that any creature was ever yet set upon and inlarged to take in view the most spatious prospect both of sin and misery and difficulties of being saved that ever yet any poor humble soul did cast within it self yea joyn to these all the hindrances and objections that the heart of man can invent against it self and salvation lift up thine eyes and look to the utmost thou canst see and Christ by his intercession is able to save thee beyond the Horizon and utmost compass of thy thoughts even to the utmost Secondly Hence draw abundant encouragement against all heartstraightnings and deadness of spirit in prayer Thou complainest thy heart is dead wandring and contracted in duty O but remember Christs blood speaks when thou canst not it can plead for thee and that powerfully when thou art not able to speak a word for thy self to this sense that Scripture speaks Can. 3.6 Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness in pillars of smoke perfumed with myrh and frankincense all the powders of the Merchant The duties of Christians go up many times as pillars or clouds of smoke from them more smoke than fire Prayers smoked and sullied with their offensive corruptions but remember Christ perfumes them with myrh c. he by his intercession gives them a sweet perfume Thirdly Christs intercession is a singular relief to all that come unto God by him against all sinful damps and slavish fears from the justice of God Nothing more promotes the fear of reverence Nothing more suppresseth unbelieving despondencies and destroys the spirit of bondage So you find it Heb. 10.19 20 21. Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Iesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh And having an High-Priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in full assurance of faith Or let us come unto God as a Ship comes with full sayl into the Harbour O what a direct and full gale of encouragement doth this intercession of Christ give to the poor soul that lay a ground or was wind-bound before Fourthly The intercession of Christ gives admirable satisfaction and encouragement to all that come to God against the fears of deserting him again by Apostacy This my friends this is your principal security against these matters of fear With this he relieves Peter Luk. 22.31.32 Simon saith Christ Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy fath fail not q. d. Satan will fan thee not to get out thy chaff but boult out thy flower His temptations are levell'd against thy faith but fear not my prayer shall break his designs and secure thy faith from all his attempt upon it Upon this powerful intercession of Christ the Apostle builds his triumph against all that threatens to bring him or any of the Saints again into a state of condemnation And see how he drives on that triumph from the resurrection and session of Christ at the Fathers right hand and especially from the work of intercession which he lives there to perform Rom. 8.34 35. Who is he that condemneth it 's Christ that died yea rather that 's risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ Fifthly It gives sweet relief against the defects and wants that yet are in our sanctification We want a great deal of faith love heavenly mindedness mortification knowledge We are short and wanting in all There are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the remains or things wanting as the Apostle calls them 1 Thes. 3.10 Well if grace be but yet in it's weak beginnings and infancy in thy soul this may incourage that by reason of Christs intercession it shall live grow and expatiate it self in thy heart He is not only the author but the finisher of it Heb. 12.2 He is ever begging new and fresh mercies for you in Heaven and will never be quiet till all your wants be supplied He saves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the uttermost i. e. as I told you before to the last perfective compleating act of salvation So that this is a fountain of relief against all your fears Vse 3. Doth Christ live for ever to make intercession then let those who reap on earth the fruits of that his work in Heaven draw instruction thence about the following duties to which it leads them as by the hand First Do not forget Christ in an exalted state You see though he be in all the glory above at Gods right hand an enthron'd King he doth not forget you He like Ioseph remembers his brethren in all his glory But alas how oft doth advancement make us forget him as the Lord complains in Hosea 13.5 6. I did know thee in the Wilderness in the Land of great drought but when they came into Canaan According to their pastures so were they filled they were filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten me As if he had said O my people you and I were better acquainted in the Wilderness When you were in a low condition left to my immediate care living by daily faith Oh then you gave me many a sweet visit but now you are filled I hear no more of you Good had it been for some Saints if they had never known prosperity Secondly Let the intercession of Christ in Heaven for you encourage you to constancy in the good ways of God To this duty it sweetly encourages also Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that we have a great High-Priest that is passed into the Heavens Iesus the Son of God let us hold fast our profession Here is incouragement to perseverance on a double account One is that Jesus our head is already in Heaven and if the head be above water the body cannot drown The other is from the business he is there imployed about which is his Priesthood he is passed into the Heavens as our great High-Priest to intercede and therefore we cannot miscarry Thirdly Let it incourage you to constancy in prayer O do not neglect that excellent duty seing Christ is there to present all your petitions to God Yea to perfume as well as present them So the Apostle Heb. 4.16 infers from Christs intercession Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need Fourthly Hence be encouraged to plead for Christ on earth who continually pleads for you in Heaven If any accuse you he is there to plead for you And if any dishonour him on earth see that you plead his interest and defend his honour Thus you have heard what his intercession is and what benefits we receive by it Blessed be God for Iesus Christ. The FOURTEENTH
unrighteousness And over these Caiphas a head fit for such a body at this time precided And though there was still some face of a Court among them yet their power was now abridged by the Romans that they could not hear and determine judge and condemn in Capital matters as formery For as Iosephus their own Historian informs us Herod in the beginning of his reign took away this power from them and that Scripture seems to confirm it Joh. 18.31 It is not lawful for us to put any man to death And therefore they bring him to Pilates Bar. He also understood him to be a Galilean and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee and at that time in Ierusalem he is sent to him and by him remitted to Pilate Thirdly As he was at first heard and judged by a Court that had no authority to Judge him so when he stood at Pilates bar he was accused of perverting the Nation and denying tribute to Caesar than which nothing was more notoriously false For as all his Doctrine was pure and heavenly and malice it self could not find a flaw in it so he was alwaies observant of the Laws under which he lived and scrupulous of giving the least just offence to the civil powers Yea he not only paid the Tribute himself though he might have pleaded exemption but charged it upon others as their duty so to do Matth. 22.24 give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and yet with such palpable untruths is Christ charged Fourthly Yea and what is most abominable and unparallel'd to compass their malitious designs they industriously labour to suborn false witnesses to take away his life not sticking at the grossest perjury and manifest injustice so they might destroy him So you read Matth. 25.59 Now the Chief-Priests and Elders and all the council sought salse witnesses against Iesus to put him to death Abominable wickedness For such men and so many to complot to shed the blood of the innocent by known and studied perjury What will not malice against Christ transport men to Fifthly Moreover the carriage of the Court was most insolent and base towards him during the trial For whilst he stood before them as a prisoner yet uncondemned sometimes they are angry at him for his silence and when he speaks and that pertinently to the point they smite him on the mouth for speaking and scoff at what he speaks To some of their light frivolous and ensnaring questions he is silent not for want of an answer but because he heard nothing worthy of an answer And to fulfil what the Prophet Isaiah had long before predicted of him he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Isai. 53.7 as also to leave us a president when to speak and when to be silent when we for his name sake shall be brought before Governours for such reasons as these he sometimes answers not a word and then they are ready to condemn him for a mute Answerest thou nothing saith the High-Priest what is it that these witness against thee Matth. 26.62 hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee saith Pilate Matth. 27.13 And when he makes his defence in words of truth and soberness they smite him for speaking Joâ— 18.22 And when he had thus spoken one of the Officers which stood by stroke Iesus with the palm of his hand saying answerest thou the High-Priest so And what had he spoken to exasperate them Had he spoken impertinently Not at all What he said was but this when they would have had him insnare himself with his own lips Iesus answered I spake openly in the world I ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Iews alwaies resort and in secret have I said nothing Why askest thou me ask them that heard me behold they know what I said q. d. I am not obliged to accuse and ensnare my self but you ought to proceed secundum allegata probata according to what is alledged and proved Did he deserve a blow on his mouth for this O who but himself could have so patiently digested such abuses under all this he stands in perfect innocency and patience making no other return to that wretch that smote him but this if I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me Sixthly Lastly To instance in no more He is condemned to die by that very mouth which had once and again professed he found no fault in him He had heard all that could be alledged against him and saw it was a perfect piece of malice and envy When they urge Pilate to proceed to sentence him why faith he what evil hath he done Matth. 27.23 nay in the preface to the very sentence it self he acknowledges him to be a just person Matth. 27.24 When Pilate saw he could prevail nothing but that rather a tumult was made he took water and washed his hands before the multitude and said I am innocent of the blood of this just person see ye to it Here the innocency of Christ brake out like the Sun wading out of a cloud convincing the conscience of his Judge that he was just and yet he must give sentence on him for all that to please the people Inference 1. Was Christ thus used when he stood before the great Council the Scribes and Elders of Israel then surely great men are not alwaies wise neither do the aged understand Iudgement Job 32.9 Here were many great men many aged men many politick men in Council but not one wise or good man among them In this Council were men of parts and learning men of great abilities and by so much the more pernicious and able to do mischief Wickedness in a great man in a learned man is like poyson given in wine which is the more operative and deadly Christs greatest enemies were such as these Heathen Pilate had more pity for him than superstitious Caiphas Luther tells us that his greatest adversaries did not rise out of the Ale-houses or Brothel-houses but out of Monasteries Convents and Religious-houses Inference 2. Hence also we learn That though we are not obliged to answer every captious idle or ensnaring question yet we are bound faithfully to own and confess the truth when we are solemnly called thereunto It 's true Christ was sometimes silent and as a deaf man that heard not but when the question was solemnly put art thou the Christ The Son of the Blessed Iesus said I am Mark 14.61 62. He knew that answer would cost his life and yet he dare not deny it On this account the Apostle saith he witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate I Tim. 6.13 Herein Christ hath ruled out the way of our duty and by his own example as well as precept obliged us to a sincere confession of
