death and the grave and Hell and the Devil in chains after him as conquerors in war were wont to lead their vanquished enemies whom they had taken prisoners in chains of Captivity after them exposing them to the publick scorn of all spectators Thus we are to ascribe the glory of the work of Redemption to Jesus Christ the Son of God and thereby do honour God in our sanctifying of his holy Sabbath Thirdly We likewise glorifie the Holy Ghost when we ascribe to Him the honour of the work of Sanctification Whether we look upon it in that first miraculous effusion of the spirit which our Lord Jesus as the King and Head of his Church did first purchase by the blood of his cross and afterward ascended into heaven and obtained of his Father when he took possession of his Kingdom and lastly did abundantly pour down upon the Apostles and other officers and members of his Evangelical Church in the day of Pentecost Acts 2.1 Which was as it were the Sanctification of the whole Gospel-Church at once in the first-fruits Or whether we understand that work of sanctification which successively is wrought by the Holy Ghost in every individual elect Child of God happily begun in their first conversion and mightily upheld and carried on in the sâ—ul to the dying day This is a glorious work consisting in these two glorious branches of it mortification of corruption which before the Holy Ghost hath done shall end in the total annihilation of the body of sin that blessed priviledge groan'd for so much by the blessed Apostle Rom. 7.24 and the erecting of a beautiful fabrick of grace holiness in the soul which is the very Image of God Heb. 1 3â— an erection of more transcendent wonder and glory than the six days workmanship which the Holy Ghost doth uphold and will perfect unto the day of Christ And this is the great end and design of the Sabbath and of the Ordinances of the Gospel according to the word which the great maker and appointer of Sabbaths speaketh I give them my sabbath to be a sign between me and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifieth them Here then is the third branch of our sanctifying the Sabbath namely the ascribing to God the Holy Ghost the glory of the work of sanctification And this is proper work for Christians in the intervals and void spaces between the publick Ordinances to sit down and first seriously and impartially to examine the work of grace in our souls 1. For the truth of it 2. For the growth of it And then if we can give God and our own Consciences some Scriptural account concerning this matter humbly to fall down and to put the Crown of praise upon the head of Free-grace which hath made a difference where it found none And so much for this Text at this time How we may hear the Word with profit Serm. VII Jam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word which is able to save your souls THese Jews to whom the Apostle writes were guilty of many foul and scandalous sins but their master sin was the love of this world c. 4. ver 4. (a) Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God and from this sin arose many other Evils wherewith they are charged in this Epistle as 1. Their tickling joy in hopes to get gain ch 4.13 (b) Go to now ye that say To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain 2. Their Hoarding up of riches ch 5.3 (c) Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire ye have heaped treasure together for the last daies 3. With-holding the pay of the labouring man chap. 5.4 (d) Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth and the cries of them which have reaped are entred into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath 4. Their fightings and Contentions one with the other yea their killing one the other to get their Estates ch 4.1 2. (e) From whence come wars and fightings among you come they not even from your lusts that war in your members ye lust and have not ye kill and desire to have cannot obtain their desiring to have made them kill one the other as Ahab did Naboth 5. Their Admiring the rich and villifying the poor ch 2.3 (f) If there come into your assembly a man with a gold ring in goodly apparel and there come in also a poor man in vile rayment And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing and lastly to name no more Hence arose their unprofitable hearing of the word ch 1.22 (g) But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves They heard they had the best places at meetings but they were hearers only they did nothing for Riches as Christ tells us Choak the word Luke 8.14 (h) And that which fell among thorns are they which when they have heard go forth and are choaked with cares and riches And as they were guilty of these moral vices so erroneous in the Doctrine of faith especially in that main Article of Justification Holding an empty and inefficatious faith sufficient to interest a man in Christ ch 2.14 (i) What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith have not works can faith save him can such a faith save him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can that faith save him can such a faith save him that Faith that saves is alwaies fruitful and that faith which is not fruitful is no true Faith the Apostle doth not deny that we are justified by Faith by Faith only but he denies that faith without works is a true faith it s only an empty and aiery notion and such a faith cannot justifie nor save a man Well then this being the case and condition of the people it was impossible they should be quiet and patient hearers of the word but must needs fret and fume against it as that which contradicts their Lusts Errors and Delusions The Apostle therefore to take them off from this bitter and untoward spirit in Hearing the word gives them this wholsome counsel and advice from God Wherefore laying apart all filthiness c. All filthiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I 'le not restrain it to covetousness nor to scurrilous and reproachful speeches but take it in its utmost Latitude as denoting sin in the General 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies the filth of the flesh 1 Pet. 3.21
vvill have mercy on you Do you not think that these glad tidings did wonderfully affect their hearts Do you not think that this grace and kindness in their sad condition at the first manifesting of it did strongly oblige them to yield obedience to what God should reveal to them to be his Will Or do you think that neither the sense of their before desperate condition when they saw no way of help or hope nor the sense of this grace and mercy did stir them up to hearken to the commands that God would give them Is it likely that they did not go together and praise God for such love as this Do but consider what they did enjoy before they fell and what their fears were after and then how much must this first tidings of mercy needs affect their hearts and engage them to obedience 3. That our first Parents had religious Worship in their Family appears by the religious education of their Children Do you think that when they had undone their children and yet God had discovered a way of salvation to them that they did not timely tell their children of this Had they exposed their childrens souls to Hell and to damnation and yet not tell them and teach them God's gracious dealings with them by which it might be prevented Do you think that they did not pray with them that themselves and theirs might be indeed partakers of this mercy Is it likely that Adam and Eve did not acquaint their children how God did make them in a blessed condition and how they lost it and how God himself had been with them after they had so offended and made known a way of salvation to them Would not their natural affection to their children and the sense of God's mercy put them on to instruct them in these things and praise God with them for his love and pray for the certain fruits and benefits of it Obj. This might make it probable Vnde haâ—uerunt Cain Abel quod sacrificiis Deum honorarent à patre suo qui eos instituit Fag Lyra. Ex Dei instinctu aut verbo primi parentes obtulerunt Oleast Constat cultum aliquem externum Majestati divinae fuisse institutum à patre Adamo de eo fuisse instructos Cainem Abâ—lem Rivet Cain obtulit non fide sed pro consuetudine paternae institutionis Musculus Deus d cuit Adam cultum divinum quo ejus benevolentiam recuperaret quam per peccatum amiserat ipsumque docuisse filios suos dare Deo decimas primitias but there is nothing in Scripture from whence you can conclude it Ans But there is The express mention of Cain's and Abel's offering doth plainly prove that they were thus brought up in the worship of God Cain though he had no grace yet did make a profâ—ssion of Religion And that they were instructed in the things before expressed is the Judgment of learned men who conclude that Adam receiv'd instructions from God and Cain and Abel from their Father Adam And Abel's Sacrifice being accepted doth fully prove that he did understand the fall and recovering grace by Messias then to come for was God pleased with the Sacrifice it self and for it self that Abel did bring There never was any thing in them to reconcile God to Sinners but they were types and shadows of good things to come and they pointed unto Christ Abel then must understand this Besides Abel did offer by faith in whom in Christ to come then he was instructed in the Doctrine of Redemption by Christ and this doth suppose a lost estate Moreover it is said Heb. 11.4 That by this faith Abel obtained a testimony that he was righteous What By the Works he did By the Sacrifice it self that he offâ—red Is any Sinner justified from the condemning sentence of the Law by Works of his own No but Abel vvas justified by faith in Christ signified by the Sacrifice which he did offer for vvithout a Mediator there is no peace vvith God no pardon from God no justification before God no acceptance vvith him for any sinful man There were then religious duties in Adam's Family and that by God's command and appointment Obj. But this was offering of Sacrifice what is this to Prayer or to us when the way of Sacrificing is abolished Ans 1. Do you think they did Sacrifice and not pray when they did so Ponéâ—que manum c. quo protestebatur se dignum qui pro peccato jugularetur Oleast in loc Quae lex instituit oblationem sacrificiorum eadem praecipit quoque orationes Deo fieri quia absque orationibus illa peragi nequeunt Hoornbeck Socin confu tom 2. p 431. The offerer laid his two hands between the horns of the Sacrifice and confessed his sin over a sin-Offering in this wise I have sinned I have done Perversly I have rebelled and done thus and thus but I return by repentance before thee and let this be my expiation Lightfoot Temp. Service c. 8. Did they not confess their sin when Sacrifice was offâ—red and acknowledg that they deserved to dye for their sins and this was signified by a man's laying his hand upon the head of the burnt-Offering Lev. 1.4 Prayer then usually accompanying Sacrificing Heb. 10.3 the one doth infer the other Luke 1.10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense If such Sacrifices are ended yet there are Sacrifices for Christians to offer up to God your selves your hearts your prayers and praises Rom. 12.1 Heb. 13.15 And there are the same moral grounds and reasons why you should serve God in your Families in the way prescribed by God since the coming of Christ as there was why they should serve God in their Families in the way of Worship appointed by God before the coming of Christ Ans 2. And this was not practised only in Adam's Family but by godly Families after too So Enoch walked with God Gen. 5.24 and Noah Gen. 6.9 vvhich implies their universal sincere obedience at home as well as abroad and that this implies their worshipping God in their Families I think for this reason because if a man be never so great a Professor abroad if he totally and constantly neglect God's worship at home nay if it be not constantly done except in some cases that might fall out he shall not be accounted to be one that walketh with God I judg that man cannot be said to walk with God that in his house with his Family doth not Kneel before him Besides Abraham's duty was comprehended in this phrase Walk before me Gen. 15.1 but Abraham in his walk took his Houshold along with him Gen. 18.19 He will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord the vvay in vvhich his houshold should walk and by the way of the Lord is often understood the worship of God One place more I would have considered for
their good Works 3. Their Light and good works are their own though by the grace of Christ And it is no injury to Christ or his Righteousness or Grace to say that they are their own 4. The splendour of Christians in their good Works must be such as may be seen of Men. 5. The Glorifying of God must be the end of our Good Works and of their appearance unto men 6. As bad as corrupted Nature is there is yet something in mankind which tendeth to the approving of the good works of Christians and to their glorifying God thereupon 7. God is glorified even by common men when they approve of the Glory of Holiness in Believers It is not only by Saints that God is glorified 8. As contrary as Holiness is to corrupted Nature there is such resplendent goodness in true Christians works which common men may glorifie God for And so somewhat in them and in Christianity which hath such agreeableness as may tend to further good 9. The Excellency and Splendour of the good works of Christians especially Teachers is a grand means ordained by God himself for the Conviction of the World and the glorifying of God But the resolving the Question What the splendour of these works must be is my present undertaken task God is not glorified by our adding to him but by our receiving from him not by our making him greater or better or happier than he is but by owning him loving him and declaring him as he is that we and others may thereby be wise and good and happy He is his own glory and ours And by his own light only we must know both him and all things We are not called to bring our Candle to shew the World that there is a Sun but to perswade them into its light to open the Windows and Curtains to disperse the Clouds and to open the eyes of blinded sinners I. The way of doing this and glorifying God is in the order following 1. The first thing that our works must shew is their own goodness They can never prove the Cause good till it is clear that they are good themselves Therefore doubtless Christ here intendeth that we must abound especially in those good works which the world is capable of knowing to be good and not only in those which none but Christians themselves approve If believers and unbelievers agreed in no common principles we were not capable of preaching to unbelievers nor convincing them nor of conversing with them There are many excellent things which Nature doth approve and which both parties are agreed to be good By the advantage of these as granted principles we must convince them of the conclusions which they yet deny and not as the scandalous Christian so absurdly affect singularity as to make light of all good which is taken for good by unbelievers and to seek for eminency in nothing but what the World thinks evil There is a glory in some good works which all do honour and which manifesteth it self 2. And then the goodness of the work doth manifest the goodness of the doer Every man's work is so far his own that he is related to it and by it either as laudable or as culpable as it is Gal. 6.4 5. Let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another for every man shall bear his own burthen God himself will judge men according to their works and so will men and so must we much do by our selves for it is the rightest judging which is likest God's This subordinate honour God grants to his servants If their works were not an honour to them as the next Agents they could be none to him in their Morality as man's acts though they might as acts in general ordered to good by his own goodness If God's Natural Works of Creation Sun and Moon and Earth c. were not praise-worthy in themselves God would not be praised for them as their Maker There are works that God is said to be dishonoured by Rom. 2.23 24. And what are they but such as are really bad and a dishonour to the Authors It is so far from being true that no praise or honour or comfort from good works is to be given to man that God himself is not like else to be honoured by them as morall good if the Actors be not honoured by them The World must first be convinced that Christians are far better than other men and the righteous more excellent than his Neighbour before they will glorifie God as the Author of their goodness In God's own Judgment Well done is the first word and Good and Faithful Servant is the second and Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord is the third Two sorts of Scandalous persons rob God of his honour in his Saints 1. Those that professing Christianity live wickedly or at least no better than other men whose lives tell the World that Christians are but such as they 2. Those that slander and belye true Believers and would hide their goodness and make them odious to the World As for them that say only that we have no righteousness in our selvet by which we can be justified I shall not differ with them if they do but grant that all shall be judged according to their works and that he that is accused as an Infidel Impenitent an Hypocrite or an Unregenerate Ungodly Person must against that accusation be justified by his own Faith Repentance Sincerity and Holiness or be unjustified for ever 3. The next thing to the Work and the Person that is hereby honoured is the Christian Religion it self with the Spirit 's operations on the Souls of Christians The outward Doctrine and Example Of Christ who teacheth his Servants to be better than the World and the inward Sanctification of the Spirit which maketh them better The Air and Food are commended which make men healthy and the Medicines are praised which cure the disease That is accounted good as a means and cause which doth good and which maketh men good If Christians were more commonly and notoriously much better than all other men the World would believe that the Gospel and the Christian Religion were the best But when scandalous Christians appear as bad or worse than Infidels the World thinks that their Religion is as bad or worse than theirs 4. The next ascent of Honour is to the Maker or Author of our Religion the World will see that he is good that maketh so good a Law and Gospel and that maketh all his true Disciples so much to excel all other men And here the first honour will be to the Holy Spirit which reneweth Souls and maketh them holy And the next will be to the Son our Saviour who giveth us both the Word and Spirit And the highest or ultimate Glory will be to God the Father who giveth us both his Son and his Spirit And thus Honour ascendeth to the Highest by these
