in these we may see him in these we may enjoy him by these we may be made like to him as in 2 Cor. 31.18 But we all with open faâ—e behold as in a Glass the glory of God and are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as hâ— the Spirit of the Lord. Thirdly They make their abode with them in the Spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Son So they may both be said truly to abide with us while we have the Spirit the Comforter which proceeds from the Father and the Son as a pledge of their love Joh. 15.20 When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father I will send him says Christ even the spirit of truth which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which proceedeth from the Father There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son to the People that keep his Word and thus Believers are said to hold fellowship with the Father and the Son in the first Epist of John 23. It is by the Spirit we are drawn being drawn we come being come we are enabled to walk with God in Christ It is the Spirit that doth for all us As in the Eccho the Aire being moved by the voyce returns the same sound by its own motion So in all our Communion with God and Christ the Soul being moved by the Spirit returns answer by vertue of the Spirits motion in us Come says the Spirit I come says the Soul being taught by the same Spirit All the works wrought on the Souls of men in order to Salvation are wrought of God and Christ in us but by the Spirit As in these three special particulars First By the Spirit they instruct and teach The Spirit is an enlightening Spirit a Spirit of Judgment and of Burning The Spirit reveals the counsels of God the great Mysteries of the Kingdom leads into all Truth makes men wise to Salvation Secondly By this Spirit they quicken and comfort the Souls of men Rom. 5.5 It is by the Spirit that the love of God iâ— shed abroad in our hourts Our cold and frozen spirits are warmed and made fit for action and by this Spirit we are awakened Hence the Church prayes for the breathings of this Spirit Cant. 4.16 Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices â—â—â—of 〈◊〉 flow out Thirdly By his Spirit they do strengthen and establish the hearts of men in the ways of Holiness thus they are made strong in the Lord and in the power of his might strong to resist temptations strong to suppress corruptions strong to perform duties by this Spirit they are carried through all difficulties by this Spirit their infirmities are healed they are made to persevere and kept stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord and sealed up to the day of Redemption Thus God and Christ do make their abode with them that keep the Words of Christ till they come to make an everlasting abode with them in Heaven And according to the workings of this Spirit more or less in the hearts of men God is said to be present or absent from his people Secondly The Reasons why God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Because of their special love to and care of them that keep his words Indeed all the care of God is concerning his people that he hath in the world therefore in the second Commandement he is said to shew mercy to thousands of them that fear him and keep his Commandments that do not cast his words behind their backs and forsaking his Appointments follow their own Inventions So that if we faithfully keep his Word he will abide with us in our work And this is the great Reason in the Text My Father will love him not but that he loves his Elect from Eternity but he will manifest his Love to them and therefore he will make his abode with them as the people of his Love for in Deut. 32.9 The Lords Portion is his People and Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance And in Mal. 3.17 they are called his Jewels and men will abide with their Treasure Secondly Because of the near Relation that is between God and Christ and them that keep his Word That is a very full place of Scripture for this purpose Mat. 12.50 Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother What nearer Relation can there be than these So near are they to Jesus Christ that keep his Word observe his Will and be true and faithful to his Appointments and sure such near Relations will desire Cohabitations on both sides First God and Christ are said to stand Related in a Paternal Relation Secondly They are said to stand Related in a Conjugal Relation First God and Christ stand in a Paternal Relation to his People First God is their Father and they are his Sons and Daughters And this the Church doth acknowledge in Isa 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father c. And with this the Lord comforted mourning Zion Isai 49.14 15. But Zion said The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But God says Can a Woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Sons of her womb Yea they may forget yet I will not forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands c. My abode is with thee Secondly Jesus Christ is their Father Isai 9.6 The everlasting Father Therefore he promiseth his Disciples in this 14 John 18. I will not leave you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orphans or Fatherless children He is the most affectionate tender-hearted Father Tam pater neâ—â— tam pius nemo None so good none such a Father as he says Terâ—ul Secondly God and Christ stand related to them that keep his Word in a Conjugal relation and God hath laid a special command of co-habitation upon persons in this relation The man must dwell with his own Wife First God is related as a Husband And will not God dwell with his People when he hath espoused to himself I will betrothed thee unto me for ever Hosea 2.19 Yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies I have even betreth thee unto me in faithfulness And in Isai 54.5 6. For thy Maker is thy Husband c. For the Lord hath called thee as a Woman forsaken c. Secondly Jesus Christ is the Husband of his People as we see in the whole Book of Canticles And so in Ephes 5. from the 29. Verse to the end of the Chapter Now where shall God and Christ make their abode but with their espoused Ones Doth Jesus Christ delight to
northey fell to their old sinning again and were worse than before and believed nothing Well Gods time is the best therefore let not us pry too much into the Ark. Fourthly you must not meddle with the Ark unless you have a lawful call to meddle with it this was the sin of Vzzi 2 Sam. 6.6 7. the Ark was in danâ—er of falling and he good man meaning no hurt to keep up the Ark took hold of it but for so doing he destroyed himself and made a breach and hindred the carrying home of the Ark at that time We have had a great deal of disorder heretofore and an abundance of Well-minded people usurped upon the Ministerial Offices they were afraid the Ark was falling and therefore they touched the Ark they laid hold on the Ark but their touching the Ark hath undone the Ark and themselves too O take heed of touching the Ark. Fifthly If ever you would preserve the Ark then keep the Covenant of the Ark keep the Law which the Ark preserves The Ark was a place wherein the Law was kept the two Tables keep the Law and God will keep the Ark but if you break the Law you will forfeit the Ark The Ark was called the Ark of the Covenant keep Covenant with God and God will preserve the Ark but if you break the Covenant of the Ark the Covenant made in Baptism and that Covenant often renewed in the Sacrament if you break Covenant God will take away the Ark. The Farewel a Sermons of John Gaspine Minister of the Gospel Preached at Ashpriors in the County of Somerset the two last Lords days before Bartholomew-day 1662. Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock for it is the Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom IN this Chapter we have the sum of a precious Sermon which our Saviour makes to his Disciples in the presence of the multitude In which we have 1. Several cautions in the first twenty verses of that Chapter 2. Some exhortations from thence to the end of it The Cautions are these First to beware of Hypocrisie in the three first verses Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie and the motive wherewith he backs this caution is this That all things should be opened and made known hereafter how closely soever they may be carryed and how secretly soever their sins may be committed here Men may think to varnish over the fowlest of their actions by a fair and plausible pretences and so to hide their iniquities from the eyes of God and men but they are much mistaken for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed nor hid that shall not be known ver 2. Secondly He warns them to beware of timerousness and fearfulness in publishing his Gospel from the beginning of the 4 to the 12. Verse I say unto you my friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that they have no more that they can do but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear Fear him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell I say unto you Fear him Thirdly He cautions them to beware of covetousness and this caution of his was occasioned by one that desired Christ to speak to his Brother to divide the inheritance with him verse 13. Upon this Christ takes occasion to caution them against covetousness verse 15. And he said unto them take heed and beware of covetousness And that he might set out the folly of this sin of covetousness he doth elegantly set it forth by a Parable of a rich man who was coveting after more and more of the world and was casting plodding and contriving how to pull down his barns and to build greater and how to encrease his Estate in the world when God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee and whose then will these things be which thou hast provided from ver 15. to 20. Having given them these cautions he proceeds to give them several exhortations as to seeking after the Kingdom of God to giving of alms to watchfulness against the coming of Christ to Judgment and several other duties which I shall not now insist upon The Text contains that exhortation of Christ wherein he exhorts them to undauntedness and resolution in the ways of God Fear not little Flock for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom The words may be divided into these two parts First Here is an Exhortation Secondly The reason of this Exhortation First An Exhortation Fear not little Flock In the which here is 1. A very loving compellation in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little Flock 2. The Exhortation it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fear not In the reason of the Exhortation viz. For it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom we have these things considerable First Here is your Donor your Father Secondly Here is the Donum or gift it self which God will bestow upon his people and that is the Kingdom which is meant the Kingdom of Heaven Thirdly The persons on whom God will bestow this Kingdom and that is You you my little flock Fourthly The manner of God's bestowing the Kingdom of Heaven upon his little Flock and that is by gift It is your Father's good pleasure to give c. Fifthly and lastly The motive that prevails with God to give the Kingdom of Heaven to his people and that is his own good pleasure It is your Father's good pleasure c. So that you see every word hath its weight Here is very much profitable matter contained in a few words and many useful and profitable observations may be observed from it as Doct. First That Christ's Flock is but a little Flock a very little Flock Fear not little Flock Here be two diminutive words in Original First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies little and then the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which also signifieth a little â—sock Christ's Flock is a little Flock very little in comparison to the rest of the World the number of those that truly fear God that are sincere Christians and that are by a true and lively faith really engrafted into Jesus Christ is very small in comparison of the profane the hypocrites the unconverted and unsanctified that are only Christians by an external profession that have only a form of godliness but deny the power of it The way to Heaven is narrow and the gate strait and there are but few that finde it Mat. 7.13 14. There may be many that make fair pretences to Religion and Holiness in a time of prosperity but there are but few that will stick to Christ and his holy ways in discouraging times there may be many that are rotten professors but few that are sound in the Faith 2. Doct. That God is a believers Father or that every sincere Christian is a Child of God and hath God for his Father It is saith Christ to
the Cross Father into thy hand I commend my Spirit Believe it Christian thou that art truly such it will afford thee more comfort than that God is thy Heavenly Father and thou his Child by Adoption and Regeneration then if thou wert related to the greatest Prince and the puissant Monarch in all the world Thus I have done with the first Use which is a Use of Consolation to the godly upon this consideration that they are the Children of God and that he is their Heavenly Father 2 Vse for Caution Secondly If it be so that all true Believers are the Children of God and that he is their Father then this should caution wicked men to beâ—are how they meddle with Gods Children Oh! have a care of afflicting wronging persecuting hurting of the people of God lest you be found fighters against God have a care of anoying and troubling those that are so near and dear to God that are so tender to him as the apple of his eye beware of vexing and molesting those that are so nearly related to the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords you may think it may be that you may do what you will to the godly because they are low and mean in the world as many of them are But I must tell you as mean and as low as they are in your esteem they are near and dear to God carnal men may think they may oppress and wrong and do what they please to the people of God because they are weak and not able to help themselves but little do they think how nearly the great God doth account himself concern'd in their affairs little do the great ones of the world consider what heavy reckoning will be laid to their charge one day for injuring wronging and molesting the poor servants of God if they did surely we should not have them so busily imployed therein as they are Thus for the second Use 3. Vse for Examination Thirdly Is it so that Believers have God for their Heavenly Father then here is matter of Tryal how shall we know whether God be our Father or no and whether we be his children in this peculiar manner by Adoption and Regeneration It is true God is a Father to us by Creation and we are his Children by Profession but if this be all the relation that we bear to God this will not entitle us to holiness and salvation without we are regenerate and born again and are become his Children by Regeneration and God be our Father by vertue of the new Covenant We are all by nature the children of wrath Ephes 2.3 How shall we know then whether we are gotten into the state of Son-ship by Adoption and Regeneration and whether God be our heavenly Father there are manâ—â—hat pretend that the have God for their Father when as yet they are under the Dominion of their lusts and are strangers to a work of true conversion and regeneration and enemies to a life of holiness and a groundless presumption that men are the Children of God when there is no such matter hath proved the bane of many thousand souls I shall therefore give you these characters whereby we may know whether we are the children of God in this peculiar manner or no. First Whose Image do you bear do you bear the Image of God or else do you bear the Image of Saran Those that are the Children of God by Adoption and Regeneration they are such as bear their Fathers Image the Image of God which is created in righteousneâ—s and in true holiness is ingraven upon their souls they are such as do bear the Image of the heavenly Adam 1 Cor. 15.49 And they have put â—n the New man which is created in knowlâ—dge after the Image of him that created him Col. 3.10 And it is so with thee dost thou bear the Image of God hast thou a new and holy nature put into thee inclining thee to all holy duties and avoid all sin art thou renewed in holiness then thou art a Child of God and God is thy Heavenly Father but if it be not thus with thee if thou hast not this new and holy nature wrought in thee but thy old corrupt nature is predominant inclining thee to sin whatsoever groundless presumption thou mayst have yet thou art no true Child of God by Regeneration and Adoption Secondly Wouldst thou know whether thou art the true child of God or no by whose spirit art thou led by the spirit of God or by the spirit of Satan they that have God for their Father are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the Sons of God try thy self then by this art thou led by the spirit of God Dost thou live after the flesh and not after the spirit Dost thou mind the things of the spirit and not the things of the flesh if so then thou mayst comfortably conclude that thou art the Child of God and that he is a heavenly Father we may know our Sonship by our spirit if we are the Sons of God by Adoption and Regeneration then we are led by a spirit of God which is a spirit of Prayer Rom. 8.15 A spirit of liberty making us free from the dominion of our lusts and from the slavery of sin and Satan 2 Cor. 3.17 John 8.32 A spirit of love to God and to the people of God 1 John 5 2. Thirdly We may know whether God be our heavenly Father or no by this do we labor to set forth the honour of God Children they are very tender of the honour of their Parents this is a great duty to honour earthly Parents Exod. 20.11 much more should we honour God which is the Father of Spirits If I am your Father where is mine honour saith Christ if God be our Father where is that honour that we should yield to him if we are the Children of God by Regeneration and Sanâ—â—ification then we are tender of the honour of Christ it will make our hearts rise to hear his Name blasphemed or taken in vain his Salbaths prophaned his Worship corrupted by humanâ— mixtures his Creatures abused unto excess his Commandments broken these things will grieve and trouble us more than any thing if we are Gods Children in truth But if we can see God dishonoured by the unholy lives of carnal men his Commands trampled under foot and yet not be grieved at this but canst close in with those that make it their business to dishonour God then thou art no Child of God in this particular sense the great dishonour that is brought to God in the world is a sad sign that there 's but few very few that are in truth the Children of God and the abounding and increasing of all sorts of sin whereby God is exceedingly dishonoured drunkenness swearing Sabbath-breaking uncleanness lying extortion oppression scorning and deriding at Holiness contempt of Gods Ordinances Persecution of his
