the stain and take away the power of sin to re-imprint the Image of God that was defaced by sin to rescue the heart from the love of sin and consequently from the power of sin to transmit into the Soul new Principles new Affections new Wills Psalm 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power As he came with Light to rectifie the Understanding so he came with Righteousness to rectifie the Will The strength of a King rests in the Love and Will of his People when Christ conquers the Will from the Love and Submission to sin he conquers Man from the Dominion and Kingdom of sin 3. And as thus by Light he conquered the Kingdom of Darkness and by Righteousness the Kingdom of Sin so he comes with Life also and conquers us from the Kingdom of Death When our Saviour died he entred into the Chambers of Death and conquered this King of Terrors took away the malignity and sting of it by taking away Sin the sting of Death healed these bitter waters by his own passing through them and by his Resurrection triumphed over the power of death for us by the vertue of that Resurrection delivering our Souls from the second death and our Bodies from the first death and giving us a most infallible assurance of a final victory over death by an assured and blessed Resurrection Thus Death is swallowed up in Victory 1 Cor. 15.54 2. And as Christ hath purchased him a People by Victory so his Regal Office is considerable in the Government of this people that he hath so acquired He hath given them a Law to Live by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which makes them free from the Law of sin and of death Rom. 8.2 The Law of God vindicated from the false glosses which the corruption of men had in succession of time put upon it a Law sweetned and strengthned and actuated by the Love of God wrought in the Soul a Law though of the highest Perfection and Purity yet accompanied with the Grace and Assistance of Christ to Enable us to perform it in some measure and accompanied with the Merits of Christ to pardon and the Righteousness of Christ to cover our defects in our performance of it He hath given them a new heart and this Law of his written in this heart He hath given them of his own Spirit a Spirit of Life to Quicken them and of Power to Enable them to Obey And because notwithstanding this conquest of Christ of a People to himself they are still beset with Enemies that would reduce them to their former bondage he watcheth over them and in them by his Grace wasting and weakning and resisting their corruptions by new supplyes and influences from him quickning their hearts by renewed derivations of Life and Spirit from him which otherwise would sink and die under the weight of their own Earth encountering Temptations that like Foggs and Vapours arise out of our own flesh or like storms or snares are raised or placed by the Devil against us either by diverting them or by giving sufficient Grace to oppose them These and the like administrations doth our Saviour use which though they are secret and not easily discerned by us and though they are ordered without any noise or appearance yet they are works of greater Power and of greater Concernment and of equal reality with all the visible administrations of things in this world which are more obvious to our sense and are the effects of that invisible Government of Christ and of that Promise of his Behold I am with you alway even unto the end of the World Matth. 28.20 This is that Kingdom of God within them Luk. 17.21 consisting in Righteousness Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 casting down Imaginations and every high thing that Exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 3. As in his Government so his Regal Office is Evidenced in his Judgment And this Judgment of his being one of the Acts or Administrations of this Kingdom is oftentimes called the Kingdom of God His Judgment of Absolution and Reward to his Subjects and his Judgment of Condemnation and Destruction to the Rebels and Enemies of his Kingdom 2. And as we have the consideration of the King of this Kingdom and consequently of his Subjects Revel 15.3 Just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints So the various Administrations of this Kingdome are frequently called the Kingdome of God and the Mysteries of the Kingdome Matth. 13.11 24 31 44 45 47. Matth. 25.1 14 c. And as the Administrations of this Kingdom are often called the Kingdom so are the Instruments of this administration 1. The Word or Gospel of the Kingdome which must be preached through the whole World Matt. 24.14 and is therefore committed to the ministration of an Angel to dispence it to all Nations Revel 14.6 That great Engin which though seemingly weak and dispensed by weak and despicable Men God hath chosen to confound the things that are mighty 1 Cor. 1.27 to pull down strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 to gather his Elect for the perfecting of the body of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all and therefore this publication of the Gospel is oftentimes called the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 3.2 The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Luk. 10.9 The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you and if a Man consider the