that sent Jesus Christ and upon Christ that sent them So that it is a rebellion that how ever it seems to begin low in some small piques against their persons or some little quarrels at their parts and Utterance Tones Methods or gestures yet it â—â—ns high even to the Fountain head of the most supream Authority You that set your selves against a Minister of Christ set your selves against God the Father and God the Son Luk. 10.16 He that heareth you heareth meâ— and he that despiseth you despised me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me God expects that yon behave your selves under the word spoken by us as if he himself spake it Yea he expects submission to his word in the mouths of his Ministers from the greatest on earth And therefore it was that God so severely punished Zedekiah because he humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord 2 Câ—on 36.12 God was angry with a great King for not humbling himself before a poor Prophet Yet here you must distinguish both of Persons and of Acts. This reverence and submission is not due to them as men but as men in Office As Christs Embassadours and must involve that respect still in it Again we owe it not to them commanding or forbiding in their own names but in Christs Not in venting their own Spleen but the terrors of the Lord. And then to resist is an high rebellion and affront to the Soveraign Authority of Heaven And by the way this may instruct Ministers that the way to maintain that veneration and respect that is due to them in the consciences of their hearers is by keeping close to their Commission Inference 3. Hence also we infer How great an evil it is to intrude into the Office of the Ministry without a due call It 's more than Christ himself would do He glorified not himself The honours and advantages attending that Office have invited many to run before they were Sent. But surely this is an insufferable violation of Christs order Our Age hath abounded with as many Church-Levellers as state-Levellers I wish the Ministers of Christ might at last see and consider what they were once warned of by a faithful watch-man I believe saith he God hath permitted so many to intrude into the Ministers calling because Ministers have too much medled with and intruded into other mens callings Inference 4. Hence be convinced of the great efficacy that is in all Gospel-ordinances duly administred For Christ having received full Commission from his Father and by vertue thereof having instituted and appointed those ordinances in the Church all the power in heaven is engaged to make them good to back and second them to confirm and ratifie them Hence in the censures of the Church you have that great expression Matth. 18.18 Whatsoever ye bind or loose on earth shall be bound or loosed in heaven And so for the Word and Sacraments Matth. 28.18 19 20. All power in heaven and in earth is given to me God therefore c. They are not the appointments of men your Faith stands not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God That very power God the Father committed to Christ is the Fountain whence all Gospel institutions flow And he hath promised to be with his Offices not only the extraordinary Offices of that Age but with his Ministers in succeeding Ages to the end of the world O therefore when ye come to an odinance come not wiâ—h slight thoughts but with great reverence and great expectations remembring Christ is there to make all good Inference 5. Again here you have another call to admire the grace and love both of the Father and Son to your Souls It is not lawful to compare them but it 's duty to admire them Was it not wonderful grace in the Father to Seal a Commission for the death of his Son for the humbling of him as low as Hell and in that Method to save you when you might rather have expected he should have Sealed your Mittimus for Hell rather than a Commission for your Salvation He might rather have set his irreversible Seal to the sentence of your Damnation than to a Commission for his Sons humiliation for you And no less is the love of Christ to be wondred at that would accept such a Commission as this for us and receive this Seal understanding fully as he did what were the contents of that Commission that the Father delivered him thus Sealed And knowing that there could be no reversing of it afterwards Oh then love the Lord Jesus all ye his Saints for still you see more and more of his love breaking out upon you I commend to you a Sealed Saviour this day O that every one that reads these lines might in a pang of Love cry out with the enamored Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a Seal upon thy heart as a Seal upon thy arm for Love is strong as Death Iealousie is cruel as the Grave the coals thereof are coals of fire which have a vehement flame Inference 6. Once more hath God Sealed Christ for you then draw forth the comfort of his Sealing for you and be restless till ye also be Sealed by him First Draw out the comfort of Christs Sealing for you Remember that hereby God stands ingaged even by his own Seal to allow and confirm what ever Christ hath done in the business of your Salvation And on this ground you may thus plead with God Lord thou hast Sealed Christ to this Office and therefore I depend upon it that thou allowest all that he hath done and all that he hath suffered for me and wilt make good all that he hath promised me If men will not deny their own Seals much less wilt thou Secondly Get your interest in Christ Sealed to you by the Spirit else you cannot have the comfort of Christs being Sealed for you Now the Spirit Seals two ways Objectively and Effectually the first is by working those graces in us which are the conditions of the promises The latter is by shining upon his own Work and helping the Soul to discern it Which follows the other both in order of nature and of time And these Sealings of the Spirit are to be distinguisht both ex parti Subjecti by their Subject or the quality of the Person Sealed which always is a Believer Eph. 1.13 For there can be no reflex till there have been a Direct Act of Faith Ex parte materiae By the matter of which that comfort is made Which if it be of the Spirit is ever consonant to the written Word Isa. 8.20 And partly ab effectis by its effects for it commonly produces in the Sealed Soul great care and caution to avoid Sin Eph. 4.30 Great Love to God Ioh. 14.22 Readiness to suffer any thing for Christ Rom. 5.3 4 5. Confidence in addresses to God 1 Ioh. 5.13 14. And great
Horse whose eyes are out furiously carrying his rider among rocks pits and dangerous precipices I remember Chrysostom speaking of the loss of a soul saith that a loss of a member of the body is nothing to it for saith he if a man lose an eye Ear Hand or Foot there is another to supply its want Omnia Deus dedit duplicia God hath given us those members double animam verò unam but he hath not given us two souls that if one be lost yet the other may be saved Surely it were better for thee Reader to have every member of thy body made the seat and subject of the most exquâ—site racking torments than for spiritual blindness to befall thy soul. Moreover Thirdly Consider the indiscernableness of this Iudgement to the soul on whom it lies They know it not no more than a man knows that he is asleep Indeed it 's the spirit of a deep sleep poured out upon them from the Lord. Isa. 29.10 Like that which befel Adam when God opened his side and took out a Rib. This renders their misery the more remediless Because ye say you see therefore your sin remaineth Joh. 9.41 Once more Fourthly Consider the tendency and effects of it What doth this tend to but eternal ruine For hereby we are cut off from the only remedy The soul that 's so blinded can neither see sin nor a Saviour but like the Aegyptians during the palpable darkness sits still and moves not after its own recovery And as ruine is that to which it tends so in order thereto it renders all the ordinances and duties under which that soul comes altogether useless and ineffectual to its salvation He comes to the word and sees others melted by it but to him it signifies nothing O what a heavy stroke of God is this most wretched is their case to whom Jesus Christ will not apply this eye salve that they may see Did you but understand the misery of such a state if Christ should say to you as he did to the blind man Matth. 20.33 What wilt thou that I shall do for thee you would return as he did Lord that my eyes may be opened Inference 2. If Jesus Christ be the great Prophet of the Church then surely he will take special care both of the Church and the under shepherds appointed by him to feed them Else both the objects and instruments upon and by which he executes his office must fail and consequently this glorious office be in vain Hence he is said to walk among the golden Candlesticks Revel 1.13 and Rev. 2.1 to hold the Stars in his right hand Jesus Christ instrumentally opens the understandings of men by the preaching of the Gospel and whilst there is an elect soul to be converted or a convert to be farther illuminated means shall not fail to accomplish it by Inference 3. Hence you that are yet in darkness may be directed to whom to apply your selves for saving knowledge It 's Christ that hath the soveraign eye salve that can cure your blindness He only hath the key of the house of David he openeth and no man shutteth O that I might perswade you to set your selves in his way under the ordinances and cry to him Lord that my eyes may be opened Three things are marvelously incouraging to you so to do First God the Father hath put him into this Office for the cure of such as you be Isa. 49.6 I will give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou maist be my salvation to the ends of the earth This may furnish you with an argument to plead for a cure Why do you not go to God and say Lord didst thou give Jesus Christ a Commission to open the blind eyes Behold me Lord such a one am I a poor dark ignorant soul. Didst thou give him to be thy salvation to the ends of the earth No place nor people excluded from the benefit of this light and shall I still remain in the shadow of death O that unto me he might be a saving light also The best and most excellent work that ever thou wroughtest brings thee no glory till it come into the light O let me see and admire it Secondly It 's incouraging to think that Iesus Christ hath actually opened the eyes of them that were as dark and ignorant as you now are He hath revealed those things to babes that have been hid from the wise and prudent Matth. 11.25 The Law of the Lord is perfect making wise the simple Psal. 19.7 And if you look among those whom Christ hath enlightned you will not find many wise after the flesh many mighty or Noble but the foolish weak base and despised These are they on whom he hath glorified the riches of his grace 1 Cor. 26.27 Thirdly And is it not yet further incouraging to you that hitherto he hath mercifully continued you under the means of light Why is not the light of the Gospel put out Why are times and seasons of grace continued to you if God have no further design of good to your souls Be not therefore discouraged but wait on the Lord in the use of means that you may yet be healed If you ask what can we do to put our selves into the way of the spirit in order to such a cure I say that though you cannot do any thing that can make the Gospel effectual yet the spirit of God can make those means you are capable of using effectual if he please to concur with them And it is a certain truth that your inability to do what is above your power doth no way excuse you from doing what is within the compass of your power to do I know no act that is saving can be done without the concurrence of special grace yea and no act that hath a remote order and tendency thereunto without a more general concourse of Gods assistance but herein he is not behind hand with you Let me therefore advise First That you dilligently attend upon an able faithful and searching ministry Neglect no opportunity God affords you for how know you but that may be the time of mercy to your souls If he that lay so many years at the Pool of Bethesda had been wanting but that hour when the Angel came down and troubled the waters he had not been healed Secondly Satisfie not your selves with hearing but consider what you hear Allow time to reflect upon what God hath spoken to you What power is there in man more excellent or more appropriate to the reasonable nature than its reflexive and self considering power There is little hope of any good to be done upon your souls untill you begin to go alone and become thinking men and women Here all conversion begins I know a severer task can hardly be imposed upon a carnal heart It 's a hard thing to bring a man and himself together upon this acccount But this must be if ever the Lord
