his Church not only to defend and preserve it but to consume all the Adversaries thereof God doth great matters for his servants hee rebukes Kings and Princes and ruinates Empires for their fakes For the bringing home back againe of the Iewes hee translated the Babylonish Empire to the Persians and therefore the wicked must take heed of attempting any thing against Gods Church because the harme thereof will redound upon their owne heads God delights to take the oppressed parties part and serves himselfe of all his enemies for his peoples good They practise against the righteous and he laughes them to scorne Wicked men cannot do Gods children a greater pleasure than to oppose them for by this meanes they help exceedingly to advance them Sathan and all his instruments what get they by their cruelty to the Saints they doe but encrease their own torment and doe them the more good but this is both against their knowledge and wills Therefore if they be loath to doe them any good let them take hee how they attempt any evill against them And here let all such be admonished how they provoke Gods children to cry in their prayers against them For it is better for the wicked that they had all the creatures in heaven earth against them than the poore Saints for a few of these wil more prejudice them than all the world besides Come wee now to the grounds of practise hence to be observed Againe doth God order all for the best to them that love him Let us not then except against any evill that shall befall us for this our present crosse shall turne to our future comfort It is the Saints happinesse That their best is in working still till they be compleat in heaven But the wicked and men of the world their worst is alwayes in contriving their life is bad their death is worse and after death it is worst of all with them God himselfe and all under him work continually for the good of his children their best is last their light groweth on clearer and clearer as the light untill the noone day But the worldly grow worser and worser every moment To them that feare God sinne and sorrow their very worst is by Gods mercies best for them whereas all the best of the wicked by abuse turnes to their worst Observe here the excellencie of the Saints comfort above all other comforts whatsoever The nature of it is this It must be stronger than the grievance of which it is a cordiall And the reason of spirituall comfort must be more forcible than any carnall reason can bee to undermine it Now what stronger consolation can a man have than to be assured that all things without exception shall work together for his good but this is not all What a sweet refreshment is it when the soule can say God will either stop mee from falling into sin outwardly by afflictions or else subdue my corruptions inwardly by his Spirit that I shall not bee overthrown by them hee will never suffer mee to rot in my sinnes but when I do fall will raise me up again It beares up a Christians heart that rather than we shall continue in an evill way God will send some Nathan or other to rouse us out of our security Therefore to all thy comforts adde this That God will not onely save thee at last but turne all things to the best whilest thou art here This is the highest straine of consolation It is farre stronger to refresh and quicken us than any grievance can be to afflict us It maketh evill things in comparison to seeme good As Moses counted the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egipt he made more choice of affliction than he did of the worlds glory If God bee with us who can be against us If he be our Shepheard we are sure to lack nothing There is such a force of comfort in salvation that we will rather choose outward evills than to enjoy outward good things Moses by faith seeing that outward affliction and shame were knit to salvation chose these and refused dignity and ease How ought this to stay the soule under all its heavie pressures Why should not I be patient in sicknesse in poverty in dis graces or why should I despaire at the houre of death Am I not under the hand of my God working my good out of every evill It is the subtilty of our arch-enemie to drive us to a stand that we may doubt of our conditions and say with Gideon If the Lord be with mee and that I am his child why is it thus with me How is it that all this sorrow and misery hath befallen mee and lieth so heavie upon my soule But our comfort here is that God who turneth all things to our best is stronger than Sathan Againe considering all things conduce unto our good though in appearance never so opposite this comfort ariseth That if God doe so work this or that then I must beleeve against beliefe I must stand firme against contraries my faith must answer his manner of working and beleeve that God can bring me to honour by shame and to Heaven by Hell gates for if it be his course of dealing first to cast downe and then to lift up by disgrace to bring his servants to glory then in all my extremities I must rest upon God who is never neerer unto his to succour them than when hee seemes to bee furthest off When â—hee meanes to give victory he suffer us to be foiled first and when hee intends to justifie a poore sinner he will condemne him first Let us therefore hope against hope and desire God in our distresses to open our eyes that wee may see our consolations Hagar had a Well by her when she was ready to perish for thrist and yet she saw it not and Elisha's man had Angels to defend him when the Aramites compassed him about but perceived not the same so the Angell of the Lord continually pitcheth his tent about the godly though they are not aware of it yea God is then neerest to us when we are in most straights Cordials are kept for faintings When Christ went to cast the Devill out of a child he then most raged and tare him So likewise Satan and wicked men most rage when they are neerest to their end and destruction In thy greatest danger never rest on thy friends but on the Lord who never standeth neerer and firmer to us than when we are most perplexed and know not what to doe A distressed soule seeth oft no comfort in outward things and therefore retireth unto God in whom it findes whatsoever may make it happy Our strength may faile and our heart may faile but God is our portion for ever When we are weake then wee are strong and when we are most cast downe in our selves we are neerest to Gods helping hand This carriage of the Almighty ought to establish our