Mighty and Strange Effects that this everlasting Gospel hath had in the World for these many Hundred Years notwithstanding the many disadvantages upon which it entred and hath continued in the World we may well say that it is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 the Rod of his strength sent out of Sion Psal 110.2 that the Message of a Crucified Christ published by poor despised men to a World that never saw him or if they did saw no beauty or comliness in him to a World full of prejudicies against him prepossessed with an opinion of their own Wisdom with Religions extremely opposite traduced to them from their Ancestors of which Men are naturally tenacious that this Message of Christ not with a promise of Glory or Riches in this World but with a plain prediction of poverty scorns persecutions and Death to those that entertain it and with a promise of future Life that they never saw nor can see till they see this no more should conquer Millions of Souls to the profession and Love of Christ and to an austere self-denying despised Life here doth evidence and convince that there is the strength and Wisdom of God that is ingaged in this wonderful yet most positively predicted conquest of the World 2. The work of the Spirit of God preparing and pre-disposing the Heart to the receiving of the Gospel of the Kingdom convincing the Heart of that Sin and that Death
mingle as little as is possible with the concerns of the World especially in great Places and if through inadvertency or importunity thou art drawn into the scuffâ—le and intanglements of the World get out as soon as thou canst safely and fairly and honestly For it is a Thousand to one but first or last thou shalt otherwise hazard thy Conscience or receive some scratches and worldly prejudices which are in truth rather the Issues of thy Folly and Inconsiderate Adventure than true Affliction But for medling with Places of Magistracy Honor or Publick Imployment I would not have it thought that it is my intention that Good Men awfully called and duly qualified should morosely or frowardly wholly reject their due call unto them The World cannot be kept in order without Magistracy and Good Men if otherwise fitted for it and duly called unto it are likely to administer it best for the Publick good of Mankind and it were an unreasonable thing for them to expect the benefits of Magistracy and Government from others when under such circumstances they wilfully decline the communication of the like advantage to others and therefore the wisest Kingdoms States and Politicians have imposed a necessity upon Men of honesty and abilities to take upon them Publick Imployments Aristot. 2. Politicorum although he condemns Ambition after Magistracy that Men should be incouraged or permitted to stand or solicit for places Nemo enim Magistratum petet nisi Honoris sit affectator atque pleraque eorum quae homines injuste faciunt per Ambitionem Avaritiam committuntur yet tells us Oportet enim volentem non volentem ad Magistratum assumere si dignus sit eo Magistratu That therefore which I mean is 1. That Men that love their own Peace and Tranquillity should not seek great Imployments 2. That if they are offered they do as far as consists with modesty and duty to their Superiors and Country decline and avoid them 3. That if upon such an account they are perswaded to undertake them yet they be sure that before they undertake them they have sufficient abilities to perform them 4. If by the Command of the Soveraign Power they are required to undergo them and are able and fit for the Imployment they do not either frowardly or ungratefully refuse them For 1. Herein they are but passive it is an act of their Submission and Duty not of their Choice 2. Being thus called to it if they meet with any rubs in their way they have no reason to blame themselves so long as they observe their duty in the exercise thereof The Prince that injoyned them to this Province is to be their support in it 5. Readily and Chearfully to entertain a dismission from it when it pleaseth the Prince to call them from it or when by reason of disabling occurrences they may fairly attain such dismission III. And thus I have done with some of those principal Considerations touching our Deportment under Afflictions now concerning the frame and temper of a Soul under our Deliverance from them 1. Accept of thy deliverance with all Thankfulness to God and Humility in thy self Attribute it wholly to his Goodness and Mercy Think not that thou art delivered because of thy Worth or Desert for any one sin that ever thou committest would detain thee Everlastingly under the severest Affliction Think not thy Affliction hath expiated thy Demerit and that thou owest thy Deliverance to the satisfaction that is made by thy suffering for most certainly the greatest Affliction under Heaven cannot satisfie for the least Transgression nothing but the Blood of the Son of God can countervail the weight of the least Sin against God Think not that thy Deliverance is due to thy Wit Friends or Interest for though God be pleased to use the intervention of Means yet he Administred that Means and Blessed that Means and made it effectual or otherwise it would have been but a flat and unprofitable Means As God sends Afflictions to evidence his Power