but though God have such a house in heaven yet he is not as it were contented with that house but he desires another house he hath a desire to Zion to be his habitation and the house where his honour dwelleth You know a Prince may have some houses of meaner regard when he goes to his sport he may have a mean house to lodge in for a while but his pallace where he shews his Majestie and honour that is more glorious So the people of God and the Church is called the house of Gods honour it is not a mean house but a house of honour Further it is that house that he means to dwell in for ever he loves it so well This is my house I will dwell in it for ever I am so well pleased with it I will rest in it for ever Surely we have cause to rest our hearts in Gods people when God finds rest there and for ever It may be some of you are sometimes acquainted with the people of God and at the first delight in them but your hearts being carnall you soon grow weary of them It is not so with God he delights in his people and rests there and rests there for ever But you will say how is God present with his saints more then in other places why is God said to dwell among his people his Saints I answer in two regards God is said to dwell among his people in a speciall manner First because he makes himself known to his people more then to all the world besides There are none that know the counsell and mind of God so as his saints do God is known in Judah Psalm 29.9 There God opens himself In his Temple every man speaks of his glory Secondly because God communicates himself most among his people God is said to be in heaven Why but because there he manifests his glory more then in other places therefore heaven is his habitation If that be his habitation where he manifests himself more then his people are his habitation because he manifests himself most there Secondly heaven is the place of Gods residence because he communicates himself most there then also Gods people are his residence he communicates himself there And he communicates himself to them in a speciall manner in foure regards 1. He communicates more choise mercies 2. He communicates mercies more fully 3 He communicates mercies more powerfully 4. More universally then to others 1. He communicates goodnesse among his people and saints more choisely more choise mercies of God There is a remarkable place in the Psalmes The Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Zion Psal 143. ult He saith not the Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee either out of heaven or earth but out of Zion as noting that the choyse mercies that God hath to communicate are out of Zion among his people joyned together in the way of worship Would you desire that God should blesse you with the chief mercies that he hath look upon God as blessing out of Zion out of Zion God communicates his choisest mercies therefore it concerns all to be in Zion that they may have God to blesse them out of Zion there runs the sweetest of Gods mercies indeed in Zion Again God communicates his mercies more fully among his people then any other way Psalm 36.7 8. How excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures They shall be abundantly satisfied how not with the creatures but with the fatnesse of thy house Neither with thy communication to them alone God hath abundance of mercies for his saints alone but when they are among the saints joyntly together then they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and he shall make them drink of his rivers of pleasures While they are alone in corners they may have many sweet drops of pleasure from God but when they are joyned with the saints there are rivers of pleasure and delight that come to their hearts therefore there is great delight to be had in the saints of God when they are joyned together Thirdly he communicates them more powerfully mark in Psalm 13â— 3 As the dew that descended upon the mountain of Zion for there the Lord commanded a blessing even life for evermore There was blessing and the Lord commanded it there went a powerfull work of Gods grace upon the hearts of people there when they were joyned together in Zion there God commanded the blessing If you would have God speaking powerfully to command a blessing on your souls you must be among his people you must joyn in a holy fellowship with his people there God commands it In the last place more universally all the goodnesse of God is communicated among his people therefore the Church is called the perfection of beauty Psalm 50. that some translate the universality of excellency and beauty There is a universality of all among the Church and people of God And in another place All my springs are in thee Psa 87. speaking of joyning with the people of God that is all my springs of truth that are revealed to me all the springs of comfort that I have communicated to my soul all the springs of grace that I have to quicken me they are all in thee in the joynt society and communion with Gods people I find all Thus we see the presence of God among his people in regard of the communication of himself to them and therefore what a great deal of cause there is to joy and delight in the saints joyntly together Again further there is abundance of cause to delight in them joyned together in regard of their admirable priviledges as they are joyned together They have priviledges as they are alone but as they are joyned they have committed to them the oracles of God Rom. 3.2 all the ordinances by which God conveyes himself To them are committed the seal of the covenant you cannot singly have the seal of the covenant but joyned with the people of God closing with them To them is committed the very power of Jesus Christ saith the Apostle When ye are together with the power of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.4 a glorious priviledge Yea further take this one thing they are inheritours to all the promises that ever God made to the Church from the beginning of the world There is no society of saints that joyn in Christian fellowship but they are so See a remarkable place for that in Isa 54.17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn this is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord. That promise that God made to the Churches before this is their heritage And conceive of this