13 14. or more briefly The Priesthood of Christ is that whereby he expiated the sins of men and obtained the favour of God for them Col. 1.20 22. Rom. 5.10 But because I shall insist more largely upon the several parts and fruits of this office it shall here suffice to speak thus much as to its general nature which was the first thing proposed for explication The necessity of Christs Priesthood comes next to be opened Touching which I affirm according to the Scriptures It was necessary in order to our salvation that such a Priest should by such a Sacrifice appear before God for us The truth of this assertion will be cleared by these two principles which are evident in the Scripture viz. That God stood upon full satisfaction and would not remit one sin without it And that fallen man is totally uncapable of tendring him any such satisfaction Therefore Christ who only can must do it or we perish First God stood upon full satisfaction and would not remit one sin without it This will be cleared from the nature of sin And from the veracity and wisdom of God First From the nature of sin which deserves that the sinner should suffer for it Penal evil in a course of Justice follows moral evil Sin and sorrow ought to go together Betwixt these is a necessary connexion Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death Secondly The veracity of God requires it The word was gone out of his mouth Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye From that time he was instantly and certainly obnoxious and lyable to the death of soul and body The Law pronounces him cursed that continues not in all things that are written therein to do them Gal. 3.9 Now though mans threatnings are often vain and insignificant things yet Gods shall surely take place Not one tittle of the Law shall fail till all be fulfilled Matth. 5.18 God will be true in his threatnings though thousands and millions perish Thirdly The wisdom of God by which he governs the rational world admits not of a dispensation or relaxation of the threatnings without satisfaction For as good no King as no Laws for government As good no Law as no penalty And as good no penalty as no execution To this purpose one well observes It 's altogether undecent especially to the wisdom and and righteousness of God that that which provoketh the execution should procure the abrogation of his Law That that should supplant and undermine the Law for the alone preventing whereof the Law was before established How could it be expected that â—en should fear and tremble before God when they should find themselves more feared than hurt by his threats against sin So then God stood upon satisfaction and would admit no treaty of peace on any other ground Let none here object that reconciliation upon this only score of satisfaction is derogatory to the riches of grace or that we allow not God what we do men viz. to forgive an injury freely without satisfaction Free forgiveness to us and full satisfaction made to God by Jesus Christ for us are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things inconsistent with each other as in its proper place shall be fully cleared to you And for denying that to God which we allow to men you must know that man and man stands on even ground Man is not capable of being wronged and injured by man as God is by man There is no compare betwixt the nature of the offences To conclude man only can freely forgive man in a private capacity so far as the wrong concerns himself but ought not to do so in a publick capacity as he is a Judge and bound to execute justice impartially God is our Law-giver and Judge He will not dispense with violations of the Law but strictly stands on compleat satisfaction Secondly Man can tender to God no satisfaction of his own for the wrong done by his sin He finds no way to compensate and make God amends either by doing or by suffering his will First Not by doing This way is shut up to all the world None can satisfie God or reconcile himself to him this way For its evident our best works are sinful All our righteousness as filthy rags Isa. 64.6 And it 's strange any should imagine that one sin should make satisfaction for another if it be said not what is sinful in our duties but what is spiritual pure and good may ingratiate us with God It is at hand to reply that what is good in any of our duties is a debt we owe to God yea we owe him perfect obedience and it is not imaginable how we should pay one debt by another Quit a Farmer by contracting a new engagement if we do any thing that is good we are beholding to grace for it Ioh. 15.5 2 Cor. 3.5 1 Cor. 15.10 In a word those that have had as much to plead on that score as any now living have quitted and utterly given up all hopes of appeasing and satisfying the justice of God that way It 's like holy Iob feared God and eschued evil as much as any of you yet he saith Job 9.20 21. If I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soul I would despise my life It may be David was a man as much after the heart of God as you yet he said Psal. 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified It 's like Paul lived as holy heavenly and fruitful a life as the best of you and far far beyond you yet he saith 1 Cor. 4.4 I know or am conscious to my self of nothing yet am I not thereby justified His sincerity might comfort him could not justifie him And what need I say more the Lord hath shut up this way to all the world And the Scriptures speak it roundly and plâ—â—â—ly Rom. 3.20 Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Compare Gal. 3.21 Rom. 8.3 Secondly And as man can never reconcile himself to God by doing so neither by suffering That is equally impossible For no sufferings can satisfie God but such as are proportionable to the offence we suffer for And if so an infinite suffering must be born I say infinite for so sin is an infinite evil objectively considered as it wrongs an infinite God Now sufferings may be said to be infinite either in respect of their weight exceeding all bounds and limits The letting out the wrath and fury of an infinite God Or in respect of duration being endless and everlasting In the first sense no Creature can bear an infinite wrath It would swallow us up In the second it may be born as the damned do but then ever to be suffering is never to have satisfied
sacrifice the meritorious cause so of necessity there must be faith the instrumental cause And these concauses do all sweetly meet in their influences and activities in our remission and tranquility of conscience and are all suo genere in their kind and place absolutely necessary to the procuring and applying of it What the near that the blood of Christ is shed if I have no interest in it no saving influences from it O be convinvinced this is the end the business of life Faith is the Phoenix grace as Christ is the Phoenix mercy He is the gift Joh. 4.10 And this is the work of God Ioh. 6.29 the death of Christ the offers and tenders of Christ never saved one soul in themselves without believing application But wo is me how do I see sinners either not at all toucht with the sense of sin and so being whole need not the Physitian or if any be sâ—â—â—g and wounded with guilt how do they lick themselves whole with their own duties and reformations as Physitians say of wounds let them but be kept clean and nature will find balsom of its own to heal them If it be so in spiritual wounds what need Christ to have left the Fathers bosom and come down to dye in the quality and nature of a Sacrifice for us O if men can but have health pleasure riches honours and any way make a shift to still a brawling conscience that it may not check or interrupt them in these enjoyments Christ may go where he will for them And I am assured till God shew you the face of sin in the glass of the Law Make the Scorpions and fiery Serpents that lurk in the Law and in your own consciences to come hissing about you and smiting you with their deadly stings till you have had some sick nights and sorrowful days for sin you will never go up and down seeking an interest in the blood of this sacrifice with tears But Reader if ever this be thy condition then wilt thou know the worth of a Christ. Then thou wilt have a value for the blood of sprinkling As I remember it 's storied of our Crook-back Richard when he was put to a rout in a field battel and flying on foot from his pursuing enemies he cried out O now said he a Kingdom for a Horse So wilt thou cry a Kingdom for a Christ. Ten thousand Worlds now if I had thâ—m for the blood of sprinkling Corollary 3. Is Christ your High-Priest and is his Priestood so indispensably necessary to your salvation then freely acknowledge your utter impotency to reconcile your selves to God by any thing you can do or suffer And let Christ have the whole glory of your recovery ascribed to him It 's highly reasonable that he that laid down the whole price should have the whole praise If any man think or say he could have made an attonement for himself he doth therein cast no light reproach upon that profound wisdom which laid the design of our redemption in the death of Christ. But of this I have spoken elsewhere And therefore Corollary 4. In the last place I rather choose to perswade you to see your necessity of this Priest and his most excellent sacrifice and accordingly to make use of it The best of you have polluted natures poisoned in the womb with sin those natures have need of this sacrifice They must have the benefit of this blood to pardon and cleanse them or be eternally damned Hear me ye that never spent a tear for the sin of nature if the blood of Christ be not springled upon your natures it had been better for you that you had been the generation of beasts the off-spring of Dragons or Toads They have a contemptible but not a vitiated sinful nature as you have Your Actual sins have need of this Priest and his sacrifice to procure remission for them If he take them not away by the blood of his cross they can never be taken away They will lie down with you in the dust They will rise with you and follow you to the Judgement seat crying we are thy works and we will follow thee All thy repentance and tears shouldst thou weep as many tears as there be drops in the Ocean can never take away sin Thy duties even the best of them need this sacrifice It is in the verture thereof that they are accepted of God And were it not God had respect to Christs offering he would not regard or look towards thee or any of thy duties Thou couldst no more come near God than thou couldst approach a devouring fire or dwell with everlasting burnings Well then say I need such a Priest every way Love him in all his offices See the goodness of God in providing such a sacrifice for thee Meat drink and air not more necessary to maintain thy natural life than the death of Christ is to give and maintain thy spiritual life O then let thy soul grow big whilst meditating of the usefulness and excellency of Christ which is thus displaied and unfolded in every branch of the Gospel And with a deep sence upon thy heart let thy lips say blessed be God for Iesus Christ. The TWELFTH SERMON HEB. X.XIV. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified AFter this more general view and consideration of the Priesthood of Christ method requires that we come to a nearer and more particular consideration of the parts thereof which are his Oblation and Intercession answerable to the double office of the High-Priest offering the blood of the Sacrifices without the holy place which Typed out Christs oblation and then once a year bringing the blood before the Lord into the most holy place presenting it before the Lord and with it sprinkling the mercy-seat wherein the intercession of Christ the other part or Act of his Priesthood was in a lively manner Typified to us My present business is to open and apply the Oblation of Christ. The efficacy and excellency whereof is excellently illustrated by a comparison with all other oblations in the precedent context and with a singular Encomium commended to us in these words from the singularity of it It is but one offering one not only specifically but one numerically considered But once offered and never more to be repeated For Christ dieth no more Rom. 6.9 He also commends it from the efficacy of it By it he hath perfected i. e. not only purchased a possibility of salvation but all that we need to our full perfection It brings in a most intire compleat and perfect righteousness All that remains to make us perfectly happy is but the full application of the benefits procured by this Oblation for us Moreover it 's here commended from the extensiveness of it Not being restrained to a few but applicable to all the Saints in all the ages and places of the world For this indefinite them that are sanctified is