and Wisdom and Soveraignty so he sends Deliverance to manifest his Goodness and Bounty and the Tribute that he most justly expects for the same is but easie and reasonable Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will Deliver thee and thou shalt Glorifie me Psal 50.15 2. Forget not the time of thy Trouble and the promises and ingagements that thou didst then make We observed in the beginning of this Discourse the difficulty of Pre-apprehension of Adversity before it comes and truly it is almost as hard to think of Adversity when it is past We please our selves with what we enjoy and never reflect upon what is past unless it be to heighten and advance our present enjoyments and if we do chance to think upon the serious resolutions we then entertained we look upon them as the weak results of our Infirmity useful indeed for that time but now antiquated and grown unseasonable 3. Not only call to mind thy Promises but call them to mind with a Resolution to observe and perform them in such expostulations as these Alass the time was when I was under great Afflictions it may be of a painful and a desperate sickness and then I resolved if God would restore my health I would walk more strictly with him I would pray more frequently and more constantly and more fervently than formerly I would be more diligent to make even my Accounts with him to make sure my Calling and Election for which I found the time of my Sickness was very unseasonable I would redeem my pretious Time and value those minutes of life that God shall lend me at a dearer rate than formerly I would neglect no opportunity of doing Good to others or improving my Everlasting Peace how pretious then was one hour of repose and quietness and freedom from pain and how much should I then have valued it and how industriously should I have then improved it in the great concerns of my Everlasting Soul God hath now heard my Prayers restored my Health put that pretious Opportunity into my hands of performing my Vowes and Promises which I then made in the sadness of my Soul and shall I deal falsly in my Covenant disappointing my God that hath delivered me No I will up and be doing I will Perform all my Vowes to him nay the sense of the Mercy and Condescention of God to my requests shall increase my Ingagements before him As he hath added Mercy to me so I will add new Obligations to my self of better Obedience and farther Duties than the sense of my Misery could suggest unto me or draw from me 4. Be very Watchful over thy self and remember thy Saviours Counsel Go away and Sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee and in a special manner recollect and call to mind those Sins that did most trouble and disquiet thee in the time of thy Adversity renew thy Repentance for them and take a special care to avoid
it is because there is no Light in them This is to be Light to our Steps and the Lanthorn to our Feet Psal 119.105 2 Pet. 1.19 a more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto we are to take heed as to a light that shineth in a dark place In this Petition therefore we desire two things 1. That his Will may be done 2. That it may be done here as it is done in Heaven 1. In respect of the Will of his Counsel What thou hast willed in Heaven Let it be done on Earth 1. Let the Will of thy Counsel be done It is true thy Counsels are secret and unknown to me but they are the Counsels of the most Wise and Just God and therefore certainly they are most Wise and Just Counsels and therefore I will be content therein to pray with an Implicite Faith for Righteous art thou O Lord in all thy ways and Holy in all thy works It is true thy Counsels shall stand yet are not my Prayers impertinent it is the Duty of thy Creature to will what thou willest and to pray thee to do what thou intendest to do that my will may not only Passively submit unto thy Will but Actively to run along with it 2. Let me with all contentedness and cheerfulness resign up my will and my self and my desires unto thy Will and bear a spirit conformable to my Saviour who when he depricated the worst of Evils a bitter and a cursed Death yet he subscribed to thy will contrary to his own Matt. 26.39 If it be possible let this Cup pass from me yet not as I will but as thou wilt I am compassed about with dangers with diseases with wants with reproaches with persecutions and I come to thee from whose hand they come and to beg the removal of them and I am sure I am taking the fittest course to have them removed by suing to him from whose hand they came yet thy will be done I have done my duty in calling upon thy Name but I will not offend thy Sovereignty in prescribing unto thy Will Thou art the God that hast made me and therefore I owe a Universal Subjection unto thy Will thou art a God of Infinite Wisdom and knowest best what is fittest to be done and when thou art a God of Infinite Mercy and Tenderness and Love unto all thy Creatures especially to those that seek unto thee in Christ and dost with as much Love deny some of my requests as thou grantest others I will with all Patience and Chearfulness wait upon thee and submit unto thy Will both in what thou inflictest and in what thou denyest 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord Let him do what seemeth him good Job 