one now that is of great use that all that is said in Scripture concerning Gods delight to be among his people and in Zion all were but to type out the excellent condition of Gods Church in the times of the Gospel The most of the expressions are of Gods delight among his people in the time of he law but know that all those expressions were but meer types and there is a great deal more in the Antitype there in the type therefore the saints of God joyned under the Gospell have abundance more of the glory of God of the presence of God and of priviledges then Zion had or Jerusalem could have because that was but a type of their happy condition under the time of the Gospel It is an observable place that we have in the Hebrews it is said concerning the state of the Church that the law had but a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10.1 and not the very image of the things It was not so much as an image observe a shadow is not so much as an image but an image is not so much as the thing it self but that was not an image but a shadow As a Painter that takes an image he draws first the dark shadow with a cole there is a great deal of difference between that shadow and the image in beauty so much difference there is between all the glory of God in the Church in the time of the law and that glory of God that is among his people in the time of the Gospel We may safely say there is the like difference between Gods manifesting of himself to his people then and now as between a dark shadow drawn with a cole in comparison of an image But mark it was but a shadow of the image that which we have now is but an image As there is not so much in a shadow as in the image so there is not so much in the image as in the thing it self The presence of God and all his goodnesse to his people and his glory to his people now it is but an image to that which shall be there shall be another presence of God another communication and revelation of God hereafter in another kind then there is now all that we have now is but an image of that which shall be all that was in the law was but a shadow of that image therefore we should have a great deal of delight in the saints Much might be said further for delighting in them now because they are those that we shall live for ever with in heaven Look to the saints especially together they are those that we shall live eternally together with in heaven therefore they are those that we should deligh in They are those that we shall be joyned with for ever in everlasting halelujahs before him that sits upon the throne and the Lamb. Look upon any saint though he be never so mean in gifts and abilities thou and he shall alway joy in the presence of God in glory Yea to be among Gods people is heaven it self they are not onely those that we shall be with in heaven but it is heaven Behold saith the Lord I create a new heaven and a new earth Isa 65.17 The state of the Church is called heaven For what is there in heaven but is here I might shew the resemblance of heaven and that which that is in heaven is here among us and therefore if heaven be a place to be delighted in the saints are Therefore have a high esteem of the saints close with them and come into as near communion as is possible If they be so excellent and to be delighted in then especially when they are joyned together labour all to come in and joyn with the saints in the nearest union that is possible in that fellowship wherein you may as near as can be have fellowship onely with them especially that have the appearance of such The mixture of our communion doth much hinder our delight Cast dirt into the fire and it will damp it so the mixture of ungodly ones their spots and blemishes hinder the delight of Gods people one in another But now to come among those that your hearts may close with that you have comfortable evidence that they are not meer talkers of religion and professours at large but that the image of God is on them O what closing is there with their hearts and what admirable good might we enjoy in the communion and society of them Therefore know that it is one of the greatest blessings that you are capable of in this world to have the nearest communion with the saints next to your immediate communion with God himself it is that which you should so â—steem and your hearts should work after Mark that text Psalme 36. what is said dour joyning with the people of God how excellent is thy loving kindnesse wherein appears the excellency They shall be satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house It is a fruit of the excellency of the loving kindnesse of God for people to be of Gods house and to partake of the fatnesse of it To have abundance of Gods creatures and to have an estate and friends it is a fruit of Gods kindnesse but to joyn with Gods people in a way of worship and in the nearest union it is a fruit of the excellent loving kindnesse of God to admiration How excellent is thy loving kindnesse it was so excellent that he was not able to expresse the excellency of it It is made in Scripture to be the proper inheritance even of the elect of God to enjoy communion with the people of God in the type it is a fruit of the very inheritance of the elect of God so as it is opposed to all the vanities of the world Mark what God saith by Isaiah Vanity shall take them away but he that putteth his trust in me shall possesse the land and shall inherit