and they that shall put their hands to the Plow and look back are not fit for the Kingdom of God Oh great is the danger of Apostacy but now without some considerable strength you will not be kept from failing and those failings will turn to fallings and those fallings to fallings away and at last falling into everlasting destruction Now these fallings and fallings away do usually follow this want of spiritual strength not being strengthened with strength in our souls But may be you will say to me What course must we take that we may get this spiritual strength in our souls I answer briefly make use of these rules and helps First Be very sensible of your weakness and infirmity be humble be base in your own eyes be nothing in your selves that you may be able to say In Jesus Christ have I righteousness and strength Isa 45.24 It was a sweet Meditation of Saint Augustin Lord I will be weak in my self that I may be strong in thee And the Apostle hath such a phrase For when I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 that is when I am most weak in my self then am I most strong in a Saviour Secondly If you would have this strength in your souls be acting the Grace which you have received already for action increaseth strength and strength will help action forwards the more you are doing duty the more will you gather strength to do duty It was the Motto of an eminent Divine in this Nation now with God The way to Holiness lyes in the works of Holiness so the way to get spiritual strength lyes in doing the work you have to do with that strength you have use strength and you shall have more strength Thirdly If you would have strength in your souls grow especially in corroborating and strengthening Graces What are those strengthning Graces 1. Faith that is a very strengthning Grace you read of the strength of Faith Abraham was strong in Faith and that made him do great things that he could against hope believe in hope that is against hope of sense believe in hope of a promise Rom. 4.18 so be strong in Love Love to Jesus Christ Love is a very strengthening Grace Love is strong as death Cant. 8.6 7 Death you know is so strong that it hath conquered all men that ever were in the World never was there any Gyant so strong but could be conquered by Death there is no discharge in that War the meaning is this never any man encountred with Death that came off but Love is stronger than Death If thy heart be fired with Love to Jesus Christ it will carry you with a great deal of strength through all difficulties and sufferings with patience and perseverance 3. Again Get more sincerity Job 17.9 The righteous also shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Oh the more sincere you are the more strong you are For example Wherein consists the strenth of a Pillar it is in the uprightness of it if it begins to bow and bend and be crooked then it falls but the uprightness of it is the strength of it 4. Joy Joy that is another strengthening Grace Nehem. 8.10 Neither be ye sorry for the joy of the Lord shall be your strength Oh the more inward joy in the Holy Ghost you have the more chearful you are the more strong you are grow in these strengthening Graces Fourthly Would you have this strength in your souls then take heed of rushing into any known sin for sin as it wounds the conscience it weakens the soul also sins against conscience are like a thief in the Candle which weakens our strength and wasts our joy Nothing weakned Sampson so much as his sporting with his Dalilah Never had he lost his strength had it not been for his running into that sin take heed therefore of sins against conscience Fifthly If you would have strength in your souls take heed of evil company shun them as a Pest-house for many times evil company weakens the soul more than any outward temptation Psal 119.115 Depart from me ye wicked for I will keep the Commandements of my God It is as if he should say he could never set about the work of Obedience so long as he kept company with the wicked Sixthly If you would have strength in your souls then get more intimate and bosom-communion with Jesus Christ every day for the truth is all our strength is from him I am able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 The more you are acquainted with Christ the more will you have of this strength which David here in the Text speaks of Lastly If you would have this strength be much in prayer that is an excellent Scripture Psal 119.28 My soul melteth away for heaviness strengthen thou me according to thy word Oh the more we are in Prayer and Care and Watchfulness and Humility and Self-denial and in the exercise of Grace the more we shall find our spiritual strength increased then we shall experimentally say with David Thou hast strengthened me with strength in my soul LIGHT DISCOVERED AND MAN RECOVERED A SERMON Preach'd Augst 17. 1656. 2 Tim. 1.10 the latter part of the Verse And hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel THE Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter exhorting Timothy to a faithful discharge of his Ministerial Calling puts in this weighty caution in the 8 verse Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God that is be not ashamed of the Gospel that he calls there the Testimony of our Lord Jesus Though it may be thou maist meet with afflictions and oppositions in the profession of it yet seeing these afflictions are but sufferings for the Gospel-sake therefore bear them patiently it is better that thou shouldest suffer than that the Gospel should suffer This Caution or Exhortation the Apostle presses from an Argument drawn from the unspeakable benefit and advantage that comes streaming to us by the Gospel namely Eternal life and that the Apostle might be rightly understood he lays down the three causes of this Eternal life or Salvation First The principal and moving cause of this Salvation that is the Grace of God in the foregoing verse ver 9. Who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Secondly He lays down the meritorious cause of our salvation that is the Lord Jesus Christ who hath merited this salvation by dying for us in the middle part of the 10th verse who hath abolished death that is who hath taken away the sting and curse of Death Thirdly He lays down the instrumental cause of our salvation that is the
the habitual receiving of Christ we are meerly passive a man does no more to his own regeneration than a dead man can do to his own resurrection But in the gradual receiving of Christ we are active we are co-workers with God 2 Cor. 6.1 as the Apostle speaks we move towards him when we are moved by him The child before it is born hath no nourishment but what it receives from the Mother but when the child is born then it hath a nutritive faculty and is able to feed and nourish it self So in the first work of conversion we are meerly passive and do nothing at all but receive all from Christ and do nothing in the carrying on the work of our salvation But when once we have received a life from Christ then we may act and exercise that life for our own good and the glory of God Now of both these receivings of Jesus Christ does the Apostle speak both of the habitual and gradual receiving of him As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Walking is an active motion and when the Apostle says Walk in him it is as if he should say As you have received the truth of grace so also be acting of your grace to the glory of Christ So then this is the meaning of the Doctrine when I say it is not enough for a Christian to receive Christ but he must also walk in Christ the meaning of the Doctrine is this It is not enough for a Christian to receive grace from Christ but he must be also acting his grace For the proof of this truth let me give you two remarkable Scriptures 2 Tim. 1.6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God that is in thee I know the Apostle speaks of the Ministerial gift but it is as true of the work of grace for the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies grace as well as gift Stir up the grace of God in thee Mark the phrase it is a remarkable phrase for in the original it is to blow up thy grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 just as a man blows up a fire that grows dull or is hid under the ashes blow up the grace of God in thee The other Scripture which is parallel to this is that Text Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit that is if we have received a spiritual life or influence from Christ let us walk in the spirit that is let us act that spiritual life that we have received by the operation of grace If we have received the life of grace let us also act the life of grace For the better explication of this point two things are to be briefly unfolded First What is required of a Christian that he may act his grace that he may walk in Christ Secondly Why must a Christian that hath received grace be acting his grace First What is required of a Christian that he may be acting of his grace In answer to this I shall lay down these five