diminish from it we may not close with added substantial parts of worship Whatever power a Church hath about natural Circumstances they have none about the substance of worship either to add or take away by putting in or putting out To add new Ordinances or parts of Worship is a breach of the second Commandment The Pharisees ered on this hand Mat. 15.19 teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of men they pressed Gods Commandments as indifferent and mens Traditions as necessary God commanded to Honour Father and Mother they teach contrary to this ver 4. this was a diminishing They teach that the washing of hands before meat the cleansing of cups c. as necessary to Salvation this was to err by addition See Rev. 22.18 To add in God's Worship is to make our selves wiser than God and to accuse Christ of unfaithfulness in God's House Moses was a faithful Minister in God's House much more was he who was Mose's Master Well be sâ—re in all your worship that it be according to the Parâ—â—â— shewed in the Mount viz. according to â—he â—â—â—script and Standard of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 very dangerous to offer strange fiâ—â— such as God commands not Levit. 10.2 Give not God cause to say to any of us Who hath required this at your hands 8. Be spiritual and zealous in God's Service Take not God's Name in vain either by vain praying hearing or reading Bring your hearts to and keep them at prayer I will pray with my spirit Psal 25.1 Unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Prayer consists more in the elevation of the understanding and desires than in the lifting up of the eyes and hands and so bring your hearts to the preaching and hearing of the Word Rom. 1.9 Paul served God with his spirit in preaching and we should serve God with our spirits in hearing When Paul preached Lydia's heart was opened that she attended to the things spoken by him Acts 16.14 When God's Embassadours deliver their Embassy imploy your understandings to discern your memories to retain your wills to choose your affections to love and delight in your consciences to apply what you hear And so sing Psalms with your heart as well as with your voice Col. 3.16 Singing with Grace in your hearts to the Lord. God complains of those who bring their bodies before him but leave their hearts behind them Isa 29.13 They draw near me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but their heart is removed far from me this is a mocking of God Therefore be fervent in spirit when you serve the Lord rest not in bare enjoymment of the Means but get Grace by the Means Labour to enjoy the God of Ordinances in the Ordinances of God God is much displeased with eareless heartless and superficial worship If we offer ignorant heartless and distracted prayers will he accept them Cursed be the Deceiver that hath in his flock a Male and voweth and facrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.13 14. Well then rest not in a formal customary way of serving God serve him out of Conscience and give him your heart in every duty 9. Maintain an high esteem and make great Conscience of the Lords-Day Keep the whole day holy morning and evening It 's not said remember to keep part of the Sabbath Day But keep the Sabbath viz. the whole Sabbath holy sanctifie it in private as well as in publick in your own houses as well as in Gods House in your Closets as well as in your Families do not only keep a Rest but sanctifie that Rest How By Meditation meditate on the Sabbath of that Sabbatism that remains for the People of God Heb. 4.9 Muse upon the Joys of Heaven which are pure spiritual constant and perpetual Think of the sweet Company you shall have even Angels and Saints besides God and Christ whose Presence makes Heaven Dwell upon your Immunities and Freedom from Sin Temptations of Satan and the World from troubles as Sickness Poverty Crosses and every thing that makes your life uncomfortable Imitate the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ by raising your hearts from Earth and ascending into Heaven by spiritual Comtemplations Moreover continue the day by reading and singing of Psalms attend upon God in publick also let not private duties hinder you from publick neither strive to attend so much upon publick Ordinances as to abridge your selves of private secret Opportunities I think those Christians do much wrong themselvs who spend all the day in attending upon publick prayers and hearing I would not have you strive to hear four or five Sermons a day unless you can take so much time besides as is necessary to meditate of and apply what you hear so order the day that secret Communion with God may fit you for publick and publick Ordinances fit you again for private and secret converse with God It is not much eating but eating moderately and digesting what we eat that encreaseth strength Two or three Sermons seriously heard and ruminated upon in secret do more good than ten Sermons heard without meditation Brethren what shall we think do those sanctifie a Sabbath to the Lord who hear a Sermon and a few prayers and then go to the Alehouse they who drink sleep sport walk or work away the Sabbath all these are forbidden Isa 58.13 Thou shalt call the Sabbath a delight not finding thine own pleasure nor speaking thine own words nor doing thine own works Again Christ and his Disciples did not spend this Day partly in religious Exercises and partly in Recreations or Workings John 20.18 and Acts 20.7 we find there that Christ came amongst the Disciples on the First day and that Paul and the Christians used to spend this Day in Prayer preaching and receiving of Sacraments Moreover God will bless us inwardly and outwardly if we conscienciously observe it Isa 58.14 He will curse us inwardly and outwardly in soul and body if we prophane it See Jer. 17.27 Well then my Brethren do not prefer a Holy-day before the Lords-Day It s sad to think that hundreds should more scruple to work on a Saints-day which is of humane institution than on the Sabbath which is of God's Sirs you of this place have got shall I say an undeserved name of more than ordinary piety but I assure you that if you fall to neglect and prophane the Sabbath as some of our neighbours do you shall lose your very Name I should be very sorry to hear when I am gone that you should prove a Sabbath-breaking-People 10. Make great Conscience of Prayer family and secret Let your houses be Houses of Prayer Those families are called Heathenish Families that call not upon God Psal 79.6 Power out thy Fury upon the Heathen the Families that call not on thy Name Let God have a morning and an evening Sacrifice from you Under the Law God called for the first Fruits and there was a Feast of Ingathering or of the Last Fruits
have Tribulation but be of good Comfort As you should be humble in Prosperity so quiet and chearful in Adversity Carry an even frame in each state Let your Moderation be known unto all men even in bearing Afflictions Be not overmuch cast down with any trouble Let the Enemy see that you have been with God by the Gladness of your Countenance You 'l discredit Religion by too much drooping Let not others say You serve a hard Master God that knows all things knows what condition is best for you and how to deal with you Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes Though Adversity and the Wicked may intermeddle with your outward comforts and take them away yet let them see you have inward Joyes with which they cannot intermeddle nor take away 13. Esteem and approve Time as a precious Commodity Husband Opportunities for Soul-Advantage When you have spare hours improve them in Reading Meditation and Prayer Redeem Time from sleep your callings and recreations in order to Heaven Men usually work sleep and recreate more than necessity calls for and then cry out they have no time for holy Exercises Oh what would damned spirits give for two or three of those hours which we throw away Oh how would they spend them would they sleep play or work them away Nay how would they Pray Read and Repent more in one hour than we do in many Brethren the time is short your work is much you have God to honour your Relations to watch over your own Evidences to make clear O then redeem precious Time do not throw it away Ephes 5.16 15. Contend earnestly for the Faith Jude 3. Maintain fundamental Truths I do not mean that you should fall a wrangling with every one you meet The Apostle indeed takes notice of some men that place their Religion in fightings of Words in conflicting with the Air in janglings and disputings about things they understand not 1 Tim. 1.5 6. Some place their Religion in being of this and that Opinion and indeed they are meer Opinionists Our meaning is this When the Enemies of the Church labour to root up the necessary and very foundation Truths of Christianity that we should stick to them As Paul he did earnestly contend for the Doctrine of Christ being the Messiah against the Jews He maintained the Doctrine of the Resurrection against the Saduces The Doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness against the Teachers of the Law He doth strongly and vehemently maintain Divine Worship against the idolatrous worship of the Athenians And so should we contend opportunely and wisely with tongues and lives Contend against Justification by Works against Idolatry rather than God's Honour should be given to dumb Idols give your honour to the Dust Consider fundamental yea every Truth hath been confirmed by no less than Miracles preserved in a miraculous way and sealed in the Blood both of Christ and of Martyrs Never then sell the Truth but buy it 16. Get longing Desires after the Enjoyment of God in Heaven Let your hearts be often sending sighs thither Long till you be at home Groan earnestly till mortality be clothed with Immortality 2 Cor. 5.1 2. Say as he When shall I come and appear before God Long till you be in Heaven that so you may have constant Communion with God's Angels and Saints that ye may be wholly freed from sin and made perfect in Holiness Let your Conversation be in Heawhilst you are on Earth To this end get more acquaintance with Heaven Study till you be convinced that it is and what it is Understand what that Happiness is that Saints enjoy there When you have got minds informed and hearts affected with it often muse and meditate of it This heavenly Conversation is very sweet it will comfort us when we are never so sad Well may the soul say Now I am full of sin O but then no sin I am now sold under sin O but then I shall be free Now I dishonour God but then I shall honour him altogether Now I am in continual fear of falling into sin but then I shall be past all danger Now I am in continual sorrow but then all tears shall be wip'd away Now I am kept in bondage through fear of death but then there shall be living and no more Death and so no more fears of it Moreover this would teach us to understand the World When we do experimentally taste Heavens Joyes we shall despise Earths Pleasures when we seriously think of that Friendship and Communion we shall have with Friends in Heaven even God Christ Angels and Saints it will wean us from Friends on Earth and make us more willing to leave them And when we think of Heavens Honour we shall undervalue the honours and scorn the contempt we meet with in this world Get now and then upon the top of Pisgah and solace your selves with a view of the Heavenly Canaan Having now given you an account of those main Duties and Counsels that relate more immediately to God and your souls I shall briefly give you the sum of those Counsels I have to leave you about things that relate more nearly to you and others with whom you converse and have to do The first is this 1. Discharge domestical Duties Study and perform the Duties that every Relation calls for Act as Christian Parents and Christian Masters towards your Children and Servants bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord call on them to reâ—d the Scriptures frequently that even of Children they be acquainted with that which will make them wise to Salvation keep them to a form of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 hold them to the Principles of Religion Catechisms are called A Form of sound words because they keep the Judgment and Affections sound they help to discern betwixt Truth and Error fit and prepare for hearing of the Word preached and for the receiving of the Lord's Supper For want of this we may observe notorious ignorance in grown youth and old men also For want of this how many that are Fathers in years are meer Children in understanding Again pray with and for your Children and Servants and set them to pray by themselves for this end give them time convenient do not so much forward them in your service as to hinder them from serving God your Servants have God to acknowledge honour and serve as well as you they have sins to be pardoned corruptions to be subdued Graces to beg wants to be supplied and souls to be saved as well as you and will you make them throw their souls over-board to secure your goods And so study to carry as Christians in every other Relation Carry as Christian Husbands and Christian Wives are directed and ought to do that the Gospel of Christ be not blamed upon your account And so you that are Children and Servants as you expect your Parents and Masters should discharge their duties towards you so it is expected you should
that rest thou keepeth the Sabbath of the Ox. As in this so in Prayer though thou maist be under a kind of promise to one kind of Prayer yet all promises are made to all Prayer Obj. If thou replyest My Prayers should be perfect if I did like those publick Prayers Answ Observe this in publick Prayers let this parallel guide thee I have known Pillars in the Church who though they could preach ably and powerfully at home had the choice labours of the Learned by them yet durst not absent themselves from publick Preaching though the Minister accounted none of the wisest nor his Sermons free from light mixtures The sincere milk of the Word was that they desired and the publick instituted Ordinance regarded by them did silence them at their own houses they would walk with the Assembly upon the roof so long as the unmoved Foundations would bear them Prayer is tolerable for the manner when I go to the Father through Jesus Christ assisted by the Spirit Obj. I like not Prayers with such a mixt company Ans We may reade in David's Psalms of the constitution of the Church-visible in Saul's time Unsound hypocritical wicked Professors amongst David and others who were sincere In those times David wisheth to have occasion of publick worshipping again and accounts highly of what he did formerly enjoy having gone with the multiâ—ude to serve God in publick III. Publick Prayer First If thy All be only in publick 1. I must crave leave modestly to mind thee of my mistrust that thou hast thoughts that the place it self makes prayers efficacious and thou groundest the special promise of Audience on it and not upon Communion of Saints 2. I fear there is much of self in thee Thou mayest go for a good Church-man in the account of thy neighbours and mayest have that reward for thy service when in the account of God thou art an ill Christian Mat. 6.5 And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the Hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men Verily I say unto you they have their reward 3. Admit the best as Isaac to his father Behold the fire and the wood but where is the Lamb Here is indeed Sacrifice and fat of Rams but where is Obedience and hearkning to all that the Lord hath given in charge Secondly But giving thee the allowance of that weighty duty of Family-Prayer and yet thou wantest weight Though thy house be a Church resembling it in this duty of Prayer Domum vestram non parvam Christi Ecclesiam deputamus as of Juliana to whom Augustine writ For thou wouldst take it ill to be told that thou prayest at the Church and swearest at home as Bernard reproves Eugerius that the Laws of Justinian made a greater noise in his Palace than the Laws of God Admit I say this yet thou art not altogether such an one as I would have thee For as in Faith when Charity is wanting we may call it right Faith but it is not right saving Faith So of thy Prayers It 's well thou prayest but thou prayest not well If thou shouldest withdraw thy belief from a Truth revealed in the Scripture thy Faith is partial So is thy Obedience when a duty is declared in the same and is neglected when all comes to all thou fallest short of that singular and necessary duty of secret Prayer 1. What if I be bold to say thou art nothing but what thou art in secret The Kingdom of God appeareth what it is when it cometh not with observation Luke 17.20 21. It 's not Spectability but Glory within which makes the King's daughter like her self Hidden ones under the Fig-tree are his indeed whom he especially eyeth 2. Let the truly practical judge whether I be too bold in saying that those that resolutely turn aside to crooked wayes of judgment of manners are such as enter not constantly into their Closets daily exercising themselves in this difficult differencing duty of Secret Prayer SERMON X. Luke 24.50 51. And He led them out as far as to Bethany and he lift up his hands and blessed them And it came to pass while He blessed them He was parted from them and carried up into Heaven IN the preceding Chapters the holy Evangelist Luke had by the guidance of the holy Ghost given account of the state of humiliation and in this Chap. holdeth out the Exaltation of Jesus Christ This he doth in declaring two great Articles of the Christian Faith The first is the first step and degree of Christ's Exaltation namely his Resurrection which is confirmed by Scripture by Witnesses who saw him handled him and saw him eat which the same Luke Acts 1.3 calleth infallible Proofs from ver 1. to the 50th The second is this in my Text He ascended into Heaven Wherein you have four parts 1. Christ leading out as a Captain or Shepherd his Diciples from Jerusalem to Bethany 2. You find him parted from them in respect of bodily presence 3. You have his Ascension He was carried up into Heaven 4. Here is his Valediction or Farewel to his Disciples And surely he who all the time of his abode with them spake kindly called them friends excused their failings and would not over-drive them nor put them on too harsh services lest the bottles should break and the garments rent He cannot be unkind at last He who began his first Sermon with nine Blessings Mat. 5. cannot conclude as the old Testament concludeth with a Curse He who was alwayes in the days of his flesh on Mount Gerizzim to Bless and Pray for his Disciples cannot be so changed as to ascend Mount Ebal to Curse at last No but having loved his own he loved them to the end here is a parting but neither height nor depth could separate them from his love When the time of his departing drew near he let out his love more abundantly and gave most signal expressions of entire affection that love that brought him from his Fathers bosome was not quenched nor abated by many waters He had paid dear and suffered deeply for his People he had given his life and shed his precious blood for them yet he is at further cost He lift up his hands and Blessed them In this last part Christs Valediction you have 1. An Agent and that is Jesus Christ who is blessed for ever to whom all power in Heaven and Earth was given who undertook no Office without Call nor exercised any without Authority he Blessed them and that not without Commission for God sent him to Bless 2. The persons blessed and they were a select number chosen out of the world given into his hand called to be Witnesses of Christ's Sufferings Resurrection and Ascension and to Preach the Gospel Observe here Judas who betrayed Christ was not amongst them but lost the Blessing and came under the Curse prophesied of long before Psal
