heart It 's in the Mouth to know it and speak of it it 's in the Heart as written there by the Spirit that we may do the duty it requireth of us with ease and sweetness 'T is in thy Mouth to Confess and in thy Heart to Believe and Practise VVhen the New Covenant is spoken of as opposite to the Covenant made with them when they came out of Egypt it is said sometimes to be put into the Mouth and sometimes in the Heart The words are Isa. 59.21 As for me This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my VVords which I have put in thy Mouth shall not depart out of thy Mouth nor out of the Mouth of thy seed nor out of the Mouth of thy seed's seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Meaning thereby That his Spirit and Word shall continue with them as a Church to direct them in all necessary things This for the Mouth Now for the Heart see another Promise Jer. 31.33 And this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People Well then The Excellency of the Gospel-dispensation is set forth by Two things 1. It 's more easie to be known and understood and carried in the Memory for the Word is nigh thee even in thy Mouth The drift of Moses his Speech tendeth to shew that they should have a New Covenant the Tenour of which was known and easie to be expressed by all those who were acquainted with it 2. It 's more easie to be practised 'T is not in our Mouths onely but in our Hearts which are inclined by the Holy Spirit to obey it so that the New Creature may undertake the duty it requireth of us by the assistance of God and do it sincerely though not exactly Secondly The sense of what it saith 't is explained and exemplified 1. Explained Verse 8. This is the word which we preach namely the Doctrine of Repentance and Remission of sins by Jesus Christ. 2. Exemplified Verse 9th That if thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Confession with the Mouth there answers to the Word is in thy Mouth believe with thine heart that implieth Faith And Christ's being raised from the Dead is instanced in rather than any other Article of Faith because that proveth all the rest and is the great evidence of the truth of Christianity Doctrine That the way of acceptance with God or obtaining Salvation is so clearly stated in the Gospel that we need not be in doubtful suspence or seek out another Religion wherein to find it or other satisfaction than God hath given us in his Word The sense of this Point I shall give you in these Propositions First That it is the weightiest matter in the VVorld to know how to be accepted with God as to pardon and life Man being a guilty Creature needeth pardon and the Soul dying not with the Body we desire to know the way of life or what shall become of us when this frail life is at an end Certain it is that we are haunted with guilty fears for we are through the fear of death all our life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 There are some troubles of Mind in all of us about our acceptance with God not always felt indeed but soon awakened Trembling Souls who know what God is and what themselves are and are conscious to former guilt and present unworthiness cannot easily settle in a confidence of God's Mercy to them especially when they come to die The fear of death raised our trouble before but when death cometh indeed these stings are increased 1 Cor. 15.56 The Sting of Death is sin and these stings of Conscience are justified by the highest reason which is the Law of God not occasioned by our melancholy conceits only It 's an Amazing consideration to us to think of entering into an unknown World and to stand before the righteous bar of an impartial Judge That it is very hard to undergo death with a steady confidence and to incourage our fearful and doubtful Minds to lanch out into Eternity common experience verifieth I pray consider Christians that our present condition is a state of darkness and fear and these fears are caused by sin and justified by the Law of God and revived by death and the thoughts of the other World And therefore there is not a weightier business than to establish our fearful and doubtful Minds in Peace that we may comfortably wait for the Mercy of God unto Eternal Life Secondly That is the best Religion which doth most provide for this Peace and Rest of Soul So that if a man were at liberty to choose and were consulting what Religion he should choose this Consideration must guide him where he can find true Peace and Rest for his Anxious Soul So the Prophet directeth them Ier. 6.16 Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and you shall find rest for your Souls And by this Argument Christ inviteth us to himself Mat. 11.28 29. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart and ye shall find rest unto your Souls And the Apostle commendeth the Gospel upon this account Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God through our Lord Iesus It is easie to lull Conscience asleep for a while either 1. By Carnal Pleasures Prov. 9.17 Stolen Waters are sweet and Bread eaten in secret is pleasant For a while they seem so but the vertue of that Opium is soon spent Or 2. By a false Religion but within a while we shall soon find that is so far from being our cure that it is a great part of our disease no false Religion is consistent with right Thoughts of God Therefore the Woman of Samaria assoon as she began to have an awakened Conscience enquires after the true Religion Iohn 4.20 Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain and ye say in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship An awakened Conscience will be careful to lay the ground-work of Religion sure A false way of Religion always breedeth scruples and is accompanied with no sound Peace Or 3. In the superficial observances of a true Religion Mat. 19.20 All these things have I kept from my Youth up what lack I yet A false Righteousness will not give true quietness to the Conscience there is something lacking and the Soul sits uneasie Therefore nothing but coming under the Power of the
the Heart and may be determined partly by the object or matter believed partly by the subject of it or the acts of the Soul towards it First The Object or Matter believed is in short this That there is a God Heb. 11.6 That God having made Man he hath right and power over him to govern him by his Laws James 4.12 There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy That Man failing in his Obedience he and all his Posterity are subject to the wrath and vindictive Justice of God Rom. 3.19 That all the World may become guilty before God Ephes. 2.3 And were by nature children of wrath even as others That such was God's Love that to recover Man out of this wretched condition he sent his own Son into the World John 3.16 That Iesus Christ who was the Son of God died for our offences and rose again for our Iustification Rom. 4.25 That is died to expiate our sins and rose again to convince the unbelieving VVorld of the Authority and Dignity of his Person and Offices and also of the truth of his Law and Covenant that having died and rose again he hath acquired Novum Ius Imperii a new right of Command and Empire over the World Rom. 14.9 For this cause he both died and rose again and revived that he might be Lord of dead and living That is have full power and dominion to dispose of us dead and living That Christ having this full power and dominion over all flesh hath established and enacted a Law of Grace or New Covenant wherein Pardon and Righteousness or Title to Life is assured to Penitent Believers Mark 16.16 Whosoever believeth shall be saved And Luke 24.47 And that Repentance and Remission of sins be Preached in his Name to all Nations And shall actually be bestowed upon all that obey him Heb. 5.9 But those that refuse this Christ shall be eternally miserable John 3.19 This is the condemnation that Light is come into the World and Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil This is the sum of what is to be believed Secondly It may be determined partly by the Subject of it or the acts of the Soul about it The Subject is the Heart both Understanding and Will The Understanding Assents to all this as true both what is said of the Person of the Redeemer and his Covenant and accordingly disposeth the heart of Man to carry it self towards both 1. To the Person of the Redeemer We Thankfully and Broken-heartedly receive him to the ends of the Gospel or to be to us what God hath appointed him to be and do that for us That God hath appointed Him to do for poor sinners To be our Lord and Saviour Iohn 1.12 Col. 2.6 as Lord to obey him and as Saviour to depend upon him and trust our selves in his hands for our happiness whatever befalleth us 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day 2. Towards the Covenant which he hath appointed as the Law or Rule of Commerce between us and God There are Promises and Precepts Commands and offers of Grace 1. For the Promises you heartily accept them as the greatest Happiness that can be bestowed upon you and depend upon them as things that surely will be performed for there comes in the consideration of true and good 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true and faithful saying Ephes. 1.13 In whom ye trusted after ye heard the word of truth as true doubts are opposite to them as good carnal inclinations 2 For the Precepts and Duties required you bind your selves to perform them upon these hopes whatever it cost you And there comes in also the nature of Faith Sincere Resolution and Absolute Self denial Sincere resolution to perform what God hath required that you may obtain what he hath offered which is called a giving up of our selves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 And absolute Self denial or Selling all for the Pearl of Price Mat. 13.46 And so that Faith which is made such a difficult thing to explain as it were a Bugbear to affright poor Christians from all thoughts and study about it is made easie and facile to the understandings of the meanest Christians who must live by it and be saved by it This then is believing with the Heart Secondly What is Confession with the Mouth A solemn outward declaration that we take Christ for our Lord and Saviour or that we believe what is revealed to us concerning God and Christ and our duty to him This is necessary because the Promises of the New Covenant run in both strains of putting the word in our Heart Ier. 31.37 and putting it in our Mouths Isa. 59.21 The Saints Prayers are That God would not take it out of their Hearts Psal. 119.36 nor out of their Mouths Verse 43. Take not the word of Truth utterly out of my Mouth And the nature of their duty to God requireth it for a Man is first to embrace the True Religion to receive it with his Heart and then he is to profess it or express it with his Mouth for no Man is to conceal and keep his Religion to himself Our Tongues and our Bodies were given us to shew forth that acknowledgment and Adoraâ—ion of God which is in our hearts He that denieth God or Christ with the Heart doth not believe in him or Worship him with the Heart So he doth not Worship God with his Tongue and Life who doth not outwardly profess and honour him As he hath given us an understanding that we may know him so he hath prepared for us a body wherewithal to profess him and our esteem of him Isa. 45.23 To me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear Which is again repeated and established as our duty in the Gospel Phil. 2.10.11 At the Name of Iesus every Knee should bow And every Tongue confess that Iesus Christ is Lord. But more distinctly to open this confession with the Mouth 1. The matter to be confessed is the great truths which we do believe God Christ the Covenant of Grace Eternal Glory and Happiness And the lesser truths in their season at other times Rom. 14.22 Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God 'T is not meant of the necessary Articles of the Christian belief but things of a doubtful disputation If we know more than others in these things yet we must not needlessly trouble the Church or offend the weak to the danger of their Souls and hindrance of greater truths And yet in these things you must not deny the smallest truth 2 Cor. 13.8 We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth For though the thing we contend for be small yet sincerity is a great matter and to profess our Assent or Consent to what we neither count true nor can well approve of is to come under a
and pardoned he is unfit for God and uncapable of Salvation or any present communion with God What can we expect from him and how unsufficient are we for either of these two works to renew our Souls and reconcile them to God VVhat can we do to satisfie Justice or break the love of sin in our Souls Therefore the Lord Jesus hath undertaken the Office of being the Redeemer and Saviour of the VVorld by his Sacrifice Merit and Intercession We must be pardoned and accepted and onely by him must we come to God If your repentance towards God and your Faith in him be sincere you shall have all the Blessings of the New Covenant In short Obedience and the Love of God was the Primitive Holiness for which we were created and from which we fell VVe by Repentance are willing to return to this again and therefore depend upon a Saviour and Sanctifier that we may be reconciled and renewed and so are said in this general sense to come to God by him Secondly More particularly we are said to come to God by Christ Three ways First In the exercise of our Graces I shall instance in the Three Radical ones which constitute the New Creature Faith Hope and Love For in the exercise of these communion with God doth consist 1. Faith seeth God in Christ as sitting upon a Throne of Grace ready to give out all manner of Grace and seasonable relief to Penitent Believers in all their necessities and temptations and duties Well then boldly trust him and depend upon him Thus we come to God by Christ 2 Cor. 3.4 Such trust have we through Christ to Godward 1 Pet. 1.21 By him we believe in God This is living by Faith in Christ so often spoken of in Scripture When you make use of him in all your wants duties and difficulties expecting your Father's Love and Blessing to come to you through him alone and the Spirit that must help you and assist you in all your Infirmities and Temptations as coming from the Father and the Son not onely procured but given by him your head In all your doubts fears and wants you go to him in the Spirit and to the Father by him and by him alone this is living by Christ. 2. Love which vents it self in a desire of full Communion with God and delights in him Desire is a coming to God or a following hard after him Delight is an adherence to him as satisfied with so much as we enjoy of him Our enjoyments here are partial and therefore our delight is very imperfect but yet such as it is it begets a study to please God and fear to offend him Our Father is in Heaven but on Earth we have a glimpse of him enough to make him amiable to the Soul Psal. 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Thus we love him through Christ or in Christ for we study Christ to see the goodness and amiableness and love of God in him Ephes. 3.17 18 19. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and heighth And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God A condemning God is not so loved as a gracious and pardoning God Surely we love him more as a Father than as a Judge And 't is the Spirit of Christ which maketh us cry Abba Father not onely thereby expressing our confidence and dependance but affection Gal. 4.6 Because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father 3. Hope We come to God as we longingly expect the full fruition of him Love puts us upon seeking after God But alas upon Earth we do but seek in Heaven we expect to find Hope causeth us to hold on seeking till we find and get nearer to him and maketh us resolve that 't is better to be a seeker than a wanderer to wait till the delight of love be perfect than to turn the back upon God and his ways We cannot have Mount Zion in the Wilderness For the present Christ doth but guide us to the Land of Promise we have a refreshing by the way Manna in the Wilderness but not Canaan in the Wilderness Earth at the best will not be Heaven Our perfect Blessedness is when God is all in all For the present as God is seen but as in a glass so he is proportionably enjoyed The Devil the World and the Flesh are not perfectly overcome and therefore we have but little of God And the Ordinances cannot convey him all to us while his interest is so crowded up in our hearts but we wait and look and long till we have more Our onely coming now to him is by hope and that partial enjoyment of his love which we attain unto makes us look for more The New Nature inclineth us to Hope for they that love God will desire to be more like him and to get more of him and our experience quickeneth our hope Rom. 5.4 But all is by Christ. The Apostle saith The Lord Iesus himself hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope thâ—ough Grace 2 Thes. 2.16 As at first he inclined us to set our Hearts on another World and lay up our Hopes in Heaven and to part with all things seen for that God and Glory which we never saw which otherwise by reason of unbelief and sensuality we should never have done so still he inclineth us to hope and wait in the midâ—t of difficulties and disappointments and incourageth us by his tenderness and constant pity Iude 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus â—hrist unto everlasting Life 2. This coming to God is by all Divine Ordinances or Acts of Worship the use of our liberty to approach to him in these duties is one special way of coming to him by Christ. To come to him in the Word as our teacher in the Lords Supper as the Master of the Feast in Prayer as our King and Almighty helper is a very great priviledge and comfort certainly if at any time then we come to God we come to him in worship for then we turn our backs upon all things else that we may present our selves before his Throne But now thus we can only come by Jesus Christ. If we come to receive a Blessing in the Word we come to receive the fruits of his purchase Iohn 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the truth Eph. 5.26 That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word If we come to the Lords Supper that duty was instituted for the remembrance of Christ that his Flesh might be Meat indeed and his blood
