absence such a Spirit as shall teach them comfort them and be â—…ead of all to them give them such Joy Courage and 〈◊〉 as the world can neither give nor take away 27 vers Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you c. The abode of God and Christ with them Thirdly In the 23. verse in the Text We will come and makeour abode with him while you keep my words which is the great promise here If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The words of the Text are an answer to the question of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus Christ gives the answer If a man love me he will keep my words c. To him the promise is made That the Father will love him They love him that keep his words and to these he hath said he will manifest his love to them and make his abode with them In which words there are three parts considerable Parts of the Text. 3. First A Supposition If a man love me he c. Secondly A Position Which is the effect of that love He will keep my words Thirdly A Promise Which is twofold First Of the Fathers love My Father will love him Secondly The Co-habitation of the Father and Son with such a person We will come unto him and make our abode with him The Observations that I intend to insist upon are two Doct. 2 First That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ Secondly That God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Of the first of these That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ. If any man love me he will keep my words he will do my will walk in my wayes treasure up my truths and Counsells This Doctrine requires three things to be spoken to in their order First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved Secondly What it is to keep his words Thirdly Why it is both the duty and property of them that love him to keep his words First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved there is such an indispensible necessity of this that the Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha let him be cursed But because every one pretends highly to love Jesus Christ and but few that love him indeed I shall shew two things more briefly First Who he is that truly loves him Secondly Why we should all truly love him First Who he is that truly loves Christ First He truly loves Jesus Christ who upon the discovery and tender of Jesus Christ in the Gospel as King Priest and Prophet can willingly deny all for him as the Merchant Mat. 13.45.46 sold all that he had for the goodly Pearl And so Paul Phil. 3.8 accounts all Dung his parts his righteousness by the Law his greatest excellencies He loves Christ in Deed and not in Shew only who can leave the world his dearest lusts his best righteousness for Christ This is a true conjugal love Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and confider and encline thine ear forget also thine own people c. When Christ sees that we have such a love to him that we will part with all for him then he sees a beauty in us that delights him Secondly He truly loves Jesus Christ who having received him will rather lose all than part with him again who accounts Jesus Christ better than his best things as he sayes in Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. therefore sayes the Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm let me be so united to thee that I may never be sever'd from thee It is a very hard lesson and an irksom duty for the best of men to part with friends liberty peace life all these or either of these sweet mercies but to part with Christ nothing can perswade or enforce the Soul that truly loves him that 's a thought more cruel than the Grave witness the holy Martyrs a whole cloud of witnesses that notable and eminent Galeacius Marquess of Vâ—… c. Thirdly He that truly loves Jesus Christ takes abundance of delight in Communion with him No pleasure like the kisses of his mouth no sweetness like that of his bosom all his wayes are peace and his paths pleasantnesse Christ makes every condition Comfortable there is no comfort of life but in that little enjoyment of Christ that the Soul hath in his life 't is Communion with Christ converse with him that is all my comfort and pleasure in the world O how doth the Spouse take care that he be not disturbed in Cant. 2.7 I charge you O yee daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and by the Hinds of the field that ye stirr not up nor awake my Love till he please The words are an allusion to one that would not have her Friend disturbed and speaks to her Companions and charges them by all that is dear and pleasant to them not to break the rest of her best Beloved and shews the wonderful delight the Soul takes in Communion with Jesus Christ and the special care that it alwayes hath that no Tentation break in nor corruption break out to interrupt that sweet Communion or occasion Christs departure who will not for any profit commit any sin or cause Jesus Christ to depart from him Fourthly He that truly loves Jesus Christ having lost the sight of him is never satisfied till he come to the re-enjoyment of him is alwayes at losse and is never quiet till he enters into a fresh acquaintance and communion with him as in that of Joseph and Mary they having lost their Son went seeking till they found him So Cant. 3.1,2,3 c. By night on my Bed I sought him whom my Soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the Streets and in the broad wayes c. I said to the Watchmen Saw ye him whom my Soul loveth c. By all which is expressed the sedulous care and industry of a living Soul seeking after Christ First By night in her bed Jesus Christ hath her bed thoughts i. in her Closet and private duties of Prayer serious Meditations Spiritual Ejaculations and secret self Examinations in all these the Soul enquires As one that loves the World by night his Meditation is of the World so the man of pleasures and honours is pursuing his lusts in the night season The wicked man is contriving mischief upon his bed So the Soul that loves Christ his thoughts are still at