Propositions First No man can act that grace he hath received by his own strength without the help and assistance of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.10 But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me He does not say the grace of God which was in me that habitual grace which I had but the grace of God which was with me So then it is not the strength of habitual grace that carries a man through any duty but the auxiliary the assisting the concurring grace of Jesus Christ it is his grace with us more than his grace in us And says our Saviour speaking to his Disciples Without me ye can do nothing John 15.5 Ye that are my Disciples ye that have the spirit of grace without me ye can do nothing The habit of grace the acting of grace and the perfecting of grace are all from Jesus Christ If we cannot put forth a natural action without him for in him we live move and have our being Acts 17.28 how much more can we perform a spiritual act in a spiritual manner without him Phil. 2.13 says the Apostle For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Yet take this caution with you When I say a man cannot act his own grace by his own strength you must not therefore be lazy and say I can do nothing without Christ for you must know the Lord Christ works grace in us by setting those faculties that are in us on work though we cannot work by our own strength yet we must be co-workers with Christ says the Apostle Work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. That which some persons make an argument of laziness We will do nothing say they in the business of Salvation for it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do The Apostle makes it rather an argument of diligence Nay therefore be you working as well as God though it is God that works in you both to will and to do yet do you work out your salvation if you put forth your strength to the utmost he will help you That 's the first Proposition Secondly Another Proposition is this It is not enough to act one Grace but Christians must be acting every grace for all graces proceed from the same fountain We receive from Christs fulness and grace for grace John 1.16 Jesus Christ is the fountain of all grace Col. 1.19 It pleaseth the Father that in him should all fulness dwell We must draw water from no other Fountain you must not look on Faith as a distinct habit or Love or Repentance as a distinct habit as if these were several branches proceeding from several roots they all proceed from one and the same root Faith is a habit of grace closing with Christ Repentance is a habit of grace receiving Christ Love is a habit of grace renewing and fitting the soul to receive Christ they all proceed therefore from one and the same root and every grace must be acted Thirdly The third Proposition is this It is not enough to act grace one way but Christians must act grace every way we must not only act grace invisibly and inwardly in reference to God but we must act grace outwardly and visibly in reference to men This is that our Saviour speaks of Let your light so shine before men he speaks of the light of grace Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works glorifie your Father which is in heaven and says the Apostle James 2.18 Shew me thy faith by thy works Fourthly There are
certain seasons wherein grace must be especially acted as there are certain seasons of the year in Spring you have buds and blossoms in Summer you have fruits green and growing in the Autumn you have the same fruits ripe and ready to be eaten Every thing is beautiful in its season Eccles 3.11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time so every grace is beautifully acted when it is seasonably acted Fifthly He that hath the least measure of grace must not be discouraged but must be acting it still that in the exercise of it it may be increased nay certainly a man that hath but one Talent Mat. 25.15 that is but a little measure of grace and doth act it well he shall have more comfort a great deal than he that hath five Talents and doth not wisely act them Thus you see the first thing opened what is required of a Christian that he may rightly act his grace The second thing for explication is But why must Christians thus be acting of their graces Let me give you these four reasons First The acting of grace will be a certain evidence of the truth of grace there is no more certain evidence of the truth of grace than the acting of grace it may be there are some poor souls that hear me that will be ready to say O what would I give that I might but have a certain and infallible evidence of the truth of grace though it were but as a grain of Mustard-seed that I could but say that I have true faith and true repentance and true love to Jesus Christ had I an assurance that it were in truth what would I give I will tell thee for thy comfort Here is a rule in the Text If thou walk in Jesus Christ that is if thou be acting that little grace thou hast received it is a certain token of the truth of it A painted fire will not warm a man a painted Cow will give no milk a painted Horse will not move a painted Tree will not grow so here a painted Christian a counterfeit Christian a Hypocrite counterfeit grace will never grow a counterfeit Christian is always a dead and barren Christian but if thou art a fruitful Christian it is a token that grace that thou hast is grace in truth as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 And besides this giving all diligence add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledg and to knowledg temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly-kindness and to brotherly-kindness charity for if these things be in you and abound they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ when a man is acting of his grace he is adding to his grace add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledg c. When a man is acting of his grace then he is not barren nor unfruitful when these two go together then may a man be confident that he is a real Christian a Disciple indeed and not a Disciple in name only There are these two special properties of grace the acting of grace and the growth of grace and you have them both in that place 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 the activity of grace when a man is not barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ And the growth of grace when a man adds to his faith virtue to virtue knowledg to knowledg temperance to temperance patience c. Compare these two places of Scripture together Gal. 6.15 with Gal. 5.6 In Gal. 6.15 says the Apostle For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature compare that with Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love In the former place namely Gal. 6.15 but a new creature there the Apostle speaks of the habit of grace in the latter namely Gal. 5.6 but faith which worketh by love there he speaks of the activity of grace when the habit of grace is turned into the activity of grace when faith worketh by love that is a token of true graceindeed A second reason is this The more you act your graces the more you shall encrease them Tradesmen know the more they trade with their Stock the more they increase their Stock Grace is like the Windows oyl the more it is poured out the more it is increased 2 Kings 4.6 Nay there is a promise made to that man that doth well use his grace Matth. 25.29 For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance which place must be rightly understood our Saviour speaks there of gifts of the same kind and same order otherwise we will run into the Pelagian and Arminian opinion which is That the well-using of the gifts of nature will merit the gifts of grace so the Arminian would have the meaning of the words to be he that well uses the gifts of nature to him shall be given the gifts of grace Our Saviour there â—peaks no such matter but he speaks thus he that hath saving-grace shall have more saving-grace that man that hath saving-grace by well-using of it shall have more saving-grace as a man the more he plays upon an Instrument the more dextrous he grows the more cunning and skilful he will be So here the more you act your graces the more a great deal shall you increase them to him that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance Thirdly A third reason is this Because God hath given grace for that very end that it may be acted If God hath given thee grace it is not that thou shouldst hide it like a Candle under a Bushel nor for thee to put in a dark Lanthorn but that thou shouldst set it upon a Table for the advantage and benefit of others But the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.17 And in 1 Pet. 4.10 As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God And why are we said to be Stewards of the manifold grace of God because we should be dispensing them as Stewards that have their Masters goods not to put them in their own purses or to convert them to their own advantage but to be dispensing of them and diffusing them for their Masters advantage we are Stewards of the manifold grace of God look as God gives to some more riches than to others because he would have them to be more rich in good works than others so he gives to some more grace than he gives to others because he would have them diffusive of grace making others rich in grace He gives to some more comforts than he gives to others because he would have them to comfort others with the same comforts wherewith they themselves are comforted of God