to be worshipped that the soul is immortal that there is a state of bliss in another world that righteousness is the way to that bliss Now as there are but two righteousnesses the righteousness of Christ of which the whole Creation is silent and nature altogether ignorant and Angels knew it not until it was revealed to them and a mans own righteousness So there are but two Religions in the world sc Christianity and nature Call Religions by what names you list Judaism Turcism Paganism Popery common Protestantism 't is still but nature The Sea hath many names from the Countries and shores but still it is the same Sea These two righteousnesses cannot be mixt in the business of justification in the sight of God If it be of Christ as the Scripture faith it is no more of works if it be of works as nature saith it is no more of Christ we cannot be justified in his sight partly by the righteousness of Christ's obedience and partly by our own The Law is not of Faith Gal. 3.13 as many as are of the works are under the curse v. 10. the just shall live by faith ergo not by law This is Paul's Logick v. 11. A man cannot be Son of two mothers Gal. 4. lat end Cast out the bond-woman and her Son for the Son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the Son of the free-woman And a woman cannot be wife to two husbands together Rom. 7.4 There is but one strait gate Matth. 7.13 one door Joh. 10.9 one way Joh. 14.5 one name Acts 4.12 Paul is the most lively instance in this great case while he was alive to the Law he was dead to Christ and when he was alive to Christ he was dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 dead to the Law as a rule of righteousness and alive to the Law as a rule of obedience dead to the Law in point of dependance and alive to the Law in point of love and practice his Christianity did ennoble and heighten his morality he was just and sober and temperate blameless while he was a Pharisee but when he was a believer he did the same things from a noble principle in a spiritual manner for the right ends before he did act from himself for himself now from Christ and for Christ The deduction from hence is this If we would live in true comfort we must be true Christians A man may be a Protestant yet not a Christian indeed a man may be blameless and Christless and by consequence Godless Remember the parable of the foolish Virgins they were not harlots profane but Virgins they were not persecutors or blasphemers or malicious but foolish i. e. supine careless negligent they had lamps in their hands but no oyl in their hearts the parable of the builders the sandy believers of the Kings supper the man that had not on a wedding garment Indeed most of the preaching of the Lord Jesus tends this way and these parables live to this day and as much at this day Let us look to our selves the oyl of Faith and comfort go together the oyl of holiness and the oyl of gladness true Christians are anointed with both Consider the man that wanted the wedding robe was not discerned by any at the table the Lord espied him quickly who would have thought such a professor should go to hell bind him hand and foot he did pretend to Christ and it was but a pretence I may dispute for preach up Christ's righteousness active and passive and the imputation thereof according to the Scripture and the judgement of the best learned that ever the Churches have had and yet I may go about to establish mine own I may lift up Christ to you and pull him down in mine own heart The sum is this Nullum bonum sine summo bono Austin I will expound it thus No good work without God no God without Christ no Christ without heart-Faith no Faith without love no love without obedience no such obedience without comfort Doct. more or less This brings me to the Doctrine It is the property and practice of believers to love the Lord Jesus and to rejoyce in him and in the hope of eternal life by him 1. First It is their property they and all they and always and none but they there is no man in the world that loves God and the Redeemer Jesus but a believer the Philosophers were haters of God Rom. 1.30 the Gentiles and their wise men for it is plain that the Apostle speaks of them not of the Gnosticks that is an idle conceit and I am bound to believe Paul's Characters of the Gentiles and their Philosophers before Diogenes Laertius Plutarch or any man else the Jews hated Jesus Christ John 15.24 the world hated him John 7.7 Luke 19.14 All Gospel-Atheism said that incomparable Dr. Twisse is against Jesus Christ So for joy there 's never a joyful man alive but a believer Will you say that men take pleasure in their sins why that is the Devil's joy or that they rejoyce in full barns and bags that is the Fool 's joy or that they rejoyce in wine i. e. all dainties that gratifie the palate that is a Bedlam joy I have said of mirth thou art mad Read and believe Eccles 2.3 indeed from the first v. to the 11. The whole book but especially that Chapter is the divinest Philosophy that ever was or will be 2. 'T is their practice they love the Lord Jesus in incorruption or sincerity Eph. 6. last The Church i. e. Believers joyntly and singly say of Jesus that he it is whom their soul loves Cant. 1.7 in the 3. chap. the 4 first ver we have it four times and none but that I sought him whom my soul loveth v. 1. I will arise and seek him whom my soul loveth v. 2. I said to the watchmen saw ye him whom my soul loveth v. 3. after a little while I found him whom my soul loveth v. 4. here is no supernumerary repetition every believer's soul bears a part in this divine song so for joy that is their practice too we have no confidence in the flesh but rejoyce in Christ Jesus which joy in him did plainly flow out of their confidence of an interest in him Phil. 3.3 as sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.9 we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 and we rejoyce in God by Jesus Christ v. 11. with many more Texts to the same purpose there need no more only observe 't is we rejoyce 't is not only Paul or the Apostles but the Philippians Romans and so all believers we rejoyce I shall speak something 1. For the explication of the Doctrine 2. For the vindication of the truth 3. For the resolution of the case 1. For explication these two affections Love and Joy will be best described by their properties objects causes Love is the return of an holy affection to Jesus Christ with desires after
by persevering in faith and holiness to the end the last by being brought through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and repontance from dead works to the same blessed communion 2 Goodness which is the object of love being more or less in this or that subject we may and ought to love (m) Ille justè sanctè vivit qui idoneus rerum aestimator est August Jam. 1.17 more or less according to the degrees wherein every one excells another God is the giver of every good and perfect gift as there are divers kinds of good gifts so divers degrees of them 1. There are natural gifts and abilities as Wisdom and Understanding in several matters which are very beneficial to mankind and therefore God threatens it as a judgment that he will take away the Honourable Man and the Councellor Isa 3.3 and the Cunning Artificer and the Eloquent Oratour Such persons as are qualified with gifts of this kind are to be loved according to the degree in which they excel 2. There are also moral endowments by which men do become more fit for humane Society and nigher to the kingdom of God than other men these vertuous dispositions are very lovely things in any man and the more he excells in them Mar. 10.21 the more we are to love him Christ himself who never misplaced his affections looking on such a person is said to have loved him 3. There are gracious and holy qualifications of the soul from a more than common work of the spirit upon the hearts of men These are the best gifts and for these we ought more especially to love men and that according to the degree wherein they excel as David was wont to let out his love to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent Psal 16.3 (n) Ego dico me neque esse Zuinglianum neque Lutheranum neque Calvinianum neque Bucerianum sed Christianum Lutherum quidem atque Zuinglium Bucerum Calvinum Bullingerum Martyrem tanquam egregia Spiritûs Sancti organa veneror atque suspicio c. Zanchius Tom. 7. pag. mihi 262. Although a man be not so like us in this or that point of opinion or practice yet if he be more like God than such as are we should give him the preheminence in our love 3 As to the signs and effects of our love in bestowing temporal good things although the general rule must be observed by us (o) In omnibus communiter naturam diligamus quam Deus fecit Lombardus Gal. 6.10 Mat. 25 34 35 36. 1 Tim. 5.8 to do good to all yet there are some specialties in the case which must also be observed by us 1 They that are oppressed with the greatest and extremest necessity are to be considered by us before such as are not so deeply distressed if one man be so poor that he cannot subsist unless he be relieved by us we ought to extend our charity to him before another who although he be poor is not in that degree of poverty 2 Though we ought to do good to all yet the poor members of Jesus Christ ought in a special manner to be regarded by us As Christ expects this at the hands of all that bear his name so he takes particular notice of what is done to them as done to himself and will greatly reward the kindness that is shewn to the least of his Brethren with a Come ye blessed another day 3 They (p) Vult cognatos viduarumad monendos officii ut illas ad Ecclesiam non amandent Bez of our own house and such as are near to us in blood are caeteris paribus to tast the effects of our love in this kind before others and in proportion to these they that are our near Neighbours and our own Countrymen 4 Although they who are enemies to God and us cannot well expect that we should and though we be not bound to shew our love to them in doing good to them Equally with others who are God's friends and servants yet there is more due to them by the will of God than we are ordinarily willing to allow or some think we are bound to bestow upon them for I cannot assent to them who would restrain the duty of doing good to our enemies to cases of (q) In articulo necessitatis Aquin. 2.2 Quest 25. Art 8. Luke 6.35 Act. 14.17 Rom. 2.4 Rom. 12.21 Prov. 25.21 extreme necessity as if we were bound only to keep them from perishing Christ proposeth God's example to us who is kind to the unthankful and the evil so kind as not only to give them rain hut fruitful seasons thereby filling their hearts with food and gladness and therefore his goodness to them is called the riches of his goodness And we may be well assured that when the Apostle charged the Romans not to be overcome of evil but to overcome evil with good (r) Per panem aquam intellige omne victûs genus ut alias inscriptura omne beneficii genus quo eum juvare poteris Mercerus in locum 1 John 2.3 1 John 3.14 1 John 4.20 Isa 58.3 4 5. Mar. 12.33 Hos 11.4 he intended that they should spend greater store of that kind of ammunition in order thereunto than some of them then I fear than most of us now are willing to allow We have now seen a little and but a little of the duty that is required of us in this great commandment yet enough to convince us that in many things we offend all Let us humble our selves that we have been so little in observing of it and endeavour to come up to a more full and exact performance of the duties therein required this will be a good evidence of our love to God which we cannot so well make out to our selves or others to be sincere by any other way or means as by this If we love not our brethren whom we have seen how shall we think we can love God whom we have not seen without this all our external performances in Religion will signifie nothing with God All our hearing praying fasting and whatever else it be will be of little or no account with him The Apostle calls the way of love an excellent way it is an excellent way to overcome enemies and make them friends This was the way God took to overcome us he drew us with the cords of a man with bonds of love and he prescribes the same way to us O let us try and see whether more may not be done in this than any other way (ſ) Vincit malos pertinax bonitas nec quisquam tam duri infestique adversus diligenda animi est ut etiam vi tractus bonos non amet Sen. de Benef. lib 7. Eph. 4.16 Col. 2.2 This hath been an approved way the primitive Christians tryed it and found it a good way What made way for the Gospel through the world how came Christians to
visited us So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Christ's whole work was to love and his whole love was free We purchase nothing without leaving of our money behind us All his saved ones have nothing of their own but impotency and antipathy nothing of their own to move God to save them The Law discovers God's will and the gospel discovers his good will 3. The gospel is called grace because it is the instrument under the Spirit of God of bestowing the benefits of free grace upon us It is an invitation to the benefits of free grace and it is our warrant of receiving those benefits and of applying them The Gospel is not only a story to tell us what is done and what is obtained for believers but it is a Testament to cause and to shew unto us our interest in them by Faith We shall lay hold upon it when he who Ordained the Gospel doth accompany it The Gospel brings Salvation Tit. 2.11 Therefore the Gospel is called the Ministration of Righteousness and the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 9. The Instrument made use of by the Spirit of God for enabling us to apply the Righteousness of Christ and all the benefits of Free Grace contained in it And so I have opened the first thing in the Exhortation and shewn vvhat vve are to understand by the Grace of God even the Doctrine of the Gospel Sect. 3 2. The second particular in the Exhortation to be opened is The receiving thereof in vain How is the Doctrine of the Gospel said to be received in vain In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to receive it emptily unfruitfully unprofitably and indeed so it is too often received It is true the Gospel is to be received and it cannot save us unless it be received and therefore you read several times in the Scripture of receiving it Mat. 13.23 The receiving of the seed into good ground Act. 22.41 They received the word of God gladly And in Act. 11.1 The Gentiles received the word And in Act. 17.11 They received the word with all chearfulness So in 1 Thes 1.6 They received the word in much affliction But as the Gospel must be received so it may be received unprofitably ineffectually and in vain And for the opening of this the Gospel may be said to be received in vain in two respects I. In regard of the manner of receiving II. In regard of the Event or the Issue of receiving it First It is received in vain in regard of the manner of receiving it And that is When we receive the Gospel but not with an Empty hand When the grace of the Gospel is not so received as to be empty of the the opinion of our own works and righteousness This is a vain empty reception for the Rich are sent Empty away 2. It is received in vain when it is not received with the highest Estimation and Valuation ◠Tim. 1.15 When it is not looked upon to be worthy of all acceptation as the Apostle expresseth it When it is not received as a Pearl as a Jewel of greatest price If all be not sold for it soon will it be left fot any thing 3. When it is not received vvith the greatest ardency of desire with hungring and thirsting after the benefits contained in it All the inclinations of our souls towards all Earthly objects we owe to the benefits of the Gospel which if vve pursue not ardently we shall never procure succesfully 4. When we do not receive it with a particular fiducial application of Jesus Christ upon the warrant of the Infallible Gospel but only by a general assent When vve receive in into our Heads by Light but do not receive it into our Hearts by Faith When vve do not believe with the Heart but only assent vvith the head When we receive it only into our Ears and into our lips and into our Professions but dot receive it as the good seed vvhich is to be laid up in the furrows and the soil of the soul Thus the Gospel is received in vain in regard of the manner of receiving it Secondly It is received in vain in regard of the Issue the Event of receiving it and that several ways 1. When it is not received so as to purifie the heart as to kill corruption when this grace of God doth not teach us effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts when men will have an Angelical Gospel but will live Diabolical lives when they are not thrown into the mould of the Gospel and have not Hearts and practices sutable to it 2. When it doth not quicken us to new obedience when there is a receiving without returning without any activity for God in holy walking where there is no Delight in the Law of God when his commandments are grievous when the law doth only compell but the Spirit of the Gospel doth not encline our wills to the obedience of the Gospel when by the receiving of the Gospel we are not made a willing people to give up our selves to God in the ways of duty when faith is not made incarnate as Luther speaks by maintaining good works Tit. 3.8 3. When we so receive grace as that it doth not sustain us in our troubles nor bear us up in our sufferings when it is not a word of patience as it is called Rev. 3.10 Thou hast kept the word of my patience The Gospel duly received as to the Issue of its reception maketh us patient to bear whatever is displeasing and ungrateful unto sense When we see that the Justice of God is satisfied we can easily bear the injustice of men When we see that God's wrath is appeased towards us we shall look upon the wrath of man yea all outward troubles to be cold and feeble 4. When we so receive grace as not to impart it and communicate it unto others If we be living we shall be lively Christians If we have the life of Grace in us we shall warm others If we do no good it is a sign we have got no good If there be a Spiritual Life bestowed upon us by the Gospel there is always a Seminal virtue an inclination to disseminate and to scatter Grace among others 5. And lastly grace is received in vain as to the Issue of our receiving of it when it is so received as that thereby we do not obtain salvation It is the Gospel of Salvation but a mere visible owning of the Gospel saveth none The receiving of it into your houses into your heads into your mouths brings not any to Heaven Christ will profess to those that are empty Professors and only have externally and as to the outward priviledges of Grace received the Gospel I never knew you depart from me Mat. 7.23 We are not only to received the priviledges of Grace but Grace by the priviledge if we expect Glory Thus I have shewn what is meant by
