be Masters of new opinions than to be disciples of old Truths these men may be said to be weary of the Gospel Secondly Are there not some that are weary of the Profession of the Gospel such as are Atheists and prophane Libertines Swearers Drunkards and others of that Gang that could be contented that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should be extinguished that the Candle might be put out so they may but sin more freely but our Saviour hath read their doom John 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 Thirdly Are there not some weary of the Power and Practice of the Gospel such are Hypocrites Apostates luke-warm Professors and carnal Gospellers that have it is true a form of godliness but are as far from the power and practice of it as Pagans are from the profession of it Are not these worthy think you to be reproved yea God reproves them and his Word reproves them and their own consciences will one day reprove them nay that Gospel which now they despise and undervalue will then arraign indict and condemn them at that great day for if the Lord Jesus Christ will come in flames of fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not his Gospel as it is 2 Thes 1.8 What will become of them that are weary of it that despise it that do undervalue it The fourth and last Use to shut up this point is this If the knowledg of salvation be discovered by the preaching of the Gospel then let me press upon you three very necessary and seasonable Duties First Learn to prize the Gospel while you have it labour to know the worth of it now you have it lest God let you see the worth of it in the want of it when it is too late God will never hang a Jewel upon a swines snout God will never long continue the Gospel in mercy to a People that do not value it True indeed some there are that are ready to say of the Gospel as Naaman the Assyrian in like case Are not Abana and Pharphar rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel may I not wash in them to be clean So some will say Are not the doctrines of Popery and other corrupt doctrines better than all the doctrines of the Gospel But I hope you have not so learnt Christ Oh learn to prize the Gospel as the doctrine of your salvation as the evidence of your inheritance Do you learn to prize it as the tree of life which is for the healing of the Nations as the pledg of the hope you have of eternal life Labour for such an esteem of the Gospel as David had Psal 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Oh do you now learn to prize the Gospel as the greatest priviledg that ever God did bestow upon you next to Jesus Christ and his Spirit A second Duty I would press upon you is this not only to prize the Gospel but to make use of it and improve it for your own spiritual advantage Yet a little while saith our Saviour is the light with you walk while you have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth John 12.35 Oh that you and I could learn to make hay while the Sun shines Oh that we could improve these opportunities while we do enjoy them If so be the Gospel should be taken away from you before your peace is made with God before you have gotten Jesus Christ into your hearts before the Covenant between God and your Souls be sealed Oh how sad and doleful would your conditions be sure I am we were never in so much danger of losing the Gospel as at this day for our barrenness and unfruitfulness and wearness of the Gospel We are ready to say Mal. 1.13 What a weariness is it to serve the Lord and for our contempt of the means of grace Now if such a day should come as God threatens Micah 3.6 Therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them If such a day should come as God threatens Amos 8.11 Behold the days come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it Oh what a black doleful dismal day would this be Thirdly It should teach us to walk worthy of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Oh let us learn to lead Gospel-lives under Gospel-light let it never be said to us that the Gospel is a grace to us but we are a disgrace to the Gospel I beseech you my brethren study to live up to your light seeing God hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light walk as children of the light follow that golden Rule of the Apostle Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things speak of these things Oh could we but once learn to cast off the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light could we once be brought to this to repent of our Gospel-sins may be the Lord may lengthen our tranquility may be God may revive his work in the midst of our days may be glory may yet dwell in our Land and make us a name and praise throughout the whole earth But if we go on in a course of Rebellion if we rebel against the light if we despise the means of grace if we undervalue those precious seasons of Salvation that are tendred to us if we grieve the holy Spirit of God from day to day and cause him to withdraw from us what a black and doleful day may seize upon us The Lord work these things upon every one or our hearts that still the Gospel in its power and purity may be continued to us CHRIST'S PROVISION FOR MANS DIRECTION Isaiah XL. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young THE first verse of this Chapter will tell you what the scope of the Chapter is namely to speak comfort to the poor captive Jews in their return
the Popish Religion is a loose and licentious Religion a Sintolerating Religion for the Pope can dispence with murthering of Princes and the like if it will promote his interest forbidding Priests marriage and yet suffering at the same time Stews and Brothel-houses It was a saying of Sir Walter Raleigh Were I to chuse a Religion for liberty and wickedness I would chuse the Popish Religion therefore in Gods fear hold fast the truth against Popery And hold it fast likewise against the errour of Arminianism which advances mans free-Will above Gods free-Grace And hold fast the Truth against Socinians that deny the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ In brief be rooted setled and established in the present truth stick close unto the Word of God as David did stand for it plead for it chuse to lose Liberty Estates Comforts Life and all rather than to part with the Truth David made the Truth his Inheritance Now as Naboth said to Ahab The Lord forbid it me that I should give the Inheritance of my Fathers unto thee 1 Kings 21.3 Could he say so of a temporal Inheritance and shall not we say so of a spiritual Inheritance which is transmitted to us by the blood of Martyrs Shall the Ministers of the Gospel have cause to complain as in Jer. 9.3 And they bend their tongue like their bow for lyes but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth Shall we deal with the truth as the Priest and Levite did with the man that went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among Thieves left him wounded and half dead nay dying in the streets Hath God said Buy the truth and sell it not Prov 23 and shall we sell it for our lusts and profits God forbid Consider who it was that abode not in the truth it was Satan a Lyar who hath no truth in him John 8.44 Even so all wicked men are said to be destitute of the truth and to hold the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 that is they strive against the light of truth in their hearts those common principles of truth which they had in their understandings they suppressed and choaked that so they might sin more freely but God forbid that we should do so Will not this make the Spirit of truth to forsake us when we forsake the truth What an heroical resolution was that in holy Paul 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Oh what an honour is it to a Christian when truth hath such soveraignty in his heart that it is dearer to him than his own life Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful Word Hold forth the word of Life and hold fast the word of Truth hold forth the word of Life by a true profession and conversation and hold fast the word of truth by courage constancy and resolution 1. But may be you will ask me What means may we use thus to hold fast the truth I answer briefly 1. Embrace the truth not only in the light of it but in the love of it what you love you will be sure not to part with Oh get your hearts fired with love to the truths of the Gospel that you may say Lord I love thy truth exceedingly 2. Love not the truth for the person's sake but love the person for the truths sake love no mans parts or person to admire him and be a folower of him farther than he follows Christ Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 saith the Apostle It was a great fault in Barnabas Gal. 2.13 that he was carried away by Peters dissimulation by his admiring Peters person so much by his resting and relying too much upon Peter he fell into Peters errour 3. Be ever jealous of your own strength and trust not too much to your own ability this will provoke God to leave you to your selves and then you will fall fearfully 2 Cor. 12.10 For when I am weak then am I strong when I am weakest in my self then am I strongest in a Saviour but when I am strongest in my self in my own opinion then am I weakest in a Saviour no man stands by his own strength for by humane strength can none prevail 4. And lastly Get your hearts established with grace Heb. 13.9 It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace be ballasted with grace as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies A Ship that is well balasted is not so ready and apt to reel as one that is not and when the Apostle puts in a caveat against unsetledness and falling from grace what means does he prescribe 2 Pet. 3.17 18 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness but grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ says he O that you and I could grow more in grace O that we could grow more in the practical part of Religion in our hearts and houses in our lives and conversations I beseech you therefore hearken to this first Exhortation and Duty here prest upon you namely to hold fast the truth you have received hold it fast in your memories in your affections and in your conversations so much for the first branch of the doctrine That Christians must hold fast the truth they have received with constancy and perseverance I come now to the second Proposition or second branch of the Doctrine that is this Christians must hold fast that Grace that they have received with constancy and perseverance For the proof of this the Scripture is abundantly plain and pregnant in Psal 119.23 Teach me the way of thy Statutes O Lord and I will keep it to the end Matth. 