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord taketh away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Thus I will hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord putting my Mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope Lam. 3.26 3. Let me with all expectation and longing desire wait for the fulfilling of thy Prophesies and Predictions This part of thy Secret Counsel thou hast revealed that thy Truth and Wisdom may receive the Glory in it's accomplishment and that we thy Creatures look after it and expect it Thou hast declared that thy everlasting Gospel shall be preached to all Nations that the Kingdoms of the World shall be the Kingdoms of thy Son that thou wilt bring in the Jews and the fulness of the Gentiles that thou wilt discover and confound the Man of Sin that thou wilt send thy Son in the Clouds to Judge the World These and the like parts of thy Counsels thou hast published to the World be thou Glorified in the fulfilling of them Thy Secret Counsels are deep and mysterious and when we see them in ther fulfillings yet they make us to wonder and stagger so that though our duty teach us to acknowledge that thou art righteous when we plead with thee yet we are apt with the Prophet to Expostulate with thee touching thy Judgments Jer. 12.1 As if things fell out besides thy will and in disappointment of thy Counsel But in these Manifestations of thy Counsels before they are fulfilled we see and must conclude Dan. 4.17 That the most High ruleth in the Kingdom of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth up over it the basest of Men. Let therefore this Will of thy Counsels revealed in the Prophecies and Predictions of thy Word be fulfilled that thou may'st receive the Glory of thy Power and of thy Wisdom and of thy Truth in the fulfilling of them and that every Man may see and conclude that thou whose Name is Jehovah art the Most High over all the Earth Psal 83.18 And while I thus pray my Prayers are not Idle God having often appointed that Prayers shall be the means to fulfill that which he hath certainly promised Ezekel 36.37 Yet I will for this be inquired of by the House of Israel 4. Thou hast another part of thy Counsel more pretious and of greater concernment to me then the former which thou hast also revealed the Counsel of thy Promises When thou sentest thy Son out of thine own Bosom into the World thou did'st impart unto him this great and concerning part of thy Counsel and this he hath imparted unto us the promise of Pardon of our Sins through his Blood of Justification through his Righteousness of thy Spirit that should lead us into all truth of his abiding with us unto the End of the World of conquering and subduing our Lusts and Temptations of raising us up at the last day and giving us an Everlasting Kingdom that cannot be shaken These Promises as thou hast given to be the objects of our Faith Hope and certain Expectation Tit. 2.13 2 Pet. 3.12 so are they the objects of our desires and consequently the subject of our Prayers and therefore I will pray with David 1 Chron. 17.23 Therefore now Lord Let the thing that thou hast spoken concerning thy Servants be established for Ever and do as thou hast said And as thus the Will of Gods Counsel is the Subject of this Petition so is likewise the Will of his Command And this falls under these Considerations 1. As thou Willest in Heaven so let it be done by us on Earth and to that purpose 1. Let thy Will be discovered and made known unto us and to all Creatures and in as much as none teacheth like God Let us be all taught of thee Let thy revealed Will in thy Word come unto us as light into darkness and because our Understandings are blind and sealed up that they cannot receive this Light and our Hearts are perverse and will resist it send down thy Spirit of Life and Power to open our Understandings to receive it to discern the Truth and Purity and Perfection of it open our Hearts to receive it in the Love of it and conquer that Cell of corruption and oppositions that lye there ready to
In all the course and passages of our lives thou hast manifested unto us the Love and Compassion and Tenderness and Goodness and Affection and Kindness of a Father Forgiving our offences Healing our back-slidings Pitying our weaknesses Supplying our wants Delivering us from dangers Accepting our weak endeavours to please and serve thee Providing things necessary for us and an Immortal inheritance of Glory and Happiness Blessed be thy Name that art pleased even from Heaven to commissionate us to come unto thee to call upon thee under that encourageing comfortable and near Relation and Title of our Father which carries in it the most full and ample assurance of Audience and Acceptation for with whom can we expect Acceptation or Access from whom can we expect the concession of what we need if not from Our Father to whom should we resort for supplies but to our Father Which art in Heaven It is true the Fathers of our Flesh did bear to us Tenderness and Affection but alas they were Mortal Fathers Fathers on earth Fathers that either are dead or must dye And besides though their affections might be large to us they were straitned in Power they were Earthly Fathers and possibly their affections to us were larger than their ability But thou art our