my holy mountain Now the mountain of God was but a type of Gods Church under the Gospel and what God intended to do to the Church Now saith he vanity shall take them away they seek vain things and they must have estates and houses and trading and they will suffer nothing for the enjoying of such priviledges but for those that be my own people they shall be in my holy mountain So in divers places the holy mountain of God is called the inheritance of the saints as the proper enjoying of it is the benefit of them those that enjoy it are the right heirs of God That was a speciall part of wisedome of the wise merchant when he had found the pearl to go and buy the field he was not content with the pearl but he buys the field now the field is the communion of saints the Church of God the saints joyned content themselves meerly with the knowing of Christ and hope you have part in Christ but buy the field and labour to enjoy
is thus they are such as have that excellency as that the world is not worthy to enjoy them they are not worthy of their presence that they should so much as live among them they are rather fit to be set as stars in heaven and be before the Lord in his glory the world is not worthy of them But what is there in the Saints that makes them the excellent in the earth The Saints that are the excellent The word in the originall signifies the magnificent ones those that have magnificent spirits and are exceeding glorious There is this in them that I may briefly passe over this first They have the image of God upon them and therefore they must needs be the excellent on earth The image of God makes them to resemble God in that which the creature is able to conceive of That which is the height of Gods excellency though it be true whatsoever is in God is God himself yet we conceiving of God according to our manner there is something of God that appears most excellent and glorious And it must needs be in regard of that expression because grace is called the image of God Now when we draw the image of a thing we draw it as near as we can according to that which is the most proper excellency of that thing If I would draw the image of a man I do not draw the likenesse of a piece of flesh a beast hath that as well as a man or I do not draw feet or leggs or the back parts of a man but when the image of a man is drawn there is his face drawn that is the excellentest part and there we endeavour to expresse his life and spirit as much as can be that is the most excellent part and though the spirit cannot be drawn there can be no picture of it yet because it is shewen most in the face that is as near as we can go that is drawn there So the image of God is that wherein the creature resembles God in height of excellency and glory It is not every resemblance of God that is Gods image there are some things that set out some of the glory of God and they are but called Gods footsteps or his back-parts All the resemblance of God in his creatures and the expressions of the power and wisedome the invisible things of God that we see in the creature they are all but his footsteps and backparts they are not his image Why because they do not resemble God in that which he hath set out to us to be the height of his glory What is that The holinesse of God that is the height of his excellency Therefore it is said of God himself holy and reverend is his name Gods name comes to be reverend by holinesse were it not for his holinesse notwithstanding all the rest if it were possible to separate them his name would not be reverend Therefore when the saints in heaven glorifie God for his chiefest excellency it is thus holy holy holy We finde not in Scripture any of Gods Attributes thrice repeated Wise Wise Wise or Almighty Almighty Almighty but holy holy holy because the excellency of God consists chiefly in that Now because where grace is in the creature resembling this holinesse of God there is that principle whereby the creature is able to act as God himself acts for that is holinesse the working of God to his own end in all things sutable to his nature so when the creature works to God as his last end and in some measure is suteable to that God with which the creature hath to do here is the Image of God Therefore the scripture expresseth grace by these 4. things as The image of God The life of God The glory of God and The Divine nature There are these 4. expressions for the work of grace The image of God it resembles God in his excellency The life of God himself Ephes 4 alienated from the life of God that notes acting like God himself And then it is the glory of God himself and the divine nature Rom. 3.23 2. Pet. 1.3 So that there must needs be excellency in the Saints that have grace that is of this nature Certainly there is more of God in the meanest Saint in the meanest gracious man or woman there is more of the glory of God then in all the world besides then in heaven and earth Take all the creatures all the glory of God in the heavens in the Sunne Moon and Starres and put all into one Take all the glory of God the seas those vast oceans and put that into one take all the glory of God that appears in the earth all the riches of the earth and all arts and sciences and what you will put all into one and the meanest youth or servant that hath the least degree of grace hath more of the glory of God then all this is There is more of the shining of God in the least degree of grace in the poorest Christian in the world then there is in all these creatures If there were a quintessence of all the excellency and glory extracted and drawn and put into one yet there were not so much of God God could not see so much of himself in that one creature that should have the excellency of all creatures put together as he sees in the meanest Saint that hath the work of grace And surely then they are the are the excellent of the