24.13 He that endures to the end he shall be saved it is not setting our feet in the way of Christianity but it is a continuance in that course that will bring you to the end of your hopes the salvation of your souls So in Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ saith the Apostle if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end this will be an evidence that we are partakers of Christ indeed if we persevere and continue in the grace we have received to the end of our days so we are commanded to serve the Lord not some few days but all the days of our lives Luke 1.75 He that puts his hands to the Plow and looks back saith our Saviour is not fit for the kingdom of God Luke 9. ult and in John 8.31 If you continue in my words then are you my disciples indeed without this perseverance we are but nominal not real Disciples But if you ask me Why must Christians continue in grace and hold fast the grace they have received Hear but some Scripture Arguments strongly pleading for this truth First Unless Christians hold fast the grace and holiness
very precious As if he should say You have an infinite and an invaluable benefit by him therefore you have great reason so highly to prize him Vnto you that do believe that is that can rest and rely upon this Rock of Salvation that can pawn your Souls upon him that can close with him and cleave to him and obey him as your Prince and your Saviour Vnto you says the Apostle he is precious or he is a price and an honour for so the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he is not only precious but of infinite price he is not only honourable but honour it self in the Abstract for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both price and honour The words being thus opended afford these two Points of Doctrine which lie clear in the Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself Doct. 2. As Jesus Christ is precious in himself so he is exceeding precious in the eyes of all Believers and most highly prized by them Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself He is called in the 4th verse of this Chapter A living-stone chosen of God and precious And in Isa 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation For the better understanding of this Point two things are to be opened First What it is to be Precious or what may be included in this Phrase precious Secondly How this may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein the preciousness of Jesus Christ consists First What is it to be precious What is included in this Phrase precious The Hebrew word signifies divers things I will name you but these five or six and every one of those significations are rightly applicable to the Lord Jesus Christ Sometimes the word precious is taken for bright and glorious Thus the Sun and the Moon are said to walk in brightness Job 31.26 If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness Job there speaking of the Moon says it walks in brightness it walks as it were through the Heavens honourably it walks in a great deal of brightness and glory Thus the Lord Jesus Christ in this sense is precious because he is the glorious sun of Righteousness as he is called Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my Name shall the sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings And he calls himself the bright Morning-Star in Rev. 22.16 I am the bright Morning-Star Again Secondly The word precious is taken sometimes for that that is scarce and rare to be had for that which is not bestowed upon all but upon some few persons Thus the Word of God in Samuel's time was said to be precious 1 Sam. 3.1 And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days there was no open Vision it was communicated but to a few And in this sense also the Lord Jesus Christ may be said to be precious because he is communicated but to a very few A little Flock Luke 12.32 A little little Flock as the word signifies a very little Flock in comparison of those that have no interest in him nor any benefit by him For not many wise men after the flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 There are but few very few in comparison of the great multitude that have an interest in him in that regard he is precious Thirdly Sometimes the word precious is taken for that which is dear and costly So the Lord Jesus Christ is very dear to his Father the dearly beloved Son of his bosom and his blood is very costly it is called precious blood If the blood of all the Princes upon Earth had been spilt nay if all the Angels in Heaven had lost their lives it had not been comparable to one drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Fourthly The word precious sometimes is taken for that which is pleasant and delightful Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child There is the same word for precious called pleasant In this regard the Lord Jesus Christ may be called precious because he is so delightful to the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Fifthly That may be said to be precious that is of very great and invaluable use or that whereof we have an indispensable necessity Now in this sense also Jesus Christ is precious he is of infinite use to a Believer such indispensable need have we of him that without him we must perish everlastingly Except ye eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood you have no life in you John 6.53 Lastly That is said to be precious which is honourable Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Isa 43.4 And as I told you even now the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siguifieth honour as well as price So the Lord Jesus Christ he is infinitely honourable honourable in himself all the Angels honour and admire him and he is an Honour to his Church and Chosen to all those that have a part and interest in him therefore he is said to be The glory of his people Israel Luke 2.32 A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel You see the first thing opened What it is to be precious Now the second thing for Explication is this How this Title precious may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein does the preciousness of Jesus Christ so much appear For answer to this You must know the preciousness of Jesus Christ does appear in these six Particulars First He is exceeding infinitely unconceivably precious in his Person God and Man united in one Person Co-essential with the Father that is having the same Essence and Substance with him in John 10.30 I and my Father are one And he is Co-equal with the Father He thought it no robery to be equal with God Pbil. 2.6 Being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Therefore he is infinitely precious in his Person Secondly As he is precious in his Person so is he precious in his Titles those rich and glorious Titles that are attributed to him For Example Isa 9.6 This is the name wherewith the Lord Jesus Christ is called Wonderful Counsellonr El the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Pray mark with what a glorious Title he is called there The Mighty God How dare then any blasphemous Arrian or Atheist deny the Divinity
last verse For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted p. 116 Fear of losing Salvation the way to obtain it on Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it p. 139 The persevering Saint shall be the Crowned Saint on Rev. 3.11 Behold I come quickly hold fast that which thou hast that no man take thy Crown p. 185 Mercy despised and God provokd thereby on Psal 106.24 Yea They despised the pleasant Land and believed not his Word p. 218 Christs Preciousness on 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious p. 269 The Necessity of Humiliation on Acts 16.29 30 Then he called for a Light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas c. p. 330 Christ the Bread of Life on John 6.35 I am the Bread of Life c. p. 360 Christs true Disciples Doers of Gods Will c. on John 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 p. 383 These two Books of Mr. Tho. Brooks are lately Printed for and to be sold by Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey A Golden Key to open hidden Treasures or several great Points which refer to the Saints Blessedness and their future Happiness with the Resolution of several important Questions c. Paradise opened or the Secret Mysteries and Rarities of Divine Love of infinite Wisdom and of Wonderful Counsel laid open for Publick View Also the Covenant of Grace and the high and glorious Transactions of the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption Opened and improved at large c. Believers Mortification of sin by the Spirit or Gospel-Holiness advanced by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the Faithful Whereunto is added the Authors three last Sermons on Gen. 3.5 By the Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Carmichael formerly of Scotland and late Preacher of the Gospel in London Published by his own Copy The Crown and Glory of a Christian consisting of a sound Conversion and a Well-ordered Conversion Mr. Wadsworth's Legacy being his serious Exhortation to a Holy Life Also his Funeral Sermon Sayings and Elogy MANS PETITION AND GODS COMPASSION A SERMON Preach'd Septemb. 