out of his free good will to shew himself benevolentem hominibus as Grotius expresseth it gracious and favourable to man in that way of accepting him through Christ 2. The season of Grace is called the day of Salvation further to shew the Sect. 10 advantageousness of this season unto the improvers thereof We must not take Salvation here so largely as for deliverance from any evil or danger or the preservation from any trouble or distress nor must we take Salvation here so strictly and narrowly as to import only eternal Salvation in Heaven as it is taken Rom. 13.11 Now is your Salvation nearer than when you believed and heirs of Salvation Heb. 11.14 Nor must you take it so strictly as to import only the means of Salvation as it doth often in the Scripture Act. 28.28 Salvation is of the Gentiles but Salvation in this place comprehends both that happiness which is perfect and compleat in Heaven and also the entrance into it and the beginning of it in this life fitness for Salvation here and the fulness of Salvation hereafter in which sense the Gospel is called the Gospel of Salvation in Eph. 1.13 and the word of Salvation in Act. 13.29 and the Long-suffering of God is to be accounted Salvation in 2 Pet. by Salvation in these places being meant a fitness for Eternal Salvation by receiving the Gospel and improving the Long-suffering of God and the means of Grace and our being brought to the full Fruition of it in Glory So in this place the day of Salvation is that season wherein God bestows an entrance into Salvation here followed with a full perfection of it hereafter And so I have opened the sense of these two arguments whereby the Apostle urgeth us to the present improvement of the season Grace both as this is a season of fitness for working and so called a Time a Day and as 't is a Season of advantageousness to the worker and so called an accepted time wherein God accepts of sinners to be reconciled to them and a day of Salvation by the improving whereof God will certainly bring his People to the Fruition and the perfect Participation of Life and Salvation in Heaven Now having thus explained and opened the Sense of these two Arguments I shall only in the second place 2. Shew you the force and strength of them both distinctly to engage us to a present improvement of the season of Grace 1. And First I shall shew you the force of the first Argument and that is the fitness of this present season of Grace for our working and employment It is saith the Apostle 1. The Time 2. The Day Sect. 11 1. It is the Time I shewed you in the explaining of the sense of the first Argument the meaning of the word Time I told you it did clearly import tempestivity opportunity the flower the cream the lustre the beauty of time But how doth this consideration that the present Season of Grace is the time of opportunity urge and inforce the duty of a present improving of the season of Grace In answer whereunto I offer these following considerations 1. The First is this The time of opportunity is that which we may easily let slip It is tempus labile a time that may easily slip between our fingers especially in Spiritual concernments It is needful therefore now instantly to lay hold upon it Opportunity is hardly embraced The learned Pharisees could not discern their opportunity by discerning the signs of Christ's coming as you have it in Mat. 16. and the beginning Nor could the Jews know their opportunity it was hidden from their eyes Luk. 19.42 Who is as the wise man saith Solomon in Eccl. 8. that is how rarely is the wise man to be found Where is he to be found But why so The wise man saith he discerneth time and judgment that is he is able to judge when things are to be done and therefore 't is rare to find such a wise man Embracing of opportunity is a wisdom that God alone must teach us by considering the shortness of our time to be so wise as to improve it Psal 90.12 And God concealeth the season the nick the juncture of time wherein he will bestow Grace upon us because he would have us always watchful and dependent upon him humble and serious in regarding every season It is easie to know seasons for civil affairs easy to know the season of a trade to sow to reap to buy to sell But in those affairs that concern our Souls it is hard to find out when they are to he performed Opportunity is so very short and sudden and men are so blinded with avocations pleasures prejudices and vain hopes that sometimes these make the season of regarding their Souls appear too soon sometimes they are so blinded with fear and discouragements by dangers and difficulties and seeming impossibilities that they think it too late So that indeed between sinful hope and fear it is hard to pitch upon the right season and nick of time for the saving of our Souls In every business but especially saving business the most difficult part of the work is the due limiting of it In our voyage to Heaven it is hard to save our tide not one of a thousand but lets it slip 2. Secondly Opportunity must be presently embraced and improved because the improving of it is a man's greatest wisdom They are called wise who so consider their latter end as that they pursue the present season of duty Deut. 32.29 They are the wise that discern time and judgment Eccl. 8.5 that is that discern the opportunity so as to have judgment for the embracing of it Therefore in Eccl. 10.2 The wise man's heart is said to be in his right hand that is the wisdom of his heart teacheth him to dispatch his affairs judiciously and dextrously both for manner and season The want of this wisdom discerning the season maketh a man like unto a beast Psal 49.20 It is worse to be like a beast than to be a beast To be a beast is no sin and comparatively no punishment But to be like a beast is both in a high degree Yea the very brute Creatures they are far wiser than is he that neglects his opportunity of Grace The Stork the Turtle the Crane the Swallow observe their seasons of coming into several Countries Jer. 8.7 8. They know their appointed season but my people know not the judgment of the Lord not discern the course or manner of God's dealings so as to embrace duty and avoid danger It is called a fool's property to want a heart when he hath a price that is an opportunity put into his hand to get wisdom Prov. 17.16 And therefore the 5 Virgins even for this piece of folly are called foolish even to a Proverb because they were not so wise as to know their opportunity And let a man be never so prudent for the world if he knoweth not the
Name Though the Action may be a common Action in it self or perhaps some base servile low imployment yet being done in the Name of Christ with Faith in him with care and conscience to please him such an Action far surpasseth the great and noble exploit of Alexander the Great of Pompey or Caesar or of any of the Renowned Hero's in the World who in the name of parts or gifts or any acquired Excellencies have done great things in the World There may be a great difference betwixt Persons and their Imployments as betwixt a Prince and a Peasant in their places and yet a poor Peasant doing some common work in an ordinary way it may be a piece of drudgery yet his work being done by Faith in Christ's Name it doth as much surpass the Person and Actions of a Prince in a worth and Excellency which doth not manage his Publick and weighty affairs of State in the Name of Christ as the Prince doth surpass him in place They have great advantage above all others who go about their common Imployments in the Name of Christ and for the honour of Christ above all others who Act in their own name as it was with David and Goliah 1 Sam. 17.45 The lowest Actions done by Faith have a very great honour put upon them by the Spirit of God above all others Heb. 11.31 The Harlot Rahab receiving the Spies by Faith is put among the worthies upon that account Civil and natural Actions done in the Name of Christ are raised to a very great height to have the name of Religious put upon them Thus doth Faith in Christ's Name turn Brass and Copper into Gold Luther saith that if he might have his Option he would rather chuse the lowest and basest Imployment of a poor Rustick or Maid-Servant doing their work in Faith before all the Victories and Triumphs of Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar Why Because hic est Deus illic est Diabolus haec est differentia essentialis hoc non omnes possunt cernere neque Erasmus quidem vidit that is because with a poor Saint God is and the Devil with them and this is an essential difference betwixt them every one does not see it Erasmus himself did not perceive it By this Name the most contemptible Persons in the World are come to be renowned in the Church Heb. 11.2 38 39. Those that Live by Faith on that Name had a great and good Report in Heaven and though they were despised by the World yet the World was not worthy of them God never speaks such a word of all the men of great Name in the World as he does of the poorest Saint on Earth that the World is not worthy of them Sure I am that many of those great Men of the World were not worthy to Live in the World the World was weary of them and the worse for them 6. Infer If all we do well in the World is to be done in Christ's Name and through his strength it is very fit that we should give him the glory of all Since all we can do is of him and from him all must be to him Rom. 11.36 We find in Rev. 5.8 9 10 c. that the Saints and Angels fell down and gave glory to God and to the Lamb. The Lord is very jealous of his Honour when Men take the glory that is due to him to themselves and Sacrifice to their own Acts and as God is jealous of his Honour Isa 42.8 and will endure to have no Co-partners with him so the Servants of Christ are also jealous of themselves lest when they have done worthily they should rob him of his Honour and therefore 1 Cor. 15.10 the Apostle Paul when he had said I laboured more abundantly than they all seems presently to correct himself yet not I but the Grace of God in me 7. Infer Hence it will follow that whatever Service or Worship is done in any Name to God than that of Christ it is rejected or what is done in his Name but not according to his mind is abhorred of God though he may do that which is commanded by God which for Substance may be the same that a Believer doth yet being not done in the Name of Christ God abhors it Isa 66.3 Though they did Sacrifice such things as God commanded Isa 58.1 2 3 c. yet being not done in the Name of the Lord for his Glory and according to his Word it is rejected of God Isa 1.10 11 12. Their Incense which was appointed for expiation was an abomination to God so that all the Worship of the Jewish Synagogue was abhorr'd of God because the Name of Christ is abhorred by them and all the Services of Papists who are of the Synagogue of Satan which are tendered in the Name of Saints or Angels or of their own merit or Righteousness are rejected with greatest detestation all the Service of the whole Nations of Turks what are done in the Name of Mahomet and their Alchoran are an abomination to God 8. Infer Hence Learn that there is no honouring of God but in the Name of his Son John 5.23 There can be no true praise given to God in any work by any Person but in and through Christ Eph. 2.10 We are Created in Christ Jesus to good Works so as they must be a new Created People through Christ which are a People to his Praise Psal 102.8 The lowest meanest work done by Faith in Christ as it brings great Honour to God so it is greatly honoured by God Mat. 10. A Cup of cold water given upon the account of Christ has a great reward from him Salvian speaks to this point very notably non perdiderit mercedem suam Mat. 10.42 Etiam eam rem in futuro habituram praemium esse dicit quae in praesenti praetium non dabit tantum honoris cultori suo tribuit ut aliquid esset per fidem quod hic omnino nihil esset per servilitatem He shall not lose his reward says he in the World to come he shall have a great reward which perhaps in the present Life he may miss of so great an honour is God pleased to put upon an Action done in Faith however mean and inconsiderable and which by reason of its vileness in the eyes of men is nothing A visit of a poor Member of Christ sick or in Prison or an Alms given to feed or cloath them what an honour is put upon these at the last day Mat. 25.34 35 36. But what shall we think of Cyrus and Darius and others who did so great things for the Church of God Isa 45.1 2 3 4. And of the King of Tyrus who upon account of the Protection that the People of God had from him is called the Anointed Cherub that covereth Ezek. 28.14 16. To this I Answer that as for Cyrus though God made great use of him yet the Lord says expresly of him that he know him
So 2 Pet. 2.2 He had spoken of some who by their Doctrines denyed the Lord Christ that bought them by reason of whom the way of truth was evil spoken of by the false Doctrines and flagitious lives of Professors the Name and Religion of Christ is rent and torn in pieces and brought into contempt among the worst of men And therefore we find that when Professors are pressed to walk as becometh the Gospel one great Argument is taken from the great reproach that else will follow 1 Tim. 6.1 he presseth servants to account their Masters worthy of double honour that the Name of God and his Doctrine be not blasphemed The like Argument we have upon Wives that they be discreet c. obedient to their own Husbands Tit. 2.4 that the Word of God be not blasphemed that the way of Religion in which they profess to serve God be not made vile and contemptible in the eyes of such as have little regard to any Religion at all Averroes was most taken with the Christians Sect as he called it but when he saw the Christians do what he thought was a great offence against the God whom they served or worshipped he said Moriatur anima mea cum Philosophis Let me die amongst the Philosophers and not among the Christians It is reported of one Hathway an Indian as blind as he was so possessed with prejudice against the Christian Religion by the cruelty of the Spaniards that he refused to be Baptized because of their vile carriage and said he would not go to the same Heaven with them Of all persons Christians have cause to walk most wisely and uprightly in reference to that honourable Name which they bear lest otherwise they expose it to contempt Let us do as the Primitive Saints did Acts 9.31 of whom it is said they walked in the fear of the Lord and the Churches had rest They were in the midst of persecuting bloudy Enemies who seeing them walk in the fear of the Lord and according to the Rules of the Christian Religion which did strike such an awe into them of the Majesty of their Religion which did shine forth in their holy heavenly Conversation as brought their Enemies under so great Convictions as they durst not at that present attempt them or hinder their peace A Saint sanctifies the Name of the Lord in the course of his life while he walks in the fear of the Lord Isa 8.13 This was a great Argument which prevailed with Nehemiah and he propounded it to the people to walk in the fear of the Lord because of the reproach of the Enemy Nehem. 8.9 It is not the Jew which denieth the Name of Christ or the Turk which defieth it or the Pagan Dragon Rev. 12.2 3. which persecuteth the Name of Christ that casts so soul a blot and reproach upon the Name of Christ as he which takes upon him the Name of Christ and under a form of godliness lives in the practice of those foul abominations spoken of 2 Tim. 3.1 2 5. from which turn away How we may steer an even Course between Presumption and Despair Serm. XXIV Luke 3.4 5. As it is written in the Book of the words of Isaiah the Prophet saying The voice of one crying in the Wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his Paths streight Every Valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low and the crooked shall be made streight and the rough wayes shall be made smooth THIS Chapter begins with the Ministry of John the Baptist the Forerunner of Christ In which you have 1. The Time of his Ministry when it began set down and ascertain'd by some particular and very memorable remarks upon it from the names of those who were then in Authority chief Governours and Rulers both in Church and State whose several Offices and Commands bore the same date with John's preaching ver 1 2. The reason of this I shall not now trouble you with 2. His Call unto this Office ver 2. The Word of God came unto John 3. The Subject matter of his preaching viz. The Baptism of Repentance for remission of Sins ver 3. 4. The occasion that prompted him to this subject and made him fix his thoughts upon it which was an ancient prophecy out of Isaiah ch 40.3 The Holy Ghost bringing this into his mind telling him it was now to be fulfilled by his preaching and therefore no doubt directed him to pitch upon such a subject as might tend most to the accomplishment of that Prophecy The Prophecy or Promise for it is both you have in the words of my Text and in the last Clause of the succeeding Verse I shall not insist upon the several Metaphors in the Text but in short give you the general sence of the whole By mountains and valleys I understand all sorts of Men high and low rich and poor who considered in their natural condition whether convinced or unconvinced do all stand in a direct opposition to Jesus Christ are exceeding averse from and unprepared for the Doctrine of the Gospel will not submit to the Law of Faith some upon one account and some upon another till God by a further work of the Spirit doth open their eyes and draw their hearts to Christ Now the words of the Text do contain this Preparatory Work of the Gospel upon poor Sinners in order to due reception of Christ and aright application of him by Faith unto the Soul It consists of two parts 1. Pulling down Mountains 2. Filling up Valleys both very difficult work John had to do with some who were puft up with a conceit of their own Righteousness and would be their own Saviours and not be beholding to Christ and free Grace for any thing thinking themselves to be something when indeed they were nothing Gal. 6.3 Revel 3.16 17. These were the proud Pharisees boasting of their own Righteousness and besides these there are also a company of Profane Atheistical Sadducees who gloried in their sins and denying the Resurrection of the Body and the Immortality of the Soul ran out into all licentiousness Others again were so convinc'd of Sin and of the dangerous consequence of it that they were ready to sink into Despair knew not what to do fearing their sins were greater than could be forgiven these are the Mountains and Valleys in the Text. Presumption on the one hand and Despair on the other that rises too high this sinks too low that inclines too much one way this too much the other and there is a crookedness and obliquity in both which must be rectified and straightened by the Preaching of Repentance in order to the Remission of Sins This John doth first urging the necessity of Repentance upon the proud Pharisees who thought they needed no Repentance Luke 15.7 Secondly urging the great Gospel Priviledge that Christ hath purchased for Believers upon their repentance viz. Remission of Sins upon poor dejected Sinners that both