earth if there be so much of God in them The work of grace it is that which hath most of God and wheresoever it is it is that which is the proper work of Gods eternall love it is a beam of it therefore there is a great deal of excellency in it Take all other creatures and it is possible to enjoy all the good that is in all the creatures in heaven and earth excepting this onely the grace of God through the bounty of God and the pleasure of God There is nothing that the creature hath but may be communicated as a fruit of Gods generall bounty except spirituall blessings in Christ but where ever this is though in the least degree it is of that nature that it cannot come but onely from the eternall election of God It is that which is the principle of Eternall life wheresoever it is it is that which will grow up to eternall glory All common gifts will never grow up to glory though they grow up to the height of glory but the grace of God true grace it is of the same nature with eternall glory Therefore for the kind of it it is the greatest good that ever God did or that ever he will communicate to any creature for all eternity I say where-ever God hath municated any dramme of grace that is the greatest good that ever God did or ever will communicate to all eternity to any of his creatures therefore it is exceeding excellent Onely excepting the work of
heirs to all that Abraham had that is as far as concerns them therefore they that are his heirs are heirs likewise of the world So the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.18 All are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods So that God and the creatures are theirs here is a mighty priviledge Again the priviledges that they have in all the good of the Covenant of grace Whatsoever good there is in the Covenant of grace all the rich promises in the Covenant of grace are the priviledges of the godly It is admirable priviledges that the precious promises in Scripture speak of to have interest in them all Besides not onely the promises btu the immunities that come from the Covenant of grace as this that they are not to stand or fall for their eternall estate by any thing that they are able to do themselves they are freed from this their eternall estate hangs not on that which they can do Whereas others that are not saints that are not in the Covenant of grace their eternall estate hangs on their endeavours and actions God dealing with them according to the Covenant of works being in that condition though they may be such as may after come to be saints and as God hath elected and in love may look on them as he intends towards them but for the present they are in such a condition as that they know not but that their eternall estate depends on that which they do themselves Now to be delivered from this to have this immunity that such a thing of such a consequence as our eternall estate should depend upon a sure foundation upon that which is done by Christ and done already it is an infinite priviledge Others cannot challenge to themselves this priviledge that God will accept of their endeavours do what they can yet not being in the Covenant of grace those indeavours are not accepted That it pleaseth God to accept the will for the deed it is one of the priviledges of the saints that comes by the Covenant of grace but it belongs not to others they have not to do with this immunity and priviledge So I might name divers others but then I should go out too far Again this is a glorious priviledge of accesse to the throne of grace to come to God in prayer God gives them the key of all his treasures to come and open them and take what they will it is a glorious privilege that belongs to the saints in any condition God gives them a gracious praying heart and that is the key of all the treasures of God of all the excellencies of God that they have liberty to come and take out what they will be it unto thee as thou wilt These are the excellent of the earth that have these priviledges Again they are the excellent in earth in regard of that which comes from them As the work of grace is so excellent as hath been spoken of so every gracious action that comes from a gracious heart there is a wondrous excellency in it There is not any one gracious action but it hath more excellency then heaven and earth Not onely grace it self but any action that comes from grace hath more of God in it and God more delights in it then in all other things in heaven or earth It is an expression of Luther though he were a great advancer of faith yet he was also of holinesse as well as of faith therefore speaking of any gracious work of a godly man or woman saith he preciosa c. it is more precious then heaven and earth And then he goes on with another expression I had rather be able to perform any one gracious act of the poorest woman or maid of the poorest Christian that is then to be able to do all that ever Alexander or Julius Caesar had done The least act that comes from faith from a sanctified heart he had rather be able to do it then to get all the victories of Julius Caesar and Alexander all their triumphs and trophies were nothing to the least breathing of the work of grace in those that are godly that which comes from them are exceeding excellent Now I reason they must needs be excellent that have such excellent things come from them As when there were such excellent things came from the body of Paul that had such virtue in them that noted that there was a great deal of excellency that God conferred upon that Apostle and a gread deal of honour that was put upon him So when there comes flowing such precious liquor such precious things from the saints as any holy action is it shews that there is a great deal of excellency in them Which by the way should teach us to abound in holy duties though our actions as they are from us corrupted we look on them as despicable