some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ He gave gifts to men he did not only give extraordinary gifts such as Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists but ordinary gifts to Pastors and Teachers for the building up of his own body And as he feeds his sheep with his Word so with his Sacraments and here is such feeding as you did never hear the like for this blessed Shepherd feeds his sheep with his own flesh and blood his own flesh that was crucified to satisfie Divine Justice and his own blood that was shed to quench the fire of Gods wrath that was kindled against them this is that our Saviour tells you of in John 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world And in Revel 1.5 He hath loved us and washt us from our sins in his blood As they say of the Pelican when her young ones are ready to die she opens her breast with her bill and feeds them with her blood so the Lord Jesus Christ feeds every one of his sheep with his flesh and blood Again He feeds the souls of his sheep with the graces of his own blessed Spirit as Faith Repentance Love Humility Sincerity and the like which are spiritual food suitable to the spiritual nature of the soul So he feeds his sheep with the Promises which are said to be breasts of consolation Isa 66.11 That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of consolation that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory With the breasts of consolation that is with the precious promises And this is that which that good King Hezekiah intended in that speech of his Isa 38.16 Oh Lord by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit so wilt thou recover me and make me to live These precious promises made good to my soul by these do men live and these are the life of my Spirit Thus you see how this blessed Shepherd feeds his Sheep But yet more He does not only feed his Sheep but he gives them Stomachs also look as it is in point of knowledg we are not able to see him of our selves we cannot see him without him for he is our Light and as in point of performance we are not able to believe on him nor come unto him without him for he is our strength so here neither can we feed on Jesus Christ nor the promises nor the graces of his Spirit until he gives us a mouth to taste these things therefore the Apostle exhorts us as new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the word that we may grow thereby if so be we have tasted that the Lord is gracious as if he should have said You cannot feed unless you have tasted of this blessed Saviour 1 Pet. 2.2 3. Secondly As he feeds so he cloaths his Sheep here amongst men the Sheep cloaths the Shepherd the Fleece of the sheep cloaths the Shepherd But here this blessed Shepherd cloaths every one of his Sheep he cloaths them with costly raiment indeed Ezck. 16.10 11 12 I cloathed thee also with broidered work and shod thee with Badgers skin and I girded thee about with fine linnen and I covered thee with Silk I decked thee also with ornaments and I put bracelets upon thy hands and a Chain upon thy neck and I put a Jewel on thy forehead and ear-rings in thine ears and a beautiful Crown upon thy head thus wast thou decked with Gold and Silver and thy rayment was of fine Linnen and Silk and broidred work Therefore it is that you read that the Apostle bids us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 13.14 He cloaths us with the Robe of his own Righteousness He covers us with the garments of Salvation as a Brridegroom decketh himself with Ornaments and as a Bride adorneth her self with her Jewels Isa 61.10 Thirdly He does protect his Sheep and watcheth over them from Morning to Evening he hath his eye continually upon them therefore David speaking of the Lord being his Shepherd then says he Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me Psal 23.4 Fourthly and lastly He gives to his Sheep Eternal Life John 10.28 And I give unto my Sheep Eternal Life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Thus you have the Point opened That Jesus Christ is that Blessed Shepherd who is abundantly able to feed and protect his People here and to give them Eternal Life hereafter because he hath the greatest Care over them the greatest Love to them the greatest Power that ever Shepherd had and the greatest Reward to give them that can possibly be bestowed Now for the Uses of this Point and they are three by way of Instruction Examination or Tryal and Exhortation First By way of Instruction Oh see the Blessed the Happy the Comfortable Condition of all those that have a part and interest in the Lord Jesus Christ this Blessed Shepherd what tongue of Men or Angels is able to express the happy and blessed condition of that man that hath gotten Jesus Christ for his Portion such a one shall be sure of Food of Cloathing of Protection of Joy of Comfort of Happiness of Eternal Life and what not Oh how may that soul dance for joy that hath gotten Jesus Christ to be his Shepherd surely it is a comfortable and heart-chearing meditation in these turbulent and stormy times when the Church of God hath so many enemies and so sew friends when the Antichristian Faction roars against the little Flock of this blessed Shepherd like so many Bears to devour them here is the comfort Jesus Christ sticks as close to his Flock as ever David did to his Flock when the Lyon and the Bear came to make a prey of them Fear not little Flock says our Saviour it is your Fashers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom Luk. 12.32 As he said when he was sailing in the Boat with Cesar the Boatman beginning to be afraid because of the tempestuousness of the waters Fear not man thou carriest Cesar and all his Fortunes with him so may it be said of every one that hath Jesus Christ in the Boat with him Let him not fear true indeed the Ship wherein Christ and his Sheep are may be tossed but it can never be over-turned because the Shepherd and Pilot are in it therefore happy is the condition of all those that have an interest in this Blessed Shepherd But on the contrary Oh the deplorable and desperate condition of all those that have not Jesus Christ for their Shepherd
Lesson That such and so great is the indispensable need that we have of the Lord Jesus Christ that without him we are undone for ever In the 53d verse of this exeellent Chapter Verily verily I say unto you except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you He speaks there of eating of his flesh and drinking his blood in a spiritual manner You know there are many desires of the Soul that may be dispenced with but hunger is a desire that must be satisfied unless you have bread for your sustenance the body dies so unless you have Jesus Christ for your spiritual sustenance your Souls die and drop down into Hell for ever for look as the union of the Body with the Soul is the life of the Body so the union of the Soul with Jesus Christ is the life of the Soul O hearken to this thou that art yet in a natural and unregenerate estate uncalled unconverted that never was yet transplanted from off the old rotten stock of Adam and replanted into the true Vine the Lord Jesus Christ if thou livest in this estate and diest in this estate thou art undone for ever the poorest worm that crawls upon the ground is in a better condition than thou art in Acts 26.27 Believest thou the Prophets said St. Paul to King Agrippa I know that thou believest Believest thou this Doctrine say I to thee that art yet uncalled unconverted I know thou believest it not for if thou didst believe it thou couldest not rest contented in a Christless condition for one week no not for one day but wouldest by prayers and tears and supplications cry out Lord Jesus give me thy self whatever thou denyest me give me thy self though I be as poor as Job upon the Dunghil But we cannot perswade men that the danger of a natural estate and condition is so great as indeed it is but the Lord convince you and perswade you of it A second Doctrinal Inference that may be hence deduced is this If Jesus Christ be the living bread then it follows the vanity and emptiness and insufficiency of all Creature-accommodations is exceeding great name what you will of these outward accommodations that the World do so greedily gape after whether Riches or Honours or Pleasures or goodly brave Buildings this and that alas we may say of them they are not bread Isa 55.2 Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread Your money that is your precious opportunities your time that is your money to make your Markets for Eternity with for Moments are the Markets for Eternity Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Alas alas these outward things they are neither satisfactory nor permanent they are not satisfactory for Solomon tells us that He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with encrease Eccles 5.10 As soom may you hope to fill a Chest with Wisdom and Knowledg as to fill a Soul which is a spiritual substance with temporal things And as these outward things are are satisfactory so neither are they permanent or lasting 1 Cor. 6.13 Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall deslroy both it and them Look as the belly devours the meat so the worms at last shall devour the belly and so both meat and belly perish together But if you can but once get this spiritual bread the Lord Christ you shall never perish Alas alas consider your own folly and brutishness in seeking for satisfaction here below where none is to be found your bread without Christ is but gravel in your throats your moral Vertues without Christ are but glittering sins your bodies without Christ are but dust and ashes dust that will drop down into the Grave and ashes that are fitted for the Furnace of Hell-fire your Souls without Christ are but the Devils Palace your lives without Christ is but the service of sin and your deaths without Christ will be nothing else but the wages of sin Oh who would rest then in a Christless condition Who would sit down contented with these poor transitory shadowy comforts A third Lesson we may learn by way of Inference is this If Jesus Christ be the living bread then our main end and errand in coming to the Lords Table is not to feed the Body but to feed the Soul 1 Cor. 11.21 What have you not Houses to eat and to drink in saith the Apostle So that it is not the end of your coming to the Lords Table therefore you eat but a little piece of Bread and drink but a little draught of Wine to put you in mind that it is not the Body that you come to feed but you come to feed the Soul and therefore you should labour to get a preparation suitable to that spiritual bread that you are to taste of But what is that you will say I answer There should be something done before your coming and something done in the Administration of the Elements and something done after the receiving of the Elements First There should be something done before you come Oh beg a blessing upon your spiritual bread Man lives not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matth. 4.4 I may apply it thus Your Souls will not live by this Sacramental Bread but by the Word of Gods blessing If God will bless this spiritual food to you your Souls shall live On therefore beg the Blessing of God upon this Heavenly Bread Secondly And then there is something to be done while you are eating this Bread you should get your hearts all on fire with love to this blessed Redeemer that was contented to be made bread to be prepared food as I told you even now to be threshed and winnowed and ground and bak'd and scorch'd in the Oven of his Fathers Wrath Oh how should your hearts be all on a flame with Love as the two Disciples were going to Emaus As Jesus Christ brake bread and gave it to them and opened to them the Scriptures their hearts did burn within them Luke 24.32 they were as it were all on a fire So should it be with you when you come to the Lords Table you should have your meditations wholly taken up with that which is the life of the Sacrament even the death of our Saviour let not your hearts be roving and wandering about watch them narrowly you will hardly keep them close to a duty two Minutes without great watching Thirdly There is something to be done after when you have eaten of this living bread that is to be exceeding thankful study to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing That 's the first Use of Information The second Vse is of Exhortation Is Jesus Christ that living bread that gives eternal life to all those that have a