of thy Spirit and all for Christ his sake for whom we bless thee to him with thee and thy holy Spirit be Praise and Glory for evermore Dr. Anesley 's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate HOly and great God of Heaven and Earth suâ—h his the condescention of thy Grace that thou art pleased to manifest thy special presence to thy poor creatures though thou hatest sin with a perfect hatred yet thou lovest sinners with an infinite Love though thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity yet thou art pleased to manifest thy Love to sinners that approach to thy service O Lord when shall we admire enough thy Grace and Love how thou art pleased to communicate thy self to a poor man Dear Father raise and fix our hearts help us to mind the business that we come about and to deal very faithfully with our own souls in the matters of eternal moment Oh that we could pray so that our prayers through grace might be returned upon us with a blessing O that we could wait upon thee to hear thy Word as the Oracles of God let us hear what Christ will discover to us for our spiritual benefit Lord grant that our souls may know what it is to be in the Spirit in the Lords day Dear Father thou canst deal with such hearts as ours for the curing of them we pray thee do it we must needs acknowledg hadst not thou laid help upon one that is mighty that is able to save to the uttermost we must have perished to all eternity for we do not know any upon the earth more vile then our selves The very agravations of our sins to render us monstrously abominable the means of grace we have afforded us the stirrings of thy spirit in us the patience and goodness of God towards us makes it a wonder that our hearts do remain so blockish But dear Lord we do find by experience that our immortal souls are much debased all the faculties of our souls are out of tune our understandings are so dark our conceptions of God are so low our consciences are so benum'd that the stirrings of them are scarce discerned or perceived our affections are spent upon the creature that we cannot gather them up again our wills are perverse our memories are apt to retain the dross and let out all that is good we pray thee for Christs sake make an experiment upon our souls what thou canst do what sinners Christ can save what corruptions the spirit of God can subdue in our souls teach all our hearts do not stand behind the wall and look through the latice do so much as may leave us without excuse but good Lord put thy hand in at the hole of the door and let thy fingers drop honey upon the handle of the Lock And oh set open these everlasting Doors that the King of glory may enter in Subdue us intirely to thy self do not ask our wills whether we be willing or no but make us willing do not ask us what we would have but give us what thou knowst is good for us Dear Lord we pray thee deliver us from sin according to thy hatred of it and pour out thy grace upon us according to thy love of grace that our souls may be refreshed that we may find thy thoughts are above ours as high as heaven is above the earth Dear Father it is thy promise that those that wait upon thee shall renew their strengths we have no might the Devil bastles us our own hearts are treacherous to us The world intices us to sin against God oh deliver us from all these enemies especially from the plagues of our own hearts that we may perfect holiness in the fear of God give us spiritual blessings whatsoever thou givest us or whatsoever thou deniest us thou knowest thou art rather willing to give us spiritual blessings than any other mercies and we want spiritual mercies most Oh oh give us spiritual Mercies that we may say This is the way of God in his Sanctuary Where grace is not wrought work it where it is begun increase it Dear father convince those that are not yet convinced Make thy word a quickning word an ingrafted word to the saving of our souls help us to hear as for our lives as those that long after God Hear Prayers for the King bless him in his Royal Relations and grant under him we may live a quiet life in all godliness and honesty Bless the Magistrates and help them to remember that causes one day must be heard over again Help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in ways that are well pleasing Be with us at this time Lord assist the meanest of thy servants let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy word above all thy Name do us good receive us quicken us that we may live in heaven upon earth that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulness of God and know the heighth breadth depth and length of thy love that passeth knowledg Communicate thy self to us as thou usest to do to thy people let us feel thy presence let us not think of any thing but the business we are about let us with singleness of heart set our selves to mind thâ— concernment of our immortal souls and all we beg for Christ his sake who hath taught us thus to pray Our Father c. Dr. Bates his Prayer at Dunstans in the West O Lord thou art a most holy high God the Glorious Angels when they stand before thee cover their faces yet they dâ—d never violate thy Laws and if they how much more need have we to do it We are sinful dust and ashes our solemn Services are sin We desire to approach thy presence and to have an eye to thy glory in all our services and addresses We beseech thee give us a serious and a deep sense of our own hearts and vile affections that we may cast our selves down at thy feet with all humility We have infinite reason to be abased in our selves our God help us We came into the world with sin and as soon as we did breath in the air we infected it there is an infection and pollution in all our faculties what coldness is there in our affections and what unbelief in our faith and our wills do stand apopsite against thy holy nature VVe confess we have had ten thousand experiences of those corruptions that are within us for our while lives are full of provocations against God How many vain thoughts and how many rebellious actions Blessed Father we confess we are out of measure sinful we have sinned against the clearest convictions of thy word and the tender compassions of thy Gospel against the most severe promises we have made of our service to God against the checks of our own Consciences we confess the sins of the Heathens who live without God in the world are small in comparison of ours and we fear therefore a greater degree
taken with them Many a wicked man when he hears a holy man make an excellent Oration wishes that he could do so too it is not from the goodness he observes in it or the principle from whence it comes but from something of natural accomplishments that he is taken with it so a godly man when he hears another pray excellently and live holily he wishes from his heart that he could do so too his aim is to grow in holiness Fourthly The present priviledges of the people of God not onely what they shall have hereafter but what they have here they are freed from a world of evils that worldlings lie under whatever befals them turns to their benefit they may be afflicted but not hurt by affliction the greatest hurt the world does to them tends to their greatest good Worldlings may take away their heads they cannot their crowns there is a real communication of a blessed interest in all that is good for they have an interest in all that God hath or is the power of God is theirs to protect them the love of God is set upon them the righteousness of God imputed to them so as to acquit them from sin so that a Child of God may not onely appeal to the bowels of Gods mercy but to the bar of his justice all the providences of God shall tend to their good In Psal 25.10 the Holy Ghost says All the ways of God are mercy and truth to them that are in covenant with him they are mercy because they are appointed to do them good and truth because they shall certainly do them good Christ and God and all is laid out for the good of a godly man In this world they may go to God and tell him wherein they are troubled pained or afflicted and they are never more welcome then when they ask most from him if thou ask great things from God God is well taken with such requests but if thou ask Riches and Honours these are the low things of the foot-stool God is exceedingly taken with thee when thou askest Peace and Pardon Peace of Conscience Pardon of sin strength against sin power to overcome thy Lusts to withstand temptations The people of God may have from God all that they want and all that they can regularly wish Fifthly These are such as have an incomparable dear and near relation to God they are his delight they are set apart by God as his own his peculiar people though God have a propriety in all yet he hath a peculiar propriety in and a relation to these therefore they are called his children his house his jewels his garden Gods whole treasure and portion is his people as God is his peoples portion so his people are his portion they are those he hath been at a great deal of cost to purchase Sixthly They are such as have the image of God imprinted upon them take notice of this word image for the image of God appears in holiness Now an image does not represent any thing of imperfection or deformity but of excellency If a man takes the picture of a man he will not take it of his back-side or leg or hand or the like but of his face his beautifullest part is chiefly aimed at in the picture Wicked men discover Gods bounty in having wit and wealth this is not the image of God the image of God is that which is most excellent in a man which is holiness the power of God is the hand of God the wisdom of God is the eye of God the holiness of God is the face the beauty of God the people of God resemble God in purity Be ye holy as your heavenly Father is holy there 's the pattern they have the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world as it is in Ephes 4.18 Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart Rom. 3.23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God There is more of God in grace then in all the works that ever God did in the world beside there is much of God seen in making the Sun Moon and Stars but in giving a man a new nature a renewed understanding in changing of a man from being a vessel of wrath and vessel of Satan in making of him become a new man a vessel of glory God shews more of himself then in making ten thousand worlds Vse Here I shall raise these following inferences If it be so that there is such an excellency in the people of God here then first what excellency shall there be seen on the people of God in heaven If they are so beautiful in their Rags what will they be when they appear in their Robes The glory of Christ shall be admired in them that believe Oh what a Head is he that hath such Members what a Lord is he that hath such attendance The people of God are in a state of non-appearance now hereafter it shall appear what they are the very wicked themselves shall admire them 2. Inference What have we to think of those that have no regard either for Religion or for Religious ones any farther forth then it is deck'd and adorned with advantagious beauty and outward glory If Religion be not lookt upon with a favourable eye from Authority farewel Religion and Religiousness These love the child for the Nurses sake what is the thing in fashion these are for what Authority commands they 'll creep and cringe to when the Deer is shot the Herd flies from her when Religion is shot at then farewell Religion What is this but to have the Faith of God in respect of persons If I love Religion for the countenance of Authority then it is certain I love Reliligion for the Authorities sake this is a sign thou shalt not have communion with those hereafter that thou contemnest here If the people of God are too bad for thee when they are in trouble and affliction they will be too good for thee in glory 3. Inference Note here the excellency of holiness above worldly glory Here a man is dignified by what is conferr'd upon him when outward honour ceaseth the man is contemned but holiness it dignifies a man and shall remain here and hereafter Set a Gyant in a valley he is a Gyant still a Pearl is a Pearl though on a Dunghil a holy man is a holy man though never so much disgrac'd and contemned by men John Baptist had a leathern girdle and had locusts for his food yet there was not a greater than John Baptist born of women He was the forerunner of Christ the friend of the Bridegroom On the other side Herod that was like the voice of God and not of man what was he
by the Temple but we worship God in the Church as the place doth afford a natural conveniency for our meeting together the place then hath no influence at all upon our duties and if any of you should think so you do erre exceedingly It is but only a Physical act of Duty or a natural Adjunct of duty which is but at the most helpful to the bodies conveniency 3. The third thing I deny is this That there is no place so holy as to exclude another place from being as holy in a way of proper sanctity and holiness which we have been now opening God now makes not one place properly more holy than another there is not now properly any Religious difference of places We have not now the precept of God to sanctifie and separate one place from another to preferre one place before another we have not now the miraculous Presence of God his appearing as at the Bush God hath not given us under the Gospel those Symboles of his standing Presence and Residency as by the Ark and Mercy-Seat and Altar of old he gave unto his People And as for his Ordinances if they make a place holy in regard of performance of Duty to God there and his spiritual presence in that place then my Parlour Chamber or Closet are holy where I use to pray and where God doth afford his assisting blessing and comforting presence So that if you make the spiritual presence of God to make a thing holy in regard of Gods spiritual presence going along with those services then your Houses are holy and the Field is holy where you walk when you meditate and praying by the River side makes it holy Humane Consecration makes no place truly holy If the spiritual presence of Christ makes one place more holy than another then the Communion-Table and Font are more holy than any other place in the Temple And so when Gods presence hath been enjoyed at the Font that is more holy than the Communion-Table and so when the presence of God hath been enjoyed at the Communion-Table that is more holy than the Font and so you must bring in Judaism If the presence of God makes a thing holy a new Communion-Table upon which the Sacraments was never administred cannot be so holy as the old Table Nay by this the mouths of the Communicants are holy having eaten the Bread and drank the Wine which was dedicated to an holy use and so it will be sinful for you to eat any other food I conclude all with this That the difference and holiness of Religious places in the times of the Gospel is not given but taken away by the Gospel 1 Tim. 2.8 I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting You may pray and that with as much acceptableness to God in one place as in another John 4.21 Christ saith The time comes when you shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father That is Gods Worship and Service shall not be confined and limited to those places as if others were not as