from doing us harme All the strength of the creature rests in the great Creator of all things who if hee denies concourse the arme of their power soon withereth It cannot but bring strong consolation to the soule to know that in all variety of changes and intercourse of good and bad things our loving God hath a disposing hand So as all blessings and crosses all ordinances and graces nay our very fals yea Satan himselfe with all his instruments being over mastred ruled by God have this injunction upon them to further Gods good intendment to us and in no wise hurt us which should move us to see his disposing hand in all that befals us We owe God this respect to observe his providence in the particular passages of our lives considering hee is our Soveraigne and his will is the rule and we are to be accountable to him as our Iudge We should question our hearts for questioning his care in the least kinde So long as God sits at the Sterne and rules all wee may bee sure no evill shall betyde us that hee can hinder Thirdly hence we may learne that there is not two but one Soveraigne head over the whole World which is plainly proved by this Text of Scripture For all things work together for the best to them that love God and things which in themselves are contraries agree together to procure their good therefore all things whatsoever are over ruled by the sole power of the Almighty The Devill himselfe although he be called the God of this World yet he is at Christs beck and could not enter into a few Swine without leave first obtained hee raiseth up hideous storms and tempests against the Saints but perisheth himselfe in the waves at last persecutions and perils may follow us but they are all limited in the doing of hurt which plainly demonstrates that there is but one main worker and wise disposer of all things Further hence observe that there is nothing in the world that to Gods servants is absolutely evill because nothing is so ill but some good may bee raised out of it not as it is an evill but as it is governed and mastred by a supreme cause Sinne is of all evils the greatest and yet sinfull actions may produce gratious effects through Gods ordering and guiding the same Againe observe that a childe of God is truly happy in the midst of all misery To prove this I reason thus In what estate soever the childe of God is it shall turn to his good therefore no affliction can make him truly miserable The proofe of this the Apostle sets downe in his owne example hee was poore yet made many rich he sorrowed yet alwayes rejoyeed he had nothing yet possessed all things he was chastned and yet not killed Gods children although to the world they may seeme to be miserable yet having communion and fellowship with him they are alwayes happy the very worst day of Gods childe â—is better than the very best day of the wicked The worst day of S. Paul was better to him than the best day of Nero was to him for the wicked in the midst of their happinesse are accursed whereas the godly in the midst of their miseries are blessed This Doctrine is a ground of understanding divers other places of Scripture as Psalme 91. The Lord promiseth that hee will deliver his from the snare of the Hunter and from the noisome pestilence and yet oft times his deere servants are in the hands of the wicked and taken away by the stroke of his judgements this truth neverthelesse remaining firme that all worketh together for their best So God teacheth us in his Word that he doth make a league betweene his servants and the creatures but all such expressions of his love we must bring to this Text and then they are true else they may seeme to bee false The plague shall not come neere thy dwelling place but only so far forth as it is for thy benefit The good Prophet was torne in pieces by a Lion and sundry holy men have received hurt by wilde Beasts whose eternall welfare were furthered thereby Therefore this phrase of Scripture that the creatures are in league is to bee understood not that they have put off their hostile nature But that they have the same issue as those that are at peace with us Here likewise is a direction for us how to pray for earthly blessings and the removall of temporall judgements often times worldly honours and riches are snares unto Gods children and temporall chastisements which wee so earnestly pray against work much good unto us And therefore it falleth out that when wee pray against temporall calamities wee pray against our owne good Being therfore afflicted we should desire not absolutely that God would remove our troubles but that hee would work his owne good pleasure upon us therby Our prayers for temporall blessings and removall of temporall crosses must alwayes be conditionall for what good will it bee for us to come out of the fire worse than we were when wee went into it If therefore God in his wisdome see it good for us to have affliction we should not desire him absolutely to remove the same till it have done us good And then Lord deale with us as seemes best in thine own eyes As for such as affect neither God nor goodnesse let them know that if all things work for the best to the Saints then they may forbeare their successesse endeavours which they daily enterprize against them in going about to hurt the godly they doe them most good for God will benefit them by their malice Their wicked practises shall not only bee made frustrate but dangerous to themselves after the chastisement of his servants for their good God will cast the rod into the fire Men may know whether they are vessells of mercy or no by the use they are put to The basest of people are fit enough to be executioners It is a miserable wisedome when men are wise to work their owne ruine Do not many spin a fine thred and weave a faire web when by their turnings and devices they turne themselves into hell What ever wee get by sinne for the present it will one day prove the heaviest businesse that ever wee undertook God is the onely Monarch of the world and makes all things and persons whatsoever service able to his owne end and his Churches good He is higher than the highest Sathan with all his instruments are but slaves to the Almighty executioners of his will Can we think that Gods children who are so neere deare to him shall alwayes bee trampled upon by the powers of darknesse No certainly hee is interessed in all their quarells and takes their injuries as don to himselfe When wee can bee more subtill than the Devill or more strong than God wee may think to thrive against them He is a wall of fire round about
