and the raine falls yet he will not returne and if he meet with foule and dirty way he will through it or with a slough he will over it because it is for his life but if a man rides for recreation onely and meets with windes and clouds and stormes he turnes back again And truly brethren the wayes of most Christians in religion are me thinks such as if they took them up for recreation and nothing else therefore if there be but a cloud arise a little trouble and affliction appear they repent their way and presently return back again O but did God reveal to thee what eternity is and what depends upon the course of thy life here then though there be clouds and stormes and tempests and rugged wayes yet thou wilt be ready to goe through all The conclusion therefore is this whenever thou art tempted to sin labour by what thou hast heard this day to repell temptations and say God hath shewed me this day the great errand and businesse I came into the world for of what infinite concernment those things are that depend upon the time of my life shall I then satisfie the lusts and corruptions of my own heart and gratifie the devil and the world and in the meane time neglect that which is of so great importance for the good of my soul Then once again O that you all knew in this your day the things that concerne your eternal peace Consider what hath been said and the Lord give you understanding hearts to make use of it This Sermon was preacht April 29. 1641. FINIS The CONTENTS of the foregoing SERMONS SERMON I. THe words are a part of Moses his Song which Song is page 2 1. The most ancient Song in the world ibid. 2. A spirituall and most excellent Song ibid. 3. A very delightfull Son ibid. 4. A Typicall Song ibid. 5. In the opinion of Austin a miraculous Song 3 Doctrine There is none like to God 4 1. Because whatever is in God is God himselfe 5 2. There is an universall goodnesse in God ibid. 3. All beings are but one excellency in God ibid. 4. All that is in God is primitively in him ibid. 5. God can communicate himselfe so as none can God can communicate as much of his goodnesse as he will And can make the creature as sensible of it as he will ibid. And God can bring all evil at once upon the creature And can make the creature as sensible of that evill as he will 6 Use It should be our care in beholding any good or excellency in the creature to keep in our thoughts and hearts an apprehension of the infinite distance that there is between God and that creature ibid. The want of which hath been the cause both of ontward Idolatry and of Spirituall Idolatry 7 There is none like to God therefore none like to the people of God 8 None should doe for their Idol-gods so as Gods people should doe for their God 9 What Idolaters will doe in reference to their Idol-gods ibid. Idolaters are 1. Earnest after their Idol-gods 10 2. They are mad upon their Idols ibid. 3. The strength of the affections of Idolaters after their Idol-gods appears from Jer. 8. 1 2. ibid. 4. Idolaters will be at any cost upon their Idols 11 5. Idolaters willing to suffer any thing for their Idol-gods ibid. 6. Idolaters constant to their Idols ibid. We should take heed lest any should have their hearts more set upon their lusts then ours are upon God ibid. Gods title of being glorious in holinesse considered 13 Holinesse in God what it is 1. Negatively It is that whereby his nature is free from all kind of mixture and from the least soils and filth of sinne ibid. 2. Positively It is the infinite rectitude and perfection of the will of God especially whereby he doth will and work all things sutable to the infinite excellency of his own being 14 The holinesse of God considered by looking into the holinesse of the creature ibid. How God is glorious in holinesse The Saints doe especially glory in God as a holy God 15 The Angels in Heaven look upon God in his holinesse and doe especially exalt him from thence ibid. The Church of God adore God in his holinesse ibid. God himselfe seems to glory in his holinesse above any other attribute ibid. God glories in Heaven as the habitation of his holinesse 16 God rejoyceth in his people as they are a holy people ibid. Holinesse is more especially ascribed to the third person in the Trinity ibid. All the three persons in the Trinity challenge an equall share in the working of holinesse in the creature ibid. Yet further holinesse must needs be the glory of God because it is the highest perfection and rectitude of an intelligent free agent 17 Holinesse in Scripture is called the beauty of God ibid. Holinesse some seeds of it the very image of it onely in the creature is called the glory of God ibid. Holinesse puts a lustre upon all the other attributes of God and makes them glorious ibid. Gods name is glorious by holinesse because the speciall end God aimes at in all his works of creation and providence is to advance holinesse 18 Why God hath this title glorious in holinesse given him here in this Song of Moses 1. To shew that the infinite excellency of Gods power is such that it is without any mixture of evil in the exercise of it ibid. 2. God manifesteth here the greatnesse of his wrath upon his enemies and yet the glory of his holinesse also ibid. 3. This Title is given to God here because in this great work of his he did manifest his faithfulness in fulfilling of his promises to his people 19 Use 1. Hence Christians may observe whether ever they understood God aright or no viz. by considering what is that excellency of God that their soule closeth with 20 2. Gods people should exceedingly comfort themselves in God in that they have to doe with God as a holy God 21 3. If God be glorious in holiness so are the Saints glorious in holiness also 22 Holiness puts a glory upon their persons ibid. Holiness puts a glory upon all they doe and enjoy 23 Holiness is the very principle of eternall life ibid. Holiness is the proper object of Gods delight ibid. Holiness is a separation of the creature for God and eternall life ibid. Holiness in the Saints puts a reverend respect upon them in the very consciences of wicked men 24 4. If God be glorious in holiness then certainly God will maintain holiness in the world 25 It concerns all men to honour holiness and to set up the glory of Gods holiness as much as they can in the world 26 Christians are especially to look to their hearts to cleanse them when they draw nigh to God ibid. 5. As God is glorious in holiness so we are to set him out in his glory by keeping his worship pure 27 6.
