and comforts under soul-troubles There is no Monarch can furnish his table with such variety of delicates as God hath furnished his Word with variety of comforts 2 The Word of God is not only the Magazine of all true comfort but the Fountain from whence it is derived All the comfort that you receive by reading of good books is fetched out of this Book All the refreshings that the Ambassadors of Christ administer to you are borrowed from this Fountain As the King of Israel answered the woman that cried out saying Help my Lord O King If the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee So will all the true Ministers of Christ say to any distressed soul that cries out for comfort How can wee comfort you if the Word of God doth not comfort you All our comforts must bee fetcht from thence 3 It will comfort us at such a time when no outward thing can comfort us And that is when wee are under soul-agonies and when our soul sits upon our lips ready to depart when wee are sailing into the Ocean of Eternity then even then the promises of the Word will comfort us When gold and silver Father and Mother Friends and Physitians are miserable comforters then will one promise out of the Word fill us full of joy unspeakable and glorious 4 The Comforts of the Word exceed all other Comforts for they are pure and purifying sure and satisfying they are soul-supporting soul-comforting and soul-ravishing they are durable and everlasting The comforts of the world are not worthy to bee named that day in which wee speak of the comforts of the Word They are not consolationes but consolatiunculae At best they are but bodily unsatisfying and transitory Many times they are sinful and soul-damning 5 The Word of God is not onely a Magazine and a Fountain of comfort but also a touchstone by which wee must try all our comforts whether they bee true and real or no. All joyes hopes and assurances must bee tryed by the Word and if not rightly grounded thereupon are false and soul-delusions 6 It is as an Apothecaries shop or a Physitians dispensatory out of which wee may fetch all manner of Medicines to cure all the diseases of our souls Art thou spiritually lame blinde or dumb c. The Word will open blinde eyes make the dumb to speak and the lame to walk If dead in sins and trespasses the Word when it is the sword of the Spirit will quicken thee It is as a corrasive to eat sin out of thy heart therefore David saith I have hid thy Word in mine heart that I might not sin against thee 7 It is a spiritual Armory out of which wee may fetch all manner of Weapons to conquer the Devil and his temptations 2 Corint 10. 4. It is that little Brook out of which every David may fetch five smooth stones to destroy the Devil These five smooth stones are five texts of Scripture three of these Christ took out of the brook of the Word by which he subdued the Devil Mat. 4. 4. 7 10. 8 It is the Sun of the Christian VVorld As the Sun is the light of the Natural VVorld and without it the World is but a Chaos and a Dungeon full of darkness So is the VVord of God the light of the spiritual world without which a Christian is under an eternal night Therefore David saith Thy VVord is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Psal. 119. 105. What would all the World avail if no Sun to illighten it and what comfort would all the wealth of it afford us if no word to instruct and counsel us For this is the Christians compass to sail to Heaven by his staffe to walk withall to Heaven his spiritual bladders to keep his soul from drowning The Cork to keep up the net of his soul from sinking Afflictions are like the lead of the Net which weigheth it down but the Word is as the Cork which keeps it up that it sinks not So saith David in the Text Unless thy Law had been my delights c. Vse If the Word of God bee of such invaluable excellency absolute necessity and of such admirable use 1 Let us bless God exceedingly for revealing his will unto us in the Word It was a great honour and priviledge to the Iews that to them were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 2. And it is our great happiness that wee have not only the same Oracles of God which they have but an addition of the New Testament for the clearer discoverie of the mysteries of salvation unto us If God be to bee praised for every crum of bread we eat much more for giving us his VVord which is the bread of life and the only food of our souls Blessed bee God who hath not only given us the book of the Creatures and the book of Nature to know himself and his will by but also and especially the Book of the Scriptures whereby wee come to know those things of God and of Christ which neither the Book of Nature nor of the creatures can reveal unto us Let us bless God not only for revealing his will in his VVord but for revealing it by writing Before the time of Moses God discovered his Will by immediate revelations from Heaven But wee have a surer word of Prophecy a Pet. 1. 19. surer to us than a voyce from Heaven For the Devil saith the Apostle transforms himself into an Angel of light Hee hath his apparitions and revelations hee is Gods ape and in imitation of God he appears to his Disciples and makes them beleeve it is God that appears and not the Devil Thus hee appeared to Saul in the likenesse of Samuel And if God should now at this day discover his way of worship and his Divine Will by Revelations how easily would men bee deceived and mistake Diabolical delusions for Divine Revelations and therefore let us blesse God for the written word which is surer and safer as to us than an immediate Revelation There are some that are apt to think that if an Angel should come from Heaven and reveal Gods Will to them it would work more upon them than the written word but I would have these men study the conference between Abraham and Dives Luke 16. 