the severity of the Law that when it is once offended it will never be made amends again by all that we can do It will not discharge the sinner for all the sorrow in the world Indeed if a man be in Christ sorrow for sin is something and renewed obedience is something God looks upon them favourably and accepts them gratiously in Christ but out of him they signifie no more than the intreaties and cries of a condemned malefactor to reverse the legal sentence of the Judge You may toyl all the day of your life and at night go to bed without a candle To that sense that Scripture sounds Isa. 50. ult Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that you have kindled this shall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie down in sorrow By fire and the light of it some understand the sparkling pleasures of this life and the sensitive joys of the creatures but generally it 's taken for our own natural righteousness and all acts of duties in order to our own justification by them before God And so it stands opposed to that faith of recumbency spoken of in the verse before By their compassing themselves about with these sparks understand their dependence on these their duties and glorying in them But see the fatal issue ye shall lie down in sorrow That shall be your recompence from the hand of the Lord. That 's all the thanks and reward you must expect from him for slighting Christs and prefering your own righteousness before his Reader be convinced that one act of faith in the Lord Jesus pleases God more than all the obedience repentance and strivings to obey the Law through thy whole life can do And thus you have the first special fruit of Christs Priesthood in the full satisfaction of God for all the sins of Believers The FIFTEENTH SERMON GAL. IV. IV V. But when the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons THis Scripture gives us an account of a double fruit of Christs death viz. the payment of our debt and the purchase of our inheritance First The payment of our debt expressed by our redemption or buying us out from the obligation and curse of the Law which hath been discoursed in the last exercise Secondly the purchase of an inheritance for those redeemed ones expressed here by their receiving the Adoption of Sons Which is to be our present subject Adoption is either civil or divine Of the first the Civil Law gives this difinition that it is A Lawful Act in imitation of nature invented for the comfort of them that have no children of their own Divine Adoption is that special benefit whereby God for Christs sake accepteth us as Sons and makes us heirs of eternal life with him Betwixt this Civil and Sacred Adoption there is a twofold agreement and disagreement They agree in this that both flow from the pleasure and good will of the Adoptant And in this that both confer aright to priviledges which we have not by nature but in this they differ One is an Act imitating nature the other transcends nature The one was found out for the comfort of them that had no children the other for the comfort of them that had no Father This Divine Adoption is in Scripture either taken properly for that act or sentence of God by which we are made Sons or for the priviledges with which the Adopted are invested And so it 's taken Rom. 8.23 and in this Scripture now before us We lost our inheritance by the fall of Adam we receive it as the Text speaks by the death of Christ which restores it again to us by a new and better title The Doctrine hence is DOCT. That the death of Iesus Christ hath not only satisfied for our debts but over and above purchased a rich inheritance for the children of God For this end or cause he is the Mediator of the New-Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance Heb. 9.15 We will here first see what Christ paid Secondly what he purchased Thirdly for whom First What Christ paid Our Divines comprize the vertue and fruits of the Priesthood of Christ in these two things viz. solutio debiti acquisitio haereditatis payment and purchase answerably the obedience of Christ hath a double relation ratio legalis justiciae the relation of a legal righteousness an adequate and exactly proportionated price And it hath also in it ratio super legalis meriti the relation of a merit over and beyond the Law To object as some do the satisfaction of Christ was more than sufficient according to our Doctrine and therefore could not be intended for the payment of our debt is a senseless cavil For surely if Christ paid more than was owing he must needs pay all that was owing to divine Justice And truly it is but a bad requital of the Love of Jesus Christ who beside the payment of what we owed would manifest his bounty by the redundancy of his merit which he paid to God to purchase a blessed inheritance for us This overplus of satisfaction which was the price of that inheritance I am now to open is not obscurely hinted but plainly expressed twice in Rom. 5.15 But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath abounded or flowed abundantly unto many So vers 17. For if by one mans offence death raigned by one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more they which receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the overflowings or abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall raign in life by one Iesus Christ. In both which places Christ and Adam are compared as the two roots or common heads of mankind both agreeing in this property of communicating their conditions to those that are theirs yet there is a great deal of difference betwixt them for in Christ the power is all divine and therefore infinitely more active and effectual He communicates abundantly more to his than they lost in Adam So that this blood is not only sufficient to redeem all those that are actually redeemed by it but even the whole world also And were there so many worlds of men as there are men in the world it would be sufficient for them also and yet still there would be an overplus of value For all those worlds of men would rise but to a finite bulk but this blood is infinite
Iudas his Tomb-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. let every one that beholds me learn to be godly indeed to be sincere in his profession and love Christ more unfeignedly than I did O Professors look to your foundation and build not upon the sand as this poor creature did That 's sound advice indeed which the Apostle gives 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinks he he standeth take heed lest he fall O beware of a loose foundation If you begin your profession as Iudas did no wonder if it shall end as his did 1. Beware therefore you hold not the truth in unrighteousness Iudas did so he knew much but lived not up to what he knew for he was still of a worldly spirit in the height of his profession His knowledge never had any saving influence upon his heart He Preacht to others but he himself was a cast-away He had much light but still walked in darkness He had no knowledge to do himself good Secondly Beware you live not in a course of secret sin Iudas did so and that was his ruine He made a profession indeed and carried it smoothly but he was a thief Ioh. 12.6 He made no conscience of committing the sin so he could but cover and hide it from men This helped on his ruine and so it will thine Reader if thou be guilty herein A secret way of sinning under a covert of profession will either break out at last to the observation of men or else slide thee down insensibly to Hell and leave thee only this comfort that no body shall know thou art there Thirdly Beware of hypocritical pretences of Religion to accommodate self ends Iudas was a man that had notable skill this way He had a mind to fill his own purse by the sale of this costly ointment which Mary bestowed upon her Saviours feet And what a neat cover had he fitted for it to do his business clearly Why saith he this might have been sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor Here was Charity to the poor or rather poor Charity for they were only a blind to his base self ends O Christian be plain hearted take heed of craft and cunning in matters of Religion This spoil'd Iudas Fourthly Beware of self confidence Iudas was a very confident man of himself Last of all Iudas said Master is it I Matth. 26.25 But he that was last in the suspicion was first in the transgression He that trusteth his own heart is a fool saith Solomon Prov. 28.26 such a fool was this great Professor It will be your wisdom to keep a jealous eye upon your own hearts and still suspect its fairest pretences Fifthly If you will not do as Iudas did nor come to such an end as he did take heed you live not unprofitably under the means of grace Iudas had the best means of grace that ever man enjoyed He heard Christ himself Preach he joyned often with him in prayer but he was never the better for it all it was but as the watering of a dead-stick which will never make it grow but rot it the sooner Never was there a rotten branch so richly watered as he was O 't is a sad sin and a sad sign too when men and women live under the Gospel from year to year and never the better I warn you to beware of these evils all ye that profess Religion Let these footsteps by which Iudas went down to his own place terrifie you from following him in them Corollary 2. Learn hence also that eminent knowledge and profession puts a special and eminent aggravation upon sin Judas Iscariot one of the twelve Poor wretch better had it been for him if he had never been numbred with them nor enlightned with so much knowledge as he was endued with for this rent his Conscience to pieces when he reflected on what he had done and presently run himself into the gulf of despair To sin against clear light is to â—in with an high hand It 's that which makes a sad waste of the Conscience That without doubt which now torments this poor soul in Hell is that he should go against his light against his profession to gratifie a base lust to his eternal ruine Had he known no better it had been more excusable Those that had a hand in the death of Christ through mistake and ignorance were capable to receive the pardon of their sin by that blood they so shed Act. 3.17 19. compared Take heed therefore of abusing knowledge and putting a force upon Conscience Corollary 3. Learn hence in the third place That unprincipled Professors will sooner or later become shameful Apostates â—udas was an unprincipled Professor and see what he came to Ambition invited Simon Magus to the profession of Christ he would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some great one And how quickly did the rottenness of his principles discover themselves in the ruine of his profession that which wants a root must needs wither as Christ speaks Matth. 13.20 21. that which is the predominant interest will prevail and sway with us in the day of our trial Hear me all you that profess Religion and have given your names to Christ if that profession be not built upon a sollid and real work of grace upon your hearts you shall never honour Religion nor save your souls by it O 't is your union with Christ that like a spring maintains your profession So much as you are united to Christ so much constancy steadiness and eavenness you will manifest in the duties of Religion and no more O Brethren when he that professes Christ for company shall be left alone as Paul was When he that made Religion a stirrup to help him into the sadle of preferment and honour shall see that he is so advanced to be drawn forth into Christs camp and endure the heat of the day and not to take his pleasure in a word when he shall see all things about him discouraging and threatning his dearest interest on earth exposed for Religion sake and he hath no faith to ballance his present losses with his future hopes I say when it comes to this you shall then see the rottenness of many hearts discovered And Iudas may have many fellows who will part with Christ for the world as he did O therefore look well to your foundation Corollary 4. Moreover in this example of Iudas you may read this truth That men and women are never in more eminent danger than when they meet with temptations exactly suited to their master-lusts to their own iniquity O pray pray that ye may be kept from a violent suitable temptation Satan knows that when a man is tried here he falls by the root The love of this world was all along Iudas his master-sin and some conjecture he was a married man and had a great charge but that is conjectural it was his predominant Lust. The Devil found out this and