6. 1657. Psalm CXXXVIII 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthened me with strength in my soul THis Psalm for the kind of it is Eucharistical a Thanksgiving-Psalm The occasion of penning this Psalm in the judgment of Interpreters was this Davids establishment in the Kingdom after that he had been hunted like a Partridg upon the Mountains driven from his own Country and banished into a Wilderness and pursued like a Traitor when after all these dangers and fears and snares and opposition that he met with from Saul and from his bloody and implacable enemies God had now setled him in the Kingdom brought his hope into his hand and had lifted up his head above his adversaries and had trodden his enemies under his feet now what he had won by prayer he wears with thankfulness I will praise thee says he in the foregoing verses with my whole heart I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth for thy loving-kindness in promising and for thy truth in performing for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name In the 2d verse it is a dark sentence at the first view but as a judicious Expositor upon the place well observes the words may be thus read and will better agree with the Hebrew Thou hast magnified thy name above all things in thy word that is in fulfilling thy word thou hast magnified thy name above all things in that thou hast fulfilled thy word what thou freely promisedst thou hast faithfully performed what thou hast spoken with thy mouth thou hast fulfilled with thy hand for which thy name is wonderfully to be magnified The name of God is that whereby God is known thy name is wonderfully magnified in fulfilling thy word nay thy name is magnified above all things that is the meaning of the phrase For the proof and evidence of this truth That God is wonderfully to be magnified for fulfilling his promise for making good his word to his Servant for the proof of this David brings in his own experience to set seal thereto in the words of the Text for says he In the day when I cryed to thee thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul So then in this verse you may take notice of these two particulars First You have Gods free favour and gracious dealing with David in the day of his fears and of his straits in these words In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me Secondly You have the evidence or proof of this free favour of God towards him in an experience that he had of it for says he Thou strengthenedst me with strength in my soul and accordingly there are these two points of doctrine that may be fairly deduced from this Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord is ready to answer the Prayers of his poor servants when they cry unto him Doct. 2. It is one gracious way of answering our Prayers when God does strengthen us with spiritual strength when he gives us strength in our souls I begin with the first The Lord is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his poor servants when they cry unto him For the proof of this point I could bring you a whole cloud of witnesses out of the book of God but I will content my self with three or four That in the 107 Psalm Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses and it is four times repeated in that one Psalm for the confirmation of our faith because we are so backward to believe the truth of it and he gives four instances of men that were brought into great straits and still when they cryed unto the Lord the Lord delivered them out of their distresses and remarkable is that Scripture Isa 30.19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem thou shalt weep no more he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he shall answer thee Mark he will be very gracious to thee at the voice of thy cry you shall see the experience of it in two of Gods Saints and Servants that had tasted of Gods goodness in this particular and have set it down for our encouragement one was the Prophet Jeremy in the Dungeon Lam. 3.55 56 I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low Dungeon thou hast heard my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry God had an ear for his very breathing The other example
other Fourthly He that sins through infirmity will still keep his conjugal love to Jesus Christ and although some failings in him may work a kind of estrangement between Christ and his soul yet notwithstanding his heart will still cleave to the Lord Jesus Christ and this appears thus Because he will chuse no other Husband he will chuse no other Saviour for all this but he would rejoyce with all his heart if he might be but reconciled to Jesus Christ though there hath been some unkindness between Christ and him He says I will return to my first Husband for then was it better with me than now Hos 2.7 and he is grieved for the unevenness of his carriage towards so sweet a Husband us he hath been to him If there be such a disposition in you to hold fast your conjugal love to Jesus Christ and still keep close to him though there may be some unkindness yet thou pitchest on no other Husband certainly this is but an infirmity But says the poor soul Can that be an infirmity that cleaves to me all my days that I have been vext and perplext with twenty thirty years together I answer Possibly there may be such infirmities cleave to Gods children As for example some deadness in duties dulness and deadness in hearing the Word it may be slipperiness of memory or forgetfulness of the words we have heard or it may be some strong corruption which is like a thorn in the flesh which the Lord Jesus hath left in thee to humble thee and to make thee base in thy own eyes all thy days But it may be then you will object and say How then will this stand with the Doctrine you delivered even now you made it a mark or token of spiritual life That Grace will prevail against corruption that the Government of the Lord Jesus Christ would be victorious I answer True Grace will be victorious at last but I do not say it will be all at once but it will be by degrees and it is some kind of victory and conquest over corruption when it is subdued though it be not quite extinguished if it be weakned and abated though it be not destroyed when a man can feelingly cry out of it as the Apostle did O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and he breaks out and says thanks be to God through Jesus Christ Rom. 7.25 Secondly I answer God sometimes works by contraries God is carrying on the work of Grace in his Children when corruptions seem to be thriving and growing when God means to give his Children victory he suffers them to be foyled first the work of Grace in the heart sometimes goes backwards that it may go forwards As the Seed that is sown in the Field it rots in the ground before it springs and grows Sometimes you must know that God will strengthen us by our very slippings he will have us learn to stand by our very falls and bruises he will have us to be strengthened by our weaknesses and infirmities he will have us to be deep-rooted by our shakings Our infirmities are the keepers of our Graces it makes us look more carefully to our own standings it is good therefore to observe the methods and manner of Gods dealing with our souls and to learn to live by faith be acting of faith in the business of our infirmities for as I have often told you The life of faith is in the use of faith so much as we use faith so much we live by it it is good for a man to live by faith in point of his infirmities and to say when I am foyled I shall have victory when I fall I shall arise when I am weak I am strong as the Church said Micah 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Thus you have the explication of the point what an Infirmity is and what are the causes of it and what are the signs and symptoms of it For the use of the point 1. For Consolation 2. For Caution 3. For Exhortation First For Consolation because that is the principal use of the Text And O that I could speak not only to the ears but to the heart of any poor doubting drooping dejected soul O that this Doctrine might be as a box of ointment to comfort such an one to refresh him O that I eould but drop in some Consolation into any poor bruised soul that hears me this day that such an one might lift up those hands that hang down and feeble knees that tremble Isa 35.3 And this is the comfort I have to tender to thee That the Lord will not reject thee for an infirmity He carries his Lambs in his Arms and gathers them in his bosom poor weak ones he carries them in his bosom when it may be the Leg is broken and they are not able to go he gently leads those with young in all their fears doubts and disquietments about their Condition he hath a tender care of his Lambs of his weak ones If thou art but one of Christ Lambs know thus much for thy comfort that he hath a care of the poorest Lamb that is in his Flock if thou art a Plant in his Vineyard know that he hath a care of the tenderest Plant never was it known that a merciful and compassionate Father cast off a child because of his weakness many times it may be when the child is so sick and weak that it is not able to speak but only to say Father it may be it cannot speak out then the Bowels of the Father yearns towards him the more the weaker the child is and unable to speak the more his compassions are rowling towards him O let not our unbelief make Jesus Christ unnatural Do we think that Jesus Christ has less compassion toward his Lambs than Jacob had Jacob was such a Shepherd that he had such a tender care of his Lambs that says he if you over-drive the flocks the lambs will die and do you think that Jesus Christ is less sollicitous for the good of his But alas says the poor soul my infirmities discourage me they weaken my assurance and rob me of my peace and comfort I answer true it is infirmities do so but they should not do so and that they may not do so take these three or four Considerations First Consider in every infirmity as there is something against God so there is something also from God There is something against God that is true because our infirmities are not suitable to the holiness and strictness of his Law and therefore we should strive against them with prayer and care and watchfulness But as there is something against God so there is something also from God It may be he le ts loose those infirmities upon thee even like a Messenger of Satan to buffet thee to humble
