THE SON OF GOD Walking in the Fire with the Servants of God IN NINE SERMONS Upon DAN III. XXV BY That Precious and Holy Man Mr TIMOTHY ARMITAGE Late Pastor of a Congregation gathered in the City of Norwich Unto which is added another SERMON Preached by him upon Eccles 9. 10. At the Entrance of one of the Mayors there into his Office LONDON Printed by J. Macock for Henry Cripps and are to be sold at his Shop in Popes-Head-Alley near Lumbard-Street 1656. To the Reader THe Prophets do they live for ever as the holy Prophet Zechariah asks the Question wherein he also implies the Answer Surely they do not live for ever which dayly experience doth bear witness unto For we see that wise and good men dye as well as the foolish and bruitish person And 't is no small Mercy unto them what ever it be to those who remain that they may rest from their Labours yet were it not great pity that all their precious Labors should dye and be buried in the dust together with themselves Now although that gracious and sweet-Spirited Man Mr. Timothy Armitage the late Pastor to a Congregation gathered in the City of Norwich is now gone to his blessed Rest of whose Death it cannot be said as 't was of that King Jehoram That he departed without being desired for his absence is still very much lamented and not without cause unto this day Yet through the Lords good Providence some of his holy Labors that fell from him being taken up by the careful Hand of a Christian Brother of that Congregation who had the Pen of a ready Writer are here presented to the world as some others also may if the Lord please in time be brought to light whereby such as have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil may easily perceive what a good Treasure there was in the heart of that good man whence such good things both new and old have been brought forth I doubt not but such a sweet savour of a gracious Spirit will so evidently appear all along through the Veins of these Sermons to such as are spiritual and can savour spiritual things as that should I go about to write Letters of Commendation of Him or Them I suppose it might be said to me as the Samaritans sometime spake unto the Woman that perswaded them to come and see the Christ Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this was a most choice and precious Man indeed And seeing it hath been the Lot and Portion of the Saints even in all Ages more or less to meet with manifold exercises and sharp sufferings in one kind or other yea sometimes even with Fiery Tryals and what afflictions may also abide us in these latter Times the Lord only knoweth Therefore I cannot but think that the Subject of these ensuing Sermons viz The walking of the Son of God with his Servants in the midst of the Fire may be very seasonable and comfortable to all the Servants of Christ even in these and the after times What this our Dear and Reverend Brother spake herein was as it seems that which he had the experience of not long before having as I am told but newly come out of the Furnace I mean a most violent hot burning Fever so that there is the more cause to hope that what came from his own heart may through the Blessing of Christ go to the Hearts of others also If any seeming Pleonasms or Redundances or deficiency in any Phrases or words may appear to any herein let them please but to consider that these Sermons are put forth not by the Authors own Notes which as it seems are very hardly to be read but as they were taken from his Mouth in Preaching I shall only crave leave to mention one passage lest possibly any might seem to stumble or be offended at it viz. That about the suppressing of Errors in pag. 118 119. as if he did absolutely deny the exercise of the Magistrates Power in any such matters or in any case whatsoever Whereas if his Expressions be candidly taken as they may viz. That the Sword or Power of the Magistrate is not to be exercised against any Person meerly for the very holding of an Error if no more without any manner of Civil disturbance or circumstances of that Nature for he speaks not at all of any such holding spreading of Errors I know not any that wil or can affirm or maintain the contrary and so take any just offence at the Expression I shall add no more but desire that the Blessing of Christ may accompany these holy Labors 13d. 7m. 56y. THO. ALLEN The Table Shewing several things observable in every particular Sermon in this Book The first Sermon SEven Wonders or seven Miracles discovered in the Text. First That the light of the fire continued and not the heat Page 3 Secondly That their number was not diminished but encreased 4 Thirdly That the fire did burn their bands asunder but did not hurt them ibid. Fourthly These men were seen walking in the midst of the fire ibid. Fiftly That the fire did remain fire and yet not burn them ib. Sixtly That they should be in the midst of the fire and have no hurt 5 Seventhly There was one among them like the Son of God ib. The Observation That the Lord doth oftentimes in a wonderful manner rescue the lives of his Servants from death 7 What restraints God lays upon the Creatures that he might rescue the lives of his Servants p. 7 8 9 10 The first Ground of the Point 10 How Gods Name is glorified by delivering his Servants 11 12 13 The second Ground of the Point 15 The third Ground of the Point 16 Quest What God requires when he works Mercies for his people 17 1. Take heed that we neither forget the Mercy nor the God of the Mercy ibid. 2. Not look with a slight eye upon great Mercies 19 3. Give nothing to the Creature but all to free grace ibid. 4. Give back again to God what God lends us 20 5. Be willing that we lay down our lives when God calls for them ibid. 6. We should do something extraordinary for God 21 7. Look upon all outward mercies in reference to some spiritual mercy 22 The second Sermon Use 1. To teach that the lives of the Saints are very precious to God p. 28. This is made out in four particulars 30. Use 2. To teach that the souls of the Saints are much more precious to God and therefore our souls should be very precious to us 34 Use 3. To teach us to set an high price upon our lives 37 4. Rules how to prize our lives 39 Use 4. To exhort the Saints to trust God for ever 45 The third Sermon The former Use further pressed and directions given what to trust God for 1. For all the comforts of their lives 52 2. For overcomming the
the people of Christ expect the presence of Christ in their afflictions 183 Object But we have no promise of it now as the Saints had formerly 84. Answ 1. Though God speaks not now from Heaven yet we have a larger word written 2. We have the spirit given more abundantly then at that time to particularize the Promises to us Where is shewed how we may know it is the Spirit that brings the Promises to us 185 186 Object But sure Christ is not with one in affliction Why is it so and so with me then Answered in three particulars Use 5. To teach the people of God thankfulness 1. Because God leaves them not alone in their low conditions 2. Because he affords them his presence therein 187 Objections of such as say they finde not Christs presence with them in afflictions answered and directions given in such a case 190 c. THE First Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God THe School of Discipline which God trains up his Children in teemeth to have very severe Staâ—utes and strict Orders that are not joyous to the flesh but they are exceeding profitable for the Spirit there is no School in the world in which there is more to be learned the Lord Jesus himself is the head Master in this School who learned obedience perfectly by the things that he sufferd and so he knew how to teach his School â—s I may say the Lord Jesus will teach his Scholars all kind of weapons that they may be fit for all assaults he will make them good at any exercise before he leave them In the 11. of Hebrews you have a Role of the several exercises they were put upon beginning at the 36. verse Others had tryals of cruâ—l mockings and scourâ—ings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments thâ—y were stoned they wâ—re sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheeps skins and goats skins being destitute afflâ—cted tormented and he teaches them how to conquer all these The Apostle here doth speak of these as Conquerors through faith in the verses foregoing see what gloâ—ious Conquests they had In the 33 34. verses Who through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought Rigâ—teousness obâ—ained promises stopped the mouths of Lyons quenchâ—d the violence of fire escaped the â—dge of the sword out of weakness were made strong wâ—xed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliâ—ns Here are glorious victories that the Saints had through faith over all the evil that they met with in the world you have an instance of this in the Text. In the Chapter where the Text is you shall read there of three Schollars of Jesus Chrisâ— â—hat were put to hard exeâ—cises they were put to it to grapple with he flames of fire and they had all manner of