27 28 29 30 31. Habent Mosen Prophetas c. They have Moses and the Prophets if they will not profit by them neither would they profit by any that should come out of Hell or down from Heaven to them For it is the same God that speaks by his written Word and by a voyce from Heaven The difference is only in the outward cloathing and therefore if Gods speaking by writing will not amend us No more will Gods speaking by a voyce O bless God exceedingly for the written Word Let us cleave close to it and not expect any Revelations from Heaven of new truths but say with the Apostle
it In matters of weight delay is dangerous Abigail made haste to prevent Davids fury Rahab made haste to hang out her Scarlet threed The salvation of your souls is a matter of the greatest concernment and to delay providing for it is not onely a sin against the command of Christ but a sleighting of the Heaven of Christ. How justly may God deny to you who refuse when hee calls either space or grace to turn to him and say to you as it is reported hee said to a man who desired to repent in his old age ubi consumpsisti farinam ibi con-sume furfurem Where you have spent your flower there go spend your branne Therefore let my Counsel bee acceptable to you Make Christ your unum necessarium your one thing necessary and Heaven your primum quaerite Seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his Righteousness Say with David I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandements 3 Take heed of resting in the Ministry of man You must not despise the teachings of Orthodox Ministers lawfully called for hee that despiseth them despiseth Christ hee that is above their teachings is above the teachings of Christ for Christ teacheth by them They are his Embassadors and they preach not only in his Name but in his stead yet you must not rest satisfied with the teachings of men but pray That while the Minister speaks to your ears God would speak to your hearts That God would fulfil that blessed Promise Isa. 54. 13. And all thy Children shall bee taught of God That hee would give you an unction from the Holy One to teach you all things That you may see the goings of God in his Sanctuary you may behold the beauty of the Lord and see his power and glory in his holy Temple In a word That God would give you not onely the presence of Ordinances but his presence in them That you may experimentally know what it is to injoy communion with God in Gospel-Administrations 4 Take heed of formality customariness and carelesness in the performance of holy duties Hee that serves God carelesly brings a curse upon himself instead of a blessing For cursed is hee that doth the work of the Lord negligently Hee that serves God formally and customarily doth not serve him but mock him If the Israelites had brought the skin of a beast for sacrifice instead of a beast it would have been counted a mocking of God rather than a worshiping of him So do they who serve God negligently and formally 5 Bee not contented to have a name to bee godly and religious but labour to bee really such as you are supposed by others to bee Remember what Christ saith of the Church of Sardis That shee had a name to live but was dead What will it profit you to bee thought by men to bee godly if God knows that you are ungodly What will it advantage you to seem to go to Heaven and yet at last to miss of it O labour to bee Christians not only in word but in deed and in truth not onely by outward profession but by a holy conversation Rest not satisfied with a less degree of grace than that which will bring you to Heaven It will bee a double Hell to go within an inch of Heaven and yet at last to miscarry 6 Remember what Christ saith of Capernaum The Capernaites were not so bad as the Gadarens who desired Christ to depart from them much less as the Nazarites who thrust Christ out of their Coasts For they heard him preach every Sabbath-day and were astonished at his doctrine And yet because they did not sincerely practise what was taught them Christ pronounceth a heavy doom against them Matth. 11. 23 24. And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt bee brought down to Hell for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodome it would have remained unto this day But I say unto you that it shall bee more tolerable for the land of Sodome in the day of judgement than for thee It is not enough to praise the Sermons you hear to admire and stand astonished at the Doctrine delivered If you do not practise what is preached If you do not live Sermons as well as hear them it shall bee easier for Sodome and Gomorrha at the day of judgement than for you 7 Take heed that the love of the world doth not eat out the heart of Religion and at last Religion it self out of your hearts Remember what the Apostle Paul saith That the love of money is the root of all evill which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced thēselves through with many sorrows And what the Apostle John saith 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 There is no sin so contrary to true Saint-ship as worldly-mindedness A Saint is one