good and holy as they 1 Cor. 1.2 To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours One place for the calling upon Christ is as good as another and therefore Where two or three are gathered together I will be in the midst of them And this is fore-told in Zeph. 2.11 and in Mal. 1.11 So that this is the sum of all Gods Institution makes the Sabbath holy and the Bread and the Wine set apart by Gods own Institution after the duty may be used in secular uses But fourthly and lastly to name no more No place is so sanctified by God as that after the ceasing of that presence of God any holiness should belong unto it as now when the signs and tokens of Gods presence ceased and was gone the holiness of that place was gone and then it was lawful for Moses to put on his shooes And so when Gods presence ceased in the Ark the Altar and Mercy-seat the places became no other than secular and civil And now for us to go about as the Papists do a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem as if that place had any more holiness than others is a foolish and abominable thing How many bloody Battels have been fought to the disgrace as well as the loss of Christianity for the regaining of the Holy Land Nay let me add those places where the presence of God hath been formerly when it hath taken away and those places have been used to Idolatry they are the worse and the more unholy for this is turning the House of God into vanity The conclusion of all is this whatever places are in holy duties out of them they lose and leave all their holiness and therefore I say it is boldness for us to go about to tie Gods presence to a place where God hath never tied it I cannot but wonder how it is possible for men of reason and learning to be so blind as to hold that the Lords day which was set apart by God for the Sabbath as you may see in the fourth Commandment and afterwards by Christ and his Apostles which doth amount to no less than an Institution is not holy after the Service or Sermon is ended but then you may go play at Foot-ball and Cudgels and Drinking and what not and yet they should say that the place of performing Religious duties in is so holy after Religious performances as that you cannot come into it without bowing the knee and putting off the hat and bowing to the Altar and Communion-Table and the like this I cannot apprehend how it should be and I wish any of you that are of this mind would privately give me your reasons for it why it should be so Now having explained the Point and given you a resolution of the question in these particulars give me leave to winde up all with some Uses First We infer the great difference that is between sanctity of places under the Old Testament and sanctity and holiness of places under the New Testament they under the Old Testament had the immediate presence of God the standing Symbols and visible signs of his presence so long as these lasted which was set apart by Gods special Commandment and so they were holy though they were not employed in a way of worship but you cannot say so now our places for performance of holy duties have no such holiness places now differ from places then Secondly by way of inference I note the great goodness of God to give us such a sweet and gracious indulgent dispensation in the time of the Gospel under the New Testament as that he doth not tye us to Ceremonies or places he doth not bind us as he did the Jews to go three times in the year to the furthermost part of the
the strongest combate or duel that ever was fought wherein you have the Prince of Peace and the Prince of darkness the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and the roaring Lion that seeks how to devour both of them putting forth their utmost strength and endeavouring to overcome each other Now I say in this combate the Father did not leave Christ but he helps him for he sends an Angel to minister unto him Mat. 4.11 So in Christs bitter Agony in the Garden just before his bitter Passion and death upon the Cross the Father did not leave him alone for he sent an Angel unto him to strengthen him Luk. 22.43 and so in several other places and in several other things I might instance but I shall pass this by I but now why did the Father thus stand by Christ he gives you the reason of it in the Text because he always did the things that pleased him This I shall open in a double respect First Christs undertaking of the work of our Redemption it was very well pleasing unto his Father that poor lost undone sinners should be brought back again unto God and restored unto his love and favour I say the Father was infinitely well pleased with Christ in this undertaking Isa 35.10 The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand the pleasure of the Lord that is the work of our Redemption wherein God the Father took great pleasure or delight therefore when Christ was publickly in the eye of the world to enter upon this great work the Father sends him out with this witness This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased He speaks not of this well-pleasing only to his person but also of his well-pleasing as unto his undertaking Secondly as the work it self was well pleasing unto God so Christ managing of this work was all along pleasing unto his Father that doth appear in this that Christ in all things kept to his Fathers Commission and to his Fathers Command I say in all things he kept to his Fathers Commission he did nothing here upon earth but what was within the compass of his Commission for saith he in the verse before the Text I do nothing of my self but as my Father bids me So also he acted in conformity to his Fathers will that was the rule and square by which Christ ordered all his actions his eye was still upon his Fathers will whatever he willed him to do that he did whatever he willed him to suffer that he suffered and thus he always did the things that were pleasing to his Father but I do not intend further upon the words in this reference for my design is to bring down the words unto our selves to those that are the Members of Christ for there is the same disposition of heart in all Believers to please God In all things to please God this was the frame and temper and carriage of Christ so it is the frame temper of every true believer and this is a part of our likeness unto Christ as you know there is a blessed resemblance similitude between Christ and his Members they have the same Spirit that Christ had only in a different proportion for he had it without measure they have the same Grace as Christ had for substance though not for degree Of his fulness we all have received grace for grace that is as many interpret it Grace answerable unto grace As the print in the wax answers to the print in the Seal as face answers to face so grace in believers answers unto that grace that was in Christ they are to shew forth the vertues of Christ 1 Pet. 2.11 Now this was the grace and vertue and holiness of Christ that he always did the things that pleased his Father Why this is in all believers only with this difference it was actual performance in the one it is but endeavour in the other it was perfect in the one it is sincere but imperfect in the other Christ always did things that pleased God a Believer endeavours always to do the things that please God he doth not always do so witness David in the case of his uncleanness when he displeased the Lord as it is in 2 Sam. 11. The Observation I intend to speak to shall be this They that please God and endeavour always to do the things that please God such God will be with such the Father will not leave alone especially in times of suffering and trouble for I will bring it that at case Indeed God will not leave such at any time for that promise is exceeding full Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee I do not know any one promise in all the Bible that is exprest with such an Emphasis as that promise is such a multiplication of Negatives in the Original But especially God will not leave such in an afflicted and suffering condition In the prosecution of this I will speak to four things First I will shew you when a man may be said to do the things that please God 2. I will confirm the truth of the doctrine 3. I will shew you in what respects God will be with them that desire to please him in a suffering condition 4. I will give you the grounds and reasons of it and then I shall come to an Application For the first We please God in what we do when we act 1. In a suitableness to Gods nature And 2. In subjection to Gods Law For pleasing of God lies in these two things As that pleases a man which is suitable to his disposition and is correspondent with his command We do the things that please God when we do the things that God doth and when we do that which God commands when we hate sin as God hates sin when we are holy as God is holy You shall find it in Col. 1.10 That you may walk worthy of God unto all well pleasing Observe This walking worthy of God is walking suitably or walking answerably to God Mat. 3.8 Bring forth fruit worthy of Repentance or bring forth fruit answerable to Repentance So to walk worthy of God is to walk suitable to God to his nature Now then observe what follows that you might walk worthy of God to all well-pleasing then we please God when we walk suitably unto God So also when we act in a blessed conformity to God to his law for nothing can please the good God but what is good Now the Law being the measure and standard of all goodness nothing can be good but what bears conformity to this Law which is the will of God God is wel-pleased when his will is observed As you know you that are Masters your servants please you when they do your will That inference of the Apostle for this is very opposite Rom. 8.8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God What is this same inference grounded upon because the carnal mind is enmity
man that shall dye or of the Son of man that shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy maker Oh poor Creature who art thou that goest about to please a mortal dying man and dost not go about to please the great God thy Creator and Sovereign 2. Consider that relation wherein you profess your selves to stand to God he is your Master you his servants he is your Father you his children he is your Lord you his subjects You know all that are in close relations will study to please them that are above them as the servant his Master the childe his Father the subject his Prince All persons that are in a state of inferiority will study to please their superiors especially when they do depend upon them Oh! how infiuitely is God above those relations Alas there is but a very little distance betwixt you and your servants and yet you expect they should please you will you not therefore please God especially considering your dependance upon him 3. You shall not loose by pleasing God that is enough to put us upon this He that pleaseth God profiteth himself in that very act wherein we please God we profit our selves men can do but little for us yet for what they can do we study to please them Let me open this in a few particulars 1. If you will sincerely endeavour in all things to please God God will give you a gracious return to all your prayers Oh what a mercy is this for a man to have his prayers answered by God! 1 John 3.22 Whatever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandements and do those things that are pleasing in his sight Never expect that God should hear any prayers if we do not endeavour to do those things that please him 2. Do you please God then he will please you mercy pleaseth us and duty pleaseth God Now when we please God in a way of duty he will please us in a way of mercy If we order our ways so as to please God he will order his ways so as to please us 3. Great is the benefit of pleasing God even as to men and this Solomon sets before you Prov. 16.7 When a mans ways please the Lord he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him and he hath such another expression Prov. 22.11 He that loveth pureness of heart the King shall be his Friend the meaning of this Scripture is this when we keep close to God and walk in compliance with his Will and make it our great design to please him he will give us to sind favour in the eyes of men He that maketh God his friend God will make that mans Enemies to be his friends Men are possibly full of anger revenge and exasperation be it so Do you desire to please God God can turn their hearts towards you God can sweeten them in their spirits and take away that venome that is in them so you know he did in the case of Esan to his Brother Jacob. 4. This is the way to Heaven and Happiness God will be pleased before the sinner shall be saved Heb. 11. Enoch before his translation had this Testimony That he pleased God there is no way to Heaven but this the Child pleases the Father and then the Father gives him the Inheritance So it is here 5. Let me return to the Argument in the Text God will never leave them alone that desire sincerely to please him Methinks this should be a very prevailing motive to you especially now please God and he will never leave you no not in a time of distress and trouble Here is the great difference betwixt a faithful God and a false man In time of trouble and adversity men leave us and forsake us in time of prosperity then they flatter us and pretend a great deal of friendship and kindness but as no man looks upon a Dial when the Sun is under a cloud so these very men that pretend so much of kindness and friendship if so be we do but come under a frown or into trouble then their friendship and kindness is at an end as Paul said No man stood by him when he came to be tried before Nero all men forsook him but God did not forsake him The wise man hath an expression Prov. 17.17 A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity but where shall we find such a friend or indeed such a brother But now if you will please God he will stand by you when all men leave you when you have the greatest need of God he will then stand by you if you be in a Prison he will be with you if you be banished he will be with you if sin doth not part God and you certainly no affliction shall part God and you Study to please God oh is it not a sad thing for God to leave you that is the saddest of all when we lose God then we lose all Hos 9.12 Woe unto them when I depart from them What are all the mercies if God leave you no more then if a man had a fair pleasant House and should never see the Sun more Oh do the things that always please the Lord and he will never leave you under mercies under afflictions he will be with you and then your mercies shall be very sweet and your afflictions shall not be very bitter You know how earnest Moses was Num. 10.13 with his father in law Hobab the Midianite Leave us not I pray thee forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness and thou mayest be to us as eyes Oh keep God to you especially when you are entering into the wilderness of trouble God will be to you in stead of eyes he will be your Counsellour your Comforter your Guide your Treasure your Portion your All. I might add one thing more in the last place Study to please God because he is so easie to be pleased this is a motive to us to endeavour to please those persons who are easie to be pleased a child that hath a father that is easie to be pleased a servant that hath a master that is easie to be pleased will study to please them Sincerity pleaseth God though in the midst of much infirmity he is so gracious and merciful that whatsoever a poor sinner doth but desire to please God he will accept of those desires If we can but please God it is no great matter whether we please men or not I shall conclude this branch with 1 Thes 4.1 We beseech you brethren and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and please God that you would abound more and more Vse 2. By way of direction I should here shew you how you are to please God I told you in general in the morning this pleasing of God lyeth in two things 1. In suitableness to his Name 2. In