on thy Son whō thou hast given for us and in him behold his poore members now before thee In our selves we have dread but in thy dearly beloved wee have joy in thy presence If we come in the garments of our Elder brother wee are sure to get a blessing but in our selves God cannot endure to behold us If we bring Benjamin to our Father if wee carry Christ along with us then come and welcome Upon what unchangeable grounds is the love of God and the faith of a Christian builded How can the gates of hell prevaile against the faith of a true beleever when it is carried to the promise and from the promise to Gods love the love of God to Christ shall as soone faile as the faith of a sincere Christian shal be shaken The promises else should bee of no effect they should be Yea and Nay and not Yea Amen If the promises could bee shaken the love of God and Christ should be uncertain Overturn heaven and earth if we overturne the faith of a true persevering Christian. There is nothing in the world of that firmnesse as a beleeving soule is the ground hee stands upon makes him unmoveable Our union with the Lord Jesus makes us like Mount Sinai that cannot be shaken But wee must know there are three degrees or steps of love whereof a promise is the last 1. Inward love 2. Reall performance 3. A manifestation of performance intended before it bee done Love concealed doth not cōfort in the interim therfore God who is love doth not only affect us for the present and intend us mercy hereafter but because hee will have us rest sweetly in his bosome and settle our selves on his gracious purposes hee gives us in the mean time many rich and pretious promises Hee not only loves us and shewes the same in deeds now but he expresseth his future care of us that wee may build on him as surely as if we had the thing performed already By this wee see how God loves us he hath not only an inward liking and good wil to us in his brest but manifests the same by word hee reveales the tendernesse of his bowells towards us that wee may have the comfort of it before-hand God would have us live by faith and establish our selves in hope because these graces fit us for the promise If there were no Promises there could bee no faith nor hope What is Hope but the expectation of those things that the word saith And what is faith but a building on the promise of God Faith looks to the word of the thing Hope to the thing in the word Faith looks to the thing promised Hope to the possession and performance of it Faith is the evidence of good not seene making that which is absent as present to us Hope waits for the accomplishment of that good contained in the word if we had nothing promised what need hope and where were the foundation of faith But God being willing to satisfie both that wee may bee heavenly-wise in relying upon a firme foundation and not as fooles trust in vanity in mercy gives us promises and seales them with an oath for our greater supportment That love which ingaged the Almighty to bind himself to us in pretious promises will furnish us likewise with grace needfull till wee be possessed of them He will give us leave to depend upon him both for happinesse and all quieting graces which may support the soule till it come to its perfect rest in himselfe Now these gratious expressions of our good God may be reduced into divers rankes I will but touch some few particulars and shew how wee should carry our selves to make a comfortable use of them First there are some universall Promises for the good of all mankinde as that God would never destroy the World againe c. Secondly there are other Promises that more particularly concerne the Church and these are Promises 1. Either of outward things 2. Or of spirituall and eternall things of Grace and Glory In the manner of promising they admit of this distinction All the Promises of God are made to us either Absolutely without any condition so was the Promise of sending Christ into the world and his glorious comming againe to judgement let the world be as it will yet Christ did come and will come againe with thousands of Angels to judge us at the last Or 2. conditionall As the Promise of Grace and Glory to Gods children that he will forgive their sinnes if they repent c. God deales with men as wee doe by way of commerce one with another propounding mercy by covenant and condition yet his covenant of grace is alwayes a gratious covenant For he not onely gives the good things but helpes us in performing the condition by his Spirit he workes our hearts to beleeve and to repent Thus all Promises for outward things are conditionall as thus God hath promised protection from contagious sicknesse and from trouble and warre that he will be an hiding place and a Deliverer of his people in time of danger that he will doe this and that good for them But these are conditionall so far forth as in his wise providence he sees they may helpe to preserve spiritual good things in them and advance the graces of the inward man For God takes liberty in our outward estate to afflict us or doe us good as may best further our soules welfare Because do what we can with these bodies they will turn to dust and vanity ere long We must leave the world behinde us therefore he lookes to our main estate in Christ to the new creature and so farre as outward blessings may cherish and increase that so farre hee grants them or else he denies them to his dearest ones For we cannot still enjoy the blessings of this life but our corrupt nature is such that except we have somewhat to season the same we shall surfet and not digest them therefore they are all given with exception of the Crosse as Christ saith hee that doth for him any thing shall have a hundred fold here but with Persecution be sure of that whatsoever else he hath let Christians looke for crosses to season those good things they enjoy in this life To come now to some use of the point Are all the Promises of what kind soever whether spirituall and outward temporall or eternall are they all made to us in Jesus Christ And are they certainly true Yea and Amen in him Then I beseech you get into Christ betimes strengthen your intrest in him by all meanes out of whom we have nothing that is savingly good rest not in any thing abstracted from him so as to be accepted with God But you will say doth not God doe many good things to them that are out of Christ doth not the Sunne shine and the raine fall upon the just and the unjust upon the evill as