be more base in my own sight 2 Sam. 6.27 Lastly Act Grace humbly when you have done all that you can do say you are unprofitable servants and say with St. Paul It was not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 Lastly I shall shew you in what seasons you must act Grace certainly Grace must be acted at all times but there are some special seasons wherein we must especially act Grace First Upon the receipt of some special Mercy then we should act Thankfulness more than ordinarily and say What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal 116.12 Is Gods hand enlarged in bounty then let my heart be enlarged with thankfulness Secondly When you lye under a smarting Rod a piercing Affliction then act Faith and Patience A man usually never acts Grace better than when he is under some abasement a soul can better mannage a state of adversity than it can a state of prosperity for when it is in a state of abasement then it is at a less distance from God as Roses they are never so sweet as when they are in a Still and fire is under them never does our Graces usually send forth a sweeter favour than when God is pleased to exercise us with Afflictions David was never better than when he was under the Rod then he made those heavenly soul ravishing Psalms that you meet with in the book of Psalms The best Psalms the most heavenly and spiritual Psalms were made when David was in a low condition witness the 34 Psalm it s one of the sweetest Psalms you meet with when was it made when David was in the lowest condition that ever he was in when he was in that straight he was forced to feign himself mad 1 Sam. 21.13 See how Davids heart was enlarged in the making of this Psalm Thirdly Another fit season to act Grace in is when you receive the seals of the Covenant of Grace in the use of the holy Ordinance of the Lords Supper that is a time for you to act Grace in then should you be acting brokenness of heart for can you look upon a broken Saviour without a broken heart upon a bleeding Saviour without a bleeding heart then should you be acting Humility and say as Mephibosheth What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am 2 Sam. 9.8 Nay but here is more that thou shouldst not only look on me but set me at thy Table what a beggar a loathsom leprous beggar to sit at the Table of the King of Glory Then act Love to Jesus Christ what hath he loved me so dearly Oh how should I love him above all expressions of love and be sick of love to him Then act Faith especially for that is a grace you have most need of when you come to the Lords Table as now faith is the very eye whereby we look upon him it is the hand whereby we receive him it is the mouth whereby we feed on him says Christ except you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you Joh. 6.52 53. He does not here speak of a Corporal eating of him far be it from us to have such a thought as they of Capernaum had how can this man give us his flesh to eat that man that believes in Christ he feeds on Christ Then be acting of Thankfulness after you have received the Lords Supper Oh what thanks shall I return to the Lord my God! Oh! my whole course of life should be nothing but a continual gratulation to my Father for that never-sufficiently admired gift of the Lord Jesus Christ If I had ten thousand thousand tongues I could never praise him sufficiently Then act holy Resignation of your selves up to Christ what did the Lord give himself for me I will give my self up to him was he crucified for my sins I will crucifie my sins for him Study conformity to him and that will evidence that you have Communion with him There is no more certain evidence of our Communion with Christ in his Graces Comforts Merits and Spirit c. than in our conformity to him when we resemble him in Grace here it is a certain evidence that we shall resemble him in Glory hereafter In one word do but make it your business to be acting your Grace and you may trust God for the bringing in of your Comforts the more you are active in Grace the more shall be your Comfort If we had more activity of Grace we should have more evidence of Christs dwelling in our hearts here and God would have more Glory our souls would have more peace and we should have abundance of more rejoycing in the day of our Lord Jesus CHRISTS TEMPTATION THE SAINTS SUPPORTATION A SERMON Preach'd Decemb. 9. 1657. Heb. II. 13. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted THE scope of the Apostle in the former Chapter is to prove that Jesus Christ is truly God therefore far above the Angels for says he in the fifth verse of that Chapter Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee In this Chapter the Apostle proves that Jesus Christ is truly man and therefore in that respect inferiour to the Angels Verse 9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour And because it might be demanded But why is it needful that Jesus Christ should be man why did he not take on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Verse 16. The Apostle give us four reasons why our blessed Saviour would be man why he took our human nature upon him First He did it for the sanctification of our nature and that reason is set down in v. 11 For both be that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one that is they are all of one and the same nature we come all from one common root Christ came from the same root that we did namely from Adam and this he did that he might sanctifie our nature Secondly The Lord Jesus Christ became man that he might in our nature and for our benefit destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil that is set down in Verse 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Thirdly He became man that he might deliver us not only from the hurt of death but deliver us also from the fear of death and that 's set down in Verse 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Fourthly He became man that by the experience of his sufferings in our
very precious As if he should say You have an infinite and an invaluable benefit by him therefore you have great reason so highly to prize him Vnto you that do believe that is that can rest and rely upon this Rock of Salvation that can pawn your Souls upon him that can close with him and cleave to him and obey him as your Prince and your Saviour Vnto you says the Apostle he is precious or he is a price and an honour for so the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he is not only precious but of infinite price he is not only honourable but honour it self in the Abstract for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both price and honour The words being thus opended afford these two Points of Doctrine which lie clear in the Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself Doct. 2. As Jesus Christ is precious in himself so he is exceeding precious in the eyes of all Believers and most highly prized by them Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself He is called in the 4th verse of this Chapter A living-stone chosen of God and precious And in Isa 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation For the better understanding of this Point two things are to be opened First What it is to be Precious or what may be included in this Phrase precious Secondly How this may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein the preciousness of Jesus Christ consists First What is it to be precious What is included in this Phrase precious The Hebrew word signifies divers things I will name you but these five or six and every one of those significations are rightly applicable to the Lord Jesus Christ Sometimes the word precious is taken for bright and glorious Thus the Sun and the Moon are said to walk in brightness Job 31.26 If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness Job there speaking of the Moon says it walks in brightness it walks as it were through the Heavens honourably it walks in a great deal of brightness and glory Thus the Lord Jesus Christ in this sense is precious because he is the glorious sun of Righteousness as he is called Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my Name shall the sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings And he calls himself the bright Morning-Star in Rev. 22.16 I am the bright Morning-Star Again Secondly The word precious is taken sometimes for that that is scarce and rare to be had for that which is not bestowed upon all but upon some few persons Thus the Word of God in Samuel's time was said to be precious 1 Sam. 3.1 And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days there was no open Vision it was communicated but to a few And in this sense also the Lord Jesus Christ may be said to be precious because he is communicated but to a very few A little Flock Luke 12.32 A little little Flock as the word signifies a very little Flock in comparison of those that have no interest in him nor any benefit by him For not many wise men after the flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 There are but few very few in comparison of the great multitude that have an interest in him in that regard he is precious Thirdly Sometimes the word precious is taken for that which is dear and costly So the Lord Jesus Christ is very dear to his Father the dearly beloved Son of his bosom and his blood is very costly it is called precious blood If the blood of all the Princes upon Earth had been spilt nay if all the Angels in Heaven had lost their lives it had not been comparable to one drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Fourthly The word precious sometimes is taken for that which is pleasant and delightful Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child There is the same word for precious called pleasant In this regard the Lord Jesus Christ may be called precious because he is so delightful to the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Fifthly That may be said to be precious that is of very great and invaluable use or that whereof we have an indispensable necessity Now in this sense also Jesus Christ is precious he is of infinite use to a Believer such indispensable need have we of him that without him we must perish everlastingly Except ye eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood you have no life in you John 6.53 Lastly That is said to be precious which is honourable Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Isa 43.4 And as I told you even now the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siguifieth honour as well as price So the Lord Jesus Christ he is infinitely honourable honourable in himself all the Angels honour and admire him and he is an Honour to his Church and Chosen to all those that have a part and interest in him therefore he is said to be The glory of his people Israel Luke 2.32 A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel You see the first thing opened What it is to be precious Now the second thing for Explication is this How this Title precious may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein does the preciousness of Jesus Christ so much appear For answer to this You must know the preciousness of Jesus Christ does appear in these six Particulars First He is exceeding infinitely unconceivably precious in his Person God and Man united in one Person Co-essential with the Father that is having the same Essence and Substance with him in John 10.30 I and my Father are one And he is Co-equal with the Father He thought it no robery to be equal with God Pbil. 2.6 Being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Therefore he is infinitely precious in his Person Secondly As he is precious in his Person so is he precious in his Titles those rich and glorious Titles that are attributed to him For Example Isa 9.6 This is the name wherewith the Lord Jesus Christ is called Wonderful Counsellonr El the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Pray mark with what a glorious Title he is called there The Mighty God How dare then any blasphemous Arrian or Atheist deny the Divinity
of the Lord Jesus Christ deny that he is God when this is one of the Titles wherewith he is called The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace What glorious Titles are here So you shall read he is called his Fathers delight Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my sul delighteth And the Fathers bosom-friend John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time save the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him If the love of all the Parents in the World were concentred in one it were but as a drop of that infinite Ocean of Love that is between the Father and the Son Nay more he is called the Fathers Fellow Zech. 13.7 Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my Fellow saith the Lord of Hosts So likewise he is called The Head of the Church Eph. 5.23 and the Judg both of quick and dead Acts 10.42 In a word such is the Dignity of his Person such is the Excellency of his Merits such is the sweetness of his Graces such is the fulness of his Perfection that the Scripture does abundantly put those terms of honour upon the Lord Christ as sometimes comparing him to a Corner-stone because he does support us Ephes 2.20 Sometimes to A Vine because he does refresh us John 15.1 Sometimes unto a Physician because he does heal us Matth. 9.12 Sometimes to a Day-star because he does enlighten us Rev. 22.16 Sometimes to A Shepherd because he does lead us John 10. Sometimes to Manna or the Bread of life because he does feed us What glorious Titles are these that are given to Christ therefore he is precious in his Titles Thirdly As he is precious in his Titles so he is precious in his Offices in his Kingly Office in his Priestly Office and in his Prophetical Office First He is precious in his Kingly Office he calls himself The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev 19.16 The King of Kings He is such a King that conquers the enemies of our Salvation as Sin and Satan and Death and Hell and the World other Kings Rule over us but this King can only Rule in us My Kingdom is not of this world saith he The Kingdom of God is within you Lnke 17.21 This King can make Laws that can bind the Conscience he is such a King as hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him Matth. 28.18 Again He is such a Priest as hath reconeiled us to God the Father and ever lives to make intercession for us who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Col. 1.21 Heb. 7.25 Heb. 4.15 And he is such a Prophet as can perfectly instruct his Church others may preach to the ear but he hath his Pulpit in Heaven only that can preach to the heart other Preachers can open the Scriptures but it is Jesus Christ only that can open our understandings that we may understand the Scriptures Luke 24.45 Then opened he their underderstandings that they might understand the Scriptures O what glorious Offices are these Fourthly He is precious in his Ordinances For Example His Word is exceeding precious to all those that have tasted the sweetness of it how precious was it to David Psalm 119.72 The Law of thy Mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver How precious are Sabbaths to those that know how much of Heaven is wrapt up in the Sabbath Certainly these Sabbath-days are Market-days for our Souls wherein we may make provision for Eternity days wherein the Lord Jesus Christ many times communicates himself and much of his sweetness to those that wait upon him in holy Duties And how precious is the Ordinance of the Lords Supper wherein the Lord Christ makes us a feast of fat things a feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of Marrow Wines on the Lees well refined Isa 25. Wherein he gives his own flesh to eat his flesh that was crucified to satisfie Divine Justice and his own blood to drink that blood which only can quench the fire of Hell quench the fire of Gods anger which otherwise would have been burning and burning against us to all Eternity Fifthly As he is precious in his Ordinances so he is precious in his Prerogatives for he and he only is the Saviour of the World and besides him there was no other Saviour Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved That is there is nothing can be named for it is but a Hebraism there is nothing can be named under Heaven whereby we can be saved but only the Name of Jesus Christ he had no Coadjutor or Helper in the work of our Redemption Isa 63.3 I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the People there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my rayment And as he is the only Saviour so he is the only Mediator too For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 So he is the only Head of his Church Eph. 1.22 And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church He only hath the Supremacy and Authority as being Omnipotent and Omnipresent one that is able to protect his people from all injuries one that is able to prevent all the plots and projects that are hatcht and invented against them he hath these Prerogatives that cannot be given to any Creature in Heaven or Earth but only unto him therefore he is precious in his Prerogatives Sixthly The Lord Christ is precious also in the purchase of his blood the purchase he made for us by his blood is a very precious purchase and the portion that he bestows on his Elect that he hath purchased for them is a precious portion so he is precious not only in regard of his Person but in regard of his Portion For Example the Redemption that he hath wrought for us by his blood is a precious Redemption a Redemption from Sin and Satan and Death and Hell In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Ephes 1.7 Secondly The donation or bestowing of his Spirit it is a very precious gift that the Spirit of God should in his Name that is for his Merit be bestowed upon all those that do believe But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 14.26 O what a precious invaluable gift is it to have the Spirit of God given us to quicken us to draw us to Jesus Christ and to carry on the