yet know that God looks on them as the most glorious things in the world any breathing of a gracious heart therefore he despiseth not the broken heart nor the sighing of a contrite spirit Psalm 51. God can despise Monarchs and Princes of the world but God cannot despise a broken heart nor any breathings from ti Though thou mayest despise it thy self and look on it as despicable the Lord cannot despise it he sees so much excellency in it though it be mixed with thy corruptions yet there is that remainder of excellency in it if there be but so much as may denominate it a gracious act it is a glorious thing in the eye of God Lastly to name no more the excellency of the saints appears in this the great use that they are of in the world As especially this is one thing that God attains in them his great aim and end in creating the whole world Were it not for a few gracious men and women what glory should God have in all the world They are those that hold up the glory of God in the world by which God hath his glory actively for that is it that God aims at It is true God can force glory in spight of mens hearts he will be glorified in spight of Devils but God hath no active glory but from gracious godly people I speak of the inferiour world it is onely the godly that God hath glory from Therefore were it not for them God in some kind had made all the world for nothing Now those that are imployed in such a great work and are of this great use in the world as to bring to God that which he made the world for the main and great end that he made heaven and earth for certainly these are principall in Gods esteem and excellent God can say I have my end in these Take any town where there are but two or three that are godly what glory hath God but of these So for other places where hath God glory but for a few contemptible ones They are these that God glorifies in high and great services these are
petition that his people â—enders but with a smiling countenance If it be a faithfull petition he accepts it of them and receives it graciously It is an expression of Luther speaking of the prayer of a contrite heart The least sigh of a contrite heart so fills heaven with noise that there is no noyse of any thing in heaven or earth heard at that time but onely the noyse of prayer Certainly a faithfull prayer taketh the heart of God very much yea every faithfull prayer is recorded in heaven You keep your letters upon the file that you may readily find them when you have occasion to look on such a letter sent from such a countrey so God hath his file in heaven where all faithfull prayers are kept upon record As Princes have their paper offices where transactions between one State another are kept so the Lord hath his prayer-office where he keeps all the prayers of his Saints that ever were put up to him Revel 8.3 Another Angel came and stood at the Altar having a golden censer and there was given him much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints Where were those prayers of all the Saints that he must take a censer and offer incense with God had them recorded with him and now they were to be offered to him And see what great things follow upon the offering of the prayers of the Saints vers 4. The smoak of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand And the Angel took the censer c. and there were voyces and thunderings and lightnings and an earthquake These followed upon the prayers of the Saints It signified the time wherein all should come in remembrance before the Lord as if an Angel were offering yea Christ the Angel of the Covenant hath a time to take the prayers presented long ago and to offer them to God with his own incense They are all recorded in heaven therefore they are not in vain When a petition is taken and put upon record the petitioner petitioneth not in vain his petitionis not thrown out If a petition be presented to the Parliament and they take it and tell you it shall be kept on record and charge the Clerk to keep it there and say they will take due time to consider of it you will not say such a petition is in vain God doth so to all his people he takes their petitions and recordeth them they are all filed in heaven Yet further there is no faithfull petition but God puts his fiat to the bottome of it at the instant that it is put up to him There is a decree in heaven issued out for mercy at the very instant that the petition is put up God dealeth not with us in this kind as men do who are counted very gratious if they please to tell us they will consider of our petition no but your petition is presently gtanted A petitioner when there is time taken to consider of his petition trembles and shakes for fear it should not be granted but the petitions of the seed of Jacob are granted presently When Daniel had been seeking God at the evening sacrifice an Angel comes to him tells him that at the beginning of his prayer there was a decree to grant it and that he was sent to him at the beginning of his prayer Dan. 9.23 Psa 56.9 When I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turn back this I know for God is for me Did not David cry oft and yet his enemies did not turn their backs when he cryed He cryed oft when his enemies prevailed yet he saith When I cried then mine enemies turned back and This I know why for God is for me The meaning must be this that at that instant that he cryed there was a decree in heaven the thing was done He looked on it as done even as certainly as if he had seen it with his eyes This is the reason that the Saints after they have prayed though the thing be not actually done fall to praising and blessing of God We have a notable example in Jehoshaphat of whom we reade 2. Chron. 