well as the good doth he not cloath and feed and protect wicked men daily He doth indeed it cannot bee denied but are they blessings are these favours to them No but as God saith by Moses if thou sin against me Cursed shalt thou be in thy Basket and thy store Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy Land the increase of thy Kine and the flocks of thy Sheep cursed at home cursed abroad they are cursed in their very blessings A gracelesse brutish person though hee swim with worldly pleasures and have never such revennewes and commings in to maintaine his bravery is yet an accursed creature in the midst of all For what are we made for think you To live here only Oh no then we were of all others the most miserable there is an eternity of time a comming wherein after a few dayes spent in the flesh we shall live either in perpetuall blisse or unspeakable torment The very best things beneath have a snare in them they rather hinder than further our eternall welfare How doth that appeare Because for the most part they make men secure and carelesse in the worship of God so as to despise the power of godlinesse and follow iniquity with greedinesse wee may see by mens conversations that outward things are snares to them They are not Promises in Christ for then they would come out of Gods love only which alone makes mercies to be indeedâ—o â—o us and without which â—he best of blessings will prove but a curse in the end If I have any thing in this world any deliverance from evill or any positive good thing I may know it is for my benefit when my heart is made more spirituall therby so as to value grace holinesse at the highest rate I esteeming my being in Christ above all transitory things whatsoever above riches and honour and the favour of great persons which at the best is fading Our intrest in him will stand by us when all these things are withered and shrunk to nothing Christ is a Fountaine never drawne dry his comforts are permanent the good in the creature soone vanisheth and leaveth the soule empty therefore get into Christ speedily it concernes thee neerely For this purpose attend upon the meanes of salvation and beg of God that he would make his owne ordinances by his Spirit accompanying the same effectuall to thy soule that he would open the excellencies of Christ to thee and draw thy affections to close with him How are we in Christ When by knowing of him our knowledge carries our hearts unto him when our wils cleave to that which we know to be excellent and necessary for us when I firmely adhere to Christ as the only good for me then I love him then I rest on him then I have peace in him I may discerne that I am in Christ if upon my knowledge of him my heart is united to him and I find peace of conscience in him Faith hath a quieting and establishing power If I be in Christ my soule will be cheered and satisfied with him alone I know all is Yea and Amen in him therefore my soule rests securely here How ever our outward condition bee various and perplexed yet our estate in Christ is firme and constant What is a man out of Christ As a man in a storme that hath no clothes to hide his nakednesse or to shelter his body from the violence of the weather As one in a tempest that hath not house nor harbour to cover him As a stone out of the foundation set light by and scattered up and downe here and there As a branch out of the root what sap is there is such a thing it being good for nothing but to be cast into the fire A man that is not built up in Christ planted in him nor clothed with him is the most destitute despicable creature in all the world and if we look with a single eye we shall so discerne him such a mans case is deepely to be bewailed had wee but hearts to judge righteously we would preferre the meanest condition of Gods childe before the greatest estate of any earthly Monarch be their flourishing felicity never so resplendant Oh the miserable and wofull plight that all prophane wretches are in who neglect grace and the mysteries of Christ to gratifie their base lusts such an one there is but a step betweene him and Hell he hath no portion in the Lord Jesus I ac count all dung and drosse saith St Paul in comparison of Christ to be found in him not having on mine owne righteousnesse Happy is that man at the day of judgement who thus appeares Againe if so be that all promises are Yea and Amen in Christ then here take notice of the stability of a Christian that hath promises to uphold him Compare him with a man that hath present things only with an Esau that abounds with worldly goods and how great is the difference God gives them their portion here as he saith to Dives thou hadst thy good things that thou chiefly caredst for thou hadst them here but Lazarus had paine misery and poverty Now therefore the case is altered he is advanced and thou art tormented A beleeving Christian enjoyes the sweetnesse of many promises in this life for God is still delivering comforting and perfecting of him renuing of his spirit and supplying him with inward peace but the greatest part is yet to be accomplished perfection of grace and glory is to come he is a Child he is a Sonne the promise here is his chiefe estate Another man hath present payment and that is all he cares for hee hath something in hand and fwells with a conceit of happinesse thereby Alas what are we the better to have a great deale of nothing Solomon that had tryed all the world resolves it to vanity and vexation of spirit All things below are uncertaine and wee are uncertaine in the use of them if we have no better a life than a natural one eternal joy appertaines not to us Take a Christian and strip him in your thoughts froÌ„ all the good things in the world he is yet a happier man than the greatest worldly favourite out of Christ for the one hath nothing but present things with a great deale of addition of miserie which his ease and contentment makes him more sensible of as being more tender and apprehensive of an evill than other men The other though hee want many comforts of this life and enjoyes not present performances yet hee is rich in bills and bonds God is bound to him who hath promised hee will never forsake him but be his por tion for ever Hee hath a title to every communicable good Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and that which is to come A happy man what ever is most usefull for his safe conduct to heaven he