matters in view and chase and carry it so as if our Hopes were only in this World and not as if the Eternal God had promised these Eternal things to us Surely if our belief of them were stronger we should be other Persons than we are in all Holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 5. The sottish despairing Carnal Person As there is a raging despair so a sottish despair Ier. 18.12 And they said There is no Hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the Imagination of his Evil Heâ—rt And Ier 2.25 Thou saidst there is no Hope no for I have loved Strangers and after them I will go Give over all endeavours If I be saved I shall be saved if damned who can help it I will bear it as well as I can Bear it What wilt thou bear What endure the loss of Heaven Endure the Wrath of Almighty God Poor Wretch thou knowest not what Eternity meaneth For the loss thou wilt apprehend it to be another thing when thy Soul cometh to see but a glimpse of what Heaven is and shal see others sitting down with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and thy self shut out They are admitted and thou art excluded This will cause weeping and wailing and gnashing of Teeth for evermore Mat. 8.12 If Rachel could not endure the loss of her Children nor Iacob the supposed loss of Ioseph when all his Sons and Daughters rose up to Comfort him I will go to the Grave to my Son Mourning Gen. 37.35 If Achitophel could not endure the rejectment of his Counsel and Haman could not endure to be slighted by Mordecai and many cannot endure the loss of a Beloved Child How wilt thou endure the loss of Eternity The Disciples wept bitterly when Paul said Ye shall see my face no more Acts 28.38 What will you do when God shall say See my face no more Thou carest not for the fruition of God now because thou believest not the reality of this Blessedness hast other Comforts and Affairs to divert thee but when thou shalt be set apart from all thy Comforts and hast nothing to divert thee thou shalt know what Eternal Life is 2. For the other How canst thou endure the wrath of God Thou that canst not endure to be scorched a day or two in feavorish Flames thou that canst not endure the acute Pains of Stone or Gout when God armeth the Humours of thine own Body against thee That canst not endure the scalding of a little Gun-powder casually blown up The Pain of a broken Arm or Leg how wilt thou endure when God himself shall fall upon thee God himself puts the Question Ezek. 22.14 In the other World God is all in all A Sermon on Luke Xvi 25 Son Remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented THese Words are part of a Parable the contrivance of which is so exactly framed according to the Reality and Truth which is represented that it hath been disputed whether it be a Parable or an History The two Persons chiefly concerned in this Parable are the Rich Glutton and Lazarus the Begger The Rich Man is not represented under any proper Name as the Begger is partly to avoid offence and partly to shew that the Wicked are of no Name Account or Reckoning with God 2 Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth them that are his John 10.3 He calleth his own Sheep by Name A Rich Man of this World you cannot miss of his Name in the subsidy Book but in the Book of Life the Begger hath a Name when the Rich hath not The Rich Glutton is described by the course of his Life which was pleasant and Luxurious he was clad with the best and fared of the best he was cloathed with Purple and fine Linnen there is his Winter and Summer Garment and fared sumptuously every day verse 19. With him every day was a Festival On the other side the Begger is described by his Piety intimated by his Name Lazarus the Lord was his help by his Afflictions of want for he was a Begger lying at the Rich-mans door of Sickness full of soars by his Modesty he desired only the Crâ—ms which fell from the Rich-mans Table Luke 20.21 In time both died for Rich and Poor must both die Iob 3.19 The small and the great are there 'T is said of the Poor man that he died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosom But of the Rich he died and was buried verse 22. Nothing is said of the burial of the Poor man the other had a pompous Funeral according to the custom of the World but the Carkass of the Poor man was little regarded it may be cast to the Dunghil However in the state of their Souls there was great difference though the Body of the one was conducted to the Grave in State yet his Soul was in woful plight for he died and was buried and in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in torments verse 23. But for the other his Body was neglected but his Soul was of precious account with God for it was carried by the Angels into Abrahams Bosom verse 22. The Rich man is too late sensible of his Misery and the Happiness of the despised Begger And in Hell he lift up his Eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his Bosom verse 23. He had hoped for better things for this Rich man was not an Infidel but one of Abrahams Children as the Begger also was but he was of Abrahams Children according to the Flesh but not according to the Spirit Mat. 3.9 Think not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our Father Carnal Confidences in external Prerogatives will at length wofully deceive us But what doth he beg of Abraham That Lazarus may dip the tip of his Finger in Water and cool his Tongue verse 24. Desideravit guttam qui non dedit micam He that would not give a Crum now desireth a Drop God will be even with Sinners and retaliate their Oppressions and uncharitableness into their Bosoms In the Text you have part of Abrahams answer But Abraham said Son Remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented In the Words is set forth the different Estate of the Rich man and the Begger in this Life and in the World to come 1. In this Life Remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus evil things 2. In the World to come where you see how perfectly the Tables are turned Now he is comforted and thou art tormented I. In this Life On the Rich mans side 1. There is his Prosperity and worldly Happiness he had received good things 2. The suitableness of his Heart to this kind of Happiness or his well-pleasedness with it Thy good things His not
11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ. These holy Men had the same nature the same interests and concernments We have the same helps and incouragements the same God and Christ and Spirit and Rule and Hopes and Comfort and Glory which should shame us to come short of them Therefore you must be a going from strength to strength Yea the Angels Matth. 6. 10. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven It is but reason that they that would be like them for priviledges should be like them for service and duty If the Angels that are out of Gunshot and Harms-way hold on in God's service much more should we Wicked men think every thing in Religion enough and that we make more ado than needeth but Christ referreth us to the Angels Yea to God himself 1 Pet. 1.15 Be ye holy as he that has called you is holy Matth. 5.48 Be ye Perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Now therefore we must by degrees be growing up unto this estate The holiest upon Earth are not a sufficient copy to us God is essentially Holy infinitely Holy originally Holy Now wherein must we imitate him We must be immutably holy we should aim at that state when we shall be in some sort so God is universally holy in all his ways and works we should get nearer and nearer to this Pattern 6. That we may answer our many experiences There is no man of any long standing in the profession of Godliness but he hath many experiences of the bitterness of Sin when he hath been medling with Forbidden Fruit. And on the vanity of the Creature when he hath doated upon it and at length he findeth that there is a lye in his right hand Eccles. 1.14 I have seen all the works that are done under the Sun and behold all is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit Of the comfort of duty when done all things for God there is a sweetness accompanieth it Micah 2.7 Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly Of the help of God in his difficulties and straights Psal. 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Of the truth of his promises Psal. 18.30 As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tryed he is a buckler to all those that trust in him Of Answer of Prayers Psal. 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplication Because he hath inclined his Ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Of the enterprizes of Satan 2 Cor. 2.11 Lest Sathan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his devices Now to have all these experiences and to be nothing improved and bettered is very sad 29. Deut. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given them an Heart to perceive nor Eyes to see nor Ears to hear unto this day To be nothing better nothing wiser is an argument of spiritual stupidness and folly 7. To answer all the means and the care and cost that God hath been at with us and for us God expecteth growth where he has afforded the means of growth in great plenty Luke 13.7 He said to the Dresser of his Vineyard behold these three years I came seeking fruit on this Fig-tree and find none cut it down why cumbreth it the ground It must be understood De jure not De facto of what God might expect for God cannot be disappointed Have I been thus long with you and hast thou not known me 14. Iohn 9. It was a grief to Christ when they were not grown under the means of grace Luke 12.48 Where much is given much is required It is grievous to the spirit of God when we are no better for all that is done to us Application 1. As it is a priviledge of the sincere Christian whose heart is set Heavenward Use. So it is for his incouragement They go from strength to strength if there be new troubles there is new strength Many are ready to faint in the Valley of Bacha and think they shall never hold out There is a continual supply Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality Eternal Life Luke 8.15 The good ground bringeth forth fruit with patience They have present support and shall have final deliverance 138. Psal. 3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my Soul God gives a power to bear up your Spirit in all your burdens God is no Pharaoh you shall have strength with your work strength with your tryals strength with your difficulties A good man will not over-burden his Beast And God will give final deliverance your troublesome journey will not last long it will be over in a little time and then you shall appear before God in Zion There is rest Rev. 14.13 That they may rest from their labours and their works follow them In Heaven you have nothing to do but to bless God and praise God and admire God to all Eternity Therefore be incouraged go in the strength of your present refreshings and God will find new grace for you while you continue upright with him 2. As it is a duty 1. Use. It sheweth the folly of them who count an earnest pursuance of Eternal Life to be more than needs and that a little holiness will serve the turn Oh no! a Christian should always be growing and always improving still pressing nearer and nearer towards the mark going on from strength to strength There is no nimium in Holiness you cannot have too much Holiness or too much of the love of God nor of the fear of God nor of faith in him There are many that come near and never enter Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Certainly he that knoweth what was lost in Adam and must be recovered in Christ cannot think he can do enough or too much How hard a matter is it to keep what we haveâ— Such is the vanity lightness and inconstancy of our Hearts in good and so furious are the assaults of sundry Temptations and so great is our impotency to resist them our proneness to turn from the ways of God so great so strong subtile and assiduous are our Spiritual Adversaries so many are those Difficulties Discouragements Diversions and Hindrances which we have to wrestle with and overcome in the way to Heaven that it concerneth us to give all diligence to advance in our Christian Course Once more there is so much promised that certainly a Man knoweth not what Christianity meaneth if he striveth not to be more holy So exact is our Rule and strict so holy is our God so great are our Obligations from all the Means and Providences of God that such a vain Conceit cannot possess the Soul of
how miserable a thing it is to have a drossy unsanctified Heart even though your Life should be never so blameless Now the Spirit of God calleth upon us to shew our selves Men Isa. 46.8 Remember this and shew your selves men bring it again to mind O ye transgressors And if you will never sit alone and commune with your selves about these weighty Matters your Condemnation is just Motives to quicken us how much it concerneth you to get your Hearts sanctified 1. Because of the two great Competitors God and Satan how earnest they are for the Heart It is God's Choice Prov. 23.26 My son give me thy heart This is that which God craveth and every good Man should say Lord I give it unto thee It pleaseth God to hide our Hearts from one anothers knowledge but he seeth them whether they be kept in a right frame yea or no. Men are incompetent Judges of the Heart therefore they look to the outward appearance but God's Eye is upon the Heart 1 Sam. 16.7 Man looketh unto the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart Psal. 41.6 Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom If we have a wise and understanding Heart a choice and excellent Spirit On the other side it is that which Satan striveth for most the greatest Contest between God and Satan is who shall have the Heart of Man As Acts 5.3 Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lye to the Holy Ghost So Luke 22.3 Then entred Satan into Iudas Then he gets into the Man when he gets into the Heart Iohn 13.2 The Devil having now put into the heart of Iudas to betray him This is the Castle the Enemy would surprize he maintaineth his Interest there by vain and sinful Thoughts 2. The importance of the Heart as to our Speeches and Actions it is Fons Actionum ad extra the Fountain of all our outward Actions we bring every thing out of the Heart Matth. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things The Tongue Eyes Hands and Feet are but Instruments to execute the motions of the Heart The Prophet cast Salt into the Spring to cure the brackishness of the Water 2 Kings 22.21 And it is Terminus actionum ad intra the principle of our internal Actions Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which was delivered you Means 1. Earnest Prayer to God Psal. 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me God beginneth to us that we may imitate him Deut. 5.29 O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always Psal. 86.11 Unite my heart to fear thy name The Heart naturally is scattered to vain Objects 2. Treasuring up the Counsels of the Word Psal. 