disadvantage and yet they went on Coâ—querors they had to deal with the wrath of the King He was exceeding wrath and his countâ—â—â—â—câ— câ—â—nged Tâ—ey had to deal with the flames of fâ—re and flames tâ—at were made seven times hotter than ordinary So the King gave commandmâ—nt as you read in the 19. verse thâ—t they should heat the Furnace seven times hotter than ordinary Again they wâ—re bound hand and foot for so the King gave commandment in the 20 21 vers And they took them and bound them and cast them bound into the Furnace yet the Lord he made his servants Conquerors notwithstanding all their disadvantages You have in the Text the confession of the very enemies themselves tâ—e King said Did I not cast three men bâ—â—â—nd into the Furnace and Lo I see your men walking I see four men walking in the midâ—â— of the fire and they have no hurt So then in the Text you have witness given by the mouth of an enemy unto that great deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants Lo said the King himself I see four men loose c. where take notice of the several wonderful things that God wrought for these three children See how many wonders there were in this deliverance of theirs First of all there was this wonder That the The first Wonder iâ— the delivering of the three Children light of the fire continued and not the heat â—iz so as to work upon them this seems to be a great Miracle that light and heat should be seperated from the fire there was light the King saw them walking in the midst of the fire and yet that fire did not burn I say this could not be done without a great Miracle 'T is true they shall be separated in Hell light shall be separated from the flames of Hell When God will shew and testifie the greatness the fierceness of his wrath upon the disobedient there will be heat but no light â— flames there shall be burning and yet there shall be nothing but utter darkness Now when God will shew a Miracle of Mercy to his Servants here upon earth God so disposeth and orders it that there shall be light and no heat Secondly There was this Miracle that their number was not diminished but increased Lo I The Second Miracle see four men saith the King Did we not cast in three and lo I see four They had thought to cut off at once all that were disobedient to the sinful command of the King they had thought that the flames would have consumed them all three that there should not have been one left behoâ—d their number is increased since they begun to suffer their number is increased they have a fellow Martyr a fellow sufferer that is in the midst of them Again Thirdly Here was this Wonder this Miracle That the fire did burn their bones asunder â—he Third Miraâ—le but did not burt them I see four men loose say's the King â—id we not cast three men bound into the furnace and lo I see four men loose And what a wonderful work of God was this that the flames that were prepared to devour them should help them that the flames should burn their bonds and not hurt them Again Fourthly Here was yet another Miracle The Fourth Mirâ—cle that these men were seen walking in the midst of the fire The fire was prepared to be a Torment to them but the Lord made it a sweet walking fire that which was pretended to torment them it becomes a blessing to them they were walking each with other and lifting up the Name of the Lord â—n the midst of the fire Fiftly Here was this Miracle That the fire should remain fire and yet it should not burn tâ—em The Fifth Miracle I fee four men loose walking in the midst of the fire say's the King So that the fire was still fire it was not quenched some conceive that the Angel did quench the heat of the fire with some sweet dew or
and do them good First of all they cannot hurt The water of the Red Sea it could not destroy the Israelites The Lyons though fierce creatures yet they could not open their mouths against Daniel The most violent men of the world cannot hurt when God lays a restraint upon them you know Laban was not able to speak so much as a hurtful word to Jacob because God met him and layd a restraint upon him Take heed that thou speak to Jacob neitâ—er good nor evil God would perswade his people of this in that 54. of Isaiah verse 15 16. God would let them know that they were not able to lift up a weapon without him nay they could not so much as make a weapon without him the Smith could not so much as blow the fire to form a weapon without the Lord Thus saith God I have power over all creatures and over all the actions of creatures a weapon cannot be lifted up for the workman cannot so much as lift up his hand to blow the fire unless God permit him â— Dog cannot bark against a man unless God give leave the barking of a Dog will do little â—urt yet a Dog could not so much as bark against Israel when the Lord lay a restraint upon them God would carry them quite out of the land of Aegypt and not one Dog should move his Tongue at them as you may see in the 11. of Exodus vers 7. you see the creature cannot do the least hurt for a Dog cannot do so much as bark he cannot do so much as move his Tongue when God lays a restraint upon them Secondly The creature cannot hurt but they must do good to Gods people at his command if the Lord will make choice of any creature to do his people good he will effect his own design it cannot be hindered he will do them good by any thing he will do them good by any creature by the most violent creature Who would have thought that the fire should have done these three children good that the fire should take their part and yet the fire at the command of the Lord does loose their bonds and sets them at liberty Who would have thought that the waters at the red Sea should have done the Israelites good and yet they were abundantly useful to them in their passage through the red Sea you shall read in the 14 of Exodus vers 22. that the children of Israel walked through the Sea and the waters were a wall to them on the right hand and on the left the creature that might have been their destruction became security to them their way was made strait to them they could not go out of their way for the Sea was a wall to them on the right hand and on the left Who would have thought that the Ravens should have done Eliaâ— so much good that the hungry Ravens creaturâ— that are of so greedy an appetite should sparâ— meat out of their own bodies to feed the Prophet yet so it was as you may read in the first book of Kings 17. vers 6. God makes the very Ravens to be careful Nurses to Elias when he was in the Wilderness they brought him his meat in the morning and in the evening Who would have bin thought that the belly of the Whale should have a protecting place to Johah that it should save him from destruction yet God he made use of it and he made the belly of the Whale to be a place of safety to Jonah the Whale kept him safe till she carryed him and set him on shore So that you see God can do his people good by any creature he can make them all to be useful Sometimes he works by improbable means and sometimes by impossible means I say sometimes God doth his people good by improbable means to have Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the Rock you will say this is improbable and yet this is his promise that is made to Israel in the 32. of Deuteronomy vers 13. And he made him to suck Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the flinty Rock He speaks of the fruitfulness of the Land of Canaan God made the barren places fruitful and he made the very Rocks to bring forth yea the very flinty Rocks to be fruitful the Rocks gave them Honey and the Rocks gave them Oyl That is as I conceive God made the very Rocks to bring forth trees and trees brought forth pleasant fruit the Rocks brought forth the Olive Trees and the Date Trees and so they had Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the Rock You know that it was impossible that Israel being carryed into Babylon they should be carryed again into their own Country and while they were in Babylon they seem to be in the grave What a mercy was it that God should stir up their enemies to be a defence to them and to have them to be assisting of them and to stir them up to the work of the Lord to work in the Temple you know God wrought by that means And so how improbable was it that Josephs accusation by his Mistress that his fetters his chains should be his advancement and you know God wrought that way and he made Joseph to be lift up and made the second man of Pharaohs Kingdom Yea God works sometimes by Impossible means you see it was impossible that the fire should have been a protection to these three Children to loose their bands and set them at liberty and be a place to walk in and yet it was at the command of the Lord. He can turn the very stones into bread He can send bread out of Heaven as to Israel and give water out of the Rock as to them in the Wilderness He cannot only work without means but by impossible means And thus you see at the command of the Lord all creatures must obey He can do his people good by Improbable means and by Impossible means For the Grounds of the Point Why creatures The Grounds of the Point cannot hurt but they must do good to the people of God First of all Because they must all go along with God and where God is a friend they must be a freind where God will not hurt they will not hurt for they all go along with him Balaam could not go against the word of the Lord If Balack would have given him his house full of Gold and Silver he could not go against the word of the Lord and therefore when he would have had him cursed the people Oh says Balaam How should I curse when God hath not cursed and defie whâ—n God hath not defied This is the voice of all Creatures how shall we curse when God hath not cursed and how shall we hurt when God hath not hurt they are all obedient to the word of the Lord to the command of the Lord all creatures obey that word of the Lord that he gave them
