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
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
that pleasant Land this was a grievous provocation indeed so the Doctrine I shall give you from the words considered in this notion or sense is this Doct. That despising or undervaluing that Heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in light is a very grievous God-provoking sin it is a sin of the first magnitude For the proof of this Point that one place of Scriptue will be sufficient Heb. 2.2 3 For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation By Salvation there he means the Gospel which is the cause of our Salvation for it is observable that both the Gospel of Grace and Grace wrought by the Gospel and Glory which is the perfection of Grace they all come under one name The Kingdom of God in Scripture because those whom God by the Gospel brings to Grace he will by Grace bring to Glory now says the Apostle How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation It is a marvelous strong Negation he does not say We shall not escape or hardly escape if we neglect so great salvation but How shall we escape It includes the strongest Negation that can be as if he should say It is impossible for us to escape eternal Condemnation if we do neglect so great Salvation not only if we do despise this eternal Salvation but if we neglect it Salvation it self will not save that man that despises or neglects it But for the clearing of this Point that you may a little better understand it there are these three Queries I will endeavour to speak to in opening of the Doctrine First When may a man be said to despise or undervalue that Heavenly Inheritance that is prepared for the Saints in light Secondly How comes it to pafs that men so lightly regard and undervalue that eternal Salvation Thirdly How may it appear that this despising or undervaluing of this Heavenly Inheritance is such a God-provoking sin First When may a man be said to despise or undervalue the Heavenly Inheritance that is prepared for the Saints in light I shall answer this Query and shew it you in these four Particulars First Then doth a man despise and undervalue this Heavenly Inheritance when he is an Earthly-minded man when he does over-value earthly things and under-value Heavenly things when he does set his affections so much on things below that he cannot set his affections on things above for these two are inconsistent they cannot stand together as appears by that in 1 John 2.15 Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him As if he should say The love of God and the love of the world are inconsistent So in Col. 3.2 Set your affections on things above and not on things on the Earth as if he had said If you set your affections on things below you cannot set them on things above Now when a man prefers a present possession before a future expectation when he says Give me a Bird in hand rather than two in the Bush give me the pleasures and profits and honours and contentments of this life let me have prefent pay but as for that glorious Inheritance you speak of for the time to come let them look after it that will as he said Let me have my part in Paris let who will look after a part in Paradice This is an undervaluing of this Heavenly Inheritance Secondly Then may a man be said to despise and undervalue this Heavenly Inheritance when he is sluggish and sloathful and will not stir up himself to take hold of God when he will not set about those means that God hath appointed for the attaining of those glorious hopes that are laid up in Heeven True nothing is to be done by us in a way of merit but much is to be done in the use of means for the attaining of this Eternal Happiness Phil. 2.12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling Mark it is not said Work out your salvation Christ hath wrought out our salvation for us by way of merit but we must work out our salvation in the use of means Orig 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Work it out as it were out of the fire Now when a man will not be contented to take that pains that the Lord requires in this working out of his salvation when he sits still and is idle or when he is sloathful or negligent in Duty when he does either neglect Duty or sleepily and carelesly perform every Duty this is a despising and undervaluing this Salvation For you must know the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a Race 1 Cor. 9.24 and he that would win the Crown by first coming to the Goal must run for it It is compared to a Kingdom Luke 13.24 and he that would win it must strive for it Strive to enter in at the strait gate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strive as in an Agony And it 's compared to a Crown 1 Cor. 9.25 and he that would obtain it must fight for it I have fought a good fight saith the Apostle I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that day 2 Tim. 4.8 The Crown of Glory there is called a Crown of Righteousness not because it was merited by Pauls righteousness you must not understand it so but it is called a Crown of Righteousness because it was promised and because it was purchased it was freely promised by the Father and it was fully purchased by the precious blood of Jesus Christ says he Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judg shall give me at that day But says he I have fought a good fight first and I have finished my course Now when men will neither so run as that they may obtain nor so strive as that they may gain a Kingdom nor so fight that they may get a Crown that is laid up in Heaven for the Saints then they may be said to despise and undervalue the Heavenly Inheritance That is the second Thirdly Then may a man be said to despise this Heavenly Inheritance when he is a self-seeking Christian or rather a pelting Chapman as I may so call him that will not come up to the price of Salvation that will not be contented to take the pains that must be taken if so be he may be the master of his own desires then he would be content to enjoy those glorious hopes But when a man will not with the wise Merchant sell
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