and peace and plenty Zech. 3.8 9 10. The whole 72 Psalm sets out Christ's Blessings Would you have a Land rid of Idolatry and Heresie Zech. 13.2 After the Promise of Christ as a Fountain open the Lord engageth the names of Idols shall be forgotten and the false Prophet shall pass out of the Land Would you have blessings on a Congregatition Good Teachers and all their abilities and success are from Christ Eccles 12.11 Ephes 4.11.12 He hath a Blessing for the habitation of the Just Prov. 3.33 Riches and Honour are his Prov. 8.18 All fresh Springs are in him He hath plenty of spiritual Blessings being the store-house of his Church where it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell From him flow Acceptance Ephes 1.6 Justification and Pardon Mat. 9.6 1 Cor. 6.11 Sanctification Acts 3.26 Illumination Col. 2.2 All the Treasures of Knowledge are hid in Him and He openeth the eyes of the Blind He is the Author and Finisher of Faith full of Grace by Him we have Adoption of Children Ephes 1.5 These are rich Blessings Moreover through Christ we have interest in the Promises 2 Cor. 1.20 and right to all our Comforts and Priviledges 1 Cor. 3.22 23. All are yours and ye are Christ's Briefly Through Christ you have Everlasting Blessedness Heb. 5.9 Rejoyce then in Christ Jesus O ye Upright ye are the blessed of the Lord who went to Heaven blessing Read over your Charter Priviledges through Christ what is there wanting that heart could wish for your selves your Children this life or a better Yet consider further with me Christ went to Heaven blessing and Acts 1.11 In like manner will he come again How will Christ do you think bless his People at his second Coming What a joyful meeting will there be of the Lamb and his Spouse decked and adorned with Graces how will he welcome his Bride when he cometh again to receive her to abide with him who left her whilest full of spots and wrinkles so kindly he then took a few apart and blessed them but then at his second Coming Gather my Saints together Earth and Sea must give up their dead and never a Saint be lost but raised at the last day Christ blesseth Believers at death receiving their souls making their bodies rest in hope but at His appearing he will bless them with a glorious Resurrection making their vile bodies like his glorious Body Phil. 3.20 Saints bodies shall then be glorious spiritual strong and incorruptible 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. No more hunger and thirst nor cold and weariness no more crying nor saying I am sick nor pain nor death Christ will set them at his Right hand and bless them with a sentence of Absolution Come ye blessed of my Father Well may the afflicted Church on earth tossed with tempests cry Come Lord Jesus come quickly Oh! what a time of refreshing shall that be Act. 3.19 how shall the Saints then sing Halelujah Blessing Honour and Praise be given to the Lamb and to Him that sitteth on the Throne O joyful Day when our Lord Jesus who went to Heaven With his Hands lifted up in Blessing shall come to carry his People blessed triumphantly in Heaven Into the hands of this Lord Jesus I commit you my Dear People SERMON XI Psal 69.6 Let not them that wait on thee O Lord God of hosts be ashamed for my sake let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel The Psalm for the main substance of it is Davids prayer for deliverance from the grievous oppression of his cruel enemies yet it so relates to David that many passages do also respect Christ of whom David was an eminent Type so the 9th verse is applied part of it John 2.17 and the rest of it Rom. 15.3 and so may more passages in it be applied This Petition for deliverance whether you refer it to David or Christ is 1. Propounded in the beginning of the first verse Save me 2. Prosecuted and urged with divers Arguments whereof the first is drawn from the greatness of the calamity under which he lay ver 1 2. Secondly From his long waiting and earnest crying his throat dried his eyes fail ver 3. â— Thirdly From the number and nature of his enemies more than the hairs of his head and they very malicious and injurious hating him causelesly forcing him to unjust restitution Under which also is couched a 4th Argument viz. his own innocency as to the matter wherof he was accused and for which he was hated and persecuted ver 4. Notwithstanding which innocency of his as to the particulars wherewith he was charged by men â—e yet justifies God in permitting these evils to befal him for this I take to be part of the sense of the 5th vers O God thou knowest my foolishness and therefore I cannot justifie my self before thee nor accuse thee of injustice for permitting it to be thus with me Though the words may seem also to look another way viz. to be Davids appeal to God concerning his innocency in those particulars q. d. Thou Lord who knowest my foolishness from whom my sins are not hid knowest my innocency in the things whereof I am accused By the way take this Note Obs When men oppress and pesecute most unjustly yet there is cause to justify God in suffering it to be so God's Justice is executed upon us by their injustice if men falsly accuse us yet God can truly charge us When Job had to deal with men he will maintain his integrity against their accusations chap. 27.4 5 6. but when he hath to deal with God he acknowledgeth his sin will not stand upon his own justification he will not plead but supplicate chap. 9. throughout The Prophet Jeremiah grants the conclusion chap. 12.1 though he defiers to debate with God about the prosperity of the wicked and about God's permitting them to oppress and trample upon his People If any of God's People think they have hard measure from men that they are wrongfully and injuriously handled as to some particular yet let them eye God and confider their carriage towards him and they shall find cause enough to say as Ezra 9.13 Thou hast punished us lesse than our iniquities deserve It may seem hard that the poor Messengers of Christ who desired nothing more but libery to speak to fouls that they might be saved and have daily bread should be deprived of this liberty livelyhood upon such ground as were not necessary to be imposed by others of which themselves cannot submit to without losing the peace of their conscience and credit of their Ministry yet who so innocent that he cannot see reason enough to justifie God alas there is so much unfaithfulness luke-warmness negligence laziness and a thousand other miscarriages to be found in us as may abundantly justifie God in this dispensation though he seem to spit in our faces and to lay us aside as a vessel wherein there
the Prophet said to Elisha 2 Kings 2.3 Knowest thou not that the Lord will take thy Master from thy head to day So know you not that your beloved Minister is a going As they said to David Psal 42.10 Where is now thy God So to you Where is now your Minister whom you almost made a God of This will be a sword in your bones such Reproaches added to your loss will be ready to break the heart of those who prize their faithful Ministers as they ought to do to whom they are as Chrysostome to his People equally necessary as the Sun in the Firmament But it is your part to arm your selves with Courage and Patience and to observe that double Rule of Solomon Prov. 26.4 5. Answer not a Fool that is do not render Reproach for Reproach or Railing for Railing nor yet be put besides your Patience or Constancy which is his design Yet answer him according to his folly that is chide and rebuke him let him know that there is no such cause of rejoycing in the loss of a faithful Ministry that he shall one day know the worth of that Mercy which now he dis-esteems and undervalues 3. Though it must be acknowledged one of God's sadest Dispensations to take away a faithful Ministry to send a Famine of the Word yet this must not discourage us so as to make us desist from Holiness bless God that you ever had such a Mercy and got good by it bewaile sin that hath deprived you of it but take heed you do not upon this account turn aside as Joash when good Jehojadah was dead and as the Israelites when Moses was gone rather call to mind what we have spoken for your Confirmation give diligence when we are gone to have the things in remembrance which you have heard from us and as an encouraging Word with which I shall conclude assure your selves that even this sad Providence is within the compass of those things in the Promise which shall work for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 The loss of a Faithful Minister may be sanctified to effect that good in and for you which the Enjoyment hath not You mistake if you think we have done Preaching no we are only called to preach to you out of the Pulpit of the Cross and I hope it may be said of us as of Abel Heb. 11.4 though we are dead we yet speak And why may it not be hoped that our Preaching out of that Pulpit may be more effectal than out of this That 's a comfortable Word to those that can apply it 1 Cor. 3.22 Whether Paul all are yours i.e. they are ordained for your benefit all God's disposals of us whatever you may think are for your advantage and through Grace I shall in confidence thereof say with the Apostle Phil. 2.17 If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your Faith I joy and rejoyce with you all May but my Sufferings attain their end which is your Consolation and Salvation I shall through Grace bless God in making use of me to that purpose In the mean while that is a staying Word to my soul Luke 13.33 It cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem that is be taken away before he hath done his work I know God is not tyed to one way he can make our silence speak louder and more effectually than all our Sermons have done To conclude then let me resume my request to you all Let none of you stumble or take offence at our Sufferings Let me humbly use the Words of our blessed Saviour Mat. 11.16 Blessed is he that is not offended in us Let not our Enemies rejoyce or censure us let not our Friends sorrow as without hope but let all wait and observe the issue and I doubt not but God in his own time will manifest to the world that his intentions even in this thing were good towards his faithful Ministers and waiting People that this shall be as a Refiners Fire and Fullers Soap to purifie the Sons of Levi that this shall be the fruit even the taking away of Jacobs sin Isa 27.9 and that the Lord will not forsake his People nor cast away his Inheritance but Judgement shall return unto Righteousness and all the Upright in heart shall follow after it Psal 94.14 15. As for the third Doctrine That a gracious soul fears and prayes against the evil Influence that his Sufferings might have upon others I shall as God enables put it in practice on your behalf and shall take up the Psalmists Words Let not them that wait on thee be ashamed for my sake O Lord God of Hosts Let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake O God of Israel SERMON XII John 16.33 These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good chear I have overcome the world IN the begining of this chapter the Lord Christ telleth his Disciples what they shall suffer in the world that when sufferings came according to his prediction they miâ—ht not be offended at but rather confirmed in the Faith of the Gospel and telleth them the reason why they shall undergo these sufferings from the world from verse 1. to verse 5. 2. He acquainteth them with his departure out of the world and that they should want his company and counsel verse 5.6 3. Yet Christ telleth them it is for their advantage that he goeth away implying he should do them more good in Heaven than on Earth especially in sending the Comforter verse 7. And here he sheweth the Spirits Office as to the world from verse 7. to verse 12. Secondly to them from verse 12. to vers 16. and and in the 16th verse he bringeth his discourse to a conclusion 4. We have the Disciples enquiring after the meaning of this discourse of Christs from verse 17. to verse 20. To which he answereth in declaring the sorrow they shall have after his departure and that it shall end in joy yea such joy as they shall not be deprived of verse 20. to verse 23. I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoyce This coming again was by the Comforter and when he came they should have joy because a full return of Prayer ver 23. to verse 28. 5. Upon this discourse the Disciples profess their understanding of Christ's meaning verse 29 30. 6. You have Christ's discourse upon this foretelling their leaving of him at his passion and their sufferings in the world and the peace they should have in him from ver 31. to the end In the Text observe 1. Christ's Assertion That in the world they should have tribulation 2. His Exhortation To be of good chear 3. The Motive to this Christ telleth them he hath overcome the world Doct. 1. That Christ told his Disciples in the world they should have Tribulation Explicat 1. What is ment by Tribulation 2. What is meant
by shall have 3. Who are meant by You ye shall have 4. What is meant by In the world 1. What is meant by Tribulation The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word signifieth Tribulation Affliction trouble distress whether by loss of estate liberty c. It signifieth any sort of tribulation or affliction that is for ones casting down Mat. 24.21 1 Cor. 7.28 Acts 14.22 2ly The Syriack word is Aulzono it cometh of the root Alaz which signifieth he hath forced constrained as in Gal. 6.12 And so this word is used for Oppression Persecution And the same word is used 2 Thess 1.6 And so here as appears from the scope of Christ's discourse 2. What is meant by Shall have The word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the theam is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall have being the future tense implyeth that the suffering was to come It is not you have had but shall have tribulation This you are sure and certain of And so the Syriack how e l koun there shall be to you it shall come 3. Who are meant by You doth it imply that the Apostles and they only should have tribulation in the world or are we to understand it of Christians or Christ's Disciples in general I answer This discourse is principally to the Disciples yet with relation to all Christians that will be stedfast or constant in the Christian Faith Matth. 28.19 20. And lo I am with you alwayes c. i. e. with you whilst you live and with the Ministers that shall succeed you in this work to the end of the world And so in this chapter from ver 22. to 28. is hinted that Christ will by his Spirit give comfort and a spirit of prayer and gracious answers and though the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit were proper to the Apostles yet these belong to the Church in common and to Christians in all ages 2. Christ assureth his Disciples yea all that should be his Disciples hereafter as Mat. 16.24 that they should meet with the cross and so adviseth all that resolve to be his Disciples beforehand to prepare for sufferings As in Luke 14.25 to the end And so the Apostles Acts 14.22 2 Tim. 2.12 So that all that will be sincerely godly however they may now be free from yet they shall have tribulation 4. What is meant by In the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for this world in opposition to the world or life to come as John 12.25 and 2 Cor. 1.12 In the world is a limitation it is to last only whilst Christians are upon Earth it ceaseth when they leave the world 1 Pet. 1.6 Now for a season ye are in heaviness Now. And it is said of the Saints 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God c. And so the Apostle Phil. 1.23 and Rev. 21.4 God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away After a Christian hath passed over this life all his Afflictions and Tribulations are over It is but in the world that is the time and date of them Again In the world you shall have It is not all the time you are in the world though sometimes the tribulations of the Faithful begin at their conversion and continue till their death yet more ordinarily they are but as storms Revel 2.10 Yet this is certain in the world Christians shall have tribulation though when and how long it is not for us to know aforehand as Christ told his Disciples Acts 1.7 The times and seasons are in God's power Secondly The Reasons why 1. Because there is an enmity in the world against Piety and Holiness ever hath been and will be and that is the ground of Persecution and of Christians Tribulation Gal. 4.29 As the world hated Christ John 15.18 19. The world as it is taken for the irregenerate 1 John 5.19 So every irregenerate man Rom. 8.7 And this is the ground of their tribulation in the world 2. In the world they have Tribulation for the tryal of their Graces As all Job's were for his tryal And indeed Hypocrites and sincere Christians cannot be discovered assunder but by persecutions and tribulations as in Rev. 2.10 and that is the reason that the Devil and wicked men may prove Liars for though God hath sufficiently confuted them yet are they ready to say as Job 1.9 10 11. Doth Job fear God for nought c. and Job 2.4 5. 3dly They are in Tribulation because they stand in need of it 1 Pet. 1.6 especially when they grow proud sensual and their hearts are lifted up as Psal 30.6 7. So when David had committed murder c. 2 Sam. 12.10 11. God keeps as it were a stricter hand over him than before 2 Sam. 24. As we say of children that correction is sometimes as necessary as food so is Tribulation for God's Children Fourthly because it is for their good As Frost and Snow is seasonable in winter profitable for the Corn killing the Weeds so is Tribulation Jer. 24.5 Like these good Figs so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah whom I have sent out of this place into the Land of the Caldeans for their good As all things shall so afflictions do work together for good Rom. 8.28 Psal 119.67 And the Faithfull should never be in Tribulation but that God aims at their good 1. To work them to humiliation and repentance as in 2 Chron. 7.13 14. Deut. 8.2 3 16. so this is God's end to break our proud spirits to work us to humiliation for sin and to a hatred forsaking of it as a main cause of all our troubtes And is not this more for our good than if we should be let alone in our sins 2. Again for the increase of patience experience hope as Rom. 5.3 4 5. And to keep us in obedience to keep us up in duty afflictions make Christians more watchful Psal 119.71 And indeed for practical Godliness the Church flourished most under the ten Persecutions and what tendeth to this is clearly for a Christians good 3. Again it is for their good to wean them from the world to draw out their desires after Heaven Nature doth encline us to love and like the world and constant prosperity doth encrease our love of it as seems to be implyed in Psal 62.10 If Riches encrease set not your hearts upon them But now tribulation weaneth our affections from the world helpeth to raise them unto things above according to our duty Col. 3.2 maketh us with the Apostle Phil. 1.23 desire to depart and to be with Christ 4. Again it for their good as it doth further their assurance and hope of Glory For a Christian may doubt of his
Jacob to all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles to such as are the most Excellent of the Earth the Worlds wonder Angels delight the Chariots and Horsemen of the Nations the brazen walls and gates of the Kingdoms they live in Grace investeth us with the same priviledges as the richest Saints of the world ever have enjoyed the same Justification the same Reconciliation the same Adoption the same Life eternal and Glorification Secondly If true Christians be Brethren than this may exhort us to several duties 1. To live in love amongst our selves the very term bespeaketh affection and the affection should never cease so long as the relation endures Who should love more than those who are united in the same Head and Hope and cemented with the same blood of Christ It was an honour to Religion once and therefore the Heathens said Aspice ut se mutuo diligunt Christiani See how these Christians love one another But alas may we not say See how they hate one another O take heed of discreditting your Profession of opening the mouths and hardening the hearts of the wicked by envie hatred or want of love one to another It was the Exhortation of John to his People when he could preach no more in the Pulpit that they love one another and it shall be mine in these my dying words that you love as Brethren And as the foundation of this relation is more excellent than others so let our love be more fervent and intensive 2. Labour to maintain peace and unity This is good and pleasant to behold Psal 135.1 Let it not be said that a legion of Devils can live in one man in peace and unity and yet Christians cannot Let not inferiours go beyond the bounds of their duty and place neither let Superiors stand too much upon their Prerogatives but rather for peace sake to abate of what they might justly chalenge upon their superiority the richer the elder the nobler you are the more endeavor to be good examples to others condescending to the infirmities of the weak that the golden bond of peace be not broken we see this in Abraham who though he was elder yet for peace sake gave liberty to Lot his younger to chose which way he would go to feed his cattel And Abraham said to Lot Let there be no strife between me and thee between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen for we are Brethren Gen. 13.4 Labour to be of the same judgment in matters of Religion it is pleasant to see Brethren of the same mind in matters of Religion Consonant sounds upon Musical Instruments sweeten the melody there was no hammer nor ax nor any tool of Iron heard in Solomons Temple while it was in building neither should there be heard or seen discords in the House of God Divisions of judgments blunt the edge of Christians love abate the fervency of affection create distance and shiness of society amongst familiars gratifies Satan grieves the Spirit of God weakens Christ's Kingdom and exposeth a People to ruine A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand and if one member of the body should fight with another and each member of the body scratch tear and rend one another how deformed weak and near to ruine would that be Unapt sounds upon Musical Instruments spoyl the melody the divisions of the Church of Corinth sounded harshly in the Apostles ears some said they were of Paul others of Apollos others of Cephas If you would be comforts and helps one to another if you would be a credit to your Profession and comfort and rejoyceing to your Minister live in unity of judgment in matters of Religion contend not for the shadow