Tryals that are to be endured You have often heard and you will know it at one time or other you will not believe us but you will believe one day your own experience That through many Afflictions you must enter into the kingdom of God And 2 Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution They must look for persecution in one kind or other And in the world you shall have tribulation saith our Saviour You must look for it says he if you be my disciples John 16.33 And says Luther If thou beest not a Cross-bearing Christian thou art no Christian indeed How is it possible now for a man to climb this rocky way if he hath not strength for the way to Heaven is like the way that Jonathan and his Armour-bearer had in climbing up a great Rock a sharp rock was on the one side and a sharp rock was on the other side 1 Sam. 14.4 How is it possible for a man to climb up this rocky way if he have not some considerable strength If Stephen for example had not had a great measure of strength how could he have lookt upon his persecutors so chearfully in the midst of all their threatnings when they were ready to stone him yet then they beheld his face as if it had been the face of an Angel Acts 6.15 And if Saint Paul had not had considerable strength how could he have have said True the holy Ghost witnesseth that bonds and afflictions wait for me in every place in every City where ever I go but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20.23 24. What a gallant answer was that which one made to Valentinian the Arrian Emperour that threatned him with Bonds Imprisonment Banishment and death Tush says he Let him scare children with such Bug-bears as these he cannot scare me with them he may take away my life but he cannot take away my love to the truth Here was a strong Christian Now I say if a man have not a considerable strength how can he be able to bear all the afflictions that he may meet with Can you drink of the cup says our Saviour that I shall drink of and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with Matth. 20.22 He speaks there of the baptism of blood Can you be baptized with this bloody baptism can you be content to suffer for my sake Thirdly You have need of a great deal of strength in your souls in regard of the enemies that are to be encountred with spiritual enemies dangerous enemies deadly implacable enemies For example now One of the greatest Enemies you have to encounter with is an invisible enemy namely that Judas which you and I have in our hearts the cursed corruption in our Natures that works us more mischief than either the World or the Devil nay then all the Devils in Hell can do You see the whole world in a manner is subdued by this cursed enemy called Sin the whole World almost is brought into bondage to it and it is an enemy that you and I can never be rid of until our bodies drop down into the dust Then you have a flattering and bewitching World and the lusts and pleasures of it are its baits those baits and allurements of it do so Lime-twigg the soul it is not able to mount up oh how many are bewitched by it to their own destruction Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present World and he loves it because it is present What is the reason of all the Apostacy and Back-sliding and falling from the Profession and Principles and Practice of Godliness but only the love of this present world Men love the world because it is present they prefer a present possession before a future expectation Christs promise is for the future You shall be happy hereafter but say they the world pays down upon the nail You shall have it in hand not in hope says the world If you can but lye swear and cog and flatter and temporize and turn with every wind saith the world you shall have this preserment Now this is that which takes with many men the World is such an enemy while it kisses it kills the World like Dalilah while it dandles you upon its lap it betrays you to Satan How many are there at this day that will sacrifice the peace of a good conscience they will forsake and lose God and Christ and heaven and happiness and all rather than they will part with their present enjoyments Oh that such would consider the pleasures of sin are but for a season but the punishments for sin are for ever Again You have Satan to encounter with who is an implacable enemy a roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour and the dint of all his malice is against those that desire to walk most strictly most uprightly before God for the greater part of the world I mean them that are unregenerate those that are rockt asleep in the Cradle of security he never troubles them When the strong man armed keeps his Palace all his goods are in peace Satan never molests them these are his own houshold under his own power but the dint of all his malice is against those that have given up their names to Jesus Christ and the more holy and heavenly-minded and unblameable you desire to be in your Conversations the greater will be his rage and enmity against you Fourthly Another Enemy you have to encounter with and that is Death the last enemy that shall be destroyed which is called the King of fears and the fear of Kings of all terribles the most terrible as the Philosopher calls it Now you have all these enemies to conquer and how can you look the King of terrors in the face if you have not this spiritual strength Fifthly You have need of a great deal of strength in regard of the danger of Apostacy that must be prevented Oh great exceeding great greater than I am able to tell you is the danger of Apostacy Oh that I could speak it with all earnestness that if it might be you might take heed of it Those that turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity Oh they are lost and undone for ever Psalm 125.5 And if any man draws back saith God my soul shall have no pleasure in him A dreadful Scripture which may make Apostates quake and tremble God takes no pleasure in such as draw back and it had been better for a man never to have known the ways of God than having known them to turn aside from the holy commandment It s better to be an Atheist a Pagan a Turk an Insidel any thing rather than an Apostate
now be confirmed and precious Evidences of Eternal Salvation may be now gained and likewise precious Graces and precious Faith and precious Hope and precious Love Humility Repentance and Self-denial these precious Graces may be now procured a precious soul may be saved a precious pardon may be sealed Oh what precious things then are tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel these opportunities therefore are exceeding precious if Christ be thine now he is thine for ever Oh that you you did but know the price of these things that are tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel if a condemned prisoner did know how precious the pardon that was brought to him was would he slight it Here is a precious Pardon Grace Mercy Peace all tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel How infinitely then does it concern us to improve our Gospel-seasons 4. The fourth Lesson by way of inference is this It lets us see the contempt nay the neglect of the Gospel is a very dangerous sin for if the knowledg of Salvation be brought to the soul by the Gospel then certainly he that neglect the Gospel neglects Salvation and Salvation it self shall not save that man that despiseth the remedy yea that neglects Salvation says the Apostle How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2.3 As if he had said It is impossible to escape eternal Damnation if we do but neglect this eternal Salvation These are the Lessons from this Doctrine and that 's the first Use of Information The second Use I shall make of this Doctrine it is for Examination If so be the knowledg of eternal Life be brought by the Gospel be discovered and revealed by the Gospel then take occasion to call your selves to an account and see whether this eternal Salvation be so discovered to you that you may be partakers of it otherwise what advantage will it be to you to hear that Life and Immortality is brought to light unless this Light do shine into your souls But may be you will say to me How may we do to know that the Day-spring from on High hath shined into my soul that God hath called me out of darkness into his marvellous Light that he hath discovered the Mysteries of Salvation to me even to me I answer You may know it briefly thus If the Light of Life be revealed to thy Soul then certainly thy knowledg will not be a Notional knowledg only but an Experimental knowledg thou wilt not have a knowledg swimming in thy head only but a soaking and sinking knowledg in thy heart thou wilt not only know Christ but taste Christ thou wilt taste that hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna Thou wilt not only know but taste the bitterness of sin and thou wilt say Jer. 2.19 It is an evìl and bitter thing that I have for saken the Lord and that his fear is not in me A blind man may talk of Colours that never saw them and a hungry man may talk of a full dinner that never tasted it so a carnal man may have a great deal of knowledg in his head and never rellish nor taste it but he that hath the knowledg of Salvation revealed to his soul he hath a Light shining in his heart Jer. 31.34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord that is they shall not need to be taught those experimental truths that are written in their own hearts by the finger of the Spirit of God A man that hath this Life and Immortality brought to light by the Gospel will say You need not tell me that sin is a bitter thing I have tasted the bitterness of it You need not tell me the favour of God is sweet and lovely Oh it is sweeter to me than life it self You need not tell me that Jesus Christ is very Amiable and Beautiful I see him to be so with my eye of faith You need not tell me there is a marvellous power in the death of Christ for the crucifying of sin I do experimentally know it when a man hath this experimental knowledg he will say as the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.13 I was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and injurious but I obtained Mercy because I did it ignorantly When a man hath the feeling and experience of spiritual Truths in his own soul then may he be sure that Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel unto him A third Use I shall make of this Doctrine it is of Reproof Two sorts there are that are justly liable to the reproof of this Doctrine First It condemns and crys down that Hellish practice of the whore of Rome and the Popish Clergy who lock up the Scriptures and keep Millions of souls from the knowledg of Gospel from the knowledg of the mysteries of Salvation this is all one as if they should lock them up in the pit of Infernal darkness for if so be Salvation or Eternal Life be brought to light by the Gospel and this Gospel be to them but as a Light in a dark Lanthorn must not they needs inevitably perish Oh cruel bloody Butchers Oh merciless mischievous Soul-destroyers may we say of the Romish Synagogue well may the whore of Rome be said to be drunk with blood because she is drunk not only with the blood of the bodies of Men but with the blood of the Souls of men Oh the tender Mercies of God that hath opened our eyes to see better things and to free us from the bondage and slavery of that Antichristian yoke this is a great mercy to be delivered from the poyson of those serpents and a greater mercy than ever we can be thankful for But take this withal I beseech you Take heed that Popery do not creep in at a back-dore of Toleration let us bless God for that liberty that we have but take heed that you do not hanker after those Popish Doctrines that may poyson the soul and that will provoke God to remove his Candlestick from amongst us A second sort to be reproved are those that grow weary of the Gospel I but may be you will say Are there any so bad in our days as to be weary of the Gospel yea my brethren many there are that are weary of the Truths of it many that are weary of the Profession of it many that are weary of the Power and Practise of it First Many there are that are weary of the Truths of the Gospel that chuse rather to be raking in the stinking puddles of Popery Arminianism Socinianism and other damnable heresies as the Apostle calls them they chuse these rather than the clear fountain of truth revealed in the Gospel Oh these are in a very dangerous condition when men chuse rather to