she was continually haunted with Satans temptations said she Satan I am but a weak woman I am not able to answer all thy cavils and objections but I will turn thee over to my Advocate I have an Advocate in Heaven to plead my cause and after that she was never solicited by him So do you turn over thy case to thy Advocate as a poor Client does that has got a learned and faithful Advocate leaves his cause with him turn over all to thy Advocate that appears in the presence of God continually for thee 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 he appears as our Advocate And if God do not answer thee speedily or if he do not answer thee in the Letter of thy request yet if thou canst but get such a frame of heart as those three Worthies had Dan. 3.17.18 Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery-furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy golden-image which thou hast set up So do thou say to Satan God is able to deliver me out of thy hands but yet if he do not I am resolved I will not yield unto thee Satan but I will lye at the feet of God and look up If God do but give such a gracious frame of spirit as this thou mayst be confident this Text shall be fulfilled to thee and that heaven and earth shall pass away before this truth shall pass away held forth in this Doctrine That Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart a compassion to succour and relieve us in our sufferings and Temptations Fear of missing Salvation or the way to obtain Salvation HEB. IV. 1. Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it IN the last Text that I opened unto you out of 2 Tim. 1.10 And hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel I shewed you That the Salvation of God or eternal Life and Salvation was revealed to the sons of men by the preaching of the Gospel and how infinitely we stand indebted and engaged to our God for our Gospel-mercies and Priviledges that we are in a capacity of getting our souls saved that we sit not in darkness and in the shadow of death as others do that we are not aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel the Church of God as other are that we are not strangers to the Covenant of Grace Ephes 2.12 and strangers to the mysteries of Salvation and the way of Salvation revealed in the Gospel Certainly Brethren we shall never know how much we are indebted unto God nor can ever praise him enough for our Gospel-mercies until we come to Heaven That I aim at in the choice of this Text is to shew you and if it be possible to make you sensible of the infinite and unconceiveable danger of missing this Salvation this eternal Life that is held forth in the Gospel Let us therefore fear lest c. For as I shall shew you by Gods assistance if any of us who have the means of Salvation tendered to us in the Gospel and that hope of Salvation and the way to Salvation if any of us should come short of Salvation it were better a thousand times that we had never known the Gospel for none shall have a deeper place in Hell than they that have had Gospel-opportunities and have not known in that their day the things that belong to their peace And certainly the tears of Hell are not sufficient to bewail the loss of Heaven the loss of Salvation Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it For the connexion of this or the coherence of these words with the former Chapter take it thus briefly If you look upon this Epistle to the Hebrews with a discerning eye you shall see that the scope of the Apostle is to lift up the Lord Jesus Christ in his three glorious Offices of a King of a Priest and of a Prophet and to shew his Dignity and Preheminence above the Angels in Chap. 1 above Moses in Chap. 3 above Aaron in Chap. 7. Now the Apostle proving in Chap. 3 the Dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ above Moses although Moses was the most eminent man that ever lived upon the earth there was none that ever had more acquaintance with God talking with him familiarly as a man talks with his friend and therefore he was said to be a King in Jesurun yet the Apostle proves the Dignity and Preheminence of Jesus Christ above Moses in Chap. 3.5 6 saith the Apostle And Moses verily was faithful in all his house that is in the Church of God as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after but Jesus Christ as a Son over his own house and therefore Christ is far above Moses And he takes occasion from hence to lay down this serious Exhortation to these Hebrews and in them to all succeeding Christians that they should take heed that they do not harden their hearts against the voice of Jesus Christ in ver 15 of the foregoing Chapter To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation Harden not your hearts against Christ against the voice of Christ in his Word that this Exhortation might take the deeper impression the Apostle puts them in mind of a dreadful example of Gods wrath and indignation executed upon the stubborn Israelites in the Wilderness they hardned their hearts they believed not his Word and therefore God was so offended with them that their carcasses perish in the Wilderness yea the Lord took an Oath he sware that they should never enter into his Rest Having laid down this dreadful example of Gods wrath in ver 17.18 of the foregoing Chapter thereupon he infers this serious admonition That all Christians should take heed that they run not into the same danger that they did and that they do not deprive themselves of that eternal Rest that is laid up in Heaven as the Israelites deprived themselves of the Rest of Canaan Let us therefore saith the Apostle fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it So then in the Text you may take notice of these three particulars 1. You have a serious Premonition or forewarning in these words Let us therefore fear 2. You have the ground or foundation of this Premonition in these words Lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest 3. A dreadful danger discovered in case this warning be neglected in these
their faith is true Faith when it is but Fancy they think their Repentance is true Repentance when it is but Worldly-sorrow they think their obedience is true Obedience when it is but Hypocrisie It may be they take Civility for Sanctity and natural parts for true Piety it may be they take Restraining-grace for Renewing-grace and so they are deceived in their spiritual Estates Thousands there are that deceive themselves in this particular Thirdly It may be demanded But how comes it to pass that it is possible for men to come near to Heaven and yet come short of Heaven For answer to this I shall give you but two Reasons First Men come near Heaven and yet come short of Heaven because they will not come up to the price I do not mean the price of merit I abhor that opinion to think that we can merit Heaven but my meaning is this they do not come up to the price of means though nothing can be done by way of merit yet much must be done in the use of means my meaning is they will not do that which Jesus Christ would have them do they will not suffer that which must be suffered they will not forsake that which must be forsaken 1. They will not do that which Jesus Christ would have them do for Example they will not walk exactly they will not renew their repentance they will not set about the work of God with all their might and mind and strength they will not work out their salvation with fear and trembling there is much to be done many duties to be done from a right principle in a right manner and to a right end 2. They will not suffer that which is to be suffered our Saviour saith If any man will come after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me You must be content to bear his Cross as well as to wear his Crown Now this they will not do Again They will not forsake that which must be forsaken our Saviour saith a man must part with his right-eye and right-hand any thing that stands in opposition to or that comes in competition with him Now men will not do they will not suffer they will not forsake what Christ would have them It fares with them as with a pedling Chapman who likes a Commodity well but he will not come up to the price of it men are willing to do something but they will not do so much as is required they will not proportion their labour according to their work they will not make up the hedg according to the breach This is certain many there are that come short of Heaven because they do not use the utmost of their endeavours for the prosecution of the end many come short of Heaven because of their slight endeavours in the way of heaven Luke 13 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able What is the reason they only seek but do not strive It is not enough for you to seek to enter in at the strait gate unless you strive and you must strive as in an Agony so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Original Secondly A second reason is this Why some men come so near Heaven and yet come short of Heaven Because of their Apostacy they begin in the spirit and end in the flesh they put their hands to the Plow and look back you did run well who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth Gal. 5.7 You do not obey it constantly you are not steady and firm in the truth but you are starting aside like a broken bow falling from the truth in their profession and in their practice of Religion These are the reasons why men come near Heaven and yet come short of Heaven And thus I have proved the Point in the three Branches of it Now what use shall we make of it The Use is this by way of Conviction Oh what terrour may this strike into the hearts of all those who are only Nominal Christians that have a name only to live and in the mean time are dead that have a form of Godliness but are as great strangers to the power of it as Pagans are to the profession of it Oh what terrour may this strike into the hearts of all you that come short of those that come short of Heaven and if you come short of those that come short of heaven what will become of you For example May a man be a frequenter of the Word of God May a man make conscience of keeping the Sabbath I mean for the external observation of it May a man be a countenancer of Religion and yet come short of Heaven then what will become of them that neglect Ordinances What will become of them to whom the Word of the Lord is a burden The word of the Lord is unto them a reproach they have no delight in it Jer. 16.10 And what will become of them that say of the service of the Lord What a weariness is it Mal. 1.13 What a weariness is it to wait on God and to hear Sermons If a man may be a Believer and yet come short of Heaven I mean a temporary Believer to believe for a while then what will become of them that believe not at all believe none of the Precepts of God to obey them nor the promises to embrace them nor the threatnings to tremble at them If a man have outward reformation and yet come short of Heaven What then will become of them that have no reformation at all that wallow in the mire of their sins What will become of Lyars and Swearers and Drunkards The Pharisees were no friends to those gross sins and yet they came short of Heaven Oh that this might awaken all those that are yet asleep in their sins that are rockt in the Devils Cradle and that do not understand their own condition May a man have natural parts and qualifications and yet come short of Heaven What will become of them that are Sots in matters of Religion that have not obtained to their A B C in Religion but are ignorant of the fundamentals of Religion May a man have some superficial tasts and beginnings of grace and give his assent to the truths of the Gospel May he receive the word of God with joy May he be moved at a Sermon and have a resolution to obey and reform many things and yet come short of Heaven then how doleful and dreadful is their condition that have no affection to nor no delight in the Word of the Lord that have no purposes of new and better obedience but they come to hear the Word out of Formality and Custom and not to get any spiritual advantage to their own souls Oh! if this were seriously thought upon it would make Sinners to look about them and to fall down at the feet of God
those glorious hopes that are laid up for the Saints in Light Fourthly Be contented to endure some hardship in the way Heaven will make amends for all all the costs discouragements and difficulties that you meet with in the pursuit of your hopes will be abundantly recompenced by one hours fruition of that eternal happiness Secondly If you would not despise or undervalue that heavenly Inheritance learn to live by Faith and not by sight and sense if you live by sight and sense you will look on the things that are seen and not on the things that are not seen the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 If you live by Faith you will fetch your comforts from Christ more than from any thing in the Creature Thirdly If you would not despise this pleasant Land then beg of Jesus Christ that he would draw your Souls that you may run after him Quicken me with thy quickning-grace for thy Name sake Lord bestow thy quickning-grace upon me that I may mind the business of Eternity seriously Lord help me to set about the work vigorously that I may not trifle with thee in matters that are of infinite Concernment I remember the speech of a Martyr a good woman at that time when profession of the Gospel was enough to bring to the stake says she I hear there are Crowns and Kingdoms to be disposed of this day here take my child I will put in for one Crown for one Kingdom Oh that every one of us had hearts to do as she did let us be contented to suffer hardship for a while that we may enjoy the pleasant Land for ever and ever So much for the first Branch of the Text that is the horrible ingratitude of this people They despised the pleasant Land The ground of that ingratitude you have in the next words of the Text And believed not his Word But so much for this time PSAL. CVI. 24. And believed not his Word I Have spoken to this Text in one Sermon already as you may remember in it I took notice of two Branches First Israels horrible ingratitude in these words They despised the pleasant Land and that I finished last day Now I come to the second Branch of the Text that is the ground of their ingratitude in these words They believed not his Word What word They believed not the Promise that God had made unto them that he would bestow the Land of Canaan upon them nay God did not only promise it but he sware unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob Gen. 50.24 And Joseph said unto his Brethren I die and God will surely visit you and bring you out of this Land to the Land which he sware to Abraham to Isaac and Jacob. But because the Spies forsooth came and told them Oh there are walled Cities and Giants and Anakims to fight with and it is impossible for you to get possession of the Land therefore they believed the Spies but they would not believe God they believed the report of those that told them of the Giants but they would not believe Gods Report they would not believe Gods Promise So the Doctrine I shall commend to you from this second Branch of the Text is this Doct. One main Reason why men do undervalue the Heavenly Canaan and so come short of it is their Vnbelief Look as it was with the Children of Israel here spoken of in the Text the sin that made them despise and undervalue the Land of Canaan and so were debar'd and shut out of the Land of Canaan was their Unbelief as the Apostle shews expresly Heb. 3. ult So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief So here One main reason why men undervalue the Heavenly Canaan and so come short or are deprived of the Heavenly Canaan it is their Unbelief Men believe lyes but they will not believe the Truth they believe the Devil who is a lyar and tells them they may come to Heaven with a wet-finger and therefore they may live as they list but they will not believe the Lord Jesus Christ that tells them Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few there be that find it Matth. 7.14 They believe the father of lyes but they will not believe him that is the God of Truth who says Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you shall seek to enter in but shall not be able Luke 13.24 They believe the report of Satan but they will not believe the report of the word of God which tells us expresly 1 Pet. 4.18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinners appear They will not believe that Doctrine which you may remember proved out of Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it Where I shewed you that the life of a Christian is a life of fear and that in matters of Soul-concernment Christians should not only be very jealous of themselves but of others also I also shewed you that it is possible for many that are professors of the Truth or true Religion to come short of Heaven and that it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of grace to come short of Heaven and that it is possible for many to come very near to Heaven and yet to come short of Heaven But men will not believe these Truths now their Unbelief is the cause why they slight Heaven and shall be deprived of Heaven For the better Explication of this Doctrine there are two things I shall open to you First What this Unbelief is that makes men so undervalue the Heavenly Canaan Secondly Why this Unbelief is such a great and grievous sin so dangerous and destructive that it deprives men of that Heavenly Canaan First What this Unbelief is that makes men slight the Heavenly Canaan For answer to this you must know there is a twofold Unbelief There is a Negative And There is a Positive Unbelief First There is a Negative Unbelief and that is the sin of Pagans and Heathens that never heard of God nor of the Gospel of Jesus Christ they believe not because they know not they know not God Rom. 10.14 How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard This is the sin of Pagans this ignorance it excuses in part though not in whole their sin is not so great by far as the sin of those that do profess the Gospel yet their Negative unbelief is a sin because Gods Commandment is That we should believe on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 John 3.23 And this is his commandment that we believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ But this is the Negative unbelief this concerns not us but it concerns those that know not God Secondly There