if he gives you the upper spring of Grace he will give you the neather spring of Peace for they go both together If he gives you the Dew of Heaven you need not question the fatness of the Earth if his right hand be full of mercy his left hand shall not be empty Therefore grace and peace be with you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ Grace hath a double sense either for the grace of God to us that justifies us or the grace of God in us that sanctifies us Now there is a different flowing from each of these but still it is grace and peace First justifying grace hath a peace attending that Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God So far as we have confidence in justifying grace there remains no conscience of condemning sin As there can be no bitterer War than between conscience and the ear so there can be no sweeter Peace than when Mercy and Peace meet together and when Conscience and Peace kiss each other The former is the taste of Heaven the latter is the perambulation of Heaven both which the Believer shares in upon his Justification by faith If Christ had peace who was made our sin needs must the Believer have peace who is made the Righteousness of God in him Seconly Sanctifying grace hath a peace attending it and this peace differs from the former as the Root from the Fruit. The peace of Justification is a radical Peace the root of Peace but the Peace of Sanctification is the bud the blossom of the Tree the former flows from the bloud of Christ sprinkled on the Conscience the latter from the conformity that is between the Word and the Will between the Commands and the Conscience As many as walk according to this Rule grace be unto them and peace Gal. 6.16 So that Peace is the fruit of sanctifying Grace Now as the bloud of the Pascal-Lamb which was a token of peace was not to be struck on the posts of the Egyptians but upon the posts of the Israelites so neither is the bloud of sprinkling which brings perfect peace to be struck on the Posts of the carnal Sinner but on the Posts of the true Believer an Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile no Grace no Peace that is Gods Law How can a sinner have peace in a state of sin when God and conscience when Word and conscience when Law and conscience and all the Attributes of God are against a sinner No Peace saith my God to the wicked Pray mark that chapter it begins with the peace and ends in no peace In ver 2. it is said He shall enter into peace that is the Righteous in the last verse There is no peace to the wicked It is the state of Grace that is the only state of peace And thus I pass from the double Grace desired Grace and Peace to the double Fountain discovered God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ But here 's a question to be answered If Grace and Peace be from God the Father then how is it said to be from Christ and if from Christ how then from God the Father Answ It 's a known Rule that the transial external works of God are attributed to all the three Persons in the Trinity the same works that are attributed to the Father are also attributed to the Son and the same works are attributed to the Son the same also to the Father so Grace and Peace are here ascribed both to God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ that is they are both from Mercy and from Merit From Mercy on Gods part to us from Merit on Christs part for us they are from God the Father because he wills them to us from God the Son because he works them in us they are from God to Christ from Christ to us they are from God the Father originally and from Christ derivatively and to us actually God the Father is the fountain of all Grace and Peace Christ as Mediator is the Conduit of all Grace and Peace Man in union to Christ is the cistern into which these streams of Grace and Peace runs God wils Grace and Peace to us Christ works them in us God gives Grace Peace to be applied to the Creature this is from the love of the Father but the Application of this peace to the soul is from the Merit of Christ the Redeemer Thus you see there 's a double spring of this double blessing Time will not serve me further The only Observation is That all the Grace and Peace which Believers share in is derived from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ these three things opened will clear this 1. That Grace and Peace are the Believers priviledge 2. That the Fountain of this grace and Peace is from God the Father 3. That it is not given out from God the Father but through Christ First That Grace and Peace are the Saints priviledâ—e if Grace is then Peace is But Grace is the priviledge of every Believer and that whether you look upon it as taken from the love and favour of God to us this is the Believers priviledge God can as well forget Christ at his right hand as cease his love and favour to the soul of a Believer the Believers title to all their blessings arises out of this never-failing love of God or if you aske grace for the fruit of Gods love to the soul still it falls to the Believers priviledge Vocation Justification Adoption pardon of Sin purging from Sin strength against sin Holiness Faith Love Obedience Perseverance all these are the priviledges of every Believer nay a man cannot be a Believer without any one of them they are as essential to the Being of a Christian as reason to the Being of a man Secondly As Grace so Peace is the Believers priviledge There is peace external peace supernal peace internal and peace eternal There is peace external this peace with men there is peace supernal that is peace with God there is peace internal that is peace with Conscience all these three are to be had here upon earth and then there is peace eternal and that is only to be had in Heaven The Apostle here doth not exclude the former but chiefly intends the latter peace with man is a good thing to be desired but peace with God and Conscience is much more to be desired Peace with God is the spring of all things both within and without both below and above both in time and eternity so saith Job if he gives peace who then can make troâ—ble Now this peace is the Saints priviledge it is a Legacy left to every Believer by the last Will and Testament of a dying Redeemer Will you see a copy of his Will then look in Job 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you There is it seems a
That it is the Duty of Christians to hold fast the Truth that they have heard and received Doct. 3. That continued repentance is the Duty of Christians as well as initial Repentance Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent The first of these Doctrines I applied my self to and applied to the people last Lords-Day and shall not now say any thing of it but proceed to the next Doctrine that it is the Duty of Christians To hold fast the Truths that they have heard and received That which the Apostle enjoyns on Timothy in proportion the duty of all Christians 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus The whole entire body of Divine Truth Hold it fast against all opposition whatsoever Now if they that are themselves Teachers of the Truth to others must hold fast the Truth according to the Plat-form that hath been delivered to them then much more is it the duty of private Christians who are supposed not to have that latitude of Parts and Gifts that Teachers have And therefore you shall finde that Christ requires this not only of the Pastors but of the Members of his Church Rev. 2.24 speaking not only to the Angels but to the Body of the Church But to you I say and to the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this Doctrine and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already bold fast till I come As if he should say This is all I require of you my people keep your selves and hold fast that which you have till I come And so in Rev. 3.11 Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take away thy Crown As if he should say That Divine Truth that thou hast heard and received it is thy Crown thy excellency therefore hold it fast This duty of holding fast the Truth it is thy Crown thy excellency therefore hold it fast This Duty of holding fast the Truth is urged in many other places of Scripture under other expressions as that of continuing in the Word of God Christ says If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed And continuing in the Faith Acts 14.22 Paul and Barnabas visiting the Churches exhorted them to continue in the Faith And so those terms of being rooted in the Truth of standing and standing fast and many others they all inforce this Duty Now for the better handling of this point I shall do these four things First I will shew you what Christians are to hold fast Secondly How they are to hold fast Thirdly Why they are to hold fast what they heard and received Fourthly I will apply it First What Christians are to hold fast the Doctrine says they are to hold fast the Truths they have received Now Truths are of two sorts 1. Some are Natural and Moral 2. Some are Supernatural and Divine Truths called Truths of God because they come from God and conform the Mind and Soul that receives them to the Image of God 2. Now though it is true it is good for a man to be right in Moral things and to know and cleave to that which is Truth in Morality yet the Truths that we are here called upon to hold fast they are Divine Truths Supernatural Truths Truths in Religion Truths in the things of God Secondly Again Religious and Divine Truths Truths of God they are either such as are so in name and in the estimation of some men or else they are such Truths as are Truths of God in the truth and reality of the thing Now when I say that Christians are to hold fast the Truths they have received the meaning is not that whatever any man or company of men offer as Truths should be received and held fast for then we must hold fast many errours But whatever men call Truth or offer as Truth we must examine it by the un-erring rule of Truth that is the Word of God In these things it is a clear Canon which we have 1 Thess 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good Prove them by the Word of God and if they hold Truth by that then receive them and hold them fast Divine Scripture-Truths we are to hold fast Thirdly Scripture-Truths Truths that are grounded and warranted in the Word of God they are either such as are immediately and expresly laid down in the Scripture or such as are mediately contained in Scripture and by deduction drawn thence Now those Truths are immediately and expresly laid down in Scripture we are without dispute to receive and hold But those Truths that are drawn thence we may make use of our Reason to examine them by the Word and so far as we see them to be drawn from Scripture we are to receive them and hold them fast Fourthly Divine Truths from Scripture are of two sorts Either the great and weighty things of the Truth of God and of Religion which we call Fundamental Truths or else they are those things that are of less weight than Religion and yet Truths of God Now we are not onely to hold fast those Truths of God that are the Fundamental-Truths as that there is a God and but one God and that there is a Trinity of Persons in Unity of Essence Father Son and Holy-Ghost and that there is but one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus and that he is both God and Man in one Person and that he hath given full satisfaction to Divine Justice for all that by faith close with him and the like These are the great points in Religion these we must be fure to hold fast And not only these but even the lesser those truths of Religion that comparatively are far less than these we must hold them fast You know what our Saviour says of the Commands there are some that are the first and great Commandments and there are others that are the lesser But whosoever shall break one of the least of Gods Commandments and shall teach men so the same shall be least in the Kingdom of God So whosoever shall renounce the least Truth God will be even with him for it For those Truths of God which are little and small comparatively they may be of great weight and consequence in their Sphere Luther said Let Heaven run together as a scrowl rather than one filing of Truth should be parted with Surely those servants of God the Martyrs were not so prodigal of their lives but they knew what they did when they suffered for such Truths as men now call Trifles and not worth standing for the least Truths of God must be held fast Thus you see what we must hold fast Divine Truths Scripture Truths whether greater or lesser we must hold fast what we have received I should but
healing spirit This Legacy I would leave with you as matter of great concernment Labour mightily for a healing spirit away with all discriminating names what-ever that may hinder the applying of Balm to heal our wounds labour for a healing spirit discord and division becomes no Christian For Wolves to worry the Lambs is no wonder but for one Lamb to worry another this is unnatural and monstrous God hath made his wrath to smoak against us for the divisions and heart-burnings that have been amongst us Labour for an oneness in love and affection with every one that is one with Christ let their forms be what they will that which wins most upon Christs heart should win most upon ours and that is his own grace and holiness The question should be What of the Father What of the Son What of the Spirit shines in this or that person and accordingly let your love and your affection run out this is the tenth Legacy Leg. 11. Be most in the spiritual exercises of Religion Improve this Legacy for much of the life and comfort joy and peace of your souls is wrapt in it I say be most in the spiritual exercises of Religion There are external exercises as hearing preaching praying and conference and there are the more spiritual exercises of Religion exercises of Grace Meditation Self-judging Self-tryal and Examination Bodily exercise will profit nothing if abstracted from those more spiritual The glory that God hath and the comfort and advantage that will redound to your souls is mostly from the spiritual exercises of Religion How rare is it to finde men in the work of Meditation of Tryal and Examination and bringing home of truths to their own Soul Leg. 12. Take no truths upon trust but all upon trial â— Thes 5.21 So 1 Joh. 4.1 Acts 17.11 It was the glory of that Church that they would not trust Paul himself Paul that had the advantage above all for external qualifications no not Paul himself Take no truth upon trust bring them to the balance of the Sanctuary if they will not hold water there reject them Leg. 13. The lesser and fewer opportunities and advantages you have in publick to better and enrich your Souls the more abundantly address your selves to God in private Mal. 3.16 17. Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another c. Leg. 14. Walk in those ways that are directly cross and contrary to the vain sinful and superstitious ways that men of a formal carnal luke-warm spirit walk in this is the great concernment of Christians But more of that by and by Leg. 15. Look upon all the things of this World as you will upon them when you come to die At what a poor rate do men look on the things of this world when they come to die What a low value do men set upon the pomp and glory of it Men may now put a mark upon them but then they will appear in their own colours Men would not venture the loss of such great things for them did they but look on them now as they will do at the last day Leg. 16. Never put off your Consciences with any plea or with any argument that you dare not stand by in the great day of your account It 's dreadful to consider how many in these dayes put off their conscience We did this and that for our families they would have else perished I have complied thus and wronged my conscience thus for this and that concernment Will a man stand by this argument when he comes before Jesus Christ at the last day Because of the Souls of men many plead this or that Christ doth not stand in need of indirect wayes to save Souls he hath ways enough to bring in Souls to himself Leg. 17. Eye more mind more and lay to heart more the Spiritual and Internal workings of God in your Souls than the External Providences of God in the World Beloved GOD looks that we should consider the operations of his hand and the despising the works of his hands is so provoking to him that he threatens them to lead them into Captivity for not considering of them But above all look to the work that God is carrying on in your Souls not a Soul but he is carrying on some work or other in it either blinding or enlightning bettering or worsâ—ing and therefore look to what God is doing in thy Soul All the motions of God within you are steps to eternity and every soul shall be bless'd or curss'd saved or lost to all eternity not according to outward dispensation but according to the inward operations of God in your Souls Observe what humbling work reforming work sanctifying work he is about in thy spirit what he is doing in that little world within If God should carry on never so glorious a work in the world as a Conquest of Nations to Christ what would it advantage thee if Sin Satan and the World should triumph in thy Soul and carry the day there Leg. 18. Look as well on the bright side as on the dark side of the Cloud on the bright side of Providence as well as on the dark side of Providence Beloved there is a great weakness amongst Christians they do so pore on the black side of Providence as that they have no heart to consider of the bright side If you look on this black side of the Providence of God to Joseph How terrible and amazing was it But if you look on the bright side his fourscore years reign How glorious was it If you look on the dark side of the Providence of God to David in his first years banishment much will arise to startle you but if you turn to the bright side his forty years reign in glory How amiable was it Look on the dark side of the Providence of God to Job Oh! how terrible was it in the first of Job but compare this with the last of Job where you have the bright side of the cloud and there God doubles all his mercies to him Consider the patience of Job and the end that the Lord made with him do not remember the beginning only for that was the dark side but turn to the end of him and there was his bright side Many sins many temptations and much affliction would be prevented by Christians looking on the bright side of Providence as well as on the dark Leg. 19. Keep up precious thoughts of God under the sowrest sharpest and severest Dispensations of God to you Psal 22.1 2. and 3. My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent There was the Psalmist under smart dispensations but what precious thoughts hath he of God under all But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praise of Israel though I am thus
