be Christ's Free-men Cast off the service of Satan 1 Cor. 7.22 Rom. 6.18 and be no longer commanded by him remember how cruel how false how unreasonable a Master he is consider what can he pay his Servants in at last and know 't is impossible to serve two contrary Masters at once Be not servants to your lusts cast them off as things that will not profit and instead thereof yield your selves to the Lord and serve him with all your might and so be holy as he is holy in all manner of conversation and the grace of God will teach you to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live holily righteously and soberly in this present world that will teach you to reverence obey to be faithful and diligent to your earthly Master as knowing your labours shall not be in vain in the Lord. If the fear of God be but in your hearts it will teach you wisdom make you hate every evil way and to do that which is honest and just to your Master A good Christian can't be a bad Servant Secondly Be not a stranger to the Bible When others are foolishly squandring away their time do you solace your self with the Word of God let that be much read by you and labour to lie under the powerful impression of the prohibitions precepts promises threatnings and examples that are there and then you can't do amiss Epictetuc I remember it was the advice of an excellent Moralist that we should oft in our actions think what Socrates Zeno Plato or some wise Philosopher would do in such a case I had rather you would think oft what would such a one as Eliezer the Servant of Abraham do in such a case read how he carried himself how naturally he was concerned for his Masters interest how diligently faithfully and prudently he goes to work how importunately he addresses himself to God and how heartily he prays for prosperity and success in his Masters business how much he advanceth his Masters credit and how naturally concerned for his Masters Son and with what integrity and expedition he dispatcheth his business go you and do likewise The example of Joseph and Obadiah who were good in bad houses are well worth your consideration Mat. 8.9 I might add the example of the Centurions Servant whom his Master giveth this character of That he was as ready to obey as he was to command I shall add an example or two more though you find them not in the Scripture yet they are according to the Scripture one of them I knew well A certain Servant that it 's probable was converted by the Father was so faithful diligent lively full of spiritual discourse and importunate prayers for the children and family that it proved a means of the conversion of some of them here 's a Servant worth gold Another Servant I knew good for Earth and Heaven too that after other indeavours upon a fellow-Servant spent some time at midnight to pray for him and being very importunate the voice was heard into the next Chamber where he lay at which out of curiosity he rose in his shirt to listen and heard one pray for him by which prayer he was converted Study therefore the Scriptures and present the examples you find there to your imitation Thirdly Get a strong love to your Master Love will put you upon any work love will set head hand and feet a working and tongue a going love makes heavy things light hard things easie love is a mighty Engine it can do any thing love will make you forget length of time In a word love is like to make one faithful obedient and diligent Fourthly Be humble meek and patient The humble man thinks nothing below him which is his duty and if to do his duty be to be vile Mat. 18.4 1 Pet. 1.19 he will yet be vilerstill The humble God will guide exalt and save Humility displeaseth none but the Devil Fifthly Be much in good company and hearken to their advice Be constant in prayer and beg of God to make you faithful and be conscientious in your attendance upon a powerful faithful Ministry In a word live much in the thought of your great account and in thus doing I question not but you will find grace to be faithful to God and man and be accepted of your Master here and rewarded by God hereafter Thus I have according to my poor ability set the duty of Masters and Servants before them O that there were a general resolution in both to put these duties into practice O then what a blessed reformation should we soon have How soon would our great troubles cease How soon would our complaints be silenced and our sorrows be turned into joy O that all sorts and degrees of men would but reform one and fill up their particular places and relations with duty Then O what happy times what happy days should we yet enjoy Christians let 's joyn in our prayers and utmost endeavours for the promoting this glorious work and then our God would bless us and we should bless him for ever The Sinfulness and Cure of Thoughts Serm. XIX Gen. 6.5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually I Know not a more lively description in the whole Book of God of the Natural corruption derived from our first Parents than these words Wherein you have the Ground of that grief which lay so close to God's heart v. 6. and the Resolve thereupon to destroy man and whatsoever was serviceable to that ungrateful creature That must be highly offensive which moved God to repent of a fabrick so pleasing to him at the creation every stone in the building being at the first laying pronounced good by Him and upon a review at the finishing the whole He left it the same character with an Emphasis †Gen. 1.31 very good There was not a pin in the whole frame but was * Eccles 3.11 very beautiful and being wrought by infinite * Psal 104.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb Praeparo Evang. wisdom it was a very comely piece of Art What then should provoke him to repent of so excellent a work The wickedness of man which was great in the earth How came it to pass that man's wickedness should swell so high Whence did it spring Fom the imagination Though these might be sinful imaginations might not the superiour faculty preserve it self untainted Alas That was defiled The imagination of the thoughts was evil But though running thoughts might wheel about in his mind yet they might leave no stamp or impression upon the will and affections Yes they did The imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil Surely all could not be under such a blemish Were there not now and then some pure slashes of the mind No not one Every imagination But granting that
and grant that those things which the craft and subtilty of the Devil or Man worketh against us may be brought to nought and by the providence of his goodness may be dispersed that we his Servants being hindred by no persecution may give thanks to him in his holy Church and serve him in holiness and pureness of life to his Glory through Jesus Christ Vse 3 You may see hence how much those men are mistaken who talk of the Good Works or Lives of Christians as that which must have no honour lest it dishonour God As if all the honour were taken from Christ which is given to Good Works and the Patients health were the dishonour of the Physitian When we are Redeemed and Purified to be zealous of good works and created for them in Christ Jesus as Tit. 2.14 Eph. 2.10 Yea and shall be judged according to our Works This Informeth you that the Good Works or Lives of Christians is a Vse 4 Great means ordained by Christ for the Convincing of Sinners and the Glorifying of God in the World Preaching doth much but it is not appointed to do all The Lives of Preachers must also be a convincing Light And all true Christians Men and Women are called to Preach to the World by their Good Works And a Holy Righteous and Sober Life is the great Ordinance of God appointed for the saving of your selves and others O that the Lord would bring this close to all our hearts Christians if you abhor dumb Teachers because they starve and betray Souls take heed lest you condemn your selves you owe Men the convincing helps of a holy fruitful life as well as the Preacher owes them his Ministry Preach by well-doing shine out in good works or else you are no Lights of Christ but betrayers of Mens souls you rob all about you of a great Ordinance of God a great means appointed by him for mens Salvation The world will judge of the Scriptures by your Lives and of Religion by your Lives and of Christ himself by your Lives If your Lives are such as tend to perswade men that Christians are but like other Men yea that they are but self-conceited Sinners as Carnal Sensual Uncharitable Proud Self-seeking Worldly Envious as others and so that Christianity is but such This is a horrid blaspheming of Christ how highly soever your Tongues may speak of him and how low soever your Knees may bow to him O that you knew how much of God's great Work of Salvation in the world is to be done by Christians Lives Your Lives must teach men to believe that there is a Heaven to be won and a Hell to be escaped Your Lives must help Men to believe that Christ and his Word are true Your Lives must tell Men what Holiness is and convince them of the need of Regeneration and that the Spirit of Sanctification is no fancy but the witness of Jesus Christ in the world Your Lives must tell Men by Repentance and Obedience that sin is the greatest Evil and must shew them the difference between the Righteous and the Wicked Yea the Holiness of God must be Glorified by Your Lives Father Son and Holy Ghost the Scripture the Church and Heaven it self must be known much by our Lives And may not I say then with the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.11 What manner of Persons then ought we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness when the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men teaching us to deny ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2.11 12. Vse 5 But alas What suitable and plentiful matter doth this offer us for our Humiliation and Lamentation on such a day as this A floud of Tears is not too much to lament the scandals of the Christian world With what wounded Hearts should we think of the State of the Churches in Armenia Syria Egypt Abassia and all the oppressed Greeks and all the poor deceived and oppressed Papists and all the ignorant Carnal Protestants O how unlike are your Lives to your Christian Faith and to the Pattern left them by their Lord Doth a worldly proud and fleshly and contentious Clergy Glorifie God Doth an ignorant Ministry Glorifie him who understand not the Message which they should deliver Will the world turn Christians by seeing Christians seek the blood and ruine of each other And hearing even Preachers Reproach each other Or seeing them silence or persecute each other Or by seeing the People run into many Sects and separate from one another as unworthy of Christian Communion Will Proud Ignorant Censorious Fleshly Worldly Professors of Religion ever draw the World to love Religion Or will peevish self-willed impatient discontented Souls that are still wrangling crying and repining make men believe that their Religion rejoyceth blesseth and satisfieth the Soul and maketh men far happier than all others in the world Alas what wonder that so small a part of the world are Christians and so few converted to the love of Holiness when the Great Means is denied them by you which God hath appointed for their Conversion and the world hath not one Helper for a hundred or thousand that it should have You cry out of those that put out the Church-lights under pretence of snuffing them while your selves are Darkness or as a stinking Snuff O Brethren and Christians all I beseech you let us now and often closely ask our selves What do we more than an Antonine a Seneca or a Cicero or a Socrates did beyond opinions words and formalities What do you which is like to convert the world to convince an Infidel or glorifie God Nay do not some among us think that it is the height or part of their Religion to live so contrary to the world as to be singular from others even in lawful or indifferent things and to do little or nothing which the world thinks well of As if crossing and displeasing men needlesly were their winning conversation O when once we go as far beyond them in love humility meekness patience fruitfulness mortification self-denial and heavenliness as we do in opinions profession and self-esteem then we shall win Souls and glorifie God and he will also glorifie us And here we see the wonderful mercy of God to the World who Vse 6 hath appointed them so much means for their Conviction and Salvation So many Christians as there be in the World so many Practical Preachers and helps to mens Conversion are there appointed by God And let the blame and shame lye on us where it is due and not on God if yet the World remain in darkness It is God's Will that every Christian in the World should be as a Star to shine to sinners in their darkness and O then how gloriously would the World be bespangled and enlightned If you say Why then doth not God make Christians better That is a question which cannot be well answered without a
out and shook himself as at other times It seems to have been his manner when he went about any great work We should stir up our hearts and send up frequent Ejaculatory Prayers though we cannot engage in a solemn way of duty to God and much work is done that way Exod. 14.15 Moses sent up an Ejaculation upon a great exigent which reached Heaven yet there was not a word spoken by him yet saith God Wherefore cryest thou unto me We should often cast the eye of Faith up towards God Isa 45.22 as they looked up to the Brazen Serpent and were healed The people of God looked to the Temple when they could not come near to it and the Temple was a Type of Christ 1 Kings 8.29 30 35. Jonah 2.4 This which hath been laid down by way of Direction I would press by way of Exhortation in a word to have frequent recourse to the Lord Jesus Christ since he doth so frequently press us to this very thing the oftner we visit him the more enlarged we are in our desires towards him the more we receive from him and the better welcome we are to him and the Father for his sake He bids us open our mouths wide and he will fill them Psal 81.13 14 15 16. and takes it very ill at our hands when we are straitned in our hearts towards him We can't go to God as a Father in Christ in Christ's Name but we must needs speed Heb. 4. last verse and we can't speed but by him and upon his account for 1. We have admittance and access to the Father only by Christ Eph. 3.12 2. We have assistance only through him Joh. 15.5 Phil. 4.13 3. In regard of acceptance which is only in and through him Eph. 1.3 6. 4. In regard of recompence Rev. 22.12 Our reward is only by him Mat. 5.11 12. that is a great reward for Christ's sake eternal Life The greatest reward is by Christ Rom. 6.23 The Fourth thing propounded was some Uses that since we must do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ hence may be inferred First That all our Actions as they must be done in his strength and for his Glory 1 Cor. 10.31 So by his Authority and according to his Rule and Word It is not in our Power nor at our Liberty to Act as we please according to our own Fancy or for our own ends Rom. 14.7 8. none of us Liveth to himself as if he should say we are none of our own therefore Living and dying we are the Lords and so in neither at our own disposing He had spoken before of their eating or forbearing to eat how they ought to eat or not to eat according to the Will of God it must be to the Lord's Glory especially considering that he who requires we should do all in his strength and Name and for his Glory hath such a Title to us to lay Laws upon us as none else hath 1 Cor. 6.20 So that all our Actions must come under some Rules general if not particular 1. Of Piety to God 2. Of Charity to Men. 3. Of Sobriety to our selves And all this the Gospel teacheth us Tit. 2.11 12. The Grace of God which hath appeared to all Men teacheth us that denying all ungodliness c. we should Live Soberly Righteously and Godly in this present World There is the Rule of the New Creature Gal. 6.16 by which a Saint doth walk in his general and particular Calling in all holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3.11 They are a proud Generation that say as they Psal 12.4 Our Tongues are our own who is Lord over us We will not be bounded by any Laws nor walk by any Rule nor be controlled by any whatever but we have not so learned Christ we have our bounds and limits set us not only in Sacred but civil things Therefore Bishop Davenant upon Col. 3.17 speaks fully to our purpose Fallitur vulgus cum judicat licere sibi uti victu vestitu sermone aut quaecunque adiaphora suo arbitrio nam haec omnia ad Regulam adhibenda sunt alioquin licet ipsa re nullum sit vitium erit tamen in utente The vulgar sort are much mistaken who judge it Lawful for them to use their Liberty wholly in Eating Drinking Cloathing Speaking or any other indifferent things according to their own wills and pleasure for all these things are to be brought under Rule otherwise what is lawful in it self may be unlawful to him that useth it 2. Inference That they are very bold and sawcy wretches who presume to entitle Christ to their impious and wicked courses In nomine Domini incipit omne malum How many do justifie themselves in their superstitious practices by the Word of God How many be like Satan who when he tempted Christ produced Scripture to enforce his temptations Mat. 4.2 3 4 c. So too many cite Scripture for their False Worships and for their False Doctrines and wicked Lives but Wisdom is justified of her Children Mat. 11.19 It was a profanation of God's Name when the Israelites proclaimed a Feast to the Lord which was to their Idols Exod. 32.5 We find the false Apostles pretend as much to the Name of Christ as the Apostle Paul did and to Preach in his Name though they Preached false Doctrine 2 Cor. 11.13 And Antichrist himself pretends to be like the Lamb when he speaks like a Dragon Rev. 13.11 3. Infer Hence we infer That we cannot expect God's Blessing upon any thing which is not done in the Name of Christ What we undertake and not in the fear of the dreadful Name of the Lord Jehovah not for his Honour and according to his Word we cannot expect his Blessing None can expect God's guidance assistance or success in that which cannot be warranted by the Word of Christ all Blessings being wholly and only in his Name Eph. 1.3 We have all things in Christ in a way of Blessing 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Whilst we are with him he will be with us 2 Chron. 15.2 While we are with him in a way of Duty he will be with us in a way of Blessing 4. Infer Hence it follows That it is not in the power of any Person by natural or acquired parts to do any thing according to the Rule of Christ or for his Glory which is not done in his strength and thâ—refore Paul who could do all things through Christ which strengthned him Phil. 4.13 could not so much as think a good thought without him 2 Cor. 3.5 And this our Lord Christ puts out of Question John 15.5 where he tells us Without me ye can do nothing It is not in the name of the most â—â—cellent parts or gifts or grace whatever that we can do any thing acceptable or well pleasing to God 5. Infer Whatever Excellency there is in any Action or worthy Atchievement so as to commend it to God it is from Christ through Faith in his
is so far from forsaking God that he will forsake all things for God yet he may till he recollect himself be more moved with some petty loss In short he may have some violent Gust of Affection after other things but the constant breathings of his Soul is after God 2. We must distinguish between the solidity of our Love and the flashiness of it between a superficial and a lasting Joy e. g. A Covetous man may laugh more when he is tickled than when you give him a thousand pound but he is a thousand times more joyful of his thousand pound than of his being tickled The Souls love to God is Well rooted (b) Eph. 3.18 As a sick man is pleased with one that will sit with him and alleviate his pains by diversion but he is more pleased with that man that shall cure him While our Souls are in a sickly frame we are pleased a little with variety of Diversions but we soon see their emptiness and charge our Souls to return unto God for a perfect cure 3. We must distinguish between our spiritual love and our sensible love while we live in this world such is our weakness through the remainders of Sin and imperfection of Grace that our Animal and Vital spirits are more affected with sensible things than with spiritual The things of the World are neer to us and we cannot live without them but yet he that loves God never sayes upon the Enjoyment of them (c) Luk. 12 i9 Soul take thine ease Oh no he is angry and grieved that he is at all pleased about such things 2. Complaint I hope I am not wholly destitute of this excellent Grace yet I am afraid to own that I have it Is it impossible to get my Heart above this uncomfortable uncertainty O that my heart were more raised and fixed above this anxious temper I 'le close all with an Essay to answer this Complaint onely premise Let not any thing that shall or can be spoken be wrested to give the least encouragement imaginable to any thing of Sin take heed you do not upon any account gratifie your sloth or indifferency of spirit or any sins of Omission keep off this Rock and then thy solicitude about thy fickleness gives thee grounds of hope to get above it Take therefore these short Directions how to get and keep the most certain constant comfortable spiritual frame of Divine love that is to be had upon Earth 1. Keep a severe Watch against all sins yet give not way to drooping Fears because of unavoidable infirmities (d) Psal 130 3 4. If thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared 2. Observe your own temper what it is that most draws out your love to any person or thing in this world and improve that very inducement to love God (e) Cant. 5.16 He is altogether lovely that is Imagine or name any thing that is most desirable most worthy to be loved and admired and that 's he 3. Endeavour to love God out of Duty when to your own apprehension you cannot love him out of Grace I would commend this to you for all your gracious carriage towards God and for all the kindness you would receive from God e. g. Repent as 't is a duty even while you fear you want the Grace of Repentance Believe as 't is a duty while you think you cannot act Faith as a Grace So justifie God i. e. acknowledge God to be Righteous though he condemn you when you fear God will not justifie you Sanctifie God i. e. celebrate God's Holiness when you fear he 'l not sanctifie you i. e. not make you holy So set your selves to love God i. e. take heed you do not offend him do all you can to please him take up with nothing on this side himself In short Let God find you in a way of Duty and you 'l find God in a way of Grace 4. Study Christ What Divine love we either receive or return 't is through Christ You may look for encouragement from Christ for every thing but Sin In every thing have recourse to Christ (f) Col. 2.10 for the performance of every Duty for the attaining of every Grace when you fear Grace is withering Christ will revive it (g) Cant. 3.10 In a word pray and strive that you may feel what it is for Christ to be all in all Christians practically mind these four Directions and they will be as the Wheels of Christ's Chariot that 's pav'd with Love to bring his Beloved to Glory How ought we to love our Neighbours as our selves Serm. II. Math. 22.39 Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self THE Apostle bids us consider Christ Heb. 12 3. who indured (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emphati 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posuit declarans magnitudinem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aretius such that is so great contradiction of sinners against himself It was from a great spirit of this kind that his adversaries used to propose so many captious questions to him We find him no less than three times opposed in this one chapter First by the disciples of the Pharisees and the (b) Forsitan in populo tunc qui dicebant oportere dare tributum Caesari vocabantur Herodiani ab his qui hoc facere recusabant Vide Drus com ad voces N. T. L. De Dieu Herodians about the lawfulness of giving tribute unto Caesar again the same day by the Sadduces with a question about the resurrection which they denied When he had so well acquitted himself of both these that the first marvelled and left him and the last were put to silence behold he is again set upon by the Pharisees who seem to have chosen out one of their number to oppose him with a question Then one of them which was a Lawyer asked him a question tempting him ver 35. The same person is by another Evangelist called a Scribe Mark 12.28 One of the Scribes came c. There were two sorts of Scribes among the Jews viz. Scribes of the People who were Actuaries in and about matters of publick concernment and Scribes of the Law whose business was to read and interpret the Law of God unto them such a one was Ezra who is said to be a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses Ezra 7.6 and upon this account they are said to sit in Moses's seat of this last sort was the person in the Text Math. 23.2 as plainly appears by joyning both Evangelists together Mark says he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one of the Scribes Matthew says he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lawyer if we put them both together they say he was a Scribe of the Law And the question that he tempted Christ with is concerning the Law Master Luke 2.46.47 which is the great Commandment in the Law v. 36. He who was able at