think they had never been better provided to cope with them Lot fell after yea presently after the Lord had thrust him out of Sodom and his eyes had seen the direful punishment of sin Hell as it were rained upon them out of Heaven Noah in like manner immediately after Gods wonderful and astonishing preservation of him in the Ark when he saw a world of men and women perishing in the floods for their sins David after the Lord had setled the Kingdom on him which for sin he rent from Saul and given him rest in his house Hezekiah was but just up from a great sickness wherein the Lord wrought a wonderful salvation for him Did such men and at such times when one would think no temptations should have prevailed fall and that so fouly Then let him that thinks he standeth take heed lest he fall O be not high-minded but fear Inference 2. Did Christ stand his ground and go through with his suffering-work when all that had followed him forsook him Then a resolved adherence to God and duty though left alone without company or encouragement is Christ-like and truly excellent You shall not want better company than that which hath forsaken you in the way of God Elijah complains 1 Kings 19.10 They have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away And yet all this did not damp or discourage him in following the Lord for still he was very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts Paul complains 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first answer no man stood by me all men forsook me nevertheless the Lord stood with me And as the Lord stood by him so he stood by his God alone without any aids or support from men How great an Argument of integrity is this He that professes Christ for company will also leave him for company But to be faithful to God when forsaken of men to be a Lot in Sodom a Noah in a corrupted generation oh how excellent is it 'T is sweet to travel over this Earth to Heaven in the company of the Saints that are bound thither with us if we can but if we can meet no company we must not be discouraged to go on It 's not unlike but before you have gone many steps farther you may have cause to say as one did once never less alone than when alone Inference 3. Did the Disciples thus forsake Christ and yet were all recovered at last Then though believers are not priviledged from back-slidings yet they are secured from final apostacy and ruine The new creature may be sick it cannot die Saints may fall but they shall rise again Mica 7.8 The highest flood of natural zeal and resolution may ebb and be wholly dried up but saving grace is a well of water still springing up into everlasting life Ioh. 4.14 Gods unchangeable Election the frame and constitution of the New Covenant the meritorious and prevalent intercession of Jesus Christ does give the believer abundant security against the danger of a total final apostacy My Father which gave them me saith Christ is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Joh. 10.29 And again the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Every person committed to Christ by the Father shall be brought by him to the Father and not one wanting God hath also so framed and ordered the New Covenant that none of those souls who are within the blessed clasp and bond of it can possibly be lost It 's setled upon immutable things and we know all things are as their foundations be Heb. 6.18 19. Among the many glorious promises contained in that bundle of promises this is one I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me And as the fear of God in our hearts pleads in us against sin so our potent Intercessor in the heavens pleads for us with the Father and by reason thereof we cannot finally miscarry Rom. 8.34 35. Upon these grounds we may as the Apostle in the place last cited doth triumph in that full security which God hath given us and say what shall separate us from the love of God Understand it either of Gods to us as Calvin Beza and Martyr do or of our Love to God Ambrose and Augustine do it 's true in both senses and a most comfortable truth Inference 4. Did the Sheep flie when the Shepherd was smitten such men and so many forsake Christ in the trial Then learn how sad a thing it is for the best of men to be left to their own carnal fears in a day of temptation This was it that made those good men shrink away so shamefully from Christ in that Trial the fear of man brings a snare Prov. 29.25 in that snare these good souls were taken and for a time held fast Oh what work will this unruly passion make if the fear of God do not overrule it Is it not a shame to a Christian a man of faith to see himself out done by an Heathen Shall natural Conscience and courage make them stand and keep their places in times of danger when we shamefully turn our backs upon duty because we see duty and danger together When the Emperour Vespasian had commanded Fluidius Priscus not to come to the Senate or if he did to speak nothing but what he would have him The Senator returned this brave and noble answer that as he was a Senator it was fit he should be at the Senate and if being there he were required to give his advice he would speak freely that which his Conscience commanded him The Emperour threatning that then he should die he returned thus did I ever tell you that I was immortal Do you what you will and I will do what I ought It is in your power to put me to death unjustly and in me to die constantly O think what mischiefs your fear may do your selves and the discovery of them to others O learn to trust God with your lives liberties and comforts in the way of your duty and at what time you are afraid trust in him and do not magnifie poor dust and ashes as to be scared by their threats from your God and duty The politick design of Satan herein is to affright you out of your Coverts where you are safe into the net I will enlarge this no farther I have else where laid down fourteen Rules for the cure of this in what of mine is publick Inference 5. Learn hence how much a man may differ from himself according as the Lord is with him or withdrawn from him Christians do not only alwaies differ from other men but sometimes
he turn not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors Psal. 7.12 This laies the blood of every man that perishes in his enmity to Christ at his own door And vindicates the righteousness of God in the severest strokes of wrath upon them This also will be a cutting thought to their hearts eternally I might once have had pardon and I refused it The Gospel-Trumpet sounded a parly Fair and gratious terms were offered but I rejected them Inference 3. Is there mercy with God and forgiveness even for his worst enemies upon their submission how unlike to God then are all implacable spirits Some there are that cannot bring their hearts to forgive an enemy to whom revenge is sweeter than life 1 Sam. 24.16 If a man find his enemy will he let him go This is Hell-fire a fire that never goeth out how little do such poor creatures consider if God should deal by them as they do by others what words could express the misery of their condition It 's a sad sin and a sad sign a character of a wretched state whereever it appears Those that have found mercy should be ready to shew mercy and they that expect mercy themselves should not deny it others This brings us upon the third and last observation viz. DOCT. 3. That to forgive enemies and beg forgiveness for them is the true character and property of the Christian spirit Thus did Christ Father forgive them And thus did Stephen in imitation of Christ. Act. 7.59 60. And they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Iesus receive my spirit and he kneeled down and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge This suits with the rule of Christ Matth. 5.44 45. But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which dâ—spightfully use you and persecute you That ye may be the children of God your Father which is in Heaven Here I shall first open the nature of this duty and shew you what a forgiving spirit is and then the excellency of it how well it becomes all that call themselves Christians First Let us enquire what this Christian forgiveness is And that the nature of it may the better appear I shall shew you both what it is not and what it is First It consists not in a stoical insensibility of wrongs and injuries God hath not made men as insensible stupid blocks that have no sence or feeling of what is done to them Nor hath he made a Law inconsistent with their very natures that are to be governed by it But allows us a tender sense of natural evils though he will not allow us to revenge them by moral evils Nay the more deep and tender our resentments of wrongs and injuries are the more excellent is our forgiveness of them so that a forgiving spirit doth not exclude sense of injuries but the sense of injuries graces the forgiveness of them Secondly Christian forgiveness is not a politick concealment of our wrath and revenge because it will be a reproach to discover it or because we want opportunity to vent it This is carnal policy not Christian meekness So far from being the mark of a gratiâ—us spirit that it 's apparently the sign of a vile nature It is not Christianity to repose but depose injuries Thirdly Nor is it that moral vertue for which we are beholding to an easier and better nature and the help of moral rules and documents There are certain vertues attainable without the change of nature which they call Homilitical vertues because they greatly adorn and beautifie nature such as temperance patience justice c. these are of singular use to conserve peace and order in the world And without them as one aptly speaks the world would soon break up and its civil scocieties disband But yet though these are the ornaments of nature they do not argue the change of nature All graces in the exercise of them involve a respect to God And for the being of them they are not by natural acquisition but supernatural infusion Fourthly and Lastly Christian forgiveness is not an â—injurious giving up of our rights and properties to the Lusts of every one that hath a mind to invade them No these we may lawfully defend and preserve and are bound so to do though if we cannot defend them legally we must not avenge our wrongs unchristianly This is not Christian forgiveness But then positively It is a Christian lenity or gentleness of mind not retaining but freely passing by the injuries done to us in obedience to the command of God It is a lenity or gentleness of mind The grace of God demulces the angry stomach calms the tumultuous passions new-moulds our sowr spirits and makes them benign gentle and easie to be intreated Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness c. This gratious lenity inclines the Christian to pass by injuries so to pass them by as neither to retain them revengefully in the mind or requite them when we have opportunity with the hand Yea and that freely not by constraint because we cannot avenge our selves but willingly We abhor to do it when we can So that as a carnal heart thinks revenge its glory the gratious heart is content that forgiveness should be his glory I will be even with him saith nature I will be above him saith grace It is his glory to pass over transgression Prov. 19.11 And this it doth in obedience to the command of God their own nature inclines them another way The spirit that is in us lusteth to envy but he giveth more grace James 4.5 It lusteth to revenge but the fear of God represses those motions Such considerations as these God hath forbidden me Yea and God hath forgiven me as well as forbidden me prevail upon him when nature urges to revenge the wrong Be kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4.32 This is forgiveness in a Christian sense Secondly And that this is excellent and singularly becoming the profession of Christ is evident In as much as This speaks your Religion excellent that can mould your hearts into that heavenly frame to which they are so averse yea contrarily disposed by nature It is the glory of Pagan morality that it can abscondere vitia hide and cover mens lusts and passions But the glory of Christianity lies in this that it can abscindâ—re vitia not hide but destroy and really mortifie the Lusts of nature Would Christians but live up to the excellent principles of their Religion Christianity shall be no more out-vied by heathenish morality The greatest Christian shall be no more challenged to imitate Socrates if he can We