he gave a free and full account of the Doctrine of his Father and of his glorious person before Pontius Pilate a bloudy Persecutor It was not by saying to his Disciples Fight nor by saying My Kingdom is not of this World but he gave a glorious confession before the face of Pilate of the righteousness of his Truth Doctrine Gospel and of his Person Fear to ensnare the freedom of the Truth with your own Liberty do not ensnare it to your own lusts nor to the will of any man Oh! that we could study and improve these Scriptures more it would make us fear God more and man less This is that that would make us to say as holy David did Psal 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy word for he that hath the most fear on you and upon you you will be more afraid to fall into his hands It is a childish thing for a Christian to tread down the belief of any Doctrine or practise any Worship for fear of man who hath no more power to hurt us than we give him our selves by our fear Fear not him that can kill the body c. It was the way of Gods people formerly that they came to divide between duty commanded by God and commanded by Man You may read in all the dayes of Antichrists persecution from the beginning they came to divide in matter of obedience to God and his truth and worship and obedience to Man Christians nothing but a suffering spirit will help you to this for there is no other way of Obedience in this case to Authority but to suffer under it meekly patiently as Lambs This made the three children to divide between the command of the King and the command of God What sayes Nebuchadnezzar Every knee that bowes not shall be cast into the Furnace Very well As for that matter say they O King we are not careful to answer thee for we will not bow down c. What will they not obey him Yes they will obey him by suffering as becomes Christians and is the example of Christ as if they should say Truely we are terrified with the burning Furnace but we are terrified with Hell too We are terrified by the threats of the great King but we are likewise terrified with the threats of the great God He is able to deliver us our of your torments you are not able to deliver us from his torments so in the case of Daniel Arm your selves with this Resolution of suffering and lying down patiently and meekly under those things that you cannot do so that God may be honoured by your holy resolution upon this account for truly you never do contend successfully for the faith of the Gospel till you contend by suffering for it is said They overcome by the blood of the Lamb You never make Religion your business till the world see you can let such great things go as Life Estate Liberty to keep it then wisdom is justified of her Children You never glorifie the truths of God so much by practice or writing as by suffering for them Those glorious truths against Popish justification mixing of works with faith Transubstantiation Purgatory Idol-worship against all those things that were superadded contrary to God's Institution there is such a glory upon the truths that is hard for the Popish power ever to darken them again because we see them written in the honourable and blessed scars of the witnesses and burnings of those glorious Martyrs If you would take one another by the hand when God takes away our faithful Guides and say Brethren Sisters Friends come let us hold together there 's no way in the world to hold on together like suffering for the Gospel really would get more advantage by the holy humble sufferings of one gracious Saint meerly for the Word of Righteousness than by ten thousand Arâ—uments used against Hereticks and false Worship Compare Phil. 1 12 13 14. with the 27 28 and 29. verses How are Pauls bonds a furtherance of the Gospel Paul no doubt was called an evil doer that sowed Heresie and was hated every where saith he Many of the Brethren of the Lord waxed confident by my bounds and were much more bold to speak the Word without fear Here 's the great encouragement and that 's in the 27. verse and he speaks it as one that was leaving of them Only let your Conversation he as becometh the Gospel of Christ that you may stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel and in nothing terrified by your Adversaries for unto you it is given not only to believe but also to suffer c. It is given to you as a duty given to you as a priviledge O that you would confirm one another and in slippery times hold up one another by the hand do it in going after Gods call and in this way suffering for those truths you cannot otherwise hold and maintain Truly Christians you had need be armed with Resolution for the world is always counting the things Gods people have suffered for very little and they count it prudence not to meddle therein Those men that have easie soft terms to comply that they have a latitude to do any thing I believe some Christians are of that opinion that they would even think the Saints of God were ill-advised to venture their All upon those truths they see others dyed and suffered for It is a sad thing many Christians study to draw out the lines of obedience as far as the honesty of the times will give them leave but no farther that they would go on with the Lord Jesus to the High Priest's Hall and there deny him or that would be willing to do any thing for Christ but are willing to suffer nothing for Christ you do very little honour Jesus Christ in this and you will very little honour your selves at the last It is upon this account that Christians if they see even against plain conviction of Conscience and the Word that there are super-instituted things broken in as in conscience they cannot submit to yet they cannot comply why they may be used lawfuly though not superstitiously But saith the Apostle Paul Do I yet strive to please men Gal. 1.10 Am I then the Servant of Christ You cannot be the Servants of Christ if you strive to please men Wo be to you that please men and displease God He that would be my Disciple let him deny himself and take up his Cross c. What 's that deny Wife Children Relations Comforts he must be willing to go out of all Those duties the Lord Jesus Christ is most glorified in they are either those our floathful hearts are most unwilling to do or that our fearful hearts are most unwilling to suffer for Therefore arm your selves with resolutions to suffer I intended to have taken up four Appearances and Coverings that Saints usually
another and if he hath it not from the Spirit of God he will seek it some other way if he hath not comfort from the Spirit of God he will seek some sparks of his own kindling rather than they will sit in darkness without comfort they will light their candle at the Devil's fire And as he delivereth from temptation on the right so he delivereth from temptation on the left hand he that is filled with the comforts of the Holy Ghost what are sufferings to such a man he hath that within will carry him through all danger here is that comfort and that life by Christ which may ease us in our greatest crosses this will make a child of God speak of the sufferings of this world as a light matter Our light affliction which is but for a moment shall work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods because in Heaven they had a better and more enduring substance Heb. 11.35 Some were tortured receiving no deliverance because in Heaven they had a better substance Oh if you would be kept from the snares of the World let your comforts be above the power and danger of temptation from any thing here below 3. By way of Direction How shall we have communion and aâ—t fâ—ith upon the Holy Ghost as your Comforter the Holy Ghost is designed and appointed by God the Father to this Office now you know none love to be slighted in their Office and if we do not act faith upon the Holy Ghost we slight his Office therefore we should have recourse to him in a way of believing as we should act faith upon Christ for the pardon of sin so we should act faith upon the holy Ghost for a sense of that pardon 2. Go often to Jesus Christ and beg him and beseech him to entreat the Father for you Go to God the Father in the name of Christ and beg it upon the account of Christs Prayer and Intercession that he would send the Comforter and you have a good argument to enforce the Petition the very same as the Disciples That Christ would when he went away Pray the Father and he should send you another Comforter Christ tells them that some there were that would kill them and in so doing think they did God good service therefore Christ in compassion to them in the state that he left them in prays the Father that he would send the Comforter So now we must go to God those Ministers that were wont to comfort us are now to be taken from us our Barnabas's sons of consolation their mouths are to be stopped though Ordinances are now to be damned up the Houses of God made places of defilement our Teachers are removed into corners our Troubles encrease and we have none to tell us how long the light of our eyes the comfort of our hearts in respect of outward means are going from us whither shall we go we want Bread for our Souls we want cordials for our Hearts Blessed Saviour pity us and since thou wilt not come to us in thy own presence as thy Embassadors to come to us by thy Spirit do now in Heaven as thou didst on earth Pray the Father for us do not leave us so many Orphans without Father or Mother but send thy Spirit to refresh our Souls See how we are hated and reviled and we must suffer these things now Let us have thy Spirit 3. If you would have communion with the Spirit of Christ in his comforting work Take heed you do not lay up your comforts in the Creature this is to seek for the living among the dead those that rejoyce in the Creature rejoyce in a thing of nought and you that have an interest in God God will not take it at your hands if you seek it any where else no not in Ordinances though God would have you to seek comfort in Ordinances yet he would not have you to seek comfort from Ordinances 4. Set down and be much in duty Psal 63.5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my hed and meditate on thee in the night-watches If you look at the beginning of the Psalm you shall finde that this Psalm was penned when David was deprived of the Ordinances of God Many a man complains that he lives uncomfortably no wonder when he little thinks on Christ 5. Be much in the exercise of grace Then they that walked in the fear of the Lord when they walked in the comfort of the Holy Ghost 6. Take heed of quenching and grieving the Spirit your Comforter by neglecting his motions or by acting any thing against the minde of the Spirit Do not sin against him as your enlightning Spirit that will hinder him as your Comforter I close with a word of comfort to the people of God If it be one of the great works of the Spirit of God here is matter of great comfort to those that stick close to Jesus Christ Sure your comforts will be satisfying comforts and sufficient because they are comforts of the Spirits working The Lord Jesus hath promised to make up the want of his bodily presence by sending his Spirit He was now going from them and tells them That he could not stay and this was sad news to the Disciples who were ready to break their hearts and the best comfort that he could afford them was to tell them That he would send the Comforter If Christ can comfort his people in the absence of himself surely he can comfort them in the want of all other comfort that relate either to soul or body and so in the want of mercies in the want of outward Ordinances he can comfort the soul It is the Spirit of God that can comfort in the use of these and if he will he can do it in the want of them he can comfort us in the wilderness where no water is when he doth deny the means he can comfort us without where he denies us the stream he can make us drink at the Fountain 7. And lastly The people of God find hereby that their comforts are abiding Your liberty your friends ah Ordinances of and Ministers may be taken from you your Ministers may be banished your Ministers may be imprisoned but here is a Comforter that abides for ever And though they may keep your Ministers out of the Pulpit yet they shall not take the Comforter out of your hearts So that when I shall not preach any more to you I shall pray the Father that he would send you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Mr. Bull of Newington-Green his Farewel Sermon in the After-noon Acts 20.32 And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his Grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are
Trust Now I am leaving of you 4. Here is the commendation of the Trustee from the power and ability of him to manage this Trust and this is expressed in two particulars 1. He is able to build up And then 2. To give you an inheritance As if he should have said I will leave you with such who are able to build you up I might raise a multitude of Observations from the words As first of all Doct. 1. That it should he the care of a faithful Minister when be is by the providence of God taken from a people to recommend them to God and to the Word of his Grace 2. As it is the duty of a faithful Minister to do it so it is his comfort that be may do it that he may leave his people in the hand of God who is able to build them up in grace 3. It may be the comfort of any Church of Christ that when they are deprived of faithful Ministers that yet they are lest in the hands of God 4. Though God can by his infinite power perfect grace and bring men to Heaven without the use of means yet we have no ground nor warrant to expect one or other but through the Word of Gods grace 5. And lastly Though there be a glorious inheritance purchased and prepared by Jesus Christ yet it is to be expected by none but those that are built up and sanctified Or thus None â—ust look for an inheritance hereafter but such as are born of the Spirit and built up in grace I might speak to many more but I shall gather all that I have said into this one general Proposition which is this Doct. That the best Farewel that a Gospel-Minister can give to his people that he loves and labors amongst when he by the providence of God is taken from them iâ— to commend them to God and to the word of his grace Thus doth our holy Apostle When he was taken from his people and left to preach to them no more he recommends them to the hands of God And thus doth a greater than St. Paul even Jesus Christ himself The great Shepherd of the Sheep as St. Peter calls him when he was leaving the world and could no longer preach to them he commends them to God John 17.11 And now says Christ to his Father I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are And in the fourteenth I have given them thy word He commends them to God and to the word of his grace In the prosecution of this Truth I shall explain these particulars 1. Shew you what it is in a Minister to recommend his people to God 2. What it is that he should recommend them to God for 3. Why he should be so careful to recommend them to God 4. How he should recommend them to God Lastly Apâ—â—ly it First It is to leave them in the hand of God to give them up unto Gods care and keeping as I shewed you in the opening of the words To recommend them to God is to do that for them effectually which he would fain do Ministerially if he had been suffered to continue among them As when a dying Father or Husband commends his wife and children to some surviving intimate friend it is a leaving a committing them to that friend to deal and to do for them which he would have done if he had lived Now let us consider what it is that a faithful Ministers design and endeavours are to do for that Congregation that is committed to his charge These four things especially every faithful Minister endeavours to do while he is amongst his people 1. Their Conversion and Sanctification 2. Their Building and Edification 3. Their Protection and Preservation 4. Their Comfort and Consolation First Their Conversion and turning to God This is that a faithful Ministers heart is set upon that he may convert poor souls that are in a sinful state that he may turn poor souls to God that by often preaching and praying and counsel he may bring them into a state of salvation Rom. 10.1 The Apostle there speaks of the Romans that they were the people of God in profession ah but this was not enough fain he would that they should be the people of God-in truth that is the hearty desire of every faithful Minister not only to bring his people to the outward profession of godliness but to the work and power of it in their hearts not only to have the name of Christian but Christianity it self and this is the end of all his studying to get them to God by little and little till Christ be formed in them Gal. 4.11 My little Children says the Apostle c. S. Paul travels in birth with the Galathians from a state of nature to a state of grace he would get grace wrought in their hearts he would get them ingraffed into Christ and this is the end of his commending them to God which he would fain have done if he might have been suffered to preach to them This is the language of a Ministers heart Lord Lord thou knowest that it was the desire of my soul that every one of this people should be made holy by thy Word I would fain have begotten them by the Ministry to Jesus Christ but now by the providence of God I am taken off before my work is done and thou seest yet there is a great many in the gaul of bitterness and the bond of iniquity in a state of death and I am now likely not to do any thing more Now it is my care that those that belong to thy Election of grace may be gathered home to thee 2. To build them up in knowledge and faith He endeavours that those that are already sanctified may be further built up in their most holy faith Where there are the most eminent Saints yet there is a great deal lacking The Apostle gives great commendation of the Thessalonans 1 Thess 3.10 They were a famous Church and there were a great many eminent Christians yet there was something lacking in their faith and in their knowledge Christ speaks to one of the most eminent Apostles Oh thou of little faith Though the Foundation-stone be laid yet there is a superstructure behind and this is the work of Christ the building them up Eph. 4.12 This is the end of every faithful Minister to make his people fit for Heaven he would be feeding of them that they may grow to the full measure of the stature of Christ And therefore every godly Minister desires that he may be the Finisher as well as the Author under God of their Faith that they may be built up to Christs heavenly Kingdom 3. A Minister's aims are that his people may be kept from danger The people of God after they are effectually called they are