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 6.20 21 22. My son keep thy fathers commandments and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy neck When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee 3. Serious Caution that bad Principles be not rooted in us Heb. 3.12 Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God 4. Watching against vain Pleasures which render it brutish sottish frothy and stupid Hosea 4.11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart The generosity bravery and spriteliness of the Heart 5. If gotten keep it Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence Our first business is to get an Heart worth the keeping a vain Heart is better thrown away than kept When the Heart is renewed and changed keep it pure and loyal to God First get out Sin then keep it out We keep it by a constant watchfulness over the Senses Iob 31.1 I made a Covenant with my eyes why then should I look upon a maid Over the Thoughts Prov. 15.26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. Over the Affections and Passions Gal. 5.24 They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts 6. Increase it to a Choice an excellent Spirit 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God 2 Tim. 1.7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind A Sermon on Acts x. 34 35. Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him THese Words are Peter's reply to Cornelius who sent for him to hear the Gospel from his mouth For the entertaining of this Message both Peter and Cornelius were aforehand prepared severally by God Peter by a Vision Cornelius by an Oracle So much ado was needful to gather in the first Fruits of the Gentiles In the Words take notice of two Things 1. Peter's acknowledgment of his former Mistake Vers. 34. 2. His assertion of the positive Truth which he learned by this Providence Vers. 35. First In the acknowledgment of his former Error you may observe three things 1. The Preface or Introduction Then Peter opened his mouth and said Prophane Spirits cavil at this Expression as needless For how could he speak say they without opening his mouth But they mind not that it is an Hebraism frequently used in Scripture concerning them that are about to speak any thing weighty upon mature deliberation As of our Lord Christ it is said Matth. 5.2 He opened his mouth and taught them saying So Psal. 78.2 I will open my mouth in a parable Prov. 8.2 I will speak of excellent things the opening of my mouth shall be right things To open the Mouth is to speak considerately prudently confidently Would to God that those that scoff at these things would never open their Mouths to worse purpose 2. The means of his Conviction Of a truth I perceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Phrase is used of those that are apparently convinced and perswaded to change their Opinion The Latines would express it A vero vinci to be overcome by the Truth it self Peter once thought that it was unlawful for a Man that is a Jew to keep company with or go to one that is of another Nation as he himself expresseth it Vers. 28. But being prepared by his Vision and now convinced by the Words of Cornelius he perceived the contrary 3. The Error That God was a Respecter of Persons or had so confined his Respect to the Jewish Nation that
Alnis Luke 6.38 Give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom for with the same measure that ye meet withall it shall be measured to you again To Ordinances So here in the Text as you deal with God so will he deal with you Look what measure of Diligence and Conscionable Care is in you to hear the Word the like measure of Spiritual Fruit and Profit shall you reap by the Blessing of God 2. A Promise grounded upon a Proverb and unto you that hear shall more be given Those that make use of what is said to them that mark diligently and practice accordingly more Knowledge and Grace is increased This is built on a Proverb habenti dabitur for he that hath to him shall be given To have doth not only signifie the Possession of a thing but the use which is the end of Possession So he that hath is he that hath to purpose that occupieth the Gift and Grace received A Man that useth and employeth that which he hath and so maketh it to appear to the World that he hath such a Talent from God for in Scripture we are said to have that we make use of To him shall be given He shall increase his stock He shall be having and having and having till he come to a glorious Estate in all Spiritual Riches Knowledge Love Humility Zeal Temperance and Patience and all manner of Grace That the expression is Proverbial is out of Question with the Learned for it is an assertion verified in all Ages and Places That the Rich have many friends and he that hath much shall have more Every one will be giving to them and they have greater advantages of improving themselves than others Upon this occasion were the words first used which our Saviour is pleased to translate and apply to his own purpose of growth in Grace by a diligent use of the means Doct. That a serious attention to the Doctrine of the Gospel is the means appointed for the attaining of saving Grace and a plentiful increase therein In stating this point let me observe to you 1. That in the Communication of Grace as well as Nature God observeth the order of means Because he dealeth with us as reasonable Creatures and this becometh the Wisdom of his Government and so he meeteth with us in our way and we meet with him in his way So Christ is the principal means and called therefore the way to the Father Iohn 14.8 Other Subordinate means are instituted by him 2. That among the Subordinate means the principle is the Word called therefore the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 All the parts of it are fitted to their Sanctifying use His Doctrine to teach and fill us with due Conceptions and Apprehensions of God Threatnings to drive Promises to draw Examples to move and all these formed into a Covenant strongly to ingage us to God 3. This word that it may profit us must be diligently attended unto For this is Christ's Admonition in the Text Take heed what you hear The Gospel deserveth it our profiting requireth it 1 The Gospel deserveth it partly for the sublimity and excellency of the Mysteries therein contained which are enough to ravish the thoughts of Angels 1 Pet. 1.12 Therefore we cannot conceive of them without much consideration Great and Excellent things do even force their way into our Minds Now all other things are but Toys and Trifles to this What is a greater speculation than God made accessible to us in Christ as he was manifested in the Flesh than God reconciled by the propitiatory sacrifice of his Death What is all the Glory of the World to Everlasting Communion with God These things are a feast to the Minds of all wise and rational Men. And partly because of their profit they are things that nearly concern us Needless speculations we may well spare or other Mens matters but surely we should mind their own things What doth more nearly concern us than to have God for our God and Christ for our Saviour and Redeemer and the Spirit for our Sanctifier and Comforter This is life Eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Iohn 17.3 And partly their Necessity We are undone for ever if ignorant of these things Acts 4.12 Neither is there Salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved And Condemned by the Gospel if we make light of them Iohn 3.19 This is the Condemnation that light is come into the World and Men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Not to think that worthy of a serious thought which was brought about with so much ado Matth. 22.5 And they made light of it This is not only vile ingratitude but obstinate contempt of Grace which will cost us dear 2. Our profiting by the Gospel requireth it for otherwise How can we have a sufficient understanding of those Mysteries if we content our selves with a few cursory and â—areless Thoughts 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things Lay this to thy Heart and God give thee a right use of it or a judgment to do all things which belong to thee 2. That we may feel the force and power of it Acts 16.14 And a certain woman named Lidia a seller of purple of the City of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken by Paul without attendency the Truth is lost and doth us no good There must be Attention and Intention before there can be choice or pursuit For the Gospel doth not work like a charme as if we could find the efficacy of it whither sleeping or waking 3. To move the Soul to Obedience For Take heed what you hear is as much as See you practice what you have heard that you bring forth the fruit accordingly He that heareth my sayings and doth them I will liken him to a wise builder Matth. 7.24 Hearing tendeth to Practice Knowledge to Practice Faith to Practice Affection to Practice without which our Hearing is but a bodily Task our Knowledge but an empty Speculation Faith a dead Opinion Affection but a vanishing Impression These things do not attain their consummate and proper effect 4. This diligent attention consisteth in three things Sound Belief Serious Consideration and close Application Sound Belief 1 Thess. 2.13 For this cause we thank God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Serious Consideration Deut. 32.46 And he said unto them Set your hearts unto all the words which I testiste among you this day which
you shall command your Children to observe to do all the words of this Law Luke 9.44 Let these sayings sink down into your Ears Close Application Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things if God be for us who can be against us Job 5.27 Loe thus we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good And therefore as things are duly thought on so they must be closely applied These three acts of the Soul have each of them a distinct and proper Work Sound belief worketh on the clearness and certainty of the things asserted Serious Consideration on the greatness and importance of them Close Application on their pertinency and suitableness to us See all in one place 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a true saying worthy of all acceptation That Iesus Christ came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief These are all necessary to make any truth operative Sound belief for we are not affected with what we believe not Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Therefore to awaken diligence the truth of things is pleaded 2 Pet. 1.5 10 16. Give all diligence to add to your Faith Virtue and to Virtue Knowledge Give diligence to make your calling and Election sure for we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty Heb. 2.3 4. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him The first rousing Question when Men heard any Sermon about any Truth or Doctrine of the Gospel was Is this true For Consideration Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Christ Iesus our Lord. Without Consideration the weightiest things lie by as if they were not Sleepy reason is as none The most important Truths have no force upon us till Consideration awakeneth us Then for Application what concerneth us not is passed over Unless we hear things with a care to apply them we shall never make use of them Eph. 1.13 In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of our Salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise 'T is not enough to know the Gospel to be a Doctrine of Salvation to others but we must look upon it as a Doctrine that bringeth Salvation to our own doors and leaveth it upon our choice A Plaister doth not heal at a distance till it be applied to the Sore Truths are too remote till we set the edge and point of them to our own Hearts Well then by this way we Preach to our selves Day and Night by exciting our Faith in God and Christ and Glory to come and by serious Consideration stirring up all God's graces in our selves and reproving our selves for all our Sins and calling a backward Heart to all the duties required of us This is the work of Close Application 5. They prosper best in Grace that most faithfully and diligently use the means Here I shall prove two things 1. That we are to use the means For wherefore hath Christ appointed them but that we should use them His Church is not like a Statuaries Shop where the Image or Statue doth nothing but the Carver or Artificer doth all But 't is compared to a School where Christ is the Teacher to teach us our Duty and we are Disciples to learn it And to a Kingdom where Christ is the Monarch and Sovereign and we are Subjects ingaged by Covenant to Obey him and the manner of his Government 't is not meerly natural ruling us as he doth the other Creatures by a Rod of Iron or in a way of absolute power as they cannot do otherwise but Moral by Laws Promises Threatnings working Faith by preaching and Love Hope and Obedience are the ends of Faith Certainly he governeth Man as Man not by Physical Motions only but by Moral Motives to which we must attend consider and improve Hosea 11.4 I drew them with the Cords of a Man with bands of Love Christ hath not to deal with Stones or Brick or Timber but with Men. God hath fitted the means to do their work and for these ends we must use them If he did ordinarily work without them he would never have appointed them to this end He could have done it with one powerful fiat one creating word or beck of his will but he hath set another train and order of Causes and therefore he will work by them because he worketh on all things according to their Nature and this is suitable to the nature of Man We never knew of any Man that came to Knowledge Faith or Love without means Therefore 't is presumption for us to expect it And the greatest neglecters and despisers of Means are every where the most graceless and the worst of Men Therefore it concerneth us to use them 〈◊〉 the greater diligence and care We may learn from our Adversary the Devil he sheweth his Malice to Souls in opposing the means either by depriving Men of them 2 Thess. 2.18 Wherefore we would have come unto you even I Paul once and again but Satan hindred us or keeping them from them by thraldom or filling them with prejudice Iohn 8.4.4 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do he was a Murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him 2 Cor. 44. In whom the God of this World hath blinded the Eyes of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine upon them Or from the Faithful using of them Matth. 13.19 When any one heareth the word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowen in his Heart He watcheth them in all their Postures As soon as Men begin to be serious and to take heed what they hear he disturbeth the Work Well then the Means have an Aptitude and subservient Efficacy which we ought to regard 2. They prosper best that do most faithfully and diligently use the means I shall prove that by the double reason of the Text. 1. With what measure you meet it shall be measured to you again In the Allegation of this Proverbial Speech I shall observe two things 1. That there is a Law of Commerce between God and his Creatures or else how shall we know what to expect And the ordinary Rule