when he hath brought a sinner safe and sound to heaven and secur'd him there to all eternity I mention this to shew the great delight Christ takes in shewing mercy to poor sinners in opposition to those evil surmizes and hard thoughts which thou hast of him but yet it may be thou replyest Object 4 My case is not the case of common sinners none so great an offender as I no sins like mine capable of such high aggravations were there but one man in the whole world to be damned and to go to hell I have reason to believe that I am he and since things are so bad with me I cannot be comforted Answ This is a sad case indeed we see objections rise higher and higher and doubting souls out of our very answers to one objection will pick out matter for another but I am loth to leave thee behind me in the very bottom of the pit let me then reach down a helping hand to thee once more let me give thee one lift more and I hope in answering this objection I shall answer all and silence thy unbelief for ever Is it so that thou art the worst of men the greatest of sinners under matchless guilt be it so we will admit all this to be true and take thee under that black character which thou hast now given of thy self and yet I say there is hope my advice to thee in short is this come as the greatest sinner that ever was in the world to Christ and I dare undertake for thy welcome let that which hath been hitherto thy discouragement turn now to thy great encouragement Christ came not to the whole but to the sick not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance even the greatest of sinners and since thou takest thy self to be so obey this loud call and come immediately to Christ though thy sins be as scarlet and as crimson they shall be as white as snow and as wool Isa 1.18 therefore turn thee to thy God and wait continually on him Hosea 12.6 etiam cum ad culmen perveneris omnium peccatorum as Zanch. upon the place lib. 1. de relig when thou art come to the height of all sin and wickedness Thus whoever thou art O poor trembling doubting soul remember that God hath once more called thee to come to Christ this day to come as thou art in thy rags in thy poverty in thy emptiness and insufficiency that he may be all in all to thee though means and ordinances do not presently take off our doubts and overcome our fears and fully satisfie our souls but still we remain hopeless and heartless and unbelieving yet if they do so far prevail with us as to put us upon the tryal and use of those means we are directed to compelling us to comply with the counsel that God gives us by his Ministers this may be a sign for good that God hath taken a secret hold of thy heart and is drawing thee on in the way wherein he will be found Go home then and say though I am as cloudy and dark as ever unsatisfied as ever though I have no heart to come to Christ no expectation of any success in coming yet I will come however if it be but to satisfie the importunity of others of the Ministers of the Gospel who in Christ's name and in his stead do so earnestly beseech me once more to make tryal of the freeness of his grace Tell Jesus Christ who sent you we will own it at the last day and justifie our message to you tell him then what thou hast heard this day and that thou couldest not make away with thy self and throw thy self headlong into hell till thou hast once more expos'd thy self to his wonted pity and commiseration to such as thou art tell him thy soul is ready to break for the longing desire it hath after Christ cry out and say how long Lord holy and true when wilt thou shine out upon thy poor creature who is walking in the valley of the shadow of death and can see no light O make hast to help O arise and save me come Lord Jesus come quickly with relief and succour to my poor soul offer thy self in this manner to Christ present thy self thus before the Lord and if thou findest thy self pressed out of measure above strength insomuch as thou despairest even of life as 2 Cor. 1.8 9. O then cast thy self burthen and all upon Jesus Christ Mat. 11.28 and when thou canst not gather comfort from any present sensible impressions made upon thy heart then argue from promises made to thy coming take them as an answer from God to thee and make thy best of them as David did Psal 119.81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word hath not Christ said John 6.37 Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out if he should never speak one word more to thee all thy dayes here is enough said already to support thee we say omne praeteritum est necessarium that which is past can never be recall'd Christ will never unsay what is pass'd out of his lips keep thy hold here and thou art safe to eternity Nothing but raptures and particular revelations some strong sensible feelings of comfort will satisfie some whereas indeed God hath revealed his whole counsel to us in the Scriptures and has nothing more to say to sinners than what is already expressed in the Gospel the particular answers that God gives his people sometimes what are they but inward repetitions of Gospel-promises to the heart sealed up there by the Spirit How a Christian may get such a faith that is not only saving but comfortable and joyful at present Serm. XXV 1 Peter 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing you rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory THE Question which this Text was chosen to resolve is How a Christian may get such a Faith as is not only saving at the last but comfortable and joyful at present This case hath two things in it one it takes for granted the other it doth suppose may and sometimes doth come to pass it takes first for granted that joy and comfort arise from Faith viz. Faith unfeigned as the Apostle speaks which purifies the heart and sets love a work to obey the Law and so the commandment hath the end for which it was made 1 Tim. 1.5 and this is very sure for all comfort must begin in God and be derived from him he is the father of mercies and the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1.3 and he hath given us everlasting consolations through grace 2 Thess 2. last but it is not from God absolute or without a Mediator alas there is no comfort in that What comfort can a malefactor that hath myriads of inditements against him upon the file the least whereof must take away his life expect from a just
and righteous judge the case is thine and mine infinitely more dreadful than between a malefactor and a magistrate my sins are innumerable the least is mortal God is judge and hell is the prison wrath horrour fire the worm and all endless that is the punishment the judge is and cannot be otherwise than most true and righteous what comfort can I think to find now from God absolute i. e. without relation to Christ behold instead of comfort a devouring flame and instead of joy a consuming fire I speak this because of abundance of our people they say God is merciful and they do their best they hope God will be their comfort and they serve him and all this while they think not of Jesus Christ we are all naturally Socinians those that never heard their names much less read their books live in their heretical and blasphemous principles O the amazing stupidity of the world called Christian that we can smile and laugh and hug our selves in deceiving comforts upon the brink of hell there can be nothing comfortable to us without the God of all comfort and no comfort can be to us from God but by the Lord Jesus and no Jesus to us without Faith we rejoyce in God saith the Apostle but how by Jesus Christ why by him we have received the attonement he hath made it by his blood and we receive it by Faith Rom. 5.11 he is the Salvation of God Luke 2.30 and the consolation of Israel verse 25. he is our comfort by being God's Salvation That the business of Christ in the world was to teach us no more humbling precepts than Plato or Moses and then to seal them with his death there is little comfort this comfort and joy is the affections 't is wrought by the blessed Spirit joy in or by the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 the fruit of the Spirit is joy Gal. 5.22 't is joy in the Father by the Mediator through the Comforter this tells that joy and comfort are noble and divine goods they are not little debonnaires or complacency with some facetious or gentle garb that is but thin and beggarly nor are they friends to a sowr face and cloudy countenance 't was inward comfort that made Stephen's face to shine as an Angel this joy is not a joy in the face and not in the heart as some did rejoyce who put on a good face under the strokes of an angry conscience and reproached Paul for a frantick 2 Cor. 5.13 Neither is this comfort a floating thing in the mouth when persons without good cause are prating their assurance and comfort it seems to argue too much froth and lightness res severa saith Seneca est verum gaudium the richest mines lye deep and the deepest rivers minimo labuntur sono make the least noise but it is marrow and fatness to the soul the joy of the Lord is your strength I cannot express the excellency of it the Text saith it is joy unspeakable and full of glory The sum is this a Christian that would live comfortably must live holily if he will live holily he must live so primarily by the faith of the Son of God and he must endeavour after such a degree of faith as to say Christ loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 that comfort in life and to and in death is the joy of Faith the victory of Faith the triumph of Faith all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 a special application of the righteousness of Christ to a man 's own soul there is the rise and origine of joy and comfort if the Scripture may take place Object I see an objection which it will not be unseasonable nor impertinent to refute viz. here is a noise of Faith Faith believing and the righteousness of another is the way to drive all good works out of the world Answ Answ The clean contrary is most true it is the only way to bring all good works and all comfort into the world a man not sanctified by Faith in Christ cannot do a good work but spoils it in the doing neither can he see a comfortable day while he is such this objection is hugely irrational a man may as well argue against marriage and say that marriage is the ready way to drive all lawful seed out of the world and bring in bastards it is the same case Rom. 7.4 or he might as well plead against the riseing of the Sun and say it was the way to drive all light out of the world and to bring in darkness 't is the same case 2 Cor. 4.6 he may as well say that eating of bread is the way to drive out all vigour and strength of the body out of the world the way to bring in starvedness it is still the same case Joh. 6.54 the truth is Children before marriage are spurious the world without the Sun is darkness and without eating no living so without union to and interest in Christ Jesus who is Jehovah our righteousness there is no holiness or comfort in the world To set up any thing for righteousness in the sight of God but the righteousness of Jesus that is the way indeed to drive the Doctrine of the Church of England and all the Reformed Churches with all their most eminent Doctrines out of the world nay to drive all good works and all comfort out of the world nay to drive the Gospel and Christ and Salvation by him out of the world if the Galatians that were professed believers received Paul as an Angel received the Spirit shall turn aside to their own works and make them concurrent with Christ though but as a less principal part which was their case then mark the issue the grace of the Father is frustrated the death of Christ is in vain frustra sine fructu Gal. 2.21 Christ is of none effect they are fallen from Grace Christ profits them nothing and all this Paul doth testifie with a great deal of vehemence and Solemnity once and again and with such Apostolical majesty as seldom occurs Behold I Paul testifie unto you Gal. 5.2 3 4. I suppose that no man that understands Paul will say that he disputes only against the ceremonial Law therefore I will leave it and conclude this with that 1 Joh. 5.12 he that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life and this is written to them that believe that they might know that they have eternal life and they that know it cannot altogether want this in my Text joy unspeakable and glorious The second thing in the question is supposed viz. that a Christian may have Faith that is saving in the end which is not comforting in the way I Answ 1. You must not so understand it as though saving Faith and comforting were two kinds of Faith nor secondly as if saving Faith in the close were in some believers altogether and always void of all light and comfort but how a
Christian who is saved when he dies may live comfortably while he lives then the resolution of the case is this that that Faith which is saving in the end is also sanctifying in the way and would be comfortable also if the Christian did not Ponere obicem hinder it himself and therefore that he may live joyfully he must remove these hindrances and use the means proper to the end of which anon at present he must do as these believers in the Text did and he shall find comfort as they did in these four particulars 1. They did persist in the simplicity of the Gospel as it is in Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Ministers of Christ began then v. 13. Paul was jealous of the Church of Corinth lest that chast Virgin should be corrupted v. 2. as the Churches in Galatia were bewitched with these juglers Gal. 3.1 the great design of the old serpent from that day to this hath been to adulterate the Doctrine of faith in a crucified Redeemer knowing full well that this is the most effectual course to ruine all true holiness and solid comfort But these believers received the grace of God in truth as it was fully and plainly proposed to them they did not spin out the high and vital truths into needless disputes nor darken them with nice distinctions and subdistinctions this serves for little else but to distract the mind and disturb the quiet of mens souls 2. They did taste that the Lord viz. Christ is gracious to whom coming as the living stone they as lively stones were built upon him a spiritual house for God 1 Pet. 2.4 5. they did not content themselves with orthodoxy to rest satisfied in this that they were not Simonians or Ebionites or Menandrians or the sectators of them that did destroy Christ's righteousness by dividing it let us not only profess Christ but feel him 't is one thing to preach Christ and another thing to feel him were the last words of Mr. Ash 3. They minded the mystery of the Gospel the eternal Deity grace and righteousness of our Lord Jesus as Peter prayed for them 2 Pet. 1.3 and exhorts them to grow in this 2 Pet. 3. last as for Church modes and membership and priviledges they did enjoy them without censuring and animosity but knowledge of and communion with Jesus Christ accompanied with love and obedience and peace of conscience was the main business of their life this is the way to comfort let us do so Assure your selves there is little joy in a ceremony to a dying man modes and membership are but sorry comforters Lastly As they had Faith and Love so they did exercise them they did believe and they did go on to believe and so to be acquainted with the righteousness of God from Faith to Faith you may observe how the Apostle remembers the works of Faith Love and Patience in Christ of the Thessal 1. cap. 1.3 and in the 2. Epistle cap. 1. verse 3. He thanks God their Faith did grow exceedingly there was but a little time between the writing of these two Epistles this latter being written shortly after the first to rectifie their mistake about the day of Christ The primitive Christians did not content themselves with habits and let them be as fire under the ashes or as seed under the clods but did stir them up that they might warm and they did water them that they might spring and blossom like a rose If a man that hath the power of seeing should walk up and down the streets from morning to night with his eyes shut without any actual seeing would you not suspect him to be distempered what comfort can this man take in the light of the Sun much like this is a believer that hath Faith habitual he riseth in the morning and lyes down at night and hath not an act of Faith upon nor a privy thought of blessing Jesus all the day how can any comfort be expected in such a strangeness as this is So then the sum is this these believers received the Gospel of Salvation by Christ pure as it was proposed to them they gave the Apostle this honour that they had wisdom enough to express themselves plainly fully significantly and honesty enough that they would not deal fallaciously or ambiguously they valued not the tradition of their fathers nor the fancies of Philosophers they had no vain janglings amongst themselves but coveted the sincere unmixed milk of the word that they might grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.1 2. The Gospel came to them not in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance Assurance of understanding assurance of Faith their communion was with the Father and fellowship with Jesus Christ that made their joy to be rich and plentiful their priviledges and ordinances were their delight but not their confidence they came to God by them and waited upon God in them in dangerous times for the enlarging and confirming of their knowledge Faith and comfort let us be exhorted to do as they did and doubtless we shall speed as they sped My business now is to speak something to the Text and then more to the practical case in hand only first I would crave leave to speak a few words to the context for this reason because as my Text is the true pourtraiture of practical godliness so the context gives us a system of godliness doctrinal The Epistle is written to the strangers v. 2. Jews and Gentiles say some but especially Jews scattered in four now Roman provinces not long before distinct and considerable Kingdoms together with Asia sc the proconsular or less Asia yet including also those parts in and about Chaldea Peter was at this time in or about Babylon in which parts were many myriads of the Jews of whom he was the Apostle with James and John Gal. 2.9 1 Pet. 5.13 That Babylon in the Text should mystically be Rome is a mere conceit and a groundless fancy this Epistle was written thirty years at least before John had received the revelation Grotius and others are quite beside the truth 't is forty to one odds that Peter was never there well these Jews were effectually called according to Gods election the terminus or the thing to which not for which or upon which but to which they were chosen and called is said to be this sc to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus the great efficient of this in them is the blessed Spirit through the sanctification of the Spirit the same verse being thus sanctified they had hope where observe the property of this hope it was a lively hope 2. The term or object an inheritance 3. The way whereby they obtained this hope they were begotten of God as a father to it 4. The cause moving God to this his abundant mercy 5. The ground of this hope it was the resurrection of Christ from the dead then