such as fear the Lord and desire to walk conscientiously It is your work to be a wall to them and to protect them so they walk regularly and in the fear of the Lord The people of God they are the strength of the Land who ever they be they are the strength of the Land they are the strength of a City They protect you and therefore it is your work to protect them The godly in a City they protect the City they are the safety of the City God said he could not destroy Sodom so long as Lot was there and could do nothing so long as righteous Lot was among them they are the strength of a City I beseech you see what is said in the second of Zechariah verse 5. And the Governours of Judah shall say in their hearts the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of Hosts their God Such as fear the Lord of all ranks they are the strength of the City and the time is a coming when the Governours of Judah shall say so The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of Hosts their God they have great interest in God and therefore they are my strength they are the strength of the Governours and they are the strength of the City And now let me say to you as Paul said to Agrippa Beleeve you this Oh you Fathers of the City do you beleeve this that the Inhabitants of Jerusalem they are your strength and the strength of the City in the Lord of Hosts their God do 〈◊〉 beleeve this I know you beleeve it 〈…〉 the Lord will cause you all to beleeve 〈…〉 people of God what ever they be they are 〈◊〉 strength of the City you shall say it one day all the Governors of Judah shal say That the Inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of Hosts their God And now I have humbly presented this Counsel as from the Lord I have laid before you what is your work 1. There is a Work of Justice 2. A Work of Equity 3. A Work of Mercy 4. A Work of Piety 5. A Work of Love to Christ in the protection of his people And a work of Wisedom to your selves which will be your strength And now let me say to all Christians and Christian Magistrates Let me say to you all what ever is your work what ever is in your hand to do Oh that the Lord would help you to do it with all your might What is in your hand to do as Christians as Magistrates Oh that the Lord would help you to do it with all your might I shall not need to press it further upon you both as Christians The Devil worketh with all his might and shall not Christians work with their might and Magistrates work with their might He goes about night and day seeking whom he may devour and shall not you go about night and day seeking whom you may save And seeking whom you may punish for contemning the Law of the Lord your God The Divel compasses the earth Whence comest thou I come from â—â—â—â—â—assing the earth And Oh shall not Christians 〈◊〉 â—ith all their might when Satan doth with all his might sinners do with all their might and shall not Christians do with their might It is said of sinners That they draw iniquity as with Cart-ropes It is the expression of the Prophet and in the seventh of Micah it is said they sin with both hands they do evil with both hands aye earnestly and they do it with both hands and if they sin with both hands shall not Christians do good with both hands Shall they sin with all their might and shall not you do the work of God with all your might Let me say further to you Christ did the work of the Father with all his might and your work with all his might the work of your salvation he wrought three and thirty years together he sweat hard And Oh! shall not you in a way of love in a way of obedience labour to do for God with all your might seeing Christ hath done for you with all his might Let me say to you you are not put upon it to work for life and righteousness or for Heaven but only to express your thankfulnesse your love and obedience and therefore well may you work for God you have a great deal of work and you have but a little time to do it Sinners you are hastning to the grave Oh work for God with all your might Christians you are hastning to the grave Magistrates you are hastning to the grave Oh then do what ever you find to do for God with all your might There is no work as a Magistrate nor as a Minister nor as a Christian in the graâ—e whither thou art going here is all the working time that you shall have for eternity you have six days to work in And you that are Beleevers shall have a long rest you may well work a while though you sweat hard for it there is no more time to work in but a long time to rest in an everlasting Rest eternity of Rest that shall never have an end your rest is long And Oh make hast there is no possibility of working more for God hereafter If you do not finish your work now you cannot finish it in the grave You had need work the Candle is set up and you have but little of the Candle left Oh if you do not finish this work of God before this Candles end be out there is nothing but darknesse in the grave There is no wisedom no device c. If there were work you could not see But there is no beleeving no repenting no doing for God no further time to be serviceable to God but a time of receiving for the Saints and a time for the wicked to be punished And therefore What ever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work nor device nor wisedom in the grave whither thou goest And so much for this time FINIS ERRATA PAge 1. line 12. read seemeth p. 4. l. 17. r. bonds p. 5. l. 15. r. act p. 6. l. 10. r. was p. 9. l. 22. r. grave p. 11. l. 31. r. the. p. 16. l. 5. r they for now p. 17. l. 28. r. this p. 21. l. 15. blot out as r. in as dye p. 41. l. 26. r. open p. 43. last v. r. get p. 49. last v. blot out time p. 68. l. 27. r. grace p. 73. l. 6. r. whether p. 74. last v. r. superstition p. 75. l. 7. r. past and l. 9. r. not p. 77. l. 13. r. though and l. 25. r. to p. 78. l. 18. r. terrible and l. 30 r. in a. p. 81. l. 27. blot out either p. 93. l. 25. r. done p. 99. l. 6. r. off and l. 28. r. his p. 100. l. 3 and 4. blot out the thought of p. 101. l. 5. r. but for that p. 103. l. 30. r adversity p. 107 last line but one r. to us p. 115. l. 29. r. whether p. 119. l. 10. r. our p. 121. l. 22. r. condition p. 125. l. 19. r. comforting p. 130. l. 22. r. Lo for Low p. 132. l. 2. r. quiet p. 133. l. 6. blot out been and put it into the end of the next line and l. 8. r. Jonah last line but one r. improbable for impossible p. 135. l. 24. r. so it might and l. 26. r. keep p. 143. l. 18. r. without God p. 144. l. 32. r. encouragements p. 148. l. 28. r. Father p. 149. l. 14. r. they for their and l. 16. r. their for thy and l. 21. r. contrary to their p. 150. l. 27. r. deliver his poor p. 154. l. 23. r. poor p. 156. last line but one r. are p. 160. l. 4. r. be though p. 161. l. 22. r. puts p. 162. l. 2. r. Lord. p. 164. l. 26. r. Gods p. 165. l. 17. r. fed p. 166. last line r. need to p. 173. l. 5. A Goldsmith p. 181. l. 11. r. relations