The promise of the Spirit which shall supply his absence such a Spirit as shall reach them comfort them and be in stead of All to them give them such Joy Courage and Peace as the World can neither give nor take away ver 27. Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you c. Thirdly In the 23. ver in the Text We will come and make our abode with him while you keep my words which is the great promise here If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him The words of the Text are an Answer to the Question of Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Jesus Christ gives the Answer If a man love me he will keep my words c. To him the Promise is made That the Father will love him They love him that keep his words and to these he hath said He will manifest his love to them and make his abode with them In which word there are three parts considerable First A Supposition If a man love me c. Secondly A position which is the effect of that love He will keep my words Thirdly A promise which is two-fold First Of the Father's love My Father will love him Secondly The Co-habitation of the Father and Son with such a Person We will come unto him and make â—ur abode with him The Observations that I intend to insist upon are two First That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ Secondly That God and Christ will make their abode with them that keep his words First Of the first of these That it is the duty and special property of them that love Jesus Christ in sincerity to keep the words of Christ If any love me he will keep my words he will do my will walk in my ways treasure up my truths and counsels This Doctrine requires three things to be spoken to in their order 1. That Jesus Christ must be truly loved 2. What it is to keep his Words 3. Why it is both the duty and property of them that love him to keep his words First That Jesus Christ must be truly loved there is such an indispensible necessity for this that the Apostle says 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha let him be accursed But because every one pretends highly to love Jesus Christ and but few that love him indeed I shall shew two things more briefly 1. Who is he that truly loves him 2. Why we should all truly love him First Who is he that truly loves Christ First He truly loves Jesus Christ who upon the discovery and tender of Jesus Christ in the Gospel as King Priest and Prophet can willingly deny all for him as the Merchant Mat. 13.45 46. sold all that he had for the goodly Pearl And so Paul Phil. 3.8 accounts all dung his parts his righteousness by the Law his greatest excellencies he loves Christ in deed and not in shew only who can leave the world his dearest lusts his best righteousness for Christ This is a true conjugal love Psal 45.10 Hearken O daughter and confider and encline thine ear forget also thine own people c. When Christ sees that we have such love to him that we will part with all for him then he sees a beauty in us that delights him Secondly He truly loves Jesus Christ who having received him will rather lose all than part with him again who accounts Jesus Christ better than his best things as he sayes in Mat. 10.37 He that loves Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. therefore sayes the Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart as a seal upon thine arm let me be so united to thee that I may never be sever'd from thee It is a very hard lesson and an irksome duty for the best of men to part with friends liberty peace life all these or either of these sweet mercies but to part with Christ nothing can perswade or enforce the soul that truly loves him that 's a thought more cruel than the Grave witness the holy Martyrs a whole cloud of witnesses that notable and eminent Galeacius Marquess of Vico c. Thirdly He that truly loves Jesus Christ takes abundance of delight in communion with him No pleasure like the kisses of his mouth No sweetness like that of his bosome all his ways are peace and his paths pleasantness Christ makes every condition comfortable there is no comfort of life but in that little enjoyment of Christ that the soul hath in his life 't is communion with Christ converse with him that is all my comfort and pleasure in the world O how doth the Spouse take care that he be not disturbed in Cant. 2. â— I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the Roes and the Hinds of the field that ye stir not up nor awake my Love till he please The words are an allusion to one that would not have her Friend disturbed and speaks to her companions and charges them by all that is dear and pleasant to them not to break the rest of her best Beloved and shews the wonderful delight the soul takes in communion with Jesus Christ and the special care that it alwayes hath that no tentation break in nor corruption break out to interrupt that sweet communion or occasion Christs departure who will not for any profit commit any sin or cause Jesus to depart from him Fourthly He that truly loves Jesus Christ having lost the sight of him is never satisfied till he come to the re-enjoyment of him is alwayes at a loss and is never quiet till he enter into acquaintance and communion with him as in that of Joseph and Mary they having lost their Son went seeking till they found him So Cant. 3.1 2 3 c. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not I will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad ways c. I said to the Watchmen Saw ye him whom my soul loveth c. By all which is expressed the sedulous care and industry of a living soul seeking after Christ First By night in her bed Jesus Christ hath her best thoughts in her closet and private duties of Prayer serious Meditations spiritual Ejaculations and secret self-Examinations in all these the soul enquires As one that loves the world by night his meditation is of the world so the man of pleasures and honours is pursuing his lusts in the night season the wicked man is contriving mischief upon his bed so the soul that loves Christ his are still at work after Christ Secondly I will rise now and go about the
hath given you saith the Apostle here This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments It is not a love in word and in tongue but in reality a love discovering it self by a consciencious care to hold conformity to all the will of God and if any should object This is a hard saying who can bear it saith the Apostle No such matter there is never a believing soul will say the Commandments of Christ are grievous or burdensome No they are light to them that are brnught over to the faith of the Gospel And the last thing I have to charge upon you upon the account of your Gospel-believing and being brought over to a closing with Christ it is this and so upon the matter I have given you an account of the substance of this precious Chapter having reduced it to that general Doctrine I propounded before I say the last thing is this That you would walk suitable to a believing state by being very careful concerning your Worships that you do perform that they be according to God and according to the Gospel and this is that which the Apostle closes the Chapter withall in the 21. verse Little Children keep your selves from Idols Amen As I take it in the former Translation it was Babes Babes keep your selves from Idols here it is Little Children I observe in this Epistle the Apostle makes a distinction of Believers into three Ranks as you shall finde in the second Chapter I write unto you little Children I write unto you young men and I write unto you Fathers in the close of this Epistle he concludes with this charge to little Children now whether he includes all the rest under this Title of Little Children I forbear to dispute but sure I am it is a duty lies upon one and the other whether they be Babes or young men or Aged Fathers in Christ Whatever our rank or condition be I am sure of this this is a great duty that lies upon all that will approve themselves in Godliness and be brought over to the Faith of the Gospel that they look to their worship and that they take heed of Idols as if he should say He that is born of God he keeps himself that the wicked one doth not touch him Oh Little Children shew forth that spiritual ability that by Grace you are furnished withall by being able to keep your selves from Idols It might be said what is this to us Are we in danger of Idols True well might the Apostle give in such a Charge to them in those â—â—mes when the greatest part of the World were in a state of Heathenism and in estrangement from Christ and the mysteries of the Gospel But this I say it doth really concern Christians in Gospel-times that have had the breakings out of the Gospel-light and the knowledge of the Gospel-mysteries to be careful of this Charge that they keep themselves from Idols there were the Idols of the Heathens grant it and so still there are a generation of people that our souls should mourn over to consider their state and are wrapt up in ignorance of God know nothing of the true God and our Lord Jesus Christ and it is the state and condition of the Jews at this day and what a sad condition are they in Grant it they worship not Idols after the manner of the Heathens yet they worship not the true God because they worship not God in Christ for saith the Apostle Whoever sins and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ he hath not God He that abides in the Doctrine of Christ he hath the Father and the Son And so the Jews at this day they not abiding not owning the Doctrine of Christ they have not God because they have not the Father and the Son this is their condition and thus I say there were not only the Idols of the Heathen Oh! but sadly be it spoken there are Idols among Persons pretending to Christ and Gospel Faith and the Doctrine concerning Grace by Jesus Christ How man Idols and Idolaters are there I might tell the Govetous person is an Idolater the voluptuous person and the self-justitiary sets up his own Righteousness and Idolizeth that But I say this there are Idols among Christians Papists hold forth the Name of Christ but yet what woful Idolatry is there among them There was the Dragon worship in the time of the Heathens and in the room of that there is come up the Beast-worship and of that worship the generality of the world runs upon and it concerns us to keep from Popish Idolatry it being the grossest Idolatry that ever was because there is the suitest petence of Worshipping JESUS and yet they turn him into an Idol What else means their worshipping and bowing to Image their Breaden gods and the like Oh therefore it concerns us to keep our selves from Idols and there is a Scripture if it were but well studied would cause trembling of heart and make all that have any care of their souls to look about them that Scripture I referr you to is in Rev. 13. compared with Rev. 20. In Rev. 13.11 whereas before there was Dragon-worship it is said here I beheld another Beast coming out of the earth and he had two Horns like a Lamb and he shake as a Dragon and he exerciseth all the power of the first Beast before him and â—auseth the Earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first Beast whose deadly wound was healed now look at verse 8. says he And all the dwellers upon the Earth shall worship him whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slâ—in from the foundation of the World Oh! it is a terrible word and that that should make us to fear and tremble lest in any kind we should be drawn into the worship of the Beast for as many as were not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb they were drawn into the Worship of the Beast This is that that should make us keep our selves from Idols from whatsoever hath but so much as a tincture of Superstition and Idolatry and the rather considering that other Scripture Rev. 20.15 And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire All that are not written in the Lambs Book of Life are prevailed to perform the worship with the Beast and not being writ there must be tumbled into the Lake for ever This therefore concerns us to keep from Idolatry from whatever hath a tendency that way and that hath any tincture of Superstition upon it and consider with your selves that our Duty is in matters of Worship and in things concerning the Worship of God to see to it that we keep a humble dependance upon God that we walk not according to the will of Men but according to the will of God You were bought with a price be not servants of men We are to walk by a Line by a
his Disciples your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom 3. Doct. That every true Believer is interessed in the Kingdom of Heaven the great God will bestow the Kingdom of Heaven upon Believers 4. Dâ—ct That the Kingdom of Heaven is the free gift of God It is the Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom The Kingdom of Heaven comes not to a Believer by his own merits nor by his own deservings but by God's free gift the free grace of God is the great motive it is God's good pleasure so to do The Saints cannot merit heaven by their holiest actions though they walk never so closely with God no no the Kingdom of heaven is God's free gift unto Believers 5. Doct. Lastly That the consideration of a Believers interest in the Kingdom of heaven should make him chearful and couragious in the practice of holiness and keep him from being dismayed and discouraged at all the afflictions and tribulations that he meets withall in the world this Doctrine is gathered from the Exhortation in the Text and the reason of it taken together the Exhortation viz. Fear not little Flock the reason of the Exhortation viz. For it is your Fathers â—ood pleasure to give you the Kingdom intimating that this one consideration that God will bestow the Kingdom of Glory upon his people hereafter should make them with all willingness and chearfulness to wade through all the calamities and incumbrances of this frail life A Believers heavenly interest should make him rejoyce in the midst of all his tryals and tribulations that he meets with from the hands of men here on earth I shall â—huse out the second and last of these observations to go on upon not having time and liberty to insist on them all that observation then which I shall first of all insist upon is this viz. Doct. That God is a Believers Father or that every true and sincere Christian hath God for his Father and is a child of God It is your Fathers good pleasure Before I come to the confirmation of this Truth I shall shew how many ways a people or person may have God to be their Father and they may be his Children First A people or person may have God for their Father by Creation as God is the great Creator of the World and they are his Creatures in this general sence God is a Father to all the Men and Women in the World to this refers that Scripture Mal. 3.10 saith the Prophet there Have we not all one Father Hath not one God created us but it is a more peculiar son-ship that belongs to Believers they have God for their Father in a more special and peculiar manner than this is Secondly A people or person may be the children of God and God may be their Father by profession Thus God was a Father to the Jewish Nation of old because they among all the Nations of the World did profess to own the Lord for their God and to serve and worship