carries them in his Bosom and gently Leads them and accordingly there are these two Points of Doctrine that are most eminently and clearly held forth in the Text. Doct. 1. That Jesus Christ is that Blessed Shepherd that is able both to feed and protect his People here and to give them eternal Life hereafter Doct. 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ in his carriage towards his People hath a tender respect to their Infirmities I begin with the first Doctrine The Lord Jesus Christ is that blessed Shepherd that is abundantly able to feed and protect his People here and to give them eternal life hereafter For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three Scriptures in Joh. 10.11 I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep and in Heb. 13.20 He is called the great Shepherd of the Sheep Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant c. And he is called the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls in 1 Pet. 2.20 For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls so that doubtless Jesus Christ is the most blessed the best the greatest the sweetest Shepherd that ever was as will appear by these four reasons First Because he hath the greatest care over them Secondly Because he hath the greatest love to his Sheep Thirdly Beeause he hath the greatest power that ever Shepherd had Fourthly Because he hath the greatest reward for them that can possibly be bestowed First Jesus Christ hath the greatest care over his Sheep for he seeks them when they are lost I come says he to seek and to save those which were lost Luk. 1.9 20 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost And he gathers them from the ends of the world he fetches them from all corners of the earth there is not one of his sheep that is not one that belongs to the election of grace but in what place soever he be though among Pagans Heathens and Infidels of what condition soever he be whether high or low rich or poor noble or ignoble of what calling or employment soever As some will be ready to complain and say I am lockt up under a Calling I would be better if my Calling would let me I but there is not one of Christs sheep that belongs to the election of Grace though he be lockt up under a Calling but the Lord Jesus Christ will seek him out in what condition or Calling soever he be That 's the first reason He hath the greatest care over his sheep to gather them into his Fold 2dly Because he hath the greatest love to his sheep such love as the like was never heard of Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend John 15.13 There cannot be greater love manifested than this but such love hath the Lord Jesus Christ he hath laid down his life that good Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep as in the forenamed place John 10.11 I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep You know Jacob sheweth a great deal of love to his sheep in that as he tells you he was in the day-time parched with heat the drought consumed him and in the night-time pinched with frost and he broke his sleep many times to watch his sheep Gen. 31.40 My sleep says he departed from mine eyes That was great love but David shewed greater love to his Flocks Psal 78.70 he followed the Ewes great with young when God took him from the Sheepfolds to wield the Scepter And he shewed yet greater love to his Flock as he tells you in 1 Sam. 17.34 35 And David said unto Saul Thy servant kept his Fathers sheep and there came a Lion and a Bear and took a Lamb out of the stock and I went out after him smote him delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him thy servant slew both the Lion and the Bear David ventured very far he ventured his life for one Lamb of the Flock but Jesus Christ that blessed Shepherd did not only venture his life but he laid down his life for his sheep and he did not venture to grapple with an ordinary Lion but with that roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour Nay he did not only wrestle with that roaring Lion but with all the powers of darkness he wrestled with principalities and powers Nay he wrestled with the wrath of a sin-revenging God and all that he might save his poor sheep therefore never was there such a loving Shepherd as the Lord Jesus Christ That 's the second reason Thirdly He hath the greatest power and ability that ever Shepherd had for this is extraordinary that he makes all the sheep he hath all his sheep are the workmanship of his hands Psalm 100.3 Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture He hath that power that he can do whatsoever pleaseth him in heaven and in earth All power in heaven and carth is given to him Matth. 26.18 He hath that power that he is able to deliver his sheep from the gates of hell He hath said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against them Matth. 16.18 He hath that power that he can do that for his sheep that all the world and all the Princes in the world cannot do for them and therefore he must needs be the best Shepherd That 's the third reason Fourthly He hath the greatest reward also to bestow upon every one of his sheep Alas his sheep give nothing to him My goodness does not extend to thee Psalm 16.2 We can bestow nothing upon this blessed Shepherd he hath no need of any thing we have I but he bestows a very rich portion upon his sheep a glorious reward he feeds them he cloaths them he protects them here in this world and gives them eternal life hereafter First This blessed Shepherd feeds all his sheep he feeds them first by his Word and then by his Sacraments He feeds them by his Word by sending his Messengers as under-Shepherds to feed his Flock It is a Gospel-promise that in Jer. 3.15 I will give you Pastors according to my own heart which shall feed you with knowledg and understanding And it was one end of our Saviours ascention into Heaven and a great blessing we have by it he ascended into heaven that he might give gists unto men Ephes 4.8 11 12 13 verses Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and
thee to prove thee and to teach thee to prise Jesus Christ so much the more It may be God le ts loose these infirmities as the avenger of blood was let loose upon the man slayer to force the man slayer to fly to the City of Refuge Numb 35 so these infirmities are let loose to force thee to fly to Jesus Christ the Refuge of thy soul Some there are that was it not for strong infirmities cleaving to them strong temptations meeting with them would never be beholding to Jesus Christ at all Look therefore in every infirmity not only at the evil of it but at the good God intends by it it may be God intends good to thy soul by them Whereas we as he said once many times make plaisters to become a poyson the Lord is able on the contrary to make a plaister of poyson We many times bring sin out of Grace God can bring grace out of sin he can bring Heaven out of Hell therefore as there is something against God so there is something from God in our infirmities therefore we should not be discouraged because of them Secondly Consider the great difference between thy self when thou wast in a state of nature and now when thou art a weak Christian and subject to infirmities did not God reject thee at that time and cast thee off when thou wast an open Traitor and Rebel marching on in a course of rebellion against him did he not cast thee off but had compassion on thee and did pity thee and spare thee then certainly he will not now cast thee off for some unvoluntary errour which thou bewailest and mournest for in his presence Did the Lord seek thee at that time when thou despisedst him certainly then he will not despise thee when thou feekest him That is a good argument of the Apostle to strengthen and support and comfort drooping spirits Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Certainly therefore God will not reject thee for an infirmity if he was so gracious to thee in thy state of sin and enmity to him there is as great a difference between a state of grace and a state of nature as there is between Heaven and Hell though grace be never so weak and imperfect Thirdly Consider the great danger of being pluckt away from Jesus Christ by giving too much way to despondency Satans main drift and great plot is to drive thee away from Jesus Christ by thy infirmities he labours to bring thee to despond and despair and to say there is no hope for thee because Satan knows the more he draws thee from Jesus Christ the weaker thou wilt be Thy infirmities should not drive thee from Christ but they should drive thee to Christ to improve and make use of his gracious disposition in helping and healing thee in thy miseries and distresses Fourthly Consider what may be the causes of thy infirmities those infirmities will be cured in the causes For example if thy infirmities arise from want of age or time to gather strength that will be cured because the path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day Prov. 4.18 Or if from want of the means of grace or because the means of grace thou enjoyest are not such as others enjoy the Lord in such cases will have a tender respect to thee and measure to thee not according to what thou hast but according to what thou wouldst have Again if thy infirmities arise from some corruption that was not discovered to thee at thy first conversion thou must then pray and beg that the Lord would discover thy self to thy self more and more Again if thou hast forsaken some old truths of God and art grown weary of them and hankerest after Novelties and new Opinions then return from thy wandrings and prize solid meat above kickshaws beg that thy soul may taste once again the sweetness of Gospel-truths In a word what ever the cause of your infirmities be get the disease healed in the cause get thy heart more weaned from the World and stir up thy self to take hold of God remember thy former zeal and repent and do thy first works and this is the way to get thy infirmities healed That 's the first Use a Use of Comfort and Consolation The second Use is a Use of Caution The Lord Jesus Christ as you have heard hath a tender respect to his people a tender care of his people in respect of their infirmities let not a wicked man then apply this to himself and say the Lord Christ will have a tender respect to me that go on in the course of sin that live in sin and lye in sin and sleep in sin and wallow in sin No for there is a great deal of difference between the weakness of a Lamb and the wickedness of a Wolf the Lord Jesus Christ pities his Lambs for their weakness but he doth not pity a Wolf for his wickedness that is that man who is resolved to go on in a course of sin say a Minister what he can to the contrary if he is dead in trespasses and sins if he hath no spiritual life in him if there be no work of grace begun in him all that I have said concerning Christs tender care of his peoples infirmities doth not belong to him he hath no part in this Inheritance if thou beest a Wolf and not a Lamb the Lord Christ that hath a tender care of his Lambs will be sure to meet thee not as a Shepherd that carries his Lambs in his Arms but he will meet thee as a Lion Hosea 13.7 8 Therefore I will be unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way will I observe them I will meet them as a Bear that is bereaved of her Whelps and I will rent the caul of their heart and there will I devour them like a Lyon the wild beasts shall tear them The same Christ that is a Shepherd to his People he knows how to be a Lyon a Leopard and a Bear to his Enemies That is an awakening Scripture Psalm 68.21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses If therefore thou art one that goest on in thy trespasses in an unreformed course if thou livest in sin and settest thy heart on wickedness and takest pleasure therein this doctrine doth not belong to thee thou art not a Lamb in Christs account he will not deal tenderly with thee nay he will deal most roughly with thee his wrath and fury will be powred out upon thee as the Prophet speaks That 's the second Use of Caution Lastly A word of Exhortation If the Lord Jesus Christ hath such a tender respect in his carriage to the infirmities of his People O then resolve to have no other
what it is to lye under the burden of Gods wrath when Mountains and Milstones of wrath are thrown upon the soul and the Lord will so far enable the soul that it shall be bearing that wrath and bearing and bearing it to all Eternity 3. Take in this aggravation also This loss it is irrecoverable once lost and ever lost Heaven once lost will never never be recovered after as many millions of years as there are drops in the Ocean that loss will still be bewailed and bewailed and bewailed to all Eternity If you put all these together I believe you will assent to me now and acknowledg the truth of this point That to come short of Heaven is such an unvaluable and unconceivable and irrecoverable loss that it is to be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever For the use of this point First By way of Information Secondly By way of Exhortation First By way of Information It shews us the extream folly and madness of all impenitent Sinners who will venture the loss of God and the favour of God the loss of Christ and the presence of Christ the loss of heaven and happiness and the loss of their own souls rather than they will lose the pleasures of sin which are but for a season it is such a madness that heaven and earth may stand amazed at it Consider and befool your selves O you carnal and careless ones if you have not sinned away your very sense and reason also Consider blush and be ashamed and be confounded in the presence of the Lord this day you that never yet set your faces towards Heaven you that never made it your business to look out for a Christ you that never shed a penitential tear from a broken heart you that cannot abide to think of Humiliation and Repentance you that never sought for eternal happiness by patient continuance in well-doing you that know not what it is to mortifie a lust you that know not what it is to deny your own hearts any thing to cross your own wills in any thing you that are so far from working out your own salvation with fear and trembling that you work out your own damnation without fear and trembling without horror and astonishment that never once think of it that never once lay to heart this loss this coming short I cannot if I had the tongue of men and Angels I were not able to express the evil of coming short of eternal happiness you can now sell Glory for vanity Heaven for Earth the pleasures that are at the right hand of God for the pleasures of sin that are but