shall utterly Spoil that proud boast that the faith of Christians is out-done by the infidelity of Heathens O Christians yield not the day to Heathens Let all the world see the true greatness heavenliness and excellency of your represented pattern and by true mortification of your corrupt natures enforce an acknowledgement from the world that a greater than Socrates is here He that is really a meek humble patient heavenly Christian wins this glory to his Religion that it can do more than all other principles and rules in the world In nothing were the most accomplished Heathens more defective than in this forgiving of injuries It was a thing they could not understand or if they did could never bring their hearts to it witness that rule of their great Tully It is the first office of Iustice saith he to hurt no man except first provoked by an injury The addition of that exception spoiled his excellent rule But now Christianity teaches and some Christians have attained it to receive evil and return good 1 Cor. 4.12 13. Being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat This certainly is that meekness wrought in us by the wisdom that is from above Iam. 3.17 This makes a man sit sure in the Consciences of others who with Saul must acknowledge when they see themselves so out-done thou art more righteous than I 1 Sam. 24.16 17. had we been so injured and had such opportunities to revenge them we should never have passed them by as these men did This impresses and stamps the very image of God upon the Creature and makes us like our heavenly Father who doth good to his enemies and sends down showrs of outward blessings upon them that pour out floods of wickedness daily to provoke him Matth. 5.44 45. In a word this Christian temper of spirit gives a man the true possession and enjoyment of himself So that our breasts shall be as the pacifique Sea smooth and pleasant when others are as the raging Sea foaming and casting up mire and dirt Inference 1. Hence we clearly infer that Christian Religion exalted in its power is the greatest friend to the peace and tranquillity of States and Kingdoms Nothing is more opposite to the true Christian spirit than implacable fierceness strife revenge tumults and uproars It teaches men to do good and receive evil to receive evil and return good The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie and the fruit of Righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace Jam. 3.17 18. The Church is a Dove for meekness Cant. 6.9 When the world grows full of strife Christians then grow weary of the world and sigh out the Psalmists request Oh that I had the wings of a Dove that I might flee away and be at rest Strigelius desired to die that he might be freed ab implacabilibus odiis theologorum from the implacable strifes of contending Divines The rule by which they are to walk is If it be possible as much us lyeth in you live peaceably with all men Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord Rom. 12.18 19. It is not Religion but Lusts that make the world so unquiet Iam. 4.1 2. Not godliness but wickedness that makes men bite and devour one another One of the first effects of the Gospel is to civilize those places where it comes and settle order and peace among men How great a mistake and evil then is it to cry out when Atheism and irreligion have broken the civil peace this is the fruit of Religion this is the effect of the Gospel Happy would it be if Religion did more obtain in all Nations It is the greatest friend in the world to their tranquillity and prosperity Inference 2. How dangerous a thing is it to abuse and wrong meek and forgiving Christians Their patience and easiness to forgive often invites injury and encourages vile spirits to insult and trample upon them but if men would seriously consider it there 's nothing in the world should more scare and afright them from such practices than this You may abuse and wrong them they must not avenge themselves nor repay evil for evil true but because they do not the Lord will even the Lord to whom they commit the matter and he will do it to purpose except ye repent Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord Jam. 5.7 will ye stand to that Issue Had you rather indeed have to do with God than with men When the Jews put Christ to death he committed himself to him that judgeth Righteously 1 Pet. 2.22 23. And did that people get any thing by that Did not the Lord severely avenge the blood of Christ on them and their Children Yea do not they and their Children groan under the doleful effects of it to this day If God undertakes as he alwaies doth the cause of his abused meek and peaceable people he will be sure to avenge it seven fold more than they could His little finger will be heavier than their loins You will get nothing by that Inference 3. Lastly Let us all imitate our pattern Christ and labour for meek forgiving spirits I shall only propose two inducements to it The honour of Christ and your own peace Two dear things indeed to a Christian. His glory is more than your life and all that you enjoy in this world O do not expose it to the scorn and derision of his enemies Let them not say how is Christ a Lamb when his followers are Lyons How is the Church a Dove that smites and scratches like a bird of prey Consult also the quiet of your own spirits What is life worth without the comfort of life What comfort can you have in all that you do possess in the world as long as you have not the possession of your own souls If your spirits be full of tumult and revenge the spirit of Christ will grow a stranger to you That Dove delights in clean and quiet breasts O then imitate Christ in this excellency also The THIRTY FIRST SERMON JOH XIX XXVII Then saith He to the Disciple Behold thy Mother WE now pass to the consideration of the second memorable and instructive Word of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross contain'd in this Scripture Wherein he hath left us an excellent pattern for the discharge of our relative Dutys It may be well said the Gospel makes the best Husbands and Wives the best Parents and Children the best Masters and Servants in the world seeing it furnishes them with the most excellent precepts and proposes the best patterns Here we have the pattern of Jesus Christ presented to all gratious Children for their imitation teaching them how to acquit
House The next day Mr. Goodman the Minister of the Parish meeting the young man walking about his ground asked him how he did he answered very well but before the Minister was gone far from him his bowels fell out which he carried in his hands got to his house sent for Mr. Goodman bitterly bewailed his sin against his Father and so died And Dr. Taylor in his great exemplar tells us of another that upon discontent with his Father wisht the House might be on fire if ever he came any more into his Fathers House Afterwards coming in it was fired indeed and this wicked Son only consumed I could multiply instances of this nature for indeed the Righteous Judgement of God hath multiplied them But this only for a taste Thirdly Heathens will rise up in Judgement against you and condemn you They never had such precepts nor presidents as you and yet some of the better natured Heathens would have rather chosen death than to do as you do You remember the story of Croesus his dumb son whose dear affections could make him speak when he saw Croesus in danger though he never spake before yet then he could cry out O do not kill my Father But what speak I of Heathens the Stork in the heavens yea the Beasts of the earth will condemn the disobedience of Children Fourthly These are sins inconsistent with the true fear of God in whomsoever they are found That a man is indeed which he is in his family and among his relations He that is a bad child can never be a good Christian. Either bring testimonials of your godliness from your relations or it may be well suspected to be no better than counterfeit Never talk of your obedience to God whilst your disobedience to the just commands of Parents gives you the lie Fifthly A parting time is coming when death will break up the family and when that time comes Oh how bitter will the remembrance of these things be When you shall see a Father or a Mother lying by the wall what a cut will it be to remember your miscarriages and evils They are gone out of your reach you cannot now if you would give them any satisfaction for what you have done against them but oh how bitter will the remembrance of these things be at such a time Surely this will be more insupportable to you than their death if the Lord open your eyes and give you repentance and if not then Sixthly What a terrible thing will it be to have a Father or Mother come in as witnesses against you at Christs Bar As well as they loved you and as dear as you were to them in this world they must give evidence against you then Now what a fearful thing is it for you but to imagine your Parents to come before the Lord and say Lord I have given this child many hundred reproofs for sin I have counselled perswaded and used all means to reclaim him but in vain he was a child of disobedience nothing could work upon him What think you of this Inference 2. Have you such a pattern of obedience and tender love to Parents then children imitate your pattern as it becomes Christians and take Christ for your example Whatsoever your Parents be see that you carry it towards them becoming such as profess Christ. First If your Parents be godly O beware of grieving them by any unbecoming carriage Art thou a Christian indeed thou wilt then reckon thy self obliged in a double bond both of grace and nature to them O what a mercy would some children esteem it if they had Parents that feared the Lord as you have Secondly If they be carnal walk circumspectly in the most precise and punctual discharge of your Duties for how knowest thou O Child but hereby thou maist win thy Parents Wouldst thou but humbly and seriously intreat and perswade them to mind the waies of holiness speaking to them at fit seasons with all imaginable humility and reverence Insinuating your advice to duties or trouble for their evils rather by relating some pertinent History or proposing some excellent example leaving their own Consciences to draw the conclusion and make applicaâ—ion than to do it your selves it 's possible they may ponder your words in their hearts as Mary did Christs Luk. 2.49 51. And would you but back all this with your earnest cries to Heaven for them and your own daily example that they may have nothing from your selves to retort upon you and thus wait with patience for the desired effect O what blessed instruments might you be of their everlasting good Inference 3. To conclude let those that have such Children as fear the Lord and endeavour to imitate Christ in those daies account them a singular treasure and heritage from the Lord and give them all due incouragement to their duties How many have no Children at all but are as a dry tree And how many have such as are worse than none The very reproaches and break-hearts of their Parents that bring down their hoary heads with sorrow to the grave If God have given you the blessing of godly Children you can never be sufficiently sensible of or thankful for such a favour O that ever God should honour you to bring forth Children for Heaven What a comfort must this be to you what ever other troubles you meet with abroad when you come home among godly relations that are careful to sweeten your own family to you by their obedience Especially what a comfort is it when you come to die that you leave them within the Covenant Entitled to Christ and so need not be anxious how it shall be with them when you are gone Take heed of discouraging or damping such Children from whom so much glory is like to rise to God and so much comfort to your selves Thus let Christs pattern be improved who went before you in such eminent holiness in all his relations and left you an example that you should follow in his steps The THIRTY SECOND SERMON LUK. XXIII XLIII And Iesus said unto him verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise IN this Scripture you have the third excellent saying of Christ upon the Cross expressing the riches of free grace to the penitent Thief A man that had spent his life in wickedness and for his wickedness was now to lose his life His practice had been vile and profane but now his heart was broken for it he proves a Convert yea the first fruits of the blood of the Cross. In the former verse he manifests his faith Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom In this Christ manifests his pardon and gratious acceptance of him verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise In which Promise are considerable the Matter of it the Person to whom it is made the Time set for its Performance and the Confirmation of it for his