the knowledge of the Truth gained thereby if they despise all these and abandon themselves to their own brutish Passions and Affections as we see many by resisting Common Preparing Grace do so harden their Hearts and increase their Incapacity that the same degree of Grace will not change them that will change others not so self-harden'd Ier. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil And those that are unwilling to use the Means that they are able that will not hear or consider what they hear that it may affect them they provoke God not only to suspend the influence of his Spirit but to take away the Means Prov. 1.23 24. Turn you at my reproof â—ehold I will pour out my spirit unto you and I will make known my words unto you Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded c. Much more when they run the contrary way and turn their Thoughts and Affections more eagerly after Vanity and oppose God's Help and Grace because it is against their Lusts Ezek. 24.13 Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more Well then they that have common Grace ought and are bound to use it for the obtaining of more Grace 'T is charged as a great Crime on them that have Eyes and see not Ears and hear not that will not frame their Doings to turn unto the Lord so much as put themselves into a posture They are threatned that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than those that have abundance of Means and use them not That they that were lifted up to Heaven in Ordinances shall be cast down to Hell for the neglect of them Matth. 11.23 That the Ninivites shall rise up in judgment against them and condemn them because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater than Ionas is here Matth. 12.41 They that have received so much Grace from God and yet do not understand nor seek after him their Condemnation is aggravated their Destruction is of themselves they shut themselves out of the Kingdom of God reject the Counsel of God against themselves and judge themselves unworthy of Eternal Life The Scripture every where speaketh at this rate concerning the Folly and Negligence of Men. But if it be asked If they did improve this common Grace shall they acquire Special Grace Answ. 1. â—od is abundant in Mercy Goodness and Truth and doth not use to appoint Means in vain Certainly they do not merit it at God's hands nor is he expresly bound to give it to them No It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth Rom. 9.16 The first â—race is given by God as a free Lord not by any certain Law but by his own Pleaâ—ure Well but will he give it The Question is curious and needeth no Answer He that is deadly sick doth not refuse his Physick till he be made certain that it will recover him but useth it as the only proper Remedy in the case and commits the Event to â—od He that is to Plough and commit his precious Seed to the ground doth not stand to have assurance that the next Year will prove fruitful and the Season kindly but ventureth because usually God's Blessing goeth along with Man's Industry So in the business of Salvation we should not trouble our selves about the Event but do our Duty and leave the Event to God waiting for his Power and Grace in the careful use of the Means which he hath instituted to that end Certainly none perish but they perish through their own folly and negligence not for any defect in God's help When we have done all that we can he is not our Debtor but yet he is our gracious Benefactor and if we would labour to suppress our Cavils and Curiosity we shall find God better to us than we can imagine 4. This increase is given by degrees we have not all at first nor all at once for Christ speaketh to them To whom it was given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God Mark 4.11 To them that had ears to hear Vers. 23. Now to them he saith More shall be given As our Capacities are inlarged so is God's Bounty to us Psal. 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it We are not straitned in God but in our selves The more we improve Grace received and the more serious we grow and have our Desires and Expectations enlarged the more God will give for by Mercy he prepareth for more Mercy 'T is serious Diligence and exercising our selves to Godliness maketh us see the worth of Grace and the necessity of more â—race to bear our Burdens resist Temptations perform our Duties and the more we are acquainted with God the more will we follow on to know the Lord. Mosâ—s his first Request was Tell me thy name and then Shew me thy glory Sensible Want increaseth with Enjoyment so doth God's Supply for his Goodness is inexhaustible Where he hath given he will give 1 Use. Is Information to shew us the reason why so many reap so little Fruit by the hearing of the Word either they never had solid Comfort and Benefit by it or else languiâ—h and grow lazy in the profession and practice of Godliness What is the reason They do not take heed to what they hear seriously regard the Mesâ—ages sent them by God day after day and then alas all the good Seed that is sown is like Corn on the House top that never groweth to perfection Neither is the Understanding informed nor the Will engaged to Practice Why are our Hearts so little affected and inflamed with the love of God Why stand we in no more Awe and Fear of him Have so small Hope and weak Confidence in him We mind nothing what is said concerning these Duties in the course of the Ministry We sit under the Gospel and pass over these things and do not deeply consider them in our Hearts Christians we impose no hard Law upon you many pretend they cannot invent Arguments for Meditation but when brought to your hands will you think of them They have no Time but if you will spare none of your own Time will you employ God's Time well Let Sabbath-Doctrines so far be considered by you as to sink into your Hearts Surely in their season all things should have their Turn and Place When we are employed about the World we are never troubled with Heavenly things why should the World intrude upon God's Portion 2. Use is Direction If you would profit by the Word take heed to what you Hear see what you do with it believe it soundly Is it a Truth or a Fable a Crochet of Ministers or a genuine Deduction from the word of God Consider it seriously How shall I mortifie this Sin or perform this Duty
Apply it closely What sin have I done How doth it concern me Practice it readily Iam. 1.25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of libetty and continueth therein being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word this man shall be Blessed in his deed 3. Use is to put us upon Self-reflection Is our Fruit proportionable to our Hearing The Word is not only the Seed of Regeneration but the means of Growth 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever with 1 Pet. 2.2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby God does not consider what we are de facto but what we ought to be what strength we might have Our account is according to our means Luke 12.48 Unto whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Less Grace will serve to the Salvation of some than others Therefore take heed that where more Grace is bestow'd it be not neglected by you A Sermon on HEBR. ii II. For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren IN this Epistle to perswade the Hebrews to continue in their professed Subjection to Christ the Apostle setteth forth Christ in his Person and Offices In his Person there are Two Natures Divine and Humane The Apostle proveth both by one Argument That Christ ought to be such a Person as was Superior to Angels and yet for a time to be also inferior to them He had already proved that Christ ought to be Superior to Angels He is now shewing the Reasons why he must be made a little lower than the Angels in his Incarnation and Passion The necessity and reasons of his Incarnation he beginneth to lay down in this verse For c. In the words observe 1. A Maxim or Truth laid down 2. A Consequence or Inference thence deduced 1. In the Truth laid down Two things are expressed 1. A difference between Christ and his People 2. An Union between them 1. The different Parties here spoken of He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified Christ is the Agent he hath an active Power to free from Sin such as are polluted with it We are Passive for by him that sanctifieth is meant Christ One prime benefit we have from him is Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 Who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption And by the sanctified are meant the People of God who sometimes were polluted and sinful 2. They are said to be of one This Notes the Union that is between them they are of one Stock and Lineage or one common Parent of Mankind Adam Of one Blood Acts 17.26 He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth Thence Luke carrieth up the Genealogy of Christ to Adam Luke 2.38 So that he is one of our Kind and Nature There is indeed an union of Christ with man 1. By his Incarnation 2. Upon actual Sanctification In the first respect he is One with all Mankind as they are Men. In the Second He and the Sanctified which are the Church are one in an especial manner There is a Natural Bond between us and Christ and a Spiritual Bond The Natural Bond gave him an Interest to Redeem us The Spiritual Bond is the ground of our Comfort in that Redemption They are of one 2. The Inference or Effect thence resulting For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Which words represent 1 the condescension of Christ He is not ashamed 2. The nature and value of the Priviledge to call them Brethren 1. The condescension of Christ He is not ashamed We are said to be ashamed in Two Cases 1. When we do any thing that is filthy As long as we have the heart of a Man we cannot do any thing that hath filthiness in it without shame Or 2. When we do any thing beneath that Dignity and Rank which we sustain in the World The former Consideration is of no place here The latter then must be considered Those that bear any rank and port in the World are ashamed to be too familiar towards their Inferiors But yet such is the love of Jesus Christ towards his People that tho' he be infinitely greater and more worthy than us yet he is not ashamed to call us Brethren It is said Prov. 19.7 All the Brethren of the poor do hate him If a Man fall behind hand in the World his Friends look askew upon him But Jesus Christ tho' he be the Son of God by whom he made the World the splendor of his Fathers Glory and the brightness of his Person the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords and we be poor vile and unworthy Creatures yet he disdaineth not to call us Brethren If a great Prince should call a poor Tradesman Brother it would be accounted singular Courtesie And yet what is the greatest Prince of the World to Christ 2. The nature and value of the Priviledge 1. The nature of it Christ calleth us Brethren Not Children Servants Friends but Brethren A Title of great dearness and intimacy 2. The value of it 1. It is not an idle foolish Compliment for there is Cause and Reason for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a reason of the use of this Title because all Mankind coming of one Father and being made of one Blood are Brethren And Christ reckoneth himself among us considereth the Bond he hath to us and assumeth all Relations proper to his Nature And also because the Sanctified are the Children of God by the Grace of Adoption 2. It is not an empty Title but a great and real Priviledge he is affectioned to us as Brethren His Call is Doing For his Call he is not a meer Nominal Titular or Complimental Word Rom. 9.25 I will call them my people that is openly and before all the world declare they are my People Called an Apostle 1 Cor. 15.19 Not worthy to be called thy Son Luke 15.21 Many Points may be hence deduced 1. That Iesus Christ ought to be of the same Nature and Stock Yet he with those whom he redeemed or sanctified to God 2. That Christ having taken our nature upon him counts it no disgrace to acknowledge and accept us as Brethren 3. The kindred is only reckoned to the Sanctified Though all Mankind have the same nature and come of the same stock yet he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one therefore he is not ashamed to call them Brethren 4. This Sanctification which is required of us must proceed originally from Christ. 1. That Iesus Christ ought to be of the same nature and stock with those whom he redeemed or sanctified to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
are his Members and belong to him Rom. 8.9 If ye have not the spirit of Christ ye are none of his 3. He blesseth his Word and Sacraments to this end and purpose Iohn 17.19 For their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth We hear of Christ by the Spirit and of the Spirit in the Ordinances and Duties of Religion Eph. 5.26 By the washing of water through the word Two are here mentioned the Word and washing of Water The one containeth our Charter or Grant of Christ and all his Benefits to every one that believes in him Iohn 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The other is the Seal of it to assure us and be a pledge to us that Christ will be as good as his word Rom. 4.11 He received the sign of circumcision a seal of the righteousness of faith 1. The Word is a powerful Instrument Iohn 17.19 I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth John 15.3 Ye are clean through the word That warneth us of our Duty sheweth our Danger encourageth us by Promises to run to Christ for this Benefit holds forth his Blood as the meritorious Cause 2. Sacraments assure God will be as good as his word The doubting Soul saith â—how shall I know 2 Kings 20.8 What shall be the sign By these visible Things God assures us of the Truth of his Covenant Use. It sheweth us how and where we should look for this benefit of Sanctification From Christ by the Spirit in the Ordinances Look not to these singly but all together Holy Things do not sanctify us but we pollute them when we look to them singly Hag. 2.13 14. If one that is unclean touch any of these shall it be unclean The Priests answered It shall be unclean So is this people that which they offer is unclean Fowl Bodies the more you nourish them the more you hurt them 2. Go not to the Spirit alone without having accepted Christ and received him into your Hearts so upward Christ tendeth to the Spirit the Spirit to Ordinances Christ undertaketh to be a Sanctifier that you may have recourse to him A Sermon on Hebr. xiii 5 For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee IN the former part of the Verse the Apostle dissuadeth from Covetousness and perswadeth to Contentment The Motive to inforce the one and the other is God's Promise Many of our Distempers would have no more place if we did oftener study the Promises He saith that is God that He whose Voice should only be heard in the Church The Pythagoreans would use to say in their School 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath said It should much more be reason enough with Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For he said But where doth the force of the Inference lye Apply it to the first part Let your conversation be without covetousness for he hath said I answer Covetousness is rooted in a Diffidence and fear of Want Now that Fear is irrational if we regard what he hath said God will maintain us as long as he hath Work for us to do He that is perswaded that God will not leave him will not be much troubled Apply it now to the second Branch Be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee And how is that inferred I answer The comfort of our Condition doth not depend on outward Provisions so much as in God's Promises therefore though you have little be content If God denieth the Creature he will vouchsafe his own Presence and what need we care for the want of a Candle when we have the Sun Once more The Connexion between the Dissuasive and Exhortation and the Promise is to be observed Be not covetous be content for he hath said I will never leave thee And Men would have less trouble if they could learn to cast themselves upon God's allowance If we could depend more we should crave less The Promise well applied would not only allay our Fears but moderate our Desires Lust is ravenous and therefore suspicious If we believe his Word we shall have enough to glorifie God enough for that condition wherein God will make use of us Fixing upon Carnal Hopes doth but make trouble for your selves Carnal Affections prescribe God a Task which he will never perform Psal. 78.18 They asked meat for the lusts Not Meat for their Necessities but Meat for their Lusts. God never undertook to maintain us at such a rate to give us so much by the Year such Portions for our Children The Sheep must be left to the Shepherd to choose their Pastures bare or better grown Be content and then Faith will be more easie We may pray for a Competency and are bound to submit to an Extremity He hath said Where hath he said it Every where in the Word more especially to Ioshua in particular Iosh. 1.5 As I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee To all his People in general Deut. 31.6 8. Be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the Lord thy God he it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee David bids Salomon be confident of it 1 Chron. 28.20 David said to Salomon his son be strong and of good courage and do it fear not nor be dismayed for the Lord God even my God will be with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee So Iacob Gen. 28.15 I will not leave thee till I have done all that I have spoken to thee of It is pleaded by Salomon 1 King 8.57 The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers let him not leave us nor forsake us You see it is a known Truth and to be made use of upon all occasions of Tryal It was spoken to Ioshua when he was to fight the Lord's Battels To Israel when they had not as yet a foot of Land to possess To Iacob when to pass through many Services To Salomon when to go about a costly Work And God having said it so often delights to be challenged upon his Word and to have this Promise put in suit Before I come to shew you the full purport and drift of this Promise let me observe 1. Though the Promises were made upon a particular occasion to some of God's People yet they are of a general Use. Well then Promises made to one Saint concern another also Why 1. Because God is alike affected to all his Children he beareth them the same love His Saints now are as dear to him as ever Therefore as he would not leave Ioshua or Iacob or Salomon so he will not leave others that trust in him This honour have all his Saints Psal. 149.9 2. They have