is sure to have it He that will give us a Kingdome will not denie us daily bread hee that hath prepared a Country for us will certainly preserve us safe till we come there Besides that wee have here in performance wee have many excellent promises of a greater good in expectation which in Christ are all Yea Amen They are certaine though our life be uncertaine and the comforts of our life lesse then life it selfe mutable and perishing If life the foundation of outward comforts bee but a vapour what are all the comforts themselves think you It is a Christians rejoycing in the midst of all changes beneath that hee hath promises invested into him from above that are lodged in his heart and made his owne by faith which have a wondrous peculiarizing vertue to make that a mans owne that is otherwise generally propounded in the Gospell A Christian take him at all uncertainties he hath somwhat to build on that is Yea and Amen undoubtedly sure that wil stick by him I speak this to commend the estate of a beleeving Christian to make you in love with it seeing in all the changes and varieties of this world hee hath somewhat to take to In all the dangers of this life he hath a Rock and chamber of Providence to goe unto as it is Esay 26. God hath secret roomes to hide his children in in times of publike disturbance when there is a confusion of all things God hath a safe abiding place for thee I have many troubles saith David but God is my defence continually Hee iâ— my shield and strong Tower whatsoever I want I have it in him What a comfort is this A Christian knowes either hee shall be safe here or in heaven and therefore rests securely He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty that is in the love and protection of God above As Moses saith Lord thou hast binour habitation from everlasting to everlasting that is thou art our sure help in the greatest extremity that can befall us in any age of the world Therefore build on his promise for God and his Word are all one If wee have nothing to take to when troubles come woe unto us In our selves considered wee are even as grasse and as a tale that is told soone vanishing But our estate in God is durable wee have here no continuing Citie sicknesse may come and death may environ us the next moment happy are they that have God for their habitation wee dwell in him when we are dead when we leave this world wee shall live with God for ever The righteous is not troubled for evill tydings hee is not shaken from his Rock and stay he feares no danger because his heart is fixed What a blessed estate is it to be in Christ to have promises in him to be protected and preserved not onely whilest wee are in this vale of teares but when this earthly tabernacle shall bee dissolved even to all eternity If our hearts be fixed on God let us heare evill tydings of Warre or Famine or Pestilence let it be what it will blessed men are wee Every word of God is tryed as silver in the fire saith the Psalmist the promises are tried promises wee may safely rest upon them But if we have nothing to take to when troubles arise we are as a naked man in a storme without any shelter incompassed round with distresse and misery The promises are our inheritance yea our best inheritance in this life though the Lord should strip us naked and take away all things else yet if the promises remain ours wee are rich men and may say with the Psalmist My lot is fallen into a good ground thy testimonies are better unto me than thousands of gold and silver For the promises are as so many obligations whereby God is bound to his poore creature And if wretched men think themselves as rich as they have bonds though they have never a peny in their purses much more may a true Christian who hath the promises of Christ for his security esteeme himselfe a wealthy person as having many bonds whereby not man but God is engaged to him that not only for temporall good things but for heavenly favours and spirituall blessings for all which hee may sue God at his pleasure and desire him to make good his word of truth There is little difference betwixt a poore Christian and him that abounds in this worlds riches onely this the one hath wealth in his owne possession the other hath it in Gods bond the one hath it in hand the other in trust As for the worldling he hath but a cisterne when he hath most wheras every faithfull soule hath the Spring head even God himselfe to flye unto in all distresses who will never faile him but be a Sunne and a Shield to defend us from all evill and preserve us in all goodnesse all our dayes But I go on Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath also anointed us is God Here observe That the Christian needs not onely converting but establishing grace he that hath begun any good worke in us must perfect it the God of strength must give us his promise to support our weaknesse without which we cannot stand Peter was in the state of grace and yet when God did not stablish him wee see how he fell The weakest beleever with the establishing grace of God will stand and the strongest Christian without Divine assistance wil sink and fall away Whence this may bee further considered That the life of a Christian is a perpetuall dependant life he not only lives by faith in his first conversion but ever after hee depends upon God for protection and strength throughout his whole course God doth establish us in Christ the ignorance of this makes men subject to backsliding For when we trust to grace received and seek not for new supply we are straight of Peters condition Though all for sake thee yet will not I which occasioned his shamefull fall he had too much confidence in grace received God is therefore faine to humble his children to teach them dependance And usually where any speciall grace is bestowed upon sinners God joynes something therewith to put them in minde that they do not stand by their own strength Peter makes a glorious confession Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God and Christ honoured him exceedingly saying Vpon this Rock will I build my Church but yet by and by we see he cals him Satan get thee behind me to teach us that wee stand not by our owne power when wee are strong it is of God and when we are weake it is of our selves Iacob Wrest led with the Almighty and was a prevailer but he was fain to halt for it though he had the victory and overcame at last yet he was stricken with lamenesse all