vanity of it are ready to draw away our hearts to it O then have a care to do Gods will Deut. 6.11 12 When thou hast eaten and art full when thou art in a prosperous condition then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt c. The Apostle Saint Paul had learnt a great Lesson when he said I have learnt in whatsoever state I am in therewith to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound Phil. 4.11 12. There is more danger in prosperity than in adversity as in a croud a man is in danger to lose his Purse so in a croud of worldly businesses and prosperity a man is in greatest danger to lose his God Secondly In a time of danger then God calls you to do his will that you should not decline Duty for danger sake that you should not break a Hedg to miss a foul way See a singular example of this in Daniel when he knew the doing of his duty would be the hazard of his life when he knew the writing was sealed and that snares were laid for his life yet he would not omit duty for the saving of his life he prayed three times a day as he was wont to do his Window being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem Dan. 6.10 So those three Noble Worthies who were so highly honoured by God as to be miraculously preserved they would not deeline duty for dangers sake Be it known unto thee O King our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from this burning Furnace but if not we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up Dan. 3.17 18. So singular was the courage of Saint Peter and Saint John Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Threaten or not threaten imprison or not imprison we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Thirdly A third Season when God calls us to do his will is this when he puts an opportunity into our hands of doing some special piece of service for him now is a price put into your hands now a man should do the will of God especially This is that which Mordecai told Esther Esther 4 Who knows whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this It is as if he should say It may be God hath put an opportunity into thy hand to help his Church at this time The third thing by way of Explication is this But why must the Disciples of Christ be Doers of Gods will The Reasons are these First Because the whole Body of Religion as I may say consists in these two things namely in Believing and Obeying take away one of these and Religion is a lame Religion Secondly By doing the will of our Father we shew our selves to be Disciples of Christ indeed because we now imitate our Lord and Master for thus did he see that remarkable Scripture John 6.38 I came from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me Thirdly Because if we do not do the will of God we shall certainly do the will of a worse Master if we do not work in Gods service we shall do the Devils drudgery if we be not workers of righteousness we shall be workers of iniquity as appears by that in Matth. 7.21 23 He that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven compare it with verse 23 And then will I say unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity It is as if our Saviour should say Because you would not be workers of righteousness to do the will of my Father therefore it is that you are workers of iniquity Fourthly Christians must do the will of God because this is that which makes for the honour of God John 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified if ye bring forth much fruit Look as by believing we give honour to the Truth of God so by obeying we give God the honour of his Soveraignty As obedient Children we shall shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Before I come to the Application there are two or three Objections that lie in the way which I shall endeavour to remove Object 1. It may be some will say You do so cry up Duty and doing the will of God that you infringe or eclipse the Free grace of God this is not Preaching Free grace Answ I answer This is not an infringing or an eclipsing of the free-grace of God because you must know Faith and good Works are not opposite one to another but they are subordinate they are consistent and may stand one with another very well Secondly I answer The grace of God doth not exclude all works but it excludes those works only that are meritorious Good works therefore we may say truly are Causes without which we cannot be saved though they are not Efficient Causes nor instrumental Causes yet they are Causes without which we cannot be saved as the Apostle saith Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 So may I say here Though we be not saved for our good works yet we shall never be saved without good works I would have you to remember this Good works though they are not necessary to our Justification yet they are necessary to our Salvation there is a great deal of difference between these two to be saved by faith and saved for faith this is certain we are not saved for our faith this is the errour of the Socinians that say The Act of believing is our righteousness Though we are not saved for faith yet the Apostle saith We are saved by faith So here we are not saved for our good works yet we are not saved without good works as the Apostle saith He that is a Doer of the Word shall be blessed in his deed James 1.25 He doth not say for his deed so you may be blessed in your good works though not for your good works Thirdly I answer Although faith alone doth justifie yet that faith that is alone doth not justifie though no man is justified for his works yet that faith that is a justifying faith is a working faith Secondly It may be objected But why do you press us to do the will of God when of our selves we are not able to do it we cannot of our selves think a good thought nor speak a good word much less do the will of God in that manner as you have laid down how it must be done To this I answer Our inability doth not nullifie or make void the Commands of God God for example bids you believe 1 John 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and yet Faith it is the gift of God
supported him in that great distress On the contrary under less temptations and troubles if God do not support a man he will fall see it in Ahitophel because his counsel was not accepted God not supporting him under this light trouble he goes and hangs himself For the use of this If this be one way of Gods hearing our prayers when he strengthens us with strength in our souls Then call your selves to an account whether God hath strengthned your souls yea or no here is divers of you that have been made partakers of a strengthening Ordinance this day namely the Lords Supper which the Lord Jesus hath appointed for your spiritual confirmation and corroboration Now will it not nearly concern you to ask your own souls this question Hath God strengthened you with strength in your souls It may be you will say to me how shall we do to know it Answer me but these four or five questions and you may know it First tell me What are you in the time of troubles and temptations for what a man is in tryals that is the man Can you live in a time of straits fears doubts and dangers as the strength of a ship is tryed in the time of a storm if she can live in a storm then you may say she is a strong ship the strength of a Castle is tryed in the time of battel if it can endure the roaring Cannon then its a strong Castle now if you can keep your standing in a time of danger this argues you have received spiritual strength in your souls Secondly Can you bear variety of conditions without fainting can you pass through good report and ill report through honour and dishonour through a prosperous estate and decayed estate can you pass through these with an equal temper and frame of spirit as you are not puft up with prosperity so you are not too much cast down with adversity Saint Paul had this strength I have learnt saith he in what estate soever I am therewith to be content Thirdly Can you cleave close to Jesus Christ without weariness constantly if you be off and on if your way be uneven it 's a token you have little strength Fourthly Are you able to do duties in a spiritual manner the spiritual performance of holy duties argues the receiving of some spiritual strength By these and the like questions you may know whether you have received some of this spiritual strength yea or no. A second use I shall make it is by way of Exhortation Oh labour to read this Text experimentally read it I say so as your own hearts may make a commentary on it Oh Lord thou hast answered me Lord I can speak