in peace without spot and 〈◊〉 Now the Devil will not let you alone in this earnest diligence but seeketh to break your Resolutions or deaden your Affections or damp and discourage your Zeal and the Flesh joyneth with him especially when the World frowneth upon your Endeavours and are set against you for being so faithful to Christ. 2. That they are not prepared till they are endowed with Faith Hope and Love To evidence this I shall shew 1. Their Nature 2. Their mutual respect to one another 3. Their use in the Spiritual Conflict I. Their Nature 1. Faith which is a firm and cordial assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel or such things as are revealed by God because revealed by him 1. The Object 1. The Material Object of Faith in general is such things as are revealed by God in his Word Acts 24.14 Believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets The Precepts Promises Threatnings Histories Mysteries The general Faith goeth before the particular there is no Building without a Foundation The special Object is God's Transactions about Man's Salvation by Christ Ioh. 17.3 This is Life Eternal to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 2. The formal Consideration is because revealed by him Iohn 4.42 Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and believe that this indeed is the Christ the Saviour of the World That is because they had heard his Words and were convinced and satisfied 1 Thess. 2.13 Ye received it not as the Word of Men but as it is in Truth the Word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Not as any Doctrine devised of Men but as sent by God from Heaven for the benefit of Mankind 2. The act of the Soul It is an Assent The Understanding hath a double act about Divine Truths First Knowledge or a due Apprehension of them Secondly Exercising a Judgment about them this is Acknowledgment or Assent And this Assent hath two Adjuncts 1. It is a firm belief of these things There is a Latitude and Difference in the firmness of Assent there is Conjecture or Opinion which is a weak Faith but Assurance doth best Coll. 2.2 That their Hearts might be comforted being knit together in Love and unto all Riches of the full Assurance of Vnderstanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ. I say there is a difference In the firmness of Assent there is Certitudo Notitia Certitudo Adherentiae a Certainty of Knowledge and a Certainty of Adherence But in all that are sincere it is so firm as to sway our choice incline our Hearts and govern our Resolutions that we see all the reason in the World to follow the way which Christ hath prescribed that we may be everlastingly happy whatever it cost they will venture Heb. 10.39 But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of our Souls Sense saith Spare the Flesh but Faith saith Save the Soul 2. It is a Cordial Belief or such as engageth the Heart For Faith considereth not only the Evidence of things propounded but the Weight Worth and Greatness of them 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation Simon Magus believed but his Heart was not right with God Acts 8.13 compared with 21 Verse So Many believed in his Name when they saw the Miracles which he did but Iesus committed not himself to them because he knew all Men John 2.23 24. This is Faith for first Men believe then love then hope then lift up the Head 2. Love Which is a Grace which inclineth our Hearts to God as our Portion and chief Happiness This over-ruleth all their Affections to their outward Interests Psal. 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Here we shall consider 1. The Qualification of the Object Love in the general considereth the Object as good God is good in himself and good to us Psal. 119.68 Thou art good and dost good and we love God as a good God having received our Beings from him Rom. 11.36 For of him and through him and to him are all things And being redeemed by him when all was forfeited into the Hands of his Justice 1 Iohn 4.19 We love him because he loved us first And looking to expect more from him when all his Promises shall be fulfilled 1 Ioh. 3.1 2. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! Therefore the World knoweth us not because it knew him not Beloved Now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 2. The respect of Love to the Object It is such a respect as becometh the Chief Good and Happiness such a superlative and transcendent Love that our Love to other things should be as no Love when it is compared or cometh in Competition with our Love to God There are two acts of Love to God Desire after him and Delight in him 1. Desire is the pursuit of the Soul after God that we may get nearer to him It iâ— expressed usually by seeking after God and when God is sought after in the first place then are we said to love God as Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and they that seek me early shall find me All Duties and all Acts of the Spiritual Life are a seeking after more of God Psal. 63.8 My Soul followeth hâ—rd after thee Psal. 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the Days of my Life to behold the Beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple This ardent and burning desire is a great effect of love to God but when Men are cold and flat and more indifferent as to the distinguishing Testimonies of Gods love there is something on this side God which doth content us and divert us from him 2. Delight in God The highest exercise of this is reserved for the World to come when we shall enter into our Master's Joy but now it is a pleasing thing to think of him Psal. 104.34 My Meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. And to speak of him Ephes. 5.4 Neither Filthiness nor foolish Talking nor Iesting which are not convenient but rather giving of Thanks And to converse with him Psal. 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Come let us go into the House of the Lord. Yea it is the Pleasure of their Lives to serve and obey him Psal. 112.1 Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments This Complacency or
diverted either by the comfortable or troublesome things we meet with here in the World Not by the comfortable things 1 Pet. 1.13 Wherefore gird up the Lâ—yns of your Mind be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. Nor by the troublesome things of the World Rom. 8.39 Nor height nor depth nor any other Crâ—ature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iâ—sus our Lord Well then the Supreme Good or Fruition of the ever-blessed GOD is believed sought after waited for we know it by Faith we seek it by Love we wait for the enjoyment of it by Hope Faith affordeth us Light to discover it and direct us to it Love possesseth the Soul with a Desire to enjoy it and Hope giveth us a Confidence of obtaining it through Jesus Christ our Lord. III. Their Use in the Spiritual Conflict 1. They impel us to do our Duty with all diligence whatever Temptations we have to the contrary 1 Thess. 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work of Faith and labour of Love and patience of Hope Whence you see Work is ascribed to Faith Labour to Love and Patience to Hope Work to Faith because that Grace is working and ready to break out into Obedience 2 Thess. 1.11 And the Work of Faith with Power Labour to Love because Love puts Men upon Industry and Diligence they that love God will be hard at work for him Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your Work and Labour of Love Patience to Hope because that Grace produceth Endurance and Constancy 2 Thess. 3.5 The Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. And the good Ground brought forth Fruit with Patience Luk. 8.19 In short you see these Graces are of an Operative and Vigorous Nature Faith is but a dead Opinion unless it break out into practice Love but a cold Approbation of the Ways of God unless we overcome our Slothfulness Hope but a few slight Thoughts of Heaven unless we persevere and hold out till the time of Retribution cometh 2. These Graces restrain and subdue those corrupt Inclinations which are yet in the Heart and would be a great impediment to us if they be not more and more overcome such as Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts Atheism or a denial of Gods Being and unbelief or distrust of his Promises Worldly Lusts Tit. 2.12 Teaching us to deny Vngodliness and Worldly Lusts. That is to say Worldly Fears and Worldly Desires or in one word the Sensual Inclination called the Spirit of the World These can never be overcome without Faith by which the Mind is soundly perswaded of the Truth of Salvation by Christ nor without Love by which the Will is firmly resolved and bent upon it nor without Hope by which the Executive Powers are fortified and strengthened in their Operations In short when the Doctrine of Christ concerning things to be believed and done is first propounded to us it findeth us wedded to the World and intangled in the Vanities thereof but as this Doctrine is received and believed the bent and inclination of our Souls is altered a new byass is put upon us and our love to God and heavenly things is more and more increased the Heart is set to seek after God and that with the greatest earnestness and diligence Without this the Carnal and Worldly Inclination prevaileth over us As in the want of Faith Heb. 3.12 Take heed Brethren lest thâ—re bâ— in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Want of Love 1 Iohn 2.15 16. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World If any Man love the World the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the World the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but is of the World Want of Hope Heb. 10.35 Cast not away therefore your Confidence which hath great recompense of reward Many are beaten out of their Christianity at last because they cannot tarry for Christ's Recompences 3. To fortifie us against all evil without Besides Corruptions within there are Temptations without manifold Afflictions which Satan maketh use of to draw us to sin Now these three Graces arm us against them 2 Tim. 1.7 where he speaketh of enduring the Afflictions of the Gospel by the power of God God hath not given us a Spâ—râ—â— of Fear but of Power of Love and of a sound Mind Faith Hope and Love are intended thereby by a Spirit of Power meaning Hope which breedeth â—ortitude notwithstanding Dangers and Threats of Men Love retaineth its own Name and by the sound Mind is meant Faith All these help us to encounter the Difficulties and Hardships of our Pilgrimage and breed in us a Tranquility of Mind and Contentedness in every State 4. Without Faith Hope and Love we cannot pray to God nor entertain any sweet Communion with him while we dwell in Flesh. Iude 20.21 But ye beloved building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy-Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternal life That Clause Praying in the Holy-Ghost is to be referred in common to them all praying to be built up in our most holy Faith praying to be kept in the love of God praying that we may look for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus to Eternal Life Prayer is not an Exercise only of our natural Faculties but also of the three fundamental Graces of the Spirit There are three Agents in Prayer the Humane Spirit the new Nature and the Spirit of God The Humane Spirit for by the Understanding and Memory we work upon the Will and Affections The new Nature as Prayer is the work of Faith Hope and Love And the Holy-Ghost is there mentioned as also Rom. 8.26 27. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God The middle is to our purpose now Prayer is a Work of Faith as the great Mysteries of our most holy Faith are therein reduced to Practice Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an access by one spirit unto the father Love is acted in Prayer as we delight our selves in conversing with God all our Desires and Groans in Prayer are acts of Love expressing our Longings after more of God Hope is acted in Prayer as we express our Trust in God and the Merits and Intercession of Christ and plead his gracious Promises Prayer it self is but Hope put into Language Psal. 62.8 Trust in him at all
wit the redemption of our bodies When we shall know more fully what Honour and Blessedness belongeth to the Children of God now it doth not appear what we shall be So pardon of Sin shall be then compleat Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. All pardoned Sins shall never be remembred more our Absolution shall be solemnly pronounced by the Judge upon the Bench. That is the great Regeneration Matth. 19.28 You that have followed me in the regeneration when the son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel So for Redemption Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption When all the Effects of Sin shall cease for Death remaineth on the Body till that day 7. This Work of taking away Sin is carried on with respect to Christ's threefold Office of King Priest and Prophet 1. As a Priest so he taketh away Sin by his Merit having purchased a Power and a Virtue whereby our Natures may be healed and cleansed and our Peace made with God In this sense it is said 1 Iohn 1.7 The blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin 2. As a Prophet so he taketh away Sin by his Doctrine which is fit for such a purpose as it commandeth and requireth Purity and Holiness and inviteth us to it by notable Promises and encourageth us by blessed Examples especially of Jesus Christ himself and the perfect Pattern of his holy Obedience and heavenly Life Iohn 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth 3. As a King so he taketh away Sin by his Spirit So backward are our Minds so bad our Hearts so strong our Lusts so manifold our Temptations that beâ—â— Teaching will not serve the turn without a Spirit of Light Life and Love to open our Eyes and change our Hearts and incline us and bring us back again to God Therefore it is said Titus 3.5 6. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy-Ghost which he shed on us abundantly through Iesus Christ our saviour His Merit giveth us Confidence his Word Means and Helps and his sanctifying Spirit maketh all effectual to the Soul III. That this is the great End and Scope of Christ's coming into the World appeareth by sundry Scriptures 1 Iohn 3.5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin He was manifested in the Flesh and manifested in the Gospel for this end He came as an holy innocent Saviour to take away Sin Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus for he shall save his people from their sins Not to ease them of their Trouble only but chiefly to destroy Sin with the mischievous Effects of it He is a Saviour that saves us from Sin not in Sin Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Not only from the Curse of the Law but from all Iniquity The Mediator's Blessing was not to free us from the Roman Yoke but from the slavery and bondage of Sin Acts 3.26 Unto you first God having raised up his son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Reasons 1. Sin is the great Make-bate between God and us The first breach was by Sin and still it continueth the distance Isa. 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Till Sin be taken out of the way there can be no perfect Communion betwen God and the Creature The Purity of God is irreconcilable to Sin though not to the Sinner and therefore though the Sinner be pardoned the Sin must be taken away 2. Sin is the great Disease of Mankind and the cause of all Misery therefore Christ came to stop Mischief at the Fountain Head Take away Sin and you take away Wrath for when the Cause is gone the Effect ceaseth Those who are most sensible of their true Evil do mainly desire the taking away of Sin Pharaoh said Take away this Plague but the Church saith Take away all iniquity Hosea 14.2 Many seek to get rid of Trouble and Temporal Afflictions but not of Sin because they have a gross sense of Things and measure their Happiness and Misery by their outward Condition Hosea 7.14 They assemble themselves for corn and wine and they rebel against me They sought not God's Favour but Corn and Wine and Oyl Others if they mind Spiritual Things they mind only pardon of Sins and ease of Conscience but not to be freed from the Power of it as if a Man that had broken his Leg should only desire to be eased of the smart but not to have it set again But the true Penitent is troubled with the Stain as well as the Guilt therefore the Promise is suited to such 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Others if they would be freed from Sin they respect only the preventing the outward Act but you must abstain from the Lust 2 Pet. 2.11 I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. If they look after the Heart and inward Man it is some Branch of Sin not the Root or the Change of the Heart and so die Impenitent Evil Practices do not flow from a present Temptation but an evil Nature All these lose their labour they neither get rid of Trouble nor prevent the Act nor are free from the breach of God's Law but Christ would make a thorough Cure 3. Taking away of Sin is a greater benefit than Impunity or taking away the Punishment Those Means which have a more immediate Connexion with the last End are more noble than those which are more remote The last End is the Glory of God Now the Holiness and Subjection of the Creature is a nearer means to it than our Comfort and Pardon Christ's End was to fit us for God's Use and therefore his End was to sanctifie us and free us from Sin 1 Use Is Caution Let us renounce all Sin that we may not make Christ's coming into the World in vain You go about to frustrate your Redeemer's End and so to put him to shame if you cherish Sin for then you cherish that which he came to destroy 1 Iohn 3.8 For this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil that is dissolve unty and loose this Knot The Work of the Devil is to bring us into Sin and Misery and will you tie the Knot the faster If you go about to frustrate his Undertaking you renounce all Benefit by him and slight the Price of