is a Positive Unbelief and this is when men are ready to distrust Gods Power and his Providence and his Promises or when we do not so fiducially rest upon them as to obey the Gospel This is a Positive unbelief this is the sin which is so dangerous Now you must know this Positive Unbelief is twofold First Temporary Secondly Total or Final First There is a Temporary unbelief and this is that which may befall even Gods own Elect they may be under unbelief for a while True it is possible for an Elect Child of God to be under an act of unbelief though he cannot be brought into a state of unbelief for you must distinguish between these two between a state of unbelief and an act of unbelief A Child of God may be under an act of unbelief so you know was Godly Zachariah Elizabeth's husband he was under an act of unbelief And behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believedst not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season Luke 1.20 And Thomas one of the twelve Apostles he was under an act of unbelief when he said Vnless I shall see in his hands the print of the Nails and put my finger into the print of the Nails and thrust my hand into his fide I will not believe Joh. 20.25 So were all the rest of the Apostles under an act of unbelief for a while therefore our Saviour when he was risen again he upbraided them the Text says with their unbelief Mark 16.14 After he appeared to the Eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen This is a Temporary Unbelief Secondly There is a Total or Final unbelief and that is the sin of those that live in a state of impenitency and abide in that condition those that abide in their unbelief until the wrath of God abides upon them You see what this unbelief is a distrusting of Gods Power and Providences and Promises and that not for a time which may be the condition of a Child of God but when it is a Total and Final unbelief That 's the first thing for Explication Secondly By way of Explication it may be demanded Why is this such a dangerous and destructive sin that it does debar men of this Heavenly Canaan I shall give you these three Reasons of it First Because you must know it is a sin that robs God of his Glory Look as by believing we do most of all honour God for by this we set to our Seal that he is true John 3.33 He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true By believing we give him the honour of his Truth and Faithfulness and Mercy and Goodness and Power Thus Abraham by believing gave glory to God in Rom. 4.20 He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God So on the contrary by unbelief we dishonour him in a high degree nay in the highest degree that can be named because we make him a Liar 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave him of his Son Now what greater reproach or dishonour can be cast upon a man of worth than to give him the lye Unbelief therefore is a bold sin it steps into Gods Cabinet as I may say and it robs him of the choicest Jewel that he hath namely his Glory which he hath said He will not give to another Isa 42.8 I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another neither my praise to the graven Images The glory of God it is nothing else but the reputation that God hath in the World Take away Gods glory and the reputation that he hath among the Sons of men then with reverence be it spoken he is little worth in the eyes of men Now Unbelief is that that robs God of his Glory Secondly Unbelief is such a dangerous destructive sin because it is the first sin that ever was in the World As it is the mother of all other sins so it was the first sin whereby the Devil got entrance into the heart of man I know there is a dispute amongst Divines What was the first sin our first Parents were guilty of whether Pride or Unbelief without all doubt it was Unbelief for God told our first Parents expresly Whenever they did eat of the Tree of life they should die the death as sure as they lived they should die but the Devil he goes and tells them You shall not die Now mark they believed the Devil more than they believed God Unbelief therefore was the first sin that ever was committed in the World and as it was the first sin whereby the Devil got entrance into the heart of man so may it be said to be the root and mother of all other sins therefore says the Apostle Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 Look as Faith may be said to be the Mother of all other Graces because Faith lets in Jesus Christ into the Soul and so purifies the heart Act. 15.9 And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith it applyes the purifying-blood of Jesus Christ So on the other side Unbelief may be said to be the mother of all other sins because it keeps out Christ and keeps out Grace and polutes the heart and defiles it and makes it no better than a Den for Satan to lodg in It is a good observation of an eminent Divine whom for honour sake I mention namely Doctor Sibs Look as the first return of the Soul to God is by Faith so the first departing of the Soul from God is by Vnbelief for from thence comes a departing to other sins and so unbelief being encreased the rent that is made between God and the Soul the estrangement between God and the Soul is still made wider and wider and so the Soul departs further and further and is still departing and departing from one sin to another till at last it comes to hear that fatal and final sentence Matth. 25 Depart thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Well therefore may Unbelief be said to be the Mother of all other sins Unbelief and Apostacy are very near akin Unbelief may in some sense be said to be all disobedience The same Greek word that signifies unbelief signifies also disobedience Col. 3.6 For these things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief or children of disobedience And well may it be said to be the Mother of disobedience for
believe this yet many of you can live as securely as merrily and madly as if so be you should never drop down into the dust here now indeed is a notional Faith I but there is not a practical Faith it is one thing to believe a Truth notionally and another thing to believe it practically Fourthly Would you have Unbelief removed then Oh beg and beg earnestly that God would take away your hearts of stone and give you hearts of flesh let this be your Prayer every day Do you not remember how I opened that Text to you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 What is a stony-heart but a sensless heart a heart sensless of sin and a heart fearless of wrath Now do but observe that unbelief and hardness of heart they still go together In Mark 16.14 Afterwards he appeared unto the eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart Our Saviour upbraids them for their unbelief and hardness of heart Why are you so backward to believe it is because of the hardness of your hearts Fifthly I beseech you to meditate often of the danger of Unbelief meditate often what will be the woful Effects and Issues of your Unbelief consider the Threatnings the Precepts and the Promises of the Almighty In John 8.24 I said therefore unto you that you shall die in your sins for if you believe not that I am he you shall die in your sins What die in sin Oh what greater curse can possibly be uttered To die in sin to rot in sin to come out of your graves in sin to be presented before your Judg in your sins John 3. ult He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him The wrath of God abideth on him If it were only for a few days it might be born I but it will be abiding and abiding and abiding to all Eternity the wrath of God will abide upon that Soul that does not believe In a word and so I have done As God speaks to the Prophet in another case They will not see but they shall see I apply it thus You that will not believe I promise you you shall believe you that will not believe savingly you shall believe desperately you that will not believe that God is so just so strict so severe you shall believe when you feel the wrath of the Almighty seizing upon you never to be removed you that will not believe now to the saving of your Souls you shall believe as the Devils to believe and tremble you then will believe the torments of Hell in that day when you feel them in that place where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth It is better to believe these things now than believe them when you feel them The Lord work these things upon our hearts that this Soul-destroying sin may not be our ruin CHRISTS'S PRECIOUSNESS 1 PET. II. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which are disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the Head of the Corner THE holy Apostle that he might the better draw Christians to believe in Jesus Christ to love him embrace him and obey him as the Captain of their Salvation in the beginning of this Chapter commends to them both the Word of Christ and Christ himself who is the Kirnel and Substance of the Word he commends the Word of Christ to them in the first and second verses of this Chapter Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings as new-born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby And he commends Jesus Christ himself to them two ways First By shewing what he is in himself Secondly By shewing what benefits Believers have by him First He shews what the Lord Jesus Christ is in himself in ver 4 To whom coming as to a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious He is a living stone a stone that hath life in himself and a stone that gives life unto others For he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 And not only a living stone but he is chosen of God and very precious the Pearl of the Gospel that precious only excellent one in comparison of whom all the Kingdoms of the World are but as a heap of dung But then as the Apostle commends him for what he is in himself so he commends Jesus Christ by what he hath done for all those that believe in him In the 5th ver Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual House an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ This invaluable benefit you shall have by him you shall not only be justified by him but you shall be sanctified you shall be made a holy Priesthood and all your services shall be made acceptable through him To confirm this weighty Truth the Apostle produces a Testimony out