by experience I was as weak as water but thou hast strengthened me with strength in my soul Whatever was written aforetime was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope This instance of David was written for your imitation and consolation O labour for this spiritual strength To press you to attain it I shall use but this one motive Consider the great need you have of this spiritual strength at all times but especially in times of general fears and dangers then you have special need of it In what regard may be you will say do we need so much strength in our souls I will tell you in these four respects especially or on this fourfold account First In regard of Duties that are to be performed Secondly In regard of Afflictions that are to be endured Thirdly In regard of the Enemies that are to be encountered Fourthly In regard of the danger of Apostacy that is to be prevented First You have great need of this spiritual strength in regard of the Duties that are to be performed Oh a Christian hath much work lying upon his hands in reference to eternity a great work it is to provide oyl in your Lamps grace in your hearts a great work it is to get the hazzard of eternity over to get an interest in Jesus Christ and to get an assurance of that interest A great work it is for you to make your calling and election sure sure to your own souls to be working out your salvation with fear and trembling a great work it is for you to be pondering the paths of your feet to keep your hearts above all keepings to be building up your selves in your most holy faith These are very great works It is the language of the Apostle Saint Jude verse 20 of his Epistle But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost and to be pressing forward towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.14 Nay a Christian hath yet a harder work than this to do for a Christian is to do that work that crosses his own carnal and corrupt will There are some difficult duties of Christianity that are to be performed as denying of our selves a hard duty the crossing of our carnal and corrupt Affections a hard duty the mortifying of a beloved Lust a very hard duty the plucking out of a right eye the cutting off of a right hand a parting with a sin that is as dear as our right hand and our right eye a difficult duty so for a man to be crucifying the flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof to be contemning the world to trample upon the pleasures the flatteries the blandishments of it for a man to love his enemies to pray for them that persecute him to do good to them that despitefully use him How is it possible for a man to do all this work a difficult work this work which so much crosses his own carnal and corrupt frame if he have not a considerable portion of spiritual strength A weak Christian alas is offended with every thing he is ready to stumble at every straw every duty is a burthen to him every command of Christ seems grievous to him every yoke of Christ he is not able to take upon his neck it may be he may have some flashes of good desires now and then as Baalam had Oh that I might die the death of the righteous It may be he may have some good purposes and resolutions as Saul had 1 Sam. 26.21 Return my son David for I will no more do thee harm because my soul was precious in thine eyes this days But all his purposes came to nothing Nay may be sometimes he may have some endeavours faint feeble endeavours in the way of grace just like the third ground in the Parable which wanted root it brought forth indeed a blade but it brought forth the Text says nothing to perfection If a man be a weak Christian alas it is very little that he can do in the business of Eternity You have great need of strength therefore in this regard Secondly You have great need of strength in regard of the Afflictions Temptations Troubles and
be Masters of new opinions than to be disciples of old Truths these men may be said to be weary of the Gospel Secondly Are there not some that are weary of the Profession of the Gospel such as are Atheists and prophane Libertines Swearers Drunkards and others of that Gang that could be contented that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should be extinguished that the Candle might be put out so they may but sin more freely but our Saviour hath read their doom John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Thirdly Are there not some weary of the Power and Practice of the Gospel such are Hypocrites Apostates luke-warm Professors and carnal Gospellers that have it is true a form of godliness but are as far from the power and practice of it as Pagans are from the profession of it Are not these worthy think you to be reproved yea God reproves them and his Word reproves them and their own consciences will one day reprove them nay that Gospel which now they despise and undervalue will then arraign indict and condemn them at that great day for if the Lord Jesus Christ will come in flames of fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not his Gospel as it is 2 Thes 1.8 What will become of them that are weary of it that despise it that do undervalue it The fourth and last Use to shut up this point is this If the knowledg of salvation be discovered by the preaching of the Gospel then let me press upon you three very necessary and seasonable Duties First Learn to prize the Gospel while you have it labour to know the worth of it now you have it lest God let you see the worth of it in the want of it when it is too late God will never hang a Jewel upon a swines snout God will never long continue the Gospel in mercy to a People that do not value it True indeed some there are that are ready to say of the Gospel as Naaman the Assyrian in like case Are not Abana and Pharphar rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel may I not wash in them to be clean So some will say Are not the doctrines of Popery and other corrupt doctrines better than all the doctrines of the Gospel But I hope you have not so learnt Christ Oh learn to prize the Gospel as the doctrine of your salvation as the evidence of your inheritance Do you learn to prize it as the tree of life which is for the healing of the Nations as the pledg of the hope you have of eternal life Labour for such an esteem of the Gospel as David had Psal 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Oh do you now learn to prize the Gospel as the greatest priviledg that ever God did bestow upon you next to Jesus Christ and his Spirit A second Duty I would press upon you is this not only to prize the Gospel but to make use of it and improve it for your own spiritual advantage Yet a little while saith our Saviour is the light with you walk while you have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth John 12.35 Oh that you and I could learn to make hay while the Sun shines Oh that we could improve these opportunities while we do enjoy them If so be the Gospel should be taken away from you before your peace is made with God before you have gotten Jesus Christ into your hearts before the Covenant between God and your Souls be sealed Oh how sad and doleful would your conditions be sure I am we were never in so much danger of losing the Gospel as at this day for our barrenness and unfruitfulness and wearness of the Gospel We are ready to say Mal. 1.13 What a weariness is it to serve the Lord and for our contempt of the means of grace Now if such a day should come as God threatens Micah 3.6 Therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them If such a day should come as God threatens Amos 8.11 Behold the days come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it Oh what a black doleful dismal day would this be Thirdly It should teach us to walk worthy of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Oh let us learn to lead Gospel-lives under Gospel-light let it never be said to us that the Gospel is a grace to us but we are a disgrace to the Gospel I beseech you my brethren study to live up to your light seeing God hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light walk as children of the light follow that golden Rule of the Apostle Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things speak of these things Oh could we but once learn to cast off the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light could we once be brought to this to repent of our Gospel-sins may be the Lord may lengthen our tranquility may be God may revive his work in the midst of our days may be glory may yet dwell in our Land and make us a name and praise throughout the whole earth But if we go on in a course of Rebellion if we rebel against the light if we despise the means of grace if we undervalue those precious seasons of Salvation that are tendred to us if we grieve the holy Spirit of God from day to day and cause him to withdraw from us what a black and doleful day may seize upon us The Lord work these things upon every one or our hearts that still the Gospel in its power and purity may be continued to us CHRIST'S PROVISION FOR MANS DIRECTION Isaiah XL. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young THE first verse of this Chapter will tell you what the scope of the Chapter is namely to speak comfort to the poor captive Jews in their return