feared Heb. 5.7 Are you mocked reviled buffetted contumeliously used So was Christ. Are you scourged put to Death by violence So was Christ. 2. From the manner with Meekness and Constancy With Meekness not as Swine but as Sheep Isa. 53.7 As a sheep before the shearer is dumb so he opened not his mouth 1 Pet. 2.23 Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously Though he had not in the least kind offended either God or Man yet he was handled as a Sinner and when foul Crimes were laid to his Charge he did not repay his Slanderers in their own Coin but resigned himself to God to deal with him and his Persecutors as he saw fitting he vented no Carnal Passion So for Constancy he continued till all was finished and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross Phil. 2.8 When he was tempted to descend from the Cross he would not but stayed there as long as it was necessary to shew us that we should not descend from our Cross and free our selves from Tribulation by Sin till all be finished If God keepeth us long in an oppressed State without Relief or Deliverance do not make hast but tarry his leisure If by Providence you are unequally yoked bear your Cross as long as God seeth fit to continue it to you If it be a long Imprisonment a long tedious Sickness or any other Affliction do not descend from your Cross till God take it off and help not your selves by Sin out of Affliction 3. From the End the bitterest Trouble will at length have an end Christ was a Man of Sorrows all his Days Tempted Despised Persecuted Censured Scourged Crucified but at length the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is finished cometh and there is a kind of Triumph over all his Enemies and Calamities To teach us to finish our Course with perseverance and patience that at the last we may say we are come to the end of our Sorrows His laborious Pilgrimage was now over and there will a time come when ours shall be over also Christ's Life was a continual Cross and constant Affliction but at length all was finished and the Sorrows of thirty three Years recompenced with Glory and Honour and great Fruit and Success in the Affairs of his Kingdom What is a little momemtary Suffering to the rest of Eternity For a little while he was the despising of Men and the leaving off of the People but afterwards God exalted him and gave him a Name above all Names The perfidious Iews rejoyced for a while but a sad Reckoning came afterwards Iudas had a small time to enjoy his thirty Pieces Pilate within a while rued his Facility and yielding to the Importunity of the Iews But as to Afflictions holily suffered stay a little and all the bitter part will be over 4. All was fulfilled which God determined to be done for the expiation of Sin So that no more Ransom is to be paid our Debt is satisfied Divine Justice hath no more demand to us Sin Satan and Death are spoiled and disarmed and way is made for our Salvation to be owned as coming from Christ alone This is the main Circumstance and therefore I shall explain it a little 1. Negatively 2. Positively 1. Negatively And there 1. In regard of Christ himself And 2. In respect of us 1. In regard of Christ himself Not as if all the necessary Acts of his Mediation were now past Death was just at hand and was comprized in the Expressionâ— his lying in the Grave was but the continuation of his Abasement till the time of his Exaltation should come But in the way of satisfying Justice he had no more to do whatever was done afterwards was by way of Reward not to satisfie Justice but to satisfie the World of the Dignity of his Person He was to Rise from the Dead and ascend into Glory that 's for our more abundant Comfort His Resurrection was his solemn Acquittance our Surety was let out of Prison Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and rose again for our justification His Ascension was that we might have a Friend at God's right hand to appear for us Heb. 8.12 We have such an High-priest who is sate on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred 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 That being in a glorified and exalted condition he might powerfully apply his Purchase and by his Spirit communicate the Fruits thereof to Believers And he is to come to Judgment to bless and reward his People and to punish his Enemies But all the Sufferings are now compleated or about to be compleated which he was to suffer for our Sins 2. In respect of us It is not so finished but that something is to be done by the Creature Though the Satisfaction be never so perfect yet there is a necessity of Application The Sacrifice and Atonement is sufficient but it must be applied in the way appointed by God The means of Applying are partly Internal which qualifie the Subject and make us capable of the benefit of this Atonement and Satisfaction which are Faith and Repentance and also new Obedience as the consequent of both for Repentance is a returning to our Duty to God and Faith a thankful owning of our Redeemer by whom we return and if we are serious and real all will end in new Obedience and Holiness or else we are liable to Wrath still Faith is necessary Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Repentance is necessary Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out New Obedience is necessary Heb. 5.9 He is become the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him And partly External by the Word and Sacraments The Word Iohn 17.19 And for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified through the truth The Word calleth upon us to accept of Christ and that Life and Mercy which is offered to us in him The Sacraments which are Baptism and the Lord's Supper By Baptism we profess and are obliged to put on Christ Gal. 3.27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Or to apply him to our selves as a Garment to the Body that he may communicate to us his Righteousness Life and Spirit And by the Lord's Supper we come more abundantly to take part in this Consolation 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blâ—ss is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ That is hereby we are solemnly made Partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ and the
God and that my Fear is not in thee Sure it will be Bitterness in the end to forsake the Lord and walk in the Inventions and Imaginations of thine own Heart You are posting to your eternal Misery where a Reflection upon your evil Choice will be the greatest part of your Misery Isa. 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a Fire that compass your selves about with Sparks walk in the Light of your Fire and the Sparks which ye have kindled this shall ye have of my Hand ye shall lie down in Sorrow The Allusion is not to such a Fire as burneth and consumeth but such as doth warm and cherish Those Stakes which wicked Worldlings rely upon for Succour will in time prove their greatest Calamities and those Tufts and Fuzes which they promised the greatest Comfort to themselves from will occasion the greatest Sorrow the Brands which they heaped together will afford them little Heat and Light but Smoke to vex and choak them He that will warm himself by his own Sparks can expect no other Issue from his own rash Folly and God's righteous Vengeance Vse 2. To exhort us not only to lament it but to come out of this Condition And here to this End 1. Renounce that crooked carnal Wisdom which is Man's undoing Man at first seeking to be wise became a Fool Now he must be a Fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 3.18 A Fool to the Flesh and the World that he may be wise to God 2. Give up your selves to God in Covenant as your Lord and Felicity A Man is never in his Wits till he cometh to this Psal. 22.27 All the Ends of the Earth shall remember and turn to the Lord. Our Misery is in departing from him so our Happiness is in putting our selves into his Hands again Now you must give up your selves to him as your supreme Lord and chief Felicity or Happiness depending upon him as your Happiness obeying him as your Lord. Obey his Counsel though against your own Reason and stick to his Ways though they seem to be against your present Happiness Remember that Duty is Safety that cleaving to God with Loss is better than departing from him with seeming Gain and God that out-wits the subtile Designer doth take care of and preserve the plain and simple Person that avowedly adhereth to him when all the Contrivances of foolish and worldly-minded Men prove vain and unprosperous Your Obedience will be your Safety Dependance and Obedience do mutually cherish one another the more we depend the more we obey and the more we obey the more we depend and so they discover one another Let us shew our Dependance on God that in all the Changes of this Life by a firm fast Adherence and Resolution we stick fast to God whatever comes on it using no Means but what he allows and counting his Favour our Happiness They that depend not on him are left to their own Inventions 3. Your great Design must be to approve your selves to God 2 Cor. 5.9 Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of the Lord. Vse 3. It sheweth what need we have to give up our selves to the Conduct of God's Word and Spirit Man is so full of his own Inventions that none can be safe but they that depend upon God for Direction Iam. 1.5 If any Man lack Wisdom let him ask it of God Such a fallible Creature as Man is in point of Truth such an impotent Creature is he in point of Power such an indigent Creature in point of Happiness and Self-sufficiencies such a sinful corrupt Creature so full of Imaginations and Lusts so many crooked Dispositions in his Heart so many Wiles to justify his irregular Choice so many Temptations and they represented with such Sophistry that he should be willing to accept of Direction Yea the People of God themselves have need of the Direction of the Word in regard of the Weakness of their Understandings and the Perverseness of their Affections 1. Our Understandings are so weak that we are ignorant of many things necessary to be known for we know but in part If we know something in general we fail in particular Application both in general and in particular if we know things habitually we do not actually consider them being hindred by Multitude of Business or the Violence of Temptations or lulled asleep by the Pleasures of the Flesh Eccles. 5.1 They consider not that they do Evil. 2. Our Affections are perverse and so addicted rather to be led by Sense than right Reason that there is great Danger lest seeing and approving that which is better we follow what is worse contrary to our Knowledg and Conscience Rom. 2.18 And knowest his Will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law And therefore the best had need to pray with David Psal. 143.10 Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God thy Spirit is good lead me into the Land of Vprightness A SERMON UPON ECCLES XII 7 Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God that gave it IN the Beginning of this Chapter Solomon presseth us to remember our Creator while yet young many have been too late acquainted with God but never any too soon His Arguments are 1. From the wearisome Evils of old Age very Rhetorically described in ver 2 3 4 5 6. While the Sun or the Light or the Moon or the Stars be not darkened nor the Clouds return after the Rain In the Day when the Keepers of the House shall tremble and the strong Men shall bow themselves and the Grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the Windows be darkened and the Doors shall be shut in the Streets when the Sound of the grinding is low and he shall rise up at the Voice of the Bird and all the Daughters of Musick shall be brought low also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and Fear shall be in the way and the Almond-Tree shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a Burden and Desire shall fail because Man goeth to his long home and the Mourners go about the Streets or ever the silver Cord be loosed or the golden Bowl be broken or the Pitcher be broken at the Fountain or the Wheel broken at the Cistern That is a time of Expense and needeth Cordials rather than Work and Service Therefore while the Prints of God's creating Bounty are fresh upon us it is best to exercise our selves to Godliness 2. From the certain Approach of Death as the final Issue of the present Life therefore we should prepare for this Change think of God betimes and secure a better Life before this come to the last Period This Argument is in the Text Then shall the Dust return to the Earth c. Man consists of a Body and a Soul the Text telleth you what shall become of both
Corrosives are not proper to all Wounds and Diseases and a proud Censure is not a charitable Reproof Therefore in the general it must be so as it may best obtain its Effect 2. With Lenity and Christian Meekness that it may appear an Act of Love not the Fruit of Passion but Compassion Gal. 6.1 If a Man be overtaken in a Fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the Spirit of Meekness When we would reclaim and restore such as are surprized with any Sin we must do it in such a manner that they may see our Love to them and that we have a right Aim which is not the Reproach and Disgrace of the Person but his Reformation and Amendment Our Indignation against the Sin must not transport us or carry us besides our Pity to the Person and there must not appear in it the Rigour and Severity of Censure which proceedeth of Pride but the Lenity of Love considering the Circumstance of humane Failty and our own Proneness to offend if we were in like Circumstances It is our Brother's Amendment we look after not to beget in others an ill Opinion of him or a good Opinion of our selves as if we were singular in Holiness and Hatred of Sin above others And we must by all means shew that our reproving proceedeth from a Zeal for the Glory of God and Love to and Care of the Salvation of our Neighbour 3. Prudently All Circumstances must be well weighed of Person Time and Place Occasion and the Temptations to the Offence that all things may be done conveniently and proportionable to the End Prov. 25.12 As an Ear-ring of Gold and an Ornament of fine Gold so is a wise Reprover upon an obedient Ear. That is wise Reproof is a precious Jewel that is not so great an Ornament to the Ear as a wise seasonable Reproof is acceptable to a gracious Heart Reproof is an Ear-Jewel now an Ear-Jewel must not be too weighty and heavy left it tare and rend rather than adorn the Ear. Thirdly The Argument by which this Duty is inforced Lest thou bear Sin for him that is the Marginal Reading In the Text Thou shalt not suffer Sin upon him either Reading affordeth a strong Argument 1. Thou shalt not suffer Sin upon him that is not leave him in his Sin unreproved Sin should be so odious to a gracious Heart that as we should be careful not to commit it our selves so we should not permit it to lie upon others As we would shake off a Spark of Fire from their Clothes so we must not suffer any sinful Blemish to remain upon their Consciences and Conversations God would every way hedg us within our Duty as by mourning for the Sins of others he teacheth us Penitence for our own so by reproving others Sins he teacheth us Caution for our selves Rom. 2.1 Thou art inexcusable O Man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy self for thou that judgest dost the same things They that live and go on in these Sins in judging others they condemn themselves 2. The other Reading also offereth a good Argument That thou bear not Sin for him To bear Sin is to bear Punishment as Christ is said to bear our Sins in his Body upon the Tree when he indured the Punishment due to our Sins 1 Pet. 2.24 So he that reproveth not Sin is said to bear Sin for his Brother or Neighbour that is Punishment for his sake because he seeketh not to save a Soul from Death as the Lord threatneth Ezek. 3.18 When I say unto the Wicked Thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not Warning nor speakest to warn the Wicked from his wicked way to save his Life the same wicked Man shall die in his Iniquity but his Blood will I require at thine Hands Others are to answer for it who have Ability and Opportunity to reprove Now we have Sins enough of our own that we need not take on us a new Guilt and be Partakers of other Mens Sins or bear more for their sakes From the whole observe Doct. That Brotherly Reproof is a necessary Duty which all are bound to practise as well as they can I. Let us consider the kind of the Duty which we are bound to enforce Reproof and Admonition is either Authoritative and by way of Office or Charitative and by way of general Duty 1. For Reproof by way of Office we have many Scriptures 2 Tim. 4.2 Preach the Word be instant in Season out of Season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine that is urge them press them call upon them when they are at leisure to hear and come together for that Purpose or when thou hast any Opportunity to fasten any thing upon them at other times Labour still to convince the Evil-doers of their wicked Courses This is the continual Duty of Ministers and they must mind it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Season out of Season both when they have probable Opportunities and when they take occasion though they find it not when the Hearers it may be think it not so seasonable the Recovery of Souls must not be delayed 2. Reproof by way of general Duty which lieth upon all Men that are capable and have the Use of Reason Of this the Apostle speaketh 1 Thess. 