20.3 that being in a great fear had set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah He did not seek God slightly but set himself to seek the Lord. And what his prayer was ye may see from vers 6. to 12. And Jehoshaphat said O Lord God of our fathers art not thou God in heaven and rulest over all Kingdomes Mark how he pleadeth with God for the Covenant he had made vers 8. Speaking of the Sanctuary they had built for his names sake If when evil commeth upon us as the sword judgement or pestilence or famine we stand before this house and in thy presence for thy name is in this house and cry unto thee in our affliction then thou wilt hear and help He urgeth the promise made to Solomon at the dedication of the Temple For that prayer of Faith which Solomon made and God accepted hath the strength of a promise in it O our God saith he wilt thou not judge them for we have no might against this great company that commeth against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Though he profest that his enemies were so many that he knew not what to do and that they had no might to resist them yet after his prayer was done and before the battell began when he had consulted with the people he appointed singers unto the Lord and that should praise for the beauty of holinesse as they went out before the Army and to say Praise the Lord for his mercie indureth for ever vers 21. Mark he had not yet gotten the victory the battell was not fought yet as soon as he had ended his prayer he praised the Lord for his mercie indureth for ever He made account that the thing was done It was decreed in heaven Therefore surely the people of God do not seek him in vain Nay it is not onely decreed but ere long God will satisfie his people and fill their longing souls with goodnesse Psal 107.9 A time shall come when they shall say their prayers are heard and that they have enough Yea the Lord giveth more sometimes then his people mention in their prayer they ask temporall blessings and he bestoweth spirituall yea he giveth them himself and that is all in all Surely then the prayers of the Saints are not in vain But wherein lyeth the efficacy of prayer What makes prayer so powerfull and present with God One thing is because God delighteth in mercy and in communicating himself to the children of men He taketh more pleasure in doing good then any can in seeking it yea then any can in enjoying it from him Our hearts cannot be so strongly set to seek for any mercy from God as he is to communicate mercy to
a gracious heart therefore think not much that God stayes with a greater summe For as God deals with the wicked in the way of justice so he deals with godly men in a way of mercy He lets wicked men go on a great while he comes not to judgement for sin but stayes till all come together till a great summe of wrath and judgement come together So he deals with the saints he comes not with lesse mercies but he stayes till abundance come and when Gods time is come mercies will come to the full indeed Further it may be God hath so much mercy that thou hast not a vessell capable of it Onely know that heaven and earth and all are working for thee Is the plowing and the sowing of the husbandman and all the showers in vain because the corn is not in the barn we account it not so so we must not account our prayers in vain because the thing is not attained we pray for There are many other answers but the time is so much gone I come briefly to the application First if it be so that God saith not to the feed of Jacob seek my face in vain certainly there are great things for the Church that we may build on God is to do in these latter dayes Why because all the seed of Jacob ever since Jacobs time have been seeking God not onely for their own times but for the Church to the end of the world all their prayers are upon the fyle and must be answered one day O what a glorious harvest will it be blessed are they that shall live to partake of it We have a little but certainly there are glorious things for the Church because every prayer shall be answered Secondly you that are of the seed of Jacob know your honour though you be never so poore otherwise God hath given you that which makes you rich you have the key of heaven you may open the treasures in heaven and it shall never be in vain Gods people are such as are exceeding honourable in the eyes of God and in this regard that they have credit in heaven that they shall never seek God in vain Bathsheba saith to Solomon 1 King 2.20 I desire one petition of thee I pray thee say me not nay It is translated by some Ne confundas faciam confound not my face Indeed the denying of a petition it is a dishonour and a confounding of the face but God will not confound the faces of his people he never saith to them seek ye me in vain they are honourable ones Now as it is said of their father Jacob he prevailed as a prince with God so it may be said of the seed of Jacob they prevaile as Princes with God they can do great things with God it may be they cannot do other things that vain spirits can do but they can do much with God in prevailing O here see your priviledge and your riches all the prayers that you have made in your life time they are all trading in heaven they are not lost If a man have ventured a stock abroad to the Indies and do not hear of it in a great while he thinks it is lost and gone but if he hear certain news that all his stock is safe and in the place where he would have it and those that are there faithfully improve his stock he is revived by this it rejoyceth his spirit and he can say blessed be God I hope to be a rich man for all this I say to thee be of good comfort thy stock is not lost it is trading in heaven and every prayer that thou hast put up is there We should account our prayers as riches as adventures sent to heaven and not as children that shoot arrows and do not mind them And then learn this it is a great priviledge to have a praying friend a praying companion Many of you love friends that are delightfull of a cheerly