Minister could not get into thy Soul Death never cometh without a warrant yet it often comes without a warning We do not live by patent but we live at pleasure How knowest thou that the candle of the Ministry shall shine one Sabbath longer The message shall alwaies live but the messenger is alwaies dying The clods of the Earth may soon stop that mouth that so frequently and unfruitfully hath given thee the word of life He the light now of his place and of his people may be blown out by violence as well as burnt out by death Thou canst not say but God may soon make that ear of thine deaf that now thou stoppest God may soon blind those eyes which now thou shuttest It is a peradventure whether God will ever give repentance or no. God hath made many promises to repentance but he hath made none of repentance If to day thou saist thou wilt not to morrow thou maist say thou canst not pray It is just with God that he who while he liveth forgets God when he dies should forget himself I have heard of a profane miscreant that being put upon speedy repentance and turning to God scoffingly answered if I do but say three words when I come to dye Miserere mei Domine Lord have mercy upon me I am sure to be happy This miserable wretch shortly after falling from his horse and receiving thereby a deadly wound had indeed time to speak three words as the relation informed me but those three words were these Diabolus capiat omnia Let the Devil take all Thou dost not know what thy last words shall be the very motions of thy tongue and of thy heart are all in the hands of that God whose grace thou hast despised 7. It is a day That requireth present improvement because it is followed with a night a night that is dark as pitch The night cometh wherein no man can work So saith our Lord Joh. 9.4 There is neither work nor invention in the grave In the dark thou mayest see to bewail thy not working in the light but in the dark there is no working Sorrow then will not help thee couldst thou make hell to swim with thy tears Thy tears are only of worth in time Put not off your working till the time wherein you must leave work It is perfect madness not to think of beginning to work till the time of working is at an end Nemo finitis nundinâ—s exercet mercaturam What man after the fair will go then to buy and sell There is no negotiation but in the time of the fair the season of grace The spiritual manna of grace is only to be gathered in the six days of thy life The time after this is a time of rest wherein there is no more work to be done to procure Salvation If this be the day of thy death tomorrow cannot be the day of thy repentance It is miserable to have that to do for lack of time which is to do for loss of time Thus I have shewn you how we are put upon present improving the season of Grace As 't is here termed a day or in respect of the nature of the Season Sect. 13 2. Secondly In regard of the workers in this day we are urged from hence to a present improving of the season of grace 1. How little have we wrought in this day of grace What a pitiful account and yet an account must be given of this Day can we give unto God of thousands of Sabbaths and repetitions of ordinances and opportunities of life that we have enjoyed You have been perhaps long in the world and under the means of grace but can you say you have lived long 'T is one thing for passengers in a ship to be a great while tost in the Sea and another thing for them to sail a great way You have been long in the world tossed up and down with many temptations and impetuous corruptions and violent affections but which of you have sailed much or gone forward in your course to Heaven with any considerable progress Little is to be seen in the copies of your lives besides blots and empty spaces Much paper hath been spent with wide lines Had you not need now towards the end of the side to write the closer to redeem the time as the Apostle expresseth it Eph. 5.16 We should redeem our time out of the hands of those that have taken it captive out of the clutches of those vain employments that have so often taken it captive Now in all redemptions there is the laying down a price for the party that is redeemed But what is that price you are to lay down for your time when it is to be redeemed I will tell you Id quod perdis pretium est saith Augustin That which you lose in your worldly employments in your idle recreations in your vain visits in your exorbitant eatings and drinkings that time that you take from these to give to God and your Souls that is the price that you lay down for the redeeming of seasons for your Souls It is miserable for our work to be undone for want of time when we are dying when it is undone for the loss of time while we are living 2. How great is the wo of those whose Day is done and yet their work is not done but still to do You have seen their end upon Earth but you have not heard their cries and their self-bewailings in hell How many have been cut off before your eyes who ceased to be before they began to live Improve examples lest you become examples Your Schooling is cheap when it is at the cost of another Let the lashes of Divine severity that have fallen upon others quicken thee in thy Spiritual pace and travelling towards Heaven Why should God stay for you rather than for them Thou canst not mispend thy time at so cheap a rate as they did by whom God hath warned thee Hell is not so full of Souls as it is of delayed purposes What would not lost Souls give for a crum of that time of which now in this world they make Orts If the foresight of their tears for neglecting the Day of grace fetched tears from Christ Luk. 19.41.42 How great shall the feeling be of the Eternal effects of their inexcusable folly How Exuberant but unfruitful shall be the flood of their own tears for their former slothfulness never enough to be bewailed because never at all to be repaired Surely a small loss could not draw tears from so great a Person as the Son of God 3. Many by beginning betimes in the morning of their day have done more work than thou a delayer canst now accomplish They should provoke thee to a holy jealousie They setting forth for Heaven in the morning have travelled further in that morning than thou hast done in that long Summer's day wherein thou hast been slothful What a shame is it that some should be
the wickedness of another to cover thine own 4. Was not Judas graceless Did he desire truly and sincerely spiritual blessings and did not Christ say and know he was a Devil and yet did not Christ pray with his Disciples when Judas was among them Luk. 22.14 17. 5. Your words might be so ordered that you need not make a scruple to pray with them 6. By kneeling down with you do they not profess to joyn with you and if they do not that sincerely which they profess to do the sin is theirs and none of yours 7. But be really more careful that you do not pray to God with a reigning lust in your own hearts than fearful to pray with an unconverted person in your house Obj. 6. But I cannot bring my Servants to the duty they are so stubborn and unwilling to it that all that I can do cannot prevail with them to yield thereto they will rather leave my house and so I shall be left to do my work my self Answ 1. Are they not sometimes as backward to do what you set them about as they be to come to prayer but yet do you not bring them to it and make them stoop and buckle to obedience Deal plainly if they did daily totally neglect your work would you bear it at their hands would you not make them know your power and authority over them Can you use your power effectually to make them do your work though backward to it and may you not can you not to bring them to prayer if you were as hearty and as in good earnest for the glory of God and the good of their souls as you are in your own concernments 2. Why did you take no more care whom you did receive for Servants into your house Why did you not make a better choice Did you not look for one with most money you could get rather than one well educated and likely to conform to the good government of an house Servants enquire for places where they might have least work and greatest wages and vails but not where they might have a good Master to help forward the good of their souls and Parents put forth their Children Apprentices where it might be most for their outward advantage though there be no Religion in the house a great evil So many Masters look for greatest profit in taking Apprentices that have been without all education as to their souls and then cry out their Servants will not be brought to Family-prayer 3. But will they not Integer vitae mihi sit minister Tecta non intret mea fraudulentus Nemo mecum intra mea commoretur Limina mendax Buchan and are they such that you may remove and put out of your Family after you have tried all other means you can if they will not you had better be without them than without the worship of God David would Out with them Psal 101.6 7. But do you say You must then do your work your self so you had better But why so Are young people generally so bad that there are no better to be found God forbid If they be is it not high time to be in good earnest and resolved to set up God's worship in our Families that it might be remedied and not continue so from one age to another Obj. 7. But I have not time to spare Quid de rerum natura querimur illa se benignè gessit vita si scias uti longa est for my self and Family to spend time to pray twice every day this would be a hindrance to me in my Calling Answ 1. Not time man What! not to pray How justly might God say Alium insatiabilis tenet avaritia al um in supervacuis laboribus opeâ—osa sedulitas alâ—us vino madet inertiâ— torpet alium mercandi praeceps cupiditas circa omnes terras omnia maria spe lucri ducit nemo invenituâ— qui pecuniam suam dividere velit vitam unusquisque quam multis distribuit astricti sunt in continendo patrimonio simul ad temporis jâ—ctâ—ram vâ—n um est profusâ—ssiâ—i in eo cujus unius honesta avaritia est Senec. de brevâ—vit Thou shalt die this day and thou shalt have no time to pray no nor to trade neither nor to sport and game neither Thou hast time what dost thou do with it all Twenty fourty years are a great deal of time and much might be done therein but canst thou find no time out of so many years to pray in thine house Thou findest time to trade and work and eat and drink and sleep yea and to sin too and yet hast thou no time to pray Doth God give thee and thy Family all the time that thou and they have and shall God have none of it Oh ungrateful sinner Oh unthankful wretch let the heavens be astonished and the Earth amazed the one that they give light and influence to such a monster and the other to bear such a burthen a man so loaden with such impiety 2. Why dost thou grips and grasp so much worldly business and burthen thy self and Family with so many earthly Imploymenos and then cry out thou hast no time If thou canst not trade so much and pray in thy Family too trade something less that thou maist have time to pray Cannot you get food and raiment while you live and a winding sheet and Coffin when you die without so great a trade that you have no time to pray Or will you say we must mind more than food and raiment and must you not mind Heaven too and look after Christ and Grace and your souls too What if you be rich while you live and damned when you die Is your heart so set upon the world that you must have it though you have Hell and damnation with it Well might the Poet cry out and wish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phocylid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phocyl Transeundum est excutit redeuntem natura sicut intrantem non licet plus efferre quam intuleris imo etiâ—as ex eo quod â—o vitam attulistipars magna ponenda est Sen. Epist 3. What will you do with those worldly riches you are so eager to obtain or what can they do for you Will you take them with you to your Graves or carry them with you to another world You know you cannot Job 1. latter end Eccl. 5.15 No not so much as to fill your hand It was a ridiculous action of a rich man that Mr. Rogers in his Treatise of Love speaks of that being very sick to death called for his Gold and being brought to him took a twenty shillings piece and put it in his mouth saying Some are wiser than some this I will take with me however If some were not wiser than he they would all be fools for he and his gold might perish together though it may be likely that when he was dead his gold was taken from
under your care and are they to be neglected I have been the more large upon this Head because this sin is so common and of such dismal consequence and so little care is taken for the redress of it I come now to lay down the positive duties of Masters and that I shall do with somewhat more brevity 〈◊〉 First Let all Masters endeavour to be God's Servants True Religion and divine Principles in the heart will give a man the best measures of action the grace of God will teach him to deny his pride passion sensuality and worldly lusts and to live holily soberly and righteously in this present world Religion in its power O how lovely doth it make a man with what wisdom and prudence doth such an one act with what sweetness and love and yet with what majesty What a brave Master was Abraham and what made him so but the fear of God Mat. 11 28. this this will make a man merciful patient meek heavenly minded and yet diligent in his place this will make him exemplary and as much as in him lyes to act like God in his place And what injury can such a person do can he be cruel that hath such a Master as Christ can he find in his heart to be unmerciful who hath obtained mercy if a man be very holy himself his example will have a drawing power in it to allure to that which is so good and be a constant check to that which is bad Such a one is under the promise of God's blessing and he will teach him and give him wisdom to discharge the duty of his place He is made partaker of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Epictetus Philem. 2â— and so enabled in some measure to act in a conformity to the Divine will It was no small commendation which Paul gave of Philemon when he spake of the Church in his house When our first Parents were in their pure state what homage did all the creatures give them as their visible Lord and had not man by his fall forfeited this prerogative and by denying God's soveraignty lost their own they had no doubt still kept their dominion over the Creatures And now the more of holiness is in a man and the more near God and like him the more likely to get and keep a majesty and dominion in his place Pythagoras Surely great holiness commands respect and reverence and rather choose to have your inferiours reverence than fear you for admiration and love accompany reverence but hatred fear O! what a noble thing were man Hierocles if goodness and purity did always accompany superiority and government these are and shall be honourable in spite of malice it self A right worshipping of God is the captain of all vertue and when this Divine seed is cast into the soul Idem it lays the foundation of brave and true honour and respect such a one he offers himself a sacrifice to God and makes a Temple for God in himself and then in his family and such a Master who would grudg to serve How sweet must obedience then be when nothing is commanded but what God commands and it's interest and profit to obey O Sirs 1 Pet. 5 1. little do you think how much power a meek holy grave conversation hath who that hath the least spark of ingenuity in him will not be restrained if not conquered by it O that Masters would but try this way and if honouring God do not more secure their honour than severity then let me be counted a deceiver this this is the most effectual way to make Servants good 1 Sam. 1.21 to be good your selves this will bring them to a true relish of Religion when it is pressed upon them by precept and example I have known some Servants that have blessed the day that ever they saw their Masters faces O let your excellency allure and draw those under you as the Sun doth mens eyes Aâ— Epict. Anton l. 6. n. 27. or as meat and drink doth the hungry Secondly Endeavour the good of the souls of those under your charge with all your might be in travail to see Christ formed in their souls Rom. 10.1 Give them no rest till you have prevailed with them to be in good earnest for heaven allow them time for prayer reading of the Word hearing of good Sermons and for conversing with good Books commend to them Baxter's Call to the Vnconverted and Mr. Thomas Vincent's Explanation of the Assemblie's Catechism c. and observe what company they keep and if you know a holy experiâ—nced Servant commend their Society and example to them keep â—â—â—stent watch over your Servants remember what temptations they are exposed to know how they spend their time call them oft to an account and look well to your Books it will do them no hurt and you much good be oft in meekness and pity treating with them about their everlasting concerns and let your carriage bring full evidence along with it of your dear love to their immortal souls Labour as well as you can to convince them of the corruption of their nature of the evil of sin of their lost and undone state of their impotency and utter inability to save themselves or to make the least satisfaction to Divine justice or to bear that punishment that is due unto them for every sin shew them their absolute need of a Christ and that without him there is no salvation make them to understand what the new birth is what kind of change it is and how necessary and warn them of the danger of miscarriage in conversion and of taking up with a half work and resting in the outward part of Religion Mat. 5.20 Joh. 17.3 Prov. 3.17 Rom. 12.1 Mat. 11.28 1 Tim. 4.8 and their own righteousness Put them upon labouring to know God in Christ this is life eternal to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Do what you can possibly to convince their Judgments of the reasonableness profitableness and sweetness of Religion where it is in its reality vigour and constancy take off the imputations and aspersions which the unexperienced foolish Infidel would cast upon Christianity Cant. 5.16 Prov. 3.15 Never think you can commend Christ too much to them O! if you could allure their souls captivate their hearts and make them in love with him who is altogether lovely O! let them not alone till you see them deeply affected with these things expostulate the case with them frequently by themselves ask them what they think of the estate of their Souls and leave not with their sullen silence ask them plainly how they can eat or drink or sleep without Christ and pardon and what they mean to be so unconcerned Tell them that death may be nearer them than they imagine and that as death leaveth them judgment will find them Tell them that their stupidity is an effect
the fruit of it which was great joy v. 3. And then 6. here is their perseverance and how that is effected they were kept by the power of God to Salvation v. 5. No doubt but holiness is loseable the Angels lost theirs and we lost ours and the Saints at this day would quickly lose theirs totally and finally if they were left to a stock of grace received to trade for another world to grace received there must be grace supplyed the grounds of perseverance are without us viz. the promise of the Father the purchase and intercession of the Lord Jesus the power and supply of the blessed Spirit a Doctrine full of comfort but for certain as full of grace and humility too indeed if the comfort were not sanctifying it were not found So that here we may see the Doctrine of the glorious Trinity and every person in his work according to the most wise and divine Oeconomy and propriety in working towards fallen men quite dead in sin and dead in law and that irrecoverably as to themselves or any created power in heaven on their behalf here is I say the Father electing to life and glory here is Jesus Christ dying and rising here is the blessed Spirit sanctifying here the three Graces Faith Hope and Love inseparably accompanyed with obedience cherished with joy and comforts and crowned with perseverance by the power of God all arising from the Soveraignty of God's will and his rich abundant mercy to the praise of the riches of his glorious grace that they that glory should glory in the Lord. Pelagius was the first that set up nature for which the Church of God abhorred him saith Austin and the Fathers call it virus illud Pelagianum the most learned Vsher called it detestandam illam haeresin that pestered the Church of Christ olim bodie saith that holy man in his Hist Pel. But to proceed these strangers notwithstanding their holiness were undeâ— manifold temptations v. 6 7. persecutions in a tumultuary way were raised against them by the unbelieving Jews who were egged thereto by the Priests Priests who did stir up the people against them there was no Imperial Edict at this time against the Christians Nero was the first he was dedicator damnationis nostrae I need not quote Tertullian every Lad of the upper form may know this out of Suetonius and Tacitus God kept the Gospel in the first publishing of it free from any disturbance by the civil powers about 34 years that Claudius banished John into Patmos and that then he had the revelation is a mere figment of the learned Grotius and his Annotations built upon it have neither sap nor sense Under these persecutions their Faith did not only continue but shine and their love was evident and their comforts were so far from abating that they did rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious But you will say what is this to the question I answer here are two directions how a Christian may get that Faith whereby he may live comfortably as well as die safely 1. Be clothed with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 ascribe all thy gifts and graces thy profiting under afflictions ordinances thy peace and comfort wholly to the grace of God by Jesus Christ through the Spirit of holiness If there be any way in the world to get special Faith and to live comfortably it is this to live humbly the evangelically humble soul is the serene chearful soul heart-pride doth not only deprive believers of comfort but brings vexations disappointments and disgusts which are a torment to pride where ever it is 't is a sin that is very incident very pleasing to us very displeasing to God and very disquieting 't is an easie thing to preach and hear and discourse humility but believe it it is not so easie to live it a man's soul is never so fit to receive the shines of Gods love as when he is nothing in himself be sure to crush the sprawlings and motions of this cursed pride see God in all bless him for all see the Lord Jesus the purchaser of all and the blessed Spirit the Sanctifier of all study this well and live that Text in Rom. 11. last God is Principium efficiens finis of him through him and for him are all things give him the glory reduce this to practice this is every day practicable and were it practised would make every day comfortable envyings and provokings arise from vain-glory Gal. 5. last Inde nata sunt schismata quippe Hierome cum dicunt homines nos justificamus impius nos sanctificamus immundos we would be some-bodies away with these thoughts let God have the glory and thou wilt have the comfort in this way God will give Faith special and that is the Faith that brings comfort 2. The way to comfort is to do as these believers in my Text did they did choose rather to forego their earthly comforts than their consciences made choice of affliction rather than iniquity esteemed the reproaches of Christ rather than their safety prisons are not so terrible as they are imagined the best men have rejoyced in the honour of suffering they suffered joyfully the spoiling of their goods all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Col. 1.11 Scripture-History primitive and modern abound with instances of all Sexes Ages Conditions in this particular The noble Galeacius had that joy in Christ at Geneva beyond all the Marquisates in Italy or the whole world In suffering comes assurance and that is comfort You will say we are not called to suffering and I say the God of peace give us truth and peace always but then if you would live comfortably live in religious honesty chuse poverty before knavery an honest meanness before secretly sinning gains Conscience is the best friend next to Jesus Christ Our rejoycing is this not that we are Preachers so was Demas nor an Apostle so was Judas but the testimony of our conscience that not in fleshly wisdom but in godly sincerity through the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 Light i. e. comfort is sown for the righteous and joyful gladness for the upright Psal 97.11 Now I come to my Text. The words contain the essence of Christianity or godliness The constituent parts of it are Faith and Love the necessary consequences are obedience evangelical and joy unspeakable Faith in Jesus is the great command of the Gospel Joh. 1.5 last 'T is the work of God Joh. 6.29 this is that work Love is the great command of the Law Matth. 22.36 Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy soul Faith acts upon Jesus and sets Love on work Love desires after him and delights in him and sets obedience on work divine comfort flows in proportionably In this is the formal nature of Christianity and what ever is not this in truth is but nature The revelation left in nature tells us that there is a God that he is
unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ for we are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our Life shall appear then shall we appear in Glory with him Mortifie therefore your earthly Members Fornication Vncleanness inordinate Affections evil Concupiscence and Covetousness which is Idolatry You must not only deny all visible gross ungodliness which even the very Sons of Morality will decline and decay but also all worldly lusts and their secret operations living soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Take heed of slumbring in these secret lusts for ye are children of the light and of the day and therefore take heed that you sleep not as others do but watch and be sober for they that sleep sleep in the night and they that are drunk are drunk in the night but let us who are of the day be sober putting on the Breast plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the hope of salvation watching and praying always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape those things which shall befall the foolish Virgins and that ye may stand before the Son of man who is coming with ten thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and therefore be sober and watch unto Prayer seeing the end of all things is at hand and look well to your Lamps which are your Watch-lights that they burn brightly in this World's Midnight and pray particularly for daily supplies of Oil and sincerity in all your Actions and Duties both to God and man never omitting to beg for death-bed-Death-bed-Grace that so you may live and die to the honour of your Bridegroom And as for this present World use it as if you used it not and have no more to do with it than bare need requireth And set your Hearts and Houses and all your civil secular Affairs in order having your conversations in Heaven whence you look for Christ the Saviour And thus walking with God in the exercise of these gifts of Grace when we come to dye we shall change our places only but not our company And let none of you behold Death at a distance nor have it seldom in your thoughts but daily in your eye that you may not fear it when it cometh A Lion is not terrible to his Keeper that seeth him every day You must frequently converse with God Christ Death and Judgment For when Christ speaketh of his coming to Judgment he so expresseth it as if he were to come in their time to whom he spake it Matth. 