5.14 Now we exhort you Brethren warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble-minded support the Weak be patient towards all Men. All these are Duties of Christian Charity which belong to private Believers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warn them that are unruly Reproof is one of these Duties 2 Thess. 3.15 Count him not as an Enemy but admonish him as a Brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set his Duty in his Mind Again all Christians must contribute their Help to preserve the Church of Christ from Scandal and Prejudice And therefore when they see any Man forsake his Station and his Work they must admonish him of his Fault and never leave till they have reduced him into his proper Posture and Place again Now there is a Difference between these two Duties for the one is not only an Act of Charity but Justice the other is an Act of Charity and that general Duty that we owe to a Neighbour as a Neighbour The one is done by a Superiour by virtue of his Office the other is done by an Equal towards his Equal or by a Superiour by virtue of his common Relation The one is done publickly by right dividing the Word of Truth and giving every one his Portion the other is done privately between us and our Brother that we may gain him according to Christ's Rule The one is done by publick Declaration and the Evidence of Truth in their Consciences disproving their evil Deeds Iohn 3.20 Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light neither cometh he to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved The other is done by closer Application or personal Charge for the Sins
the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem What is in our Translation to make a Contribution for the Saints is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make a Communion or Communication So 2 Cor. 8.4 Praying us with much Intreaty that we would receive the Gift and take upon us the Fellowship of the ministring to the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So 2 Cor. 9.13 And for your liberal Distribution unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So here the Communication of the Spirit If you will render it Communion this is the great Effect of the Love of God and the Grace of Christ that we are made Members of Christ's Mystical Body by the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit we are are all baptized into one Body And so are united to the Head and to one another by this Bond of Union The Church is a Mystical Body whereof Christ is the Head and the Holy Ghost is as it were the Heart of it the one guideth this great Body the other quickneth it Now in this Mystical Body we actually come to the Participation of what Christ hath purchased for us by the Holy Ghost 4. These make way one for another or work into each others hand for what the Father intended Christ purchased and the Spirit applieth God the Father is as the Fountain of Grace Jesus Christ as the Conduit or Pipe to convey it to us and the Holy Ghost the immediate Operator and Worker of it The Father of his good Pleasure electing Sinners to Grace and Glory the Son by his Obedience and Sufferings purchasing it that it may be brought about in a Way convenient for God's Honour the Spirit by his Virtue and Power working Grace in them There is not a different Effect from the Father which is not from the Son and from the Son which is not from the Spirit but they concur in an united Way that what cometh from the Father cometh from the Son and the Spirit the Father makes way for the Son's Work and the Son for the Spirit 's So back again the Spirit is said to honour the Son Iohn 16.14 He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you And the Son is said to glorify the Father Iohn 14.13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son The Spirit acts as sent by Christ and Christ as sent by the Father This is necessary to be regarded by us because as our Salvation in the general is from the Father through the Son by the Spirit so in all our Commerce with God God the Father as a Judg by the Spirit of Bondage sendeth us to Christ as Mediator and Christ as Mediator by the Spirit of Adoption sends us back again to God as a Father It is a great Help to Prayer Eph. 2.18 For through him we both have an Access by one Spirit unto the Father To whom are we praying To God as a Father Whence have we hopes of Audience By Christ. Who giveth us an Heart to come The Spirit II. The Reasons why they concur 1. That we may have the higher Esteem of the Work which hath such Agents concerned in it It is no slight thing to bring about the Salvation of lost Sinners all the Persons of the Godhead are at work about it and shall not we who are the Parties interested be employed about it also God is in good earnest for therefore before all Worlds he employed the Riches of his Wisdom and Grace to save us in this convenient Way 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was fore ordained before the Foundation of the World but was manifest in these last Times for you And who are we that the Thoughts of God should be taken up about us so long ago Jesus Christ hath spared no Pains to accomplish the Work of our Redemption but freely offered himself to this Work Heb. 10.7 Lo I come to do thy Will O God He repented not his Undertaking but was fully contented if Souls may be saved Isa. 53.11 He shall see of the Travail of his Soul and shall be satisfied And the Holy Spirit continueth striving with us though often grieved by our Obstinacy and Disobedience Gen. 6.3 My Spirit shall not always strive with Man Isa. 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit Many a Conviction do we smother and often check and resist his Motions yet he is importunate to prevail with us 2. That our Hearts may be raised to give equal Glory to all the Persons concerned We must honour the Son as we honour the Father as it is expresly said Ioh. 5.23 That all Men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father that hath sent him There is an Honour due to God only not to be given to any other Christ is equal with the Father in participating this Honour he is to have the same Glory of Believing Love Fear and Invocation So also for the Spirit he is an Object of Invocation for as the Apostle wisheth and desireth Love from the Father and Grace from Christ so a liberal Distribution and Communication of Gifts and Graces from the Spirit Now to excite us to give this due Respect to all the Persons every one concurreth in his way to promote our final Happiness and Salvation The Father deserveth this Esteem from us Many think of God the Father as all Wrath and Justice difficult to be reconciled to Man and of the second Person of the Trinity as more gracious and merciful No the Love of God is the Original of our Redemption God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all Rom. 8.32 And God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses to them 2 Cor. 5.19 And the Father himself loveth you John 16.27 Christ came to shew the amiable Nature of God Being the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Then for the Lord Jesus in Christ the Glory and Riches of the Grace of God doth more eminently and palpably appear This is the Contemplation of the Saints Iohn 1.14 And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only-begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Ephes. 3.18 19. That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the Breadth and Length and Depth and Height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledg that ye might be filled with all the Fulness of God Heb. 3.1 Wherefore holy Brethren Partakers of the Heavenly Calling consider the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession Iesus Christ. His Grace thus condescending to Men is more eminently seen Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his Love towards us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us And Rev. 1.5 To him who loved us and washed us from
Comfort because they are so vile and unworthy and such Sinners If you be such a Sinner the more need of a Saviour You would laugh at him that would argue thus I am too Cold to go to the Fire too Sick to send for the Physician too Poor to take Alms too Filthy to go to the Water to be Washed You must not consider what you have been but what you would be Christ doth not Invite us because we are Holy but that we may be Holy The Objection were of weight if we did only advise you to be eased of your smart but not to be rid of your burden if this Consent were only a Claim of Priviledges and not an Obligation to Duties or a submission to Christ's Healing Methods Celsus objected against Christianity that it was a Sanctuary for naughty Persons and Men of a Licentious Life Origen answereth him That it was not a Sanctuary to shelter them only but an Hospital to cure them It is not the Worthy are Invited â—ut the Thirsty and the Needy you are unworthy to the very last but are you hungry You are unworthy to receive Christ but God is worthy to be oâ—â—yed it is not a matter of Priviledge only but Duty 2. Your Hearts are so loose and changeable you are afraid to bind your selves to God The truth is this consent implyeth a delivery over of your selves to Christ to seek Happiness in the way that he hath appointed it is the first Egress of the Soul towards the Execution of the Duty of a Christian our entry into the practice of the Holy Life and an entry withall into a resolved War with the Devil the World and the Flesh who will resist us herein and you must consider difficulties so as to fortifie your Resolution Matth. 16.24 If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me He will surprize no Man Matth. 20.22 Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I drink of and to be baptized with the Baptism that I am Baptized with And not to consider is to discourage your Consent Obj. You will say You cannot do it by your own Strength and you are uncertain of God's Assistance Answ. Do not foretell the Event but charge your selves with your Duty It is your Duty to engage your Hearts to God tho' you cannot lay Wagers upon your own Strength You must resolve but continually depend upon Christ for the performing of your Resolutions He will maintain you in your way to Heaven 2 Tim. 1.12 For I know in whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day In a sense of your own Insufficiency and Deceitfulness of Heart you must still relye upon his Grace and Spirit who hath made many Promises to support and to keep you by his Power through Faith unto Salvation 3. For Affiance in the great Promise of the Gospel or offer of Pardon and Life by Christ. There seemeth to be an impossibility to Sense and Reason from first to last If the 〈◊〉 of Salvation were sufficiently understood we should see from the beginning to the end from the first step to its last Period in everlasting Glory it is the meer Grace and Power of God that carrieth it on in despite of Men and Devils and therefore it is said Eph. 1.19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us word who believe according to the working of his mighty power As for instance the reconciling of a guilty Soul to God Eph. 2.3 Among whom also we had oâ—r Conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nâ—â—ure Children of Wrath even as others The changing of a naughty and obstinate Heart Ier. 17.9 The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it And the giving us an Holy Nature and Life Iob 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean nâ—t one Or to quicken us that were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 You also hath be quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins To strengthen a feeble and weak Creature 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God That things meet with so much opposition by the way Eph. 6.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high places What can maintain us in the midst of so many Temptations We at length dye and rot in the Grave as others do now the rising of our Bodies after it is eaten by Worms and turned to Dust is a thing incredible and to Flesh and Blood wholly impossible 't is wholly within the reach of God's Power Now since we have ground to hope for all this from the Word of God even to Pardon our many sins Isa. 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon To change this sinful Nature that we may become an holy People to God Titus 3.5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saveth us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost To overcome our Obstinacy perverseness in evil fickleness in good To maintain Grace in the midst of Temptations Iude 24. To him that is able to keep you from falling And finally to raise us up out of the Grace We must not consider and plead the difficulties to damp Faith but to quicken it going on with our Duty and wait for his Salvation III. He staggered not at the Promise through Vnbelief Strong Faith is so satisfied with God's Promise that it leaveth no place for considerable doubtings as Abraham here admitted no doubts or questionings touching the Promise of God but without disputing or arguing to the contrary depended fully upon the Lord being perswaded he could do what he had promised There are two Reasons hereof The Immutability of his Nature Heb. 6.18 That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong Consolation And his Tenderness of his Word Psal. 138.2 For thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name Both these breed this assured Perswasion of God's Faithfulness and Stedfastness and make his Promise the great Prop and Support of Faith Now this staggering or not staggering at the Promise and so the Weakness and Strength of our Faith may referr to three Acts or Parts of Faith 1. A strong Assent or clear sight of the Evidence of the Truth If we have the Word and Promise of God we should believe any thing as surely as if we had the greatest Evidence in the World