Saints Resurrection and the conformity of ours unto his in these five respects His body rose substantially the same so shall ours His body was raised by the spirit so shall ours Not by the God-head of Christ as his was but by the Spirit who is the bond of our union with Christ. He was raised as the first begotten from the dead so the dead in Christ shall rise first His body was improved by the Resurrection so shall ours From the consideration of all which Inference 1. We Infer That if Christ was thus raised from the dead then death is fairly overcome and smallowed up in Victory Were it not so it had never let Christ escape out of the Grave The prey of the terrible had never been thus rescued out of its paws Death is a dreadful enemy it defies all the Sons and Daughters of Adam None durst cope with this King of terrors but Christ. And he by dying went into the very den of this Dragon fought with it and foiled it in the Grave its own territories and dominions and came off a Conqueror For as the Apostle speaks Acts 2.24 It was impossible it should hold or detain him Never did death meet with its over match before it met with Christ. And he conquering it for us and in our names rising as our representative now every single Saint triumphs over it as a vanquisht enemy 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Thus like Ioshua they set the foot of faith upon the neck of that King and with an holy scorn deride its power O death where is thy Sting If it be objected that it 's said 1 Cor. 15.26 The last enemy that is to be destroyed is Death And if so then it should seem the Victory is not yet atchieved and so we do but boast before the Victory It is at hand to reply that the Victory over death obtained by Christs Resurrection is twofold either personal and incompleat or general and compleat He actually overcame it at his Resurrection in his own person perfectly and vertually for us as our head but at the general Resurrection of the Saints which his Resurrection as the first fruits assures them of then it 's utterly vanquisht and destroyed Till then it will exercise some little power over the bodies of the Saints in which respect it 's called the last enemy For sin the chief enemy that let it in that was conquered utterly and eradicated when they died but death holds their bodies in the Grave till the coming of Christ and then it is utterly to be vanquished For after that they can die no more Luk. 20.35 And then shall be brought to pass that saying that is written death is swallowed up in Victory Then and not till then will that conquest be fully compleated in our persons though it be already so in Christs incompleatly in ours and then compleatly and fully for ever For the same word which signifies Victory doth also signifie Perpetuity and in this place a final or perpetual conquest And indeed it drives but a poor trade for present smiting only with its Dart not with its Sting and that but the believers body only and the body but for a time remains under it neither So that there is no reason why a believer should stand in a slavish fear of it Inference 2. Is Christ risen and hath his Resurrection such a potent and comfortable influence into the Resurrection of the Saints Then it is the duty and will be the wisdom of the people of God so to Govern dispose and imploy their bodies as becomes men and women that understand what glory is prepared for them at the Resurrection of the Iust. Particularly First Be not fondly tender of them but imploy and use them for God here How many good duties are lost and spoiled by sinful indulgence to our bodies Alas we are generally more solicitous to live long than to live usefully How many Saints have active vigorous bodies yet God hath little service from them If your bodies were animated by some other souls that love God more than you do and burn with holy Zeal to his service more work would be done for God by your bodies in a day than is now done in a month To have an able healthy body and not use it for God for fear of hurting it is as if one should give you a strong and stately Horse upon condition you must not work or ride him Wherein is the mercy of having a body except it be imployed for God Will not its reward at the Resurrection be sufficient for all the pains you now put it to in his service Secondly See that you preserve the due honour of your bodies Possess them in Sanctification and honour 1 Thes. 4.4 O let not those eyes be now defiled with sin by which you shall see God Those ears be in-lets to vanity which shall hear the Alaleujahs of the blessed God hath designed honour for your bodies O make them not either the instruments or objects of sin There are sins against the body 1 Cor. 6.18 Preserve your bodies from those defilements for they are the Temples of God If any man defile the Temple of God him will God destroy 1 Cor. 3.17 Thirdly Let not the contentment and accomodation of your bodies draw your souls into snares and bring them under the power of Temptations to sin This is a very common case O how many thousands of pretious souls perish eternally for the satisfaction of a vile body for a momenâ— Their Souls must because their bodies cannot suffer It is recorded to the immortal honour of those worthies in Heb. 11.35 That they accepted not deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection They might have had a Temporal Resurrection from death to life from reproach to honour from poverty to riches from pains to pleasure but upon such terms they Judged it not worth acceptance They would not expose their souls to secure their bodies They had the same natural affections that other men have They were made of as tender flesh as we are but such was the care they had of their souls and the hope of a better Resurrection that they listned not to the complaints and whinings of their bodies O that we were all in the same resolutions with them Fourthly Withhold not upon the pretence of the wants your own bodies may be in that which God and conscience bids you to communicate for the refreshment of the Saints whose present necessities require your assistance O be not too indulgent to your own flesh and cruel to others Certainly the consideration of that reward which shall be given you at the Resurrection for every act of Christian Charity is the greatest spur and incentive in the world to it And to that end it 's urged as a motive to Charity Luk. 14.13 14.
Didst ever give a cup of cold water in the name of a Disciple and not receive a Disciples reward Matth. 10.42 Hast thou not found inward peace and comfort flowing into thy soul upon every piece of sincere obedience Oh what a good Master do Saints serve You that are remiss and unconstant in your obedience you that are heartless and cold in duties hear how your God expostulates with you Ier 2.31 Have I been a Wilderness to Israel or a Land of darkness q. d. have I been a hard Master to you Have you any reason to complain of me To whom soever I have been straight handed surely I have not been so to you Are the fruits of sin like the fruits of obedience Do you know where to find a better Master Why then are you so shuffling and unconstant so sluggish and remiss in my work Surely God is not behind hand with any of you May you not say with David Psal. 119.56 This I had because I kept thy precepts There is fruits in holiness even present fruit It is a high favour to be imployed for God Reward enough that he will accept any thing thou dost But to return every Duty thou presentest to him with such comforts such quicknings such inward and outward blessings into thy bosom so that thou maist open the the treasury of thine own experiences view the varieties of encouragements and Love-tokens at several times received in Duties and say this I had and that I had by waiting on God and serving him Oh what an ingagement is this upon thee to be ever abounding in the work of the Lord Though thou must not work for Wages yet God will not let thy work go unrewarded For He is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of Love Thirdly Your Father hath further obliged you to this holiness and purity of life by signifying to you as he hath frequently done the great delight and pleasure he hath therein He hath told you that such as are upright in the way are his delight Pro. 11.20 That he would not have you forget to do good and to communicate for with such sacrifices he is well pleased Heb. 13.16 You know you cannot walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing except ye be fruitful in every good word and work Col. 1.10 And oh what a bond is this upon you to live holy lives Can you please your selves in displeasing your Father If you have the hearts of Children in you sure you cannot O you cannot grieve his spirit by loose and careless walking but you must grieve your own spirits too How many times hath God pleased you gratified and contented you and will not you please and content him This mercy you have asked of him and he gave it that mercy and you were not denyed in many things the Lord hath wonderfully condescended to please you and now there is but one thing that he desires of you and that most reasonable yea beneficial for you as well as pleasing to him 1 Phil. 27. Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Iesus Christ. This is the one thing the great and main thing he expects from you in this world and will not you do it Can you expect he should gratifie your desires when you make no more of grieving and displeasing him Well if you know what will please God and yet resolve not to do it but will rather please your flesh and gratifie the Devil than him pray pull off your vizards fall into your own rank among hypocrites and appear as indeed you are Fourthly The Father hath further obliged you to strictness and purity of conversation by his gratious promises made to such as so walk He hath promised to do great things for you if you will but do this one thing for him If you will order your conversation aright Psal. 50. ult He will be your Sun and Shield if you will walk before him and be upright Gen. 15.1 He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from him that walketh uprightly Psal. 84.11 And he promises no more to you than he hath made good to others that have thus walked and stands ready to perform to you also If you look to enjoy the good of the promise you are obliged by all your expectations and hopes to order your lives purely and uprightly This hope will set you on work to purge your lives as well as your hearts from all pollutions 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these Promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Fifthly Yea He hath yet more obliged you to strict and holy lives by his confidence in you that you will thus walk and please him He expresseth himself in Scripture as one that dare trust you with his glory knowing that you will be tender of it and dare do no otherwise If but a man repose confidence in you and trust you with his concerns it greatly obliges you to be faithful What an engagement was that upon Abraham to walk uprightly when God said of him Gen. 18.19 I know him that he will command his Children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord q. d. as for this wicked generation whom I will speedily consume in my wrath I know they regard not my Laws they will trample my commands under foot they care not how they provoke me but I expect other things from Abraham and I am confident he will not fail me I know him he is a man of another spirit and what I promise my self from him he will make good And to the like purpose is that in Isa. 63.78 I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us and the great goodness towards the house of Israel which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses For he said surely they are my people Children that will not lie or fail me so he was their Saviour Here you have an ample account of the endearing mercies of God to that people ver 7. and the Lords confident expectations of suitable returns from them ver 8. I said i. e. speaking after the manner of men in like cases I made full account that after all these endearments and favours bestowed upon them they would not offer to be disloyal and false to me I have made them sure enough to my self by so many bonds of Love Like to which is that expression Zeph. 3.7 I said surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction Oh how great are the expectations of God from such as you I know Abraham there 's no doubt of him And again they are Children that will not lie i. e. they will not fallere fidem datam Break their Covenant with me Or they are my people that will not shrink as