24 42. Mark 13.33.35 36 37. Luke 21.34 35 36. And so indeed he did for he comes to every man at the hour of his Dissolution And we are his Agents or Factors in a foreign Land and how soon he may remind us home and call us to an Account we know not Say not therefore My Lord delayeth his coming lest we are thereby rocked into a midnight sleep and scared with a midnight-cry of Behold the Bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him I shall not detain you much longer You have heard what those Graces are which are chiefly to be exercised in order to an actual preparation for the coming of Christ by Death and Judgment I now commend them to your daily exercise and for your encouragement therein shall leave a few Considerations with you and conclude First That the Door of eternal Rest and Glory shall stand open for you at Christ's coming to you by Death Why 1. Because you are ready and they that are ready go in with the Bridegroom God hath made you meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the Saints in light Col. 1.12 and hath wrought you for the self same thing 2 Cor. 5.5 You are a Vessel of Mercy prepared for Glory Rom. 9.23 2. You admitted Christ into the door of your hearts when there he stood and knocked Rev. 3.20 3. You had your conversation in Heaven whilst you lived here on earth It was your Father's house where you used daily to converse the doors whereof shall open to you at your Death Secondly Consider the place into which you shall be admitted for the wise Virgins shall enter into the King's Palace Psal 45.14 15. into Paradise the third Heavens your Father's House a City that hath foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Heb. 11.10 A magnificent Structure surely that hath such a Builder and Maker 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that hath built the City most artificially and curiously and for publick shew as the original words do import Such a City it is yea a Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25 34. The first hansel of God's workmanship Gen. 1.1 This is the place whither you shall enter Thirdly You shall enter thither with the Bridegroom even our Lord Jesus Christ and this is heaven enough viz. to be where Christ is Luke 23.42 43. John 14.3 17.24 Phil. 1.23 1 Thess 4.17 Heaven is described by being with Christ And when Christ shall descend from heaven with a shout to judge the world if all the Saints suppose should not descend with him but any of them be left behind what an alteration would they find in heaven whereas all of them going with Christ it is all one as if they were still in heaven with him You know Paul was caught up into the third heavens and yet when he comes to describe heaven and the Saints everlasting happiness there he calls it being for ever with Christ for this is a comprehensive expression How so 1. If the Saints shall be with Christ then shall they be exempt from all troubles and trials these fall off from them like Elijah's Mantle when he went to heaven There is now a glorious door of partition between these and them they are all excluded viz. Sin Sorrow Afflictions Reproaches Necessities Persecutions Poverty Sickness Pain Death Curse wicked men and Devils you shall never be troubled with these any more 2. If they enter in with Christ they shall enjoy the Father in him John 20.17 and be filled with the Holy Ghost from them both and thereby with unspeakable consolations and the fulness of God and they shall live for ever in the immediate contemplation and vision and fruition of one God in three persons and be replenished to the brim with eternal love from them and to them 3. You shall enjoy the fellowship of an innumerable company of Angels and shall then know who they are and love them entirely and be as intimately beloved of them though now in your present state you cannot bear the presence of one of them 4. You shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven and enjoy communion with the Spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 All this followeth from your entrance into Heaven with Christ Fourthly Consider that you shall enter into Heaven with Christ the Bridegroom and therefore to be married to him And hence again it will follow 1. That there will be the nearest relation possible between Christ and you for you shall be one conjugally for ever with him You are one with him mystically and matrimonially who is one with the Father essentially 2. You shall be invested with unutterable Glory seeing it is a Marriage-time wherein the Bridegroom and Bride shall shine in the richest Attire and Embroidery that is in all the Wardrobe of Heaven Christ and the Saints shall wear the very same Glory John 17.22 3. There shall be unconceivable Love Joy Delight and Complacency between the Bridegrom and the Bride and as the Bridegroom rejoyceth over the Bride so shall the Lord Jesus rejoyce over his Spouse O there will be a most glorious delightful loving sweet familiarity and conjugal rejoycing between Christ Jesus and the Saints Marriage-joy upon earth is usually great what then will that be in heaven when shall be fulfilled thâ—â— which Christ spake at his last Supper I will not drink of the fruit of the Vine until the day that I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom Mat. 26.29 Where by fruit of the Vine we understand Wine which maketh glad the heart of man Psal 104 15. and causeth it to rejoyce and shadoweth out the Love of Christ and Joys of Heaven to us Cant. 1.2 4. And by New we understand other Mark 16.17 with Acts 2.4 in the Original So that in this Marriage there shall be new i. e. other yea othergess wine viz. Love Joy and Rejoycing than there is in the Lord's Supper For Christ who kept the best wine to the last at the Marriage in Cana in Galilee will surely do so at his own Marriage at the last day 4. This Marriage is not on Earth but in Heaven and therefore it shall never dissolve as Marriages on Earth do but continue unto Eternity O how will the Holy Angels rejoice and sing at this Marriage For they that sang at the Birth of Christ when he lay in the Manger will sing to the purpose at his Marriage when he sitteth upon his Throne in the highest Glory Now the consideration of these things is greatly inducing to be very studious in actual preparations for the coming of Christ Be ye therefore much in the exercise of Faith Hope Love Repentance Goodness Mercy and works of Bounty Diligence and Faithfulness in your Callings Sobriety Watchfulness and Prayer that so at last you may have an entrance ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And now Brethren Abide in him that when he shall appear you may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming but lift up your heads with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Hear wisdom therefore and receive instruction that you may be wise in the latter end And God himself and our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ make you to encrease in all these Preparatory Graces to the end that he may establish your hearts unblameable in Holiness before God even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints And now Grace be with all them that love him in sincerity Amen FINIS
A SUPPLEMENT TO THE Morning-Exercise At CRIPPLE-GATE OR Several more Cases of Conscience Practically Resolved by sundry Ministers The Second Edition Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and Godly sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1.12 Conscientia est nescio quid divinum nunquam perit officium nostrum nobis semper ad memoriam revocat Doroth. Bibl. Pat. T. 4. p. 769. Quaerimus quomodo animus semper aequalis secundoque cursu eat propitius sibi sit sua laetus adspiciat hoc gaudium non interrumpat sed placido statu maneat nec attollens se unquam nec deprimens Seneca de Tranq anim p. 678. LONDON Printed for Thomas Cockerill at the Sign of the Atlas in Cornhil near the Royal-Exchange MDCLXXVI To that part of Christ's Flock to which I am more specially related Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour Beloved Christians AS I called in a Contribution of Help for the composing of a Legacy for others before my Civil Death so I now tender you A Supplement to that Exercise for your better liveliness of Spiritual Life I shall say nothing to commend these Sermons to you my Brethren are all herein unanimous to seek the Church's Profit not their own Applause only this I must say to prevent mistake viz. If any curious Reader shall find matter of Exception besides the Errors of Printing which I confess are too many the blame must be Personal because this joynt-work is no otherwise Social than as single Pearls strung together make one Neck-lace I easily grant here 's not yet a stating of all important Cases yet be this known to you whoever shall follow these Directions shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the work of the Lord nor miss of an abundant entrance into his Everlasting Kingdom Live up to what you have attained and you may be confident that what is further wanting God will as you want it supply it Be assur'd of this that you will get more skill and strength for all necessary Graces and Duties by an humble serious constant Course of Godliness than you possibly can do by captious Criticismes and wrangling Contentions about lesser things in which too many spend their Lives I herein appeal to your Consciences should not these Sermons answer expectation but according to your judgment either the Cases are ill chose or not well stated in that the Matter is either defective or redundant the Language too curious or too careless the Directions too common or too singular I appeal from your Passions to your Consciences and down-right charge you in the Name of my Master who must be your Judg that you read with other Spectacles These are not calculated to humour you but to better you These are not Duties to be cavil'd at but to be practised O that you may be effectually perswaded 1. That your Love to God Sermon 1 must be predominant and growing or you degrade your selves below the Beasts 2. That your Love to Man must be universal and spiritual Sermon 2 Sermon 3 or you can't evidence your Love to God 3. That your Love to the World must truckle under both be subservient to both and never be otherwise for if the World master you 't will â—â—in you Oh that your awakened Sermon 4 Consciences may now allarm you 4. To catch at Salvation while it is Sermon 5 offer'd lest you perish for ever Though 't is a vexed Problem 5. What Knowledg is necessary to Salvation yet can you satisfie your Consciences without diligent Endeavours to proportion your Knowledg to the Means you enjoy And to bring forth Fruits every day as those that in some Sermon 6 measure feel 6. What 't is to be in the Spirit on the Lord's Day and Sermon 7 8. that the Word 7. Preach'd and 8. Read may be so impress'd upon Heart and Life that it may be an infallible Evidence you are taught of God And when through weakness of the Flesh your Duties may prove Sermon 9 wearisom 9. Learn to refresh your selves with the Songs of Zion But would you have more particular Directions They are before you Sermon 10 Here you may learn true Christianity 10. In the daily Improvement of Sermon 11 your Baptism Here you may learn 11. How to propagate Religion to Posterity by riveting Truth upon your own Hearts and teaching it to Sermon 12 others but while you are giving Milk to Babes 12. Excuse not your selves upon any account whatsoever from frequent and hungry feeding upon stronger Meat Be you as willing to seal to the Conditions of the Covenant as you are desirous God should seal to the Promises of it But who is sufficient for these things Pour out your Hearts therefore and Sermon 13 list up your Souls to God in all manner of Prayer 13. Let extraordinary Sermon 14 Prayer answer that title 14. Your secret Prayer speak secret Communion Sermon 15 with God 15. Let your Family prayer bring down Blessings upon your Family that you be neither Holy nor Happy alone but that when your Family-relations shall cease they may bless God to Eternity that ever there were such Relations between you Now therefore Sermon 16 16. Let Husbands and Wives be the liveliest Emblems in the World of Sermon 17 Christ and his Church 17. Let Parents and Children be the Evidences and Pledges of God's special presence with this and the next Sermon 18 Generation 18. Let Masters and Servants adorn the Gospel by their exemplary Faithfulness to their Heavenly Master Thus doing Sermon 19 19. Your Thoughts will be cured and in them you 'l enjoy God Sermon 20 20. Your Tongues will in some sense be God's glory as well as yours But Sermon 21 then 21. You must cautiously avoid the catching Canker of Detraction Sermon 22 22. So you shaâ—l by your Conversations convince the World there 's an Excellency in Christianity And that all this may be as well acceptable Sermon 23 to God as approved of Men 23. Do all in the Name of Christ and Sermon 24 while you thus embarque with Christ 24. He 'l steer you safe between Presumption and Despair those Rocks upon one of which most perish Hereby also 25. You 'l make your Port with the chearing Joys of an Sermon 25 Heroick Faith 26. And keep above all Vexing Discontents with your Sermon 26 Worldly Condition 27. And what Afflictions God's wise Love shall Sermon 27 inflict you 'l be able to bear them with more than a Roman Courage 28. And though reproachful Reproofs may bear hard upon you you 'l not Sermon 28 fret but welcome them as a precious Balm But when you have done your best yet through the Remainders of Corruption Guilt will be contracted 29. You can't but be restless till it be removed 30. Then you Sermon 29 30. may rather hope for than
imperfect state have some warping on their parts and some withdrawing on God's yet their love to God in the lowest ebbe tremblingly hankers after him the soul cannot forget its alone resting-place l Psal 116.7 2. Our Love to God is like the love of the Flower of the Sun to the Sun It springs of a very little seed it is not only our Faith but our Love that is at first like a grain of mustard-seed it growes the fastest of any Flower whatsoever It is not only Faith but Love that grows exceedingly m 2 Thes 1.3 It alwayes turns and bows it self towards the Sun our Love to God is alwayes bowing and admiring alwayes turning to and following after God It opens and shuts with the Suns rising and setting our Love when it is what it should be opens it self to God and closes it self against all other Objects It brings forth seed enough for abundance of other Flowers love to God is the most fruitful Grace that when it blossoms and buds it fills the face of the World with fruit n Isa 27.6 3. Our Love to God is like the love of the Turtle to her Mate God's People are his Turtle o Psal 74.19 I grant they most properly resemble Brotherly Love but why not our Love to God they never associate with other Birds the loving soul keeps fellowship with God and out of choice with him only and those that bear his Image The Turtle never sings and flyes abroad for recreation as other birds but they have a peculiar note for each other the soul that loves God flutters not about for worldly vanities no recreation so sweet as Communion with God the Soul's converse with God is peculiar When one dies the other droops till it dies so that they do as it were live and dye in the Embraces of each other so the soul that loves God his loving kindness is better than life p Psal 63.3 and there 's nothing makes a Saint more impatient of living than that he cannot while he lives have a full Enjoyment of God 4. Our Love to God should be like though exceed Jacobs love to Benjamin q Gen. 42.38 He 'l starve rather than part with Benjamin and when hunger forc'd him from him and he was like to be by a wile kept from him Judah offers to purchase his liberty with his own because his Fathers life was bound up in the Lads life r Gen. 44.30 so the Soul that loves God is not able to bear the thoughts of parting with him his life is bound up in enjoying the presence of God I have been too long but oh that I could affect your Hearts as well as inform your Judgments What it is to love God with the heart what it is to love God Now then let 's reassume the Enquiry what it is to love the Lord our God with all our Heart some referr this to the thoughts s Aâ—g some to the vegetative Soul t Creg Nys some to the Understanding that it may be free from errour u Anselm others q.d. Lay up all these things in your hearts w Origen but the other words will take in most of these and therefore according to Scripture we must understand the Will and Affections and so the word is taken Josh 22.5 Moses the servant of the Lord charged you to love the Lord your God with all your heart As out of the heart proceeds life so from the Will proceeds all Operations the Will ought to be carryed towards God with it's whole force all the Affections of a pure and holy heart are directed to the onely Love of God x Gerhard Harm c. 156. Love riseth from the Will now there 's a two-fold Act of the y Elici us in peratus Will that which is immediately drawn forth of the Will it self the Will own Act and such an Act the Will exerts in loving God and then there is the commanded Act of the Will which is the Act of some other power moved to that Act by the Will where the will is filled with the love of God it moves the understanding to meditate of God whom we love and to enquire after the excellency of the Object loved We must not love God onely with the heart but with the whole heart What it is to love God with the whole heart pray mark this perfect Hatred and perfect Love knows no such thing as the world calls z Judicium rerum non câ—gnoscit Aut. imper operis Prudence if you perfectly hate any one all things about him displease you whatever he says or does though it be never so good it seems to you to be evil so if you perfectly love any one all things about him please you Some expound this totality by this distinction we are to love God with the whole heart Positively and Negatively Positively where all Powers of the will are set to love God and this we cannot perfectly doe while we are travellers till we come to our heavenly Country but Negatively thou shalt so love God that nothing contrary to the love of God shall be entertained in thy heart and this we may attain to a pretty tolerable perfection of in this life a Cajetan The whole heart is opposed either to a divided and dispers'd heart or to a remiss and a sluggish heart God doth as much abominate a partnership in our love as a husband or wife abhor any such thing in their Conjugal Relation we must love nothing but God or that which may please God He that loves God with his heart and not with his whole heart loves something else and not God As the whole heart is opposed to a remiss and sluggish heart the meaning is this the care of our heart should be set upon nothing so much as upon the loving and pleasing of God we must preferr God alone before all other Objects of our love and there must be an ardency of affection whatever we doe it must be for his sake and according to his will b Chemnit Harm c. 105. c. 2. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Soul I forbear to mention the different conjectures of those that try the acuteness of their parts to produce some peculiar Interpretation which others have not By comparing Scripture with Scripture the sensitive life or the sensitive Appetite is here meant Thus c Gen. 34.3 Deut. 12.20 his soul clave unto Dinah and he loved the Damsell again thy d thy sensual a fections soul longeth to eat flesh And because the Soul is in many places taken for Life as Exod. 4.19 all the men are dead that sought thy life Heb. thy soul so Exod. 21.23 Thou shalt give life for life Heb. soul for soul and so we may take it here intensively for the sensitive Appetite and extensively for the Life The soul is here taken for the Animal life which
Whatever you say of God you may put an onely to it God so loves every gracious Soul as if he had no other Person to bestow his Love upon therefore thou must so love God as if there were nothing else in the world to bestow thy love upon Alas what 's thine to day as to outward things may be none of thine to morrow thou canst not say so of God God once thine and for ever thine But perhaps you will say Were God mine you should need to say no more to inflame my heart to love him Propriety in God! could I attain this I had enough This is it I wait for I pray for I think nothing too much for it I onely fear I shall never attain it the very comforts of my Life are imbitter'd for want of it To this I answer we cannot shake off God's Soverainty over us nor Propriety in us this you will grant God is and will be Thy God Thy Lord thy Sovereign Thy Commander let thy carriage be what it will the vilest wretches in the World cannot sin themselves from under God's dominion But there 's no comfort in this Well then I will therefore add thou that mournest after propriety in God God is thy God thy gracious God and Father thy God in Covenant thy God in mercy and loving kindness Do'st thou unfeignedly desire to love God then thou may'st be sure God loves thee for God loves first u 1 Joh. 4.19 Do'st thou not out of choice prefer the Service of God before all other Service then you shall abide in the love of God w Joh. 15.10 Brethren Love God as if he were peculiarly yours and you 'l thereby have an evidence that he is peculiarly yours It is reported of one that continued a whole night in Prayer and said nothing but this x Deus meus omnia mea Avend p. 382. My God and my All or God is Mine and all is Mine repeating this a thousand times over Let this be the constant breathing of thy Soul to God My God my All. 2 Ratione ordinis dignitatis 2. This is the first and great command in respect of order and dignity This is the great command because we must place this before all others in the very y In intimo cordis Anselm yelk of the heart as the only foundation of piety whatsoever is taught in the Law and in the Prophets flows from this as from a fountain grows upon this as upon a root z â— use If I forget not this is somewhere Augustin's Metaphor this is to the other commands as the needle to the thred it draws all after it 3 Ratione debiti 3. This is the first and great command in respect of obligation To love God is so indispensable that let me with Reverence say God cannot dispence with it As God first bestows his love upon us before any other gift and then whatever he gives afterwards he gives it in love So God requires that we first give him our hearts our love and then do all we do out of love to God Sometimes God will have mercy and not sacrifice divine duties shall give place to humane nay sometimes duties to God must give way to duties to a beast a Luk. 14.5 but however duties to God and Men may be justled to and fro yet there is not any duty can warrant the intermitting of any love to God so much as one moment 4 Ratione materiae 4. This is the first and great command in respect of the matter of it Love to God is the most excellent of all graces b 1 Cor 13.13 love among the graces is like the Sun among the Stars which not only inlightens the lower world but communicates light to all the Stars in the Firmament So love to God does not only its own office but the offices of all other Graces The Apostle names four graces that are necessary to government which love doth all their offices e. g. beareth all c 1 Cor. 13.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 candâ—r lenitas patientia Melanc in loc things i. e. love parteth with something of its right beareth the weaknesses of friends to preserve concord believeth all things i. e. candidly makes the best interpretation of all things is not distrustful or suspicious upon light and frivolous occasions hopeth all things that is gently waits for the amendment of that which is faulty endureth all things that is patiently bears injuries c. If you except this is spoken of love to men I readily answer that surely love to God for whose Image in men and command concerning men we love them will do greater things 5 Ratione amplitudinis 5. This is the first and great command in respect of the largeness of it This requires the whole man the whole heart the whole soul the whole mind the whole strength whatever else we entertain some other room may be good enough for it let the heart be kept for Gods peculiar presence Chamber God requires the whole Soul all the inferior powers of the Soul our whole life must be spent in the love of God This command reaches the whole mind God expects that we should in Judgment reason down every thing into contempt that should pretend a loveliness to justle out God 6. This is the first and great command in respect of its capacity 6 Ratione capacitaâ—â— because it contains all commands no man can love his Neighbour unless he love God and no man can love God but he must observe all his Commandments Origen makes enquiry how the Commands about legal purification may be reduced to the love of God every command of God hath its peculiar obligation but this Law of love hath a super-ingagement over them all e. g. Men may accept and commend several duties to them that have not one drop of love in them e. g. If I give bread to one that is ready to famish or Physick to one that is dangerously sick these things do good according to their own Natures and not according to the good will of the giver Alas Man needs relief and catcheth at it and never examines the heart or and whence it comes but now God is infinitely above needing any thing from us it is his gracious condescention to receive any thing from us and therefore God never accepts of any thing we do but what is done out of love to him 7. This is the first and great command in respect of the difficulties of it 7 Ratione difficultatis because through our infirmities not to mention worse we cannot presently love God the prime difficulty is the spirituality of it This wisdom (d) Prov. 24.7 is too high for foolish Sinners Though it is most rational yet it is the most spiritual and consequently the most difficult part of Religion Some commands may be observed without special grace as all the outside of Religion Yea
some commands may be observed without so much as common grace as duties meerly moral but this must have a great measure of the spirit it speaks much acquaintance with God through experience of his wayes and much conformity to Christ in a well composed conversation in short it includes the highest perfection possibly attainable in this life yet let not this difficulty fright you for through Christ our sincere love though weak is accepted and our imperfect love because growing shall not be despised 8. This is the first and great command in respect of the End 8 Ratione finis All the commands of God are referr'd to this as their end and last scope which was first in the mind of the Law-giver 9. This is the first and great command in respect of the lastingness of it 9 Ratione perperuitatis Thou shalt love the Lord thy God it is not only spoken after the Hebrew (e) Futurum pro imperativo way of commanding but it notes singular perseverance Most of the other commands expire with the world as all or most of the commands of the second table but this remains and flourishes more than ever When Repentance and Mortification which now take up half our life when Faith which is now as it were Mother and Nurse to most of our Graces when Hope which now upholds weak faith in its languors when all these shall as it were dye in travail perfection of grace being then in the birth love to God shall then be more lively than ever That love which as it were passed between God and the Soul in letters and tokens shall then be perfected in a full enjoyment Our love was divided among several objects that cut the banks and weakned the stream henceforth it shall have but one current Our love is now mixt with fear fear of missing or losing what we love but that fear shall be banished There shall never be any distance never any thing to provoke jealousie never any thing to procure cloying never any thing more to be desired than is actually enjoyed Is not this then the first and great Commandment is it not our priviledge and happiness to be swallowed up in it this may suffice to evidence it to be our duty But then What abilities are requisite for the well performance of this duty and how we may obtain those abilities 3. What Abilities are requisite to the performance of this duty and how may we attain those Abilities This we must be experimentally acquainted with or all I can say will at best seem babling and therefore let me at first tell you plainly nothing on this side Regeneration can capacitate you to love God and it is God alone that giveth worketh infuseth impresseth the gracious habit of Divine Love in the Souls of his people Our love to God is nothing else but the eccho of Gods love to us Through the corruption of our Nature we hate God God implanted in our Nature an inclination to love God above all things amiable but by the fall we have an headlong inclination to depart from God and run away from him and there is in every one of us a natural impotency and inability of turning unto God The grace of love is no Flower of Nature's Garden but a Forreign p Non secundum bona naturalia sed secundum dona gratâ—ita Aquin. plant We may possibly do something for the meerly rational inflaming of our hearts with love to God e. g. God may be represented as most amiable we may be convinced of the unsatisfyingness of the Creature we may understand something of the worth of our Souls and what a folly it is to expect that any thing but God can fill them and yet this will be at the utmost but like a solid proof of the truth of the Christian Religion which may Non-plus our cavils but not make us Christians This may make love to God appear a rational duty but it will not of it self beget in us this spiritual Grace It is the immediate work of God to make us love him I do not mean immediate in opposition to the use of means but immediate in regard of the necessary efficacy of his Spirit beyond what all means in the world without his powerful influence can amount unto 'T is the Lord alone that can direct our hearts into the love of God q 2. Thes 3.5 Exoplat a Leo quod non ambigit posse praestari Ambros God is pleased in a wonderful and unexpressible manner to draw up the heart in love to him God makes use of Exhortations and Counsels and Reproofs but though he works by them and with them he works above them and beyond them r Deut. 30.6 19 20. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul that thou may'st live And again I call heaven and earth to record this day against thee that I have set before thee life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both thou and thy seed may live that thou may'st love the Lord thy God and that thou may'st obey his voice and that thou may'st cleave unto him for he is thy life and the length of thy dayes He is thy life i. e. effectively and that by love saith Aquinas it is reported s Sales of the love of God p. 63. that it often happens among Partridges that one steals away anothers eggs but the young one that is hatcht under the wing of a stranger at her true Mothers first call who laid the egg whence she was hatch'd she renders her self to her true Mother and puts her self into her Covey 'T is thus with our hearts though we are born and bred up among terrene and base things under the wing of corrupted Nature yet at and not before God's first quickning call we receive an inclination to love him and upon his drawing t Cant. 1.4 we run after him God works a principle of love in us and we love God by that habit of love he hath implanted hence the Act of love is formally and properly attributed to man as the particular cause u Psal 18.1 116.1 Vâ—â—tius I will love thee O Lord my strength and I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice the Soul works together with God in his powerful working the Will being Acted of God Acteth It is a known saying of w Non ideo bene currit vt rotunda sit sed quia rotunda est Augustine The wheel doth not run that it may be round but because 't is round The Spirit of God enables us to love God but 't is we that love God with a created love 't is we that acquiesce in God in a gracious manner What God doth in the Soul doth not hurt the liberty of the will but strengthens it insweetly and powerfully drawing it into