and lose the substance Be not substantial about circumstances and circumstantial about Substances In the language of the Apostle I beseech you Brethren that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same judgment 1 Cor. 1.10 4. Be ready to help and succour one another Nature hath created a Sympathy and Compassion in every relation The mother pitties and abundantly tenders her sick child doth all she can to do it good to ease it under pain to recover it from pain and sickness One brother is ready to condole with the sufferings of another to supply his wants to defend him in danger As Moses the Israelite whom the Egyptian wronged Exod. 2.11 12. and how much more should Brethren in Grace the dearer the Relation the more tender Affection As Brethren sympathize ye one with another Succour such as are tempted reduce such as wander satisfie the scrupulous confirm such as are staggering and raise such as are fallen by Prayers for them by Counsels by Exhortations Improve your Gifts and Abilities your Graces and Experiences to relieve and succour them in spirituals as you would be ready to assist them in temporals with your estates 5. Ministers should not lord it over Gods Heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 they should not imperiously lord it over them nor lay greater burdens upon their Consciences than Jesus Christ hath impos'd We must do all things for their edification not any thing for their destruction We must further not hinder them in their progress to Heaven take away occasions not lay stones of stumbling before them How disgraceful and intolerable would it be to see one Brother to grow proud lordly and domineering over the other would not every one cry shame upon it And shall those whom Grace hath made equal usurp Authority and rule one over another when Christ hath not given such authority and jurisdiction And as Ministers must not lord it over the Consciences of their Flock so one Minister must not act Authority over another The Apostle Paul was a man extraordinarily called and qualified and so had an Authority over other Ministers but when this extraordinary Mission ceased the Superiority of Jurisdiction ceased also And though he was an Apostle yet he acted not imperiously over the Presbyters but called them Brethren neither had he Jacobs voice and Esaus hand he spake not as a Lamb and acted like a Lyon but his carriage and deportment was a comment upon the name Where Christ hath given no superiority of power and jurisdiction let no man claim it lest he be found an Usurper whom the Apostle calls in one place Bishops in another place he calleth Presbyters as in this place he calleth the Ministers of the Church of Ephesus Presbyters ver 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He called together the Presbyters of the Church And in ver 28. he calls them Bishops Take heed therefore to your selves and to all the flock over whom the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath made or placed you Bishops or Overseers And the same Apostle in his Epistle to Titus calls Ministers Presbyters Chap 1.5 and the same he calls Bishops ver 7. Now if Presbyters Bishops had not been one and the same but names of dinstict Office Jurisdiction and Power the Apostle's reasons
perfect Rule see how they have agreed or disagreed Look your faces daily in the Glass of God's Word and then you shall see how many spots are upon them This very thing would make and keep us humble while we live and shew us the shortness of our own wayes and drive us to Jesus Christ who hath perfect Righteousness The Swan is a proud bird but when she looks at her black feet she mourns The reason why most are so self-conceited of their own goodness is because they look upon themselves in present abstinence from sin or in present good mood and never look back upon former sinâ—â—â— In a word Let your sins be ever before your eyes 4. Beware of earthly-mindedness Let it not be your only care to get the things of this life 1 John 2.15 16. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world VVe are prone by Nature to mind Earth and nothing else But consider that those that are earthly-minded are enemies to the Cross of Christ Phil. 3.18 19. There are many of whom I tell you weeping who are enemies to the Cross of God viz. those who mind earthly things Such persons frustrate Christ of the end of his dying He died to purchase an heavenly treasure for us he arose and went to Heaven that we should imitate him If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above Col. 3.1 Earthly persons undervalue the death of Christ he died to purchase Heaven they care for Earth more than Heaven Again Earthly persons will have a sad end Their end is destruction Phil. 3.19 Seeing such men put away Salvation from them whilst on Earth at last they shall be put away from Salvation Again Things below are neither a suitable nor a satisfying portion Not suitable your souls being spiritual these earthly not satisfying your souls having infinite desires whereas these are finite your souls everlasting these fading 1 John 2.17 The World passeth away When we have got never so much it may leave us we must leave it Again Earthly-mindedness is Idolatry Col. 3.5 And Covetousness which is Idolatry That which men desire love and delight in most even so much as to make it their portion that is their God Now we know that no Idolater shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Be exhorted in the words of Christ John 6.17 Labour not so much or chiefly for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life Luke 10.41 42. Be not with Martha careful about many things so as in the mean time to neglect the one thing needful 5. Be convinced that God is the best portion and make him yours You are never in a safe condition till you can experimentally say Who is there in Heaven but God and who is there on Earth I can desire besides God Psal 73.25 26. Labour to say with the Psalmist Psal 31.14 I said thou art my God And with Thomas My Lord and my God To this end get an interest in Christ receive him by Faith He that hath the Son hath the Father also God promiseth it as a special priviledge to be the God of any person or People I will be their God Jer. 31.33 When God is yours Pardon of sin is yours I will remember your iniquities no more He wil accept and delight in your persons The Upright are his delight He will take pleasure in all your services Cant. 2.14 Let me see thy face and hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Your Prayers Praises Alms c. shall come up before God as Incense Acts 10.4 Phil. 4.18 He will alwayes be with you in every place in every condition When you are in your own and when in a strange Country when you are in prosperity when in adversity Moreover all the Promises are yours When God is yours the Covenant is yours of which the Promises are so many branches If you be troubled with the sence of sin he can pardon you if assaulted with corruptions he can strengthen you If you be sad he will comfort you if you be sick he will be your Physician if weak he can strengthen you If darkness be upon your steps he can cause the Light to shine upon your paths If you are in wants he can supply you his is the Earth and the Fulness thereof if in Prisons he will visit you and cause you to sing with Paul and Silas He is an omnipresent Good and an omniscient Good a willing and omnipotent and a sure good Men may take away your Friends or you from them but they cannot take away your God your Estates but not your God your liberty but not your God your lives but not your God God will be a satisfying Good whilst you live a comforting and supplying Good when you dye an Everlasting Good after Death Above all things then get a share and interest in this God for he is the best Good none like him and as the Wise Man saith of Wisdom so let me say of God Get God get Christ God is the principal thing therefore get him and withal thy gettings get an Interest in Christ 6. Get your hearts possessed with an awe dread of Gods all-seeing Eye Walk with a constant fear of God upon your souls Prov. 23.17 Be thou in the fear of the Lord all day long whatever you think speak or do consider God stands by and sees and hears all he knows what thou thinkest and actest even in thy bed-chamber This consideration wrought mightily upon Davids spirit which made him express himself in this manner Whither shall I go from thy Presence whither shall I flee from thy Spirit there is not a thought in thy heart nor a word in thy tongue but lo he knows it altogether Psal 139. Per totum Many would be the advantages of such a temper it would keep us from many a sin we run into Prov. 16.6 By the fear of the Lord â—â—en depart from iniquity yea this is prescribed as a Remedy against all sin in general Exod. 20.20 That his fear may be before your eyes that ye sin not The reason why men do commit secret sins is Because they think no eyes sees them When Satan tempts thee saying Thou art alone the door is lockt the windows shut then say Oh but God sees me the darkness and the Light are both alike to him To this end beg of God he would maintain in your soul more of an actual sence of his Presence plead that Promise in which he saith I will put my fear in them that they may not depart frrom me Jer. 32.40 Unless God renew the fence of his Holiness and Omnipresence we shall groâ—â— atheistical and very secure 7. Serve God according to his Mind and Will neither add nor diminish in God's Worship do what he bids us all he bids us and no more Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe to do it add not to it nor
Assemblies we want the things to be enjoyed done received in the Publick Worship Oh the Blessing that is in this cluster surely a cluster of Blessings It is a Mercy that comes not alone nor goes away alone We may say of these Mercies when they come as she of Gad Behold 〈◊〉 Troop and when they go On how much do they carry away As to instance 1. In the want of them we want our dearest Enjoyments such as are 1. The gracious Presence and Visits of the God of Heaven the Day of our Visitation sets with them Luke 19.42 44. The Publick Assemblies are God's Chambe◠of Presence Cain going from that quarter of the World where God had his Church is said to go from the Presence of the Lord Gen. 4.14 16. Is it nothing to be without God in the World Is it nothing to be deprived of the sight of his Goings in the Sanctuary Is it nothing to want his Walks amongst his Candlesticks Seemeth it a small thing to us to stand under Suspension Did Mary weep when she supposed they had taken away her Lord John 20.13 and shall not we when our Lord is clearly withdrawing himself Will a departing God fetch never a tear Depart from me will make weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth and that thou maist fear since the Departures of a God do not affect thee 2. Open Vision and the benefit of the Gifts of God's Ministers whom God hath endued with Gifts to profit withal for the edifying of the Body of Christ for the perfecting of the Saints Solemn Assemblies are the Orbs wherein these Stars shine they are the Candle-sticks in which these Lights are set up When the Ark was taken the Priests fell too When we want our Signs we want our Prophets too When no Solemn Assemblies then are our Teachers driven into Corners Some have thought it more elegible to lose the Sun than these Stars Is it a matter to be passed by without Regard to see Lights put under Bushels to lose the Treasure that is in these Earthen-vessels to lose so many faithful Guides that were as Eyes to us in the Wilderness of this world Oh to want their Counsels their Comforts the Fruit of their Studies Temptations Intelligence from Heaven The beautiful feet of them that publish glad Tydings turned from us calls for sad hearts when we cannot hear the joyful Sound let both God and man hear sorrowful sighs and groans Reade Acts 20.36 37 38. People know little of the Reality of spiritual Relations whose hearts are not touched with the sense of spiritual breaches Read and apply to this head 1 Sam. 3.1 Psal 74.9 3. The Communion of Saints which is the nearest resemblance of Heaven that is upon Earth When Assemblies are gone then the Sheep are scattered Oh how many times do God's People experience warmth by the affections of others What will the coals do when they are pulled one from another Oh what is it to want those gladsome Calls Let us go up to the House of the Lord come let us go to the Mountain of the Lord's House Oh to want opportunities to unite our strength in prayer to gather about God and besiege Heaven and make a common cry Father pitty Father help Single Prayers are heard but bands of Prayers vollies of Prayers these have the honour to prevail with Heaven God shews his Condescentions to his People when they twist their Prayers and with one consent stir up themselves to take hold on him and hang upon him Christians have great need one of another as the members of the body have of each other and except there be an increase of influences from him that is instead of all we shall be very poor and weak and unfit for our duties when we want the supply of the joynts God's Plants are quite different from other plants for God's Plants thrive best when they are the nearest together Oh this true good Fellowship what a sad world is it when it is broken up Read Eccles 4.9 10 11 12. Heb. 10.24 25. especially Psal 42.4 In that Psal 42.4 you may see what our frame ought to be under this Loss When I remember these things I pour out my soul in me for I had gone with the Multitude I went with them to the House of God with the Voice of Joy and Praise with a Multitude that kept Holy-day 4. A special and main help of the Sanctification of the Lord's Day The seventh day is the Sabbath of rest an holy Convocation Lev. 23.3 the Sabbath is the Meeting day for God's People Meeting to Hear to Pray to Praise to receive the Supper truly if there be no holy Convocation it will scarce be an holy Rest if no holy Assemblies there will be many sinful Assemblies there will be Assembling by Troops in other houses there will be routs of Sporters and surely it is no less dangerous to sport upon God's holy time than to play and sport with holy things if no Assemblies Let Assemblies go and God's holy Rest will be troubled and not sanctified Sabbaths will not be known they will be forgotten when People have no Sabbath-journeys to go viz. no Ark no Tabernacle to go to they will even have some week-day journey to go on that Day High-wayes on that Day will soon be occupied when the Ways of Zion mourn And doth not that loss cal for tears that makes way for the breach of a Commandment at which Religion in its Power and Peace will go out Reade Jer. 17. from ver 19. to the end 2. In the want of Assemblies we want our highest imployments we are taken off from Angelical work Nehem. 9.6 The Host of Heaven worshippeth thee From work that is at once our Duty and our Honour our Holiness and our Happiness They are truly called Priviledges Psal 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach to thee 1. In these Solemn Assemblies the standing Imployment of Christians is most gratefully performed Such as are Prayer and Praise and the like for Prayer somthing hath been hinted and for Praise like Musick it is most melodious when it consort Psal 107.32 Let th m Exalt him also in the Congregation of the People and Praise him in the Assembly of the Elders Psal 111.1 I will Praise thee Lord with my whole heart in the Assembly of the Upright and in the Congregation There is a sweet savour goes up to Heaven with Prayers and Praises that come from Assemblies as seems to be hinted in that expression in Amos. 5.21 I will not smell in your Solemn Assemblies God is fallen out with a People when he cannot away with their calling of Assemblies and the Solemn Meeting is a grievance as some reade that Text Isa 1.13 2. In these Solemn Assemblies the extraordinary imployment of Christians is most acceptable such as is Fasting and Prayer not to mention holy Feasting Thanksgiving Prayers in Assemblies help at dead lifts and in extraordinary cases Samuel will
thereby taken away from the evil to come And then 3. The shortning of this life doth but the sooner bring them to a Life of Glory in Heaven Indeed if their condition were the same with the condition of the ungodly if they lost Heaven and Earth the lives of their souls and bodies together If their death were an eternal death and the end of their temporal miseries the beginning of eternal torments it were a very sad argument but the case is not so bad Whatever they lose for Christ in this world shall be recompensed a thousandfold in the world to come with eternal Life Now lay all these things together and consider that this strictness or preciseness is commanded by God and is most sutable to the Rules of Christianity And dost thou profess thy self a Christan a Disciple of Christ a Servant of God and one that lives in hope of everlasting Life and hast thou not yet learn'd to forsake all deny thy self take up thy cross and follow Christ Certainly if thou be a Christian indeed and hast received that Wisdom which is from above none of these things will move thee neither wilt thou count thy life so dear to thee as for the saving it to forsake the holy Commandment Having now vindicated this Truth from those Objections that might seem to weaken it I proceed to give a brief hint what use may be made of it Use 1. If they that live most exactly are the wisest men then it is so far from being a shame to live exactly Psal 119.6 that it tends much to the justification and commendation of those that so order their conversations And certainly the world is much mistaken in their censure and judgment concerning them They think it strange that all do not run to the same excess of riot with them 1 Pet. 4.4 and speak evil of them as fools and mad men because they willingly forgo the pleasures and advantages of this present life for things future and invisible but the end will make it sufficiently to appear who are the fools and who are the wise men Therefore 2. Be exhorted and perswaded to exercise this piece of wisdom Wisdom it is and that of the best sort for it is Divine and Heavenly Wisdom So the Apostle tells us Jam. 3.17 That Wisdom which is pure and full of good fruits comes from above it is saving Wisdom In 2 Tim. 3.15 the Apostle tells us that the Scriptures are able to make a man wise to Salvation in as much as they were given by God to make men pefect throughly furnished unto all good works Labour then for this Scripture-Wisdom and search for it as for hid treasures it alone shall abide and the good fruits thereof remain with thee to Eternity when all other wisdom in the world shall perish and by its fall shall ruine the owners and professors thereof I have now finished the third Observation I must use much more brevity in those which remain and so I pass to the fourth which is this Doct. 4. That then especially in evil times we have much need of spiritual wisdom for the circumspect and exact ordering of our conversations Thus the Apostles Argument runs Walk circumspectly and redeem time because the dayes are evil This is a duty at all times but especially in evil times it is both a Duty and an Advantage That we may understand what is meant by evil times or Dayes we must know that there are two sorts of evil First The evil of sin whereof Devils and men are the only authors Secondly The evil of punishment or misery in this sence it is used in Jer. 17.17 18. Amos 6.3 and though sin be the meritorious cause of this evil and Devils and Men yea and good Angels also are made use as instruments of it yet God takes it upon himself as the Author thereof Amos 3.6 Thus the Times or Dayes are evil First When they are sinful Times such times as our Saviour foretold Mat. 24.11 12. When false prophets should arise and deceive many When iniquity should abound and the love of many should wax cold Secondly The Dayes are evil when they are full of trouble and misery These evil Dayes of both sorts are either 1. Common by reason of that sin and misery which are incident to every mans life Eccles 12.1 in respect whereof Jacob told Pharoah that the dayes of his life had been few and evil Gen 47.9 2. Or special When both sin and trouble do abound in more than ordinary measure Again these evil Dayes are either 1. General When both sin and misery do more than ordinarily abound in the World or in a Kingdom 2. Or particular When a man 's own particular life hath been extraordinarily full of sin and trouble The Apostle in the Text doth principally respect the special and general sinfulness and troublesomness of the times but in what kind soever the dayes are evil the evilness of them is an argument for circumspect walking and exact ordering of our conversations For if the Times be sinful 1. In sinful Times there is much liberty and encouragement to sin The Multitude run to sin the stream goes that way and it is an easy thing to go along with the stream but it is certain that the stream will carry a man to perdition So that if we would not perish in sinful times we must strive against the stream by circumspect walking These are those perillous Times from the authors whereof the Apostle warns Timothy to turn away 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6. 2. In Sinful Times there are many temptations and enticements to sin in which respect the Apostle calls such dayes evil dayes and therefore adviseth at such times especially to put on the whole Armour of God that we may be able to stand and keep our selves unspotted from the pollutions of the world Ephes 6.13 If the Times be evil in respect of the trouble and misery that attends them Then 1. In Times of Trouble and Misery a man hath most need to get and keep peace of conscience Oh! it is a sad thing for a man to be lost as much with storms of guilt within as with waves of trouble without But there is no getting or keeping true peace of conscience without circumspect and exact walking The fruit of Righteousness is sown in peace Jam. 3.18 2. In Troublesome Times a man had most need to get and keep the love and favour of God and thereby an interest in the Promises of this life or if those be forfeited yet to be sure of an interest in the Promises of the Life to come But this cannot be done without circumspect walking for it is only Godliness that hath the promises of the life that now is and that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Use How preposterous and foolish a course is it then for any man to think to secure himself from the evil of the times by complying with the times to comply with the evil