Could ministers could Angels have done that for the which I did And when I had quickned thee and made thee a living soul what couldst thou have done without my exciting and assisting grace Couldst thou go on in the way of Duty if I had not led thee How wouldst thou have waded through the deeps of spiritual troubles if I had not born thee up Whither had the Temptations of Satan and thine own corruptions carried thee before this day if I had not stood thy friend and come in for thy rescue in the time of need Did I ever fail thee in thy extremities Did I ever leave thee in thy dangers Have I not been tender over thee and faithful to thee And now for which of all these kindnesses dost thou thus wrong and abuse me Why hast thou wounded me thus by thy unkindness Ah thou hast requited my Love And now thou hast eat the fruit of thy doings Let the light now be darkness Thy Songs turned into howlings The joy of thine heart the light of thine eyes the health of thy countenance even the face of thy God and the joy of salvation be hid from thee This is the fruit of careless and loose walking To this sad issue it will bring thee at last and when it is come to this thou shalt go to Ordinances and Duties and find no good in them no life quickning comfort there When thy heart which was wont to be enlarged and flowing shall be clung up and dry when thou shalt kneel down before the Lord and cry as Elisha when with the mantle of Elijah he smote the water Where is the Lord God of Elijah So thou where is the God of Prayer Where is the God of Duties But there is no answer when like Sampson thou shalt go forth and shake thy self as at other times but thy strength is gone then tell me what thou hast done in resisting quenching and grieving the holy Spirit of God by impure and offensive practices And thus you see what engagements lie upon you from the Spirit also to walk uprightly and keep the issues of life pure I could willingly have enlarged my self upon this last branch but that I find a Judicious hand hath lately improved this Argument to which I shall refer the Reader Thus God hath obliged you to circumspect and holy lives Secondly You are under great engagements to keep your lives pure even from your selves as well as from your God As God hath bound you to purity of conversation so you have bound your selves And there are several things in you and done by you which wonderfully increase and strengthen your Obligations to practical holiness First Your clearer illumination is a strong bond upon your souls Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness but now ye are light in the Lord walk as Children of the light You cannot pretend or plead ignorance of your Duty You stand convinced in your own consciences before God that this is your unquestionable Duty Christians will you not all yield to this I know you readily yield it We live indeed in a contentious disputing Age. In other things our opinions are different One Christian is of this Judgement another of that but doth he deserve the name of a Christian that dare once question this truth In this we all meet and close in oneness of mind and Judgement that it is our indisputable Duty to live pure strict and clean lives The grace of God which hath appeared to you hath taught you this truth clearly and convincingly 2 Tit. 11.12 You have received how you ought to walk and to please God 1 Thes. 4.1 Well then this being yielded the inference is plain and undeniable that you cannot walk as others in the vanity of their minds but you must offer violence to your own light You cannot suffer the corruptions of your hearts to break forth into practice but you must slight and put by the notices and rebukes of your own consciences Iam. 4.17 He that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin Yea sin with a witness Aggravated sin Sin of a deeper tincture than that of the ignorant Heathens Sin that sadly wastes and violates conscience Certainly who ever hath you have no cloak for your sin Light and Lust strugling together great light and strong lusts these make the soul a troubled Sea that cannot rest Oh but when masterless Lusts over-bears Conscience this impresses horror upon the soul. This brake Davids heart Psal. 51.6 Thou hast put knowledge in my inner parts q. d. Ah Lord I went against the rebukes of conscience to the commission of this sin I had a watchful light set up within me I knew it was sin My light endeavoured lovingly to restrain me and I thrust it aside Besides what pleasure in sin can you have Indeed such as for want of light know not what they do or such whose consciences are seared and past feeling they may seek a littâ—e pleasure such as it is out of sin but what content or pleasure can you have so long as your light is ever breaking in upon you and smiting you for what you do This greatly increases your obligation to a precise holy life Again Secondly You are professors of holiness You have given in your names to Christ to be his Disciples and by this your engagement to a life of holiness are yet further strengthened 2 Tim. 2.19 Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity The name of Christ is called upon you and it 's a worthy name Jam. 2.7 It 's called upon you as the name of the Husband is called upon his Wife Isa. 4.1 Let thy name be called upon us Or as the name of a Father is called upon his Child Gen. 48.16 Let my name be called on them and the name of my Fathers Well then you bear the name of Christ as his Spouses or Children and will you not live sutably to your name Every place and relation every title of honour and dignity hath its decorum and becomingness Oh how will that worthy name of Christ be blasphemed through you If you adorn it not with becoming deportments Better you had never profest any thing than to set your selves by your profession in the eye and observation of the world and then to pour contempt on Jesus Christ by your scandalous conversations before the Chams of the world who will laugh at it I remember it was a Memento given to one of his name by Alexander Recordare nominis Allexandri Remember said he thy name Alexander and do nothing unworthy of that name O that 's a heavy charge Rom. 2.24 Through you is the name of God blasphemed among the Heathens Unhappy man that ever thou shouldst be a reproach to Christ. The herd of wicked men they are ignota capita men of no note or observation They may sin and sin again drink swear and tumble in all uncleanness and it passes away silently the world
also You see how the Rivers in their course will not be checkt but bear down all obstacles in their way Saevior ab obice ibit A stop doth but make them rage the more and run the swifter afterwards There is a Central force in these natural motions which cannot be stopt And the like may you observe in the motions of a renewed soul Ioh. 4.14 It shall be in him as a Well of water springing up And is it not hard for you to keep it down or turn its course How hard did Ieremy and David find that work If you do not live holy lives you must cross your own new nature violate the Law that 's written in your own hearts and engraven upon your own bowels To this purpose a late Writer speaks Till you were converted saith he the flesh was predominant and therefore it was impossible for you to live any other than a fleshly life for every thing will act according to its predominant principle Should you not therefore live a spiritual life Should not the Law of God witten in your hearts be legible in your lives O should not your lives be according to the tendency of your hearts thus he Doubtless this is no swall advantage to practical holiness But Secondly Besides this principle within you have no small assistance for the purity of life by these excellent patterns before you The path of holiness is no untrodden path to you Christ and his Servants have beaten it before you The life of Christ is your Copy and it is a fair Copy indeed without a blot Oh what an advantage is this to draw all the lines of your actions according to his example This glorious grand example is often prest upon you for imitation Heb. 12.2 Looking to Iesus he hath left you an example that ye should tread in his steps 1 Pet. 2.21 His life is a living rule to his people and besides Christs example for you may say who can live as Christ did His example is quite above us you have a cloud of witnesses A cloud for its directive Use and these men of like passions temptations and constitutions with you who have gone before you in exemplary holiness The Holy Ghost intending therein your special help and advantage hath set many industrious pens awork to write the lines of the Saints and preserve for your use their holy sayings and heavenly actions He bids you take them for an example Jam. 5.10 Oh what excellent men are past on before you What renowned Worthies have led the way Men whose conversations were in Heaven whilst they Tabernacled on earth Whilst this lower world had their bodies the world above had their hearts their affections their actions their designs were all for Heaven Men that improved troubles and comforts losses and gains smiles and frowns and all for Heaven Men that did extract Heaven out of Spirituals out of Temporals out of all things their hearts were full of heavenly meditations their mouths of heavenly communications and their practices of heavenly inclinations O what singular help is this Where they followed Christ and kept the way they are propounded for your imitation and where any of them turned aside you have a mark set upon that action for your caution and prevention Doth any strange or unusual tryal befall you in which you are ready to say with the Church Lam. 1.12 Was there ever any sorrow like unto my sorrow Here you may see the same affliction accomplisht in your brethren 1 Pet. 5.9 Here 's store of good company to encourage you Doth the world and Devil endeavor to turn you from your duty by loading it with shameful scoffs or sufferings In this case you may look to Iesus who dispised the shame and to your Brethren who counted it their honour to be dishonoured for the name of Christ as the Original of the Text Act. 5.41 may be translated Is it a dishonour to thee to be rankt with Abraham Moses David and such as were the glory of the Ages they lived in Art thou at any time under a faint fit of discouragement and ready to despond under any burden oh how maist thou be animated by such examples when such a qualm comes over thy heart Some sparks of their holy courage cannot choose but steal into thy breast whilst thou considerest them In them God hath set before thee the possibility of overcoming all difficulties thou seest men of the same mould who had the same tryals discouragements and fears that thou now hast and yet overcame all How is thy unbelief checkt when thou saist Oh I shall never reach the end I shall one day utterly perish Why dost thou say so Why may not such a poor creature as thou art be carried through as well as they Had not they the same temptations and corruptions with you Were not they all troubled with a naughty heart an ensnaring world a busie Devil as well as you Alas when they put on the divine they did not put off the humane nature but complained and feared as you do and yet were carried through all Oh what an advantage have you this way They that first trusted in Christ had not such an help as you You stand upon their shoulders You have the benefit of their experiences You that are fallen into the last times have certainly the best helps to holiness And yet will not you live strictly and purely Will you put on the name and profession of Christians and yet be lofty in your spirits earthly in your designs neglective of duty frothy in your communions Pray from which of all the Saints did you learn to be proud Did you learn that from Christ or any of his From which of his Saints did you learn to be earthly and covetous passionate oâ— censorious over-reaching and crafty If you have read of any such evils committed by them have you not also read of their shame and sorrow their repentance and reformations If you have found any such blots in their lives it was left there designedly to prevent the like in yours Oh what an help to holiness is this Thirdly And this is not all You have not only a principle within you and a pattern before you but you have also an Omnipotent assistant to help and encourage you throughout your way Are you feeble and infirm and is every temptation even the weakest strong enough to turn you out of the way of your Duty Lo God hath sent his Spirit to help your infirmities Rom. 8.26 no matter then how weak you are how many and mighty your difficulties and temptations are as long as you have such an assistant to help you Great is your advantage for a holy life this way also For 1. First When a temptation to sin presses sore upon you he pleads with your consciences within whilst Satan is tempting without How often hath he brought such Scriptures to your remembrance in the very nick of opportunity as have saved