who hath much of Heaven in him and is much in Heaven A Saint is one whose original is from Heaven hee is born from above his name is written in Heaven his meditations affections and conversation is in Heaven Hee is one who is elected to things above and called to partake of Heaven and eternal happiness And for such a man to minde things earthly is a sin of the first magnitude Therefore the Apostle would not have covetousness so much as named amongst Christians There is no sin more defiles the soul. It will besmear you and make you spiritual Blackamores and Chimny-sweepers in Gods sight There is no sin doth more dead and dull the heart in the doing of good duties It hinders a man both from and in Ordinances The Farmer and Merchant made light of the call of Christ and one went to his Farm the other to his Merchandize There is no sin will more eclipse the light of Gods countenance from shining upon you The Moon is never in the Eclipse but when the earth comes between us and the Sun A child of God is seldome without the light of Gods countenance unless it bee through the over-much love of the world No sin will more hinder your flight up to Heaven The Ostrich cannot flye high because of the shortness of her wings Jacob was forced in his travelling towards Canaan to go slowly and softly because of his multitude of children of flocks and herds And therefore let mee again beseech you to take heed of worldly-mindedness this will quickly betray you into Apostacy from Christ and from the truths of Christ. A man who loves the world will Judas-like betray Christ for thirty peeces Hee will part with his Religion rather than with his estate This sin is the root of all evil it exposeth a man to all temptations to hurtful lusts to all errors and all kinde of sorrows It will drown your souls in
purpose read over these Sermons and study them in time of health that you may injoy the benefit of them in the time of sickness Lastly Let mee intreat you to praise God in my behalfe that hee hath been pleased out of his free love to uphold mee amongst you in my Ministerial imployment for these Eighteen years And to continue your earnest prayers unto him that hee would make my labours more usefull and successful that hee would guide mee that I may guide you that hee would not onely make but keep mee faithful in these back sliding times and teach mee so to preach and so to live that I may save my self and those that hear mee Your Servant in the Work of the Ministry Ed. Calamy Books lately printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the sign of the three Crowns â—ver against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside Four profitable Treatises very useful for Christian practice viz. The Killing Power of the Law The Spiritual Watch. The New Birth Of the Sabbath By the Reverend William Fenner late Minister of Rochford in Essex The Journal or Diary of a thankful Christian wherein is contained Directions for the right method of keeping and using according to the Rules of Practise A Day-book of National and publick personal and private passages of Gods Providence to help Christians to thankfulness and experience By Iohn Bendle Minister of the Gospel at Barstone in Essex large Octavo Here followeth the Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mris. Elizabeth Moore the 27th of February last at Aldermaenbury The Godly mans Ark OR City of Refuge in the day of his Distresses SERMON I. PSAL. 119. 92. Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine Affliction THis Psalm out of which my Text is taken exceeds all the other Psalms not only in length but in excellency so far in the judgement of Ambrose as the light of the Sun excels the light of the Moon As the Book of Psalms is stiled by Luther An Epitome of the Bible or a little Bible So may this Psalm fitly bee called An Epitome of the Book of Psalms It was written as is thought by David in the dayes of his banishment under Saul but so penned that the words thereof suit the condition of all Saints It is penu doctrinae publicum unicuique apta convenientia distribuens A publick store-house of heavenly doctrines distributing fit and convenient instructions to all the people of God and therefore should bee in no less account with those who are spiritually alive than is the use of the Sun Air and Fire with those who are naturally alive It is divided into two and twenty Sections according to the Hebrew Alphabet and therefore fitly called A holy Alphabet for Sions Schollars The A B C of godliness Sixtâ—â— Senensis calls it An Alphabetical Poem The Iews are said to teach it their little children the first thing they learn and therein they take a very right course both in regard of the heavenly matter and plain stile fitted for all capacities The chief scope of it is to set out the glorious excellencies and perfections of the Law of God There is not a verse except one onely say some Learned men in Print but are therein deceived but I may truly say Except the 122. and the 90. verses in this long Psalm wherein there is not mention made of the Law of God under the name of Law or Statutes or Precepts or Testimonies or Commandements or Ordinances or Word or Promises or Wayes or Judgements or Name or Righteousness or Truth c. This Text that I have chosen sets out the great benefit and comfort which David found in the Law of God in the time of his affliction It kept him from perishing Had not thy Law been my delights I had perished in my affliction The word Law is taken diversly in Scripture sometimes for the Moral Law Jam. 2. 