for a season But the time will come when with heart-rending complaints you will tear off your own hair and rend your own hearts in pieces and cry out O fools beastly fools sensless sots that we were to bereave our selves of eternal happiness for a little momentany pleasures for the satisfaction of a base lust O what Bedlams O what humane beasts were we that would deprive our selves of mansions in the New Jerusalem for a few bruitish carnal sensual delights O what mad-men were we that would venture the loss of an eternal habitation in that place where to be and to be most happy is all one rather than we would cross our own carnal and corrupt wills in any thing we would fulfil the flesh and the mind O how will you then exceedingly befool your selves It is storied of Lysimachus a King being pursued by his Enemies and being very thirsty he sold his Kingdom for a draught of drink but afterward he cryed out Alas What a bargain have I made to sell my Kingdom for a draught of drink O this even this is the condition of all you that sell Heaven for Earth that sell Pearls for Pebles that sell your immortal Souls that sell the hopes of eternal happiness for the satisfaction of a base lust O how will you cry out What a Bedlambeast have I been that have run such a hazzard the loss of such a Crown an incorruptible Crown such a Crown of eternal Glory O what a beast have I been that have ventured the loss of Heaven and the favour of God and the presence of God and the loss of my own Soul and that for nothing for toys and trifles for dross and trash You can now complain of the Service of God and say It is an unprofitable Service What profit is it to wait upon the Lord what profit is it that we kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 But a time will come when you will wish that a thousand years had been spent in fasting and ten thousand thousand years had been spent in the strictest Exercise of Religion rather than you should have come short of that eternal happiness you now are ready to say when the Ministers press you to pray in your Families and catechise your Families and read the Scriptures in your Families and to drive a Trade for Heaven when we press you to these things you are ready to say We have no leisure alas we cannot look after these things we have no time to seek heaven and happiness No time Well well you that can find no time to look after those things that are of infinite concernment you that have no time to seek for Heaven you will have time enough to bewail the loss of Heaven when a thousand years are gone and ten thousand years are gone and a thousand thousand thousand years are gone in bewailing your loss bewailing this unconceivable damage and detriment when as many millions of years are gone as there are drops of water in the Ocean there will be time enough to bewail it to all eternity O the folly and madness of all those that will live in sin and lye in sin and for the pleasures of sin will venture the loss of those pleasures that are at the right hand of God for evermore it is such madness as cannot be expressed or conceived That is one Use Secondly By way of Exhortation And I have two Exhortations to tender to you if God would give you but hearts to hearken and the Lord of his infinite mercy bow and incline your hearts to consider what I say First If the coming short of this eternal Rest be such an unconceivable loss Then foresee this danger and tremble at it tremble at the apprehension of it if you be flesh and blood tremble at it Think with your selves certainly there will come a day when a final Sentence must pass upon my soul either a sentence of Absolution or a sentence of Condemnation if the sentence of Condemnation Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 If that should be the final Sentence that should pass upon me what would become of me As God speaks to the unrighteous Judg Isa 10.3 And what will you do in the day of visitation and
work of Grace in us Thirdly The Graces of the Spirit which likewise are purchased by him are precious Graces Faith is a precious Grace as it is called 2 Pet. 1.2 Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious Faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ that the tryal of your Faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth The tryal of Gold is the worst thing that belongs to Gold and the tryal of Faith is the worst thing that belongs to Faith yet saith the Apostle The tryal of your Faith is much more precious than that of Gold 1 Pet. 1.7 So Repentance that is a precious Grace because it is Repentance unto life as the Apostle calls it Acts 11.18 When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto life And Hope that is a stedfast Grace it is the Anchor of the Soul And Love that is a lovely Grace it brings the Soul into nearer Communion with God Then Wisdom that is a precious Grace a shining Grace A mans wisdom maketh his face to shine saith Solomon Eccles 8.1 And Job speaking of Wisdom saith he Job 28.12 13 But where shall Wisdom be sound and where is the place of Vnderstanding Man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the Land of the Living it is of more price than Rubies it is of an invaluable price And Humility that is an honourable Grace And Fear that is a preserving Grace And Patience that is a supporting Grace And Perseverance that is a Crowning Grace All these Graces are precious Graces and they are all of them bestowed upon us meerly upon the account of Christs merits Fourthly The Priviledges that we have by Jesus Christ they are precious Priviledges U-union with him and Communion in his Life and Death and Resurrection and Comforts access to God the Father and that with boldness Fifthly The Promises that are sealed by his blood they are precious Promises promises for this life and promises for the life to come that Promise That all shall work together fer good to them that love God a big-bellied promise as I may so say All things work together for good and our prayers and our persons shall be accepted Lastly The Inheritance that he hath purchased for us is a precious Inheritance An incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven In brief Such is the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that compare him with the most precious things that can be named and you shall see they are but vile and base in comparison of him For Example 1. The Souls of men and women they are said to be precious but Oh how infinitely precious is Jesus Christ whose blood is a valuable and equivalent price for the Souls of all the men and women in the world 2. Light is said to be precious Christ said of himself I am the light of the world John 8.12 Light is precious to those that are in a Dungeon of darkness Now says Jesus Christ I am the light of the world 3. Truth is precious so precious that we are to buy it at any rate and sell it at no rate Jesus Christ says of himself I am the Truth John 14.6 4. Fountains and Springs of water are precious in hot and dry Countreys Oh the Lord Jesus Christ he is the Well of Salvation Isa 12.3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wells of Salvation 5. Bread is precious to those that are ready to perish a man will venture the getting of bread with the hazard of his life Lam. 5.9 We get our bread with the peril of our lives Now Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life John 6.48 6. Balm and Balsom is precious His blood is the only Balm that can cure wounded Souls so precious is the Lord Jesus Christ that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth are but a picture of that beauty and preciousness that is in him he is the Abstract and Epitome of all perfections how precious must he needs be to whom all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth do contribute all their Excellencies to make him excellent and glorious Thus you see the Point opened Now for the Uses of it First By way of Information Is the Lord Jesus Christ so infinitely precious you may see then why the Souls of men and women are so precious because they are purchased by a precious Saviour purchased by his precious blood Hearken O sons of men why are you tumbling up and down in dirt and clay why do you not raise your hearts and thoughts higher and higher seeing that you have such precious Souls that are capable of a precious Inheritance why do you not look after a precious Covenant of Grace â—ealed to you and precious Promises confirmed to you by the blood of Christ why do you not look after that precious Pearl the Lord Jesus Christ who is worth more than ten thousand worlds Oh the baseness of the heart of man that should prefer dirt and dross and dung before him who is so infinitely precious that they should so undervalue their precious Souls that cost such an invaluable rate for their Redemption Secondly By way of Information see the horrible greatness of the sin of Unbelief that makes the Sinner undervalue this precious Redeemer Says Jesus Christ You will not come to me that you might have life John 5.40 Oh bewail your Unbelief that keeps Christ and your Souls a precious Christ and your poor Souls at such a distance Thirdly By way of Information take notice what a blessed condition they are in that have gotten the Lord Jesus Christ into their Souls If the Lord bestows this gift of all gifts this precious Christ upon you Oh it is more than if he had given thee the World nay then if he had given thee ten thousand Worlds for thy portion O rejoyce in thy portion for as soon as ever thou art a Believer thy heart is made a Cabinet for this precious Pearl the Lord Christ for He dwells in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 Oh manifest to the World the brightness of this Pearl let some lustre of Jesus Christ shine in thy Conversation shine through this Cabinet as Light shines through a Lanthorn The second Use is by way of Exhortation And here I must but name some few particulars answerable to the Explication of the Doctrine I insisted on more largely and there are several Duties I would briefly commend to you and the Lord give you hearts and me a heart and every one a heart to close with this precious Truth tendred to you in reference to this precious Redeemer First If Jesus Christ be so precious in his person as being God and Man then learn to honour him admire and adore him for This is the will of God the Father that all should
they should be your portion Are you contented to be banished from the presence of God and to be sent into a dungeon of darkness there to be and to be most miserable is all one Are you contented to be sent to that blackness of darkness for ever as the Apostle calls it Jude 12. I know you are not Oh then why do you not prize Jesus Christ by whom alone it is that you may escape eternal wrath and vengeance Isa 55. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which will not satisfie Why do you trifle away your time in impertinencies in things that will not profit why do you pour out your hearts on every lust and vanity and in the mean time neglect him who only can give you remission of sin and a right to the Promises and reconciliation with God and Eternal Salvation Thirdly Let me use one Motive more Do but consider how infinitely precious the Lord Jesus Christ is to God the Father O what account does he make of him He esteem him the Son of his Love the Son of his Bosom the Delight of his Soul My Servant in whom my Soul delighteth Jesus Christ was both a Son and a Servant in our flesh when he took our Nature and became our Surety Isa 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles What account do the Saints in Heaven make of Christ they look upon him as the life of their lives and the Soul of their Souls as the heaven of their Happiness as the joy of their Joy the Heaven that the Saints now enjoy it is the beholding of Jesus Christ now in Glory Nay do but consider what account Sinners will make of him they that now slight him that prefer every base lust before him that mind the getting of every thing but Christ Oh what account will they make at that great day when they shall call to the Mountains fall on them and the Hills to cover them Oh what would they give for a smile of his face at that day when if they had ten thousand Worlds in their possession they would give it for a smile of his face Will Christ be so precious hereafter and shall he not be precious now will not these Motives work upon you are they jests and fables If my Brethren such Arguments will not prevail for my part I am out of hope to prevail with you Thirdly Let me but shew you some Means that may help you to prize the Lord Christ to make him precious to your Souls The Means or Helps briefly are these four or five First The Soul must be convinced of the indispensable need that it hath of Jesus Christ it is necessity that does inhance the price for till the Soul be convinced of this all the Arguments and Motives that we can use are but like water that runs besides the Bottle because the Bottle is stopt all our Arguments prevail nothing they take no impression upon the heart at all but when a Soul once sees either I must have Christ or I must perish for ever I am lost damned and undone for ever I am a fire-brand of Hell for ever O Christ is now Christ indeed to such a Soul If ever therefore you desire to prize him according to his worth be much in the duty of self-examination turn your eyes inward to see the vileness of your Natures the sinfulness of your hearts and the manifold transgressions of your lives reason thus with thy own Soul What am I by Nature but a child of Wrath and an heir of Hell and a bondslave to Satan a stranger to God and an enemy to him without God and without Hope the number of my sins are more than the hairs of my head my heart fails me in the remembrance of them and one sin is enough to sink me into Hell because it is committed against an infinite Majesty and therefore it deserves an infinite punishment for where God does punish he does punish infinitely his Justice must have an infinite satisfaction and there is no satisfaction can be given to God without blood Heb. 9.22 For without blood there is no remission saith the Apostle and no blood can expiate sin can take away the guilt of sin but the blood of an infinite value and no blood is of an infinite value but the blood of this precious Redeemer that is that blood that is of invaluable and unconceivable worth for for the Son of God to shed his blood it is more than if all the Angels in Heaven and Potentates of the Earth had laid down their lives to purchase one of our Souls therefore I must have this blood sprinkled on my Soul or else I must resolve to perish everlastingly consider therefore of the need that you have of Jesus Christ Secondly Do you desire to prize Jesus Christ then labour to eat this blessed Passover with bitter herbs I mean labour to partake of this Sacrament with the bitter remembrance of all your former unkindnesses all your miscarriages failings wandrings and back-slidings Oh let the remembrance of these be as bitter to you as Gall and Wormwood Oh labour to say feelingly It is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast provoked the Lord Jer. 2.19 that thou hast grieved his Spirit that thou hast forfeited his Love that thou hast abused his kindness that thou hast turned his grace into wantonness O say I have done enough a thousand and a thousand times to damn my Soul if the mercy of God were one jot less than infinite if the blood of Jesus Christ should not quench the fire of his anger it would be burning and burning and burning against me to all Eternity even as long as God shall be God it is a bitter thing that I have provoked my God You should in this Sacrament look upon him whom you have pierced and mourn over him as one that mourns for the loss of his only Son and be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Zech. 12.10 that is the Image of his Person and is as it were the prop and stay of his Family This is certain my Brethren there are none that do prize Jesus Christ so much as they that are stung with the sense of their own sinfulness of their own vileness none prize the Lord Jesus Christ so much as they that most of all feel the burthen of their own sins Let me give you two remarkable examples the one of a man the other of a woman Did ever man prize Jesus Christ more than St. Paul that counted all his Excellencies but as dirt under his feet in comparison of Christ he did esteem them as things that we cast to Dogs as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Did ever woman prize Jesus Christ more than Mary Magdalen who you know washt