Kâ—ngs for their sakes Touch not mine Anointed and do my Propâ—ets noâ—â—arm you know what command God gave to Laban and what restraint he laid upon Esau concerning Jacob in Gen 31 33. though it was in the heart of Laban to destroy him and though Esâ—u came out with an intention to take away his life the Lord laâ—d a restraint upon them Again Sometimes you shall finde that God Sixtly upon deadly Diseases hath laid a restraint upon deadâ—y Diseases upon violent sicknesses such as would have been destructive to the bodies of his Servants God hath laid a restraint upon them that though vâ—olent Diseases and Dâ—stempers have pulled down his Servants from their strength to great weakness to the grave God hath given command that they should not destroy them And thus God dealt with David and with Hâ—â—zekiah and David doth acknowledge it in the 30. Psalm 3. saith he O Lord thoâ— hast brought up my soul from the nrave thou hast kept me alive that I shoâ—ld got go dâ—wn â—o the pit He was at the very grave and he Lord delivered him and then a remarkable instance you have of Hezekiah at the 38. of I aâ— at the beginning of the Chapter there is the very sentence of death gone out against him and a deadly Disease seizes upon Hâ—zekian he was gone and quite gone by the course of nature he could not have lived and yet the Lord rescues his life as you shall read in that Chapter at the fift verse Again Sometimes you shall finde that God Seventhly upon the Divel hath laid a restraint upon the very Devil himself and hath given him a charge that he should not meddle nor touch the lives of his Servants and thus God dealth with Job as you may see in the second of Iob there the Divel sought after nothing more then the life of Iob fain would he have had his life but God would not grant it in the 6. vers of that Chapter in the 5. verse saith Satan Put forth thy hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee tâ— thy face vers 6. And the Lord Answered Behold he is in thine hand only save his life There is nothing the Divel thirsts more after then the taking away the precious life and therefore he set upon Christ with this temptation If thou beest the Son of God cast thy self down and so the Devil doth set upon many of the poor Servants of God many times with this Temptation Cast thy self down make away thy self and take away thine own life Yet the Lord is pleased to lay a restraint upon him and keep up his people notwithstanding all those stormes and temptations and they are yet in the land of the living and thus you see what care God takes for the lives of his Servants and in what a wonderful manner he doth sometime rescue them from death and destruction But you will say What end hath God in this Wherefore doth God do this First of all and above all in respect of his own Name He respects his own glory in it therefore The first ground of the Point he suffers his people to be brought into such great straits and low conditions as none but God can deliver thence He suffers them to be brought down sometime even to the very dust that it may appear that none can deliver but God that doth raise from the dead and call things that are not as if they were Now Gods name is glorified these 3. ways by such kind of deliverances as these Fâ—rst of all God doth thereby draw forth great praises from his people I say such deliverances How Gods Name is glorified iâ— delivering of his Servants draw forth great praises from his people When God gives great mercies into the hands of his people he is pleased to put high praises into the mouths of his Servants in Ps 149. at the 5. and 6. v. Lâ—t the Saints be â—oyful in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds Let the â—igh praises of God be in their mouth Now my brethren know this That there is nothing on earth that God doth more delight in then in the praise of his people he is pleased to account it as a glory done to him Who so offereth prâ—ise glorifieth me and therefore it is that God is said to dwâ—ll in the praises of his people See that expression in the 22 Psalm it is an expression of Jâ—sus Christ in his Agony 22 3. v. Oh thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel To inhabit the praises of Israel 't is one of the most glorious Titles that is given to God O thou that inhabitâ—st the praises of Israel The Lord delights more in the praises of Israel then in all the world beside He delights there more then in Heaven if it were not for the presence of his Son therefore it is one of the dwellings of God the praises of his people Great Princes and Nobles have their several Palaces so hath God sometime they leave the City and go into the Country and places of Recreation Why thy Lord he is said sometime to come down among his people and he is pleased to dwell there that he may refresh himself in the praises of his people 'T is a house that God doth delight to dwell in for ever and for ever when Faith shall cease and Prayers shall cease the Praises of the Saints the Halelujahs shall never cease but the Saints shall compass the Throne round about with their Praises with their Songs with their Hallelujahs and there shall God delight to dwell there shall God delight to inhabit for ever and therefore because that God doth thus delight in the praises of his people he works great deliverances that so he may greatly draw forth the praises of his people that their hearts may be abundantly inlarged to him He will work such deliverances as there shall be a great deal of God in them that so their hearts may be greatly drawn forth in praises to God 2. Again God gets himself the glory in the second place by confuting the blasphemies of the enemies and therefore 't is that God doth carry on such works of deliverance that he may stop the mouth of enemies and confute all their blasphemies When God brings his people into a low condition many times enemies they rise high in their blasphemies against God and his people sometimes they cry out where is now thy God and sometimes they condemn the generation of the righteous and judge rashly as those in Act. 28. did of Paul when they saw the Viper on his hand they said among themselves No doubt this man is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the Sea yet vengeance suffereth him not to live Now God many times he works great deliverance that he may confute the enemies of the Saints that they shall see if they will not willfully blinde their eyes they shall see that God was in the generation of
of the righteous in the Psalm 126. v. 2. you may see there God he made the very Heathen to confess that God was with his people and that he had done great things for them Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them The Lord hath done great things for them Thirdly God brings glory to his Name by such kinde of Deliverances for he makes it appear that he hath the sole prerogative over the times of men and over the lives of men he will make it appear that the times of his creatures are in his hand and not in their own hand and not in the hand of enemies Above all things in the world God is said to keep this in his hand the times of men and the lives of men See what Daniâ—l says to Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 5. 23. And the God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways hast thou not glorified See here the breath that is in mans Nostrils it is in Gods hand and he can withdraw it when he please thy breath 't is in his hand and he will dispose of it he keeps it in his hand and he will not give it out of his hand and therefore when any life is communicated to any creature 't is given him of God Iob he will acknowledg this that his life was given out by way of favour and free grace Iob 10. 12. Thou hast granted me life and favour See here he doth acknowledge it that the giving out of his life 't is Gods prerogative 'T is granted of God Princes they grant such and such a favour so life and favour is granted of God He will keep it in his own hand He will not make any Lease and Tearm to any man living they shall have it from Moment to Moment the creatures shall have their lives from Moment to Moment but for any tearm God will not that shall be at his own disposiâ—g and therefore the Lord hath exercised wrath and anger when the creature hath gone about to make this their prerogative to promise life to themselves and grant life to themselves You know what is said of the fool in the Gospel when he had been very prodigal he would make many promises to himself Soul saith he thou hast goods laid up for many years why how doth God take this why he is called fool for his labour he reckons without the Landford and therefore God he comes and turns him out of his Farm Thou fool saith God thâ—â— night shall thy soul be taken from thee 't is Gods only prerogative he makes it appear so the giving out of life is in his hand and therefore it is said in the Scripture that the Issues from death belong to God See that place in the 68. Psal v. 20. T is our God that is the God of salvation and unto the Lord belongeth Issues from death Issue that is the way that God leads to death and from death The Door the Gates of death both to and fro they belong to God to the Son of God he keepeth the door Behold saith he I have the keys of Hell and death so that the Issues to death belong to him He shuts the door when he pleaseth and the Issues of death belong to him he opens the door when he pleaseth Sometime a man hath this conceit of himself well I am brought lower and weaker wasted and decayed in my strength and in my body but there is such a means as will surely help me such a Friend such a Physician they will certainly help me if it were not for them I should despair there is my hope why you are deceived saith God I will have you know that I keep thee door of life and the Issues of life belong to me if God shut the door of life man cannot get back again notwithstanding all his friends Again sometime a man is brought low that friends give him over and then we say he is gone all means are used and none effectual and we say surely there is no hope for him to come back again You are mistaken saith God I will have you to know that the Issues of life come from me and I will open a door for life and say life come back again and thus God makes it appear that the Issues of life belong to him and that is for his glory That is the first ground of the Point Secondly God doth work such Deliverance Second Ground of the Point for his Servants that so he may afford great matter of rejoicing both to themselves and to others I say that he may afford great matters of rejoycing great Mercies and great Deliverances they commonly bring along with them great joy 't is not only a Mercy but a Duty great Mercies call for great joy See it was their duty in Psal 126. 