I love nothing but for thy sake extensively when I compare thee Lord with all other great and good things and had rather they and my self also had no being than once to offend my good God But yet most loving Lord when I consider a proportion of love I am greatly troubled If love should be according to the worth of the Object by how much thou art better than I am and more profitable to me than I am to my self I should love thee more than thou lovest me but that I never can O Lord I beseech thee how much dost thou love me is it weakly and remisly according to my goodness that be far from thee Lord. Thou lovest thine incomparably more than thou art loved of them as thou art incomparably greater and better than they But O great and good God that fillest heaven and earth yea the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee Why dost thou not fill my poor little soul O my soul why dost thou not open all thy little doors why doest not thou extend thy utmost capacity that thou may'st be wholy possest wholy satiated wholy de-ebriated with the sweetness of so great love especially when though thou art so little yet thou canst not be satisfied with the love of any lesser good Many questions might be proposed to expostulate my soul into a flame of love But I see Lord 't is easie to speak and write these things but 't is hard to doe and perfect them in effect Thou therefore most good and Almighty Lord to whom nothing is difficult grant I pray thee that I may more easily doe these things with my heart than profess them with my mouth c. And thus having after my poor manner put you upon practice and pointed you the way from the lowest to the highest step of divine love I am sensible that both good and bad have their exceptions ready against what I have delivered The humble trembling Christian he fears that if the lowest degree of love to God hath such heights in it he shall never be able to reach it and he is grieved whom God would not have made sad On the other hand those that call themselves Christians though there 's no reason for their usurping that title without any consideration of either the duty or themselves will bear you down that they love God with all their hearts souls and minds and that they have always done so and they are unworthy to live that doe not love God and if you enquire into any particulars whatsoever about their love to God they 'l rather quarrel with you than give you any satisfying answer If I could therefore propose any thing that would apply it self i. e. by its own evidence work it self into the conscience I might hope to dissolve their self-flatteries I cannot at present think of a more compendious way of undeceiving both these and of further perswasively urging the love of God than by plainly naming the infallible Properties and constant Effects of this love hereby those that despondingly fear they want it will find they have it and those that groundlesly boast of it will find they want it and both be instructed what must be done to evidence and exert it I shall begin with the properties of our love to God Properties of love to God And here as in all the rest I must study contraction and therefore dare not particularly mention Gerson's fifty properties of Divine Love I shall rather follow Voetius's method who ranks the properties of Divine Love thus They are partly Negative and Privative partly Positive and Absolute partly Comparative and Transcendent I shall speak briefly of each of these your Consciences may manage it as if it were a Use of Examination Negative Properties or Adjuncts are such as these and these may prevent the mistakes of drooping Christians and alas a great part of Christ's Family are such upon one account or other 1. This Divine Love is not at all in the unregenerate unless onely in shew and imitation that Soul that is solicitous about loving of God that Soul loves him This is proper and peculiar to all those and onely those that are born of God that are the adopted Children of God Let it be considered whether the Devil can counterfeit Love to God as he can other Graces their Faith works by Fear not by Love (a) Jam. 2.19 The Devils believe and tremble 'T is true he doth not only suffer but (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 promote an hypocritical Divine Love in some and he may appear in a Love-mask (c) Luva amoris to others as to Adam in Paradise (d) Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the day you eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods He pretends he hath more kindness for them than God himself and the like to Christ (e) Mat. 4.3 c. but did he himself ever pretend so much as to love God I grant wicked men pretend to love God but the ridiculousness of their Discourse plainly evidences they neither understand what they say nor whereof they affirm And whereas thou complainest that thou fearest thy Love is not sincere because 't is selfish be not discouraged while thou studyest to please God fearest to offend him prizest his presence mournest for his absence thy love to God is infallibly sincere though there be an ingredient of self in it nay let me say more it could not be sincere if thou didst not mind thy self as in the very quintessence of Conjugal Love 't is impossible to abstract it from self-love so the more we love God the more we cannot but love our selves yea even then when we most deny our selves out of love to God 2. This Divine Love is far from perfection 't is subject to more sensible languishments and infirmities than any other grace though it can never be totally and finally extinguisht What though sometimes to thy own Apprehension thou canst not tell whether thou lovest God at all and what though at all times thou complainest of fickleness and inconstancy what though the time of thy Fear be longer than the time of thy Love yet while thine heart can say 't is unquiet in this temper and it is thy restless desire to love God more perfectly These very complaints speak Love we never complain of want of Love to those persons whom we do not already love This as well as other graces is here but in part (f) 1 Cor. 13.10 while we are in this lower World our very Graces will have their Nepe as well as their Spring-Tides We cannot yet be so wise as to foresee all our hinderances nor so watchful as to avoid all Satan's Ambushes nor so perfect as to maintain a spiritual frame of heart Though this Grace is alwayes in motion yet it doth not alwayes nor equally go forward 3. Our love to God shall never be abolished g Non quoad formam nec
quoad modum tendâ—nd in objectam 1 Cor. 13.8 Voet. ibid. Love never faileth the same kind of love the same Numerical love that was in gracious Persons on Earth shall be continued in Heaven and receive it's perfection presently after its delivery from the Body of Death There will be a greater change in all our Graces than in our Love A great part of our Life is taken up in the Exercise of those Graces that I may in some respect say dye with us The one half of our Life is or should be spent in Mortification The whole of our time needs the exercise of our Patience Our Life at best is but a Life of Faith much of our sweet Communion with God is fetch'd in by secret Prayer But now in Heaven there shall be no sin to be mortifi'd nothing grievous to be endured Faith shall be swallow'd up in Enjoyment and your Petitions shall be all answer'd So that now Christians set your selves to love God and you shall no way lose your labour Other Graces are but as Physick to the Soul desirable for something else which when obtained they are useless but Love to God is the healthful Constitution of the Soul there 's never any thing of it in any sence useless Most of the Graces of the Spirit do by our Souls as our Friends by our Bodies who accompany them to the Grave and there leave them But now love to God is the alone Grace that is to our Souls the same that a good Conscience our best Friend in both Worlds 4. This Divine Love is so unknown to the World that when they behold the Effects and flames of it in those that love God in an extraordinary manner they are ready to explode it as meer Vanity Folly Madness Ostentation and Hypocrisie When Paul manag'd his Audience more like a Sermon than a Defence Festus cries out upon him as mad (h) Acts 26.24 Yea when Christ himself in love to God and Souls is more hungry after Converts than Food his nearest Relations think him craz'd and the multitude cometh together again Mark 3.20 21 32. so that they could not so much as eat bread and when his Friends heard of it they went out to lay hold on him for they said he is beside himself But were they any other but his carnal and graceless Relations that did this See behold thy Mother and thy Brethren without seek for thee (i) 1 John 3.13 No marvel then that Enemies reproach you Friend forsake you Relations slight you and the World hate you Christ tells us (k) Joh. 15.18 23. if the World hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you But how can the World hate Christ who in love to it came to dye for it Christ tells his Hearers the true Reason (l) Joh. 5.40 42. I know you this is no groundless surmise nor censorious rashness but I know you that you have not the love of God in you Let what will appear at the top this lies at the bottom And therefore judge I pray you who more phanatick those that hate God when they pretend to love him or those that are counted phrantick for their serious Love to God I shall neither name more nor enlarge further on this first rank of Characters but be brief also in the second The Absolute Properties of Love to God are among many some of them such as these 1. It is the most ingenious of all Graces In poor inconsiderable Loves not worth the mentioning how do persons contrive wayes for the expressing and exciting of Love and there 's no way to prevent it Oh how much more when the Soul loves God there 's nothing meliorates the parts like Grace Divine Love makes the best improvement of Wit Parts Time when a Person loves to pray though he can scarce speak sence to men he can strenuously plead with God a person that loves to meditate though he knows not how to make his thoughts hang together in other things they multiply on his hand with a spiritual and profitable consistency In short to do any thing that may engage the Heart to God what gracious stratagems doth Love abound with That (m) Nieremberg de art Vol. p. 114. as he that beholds his Face in a Glass makes the Face which he sees his very look is the Pensil the Colour the Art so he that loves God sees such a Reflexion of God's love to him that a proud person doth not more please her self in her own fancyed beauty than this gracious Soul is graciously delighted in the mutual dartings of Divine Love Keep from Will-worship and humane Inventions in the things of God especially from imposing upon others your Prudentials of Devotion and then I will commend it to you to try all the Experiments which the Scripture will warrant to encrease the flame of your Divine love 2. Love to God is the most bold strong constant and daring Grace of all the Graces of the Spirit of God (n) Cant. 8.6 Love is strong as Death every one knows what work Death makes in the World It is not the Power of Potentates nor the Reverence of Age nor the usefulness of Grace can prevent its stroke it conquers all So doth love to God Nothing can stand before it what dare not love to God attempt It designs impossibilities viz. Perfection and is restless for the want of it I may in some sence say it would fain have contradictions true viz. to be without the Body while in it the Body's being a clog is so wearisome Love to God not only baffles Satan but through God's gracious condescension it even prevails with God himself that God will deny nothing to the Soul that loves him 3. Love to God is the onely self-emptying and satisfying Grace (o) Nieremb p. 322 c. spaâ—siâ— Love 't is self's egress 't is a kind of Pilgrimage from self he that loves is absent from himself thinks not of himself provides not for himself But oh how great is the gain of renouncing our selves and thereby receiving God and our selves we are as it were dead to our selves and live to God nay more by love we live in God (p) 1 John 4.16 God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him By Faith we live upon God by Obedience we live to God but by Love we live in God It is herein alone that we can give something like a carnal though 't is indeed an highly spiritual answer to Nicodemus his question (q) Joh. 3.4 How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers Womb and be born We have our Soulâ— immediately from the Father of Spirits by Regeneration we return to God again from whom by Sin we are estranged and by love we live in him in some little resemblance to the Child's living in the Mother's womb what the mother loves the
is proper to the divine nature is attributed to the humane and contrarily that which is proper to the humane nature is attributed to the divine so here in the soul's union with Christ Christ is made sin for us and dealt with as if he were a sinner we are made the righteousness of God in him and priviledged as righteous persons Christ's riches are ours and our poverty his yea more the offices of Christ are attributed to Believers (l) 1 Pet. 2.5 they are an holy and a royal priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and Christ hath made (m) Rev. 1.6 us Kings and Priests unto his father Christ hath a stock of created grace 't was for us (n) Joh. 1.16 2 Tim. 2.1 of his fulness have we all received and grace for grace The Apostle bids us be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus What shall I say is Christ the natural Son of God they are the adopted Is Christ the beloved Son of God Believers in their measure are so too They are dead with Christ buried with Christ risen with Christ sit together in heavenly places with Christ fellow-heirs with Christ In short as there never was such another union in the world as the union of the two natures in Christ So there never was nor ever can be such another union in the world as between Christ and the believer It is beyond what any metaphors from art or nature can fully express That of a Foundation and Building of a Vine and Branches of Head and Members of Soul and Body are but dark shadows of this union But I must not enlarge 2. Communion with God Communion consists in communication (o) Cum res unius sit alterius when there is a kind of community of propriety I might run over the former particulars and enlarge them but the subject is not so barren that I need name one thing twice Christians I beg of you that you would be careful of receiving because I can be but brief in delivering a few hints of the communication of divine love between God and us e. g. (p) 2 Pet. 1.4 God communicates the divine Nature to us through his fulfilling exceeding great and precious promises We make returns as those that are born of God in obeying his commands Because God loves us he communicates unto us his communicable properties of holiness wisdom goodness Seeing we have nothing to return we prostrate our selves at his feet ingenuously acknowledge our unholiness folly and badness God and the Soul holds communication in all gracious actions God communicates strength to the doing of those things which he cannot do (q) Through his perfection not defect but we must to repent believe obey God these are our actions through his strength Again we exercise our graces upon God for those his actions which we cannot do but we may through his covenant engagement with humble thankfulness say he must e. g. for the pardon of sin speaking peace to the Conscience giving out of gracious influences c. for these we admire God we praise him rejoyce in him Once more in those things wherein we can make no return to God but may to others for God's sake our love to God necessitates us to do it e. g. God pities us is merciful and kind to us God is infinitely above all such returns Ay but so are not the Members of Christ who are the best visible Image of God in the world I 'le give them not only my alms but my very bowels c. In short in this communication God and the gracious Soul have the same interest drive on the same design the advancement of Christ and the Gospel have the same friends and the same enemies They communicate secrets to each other none but the loving Soul knows the secrets of divine love and none but God hears all the secrets of the Soul without a reserve Among the dearest friends in the world there 's some reserve Some things we 'll rather speak to a stranger than to our dearest bosome-friend we think them not fit to mention or we are loath to trouble them but there 's none of this between God and the Soul God tells us all that may benefit not overcharge us we tell God all the very worst of our own hearts which we are ashamed to mention to those that most love us God deals with us according to our capacities our bottles would break should God over-fill them but we deal with God according to the utmost of our active graces God is both compassionate to pity and pardon what 's no way acceptable and even incredibly condescending to accept of what none but his infinite grace would accept 3. Familiar love-visits When God makes sad visits to the disquieting of Conscience and the breaking of our peace yet even then the Soul under trouble of Conscience would not change its spiritual trouble for the best of the worlds peace no not for its former peace with which 't was so well pleas'd before conversion the Soul that loves God cannot construe that to be a visit which others count so The Soul never goes to God as we go to visit those we care not for that we are glad at their being from home so the visit be but pay'd we care not Pray compare some passages in that Song of loves one while you have the Spouse enquiring of Christ (r) Cant. 1.7 Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions q. d. Tell me O Lord my love and life where I may have both instruction and protection in an hour of trouble lest through thy absence I be seduced by those that only pretend to love thee Christ gives a present answer and quickly after returns an invitation O my dove (s) Cant. 2.14 that art in the clefts of the Rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely q. d. O my mourning dove that darest not stir out of thy secret place stir up thy faith hold up thy face with comfort let me hear thy prayers and praises though others censure them I esteem them though others count thee deformed thou art in my eyes beautiful Here 's something of affection but see more (t) Cant. 4.16 Let my beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruits q. d. O my Lord what I have from thee I return to thee accept I beseech thee the fruits of obedience and praise Christ presently accepts the invitation (u) Cant. 5.1 I am come into my Garden my Sister my Spouse I have gathered my Myrrh with my Spices I have eaten my Honey-comb with my honey I have drunk up my Wine with my Milk eat O friends drink
the Image of God the first-born of Faith the soul of other graces the Rule of our actions a summary of the Law an Angelick life a prelibation of Heaven a lively mark of a child of God for we may read God's Love to us in our love to him But O! how opposite and black are the characters of Love to the world nothing deserves the name of Love but that to God 2. Hence also infer that Love to God and Love to the world divide all mankind There is no middle state between these two opposites neither can they ever consist together in their perfect degrees If thou art a lover of the world in John's sense thou art a hater of God and if thou lovest God thou art an hater of the world Hereby then thou mayest make a judgment of thy state whether thou art a Saint or a sinner a Godly or worldly man And remember this that to love any worldly good more than God is in the Scripture's sense to hate God Mat. 6.24 3. This also instructs us that all natural irregenerate mens Love is but concupiscence or Lust Do not all men in their natural state prefer the creature before the Creator are not the pleasures profits and Honours of this world the worldly man's Trinity which he adoreth and sacrificeth unto Have not all men by nature a violent impetuous bent of heart towards some one or other worldly Idol are not their souls bound up in something below God Do not all men naturally esteem love use and enjoy the creature for it self without referring it to God and what is this but Lust 4. We are hence likewise taught that a regular and ordinate love to and use of this world's goods is very difficult and rare Alas how soon doth our love to creatures grow inordinate either as to its Substance Quantity Quality or Mode yea how oft and how soon doth our love to things lawful grow irregular and unlawful what an excess are most men guilty of in their love to and use of things indifferent how few are there who in using this world do not abuse it as 1 Cor. 7.31 where is that person that can say with Paul Phil. 4.12 Every where and in all things I am instructed both to abound and suffer want 5. This also informs us that where predominant Love to the world is notorious visible and manifest we cannot by any rule of judicious Charity count such a Godly man It was a Canon common among the Jews mentioned by Rabbi Salome that (x) Populus terrae non vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hasid the people of the earth are not called Godly i. e. the Lovers of the world may not be called Saints And Oh! how many worldly professors are cut off from the number of visible Saints hereby It is to me a dismal contemplation to consider how many follow Christ in profession and yet have the black mark of worldlings on there foreheads O! how much love to the world lies hid under the mask and vizard of professed love to God It is not the having or possessing of the world's goods but the over-loving of them that bespeaks you worldlings It 's true a Saint may fall under many preternatural heats yea fevers of Love to the world yet in time love to God as a sttonger fire expels such violent heats and noxious humors 6. Hence in like manner we may collect That worldly minded professors are composed of a world of Contradictions and Inconsistences Such Love God in profession but hate him in truth and Affection Their tongues are tipt with Heaven but their hearts are drencht in the Earth They pretend to serve God but they intend nothing but to serve their Lusts They make a shew of confidence in God but place their real confidence in the world They make mention of God in Name but exalt the world in Heart They Conform to the Laws of God in outward shew but Conform to yea are transformed into the world in Spirit Finally they hate sin and love God in appearance but they hate God and love sin in reality Ezech. 33.31 7. This also instructs thus That for professors of love to God to be deeply engaged in the love of this world is a sin of deep Aggravation O! what a peculiar Malignity is there in this sin How much Light and Love do such sin against What a reproach and disparagement is cast on God hereby Are not profane worldlings justified in their earthly-mindedness by the worldly love of Professors Yea do they not hereby take occasion to blaspheme the holy Name of God Lo say they these are your professors who are as covetous as over-reaching in their dealings as much buried in the Earth as any other And is not God hereby greatly dishonoured Do not such worldly professors live below their principles profession convictions covenant-Obligations and the practice of former Professors 8. This gives us the genuine Reason and Cause Why the word of God and all the good things contained therein find so little room in the Hearts of many great Professors It is to me a prodigious thing to consider among the croud of notional Professors and Hearers of God's Word how few entertain the same in an honest heart And where lies the main bitter root of this cursed Infidelity but in love to the world So Mark 4.18 19. And these are they which are sown among thorns Such as hear the Word and the cares of this world and the Deceitfulness of Riches and the Lusts of other things entring in choke the word and it becometh unfruitful It deserves a particular remark that the Thorny-ground hearers here characterised are ranked in the highest form of notional Hearers as much surpassing the Highway-ground or Stony-ground Hearers For in these thorny-ground Hearers the word takes some root yea with some depth and so springs up into a blade and green ears and so endures a cold winter yea a scorching summer's heat and yet after all it is choaked How so why by the cares of this world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the amorous distracting anxious cares and the deceitfulness of Riches O! what Deceitful things are Riches how soon do they choke the word and the Lusts of other things Namely Pleasures which deserve not to be named (y) Solenne fuit Hebraeis uti voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alius quoties cunque rem abominandam tacitè innuunt Horting Thesaur Philolog p. 51. For so the Hebrews were wont to express vile abominable things by other things Thence they termed Swine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other things 9. Hence also conclude That such as love the world hate God and their own souls That predominant Love to the world in its proper notion includes the hatred of God is evident from the whole of our discourse That it implies also hatred of our selves is manifest because the hatred of God includes love to death and so by Consequence the hatred of our own souls as Prov.