The Royal Presence OR GODS Tabernacle with MEN IN A FAREWELL SERMON Preached the 17. of August 1662. at Beere Regis in the County of Dorset By that painfull and faithfull Minister of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Mr. PHILIP LAMBE And committed to publick view for the Instruction Support and comfort of others Isa 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers John 10.27 My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me 2 Epist John ver 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son 1 John 2.5 Whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the Love of God perfected LONDON Printed in the Year 1662. To the Reader Courteous Reader WEe the Inhabitants of Beere and Kingstone in the County of Dorset who have lived under the Rich Droppings Plentiful Soul-searching Enlivening and Refreshing Dews of Heaven which HE who promised to be as the Dew unto Israel Hos 14.5 hath conveyed to us by one of his Eminent and Faithful Messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ thâ—… for many years amongst us hath endeavoured as the Apostle speaks of himself to be pure from the blood of all men and to declare All and Onely the Counsels of God Acts 20.26,27 And was instant in Season and out of Season diligent in the work of the Lord according as the same Apostle doth strictly exhort unto taking heed to himself and to the flock over the which the Holy Ghost made him Overseer See 2 Tim. 4.1,2 And of whom we can truly say and to which many can bear witnesse that he was and is an example of the Believers in Word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity 1 Tim. 4.12 His Life and Conversation adorns his Profession and Doctrine And having received much Benefit and Comfort by his Ministry have endeavoured to Communicate to thee some of those Spiritual advantages and Consolations we have enjoyed through the Blessing of God upon his diligent and faithful Labours in his last publick Exercise which he deliverod amongst us Wishing the like Benefit and Comfort to thee and more also than we have had Because of our Non-improvement of such choice Mercies and rich Priviledges which we have sufficient cause to be Humbled for And continually to lament that we are now deprived of them by his removal from us And had this following discourse been set sorth to publick view by the Author himself whose Modesty would conceal his worthy Labours It would have been more large and perfect and so render'd more acceptable We must therefore desire thee Christian Reader with a charitable Censure to cover over verbal or literal mistakes and in Love to Correct with thy pen what may be found amisse by thee in this following Treatise wherein are contained Things of the most weighty concernment and which are Exceeding useful at all time for Edification and Instruction to All and will Administer matter of sufficient Comfort under any Condition to them that have the Special Abode of God and Christ with them The Lord Jesus Christ by his Spirit lead thee into all Truth So Prayes Thine in Christ VINCENTI DABITUR The Royal Presence OR Gods Tabernacle with Men. JOHN XIV XXIII Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him THE Departure of Jesus Christ unto his Father from whose bosome he came into the World was very sadly resented by his Disciples whose mixt passions produce a very great disturbance and trouble upon their Spirits The inward Anxiety and unconcealed grief of the Disciples move the Bowels of their more affectionate Lord to pitty their case and provide for their relief and gives them instructions how to expresse their love unto him in his absence not so much in carrying bluber'd eyes and heavy hearts as by remembring and observing the Councels and Instructions that he had give to them while he was present with them So that this whole Chapter is fill'd up with Counsels and Comforts Directions and Consolations First Directions and Counsels especially in the 1 13 15. verses 1 Faith First To the exercise of Faith verse 1. Ye believe in God believe also in me And this is the life even a life of Faith which we must live till we come to enjoyment of Christ by which we fetch comforts in all troubles and strength against all tentations from Jesus Christ 2. Prayer Secondly To the duty of Prayer vers 13. which is the proper duty of an afflicted State as Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted let hiâ— pray By prayer the Soul empties his complaints into Gods bosome and finds ease by telling him of all the trouble and grief that attends his state Prayer hath that Divine excellency that like a Heavenly Charm it speaks away trouble and speaks in comfort as 't is said of Hannah 1 Sam. 1.18 She prayed and went away and did eat and her Countenance was no more sad And thus our prayers alwayes speed when they be made by the help of the Spirit and offered up to God in the name of Christ 13 14. verses Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name that you shall receive 3. Obedience Thirdly To Obedience in the 15 vers to do the work committed to them If yee love me keep my Commandements You cannot better expresse your love to me then in keeping my words Nor is there a more certain way for men to find comfort than this 3 Prâ— 17. by keeping his Commands for then though they cannot enjoy his person yet they shall not misse his promise Secondly The Consolations which he gives them in the 2 vers c. the 16 vers c. and 23 vers c. 1. The place to which he goes First In the 2 3 4 verses c. From the place whether he was going To his Father and their Father his Home and their Home whence he did intend to come again to them So that his going from them was but a Recesse or withdrawing for a time untill he came for in the 3 vers I will come again and receive you to my self rendred in the Greek a Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the presentense I come again in the presentense to intimate the certainty of his coming to them again as if he were already come which in the 28 vers of this Chapter Christ tells them should be matter of great Joy to them If yee loved me yee would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father The promise of his Spirit the Comforter Secondly From the 16 v. The promise of the Spirit which shall supply his