Thus some of the Disciples doubted of the Truth of Christ's Resurrection Matth. 28.27 And when they saw him they worshipped him but some doubted Luk 24.21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel This argueth a weak Faith not vigorous and active but Faith is strong as it overcomes our speculative Doubts and so doth settle and establish our Souls in the Truth Acts 2.36 Let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Iesus whom ye have Crucified both Lord and Christ. 2. There is a Doubting or Staggering as Faith is a Consent when the Consent is weak and wavering Faith is weak Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised But such a confirmed Resolution as leaveth no room for wavering and looking back argueth a strong Faith Acts 21.13 Then Paul answered What mean ye to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but to dye at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus 3. As Faith implyeth a Dependance and Trust Iames 1.6 7 8. But let him ask in Faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea driven with the wind and tossed for let not that Man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord A double minded Man is unstable in all his wayes Divided between God and other Confidences 1 Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Matth. 14.31 O thou of little Faith why didst thou doubt Well then it is a strong Faith that causeth such a Fortitude that we pass through all Difficulties and Tryals without distrust or anxiety of mind It is opposite to Fainting Psal. 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living To Fears and Troubles Matth. 8.26 Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Strength of Assent doth exclude speculative Doubts and Errors Strength of Resolution doth fortifâ—y us against worldly Temptations which beget uncertainty Temptations of Profit Pleasure or Vain-glory if the Heart be secretly biassed with these It is opposite to Faith Ioh. 5 44. How can ye believe which receive Honour one of another And strength of Confidence doth exclude those Doubts which arise from Fears of Danger and Terrors of Sense in such Cases we dispute away the Comfort of the Promises IV. He was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to perform A strong steddy and full Perswasion of the Power of God argueth a great Faith 1. There is no doubt of his Will when we have his Promise but the Ability of the Promiser is that which is usually questioned Unbelief stumbleth at his can Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness Psal. 78.19 and How can these things be Luk. 1.34 So 2 Kings 7.2 If the Lord should make Windows in Heaven might this thing be Nay and the Children of God themselves Sarah was rebuked when she laughed Gen. 18.12 13 14. Therefore Sarah laughed within her self saying After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also And the Lord said unto Abraham Wherefore did Sarah laugh saying Shall I of a surety bear a Child which am old is any thing too hard for the Lord Her Laughter was not the Laughter of Exultation but Dubitation Moses Numb 11.13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this People for they weep unto me saying Give us flesh that we may eat The Case is clear we Doubt not but in Case of Danger then we are full of Fears and Suspicions if of his Will it is because we are so vile and unworthy but we are vile and unworthy out of danger as well as in danger therefore it is of his Power 2. God's Power and Alsufficiency is to the Saints the great support of Faith in their greatest Extremities They are relieved by fixing their Eye on God's Almightiness as Abraham here So Heb. 11.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead So for Perseverance Iude 24. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling And for the Resurrection Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself His Power reacheth to the Grave and beyond the Grave So for the Calling the Iews Rom. 11.23 And they also if they abide not still in Vnbelief shall be grafted in for God is able to graft them in again In short to question his Power is to put him out of the Throne to deny him to be God as if he were not able to help his Friends and to be a terror to his Enemies Well then in Matters absolutely promised we have nothing to do but to exalt his Power therefore you may reason thus He will do it for he is able to do it Rom. 11.23 They shall be grafted in for God is able to graft them in again In Matters conditionally promised we must magnifie his Power and refer the Event to his Will Matth. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 3. There are two things enlarge our Thoughts and Apprehensions about the Power of God they are mentioned Verse 17. Whom he believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things that be not as though they were We have to do with a God that can say to the Dead Live God's Power can bring Life out of Death something out of nothing Resurrection and Creation are easie to him He that can quicken the dead can quicken those that are dead in trespasses and sins By the Word of his Power he maketh all things to be that are not Let there be Light and there was Light Lazarus come forth and he came forth He causeth things to appear and exist that had no being before Thirdly The Fruit and Effect of his Faith an exact and constant Obedience Isa. 41.2 Who raised up the righteous Man from the East and called him to his foot The righteous Man is supposed to be Abraham often designed by that Character and he was called to his Foot to go to and fro at God's Command as the Centurion said Matth. 8.9 I am a Man under Authority having Souldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and he doth it There are two great Instances of Abraham's Obedience 1. His Self-denyal in leaving his Countrey Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went It is a sore Tryal to forsake Kindred Friends Lands Fathers House and Inheritance and to seek an abode he knew
former Prophets There are so many Degrees mentioned first they grow slight and careless and do not care to hear what you say then they refuse to obey what they have heard then they grow Sermon-Proof they can hear and have no Benefit by it As long as the Word doth any way affect a Sinner there is some Hope but within a while Conscience smiteth not and Men have gotten the Victory over their Fears and Scruples And thus they go on from natural to voluntary and from voluntary to judicial Hardness of Heart and so are a ready Prey for the Devil 8. Dilatory Excuses are the last Refuge of an hard Heart When they can no longer withstand a Conviction they adjourn and put off the Compliance with God's Will and so elude the Importunity of the present Conviction Felix his Heart boggled Acts 24.25 And as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Iudgment to come Felix trembled and said Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient Season I will call for thee Mind the present Season when God is affording Opportunities of getting Grace Heb. 3.7 8. To Day if ye will hear his Voice harden not your Hearts Psal. 119.60 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Zacheus Luke 19.6 he made haste and came down and received him joyfully Peter and Andrew Mark 4.20 They straitway left their Nets and followed him Paul Gal. 1.16 Immediately I conferred not with Flesh and Blood If God hath given you any Will and Inclination for the present it is an Advantage Sin the longer it continueth the stronger it groweth He that doth not go over at the Fountain-head will not be able to go over when the Stream groweth broader and the farther he goes downward the broader still he findeth it Every Day 's Impenitency bringeth on a new Degree of Hardness Would a Man that is to drink that which to his knowledg is poisoned put the more into his Cup and then take it off out of a Presumption that at length he shall find an Antidote Alas thou may'st be poisoned and dead before the Antidote comes SERMON III. MARK III. 5 And Iesus looked round about on them with Anger being grieved for the Hardness of their Hearts Vse 1. OF Trial. Is this our State Take the two Properties to judg by Insensibleness and Inflexibleness First A hard Heart is insensible insensible of Providences of the Word and of the State of the Soul 1 st Insensible of Providences 1. Of Mercies Either of the Author of Mercies they never look up to the God of their Mercies Hosea 2.8 She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplied her Silver and Gold As Swine that feed upon the Acorns but never look up to the Tree from whence they fall Cant. 4.1 Behold thou arâ— fair my Love behold thou art fair thou hast Doves Eyes As Doves peck and look uâ—ward It is a sign of a tender Heart to see God in every Mercy A drowsy and unattentive Soul never heedeth it is wholly swallowed up in present Enjoyments and looketh no farther It is our Privilege above the Beasts to know the fâ—rst Cause other Creatures live upon God but they are not capable of knowing God they glorify God in their Kind but we may know him Idolatry and Sottishness had never crept into the World if Men had owned the first Cause Or of the End of Mercies which is to draw in our Hearts to God therefore they are called Cords of a Man Hosea 11.4 I drew them with Cords of a Man with Bâ—â—ds of Love Esther 6.3 What Honour and Dignity hath been done to Mordecaâ— for 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 7.2 Thâ—â— the King said unto Nathan the Prophet See now I dwell in an House of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within Curtains When the Heart is urging to Duty upon this score God hath been good to me he hath given me Food and Raimâ—â—â— What have I done for God Now the Heart is hard when we are not sensible of his daily Providence and gracious Supplies in this kind 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and delivered thee out of the Hand of Saul And I gave thee thy Master's House and thy Master's Wives into thy Bosom and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight David had lost his Awe of God because he had not a thankful sense of the Mercies of God 2. Of corrective Providences The Body is a tender Part with wicked Men when they are straitned for bodily Conveniences they will complain yet the hard Heart is still insensible of Judgments They are insensible of the Author or discerning Cause they do not look upward nor inward and though doctrinally right in these things yet they do not seriously consider it and recal it to mind Opinion is one thing and Consideration is another wicked Men may take up good Opinions but they do not consider the Force and Consequence of them 1. They do not see the Hand of God in them Isa. 26.11 Lord when thy Hand is lifted up they will not see They look on these things but as a Chance 1 Sam. 6.9 And see if it goeth up by the way of his own Coast to Bethshemesh then he hath done us this great Evil but if not then we shall know that it was not his Hand that smote us it was a Chance that happened to us If Men own God's Hand they should take up the Matter with him but they own it doctrinally though not practically A Godly Man hath explicite Thoughts of God Iob doth not say the Sabeans and the Chaldeâ—â—s but the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Job 1.21 They do not complain when they are crossed of Chance but the Lord is angry and when they are stricken they consult with him and humble themselves before him Wicked Men are sensible of the smart of the Rod but not of the Hand that holds it 2. They do not see the deserving Cause of them which is Sin Lam. 3.39 40. Wherefore doth a living Man complain a Man for the punishment of his Sins Let us search and try our Ways and turn again to the Lord. If Sickness cometh if a Relation be taken away if an Estate be blasted a waking Conscience looks to the Cause they would see the Mind of God in the Rod. When Israel fell before the Men of Ai Ioshua looketh out for the Troubler so do God's Children 2 dly Insensible of the Power of the Word they have no taste no feeling of the Powers of the World to come Jer. 23.29 Is not my Word like a Fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer that breaketh the Rock in pieces There is a breaking and a melting Power in the Word
1. What Law-work hath been wrought on you what shakings of Heart and feeling of the Powers of the World to come Have you been roused and startled out of your natural Condition Many will assent to this Truth that all are miserable by Nature But wast thou ever sensible that this was thy Case and accordingly affected Wert thou ever feelingly convinced of thy Misery Otherwise we do but learn these things as a Parrot learneth them by rote What feeling have you of your cursed Estate by Nature Have you had any Experience of the Terrors of the Lord You know the Misery of Man by Nature but have you ever felt it 2. What Gospel-work hath been wrought on you what Taste have you had of the good Word of God what Experience of the Efficacy of the Spirit 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 3 dly Insensible of the State of the Soul they never look after it If the Body feel but the scratch of a Pin or want but a Night's sleep we complain presently but the poor Soul though oppressed with Lusts and unfit for Duties is never minded nor regarded and they have no heart to pray for a Release out of that spiritual Judgment To own the Plague of our own Hearts argueth Tenderness 1 Kings 8.38 which shall know every Man the Plague of his own Heart When we complain of Lusts more than Fevers and indisposition of Soul more than weakness of Body the languishing of Grace more than an outward Consumption the Stone in the Heart more than the Stone in the Bladder and Kidneys We find Ephraim bemoaning himself being ill at ease for an untoward Heart Ier. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke Did you ever complain of the hardness of your Heart and lay it before God Do you not bemoan your spiritual Distempers when lazy and backward Where is your Relish for the Word your Delight in spiritual things Isa. 63.17 O Lord why hast thou made us to err from thy Ways and hardned our Heart from thy Fear Secondly A hard Heart is inflexible That will be known where it is more gross 1. By a refusal of the Word when Men will not give God the hearing Zech. 7.11 12. But they refused to hearken and pulled away the Shoulder and stopped their Ears that they should not hear Yea they made their Hearts as an Adamant Stone lest they should hear the Law and the Words which the Lord of Hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets They refused to hear either to vouchsafe their Presence or Attention Acts 13.46 Ye put it from you and judg your selves unworthy of eternal Life The Case is clear in these whenas to others it is doubtful what needeth more dispute in the matter 2. By an Unteachableness so as not to apprehend ought that is spiritual To be ignorant is one thing to be unteachable is another Ezek. 12.2 Son of Man thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious House which have Eyes to see and see not they have Ears to hear and hear not for they are a rebellious House Acts 28.26 Go unto this People and say Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive They do not see what they do see they have no spiritual discerning though a grammatical Knowledg Job 5.14 They meet with Darkness in the Day-time and grope in the Noon-day as in the Night They are simple in the midst of rational Advantages as the Disciples Luke 24.16 Their Eyes were bolden that they should not know him They see the general Truth but make no Application When a Man is shewed a thing and he minds it not but his Mind is on another Object that Man may be said to see and not to see because he doth not regard it Or a Man that hath a Matter come before him he heareth it but his Mind being otherwise employed he regardeth it not in which sense he may be said to hear and not to hear Not to apply is not to regard in seeing rationally and literally he doth not see spiritually with any Life and Power There is a literal Knowledg and there is a spiritual Knowledg the literal Knowledg is that which the hard Heart may have It is said 2 Cor. 3.3 Ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in the fleshly Tables of the Heart It is an Allusion to the Law of Moses consider it in the Letter as separated from the Spirit and only as a Law written in Stone wherein there is a naked Direction of Life but no Power so a stony Heart may see but in seeing they see not But the Spirit of Christ writeth it on the Mind and Heart and maketh the Heart docile and tractible Rom. 7.6 That we should serve in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter The Letter of the Law only manifested Duty but gave no Power to perform it it discovered Corruption but gave no Strength to subdue it it was written in Tables of Stone to shew the hardness of Man's Heart But now the Law when it cometh in upon us with a spiritual Light softneth and strengthneth the Heart and maketh it docible and pliable to God's Counsel 3. By an unwillingness to be admonished in publick or private if in publick the greater the Evil. Private Admonition is a kind of Charge a closer Application To storm against private Admonition argueth an ill Spirit when Men are loth to be disturbed in the ways of Sin But much more against publick Admonition where the Application ariseth not so much from a personal Charge as from their own Consciences When Men cannot endure sound Doctrine it is a dangerous Crisis that which the Prophet Ieremiah speaketh of chap. 6.10 To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear Behold their Ear is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken behold the Word of the Lord is unto them a Reproach they have no delight in it Surely Men delight in Satan's Arms when they are loth to be pluck'd from thence Satan hath made his Nest there and is loth to be disturbed 2 Sam. 23.6 7. But the Sons of Belial shall be all of them as Thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands But the Man that shall touch them must be fenced with Iron and the Staff of a Spear The Sons of Belial are compared to Thorns that cannot be touched with hands but rend and tear those that meddle with them Men are angry that they cannot quietly enjoy their Lusts. Plausible Strains are very sutable to a carnal Heart or tame Lectures of contemplative Divinity but sound Doctrine that rendeth and teareth the Conscience is not endured 4. By scoffing at the Word The