Name the danger of a loose careless prophane and worldly life let them now speak let their own consciences say if I did not and yet they would not hear they would not obey Oh Sirs how would you be able to look Jesus Christ in the face Nay how would you be able to look me in the face at that day I beseech you think of this seriously before hand before it be too late I profess to you your souls are so dear to me that I would not for a thousand worlds be your accuser before the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ but yet if you will not be advised your blood shall be upon your own heads and I shall be free I shall now conclude this Particular with that one word of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3.11 14. Seeing then that the Heavens and Elements and Earth and all the Works that are therein shall be dissolved what manner of Persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of Christ in peace without spot and blameless 2. The second Word of Advice that I have to leave with you I shall likewise take out of my Text and that is That you would carefully redeem precious Time for God and your own poor souls A common understanding might easily suggest reason enough to follow this Advice Do but consider how little a time we have yet to live in this World how much time we have already spent in vain how sure an account we must give for our time as well as other talents remember that Eternity depends upon this moment we owe God all our time and we cannot lay it out better than for our poor souls Especially consider this grand Argument of the Apostle in the Text that the dayes are evil If it be bad Weather and an unseasonable Harvest and all the Corn upon the ground be like to be spoiled the Husbandman will be sure to raise the price of his good old Corn. Do but use the same Spiritual good husbandry for your souls You may perhaps think that you have many years to live in the world still that is very uncertain Oh but however consider that opportunities of doing and receiving good are few and like to be fewer still and by how much the more rare they are shall they not be the more precious with you God in mercy prevent our fears and jealousies but it is too suspitious that a good Sermon may be rare a good Exhortation or Reproof may be rare a good Minister may be rare an opportunity of Christian Friends praying together may be rare Therefore redeem time while you may lay hold upon every opportunity of good and labour to know in this your day the things that belong to your eternal peace before they be hid from your eyes When Death comes and Judgment comes it will then be too late and therefore in vain to cry out for a little more time for one more good Sermon for liberty of praying once more to God for Grace and Mercy I should have enlarged my Advice in some particulars of strict walking and improving precious time Pray hard set up that great duty of Christianity in your Families Keep Wickedness not only out of your hearts and houses but out of the Town too to the utmost of your power Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy What help you want in publick make up by your holy diligence in private Reade the Scriptures and other good Books much You that have learned your Catechism do not forget it Parents and Masters have a care of your Children and Servants Husbands and Wives watch over one another provoke one another to that which is good Neighbours exhort and admonish one another pray with and for one another and go before one another in an holy Example But I have not time to ennumerate all I have now given you my Advice and I pray God that you may follow it in truth and now I come in the last place to make my last publick Request unto you I bless God I covet no mans Silver nor Gold my Conscience bears me witness that I have not sought yours but you and now at last all that I shall beg of you is your prayers for me and that I hope none of you will deny me I have taken some pains among you I have often prayed for you and by the Grace of God shall never cease praying for you that the Lord would keep you from evil and furnish you with his Grace and afterwards bring you to Glory All the recompence that I ask of you is That you would not forget me at the Throne of Grace but let me have a share in your prayers In many respects I do earnestly and heartily beg your prayers but I must not now mention them all One is this That God would be pleased to pardon my great Unfaithfulness and Unprofitableness among you I beseech you Brethren do not think that I am now complementing with you Something I have done and God forbid that I should not have some ground to hope that God hath blessed my poor Labours to the doing of some good amongst you and perhaps my weak Labours have been acceptable yea and I bless God for that acceptance they have found with you yet truly Sirs God knows and mine own Conscience tells me that I have come much short very much short of that which was my duty to have done which if not pardoned in the Blood of Christ I should never be able to answer before God in the day of my Accounts and therefore I heartily beg your prayers on this behalf Another thing for which I beg your prayers to God for me is That it would please the Lord not to lay me aside as a broken vessel and an unprofitable creature upon the face of the Earth but that yet in what capacity soever the Lord sees good I may do him some service before I go hence and be no more seen I have but a little inch of time to live in this world and my great desire is that while I do live I may be useful for otherwise life will be but a sin or a burden I beseech you pray also that I may be delivered from or strengthened under temptations I am a poor weak creature and cannot stand but by the Grace and Strength of God and I know not what condition the Lord hath allotted for me Only this I have learn'd from the Word of God that they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer Persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Pray therefore that what sufferings foever the Lord shall at any time call me to I may be enabled by his Grace and Strength so to behave my self under them as that even by suffering I may glorifie his Name and bear witness to the Truth and practise what I have preached and give a good example to others and credit the Gospel and that Profession which I have made thereof My Brethren methinks I have much yet to say and I know not where to break off yet I must come to a conclusion Leave my Work in publick I must and leave you I must or else I must break with God and my own Conscience This is my great grief but yet it is my greatest grief of all that I must leave any unconverted sinners amongst you I profess to you seriously that if I know my own heart I could with chearfulness and joy forsake not only my Living and Livelihood but even my Life also so that I could but see every Drunkard and Swearer and Curser and Sabbath-breaker and Worldling and Prophane person among you converted to a life of Faith and Holiness I dare not not onely for fear of man but chiefly out of conscience I dare not open my lips to utter one word to encourage you to Faction or Schism or any unquietness but with the Apostle I exhort you to follow the things that make for Peace and to wait upon God for the mending of what is amiss But this I must tell you withall that if you do not follow after the things that make for Holiness also you shall never see the Face of God to your comfort Therefore follow after Holiness Follow not that which is evil but that which is good 3 John 11. In the midst of all my other griefs and troubles I shall have no greater joy than to see or hear that any of you walk in the Truth I have preached the Word of Truth to you according to that understanding in the Scriptures which God hath given me I beseech you remember what I have spoken to you in the Name of God and Christ and look to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward Let me use the following words of the Apostle to you 2 John 8 9 10 11. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Son If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds I must conclude though unwillingly my Farewelwords to you shall be the same with the Apostle's last Farewel to the Elders of Ephesus Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Amen Amen FINIS
God did we see him to be an alsufficient unchangable faithful God it would help us to hold out to follow him fully 4. Again eye His Omnisciency His eyes are upon the wayes of man and He seeth all his goings Job 34.21 He telleth all our wanderings When Peter was turning his back on Christ his Lord and Master looked on him all the while As he beheld guile-less Nathaniel under the Fig-tree So he likewise beheld Peter halting in the High Priests Palace 5. His Omnipresence O that we had Moses eyes to see him that is invisible Doubtless he is not far from any of us No fleeing from his presence Psa 139.7 c. That we cannot sin but in the face of our Judge What are ye not afraid to turn aside from God his Truth his Commands while the Lord himself stands by and observes all our carriage 6. His Holiness Justice and Severity against sin If any draw back his soul can take no pleasure in that man Only such as are upright in the Way that are his delight Pro. 11.20 As God is displeased at mens halting before him so he is ready to manifest his displeasure And what a fearful thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God even as to fall into a consuming fire Such of God's Attributes as these last mentioned would very much awe us make us fear to depart or turn aside in the least from him But so much of the eighth Direction 9. Look to Jesus as your best guide And strive to follow his steps Observe how Christ carried in this world He did no sin neither was guile found in His mouth His love to man without dissimulation His zeal for God free from the least mixture of self-seeking He had the wisdom of the Serpent and the Doves innocency most exactly contempered duly proportioned in him He knew how to converse with sinners without the least communicating in their sins He was one and the same in all places at all times Far from studying a compliance with a corrupt and sinful generation rather he made it his work to do all that might be to change and amend it to set a crooked generation streight He was ever more careful to discharge duty than to provide for his own safety here In doing the work his Father sent him about into the world he wav'd and set aside self-respect John 5.30 8.49 50. The Truth and Honour of God was dearer to him than his own life O Christians follow this your Guide If we are Christians we ought to walk as Christ also walked 1 John 2.6 We are unworthy of the name of Christians if it be not our care and indeavour to follow Christ Now wherein we are followers of Christ we may be confident we go right so far we halt not in our course Therefore observe and eye Christ more Consider how he carried upon earth And where you are at a stand think if you can how Christ would have carried what he would have done in the like case with yours 10. Reckon upon troubles in this world Expect to meet with crosses in your Christian course As Paul and Barnabas confirmed the souls of the Disciples and exhorted them to continue in the Faith and that through much tribulation we must enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 When we look to meet with the Cross in our way we shall not so soon stumble at it On the contrary the Disciples were offended at Christs passion and shrunk away from him being in a great measure surprized with it for as many fair warnings and express items as they had from our Saviour to prepare for his sufferings yet they would not let those sayings sink down into their hearts still their thoughts were upon Christs reigning here as an earthly King and on some great worldly advancement which they expected under Christ 11. Be going forward The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Though I do not determine this to be the sense of the place yet it is a truth if we take it thus The further we go on in the ways of God the more strength we shall find to hold out and continue in them The way of the Lord is strength to the upright The Righteous shall hold on his way and wax stronger and stronger Here they that run fastest are least weary Whereas if we sit still we shall soon grow lame and stark O take heed of standing still Be going forward Grow in Grace Let it be your care to grow in Grace as you fear to fall from your own steadfastness Weaklings are aptest to stumble and fall Therefore let us be going on from strength to strength It is a good thing indeed that the heart be established with Grace Heb. 13.9 Where note it is one property of Grace to establish the heart And the more Grace the more inward establishment Adde to Faith Vertue sayes the Apostle Peter Let these things be in you and abound And if ye do these things ye shall never fall 2 Pet. 1. Here I might instance in sundry particular Graces that you should be growing in especially You heard before what corruptions especially and most frequently are a cause of halting Now strengthen those Graces that are opposite thereunto Labour to increase and excel in Faith By Faith Enoch walked with God By Faith Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin In sincerity Being really what we seem to be The more truth in our inward parts the more Evenness and Uniformity in our outward Conversations In self-denial They that would follow God fully as Moses did must deny themselves as he did who refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter that he might be found the faithful Servant of God In an holy contempt of the world Labour to sit looser in your affections to the world if you would stick close to God Demas falling in love with this present world and affecting its embraces shook off holy Paul once and as some tell us turned Priest afterwards in an Idols temple Though others suppose he fell not so far but soon recovered again However the danger was very great see 1 Tim. 6.9 10. Many alas stick fast in the world stick fast here so that they know not how to take a step how to set a foot forward in the way to Heaven In love to God his Truth and Wayes This would cause you to cleave to him In Patience We have great need of Patience too that we be not wearied nor faint in our minds We must run with patience the race set before us Without patience we should soon be run out of breath 12. Lean ever upon Christ As you would not halt in your course lean hard upon Christ While we desire to grow in Grace yet we should fear to trust to Grace received It was the cause of Peters foul and shameful fall his self confidence conceiting that he was
be commanded 2. It is to love him more than all other things to love him with a transcendant love John 21.15 Lovest thou me more than these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more than these Nets Gain Profits Pleasures Credit or Life it self or more than these persons thy fellow Disciples Luke 14.26 If any man come after me and hate not his father and mother wife and children brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my Disciple So Mat. 4.20 22. The Disciples left their Father Nets Ships they forsook all to follow Christ Abraham forsook his Country and his Father's house in obedience to God's Call Acts 19.19 Those Converts forsook their Gain and their gainful Trades for Christ and the Gospel 3. It is to love whole Christ Christ in all his Offices to love him as our Prophet to submit to his instruction Acts 3.23 every soul that will not hear that Prophot shall be destroyed from amongst the People It is to love him as our King to submit to his Goverment to be ruled by his Laws to live according to his Gospel to suffer no other Lord besides him to have Dominion over us Luke 19.27 Those mine enemies which would not that I should Reign over them c. It is to love him as our Sanctification to be as willing to save 〈◊〉 from our sins as from Hell 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made of God to us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification c. 4. To love him for himself and not only for his benefits This is love of complacency love of delight when we love Christ as the Apostles and the good Women who loved him in disgrace in his poverty that ministred to him of their substance Luke 8.3 who followed him naked stripped condemned hanging on the Cross Luke 22.33 Lord I am ready to go with thee into prison to death That is Amor concupiscentiae Love of our selves when we love him only foâ— gaine for what he brings along with him as the People John 6.26 who followed him for the loaves who would needs have made him King when he fed so many thousands with a few loavs they thought him a fit man to victual a camp to maintain an Army with light charge to deliver them from their subjection to the Romane Empire This is not sincere love such love is not lasting when the hope of gain and advantage is gone this love will be gone Now follow the Reasons of the Point 1. It is the character of a right Christian to love Jesus Christ in sincerity Because he is altogether lovely In him concurre what ever is requisit to the object of love As 1. Goodness is lovely Non amatur certe nisi bonum c. What ever we love we look upon it as good It either is so indeed or it appears so to us Jonâ—â—han upon this account loved David for his Vertue his Valour Prov. 24.26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer Wisdome Learning Ingenuity and such like graces procure Love Mark 10.21 Jesus beholding him loved him for his ingenuity Therefore Saints love the Lord Jesus Christ for he is good goodness it self Psal 45.2 Grace is poured into thy lips Cant. 1.3 Therefore do the Virgins love thee There is none good but God and Jesus Christ he is eminently good infinitely good he received not the Spirit of Grace by measure but in him dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily He is the Fountain of all goodness the good in the creature is derived from his goodness a drop of his Ocean a beam from the Sun of Righteousness of his fulness we all receive 2. Beauty is amiable therefore Jacob loved Rachel Ahasuerus loved Esther Upon this account Jesus Christ is most lovely who is the brightness of his Fathers Glory the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Though carnal eyes see not his beauty Isa 53.2 3. He hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him But the Faithful who looked on him with spiritual eyes beheld his Glory The Glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth John 1.14 3. Similitude likeness of nature and manners procureth love except it be by accident as a proud person hateth one that is as proud as himself and so doth one of the same calling envy another of the same profession Non in quantum est similis sed in quantum est proprii boni impeditivus as Aquinas gives the reason Now in this respect Jesus Christ hath highly merited a Christians love because he took on him humane nature and became like to us in all things save sin Heb 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Noah by falling into sin fell into shame and lay uncovered in his tent to the derision of his ungracious son Ham Sem and Japhet his better-natured sons took a garment and for grief went backward not enduring to look upon their Fathers nakedness Our First Parents by disobedience exposed themselves to shame and derision and all their Posterity to ruine remediless had not the Lord Jesus gone backward that is from Heaven to earth and so covered poor man with his skirt lest the shame of our nakedness should appear There is a Law Lev. 25.25 If thy brother be poor c. Our Father Adam was seized on a fair Possession but he sold it for no valuable consideration he was never able to redeem it nor any of his kin for it cost more to redeem a soul The good Angels though as friends they might commiserate lost man yet were they not able to recover for him his forfeited inheritance Gods Favour and Eternal Happiness and if they had been able yet by Law they might not do it being not in a capacity because they were no kin to man The Son of God therefore being able to do this unspeakable kindness for fallen man as being God blessâ—â— for ever mighty to save took on him our flesh that he might be of kin to us and so by right in Law redeem that possession which our Father sold O therefore love the Lord all ye his Saints For 4. He hath loved us Magnes amoriâ— amor Love bâ—getteth love We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.10 Lord he is worthy Luke 7.5 much more is Christ worthy For he loveth our Nation Gal. 2.20 Who loved me and gave himself for me The tongue of men and Angels is not able to set forth the height and length depth and breadth of the Love of God in Christ God so loved the World c. Rev. 1.5 To Him that loved us and washed away our sins in his own Blood be Glory and Love Service c. I purposely spare to add more Reasons of the point it being of it self so agreeable to reason and a thing confessed by all Christians Use 1. Of Instruction If