this world That they would take diligent heed that the world do not insinuate and wind it self into their hearts O! I beseech you keep your hearts far from the walls of this pest-house this love-polluting world keep your love in Heaven while your persons are ingaged in the world Let not your hearts smell of the smoke of this lower house but of Heaven beware that your love do not make its nest in this world but let it take wing and rest no where short of Heaven where its Treasure is Follow not the guises of this soul-polluting world Let this Idol world be nothing to you but God be all in all Take heed that the multiplicity of worldly affairs choak not the sense of God remember your best riches consist in the poverty of your desires Make use of prosperity to prepare you for afflictions know the dearest things must be parted with when God calls for them and therefore keep your hearts loose from them bring your natural desires into a narrow compass but let your hearts be enlarged towards God amuse not your hearts as children at the glistering outside of things but fear a snare in every comfort feed much on Spiritual delights and that will kill carnal pleasures Let your hearts be as the Mother-pearl which they say receives no water but what comes from Heaven let your hearts be open towards Heaven but shut against the world let not this great Idol enter into God's Temple 4 Lastly let us all be exhorted to be in nothing more curious than about the right placing of our Love that it be fixed on its right Object and in a right Manner Let us get a stamp of Grace on all our love and then it will become Divine Let us love nothing greatly but what we shall love for ever It was the saying of a serious Jansenist I would never begin to love that which one day I must cease to love Let us labour after the highest strain of love to God which is to love God for himself and to love our selves in God Our best Being lies in God and therefore our best love is to love our selves in God As one extreme heat burns out another so let our love to God burn out our love to the World Now is the time OR Instructions for the present improving the season of Grace Serm. IV. 2 Cor. 6.1 2. We then as workers together with him beseech you also that you receive not the Grace of God in vain for he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of Salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation Sect. 1 PAul's Epistles excell both in matter and in method Their matter is principally reconciliation through Christ What subject so sweet so profitable Their method is by way of Doctrine and use a method which if it be despised Paul's writings cannot be duly valued In the fore-going verse the last words of it he positively asserted the great doctrine of Reconciliation through Christ and doctrinally propounded it in these words He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him This was his Doctrine In these two verses immediately following he applieth the doctrine We then as workers together with him beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain for he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted c. In which two verses there are contained these three parts 1. The first is an exhortation that they would not receive the Grace of God in vain or a caution against their receiving it in vain 2. Secondly the reasons that the Apostle produceth to back the exhortation Those reasons are two The first is the reason of his propounding this exhortation that is because he was a worker together with God The second is the reason of their imbracing this exhortation and that is in the 2 verse For he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of Salvation have I succoured thee as it is in Isa 49.8 3. Thirdly you have here the accommodation or the application of this second reason unto the present state of the Corinthians behold now saith the Apostle is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation that God of old promised unto Christ Ye enjoy it ye live under it and therefore you must now improve it to the best advantage of your souls Now we shall go over these three parts in the way of explication that so we may the more profitably handle that part which I principally design to insist upon 1. We shall explain the exhortation or the caution that he layeth down which is Not to receive the Grace of God in vain Here we shall explain two hings 1. We shall shew you what is meant by the grace of God 2. What is meant by receiving or not receiving the grace of God in vain First what is meant by the Grace of God You are here to understand by grace the Doctrine of the Gospel frequently Sect. 2 and fitly in the Scripture called grace as in Eph. 3.2 Col. 1.6 Act. 20.32 Tit. 2.11 and in sundry other Scriptures the doctrine of the Gospel is called grace And it is called by that name for these three reasons 1. Because it is graciously and out of the free favour of God bestowed Why it is bestowed at all 't is from grace why it is bestowed upon one age or place rather than other 't is only from God's free grace and favour Rom. 16.25 26. It is there said to be a mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest And that in Isa 65.1 I said Behold me to a nation that was not called by my name To these God was pleased by the gospel to say Behold me He was found of those that sought him not God 's argument to bestow the gospel of life upon a person or a family or a place is merely from his own free good will 2. The gospel is called grace because the subject matter of the gospel is grace Whatever it is the gospel promiseth whatever priviledge or saving benefit is contained in the gospel is all from grace we are justified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 Forgiveness of sin it is said to be from his rich grace Eph. 1.7 Eternal life it is the free gift of God Effectual vocation saving conversion is meerly from grace We are called according to his purpose and grace not according to our works 2 Tim. 1.9 To you it is given to believe Phil. 1.29 God giveth repentance 2 Tim. 2.25 he called me by his grace Gal. 3.15 1 Pet. 3.7 the Saints are heirs of grace Christ himself that obtained all the priviledges of the gospel for us was sent as a token of free grace free favour through the tender mercy of God Luk 1.7.8 Joh 3.16 whereby the day-spring from on high hath
Earth as among the Indians or Abyssines But our business is to see what knowledge we our selves considering our condition dismissing others in differing circumstances are to labour after in obedience to God's command and for our more holy and comfortable walking with God and carrying on the affairs of our Salvation And therefore though my text lead me directly enough to the former yet I shall confine my self to the latter making it my business rather to press men to labour after much knowledge than trouble my self or others with unedifying distinctions about or uncertain catalogues of fundamentals or truths absolutely needful to be known which I suppose few in the World be so Magisterial as Peremptorily to define And for my part if I could certainly determine which those truths are I should take heed to whom I told them least I should encourage men slothful enough of themselves to rest satisfied in a lesser measure of Spiritual knowledg when a greater might be gotten 3. These things premised I come to answer the case in some propositions of which the first shall be this Prop. 1. That supposing it were certainly defined how much knowledge and the knowledge of what truths were sufficient to Salvation Yet no man that is in a capacity of getting more knowledge ought to acquiesce in just so much Luk. 12.48 To whomsoever much is given of him shall much be required For the more full understanding of this proposition take these following rules Rule 1. By how much the better means men have for the getting of knowledge so much the more they ought to know There is more knowledge required in them that have more means than in them that have less Every servant's improvement is to be according to his talent and the gain of one is not sufficient for him that hath received five nor the gain of five for him that hath received ten According to the means men have so their duty is to be judged of and their accounts will be expected I suppose it can scarce be doubted but that 1. They that live under the Gospel since Christ's coming in the flesh ought to abound more in Spiritual knowledge than they that lived before his coming and that for this very reason because the means of knowledge have been greater since his coming than before it not only as to the extensiveness of them in the publication of the truth in those places where it was not heard before but as to the efficacy of the means themselves and the more clear revelation of the will of God in some things which were formerly but less clearly revealed The pouring out of the Spirit was not only for the further spreading of the truth but for the more plain and full manifestation of it The great mysteries of Religion which under the Old Testament dispensation were more obscure as being wrapt up in types and figures which were though a shadowing of them out yet a kind of covering to them are now under the Gospel more clearly set forth without those veils in their native lustre and brightness What was then future is now come to pass What then was Prophecy is now become History So that there being as to the means more advantages for our knowledge than there was for theirs who lived in those ages we are engaged to labour after more And excepting Prophecies and immediate Revelations I see no reason why vulgar Saints may not now know more than Patriarchs did then And if they may I dare say they should 2. They that live in the Reformed World in this age of Light should abound more in knowledge than they that lived before the Reformation in the darkness of Popery A little knowledge might have gone further then than a great deal more now The means of knowledge are now much greater than 3 or 4 hundred years ago they were There is not only more humane learning abroad in the World than then there was but the Original Languages in which the Scriptures were written are better known The Word is more soundly and powerfully preached Controversies in Religion are more throughly discussed more good books are written more cases stated more errors detected and in a word many truths which though always to be found in Scripture yet were almost lost in the World in the Ignorance of those ages are anew discovered 3. They who live under better means of Instruction now should ordinarily be more knowing than such as have not the like means They that have the word preached to them more plainly powerfully frequently should know more than they who sit under an idle ignorant Ministry They that may hear a Sermon every day if they will than they that can scarce hear one Sermon in many months And so should they likewise who live in Religious Families where God is daily worshipped Children and Servants daily instructed know more than they who live under profane or ignorant Masters or Parents Rule 2 They that have more time for the gaining of knowledge are concern'd to know more than they that have less time Not only by how much the longer men enjoy such means the more they should know and more than such as have lived a less season under them Upon which account the Apostle blames the Hebrews Ch. 5.12 because when for the time they ought to be Teachers they had need that one should again teach them which were the first Principles of the Oracles of God And 2 Tim. 3.7 He speaks of some that were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth But likewise by how much more leisure men have for studying the Scriptures and attending on the means of Grace while they do enjoy them so much the more proportionably they should know They that have plentiful Estates easie employments few avocations may and therefore ought to seek after a greater measure of knowledge than they who by reason of more burdensome callings a lower condition in the World and the necessity of providing for themselves and their Families are not in a capacity of spending so much time in attending on those means whereby a greater proportion of knowledge might be gained They that have their time lying on their hands and know not how to fill it up but with enquiring after News and Fashions studying Pleasures and diversions how much knowledge might they arrive unto if they spent but half that time in studying the truth and enquiring after the things of God Rule 3. By how much the better capacities men have for the receiving of knowledge so much the more caeteris paribus they are to know They that have riper parts quicker apprehensions stronger memories a deeper reach should know more than they that are naturally more weak and less capable of learning Although I suppose there be none that have the use of their reason but they are capable of understanding so much of the things of God as is absolutely needful to Salvation and may be
premised my work shall be to shew what use and respect Baptism has unto this benefit of obtaining remission of Sins by Jesus Christ I shall do it in these considerations 1. First that God hath ever delighted to deal with his Creatures in the way of a Covenant that we might know what to expect from him and might look upon our selves as under the firmer Bonds of obedience to his blessed Majesty In a Covenant which is the most solemn transaction between Man and Man both parties are engaged God to us and we to God It is not meet that one party should be bound and the other free therefore both are bound to each other God to Bless and we to Obey Indeed in the first Covenant the debitum poenae is only mentioned because that only took place Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye But the other part is implied and it doth in effect speak thus much Do and Live Sin and Dye 2. Secondly because the first Covenant was broken on our part God was pleased to enter into a second wherein he would manifest the glory of his Redeeming grace and pardoning Mercy to fallen Man this was brought about in Christ 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and therefore this second Covenant is called a Covenant of Peace as being made with us after the breach and when Man was obnoxious to the wrath of God Isa 54.10 The Covenant of my Peace shall not be removed Man needeth such a Covenant and God appeased by Christ offereth it to us 3. Thirdly In this Covenant of Peace the Priviledges and Duties are suited to the State in which man was when God invited him into Covenant with himself Man was fallen from his Duty and obnoxious to the wrath and displeasure of God and therefore the new Covenant is a Doctrine of Repentance and Remission of Sins What is Preach the Gospel to every Creature Mark 16.16 is in Luk. 24.47 That Repentance and Remission of sins should be Preached in his Name among all Nations for that is the Gospel or the new Remedial Law of our Lord Jesus Repentance to heal us and set us in joint again as to our Duty Remission of Sins to recover us into God's favour both these benefits we have by the Redeemer Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted to give Repentance and Remission of Sins to Israel he giveth the one simply and both giveth and requireth the other so that by the New Covenant Remission of Sins is conveyed to all true Penitents Fourthly More distinctly to understand the tenour of this New and second Covenant we must consider both the Duties and the Priviledges thereof for in every Covenant there is ratio dati accepti there is something promised and given and something required and usually the Promise consists of somewhat which the Party is willing of and the Duty or Condition required of that to which he is more backward and loath to submit so in the Covenant of Grace in the Promise God respects man's want in the Duty his own Honour Every man would have pardon and be saved from Hell but God will have subjection even corrupt Nature is not against desires of Happiness these God makes use of to gain us to Holiness All men readily catch at Felicity and would have Impunity Peace Comfort Glory but are unwilling to deny the Flesh to renounce the credit profit or pleasure of Sin or to grow dead to the World and worldly things Now God promiseth what we desire on condition that we will submit to those things that we are against as we sweeten bitter Pills to Children that they may swallow them the better they love the Sugar though they loath the Alloes so doth God invite us to our Duty by our Interest Therefore whosoever would enter into the Gospel-state must resolve to take the Blessings and Benefits offered for his Happiness and the Duties required for his Work Indeed accepting of the Benefits is a part of the Condition because we treat with an invisible God about a happiness that lieth in another World but 't is but part there are other terms and therefore we must draw nigh with a true heart in full assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 With a true heart resolving upon the Duties of the Covenant in full assurance of Faith depending upon God's Word that he will give us the blessings Fifthly The Priviledges are two Pardon and Life these are the great Blessings offered in the New Covenant you have them both together Acts 26.18 To turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by Faith These two Benefits are most necessary the one to allay the Fears of the guilty Creature and the other to gratifie Desires of Happiness which are natural to us the one to remedy the misery incurr'd by Sin and the Fall of Man the other to establish our true and proper Felicity in the everlasting enjoyment of God the one to ease our Consciences and support us against troubles of mind the other to comfort us against the outward troubles and afflictions which sin hath introduced into the World In short the one to free us from deserved Punishment the other to assure us of undeserved Blessedness the one importeth Deliverance from Eternal Death and the other Entrance into Eternal Life Sixthly The Duties thereof do either concern our first entrance into the Christian state or our Progress therein Our Lord representeth it under the Notions of the Gate and the Way Mat. 7.14 Strait is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leadeth into Life Other Scriptures deliver it under the notions of making Covenant and keeping Covenant with God making Covenant Psal 50.5 keeping Covenant Psal 25.10 Psal 103.18 The Covenant must not only be made but kept I. As to entring into Covenant with God there is required true Repentance and Faith Mark 1.15 Repent and believe the Gospel Repentance respects God as our end Faith respects Christ as the great means or way to the Father Acts 20.21 Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ God is our end for Christ died to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 and Christ is our way John 14.6 and whole Christiany is a coming to God by Christ Heb. 7.25 Now in our first entrance Faith and Repentance are both mixt and it is hard to sever them and show what belongs to the one and what to the other at least it would perplex the Discourse Both together imply that a man be turn'd from a life of Sin to God by Faith in Christ or a renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh and devoting and dedicating our selves to God 1. A Renouncing of the Devil the World and the Flesh for these are the three great Enemies of God and our Salvation Eph. 2.2 3. In time past ye walked according to
Duties of the Covenant a Badge of the profession and a Bond to engage us to the Duties which that Profession calls for As the Apostle speaks of Circumcision That whosoever is circumcised is a debtor to the whole Law Gal. 5.3 binds himself to the observances of Moses So a Christian by being baptized becomes a Debtor not to the Flesh to live after the flesh c. Rom. 8.12 And 't is called an Answer towards God 1 Pet. 3.21 the answer supposes the demands of the Covenant and so 't is an undertaking faithfully to perform the Conditions required of us a Vow or an Obligation whereby we reckon our selves bound to dye unto Sin and to live unto Righteousness through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.11 It bindeth us chiefly to the Duties that belong to our entrance as the Lord's Supper doth more directly to the Duties which belong to our progress it bindeth us to a true belief of the Gospel or an acceptance of Christ and consent to the Covenant of Grace to renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh and to give up our selves unto God and therefore the Baptismal Covenant by which we are initiated into Christianity is exprest by our being Baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Matth. 28.19 which implies a giving up our selves to them in their distinct personal Relations To the Father that we may return to him and obey him as our rightful Lord that we may love him and depend upon him as the Fountain of all our good and all-sufficient happiness and prefer his favour before all the sensual pleasures of the World We are Baptized in the Name of Christ that we may believe in him accept him as our Saviour and Redeemer expecting to be saved by his Merits Righteousness and Intercession from the Wrath of God and Guilt of Sin and eternal Death To the Holy Ghost as our Guide Sanctifier and Comforter that he may free us from Sin change us into the image and likeness of Christ and lead us into all truth and godliness and comfort us with the sense of our present interest in God's love and the hopes of future glory Eighthly These visible confirming Ordinances give us great advantages above the Word and bare proposal of the Covenant 1. As these sealing Signs are an expression of God's earnest and sincere respect to our Salvation God hath opened his mind in his Word concerning his love and good will to Sinners in Christ and he hath also added his Seal that the Charter of his Grace might be more valid and authentick It argueth the goodness and communicativeness of God to give notice in his Word but his solicitousness and anxious care for our good to give visible assurance in the Sacraments as being willing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over and above to satisfie the Heirs of Promise If a man be more than ordinarily cautious to make all sure it is a sign his heart is upon the thing Surely 't is a great condescension that God would dispose his grace into a Covenant-form but 't is a further condescension that he would add Seals which needed not on his part but he added them to give us the more strong consolation Nudum pactum a naked Promise is not so valid and authentick as when Articles of Agreement are put into a formal Instrument and Deed of Law and that sign'd and seal'd and interchangeably delivered this breeds more confidence and security on both sides God's Word certifieth us of his good will but when he is pleased to make a formal Indenture of it and to sign it and seal it it doth breed more assurance in our minds that his Promises are made with a real intent to perform them and bindeth us the more firmly to God when besides our naked Promise there is a kind of Vow and Oath on our part solemnly entered into by Baptism 2. There is this Advantage in the Sacraments above the Word that they are a closer Application The Word speaks to all promisâ—uously as inviting the Sacraments to every one in particular as obliging By the Word none are excluded from the Grace offered upon God's terms Go preach the Gospel to every Creature but by the Sacraments every one is expresly admonished of his Duty The Object revealed in the Word is like the Brazen Serpent which without difference was exposed to the Eye of all that whosoever looked upon it might be healed but the same Object offered in the Sacraments is like the blood sprinkled on the Door-posts that every man might be assured that his Family should be in safety Now the reason of this difference is because things propounded in the Word are like a Treaty between God and us or an offer and a debating of matters till the parties do agree But Sacraments are not of use till both sides have agreed upon the Conditions of the Covenant In Adults at least the Word conduceth to the making of the Covenant but Sacraments suppose it made therefore the Word universally propoundeth that which in the Seals is particularly applied Now those things do not affect us so much which are spoken indifferently to all as those that are particularly applied to our selves because they stir us up to a more accurate care and endeavour to fulfil the Duty incumbent upon us The Conditions are propounded in the Word Repent and believe and I will pardon and give thee eternal life But the Sacraments suppose an Actual consent that thou hast done or undertaken so to do and then God comes and saith Take this as an undoubted pledge that thou shalt have what I have promised which doth more encrease our Hope and perswade our Duty 3. By these Sealing Signs we are solemnly invested into a right to the things promised as when we are put in possession of what we have bargained for by due formalities of Law This is my Body that is our solemn Investiture into the Priviledges purchased by Christ's Crucified Body A Believer receiveth Christ in the Word John 1.12 and he receiveth Christ in the Lord's Supper What 's the difference There his right is solemnly owned and confirmed in the way which God hath appointed As soon as a man consents to a Bargain he hath an Interest in the thing bargained for but the right is made more explicite when 't is delivered to him by some formalities of Law as an House by a Key a Field by a Turf or Twig in such delivery we say This Key is my House this Turf or Twig is my Field So are we put in possession of Christ by these words This is my Body Every peninent and believing Sinner hath a right to Christ and Pardon but his solemn Enfeoffment is by the Sacraments Repent and be Baptized every one of you for the Remission of Sins or as it is Acts 22.14 Arise and be Baptized for the washing away of thy Sins God gave Abraham the Land of Promise by word of mouth but Gen. 13. he bids him go
mind be tired with sucking one object it can with the bee presently fasten upon another Senses are weary till they have a new recruit of spirits as the poor horse may sink under his burden when the rider is as violent as ever Thus old men may change their outward profaneness into mental wickedness and as the Psalmist remembred his old songs * Psal 77.5 6. so they their calcin'd sins in the night with an equal pleasure So that you see there may be a thousand thoughts as ushers and lacqueys to one act as numerous as the sparks of a new lighted fire 2. In regard of the Objects the mind is conversant about Such thoughts there are and attended with a heavy guilt which cannot probably no nor possibly descend into outward acts A man may in a complacent thought commit fornication with a woman in Spain in a covetous thought rob another in the Indies and in a revengeful thought stab a third in America and that while he is in this Congregation An unclean person may commit a mental folly with every beauty he meets A covetous man cannot plunder a whole Kingdom but in one twinkling of a thought he may wish himself the possessor of all the estates in it A Timon a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot cut the throats of all the world but like Nero with one glance of his heart he may chop off the heads of all mankind at a blow Ambitious men's practices are confined to a small spot of land but with a cast of his mind he may grasp an Empire as large as the four Monarchies A beggar cannot ascend a throne but in his thoughts he may pass the Guards murder his Prince and usurp the Government Nay further an Atheist may think there is no God Psal 14.1 i. e. as some interpret it wish there were no God and thus in thought undeifie God himself though he may sooner dash heaven and earth in pieces than accomplish it The body is confined to one object and that narrow and proportionable to its nature but the mind can wing it self to various objects in all parts of the earth Where it finds none it can make one for phancy can compact several objects together coyn an image colour a picture and commit folly with it when it hath done It can nestle it self in cobwebs spun out of its own bowels 3. In respect of Strength Imaginations of the heart are only i. e. purely evil The nearer any thing is in union with the root the more radical strength it hath The first ebullitions of light and heat from the Sun are more vigorous than the remoter beams and the steams of a dunghil more noysom next that putrified body than when they are dilated in the air Grace is stronger in the heart-operations than in the outward streams and sin more soul in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart than in the act In the Text the outward wickedness of the world is passed over with a short expression but the Holy Ghost dwells upon the description of the wicked imagination because there lay the mass Mans * Psal 5 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inward part is very wickednesses a whole nest of vipers Thoughts are the immediate spawn of the original corruption and therefote partake more of the strength and nature of it Acts are more distant being the children of our thoughts but the Grand-children of our natural pravity Besides they lye nearest to that wickedness in the inward part sucking the breast of that poysonous dam that bred them The strength of our thoughts is also reinforced by being kept in for want of opportunity to act them as liquors in close glasses ferment and encrease their spriteliness Musing either carnal or spiritual makes the †Psal 39.3 fire burn the hotter as the fury of fire is doubled by being pent in a furnace Outward acts are but the sprouts the sap and juice lies in the wicked imagination or contrivance which hath a strength in it to produce a thousand fruits as poysonous as the former The members are the instruments or * Rom. 6.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weapons of unrighteousness now the whole strength which doth manage the weapon lyes in the arm that wields it the weapon of it self could do no hurt without a force imprest Let me add this too that sin in thoughts is more simply sin In acts there may be some occasional good to others for a good man will make use of the sight of sin committed by others to encrease his hatred of it but in our sinful thoughts there it no occasion of good to others they lying lock'd up from the view of man 4. In respect of Alliance In these we have the nearest communion with the Devil The understanding of man is so tainted that his †Jam. 3.15 wisdom the chiefest flower in it is not only earthly and sensual it were well if it were no worse but devillish too If the flower be so rank what are the weeds 1 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 10.5 Satan's devices and our thoughts are of the same nature and sometimes in Scripture exprest by the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As he hath his devices so have we against the authority of God's law the power of the Gospel and the Kingdom of Christ The Devils are call'd spiritual wickednesses because they are not capable of carnal sins Ephes 6.12 Prophaneness is an Uniformity with the world and intellectual sins are an Uniformity with the God of it 1 Ephes 2.2.3 v. 3. There is a double walking answerable to a double pattern in v. 2. Fulfilling the desires of the flesh is a walking according to the course of this world or making the world our copy and fulfilling the desires of the mind is a walking according to the Prince of the power of the air or a making the Devil our pattern In carnal sins Satan is a tempter in mental an actor Therefore in the one we are conformed to his will in the other we are transformed into his likeness In outward we evidence more of obedience to his laws in inward more of affection to his person as all imitations of others are Therefore there is more of enmity to God because more of similitude and love to the Devil a nearer approach to the Diabolical nature implying a greater distance from the Divine Christ never gave so black a character as that of the Devil's children to the prophane world but to the Pharisees who had left the sins of men to take up those of Devils and were most guilty of those high imaginations which ought to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 5. In respect of contrariety and odiousness to God Imaginations were only evil and so most directly contrary to God who is only good Rom. 8.7 Our natural enmity against God is seated in the mind The sensitive part aims at its own gratification and in mens serving their