what are they think you they are just in such a case as God threatneth Babylon shall be Isa 13.14 God says that Babylon shall be as the chased Roe and as a Sheep that no man taketh up This is the case of every one that is yet out of Christ exposed to be a prey to that roaring Lyon that walketh about seeking whom he may devour those that have not an interest in Christ God threatens them Hos 4.16 I will feed them as a Lamb in a large place I will feed them the same Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to feed signifies to let them wander Num. 14.33 God let the children of Israel wander in the wilderness for forty years together So God lets those that have not an interest in Christ to wander in the Wilderness to their own destruction Oh that God would open the eyes of those that have not yet secured their interest in Jesus Christ that they may see what they are and where they are and what danger they are exposed to So much of the first Use of Instruction The second Use is by way of Examination How nearly does it concern every one of us to call our selves to an account whether we be in the number of Christs Sheep or no otherwise we can have no comfort by this Doctrine But may be you will say to me How shall we do certainly to know that we are the Sheep of Christ and that Christ is that Shepherd that feeds us like a Flock For answer to this We cannot curiously pry into Gods decree to tell you who are not his Sheep for it may be there are many that belong to the Election of Grace that is many are the Sheep of Christ that are not yet called nor converted that are wandring in the Wildernes yet and though the Lord will not suffer them to wander to Destruction yet for the present they are not brought into the Folds therefore we cannot say who are not his Sheep we cannot say who are Reprobate we may know who are Elected but we cannot know who are Reprobated we can tell who are his Sheep but we cannot tell who are not his Sheep Now they that are his Sheep that are Converted and brought home to the Folds of Christ they may be known by these four signs First If thou art a Sheep of Jesus Christ certainly the Shepherd hath set his mark upon thee whereby he does know thee and will own thee at the great day of his appearing John 10.14 I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine I know every one of my Sheep 2 Tim. 2. 19 The Lord knoweth them that are his he knows them with a distinguishing knowledg There are and will be at the great and dreadful day of Jesus Christ abundance that will claim acquaintance with Jesus Christ Oh what seeking will there be to find his favour at that great day seeking and suing and crying with tears of blood for his favour at that day many will claim acquaintance and say Lord Lord Matt. 7.22 23 Have not we prophesied in thy name have not we heard thee teach in our Synagogues have not we heard thy Messengers which thou hast sent in thy name teaching on the Lords day and on the week-day nay have not we sate at thy Table with thee in the use of the Sacrament of thy Body and Blood to whom the Lord Christ will say I know you not Why because he does not see his Mark upon them nay they themselves when their consciences are once awakened and they begin to look and search for the Mark they cannot find it upon themselves and therefore they will hear that dreadful sentence Matth. 25 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But you will say What is this mark whereby Jesus Christ knows his sheep and whereby they may know that they are his I answer This mark is the holy Spirit of God which he bestows upon every true believer 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit that is he that is united to Christ hath the same spirit that Christ hath hath one and the same spirit that Christ hath Rom. 8.9 Now if any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his If any man have not this mark upon him the spirit of Christ our Saviour will never own that man for his Hence it is the Spirit of God is compared to a Seal or Mark Ephes 1.13 After ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise If thou hast received this mark this seal of the Spirit of God upon thy soul thou maist be as sure that thou art one of Christs sheep as if thou didst see thy name written in the Book of Life I but here it may be demanded But may not this Seal or this mark be counterfeited may not a man be mistaken and deceived in thinking he hath this mark the Spirit of God when indeed he hath it not To this I answer Yes it is possible for a man to be mistaken and therefore the Apostle so often presses this duty of Examination 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates And let every man prove his own works the work of grace in his heart let him prove it Gal. 6.4 Then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another he shall have rejoycing in the testimony of his own conscience and not in the witness of anothers tongue therefore we should be examining our hearts what operations the Spirit of God hath had upon our spirits whether it hath been an enlightning a quickning a convincing a heart-warming a sealing and a healing spirit certainly the healing and sealing-work of the Spirit goes together as I have formerly shewed you Many boast of the Spirit of God they question not but they have the Spirit of God but I told you the Spirit of God never sets his feal to a blank there is first some work of the Spirit of God upon the soul enlightning convincing quickning and drawing the heart to Jesus Christ So we should examine the fruits and effects of the Spirit of God upon our souls Now there are four fruits especially whereby a man may know he hath received not the spirit that is of the world but the spirit that is of God 1 Cor. 2.12 by these four effects First An unseigned love to the servants of Jesus Christ that is one effect of the Spirit of God that proves Jesus Christ hath set his mark upon him that hath it John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another This is a mark I set upon my sheep So 1 John 4.7 8 12 Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth
out Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when a man treads upon another mans little toe the tongue complains why do you hurt me Jesus Christ when he is now in heaven he complains of himself being persecuted in his Members he hath such a simpathy with them That 's the first Quaery Secondly It may be demanded How does Jesus Christ succour and relieve his servants in their temptations I answer he succours and relieves them these five ways First By discovering to them that it is a temptation for many there are that misliste their temptations some take temptations for the impulsess or impresses of Gods spirit not considering that there are tempting providences as well as approving providences such a providence was that which you read of when David had Saul at an advantage 1 Sam. 26.8 When Saul lay sleeping in his trench and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster then said Abishai to David God hath delivered thine enemy into thy hand this day now therefore let me smite him I pray thee with the spear even to the earth at once and I will not smite him the second time Abishai thought that this was an approving medicine that God had delivered Saul into the hands of David and now he may be avenged upon him and cut his throat and smite him presently nay nay says David to Abishai destroy him not for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed and be guiltless David saw it was a tempting-providence not an approving-providence he would not have a hand in his blood he would not slay the Lords anointed though his enemy though a wicked man though a man guilty of blood for he had slain Fourscore of the Lords Priests at one time commanding Doeg to fall upon them and destroy them But says David I will not have a hand in the blood of the Lords anointed though he hath delivered him into my hand this was but a tempting-providence not an approving-providence this is a certain Rule that there are tempting providences as well as approving-providences to follow providence without the Word is dangerous to follow providence against the Word is damnable but to follow providence with the Word that only is safe and comfortable now David he had a providence here but he had not the Word of God going along with that providence and therefore he looks upon it as a tempting-providence Now Jesus Christ succours his people by discovering to them which is a tempting-providence and which is an approving-providence Secondly The Lord Christ succours and relieves them by his Gracious Supportation he does support them under their tryals that is a precious Scripture that tempted ones should be continually meditating upon 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it God sometimes draws the Bow to the Arrow head but he will not break the Bow if God lays heavy loads on poor tempted ones then he will make their shoulders so much the stronger by his Gracious Manutency or holding them by the hand Psal 73.23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand And when God holds a poor tempted soul by the right hand though he fall he shall not utterly be cast down because the Lord upholds him Psal 37.24 Thirdly Jesus Christ relieves and succours tempted ones by his gracious intercession for he sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for them Heb. 7.25 and if so be thou art but one that does but desire to believe in Jesus Christ and take hold of him though it be but with a trembling hand know thus much for thy comfort in every temptation that thou meetest with Jesus Christ does nominate thee to his Father he nominates thee in particular and he says to thee as he did to Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.32 Fourthly Jesus Christ does succour and relieve tempted ones by making a diversion some way or other of them by a less temptation sometimes he prevents a greater that would even crush a poor soul to pieces sometimes by an outward affliction upon the body he prevents a greater affliction and trouble that would lye upon the spirit It is better a thousand times to be afflicted in the body than afflicted in the mind Fifthly The Lord Christ doth succour tempted ones by a gracious Abolition as I may call it by a total removal of the temptation when he treads Satan under our feet as he hath promised Rom. 16.20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly And when he gives Charge to Satan as he did to him concerning the poor Child that was possessed with a dumb and deaf spirit I charge thee that thou come out of him and that thou enter into him no more Mark 9.25 Thus you have the point opened Now briefly to apply it two Uses I shall make of it Frist for Information Secondly for Consolation First For information you may learn this Lesson by way of Inference That Gods own people his Elect true Believers must look for temptations nay they must look for divers temptations Jam. 1.12 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations in 1 Pet. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations They must look for temptations of all sorts as the Apostle saith in the like case All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution so all that will live godly must look for temptations Gods People may be tempted these four ways First Sometimes they may be tempted by their godly friends so was St. Paul Acts 11.12 when the Prophet Agabus foretold that Paul should be bound at Jerusalem and suffer so many things of the Jews Pauls godly friends disswaded him from going thither but Paul lookt upon it as a temptation for says he in the next verse What mean ye to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 21.13 Secondly Gods people are sometimes tempted by wicked men as Joseph was by his wanton and lascivious Mistress Thirdly Gods people are tempted sometimes by Satan they are tempted to presumption on the one hand and to desperation on the other hand For these are two great Rocks upon which thousands of souls suffer shipwrack but there are more that perish on the rock of Presumption than of Desperation Fourthly Gods Children are sometimes tempted by God himself it is said God tempted Abraham to try him Gen. 22.1 And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham and said unto him Abraham and he said behold here I