but a little signe of grace in me Be not discouraged you know in wax though the stamp be almost out yet it is currant in Law notwithstanding Put the case the stamp of the Prince be an old Coyne is it not currant though it bee crackt Suppose the mark of the Spirit should bee dim and blurred scarce discernable in us this ought to bee our shame and griefe yet some evidences of grace are still remaining there are some sighes and groanes against corruption which may continually support us if we mourne in our spirits and doe not joyne with our lusts nor allow our selves in them this is a divine impression though it bee as it were almost worne out the more comfort wee desire the fresher she should keepe this seale of comfort And labour to grow in faith and obedience that we may reade our evidence cleerely that it be not over-growne with the dust of the world so as we cannot see it Sometimes Gods children have the graces of the Spirit in them yet they yeeld so much to feares and doubtings that they can read nothing but their corruption When we bid them puruse their evidences they can see nothing but worldlinesse nothing but pride and envie because they grieve the holy Spirit by their negligence and distrust Though there be a stamp in them yet God holds the soule from it and gives men up to mistake their estates for not stirring up the graces of his Spirit in them Honour God by beleeving and he will honour thee by stamping his Spirit more cleerely on thee what a comfort is it to have the evidence of a gratious soule at all times When a man carries about him the marke of the Spirit what in the world can discourage such a soule On the contrary if a man have not something above nature in him when death judgement comes how miserable is his condition If a man be a King or an Emperour of the World and have not an interest in Christs righteousnesse ere long he shall be stripped of all and adjudged to eternall torments Oh the excellency of mans soule a Jewell more to be prized then a Princes Diadem It is the solly of the times to set up curious Pictures but what a poore delight is this in comparison of the ambition of a true Christian to see the Image of Christ stamped in his soule to finde the joy of the Spirit and God speaking peace to his inner man The transforming of our selves into the image of Christ is the best Picture in the world therefore we should labour for the new creature that as we grow downeward one way we may grow up towards Heaven another that as the life of nature decayes so the spirituall life may bee more active and working It should be our daily study while we live in this world to attain that holinesse without which no man shall ever see God There is besides the common broad Seale of God his privie Seal What is the reason that many proud hearted persons are damned the truth is they are all for externall contentments and despise the ordinances of GOD for though they stand upon their admission into the Church upon the common seales and prerogatives which in themselves are excellent yet relying on these things overmuch betrayes many soules to the Devill in the time of distresse It is an other manner of seale than the outward seale in the Sacrament that must settle peace in the conscience When once the beginnings of faith are wrought in us then wee may with comfort thinke upon our receiving of the Communion but the speciall thing to be eyed is the hidden seale If the externall meanes work no inward sanctificatiō in our hearts we shall be the worse rather than the better for them yet we must not be so prophane as to think slightly of Gods Ordinances they are of great consequence For when Satan shakes the confidence of a Christian and saith Thou art an Hypocrite God doth not love thee these help us to hold out why saith the soule I can speak by experience that I have found the contrary the Lord hath removed my feares he hath pardoned my sinne and accepted my person he hath given me many Pretious Promises to support my spirit Here is the excellency of the Sacrament it comes more home to me it seales the generall Promises of God particularly to my selfe for finding the inward worke of the Spirit in my heart and God having strengthned my faith by the outward seale I can defie Satan with all his accusations and look death in the face with comfort We should labour therefore to observe Gods sealing dayes when he uses to manifest himselfe to his people which though it may be every day if wee be spiritually exercised yet it is in the Lords day more especially for then his ordinance and his Spirit go together Now there is a sealing of persons and of truths besides the sealing of our estates that we are the children of God there is a sealing of every particular truth to a Christian. For where there is grace to beleeve the truth God seales those truths firmely to that soule by the comforts of his Spirit For example this is a truth Whosoever beleeves in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Now the same Spirit that stirs up the soule to beleeve this seales it fast upon the conscience even to death there is no promise but upon our beleeving the same it is sealed by God upon us for those truths only abide firme in the soule which the Holy Ghost sets on What is the reason that many forget their consolations the reason is they heare much but the Spirit settles nothing on their hearts What is the reason that lettered men many times stand out in their profession to blood whereas those that are more able and learned yeeld to any thing The reason is the knowledge of the one is set fast upon the soule the Spirit brings his seale and this mans knowledge close together whereas the learning and abilities of the other is only a discoursive thing swimming in the braine without any sollid foundation their knowledge of truths is not spiritual they see not heavenly things by heavenly but by a naturall light Those that would not apostatize must have a knowledge sutable to the things they know they must see spirituall things by the Spirit of GOD. Therefore when we come to heare the Word wee should not come with strong conceits of our owne to bring all to our wits but with reverent dispositions and dependance upon God that he would teach us together with his Ministers and close with his Ordinances so as to fasten truths upon our soules else shall wee never hold out for that which must stablish and quiet the soule must bee greater than the soule In time of tentations when the terrours of the Almighty encompasse us when God layes open our conscience and writes bitter things against us those