of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 28.16 Therefore saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Having thus confirmed this Doctrine he makes Application of it in this Verse and this Application is by way of Comfort to Believers and discomfort to those that believe not First It is a Doctrine that affords a great deal of comfort to Believers For says he to you that believe Jesus Christ is precious But it administers a great deal of discomfort to Unbelievers To them that are disobedient to them that hearken not to the voice of Christ for says the Apostle Though this Christ be despised by them yet he shall be infinitely advanced he is become the Head the Corner-stone and they notwithstanding their despising of him shall be everlastingly ruined for he will be to them a stumbling-stone and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the Word being disobedient This is the Connexion or Context of these words with the former It is the first Branch of the Text here that I principally aim at in these words To you therefore that believe he is precious The words therefore hath reference unto the fore-going verse wherein the Apostle tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is such a Foundation-stone such a Corner-stone such a rock of Salvation that whosoever believes in him shall not be confounded shall not be condemned For there is no condemnation to them that have a part and interest in him Rom. 8.1 Therefore saith the Apostle Certainly to you he must needs be
of the Lord Jesus Christ deny that he is God when this is one of the Titles wherewith he is called The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace What glorious Titles are here So you shall read he is called his Fathers delight Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my sul delighteth And the Fathers bosom-friend John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time save the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him If the love of all the Parents in the World were concentred in one it were but as a drop of that infinite Ocean of Love that is between the Father and the Son Nay more he is called the Fathers Fellow Zech. 13.7 Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my Fellow saith the Lord of Hosts So likewise he is called The Head of the Church Eph. 5.23 and the Judg both of quick and dead Acts 10.42 In a word such is the Dignity of his Person such is the Excellency of his Merits such is the sweetness of his Graces such is the fulness of his Perfection that the Scripture does abundantly put those terms of honour upon the Lord Christ as sometimes comparing him to a Corner-stone because he does support us Ephes 2.20 Sometimes to A Vine because he does refresh us John 15.1 Sometimes unto a Physician because he does heal us Matth. 9.12 Sometimes to a Day-star because he does enlighten us Rev. 22.16 Sometimes to A Shepherd because he does lead us John 10. Sometimes to Manna or the Bread of life because he does feed us What glorious Titles are these that are given to Christ therefore he is precious in his Titles Thirdly As he is precious in his Titles so he is precious in his Offices in his Kingly Office in his Priestly Office and in his Prophetical Office First He is precious in his Kingly Office he calls himself The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev 19.16 The King of Kings He is such a King that conquers the enemies of our Salvation as Sin and Satan and Death and Hell and the World other Kings Rule over us but this King can only Rule in us My Kingdom is not of this world saith he The Kingdom of God is within you Lnke 17.21 This King can make Laws that can bind the Conscience he is such a King as hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him Matth. 28.18 Again He is such a Priest as hath reconeiled us to God the Father and ever lives to make intercession for us who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Col. 1.21 Heb. 7.25 Heb. 4.15 And he is such a Prophet as can perfectly instruct his Church others may preach to the ear but he hath his Pulpit in Heaven only that can preach to the heart other Preachers can open the Scriptures but it is Jesus Christ only that can open our understandings that we may understand the Scriptures Luke 24.45 Then opened he their underderstandings that they might understand the Scriptures O what glorious Offices are these Fourthly He is precious in his Ordinances For Example His Word is exceeding precious to all those that have tasted the sweetness of it how precious was it to David Psalm 119.72 The Law of thy Mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver How precious are Sabbaths to those that know how much of Heaven is wrapt up in the Sabbath Certainly these Sabbath-days are Market-days for our Souls wherein we may make provision for Eternity days wherein the Lord Jesus Christ many times communicates himself and much of his sweetness to those that wait upon him in holy Duties And how precious is the Ordinance of the Lords Supper wherein the Lord Christ makes us a feast of fat things a feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of Marrow Wines on the Lees well refined Isa 25. Wherein he gives his own flesh to eat his flesh that was crucified to satisfie Divine Justice and his own blood to drink that blood which only can quench the fire of Hell quench the fire of Gods anger which otherwise would have been burning and burning against us to all Eternity Fifthly As he is precious in his Ordinances so he is precious in his Prerogatives for he and he only is the Saviour of the World and besides him there was no other Saviour Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved That is there is nothing can be named for it is but a Hebraism there is nothing can be named under Heaven whereby we can be saved but only the Name of Jesus Christ he had no Coadjutor or Helper in the work of our Redemption Isa 63.3 I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the People there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my rayment And as he is the only Saviour so he is the only Mediator too For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 So he is the only Head of his Church Eph. 1.22 And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church He only hath the Supremacy and Authority as being Omnipotent and Omnipresent one that is able to protect his people from all injuries one that is able to prevent all the plots and projects that are hatcht and invented against them he hath these Prerogatives that cannot be given to any Creature in Heaven or Earth but only unto him therefore he is precious in his Prerogatives Sixthly The Lord Christ is precious also in the purchase of his blood the purchase he made for us by his blood is a very precious purchase and the portion that he bestows on his Elect that he hath purchased for them is a precious portion so he is precious not only in regard of his Person but in regard of his Portion For Example the Redemption that he hath wrought for us by his blood is a precious Redemption a Redemption from Sin and Satan and Death and Hell In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Ephes 1.7 Secondly The donation or bestowing of his Spirit it is a very precious gift that the Spirit of God should in his Name that is for his Merit be bestowed upon all those that do believe But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 14.26 O what a precious invaluable gift is it to have the Spirit of God given us to quicken us to draw us to Jesus Christ and to carry on the
you practise what you know and live up to your light God looks upon all your Praying and Reading and Hearing and Communicating as nothing if so be you do not live up to what you know Jer. 32.23 And they came in and possessed it but they obeyed not thy voyce neither walked in thy Law they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do What had they done nothing that God commanded them to do they had circumcised their Children in obedience to Gods Command they offered Sacrifices they came to the Temple they did many specious outward Duties but saith the Prophet They did nothing of all that God commanded them Why because they did not practise what they knew their lives were not answerable to the profession they made therefore God esteemed their profession no profession God esteemed their Sacrifices no Sacrifices take your Sacrifices to your selves Ezek. 20 Your new Moons and your Sabbaths and solemn Assemblies I am weary of them saith God they are an abomination unto me All their outward professions were nothing because they did not practise what they knew It is said of the Sons of Eli that they were sons of Belial they knew not the Lord 1 Sam. 2.12 It may be thou mayst have a great deal of notional knowledg thy tongue may be so tip'd with Religion that thoumayst be able to discourse upon Points of Religion very judiciously thou mayst be able to give an account of thy Faith thou mayst to able to answer an Argument thou mayst be able to defend the Truth yet if so be thou dost not live according to thy knowledg in Gods account still thou knowest nothing at all God notwithstanding all thy Knowledg looks upon thee but as an ignorant Sot as it is said of Israel Jer. 4.22 For my People are foolish they have not known me they are sottish children and have no understanding Again Though thou mayst hear a thousand Sermons if thou dost not frame thy life according to the Rule and Prescript of the Word of God in Gods esteem thou art as one that never heard a Sermon in all thy life and is not this a pitiful thing that a man for want of practise shall lose all that he hath done all his Prayers and all his Hearing and all his Communicating at the Lords Table for an unpractical Christian in Gods account hath done nothing at all methinks this should work upon your hearts If ever therefore you desire that God should look upon you as upon his