I do to be saved So that this Text tells you and describes to you the Jaylors carriage when God first struck his heart and gave him a sight of himself and of his sins and in this carriage of the Jaylor there are these three things very observable His Perplexity his Courtesie his Question his Perplexity in verse 29. His Courtesie and Question in verse 30. First His Perplexity He called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas Secondly His Courtesie the Text says He brought them out Thirdly His Question Sirs What must I do to be saved It is the first of these I principally aim at namely the Jaylors Perplexity Then he called for a light darkness now was a terrour to him because he was a terrour to himself He was a Magor Missabib a terrour round about Jer. 20.3 And he sprang in that is he rush'd hastily into the Prison and like a man distracted knew not what to do nor which way to turn himself he came trembling being stricken with inward horror and terror of Conscience and pray observe it well There is not the stoutest man breathing upon Earth but if God set his Conscience against him like a Dog to fly in his face it will pull him down and lay him flat and fill him with that inward horror and terror and perplexity that he will be more afraid of himself than of all the world besides Thus it was with the Jaylor here when God came nigh him and awakened his conscience he fell down before Paul and Silas God had given him a sight of his sins and of the invisible Majesty of Christ that was in those his precious Servants Paul and Silas whom before he look'd upon as a couple of Rogues and that the Whip and the Stocks were good enough for them but now he reverenceth them and respects them and falls down at their feet Thus you see what his Perplexity was My purpose is not to insist upon every particular but to pitch upon that which is principally held forth in the words observe therefore when God was about to work the great work of saving Faith and sound Conversion in the heart of this Jaylor and by Faith in Jesus Christ to bring him to Salvation what is the first thing that he does First he humbles him and strikes him down and lays him flat he doth awaken and shake his conscience this unbroken Sinner is now amazed and perplexed and astonished and he knows not which way to turn himself So then the observation I would commend to you from the words is this Doct. Sound Humiliation is a necessary Antecedent or Fore-runner to Faith and Salvation Would you have it plainer then take it thus Those whom God intends to make true Believers and Heirs of his Everlasting Kingdom they are first soundly humbled and made sensible of their own dangerous and damnable condition Look as a Timber-tree that a man intends for building first he hews it down and then he fits it and squares it for the building so that Sinner whom God intends to frame for himself and build up by Faith to Salvation God first casts down to the ground and lays him flat and makes him sensible of his own lost and dangerous and damnable estate Look into the Scripture and you shall find that this is Gods Method and Jesus Christs and the Holy Ghosts Method First This is Gods Method and this course he took with our first Parents he arraigned them and past a sentence upon them and pronounced a curse against them before ever he brings them to the knowledg of a Saviour before ever he made that Promise that The seed of the woman should break the Serpents head Remarkable is that Scripture Job 33.21 22 it describes the manner of Gods converting a Sinner verse 14 God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not God calls and cryes and knocks and tries this way and that way and the other way to bring the Sinner in to bring him home by Conversion but all will not do what doth he then Read verse 21 22. God humbleth the Sinner to the very dust His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen and his bones that were not seen stick out his soul draweth near unto the Grave and his life to the destroyers His meaning is this He is made a very Anatomy and God brings him to the very gates of Hell and what follows Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransom So this was the Method of Jesus Christ this course he took with St. Paul before he was converted he unhorst him and humbled him and struck him blind and all this while St. Paul must steep himself in sorrow before Ananias comes to him and speak words of comfort Acts 9. Christ would have us weary and heavy laden Matth. 11 weary with the work of sin and heavy laden with the weight of sin before he will give us ease he will have the Soul thirsty before he gives it the water of life Isa 55 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters that is to be sensible of the want of Christ and the worth of Christ before he gives the Soul to taste of the water of life and he will have the Soul sick of sin before the Physician comes to it The whole have no need of a Physician but they that are sick Matth. 9.12 He will have the Sinner sick of his sin before he will cure him And this is the Holy Ghosts Method too for you shall read the Spirit of God first convinceth of sin before he convinceth of righteousness John 16.8 First The Spirit of God convinceth of sin for humiliation before he convinceth of righteousness for Justification And this hath been the Method of all Master-builders John Baptist he comes levelling of Mountains and casting down proud Sinners before they come to Christ and St. Peter he prick'd his Hearers to the heart before he gave them any hope or comfort by a Saviour Acts 2. He let them blood at the heart before he directed them how to be saved But now because this is a weighty Truth and it may please God to do good to some of you all the days of your lives to know the Method and manner of bringing Jesus Christ and the Soul together for this is all the work we Ministers have to do let me speak to it by way of Explication and shew you three things First What this Humiliation is Secondly Whether the like measure of Humiliation be wrought in all that are brought home to Jesus Christ or no Thirdly Why God is pleased to take this course to fit men for Faith and Salvation thus first to humble them First What this Humiliation is Divines describe a twofold Humiliation 1. A Passive Humiliation 2. An Active Humiliation The Passive humiliation is that whereby God humbles the Sinner in the
Heaven the red leaf that was the blood of Jesus Christ the black leaf that was the torments of Hell You may look into Hell by contemplation and meditation that you may prevent Hell to all Eternity you may meditate upon the blood of Christ and steep as it were your souls in it by meditation it may be it may soften them It is said of the Goats blood when nothing can soften an Adamant the blood of Goats can the blood of Christ that can soften your hard hearts when nothing else can Thirdly A third thing you can do you can sorrow more and mourn more than you do there is none of you but can sorrow and mourn for outward losses loss of Friends as Husband and Wife or Child perhaps for the loss of a Horse what canst thou mourn for the loss of a Child and canst thou not mourn for the loss of a Soul when one Soul is worth all the Kingdoms in the World If any of you have lost a good Bargain or mist a good Market you can grieve for this O methinks you should mourn for this how many Market days have I lost for my Soul I have burnt out many a precious light and spent out my precious time and can you not mourn for the loss of such a Bargain as this is Suppose one of you should be sent for before a mighty Monarch and should be impeach'd of high Treason before him how would you tremble to appear before so mighty a King that hath power in his hands to cut you off instantly O you and I must appear before the great Judg of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings that knows all the sins and Treasons that ever we have committed and you should bless God if you are cast into fear and thereby be brought to mourn and grieve and sorrow for your sins Job 23.16 For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me that is soft by troubling of me Fourthly There is never a one of you but may leave gross and scandalous sins which I prove thus you can do it for fear of men and you may do it much more for fear of God A prophane Swearer if he be in the company of a Godly grave Minister he can refrain his mouth from vile talk he can forbear his Oaths and blasphemous Speeches and obscene expressions An Adulterer if a boy be but in the Room of seven years old he will forbear to act his uncleanness until the boy be out of the Room If you can forbear gross sins for fear of men much more can you do it for fear of God If a boy can say his Lesson with a Rod certainly he can do it without a Rod if you can abstain from gross sins for