the fruit of it which was great joy v. 3. And then 6. here is their perseverance and how that is effected they were kept by the power of God to Salvation v. 5. No doubt but holiness is loseable the Angels lost theirs and we lost ours and the Saints at this day would quickly lose theirs totally and finally if they were left to a stock of grace received to trade for another world to grace received there must be grace supplyed the grounds of perseverance are without us viz. the promise of the Father the purchase and intercession of the Lord Jesus the power and supply of the blessed Spirit a Doctrine full of comfort but for certain as full of grace and humility too indeed if the comfort were not sanctifying it were not found So that here we may see the Doctrine of the glorious Trinity and every person in his work according to the most wise and divine Oeconomy and propriety in working towards fallen men quite dead in sin and dead in law and that irrecoverably as to themselves or any created power in heaven on their behalf here is I say the Father electing to life and glory here is Jesus Christ dying and rising here is the blessed Spirit sanctifying here the three Graces Faith Hope and Love inseparably accompanyed with obedience cherished with joy and comforts and crowned with perseverance by the power of God all arising from the Soveraignty of God's will and his rich abundant mercy to the praise of the riches of his glorious grace that they that glory should glory in the Lord. Pelagius was the first that set up nature for which the Church of God abhorred him saith Austin and the Fathers call it virus illud Pelagianum the most learned Vsher called it detestandam illam haeresin that pestered the Church of Christ olim bodie saith that holy man in his Hist Pel. But to proceed these strangers notwithstanding their holiness were undeâ— manifold temptations v. 6 7. persecutions in a tumultuary way were raised against them by the unbelieving Jews who were egged thereto by the Priests Priests who did stir up the people against them there was no Imperial Edict at this time against the Christians Nero was the first he was dedicator damnationis nostrae I need not quote Tertullian every Lad of the upper form may know this out of Suetonius and Tacitus God kept the Gospel in the first publishing of it free from any disturbance by the civil powers about 34 years that Claudius banished John into Patmos and that then he had the revelation is a mere figment of the learned Grotius and his Annotations built upon it have neither sap nor sense Under these persecutions their Faith did not only continue but shine and their love was evident and their comforts were so far from abating that they did rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious But you will say what is this to the question I answer here are two directions how a Christian may get that Faith whereby he may live comfortably as well as die safely 1. Be clothed with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 ascribe all thy gifts and graces thy profiting under afflictions ordinances thy peace and comfort wholly to the grace of God by Jesus Christ through the Spirit of holiness If there be any way in the world to get special Faith and to live comfortably it is this to live humbly the evangelically humble soul is the serene chearful soul heart-pride doth not only deprive believers of comfort but brings vexations disappointments and disgusts which are a torment to pride where ever it is 't is a sin that is very incident very pleasing to us very displeasing to God and very disquieting 't is an easie thing to preach and hear and discourse humility but believe it it is not so easie to live it a man's soul is never so fit to receive the shines of Gods love as when he is nothing in himself be sure to crush the sprawlings and motions of this cursed pride see God in all bless him for all see the Lord Jesus the purchaser of all and the blessed Spirit the Sanctifier of all study this well and live that Text in Rom. 11. last God is Principium efficiens finis of him through him and for him are all things give him the glory reduce this to practice this is every day practicable and were it practised would make every day comfortable envyings and provokings arise from vain-glory Gal. 5. last Inde nata sunt schismata quippe Hierome cum dicunt homines nos justificamus impius nos sanctificamus immundos we would be some-bodies away with these thoughts let God have the glory and thou wilt have the comfort in this way God will give Faith special and that is the Faith that brings comfort 2. The way to comfort is to do as these believers in my Text did they did choose rather to forego their earthly comforts than their consciences made choice of affliction rather than iniquity esteemed the reproaches of Christ rather than their safety prisons are not so terrible as they are imagined the best men have rejoyced in the honour of suffering they suffered joyfully the spoiling of their goods all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Col. 1.11 Scripture-History primitive and modern abound with instances of all Sexes Ages Conditions in this particular The noble Galeacius had that joy in Christ at Geneva beyond all the Marquisates in Italy or the whole world In suffering comes assurance and that is comfort You will say we are not called to suffering and I say the God of peace give us truth and peace always but then if you would live comfortably live in religious honesty chuse poverty before knavery an honest meanness before secretly sinning gains Conscience is the best friend next to Jesus Christ Our rejoycing is this not that we are Preachers so was Demas nor an Apostle so was Judas but the testimony of our conscience that not in fleshly wisdom but in godly sincerity through the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 Light i. e. comfort is sown for the righteous and joyful gladness for the upright Psal 97.11 Now I come to my Text. The words contain the essence of Christianity or godliness The constituent parts of it are Faith and Love the necessary consequences are obedience evangelical and joy unspeakable Faith in Jesus is the great command of the Gospel Joh. 1.5 last 'T is the work of God Joh. 6.29 this is that work Love is the great command of the Law Matth. 22.36 Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy soul Faith acts upon Jesus and sets Love on work Love desires after him and delights in him and sets obedience on work divine comfort flows in proportionably In this is the formal nature of Christianity and what ever is not this in truth is but nature The revelation left in nature tells us that there is a God that he is
and to shew how Consideration is to be managed to help on the practice of the Duty in each of them I have in vvhat hath gone before seldom made any particular mention of these Instances because I designed to speak particularly and apart to them under this Head To speak to all and that too according to the copiousness of the subject vvould be a vast work I shall only single out some few of the most usual Cases and be also but very brief upon them Heart-inquietude or Discontent doth too often arise from what is in and about the inner man and is of a spiritual nature as lowness of gifts weakness of grace the continuance and strength of sin temptations by Satan God's withdrawings want of Assurance and of the Comforts of the Spirit and the like But most commonly it ariseth from things of a worldly nature wherein the outward part is concerned for that is our tenderest part and therefore if we be troubled there we are most apt to complain such as lowness of Estate crosses in Relations bodily Infirmities badness of the Times injuries and bad usages of Men meanness of rank and Quality in the world c. These are the things which usually disturb and disquiet us But now for each of them there is that Consideration which is proper for the settling and composing of our minds I must speak only to the two first Lowness of Estate As to lowness of Estate how is the world filled with Discontent about that Poverty is an affliction which few do with patience undergo When the belly pines the backstarves 't is hard to keep the heart in a submissive frame 'T is an easie matter for them that are full to advise them that are in want to be content but if they themselves were in wants they would not find it so easie a matter to follow their own advice To live Faith and Patience under straits as to worldly things is sooner spoken of than done The several discâ—ntents of several men about worldly things But to take in more than what thâ—s Head in strictness leads me to because I would speak a little to the several discontents of men about their earthly Estates I will consider them as thus diversified Some are poor indeed having little or nothing of this world's goods some have a competency some have abundance but yet they are not satisfied and some lose what once they had Now all of these though in different circumstances are to endeavour after contentment how by Consideration How is that to be managed thus Such who are in poverty what they are to consider of in order to contentment 1. Is extreme poverty the case Consider then 1. The Lord maketh poor and he maketh rich 1 Sam. 2.7 God measures out to every person his proportion of these things He makes what Dividend and gives what Allowance he pleases to every man in the world Is this considered I wish we could see it in the calmness of their minds who are under a low estate The Father divides his estate among his children giving to every one of them his share more or less as he thinks meet and this being his act and will they all submit and acquiesce therein And shall your heavenly Father's allotting to you what he thinks meet signifie nothing to the making of you contentedly to rest in his will may not this great dispenser of Blessings do with his own what he pleaseth 2. None so poor but they have more than what they deserve Who can claim or challenge any thing at God's hands surely he that merits nothing must not murmur because he hath but little Thy apparel is very mean thy diet is very course thy habitation very uncomfortable be it so yet even in these there is mercy 't is from the wisdom of God that thou hast no better from the mercy of God that thou hast so good Mat. 20.15 3. As low as you are in these things hitherto the Lord hath provided for you and yours and assuredly you being his people walking in his fear trusting of him he will still provide You have in the promise what you want in the visible estate Discontent is in part founded in distrust take but this out of the heart and the other vanisheth Now why should God's poor I spâ—ak only of such distrust his provision what abundant assurance hath he given thereof read Psal 73.3 Psal 39.10 Psal 111.5 Mat. 6.25 ad finem cap. Rom. 8.32 Heb. 13.5 with many other Scriptures 4. A little with God's blessing will go very far and do very well Psal 132. 15. I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfie her poor with bread Exod. 23.25 Ye shall serve the Lord your God and he shall bless thy bread and water Daniel and his companions fed upon nothing but pulse and water and yet their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the Kings meat Dan. 1.12.15 1 Kin. 17.12 The widow was reduced to a low â—bb there was left but a little oyl in the cruise and a little meal in the barrel yet these held out and the more she spent of them the more they encreased what strange things are done with small pittances where the blessing of God is 5. The Saint's Little is better than the Sinner's All. Prov. 15.16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked 6. No man can judge of God's love or hatred by these things for he often * Eccles 9.1 Et iratus dat propitius negat Aug. gives riches to those whom he hates and denies them to those whom he loves 'T is very usual for those who have most of his love to have least of worldly things Joseph and Mary themselves could bring but a pair of Turtle doves the poor man's offering Luke 2.24 Nay how poor was our Lord himself The foxes have holes c. Math. 8.20 2 Cor. 8.9 7. God keeps you low in earthly possessions but how is it with you in higher and better things You are poor without are you not rich †Intus dives foris Pauper Pauper in cella dives in conscientia arcam respicis auâ—o inanem conscientiam respice Deo plenam Aug. in Psal 36. In animo divitiae sunt non in patrimonio Senec. within Prov. 13.7 There is that maketh himself rich yet hath nothing there is that maketh himself poor yet hath great riches Rev. 2.9 I know thy poverty but thou art rich No riches like to Soul-riches To be rich in faith Jam. 2.5 in good works 1 Tim. 6.18 towards God Luk. 12.21 this is to be rich indeed Mountains of gold are nothing to one dram of true grace in the Soul 8. You think God is strait-handed towards you in temporal but is he not abundantly gracious in spiritual
same word Tectum ab irae vel ultionis Dei faâ—te Pol. ex Gei Peccatum comparatur serdibus quae tegi solent ne oculos offendant Piscator Vt operculo illo lex tegehatur per quam cognitio pecâ—ati Sic Christus peccata tegit remittit expiat ne lex ultra accuset condemnet placatum Dei Patris irae per Filium tectum est seu opertum peccatum per Christum scilicet prepitiatorium nostrum Merc. in Pasco which signifieth a covering doth signifie also an expiation and the covering of the Mercy-Seat which here may be alluded unto which was called the Propitiatory comes from the same Root which Propitiatory or Covering did cover the Tables of the Law the Hand-writing against us and this was a Type of Christ our Propitiation who having appeased his Fathers anger doth cover our sins that the Law shall not accuse or condemn us Sin is covered by God when he hides his Face from it Psal 51.9 when he casts it behind his Back Isa 38.17 when he throws it into the depth of the Sea Mic. 7.19 So that this covering of sin is of the same import as the former expression namely the forgiving of it Quest 1. Wherein doth appear Blessedness of forgiveness Quest 2. How forgiveness may be obtained Quest 1. Wherein the Blessedness of forgiveness doth appear To evidence this I shall give the Reasons why such must needs be Blessed whose transgressions are forgiven Reas 1. Such must needs be Blessed whose transgressions are forgiven because God doth pronounce them Blessed as in the Text Blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven whose sins are covered David wrote these words not from himself but as he was inspired by the Holy Ghost and if any saying in the whole Book of the Scriptures be the Word of God as all of them are this is his Word and this is his Sentence which is confirmed in the New Testament Rom. 4.7 the Apostle Paul quoting these very vvords to prove the Doctrine of justification by Faith vvithout vvorks God pronounceth such to be Blessed vvhose Iniquities are forgiven and therefore they must needs be Blessed because God speaketh of things as they are never did a lye falshood or mistake proceed out of his Mouth God vvho alone giveth the Blessing pronounceth pardoned Persons Blessed and therefore they are Blessed When Isaac gave his Fatherly Blessing unto Jacob though it vvere upon a mistake he supposing him to have been Esau his first-born Son yet afterward did not he vvould not retract it but telleth Esau vvho too late sought for it Gen. 27.33 I have Blessed him and he shall be Blessed Surely then vvhere God vvho never mistaketh doth pronounce the Blessing upon any he doth not he vvill not retract it but they are Blessed and shall be Blessed Reas 2. Such must needs be Blessed vvhose iniquities are forgiven because they are delivered from the greatest evil and that vvhich doth expose them to the greatest misery and vvhich alone can deprive them of eternal happiness Pardoned persons are delivered from the greatest evil and that is sin vvhich is the greatest evil in it self because most opposite to the chiefest good and forasmuch as it is the cause of all other evils that either do or can befal mankind Besides the miseries of this life it is sin and only sin vvhich exposes unto future miseries and the vengeance of eternal fire in Hell The curse of the Law is for sin vvhereby the Law is broken Gal. 13.10 Cursed if every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them The threatnings of eternal destruction are for sin especially for sins against the Gospel 2 Thess 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power Guilt for sin in the Nature of it is Obligatio ad paenam an Obligation to punishment not Temporal only but such as may bear Proportion to the demands of God's infinite justice which therefore must be eternal Such whose iniquities are forgiven are delivered from the guilt of sin they are free from Obligation to punishment and so are no longer exposed thereunto through Christ they have remission being by Faith interested in his merit and satisfaction and God's justice cannot require the satisfaction again of them which he hath already received of Christ and accepted for them Christ is their surety who hath payed their Debts in forgiveness they are discharged and God will not require the Debt any more of them Therefore there is no Condemnation to them Rom. 8.1 Jesus having delivered them from the wrath to come 1 Thess 1.8 It is sin also which can alone deprive any of eternal happiness In the first Covenant God promised life and everlasting felicity upon the condition of perfect obedience it is only disobedience which doth hinder the fulfilling of this promise It was sin which threw man at the first out of Paradise and which still doth keep men out of Heaven nothing doth hinder men's happiness here nothing can deprive them of happiness in the other world but this evil of evils Sin hence then it will undeniably follow that pardoned Persons who are delivered from sin must needs be Blessed there being nothing which can procure their misery or prevent their Blessedness because in the forgiveness of sin their sin is removed with the evil consequences and effects thereof Psal 103.12 As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us Reas 3. Such men must needs be Blessed whose iniquities are forgiven because they are taken into Covenant with God God is their God and they are his People The promise of the New Covenant I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more is coupled with the other promises I will be their God and they shall be my People Jer. 31.33 34. Where ever God fulfils the one promise he doth fulfil the other too God forgiveth iniquity to none but at the same time he becometh their God and brings them into the Blessed relation of his Covenant-people They are Blessed that have the Lord for their God Psal 144.15 Happy is that People that is in such a case yea happy is that People whâ—se God is the Lord. Psal 33.12 Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord and the People whom he hath chosen for his own Inheritance Such as are taken into Covenant with God are Blessed because 1. They are taken into God's favour 2. They are taken into God's family 3. They are under God's providence 4. They have free access unto God in Prayer 5. They have Communion with God in all his Ordinances and thus it is with all pardoned Persons and therefore they are Blessed