1 2 3. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion we were like them that dreamed them was our mouth filled with laughter and our Tongue with singing Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad or rejoyce The Spirit of joy 't is the life of Heaven 't is the inheritance that the Saints shall have there Wâ—ll done good and faithful servant enter into thy Mâ—sters joy Now God whilest they are upon earth he will cause part of that joy to enter into them that they shall have some of that joy now have a little taste of the joy of Heaven whilest they are here upon earth therefore God he will will work such deliverance for his people that they may see much of the glory of God in the Mercy much of the glory of God in the Deliverance that so they may have their hearts lift up to rejoyce in God Yea Again God will have others to rejoice with them and therefore some Mercies are spreading Mercies such a Mercy as God gave to Saraâ— See Gen 21. 6. And Sarah said God hath made me to laugh so that all that hear will laugh with me her own â—ffection was too narrow to rejoyce in the goodness of God and therefore I saâ— God many times he gives out such Mercies such Deliveranceâ— that they shall be spreading Mercies the joy and the sweetness of them shall spread abroad and his people shall say we rejoyce in the goodness of tâ—e Lord and all the people that fear his Name shall rejoyce with us That 's the second Ground Thirdly God he works â—uch Deliverances for his people that so he might strengthen their confidence Thirâ— Ground of the Point for the future that he might encourage their hearts and the hearts of many that trust in the Lord that whensoever they are brought down into low conditions they might look back and see what God did sometime for them See what the Psalmist saith in Psalm 77. see what a help this was when he was in a low condition the 77.
Ps v. 10. Then said I so this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember those days those years when God did by his Mighty Hand save and deliver me This is an encouragement for the future to trust in God he saved me at such a time at such a low condition Oh he was there the right hand of the Lord was stretched out to What God requires when he works such mercies for his people and how the Servants of the Lord should express their thankfulness for such Mercies received deliver and why should we ever distrust the Lord again surely that power of the Lord can never be nonplust that hath wrought such great things for me Thus you see the Grounds Here is no time for Application I shall adde a fourth Particular and that is this which will yet make the Point more useful before I leave it What doth God require of his people when he works such Deliverances for them And how should the Servants of the Lord express their thankfulness for such Mercies when God doth so and so rescue the lives of his people First of all Take heed that we neither forget the Mercy nor the God of the Mercy I say forget not the Mercy nor the God of the Mercy we are very apt to look upon our mercies with a slight eye we remember our wormwood and our gall but we forget our mercies and the goodness of the Lord that did shine in the Mercy Now know that there is a great provocation to the Lord It was the sin of Israel that they forgot so soon what God had done for them we read of this how they provoked the Lord and they turned back saith the Psalmist and you shall see â—ow God did take it as a great provocation and God threatens them for it See how they forgot what God had done for them Psal 106. 13. They soon forgat his works they waited not for his Counsel and verse 21. They forgot God their Saviour which â—ad done great things in Egypt and therefore the Lord was wroth with them Brethren so should we take heed that we do not forget our Mercies and forget the God of the Mercie forget not what God is and forget not what God hath done for us forget not what God requires of us Did God remember us in low conditions and shall we forget him shall we forget him when he hath raised us up will not this be horrible ingratitude does the Lord remember us continually and shall we forget him Oh! we should get a remembrance of God and a sense of God and the goodness of the Lord written in our hearts Where doth God write the name of his people Why he writes their names there where he will not forget them why see what the Lord says in Isa 49. vers 15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her wombe they may forget yet will I not forget thee Vers 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the Palmes of my hands See what care God takes that he might not forget his people and so he would have us not to forget his Mercies Behold I have engraven thee upon the palmes â—f my hands When a man would not forget his friend he will ingrave his name upon a Ring but you will say he will not forget that doth not only write it upon a Ring but upon his own flesh And thus the Lord deals with you Behold I have engravâ—n you upon the plames of my hands and doth the Lord thus take care to remember us Let not us forget him Secondly we should not look with a slight eye upon great Mercies Oh view the Mercy compass the Mercy go round about it tell the Towers and see the Bulwarks see what Mountains of goodness and mercie shine in them Oh see how the Attributes of God do shine in them God cannot indure that people should despise affliction his Chastisements My son despise not the chastening of the Lord he cannot abide when men are careless when they are sleighty under affliction and surely he will not endure that men should look sleightly upon mercies My son despise not the goodness of the Lord the mercies of the Lord the deliverances of the Lord Let not them be lookt upon with a sleighty eye look into the height of the Mercy and the depth of the Mercy and all the evil that would have befallen us if we had not enjoyed the Mercy And Thirdly Take heed that we give nothing to creatures but all to the free grace of God this God he requires in thankfulness when he gives such Deliverances ascribe nothing to man nothing to our selves nothing to our prayers nothing to our faith No give all to God give all to free grace look upon Ieb take him for an instance in the 9. of Iob v. 16. If I had call'd and the Lord had Answered if he had given me my Petition given me what I desired yet I would not say he hath harkened to my voice I would not say 't is for my prayers or for my faith No I am poor dust and ashes what 's my voice in Heaven No sure I will give all to him I will say surely the Lord hath heard his own voice the voice of his free grace pleading for me he hath heard the voice of his Spirit pleading in me and the voice of his Son making Intercession for me I will not say the Lord hath heard me but that the Lord may teach his people this he gives Mercies before they have thoughts to seek them as in Ps 21. 3. Yea sometime God he hath exceeded the faith of his people to let them see that it was not for the worthiness of their faith though when God would give Mercies Many times he sets his people a praying and beleeving but he doth not give mercies for these And therefore God he doth prevent their faith as you may see in Psal 126. vers 1. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion then were we like to them that dreamed like to them that dream as much as to say When the Lord brought us back we had not faith enough to believe it we could not think that the Mercy was real when as we came out of Babylon we doubted whether we should believe it or no whether it was real or a dream It was real but it was not for their faith and therefore ascribe nothing to faith nothing to means nothing to prayer but all to the free grace of God Again Fourthly we should give back again to God what God lends us That is the Fourth way to express Thankfulness Hath God given us life let us give it back again to him Hath God given us strength we should give it back again to God we should lay out all our strength for