fear certainly you can do it without You read of the hypocritical Pharisee he abstained from gross sins Luke 18 God I thank thee saith he I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. Fifthly Though it is true a man in a state of Nature is dead in trespasses and sin yet then at that time he may do many good works works morally good works materially good he may fast and pray and give Alms therefore it is that Daniel speaks to Nebuchadnezzar Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 Certainly the Prophet Daniel would never have spoken so to him if it had not been in his power to do it The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles though they wanted the knowledg of the Law and had not the Law saith he Yet they did by Nature the things contained in the Law they were a Law to themselves which shews that the works of the Law are written in their hearts Rom. 2.13 14. They that are in an unregenerate estate they may pray they may make Conscience of praying in their Families though they cannot pray as they should yet they may pray as they are able they may fall down at the feet of God and say Lord I am a poor sinful wretch I cannot please thee praying or not praying thou hast promised to give the spirit of prayer to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Say Lord give me thy Spirit to break my hard heart take any way with me so my proud heart may be humbled and hard heart broken that I may welcom Jesus Christ to my Soul that I may believe in him and cast my Soul upon him So that Beloved I put you upon no more than you are able to do you may suffer the word of Exhortation you can ponder and weigh the Word in your own hearts you may sorrow and mourn for sin you may abstain from gross sins and you may do those works that are morally good do what you can do men are not damned because they can do no better but because they will do no better Matth. 23 O Jerusalem Jerusalem I would have gathered thee as a Hen her Chickens under her wings but ye would not If there were no will there would be no Hell saith St. Austin Do what you can set upon works of Holiness and Piety strive and put forth your strength to the uttermost endeavour of your Souls to get your hearts humbled to see sin and to sigh for it to grieve and groan for it lay your conditions to heart be feelingly apprehensive of that wrath that sin hath kindled of that Justice that sin hath provoked of that Mercy that sin hath abused of that vengeance and anger that sin hath deserved to be inflicted O were we but thus humbled we should have cause to bless God to all Eternity I shall close with one word to those that have been under a spirit of bondage that have been convinced awakened as this Jaylor was that have had their broken bones that have felt the burden of sin and it may be lie under that burden at this day O be you comforted it s better to be broken here than hereafter it is better to be convinced here than convinced hereafter it is better to be humbled here than for God to humble the Soul in Hell to all Eternity God will make thy Valley of Achor a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 Thou that art humbled now shalt be exalted and thou that mournest now shalt be comforted CHRIST THE Bread of Life John VI. 35. And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst THis Chapter contains in it that admirable and Heavenly Sermon of our Saviour concerning the Bread of Life wherein you may take notice of three parts First The occasion of this Sermon that was the Peoples following of him because they did eat of the Loaves and were filled Verse 26. Secondly The Sermon it self and that is
Creature viz. by the works of Gods Creation and Providence as the Apostle tells us Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse So that the light a man may have by Gods works in the Creation and by his works of Providence which the Heathen had this Book of the Creature is enough to leave him without excuse much of Gods will may be read in this Book Thirdly It is called a revealed will because it is made known to us in the Book of the Scripture of this speaks the Apostle Heb. 13.21 Saith he make you perfect he prays that God would make them perfect in every good work to do his will that is his will revealed in the Word of God for there doth the will of God most clearly appear therefore when our Saviour saith here in the Text He that doth his will that is he that obeys his Word and he that makes the Word of God to be the Rule of his walking Gal. 6.16 To as many as walk according to this Rule peace be upon them and upon the Israel of God The Word of God that is the Rule we should walk by this is the Pattern or Prescript of Gods revealed will That 's the first Particular Secondly It may be demanded How or in what manner must the will of God be done For answer to this for the right manner of doing the will of God there are these seven things required First The will of God must be done knowingly Solomon saith expresly Prov. 19.2 Also that the Soul be without knowledg it is not good All the Services that a man doth either out of Will-Worship or out of blind Devotion it is but like the cutting off of a Dogs neck as the Prophet speaks Isa 66.3 And therefore the Apostle bids the Romans first to prove and know what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 Secondly The will of God must be done believingly By Faith it is said that Abel offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11.4 It may be Cain offered the very same Sacrifice that Abel did yet Abel's was accepted and Cain's was rejected because Abel offered in Faith and Cain did not For without Faith it is impossile to please God Heb. 11.6 You cannot do the will of God without Faith because it is Faith that brings Jesus Christ in its arms and so makes both our Persons and Prayers accepted No man can come to the Father but by me saith our Saviour John 14.6 And we are said to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God how by Jesus Christ they are acceptable only by Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Therefore a man must do the will of God believingly Thirdly The will of God must be done graciously from a principle of grace from that which is called an inward Principle as the Apostle shews expresly Circumcision avails nothing no outward priviledg can make us acceptable with God but a new Creature Gal. 6.15 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please Gtd Rom. 8.7 8. A man that is not yet in the state of grace cannot do the will of God acceptably the will of God must be done graciously from a gracious principle Fourthly The will of God must be done cordially it must be done with the heart Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart What is not done with the heart God reckons as not done at all therefore the first and great Commandment is this Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy strength and whatever ye do in word or deed do it heartily as to the Lord Col. 3.16 17. And the Apostle exciting Servants he bids them Obey their Masters not with eye-service but as doing the will of God from the heart Ephes 6.6 Fifthly The will of God must be done sincerely without any sinister or self-respect a man must have upright ends and aims in doing the will of God for God look at our aims as well as at our actions 2 Kings 10 Jehu did the will of God in destroying the Worshippers of Baal and destroying the Children of Ahab God commended Jehu for doing his will but yet notwithstanding because he aimed at the setling of himself in the Kingdom more than seeking the glory of God therefore God looked upon it but as murther and said he would avenge the blood of Jezerel on the house of Jehu Hos 1. A man may do that thing that God would have him do and yet be punished for the doing of it if his aims and ends be not upright Whatever ye do whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 The Pharisees fasted and prayed but it was for vain-glory and it was but to cloak their wickedness and iniquity by a fair colour or pretence of piety they made long Prayers and in the mean time devoured Widows houses Matth. 23.14 Sixthly The will of God must be done fully Numb 14.24 And my Servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land But may be you will say When doth a man do the will of God fully or follow God fully I answer First When he doth not do it with a divided heart Hosea 10.2 Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty When a mans heart is divided partly for God and partly for the world then he doth not follow God fully Secondly Then a man follows God fully when he hath respect to every Command of God as well as to one Command Psalm 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Thirdly When he doth not retain any one sin in the love liking and approbation of it but he hates every false way Psal 119.104 You read that God was weary of their New Moons and their solemn Feasts My Soul hates them saith God Isa 1.14 Yet these New Moons and Solemn Feasts were of Gods own institution and appointment But why doth God hate them then the reason is this saith God Because your hands are full of blood full of cruelty and oppression vers 15. Therefore they do not do the will of God truly that retain the love of sin in their hearts and this makes their Services rejected Seventhly The will of God must be done constantly Psalm 119.20 My Soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all times So here a man must have respect unto the will of God at all times but there are three times especially wherein God calls us to do his will First In a time of prosperity when the World with the lusts and