Christians How many are there that are full of rage one against another for being either for a Form of Prayer or against it either for the Ceremonies or against them that never searched into the state of the Controversie and never took pains to examine the Arguments on both sides which in all reason they ought to have done or else at least to have restrained their Tongues from such unreasonable and sinful censures and reproaches These I say are the Persons that are most guilty nay upon the matter the only guilty Persons except such whom base Lust and Interest doth corrupt and work to these animosities 5. Converse much with your selves It is want of business at home in mens own hearts that makes them ramble so much abroad and rake into the Lives of others Study your selves more and other men less Did you search your own hearts and lives you would find so much cause of self-judging and self-abhorring that you would have little cause to despise others and much cause of compassion towards others 6. Judg of others as you would do of your selves and your own Actions It is worth our consideration what a great difference there is between the Judgment men pass upon themselves and other men As for themselves all their Errors are but small mistakes and all their sins against God however attended with ugly circumstances of light of consent of the will custom and allowance yet they are but sins of Infirmity if themselves may be Judges in their own Cause Their injuries to men are but small and trivial offences and they do indeed expect both from God and Man a Pardon of course which if they have not they judg God tobe harsh and severe Men to be cruel and implacable But when they come to pass Judgment upon other Men the Tables are turned some mistakes are damnable delusions and all their sins against God which they can observe are evidences of a naughty heart and inconsistent with Grace and the Offences of others against them are inexcusable and intolerable great affronts and Indignities whereas on the contrary thou shouldest as it was said of a great Man Be severe to thy self and Candid to others Because thou knowest more wickedness by thy self and more aggravation of thy own sins than of all the sins that are in the World But at least all the reason and Justice in the World requires this that thou shouldest weigh thy self and others in the same Balance that thou shouldest try thy own and their Actions by the same Touch-stone and more need not be done Thou who art so prone to flatter thy self wouldest certainly be more indulgent to other men and pass a more favourable construction upon their Actions What Light must shine in our Works Serm. XXII Matth. 5.16 Let your Light so shine before Men that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven THE Work designed for this time is to resolve this practical Case What is that Light which must shine before Men in the Works of Christ's Disciples for the Glorifying of God But the Explication of the Text is therein included The Son of Righteousness Jesus Christ who giveth Light to every one that cometh into the World or coming into the World giveth Light to all from his fulness hath bespangled the Inferiour Heavens his Church with many fulgent Stars appointed freely to communicate the Heavenly light which they had freely received In his corporal presence he prepared them and his Spirit having moved on the darkned World he unresistably said at the descent of the Holy Ghost Let there be Light and there was Light beginning at Jerusalem but not fixed to any determinate place But what he gave them necessarily and antecedently they were to Exercise as Free Agents by a command more resistable which here he gives them Having told them their Office and given them their Names v. 14. Ye are the Lights of the World he next tells them how they must be useful They must be conspicuous 1. Because the Church where they are placed is like a City on a Hill which cannot be hid 2. Because it 's the end of him that lighteth them and sets them up not to put them under a Bushel but on a Candlestick to give light to all his House And therefore no men's silencing or prohibitions no difficulties or sufferings will excuse them from their Duty Lights they are and Shine they must But lest they should think that it is Preaching only which he meaneth he here commanding them their Duty lets them know that the splendour of Christianity is in Works as well as Words And thereby giveth us cause to think that it is all his Disciples or Christians that he speaketh to though first and eminently to the Apostles and Teachers of the World 1. By Light he meaneth both the Illuminating knowledg which must be uttered by Words and the Splendour or Glory of Holiness which must be refulgent in their Lives 2. He calls it Your Light as being their own in his Graces as the Subjects and their own in Exercise as the Actors though both under him 3. It must Shine that is Appear in its splendour for the Illumination and conviction of the World 4. It must So shine as is fittest to attain these ends It is not every twinkling that will answer their great obligations 5. It must be Before men that is both those within and especially those without the Church that are but Men. 6. It must be a Light shining in Good Works and their Own Works For that is the grand difference between the Disciples of Christ and others He teacheth them not only to know and talk well but to Do well And he maketh men such as he Teacheth them to be Non magna loquimur sed vivimus said Tertullian 7. That Men may see doth signifie both the necessary refulgent quality of their Works and also the end of God and them 8. But it is not Hypocritical ostentation of what they are not nor of what they are and have as for their own Glory to be honoured and praised of Men but for the Glorifying of God Who is called their Father to shew their obligation to him and to encourage them by the honour and comfort of their Relation and to shew why their Works will tend to the glorifying of God even because they are so nearly related to him And he is said to be in Heaven because there he appeareth operatively in his Glory to the beautifying of Holy Spirits As the Soul is said to be in the Head and we look a man in the face when we talk to him as if there principally we saw the Man because it is in the Head that it operateth by Reason So much of the meaning of the Words Many Doctrines the Text affordeth us as 1. Christ's Disciples are the Lights of the World both in the splendour of Wisdom and Holiness 2. Their most eminent and convincing splendour is in
what the good works are which we must be alwayes ready to To speak evil of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness to all men Tit. 3.1 2. The Scripture speaks more of this than I have leisure to recite See Gal. 5.23 and 6.1 1 Tim. 6.11 and 2 Tim. 2.25 1 Pet. 3.15 Jam. 3.13 Zeph. 2.3 Isa 29.19 Psal 141.4 and 76.9 and 147.6 and 37.11 3. And Patience both towards God and Man is a necessary Companion of Humility and Meekness This greatly differeth from Natural dulness and an insensible temperature When a man's Soul is partly so much awed by God's Authority and Presence and partly so much taken up with the great matters of his Service and partly so much contented with his favour and grace and the hopes of glory as to make light of all the Interests of the Flesh as such and therefore to bear patiently such losses and crosses and wants and sufferings as touch the Flesh as taking it for no great matter to lose all the World if we save our Souls this is true Patience by which God is glorified For by this men will see that Christians have indeed such great things in their hopes as set them quite above the transitory things of the Flesh and World But when they are much troubled at every Cross and Loss and whine and complain as if they were undone if they live in Poverty or Reproach and are at their wit's end in every danger and fret and storm at every ill word or every one that wrongeth them they are the shame of their Profession and scandals to the World It is not a sudden Anger which is the great sin of Impatience but an impotent disability to suffer in the Flesh in Estate or Name and a repining under every want which sheweth a Fleshly Worldly mind and a want of true believing the heavenly Felicity Though I confess that Pity must make some Excuse for many poor Women whose Natural temper maketh their Passions troubles and fears invincible He that said In your Patience possess your souls doth intimate that we have lost our selves and the government order and Peace of our Souls when we have lost our Patience Luke 21.19 See Eccl. 7.8 Jam. 5.7 8. 1 Pet. 2.20 1 Thes 5.14 Be patient towards all men 1 Tim. 6.11 Col. 1.11 Whatever Zeal you seem to have in Prayer in Preaching and for purity of Worship if you can bear wants and sickness and the loss of all the World no better than others you will appear no better in their Eyes for if you faint in the day of Adversity your strength is small Prov. 20.10 XII And as a special fruit of Humility An easie and thankful bearing of Reproof and readiness to confess a fault upon due conviction is a necessary duty to the Honouring of God It will shew men that you are Enemies to sin indeed and that you are not Hypocrites who weed only their Neighbours Fields and see the Mote in another's Eye and not the Beam which is in your own If the Righteous smite us by Reproofs it must be taken as a kindness and as a precious Balsome which doth not break our Head but heal us Psal 141.5 Not that we are bound to belye our selves in compliance with every man's censorious humour that will accuse us but we must be readier to censure our selves than others and readier to confess a fault than to expect a confession from others whom we Reprove Sincerity and serious Repentance will be honourable in that Person who is most careful to avoid sin and most ready penitently to confess it when he hath been overcome and truly thankful to those that call him to Repentance as being more desirous that God and his Laws and Religion have the glory of their Holiness than that he himself should have the undue glory of Innocency and escape the deserved shame of his sin It is one of the most dangerous Diseases of Professors and greatest scandals of this Age that Persons taken for eminently Religious are more impatient of plain though just reproof than many a Drunkard Swearer or Fornicator And when they have spent hours or dayes in the seeming earnest Confession of their sin and lament before God and Man that they cannot do it with more grief and tears yet they take it for a hainous injury in another that will say half so much against them and take him for a malignant Enemy of the godly who will call them as they call themselves They look that the chief business of a Preacher should be to praise them and set them above the rest as the only People of God and they take him for an Enemy that will tell them the truth But the scandal is greatest in those Preachers themselves who cannot endure to hear that they are sinners So tender and impatient of Reproof are some yea some that for their Learning and Preaching and Piety are ranked in the highest form or expect to be so that almost nothing but flattery or praise can please them and they can hardly bear the gentlest Reproof no nor a contradiction of any of their Opinions But they seem to tell men that it is their part and priviledge to be the Reprovers of others and to have no Reprover and to tell other men of sin and be themselves accounted Innocent and to call other men to Repentance for Particular sins while they themselves must have no other Repentance than in general to say that they a sinners and to proclaim to all that their Publick Confessions are formalities and that it is a Christ to heal the Souls of others that they Preach while they acknowledge but little work for his remedies on themselves But he that refuseth reproof doth err and he that hateth it is brutish how Learned or Reverend or Pious soever he would be accounted Prov. 11.17 and 12.1 He that regardeth reproof is prudent and he that hateth it shall die Prov. 15.5 10. As ready humble penitent confession of sin doth tend to our Pardon from God so doth it tend to our acceptation with Man When God and Man will condemn the Pharisee that justifies himself till Confession be extorted from him XIII It is another very Honourable fruit of Humility to have a learning disposition and not to be Magisterial and to be swift to hear and slâ—w to speak All Christ's Disciples must be as little Children Matth. 18.3 4. especially in a learning teachable disposition A Child doth not use to set his wit against his Master's or any other that will teach him nor to rise up against instruction as a Disputer that must have the better and be accounted the wisest but his daily business is submissively to learn A Genuine Christian is indeed communicative and willing that others should partake with him in the wisdom and happiness which God hath revealed to him But he is ready first to learn himself and knoweth that he must receive before he can communicate And
our Father What can be more orderly and harmonious than for the will of the creature to move according to the Creator s Will and to be duly subservient to it and accurately compliant with it What can be more Holy nay what else is Holiness but a will and life devoted and conformed to the Will of God What can be more safe or what else can be safe at all but to will the same things which the most perfect Wisdom doth direct to and infinite love it self doth chuse And what can be more easie and quieting to the Soul than to rest in that Will which is always good which never was misguided and never chose amiss and never was frustrated or mist of its decreed ends If we have no will but what is objectively the same with God's that is if we wholly comply with and follow his will as our Guide and rest in his will as our ultimate end our wills will never be disordered sinful misled or frustrate God hath all that he willeth absolutely and is never disappointed And so should we if we could will nothing but what he willeth And would you not take him unquestionably for a happy man who hath whatsoever he would have Yea and would have nothing but what is more just and good There is no way to this Happiness but making the Will of God our will God will not mutably change his Will to bring it to ours Should Holiness it self be conformed to sinners and perfection to imperfection But we must by Grace bring over our wills to God's and then they are in joynt and then only will they find content and rest O what would I beg more earnestly in the World than a will conformed wholly to God's Will and cast into that Mould and desiring nothing but what God willeth But contrarily What can be more foolish than for such Infants and ignorant Souls as we to will that which Infinite Wisdom is against What more dishonourable than to be even at the very Heart so contrary or unlike to God What can be more irregular and unjust than for a created Worm to set his will against his Maker's What else is sin but a will and life that is cross to the regulating Will of God What can be more perillous and pernicious than to forsake a perfect unerring Guide and to follow such ignorant judgments as our own in matters of Eternal consequence What can that Soul expect but a restless state in an uncomfortable Wilderness yea perpetual self-vexation and despair who forsakes God's Will to follow his own and hath a will that doth go cross to God's Poor self-tormenting sinners consider that your own wills are your Idols which you set up against the Will of God and your own wills are the Tyrants to which you are in bondage your own wills are your Prison and the Executioners that torment you with fear and grief and disappointments What is it that you are afraid of but lest you miss of your own wills For sure you fear not lest God's Will should be overcome and frustrate What are your cares about but this What are your sighs and groans and tears for And what is it else that you complain of but that your own wills are not fulfilled It is not that God hath not his Will What is it that you are so impatient of but the crossing of your own wills This person crosseth them and that accident crosseth them and God crosseth them and you cross them your selves and crost they will be while they are cross to the Will of God For all this while they are as a bone out of joynt there is no ease till it be set right In a word a will that is contrary to God's Will and striveth and struggleth against it is the Off-spring of the Devil the sum of all sin and a fore-taste of Hell even a restless self-tormenter And to will nothing but what God willeth and to love his will and study to please him and rest therein is the rectitude and only Rest of Souls and he that cannot rest contentedly in the Will of God must be for ever restless And when such a Holy will and contentment appeareth in you mankind will reverence it and see that your Natures are Divine and as they dare not reproach the Will of God so they will fear to speak evil of yours When they see that you chuse but what God first chuseth for you and your wills do but follow the Will of God men will be afraid of provoking God against them as blasphemers if they should scorn deride or vilifie you And could we convince all men that our course is but the same which God commandeth it would do much to stop their reproach and persecution And if they see that we can joyfully suffer reproach or poverty or pains or death and joyfully pass away to God when he shall call us and live and die in a contented complacency in the Will of God they will see that you have a beginning of Heaven on Earth which no Tyrant no loss or cross or suffering can deprive you of while you can joyfully say The Will of the Lord be done Act. 21.14 Object But if it be God's Will for sin to punish me or forsake me should I contentedly rest in that revenging Will Answ 1. That sin of ours which maketh us uncapable objects of the complacential Will of God is evil and to be hated But that Will of God which is terminated on such an object according to the nature of it by just hatred is good and should be loved And punishment is hurtful to us but God's Will and Justice is good and amiable 2. If you will close with God's Will you need not fear his Will If your will be unfeignedly to obey his commanding Will and to be and do what he would have you his Will is not to condemn or punish you But if God's Will prescribe you a holy life and your will rebel and be against it no wonder if God's Will be to punish you when your wills would not be punished Joh. 1.13 Heb. 10.10 Joh. 7.17 Luk. 12.47 XX. It glorifieth God and Religion in the World when Christians are faithful in all their Relations and diligently endeavour the sanctifying and happiness of all the Societies which they are members of I. Holy Families well ordered do much glorifie God and keep up Religion in the World 1. When Husbands live with their Wives in wisdom holiness and love and Wives are pious obedient meek and peaceable Eph. 5.22 25. Col. 3.18 19. yea unto such Husbands as obey not the Word that without the Word they may be won by the conversation of the Wives 1 Pet. 3.1 2. 2. When Parents make it their great and constant care and labour with all holy skill and love and diligence to educate their Children in the fear of God and the love of goodness and the practice of a holy life and to save them from sin and the
not and therefore as for all those Actions they did for the Church of God though God did gain Honour by them yet they did not honour God nor were they accepted of him because they were not in Christ Vse of Exhort To study the Name of the Lord Jesus for by how much the more we know of his Name by so much the more we shall trust in him Psal 9.10 It is the Name which is above every Name Phil. 2.9 His Name is as sweet precious Ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 The richest Treasuries of Grace are laid up in that Name of Christ John 1.16 Study it that you may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the height and depth c. of it that you may be filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.18 19. There is a surpassing Excellency as in that Name so in the knowledge of it Phil. 3.8 for by this knowledge we come to the fairest and clearest discoveries of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ the Lord shines into the hearts of such Students and communicates a glorious Light unto them We come by this knowledge as to see into the Treasuries of Grace in him so to possess and enjoy them and this knowledge carries Eternal Life with it John 17.3 The next Use is of Reproof 1. Too many of great parts Learning and Worth yet have ambitiously affected a great name in the Church and in the World to gain followers and make a party to be cry'd up as teaching Men Mat. 23.8 9 10. This was it which Christ saw was a very prevailing evil among the Scribes and Pharisees and utterly decried it saying be not called Rabbi Rabbi that is do not affect to be so called or through Pride and Ambition delight in these Titles Augustine was a Person of great Piety and Parts and he abhorred this Spiritual preheminency which he took notice of in many in his time who took up their Religion and Faith upon trust and upon the Credit of some Men of great name in the Church non ad 〈…〉 nomen ambulo said he Christi nomen tenea pertâ—em si essem de pâ—â—te pauli â—â—â—omodo non per irem si essem ex parte Donatâ— recedâ—â—t 〈…〉 I walk not according to the names 〈◊〉 Titles 〈…〉 of Christ I should perish if I took 〈…〉 more under the name of Donatus away 〈…〉 the same Augustine in Soliloquio speaking of Christ saith vocast◠〈◊〉 nâ—mine tuo signasti me sanguine tuo unxisti me oleo tuo de quo a ictus fuist at à te Christo dicerer Christianus Thou hast signed me with thy Blood thou hast called me by thy Name I have been anointed by thee and from Christ I am a Christian And Luther Tom. 2. Wittemb saith primum oro nomen meum taceatur nemo Lutheranus sed Christianus appelletur Quid est Lutherus atqui Doctrina non est mea nec pro quopiam sum Crucifixus Vnde mihi putido vermium Sacco hoc accideret ut filii Christi à meo vilissimo nomine denominentur Absit amici deleamus Schismatica nomina denominemur à Christo cujus Doctrinam habemus I desire first that my name may be concealed and that none should be called a Lutheran but a Christian What is Luther my Doctrine is not mine but Christs I was not crucified for any How comes it to pass that I who am but a filthy stinking bag of Worms that any of the Sons of Christ should be denominated from my Name Away with these Schismatical names let us be denominated from Christ from whom alone we have our Doctrine This very thing of affectation of a Name and Fame in the Church hath been very pernicious The greatest Heresies have been owned propagated and maintained upon this account as _____ L. 1. C. 20. tells us the Simonians from Simon Magus and Justin Martyr in his Dialogue saith some have been call'd Marcionites others Valentinians others Bazilidians * _____ some by one name some by another from their first Founders But Lactantius tells us l. 4. de vera sapientia when once men come under such denominations Christiani esse desierunt qui Christi nomine amisso humana externa vocabula induerunt they cease to be Christians when they come under humane names and titles in matters of Religion and therefore Paul would have none follow him further than he followed Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 He rejects the honours which some would have put upon him with an indignation some affected to be call'd by his and other great names in the Church 1 Cor. 1.12 13. Some said they were of Paul c. but when he comes to speak as to himself he speaks with an abhorrence that any should set up his name with Christs What was Paul crucified for you or were you baptized into the name of Paul God forbid that any should be guilty of so great a sin as to come under that denomination 2. Others are to be blamed even the generality of Professors that having taken the Name of Christ upon them and are called by his Name are a reproach to this high and holy Name who are so far from doing all things in the Name of Christ as they do nothing in his Name but do live against that Name they do not depart from iniquity as every Christian upon that account ought to do 2 Tim. 2.19 How many say they are Christians but are not Rev. 3.9 He calls it Blasphemy in them that said they were Jews that is Christians but were not they pretended indeed to be true Christians but held such Doctrines and lived in such lewd sinful practices as were opposite to Christ Such persons profane the sacred Name of Christ who live in such a way as cast a blot and imputation upon him Christians as such should be so far from the practice even of such sins as many have very light thoughts of that they must not so much as name them Eph. 5.3 4. Fornication Uncleanness and Covetousness must not so much as be named by them The Lord Christ and his Gospel suffer more by Christians that bear his Name than by others that despise him they open the mouths of the enemy to blaspheme the holy Name of Christ and the Religion of Christ Jam. 2.7 They blaspheme that worthy Name by which they are called He had spoken before of some Professors who had the Faith of the Lord Jesus with respect of persons v. 1 2 and 6. proud rich ones that did oppress others such men by their wicked practices did blaspheme the Name of Christ by such practices they did cast a blot and scandal upon the Religion which they did profess and by that means caused others to blaspheme the Name of Christ To the like purpose Paul speaks concerning the Jews who were high pretenders to the Law yet lived in the continual breach of it Rom. 2.24 Through them the Name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles
the more conspicuous and glorious Hence are those commendations of grace where it is in any eminency So great faith no not in Israel Mat. 8.10 O woman great is thy faith Mat. 15.28 The Scriptures do exhort us to grow in every grace Let these things be in you and abound 2 Pet. 1.8 1 Thess 4.1 More and more we can never have too much Paul prayes Rom. 15.13 that we may abound in hope Presumption does not lye in having too high thoughts of the mercy of God in Christ for that is infinite beyond all our conceptions but in a vain expectation of that from God which is inconsistent with his justice and holiness and contrary to his revealed will 't is not the Great hope but the Groundless hope that is presumption therefore tell the Devil to his face thou wilt hope more and more Psal 71.14 That thy hope is a growing hope so far from being too great that thou dost judge it yet too little daily praying for its further increase this is the way to quench those fiery darts We may observe that when temptations do work so contrary to the Devils intentions that instead of drawing us into evil they incite us to more watchfulness and prove occasions of good and provocations to duty they presently vanish and die the Devil would have it so and usually it is so unless God by a special hand do continue us under them for the further exercise of grace 2. If thy Hope be small and weak the Devil will call it Despair he would make thee believe a little grace is no grace he will argue from thy weakness in grace to thy total want of it If under such temptation thou findest thy spirit sinking ready to faint away rouze up thy self and bespeak thy Soul as David did Why art thou cast down O my soul and take these following directions 1. Consider it is not the degree of grace but the truth of grace to which Salvation is promised 2. Put a just value and estimate upon the lowest degree of grace that it may not seem contemptible and as nothing in thy sight 't is more worth than the whole world a pearl of great price 3. Labour to distinguish aright between the weakness of thy grace and the grace it self that is under that weakness and whilest thou art mourning under one be sure you rejoyce in the other do not throw away one corn with the chaff do not sweep up one groat with the dust behind the door but light thy candle and find it out don't bury thy talent because 't is a single one but be faithful over a little and thou shalt be made ruler over many things Mat. 15.21 4. Consider the many promises that are made to the lowest degree of grace if there be any good thing in thy heart towards the Lord thy God he accepts of the Will for the Deed of the day of small things he will not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised reed to whom little is given of them little is requir'd the widow's mite is a great deal in the account of God Therefore think and judg of thy self not according to any thing inherent in thee be it more or less but according to the measure of acceptance thou hast with God 't is his kindness that makes thee great 2 Sam. 22.36 his favour is better than life if he hath wrought that in thee which is beautiful in his fight why should you so much except against his workmanship as to blot all out again drawing the black lines of dismal despair upon the comely features of true and saving hope though weak and small for the present the high esteem God hath of the lowest degree of true grace in his Saints should make them not to droop so much under it but rather be better pleased with what God is so well pleased with 5. Consider how ill God takes it of his children when they suffer them selves to be perswaded by the Devil out of all good liking and esteem of those smaller measures of grace that God hath given them when they are brought out of conceit of themselves and of every thing that God hath done for them as if their case were now desperate Why saist thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God Isa 40.27 Let me speak my thoughts out My brethren to deny the least measure of grace in us or to us against plain demonstrations and evidences brought to convince us of it is a kind of denying Christ himself which we would be loath to be guilty of for a thousand worlds and yet may not Christ say I have sent in provision into such a soul and have often invited my self to come and sup with him I have come into my garden to gather my myrrh and to eat of my pleasant fruits which my own hand had planted there Cantic 5.1 But I had no entertainment no welcome they would be known of nothing that ever they had from me plead nothing but poverty and bare walls and did I not know it to be otherwise that I have laid in a sufficiency of grace and that there is that in the house which I love and could feed heartily upon I should not take it ill that they set nothing before me but 't is great unkindness not to give me of my own not to entertain me at my own cost but to tell me to my face that all my fruit is rotten fruit all my meat unsavoury meat all my wine adulterated wine nothing fit for them or me to feed upon all is stark nought they are never the better for any thing I have yet done for them to seek of every thing their faith is dead their hope is presumption or else quite vanished into despair their love is cold and false every grace is counterfeit Christ must needs take this very ill many of the Children of God are greatly guilty in this thing I would press this consideration upon those who do too too much indulge themselves in these despondencies still multiplying objections against themselves and meditating evasions how to put off Christ and the promises how to distinguish themselves out of the favour of God I know there is a great deal of pity and commiseration due to such but when other meanes will not prevail they must not take it ill if we endeavour to fright them out of their fears and doubts telling them plainly what an offence what an affront it is to Christ to have all his kindnesses overlook'd and slighted as nothing worth by a froward habitual querulous scrupulosity which is jealous of every thing but it self 6. When the Devil is urging thee to conclude thy weak hope to be down-right Despair instead of disputing with the Devil about the truth of any grace labour through the help of the Spirit to act it in that degree which thou hast attained then if it be as a