may be drawn from the certainty of all pardoned persons perseverance in Grace unto the end All such as persevere in Grace unto the end shall certainly obtain Eternal blessedness Mat. 24.15 He that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Rom. 2. 6 7. Who will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for Glory and Honour and Immortality Eternal Life All pardoned persons shall persevere in Grace unto the end they shall not only persevere through Faith 1 Pet. 1.5 but they shall persevere in it God will fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness in believers and the work of Faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 God will keep them in his hand out of which none is able to pluck them Joh. 10.29 He that hath begun a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 God hath promised them to enable them to persevere I will make an everlasting Covenant with them and I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Jer. 32.40 The Scripture is very full and clear in the Doctrine of the true believer's perseverance and all pardoned persons being believers as I have already shewed all pardoned persons shall persevere to the end and therefore shall certainly attain future Eternal blessedness of Heaven 3. The third particular to be spoken unto is to shew how this future Eternal blessedness of Heaven doth render pardoned persons blessed here upon the Earth this will appear in these following particulars 1. Pardoned persons have a sight of their future blessedness and the excellency of it 1. They have a sight of the Eternal blessedness it self 1 Tim. 1.10 Christ hath abolished death and brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel The Lord hath made a clear Revelation in his Gospel unto them of that Eternal Life and blessedness which he hath laid up in Heaven for them This in former ages and generations was not made known to the Sons of Men as now it is made known unto them by the Spirit of Christ in the Gospel Man by his fall hath lost his eyes and cannot find the way unto Paradise and this is one part of his misery that he doth not know what his chief happiness is nor how it is to be obtained The Heathen Philosophers have had several hundred opinions concerning the chief good and in all mistaken The Heathen Poets had foolish and groundless fancies of the Elisian pleasures and delights which the Souls of the vertuous should enjoy in the other world but they were in the dark as to the true discovery of Heaven The Saints themselves had the future happiness of Heaven discovered in a dark way under Types Figures and Shadows the earthly Canaan Typifying the Heavenly Canaan the Jerusalem below shadowing forth the Jerusalem which is above the Holy of Holies in the Temple made with hands figuring the holy place made without hands eternal in the Heavens But now the darkness is past and the true light shineth the shadows are fled the vail before the Holiest is rent and the cloud in the Temple removed so that now with open face though still in a glass the glory which is above may be seen The Gospel doth reveal what Man 's chiefest happiness is and wherein it doth consist that it doth not consist in earthly riches nor worldly honours nor Epicurean pleasures nor the Stoick's Apathy nor the Platonist's dark contemplation of Idea's nor the Peripatetick's exercise of Moral vertues but that God is the chief good of the Children of men the Gospel reveals God in the face of Jesus Christ and that man's chief happiness doth consist in the Vision and fruition of him begun here and which will be perfected in Glory hereafter the Gospel reveals Heaven to pardoned sinners discovers the Holy of Holies that is above and the way to it as well as the Glories that are in it And pardoned sinners have not only a notional knowledg of the chief happiness hereafter But secondly they have a sight of the excellency thereof which cannot be seen by any carnal Eye and this they have by the Eye of Faith and the light of the Spirit by the Eye of Faith Heaven is realized to them and made evident to their view in its transcendent excellency Faith being the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 But this as the Eye of Faith is enlightned by the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation whereby they perceive the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance Eph. 1.17 18. When the Apostle speaking of those things which God hath prepared for them that love him saith That neither eye hath seen nor ear heard neither have they entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him yet God saith he hath revealed these things to us by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. This foresight of Heaven and something although comparatively little of the Glory and excellency thereof doth render pardoned persons blessed even in this World 2. That which doth further contribute to the present blessedness of pardoned persons is not only their foresight of future blessedness but also their hopes of it that they shall one day have possession of so great felicity They are blessed now in hopes of what they shall be they carry about with them in their Bosoms the greatest hopes of any in the World and their hopes are such as shall not make them ashamed Rom. 5.5 The hopes of worldlings make them ashamed in that either they fall short of the thing which they hope for God's providence oftentimes bringing upon them unthought of crosses and unexpected disappointments yea that which is quite contrary to their hopes disgrace instead of honour poverty instead of riches trouble instead of peace pain instead of pleasure yea sudden death which cuts off them and their hopes together or if they attain the thing which they hoped for they are ashamed of their hopes in that they are always disappointed of that satisfaction and contentment which they looked for in the thing the waters of the Cistern cannot quench the thirst of man's desire the Creatures cannot give more than they have and they which hope for contentment in any thing beneath the chief good must needs meet with a disappointment riches may fill the House Gold and Silver may fill the baggs but none of these things can fill the heart honour and esteem of men may swell and puff up the mind but the Soul cannot be filled unto satisfaction with Air and Wind sensual delights may cloy the Appetite but the desires of the Soul are too high and capacious for such things to fill up So that worldling's hopes must needs one way
gracious Redeemer that you would be reconciled and that you would befriend your selves and accept of the forgiveness of all your sins I intreat you that you would not through neglect of pardon and perseverance in a sinful course irrecoverably ruine and damn your Souls methinks my heart doth yearn over you and Bleed for you who are wounding your selves and rushing on inconsiderately towards the place of everlasting weeping and wo from whence there is no coming back no coming out for ever Sinners why should you be so hard to be perswaded without any further delay to be reconciled unto God Why do I need to use so many intreaties May I at length prevail with you that you would not be miserable and prove your own Murderers that you would be blessed here and hereafter through your ready acceptation of pardoning mercy What answer must I carry back to my Master who sent me this day to proclaim in your ears the blessedness of forgiveness and to use intreaties with you in his name that you would become thus blessed Must I complain Lord there are a company of obstinate sinners whom I have intreated to accept of pardon but there is not the least spark of ingenuity amongst them nor the least sense of their sins upon them had I been to preach to Beasts or Fowls to the Earth or Stones they would have been as much moved as these sinners Lord I spent my strength and pains my voice and lungs for nought I know not how to perswade I know not which way to prevail with them I thought thy beseechings would have taken with them that the intreaties of God like a sweet flame would have melted their hearts as Wax within them I thought that when thou didst vouchsafe by me to request them to leave their sins and be reconciled unto thee that this would marvellously have affected them and that they would readily have complied in a thing so necessary for them and so much for their own happiness I did begin with terror to them and yet they were not affrighted but I hoped when I came to end with Mercy and to speak in the soft and sweet Language of thine entreaties and to urge th s most winning Argument of thy Requests unto them that then they would immediately have yielded and most thankfully have accepted so gracious proffers made unto them But alas Lord I found it far otherwise than I expected if their ears were open their hearts were shut up and they would not receive my message which from thee in faithfulness and tenderness I delivered unto them And what may I farther hope will prevail with them if thy intreaties be thus disregarded Must I thus complain or may I have occasion to say Lord I have been preaching the blessedness of forgiveness which I backed with thine intreaties of sinners that they would accept of it and through thy blessing the Arguments I used were not altogether in vain some sinners that had stouted it out a long time against thee began at length to relent and yield when they heard thine intreaties of them to be reconciled Lord I heard scalding sighs break forth from such and such whose hearts were breaking within them for their sins I saw brinish tears trickling down from some eyes proceeding from a spring of godly sorrow within newly given them by the Spirit how did they look and seem to long after thy Salvation how greedily did they hearken even like the condemned Malefactor when he hath first tidings of a pardon I hope they are gone home to intreat that of thee which thou hast by me been intreating of them to accept of O Lord grant them their desires be reconciled to that Drunkard and unclean wretch forgive the iniquities of that Swearer Sabbath-breaker and profane Sinner What do you say Sinners will you send me back to my Master sadned or rejoyced Accept of my Message and it will be the joy of my heart yea it will be the joy of Angels in Heaven and however it will cost you some grief and tears in your repentance of sin at the first yet if you so seek after this blessedness of forgiveness as to obtain it the issue will be joy to your selves you will have the beginnings of joy here and in the other world your joys will be full ineffable and eternal Methinks some of you seem almost perswaded O that you were quite perswaded without further delay to put in practice the Directions given for the obtaining the blessedness of forgiveness How we may overcome inordinate love of Life and fear of Death Serm. XXX Acts 20.24 But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear to my self that I may finish my course with joy c. THE Context tells us that the Apostle was now at Miletus v. 17. and from hence he sends to Ephesus and calls for the Elders of the Church Now these Elders were not Timothy and Trophimus for they were in his company already v. 4. and had been with him in his journey hither but rather those twelve men on whom he laid his hands and bestowed the Holy Ghost in order to their Ministry at Ephesus Acts 19.1 2 6 7. and the rest whom Timothy had ordained whilst he was there From v. 18. of this Chapter we have the Apostle's Farewel Sermon wherein he clears himself by close and smart addresses to their Consciences and Experiences as to all charges and surmises of ministerial miscarriages among them v. 18.27 and works them all within the Conscience of their ministerial charge and trust from God to imitate his Ministerial faithfulness by urging such significant and cogent Arguments as were apt and proper to startle and engage them to and in their work And these Arguments are drawn from the present and instantly succeeding circumstances and concernments of the Church of God They were in danger of Wolves breaking in upon them and seducers arising from amongst them They were the Church of God the price of his Blood committed to the care and guidance of these Ministers to whom the Apostle spake and therefore the interest and worth of Souls and their relation to them and all those sad and dangerous exercises underminings and obstructions which they were sure to meet with in their Pastoral work did call aloud upon them for all possible circumspection activity and resolution in and for their work of all which the Apostle was an exemplary and awakening instance and example My Text is the Generous Heroicism of an awakened and prepared heart occasioned by the Tidings that were brought him by the Spirit v. 23. Who told him there that bonds and afflictions did abide him in every City Here you may see those sinews cut of hopes and fears which might obstruct his Faith Diligence and Perseverance he is mortified to all that love of Life and fear of Death which possibly might controll his better prospect hopes and work In the Words we have the Apostle concerned in reference to
time of day it is with your Soul Pray therefore and strive for renewed sights of Grace and for anointing with fresh Oyl for the Saints do often lose their Impressions through carelesness and inadvertency whilest they have here and there to do or indulgence to some Carnality and through the malignancy of some over beating temper or temptation in an hour and power of Darkness And this makes the Soul to drive heavily which sometimes ran as pleasantly as the Chariots of Aminadib but now the Wheels begin to skreek through want of fresh anointings It being so look to your Vessels and your Oil and see how they are stored with it and how the Spirit shineth at any time upon his own Lines and Figures This also I premise to the answer of the Question because the soul never acteth Grace so vigorously as vvhen ones state is cleared First therefore for resolution Maintain your Faith in frequent exercise and make no less conscience of acting daily Faith than you do of daily Prayer For we are apt to rest in a quondam Call to Christ and in the original work of Faith and not to be coming still to Christ and that as earnestly and studiously as if we had never come before He that is coming unto me saith Christ John 6.35 1 Pet. 2.4 The word in the Original is a Participle of the Present Tense And through the neglect of this daily coming the soul is often in the dark and seemeth to have lost the Promise in which it was formerly drawn to Christ by means whereof it is sometimes midnight with the wisest Virgins as well as so at other times by means of their security For instance By Faith Abraham when he was called not only unto Canaan but unto Christ obeyed for he looked more to the Promised Seed than to the Promised Land else what had his Faith been But now in tract of time viz. about ten years after he begins to call the Promise into question Gen. 15.2 and to make the Steward of his house his Heir till God renewed the Promise to revive thereby the actings of his sleeping Faith Look now towards Heaven saith God and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them and he said unto him so shall thy Seed be Upon this Abraham believed in the Lord and it was accounted to him for righteousness Why Did he not believe before Yes The Apostle dateth his Faith from his coming out of Vr of the Caldees Heb. 11.8 And yet here we meet with a second Date i. e. as to an eminent reviving act of his Faith as if he had omitted to believe as indeed he did and now began again which was only an interruption not an intercision Now thus it may be with you who believed many years ago but the Promise and Impression of it is perhaps almost worn out and your Faith begins to languish but the Promise is still the same and the word of the Lord endureth for ever and that is the word of the Gospel which is preached to you wherefore take hold of it again and again and of Christ therein and not only of that particular promise wherein Christ at first was held out unto you but of any other that occurreth and in the frequent renewings of your Faith your drooping hearts will be revived and long at last for the coming of him in whom your Soul believeth You know that your Faith will determine with your Life and therefore improve it daily for your Death which draweth on by gradual steps in which you are still making forwards towards the Bridegroom's coming who keeps equal paces with you so that he and you will meet together at the point of dissolution Your Faith cannot conquer Death for there is no discharge in that war between Death and Nature only Faith will vanquish the dread and horror of it For Death in which the Bridegroom first cometh to us is in it self the King of Terrors other Afflictions as Poverty Reproach Imprisonment Debt Exile Sickness c. are inferiour fears which possibly may be escaped and out of which there is oftentimes deliverance but Death is the Soveraign Lord and King of all of them from whence there is no return He that goeth down to the Grave shall come up no more but passeth presently unto the highest Tribunal there to receive the eternal judgment whether of Absolution or of Condemnation And upon this account the fear of the King of Terrors is the King of Fears and a sore and painful bondage in which many are held all their Life-time till Faith in Christ release them yea and afterwards also if their Faith be not the stronger What shall I say then but Awake Faith and flee to him for refuge who through death hath destroyed him that hath the power of Death that is the Devil and delivered them who through fear of Death were all their life-time subject unto bondage For without this Refuge of Faith Christ's coming by Death is terrible and astonishing which the bare habit of Faith cannot cure and conquer Believe therefore that you are Christ's and believe it daily by frequent closings with him and resignations of your selves unto him and then you are not so much Death's as Death is yours 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Make good your interest in the Bridegroom and then you will rejoice at his coming Make haste my Beloved saith the Bride Cant. 8. ult Why so Because he is Beloved and my Beloved And the Spirit and the Bride say Come Rev. 22.17 i. e. The Spirit in the Bride or the Spirit of the Bride for a Bride hath a Bride-like Spirit which longeth for the coming of the Bridegroom But perhaps the weak Believer cannot reach to say thus and therefore saith the Bridegroom to him Let him that is athirst come If thou canst not say Come to me I say Come to thee For we must first come to Christ before we can say Come to him yea we must have some sense of our coming unto him before we can heartily say Come to h m. And this Faith that I have spoken of is the principal Grace preparing the Believer for the coming of Christ provided that it be maintained in frequent exercise for hereby the Person is justified the Heart purified the Conscience pacified a sweet Correspondence continued between Christ and the believing Soul Death conquered and Heaven opened Secondly This Faith doth necessarily work by Love and as they always do co-operate so are they commensurate and carry a just proportion each to other though peradventure you may be more sensible of your Love than of your Faith But now the more you abound in both the more you will long for the coming of Christ and be the more prepared for it No marvel therefore that the Apostle loved the appearance of Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 with Acts 21.13 who had so great a love to his person that he was not only ready to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for the