10. Sometimes for the whole Oeconomy Polity and Regiment of Moses for the whole Mosaical dispensation by Laws partly Moral partly Judicial partly Ceremonial Gal. 3. 23. Sometimes for the five Books of Moses Luke 24. 44. Sometimes for the whole Doctrine of God contained in the Scriptures of the Old Testament Joh. 7. 49. By Law in this place is meant all those Books of the Scripture which were written when this Psalm was penned But I shall handle it in a larger sense as it comprehends all the Books both of the Old and New Testament For the word Law is sometimes also taken for the Gospel as it is Micah 4. 2. Isa. 2. 3. The meaning then is Unless thy Law that is Thy Word had been my delights I should have perished in mine Affliction David speaks this saith Musculus of the distressed condition hee was in when persecuted by Saul forced to flye to the Philistins and sometimes to hide himself in the rocks and caves of the earth Hiâ— vero simile est fuisse illi ad manum codicem divinae legis c. It is very likely saith hee that hee had the Book of Gods Law with him by the reading of which hee mitigated and allayed his sorrows and kept himself pure from communicating with the Heathen in their superstitions The Greek Scholiasts say That David uttered these words A Saule pulsus apud Philistaeos impios homines agere coactus when driven from Saul and compelled to live amongst the wicked Philistins c. for he would have been allured to have communicated with them in their impieties had he not carried about him the meditation of the word of God Unless thy Law had been my delights c. In the words themselves wee have two Truths supposed and one Truth clearly proposed 1 Two Truths supposed 1 That the dearest of Gods Saints are subject to many great and tedious Afflictions 2 That the word of God is the Saints darling and delights One Truth clearly proposed That the Law of God delighted in is the afflicted Saints Antidote against ruine and destruction 1 Two Truths supposed The first is this Doct. 1. That the best of Gods Saints are in this life subject to many great and tedious Afflictions David was a man after Gods own heart and yet hee was a man made up of troubles of all sorts and sizes insomuch as hee professeth of himself Psal. 69. 1 2 3. Save mee O God for the waters are come in unto my soul I sink in deep mire where there is no standing I am come into deep waters where the flouds over-flow mee I am weary of my crying my throat is dryed mine eyes fail while I wait for my God And in this Text he professeth that his afflictions were so great that he must necessarily have perished under them had hee not been sustained by the powerfull comforts he fetched out of the word There is an emphasis in the word Then I should then have perished that is long before this time then when I was afflicted then I
Dilectum delictum thy peccatum in deliciis thy beloved sin what is that sin to which thou art most of all inclined and if that sin prevaile over thee and thou canst not say with David Psal. 18. 23. I have kept my self from mine iniquity It is very probable that for the subduing of that sin thou art corrected of God 4 If ever thou hast been at the gates of death despairing of life consider what that sin was which did thee most of all trouble and perplexe thy conscience or if ever thou hast been in a dream supposing thy self to bee dying and breathing out thy last what was that sinne which did then most of all affright thee It is very likely that God by afflicting thee intends to get that sin more conquered and mortified 5 Consider what those sins are for which thy godly Minister under whose care thou livest doth reprove thee and of which thy true and real friends do accuse thee for if thou hast sleighted the voyce of thy faithful Minister and friends surely God out of his love to thee followeth their advice with the voyce of his Rod that thereby hee may open thine ear to Discipline and command thee to depart from those iniquities But if thou canst not finde out that particular sin for which God afflicts thee labour to repent of every sin and then thou wilt bee sure to repent of that sin If thou canst not finde out the Bee that stings thee pull down the whole Hive or the thorn that pricks thee pull down the whole Hedge Do that out of wisdome which Herod did out of malice who because hee could not finde out the Babe Iesus killed all the children in Bethlehem from two years old and under that so hee might bee sure to ' kill Iesus Let us seek the utter ruine and death of all our sins and then wee shall bee sure to destroy that sin for which God afflicts us and when the cause is removed the disease will forthwith bee cured and the Almighty pacified and reconciled unto us 2 Let us labour that the good wee reap by our afflictions may abide upon us after our recovery from them There are very many who while they are under the Rod seem to bee very penitent and do purpose and promise to amend their lives but as soon as the Rod is removed they returne like the Dog to the vomit c. Such was Pharaoh whilst he was plagued he confessed his sin and prayed for pardon but as soon as ever the judgement was gone hee hardened his heart Such were the Israelites Psal. 78. 