I do to be saved So that this Text tells you and describes to you the Jaylors carriage when God first struck his heart and gave him a sight of himself and of his sins and in this carriage of the Jaylor there are these three things very observable His Perplexity his Courtesie his Question his Perplexity in verse 29. His Courtesie and Question in verse 30. First His Perplexity He called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas Secondly His Courtesie the Text says He brought them out Thirdly His Question Sirs What must I do to be saved It is the first of these I principally aim at namely the Jaylors Perplexity Then he called for a light darkness now was a terrour to him because he was a terrour to himself He was a Magor Missabib a terrour round about Jer. 20.3 And he sprang in that is he rush'd hastily into the Prison and like a man distracted knew not what to do nor which way to turn himself he came trembling being stricken with inward horror and terror of Conscience and pray observe it well There is not the stoutest man breathing upon Earth but if God set his Conscience against him like a Dog to fly in his face it will pull him down and lay him flat and fill him with that inward horror and terror and perplexity that he will be more afraid of himself than of all the world besides Thus it was with the Jaylor here when God came nigh him and awakened his conscience he fell down before Paul and Silas God had given him a sight of his sins and of the invisible Majesty of Christ that was in those his precious Servants Paul and Silas whom before he look'd upon as a couple of Rogues and that the Whip and the Stocks were good enough for them but now he reverenceth them and respects them and falls down at their feet Thus you see what his Perplexity was My purpose is not to insist upon every particular but to pitch upon that which is principally held forth in the words observe therefore when God was about to work the great work of saving Faith and sound Conversion in the heart of this Jaylor and by Faith in Jesus Christ to bring him to Salvation what is the first thing that he does First he humbles him and strikes him down and lays him flat he doth awaken and shake his conscience this unbroken Sinner is now amazed and perplexed and astonished and he knows not which way to turn himself So then the observation I would commend to you from the words is this Doct. Sound Humiliation is a necessary Antecedent or Fore-runner to Faith and Salvation Would you have it plainer then take it thus Those whom God intends to make true Believers and Heirs of his Everlasting Kingdom they are first soundly humbled and made sensible of their own dangerous and damnable condition Look as a Timber-tree that a man intends for building first he hews it down and then he fits it and squares it for the building so that Sinner whom God intends to frame for himself and build up by Faith to Salvation God first casts down to the ground and lays him flat and makes him sensible of his own lost and dangerous and damnable estate Look into the Scripture and you shall find that this is Gods Method and Jesus Christs and the Holy Ghosts Method First This is Gods Method and this course he took with our first Parents he arraigned them and past a sentence upon them and pronounced a curse against them before ever he brings them to the knowledg of a Saviour before ever he made that Promise that The seed of the woman should break the Serpents head Remarkable is that Scripture Job 33.21 22 it describes the manner of Gods converting a Sinner verse 14 God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not God calls and cryes and knocks and tries this way and that way and the other way to bring the Sinner in to bring him home by Conversion but all will not do what doth he then Read verse 21 22. God humbleth the Sinner to the very dust His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen and his bones that were not seen stick out his soul draweth near unto the Grave and his life to the destroyers His meaning is this He is made a very Anatomy and God brings him to the very gates of Hell and what follows Then he is gracious unto him and saith Deliver him from going down to the pit I have found a ransom So this was the Method of Jesus Christ this course he took with St. Paul before he was converted he unhorst him and humbled him and struck him blind and all this while St. Paul must steep himself in sorrow before Ananias comes to him and speak words of comfort Acts 9. Christ would have us weary and heavy laden Matth. 11 weary with the work of sin and heavy laden with the weight of sin before he will give us ease he will have the Soul thirsty before he gives it the water of life Isa 55 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters that is to be sensible of the want of Christ and the worth of Christ before he gives the Soul to taste of the water of life and he will have the Soul sick of sin before the Physician comes to it The whole have no need of a Physician but they that are sick Matth. 9.12 He will have the Sinner sick of his sin before he will cure him And this is the Holy Ghosts Method too for you shall read the Spirit of God first convinceth of sin before he convinceth of righteousness John 16.8 First The Spirit of God convinceth of sin for humiliation before he convinceth of righteousness for Justification And this hath been the Method of all Master-builders John Baptist he comes levelling of Mountains and casting down proud Sinners before they come to Christ and St. Peter he prick'd his Hearers to the heart before he gave them any hope or comfort by a Saviour Acts 2. He let them blood at the heart before he directed them how to be saved But now because this is a weighty Truth and it may please God to do good to some of you all the days of your lives to know the Method and manner of bringing Jesus Christ and the Soul together for this is all the work we Ministers have to do let me speak to it by way of Explication and shew you three things First What this Humiliation is Secondly Whether the like measure of Humiliation be wrought in all that are brought home to Jesus Christ or no Thirdly Why God is pleased to take this course to fit men for Faith and Salvation thus first to humble them First What this Humiliation is Divines describe a twofold Humiliation 1. A Passive Humiliation 2. An Active Humiliation The Passive humiliation is that whereby God humbles the Sinner in the
because a man can never have too much grace and a man may have too much Legal humiliation Again some Reprobates have had a great measure of Legal humiliation and yet have perished and some that have been converted have had but a little measue of Legal humiliation and yet have been saved I say Legal humiliation though it makes a great noise is not absolutely needful But Evangelical humiliation though ir makes a less noise this is absolutely needful to every person because this drives a Sinner out of himself and causeth him to fly to Jesus Christ in a mild and melting way making him to look on him whom he hath pierced and to mourn for his sin as he that mourns for the loss of his only Son that serves him The third thing to be opened is this But why doth God take this course in bringing men to Faith and Salvation The reasons are these three First It is Equal Secondly It is Fitting Thirdly It is Necessary First It is Equal because it is Gods way and there is all the reason in the World that God should bring us to Heaven in his own way that it is Gods way appears Isa 61.1 2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me saith Jesus Christ because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn So you see they are to be comforted that mourn and they are to be bound up that are broken-hearted so that till a man be meek and humble and have a broken heart he is out of Christs Cnmmission to comfort Christ will say to such I have nothing to do with thee I am sent to those that are meek and humble and broken-hearted Luke 19.10 In Matth. 18.11 The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Then may some say he came to seek and to save all for all were lost in Adam but that is not the meaning but the meaning is All that feel themselves lost a man may be in a lost condition and yet never feel himself in a lost condition but when a man sees himself to be in a lost estate and in a damned and undone condition without Christ Christ came to seek and to save such Secondly It is Fitting that God should bring us to Faith and Salvation this way fitting you will say But how In reference to God In reference to Our selves In reference to Others First In reference to God because by this humiliation the Justice of God is acknowledged and the Mercy of God is magnified these are the two great Attributes that God will have magnified in the conversion of a Sinner The Justice of God is acknowledged when the Sinner falls down at the feet of God and saith Lord against thee against thee have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Psalm 51.4 And the Mercy of God is wonderfully magnified when he hangs out a white Flag of Pardon after all the Sinners rebellions and provocations O now mercy is mercy indeed As a King when he is about to pardon a Traitor he suffers him to be brought to the place of Execution to have the Rope about his neck and the Handkerchief drawn over his face O how welcome is a pardon then to that Traitor So an humbled Sinner will say Mercy is mercy indeed when he is convinced of his desperate and undone estate and condition Secondly It is fitting in respect of our selves that we may know our selves know the plague of our hearts 1 Kings 8.38 God will have us to see and to feel that it is an evil and bitter thing that we have sinned against him Jer. 2 19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts God would have the Sinner see his polution and to cry out with the Leper under the Law I am unclean I am unclean Levit. 13.45 As Miriam for her miscarriage towards Moses was smitten with a Leprosie Moses cryed to the Lord to heal her No stay saith God If her Father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days She must know her self before she be healed Numb 12.10 13 14. Thirdly It is fitting in respect of Others that they may not speak reproachfully of God and the ways of God If so be a Sinner could instantly step out of an Ale-house to Christ or out of a Whorehouse to Christ if there were no more required to get to Christ than the putting of meat out of one Dish into another carnal men would be ready to have very low thoughts of God that he is such a one as themselves that he doth patronize and approve their wicked courses but God will have the mouth of iniquity stop'd and carnal men themselves acknowledg that the ways of God are equal Thirdly It is necessary that the Soul be humbled I shall give you these five Reasons of the necessity of it First Because without this humiliation the Sinner can never highly prize God To an unhumbled Sinner Christ is no more esteemed with reverence be it spoken than the dirt under his feet Acts 4.11 This is the stone which was set at nought by you Builders they made no reckoning of Christ at all Tell an unhumbled Sinner of Justification of Sanctification of Adoption of the hope of Glory and the like he makes no more reckoning of them than the children of Israel did of the Manna who loathed it but now when a Sinner is smitten with the sense of sin and fear of wrath and knows the burden of guilt upon his Conscience now Christ is Christ indeed and he looks upon him with an admiring eye and cryes out O the dignity of his Person the preciousness of his Blood the value of his Merits the efficacy of his Intercession the comforts of his Spirit Oh the comforts and excellencies that are in this sweet and precious Saviour My Beloved saith such a Soul is the choisest of ten thousand The poor saith our Saviour receive the Gospel that is those that are poor in Spirit they like the wise Merchant will be contented to sell all to buy him who is the Pearl of invaluable Price an humbled Sinner will say Give me Christ though I have a Cross with him though I have a Prison with him nay though I die with him though I die for him Secondly Without humiliation the Sinner can never duly and diligently seek Christ You know The Law is a School-master to bring us unto Christ Gal.