and therefore the Blessing is null and moreover what the meaning of this Providence is that my Brother should come forth against me in this hostile manner I knovv not Wherefore I humbly beg thy Blessing and the confirmation of that Title vvhich hath so great an error in it Thus God brought an old reckoning to his remembrance in an evil day and set it on his conscience and put him to repent and mourn for he wept and made supplication to the Angel Hos 12.4 He came not off so easily but was fain to vvrestle hard all night to lose his rest and to struggle and sweat and pray and vveep and shed many a tear and to go halting aftervvard upon his Thigh unto his dying day Take heed therefore of old Reckonings undischarged look back and consider hovv it hath been and omit not a day vvithout revievving your Actions and Repentings I say as duly as the day determineth let not the Sun go dovvn upon any guilt contracted that so your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and exercise your self to have always a Conscience void of offence towards God and men and this vvill the better prepare you for the coming of Jesus Christ both by Death and Judgment Fifthly Be much in the exercise of Goodness Mercy and works of Liberality towards Christ in his needy Members according to your opportunity and power For though you shall be saved by your Faith yet you shall be judged according to your Works And it greatly concerneth us to be laborious in that Service upon vvhich the judgment shall pass at Christ's appearance Mat. 25.35 36. Call your self therefore to an account what you have done in this way for Christ as how you have fed cloathed visited relieved him in his Members here on earth And if this were more considered such as profess to Christ would be more active for him in ought wherein they might be more serviceable to him but when we see but little activity in the exercise of this Grace we may well fear there is but little Oil in the Vessel for rich anointings will make men agile and ready for every good work inasmuch as the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and they that hope for eternal Life when Christ shall come by Death and Judgment must seek for Glory Honour and Immortality not only in well-doing but in continuance in it Beware of Omissions and among others of this great duty The Judgment will reach unto all sins In the Narrative of his Life and Death and to omissions in a special manner Mat. 25.37 38. For which that learned and holy Vsher was humbled upon his death-bed The Nobleman hath put a Pound into your hand saying Occupy till I come yea he hath given you many Pounds in a literal sense with which you must trade as well as with the Talents of your Parts and Gifts of Grace And I know you would be glad to find Mercy with Onesiphorus in the day of Christ Remember therefore Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Mat. 5.7 But He shall have judgment without mercy who hath shewed no mercy whereas mercy rejoyceth against judgment A merciful man is so far from fearing judgment at Christ's coming that he rather rejoyceth at the thoughts of it Sixthly Exercise diligence and faithfulness in your particular Calling For when Christ speaketh of his Coming saith he Be ye ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh What followeth Who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Mat. 24.44 45 46. When Christ was speaking to this Point saith Peter Lord speakest thou this Parable to us or even unto all Luke 12.41 Truly Christ spake it unto all though in a special manner to such as Peter for Christ will have an account how every one of us have managed our particular Callings But they that are Stewards in the House of God which is his Church have a very great account to give and it is required of them in a special manner that a man be found faithful and of all Christ's servants his Stewards have most to answer for that if a dispensation of the Gospel and the care of souls were not committed to them he that understandeth the weight of Stewardship would dread to undertake it but a necessity is laid upon them and wo unto them if they Preach not the Gospel It is said of Calvin that when Nature began to decline in him Melch. Adam in vit Calv. and the symptoms of a dying man appeared on him he would be diligent at his Studies from which his friends disswading him saith he Nunquid me Dominus inveniet otiosum Shall my Master find me idle Let such therefore and all be diligent and faithful in their respective place and employments And indeed every man is a Steward more or less You know what the Master saith of the slothful Servant Take him and cast him into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Such slothful servants shall be under the tribute of eternal pains Prov. 12.24 when the good and faithful Servant shall be made ruler over many things and enter into the joy of his Lord Mat. 25.23 Would you stand before Christ at his coming Oh dread Idleness and unfaithfulness in your Callings as you desire to be sound of him in peace at his appearance Fill up your days with Duty and give your time to him who gave it to you Paul was a great lover of Christ and his Appearance and who more abundant in his Labours for him For he had the Conscience of his indefatigable industry and fidelity in his work for his Master Saith he I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith 2 Tim 4.7 8. He meaneth especially his military faith and oath in fighting a good fight for Christ And wherefore do we hear him groaning so earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with his house which is from Heaven It was because he laboured ambitiously that whether present or absent he might be accepted of him For saith he We must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ that every one might receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5 2. with 9.10 Lastly That I might not multiply particulars let me add what Christ hath joined together Sobriety Watchfulness and Prayer Luk. 21 34.36 And therefore take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this Life and that Day come upon you unawares Gird up therefore the loins of your minds be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be brought
unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ for we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall we appear in Glory with him Mortifie therefore your earthly Members Fornication Vncleanness inordinate Affections evil Concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry You must not only deny all visible gross ungodliness which even the very Sons of Morality will decline and decay but also all worldly lusts and their secret operations living soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Take heed of slumbring in these secret lusts for ye are children of the light and of the day and therefore take heed that you sleep not as others do but watch and be sober for they that sleep sleep in the night and they that are drunk are drunk in the night but let us who are of the day be sober putting on the Breast plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the hope of salvation watching and praying always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape those things which shall befall the foolish Virgins and that ye may stand before the Son of man who is coming with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and therefore be sober and watch unto Prayer seeing the end of all things is at hand and look well to your Lamps which are your Watch-lights that they burn brightly in this World's Midnight and pray particularly for daily supplies of Oil and sincerity in all your Actions and Duties both to God and man never omitting to beg for Death-bed-Grace that so you may live and die to the honour of your Bridegroom And as for this present World use it as if you used it not and have no more to do with it than bare need requireth And set your Hearts and Houses and all your civil secular Affairs in order having your conversations in Heaven whence you look for Christ the Saviour And thus walking with God in the exercise of these gifts of Grace when we come to dye we shall change our places only but not our company And let none of you behold Death at a distance nor have it seldom in your thoughts but daily in your eye that you may not fear it when it cometh A Lion is not terrible to his Keeper that seeth him every day You must frequently converse with God Christ Death and Judgment For when Christ speaketh of his coming to Judgment he so expresseth it as if he were to come in their time to whom he spake it Matth. 24 42. Mark 13.33.35 36 37. Luke 21.34 35 36. And so indeed he did for he comes to every man at the hour of his Dissolution And we are his Agents or Factors in a foreign Land and how soon he may remind us home and call us to an Account we know not Say not therefore My Lord delayeth his coming lest we are thereby rocked into a midnight sleep and scared with a midnight-cry of Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him I shall not detain you much longer You have heard what those Graces are which are chiefly to be exercised in order to an actual preparation for the coming of Christ by Death and Judgment I now commend them to your daily exercise and for your encouragement therein shall leave a few Considerations with you and conclude First That the Door of eternal Rest and Glory shall stand open for you at Christ's coming to you by Death Why 1. Because you are ready and they that are ready go in with the Bridegroom God hath made you meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the Saints in light Col. 1.12 and hath wrought you for the self same thing 2 Cor. 5.5 You are a Vessel of Mercy prepared for Glory Rom. 9.23 2. You admitted Christ into the door of your hearts when there he stood and knocked Rev. 3.20 3. You had your conversation in Heaven whilst you lived here on earth It was your Father's house where you used daily to converse the doors whereof shall open to you at your Death Secondly Consider the place into which you shall be admitted for the wise Virgins shall enter into the King's Palace Psal 45.14 15. into Paradise the third Heavens your Father's House a City that hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Heb. 11.10 A magnificent Structure surely that hath such a Builder and Maker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that hath built the City most artificially and curiously and for publick shew as the original words do import Such a City it is yea a Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25 34. The first hansel of God's workmanship Gen. 1.1 This is the place whither you shall enter Thirdly You shall enter thither with the Bridegroom even our Lord Jesus Christ and this is heaven enough viz. to be where Christ is Luke 23.42 43. John 14.3 17.24 Phil. 1.23 1 Thess 4.17 Heaven is described by being with Christ And when Christ shall descend from heaven with a shout to judge the world if all the Saints suppose should not descend with him but any of them be left behind what an alteration would they find in heaven whereas all of them going with Christ it is all one as if they were still in heaven with him You know Paul was caught up into the third heavens and yet when he comes to describe heaven and the Saints everlasting happiness there he calls it being for ever with Christ for this is a comprehensive expression How so 1. If the Saints shall be with Christ then shall they be exempt from all troubles and trials these fall off from them like Elijah's Mantle when he went to heaven There is now a glorious door of partition between these and them they are all excluded viz. Sin Sorrow Afflictions Reproaches Necessities Persecutions Poverty Sickness Pain Death Curse wicked men and Devils you shall never be troubled with these any more 2. If they enter in with Christ they shall enjoy the Father in him John 20.17 and be filled with the Holy Ghost from them both and thereby with unspeakable consolations and the fulness of God and they shall live for ever in the immediate contemplation and vision and fruition of one God in three persons and be replenished to the brim with eternal love from them and to them 3. You shall enjoy the fellowship of an innumerable company of Angels and shall then know who they are and love them entirely and be as intimately beloved of them though now in your present state you cannot bear the presence of one of them 4. You shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy communion with the Spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 All this followeth from your entrance into Heaven with Christ Fourthly Consider that you shall enter into Heaven with Christ the Bridegroom and therefore to be married to him And hence again it will follow 1. That there will be the nearest relation possible between Christ and you for you shall be one conjugally for ever with him You are one with him mystically and matrimonially who is one with the Father essentially 2. You shall be invested with unutterable Glory seeing it is a Marriage-time wherein the Bridegroom and Bride shall shine in the richest Attire and Embroidery that is in all the Wardrobe of Heaven Christ and the Saints shall wear the very same Glory John 17.22 3. There shall be unconceivable Love Joy Delight and Complacency between the Bridegrom and the Bride and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so shall the Lord Jesus rejoyce over his Spouse O there will be a most glorious delightful loving sweet familiarity and conjugal rejoycing between Christ Jesus and the Saints Marriage-joy upon earth is usually great what then will that be in heaven when shall be fulfilled thâ—â— which Christ spake at his last Supper I will not drink of the fruit of the Vine until the day that I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom Mat. 26.29 Where by fruit of the Vine we understand Wine which maketh glad the heart of man Psal 104 15. and causeth it to rejoyce and shadoweth out the Love of Christ and Joys of Heaven to us Cant. 1.2 4. And by New we understand other Mark 16.17 with Acts 2.4 in the Original So that in this Marriage there shall be new i. e. other yea othergess wine viz. Love Joy and Rejoycing than there is in the Lord's Supper For Christ who kept the best wine to the last at the Marriage in Cana in Galilee will surely do so at his own Marriage at the last day 4. This Marriage is not on Earth but in Heaven and therefore it shall never dissolve as Marriages on Earth do but continue unto Eternity O how will the Holy Angels rejoice and sing at this Marriage For they that sang at the Birth of Christ when he lay in the Manger will sing to the purpose at his Marriage when he sitteth upon his Throne in the highest Glory Now the consideration of these things is greatly inducing to be very studious in actual preparations for the coming of Christ Be ye therefore much in the exercise of Faith Hope Love Repentance Goodness Mercy and works of Bounty Diligence and Faithfulness in your Callings Sobriety Watchfulness and Prayer that so at last you may have an entrance ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And now Brethren Abide in him that when he shall appear you may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming but lift up your heads with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Hear wisdom therefore and receive instruction that you may be wise in the latter end And God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ make you to encrease in all these Preparatory Graces to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in Holiness before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints And now Grace be with all them that love him in sincerity Amen FINIS
sufficient for the Salvation of them in their circumstances yet there is a vast difference between the abilities of several persons and therefore men are not to take their measures for their enquiries after Spiritual things merely by the necessariness of the things themselves but likewise by the abilities God hath given them So that upon the whole the better means and advantages in any kind men have for the gaining of knowledge so much the more knowledge is required to be in them Rule 4. By how much the more use men have for their knowledge and by how much the more good they may do with it so much the more knowledge will be expected of them That knowledge which might do well in a private Christian yet is not ordinarily sufficient for a Minister That which would be much in the one might be but little in the other And that which might do well in a Child would not be sufficient in a Parent or Master of a Family They that are to instruct others in the knowledge of God ought themselves to be more abounding in it Prop. 2. Men should in their seeking knowledge first study those truths which are most confessedly necessary to Salvation and before those which are apparently less necessary and so Principles before Controversies things essential before such as are only Circumstantial And indeed by how much the nearer any truth is to the foundation so much the more they should labour after the knowledge of it as for instance men should acquaint themselves 1. With the Being and Attributes of God as the foundation of all service yeilded to him and expectations of rewards from him Psal 14.4 Heb. 11.6 He that knows not God to be holy how can he know that God requires holiness and then how can he himself be holy how can a man trust God if he know him not to be wise powerful faithful or love him if he know him not to be good or fear him if he know him not to be just and it will easily follow that he who knows not God as he can never worship him while he lives so he can never expect that he should save him when he dies 2. With the Doctrine of the Trinity three Persons in the Godhead the Father Son and Spirit John 1.5 7. John 14.16 John 15.26 each Person having his proper part in the Salvation of sinners The Father as the Original and Fountain of it the Son as the Manager and the Holy Ghost as the Applier 3. With their own natural state and condition their being by nature in a state of sin and misery as having sin'd against this Holy Righteous Eph. 2.1 2 3. John 16.8 Powerful God and thereby exposed themselves to his wrath and curse They that would be delivered from the curse must know themselves to be obnoxious to it They that would not perish must know themselves to be in danger of it Men are not like to enjoy God's favour unless they know that they have lost it 4. With the Doctrine of a Redeemer and that both 1. As to the Person Who he is That the Lord Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God the Second Person of the Trinity is the Redeemer of sinners Math. 20.28 and the only one Act. 4.12 That God hath not left all mankind to perish in their sin and misery but hath out of his abundant Mercy and free Grace found out a ransom for them a Saviour to deliver them and that the Lord Jesus Christ is he and none besides him so that it is in vain to seek for Salvation in any else seeing he alone hath the words of Eternal life John 6.6.8 He that knows nothing of a Saviour knows nothing savingly nor can any man partake of Redemption without some knowledge of the Redeemer They can never come to God that know not by whom to come 2. And as to the way of his working that Redemption 1. That he did in order to the Salvation of sinners John 1.14 and 3.13 take the nature of man upon him was both God and Man in one person and still continues so to be He had those natures united in himself which he was to reconcile to each other 2. That not only he was able as being God fit as being man Rom. 3.24 25 26. Rom. 5.10 1 Tim. 2.6 to satisfie Divine justice for the injury sin had done it but that by his obedience and death he did it to the full He that knows God to be infinitely just and himself to be a sinner had need know something of a Sacrifice for sin or he can never have any well-grounded hopes of escaping the hands of such a God 3. That Christ being raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven sits at the Father's right hand Rom. 8.34 Mark 16.19 and by his intercession there is now making application of the redemption he wrought on Earth He ever lives to make intercession Heb. 7.25 Men would be in an ill condition if redemption were wrought and there were none to apply it if Christ had died for them and left them to intercede for themselves 5. Men should acquaint themselves with the Doctrine of Justification by Christ that sinners must be justified by the Righteousness of the Lord Jesus imputed to them if ever they be justified at all He is the Lord their Righteousness Jer. 23.6 They are accepted in the beloved Eph. 1.6 Found in Christ not having their own Righteousness c. but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 All their own Righteousness inherent in them and wrought by them even after regeneration and by the help of the Spirit of grace being finite imperfect short of the Law and due to it 6. With the way of their being made partakers of this Righteousness that it should be received by Faith alone as the means God hath appointed for their being interested in it God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 and therefore they that are justified must be justified by Faith Rom. 5.1 All the holiness any Saint could ever arrive unto in this life would never entitle him to Christ's Righteousness if faith were wanting 7. With the nature properties and fruit of that faith that it must be an effectual lively Faith not only an assent of their minds to the truth of the Scripture Jam. 2.17 John 1.12 but the consent of their hearts to the terms of the Covenant a receiving whole Christ with an eye to all rhe good things he offers there and for all those holy ends and purposes for which he is propounded to them In a word they are to look upon Faith as the Principle of their Obedience and walking with God according to that rule of Righteousness God hath given them 8. With the Doctrine of sanctification that God is wont to fit and frame mens hearts at first to the duties of