Divine meditation Faith is enlarged and grows up by converse with divine objects meditate upon these things 1. Christ's Deity Be well stored with Scriptural knowledg of this great truth set thy heart to it and let it be fixed in the midst of thy heart assure your selves that the eternal Godhead of Jesus is the most practical point in Heaven and will be so while Heaven is Heaven 2. Be intimately acquainted with Christ's righteousness that it is the only righteousness that can present us holy unreprovable unblameable in God's sight that it was his business in the world to bring in this everlasting righteousness that it is done and finished that he hath nothing to do with this righteousness now in Heaven but to cloath us with to present us in before God 3. Meditate on God's righteousness that it is not only his will but his nature to punish sin sin must damn thee without Christ there is not only a possibility or probability that sin may ruine but without an interest in Christ it must do so whet much upon thy heart that must God cannot but hate sin because he is holy and he cannot but punish sin because he is righteous God must not forego his own nature to gratifie our humors 8. Direct Be well skilled and settled as it becomes a Christian in the great article of justification before God thy Faith and duties and comforts depend might and main upon this Know that no servant of God be he Abraham Moses or Paul if God enter into judgment with him can stand justified in his sight God will not justifie us without a righteousness and that righteousness must be unblamable and therefore in all numbers perfect God will not call that perfect which is not so for his judgment is according to truth Rom. 2.2 where shall we find this perfect righteousness but in Christ who is Jehovah our righteousness Jer. 23.6 and made of God to us righteousness 1 Cor. 1.30 how shall this become ours but by imputation Rom. 4.6 how shall we receive this gift of righteousness but by Faith Rom. 5.17 be well skilled in the good old way go in the foot steps of the flock and feed besides the shepherds tents Believe it Sirs there is no way but Christ unto the Father his blood is that new and living way Heb. 10.19 there is no standing in God's presence but in him no acceptance but by him no comfort but from him Be wise and wary there are many adversaries Only give me leave to say this I think that the Socinians had never set up man's obedience for his righteousness if they had not with wicked hands quantum in illis first pulled down Chist's Deity and as they are abhorred for this blasphemy of blasphemies so I cannot abide them for dawbing over man's obedience in this affair so deceitfully and deceivingly viz. in saying it is not only causa sine quâ non in our justification as if the material cause or the matter which God imputes for righteousness were only a poor causa sine quâ non but no more now of this jugling 9. Direct If you would preserve a right understanding of the nature of Faith take heed of advancing it into Christ's place as if God should impute the act of Faith for righteousness or that God should impute Faith and obedience as the condition or matter of our righteousness and not Christ's obedience for both cannot be imputed if God imputed Christ's obedience then not ours if ours then not Christ's The nature of Faith consists in coming to Christ for righteousness and pardon only the man hurt with the fiery sting looks to the brazen Serpent for cure Fides que that Faith which is justifying takes in Christ as Lord with all the heart but qua justificat in the business of justifitation qua sic it looks only to Christ as crucified This plain old distinction will stand If the nature of Faith did consist in Christianity I say if this were true I believe all believers could be contented to have it so for any harm they should have by it for they willingly devote themselves to the obedience of God only they cannot make this Faith or Christianity to be the condition or matter of justification for this were to fall from grace to make of none effect the death of Christ and to drive Christianity and comfort out of the world 10. Direct Get and keep this Faith specially by a constant and conscionable living in duty and living above it Say to the commandements you are my rule and love and joy to Christ thou art my life Col. 3.4 'T is the height of Christianity to live in duties and to live above them 'T is quickly said 't is an easie matter to distinguish in the Schools or pulpit but to distinguish in the conscience practically to distinguish is not so easie qui novit distinguere inter legem evangelium sciat se esse edoctum à Deo Had I all the holiness of the Saints from the beginning to this day I would bless God for the least and prize it above all treasures yet I would lay all aside and be found in Christ In the midst of thy duties ask thy soul the question soul what is thy title thy plea If I were to dye this day what have I to plead in what shall I stand before God what have I to plead why I should not perish in hell ask thy self what is thy righteousness ask it solemnly frequently is it not Christ and he only this would much conduce to confirm thy Faith such a Faith that would bring in comfort The thoughts of this so affected Dr. Mollius that he seldom names Jesus with dry eyes 11. Direct Be much in secret prayer ejaculations this will breed acquaintance and that comfort the non exercise of this breeds a strangeness between God and the soul and that 's uncomfortable This and meditation who can hinder The soul is active breathings and thoughts are quick it is soon done it will never hinder your business and in this way the blessed spirit causeth us to know and believe the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 4.16 and refresheth the soul with joy and comfort in believing Do not only pray for the comforts and supplies of the holy spirit but pray to him to this purpose Blessed spirit convince me of my sins more and convince me more and more of Jesus Christ Holy Spirit take of Christ's and shew it unto me and the like To pass by the prophane scoffs of many and the gross ignorance of more I take it to be a very great neglect in believers that they do not glorifie the Holy Spirit as the Lord and giver of Faith and comfort Remember this qui unum honorat omnes he that honoureth one person aright honoureth every one and he that doth not honour every person honoureth none qui non omnes nec unam 12. Direct If you would get and keep this
righteousness wisdom goodness c. It speaks the creature to have a due sense of what he is in himself a poor vile worthless nothing less than the least of all the mercies of God It speaks the due subjection of the creature's Will to the Will of his Creator and that he lives in an entire surrender and resignation of himself to the dispose of his Maker Is not this holy and gracious wherein doth grace more shew it self than in such things as these Contentment evidenceth much grace Discontentment much sin The former is a compound of several graces the latter a compound of several sins In a contented frame there 's Humility Faith Hope Patience Heavenly-mindedness Crucifixion to the world c. in a discontented frame there 's Pride Vnbelief Impatience Carnality nay practical Atheism it self The truth is contentment is better than any comfort which we want Discontent is worse than any evil which we feel no outward enjoyment is comparable to the good of the one no outward affliction is comparable to the evil of the other Highly pleasing to God 2. It 's a frame highly pleasing to God When a man is once brought to this to lay himself and all his Concerns at God's feet to say It is the Lord let him do with me and mine what seems him good I 'le like well of whatsoever he doth O this pleaseth God greatly We are well pleasing to him when his Providences are well pleasing to us The discontented Person is angry with God for which to be sure God is angry with him Nothing provokes God more than a murmuring and fretful spirit nothing pleases him more than a quiet Spirit Great advantages so our selves 3. The advantages of it to our selves are very great it fills with comfort He never wants comfort that lives Contentment A contented spirit is ever a chearful spirit 'T is an heaven upon earth as the opposite to it is an Hell upon earth 'T is the mind at rest in every condition A contented man hath not only the comfort of what he hath but also of what he hath not What he wants in outward possession is made up to him in inward submission It fits for Duty Lord When the heart is repining and mutinying against God how unfit is a man for Duty but when the spirit is still and quiet all is done well Passion unfits us for converse with men much more for converse with God in holy Duties 'T is sad praying when discontent prevails Animus aequus optimum est aerumnae condimentum Plaut It alwayes procures that very mercy which we desire or some other that is better for us Discontent makes us to lose what we have Contentment gets us what we want Fretting never removed a Cross nor procured a comfort quiet submission doth both The Father continues to correct the froward Child but when once it yields and is quiet he gives it any thing It sweetens every bitter Cup. This ingredient takes off the bitterness of every State as the wood cast by Moses did the bitterness of the Waters Nothing can come amiss to him that hath learned to be content Many such advantages do accrue from Contentment but as to the contrary vice 't is a thing greatly mischievous 'T is a sad inlet to Sin what will not a man do when he is under the power of discontent he 'l shift for himself use unlawful means do any thing to better his condition if nothing will do this for him he can even lay violent hands upon himself Oh that we had not too many sad examples of this 'T is a sad preparation to all temptations the Devil will be sure to be fishing where the waters are troubled as Flies settle upon the galled back so the Tempter betakes himself to the man that is in pain with his condition It deprives of Happiness for the discontented person alwayes thinks himself miserable and so he can never be happy Nemo felix est qui suo judicio miser est Salvian de Provid It exposes to dreadful judgments What severe punishments did the Israelites murmuring bring upon them Read Numb 14. per. tot Psal 106.24 25. 1 Cor 10.10 Now if these things were but laid to heart and seriously considered by Christians would not the consideration thereof much conduce to their attaining and living of Contentment Certainly the due fixing and working of the thoughts upon the excellency of this frame of the Sin and evil of the contrary frame vvould be of great use and very effectual towards the composing and quieting of their spirits in every condition Suppose it pleaseth the Lord so or so to afflict me to exercise me with such or such things which are very cross to my desires and hereupon I find my heart to begin to be moved vvhat 's now to be done to prevent the further growth of Passion why I 'le retire and vveigh with my self what a gracious temper of Soul contentment is vvhat a sinful and cursed temper of Soul discontent is how much I shall please God and profit my self by the one how much I shall offend God and prejudice my self by the other this my thoughts shall stay upon and I 'le reason with my self Why art thou O my Soul thus disquieted within me Psal 42.11 This is the Course which I resolve to take in my afflicted condition to keep my heart still and composed hoping that God will bless it to the end Ay and so do for 't is a good one and many by experience have found the benefit of it But to close this Head We are undone for want of Consideration the world groans under the mischievous effects of inconsideracy which might be made out in several particulars I shall go no furtherâ— than that one thing vvhich I am upon Whence is it that there is amongst Men amongst Professors so little of Contentment that so few have learnt in every state to be content that impatience repining quarelling with God discontent are so epidemical that the most live in the dislike of their condition I say whence is this I answer 't is in a great measure from the general neglect of Consideration Could vve but bring men to this Contentation vvould not be so rare a thing as now it is I do not assert this one Means to be sufficient but believe me it would go very far Well as any of you desire for the time to come to be as here Paul was vvhenever any thing troubles you see that you fall upon consideration and draw it to these three Heads Who orders your state How your state is circumstantiated What the frame it self is So much for the first thing in the Direction the special Matter upon which Consideration is to be acted in order to Contentment I go on to the second Particular cases wherein Consideration is to be acted in order to Contentment viz. to instance in some of those special Cases unto which contentment doth mainly refer
The ground that lies lowest usually is most fruitful the earth that hath the richest mines in it commonly is most barren Who serves God less than they who are most wealthy to their shame be it spoken You would have more of this world and fret that God keeps you so much under alas you know not what you desire had you more it would be hurtful if the estate was better the heart would be worse Again Eccl. 5.13 as 't is not best for Duty so neither for Safety who are exposed to so many dangers as they who swim in earthly treasures Saepius ventis agitatur iâ—gens Pinus c. Horat. The higher is the building the more 't is endangered by fierce winds great Vessels strike where lesser go with safety the Ship that Sails with a full wind and all its fails up is apt to overset such who feed high are in most danger of Feavers and Surfeits Every condition hath its snares but the high condition is exceeding full of them And once more 't is not the best for Comfort the poor envy the rich when in truth they have more cause to pitty them Oh the cares distractions hurries that they live under In all their great enjoyments how little do they enjoy either God or themselves Pauperes ditiâ—ribus eo plerumque laetâ—ores quò animus eorum in paucioribus distringitur Sen. ad Helvid c. 12 and can any state be comfortable without these Luk. 12.15 Take heed of Covetousness for a man's life i. e. the comfort of his life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Tantis parta malis cuâ—á majore metúque Servantur misera est magni custodia census Juven Sat 14. The easiness of the garment or shoe doth not lie in its bigness but in its fitness And so 't is not the greatness of the Estate that gives comfort but the suiting of the mind and of the elate be it what it will There often is that serenity of mind in a poor cottage which is not enjoyed in the stately palace The mean man sleeps better on a hard bed than he who lies upon his bed of down and there is a more chearful spirit where the fare is course than where there are the greatest dainties You fondly imagine could you but skrew up your estates to such an height then you should and would live with comfort but I pray you why may you not do so now under what you have already as that Commander answered Pyrrhus designing so and so to enlarge his conquests which when he had done then he would fit down and be quiet and live merrily should you arrive at what you aspire after you would find your selves then to be as far from what you promise to your selves as now you are It appearing then that the great Estate is not the best why should any vex and be disturbed because that is denied to them Cui cum paupertate bene convenit dives est Sen. Non qui paruÌ„ habet sed qui plâ—s cupit pauper est Idem Ep. 2. Nihil interest utrum non desideres an habes Ep. 119. Desunt inopiae multa avaritiae omnia Ep 108 Nunquam parum est quod satis est nunquam multum est quod satis non est Ep. 119. Semper inops quicunque cupit Claud. Multa petentibus desunt multa bene est cui Deus obtulit parcâ quod satis est manu Horat. c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato 6. The contented man is never poor let him have never so little the discontented man is never rich let him have never so much He is not rich who possesseth much but he who desires no more than what God gives him The way to be rich indeed is not to encrease the wealth but to lessen the covetings of the heart after more He that is ever desiring is ever wanting and he that is ever wanting is ever poor 7. What are these earthly riches that any should be thus insatiably greedy of them Surely there 's but little in them fancy mistakes ignorance being laid aside they are no better than unsatisfying perishing uncertain things Eccles 5.10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase Men may fill their bags and chests with silver nnd gold but they cannot with them fill their Souls no the Soul is a thing too great to be fill'd with such little things as these are Had you all that you desire you would be but where you are dissatisfied still for your * Auri naque fames parto fit major ab auro Prudent Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam Majorumque fames Horat. Inflammatur lucro avaritia non restinguitur Ambros desires would still grow as fast as your riches should grow yet more must be had and that is the banc of satisfaction †Est uat insoelix augusto limite mundi Unus Pellaeo juveni non sufficit orbis Alexander could conquer the World but the world could not satisfie him he wept because there was no more worlds to conquer Vanity of vanities all is vanity and vexation I say too they are perishing and uncertain things that 's the Epithete of the Apostle trust not in uncertain riches 1 Tim. 6.17 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they fly away as an Eagle towards heaven This we see verified every day and if so doth it become a man much more a Christian to be discontented because he hath but little of such vain things as these are Methinks such should scorn to have their generous minds discomposed for such trifles 8. As they are dying things so we are dying Persons What though we be straitned in them 't is not necessary our Estates should be very large when our Lives are not like to be very long A little money serves the Traveller that hath but a short journey to go Parum viae quid multum viatici Might we either alwayes live or when we die carry with us into another world what we have laid up in this then our greediness of these things would be more excusable but neither of these are to be expected Job 1.21 Naked came I out of my mother's womb and naked shall I return thither 1 Tim. 6.7 For we brought nothing into the world and it is certain we can carry nothing out Grace will accompany us into the other World but other things must be all left behind And which I would further add Is it not stupendious folly for dying men who yet have never-dying souls to trouble themselves so much about dying things have not they other things to mind and should not all their sollicitudes be employed about those things such as the things above Col. 3.1 Math 6.33 Math. 6.20 the Kingdom of God and his righteousness treasures in Heaven c. If eternal things and the eternal state was
judgment of things we have not the least cause to suspect the love of God when he chastises us to take away sin the only abominable object of his hatred and deep detestation and to render us partakers of the divine nature And the present peaceable fruit of righteousness is the product in those who are duly exercised by their troubles It is an allusion to the reward of the conquerers in the Olympick games who had a crown of Olives the embleme and shadow of peace But true peace a divine calm in the conscience shall be the recompence of all that exercise the graces suitable to an afflicted state In short the Apostle assures Believers 1 Cor. 11.32 that they are chastened of the Lord to prevent their condemnation with the world 'T is this rod truely delivers them from hell 't is this consideration that changes thorns into roses and extracts honey out of worm-wood If the way be stony or flowry that leads to blessedness a Christian should willingly walk in it To conclude from the consideration of what the Scripture declares concerning temporal evils Let us lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for our feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed i. e. in our affliction let us take courage and resolution from the promises and live in a holy conformity to God's will that the weak or faint may be restored The first and last â—â—sson of Pagan Philosophy was to support men under the storms to which 〈◊〉 are liable in this open state to render the soul velut pelagi rupes imâ—â—â—â— â—s a rock unshaken by the waves But all their directions were unsuccessful and so could not secure them from impatience or despair but the Gospel that assures us of the love of God in sending afflictions for our spiritual and eternal good is alone able to compose the mind And when ever we faint in troubles 't is either from infidelity or inconsideration 'T is impossible a person should be a Christian and be incapable of comfort in the most afflicted state for we are really so by the holy Spirit who is the Comforter When we speak sometimes to those we judge infirm we speak to Infidels who only receive remedy from time which they ought to receive from Faith they have the Name of God only in their mouths but the world is in their hearts their passions are strong and obstinate not subject to sanctified reason the difficulty they have of being comforted discovers the necessity of their being afflicted they need conversion more than consolation Others who are sincere in the Faith yet are apt to faint under troubles from an errour like that of the Apostles when their Lord came upon the waters in a stormy tempestuous night to their assistance they though he was a spirit so they look on God as an enemy when he comes to sanctifie and save them The soveraign remedy of our sorrows is to correct the judgment of sense by a serious belief of God's promise thus we shall reconcile the roughness of his hand with the sweetness of his voice He calls to us from heaven in the darkest night 't is I be not afraid he corrects us with the heart and hand of a Father A due consideration of these things will produce a glorified joy in the midst of our sufferings Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope How we may bring our Hearts to bear Reproofs Serm. XXVIII Psal 141.5 Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him Reprove me it shall be an excellent Oyl which shall not break my Head for yet my Prayer also shall be in their Calamities IT is generally agreed by Expositors that this Psalm as that foregoing with two of those that follow were composed by David in the Time of his Banishment or slight from the Court of Saul The state wherein he describeth himself to have been the matter of his Pleas and Prayers contained in them with sundry express circumstances regarding that season and his condition therein do manifest that to have been the time of their composure That the Psalmist was now in some distress whereof he was deeply sensible is evident from that vehemency of his spirit which he expresseth in the reiteration of his request or Supplication v. 1. And by his desire that his Prayer might come before the Lord as Incense and the lifting up of his hands as the evening Sacrifice v. 2. The Jewish Expositors guess not improbably that in that Allusion he had regard unto his present exclusion from the Holy services of the Tabernacle which in other places he deeply complains of For the matter of his Prayer in this beginning of the Psalm for I shall not look beyond the Text it respecteth himself and his deportment under his present condition which he desireth may be harmless and holy becoming himself and useful unto others And whereas he was two wayes liable to miscarry First by too high an exasperation of spirit against his Oppressors and Persecutors and Secondly by a fraudulent and pufillanimous compliance with them in their wicked courses which are the two extremes that men are apt sinfully to run into in such conditions he prays earnestly to be delivered from them both The first he hath respect unto v. 3. Set a watch O Lord before my Mouth keep the door of my Lips namely that he might not under those great provocations which were given him break forth into an unseemly intemperance of speech against his unjust Oppressors which sometimes fierce and unreasonable Cruelties will wrest from very sedate and moderate spirits But it was the desire of this Holy Psalmist as in like cases it should be ours that his heart might be alwayes preserved in such a frame under the conduct of the Spirit of God as not to be surprized into an expression of Distempered passion in any of his words or sayings The other he regards in his earnest Supplication to be delivered from it v. 4. Incline not my Heart unto any evil thing to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity and let me not eat of their Dainties There are two parts of his request unto the purpose intended 1st That by the Power of God's grace influencing his mind and Soul his heart might not be inclined unto any Communion or Society with his wicked Adversaries in their wickedness 2ly That he might be preserved from a liking of or a longing after those things which are the baits and allurements whereby men are apt to be drawn into Societies and Conspiracies with the workers of iniquity And let me not eat of their Dainties See Prov. 1.10 11 12 13 14. For he here describeth the condition of men prospering for a season in a course of wickedness They first joyntly give up themselves
1. Pardoned Persons being taken into Covenant are taken into God's favour Nothing doth hinder God's special favour but unpardoned sin nothing but that which is the only Object of his hatred and cause of his displeasure and this is nothing else but sin Although God's love have many Objects yet his hatred hath but one and that is sin God hateth none of his Creatures as they are Creatures but as they are sinful never did any thing offend or displease God but sin nothing else hath power to enkindle God's anger and to blow it up into a flame When God forgiveth sin his hatred ceaseth his anger is removed and he receiveth them whom he pardoneth into the arms of his special love God's favour is the peculiar priviledg of God's pardoned People Psal 106.4 Remember me with the favour which thou bearest to thy People O visit me with thy Salvation Therefore all pardoned Persons being in God's favour they are Blessed because his favour is the Fountain of Blessedness In his favour there is life Psal 30.5 Yea his loving kindness is better than life Psal 63.3 The favour of an earthly King is counted a great Priviledg but the favour of the King of Heaven is really a great Blessedness The God of Heaven who is so Powerful Wise Faithful Good Merciful hath a special favour and kindness for them and doth love them with an incomparable incomprehensible unchangeable and eternal Love therefore they must needs be the happiest People on the Earth 2. Pardoned Persons being in Covenant are taken into God's family being reconciled by the Cross of Christ Eph. 2.16 they are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God v. 19. And being of God's Houshold they are God's Children 1 Cor. 6.18 I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty This is a priviledg which rendreth all those above all others most Blessed who partake of it Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name To them gave he power The Original word signifieth Right or Priviledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the greatest priviledge in the World to be numbred amongst God's Children hence it is that John writing of it in his Epistle doth break forth into an exclamation of joy and wonder 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! He seems to be in an extasie of joy at the greatness of this priviledg and the happiness of such as had attained it If beggars were lifted up from the Dunghil to be adopted Children of the greatest Prince upon the Earth it would not be so great an honour to them as this honour and dignity which is conferred upon pardoned Persons in their being advanced into the number of the adopted Children of the great Jehovah the Lord of Heaven and Earth and will any question whether they are Blessed 3. Pardoned Persons being in Covenant are under God's special Providence There is a General Providence that doth attend all the Children of men but God's especial Providence doth attend his own Children and his peculiar People who are reconciled unto him by Jesus Christ such are under God's especial Providence they dwell in the secret place of the most High and under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 God's Name is their strong Tower unto which they run and are safe Prov. 18.10 God is frequently called their Rock and Fortress Buckler Shield and Deliverer and hath made many Promises unto them of Defence and Deliverance They are under God's special Provision as a Father provideth for his Children so God provideth for his People he provideth for their Bodies When the young Lions lack and suffer hunger they shall not want any good thing Psal 34.10 He promiseth to Feed them and Clothe them and to with-hold no good thing from them and if they always have not as much in the World as they wish they shall be sure to have as much as God seeth they do really need but more especially he provideth for their Souls the Robes of his Son's Righteousness to Clothe them sweet and precious Promises to Feed and Nourish them Jewels of Grace to enrich and adorn them the guard of Angels to attend them himself and his Son to be Companions to them the Peace and Joys of the Holy Ghost to chear them and to sweeten their passage through the valley of the World and the dark entry of Death This is the priviledg of pardoned Persons and surely then they are Blessed 4. Pardoned Persons being in Covenant have free access unto God in Prayer Eph. 2.18 Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father Chap. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Being pardoned and reconciled through Christ they may with boldness and confidence come daily to the Throne of Grace and there by Prayer and Supplication make known their requests unto God and they shall be sure to have both acceptance and audience God who hath given them a pardon will deny them nothing that is really for their good having interest in Christ who hath such interest in Heaven whatever they ask of the Father in his Name if it is according to his will they may be assured because Christ hath faithfully promised it that he will do it for them Surely then such Persons are happy 5. Pardoned Persons being in Covenant have Communion with God in all his Ordinances not only in Prayer but hearing of the Word Singing and at the Table of the Lord when others rest in the out-side of Ordinances they meet with God there Sin being removed which before made a separation they now attain Communion with God and their hearts close with him as their chief good There is nothing more sweet in the World than Communion with God hence David doth account those most happy that had the liberty of God's House and Ordinances where they did or might enjoy so great a priviledg Psal 84.4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy House And Psal 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts he shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy House even of thy Holy Temple Such only are truely Blessed that find satisfaction it is not the Enjoyment of Creatures will give this but in the Enjoyment of and Communion with God in his Ordinances which is the goodness of God's House true satisfaction may be found and therefore pardoned Persons who do attain this are truely and the only Blessed Persons Reas 4. Such must needs be Blessed whose iniquities are forgiven because they