Father an Abiding Everlasting Father a Father in Heaven As thy Love is abundantly extended to us as a Father so thy Power and Ability to answer us is as large as thy Goodness Thou art an Heavenly Father an All-sufficient Father we are not straitned in thy Love to us because thou art our Father neither are we straitned in thy Power Wisdom Goodness for thou art Infinite in all thy Attributes Isa 66.1 And yet though thou art in Heaven as thy Throne yet Earth is thy Footstool though thou dwellest in the Heavens by the glorious manifestation of thy Majesty yet the Heaven 1 Kings 8.27 nor the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee Thou art in all places by thy Power Presence and Essence Our Prayers have no long journey to thee for thou art near unto us and acquainted with all our thoughts and wants and desires And thou art not only present to hear our Prayers but to Relieve supply support us and art pleased by a special Promise to make the poor cottage of an humble sincere praying Soul to be thy Temple and to be present there Psal 145.18 and to be near to all them that in integrity call upon thee Hallowed be thy Name And since thy Glory and Honour is the great End of all thy works we desire that it may be the beginning and end of all our Prayers and Services Let thy great Name be Glorious and Glorified and Sanctified through all the World Isa 11.9 Let the knowledge of thee fill all the Earth as the waters cover the Sea Let that be done in the World that may most advance thy Glory Let all thy works Praise thee Let thy Wisdom Power Justice Goodness Mercy and Truth be evident unto all Man-kind that they may observe acknowledge and admire it and Magnifie the Name of thee the Eternal God In all the dispensations of thy Providence enable us to see thee and to sanctifie thy Name in our hearts with Thankfulness in our lips with Thanksgiving in our lives with Dutifulness and Obedience Enable us to live to the Honour of that great Name of thine by which we are called and that as we profess our selves to be thy Children so we may study and sincerely endeavour to be like thee in all Goodness and Righteousness that we may thereby bring Glory to thee Our Father which art in Heaven that we and all Man-kind may have high and Honourable thoughts touching thee in some measure suitable to thy Glory Majesty Goodness Wisdom Bounty and Purity and may in all our words and actions manifest these inward Thoughts touching thee with suitable and becoming Words and Actions Thy Kingdom come Let thy Kingdom of Grace come Let all the World become the true subjects of thee the Glorious God And let the Gospel of thy Kingdom the everlasting Gospel run victoriously over the face of the whole World Revel 11.15 that the Kingdoms of the Earth may become the Kingdom of God and of his Christ Let thy Grace and thy Fear and thy Love and thy Law rule in all our hearts and in the hearts of all Man-kind And subdue and exterminate the Kingdom of darkness the Kingdom of Satan the Kingdom of Anti-Christ bring all Men to the knowledge and Obedience of the Truth and let the Scepter of thy Kingdom be set up and upheld as long as the Sun endureth And let thy Kingdom of Glory come Also make us fit Vessels of it and that having this hope we may perfect holiness in thy fear 2 Cor. 7.1 2 Pet. 3.12 waiting for and hastning unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and the day wherein he shall deliver up the Kingdom unto the Father 1 Cor. 15.24.28 that God may be all in all Thy will be done And since thy Will is a most Holy Righteous Gratious Just and Wise Will let it be evermore our choice to make thy will to be ours and to resign up our wills unto thee and to thy Will Let the will of thy Counsel be done and although we know it is not in the power of Men or Devils to hinder it yet so we do testifie our duty unto thee in praying that nothing may impede or retard the Will of thy Counsels for thy Counsels are full of Goodness and Benignity and Purity and Righteousness And we beg thee to give us hearts most entirely to wait upon thee in whatsoever thou shall appoint concerning us that if thou shalt give us Prospeirity and success in this life we may receive it with all Thankfulness and Humility and use it with Sobriety Moderation and Faithfulness if thou shalt send us Adversity we may entertain it with all Submissiveness Patience Contentedness chearfully submitting to the Dispensation of our Heavenly Father ever acknowledging thy Will to be the best Will and that whereunto it becomes us with all Humility to submit to and in the mid'st of all to rejoyce that our Portion and Patrimony and Happiness is reserved for us in a better life And as we desire the Will of thy Counsels may be done upon us so we desire the Will of thy Commands may be done by us and by all Man-kind that we may conform our Hearts and Lives to the Rule of thy Blessed Word that we may live in all Piety to thee our God in all Righteousness towards men in all Sobriety towards our selves that we may follow those Precepts and Patterns of Holiness Righteousness Justice Temperance Patience Goodness Charity and all other Moral and Christian Vertues that thou hast in thy Word commanded or propounded for our Practice and Imitation In Earth at it is in Heaven And that this Obedience unto Thee and thy