so between man and man how should it doe so much more between us and Christ who is indeed the husband of his Church and through whom the fulnesse of God is let out unto his people O how deare and precious therefore ought he to be unto us Fourthly is Christ all in all then if we have an interest in him it should satisfie and content us though we have nothing or be nothing in our selves Why because if we have Christ we have all though thou wantest parts friends estate outward comforts yet know Christ is to be thy all and is not he enough as he said am not I better to thee then ten sons so sayes Christ to the soul what doest thou want thou wantest this comfort and the other comfort but am not I all in all to thee and better then all yea be willing to be made nothing for all is made up in Christ Again it should have put us upon this to be willing to give up all we have to Christ alas our all is but a poor all yet give it to Christ our parts estates interest names let Christ have all because he is our all And let him be the rule of our prizing all things so farre as we see any thing of Christ prize it sutably as t is reported of Master Bucer if he could see any thing of Christ in any man or woman though they were never so poor and meane his heart would close with them And t is said of Austin that before his conversion he took great delight in reading of Cicero's workes but afterward sayes he I finde not the name Christ in all Cicero and that took off his heart from him so in all thou doest enjoy look how much thou seest of Christ in it so farre let thy delight and esteem be carried out towards it and no farther Again with what mighty intention of spirit should the heart be put forth toward Jesus Christ above all things what though God give thee an estate and honour in the world if thou hast not Christ thou hast nothing thou hast not that that makes way for thee to eternity Therefore be not satisfied with any thing without Christ As Abraham sayes What wilt thou give me Lord seeing I goe childlesse So say thou Lord thou hast given me a portion in the world thou hast given me credit and repute amongst men but Lord what is all this to me if I goe Christlesse and have not him that is the conveyance of grace unto my soul that is all in all O Lord thou hast this day taught me that such is the distance and breach betweene thee and me that unlesse it be made up through a mediator I must eternally perish therefore give me Christ whatever thou denyest me O satisfie not your selves with any thing without Christ Many hypocrites they satisfie themselves with gifts if they have gifts then they are contented Consider that parable in the Gospell Matth. 13. 45 46. The merchant-man sought after goodly pearles but when he had found the pearle of price then be went and sold all that be had and bought it Now gifts and parts and other atchievements are these goodly pearles I but Christ he is the pearle of price therefore whatever thou hast be willing to part with it for him if God have discovered to thee the pearle of price let no goodly pearles satisfie thee Many souls perish eternally because they are satisfied with goodly pearles and doe not endeavour to obtaine this pearle of price Againe the application should further have been to have endeavoured to work this upon you that in your seeking after God you would be sure to take Christ along with you I will give you onely this note if it were your last time to pray to God and your everlasting estate did depend upon Gods mercy should you now seek God never so earnestly yet if it were onely in a naturall way as your creator your condition would be very dreadfull and you would perish eternally If God should lay any of you upon your sick beds or death beds and you should cry to God mercy mercy Lord be sure you take Christ along with you and look upon God through Christ or else all your cryes will be to no purpose It is a speech of Luther that God lookt upon out of Christ is most dreadfull and terrible and it argues a great deal of ignorance in us when we think we can goe to God and shall finde mercy with him without considering him as a God that will be reconciled to us only through his Son To conclude all as Christ sayes If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me so this is the work of our Ministry we have spent time amongst you that we might labour to lift up Christ to you and O that God would be pleased to draw all your souls to him This Sermon was preacht March 28. 1641. HEBR. II. V. I. Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen April 25. 1641. IN the latter end of the former chapter the Apostle exhorts to perseverance and shewes the great evill and danger of drawing back Now to the end this evill might be Prevented he shewes what it is that will deliver us from it Whatever others doe or whatever temptations or afflictions we meet withall to draw us back yet still the just shall live by faith Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen In this Chapter therefore he falls upon this argument to wit the opening of the doctrine and practice of faith And the words read are an excellent description of faith not an exact definition of it It is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen The substance the word in the originall is very full the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it hath many significations the fundamentall the foundation of things hoped for the subsistence the substantiality of things hoped for those things that in themselves have no reall present subsistence to us but are things to come and hoped for yet faith gives them a present reall substantiall being to us The substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen The word translated evidence is a Logicall terme and signifieth such a kinde of conviction as is by way of dispute and cleare demonstration so as it must needs compell one to yield unto it that is the propriety of the word that although the objects of faith are things not seen either by the eye of sense or by the eye of reason yet faith brings such a light with it and makes them so demonstratively cleare that it even forceth the soul to a beliefe of them so that it hath the fullest conviction of them that possibly can be Two things then you finde are here said of faith First that it gives a substantiall reall present being to things hoped for And secondly that it is the