Obedience he requires of them by the work of the Spirit upon their hearts changing them regenerating them and causing old things to pass away and all things in them to become new 2 Cor. 5.17 and further to increase that fitness for and readiness to Spiritual things by his guiding assisting and quickning them in those holy wayes into which he hath brought them and by those ordinary means the Word and Ordinances which he hath appointed for the working and improving of their Graces 9. With the reward God promiseth to their Faith and Obedience in the blessedness of their Souls at the end of this life and of their whole man after the Resurrection in their being for ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 when the unbelief and disobedience of others will be punished with everlasting torments inflicted by him In a word whoever comes to God Heb. 11.6 must believe not only that he is but that he is the rewarder of those that diligently seek him Men ought in the beginning of Religion to look to the end of it have some sight of the goal when they enter upon their race know their wages when they set about their work The Doctrine of rewards furnisheth men with the greatest incentives to holiness ignorance or unbelief of future recompence must needs make men negligent of present service take away the knowledge of Heaven and Hell and ye take away all â—are and thoughts of Religion These things I lay not down as an enumeration oâ— Fundamentals or compleat scheme of Religion it is sufficient for 〈…〉 that they are some of the most necessary and substantial truths wherein the generality of Christians are concerned which they are therefore especially and in the first place to acquaint themselves with and before those things which are less necessary to Salvation as being further from the Foundation And indeed this is the very method of Nature Men usually seek those things first which are most necessary and other things afterward they first lay their Foundation and then set up their Superstructures Principles must be known before Conclusions can be drawn from them Those Doctrines of Religion must be first known from whence others are to be deduced and without the knowledge of which others can be but confusedly and darkly known This seems to have been the Apostle's Method Heb. 6.1 where he speaks of some Truths which they are in paticular I stand not to dispute which were Principles and first learned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost others as conducing to the perfection of the Saints unto the knowledge of which he would therefore have them go on He that knows not those things which must be known knows nothing yet to any purpose Prop. 3. Men should Labour after such a knowledge of the Truth as that they may be able to give a Reason of the hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3.15 To shew on what Ground they stand what is the Foundation of their Faith and Hope that the Religion they profess is indeed the true Religion and that the Doctrines they own are really Founded upon the Scripture of Truth Dan. 16.2 and in a word they should be able to give a Reason why they believe rather thus than otherwise and hold such Doctrines rather than the contrary They should Labour after such a Grounded knowledge of the Truths of the Gospel as that they may be able to say of them as well as of the Duties of it that they are fully perswaded in their own Minds and do not take up things upon trust Rom. 14.15 or believe the Truth upon the Credit of others It is a shame for Professors to be merely Believers upon Tradition to see with other Mens Eyes or be like the Heathen Idols that have Eyes and see not They are Men and have reasonable Powers and ought to make use of them even in the things of God so far as they are Revealed and Subjected to their Judgment The Spiritual Man Judgeth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10.15 Though they are to submit their understandings to God yet they are not to resign them to Men. They that will judge for themselves in the things of this life should no less do in the things of the other That Man that will not trust another with his Estate or Purse should much less do it with his Conscience and Salvation Prop. 4. Men should especially give themselves to the study and labour after the knowledge of the present truths 2 Pet. 1.12 I mean those truths which are the special truths of the Times and Ages and Places in which Men live We shall find if we observe it that God who delivers hls Mind and Will to Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by several parts and degrees doth in some Ages make more clear discoveries of some truths in others of other truths and though the whole will of God and all those truths which we are any way concerned to know in order to our Salvation be sufficiently laid down in the Scripture yet there is sometimes more knowledge of one truth stirring in the World sometimes of some other Sometimes God calls his Servants more especially to Preach up and bear Witness to such or such a particular Truth which either was less known and understood before or is more opposed at present Immediately after Christ's resurrection the great truth of that time the then present truth was that Jesus was the Christ that very Messiah whom God had promised to the Fathers and the Jews themselves did expect This the Apostles did first of all Preach confirming it especially by his Resurrection from the dead Thus Act. 2.36 God hath made the same Jesus both Lord and Christ Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour So Philip to the Eunuch Act. 8.35 And Paul so soon as he was converted and sent to Preach presently declares that Jesus was the Christ Acts 9.22 And Peter to Cornelius Acts 10.42.43 And Apollos in Achaia ch 18.28 And afterwards we find that the Jews and Judaizing Christians pertinaciously adhering to the Law of Moses gave occasion to the more full Preaching of the Doctrine of free Grace and Justification by Christ alone and the abolishing of the legal Ceremonies as we may see in the Epistle to the Romans Galatians Colossians and Hebrews And after towards the end of the Apostles times the Heresie of Cerinthus gave occasion to the more full vindicating the Doctrines of Christ's Godhead Hieronym in Catal. Script Ecclesiast as we see in the Gospel of John And some hundreds of years after that the Pelagian Heresie gave occasion for the renewed publication of the Doctrine of free Grace by Austin Prosper and others And in the beginning of the reformation of Religion in the last age the first truths God called those Worthies that then lived to the Preaching of were those especially which concern the Lord Jesus Christ in his Prophetical and Priestly offices
good Name is of absolute necessity to make a man considerably serviceable in the World when a Man hath once lost this the very good which he doth is despised and dis-regarded And this reason especially concerns you in the reproaching of three sorts of Persons which I do therefore in a special manner caution you against 1. In reproaching of Magistrates of Kings and Persons in Authority Magistrates though bad in themselves yet are to be looked upon as great blessings And if we had the Persian Experiment of absolute Anarchy but for a few days that every man might do that which seemed right in his own eyes we should all be sensible of this Truth Now the Magistrate's Reputation is the great Supporter of that Majesty and Authority which he bears and the Magistrates Authority is the Peoples benefit And therefore all Persons should be tender in this particular they should not expose Kings and Magistrates to contempt and scorn nor beget irreverence in People towards them And therefore they ought to take heed not only of divulging false reports concerning them but even such as possibly may be true they must take heed of publishing the secret miscarriages of Princes for this as I told you is a sin against any Man but much more against Persons in Authority 2. Against Ministers Their Fame is most necessary for their usefulness in the Word And therefore when a Man defames a Minister besides that Injury which is common to other men he doth this peculiar mischief he endeavours to rob the World of all the good which such a Person may do in it I cannot but take this occasion to vent my great grief and the scandal I justly take at those Ministers and Christians who if a Man differ from them in some Doctrines or Rites of less moment though otherwise never so eminent make it their business to disparage and bespatter him and think they do God good Service in blasting his Reputation representing him as a Papist Socinian Time-server c. In the fear of God consider the sinfulness of this practice Whatsoever good such a Person might do in convincing converting and building up of Souls so far as this is hindered by thy means the Blood of such Souls will fall upon thy head Nay which is more although good should not be hindered by it yet thou shalt answer for all that might have been hindered by it And for this reason Constantine the Great did profess that if he should know any secret miscarriage of a Minister he would cover it with a Mantle 3. Against good men or eminent Professors of Religion who I confess when they are bad are the vilest of Men and when their sins are known and publique they ought to be used with most severity and such shall have the hottest place in Hell who use Religion as a Cloak for their Villanies yet when the sins of such Persons are secret and scarce known we should take heed of spreading of them Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Askelon not for their sakes but for the sake of Religion which infinitely suffers by their misdemeanours and the Reproaches which arise from them 4. This is a great Injury to other men in these particulars 1. Thou corruptest others by thy Example Especially Ministers and eminent Professors of Religion they should above all others avoid this sin because their Actions are presidential They that will not follow your counsel will imitate your Example and though our Saviour hath cautioned us concerning the Pharisees Mat. 23.3 What they bid or teach you observe and do but do not after their Works yet in spite of all that Christ hath said Men will take a contrary course they will not hear your Sermons but will diligently attend to your conversations O consider this every time another hears thee censuring and reproaching thy Neighbour thou dost in effect Preach and perswade him to this Practice Thou settest a Copy which other men may write after when thou art gone into another World and no man knows how far the contagion of such an evil Example may spread nor how great a fire a little spark may kindle 2. Thou art a disturber of Humane Society an Incendiary in the place where thou dwellest The Peace and tranquillity of Cities and Kingdoms is often disturbed by this means Whence come Wars and Fightings among you Come they not hence even from your Lusts that War in your Members They do not come from Men's Lusts as they remain in their own hearts for so they are secret and unknown to the World but as they break out first in their Lips and then in their hands 3. Thou art a great Enemy to the Church of God however thou maist seem to thy self or others a zealous Friend of it It is not easie for any man to conceive the great mischief which these Censures and Reproaches produce in the Church they break the peace of it and fill it with sharp contentions and Divisions Yea they strike at the being of it You know a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand they do their part to pull down the glorious Building of the Church so as one stone should not be left upon another They Eclipse the glory of the Church which doth not consist in external splendour in Riches and Ornaments but in Love Peace and Unity among themselves This was Jerusalem's Beauty that it was Built as a City that is Compact together Psal 122.3 This hinders the growth and Progress of the Church and of Religion When Persons professing Religion allow themselves in such sins which are not only offensive to God but also odious in the World it fills the minds of men with powerful and invincible prejudices against Religious men and against Religion it self for their sakes I must tell you if the Professors of Religion would learn the Government of their Tongues and the right ordering of their Conversations it would be the likeliest means to propagate Religion in the World And Christians if ever you would do this do it now never was it more necessary or seasonable to wipe off those stains and blemishes which at this day lye upon Religion for the neglect of this Duty by the Professors of it And thrice blessed are all you that contribute to so glorious a work as the Restauration of that Beauty and Glory which Religion once had in some of our Remembrance But when the Tongues of Christians are Exercised in this sinful practice besides the particular injury to the Person Reproached it hinders the conversion and Salvation of others Consider I beseech you a little the greatness of this sin You think it a great Crime and so it was in Elymas the Sorcerer who when Sergius Paulus called for Barnabas and Saul and desired them to Preach to him the Word of God withstood them seeking to turn the Deputy from the Faith Acts 13.8 He did this by his words and thou dost it by thy Actions Thou dost
the Devil's work in stealing the Seed of the Word of God out of Mens hearts and making it unfruitful These practices beget in men a mean esteem and contempt of God's Word when they see how little good it doth to others and how little power it hath with you that profess it Before I come to the Application two Questions are to be Answered 1. May I not speak evil of another Person when it is true Quest 1. A Man may be faulty in so doing The real secret faults of your Neighbour as I told you you ought not unnecessarily to publish And suppose there be no untruth nor injustice in it yet there is uncharitableness and unkindness in it and that is a sin Thou wouldst not have all Truth said concerning thy self nor all thy real faults publickly traduced Out of thy own mouth will God Judg thee O thou wicked Servant Yea thy own Tongue and Conscience shall another day condemn thee 2. You may speak evil of another Person when necessity requires it It may be necessary sometimes for his good and so you may speak evil of him unto those that can help it as a man may acquaint Parents with the miscarriages of their Children in order to their amendment Thus Gen. 27.2 Joseph brought to his Father the evil Report of his Brethren Sometimes this may be necessary for the caution of others as if I see a man ready to enter into intimate Friendship and Acquaintance with a Person whom I know to be highly vicious and dangerous I may in such a case caution him against it For certainly if Charity commands me when my Neighbour's Ox is ready to fall into a Pit to do my endeavour ro prevent it much more am I obliged to prevent the ruine of my Brother's Soul when I see him so near destruction But for a man to do this unnecessarily and unprofitably this is the sin I have been speaking of 3. If you will speak evil of other Persons do it in the right method Christ hath given us an Excellent Rule Mat. 18.15 16. If thy Brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy Brother But if he will not hear thee take two or three more and if he will not hear them tell it to the Church But if Men will be preposterous and will not follow Christ's Order but instead of private admonishing will publish men's faults to others herein they make themselves Transgressors 4. In doubtful cases silence is the safest way It is rarely men's duty to speak evil of Men and when it is not their duty to speak it is not their sin to be silent It is seldom that any suffer by my silence or concealment of his fault but great hazards are run and many Persons commonly are made sufferers by my publication Now as Charity commands me to pass the most favourable judgment so Wisdom obligeth me to chuse the safest course Quest 2 But what if that Man I speak against be an Enemy to God and his People May not I in that case speak evil of him Doth not that Zeal I ow to God engage me to speak evil of such a man as far as I can with truth This I believe is that which induceth many well meaning Persons to this sinful practice of detracting from divers worthy Persons Ministers and others as supposing them to be Enemies to God and to his ways and so they think their reproaching and censuring of such Persons is nothing but zeal for God For Answer to this consider 1. There is abundance of sinful Zeal in the World and in the Church Therefore the Apostle gives us a Caution Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected in a good thing Otherwise we know it was from Zeal that Paul persecuted the Church Phil. 3.6 Zeal indeed is an Excellent grace in it self but nothing more frequently both pretended where it is not and where Envy Interest or Malice lye at the bottom and abused where it is 2. True Zeal hath an equal respect to all God's commands and especially to those that are most plain and most considerable It is at least doubtful whether the man thou traducest be an Enemy to God and his ways sure I am it is so with some Ministers and Christians that are highly censured and reproached by those that differ from them and it were great Impudence to deny it But this is a certain truth and evident duty Thou shalt not take up an evil reproach against thy Neighbour 3. Consider how easie a mistake is in this case and how dangerous Peradventure he whom thou callest an Enemy to God will upon enquiry be found a Friend of God and his ways But what dost thou mean by the ways of God Possibly thy own ways or party that thou art engaged in take heed of that If you would Judg aright you must distinguish between the circumstantials and the essentials of the ways of God Suppose a man be an Enemy to thy Party and thy way and manner of Religious Worship and Government yea let us suppose that thine is indeed the way of God wherein yet thou maist be mistaken if now this man be an able and zealous Assertor of the substantial and fundamental truths of God and ways of Holiness and this be attended with an Holy and exemplary Life who dare say that this man is an enemy to God and his ways O my Soul come not into the secrets of such Persons 4. You must not go out of God's way to meet with God's Enemies If any man be really an Enemy of God and of his Truths and ways I do not perswade you to comply with him or by sinful silence to betray the cause of God only let me entreat you to do God's work in God's way you may apply your selves to him and endeavour to convince him you may speak or write against his Doctrine provided you do it with modesty and moderation and not with that virulence and venom wherewith too many Books are now leavened But for this way of Detraction and Reproach it is a dishonourable and disingenuous way it is a sinful and disorderly way it is an unprofitable and ineffectual way and no way suitable either to the Nature of God whom you serve or to the Rule and Example of our Blessed Saviour or to the great principle of Love and Charity or to that end which you are to aim at in all things the honour of God and the good of other men Now I come to the Application Lamentation for the gross neglect of this Duty or the frequent Commission Vse 1 of this sin What Tears are sufficient to bewail it How thick do Censures and Reproaches fly in all places at all Tables in all Conventions And this were the more tolerable if it were only the fault of ungodly Men of Strangers and Enemies to Religion For so saith the Proverb Wickedness proceedeth from