justice truth faithfulnesse providence wisedome and all-sufficiencie All which shall ever work together for the best to them that love his appearing So for Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God All his glorious titles and attributes serve like wise for the everlasting comfort of his poore Saints on earth Hee is called the Husband of his Church to cherish and maintaine the same His love unto his Church is farre above the love of any husband to his wife Hee is called the Saviour of the World because hee so loved the world that hee gave his life for it and hath promised that whosoever beleeveth on him shall not perish He is called the Fountaine of life the Well of life the Water of life the Bread of life the Way the Truth and the Life because that in him is our life and by him wee are fed and nourished to eternall life here in him wee obtain the life of Grace and in the World to come shall for ever enjoy the life of Glory So likewise for the Holy Ghost what heavenly attributes are ascribed to him in the Scriptures He is called the Comforter of Gods servants The Sealer of the Redemption of Gods children in their hearts he teacheth the Elect to call God Father hee beareth witnesse with their spirits that they are the Sons and Daughters of God he teacheth them to pray as they ought hee fills them with peace that passeth all understanding And refreshes their spirits with such unspeakable joy as eye hath not seene nor eare heard the like He that is instructed by the Spirit knoweth the things of God which a naturall man is ignorant of The holy Ghost doth call to rememberance the doctrine of God taught unto his servants writes the same in their hearts so that the operations of the blessed Spirit are all appropriated to them that love God and they alone have their right in them The direction comfort teaching and guiding of the Spirit of God doe serve entirely and peculiarly to order and work all things together for the best to the Godly Yea the Angels themselves are called Messengers and ministring Spirits appointed by God to attend and wait upon his servants Hee gives his Angells charge over these to serve them in all their wayes and to pitch their tents round about them whensoever God pleaseth to call any of his out of this world the Angels are a safe conduct to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome And at the last judgement the Lord shall send forth his Angells to gather his Elect from one end of the world to the other that they may fully enjoy that which they have long waited for even eternall blisse and glory Vnder the Angels all other creatures are likewise made serviceable for his peoples good Princes in authority are called in Scripture nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto the Church of Christ the end of all magistracy being that we might live religiously and peaceably in all the wayes of God Ministers also are stiled in the Word by the names of Watchmen and Seeds-men and spirituall Fathers to beget men againe to the kingdome of Heaven they are called Gods Husbandmen to manure and till his ground They are called Gods lights and the Salt of the Earth both to enlighten the Church with the light of the glorious Gospell whereof they are Ministers and to season them with such savoury and sweet instructions as may make them wise to salvation this being the very end of all Gods giving gifts to men that they might build up the Church of Christ here below So also the Word of God is called the savour of life the power of God unto salvation It is the seed of God which being sown in the hearts of Gods children springeth up in them to everlasting happinesse Gods Word is a light and a Lanthorne to guide and direct us in all his wayes it is the Sword of the Spirit to arme us against sin and to maintaine us in grace The Sacraments likewise are the Seales of life and pledges of our salvation in Christ and Ex communication though it bee rough and the extreamest censure of the Church and therefore ought to be undertaken upon weighty grounds yet the end of it is to save the soules of Gods people and to make them by repentance turne unto him So all outward gifts as beauty strength riches and honours these are given by God to serve for the good of his children As the beauty of Hester was an instrument of her preferment whereby she became a preservation to Gods children and an overthrow of her and their enemies Iosephs outward honours and wealth were made by Gods disposing hand a meanes of the preservation nourishment of the Israelites in the time of their great extremity and famine the like may be said of learning and other naturall acquirements all which do often tend to generall and publike advantages Yea the outward gists of God which are bestowed upon reprobates are still for the good of his for they who had skill and knowledge to build Noahs Ark though they themselves were not saved therein yet were they the meanes of Noahs preservation and so it many times falleth out that men of excellent parts and great abilities without grace though themselves are not profited thereby yet God so useth them as their gifts much conduce to further and build up the Church of Christ. Even outward favour of Princes oft tend to Gods servants good A just man as the Heathens could say is a common benefit And so a true Christian whatsoever good he hath it is communicable to all the faithfull and therfore S. Paul saith of him selfe that he was a debtor to all men both Iewes and Gentiles and that hee became all things to all men that he migh twin some But here the maine question will be and the difficulty arises how all ill things can work together for the best to Gods children I shall therefore demonstrate 1 The truth of this how it can be so 2 The reasons why it is so 3 Observe a caution that it be not abused 4 Let us see the sweet and comfortable use of this Doctrine That this may the better appear we must know that all evill things are either 1 Spirituall evill things 2 Outward evill things And for spirituall evill things they are either First Sinne. Secondly That which hath a reference to Sinne as being evils following after sinne The first sin of all which hath gone over whole mankinde and is spread abroad in every one of us this by Gods mercy and our repentance prooves to al beleevers a transcendent good for the fall and sin of the first Adam caused the birth and death of the second Adam Christ Jesus who notwitstanding he was God took upon him the nature of man and hath made us by his comming farre more happy than if we had neverfallen neither would God have