3.24 The truth is the Soul will never run to Christ to the purpose until he be whipt by this School-master You know the story of the City of Refuge the Man-slayer never fled thither until the Avenger of blood pursued him The City of Refuge is Jesus Christ and the Sinner never flies to Jesus Christ to purpose until the vengeance of a sin-revengieg God and the curse of a condemning Law and the horror of a self-accusing Conscience pursue the Soul like a chased Deer now it flies to Jesus Christ to purpose Thirdly Without humiliation the Sinner will never obey Christ an unbroken Sinner is like an unbroken Colt that is not tamed or like an unbroken Heifer that will not submit to the yoke Jesus Christ may command what he will but he will do what he list But when a Sinner comes to be humbled and unhors'd as St. Paul was then he says Lord What wilt thou have me to do Though it be never so cross to my carnal and corrupt Nature yet I will do it Before the Sinner is humbled he is ever complaining of the unkindness of Gods dealing with him but after he is humbled he is ever complaining how unkindly he deals with God As all disobedience springs from pride so all obedience springs from humility Fourthly Without humiliation the Sinner will never constantly cleave to Jesus Christ There are many that seemingly close with Christ for a while just like those that rejoyced in John Baptists Doctrine for a while John 5.35 He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing to rejoyce in his light for a season And you read of some that followed Christ for a while but they were offended and went back and walked no more with him John 6.66 There are many Professors just like the Corn cast into the second ground in the Parable It sprang up for a while but in time of temptation it withered why because it wanted root and why did it not root because the Plough of humiliation went not deep enough so there are many Professors that prove Apostates and disloyal to the Lord Jesus Christ but what is the reason because they were never throughly humbled they are weary of Christs yoke because ehey never felt the burden of the Devils yoke and of sins yoke that Soul that hath felt the burden of Satans yoke will say that Christs yoke is a sweet and easie yoke they that are truly humbled will never forsake Christ but will cling and cleave to him as a ship-wrack'd Mariner doth to a Rock he will not part with it because he knows it is for his life Fifthly This humiliation is necessary because without it we can never be conformable to Christ for Christ was first humbled before he was exalted He drank of the brook in the way before he lift up his head Psalm 110.7 Thus you have the Doctrine opened now let us see what Application we can make of this Point and the Vses are but two the one of Instruction and the other of Exhortation I shall give you two Instructions and two Exhortations The first Instruction or Lesson by way of Inference is this If sound humiliation be such a necessary Antecedent to Faith and Salvation then it justifies the practice of those Ministers that take this course in convincing and humbling and wounding and awakening sleepy Sinners you see what we Ministers may do nay you see what we must do if with care and conscience we would discharge our duty we must sometimes thunder and lighten as St. Paul did when he made Felix to tremble Acts 24.25 We must strike the Sinners heart with an Arrow of Conviction as the Arrow that was shot at Ahab entred in at the joints of his Armour and pierc'd his heart 1 Kings 22.34 We must hedg in the Sinner with inevitable Conviction and meet him with a drawn Sword as the Angel did Balaam Numb 22.23 We must sometimes knock at the door of their hearts and say to them O thou unregenerate man I have sad news to tell thee Thou canst never so long as thou art in this condition see the face of God with comfort or enter into his Kingdom thou mayst see the face of God indeed but it will be with frowns in his Forehead and indignation in his Countenance to thee when he shall sentence thee to that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that blackness of darkness for ever Jude 13. O Drunkard I have sad news to tell thee Thou must drink of the Cup of Gods wrath and indignation which will cause thee to spew and fall and never rise again O Swearer I have sad news to tell thee That the wrath of God is like a flying Rowl hangs over the house of ever Swearer Zech. 5. O ignorant and disobedient Sinner I have sad news to tell thee Jesus Christ will come in flames of fire to take vengeance on them that know him not and obey not the Gospel 2 Thess 1.7 8. In a word we must take any course to awaken Sinners out of their sloath and security Two sorts of persons there are that oppose this kind of Preaching but most do not love it but dislike it First the openly prophane and scandalous Sinner that would fain sleep in sin and go to Hell in a slumber and therefore he looks upon such awakening Sermons as tormenting Sermons Rev. 11.10 The two Prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the Earth Oh this convincing quickning and awakening Doctrine this is but a torment to many carnal men who cry out What ado is there with these Ministers they will not let me be quiet they torment me before my time Ah poor wretch Art thou afraid to be tormented before thy time and art thou not afraid to be tormented time without end There are some Beasts so furious that there is nothing but the fire will tame them so there are some men so brutish that they are mad upon their evil ways as it is said of the Chaldeans They are mad upon their Idols Jer. 50.38 So some are mad upon sinful ways and courses that a Minister must spit fire in their faces to rouse them out of their security and spiritual Lethargy Art thou angry with a Minister who in tender compassion to thy Soul would pluck thy Soul as a firebrand out of the fire and save it from eternal misery and burnings if one of you have a leg broken you will send for a Chyrurgion to set it and you will be contented that he shall put you to great pain for the recovering of your Limb and restoring you to your former state again and will you not allow your Ministers to put you to some pain and grief and trouble for the recovering of your Souls from that wound and breach that sin hath made upon you A second sort that oppose convincing Preaching are Antinomians that tell us there is no use of the Law under the Gospel and that Ministers must preach nothing but Christ and Grace and Peace
Heaven the red leaf that was the blood of Jesus Christ the black leaf that was the torments of Hell You may look into Hell by contemplation and meditation that you may prevent Hell to all Eternity you may meditate upon the blood of Christ and steep as it were your souls in it by meditation it may be it may soften them It is said of the Goats blood when nothing can soften an Adamant the blood of Goats can the blood of Christ that can soften your hard hearts when nothing else can Thirdly A third thing you can do you can sorrow more and mourn more than you do there is none of you but can sorrow and mourn for outward losses loss of Friends as Husband and Wife or Child perhaps for the loss of a Horse what canst thou mourn for the loss of a Child and canst thou not mourn for the loss of a Soul when one Soul is worth all the Kingdoms in the World If any of you have lost a good Bargain or mist a good Market you can grieve for this O methinks you should mourn for this how many Market days have I lost for my Soul I have burnt out many a precious light and spent out my precious time and can you not mourn for the loss of such a Bargain as this is Suppose one of you should be sent for before a mighty Monarch and should be impeach'd of high Treason before him how would you tremble to appear before so mighty a King that hath power in his hands to cut you off instantly O you and I must appear before the great Judg of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings that knows all the sins and Treasons that ever we have committed and you should bless God if you are cast into fear and thereby be brought to mourn and grieve and sorrow for your sins Job 23.16 For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me that is soft by troubling of me Fourthly There is never a one of you but may leave gross and scandalous sins which I prove thus you can do it for fear of men and you may do it much more for fear of God A prophane Swearer if he be in the company of a Godly grave Minister he can refrain his mouth from vile talk he can forbear his Oaths and blasphemous Speeches and obscene expressions An Adulterer if a boy be but in the Room of seven years old he will forbear to act his uncleanness until the boy be out of the Room If you can forbear gross sins for fear of men much more can you do it for fear of God If a boy can say his Lesson with a Rod certainly he can do it without a Rod if you can abstain from gross sins for fear certainly you can do it without You read of the hypocritical Pharisee he abstained from gross sins Luke 18 God I thank thee saith he I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. Fifthly Though it is true a man in a state of Nature is dead in trespasses and sin yet then at that time he may do many good works works morally good works materially good he may fast and pray and give Alms therefore it is that Daniel speaks to Nebuchadnezzar Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 Certainly the Prophet Daniel would never have spoken so to him if it had not been in his power to do it The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles though they wanted the knowledg of the Law and had not the Law saith he Yet they did by Nature the things contained in the Law they were a Law to themselves which shews that the works of the Law are written in their hearts Rom. 2.13 14. They that are in an unregenerate estate they may pray they may make Conscience of praying in their Families though they cannot pray as they should yet they may pray as they are able they may fall down at the feet of God and say Lord I am a poor sinful wretch I cannot please thee praying or not praying thou hast promised to give the spirit of prayer to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Say Lord give me thy Spirit to break my hard heart take any way with me so my proud heart may be humbled and hard heart broken that I may welcom Jesus Christ to my Soul that I may believe in him and cast my Soul upon him So that Beloved I put you upon no more than you are able to do you may suffer the word of Exhortation you can ponder and weigh the Word in your own hearts you may sorrow and mourn for sin you may abstain from gross sins and you may do those works that are morally good do what you can do men are not damned because they can do no better but because they will do no better Matth. 23 O Jerusalem Jerusalem I would have gathered thee as a Hen her Chickens under her wings but ye would not If there were no will there would be no Hell saith St. Austin Do what you can set upon works of Holiness and Piety strive and put forth your strength to the uttermost endeavour of your Souls to get your hearts humbled to see sin and to sigh for it to grieve and groan for it lay your conditions to heart be feelingly apprehensive of that wrath that sin hath kindled of that Justice that sin hath provoked of that Mercy that sin hath abused of that vengeance and anger that sin hath deserved to be inflicted O were we but thus humbled we should have cause to bless God to all Eternity I shall close with one word to those that have been under a spirit of bondage that have been convinced awakened as this Jaylor was that have had their broken bones that have felt the burden of sin and it may be lie under that burden at this day O be you comforted it s better to be broken here than hereafter it is better to be convinced here than convinced hereafter it is better to be humbled here than for God to humble the Soul in Hell to all Eternity God will make thy Valley of Achor a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 Thou that art humbled now shalt be exalted and thou that mournest now shalt be comforted CHRIST THE Bread of Life John VI. 35. And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst THis Chapter contains in it that admirable and Heavenly Sermon of our Saviour concerning the Bread of Life wherein you may take notice of three parts First The occasion of this Sermon that was the Peoples following of him because they did eat of the Loaves and were filled Verse 26. Secondly The Sermon it self and that is