34 35 36 37. They were not stedfast they turned back Just like a truantly School-boy who while his Master is whipping him will promise any thing but when it is done forgets presently to doe what hee promised Or like unto water which while it is upon the fire is very hot but as soon as ever it is taken off the fire presently groweth cold I knew a man who in the time of his sickness was so terrified in his conscience for his sins that hee made the very bed to shake upon which hee lay and cried out all night long I am damned I am damned and made many and great Protestations of amendment of life if God would bee pleased to recover him In a little while hee did recover and being recovered was as bad and as wicked as ever before And therefore let us labour that the good wee get by our afflictions may not vanish away with our afflictions but may abide on us after wee are recovered that wee may bee able to say with David It is good for mee that I was afflicted not onely that I am but that I was David praiseth God in health for the good hee had got in sickness and which still abode with him Let us say with the same Prophet Psal. 66. 13 14. I will go into thy house with burnt offerings I will pay thee my vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Let us pray unto God that his afflictions may not onely skin over our spiritual diseases and coup up our sins but mortifie them and so change our natures that wee may never return to folly I will conclude this point with a famous saying of Plinius secundus worthy to bee written in letters of gold A friend writes to him and intreats him to give him advice how to frame his life so as hee might live as becomes a good man Hee returns him this answer I will not prescribe many rules there is this one only which I commend to thee above all other Ut tales esse perseveremus sani quales nos futuros profitemur infirmi Let us labour to continue and persevere to bee such when wee are well as wee purpose and promise to our selves to bee when wee are sick There is hardly any man so wicked but hee will in sickness make many and great promises of a new life and of universal reformation if God would restore him Now then if we not onely bee such but continue to bee such when restored as wee promise to bee when sick then wee shall bee excellent Schollars in the School of Affliction and God will either as I have already said deliver us out of affliction or send us to heaven by affliction So much for the first Truth supposed The End of the first Sermon THE Word of God IS THE Saints Delights SERMON II. PSAL. 119. 92. Unless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine Affliction NOw I come to speak of the second Truth supposed in the Text. That the Word of God is the Saints darling and delights not onely their delight but in the plural number their delights that is as our Annotations say a Saint doth greatly delight in Gods Law or as Iunius All the delight of a Saint is in Gods Law Gods word is the center of his delights Nisi lex tun erat omuit oblectatio mea Many were the troubles and sorrows of Davids life but against them all hee found as many comforts and delectations in Gods Word therefore hee saith vers 29. Thy Testimonies are my delights c. and 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on mee yet thy Commandements are my delights And in the Text Unless thy Law had been my delights c. Whilst others delight in vanity and iniquity whilst others take pleasure in hunting hawking carding dicing eating and drinking the Saints of God can say with Austin Sacr a Scripturae tuae sunt sanctae dellctae meae Thy holy Scriptures are my holy delights Quest. Why do the Saints of God take such delight in the Law of God Answ. 1. Because they are spiritually inlightned their eyes are opened to behold the glory and beauty and to understand the deep mysteries of the Law therefore David prayeth vers 18. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law As the Apostle
are some men that can delight in any thing but in God and his Word and his Ordinances They can delight in the creatures of God but cannot delight in the Ordinances of God They can delight in the gifts of God in riches and health and honours But they cannot delight in the God of these gifts They can delight in books of Philosophy and Humanity but they cannot delight in the word of God Mark the sad condition that these are in It is a certain sign that there is a vail over their eyes and hearts that they are not yet anointed with Christs eye-salve that the God of the world hath blinded their eyes that they cannot see the glorious excellencies of the Law of God It is certain that they are not born anew for if they were new born babes they would desire the sincere milk of the word It is certain that the Law of God is not yet written in their hearts and that the Spirit of God doth not dwell in them It is certain that they have no part nor portion in the word of God that they never tasted the sweetness that is in it and that they have no true love to God nor to his word It is a true saying Qui regem amat legem amat hee that loves a King will love his Law And I may say Qui Deum amat legem Dei amat Hee that loves God will love the Law of God which is nothing else but his Image and his Picture his last Will and Testament his blessed Love-token And therefore if you delight not in the Law of God it is evident you do not delight in the God of this Law And if you delight not in God hee will not delight in you unless it bee to laugh at your destruction as it is Prov. 1. 26. Q. But how shall I know whether I do delight in the Word of God or no Answ. You shall know it by these notes 1 Hee that delights in Gods Law will bee very frequent in meditating and reading of it and very often in speaking of it Thus saith David Psal. 