nature and merry but are they praying ones praying friends are the speciall friends because prayer can prevail with God To have a friend in the Court that can obtain any petition we think it a priviledge to have one great friend in heaven is a great priviledge Many people when they lie on their sick beds they send to such and such to pray for them why do they not send to their companions that they did drink with and swear with to pray for them O they dare not Here is enough to convince any mans conscience who are the best men whatsoever they say Suppose thy condition were thus that thou diddest lie on thy death-bed and thy life did depend upon the prayers of foure or five men If God should speak thus from heaven thou art at the brink of destruction onely this favour thou shalt find thou shalt have leave to choose where thou wilt foure or five men to pray for thee and according as they pray so it shall be with thee thou hast liberty to choose through the world whom thou wilt I appeal would a drunkard choose foure or five drunkards or a swearer choose swearers or unclean ones that they most delighted in all their life time If all should depend upon it thou wouldest not choose such therefore thou art convinced in thy conscâ—ence thoâ— knowest that those are not precious in Gods eyes however thy lust have prevailed but that the other are better men that are gracious and have more credit in heaven Learn to prize praying friends that can prevail with God And let us set the crown upon prayers head in the mercies we have from God in publick mercies and private deliverances of friends attribute it not to second means to fortune and chance take heed of denying God his glory It is a sign of a carnall spirit when God hath glorified himself in answering the prayers of his people to attribute it to any other means As I remember I read of the Porphirian atheists that followed the atheisme of Porphirie they darkned the work of God in delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt thorough the red sea They say that Moses had learned of the Egyptians and they were great Astronomers and Moses knew when it would be a low tyde and what constellations there would be at that time and that the tyde would prove low then more then ever in the age of man and Moses took the nick of time and lead them through the sea Thus atheists would darken the works of God and put them of to naturall causes So I find it related of the old Prophet in Jeroboams time Josephus hath it related of him he sent to Jeroboam to stretch out his hand he tells us that this was by accident he was wearied all the day long and now he had the Palsie and after it was restored again that which was done by prayer he would have it by naturall means Just thus it is when God hath so magnified his mercy to England and wrought such
Christ with his people Think it not enough to go up and down and now and then get a good sermon and snatch in one place and in another but you dishonour God and are unthankfull to the grace of God if you do not what you can to joyn with the saints of God in the nearest communion you can so that you may not onely come to be partakers of the gifts of men but to look on men as the officers of God set over by Christ to watch over your souls This was the intent of Christ when he ascended he gave gifts some Prophets some Apostles some teachers The gifts of Christ in his Church to shew his magnificence to appoint ordinances to build up the body that there might be relation between people and pastor So you are bound to look not onely to hear now and then but to joyn with the saints in a way of ordinances in the strictest communion that the worship of God may be set in a solemn way according to all his ordinances that you may look on men as pastours set over you by Christ to watch over your souls and herein the body of Christ must be built up The exercise of gifts this way or that way though they be usefull to do good it is not the speciall ordinance the benefit that chiefly you have is to receive good by men deputed as officers and appointed by Christ though they be men of meaner gifts then you may expect to be built up Therefore let it be your care to come to the people of God in the nearest relation that may be It is an expression of Calvin concerning that text seek my face Psalm 27. he interprets seeking of Gods face to seek God among his people in his ordinances there is Gods face saith he though there were no way for me to get my living but by scratching in the ground with my nayles I would seek to get my living that way rather then not be where the face of God is I would be among the people of God in the way of worship in the way of his ordinances Therefore plead not it is difficult and hard You must be willing to suffer for this the people of God formerly were willing to suffer It is observable concerning those godly people among the Jews when the ten Tribes were divided from the rest there were many of the godly whose hearts the Lord stirred and they would not be content to be at Samaria or where Jâ—reboams false worship of the Calves was set up but they would needs go to Jerusalem they would obey there though they suffered much before they came thither You shall find an expression in Hosea that shews that there was watching of those that did go to Jerusalem to intrap them and catch them and inflict punishments upon them Hear ye this O Priests and hearken ye house of Israel and give ye eare O house of the King for judgement is toward you because ye have been a snare in Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor Hos 5.1 Mizpah and Tabor were two places between the places of Idolatry and Jerusalem that as they went from Samaria they were fain to go that way now they were a snare on Mizpah that is they watched who did go from Samaria to worship at Jerusalem yet many went as the story saith though it were