enemies though I shall bring glory to thee another way yet I shall not bring glory to thee in this world And therefore Oh Lord do this for thy servant remember me for thine own name and for thine own glory and so the Psalmist David did use the same Argument with God in Psal 30. when he there was sick and ready to go down to the grave he pleads with God in the 8. and 9. vers What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit as much as to say Oh Lord what wilt thou not look to thine own glory What shall become of thy gain of thy Rent that should be brought in here in the land of the living if I go down to the pit I cannot lift thee up here in this world there is a long time indeed even for eternity when thou shalt be lift up by the Saints in Heaven but it is but a short time that thou shalt be glorified in the land of the living and thou hadst need spare the life of thy servant to lift up thy name in the land of the living What profit is there in my blood if I go down to the pit So that still you see the lives of the Saints are very precious in the eye of God Oh that you that are the people of God that you would believe this it is worth the pressing it upon you that you would fix this truth upon your heart that your lives are very precious in Gods sight if you be Some particulars to make out to the Saints that their lives are precious in Gods sight not perswaded of it I beseech you consider these particulars First of all consider What a charge God hath given to all his Creatures concerning the lives of his Saints do but remember their former charge He hath given charge to the water and charge to the fire and charge to the beasts in the earth and fishes in the sea he hath given charge to the earth he hath given a charge to violent men he hath given a charge to the Devil to Diseases and Sicknesses surely doth God take such pains and give such charges surely the lives of his Saints must needs be precious to him did a man go up and down in his family and give charge to every one from the greatest to the least Take heed you do not meddle with such a Box take heed that none of you touch it why then certainly 't is precious there is som precious thing in it such a charge haâ—h God given concerning the lives oâ— the Saints he hath taken pains to go up and down in all his family even the whole world Heaven and Earth is his Family and he hath spoken to every one of his Creatures to the highest and to the lowest Take heed you do nothing against the lives oâ— my servants the very meanest of all the Creatures in the whole family shall not say but that they were warned he commands the very stones in the field as it is in Iob making a League with the stones in the field not to hurt his servants doth God take such pains and give such charges you must needs conclude that your lives are precious in his sight Again Secondly Consider what a guard God hath set about the lives of his Servants He hath set a guard of Angels about them He shall give his Angels charge over thâ—e that they shall keep thee in all thy ways See what the Apostle saith in the first of the Hebrews he speaks of the great priviledge of the Saints in the last verse Are they not all Ministring spirits sent forth to Minister to them There is not one of the Angels in Heaven but hath a charge to guard the lives of his Saints are they not all Ministring Spirits Why brethren the best of them have a charge given them from the highest to the lowest they have all a charge given them concerning the lives of his Saints and they are as watchful as may be what says our Saviour Christ in Mat. 26. 53. do you think says he that man can take my life from me whether I will or no I go according as it is written of me I go because my father â—ath decreed it no man can take my life from me if I would rescue my self I could pray to my father and he should send a Legion of Angels to rescue me rather then my life should be taken away from me before my time be come And so the like may be said of all the Saints God would send more then twelve Legions of Angels to rescue the lives of his servants out of every danger and out of the hand of every enemy rather then their lives should be taken from them before it was determined of God certainly the lives of his servants are precious to him he hath set such a guard about them a guard of Angels that God should be pleased rather to want attendance in Heaven then hiâ— Sainâ—s lives on earth should be in jeopardy God he will spare them all out of Heaven for to rescue the lives of his Saints before they shall be cut off before his time appointed â—e come Yea further in the third place Consider that the Lord himself takes a special care of the lives of his children he will not trust the lives of the Saints with the Angels though the Angels be watchful and as faithful as can be desired in creatures yet God himself he will have to do with the lives of his Servants his eye shall be upon them and his hand under them there is never a moment in which God doth not watch over them and himself take a special care of them what he says of his Vineyard in Isa 27. 3. may be said of every particular Saint I the Lord will kâ—ep it I will water it every momâ—â—t least any hurt it I will kâ—ep it night and day See here is a gracious promise I will keep it and I will water it and this shall be every moment this shall be night and day there is not a moment in the night nor a moment in the day in which God hath not special care of his people from first to last from the womb he hath a care of them and so the Psalmist doth confess in Psalm 22. speaking of the watchful care of the Lord of the goodness of the Lord Ps 22. 9 10. Thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when upon my Mothers breasts I was cast upon thee from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers belly See here from the very womb from the very beginning God begins to take the care of his people he brings this to strengthen his faith on God for the future to uphold his soul now in his suffering 't is spoken of Christ surely the Lord he can do it he hath not left me he took care of me when I was in the womb he began then to take the
care of me he delivered me when I was in such straits when I was almost dead strugling to get into this world the hand of the Lord was helping of me The hand of the Lord was more to me then all creatures he helped me See at the beginning from first to last God takes a special care of the lives of his Saints Fourthly It will further appear this great love of God this great care of God will further appear if we consider what a rate he makes men pay for the lives of his Saints when they take their lives away by violence He will make them know they have stolen precious Jewels from him and he will make them pay dear for it you know what it cost Jerusalem there was found the blood of the Prophets slain there was a great deal of blood lay upon them the blood of Abel and the blood of Zacharias and they shed the blood of the Prophets and Servants of God and that blood became their overthrow the blood of them did throw down the Walls and Temple of the City the streams of blood did sweep away all the Inhabitants thereof whensoever the life of a Saint is stolen and taken away God presently sends Hue and Cry after it and wheresoever God hath found the blood of his people he hath declared his wrath against them he hath prosecuted the Law to the uâ—most against them See what is prophesied of Babylon how doth the Lord deal with her in the 18. of Revelation when God came to make inquisition after the blood of the Saints 't is said And in her was found the blood of the Saints There God found his stolen Jewels the blood of his Saints See how God doth prosecute the Law against her in thaâ— 18. Chapter you read of most fearful judgments that came upon Babylon God seizes upon all her Riches all her Glory and they were all brought down in a day she her self was brought to execution she was cast down as a Milstone cast down into the bottom of the Sea never to to rise again what was the cause of all this wrath and diâ—pleasure and fearful judgements that was to come upon Babylon Why this was given as the reason In her was found the blood of the Prophets So then still you see and I beseech you beleeve it there is nothing in all the world more precious to the Lord then the lives of his Servants Well 2ly If the lives of the Servants of God Use 2 be so precious how precious are the souls of his Servants the life is more then rayment saith Christ the life is more then all creatures and the soul is more then life the life of Christ in the soul it must needs be a hundred times more precious a thousand times more precious Oh what a high account hath God of the souls of his people what will not God part with rather then he will loose the souls of his people he will part with the Jewel of Heaven the great Jewel of Heaven to ransome the souls of his people he was content that his Son should come out of his bosome rather then he would loose one of the souls of his people the Son was infinitely dear to the Father more dear to him then all the world yea ten thousand worlds and yet he will part with his son that he may rescue the souls of his people from destruction Oh how precious was the soul in the eye of Christ what did he do what did he suffer to redeem the precious soul how far did he come to fetch them a mighty journey the Lord Christ took from Heaven to Earth that he might bring back poor souls that were taken captive by the Divel and rescue them from death and destruction what great hazard did the Lord Christ run when he was upon Earth Oh what mighty Armies what Troops did Jesus Christ break through Armies of sins and Armies of Divels that was in his way and yet he brake through them all to rescue the