God undervaluing a Pearl of such price trampling under foot a Jewel more worth than the Gold of Ophir How long O ye simple worldlings will ye love simplicity How long will ye rise early set up late eate the bread of carefulness and all to load your selves with the thick clay of the world the dust and dung of the Earth and in the mean time neglect Saving-Grace Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Isa 55.2 It is chiefly for this that the Wisdom of God chargeth worldlings with folly who yet applaud themselves for the only wise men Luke 12.20 21. So is he i. e. a fool like the rich man in the Text that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich to God Hearken I beseech you ye despisers and abusers of the Grace of God be convinced of the worth of that ye so neglect 1. God himself is stiled The God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of Hope Rom. 15.13 The God of Patience Rom. 15.5 He it is that sanctifieth justifieth pardoneth iniquity transgression and sin 2. It is Grace which God reserveth as a portion for his Children his peculiar People his best Friends 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee James 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in Faith Abraham gave gifts to the Sons of the Concubines but the Inheritance he reserved for Isaac So God gives the Earth to the Children of men earthly blessings Psal 115.16 but Grace and the good things of Heaven are his Childrens portion Esau had the fat of the Earth but Jacob the Dew of Heaven 3. It is Grace which Saints desire long for labour for above all things and are satisfied with Psal 4.6 Lord lift up the Light of thy Countenance upon us this is better than abundance of Corn and Wine Psal 63.5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness 4. Grace is the end of every Ordinance The Word is called The Word of Faith The Word of Grace Rom. 10.8 Acts 20.32 The Ministry is The Ministry of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 The Gospel is The Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 The Dispensation of the Grace of God Ephes 3.2 Prayer is a coming to the Throne of Grace for this end That we may find Grace Heb. 4. ult The Sacraments in their right use do seal and confirm Grace Rom. 4.11 5. It is Grace which Satan chiefly aimeth to rob Christians of by tempting to sin he seeketh to withdraw us from Grace He tempted Job to drive him from his integrity He desired to sift Peter that his Faith might fail him Luke 22.31 He walketh about seeking whom he may devour by spoiling them of God's Grace By all which appears the excellency of Grace the greater is their sin who undervalue it The third Use is of Comfort for the poor and needy Christians who are troubled at their outward wants Hearken O thou poor soul art thou afflicted at thy poverty nakedness sickness yet art rich in Grace is not that better than gold health beauty strength friends favour of Great Ones O be thankful say as Mat. 11.25 Father I thank thee c. the lot is fallen to thee in a goodly place thou hast a pleasant heritage I am sure thou wouldst not change conditions with the wealthiest healthfullest beautifullest graceless person in the world Others have the nether springs of earthly riches thou hast the upper Springs of heavenly Treasures Others have the blessings of God's left hand the fulness of this world thou hast Benjamins Portion a double Blessing even the Blessing of the Right hand the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation Say as Psal 116.12 Last Use is of Exhortation 1. To graceless persons That they would above all things labour after Grace Joh. 6.27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth i. e. not so much as for that which endureth Motives 1. Grace is most excellent There is an â—ttractive vertue in things of worth If carnal eyes were but opened to see the Excellency of Grace Mirabiles sui excitaret amores It would ravish the soul in desires after it But Grace's Beauty is internal so is not discerned but with spiritual eyes The Kings Daughter is all glorious within Psal 45.13 Our Life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 1. That which maketh the possessours of it excel that is truly excellent The Righteous is more excellent than his neighbour What makes him so but Grace as much as the brightest day excels the darkest night the star a cloud heaven earth so much a gracious Christian excels a graceless person 2. Grace prepares and fitteth for Glory so do not riches they often hinder Coelum non capit magna onera Portantes God many times strips his People of riches lest the love of them should retard or hinder them in their heavenly Journey Mark 10.23 How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God! Which in the following verse our Saviour explains thus How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! implying It is hard to have riches and not to trust in tâ—â—m 3. A third excellency of Grace is Iâ— satisfies as well as sanctifies the heart It fills the soul with content in the absence of created comforts I have enough saith Jacob now Joseph is alive I have enough saith a gracious soul now God is reconciled now Christ is mine Thy favour is better than life Psal 63.3 4. The benefit comfort of Grace is eternal the riches of Grace are durable Prov. 8.18 Other riches perish Eccles 5.14 they accompany their owners but to the grave at furthest there they leave them whereas Grace accompanieth the soul in death and after death to all eternity 2d Mot. From the necessity of Grace Bread is necessary to this life Grace is much more to life eternal Without it the best sacrifices are not accepted Prov. 21.27 Without it we cannot withstand our enemies 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the Faith Without it we shall not be able to bear the Cross ye have need of patience Heb. 10.36 By Faith the Saints endured affliction were tortured had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment Heb. 11.25 35 36. Without Grace we can neither suffer nor obey the will of God not go on comfortably in a Christian course Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham obeyed In a word without it we cannot be saved John 13.8 Except I wash thee thou hast no part in me Christ came by water and blood by water to regenerate by blood to justifie Sâ— Dr. Sibbs 3. It is possible for them that have no Grace with care and diligence to obtain it It is the priviledge of New-Testament-times to be seasons of more plentiful Grace than were the Old-Testament-times for so is that place to be understood John 7.38 The holy Ghost was not yet
given because Jesus was not yet glorified Whether we take the holy Ghost there for gifts and spiritual endowments or the Efficacy of the Spirit accompanying those gifts in neither sense was the holy Ghost given so plentiously before as after Christ's Ascention on the day of Pentecost and afterwards Eph. 4.8 When he ascended on high he gave gifts unto men God the Father reserved the â—aâ—â— donative of his Grace for honour of his Sons Ascention unto the last times as the Gospel-times are called whereby so many millions of souls have been converted to Christ So then it being our lot with Capernaum to be lifted up to Heaven in regard of spiritual enjoyments take heed with the same people lest we be cast down to Hell for want of good improvement of so high priviledges Take with us therefore these brief Directions that we may not fail or come short of Grace 1. Be sure thou have an high esteem of Grace for God will not cast his Pearls before Swine carnal people that prize them not We may easily over-value these sublunary things bestow more serious thoughts labour sweat time money on them than they are really worth But we cannot possibly set too high a rate on Grace which we are bidden to covet follow or pursue seek ask knock for strive for 1 Cor. 12. ult Heb. 12.14 2. This estimate we shall not set upon Grace except we be sensible of our want of it We need not seek a thing we have in our hands Most men perish through lack of Grace which they seek not labour not for because they perswade themselves they have it already Be thou poor in spirit destitute blind naked If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth liberally viz. to them that ask so in sence of want God is not like unto man in this respect Men send gifts and presents where is least need and so for them they that are poor may be poor still Semper eris pauper si c. God giveth Grace where most need is He feedeth the hungry he inviteth the poor Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth Survey the state of thy soul when thou goest to Prayer to the Word Saâ—â—ament As when you go or send to the Market you consider what is wanting that supply may be made When thou goest to God's Ordinances thy Spiritual Market enquire what is lacking and there pour out thy heart to God put up earnest cryes for the work of Grace and Conversion for a new heart God hath promised no less than the holy Spirit to them that ask Luke 11.13 i. e. that ask so as in that parable our Saviour teacheth with fervency and importunity 3. See thou hunger and thirst after Grace keep a continued desire and longing after it for so the Participle implyeth Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that are hungring and thirsting Psal 143.6 My soul thirsteth after thee as the thirsty Land How is that When the Earth is chapt and gapes through long drought it never ceaseth gaping and craving till the Heavens hear the Earth according to Hos 2.21 So let the thirsty soul do Psal 123.2 As the eyes of a servant c. so our eyes wait on the Lord until he have mercy on us 4. Delay not the time take the first opportunity slip not one Market-day to gain so excellent a Commodity Seek the Lord while he may be found call on him while he is nigh When Shops are shut up it is too late to make our Markets Many are afraid of having Grace too soon they are loth to be holy too soon to be sanctified too soon as if Grace were a burden But why not rather fear we lest we should come too late as did the foolish Virgins who dearly rued it as all shall who in this their day will not know the things of their peace 5. If thou wilt have Grace be content to buy it though without money without price in buying you part with one thing for another whereof you have more need so must thou here though heavenly commodities are not to be valued for Silver you know what Simon Peter said to Simon Magus Thy money perish with thee c. yet must thou part with that which it may be thou valuest above Silver i. e. thy lusts Isa 2.20 Idols of Silver costly sins must be parted with of them thou hast no need if thou part not with them they wil ruine thee if thou cast not them away they will cast thee away Sin and Grace reigning sin a way of wickedness is inconsistent with Grace God and Belial the Ark and Dagon will not agree under the same roof The Spirit of God is a holy pure delicate Spirit will be grieved and at last will be gone if that unclean spirit the Devil be entertained by a voluntary resignation of thy heart to the love of any course of sin or impiety If the blessed Spirit of Grace will vouchsafe to be thy guest O prepare him a lodging as Paul writes to Philemon ver 22. of that Epistle Purge thy self from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 6. Diligence in the use of means constant attendance on the Ordinances of Grace is necessary to the obtaining of Grace Frequent daily the Throne of Grace by fervent prayer wait duly at the posts of wisdoms house by attentive hearing the Word make conscience of sanctifying the Lords day be not thou absent from Gods house when he deals his dole of Grace and Blessing to his People use the society of Gracious persons whose communication is savory and their words minister Grace to the hearers and be constant in exercises of Godliness follow Pauls counsel to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate on these things continue in them give thy self much unto them that thy profiting may appear The diligent hand maketh rich when drowsiness clotheth a man with rags which is as true in spiritual as in temporal things 2d Branch of Exhortation If Grace be the best thing in the world let Christians that have Grace already labour for further degrees of it Grow in Grace 2 Pet. 3.18 Grace and sanctification is not perfect at once but hath its several ages and periods of growth We read of the Embrio or the forming the new man in the womb Gal. 4.19 The new-born babe 1 Pet 2.2 little children 1 John 2.13 young men ib. aged Christians ib. and Psal 92.14 shall bring forth more fruit in old age To this purpose are the commands in Scripture to abound more and more 1 Thess 4.1 that your love may abound Phil. 1.9 alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult They are likewise commended who are rich in Grace and fruits of holiness Matt. 15.28 O woman great is thy Faith Matt. 8.10 I have not sound so great Faith no not in Israel So on the contrary dwarfs in Christianity are blame-worthy Matt. 6.30 O ye of little Faith 1 Cor. 3.4 Are ye not yet carnal that is babes in
nothing can hurt them there Psal 46.1 2. God is our refuge and strength a present help in time of trouble therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and the Mountains carried into the midst of the Sea See how the Church encourageth her self in the Strength and Power of God even beyond all fear come what will we have a refuge to betake us to Isa 26.4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting Strength such Strength as can never faile Oh how may a Believer glory when he is inclosed within such Walls though he be compassed about with troubles yet his comfort is that everlasting Strength is engaged for him There is a threefold Comfort in this general Encouragement 1. This Power is sufficient for our deliverance be our distresses what they will though Believers may have many enemies yet God that is on their side is able to save them He is greater than all In this the three un-martyred Martyrs encouraged themselves against the burning rage of an angry King and his fiery Fornace Dan. 3.17 Our God whom wâ—â—serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Fornace The proud Heathen cries Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands Who why the God that made Heaven and Earth the living God he can deliver us The Believer knows that the powerful God is able to save him It was He that shut the hungry Lyons mouths and saved Daniel in the Den It was He that filed off Peters Chains and threw open the Iron-gate that he might escape He hath wrought Miracles for the deliverance of such as have trusted in him 2. All the power and strength the enemy hath comes from God and is limited by him the Devils themselves are led up and down in Chains by the hand of providence So that if the Believer be frighted by hearing the Lyon roar he is again encouraged by the gingling of the Chain he cannot fix a scab upon our body without a licence from God as appears in Job's story Our God hath his hook in the nose of the chief of our enemies he cannot go whither he would nor do what he pleaseth and so wicked men who are Satans instruments they have their power from God John 19.10 11. Pilaâ—e boasteth of his power to release or to crucifie Christ Jesus answers Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above But 3. From this Power and Strength the Believer receives strength to undergo his burthen 't is a strong God that makes patient sufferers a heavy burthen upon weak shoulders will make ill work but when the shoulder is made strong by strength from above then it can bear the burthen better Psal 138.3 In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Believers count themselves to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might when in themselves they are low and weak through trouble and distress 2 Cor. 12.10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am I strong 4. The last thing I shall name in God whereby the Believer encourageth himself in his distress is the Faithfulness of God we have a God to go to in our troubles that never was known to faile any that came to him after a due manner He is a God of Truth keeping Covenant and Mercy whatsoever Promise he hath made to his People in troubles he will be sure to make all good Heaven and Earth shall pass away but his Word shall not pass away God in very faithfulness doth afflict when he sees 't is needful and he is faithful in over-ruling all our afflictions 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it We may encourage our selves in the true and faithful God He is faithful that hath promised who also will do it These things principally there are in God wherein the Believer may encourage himself when he is in trouble and distress For Application 1. This gives a check to the immoderate fearfulness of Christians who are ready to run out of God's Way to avoid troubles and are ready to cry out they are undone they shall perish by the hands of these enemies whereas they ought not to be dismayed with their own folly and weakness but to encourage themselves in the Power and Wisdom of God What ails thee O Christian that thou art more afraid of man whose breath is in his nostrils than of God that giveth life and breath and all things Think not the Lord's hand is shortned that it cannot help or his arm weakned that it cannot save 2. We see the vanity of the wicked man's confidence he encourageth himself in that which cannot save him but will vanish when he hath most need of it he encourageth himself in his sinful wayes in his own wisdom leans to his own understanding he encourageth himself in the arm of flesh but he hath no God to encourage himself in he is without God in the world God is not in all his thoughts there 's nothing below God and an interest in him wherein the soul can find encouragement therefore 't is that the wicked are so often at their wits end when they are in distress they have nothing to encourage themselves in when once their refuge of lies is swept away and their agreement with Hell is come to nothing 3. We are hence exhorted in all our troubles and distresses still to encourage our selves in the Lord our God in his Presence in his Wisdom in his Power and in his Faithfulness let us stay our selves upon these things God is the same now as he was in former Ages he will be the same to thee as he was to David to Habakkuk to the three Children to Daniel to Peter therefore let the thoughts of God and the Comforts that are in God stay up and delight your souls every thing that is good is contained in that Name let nothing amaze you so long as you have such a God to fly unto your condition may be low and sad but is it worse than David's was at this time therefore do as he did and for your direction take with you these two things 1. Be sure that the Lord be your God otherwise you cannot encourage your selves in him A man cannot rejoyce in an Estate which is not his own or in a great Man in whom he hath no interest be sure then to get an interest in God he gives no encouragement to strangers he is a consuming Fire to his enemies but to his Children and Servants he is a sure Defence Get near to God by the Blood of Christ beg of Him to take you into his Family amongst his adopted