excellency and glory that there is in God to know much of God in his own essence and being and elevates the sould to converse with God in a higher way abundantly then reason can doe though it is true a great deal of God is understood by reason And then by faith the soul comes to know what riches there are in these excellent and glorious things of God It first sees them in God and then after that it sees this God to be infinitely willing to communicate and let out himself to his creature And then by faith the soul converseth with the deep and glorious councels of God between himself and his Son It sees into the great designe God had in sending his Son into the world for the working and bringing to passe those high and glorious intentions he had in communicating himself to the children of men through a mediator Again faith converseth with the great things of the covenant of grace and there sees into those unsearchable riches as the Apostle speaks that have no footsteps in the creature so the word signifies we cannot see them by reason or the creature A speciall object faith works upon is the covenant of grace in the Gospell and it sees the riches that are revealed there And faith receives the testimony of the holy Ghost the holy Ghost is appointed by the Father and the Son to witnesse these great things to manifest to the soul the deep things of God those things that are but meer notions otherwise to the heart of a man the spirit of God discovers these to the soul and so faith working upon these objects and closing with them as the proper spheare for it to move in it makes all those glorious things that are revealed concerning the happinesse of those that God intends eternall good unto substantiall and reall to the soul such things as the soul can build upon and dare venture its self and its eternall estate upon and we had need have a good foundation in those things we are content to venture our eternall estate upon and because it must be the work of faith when God intends to save the soul to have such apprehensions of the Gospell as to be willing to venture its eternall condition upon it therefore it had need have a sure foundation and hence faith is the substance of things hoped for and gives a reall being unto these things And as it makes them reall and substantiall so there is another thing included in this word It makes them present though they are but things hoped for yet by faith they have a present subsistence to the soul they are lookt upon by faith as now subsisting though in themselves they doe not faith partakes much of the nature of God it hath a kinde of omnipotent power in it out of nothing to create something there are many excellent works of faith and amongst the rest this is a speciall one to give a being to that which in itself hath none to make it for the present a substantiall reall being to the soul the work of faith in this kinde is very observable for evill things that are very high faith can make them at a mighty distance and for good things that are never so far off faith can make them to be as present to it Observe what the Scripture speakes of it this way first for evils that are very nigh and encompasse us round about when we are in the midst of them faith can put the evill at a distance as Psalm 91. 7. A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee not come nigh thee If he had said it shall not be upon thee it had been somewhat but to say it shall not come nigh thee this is a strange kinde of expression how could it be said not to come nigh him when thousands fell on the both hands and he was in the midst of it it was by faith faith put that at a distance which was just upon him The strength of reason will help one when the plague is a great way off then a man thinks I am safe enough because farre enough from it but suppose the plague come into thy house into thy chamber now to believe a promise it shall not come nigh thee here is a mighty work of faith faith puts evils present at a farre distance And then on the other side for good things that are absent a great way off faith can make them as if they were really subsisting therefore Heb. 11. 13. It is said of the Fathers that they saw the promises afarre off and embraced them the word in the originall is saluted the promises now friends when they salute must be nigh one another their faith made the promises which were a great way off to be with them as if present therefore it is said of Abraham that he saw Christs day and rejoyced and the Scripture speaks of taking hold of eternall life and that we doe by faith and of being in heaven receiving the end of your faith T is not you shall receive but now you are receiving Psalm 108. 7. 8. God hath spoken in his holinesse I will rejoyce I will divide Sechem c. Gilead is mine Manasseth is mine marke is mine he presently concludes as if the thing were already done for it was so by faith faith gives a present subsistence to things Reason it self hath a great deale of power to make things that are future to be as present both in evill things and in good In evill things a man that is a contemplative man and hath a wicked heart he will fetch the sweetnesse of his lust and sinne which is a great way off and make it as present by mediation and roling it up and down in his thoughts in a way of discourse and so acts his sinne contemplatively though he may be in hell before he act it really Now as reason and discourse can fetch in a lust and make it as if it were present so reason can goe a great way in making a future good thing as if it were present And this is the difference between a rationall creature and a sensuall a sensuall creature is only for the things that are before it but now reason can fetch things that are absent and make them as present and in regard of this God hath a mighty advantage of mankinde either for the bringing of his wrath upon them or for bestowing happinesse upon them as you can fetch in your lusts that are absent and make them as present to you in your thoughts by the work and discourse of reason so by the worke of this faculty God can make evils and plagues though future yet to be as present with you And in this respect the wofull evill of those that perish eternally may be set out dreadfully namely thus they being reasonable creatures by the work of their reason they may fetch in all the