and after the imaginations of their own hearts and they that fulfil the lusts of the flesh and of the eye those are no Disciples of Christ for the Disciples of Christ are Doers of the will of God O hear and fear all you voluptuous ones that deny your own hearts nothing as it was said of Adoniah David denyed him nothing You that pamper the flesh and you that study more to please men than to please the great God of Heaven and Earth Know assuredly for the present you are no true Christians no Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ A second Use it is by way of Examination If time would give leave I might press this Use home upon you You may call your selves to account whether you be in the number of those that do the will of God or no whether you do it in a right manner whether you do it knowingly there is a great deal of knowledg and yet there is but a little knowledg there is a great deal of confused knowledg but there is but little sound savoury experimental distinct knowledg of God Do you do the will of God believingly There is much talking of the grace of Faith but little living the life of Faith Do you do the will of God graciously from a principle of grace It is one thing for a Jack or Clock that hath a constrained motion to go and another thing for a man that walks and moves by a principle of life that is within Do you duties from an inward principle of grace And do you do the will of God cordially from the heart And do you do the will of God sincerely aiming at the honour and glory of God And do you do it fully and constantly Do not these Questions puzzle many of you What satisfactory answer can your Consciences give to such Interrogatories as these are Happy is the man that with a good Conscience can give answer to these Questions that can say It is the desire of my heart in sincerity to do the will of God fully and constantly Thirdly For a close of this first Point with a word of Exhortation I beseech you as you would be Disciples of Christ set upon this work of doing the will of God and here let me shew you some Rules and Directions First Would you do the will of God then shake off security and slothfulness and formality and coldness in Religion formality eats out the heart of Religion Strive to enter in at the strait gate strive as in an Agony Luke 13.24 Whatever you do in the service of God do it with all your might It was the great commendation of that good King Hezekiah That in every work that he began in the service of the House of God and in the Law and in the Commandements to seek his God he did it with all his heart 2 Chron. 31.21 Secondly Labour for a strong Faith for Faith is the Nurse of Obedience Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham obeyed God and he obeyed him in as hard Commands as ever you heard of which was to leave his Countrey to leave his own Habitation and all that he had and to go into a strange Land into a place he knew not whither another Command that he obeyed was in the sacrificing of his dearest and only Son Isaac By Faith he obeyed God And you read of the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 Thirdly would you do the will of God then set about it without delay To day if you will hear his voyce harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psalm 119.60 Fourthly Study Self-denial cross your own wills that Gods will may be fulfilled all the controversie between God and such poor worms as we are is this Whether Gods will or ours shall be obeyed Study Self-denial for if Gods will and your will meet upon a narrow Bridg and one must give way to the other if you be not well ballasted with self-denial you will cross Gods will to do your own Now let me lay before you some Motives to quicken you to do the will of God First I beseech you to remember this This doing of the will of God will prove you to be the Children of God that you have God to be your Father O what an honour is it to have God to be your Father It is more than if you had all the Kingdoms of the world in your possession for so many thousand years This doing of the will of God will shew you to be the true Children of God for how doth our Saviour prove those stubborn Jews to be the children of the Devil John 8.44 You are of your father the Devil and the will of your father you will do You do the Devils will and therefore you are the Devils children So here if you do the will of your Heavenly Father it is a plain token that you are his Children Secondly Consider what a high price and esteem you shall be in with the Lord Christ himself by doing the will of God consider what a high price the Lord Christ will put upon you you shall be related to him Matth. 12. ult For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Christ looks upon such a one in near relation to himself Thirdly Consider this is that which will yield you Honey and sweetness in all conditions if you be eareful to do the will of your Heavenly Father Psalm 63.5 My Soul shall be satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness And that is an excellent Scripture Psalm 119.56 This I had because I kept thy Precepts This I had what is that This comfort I had this supportation I had in all my afflictions this consolation I had this sweet Communion with God I had why because I kept thy Precepts I obeyed thy will Look how much Obedience is yielded to the Commands of God so much Comfort doth flow into the Soul God usually gives in Comforts proportionably to our Obedience Oh the sweet Soul-satisfying Consolation a Child of God finds in the ways of God and in doing the will of God! especially when he lies on his death-bed then it will be sweeter to him than the Hony the Hony-comb then will he say with good King Hezekiah when he lay upon his death-bed Lord Remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight Oh that sweet satisfaction that a Soul shall find in God when he comes to appear before God! Then here is one Motive more in the Text and that is the next Point I shall come unto the great encouragement that he shall have in doing the will of God for saith our Saviour He that doth the will of God he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self This is the Point I shall speak to next time They that
the Holy Ghost may have but it is that Knowledg that is darted into the Soul by the Holy Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.9 10 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The Apostle speaks it of the Kingdom of Grace as well as of the Kingdom of Glory Man doth not know the work of the Spirit of Grace upon the heart but saith he in the words following God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God And it is the Spirit of God that is said to guide us into all truth John 16.13 That is the first thing in the Description it is a saving work of the Spirit of God Secondly It is a Knowledg whereby a Believer hath received satisfying light First A Believer hath received light The truth is none doth know the Truth aright but he that believes it therefore believing and knowing the Truth are joyned together 1 Tim. 4.3 Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the Truth Thirdly I note this whereby a Believer receiving satisfying light But what is that light may be some of you will say that may be called satisfying light I answer and shall give you an account of it in these five particulars First That is a satisfying Light that is joyned with a powerful Conviction upon the Conscience when the Spirit of God doth eonvince us of sin and of Righteousness and Judgment John 16.8 That is a satisfying Light when the Spirit of God breaks in upon the Soul with such an irresistible Light that a man cannot gainsay it or withstand it for example When the Sun is risen in the morning a man then knows it is day and if a thousand should say to the contrary he would say I know it is day Such is the light of the Spirit of God it is an irresistible light it breaks in upon the heart with that power that the heart cannot gainsay it Secondly That is a satisfying Light which settles and stablisheth a man in the present Truth that he will not be removed from it When a man is rooted in the Faith setled and stablished in Jesus Christ then he hath received a satisfying Light Thirdly That is a fatisfying Light when a man can act Faith upon that light he hath received and make bold adventures for the Truth that he hath embraced when he can act Faith upon it so did those three Worthies in Daniel 3.17 they had received such