one glimpse thereof in the Transfiguration put Peter in a trance Christ ascended to be glorified 3. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend Obj. O but how can these things be how much better had it been for us to have had Christs bodily presence still on Earth What a deal of good did he by his Life Doctrine Miracles Compassion on the Poor Blind Diseased that cryed for help for themselves children and servants Lord hadst thou been here my brother had not dyed said Martha So may poor desolate souls say Lord hadst thou been on Earth still this evil and that storm had not come upon the Church or particular members of it Expedient Christ go O leave us not Answ In general Saddest providences and most terrible things whereby God answereth his People often carry a great deal of sweetness and comfort in them which we through ignorance and unbelief hardly discern Christians often loose much by poring on present or imminent evils and not looking to the sweet Result and glorious issue thereof We walk too much by sence and too little eye by Faith the things that are not seen Thus the Disciples were loth to hear that Christ must be put to death When he was buryed We trusted say two of them Luke 24.21 it had been he that should have redeemed Israel Their Faith was low not considering that he came to give his Life a Ransome for many Such fools so slow of heart are we to believe Thus when Christ told the Disciples I go my way to him that sent me They asked him not whither goest thou and therefore sorrow filled their hearts John 16.5 6 7. they did not look to the sweet Fruit which they should reap of his Departure they would have found cause of joy had they seriously considered that Christ went to his Father and their Father to his God and their God But particularly You have Christ's Word for it which should silence all objections and questioning thoughts John 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away There were four Expediencies of Christ's Ascension in respect of us 1. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend that he might in our nature as our Head and Surety take possession of Heaven for us Heb. 6.20 Whither the fore-runner is for us entred even Jesus He had purchased the Inheritance and paid the price and he went to have seizen and possession for us John 14.2 I go to prepare a place for you 2. Christ's Ascension was expedient for us that he might intercede for us in Heaven and now appear in the Presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 and that we might have that consolation 1 Joh. 2.2 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And Heb. 7.25 He ever liveth to make intercession We have a constant and skilful faithful Sollicitor in the Court of Heaven pleading our cause Is the Church militant oppressed Jesus the Angel of the Covenant pleadeth How long Lord wilt thou be angry Zech. 1.12 and he is answered with good and comfortable words I am returned with Mercies to Jerusalem as it follows ver 16. The Lord Christ standeth as with a golden Censer having much Incense which he offereth with the Prayers of Saints on the Golden Altar before the Throne the Smoak of which Incense with the Prayers of the Saints ascendeth before God out of the Angels Hand When his People pray on Earth He as their Sollicitor procureth a Grant in Heaven which he sometimes sendeth down by a swift Messenger So he did to Daniel and Cornelius So that now being ascended Believers may triumph Who shall condemn It is Christ that died is risen again is at the Right Hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 3. It was expedient for us that Christ should ascend that he might send the Spirit the Comforter Joh. 16.7 If I go away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him to you The sending of the Spiriâ— to lead Believers into Truth to convince the World to help Believers Infirmities to quicken to comfort to stablish them and to abide with them to the end of the World is the fruit of Christs Ascension 4. Christ's Ascension was expedient to assure us that he hath fully satisfied Justice for the sins of his Elect and left nothing undone of the great Work which he undertook Heb. 9.12 By his own Blood he entred once into the holy Place having obtained Eternal Redemption for us His sitting at the Right Hand of God is an evidence that he hath obtained for us Eternal Redemption In his Ascension he triumphed over all Enemies He had spoiled Principalities spoiled them of their Prey having rescued his Elect spoiled them of their Dominion and Power over his Sheep He had cast out the Prince of this World the Accuser of the Brethren and He made shew of them openly Col. 2.15 Christ having overcome Death and Hell declareth his Conquest in ascending as a Conqueror into Heaven Take the Application in four Particulars briefly 1. Christ is gone to Heaven Be not deceived by false christ's Such shall come Mat. 24.24 O remember he is not here but ascended as he told his Disciples Seek not then a bodily presence in the Sacrament The Heavens must contain him Acts 3.21 The Martyrs who burned at the Stake not for ceremonies c. as some would have it but for denying Transubstantiation or the bodily Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper however now-a-dayes some bespatter them had a sure Foundation to build on The Scripture makes it plain that Christ's Body is in Heaven 2. Christ is gone into Heaven Christians let your hearts be there Seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Col. 3.1 Why do ye grovel on Earth when Christ your best Friend is in Heaven What on Earth can satisfie or what is to be desired when Christ is gone Well may Believers desire with the Apostle Phil. 1â— 23 to be dissolved and be with Christ which is far better 3. Let us prepare for Christ's Coming from Heaven Phil. 3.20 Behold He cometh quickly in like manner as he ascended but more gloriously attended more manifest every eye shall see him Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find watching Luke 12.37 We are left to trade with talents our Lord will come and reckon with us Mat. 25.19 Be ready for the Son of Man cometh in an hour when ye think not Luke 12.40 O let us watch 4. Lastly Be comforted Christ our Fore-runner is in Heaven He is gone but he went about our business This providence of Christ's departing looketh with a bitter aspect it is doleful to consider Christ is Gone But as Jacob's Spirit revived when he knew Joseph was alive so it is exceeding comfortable for drooping distressed souls to consider Christ hath taken possession of a
glorious House incorruptible Inheritance and a biding Kingdom for us We have an Advocate with the Father our Redeemer liveth and we shall see him All his Enemies shall be made his footstool Christ is glorified his Members however vilified on earth shall be like Him and abide with Him and He will be admired in his Saints He is gone to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us John 14.3 And thus much briefly for this first branch Christ Ascended The second is Christ blessed his Disciples at his Ascension But may some one say How did Christ bless them I answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To bless is to speak well So Christ alwayes spake well Never man spake like Him Grace was poured in his lips and gracious Words proceeded out of his mouth But it hath a more special Importance 1. To bless is to acknowledge the Blessedness and Perfection of another So the greater is blessed of the less So with the tongue we bless God even the Father and our Souls bless the Lord. 2. To bless is sometimes to pray for a Blessing So Isaac blessed Jacob when he prayed God give thee of the Dew of Heaven Gen. 27.27 And God Almighty bless thee Gen. 28. The 1st and 3d. Thus Jacob blessed Josephs Sons when he prayed The Angel that redeemed me from all evil bless the lads Gen. 48.9 16. 3. To bless is to pronounce a blessing and that either in the way of an ordinary Ministry Thus Aaron and his Sons were to bless the People saying The Lord bless thee and keep thee c. Numb 6.23 So Simeon Levi and Judah Issachar Joseph and Benjamin were appointed to stand upon Gerizzim to bless the People Deut. 27.12 Or else by an extraordinary Spirit of prophesie So Jacob blessed his Sons when he told them what should befal them in the last dayes Gen. 49. And Balaam prophesying the prosperity of Israel is said to have blessed them altogether Numb 24.10 4. To Bless is to make blessed to give as well as speak a blessing So Israel was blessed effectually Numb 22.12 Curse them not for they are blessed Thus there are Blessings spiritual and Blessings temporal Blessings of basket and store c. 5. To bless is to set apart from a common to a holy and spiritual use So Christ blessed the Bread when he set it apart to signifie his Body Mat. 26.26 Now when Christ blessed his Disciples the four last of these acceptions of Blessing may very well be comprized and intended The gesture used in blessing them lifting up his hands may well suit with pronouncing of a Blessing in way of prayer The Gifts and Graces poured on them soon after his Ascension speak the efficacy of his Blessing and that it was not empty words but Spirit and Life And it is evident that at his Ascension he set them apart and gave them a Commission to go and preach the Gospel Other Texts might be cited proving that Christ's Ascending did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak well to his Disciples as Mark 16.17 18 19. and Acts 1.8 9. But the Text so fully assureth us that Christ lifted up his hands and blessed just at his Parting and Ascension that we need no other Confirmation To come then to the Reasons why Christ Ascended blessing The two main springs whence his Blessing slowed are his Love and his Faithfulness which two were the reasons of his Humiliation and Transactions He loved his Elect and He was faithful to him that appointed him Heb. 3.2 Out of Free-grace and Faithfulness He laid down his Life a Ransome for many He loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood Rev. 1.5 His Father had appointed Him and promised Him to bless and he faithfully performed it He came to bless and went to Heaven blessing There are eight special Reasons or Ends which Christ had in his eye in blessing his Disciples so solemnly when he was leaving Earth to go to his Father 1. He would assure his Disciples that his affection to them was the same now at parting as they had found it from his first choosing them they might have thought it strangeness had he gone and not left a Blessing behind him after all his kindness and compassion And this is one end to which are directed all those gracious and comfortable Expressions recorded in the 12 13 14 15 16th Chapters of John with that pathetical Prayer John 17. shewing him as tender-hearted towards them at last as ever He displayeth his Banner of Love over them in this gracious Valediction going to Heaven Blessing 2. Jesus Christ would have his Disciples and all that should believe in his Name to know that he carried the same Heart to Heaven with him that he had on Earth so that though his bodily presence was removed yet his Love continued and he would be as mindful of them in his Kingdom as ever he had been on Earth And this is another End of his gracious Expressions at and a little before his Ascension He knew how ready they might be through weakness and temptation to question his care and doubt of his Love as the Israelites about Moses Exod. 32. As for this Moses we wot not what is become of him He would not have them think Now Jesus Christ is gone and his Mercy is at an end he hath forgotten to be gracious and so sink in despairing thoughts No He assureth them John 16.26 I say unto you I will pray the Father for you rest satisfied question not but I will remember you and set you as a seal upon my Heart as a seal upon mine Arm I will carry your names engraven on my Brest-plate and make intercession for you and here he would assure them of lasting Love in parting from them with the most notable expression of it He solemnly blessed them 3. Jesus Christ would have his People assured that he is the Messiah the promised Seed in whom all Nations shall be blessed Gen. 18.18 The Apostle mentioneth this Covenant with Abraham Acts 3.25 26. and sheweth that Christ came to bless in pursuit of that Covenant and to fulfil Scripture It was prophesied of Christ Psal 72.17 Men shall be blessed in Him And Blessing was his beginning and conclusion in his Ministry upon Earth the beginning of his first Sermon and the close of his Last 4. He blessed them that he might not leave them overwhelmed with grief nor swallowed up of sorrow at his departure John 14.1 18 27. I will not leave you comfortless let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid He knew the loss of his Presence might strike cold to their hearts The Children of the Bridechamber might mourn alas the Bridegroom is taken away they might cry after so good a Teacher and Master My Father my Father the Horsemen of Israel and Chariots thereof and sorrow most of all that they must see his face on Earth no more Well The Lord God had
given Him the Tongue of the Learned to speak a word in due season to him that is weary anointed Him to comfort them that mourn and he giveth his Disciples a Cordial to keep them from swooning and fainting something to allay their grief and bear up their hearts they could ill let him go except he bless them and He giveth them a rich Legacy My Peace I give unto you John 14.27 and here a Blessing which proved very effactual to turn their grief into Joy For it followeth in the next verse after my Text They returned to Jerusalem with great Joy 5. Jesus Christ would have all his People know That He will pour down Showrs of Blessing on his Church and People to the End of the World This Blessing at his parting shall prevail on all Ages to the strong Consolation of Believers The Efficacy of it abideth and shall be on the head of Joseph on the top of the heads of such as are chosen out of the world Christ's good Will was not only to his Disciples but also to all that shall believe through their word John 17.20 6. Jesus Christ ascended Blessing that he might arm his Disciples against Persecutions and Difficulties which they must afterwards encounter He knew they must meet with much Contradiction in preaching of the Gospel that they must seal his Truths with their Blood and drink of the Cup which he drank And to animate them he will have them eye-witnesses of his Ascension and as Elijah let his Mantle fall on Elisha he lets a Blessing alight upon them 7. The Lord Jesus would declare That he hath taken away the Curse from his People and hath Authority to bless Gal. 3.13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us that the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles Christ by his Death and Sufferings hath turned the Curse into a Blessing blotting out the hand-writing against us and as Conquerours use to give gifts so He in his Ascension gave and pronounced Blessings among his People It was his Coronation Day the Day of the gladness of his heart he was entring into his Ivory-Palace with gladness where all the Host of Heaven must ascribe Glory to Him And He will have some of his Oyl of Gladness run down upon his Members here on Earth 8. Lastly Jesus Christ would well fill up all Relations in which he stood to his Disciples and be as good and better in point of Love and Faithfulness in such Offices and Relations than ever any was Four sorts of Offices and Relations used to bless especially at parting 1. Parents did bless their Children so did the godly Patriarchs and Job and David c. 2. Masters their Housholds and Servants Abraham blessed his Servant Gen. 24.7 3. Kings and Rulers blessed their People Moses Solomon Hezekiah and Esther prayed for their People Melchisedec King of Salem blessed Abraham Gen. 14.18 Blessed be Abraham of the Most High God 4. Ecclesiastical Officers Priests and Levites and Prophets under the Law Melchisedec Priest of the Most High God blessed Abraham And Ministers extraordinary and ordinary under the Gospel bless People Now Jesus Christ stood in such Relations to his People He is their Father Isa 9.6 Heb 2.13 14. and puts the Blessing of a Father on them their Master and blesseth the Houshold of Faith Their King and fulfilled that Type of Melchisedec's Blessing Heb. 7.1 6. As Prophet and Priest yea Apostle and High Priest of our Profession at his entring into Heaven he with hands lift up imparteth a Blessing on his People I come now to make some use of this point And first Seeing the Lord Jesus went to Heaven blessing his Disciples let us all learn of him to bless and not curse yea to bless them that persecute us Rom. 12.14 Here you have an exact patern the best Teacher follow his steps Render not railing for railing but contrariwise Blessing for ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a Blessing 1 Pet. 3.9 Here is a fair Copy to write after a good Lesson well becoming true Christians When Christ was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatened not 1 Pet. 2.23 His last farewel was Blessing Alas Christians we know not what spirit we are of for trivial injuries ready to be calling for fire from Heaven and to have our tongues full of deadly poyson and set on fire of Hell Therewith bless we God even the Father and therewith curse we man made after the similitude of God Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing My Brethren these things ought not so to be Jam. 3.8 9.10 O consider for the moderating of our spirits and tongues Jesus Christ suffered Contradiction of sinners was spit upon and had the highest injuries and greatest affronts offered him and though he could have commanded twelve Legions of Angels to have aided him yet he came as a Lamb to the slaughter and opened not his mouth nay he prayed Father forgive them Luke 23.34 His own Disciples shewed a great deal of unbelief and disobedience forsook him in the hour of darkness and had many ambitious thoughts and much selfiish discourse yet his Love covered a multitude of faults so as he blessed them at parting O let the same mind be in you that was in Christ be meek and lowly be courteous and pittiful forbearing one another and forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Let the Fruits of the Spirit Love and Peace and Meekness be found in you and abound 2. Use Christ going to Heaven solemnly blessing should teach us to expect all Blessings from Heaven only through Christ and that all the Blessings of the New-Covenant are dispensed by the hand of the Mediator only in him shall men be blessed Mens blessings are but blanks cyphers vain and of no value except Christ bless There is that blesseth himself in his wickedness saying I shall have peace Deut. 29.19 but in vain God's anger will smoke against that man There is no peace to the wicked The wicked flattereth himself Psal 26.2 but his iniquity will be found to be hatefull There are that bless the covetous but the Lord abhoreth them Psal 10.3 A sorry bargain to have mâ—n acquit and the Lord held guilty mans blessing will stand in little stead when the Lord shall say Depart ye cursed It is not in all the creatures to render him a blessed man whom Christ doth not bless To proceed There is no blessing to be had from God but only through Christ Christ is the Emmanuel through whom there is peace on Earth and goodwill towards men he is the true Mercy-Seat with the wings of the Cherubims spread over it whence the Lord will commune with his People He is the true Jacobs Ladder reaching from Earth to Heaven from the top whereof the Lord declareth he is his Peoples God and will be with them in all places whithersoever