Communion with him in his life and because he lives you may live also I mean the life of Grace and life more abundantly and communion in his Death because he died for sin you may die to sin and communion in his Resurrection because he rose from the Grave you may rise to holiness and newness of life And the like Again Hath he purchased such precious Promises and all those Promises are sealed in his blood 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God are in him Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us O then do you labour to be made partakers of those Promises that you may know that you are Heirs of those Promises that you may look upon them as Legacies bequeathed to you by your dear Lord and Master by your Husband Jesus Christ who left these Legacies to you Lastly Hath he purchased a precious Inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled then I beseech you in the fear of Almighty God that you take heed that it fares not with you as it did with that unbelieving Prince that saw the plenty in Samaria but did not taste of it but died for all that so you to hear of a glorious Inheritance but to come short of it and so be undone to all Eternity according to my Afternoon Text Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it Heb. 4.1 Oh hath he purchased this Inheritance and do not you long to be with him where you shall sin no more nor sorrow no more Thus you see what use may be made of the preciousness of Jesus Christ in all these respects as he is precious in his Person in his Titles in his Offices in his Kingly Priestly and Prophetical Offices in his Ordinances in his Prerogatives in the purchases of his Blood those precious Priviledges and Inheritance he hath purchased for us The Lord help us seriously to think on these things and to meditate upon them and to lay them up in our hearts as Cordials against a day wherein we may stand in need of them And so I have done with the first Point of Doctrine That Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself The other Doctrine is That the Lord Jesus Christ is exceeding precious to all Believers and is highly prized by them 1 Pet. II. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious I Made entrance into this Text the last time that we had this solemn occasion of drawing near to God in the use of this precious Ordinance of the Lords Supper I shewed you the Coherence Sense and scope of the words and there were two Points of Doctrine that I drew from them The first was this That Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself I now come to the second Doctrine drawn from these words and that is this As Jesus Christ is precious in himself so is he exceeding precious to all Believers and highly prized by them For the proof or setling of this Point before I come to open it to you I shall give you but two Testimonies for the Confirmation of it the one out of the Old Testament the other out of the New that out of the Old Testament is in Cant. 5.9 10 where you shall read the strangers enquiring of the Spouse that is the Church of Christ saying What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved O thou fairest among women What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved that thou dost so charge us The Church makes this answer My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand c. My Beloved is white and ruddy Jesus Christ he is white in respect of his Divine Nature Being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 And yet he is red in his Humane Nature being of the same substance with the first Adam that was made of red Earth He was white in his Holiness but yet he is red also in that bloody passion which he was contented to undertake for our sakes he was white in his unspotted Innocency but yet he is red withal by the imputation of our sins which are said to be Crimson and Scarlet sins Isa 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool Thus Jesus Christ is white and ruddy I but says the Church withal He is the chiefest among ten thousand or he is the Standard-bearer among ten thousand as the Hebrew word may be interpreted the Standard-bearer he is higher than the Kings of the Earth therefore called the Standard-bearer Psalm 89.27 Also I will make my first-born higher than the Kings of the Earth He guides and leads his people as being the Captain of their Salvation he leads them as a Standard-bearer leads an Army by his Colours Oh what a high price and value did the Church set upon Jesus Christ here He is white and ruddy the choicest among ten thousand Christ was very precious you see in her eyes The other testimony which I shall give you is in the New Testament Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ I count all things but loss whatever I esteemed gain before all my outward Priviledges that I stood upon before I count them but as loss but that is not all I count all things says he dung dross and dung or as the Greek phrase there sigsignifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such things as we cast out to Dogs I account them but as scrapings as skins as parings as nothing worth in comparison of the Lord Jesus Christ If there had been presented to Paul a whole Mountain of Gold and Silver and precious Pearls in comparison of Jesus Christ it would have been but as a heap of dung to him I count all things says he but loss and dung in comparison of Christ Consider but what things they were that he did undervalue in comparison of Christ and consider who did undervalue them Consider what it was that Paul did undervalue all the Priviledges that he had for example He tells you in the 5th and 6th verses Circumcised the eighth day so outwardly in covenant with God bearing the Covenant of God in his flesh this was nothing in his esteem of the stook of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews Of the Stock of Abraham this was his Birth-priviledg but this was nothing He was a man of Parts and Learning brought up at the feet of Gamaliel but all his natural parts abilities and endowments all these he esteemed nothing yea he was a man of a civil and unblameable conversation touching the righteousness which is