as much as their lives was worth yet they would go the way to Zion through the valley of tears and they were contented though they suffered much to go through the valley of Bacah that they might come at length to Zion There were many difficulties in the way and many objections against them but certainly those whose hearts the Lord hath touched they will not be quiet if there be any nearer union to be enjoyed in the world with the saints they will never rest till they come to it And God will make the way plain to those that have upright hearts he will take the stumbling blocks out of their way and shew them the way that meets God in uprightnesse And though there be many stumbling blocks yet God will be at the same time in the way and will take the stumbling blocks out of the way Psalm 84. Blessed is he saith the Psalmist in whose heart are thy wayes If there be any man or woman though they have not gotten to Gods people in the nearest communion yet if the way to Zion be in their hearts blessed are they And there is a promise too of strength for them though you find difficulties God will grant his strength as Moses saith that God in his strength would lead them to his holy habitation Exod. 15.13 Indeed it requires the strength of God to lead men to his holy habitation there are so many troubles that lie in their way There is a prophecy that men should bring to Zion men and women in Chariots and Litters Now Litters are instruments to convey weak ones in so that there is no excuse for those that are old and weak what shall we do Where God stirs the heart though they be carried in Litters though they be never so weak if it be possible they will go thorow That which we delight in we are never quiet till we enjoy it and every one of Gods people can say those that are excellent in earth are all my delight I find sweetnesse when I find but one or two of them O if there were more of them what delight should I have To conclude if there be so much delight in the saints in this world what will there be in the saints in heaven If it be worth the greatest labour and pains to joyn with them here what will it be worth to have everlasting communion with them For then we shall not onely have communion with a few but with all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs and all the worthies of God If there be delight in one what will there be when there shall be all and we shall delight in all when they shall be spotlesse Now it damps our joy the weaknesse that we see in the saints that are sincere we see many froward passions in them many passionate fits that makes their communion uncomfortable many times but then there shall be no more sullennesse or passion there shall be no more indiscretion or weoknesse as there is now Now to come to joyn with any if there be a little grace to sanctifie them there is abundance of weaknesse but then we shall come to have communion with saints that shall be all filled with God there shall be nothing but God in them Men now have excellent gifts but their corruptions so darken the communion that it is not delightfull But then all shall be in holinesse there shall be nothing but God in them And they shall be alway exercised in praising God it is comfortable to be with the saints in civill affairs in eating and drinking but it is more delightfull to pray and to have the Sacrament and to conferre graciously with them But then hereafter we shall be in heaven with them and shall never do any thing but alway worship and praise God night and day together One day with Gods people what is it worth when it is graciously spent in holy exercises how delightfull is it if it were not for the wearinesse of the flesh but then we shall never depart nor never be weary Now when we come to Gods people to be with them an hour or a day or two it is delightfull but this doth not last long but we shall be so with them then as never to part how delightfull will that be And all this in our fathers house in the presence of God where there shall be no enemy to hurt us and before our fathers children and friends delight in one another in a strange place but in their fathers house in the presence of their father they have more delight we shall then all come before God our father To be the children of God in a dungeon as the Saints and Martyrs they found it delightfull but then we shall be ever in the pallace of our Father before the King even in his Majesty and glory It were worth our labour to get heaven if it were but for this to be with Paul that gracious spirit if it were but to be with one or two of the worthies of God but then we shall come to heaven to all the Saints Saith Sizillanum speaking of death O famous day I shall be delivered from this world to Cato and to such wise men my soul shall go to them and shall converse no more with these people in the world a heathen had so much in his morall virtues But now the children 〈…〉 of God how comfortable may they die how famous a day will it be to them Here through Gods mercy I had much sweetnesse in the saints of God I delighted in them in the world now I go to change my place but not my company it was the dying speech of Doctor Preston I go where I shall converse with those that I lived with here He meant especially God and Christ We change our place and our individuall company for a while but we go to a place where we shall meet with them again As it is a commendation of the Church we are come to an innumerable number of the souls of saints made perfect c. It shall be fullfilled in heaven we are to go to an innumerable company of angels to all the souls of the excellent on earth that are made perfect Therefore as ever you would have communion with them hereafter delight your selves in their communion here the more comfortable delight you have in them here the more comfortable assurance you shall have of communion with them hereafter FINIS