Hosts and let him be your fear and let him be your dread and he shall be for a Sanctuary Do you set God before you and he will set himself by you and where the great God goes there goes a Guard of Angels Psal 34.7 His Wings be a Covert and his hand a Canopy with which he hides from the Storm and from Rain And that he is a mighty Saviour First Consider his Omnipotency He can do whatever pleaseth him He can make the worm Jacob to thresh Mountains and the Mountains to become a plague before Jerubbabel Zach. 4.7 All the Nations of the Earth are but as a drop of the Bucket or dust of the Ballance compared with him and all hearts are in his hands Therefore sayes the Prophet in Isai 26.4 Trust in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength or the Rock of ages He is no broken Reed but that strength in which we may Confide As David sayes Psal 46.1,2,3 Si fractus illabitur Orbis If the World be dissolved God is our refuge and strength c. therefore we will not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea c. Seconâ—ly Consider his immeâ—…tability We have standing Comfort in the unchangeablenesse of this God Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed And for this we have the experience of David Psal 9.10 They that know thy name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee and the Churches experience Isai 63.9 he bear them and he carried them all the daies of old This great and unchangeable Saviour saves his people these four wayes First He will save and preserve from Evils and will be a Chamber of safety when the Indignation is abroad to hide from the storm Ezek. 11.6 Yet will I be to them as a little Sanctuary in the Countries where they shall come I will be with thee is Gods great Promise and his Peoples Security it was Joshua's Guard and Jeremiah's Brasen-Wall Secondly He will save his people in afflictions as he did the three Children in the burning Fornace thus he delivers in six troubles and also in seven as 't is promised in Isai 43.2,3 When thou passest thorough the waters I will be with thee and thorow the Rivers they shall not overflow thee When thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee For I am the Lord thy God the Holy one of Israel thy Saviour Job's experience is an everlasting proof of this that when the Lead is Consumed the Gold is preserved in the Fornace Thirdly He will save or deliver out of afflictions 1 Cor. 10 13. In the midst of all temptations he will make a way for us to escape them Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all He is Emmanuel God with us Our Redeemer from Hell and from Trouble Fourthly He will save by afflictions and by the evils they meet withall Prov. 29.15 The Rod and Reproof give wisdom and as David sayes It was good for me that I was afflicted All things shall work for good 2 Cor. 4.7 These afflictions work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory The Vessel is usually covered with Dirt by the Clensers hand that it may shine with the more brightness So by afflictions God makes us partakers of his Holiness Afflictions and outward evils come alike to all but with much different effect All men fall into afflictions Good and Bad but as the Israelites and the Egyptians went both into the Red Sea and the one was drowned and the other passed throrough to Canaan So the Righteous and the Wicked fall under Calamity the one sinks through unbelief and the other passes thorough safety and by Faith and Patience comes to inherit the promise Secondly The Abode or Presence of God and Christ with Believers is instead of a sure Guide and Light unto them They can never want a Guide who have God with them As the Pillar of a Cloud by day and of Fire by night was unto Israel in all their March The same and more is God to his People in all their Pilgrimage Consider three things First Consider that Man cannot be without this Guide The best of men have very great need of the presence of God to lead them that they be not mis-led and that they don't faint in the way What can the Sheep do without a Shepheard Such is God to his Psal 23.1 without Gods abode with us 't is as Children without a Father and none to direct them and so left to run themselves into mischief What is the World without a Sun Jer. 10.23 The way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Secondly Consider that 't is our great wisdom to commit our way to the guidance of this God and Christ Every wise man will commit his way to God and not move a step without him as Moses in the Conduct of Israel would not move a foot without God That was a good Petition or rather Resolution of David in Psal 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward receive me to Glory I am resolved to be guided by Gods Counsel and an excellent and imitable practise of Isaac in Gen. 26.24,25 that where he had met God at Beer-sheba and where God had blessed him There he pitched his Tent So we should move as God leads Thirdly Consider That if God undertake to Guide us we shall not miscarry he will certainly bring us saâ—e to Heaven Our feet may be almost gone but shall not be altogether gone Psal 73.2 My feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt So it may be with the choicest of Gods Servants but in the 23 verse Neverthelesse I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand The more dark and dangerous the times be the more we should desire Gods abode with us the nearer a night of trouble or of death is to us the more earnestly beg his stay as the two Disciples Luke 24.29 They constrained Christ saying abide with us for it is towards Evening and the day is far spent Thirdly The abode or presence of God and Christ with his people is instead of a Treasury and Store-house of all Provisions Where Jesus Christ is and where God makes his abode there is a Spring head of comforts that cannot be drawn dry Isa 33.16 Bread shall be given them and their waters shall be sure who have God with them So was God to Israel Deut. 29.5.6 He fed Israel in the wilderness forty years their clothes did not wax old You have not eaten bread neither have you drunk wine or strong drink that ye might know that I am the Lord your God Consider three particulars here First Consider God is