satisfying Light that God was the true God and his Worship the true Worship that they ventured a Furnace for it say they If it be so Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King but if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy Golden Image which thou hast set up Fourthly That is a satisfying Light which will enable a man to discern between Truth and falsehood though Errour be masked with never such fair pretences yet notwithstanding a man shall be able to discover that Errour and abhor it and though Truth be eclipsed with never so many false Glosses and Interpretations and never so much opposed yet a man can discern it and close with it and cleave to it Fifthly This is a satisfying Light that will enable a man to reconcile some seeming differences that are in the Scriptures Let me give you an instance in one or two those two places compared together Gen. 6.6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his heart but in Numb 23.19 it is said God is not as man that he should lye neither the Son of man that he should repent Now a man that hath this satisfying Light he knows how to reconcile these two places thus Repentance in God is not a change of his Will but of his Work God is said to repent after the manner of men because he doth those things that man doth when he repents Let me give you another instance Saint Paul tells us Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law But Saint James he tells the quite contrary James 2.25 Ye see then how by Works a man is justified and not by Faith only Now a man that hath satisfying Light he reconciles these two thus Saint Paul he speaks of justification before God and Saint James he speaks of Justification before men We are justified before God by Faith only we are justified before men by works Again they may be reconciled thus Faith doth justifie our Persons but good works doth justifie our Faith Good works are no part of our Justification but only a proof of our Justification Lastly In the Description I say this A Believer having received a satisfying Light gives up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths that are revealed to him But you will say When doth a man give up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths revealed to him I will tell you First When he is resolved to part with every sin that the Word of God disallows and condemns though it be as dear to him as his right hand or his right eye and when he can practice every Duty that the Word of God commands though it be never so difficult As for Example the duty of Mortification and Self-denyal and contempt of the World when he can purifie his heart by believing and obeying the Truth 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing you have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit And it is said of many of the Priests that they were obedient to the Faith Acts 6.7 And St. Paul said Acts 26.19 that he was not disobedient to the Heavenly Vision Secondly A man gives up his understanding resolvedly to the truth when he can plead for the truth and not plead against it Saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Doctor Taylor the Martyr in Queen Maries days he laid down his life for this truth That it was lawful for Ministers to marry I know said he that it is not a fundamental truth but because I know it is the truth of God rather than I will part with any truth I will part with my life So then when a man can thus resolvedly give up his understanding to the truth that he will part with his life rather than part with the truth then hath he attained to this certainty of Knowledg indeed And thus you see the Description of it and have the Point opened now let me make Application of it Vse 1. If this be a certain truth That they that do the Will of God shall not only know more of Gods
practice what you know and you shall know more and you shall know in a better manner and know more assuredly than you do I conclude with an excellent Speech of a Reverend Divine that is now with God Men in matters of Religion do therefore become Scepticks because they are not Practicks that is men are ever doubting of Truth they will be Seekers Nullifidians they will believe nothing because they do not practice what they know It is the practical Christian that shall know much of God that shall have the mind of God made known to him shall have more of the incomes of the Spirit of God whereas if you will not be practical Christians you shall be always floating and wavering and double-minded and ready to be seduced and led into by-paths of Error which will endanger the Salvation of your immortal Souls The Lord help us to practice those Truths that we know that he may delight in us and do us good and lead our feet in the way of life FINIS Books printed for and sold by Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey A Golden Key to open hidden Treasures or several great points that refer to the Saints Blessedness and future happiness with the resolution of several important Questions the active and passive Obedience of Christ vindicated and proved Eleven serious singular Pleas which all sincere Christians may fafely make to those ten Scriptures which speak of the general Judgment and the particular Judgment that most certainly must pass on all c. The works of Mr. James Janeway containing these six following Treatises Heaven on Earth or the best friend in the worst of times Death unstung being a Sermon preached at the Funeral of Mr. Thomas Moseley an Apothecary with a Narrative of his Life and Death also the manner of Gods dealing with him before and after his Conversion A Sermon preached at the Funeral of Thomas Savage Invisible Realities demonstrated in the holy Life and triumphant Death of Mr. John Janeway The Saints encouragement to Diligence in Christs Service with Motives and means to Christian activity His last Legacy to his Friends containing 27 Sermons instances of Gods Providences in and about several dangers and deliverances with the names of several who were Eye witnesses to several of them Whereunto is added a Sermon on the same Subject Mr. Wadsworth's last Legacy being a serious Exhortation to an Holy Life or a Plea for the absolute necessity of Inherent Righteousness in those that hope to be saved with an Elegy on that Author's death Mr. Caryl's Exposition on the Book of Job Gospel Remission or a Treatise shewing that true Blessedness consists in the pardoning of sin by Jeremy Burroughs Mount Pisgah or a Prospect of Heaven being an Exposition of the 4th Chapter of the 2d Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians by Thomas Case The retired mans Meditations or the Mysterie and power of Godliness presenting to view the richness and fulness of Christs person as the Mediator or the Spiritual and Natural man in their proper distinctions c. by Sir Henry Vane Knight The Saints Triumph over the last Enemy in a Sermon preached at the Funeral of that zealous and painful Minister of Christ Mr. James Janeway by Nathaniel Vincent A Collection of Sermons preach'd at the Morning-Lecture in Southwark and elsewhere by N. Blakie The Morning-Seeker shewing the benefit of being good betimes with directions of making sure work about early Religion by John Ryther A Discourse of Evangelical Love Church-peace and Unity with the occasions and reasons of present differences and divisions about things Sacred and Religious by John Owen D. D. Saints Memorials being a Collection of Divine Sayings written and delivered by the late Reverend and Eminent Ministers of the Gospel Mr Edm. Calamy Mr. Joseph Caryl Mr. R. Venning Mr. James Janeway c. Heaven realized being some of the Experiences of a famous Christian Gentlewoman The Christians greatest Interest or a tryal of a Saving-interest in Christ the way how to attain it by W. Guthry late Minister in Scotland The Weavers Pocket-Book or Weaving spiritualized in a Discourse wherein men employed in that Occupation may be instructed how to raise heavenly Meditations from the several parts of their work by J Collins D. D. A Call to Prayer in two Sermon on that Subject lately preached to a Countrey Auditory with an account of the Principles and practice of the Quakers in the matter of Prayer The Life and Death of the godly Man exemplified in a Sermon preached at the Funeral of that Pious and faithful Minister of Christ Mr. Thomas Wadsworth by R. Bragg The History of the Wars in New England with an account of the several fights between the Joint-Forces of the United English Collonies and the Indians A Practical Expositon of the Ten Commandments with a Resolution of several Momentous Questions and Cases of Conscience by Mr. James Durham late Minister at Glasgow The Memorial of Gods Judgments Spiritual and Temporal in some Sermons of Mr. Nicholas Lockier Minister of the Gospel Godly fear or the Nature and Necessity of fear and its usefulness both to the driving Sinners to Christ and to the provoking Christians on in a godly Life through the several parts and duties of it till they come to Blessedness by R. A. Author of Vinditiae Pietatis