up and helpe maintaine a gratious frame within me Where true holinesse is the soule is sensible of all advantages and disadvantages of good An indifferency for any company or imployment shewes a dead heart This is a main difference to distinguish a childe of God from a prophane wretch that only lives to himselfe his heart is taken up wholy with the world and matters below wheras the godly are all for thriving in grace and increase of godlinesse The wicked man considers of things as they serve to satisfie his lust and if wee have better thoughts at any time it is but for a start But a godly mans aimes are alwayes holy and the strength of his soul is put forth that way He values himselfe as hee stands in relation to God and a better life and esteemes all other things more or lesse as they further or hinder his spiritual growth and bring peace and sorrow at the last unto him But I hasten to the second part of the Text The persons to whom this priviledge belongs that is to them that love God And why to them that love God because the Apostle speaketh of afflictions and wee know that the grace which is most conversant in the Saints sufferings is patience which floweth from love Also for that of all other graces is the first and sweetest it is the first for whom wee love wee are sorry to offend and hate whatsoever is contrary to that we affect we rejoyce in that we love grieve in the absence thereof It is the commanding affection of all others and setteth the whole man sweetly a work to attaine its defire Love makes us forward and zealous Christians all the inward worship of God is in the affections As thou shalt rejoyce in no God but me and feare no God but me All the Commandements of God are brought by Christ to this duty Againe love hath a speciall part in this priviledge of bringing all things to work for our good For when we love God wee will make the best use of every thing which we suffer or do If we love God and eye his glory therein Love makes any burthen easie it makes us studious of pleasing the party loved as we say in the Proverb Love me and doe with me what you will Love is full of inventions it studies complacencie and sets the soule a work to honour God in all things In that the Apostle saith To them that love God and not to the children or servants of God Wee may observe That Christianity is not a bare title but it requireth some qualification Therefore the Scriptures when they describe a Saint on earth doe not usually say the child of God but they set him forth by some holy affections or actions wrought in him As such as love God or feare God and walks in his wayes Hereby shewing that Religion is not a matter of complement but a reall and holy endeavour to please the Lord and although the Scriptures do name but some one particular affection yet it is all one as if they had named all for where one is in truth there all followes Again in that the Apostle here ascribes priviledges to those only that are thus qualified wee must take heed in applying the promises of God and these sweet consolations that we be such persons to whom of right they doe belong for all things work for the best not to every one but to such as love God We must not therefore preach comfort to all but must first labour to make men capable of it To this end 1. First wee will shew the Nature of this love 2. Secondly the exercises of it and directions unto it 3. Thirdly some incitements to this holy affection The ground of Love is a considering of God as our owne God in the covenant of Grace and an acknowledging of our selves to bee his peculiar children in Christ Jesus when wee can say as the Spouse in the Canticles I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine this is a loving of God not as the God of Nature only but as ours peculiar by Grace This union of love which knits us to Christ impileth another union by faith first which is a cleaving to God as my God and to Christ as my Christ whence issues a second conjunction or cleaving to him in love as my Saviour my Husband and my Head To come to the nature of this Grace and then to the working of it The Nature of Love is seene in foure things 1. In admiring of some secret good in the thing beloved which stirres up the soule to make out for it 2. In a studiousnesse of the contentation of the person beloved 3. In a desire of union and fellowship with the person we affect 4. In a resting and solacing of our selves in the thing wee love By these let us examine our selves whether we have the true love of God or no For it concernes us much to have this grace it will distinguish us from all others who feare him not First our love to Christ commeth from the high esteem of the good things wee see in him But how shall wee know whether that wee have this admiring of the good things we see in God and in his word and children Wee shal know it by our choice and our choice followes our judgement Would wee know whether our judgement be good See what do we choose especially when things of the world and God come together And here we want not examples to guide us The question was whether that Moses should still choose to live in Pharaohs Court and hee accounted his sonne in law or else depart and suffer adversity with Gods children Now Moses by sound judgement had an high esteeme of the excellencie and priviledges of the Saints And therfore chose rather to endure afflictions than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Let us then see whether wee can be contented to part with our preferment or pleasure for God or no. And whether we do esteeme the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world whether we can lay down our lives and liberties at Christs feet and gladly want all so we may enjoy him If it be so with us our estate is good Againe let us see whether wee have a right prizing of the good things in God Doe wee delight to speak much and often of Christ and the benefits we receive by him How was Saint Pauls heart enlarged and his tongue full of heavenly eloquence in setting sorth the unspeakable mercies of God which wee have by Christ Jesus our Lord If God be on our side who can be against us saith he What shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation shall anguish and affliction I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any other thing can doe it Another signe to know whether we have a secret admiration of the good things