Children that God should own you in a day when you would give a whole World for a smile of his face If ever you desire that Jesus Christ should give this testimony of you Father here are they that have kept thy Word if ever you would have God to say to you as he saith of some These are my Children then rest not in a bare notional profession of the Truth but let Profession and Practice Science and Conscience go together This is the first Branch of the Doctrine or the first Proposition They that obey the will of God shall know more of his Will JOHN VII 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 I Come now to the second Proposition which is this He that doth the will of God shall be more assured of what he knows This is that which our Saviour implies when he saith He shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self that is he shall know it more certainly know it more assuredly To this agrees that speech of our Saviour John 8.23 32 If you continue in my Word then are you my Disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Such an assured Knowledg had the Disciples John 6.69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God It was not a conjectural knowledg but a certain knowledg say they We believe and are sure And such a knowledg had Saint Paul 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 He is able to keep my Soul my Salvation which he calls his Depositum which he had deposited with God For the better Explication of this Truth That he that doth the will of God shall be more assured of what he knows it may be demanded What is this certainty or assurance of knowledg First There are some things to be premised or Cautions to be observed for the finding out the Nature of this sure and certain Knowledg Secondly I will give you some distinctions of Knowledg whereby you may see what it is I am speaking of Thirdly I will then give you the Description of this sure and certain Knowledg 1. That you may know what this certainty of Knowledg is there are some things to be premised some Cautions for the finding out of this sure and certain Knowledg and the Cautions are these five First When I speak of sure and certain Knowledg I do not mean an assurance of Salvation neither do I speak of the reflect act of Knowledg whereby we know that which we know 1 John 2.3 Hereby we know that we know but I speak of that the Apostle calls the full assurance of understanding Col. 2.2 When a man is so rooted setled and established in the present truth Ephes 4.14 2 Pet. 1.12 that he is not always doubting imagining haesitating and carried about with every wind of Doctrine The second Caution is this When I speak of full assurance of understanding you must remember that there cannot be such a full assurance attained that will be absolute and perfect certainly an absolute perfect certainty of Knowledg cannot be attained in this life that is free from all doubting for our knowledg in this life at the best is but imperfect We know but in part saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.9 Although it be not absolutely perfect yet it is so strong that it will not be overswayed by the opinion of others though they be very learned men and this is that which the Apostle means in that Scripture 1 Cor. 2.15 The spiritual man judgeth all things but he himself is judged of no man That is he is able to judg and discern between Truth and Error between Copper and Gold between Food and Poison he is able to discern Error from Truth He himself is judged of no man that is he is so certainly assured of the truth that he holds that the contrary judgment of others though men of greater parts and greater Scholars shall not oversway him or make him to stagger It is true indeed Thomas staggered a while at the Doctrine of the Resurrection yet he recovered himself and afterwards came to that certainty that he cryed out My Lord and my God John 22.20 A man for Example
Will but they shall know it more assuredly they shall be sure of what they know and shall attain to this certainty of Knowledg that I have been speaking of then it serves to let us see what is the reason of all the Errours that are broached and so greedily drunk in in these days in which we live what is the reason of that uncertainty and unconstancy that is in Religion that men are giddy-headed turned with every wind of Doctrine and new Opinion and suck in such strange and corrupt Doctrines and that there is so many Sects and Schisms the reason is because men never attained to this full assurance of Understanding this certainty of Knowledg that the Text speaks of 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 All the knowledg that they have of the Scripture it may be it is but an Opinion or a conjecture or a guess a notional knowledg a knowledg that is taken up upon tradition or trust not that they have any assurance of it in their own hearts and understandings All the knowledg of Scepticks those that you call Seekers Nullifidians that believe nothing all whose profession is to profess nothing all their knowledg is but a meer Opinion the truth is they have no knowledg at all If they did know the truth the truth would make them free If they had known the truth they would have been rooted and fetled and established in it they would part with their lives rather than part with the truth A second Lesson you may learn hence is this It lets us see what the reason is of all that Atheism and loosness and libertinism that is in the hearts of men and practises of men at this day the reason is because they never attained to any certainty of knowledg in the Doctrine of Christ and Mysteries of Religion they never did believe the Precepts and Promises nor Threatnings of God cordially For Example Did men but believe the threatnings of the Word to name two or three When God saith Vpon the wicked he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup Psalm 11.6 Again when God saith that he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses Psalm â—8 21 And God saith expressly that no unrighteous person shall inherit the Kingdom of God neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. And that Text saith expresly That the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Did men but know these truths were they but assured of them durst they do as they do durst they venture their immortal Souls that must sink or swim for ever that are capable of endless bliss or endless remidiless misery in Hell more days than there are drops of water in the whole Ocean Durst they venture their precious Souls for the satisfying of every base lust as they do No they durst not Men do not know these truths and because they do not know them therefore it is that they do not believe them and because they do not know and believe them therefore there is in them an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God The first step of the Souls departure from God is by unbelief so the first step of the Souls approach to God is by Faith Unbelief is the cause of all other sins A man that doth not believe the Promises of God to embrace them nor the Threatnings of God to fear them nor the Precepts of God to obey them when he departs from God by unbelief he departs to other sins and still departs further and further so that the breach between God and the Soul is never made up again but such a man departs from God step by step until at last he comes to hear that Thunder-striking sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels A second Use is by way of Examination and I beseech you my Brethren to call your selves to an account and examine whether you have this certainty of understanding this assured Knowledg that I have discoursed of May be you will say to me But how shall we know whether we have it or no Answ I will tell you how you may know it these three ways First By the names or expressions that the Spirit of God gives it Secondly By the Properties of it Thirdly By the Effects of it First You may know it by the names or Expressions that the Spirit of God gives it such Expressions as these now First It is called a Knowledg of those things which are most surely believed Luke 1.1 Not barely believed but certainly believed A second Expression is a being taught of God John 6.45 And they shall be all taught of God Thirdly It is known by this Expression by writing the Law of God in our hearts upon the Tables of our hearts Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 Fourthly By this Expression by receiving the anointing that teacheth you all things 1 Joh. 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth Fifthly It is known by this expression By having the mind of Christ or knowing the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult Sixthly It is known by this expression by bringing high thoughts into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 When there is such a light in a man that it can answer those Objections that are made against the truth when it can likewise so stifle those reasonings and cavils of his back-sliding heart that none of them shall be able to beat down the truth but he shall be able to stick to the truth notwithstanding such a man hath this certainty of Knowledg Lastly It is known by this expression the manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.2 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal Secondly This certainty of knowledg may be known by the Properties of it I shall name but these four Properties First This assuring Knowledg is ever an heart-humbling knowledg Carnal knowledg natural knowledg unsanctifyed knowledg puffs a man up it makes him like a pair of Bellows as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original signifies 1 Cor. 8.1 but this assuring Knowledg it ever makes a man base and humble in his own eyes the more you know of God and of the truths of God and of your own selves the more vile and base you will be in your own eyes I have