a double state 1. As to this mortal Life it is implied in the Text and express'd in the Context that it is a Theater of smart contentions and miseries and that he was concerned in the agonistical exercises thereof 2. As to the other Life he had the prospect of transcendent joys exhibited to his views and hopes as the determined and proposed reward of his well-managed exercises the influences and impressions whereof did strangely invigorate and fix his resolutions to maintain such a Masculine frame of spirit as should entertain and answer all the challenges of danger difficulties and temptations and to preserve that necessary liberty from and useful indifferency to the hopes and love of Life and fears of Death and Danger which might secure the spirit and prowess of a resolved and successful valour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I make no reckoning of any thing and he grows regardless of his life and hath mortified the vigour of all the arguments and inducements that can be fetcht therefrom for the utmost reach of rage and villany is to effect no more and can extend no farther than the loss of Life Mat. 10.28 And all those Comforts which are liable to the casualties and sequestrations of transient time and cannot run parallel with our capacious souls beyond the limits of a dying breath cannot be valued beyond the value of their end and therefore he that conquers and subdues the estimation of his Life hath so far overcome all the disturbing and ensnaring influences of hopes and fears relating to it and derived from it Well we have here an instance and example in this great and gracious Apostle of a resolved and proficient Christian yea and a visible practical demonstration of what Blood and Spirits are in the veins of Christianity and are bred there and what an energy and force there is in one right believing look and glance at things to come 2 Cor. 4.16 18. Heb. 12.2 And if it be objected that as the Apostles course was ministerial so were his joys which fix'd his eye and therefore in neither can he be proposed to others as their imitable pattern or exact encouragement seeing all are not Ministers neither can all expect his Exercises Furniture Encouragements and Attainments and so that we pluck not the fruit from the right tree I answer This doth not prevent his being our pattern argument and encouragement if but these few things be seriously considered 1. The Apostle had a double Course to run he had the trust and business of a Christian as well as of a Minister to discharge he had a God to please a Soul to save an Hell to escape an Heaven to reach an Heart to cleanse and Sins to mortifie unruly Passions and impetuous Affections to be curbed and managed by their proper Discipline as well as others he was a man subject to like Passions with our selves he dwelt in flesh and was opposed by the Devil as well as others he had Corruptions to be mortified and pardoned and loved his Life and what might make it comfortable saving where Inordinacies were to be corrected and subdued because of inconsistency with better work and joys yea he had such forcible inclinations to desire and beg some intermissions of and respite from his tedious Exercises as forced him to repair to Prayer and Arguments to get support so that he might not Oneri succumbere and thus I understand that Thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.7 10. And so the Sense seems facil and it amounts to this The Apostle had been labouring in the fire for God and for the interest of Christianity and managed all his Exercises in the face of danger and growing aged he was tempted to desire of God that he might spend the residue of his declining age in liberty and quietness but when the flesh so weather-beaten by the storms grew so desirous of some respite from the severity of Travel Chains and Labours the messenger Satan comes again threatning and acquainting him with designed and determined repetitions of former Buffetings and the renewals of Reproaches Necessities Persecutions c. for Christ's sake Which when he understood and apprehended that Christ and his Gospel were so concerned in them he thought and took them as the matter of his Glory in that they might be serviceable to the Interest of Christ and great occasions of some special Illustrations of the remarkable Power and Grace of Christ but this pace aliorum The truth is Sirs he had such Exercises and Temptations as that had not the expectations and perswasions of these joys above which succeeded the Course well finished interposed to fortifie and compose his spirit this world had never been conquered nor so easily forsaken and disclaimed by him nor Death so tamely entertained nor Hopes and Fears so managed and subordinated as they were 1 Cor. 15.19 31 32 58. Now thus far he stands on equal grounds with other Christians and hath the same Exercises Arguments Encouragements Interest and Obligations that every Christian hath and if it was possible for him to finish his course under the powerful Influences of this Prospect and Design it is as possible for us for no impossibility whilst such can be our duty 2. His Ministerial Work and Trust was as to its full discharge a necessary and essential part of his saving Christianity No Minister of Jesus Christ by office can be a sound and faithful Christian that is unfaithful in his Ministry it is in so doing that he must save himself as well as those that hear him 1 Tim. 4.15 16. 3. Our accommodations being made answerable to Trust and Work our faithful management thereof is of equal necessity in much or little for we must be answerable to Relations Trust and Places and other Circumstances as God hath placed us in and under them for we must be judged and are to act accordingly to what we have received No man is commanded and encouraged faithfully to discharge his Ministry but upon some supposition that the Ministry is his lawful Calling and where that is unfaithfulness will damn him that is guilty of it for it is his place of Service even as faithful service of all Servants in general is their Duty Yet places of Service and the matter and measure of their service may be different according to the master's pleasure and affairs 4. The close connection of his whole Course and Comforts clears the Case For 1. It is not imaginable that any man can be a faithful Minister whose heart is alienated from the true powerful Principles Sentiments and Impressions of Christianity For how can any man be separated cordially to this most costly painful Calling and regularly bear the heat and burden of his Place and Day who hath not well concocted the Substance Evidence and Importance of this great Mystery of Salvation which is the indispensable and adequate exercise of his Function into deep perswasions warm affections and most unconquerable resolutions Who can unweariedly pursue
from God's arbitrary ordination but from the very frame and habitude and fitness of means and ends themselves and the sense is this as I have elsewhere lately and largely shewed on the forementioned place though not in print nor fit to be so that unless I be perswaded that God's Majesty deserves and that he can and will reward us for the cost and exercises of Godliness to infinite advantage no man could be prevailed on to be Religious The very difficulties burthens and temptations of Religion under the present circumstances of revolted man would press too sore upon the frailty and concernments of flesh and blood to suffer him to obtain of himself to submit to the discipline and severities of true and powerful Godliness Nor can I see if this be once denied where the Apostles argument prevails and pinches 1 Cor. 15.19 29 23 58. Adam in Innocency was influenced by arguments and I do not see that the oeconomy of grace destroys the frame of nature but rather comes in by way of Medicinal Ordination to repair it that so Religious government may revive again by such energetical arguments and influences as are proper to the case Psal 130.4 Nor did the Son of God and Saviour of the World appear for the supplanting of the Father as to his Throne and interest but rather acted all along in a professed state and way of delegation and ordinate substitution to this end that government might flourish and poor apostate man might be Encouraged to seek and sâ—rve and please his God again and were this well considered I think that all our censorious malignant flames would dye which have no other fewell but such confidences as are grounded on and fomented by our rash mistakes and we might peaceably Credere de verbis but not de jure veritatis And I confess I cannot see how the joys of Godliness can have the vim motivam of pressing arguments to quicken us to what activity faithfulness and resolution and perseverance are enjoyned us and expected from us if persevering Godliness which is the finishing of our course with joy be not the great condition of our Crown and triumph and therefore 't is ignorance and inconsiderateness that strengthens our infidelity and consequent reluctances to run the hazards of Religion and entertain the work and cost of this our Christian course to reach its compensations One piercing glance and sober look within the Vail would strangely help us unto a right estimate of things and make our quick reflections upon our foolish former choice and trifling carriages to minister to our present grief and shame 'T is but a dotage to imagine that any thing short of Holiness and Heaven or inconsistent with our present work can be the true enrichment or content of Souls What man can keep his heart below his work that knows and credits the blessed resolutions wherewith the all-sufficient God is fixt to recompence all self-denying regular and resolved Racers see 1 Joh. 3.3 Who can advance that life into a competition with the present work and Will of God which must be swallowed up of a surpassing immortality when he hath regularly finished his course so that now the way is clear to lead us to answer these Queries Quer. 1. What is this finishing our course with joy which is to influence us into this regardlesness of life and death and every thing in order thereunto 1. Joy is the * Privilegâ—um est Principis benefâ—ciu n contra jus commune indultum non enim est privilegium nisi aliquid indulgeâ—t speciale Say the Civilians priviledge and satisfaction of the Soul at rest in the possession and embraces of its both adequate and desired end and object which is the sum of what is intended by the expression in the Text. 1. I call it a Priviledge as it importeth some considerable excellency in the object or gift and thus 't is God in Christ when he becomes the portion of once Apostate man though now recovered by relative and real grace when he appears in the perfection of his Image favour and presence and that reciprocal intimacy which is consequent thereupon and as its a favour peculiar to some by way of discrimination and difference from others for 't is the joy of God dispenced only to the Godly And I call it 2. Satisfaction as importing sutableness to the subject on whom it is bestowed on all accounts and as such apprehended and resented by it And 3. I appropriate it to the Soul as being first and most concerned in it and most capable of it for till the Resurrection the Soul alone enjoys it Before the dissolution of the body the Soul is only capable of the prospect and improvement of it and therefore most concerned and engaged about it and after the Resurrection of the person and his introduction into glory the Soul is made the most immediate recipient of it and the comforts and perfection of the body are resultant from the Soul's satisfaction and delights and truly subordinate thereunto as both are subordinate unto God not to hâ—s joys but will and honour And 4. I fixt it on the Soul at rest as the result of all its aims and motions for 't is both the recompence and cessation of all its painful exercises and pursuits 5. I make the matter of this joy to be the Soul 's adequate End and Object which none but God can be since it is apparent that neither Heaven nor Earth have any besides God to make and be a portion for the Soul Psal 73.25 And then 6. I lay the formality of this joy in the possession and embraces of this End and Object both as adequate and desired for as it is adequate it speaks no want nor deficiency in the Object and as it is desired so it speaks the preparation of the Subject and as it is embraced and possess'd so it speaks no cost and labours lost nor expectations frustrated And now indeed the Soul is most ravished when all its motions are directed to their End and terminated there with unconceivable satisfaction when God is all in all and the poor painful Christian is through tedious oppositions difficulties and travels safely conducted to its most proper Portion Choice and Joy 2. By Course is meant the Time of Life in reference to our stated work and difficulties The Metaphor is fetcht from that Olympick Exercise which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which the Racers ran in Armour because of sharp Assaults and Oppositions all the way In armis Cursorum fuere Galea quam capite Ocreae quas tibiis Aspis sive Clypeus quem manibus ferrent qui eo certamine contenderent Pet. Fab. Agonistic lib. 2. cap. 23. p. 186. Hence we have something in our Christian Panoply answerable hereunto as The Helmet of Salvation Eph. 6.17 Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace answering to the Ocreae v. 15. And the Shield of Faith v. 16. And therefore after the
you lay foundations right and deep How can it be imagined much less expected that unprepared and estranged Souls from God and Christ should face the challenges and terrors or escape the dangers of a dying day vvhat can support the confidence of that man vvho is dispirited by the deserved rebuke buffettings of an exasperated because a guilty conscience for conscience is the mouth of God and speaks his mind and vvhat speaks othervvise in point of charge or censure is rather ignorance than conscience and by his order and commission and in his name and Majesty vvhips the careless soul It is impossible to still the cryes of guilt and vvrath It is far more easie for us to charm and stupifie the man than truely cure him He that is negligent of the main affair is like to bear the smartings of his ovvn voluntary vvounds and the more voluntary our negligence appears to be to our awakened consciences when startled by gripes and fears of death the less cause will there be for help and pity All fears arising from an unconverted state have God to back and sharpen them because they are truly grounded on God's professed resolution and legal comminations to bring those fears on them by vvhom they are deserved So that our only vvay to cure and quell these fears is to remove their Cause by giving up our selves to God the Father to knovv him love him and live to him and to delight our selves in God's Image Presence and Favour in his Son Jesus Christ more than in all the treasures and delights of lovver things to knovv the Lord that bought us and to serve him in righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost vvith confidence to commit our selves to his tendred conduct government and protection and entertain him vvith all sutableness of apprehension affection and conversation to all his excellencies offices and appearances to ansvver all his kindnesses cost and care with all such faithful fruitful chearful conversations as God Christ determined and designed in man's Redemption Eph. 1.4 Yea to be ruled assisted and refreshed by vvhat the Spirit of Grace and Holiness and Wisdom hath done for us and is sent from the Father and the Son to perfect and compleat in us to live the Life of Faith and Holiness and endeavour to spend our daies in the delightful hopes and fore-tasts of and ripenings for and hasting to or hastning as the vvord imports * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 3.12 your everlasting state of Joys and Glory to make the unseen vvorld the exercise poise and spring of your most vehement desires most vigorous pursuit and most inviolable satisfaction and in a vvord to vvalk in all due conscience of your trust and charge to God the Father Son and Holy Spirit to others and your selves in all things to think and speak and do as in the sight of God relation to him and special interest and delight in him and not through ignorance enmity and sloth to let the Devil Flesh or World mortifie your delight in God your motions tovvards affections to and resolutions for God And hearken not to those discouraging thoughts and jealousies of God and Christ vvhich your grand enemy the Prince of lies and darkness is ready to abuse you vvith Where hath God told you that the vvilling thoughtful painful Soul though much distemper'd and imperfect shall be rejected by him For vvhen the Son protests so solemnly against rejecting such as come he speaks his Father's heart Jo. 6.37 40. And I profess vvhen I most seriously consider the terms tenour of the covenant of Grace I am much confirmed in this that all grounded jealousies suspitions discouragements as to our hopes of everlasting happiness can only fix upon our voluntary rejecting of God and Christ and holiness and Heaven And though many things may humble us and ought to do it yet nothing can implead our Title to the purchased possession nor our comfortable hopes at death vvhen once our vvills are sixt on Christ and vvell resolved for him and prevail upon our lives for vvalking vvorthy of our great Vocation We have no impossible conditions imposed on us especially if vve consider Gospel-assistances indulgence and encouragements for vvhen vve knovv our vvay as God hath shevved it us in Christ and have our hearts inclined and fixt for God vve are but to exert vvhat strength and povver vve have to serve and please our God and proportionably to our abilities and advantages to vvait upon God for more according to his instituted vvays and methods Improvements are but required to be proportionable to our Talents and he that brought ten Talents to his Lord had more than one or tvvo at first to make improvement of I do indeed believe the Lavv * By the Law of the Nature I â— ean God's revealed will as Ruler objectively signified in the nature of things within us and without us concerning our Duty and Rewards or Punishments and this Law is written upon and discovered by our own capacity constitution our relations to God and others and our fâ—rniture and advantages from what we are encompâ—ssed and intrusted with in the whole firme of Nature of Nature yet in force though novv incorporated into the Lavv of Christ and that the Decalogue is yet in force to bind and rule us and never look to see its abrogation proved till they that hold this abrogation can demonstrate that the Father lost his Right Throne of Government by the appearance of his Son and that Christ acted not as his Fathers Delegate and for his Glory and that Grace vvas not designed and directed to the reparation of declined Religion in the vvorld but that God was so prodigal of his Pardon and Indulgence as to grow regardless of his Government But yet that Law is one thing and this Covenant another thing For the Covenant of Grace respected those distempers perplexities disadvantages and supposed them and was suited to them in its Tenders and Provisions for which it did design Relief And now our terms of Life are not so strict as those on vvhich God dealt vvith healthful sound and innocent Adam for novv sincere and prevalent Faith and Love and Holiness shall reach those Consolations after Death vvhich once viz. antecedently to Christ's undertaking and compleating satisfaction they could not do and therefore if your insincerity and fundamental unpreparedness for your change be that which starts and feeds your fears labour to be sincere and faithful in Covenant-making and Covenant-keeping and you may be sure of this that Death will lose its sting and victory and thereupon its fearful looks when Sin hath lost its Throne and when God and Christ have got your hearts and life-to come concernments influence and rule your purposes projects and pursuits It is with relation to our manifold temptations wants and weaknesses and all despondencies and discouragements consequent thereupon that Christ hath undertaken to be our great High
the folly of these Virgins lieth For you have heard of their Virginity in their separation from and profession against Antichristian Idolatry and mens Inventions and also in their escaping the world's pollutions and you have seen their Virginity in their Espousals unto Christ and visible Communion with the Wise in the enjoyment of Gospel-Ordinances you have heard also of their Light their Hopes their Awaking their Trimming their Lamps and how near they came to Heaven But here now was the one thing lacking that all this was the effect only of an external and ineffectual work wherein though there was something internal it was but light and transient which never wrought a thorow and powerful change of the heart whereas the Wise had an inward and powerful Call to Christ insomuch that the Gospel came to them not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost whereby they were made to know wisdom in the hidden part and became Virgins in affection and disposition as well as in profession and action Mean while the operations of the Spirit are languid weak and transient upon the hearts of foolish ones as we see in the stony ground in which there is no thorow powerful and abiding change And hence it is said The foolish took their Lamps but took no Oyl with them they wanted the Oyl of the Spirit of God and his saving gifts in the Vessels of their hearts Briefly the wise Virgins were sincere professors and followers of Christ the other meer Hypocrites and foolish Builders who laid their foundation on the Sand. And yet I do not say That foolish Virgins have always saving Grace to seek at the coming of Christ because there is Repentance and Pardon to be had in time for Hypocrites A foolish Professor may go forth to meet the Bridegroom with his Lamp only in his hand and no Oyl at all in his heart and yet he may meet with timely awakings by the way and Christ may infuse the Oil of saving Grace into his heart before the Midnight-cry whereby he becometh wise in the latter end who was a fool in the beginning for Christ calls upon Hypocrites as well as others to repent Mat. 23.26 Jam. 4.8 Hypocritical Sardis is called hereunto as well as the other Virgin-Churches of Asia And many unsound Professors have been effectually converted when many others have lived and died in their hypocrisie and perseverance in profession unto Christ is no Argument of a good estate to a dying Virgin except she be found in the way of wisdom 3. There remaineth one thing more to be spoken to for the clearing of the Point and that is That very miserable is the state of such as these who have Grace to get when Christ cometh For the Door is shut upon them In which words is declared their punishment of loss which some have thought to be greater than that of Sense which I shall not dispute but briefly discourse of that of loss as mentioned only in the Text which is inevitably followed by that of Sense 1. All the profession of these Virgins is lost their prayers praises humblings external reformations communications both of their worldly substance and likewise of their Parts and Gifts and so are their sufferings and their witness-bearing to the Truth c. All these are excluded from God's acceptance of them through want of an interest in the Bridegroom for none of these were offered up in Christ and the greatest and most glorious services without unfeigned Faith and Love are nothing Lev. 17.5 6. Heb. 13.15 Col. 3.17 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. 2. All opportunities and means of Grace are now lost never to be enjoyed more the door of opportunity as the Apostle calleth it 2 Cor. 2.12 16.9 is for ever shut against them they have survived all their seasons which now give place unto Eternity For the Bridegroom cometh first by Death and it is appointed unto men once to dye and after this the Judgment not after this and further means of Grace not after this a Sabbath or a Sermon or a time to pray and repent but after this the Judgment And what then succeeds the Judgment the perpetual execution of it in which respect it is called the eternal Judgment Heb. 6.2 So that the door of opportunity is now for ever shut 3. There is a door of Hope and that also is shut against them Hos 2.14 These Virgins had hopeful expectations of entrance with the Bridegroom for that was it they waited for whereas now their hope is perished and hath given up the Ghost for at best it was but a fine-spun Spider's web Job 8.14 but never a true lively hope 4. It followeth upon this that the door of Grace is shut never to be opened more Christ stretched forth his hands to them all the day long but now the accepted time and day of salvation is ended and there is no further place for Grace and Mercy nor hopes of seeing the King in his Beauty 5. They have now lost their Communion with the wise Virgins who are safe within the door that whereas they separated from the world to joyn in fellowship with Saints they are now for ever separated from the Saints to take their portion with the world Mat. 7.23 Time was when the Door of Christ's house upon earth which is the Church of God stood open to them as well as unto the wise and the Key of the Kingdom of heaven gave them admission into this lower house upon their visible subjection to his Rule and Government and they had entrance equally with the wise to partake of all the priviledges thereof and now when they think to enter into the Upper House of Eternal Glory the key is turned against them 6. These Virgins now have lost their Vails and are discovered to the wise who see not the Virgins their Companions brought to the King in fellowship with themselves in Glory and now they are discovered also to themselves and to all the world and known to be what they are so that they have nothing henceforth to cover them but everlasting shame and contempt Time was that they were taken together in the same net with them who are within the door but the Angels have gathered the good fish into their Vessels and cast away the bad Mat. 18.47 48 49. That therefore now is taken from them which they seemed to have even the shews and shadows of that Grace they never had by him that brings to light the hidden things of darkness and maketh manifest the counsels of the heart Their Lamps were going out when they awaked at the Midnight-cry v. 8 and now they are quite extinguished never to shine more the Word shall shine no longer to them nor their Knowledge and other Gifts to any 7. It now remains that they who ere while were in their midnights-sleep are now in their midnights darkness even there where the light of a candle never shined nor the voice
visited us So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Christ's whole work was to love and his whole love was free We purchase nothing without leaving of our money behind us All his saved ones have nothing of their own but impotency and antipathy nothing of their own to move God to save them The Law discovers God's will and the gospel discovers his good will 3. The gospel is called grace because it is the instrument under the Spirit of God of bestowing the benefits of free grace upon us It is an invitation to the benefits of free grace and it is our warrant of receiving those benefits and of applying them The Gospel is not only a story to tell us what is done and what is obtained for believers but it is a Testament to cause and to shew unto us our interest in them by Faith We shall lay hold upon it when he who Ordained the Gospel doth accompany it The Gospel brings Salvation Tit. 2.11 Therefore the Gospel is called the Ministration of Righteousness and the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 9. The Instrument made use of by the Spirit of God for enabling us to apply the Righteousness of Christ and all the benefits of Free Grace contained in it And so I have opened the first thing in the Exhortation and shewn vvhat vve are to understand by the Grace of God even the Doctrine of the Gospel Sect. 3 2. The second particular in the Exhortation to be opened is The receiving thereof in vain How is the Doctrine of the Gospel said to be received in vain In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to receive it emptily unfruitfully unprofitably and indeed so it is too often received It is true the Gospel is to be received and it cannot save us unless it be received and therefore you read several times in the Scripture of receiving it Mat. 13.23 The receiving of the seed into good ground Act. 22.41 They received the word of God gladly And in Act. 11.1 The Gentiles received the word And in Act. 17.11 They received the word with all chearfulness So in 1 Thes 1.6 They received the word in much affliction But as the Gospel must be received so it may be received unprofitably ineffectually and in vain And for the opening of this the Gospel may be said to be received in vain in two respects I. In regard of the manner of receiving II. In regard of the Event or the Issue of receiving it First It is received in vain in regard of the manner of receiving it And that is When we receive the Gospel but not with an Empty hand When the grace of the Gospel is not so received as to be empty of the the opinion of our own works and righteousness This is a vain empty reception for the Rich are sent Empty away 2. It is received in vain when it is not received with the highest Estimation and Valuation ◠Tim. 1.15 When it is not looked upon to be worthy of all acceptation as the Apostle expresseth it When it is not received as a Pearl as a Jewel of greatest price If all be not sold for it soon will it be left fot any thing 3. When it is not received vvith the greatest ardency of desire with hungring and thirsting after the benefits contained in it All the inclinations of our souls towards all Earthly objects we owe to the benefits of the Gospel which if vve pursue not ardently we shall never procure succesfully 4. When we do not receive it with a particular fiducial application of Jesus Christ upon the warrant of the Infallible Gospel but only by a general assent When vve receive in into our Heads by Light but do not receive it into our Hearts by Faith When vve do not believe with the Heart but only assent vvith the head When we receive it only into our Ears and into our lips and into our Professions but dot receive it as the good seed vvhich is to be laid up in the furrows and the soil of the soul Thus the Gospel is received in vain in regard of the manner of receiving it Secondly It is received in vain in regard of the Issue the Event of receiving it and that several ways 1. When it is not received so as to purifie the heart as to kill corruption when this grace of God doth not teach us effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts when men will have an Angelical Gospel but will live Diabolical lives when they are not thrown into the mould of the Gospel and have not Hearts and practices sutable to it 2. When it doth not quicken us to new obedience when there is a receiving without returning without any activity for God in holy walking where there is no Delight in the Law of God when his commandments are grievous when the law doth only compell but the Spirit of the Gospel doth not encline our wills to the obedience of the Gospel when by the receiving of the Gospel we are not made a willing people to give up our selves to God in the ways of duty when faith is not made incarnate as Luther speaks by maintaining good works Tit. 3.8 3. When we so receive grace as that it doth not sustain us in our troubles nor bear us up in our sufferings when it is not a word of patience as it is called Rev. 3.10 Thou hast kept the word of my patience The Gospel duly received as to the Issue of its reception maketh us patient to bear whatever is displeasing and ungrateful unto sense When we see that the Justice of God is satisfied we can easily bear the injustice of men When we see that God's wrath is appeased towards us we shall look upon the wrath of man yea all outward troubles to be cold and feeble 4. When we so receive grace as not to impart it and communicate it unto others If we be living we shall be lively Christians If we have the life of Grace in us we shall warm others If we do no good it is a sign we have got no good If there be a Spiritual Life bestowed upon us by the Gospel there is always a Seminal virtue an inclination to disseminate and to scatter Grace among others 5. And lastly grace is received in vain as to the Issue of our receiving of it when it is so received as that thereby we do not obtain salvation It is the Gospel of Salvation but a mere visible owning of the Gospel saveth none The receiving of it into your houses into your heads into your mouths brings not any to Heaven Christ will profess to those that are empty Professors and only have externally and as to the outward priviledges of Grace received the Gospel I never knew you depart from me Mat. 7.23 We are not only to received the priviledges of Grace but Grace by the priviledge if we expect Glory Thus I have shewn what is meant by