him and in this respect God doth profess himself to be a Father to Israel Jer. 3 9. I am a Father to Israel saith God Ephraim is my first-born And thus God is a Father to all those that do profess his Name But if this be all the claim that we can lay to God as our Father that he is so to us and that we are his children only by an external profession this will not entitle us to the Kingdom that eternal inheritance that God hath laid up for his people in the life to come it is therefore yet in a more peculiar manner that Believers have God for their Father Thirdly A person may have God for his Father by adoption and regeneration and thus true Believers and only such are the children of God and God is their Father 1 John 12.13 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God These are the sons of God the strictest and most peculiar sons that shall be made partakers of all the priviledges of the children of God viz. those that receive Christ into their hearts by faith and such as are truly regenerate and born again these are the true and genuine children of the most High the heirs of God and coheirs of Jesus Christ as the expression is Rom. 8. these are the children of whom it was spoken 2 Cor. 6. last I will be a Father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Having thus shewn unto you the several respects in which we may have God for our Father I shall come to the confirmation of it and shall prove that Believers have God for their Father in this special and peculiar manner there are abundance of Scripture-proofs for this in which Jesus Christ speaking to his Disciples calleth God their Father Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven And ver 48. Be ye perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Mat. 6.8 Your Father knoweth what things you have need of before you ask them Mat. 18.14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in Heaven these little ones should perish Joh. 20.17 Go tell my brethren saith Christ that I ascend to my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God By these and other Scriptures we may see that God is set forth to Believers under the relation of a Father to them And as God is called in Scripture a Believers Father so they are called sons Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Wherefore thou art no more a servant but a son and if a son then an heir of God through Christ Again 1 Joh. 3.2 Now we are the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be when we shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Gal. 3.16 The Apostle speaking to the unbelieving Galatians saith We are all the Children of God by Faith which is in Christ Jesus I shall no longer insist on the confirmation of this Doctrine but shall come to the application of it Vse Is it so that all true believers are the children of God and have God for their heavenly Father then the first use may be of comfort and consolation to the godly in that they are so nearly related to the great God believers by virtue of their son-ship having God for their heavenly Father have abundant ground of comfort and consolation upon these several accounts First They are under his fatherly care and providence fathers take care for their children to provide them things necessary as meat drink and apparel ab iisdem
faithful laborious Ministers and People I say the abounding of these and such like abominations is a very sad evidence that there are very few that have God for their Heavenly Father in this special and peculiar manner and that are his children by Adoption and Regeneration Lastly wouldest thou know whether God be thy Father and thou his child by this whether thou art couragious in the ways of God and in the practice of Godliness they that have God for their heavenly Father they have a noble and Heroick spirit they are such as will not be ashamed nor afraid to lead a holy life notwithstanding all the mocks and taunts and threats of the world they that are of a base timerous spirit that are afraid of owning the ways of holiness for fear of being reproached reviled or opposed by the prophane world they that are afraid to cleave to the wayes and people of God in discouraging times they are not of the right strain say not then that thou art born of God unless thou canst prove thy noble extraction by thy noble and heroick courage resolution notwithstanding all the trouble calamity persecution thou maist meet with in the world Thus much for Examination 4. Vse for Exhortation Fourthly Is it so c. Then here is a word of Exhortation First Unto those that are Unregenerate that have not God for their Father in this peculiar manner and that is that they would never be in rest till they come to be united unto Jesus Christ and to have him to be their Father by Regeneration it is a sad thing to be void of this when we cannot go to God as to a Father and cannot expect any thing from him as from a Father Oh! how little do thousands think of this whether they are the Children of God and have God for their Father or no they care not for it they make not out after it Or take it for granted when they have no true and real ground so to do Oh! then labour to get into this state of Son-ship close with Jesus Christ by a lively operative heart-purifying faith that thou maist thereby be invested into Gods family and become his Child consider that before thou art thus by faith ingrafted into Christ thou hast woful Parents thou art a child of disobedience Ephes 2.2 A child of wrath Verse 3. A child of Satan John 8.44 Secondly Here is a word of Counsel and Exhortation to the Godly that are the Children of God by Adoption and Regeneration First To those m◠first councel is that you would make it your greatest care and diligence to please your Heavenly Father and have a care of sinning against him consider that the sins of Gods Children are very grievous to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 said Caesar to his son Brutus when he saw him among his betrayers What and thou my son so will God say to his children when they grieve him by sin what and thou my son my child one whom I have Adopted my Heir what will you sin against me I thought you had had more love have I loved you so much and do you love me so little hath my spirit comforted you and will you grieve it have my bowels yearned towards you and will you kick against them have I been crucified for you and will you crucifie me again afresh by your sins The nearer the Relation is that the soul beareth to God the greater is the aggravation of the sin against God Secondly Labour to shew forth your noble extraction by your noble and raised affections it is beneath the son of a Prince to be taken up with trifles it is beneath one that is heir to a Kingdom to set his affections upon low and base things things of nought So it is beneath the Children of the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords to let their affections run out inordinately after the world and the enjoyments thereof they are born from above and therefore should set their affections upon things above and not on things on earth Colos 3.2 What an unsutable thing is it for a Christian to be taken up with the inordinate love of the world it is a Degradation to the heirs of Heaven to have their minds taken up only or mostly with Earth and earthly Vanities they are ad majora nati born to greater things it is unbecoming such to soil their affections with Earth which are born to an inheritance incorruptible which fadeth not away Oh that the children of God and such as do profess themselves so to be would manifest their holy and heavenly extraction by their holy and heavenly affections and that such as are the Sons and Daughters of God by Adoption and Sanctification would not walk so far beneath that Relation Thirdly Labor to imitate your heavenly Father Be you followers of God as dear Children Ephes 5.1 Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is merciful be ye holy as he is holy be ye compassionate as he is in all things labor to imitate your Heavenly Father it is a Christians honor to be like God and to imitate him Fourthly Labour more and more to obey your heavenly Father our natural Parents may require obedience of us and it is our duty to give it them much more may him that is the Father of spirits require it of us and it is much more our duty to give it him Walk as obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 Yea you must obey him chearfully too The obedience of Children is herein differenced from the obedience of slaves in that slaves are drawn to their duty out of a slavish fear but children come to it willingly out of a fillial affection Oh therefore let your obedience to God be chearful and voluntary Take delight to do the will of your heavenly Father Lastly Submit to your heavenly Fathers chastisements this is the Exhortation of the Apostle to the Hebrews Heb. 12.5 6 7. My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him For whom the Lord loveth be chasteneth and scourgeth every Son he receiveth If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if ye are without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bollards and not Sons Let us not then murmur and faint under our afflictions and chastisements but let us submit to them and labour to grow the better for them Thus much for the first Observation That God is a believers heavenly Father the other observation that I proposed to insist upon from this Text was the last of the five mentioned in the beginning and it contains the chief sum and scope of the whole verse and is most suitable to our Times and to this Occasion you may remember was this Doct. That the consideration of a Believers interest into the Kingdom of Heaven should make him chearful and couragious in the practise of holiness and
intemperately to the honour of his Idol only in dead Vessels of Gold and Silver But these in doing thus abuse living Vessels living bodies and living souls such Vessels as by Baptism were markt out for God and separated and sealed to his holy service they abuse and prostitute to a Lust to a Whore to the Devil Ah! who can but weep and weep again to see how much of our English Bloud is poyson'd with these beastly Enormities at this day and how many of our otherwise hopeful Gentlemen who might do God and their Country much service and be a great help to the publick good and peculiar blessing to the place where they live do basely and unworthily melt away their youth and Emasculate their spirits in drunken Societies and Effeminate Embraces Alas that so many Noble Births so many sparkling Wits should be prostituted to Satans service and imployed in carrying on Satans cause while they know it not If they had found a Golden Chalice as Augustine observes of Lucinus they would have given it to the Church But God hath given them a Golden Wit a golden Head and golden parts and in these golden Cups and Challices they drink themselves to the Devil both body and soul for evermore Ah deluded and degenerated Gentlemen think with your selves seriously what answer you will make to your Judge at the general Audit-day for taking the Members of Christ and making them members of an Harlot Never see my face more said Joseph unless you bring your brother Benjamin with you Oh friends never think to see Gods face to your comfort in Glory if you carry not holy bodies and holy souls and holy affections with you God tells you his minde in Heb. Follow peace and holiness without which you shall never see the Lord You may go to Heaven without a peny in your purse but you shall never come there without holiness in your heart Heaven is a City where Righteousness dwells and therefore though God in his wonderful patience to poor lost man suffer the Earth to give the ungodly a little house-room a while yet sure I am he will never cumber Heaven with such a crew Before Enoch was translated to Heaven he walkt holily upon Earth else God had never desired his Company so soon as he did And before the Saints departed commenced and took their degree of Glory they kept their Acts and performed the exercises of grace and so must you the Scripture is plain Without Holiness none shall see the Lord. It 's true none goes to Heaven for his Holiness and this shews the Insufficiency of Holiness But it 's as true that none goes to Heaven without holiness and this argues the necessity of holiness And therefore though it be no plea for Heaven yet it will be your best Evidence and will you have your Evidences to seek when you should have them to shew Ah then as you value a portion among the Saints in Light and hope to live in Heaven when you can live no longer upon Earth Be holy as your Father which is in Heaven is holy Caesars money must be known by Caesars Image and Superscription and so must the Christian at the Reckoning day by the Terror of his Conversation Not every one that saith Lord Lord but he that doth the will of the Lord shall be saved saith Christ Your works must be your witnesses and your deeds must declare whose you are and to whom you belong And therefore begin to live that life now which you intend and hope to live for ever and continue not one day longer in that condition in which you would not die and appear at Judgment in Therefore go home and dress your selves not with good Cloaths but with good works and while others are querying what they shall eat and what they shall drink and what they shall put on study you how to live and how to dye and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ making no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof And when others are projecting how to improve a barren piece of ground let your contrivance be how to improve a barren minde and as their care is that their fields should not lye fallow so let it be your study not to let your hearts lye fallow and the rather because you see that this is the will of God even your sanctification that every one of you should possess his Vessel in holiness 1 Thes 4.3 4. Now that this is the will of God will appear upon a two-fold account 1. First from the price with which he hath redeemed us to it 2. And Secondly from the Promise which he hath made to Reward us for it 1. The price he paid down upon the nail was his own blood Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might Redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people Had man kept his primitive holiness Christ might have kept his life and have spared his pains It was mans lost Righteousness lost Holiness that Christ came to recover But this is a Point that needs pressing rather than proving which I shall undertake to effect by these ensuing obrestations and intreaties I beseech you upon the account of these three Considerations that you would approve your selves a holy Nation a Seed which the Lord hath blessed I beseech you 1. For my sake 2. For your sakes 3. For Christs sake First for my sake who am to come to you as a Petitioner and Messenger from the Lord and the sum of my desires is this I beseech you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to God I am not courting you for your silver but for your souls and what will you grant me if this be denied me O the Lord make you a willing people in the day of his power God hath sent me to you as Jesse to David with this Present in mine hands and these Breathings in my heart after your Salvation O may they but prove serviceable and successful to your souls and I shall bless God that hath put it into mine heart thus to visit you But if you will not hear nor fear to do no more so wickedly My soul shall weep in secret for you Is it not sad to a tender Physitian to see his Patients to dye under his hands much sadder sure to a poor Minister to see souls drop to Hell one by one under his Pulpit and cannot help them cannot save them this must needs be a heart-sadding sight to one that 's sensible of the worth of souls It costeth the Mother no small pains to bring forth a living Child But ah the bitter Throws of that Minister that travels all the year long nay all his life long with a dead Child a dead-hearted people That spends his strength and like a Candle Swails out his life amongst his Parish and is forced at last to take up the Prophets complaint Who hath believed our report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord
Christ Jesus Consult with flesh and blood and that will never teach you to believe but an ignorant presumptuous Faith This concerneth me not to have my thoughts plunged about this or that worldly care but to become a new Creature in the renewing of the spirit of the mind Fourthly Consider ever 1. To follow Peace 2. To follow Holiness 3. To exercise Patience 1. To follow Peace Two of these you have in the Hebrews Heb. 14. Follow Peace with all men and Holiness without which none shall see God Do not esteem it your interest to contend Let the Peace of God rule in your hearts Fret not thy self because of evil doers It is an easie matter to sin in our Anger a rare thing to moderate anger against sin so as not to sin in that anger 2. To follow Holiness Refuse Peace that cannot be enjoyed without Holiness It is upon the view of God I shall see what kind of love he is and Christ saith Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Resolve to follow holiness not greatness riches c. And he that will do so Christ saith shall suffer persecution in this present world Wherefore it will be good to consider 3. To exercise patience Let us add upon that account 1. Love not the World 2. Love not your own Wills 3. Value your own Souls 1. Not the World The Text saith 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the Love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the Lust of the flesh the Lust of the eye and the Pride of life is not of the Father but is of the World And the World passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the Will of the Father abideth for ever The love of this world maketh a man to be in respect of the Prince of this world as a Bird in the Fowlers snare There is no way sooner to sin away their everlasting Love than to love this present World 2. Love not your own Wills That person is neither prepared to do for God nor to suffer for him that nath not learned something of this lesson of Self-denial There is no divine service but in doing Gods Will and that I cannot do but by parting with my own delivering up my self unto him to be led and guided by his holy Spirit Christ saith If any man will be my Disciple let him deny himself take up his Cross and follow me 3. Value your own Souls The great care and consult is for gratifying the body if but part of that time were spent on the soul which is on the needless care of the body it might render it in a far better and more goodlier posture Let every one think I carry that in my bosome is of more value than the whole worlâ— neither can the whole world recompence the loss of it and if we have such jewels let us take care to secure them A careless common spirit doth not become a Christian Let none imploy their time in disputing this or that vain Opinion but spend it on your souls Secondly In order unto the particular divine Providence now ending of our Ministry unto you 1. Whatever happeneth on this account let it be your exercise to cry out for the holy Spirit of Christ he will grant you a greater supply than you may expect from any man whatever So Christ comforteth his Disciples Though I go yet I will pray unto the Father and he shall send you another Comforter and he biddeth them pray for it also Even so as for what concerneth us this we cannot be denyed to pray that God would send out his holy Spirit among you and upon you and while we may speak unto you we desire you to pray for it also Our work did lye but to bâ—ing men to Repentance by conviction of sin to believing by the shewing of Righteousness and to convince of both by Christs conquest over sin This Christ sheweth his holy Spirit the Comforter can do Joh. 16.8 9 10 11. And when he is come he shall reprove the world of Sin of Righteousness and of Judgment Of sin because they believe not on me of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more of Judgment because the Prince of this world is Judged This is a suitable and sufficient reply 1 Joh. 2.27 But the Anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him That Anointing was the Spirit pour'd out on our Head Christ Jesus and ran down the skires of his garments not that instruction should cease but this Spirit can either fill it administred or supply it being wanting And the withdrawing of this present Ministry may be to cause you to pray more incessantly for this holy Spirit day and night And Christ promiseth The Father will give it to them that ask it 2. Be more frequent in your converse with the Scripture It is the Pillar of Truth and by a frequent converse with it also you will find a pure mind stirred up to remember 3. Be more frequent in Meditation Let not the world swallow up all your time so as not to meditate on your Souls the Scriptures and Heaven The meditation on Gods Law keepeth us from the Counsel of the ungodly from standing among sinners or sitting down in the seat of the scornful Psal 1. It is worthy of our wonder any should read the Scriptures believing them indicted by a holy Spirit and yet scorn Holiness Religion c. 4. Be more usual in personal private and family Duties Devotion God doth call those that know how to address themselves unto him to a more earnest private devotion Jacob was alone when he wrestled for a blessing There are particular seasons in which God calleth his people into a retirement Isaiah 26 20 21. Come my People enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy dores about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be over-past For behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities So also Zech. 12.11 12. And in that day shal be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon And the Land shal mourn every Family apart the Family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Nathan apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Levi apart and their Wives apart all the Families that remain every Family apart and their Wives apart In that day there shal be a Fountain opened to the House of David and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for Sin and for Vncleanness If I
meek spirits as Christ did take our flesh let us partake of his Spirit Why dost thou imbitter the brest of the Creature to us but that we should finde the sweetness of the Promises There is as much in the Promises as ever let us live upon God let us cast anchor in Heaven and we shall never sink Shower down thy blessings even the choicest of them upon the head and heart of our dread Sovereign Charles by thy appointment of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith let him see wherein his cheifest interest lies let him count those his best subjects that are Christ's subjects Bless him â—n hâ—s Royal Consort in his Royal Relations the Lords of his Privy Council let them be a terror to eviâ— doers and incouragers of those that do well Bless all thy Ordinances to us make them to be fulness of life to every one before thee we are come this day to partake of them Oh pour in Wine and oyl into our souls let us be a watered garden let this blessed Sacrament be a poyson to our lust and nourishment for our Grace Hear us be our God follow us with mercy crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake whom not seeing we love in whom believing we rejoyce to Christ with thee and thy holy Spirit be Glory Honour and Praise now and for ever Amen Mr. Lye 's Prayer at Allhallows Lumber-street O Lord our great God thou canst do all things for thou dost dispose and govern all the wayes and works and words of thy Creature to thâ—ne own praise We thy poor Creatures the workmanship of thy hands the price and purchase of thy Sons blood do desire this morning to fall down and humble our selves at the Throne of thy Grace we desire to lift up an eye of Faith to thee that thou mayest dart an eye of Love to us since thou hast commanded us to come unto thee Oh bless us now we come Let it not be in vain for any of us from the high'st to the low'st from the richest to the poorest that we have sought thy Face this morning Blessed Father pour down a spirit of Prayer a Spirit of preaching a Spirit of Rejoycing a spirit of Practising in the midst of us let us not only be enabled to know what to do but to do what we know Thou that distd cure the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle Oh heel that natural dimness that is in the best of us Thy Rod in the hand of Moses brought water out of the Rock Oh do thou strike upon those rocky hearts that our adamantine hearts being softned may gush out into Rivers of tears Oh drown our sins in the Red sea of our saviours blood help us to smite upon our thigh and to ask our selves what we have been and what we have done and humble us under the omission of any commanded duty and the comission of any for bidden sin sins of thoughts wordes and dieds sins against the Law against the Gospel of youth manhood and old-age sins before under and since conversion sins against prayers vows promises covenants and oaths Oh Lord if thou didst prefer thy Bill against us we could not stand if we were weighed in the balance of the Sanctury we should be found too light but holy Father remember not against us our former sins but rather have mercy upon us according to thy loving kindness cross and blot out our iniquities blot them out so fully and wholly that it may be to us as to Judath in the promise that the sins of Judath should be sought for and not found O bathe our souls in that Fountain that was set open for Judah and Jerusalem though our sins have been as Scarlet let them be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson let them be like Wool We have read that a flood of sin brought down a deluge of water that they covered the tops of the mountains Oh let thy deluge of mercy cover the tops of the mountains of our sins It is the glory of a God to pardon great sins We desire to turn unto thee with our whole hearts do thou subdue our iniquities let us be not only cleansed but let us have the efficacy of the spirit of Christ to wash us from the guilt of sin because we boast we are not under the Law but under Grace Be gracious to our Soveraign Lord Charles King of England Scotland France and Ireland It is thy promise that Kings shall be Nursing Fathers to thy children grant that under the shadow of his Majesty thy people may be protected that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Oh let thy people possess the Land from Dan to Beersheba Oh give us Scripture-Magistrates and Gospel-Ministers as long as the Sun and Moon endures Let thy VVord be sanctified to us let it not be only as water to get out our spots but as a Refiners fire to purge our dross and take away our tin And holy Father where thou hast begun a good work do thou go on and bring it to perfection let not the light that is in us be like the glimmering light of the evening but as the light of the morning that shineth more and more to the day Let our best wine be kept to the last let the end of our lives be the end of sinning Thou hast cast our lot in the midst of temptations of all sorts thou hast brought many of us through the red Sea but we are in the wilderness with Zeba and Zalmunna and those that dwell at Tyre the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir and all the forces that Hell can make against us Oh put upon uâ— all the whole Armour of God Now in these days of Errour gird us with the Girdle of Truth Oh now in these days of falsity give us a helmet of Hope Now the Devil darts at us give us the Sheiâ—d of Faith Oh give us the Sword of the Spirit of the word of God that it may enable us to confute the gain-saying of foolish men Oh help us to pray with all manner of prayer constantly fervently faithfully feelingly that we stand and not fall and that not in our strength but in Gods To this end be with us upon this thine own day our Manna falls every day and it is doubled upon the Lords day Oh let us be as thy servant John in the Spirit upon thine own day let God by his Spirit come into our spirits understandings consciences wills memories and affections that all our conversations without and affections within may be obedient to thy Word Enable thy Servant to deliver thy Word faithfully God forbid thy Servant should stand upon so sandy a foundation as the Wisdome of Man one iota of thy Word hath more wisdome in it then all men and Angels have Good Father give thy people a hearing ear it is too much they have played
pass and as vers 8. Fret not thy self in any wise to do evil 2. Take heed of such persons as by whom if you be not the more watchful you may be so offended as to be turned out of the way More particularly 1. Take heed of your selves This is that our Saviour calls for in that Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself Our greatest danger is from our selves while we have within a deceiver and a traytor who is still conspiring to turn us out of the way Take heed therefore of your own selves consult not with flesh and blood Gal. 1.10 2. Beware of Satan This is that which the Apostle suggests 2 Cor. 3. I fear by any means lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ And out of the like fear concerning you I beseech you beware of Satan and the rather for that as the Apostle saith vers 14. Satan is transformed into an Angel of light 2. Beware of false Teachers This is the advice of our Saviour in Mat. 7.15 Beware of false Prophets which comes to you in sheeps cloathing c. And though I cannot say I know with the Apostle in Acts 20.29 yet I am greatly afraid that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock and that of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciple after them 4. Beware of worldly Friends such as will counsel you to spare your selves such as savour not the things of God but those that be of men This our Saviour calls for in that of Luke 14.26 Answer them as Christ answered Peter Mat 16.22 23. The proper use of this Point with respect to the people of God is to exhort and perswade them to wait on the Lord and keep his way however it be whoever they are that watch and plot against them however they may prosper in bringing wicked devices to pasâ— however they may prevail in oppressing the poor Saints yet this is the Exhortation that I have received from the Lord for you Wait on the Lord and keep his Way There are two branches of the Exhortation I shall speak to both of them distinctly And because the latter of them is the main and the former a help thereto in bad times I shall invert the order of the Text and speak to what is here the latter in the first place and the other as time will give leave 1. However it go Saints though the wicked watch to do you a mischief yet keep you the Way of the Lord diligently observing the way of his Commandements the way of your duty to walk therein For as much as it hath been the design of mâ— preaching all along to expound the Way of God to you and to instruct you in the way of the Lord And I am now directing my speech to the Saints of God who know own and profess the way of the Lord I shall not spend much time while I have so little left in recounting to you what I have taught you concerning the way of the Lord onely in general that way of truth and righteousness the way of faith and holiness which I have taught you from the word is intended You know the way of Gospel-Doctrine Gospel-Fellowship Gospel-worship Gospel-Discipline and Gospel-Conversation which I have preached and you have received And here beloved I call God to witness in whose Name I have preached to you that I have preached the way of the Lord sincerely and faithfully as I have received of the Lord by the teaching of his Spirit through the Word I therefore beseech and entreat you out of that hearty love I bear to you and that affectionate care I have for you that as you tender the Glory of God your own Peace here and eternal Happiness hereafter and the spiritual and eternal good of others that you will remember how you have heard and received and keep the way of the Lord. In the prosecuting of this I shall speak to these two things First Open this duty in a few particulars Secondly Give you some directions to help you herein For the first of these take it in these particulars 1. Be exhorted to keep the way of the Lord in your memories So Rev. 3 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast I am speaking to those that have received the knowledge of the way of the Lord that they retain what they have learned and that they maintain an actual remembrance of it and the rather take heed to this every one of you with the greater diligence for that you are like to be deprived of the help of your Remembrancers viz. the faithful Ministers of Christ 1 Tim. 4.6 you have had their help a lâ—ng while in putting you from Sabbath to Sabbath in remembrance but this is taking from you as the Apostle in another case Heb. 2.1 Therefore ye ought to give the more earnest heed to the things ye have heard lest at any time ye should let them slip 2. Keep the Way of the Lord in your judgments and Consciences I am speaking to those whose judgments are enlightned and Consciences renewed to approve of the VVay of the Lord As therefore the Apostle unto them 2 Pet. 3.17 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye be led amay with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness So say I seeing ye know the VVay of the Lord and approve of it beware lest being led away with the error of the wicked and your own judgements being thereby corruped and your Consciences defiled you fall from your own stedfastness and I the rather press this for that as the Apostle hath it 2 Cor. 11.3 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ 3. Keep the Way of the Lord in your Profession I am speaking unto those who as Rom. 10.10 with the heart believe unto Righteousness and with the month make confession unto Salvation And you have the Exhortation in the words of the Apostle Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the Faith without wavering Be not ashamed of your profession as our Saviour speaks Mar 8.38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my Words in this adulterous and sinfull generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels with Mat. 10.32 33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven 4. Keep the Way of the Lord in your hearts and affections loving rejoycing and delighting in the Way of the Lord