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and therein hee will meditate day and night And Psalm 119. 97. Oh how do I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day So also vers 15 16. 23. Hee that takes pleasure in the Law hee will bee often thinking of it as Christ saith Matth. 6. 21. Where the treasure is there the heart will bee also If the word of God bee thy treasure thou wilt meditate on it Cogitatione crebrâ longâ profundâ Thou wilt frequently think of it and when thou beginnest to think of it thou wilt dwell upon the thought of it as a Bee dwells as it were upon the flower to suck out the sweetness that is in it and thou wilt think of it with deep and serious meditations and contemplations thou wilt dive into the unsearchable riches and treasures that are in the Word And as thou wilt meditate on it so thou wilt bee often and unwearisome in reading and perusing of it and discoursing about it A man that delights in hunting is never weary of talking of hunting and hee that delights in the world of speaking about the world and if you did delight in Gods word you would bee very frequent and indefatigable in discoursing of it 2 If you delight in the Word of God you would delight in the Ministers and Ambassadors of the Word lawfully commissionated by Christ For the great work of the Ministry is to expound and apply the Word and therefore if you dis-respect the godly learned lawful Ministry of the Word you take no delight in the Word 3 They that delight in the Word will bee at any cost to bring the Word to their Congregations they will part with thousands of gold and silver rather than with the word He that esteems the Word above thousands will bee willing to part with hundreds for the Words sake Hee will account a famine of the Word more bitter than a famine of bread by how much the soul is better than the body by so much will hee bee more troubled for a soul-famine than a bodily 4 Hee that delights truely in the Law will sincerely labour to obey it and bee mâ—ch grieved when it is disobeyed 1 Hee will sincerely labour to obey it hee will make the Word of God the man of his counsel vers â—4 Thy testimonies are my delight but how doth hee prove that in the following words and my counsellors Hee will make the Word a Lamp to his feet and a light to his paths vers 105. In all his undertakings hee will inquire what God would have him to do and hee will make Gods Word his Compass to sail by and pray with David vers 35. Make mee to go in the path of thy Commandements for therein do I delight 2 Hee will bee much grieved when others transgress the Law of God Thus David vers 53. Horror hath taken hold upon mee because of the wicked that forsake thy Law and vers 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law And therefore you that delight in sin you cannot bee said to delight in the Word and you that are not pained and grieved when others sin you are not amongst the number of those that take pleasure in Gods Law or in whom God takes pleasure Use 2. Let us make it appear that wee are Saints in deed and in truth not only Saints in Mans but in Gods Calender by following the example of holy David set down in the Text. Let us make the Law of God our joyes and our delights Let mee speak to you in the words of the Apostle Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of God dwell richly in you c. not onely with you but in you And in the Words of Christ Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for therein you hope to finde eternal life The Greek word signifieth to search as men do under ground for treasures or to search as men who dive under water for something that is at the bottome Let us with Iob 23. 12. Esteem the ward of God above our necessary food Let us love it above gold yea above fine gold Let it bee dearer to us than thousands of gold and silver sweeter than the hony and the honey-comb You that are Gentlemen remember what Hierom reports of Nepotianus a young Gentleman of Rome Qui longa assidua meditatione scripturarum pectus suum fecerat bibliothecam Christi who by often and assiduous meditation of the Scriptures made his breast the Library of Christ. Remember what is said of King Alphonsus that he read over the Bible fourteen times together with such Commentaries as those times afforded You that are Schollars remember Cranmer and Ridley the former learnt the New Testament by heart in his journey to Rome the latter in Pembrook-hall Walks in Cambridge Remember what is said of Thomas a Kempis
a right and portion in all the Promises This is that which God saith Exod. 19. 5. If you will obey my voyce indeed then yee shall bee a peculiar treasure c. If yee will obey my voyce indeed not only in word and in shew but in deed and in truth Thus Ierem. 7. 