Calls his Sheep hear his Voice and know not the voice of strangers give him your eye look unto him and be saved give him your hand and feet to do what he commandeth and come when he calleth give him your knee to bow to him not meerly in a complement but to submit to his Laws and obey him as King and Lord especially give him your hearts let him be enthroned there Lift the everlasting Doors that the King of Glory may enter With the tongue you must confess and with the heart believe that you may be saved And take him for yours for ever abide for him for many dayes Beware of Apostacy by which Judas lost the Blessing and went to his own place You see Brethren al blessings are to be expected only through Christ I beseech you go home and work these things on your hearts by meditation wrestle for a Blessing say Lord Jesus who blessedst thy Disciples bless me even me also I will not let thee go unless thou bless me cry to him as the blind lame and diseased cryed when he was on earth Jesus have Mercy on us and believe that he is able willing and ready to bless you As for me God forbid I should cease to pray for you that the Lord would put his Blessing on you One thing further let me mind you of That you be much in blessing God for his Love and Faithfulness in giving his Son and ascribing Blessing and Praise to the Lord Jesus for all spiritual Blessings and for going to Heaven blessing his People Especially I charge you be careful to spend the Lords Day which is precious time which he hath sequestred and set apart for himself in a thankful Commemoration of Jesus Christ his Grace and Compassion to poor sinners and not in sports and past-times study what you shall render to him in lieu of such superlative and incomparable Love and in a due Sanctification of the Lord's Day endeavour that the Name of Christ may be remembred through out all Ages The third and last Use is Consolation for I would not leave you comfortless 1. Here is abundant Encouragement to poor sinners to come to Christ you that have trembling hearts and dare scarce look up to Christ by reason of your sins lest he call you Dogs and cast you out who are ready to say There is indeed Consolation in Christ and he hath Blessings enough to bestow but they are not for me let me tell you it is good to be humble and sensible of your own vileness but not to be faithless and unbelieving for unbelief is highly derogatory dishonourable to Jesus Christ and wrong to your own souls a rejecting of your own mercy I could also tell you it is the most unreasonable thing for you to question Christ's pitty and tenderness towards poor heavy laden sinners after that he hath from Eternity had his delights with the sons of men Prov. 8.31 And in Noahs time he was preaching to save souls would they have believed and obeyed He sent all his Prophets of old to testifie remission of sins to all that believe in Him Acts 10.43 The Prophets testifie his tenderness Consult Isa 55. the seven first verses Ho every one that thirsteth He will abundantly pardon Isa 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs and carry them in his bosome Isa 42.3 A bruised Reed shall he not break Isa 61.1 2 3. He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted Ezek. 18.23 Have I any pleasure that the wicked should dye Psal 72.12 13 14. He shall save the souls of the needy You have his own Testimony John 6.37 Them that come to me I will in no wise cast out You have the Experiences of the Saints recorded for your encouragement The Apostle Paul who was a Persecutor and confesseth himself the chief of sinners yet he obtained Mercy The thief upon the Cross though before he reviled Christ yet praying obtained a very gracious Answer Nay consider what Christ hath done to shew himself in good earnest to save souls He knew what a bitter Cup he must drink yet Loe I come he became our Surety and longed to have our debt paid and his People redeemed Luke 12.50 He was wondrously straitned till his Baptism of Blood was accomplished He hath sent his Apostles after such signal Manifestations of Grace to testifie it And in his Name my Beloved I am this day declaring to you That he is very willing and ready to receive any that will come to him and would gather you as a Hen doth her Chickens under her wings never did any find him backward nay He is more willing to bless you than you are to receive his Blessings It 's some satisfaction when men will come that he may see the travel of his soul Isa 53.11 He taketh it ill that we are so backward in coming He loved the young-man that came running kneeling enquiring Good Master what shall I do c. and had the young-man liked the terms the match had been made the breach was not on Christ's part Nay Luke 15. he sheweth there is joy in Heaven over one repenting sinner in three Parables Draw near then thou drooping dejected soul come and see not only the Hands and Feet of thy Saviour put not only thy hands into his pierced Side But behold the heart of thy Redeemer behold thy Lord lifting up his Hands and Blessing and see if there be not ground to cry out My Lord and my God Had you seen Him after sweating drops of Blood for you ascending with such Expressions of hearty Love could you have doubted Had you seen his Hands lifted up in blessing his People on Earth at his last farewel could you doubt of his willingness to bless you 2. Here is Comfort for the People of God amidst all the Curses and Persecutions of the world Be not afraid no matter who curse so Christ bless Psal 109. Let them curse but bless thou Christ's Blessing is your Pavilion from the strife of tongues For first Christ blesseth effectually Psal 37.22 when Christ will bless men cannot let Secondly Irrevocably When Christ blesseth men cannot reverse it Balaam could not curse Israel when God had blessed The Blessings of Christ are without Repentance Men now cry Hosanna anon crucifie but they whom Christ blesseth shall be blessed everlastingly Thirdly he blesseth such as bless his Servants and curseth them that curse them Gen. 12.3 Fourthly He blesseth his People for mens cursing 2 Sam. 16.12 Fifthly He turneth the Curse into a Blessing Deut. 23.5 Sixthly He hath variety of Blessings Blessings of the Dew of Heaven and of the Deep Esau cryed Hast thou but one Blessing bless me also O my Father But Christ's Blessings are an Ocean never exhausted He is a Sun full of Light after so many thousand years emanation of Blessings and irradiation of the World therewith he is as full as ever He is a Fountain always flowing and ever full He hath national Blessings pardon of sin
Temptation to enjoy worldly Greatness yet he overcame it by withdrawing himself Thus Christ overcame the World in the heigth of its pomp and glory 3. Temptations from friends to sin to avoid evil fore-seen these are great Temptations yet these Christ overcame Mat. 16.21 22. Christ knowing and fore-seeing his great Sufferings acquainteth his Disciples with them Peter adviseth him to look to himself as this way the Christians were assaulted in the Primitive times yet Christ overcame and repelled that carnal suggestion ver 23. 4. Christ also overcame the Sufferings of the World and all the Persecutions that were raised against him Persecutions of the tongue John 9.24 So Mat. 10.25 And after his Agony in the Garden his buffetting spitting on crowning with thorns and the ignominious and shameful Death of the Cross These were Temptations to sin but in all these conflicts Christ overcame and preserved himself free from sin 5. He did not only overcome all Temptations from the World but the Captain or General on the Worlds side who hath the Management of these Temptations Ephes 2.2 Mat. 4.3 to 10. Thus he fully overcame the World Col. 2.15 Thirdly In which of the foregoing senses did Christ overcome the World I answer 1. In both he overcame by resisting all Temptations he met with from the World and enduring all sufferings that were laid on him in the world patiently and meekly without sin 1 Pet. 2.21 22 23. Isa 53.8 9. If he had been drawn to sin by the World then the World had overcome him but being free he overcame 2. Christ having thus overcome the World he did manage his Victory after his Resurrection Mat. 28.18 19 20. and after his Ascension Ephes 4.10 11. Thus he did by the preaching of the Gospel increase his Dominions calling in the Gentiles Thus he did excellently pursue his Victory to the weakening of Satans Kingdom and the enlargement of his own Fourthly Why is it said I have overcome when the Victory was not yet perfect I answer 1. Because Christ had then in his own person conquered the World so far as he had been assaulted by it or had conflicted with it And though his perfect Victory over the World in his own person was to be accomplished on his Cross yet it is said to be already because he was â—â—rtain that he should overcome in his last and great Conflict on the Cross 2. Though this Victory be not accomplished fully as to Christ's Members yet Christ hath so overcome the World as that it is certain at the Day of Judgement they shall have no power to make any further resistance when the wicked shall be turned into Hell and all the Nations that forget God Psal 9.17 When those his Enemies which would not that he should reign over them shall be brought and slain before him Luke 19.27 When the World shall pass away and the Lust thereof 1 John 2.17 Fifthly That it is so 1. Because Christ as he came into the World pure without sin so though the Devil and World did to their utmost assault him yet he was till death pure and free from sin Our first Parents were overcome when they yeelded to sin but Christ overcame because he is pure and free from sin and ever was so 1 Pet. 2.22 Heb. 4.15 and this is as it were a plain proof of his Victory he was tempted yet without sin as the contrary is of the Devil and Worlds conquest 2 Pet. 2.19 20. 2. Because he enjoyed the Crown the Reward due to the Conqueror Rev. 3.21 As I overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne q. d. I therefore have this Glory Honour conferred on me because I have conquered If I had been overcome by the World then I had missed of it So that Christ sitting at his Fathers right hand is an evident Testimony of his Victory for he had not had that Glory if he had not conquered Sixthly Reasons why Reas 1. That he might glorifie his Divine Power After that the Devil and World had overcome Adam and his Posterity and Man by the own strength and power could not overcome or get out of his snare or from under the power of Satan and the World Heb. 10.4 to 10. Lo I come q. d. I come who am God as well as man able to give satisfaction and to conquer the World and having undertaken this conflict and entred the Lists he overcame for the Glory of his Divinity Reas 2. That he might accomplish our Salvation For had he whilst he was upon earth been overcome by the World and so tainted with sin the work of our Redemption and Salvation had miscarried 1 Pet. 1.18 19. In Exod. 12.5 The Lamb that was to typifie Christ must be without blemish Now had Christ been overcome so as to be stained with sin our Salvation had miscarried but he overcame the world for our sakes Reas 3. He did this for the Joy that was set before him Heb. 12.2 If he did win the victory and gain the conquest the advancing of his humane nature to God's right hand was promised him if he overcame and this encouraged him in his conflict as appeareth Who for the Joy c. This he did expect at God's hand John 17.4 5. I have glorified thee on earth and now O Father glorifie thou me with thine own self with the Glory which I had with thee before the world was He was just now at his last and great conflict is confident he shall overcome and mindeth God of his Reward Reas 4. That he might teach and instruct us how to conquer the World Christ conquering by suffering was for our example 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps And so we are in our conflicts frequently put in mind of Câ—rist's Heb. 12.2 3 4. and so doubtless Christ did conquer and overcome the World for to give us an Example He could have done it as God but he did it in our natures for this end Use 1. If this be so then it is for a Christians comfort and encouragement that the Captain of our Salvation hath overcome our Enemy the World Heb. 2.10 He got a perfect Victory by Suffering It is the joy of Souldiers that their Captain hath got the field So it should be of us Christians for the Souldiers are not more sure to reap benefit by the Captains victory than we by Christ's 1. Christ hath overcome the World in the utmost of its strength and vigor It tryed its full strength with the want of necessary sustenance when hungry with the heighth of Glory and abundance Mat. 4.2 3 8. with the perswasion of friends and extremity of sufferings yet Christ overcame the World in that nature and so assureth us that its possible for man to overcome this Enemy in its full force 2. Because that this Victory of Christs is the ground of our Assurance of Salvation For after the Devil had conquered
Son Is he a pleasant Child Since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him and I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord. And this tender compassion is not a bare pitty but an helping relieving succouring Pitty Many have compassion but want ability to help and succour others have ability to help but want compassion but God hath both Mercy to pitty and Ability to help and save his People and therefore we have frequently an Act of Deliverance joyned with an Act of Mercy When Hazael King of Syria oppressed Israel all the dayes of Jehoahaz the Lord was gracious unto them and had compassion on them and would not destroy them 2 Kings 13.22 23. And the reason why God did not destroy the Jews in the Wilderness was because of his Mercy But he being full of Compassion for gave their Iniquity destroyed them not Psal 78.38 Mercy steps in and pleades prevailingly against Justice for the preservation of a People And this Compassion of God God's People have pleaded with him for deliverance Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy Glory Where is thy Zeal and thy Strength the sounding of thy Bowels and Mercies towards me are they restrained O Lord thou art our Father and our Redeemer Isa 63.15 16. This Mercy is a sin-pardoning-Mercy And this will be a refuge to fly unto when ye are pursued by an accusing condemning Conscience for sin committed this is a Cordial of greater comfort than sin a cause of sorrow a Plaister of a larger proportion than the wounds of sin upon your Conscience it as far excells thy Scarlet-dyed sins as the distance is betwixt East and West As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us Psal 103.12 compared to the height of heaven above the earth As the Heaven is high above the Earth so great is Mercy to them that fear Him Psal 103.11 And again My thoughts are not your thoughts nor my wayes as your wayes for as the Heaven is higher than the Earth so are my Wayes higher than your wayes and my Thoughts than your thoughts and therefore he will abundantly pardon Isa 55.7 8 9. Compared to a Sea that can swallow and cover Mountains as well as mole-hills Mic. 7.19 This Sea of Mercy covered Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Davids Adultery and Murder Mary Magdalens Whoredom Peters Denial of Christ and Pauls Persecution and covers the mountains and multitudes of sins of all God's People in all ages of the world and will be a Refuge for your security against the guilt of sin if you flee unto it this is a Refuge to secure you against the violence of the proud Psal 86.14 15 16. This is a Mercy so lasting that is everlasting In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting Kindness will I have Mercy on thee saith the Lord Isa 54.7 8 9 10. Christ is so merciful a Shepherd as in the dayes of his flesh he had compassion on the multitude because they were sheep without a Shepherd and now he sits upon the Throne of Glory he hath not laid this tenderness to his Church aside but will either provide fresh supplies or support and preserve his People under want of ordinary means by an extraordinary manner And to this Mercy I commend you that as a shield will defend you from the Curses Divinations Inchantments Anathema's of your enemies that will destroy your Persecutors pitty you under all your pressures redeem you from your miseries â—ecure you against the guilt of sin committed and provide for your want and relieve you by some ordinary or extraordinary way 3. This is to commit you to the greatest fidelity They that will defend and secure others must be faithful as well as merciful Faithless defenders are worse than open pursuers they rob us of the safety we expected and expose us to the danger we least feared Jaels peace was Sisera's death And how often did faithless Dalilah attempt to betray Sampson to the Philistines Judg. 16. And David must not lodge in Keilah because the Inhabitants would deliver him up 1. Sam. 23.11 12. Ahabs Children lost their heads by the unfaithfulness of their Guardians 2 King 10. How many famous and strong Castles well-fenced Towns and formidable Armies have been destroyed by the treachery of faithless Guards Commanders Open fields have more security with Faithfulness than the strongest walls with Treachery Nothing safe committed to the custody of faithless persons Orphans wronged and defrauded your Estates imbezeled your Persons betrayed your Lives exceedingly endangered and what comfort or security can there be in such Guardians or Protectors But to be committed to such Keepers whom Favour cannot win nor Preferments corrupt nor Rewards bribe nor Fear nor Threatening nor Dangers discourage but remain resolute and faithful against all is great Security and Comfort And such an one is God He is the faithful God faithful to make good his Promises faithful to preserve whatsoever is committed to him The Apostle would not have committed the Ministers the Affairs and Concernment of the Church of Ephesus to God if he had not been a faithful God Christ when he dyed said Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit And Peter exhorts the afflicted Christians in his dayes to commit their souls unto God as unto a faithful Creator 1 Pet. 4.19 And how many Martyrs when they have become whole offerings to God have given their souls in charge to God Father into thy Hands I commit my spirit whatsoever is laid up in the hands of God is safe and secure He cannot be bribed by Promises Rewards or any other way to surrender any thing that is committed to his custody He is faithful to the least Beast of our Herds to the least hair on your heads Luke 21.18 And if he be faithful in the least he will not be unfaithful in the greatest He is faithful to keep your persons in dangers not to give you up to the rage and ruine of your enemies The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his Enemies Psal 41.2 And David prayes that God would secure him against false Accusers Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me Psal 27.12 He is faithful to preserve you from Temptation He binds up Satan that he cannot tempt you when he would and when he gives Satan leave to tempt yet God will be your refuge in the temptation God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear but with the temptation will find out a way for your deliverance 1 Cor. 10.13 Thus he prayed that Peters faith failed not Luke 22.31 his Grace was sufficient for Paul 2 Cor. 12.7 he is
faithful to preserve your Graces your Knowledge Faith Love Hope Patience Humility c. if God did not keep them they would soon wither decay and come to nothing Satan would soon rob you of them sin would soon wast and destroy them but he will not lose the least dust of this Gold He is faithful to preserve your Joy and Peace of conscience Our Comforts have need of his protection as well as our Graces How soon would temptations sin and persecution blow our Comforts away if not preserved by him In the world yee shall have tribulation but in me ye shall have peace John 16.33 Your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from you ver 22. Neither reproaches nor imprisonments nor persecutions shal quench your joy for he can make you sing in prisons and rejoyce in tribulation for his Name Acts 16. Rom 5. And though your Graces be weakened and your Comforts eclipsed yet he will revive and strong then your Graces he will restore your Comforts Though he cast down yet he is faithful he will not cast off though he may suffer your bodies to be imprisoned banished tortured burned yet he is faithful to keep them safe until the Resurrection the great and general Spring when they shall be raised and reunited to your souls and reflourish in a glorified manner to eternity And here is great security concerning temporal danger temptation Graces Comforts and all To which I commend you and your All for Protection and Comfort 4. This is to commit you to the greatest care and diligence Diligence is as necessary in those that will secure and protect others as well as Mercy and Faithfulness Sleepy Guards and Watchmen betray strong Castles and fortified Garisons as well as unfaithful Guards The men of Laish were a secure and negligent People and the men of Dan took their City and destroyed them with the edge of the Sword Judg. 18. Whilst Abner and the Army slept Abisha would have slain Saul their King if David would have permitted him 1 Sam. 26.11 12. How many famous and formidable Armies have been utterly routed and thousands of men slain by an handful of people through carelesness and negligence better is a weak defence with care and diligence than a strong fortified place with negligence But Jesus Christ is very diligent and watchful for the preservation of his Church and People even as the diligent Keeper of a Vineyard alwayes watcheth that none spoil his Vineyard that wild beasts break not in and spoil it so God watcheth and defendeth his Church I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Isa 27.3 He knows all the plots and contrivances of ungodly men against his Church Why do the Heathen rage and the People imagine a vain thing and the Kings of the Earth take counsel together against the Lord and his Anointed Psal 2.1 2. He knew all the devices of Senacherib against Jerusalem I know saith God thy abode thy comming in thy going out and thy rage against me Isa 37.28 Many are the devices of wicked men against God's Children and they know them not but God knows them when they are in their deep consultations God's eye is upon them he stands by and hears them God knows the confederacy of Syria and Ephraim against Judah and Jerusalem to take it and set up a King for themselves Isa 7.5 6. He knew the bloody design of Herod against Christ notwithstanding his pretence of worshipping him He saw the desperate Popish Gun-Powder Plot here in England God is very diligent to know all the designs of his Churches enemies He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep Psa 121.3 4. Though the enemies of the Church are vigilent politick and strong yet the Defender of the Church is more vigilent more politick more strong he opposeth his Wisdom to their wisdom his Counsels to their counsels his Power to their power he out-wits them and out-powers them He bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought and makes the devices of the People of none effect Psal 33.10 He taketh the wise in their craftiness he maketh them to fall into the same Snare they have laid and into the same Pit they have digged for others Psal 7.15 16. He hangs Haman on the same Gallows he had raised for Mordecai And as he is diligent to discover the plots of his Peoples enemies so he is diligent to defend his People even as the Governour of a besieged Garison is diligent to look to every place and bring fresh aid and new supply where there is most need he encourages them that are fainting saves them that are in danger his care and diligence is a great security and comfort So God is every where with his People diligent to save them to refresh to strengthen them He is with his Josephs in Prison with his Jobs on the Dunghil with his Daniels in the Lions-Den with the three Children in the fiery Fornace Are they imprisoned banished sick pesecured in great dangers God is careful to save them The eyes of the Lord run to and fro upon the whole Earth to shew himself Mighty on the behalf of them that fear his Name 2 Chron. 16.9 He is diligent to preserve the souls as well as the bodies of his People from Satans temptations the allurements of the world and inward corruptions and though he suffers them to be tempted yet he is with them and will not suffer them to be tempted above what they are able to bear He is diligent to preserve the Graces of his People even as the Goldsmith is careful and diligent to keep and save all the filings and dust of his Gold because the least grain of it according to its proportion is precious so the least of your Graces though weak and small in your account is precious and of great worth in the account of God and he will not suffer the least to decay He will not break a bruised reed nor quench smoaking flax God's People are very precious in his esteem they are his Jewels Mal. 3. as dear to him as the apple of his eye Zeph. 2. As a man when his house is on fire is wonderful diligent to keep and save from the flame whatsoever is dear and precious to him his Wife and Children his Silver and Gold and his Jewels So when the World or a Nation is on a flame God is wonderfully careful to preserve his People that are his Jewels his Spouse his Children they are dear to him Are you afraid that the Furnace will be heated too hot that the Temptation will be too strong or the burden of Afflictions too great to bear Let this be your comfort he is your Security and will proportion afflictions to your strength or give strength proportionable to the burden And if he give strength to bear a burden it is as if he laid no burden at all upon you he