and this turns all it toucheth into Gold Blessed is the man that by Faith can touch Jesus Christ no man ever toucht him by Faith but was healed by Grace Secondly You shall have this benefit it will yield you abundance of joy and satisfaction in the expectation of your desires before you come to the fruition of your desires You read of the joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 And the Apostle prays for the Romans that their hearts may be filled with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 When Hannah had once poured out her Soul before God now her heart was quieted by Faith as if she had enjoyed her desires for the present She went away and did eat and her Countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. Thirdly Faith will reallize all the Promises Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for it makes things that are absent present that are afar off to be near at hand it will bring you to Heaven before you come to Heaven O what a precious grace is Faith And this is the grace you will most stand in need of in your approaches to the Lords Table Now the Lord strengthen this hand of Faith that by it we may make vigorous applications of the blood of Jesus Christ to our poor Souls who is the living bread that is able to give fit and full satisfaction to our Souls who is that living water whereof whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more CHRIST'S True Disciples ARE Doers of Gods VVill. JOHN VII 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self THese words are the words of our Saviour uttered at that great feast the feast of Tabernacles the occasion of these words was this The Jews marvelled at our Saviour as you may read Verse 15 How knoweth this man Letters having never learned That is how comes he to be so skilful in the Scriptures seeing he was never taught by man Our blessed Saviour to this Query answers two things First He tells them in the foregoing Verse the 16th verse that his Doctrine was not his own but was taught him of the Father Secondly He shews them an excellent way or means whereby they may discern truth from falshood true Doctrine from corrupt Doctrine namely by obedience to the will of God for If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self So then in the Text you may take notice of two particulars First An Invitation to a Duty Secondly An Encouragement to that Duty First An Invitation to a Duty in these words If any man will do his will that is that will do the will of God my Father Secondly The Encouragement to it in these words He shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self that is he shall know which is true Doctrine and which is false which is the Doctoctrine according to God and Godliness or what is spoken for popular applause and spoke of a mans own head and according to these two parts of the Text there are these two Doctrines that may be raised from the words Doct. 1. That the true Disciples of Christ are Doers of the will of God Doct. 2. That they that do the will of God shall know more of it and shall be more confirmed in their knowledg I begin with the first That the true Disciples of Christ or true Christians are such as are Doers of the will of God For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three places of Scripture Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven A true Child of God a true Professor of the Gospel is described by this he is a Doer of the will of God Rom 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified that is shall be owned and accepted of God the Father So James 1.22 But be ye Doers of the Word and not Hearers only deceiving your own souls cozening your selves with false Syllogisms as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies If a man be a Hearer of the Word only and not a Doer of it he cozens himself with false arguments and the like you have in the 25 verse of the same Chapter But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Word this man shall be blessed in his deed the man is a blessed Disciple of Jesus Christ But for the better Explication of this Point there are three things I shall open to you First What is meant by the Will of God Seconly How the Will of God must be done by those that are the Disciples of Christ Thirdly Why the Disciples of Christ must be Doers of the Will of God First What the will of God is Not to trouble you with the various distinctions of the Schoolmen briefly there is a twofold will of God mentioned in Scripture the one is called a Secret will the other is called a Revealed will you have them both mentioned in one Verse Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do all the words of the Law Now our Saviour speaks here in the Text of the Revealed will of God and it is called a Revealed will because it is made known to us in three Books In the Book of Nature In the Book of the Creature In the Book of the Scripture First The will of God is made known unto us partly in the Book of Nature Thus many of the better sort of Heathens that had nothing but the light of Nature by the dictates of their own Conscience knew what the will of God was as appears by that Rom. 2.14 15 For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law to themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Mark the Gentiles which had not the Law that is they had not the Law of Scripture yet did by Nature the things contained in the Law The Gentiles which had not the Law of the Scripture yet by the Law of Nature did those things that were agreeable to the will of God and by the dictates of their own Consciences did some things that were agreeable to the will of God and although this light of Nature was not sufficient to bring them to Heaven yet it was sufficient to leave them without excuse Secondly This will of God is revealed in the Book of the
Creature viz. by the works of Gods Creation and Providence as the Apostle tells us Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse So that the light a man may have by Gods works in the Creation and by his works of Providence which the Heathen had this Book of the Creature is enough to leave him without excuse much of Gods will may be read in this Book Thirdly It is called a revealed will because it is made known to us in the Book of the Scripture of this speaks the Apostle Heb. 13.21 Saith he make you perfect he prays that God would make them perfect in every good work to do his will that is his will revealed in the Word of God for there doth the will of God most clearly appear therefore when our Saviour saith here in the Text He that doth his will that is he that obeys his Word and he that makes the Word of God to be the Rule of his walking Gal. 6.16 To as many as walk according to this Rule peace be upon them and upon the Israel of God The Word of God that is the Rule we should walk by this is the Pattern or Prescript of Gods revealed will That 's the first Particular Secondly It may be demanded How or in what manner must the will of God be done For answer to this for the right manner of doing the will of God there are these seven things required First The will of God must be done knowingly Solomon saith expresly Prov. 19.2 Also that the Soul be without knowledg it is not good All the Services that a man doth either out of Will-Worship or out of blind Devotion it is but like the cutting off of a Dogs neck as the Prophet speaks Isa 66.3 And therefore the Apostle bids the Romans first to prove and know what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 Secondly The will of God must be done believingly By Faith it is said that Abel offered unto God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11.4 It may be Cain offered the very same Sacrifice that Abel did yet Abel's was accepted and Cain's was rejected because Abel offered in Faith and Cain did not For without Faith it is impossile to please God Heb. 11.6 You cannot do the will of God without Faith because it is Faith that brings Jesus Christ in its arms and so makes both our Persons and Prayers accepted No man can come to the Father but by me saith our Saviour John 14.6 And we are said to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God how by Jesus Christ they are acceptable only by Christ 1 Pet. 2.5 Therefore a man must do the will of God believingly Thirdly The will of God must be done graciously from a principle of grace from that which is called an inward Principle as the Apostle shews expresly Circumcision avails nothing no outward priviledg can make us acceptable with God but a new Creature Gal. 6.15 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please Gtd Rom. 8.7 8. A man that is not yet in the state of grace cannot do the will of God acceptably the will of God must be done graciously from a gracious principle Fourthly The will of God must be done cordially it must be done with the heart Prov. 23.26 My Son give me thy heart What is not done with the heart God reckons as not done at all therefore the first and great Commandment is this Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy strength and whatever ye do in word or deed do it heartily as to the Lord Col. 3.16 17. And the Apostle exciting Servants he bids them Obey their Masters not with eye-service but as doing the will of God from the heart Ephes 6.6 Fifthly The will of God must be done sincerely without any sinister or self-respect a man must have upright ends and aims in doing the will of God for God look at our aims as well as at our actions 2 Kings 10 Jehu did the will of God in destroying the Worshippers of Baal and destroying the Children of Ahab God commended Jehu for doing his will but yet notwithstanding because he aimed at the setling of himself in the Kingdom more than seeking the glory of God therefore God looked upon it but as murther and said he would avenge the blood of Jezerel on the house of Jehu Hos 1. A man may do that thing that God would have him do and yet be punished for the doing of it if his aims and ends be not upright Whatever ye do whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 The Pharisees fasted and prayed but it was for vain-glory and it was but to cloak their wickedness and iniquity by a fair colour or pretence of piety they made long Prayers and in the mean time devoured Widows houses Matth. 23.14 Sixthly The will of God must be done fully Numb 14.24 And my Servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully him will I bring into the Land But may be you will say When doth a man do the will of God fully or follow God fully I answer First When he doth not do it with a divided heart Hosea 10.2 Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty When a mans heart is divided partly for God and partly for the world then he doth not follow God fully Secondly Then a man follows God fully when he hath respect to every Command of God as well as to one Command Psalm 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Thirdly When he doth not retain any one sin in the love liking and approbation of it but he hates every false way Psal 119.104 You read that God was weary of their New Moons and their solemn Feasts My Soul hates them saith God Isa 1.14 Yet these New Moons and Solemn Feasts were of Gods own institution and appointment But why doth God hate them then the reason is this saith God Because your hands are full of blood full of cruelty and oppression vers 15. Therefore they do not do the will of God truly that retain the love of sin in their hearts and this makes their Services rejected Seventhly The will of God must be done constantly Psalm 119.20 My Soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all times So here a man must have respect unto the will of God at all times but there are three times especially wherein God calls us to do his will First In a time of prosperity when the World with the lusts and