5 7. If yee thorowly amend your wayes if yee thorowly execute judgement c. then will I cause you to dwell in this place c. If yee thorowly amend c. not only in some things but in all things not only outwardly but inwardly also This Rule is expresly delivered by the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse hath the promise of the life that now is and that which is to come If thou beest a godly man in a Gospel-sense that is one who truly and sincerely indeavoureth to bee godly If thou makest Gods Will thy Rule to live by and not thine own Gods glory thy end and not thy own carnal interest Gods love thy Principle If thy Rules Aimes and Principles bee godly all the Promises of this Life and of the Life to come belong to thee It is worth observing that all the Promises of Life and Salvation are conditional Happiness is entailed upon Holiness Glory upon Grace You shall read in Scripture of the blessings of the Covenant and of the bond of the Covenant of the blessings of the Promises and of the condition of the Promises If ever you would assure your selves of your interest in the blessings of the Covenant you must try your selves by your sincere performance of the condition Thus Christ is promised to none but such as beleeve pardon of sin to none but such as repent and Heaven to none but such as persevere in well doing Tell mee then Canst thou say as in Gods presence that thou hast respect to all Gods Commandements though thou failest in all yet thou hast respect to all that thou obeyest God in deed and in truth and that thou sincerely labourest to bee godly This is a certaine signe that all the Promises are thy portion but you that are ungodly and doe not thorowly amend your wayes you that sleight undervalue and despise the commanding Word you have no part no portion in the promising word But it may bee a distressed Christian though without just cause will say that hee is afraid that hee doth not sincerely obey the commanding word and therefore dares not apply to himself the promising word wherefore I adde Rule 2. 2 The more thou art afraid lest thou shouldest have no right to the Promises the more right thou hast in all probability to them This I speak only to the distressed Christian not that I commend his fear But this I say This fear which thou art possessed withall is a probable signe that thou hast an interest in the Promises For a presumptuous Sinner never doubts of his right to them but takes it as a Maxime not to bee denied that they belong to him It is a comfortable saying of Mr. Greenhams When thou hearest the Promises and art in a cold sweat and hast a fear and trembling seizing upon thee lest they should not belong to thee doubt not but that they doe belong to thee For Christ hath said Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will give you rest And the Prophet Isaiah calls upon those who are of a fearful heart to bee strong and fear not and tells us for our comfort that God will look with an eye of favour upon him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at his word Rule 3. 3 The more sensible thou art of thine own unworthiness to lay hold upon the Promises the more thou art fitted and qualified to lay hold upon them For the promises are as I have shewed the fruit of Free-grace Nothing moved God to enter into a Covenant with his people and thereby to become their Debtor but his free love Free grace brought Christ down from Heaven and it is Free Grace must carry us up to Heaven Christ himself is called the gift of God John 4. 10. Moses tells the Israelites Deut. 7. 7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chuse you because you were more in number than any people c. but because the Lord loved you and because hee would keep the Oath which hee had sworn unto your Fathers hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you c. God doth not love us because wee are worthy of his love but because hee loves us therefore hee makes us worthy Wee must not bring worthinesse to Christ but fetch worthinesse from Christ. And therefore if thou beest sensible of thine owne nothingnesse emptinesse and unworthinesse lay hold upon that excellent Promise Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Blessed are those who are sensible of their spiritual wants for to them belongs the Kingdome of Heaven as certainly as if they were already in it Rule 4. 4 Study thy interest in the main and fundamental Promise and that will help thee to make out thy interest in all the other The main and fundamental Promise is the Promise of Christ. For all Promises whither Spiritual oâ— Temporal are made to us in and thorough him God hath promised never to leave us nor forsake us and that all things shall work together for our good that is if wee be in Christ God hath said all things are ours whether Paul or Apollos whether life or death whether things present or things to come but it is with this Promise if wee bee Christs Whosoever takes any comfort from any Temporal promise and is not in Christ doth but delude and cheat himself This then is thy work O Christian study thy interest in Christ make out that and make out all If no interest in Christ no interest in the Promises If an interest in Christ an interest in the Promises let this then be thy daily business to make it out to thy soul that Christ is thine Quest. How shall I bee able to doe this Answ. For this purpose you must diligently study three things 1 The Universality of the Promise of Christ. 2 The Freenesse of it 3 The condition upon which hee is tendred 1 The Universality of the promise of Christ. Christ Jesus with all his benefits is promised to every one who is willing to lay hold on him as hee is tendred in the Gospel The Apostles are commanded to go into all the world and to preach the Gospel to every creature hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved c. If thou hast a heart to beleeve bee thy sins never so great it is for the honour of Iesus Christ to pardon them As the Sea covers great Rocks as well as small so the Mercy of God in Christ will pardon great sins as well as little It will