a great energy 1. This is to commit you to the Captain of the Church The Church is compared to an Army with Banners and Christ is the Captain General of that Army John 5.13 14 this Captain is wise and pollitick to find out and disappoint the cruel Stratagems and bloody Designs of his Churches Enemies Psal 33. He bringeth the Counsel of the Heathens to naught and maketh the Devices of the People of none effect He is prudent in managing all the Affairs and Concernments of the Church and orders them for his Peoples advantage because He is Wonderful in Counsel and Excellent in working Isa 28.29 As the Captain of his Church He goes before them in all their dangers He a bates the Fury of the Adversary he blunts the Sword he will make way for his People to follow him through the greatest difficulties He stops the mouths of hungry Lyons cooleth a Fiery-furnace makes a Jordan and a red Sea passable He hath tasted of every cup hath taken away the Poyson of it and makes it medicinal and sweet in the issue hence called The Leader and Commander of his People Isa 55.4 As your Captain he will succour you with new supplies of Strength and Courage in all your combatings with Corruptions Temptations and Satan and restore you when you are near vanquished his Grace is sufficient for you 2 Cor. 12. As your Captain he encourageth you by his Word Isa 41.13 14 15. Mat. 10.28 Luke 12.32 John 14.27 Rev. 2.10 by his Example Heb. 12.1 2 3. by promise of Reward that the Dunghil of your sufferings through perseverance and uprightness shall be turned into a Throne of Glory Be thou faithful unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Rev. 3.10 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my Throne even as I overcame and am sate down with my Father on his Throne Rev. 3.21 As our Captain he conquers all our Eenemies Sin Satan the World and crowns us with Victory Rom. 8.37 We are more than Conquerors through Christ that loved us And hence the Apostle triumphs O Death were is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory The sting of Death is Sin and the strength of Sin is the Law but thanks be to God that giveth us the Victory through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. 2. He is the King of his Church Psal 2.6 called the King of Saints Rev. 15.3 stilled the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 As King he will effectually call you and all others that belong to the Election of Grace into a state of Salvation Thy People shall be a willing People in the day of thy Power Psal 110.3 He will redeem you from the Thraldom of Sin and Satans Vassalage turning Darkness to Light from the Power of Satan to the Power of God Acts 26.18 Kings are the Refuge of their distressed Subjects like the Tree in Nebuchadnezzars Vision in whose branches the Birds builded their nests and under whose shadows the Beasts rested and secured themselves Dan. 4.12 So God is the great Refuge of his Church of his People Thy Name is a strong Tower and the Righteous fly thereunto and are safe Prov. 18.10 If you will be true Christians you must expect to meet with stormy and windy dayes within you and by corruption without you by wicked men and infernal Spiâ—its expect to be persecuted pursued with temptations stung with sin and buffeted by Satan but here is your Refuge Isa 32.2 A man shall be an hiding place from the wind and a covert from the storm and the shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land This King of the the Church is glorious in Power fearful in Praises doing Wonders He is the Sole Soveraign of the three Kingdoms Heaven Earth and Hell and governs all the Creatures therein and disposeth their actions according to his will He stills the raging Sea turning the storm into a calm and limits the foaming and furious waves so far shalt thou go and no further He binds up the four Angels at the River Euphrates and looseth them at his pleasure and limits their rage i. e. He binds up and looseth and limits the Turkish Fury for an hour for a day for a month for a year which like mighty Seas break out and bear down before it mighty Nations and Kingdoms drowning them in the Floods of hostile Invasions and Miseries Rev. 9.14 15. This King binds up the Devil in the Chains of his Power and Providence that he cannot tempt you touch an hair of your head nor a Swine of your herd unless God give him leave and if he give him leave yet he limits for duration of time and measure so that your enemies shall neither sooner nor longer nor more afflict you than God gives them leave This King will subdue and conquer his Churches Enemies He will break them with a Rod of Iron and dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel Psal 2.9 He will strike through Kings in the day of his wrath Psal 110. they shall be before him as Dust before the Wind as Briars Thorns Stubble before the Fire Isa 27.4 This King is wonderfully rich and multiplies great Gifts and Priviledges upon his Church and People He is a Sun and Shield he will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from you if ye live uprightly Psal 84.11 12. He will abundantly recompence all you works losses sufferings for him with an incorruptible Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 1.4 In a word in the day of his glorious Royalty when he comes to judge the World he will wipe off all the soot and blackness of Reproach and Sufferings and invest with an admirable Glory shining like the Sun in the Firmament 3. Jesus Christ is his Churches Shepherd Isa 40.11 He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd And God promiseth that he will set one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them even his servant David i. e. Christ of the Seed of David Ezek. 34.23 And Christ assureth us that he is the good Shepherd John 10.11 14 16. What a Shepherd is to his Sheep the same is Christ to his Church he will provide Pasture for his People He maketh me saith David to lye down in green Pastures and leads me beside the still Waters Psal 23. These green Pastures and still waters are Gospel Ordinances where his People feed and drink The variety of Ordinances shew the variety of feeding the richness and fulness of the Ordinances shew the plentifulness of feeding Here is Milk for Babes Wine for the Faint Water for the Scorched strong Meat for strong Christians Isa 55.1 2. He hath provided his Body and Blood to feast and feed you to Life Eternal He knows the number of his Sheep and their particular persons from other men John 10.14 I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep The Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this seal The Lord knoweth them
to save themselves and few Friends in the Court then the High-Court of Heaven appears their Friend and the Lord of Hosts their refuge and saves them But how Not by an Army nor by an Angel but by breaking the Kings sleep and that the time might not be tedious the Books of their Chronicles must be read and God so ordered that they read how Mordicai the Jew had saved the King from the Treason of Bigthana and Teresh two Chamberlains which was the beginning of their delivery Esth 6. How wonderfull was the discovery of and delivery from the Powder-plot how near was it to have effected the great design how unlikely to have been discovered and prevented if God had not disappointed it He is wonderful in changing the very order and nature of the Creatures that Fire shall not burn you nor hungry Lions devour nor Waters drown you 2. He is wonderful in working deliverance by small means and the greater the things done by small means the greater is the Wonder How did he overthrow Zerah the Ethiopian leading an Army of a thousand thousand by an handful of men 2 Chr. 14.11 The formidable Army of the Amalakites by Gideons three hundred Judg. 7. By Deborah and Barak and Cyrus weak instruments he delivered his People from great thraldom He can arm the smallest creatures Frogs Lice the dust of the Earth the ashes of a Furnace with strength to plague his Churches enemies He can make Israel a worm and poor weak contemptible People to beat Mountains into dust that is destroy Nations and Kingdoms and Oppressors that seem great immovable and impregnable Mountains Isa 41. Infinite Wisdom and Power knows no difference betwixt the smallest and strongest instruments 3. Wonderful in delivering his People without means What he doth by means he can do without means he can create means when there is none When Hezekiah complained The Children are come to the birth but there is no power to bring forth God sent an Angel and in one night slew an hundred fourscore and four thousand of the Syrian Army 2 Kings 19.35 He smote Herod that he was devoured with worms Acts 12.23 and Julian the Apostate with an Arrow from Heaven He can smite his Churches enemies with divisions and make them destroy each other as the Ammonites Moabites and inhabitants of Mount-Seir when they came against Jerusalem in the dayes of Jehosaphet 2 Chron. 20.22 23. And how wonderful will God be when he shall raise up his slain Witnesses as men out of the grave And make new Heavens and a new Earth giving his Persecuted Church great Peace and Tranquility 4. He is wonderful in turning the devices of the Churches enemies upon themselves that catcheth them in the same Snare they have laid and maketh them fall into the Ditch they digged for others He returns their mischief upon their own heads and their violent dealings upon their own pates Psal 7.15 16. He hanged Haman on the same Gallows he reared for Mordecai And cast Daniels accusers into the Lions Den all whose bones were broken in peices before they came to the bottom of the Den when he brought Daniel forth having no hurt upon him Dan. 6. I have done with the Doctrinal part of the first Branch for your Security and Comfort to wit God A word or two for Application and then to the second Branch If God be the best Security and Comfort a departing Minister can commit his People unto Be perswaded 1. To get an interest in this God It is of small or no advantage to hear that God is such Security and Comfort to his People in their lowest conditions and sharpest afflictions unless you have interest in him in his Love to delight in you in his Mercy to pitty you in all your miseries in his Diligence and Faithfulness to keep you in his Power to save and defend you in dangers in the fulness of his Grace to supply your wants in him as the fulness and sweetness of all relations to you your Captain your King your Shepherd your Father your Husband It is no relief nor comfort to a naked hungry and thirsty man to hear there are fine Cloaths dainty Food sweet and rich Wine in such and such places if he hath no propriety in them he may perish in his want for all these So though God is such Sovereign Security and Comfort to his People yet you may perish that have no interest in him Propriety in God is ground of your comfort and security If you would have him to be your Captain you must be his Soldiers to fight his Battels against Sin and Satan If you would have him to be your King you must become his loyal Subjects to obey his Laws If you would have him to be your Shepherd your Father your Husband you must be his Sheep not Goats his Children not Bastards his Spouse not Adulteress God must have a propriety by Grace in you before you can have a propriety of Security and Comfort in him 2. Labour to improve your interest in God An interest in God known and improved is the best way and means to support and comfort the soul under sufferings Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him There is light in the Sun to direct us vertue in Meat and Drink to nourish us in Cloaths to warm us in Physick to heal us in Cordials to strengthen us but if we shut our eyes against the Sun it is to us as if there were no Sun at all Meat and Drink nourish not unless we feed on them Cloaths do not warm us unless we put them on Physick doth not cure us unless we drink it So though there is enough in God for your security and comfort yet unless you improve your interest in God you will have small comfort from him Therefore exercise your Faith much upon his Promises his Attributes upon his Dealings with his Church of old upon your own Experiences and draw strength and supplies of Grace from them Be frequent in fervent Prayer to God for your selves for the slain Ministry your Minister in particular and for these Nations Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love her See a suitableness and alsufficency in God for every condition you are in and improve it and you cannot want comfort in that condition Time will not permit me to enlarge upon these I hope the indispensable necssiety of the former duty and the incomparable benefit and advantage of this latter duty are sufficent motives to stir you up to perform them Now my Brethren we usually see when the Father of a Family dyes he leaves and commits the protection of his Widow and Fatherless the management of their affairs and concernments to the prudence and justice to the love of his most faithful and trusty friends And we see when Paul was no more to be at Ephesus he commends them to God and we read that Jesus Christ a
God's Grace is great Comfort and Security for a departing Minister to commend his People unto This is the second part of the Remedy I shall be brief herein Now I commend you to this Word 1. Because it is of indispensible Necessity Happiness is the great principle Nature hath implanted in every creature all its motions are in tendency to its rest and tranquility Now the happiness and chiefest good of the rational Creatures is God who is the Fountain and supream End of all good to enjoy him is an Heaven to his People here on Earth and the Heaven of heavens to Saints and Angels to behold and enjoy his beatificial Vision And though the light of Nature works of Creation and Providence do manifest that there is a God his Goodness Lordship and Sovereignty over all as to leave men inexcusable Rom. 1.19 yet are they not sufficient to give that Knowledge of God and his Will which is necessary to Salvation 1 Cor. 1.21 2.13 14. How little doth the Book of Nature teach us what an one God is that there is a Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity three Persons and but one God every of the three Persons God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost God yet not three Gods but one God! How little doth it teach us how this God will be worshiped how little doth it acquaint us with the excellent state of our Creation our miserable Apostacy how God came to be displeased with man and how he must be reconciled it tells us nothing of our Redemption from Sin Satan the Wrath of God by the Incarnation Death and Suffering of the Son of God it saith nothing of the Day of Judgement and Resurrection of our Bodies it tells us nothing and though it may possibly acquaint us with an immortal State yet what that Happiness is and what that Misery is how we came to be deprived naturally of that Happiness and how it must be recovered and who they be that shall enjoy it it saith nothing all which must be known before they can be believed Rom. 10. and they must be believed before we can be saved John 3.16 And therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and by divers manners to reveal himself and declare his Will to his Church Heb. 1.1 and afterward for the better preserving and propagating the Truth and for more sure establishment comfort of the Church against the corruptions of the flesh the malice of Satan and the World that she be not drowned in prophaness dejected by persecution blinded by ignorance misled by errours poysoned by heresies superstition and idolatry it pleased God to commit the same to writing which makes the sacred Scriptures most necessary those former wayes of God's revealing his will to his People being now ceased The Sun is not more necessary to enlighten warm and make fruitful this inferiour the World than the Word of God is for the World better to want the Sun in the Heavens than the Word of God in the World 2. I commend you to this Word because it is a compleat Word it is perfect as well as necessary such is the perfection of this Word that nothing is to be added to it nor diminished from it Deut. 4.2 Ye shall not add unto the Word I command you nor diminish from it Yea if an Angel from Heaven should preach and reveal another word than this he is accursed Gal. 1.8 9. God threatens that if any man shall add to the things wrote in his Word to add to him all the Plagues wrote in the Book And if any man shall take away from the Words of the Prophecy God will take away his part out of the Book of Life Rev. 22.18 19. all which Commands and Threatenings had not been given if God's Word had not been perfect it is compleatly perfect for the information of our understanding and will in things to be believed and for our direction in things to be avoided and practised 2 Tim. 3.17 18. All Scripture is of Divine Inspiration and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect and thorowly furnished unto every good Work This teacheth you all things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation that there is a God and what an one this God is it teacheth you that there is a Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity that there is three Persons and but one God every one of the Persons God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost-God yet not three God's but one God It teacheth you what an one God is in his Attributes in his Works of Nature and of Grace This tells you what was our Primitive Excellency and Happiness in Creation our Deformity and Misery in our Fall This perfectly declares our Redemption from Sin Satan Gods Wrath by the Incarnation Death and Passion of Jesus Christ the Son of God that as Mediator and Redeemer he is the Priest Prophet and King of his Church what he hath done suffered and purchased for Us Pardon and Justification Peace with God and Reconciliation Adoption Grace and Glory It assures us of a Day of Judgement and Resurrection of all Persons from the Grave Of the blessed Estate of the Godly of the Misery of the Ungodly and the Eternity of both This directs you in things to be avoided all Duties of your several Relations to be practised Duties of your general and particular Calling Duties of Piety in the first Table Duties of Righteouss Charity and Temperance in the second Table as Husbands and Wives as Children and Parents as Masters and Servants according to your Relations of Consanguinity Affinity Friendship and Neighbourhood and therefore we are commanded to lay the Word up in our hearts richly in all Wisdom Col. 2.16 and to speak of it to our Children when we sit down in our houses walk by the way when we lye down and when we rise up Deut. 11.18 19. Yea Kings and supream Authorities of a Nation must reade in this Book all their dayes that they may fear God and administer Justice and Judgement to the People that they may relieve the Oppressed to be Encouragements and Defenders of the Good and Terrours to Evil-doers 3. I commend you to this Word because of its daily Usefulness and Profitableness every day and in every condition it is useful and profitable unto you and very suitable 1. It is a Light to enlighten and guide you How useful and comfortable is Light to man shut up in a dark Dungeon How useful and beneficial is a Light to a Traveller when the night is very dark the Moon and Stars covered with pitchie Clouds the way very miry and dirty dangerous by pits and precipices and easie to be mistaken By nature your souls are like a dark Dungeon having no saving knowledge of God of your selves your sin and misery nor of Christ the Sovereign Remedy But this Word