souls of his Servants when he had broke through those Troops what depths did he descend into that he might fetch up the souls of his Servants He was content to go into the depths of the Sea the red Sea the Sea of blood yea into the depths of the Sea of his Fathers wrath and indignation that so he might fetch up the souls of his Servants the depth of the wrath of God the depth of the infinite wrath of God it is a Sea that hath no bottom a Sea of wrath that men and Angels should never have found the bottom they shall be descending lower and lower still and never find the bottom and yet the Son of God was content to go to the bottome of wrath of all the billows of his Fathers wrath and displeasure that so be might fetch up the souls of his servants that lay under wrath they could never have lift up their heads above the billows of the displâ—aâ—ure of the Almighty if Christ had not fetcht them up if he had not upon his own back carryed them over Oh how precious were the souls of his Saints in the eye of God! The life of the Son of God was precious to him and yet his life was nothing to him in comparison that he might save the souls of his people if he had a thousand lives he would have layd them all down Now I beseech you think of this you that have a mean account of your souls O how precious is the soul in the account of the Son of God how great was the price that Christ paid for thy soul and why dost thou undervalue thy soul and art willing to part with this most precious treasure in the world it cost the life of the Son of God to purchase thy soul and wouldst thou be content to sell thy soul for a trifle and yet how many thousands in the world do value a thousand things in the world above their souls and many they will part with their souls for a lust for vanity for nothing for a bag of earth for an empty cloud of honour for a little pleasure Oh what undervaluing is this of thy poor soul I beseech you remember the worth of the soul do but consider how precious it was in the eye of God you that do slight your precious souls If 〈◊〉 â—â—ed your body you care not if the soul starve Oh that you would remember you wiâ—l make a hard bargain though you win all tâ—e world and loose your own soul what shall a man gâ—â—e in exchange for his soul I beseech you for the Lords sake have more care of your souls let your souls be precious in your eyes 't is more worth then all the world if you loose the things of the world you may find them again you may gain them again if you loose all the friends in the world you may finde them all in the Son of God he stands in all relations to his people nay
labour to be for God every one of you in your places Oh lay out your selves with all your might to do something for God though the service you are to perform in your generation may be tedious may be laborious and toilesome to the flesh yet be willing to lay out your selves for God lay down strength for God and lay down life for God Why consider there is a long rest that is prepared for the people of God this is the day time and here you must work for God there shall come a time of rest yeâ— they shall rest in their grave there is sleeping time enough and they shall rest in Heaven and there they shall rest enough they shall rest for ever and for ever and therefore be content to do for God and lay down all your strength for God Oh there is a resting time a long resting time that is prepared for you I have glorifiâ—d thee on earth saith Christ to his Father and now Oh Father glorifie me in Hâ—aven labour every one of you in your places in your callings to exalt the name of God to glorifie God on earth I would not have you glorifie God that God may glorifie you that is not the end of your work but glorifie God because he will glorifie you because he hath declared that there is rest for you that are his people and there is an eternal rest in which he will glorifie you with himself Oh glorifie him therefore with your lives with your strength with your abilities with your parts with your riches with all you have glorifie God in your lives I shall conclude all with one word of Exhortation doth God rescue the lives of his servants in such a wonderful manner why let his servants for ever trust him as great mercies do call for great thankfulnes so they call for great faith in the Lord expect a great deal of future confidence in him when he hath declared his name to his people when he hath once made his goodness and mercy and power and faithfulness and truth to pass by before them in some special providence he expects then that they should trust him in the lowest condition in the faddest condition that you should take hold of him and live upon him he expects that you should reason upon former experiences and remember the years of the right hand of the most high remember such and such yeers when the right hand of the most High was declared when God wrought such works of deliverance such and such wonderful mercies the Lord expects that such kind of deliverances should be ingagements to trust in him to trust in him at all times Many times we will not beleeve unless we see signes and wonders and the Lord he is pleased to condescend to our weakness and Christ he shews us a Miracle yea he shews many wonderful works mercies and deliverances that he works for his people and now God he may wonder at the weakness of our faith if after all these wonders we shall distrust him See what the Psalmist saith in Psalm 96. 10. Be still and know that I am God why in all your afflictions in all your temptations in all your crosses in all sad conditions God would have you to be still and know that he is God and when ever we have received any special mercy from God we should urge this upon our owâ— souls if at any time we are ready to distrust God and repine at any of the dealings of God Oh my soul be still and know that God is Jehovah remember the years of his right hand remember what he did for such and such of his servants and for thee in such a condition how he made his power and mercy and truth and faithfulness to pass before thee and wilt thou again murmur and repine and distrust him Oh my soul be still and know that he is God know that he is Jehovah and that he gives existence to his promises know that he is as good as his word know that he is better then his word when ever any rebellious lust doth rise up in thy heart after we have received mercies which is a great ingagement yet still beat it back with this know that the Lord is Jehovah the Lord hath a mighty Arm and as he hath done so he will do and he will not leave his people the power and the goodness of the Lord it should sound in our ears when ever we are in any strait this is a glorifying of God for mercies received And Brethren upon all occasions Remember the years of the mercy of the most High See what the Psalmist saith with which I will conclude all Psal 62. 11. God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God God hath spoken how hath he spoken in some glorious deliverance he hath spoken in some great mercy for God speaks in his providence as well as in his words and when God speaks in his mercy he expects that we should hear him nay that we should not only hear him but that we should hear him often he expects that we should hear what should we hear we should hear this That power belongeth to God * When ever God worketh any glorious deliverance this should sound in our ears That power belongeth to God and mercy belongeth to God and loving kindness and free grace belong to God and so loving kindness it belongs to God The Attributes of God that do found in evâ—ry mercy in every deliverance and in some special mercies we should not hear it once but twice God spoke once and I heard it twice that is often 't is an allusion to an Eccho a man speaks sometime that it raises an Eccho and the words will be repeated again he shall hear it round about him the words sound again he speaks once and it sounds twice often so there is such a voice in many mercies many deliverances and many special providences they sound lovd as the Eccho of a man doth The Lord speaks once we should hear twice that power belongs to God Well remember that the Lord expects that thou should'st hear it often and when ever thou art brought into a low condition remember this what thou hearest in thy former low condition that power belongs to God and mercy belongs to God And thus should we trust the Lord in straites former mercies are ingagements for the future and this is part of the glory the Lord expects this is part of the In-come that he desires for mercy for deliverance poor creatures that have seen much in it they should never forget the loving kindness of God when they are in straits in great straits still to make use of former experiences and to remember the years of the right hand of the most High Thus you hear what improvement there should be of our afflictions THE Third Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst
I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God I Have spoken out of these words We have finished one Proposition Namely That God doth oftentimes in a wonderful manner rescue the lives of his servants from death and destruction I prest you the last day that Christians should therefore trust in God such as have seen his goings should trust him for the future upon former experiences when God speaks once in a remarkable providence he expects we should hear twice again and again In every low condition we should hear That power belongs to God Trust him for the comforts of life and trust him for the preventing the evil of life trust him for the upholding of you in life till his time be come and your work be filled only be not you negligent make hast in your work work the works of God while the day lasts but yet you may be confident the Lord he will not suffer the Candle to be blown out till your work be filled The righteous shall come to his grave as a shock of Corn that commeth in in his season I shewed how far we may make use of former mercies for the future to become great helps of Faith when the soul is careful to lay up the remembrance of them when the soul can eye the love of God special love when the soul is once convinced of that truth of the unchangeableness of the love of God when the soul keeps up the wing of Faith and holds up its communion with God can go and lay before God former mercies and use them as Arguments to plead with God for the future as Gods people have done then do mercies become helpful for the future But how far should we trust Experinces Why look upon them as Earnests of that which God doth intend to give and look upon them as Crutches as helps in the way so though all the experiences of God may be out of fight for God may bring his people into some condition that may be above Experience Experience cannot reach them And therefore do not make your own Experience the first ground of your trust but trust first in the Lord and the word of his grace trust them more then all your experiences the life of a Christian 't is the life of Faith and not of sence the life of sence is in Heaven but the life of Faith is most proper here Blessed are they that beleeve and have not seen and if God do give Experience and manifest his love and goodness to thee it is for this end that he might strengthen Faith he will learn his children to go alone and therefore God many times hath struck the Crutches out of their hands and all sights of God shall be gone and God will make them to trust in his naked word Great use may be made of Experience but yet I say lay the word of the Lord as your foundation and trust that for that will hold in all conditions in the greatest darkness when Experience may be out of sight and you can see nothing We proceed He answerâ—d and said Lo I see four â—en looâ—e c. Who is it here that bears witness of this Miracle of deliverance 'T is Nebuchadnezzer the King it was one that was a proud insolent Monarch one that scorned God and defied the most High in the 15. verse of this 3. Chap. that commanded the people to fall down and worship his Image that he had set up and in the latteâ— end Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hand a persecutor of the Saints one that was filled with wrath against them The King was â—xceeding wrath and commâ—nded the Furnace to be heated seven times hâ—ttâ—r then ordinary Yet here Nebu-Nebuchadnezzer himself is forced to bear witness A Question propounded by Inteapreters of the goodness of God to his people He confesses it before all men Did we not cast in three and loe I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt There is a question propounded by Interâ—â—eters neither Nebuchadnezzer was truely converted or no It seems there is much does make for his conversion First of all Here was a strong work of conviction that past upon him he was convinced of his sin he was convinced of the glorious Majesty of God to shine in this Miracle His conviction makes him cry out before all the world before all that were about him 2. There is Secondly A confession of his Error and an acknowledgment of his sin Now he knows there is no God but the true God There was also in the 3. Third place A rejoycing in his own disappointment he rejoyced in that the Lord had prevented him in the evil that he intended that he was not able to bring it to pass his mischievous device against the Saints as you may see in vers 28 Then Nebuchadnezzer spake and said blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who hath sent his Angels and delivered his servants that trusted in him c. There is a rejoycing here that they were delivered and that he was disapointed that he did not succeed according to his will Now this seems to be a great measure of self-denial What did not Nebucadnezzar do as much in this as David did when he was disappointed in the first book of Samuel 25. when David had an intention to cut off Nabal Abigal she comes to pâ—rswade him and in the 32 v. David said to Abigail blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to me Nebuchadnezzar did seem to do as much as David did here he blesseth God for his own disappointment Fourthly this seems to make for him that he did rejoyce in the goodnesse of God to his people he does rejoyce in their grace as you may see in the 28. verse Blessed be the God of Shadrach who sendeth his Angels and delivereth his servants that trust in him He seems to rejoyce here in their grace in that constancy of theirs that they did not yeild to his command and serve no God but their own God and he rejoiceth in the deliverance of the Saints Blessed be the Lord that delivereth his servants yea further he seems to give the glory to God He does eye God in the deliverance he takes notice of it as from God and blessed the Lord Blessed be the Lord that sendeth his Angell and delivereth his servants Nay further he takes care of true Religion and of Gods Name to be exalted he makes Decrees and sends it to all people and whosoever does act any thing against God shall be cut in pieces and their houses thrown down and made a jakes Thus you see what a great way he went and what a great deal Nebuchadnezzer did seemingly for God upon this his conviction and yet it may be it was but a conviction and that
should not be only Musquet proof but Cannon proof stand out not only agaiâ—st afflictions lesser judgments but stands out against great judgments many times against miraculous judgments why here is a strange stoutness and hardness in every mans heart Oh what a dead sleep is every man by nature cast into you will say that man is in a dead sleep that though he be shot at it cannot wake him that he should sleep secure when the house is on fire about his ears truly this is the condition of every man by nature though God do lay Cannon shot against him and though God set on fire the world about his ears yet still he sleeps what a strange condition is the state of nature Let us all take notice of it and set us all bewail it in the presence of God seeing how woful it is and what we are like Secondly If Miracles cannot convert a soul Vse 2 then what a Miracle is it that any soul is converted truly we may stand and wonder that any soul should be brought home to God how many Mâ—racles is in this work of conveâ—sion to convert a soul to God 't is a greater Miracle then to open the eyes of the blind to give strength to lame to give life to the dead a greater Miracle then to turn darkness into light a greater Miracle then to beat down strong Cities with seven Râ—ms horns 't is a greater Miracle then to make the world he spake and it was done it was made he spake his word and the world was created but God speaks again and again once and twice and often before the new creature is formed before Many Miracles in the conversion of a soul to God faith is created in the heart of man and truly Brethren you need not wonder that so few are brought home to God that 's not the Miracle but stand and wonder that any should be brought home to God there are many Miracles in the conversion of the soul to God I beseech you take notice of them there is a Miracle of First Miraclâ— of wisâ—dâ—m of wisdome there is a Miracle of wisdom I say in the conversion of a soul that God should find out a way to reconcile himself to a sinner and then reâ—oncile the sinner to himself here is infinite wisdom to finde out a way to reconcile himself to the sinner to find out a way to satisfie both justice and mercy that they should meet each other and kiss each other and both be satisfied that justice should say I have enough and Mercy should say I am well pleased and both be glorified in Christ Brethren here is a way that men and Angels could never have found out here is a Miracle of wisdome to reconcile the sinner to God also here is abundance of the wisdom of God that God should finde out a way to make a rebellious sinner come in and submit when he had stood out long and stood many batteries that God had layd against him that the Lord should bring him in by a word of his grace that God should come and catch a poor soul and take him before the soul be aware here is abundance of holy wisdom truly none could do this but only God And as there is a Miracle of wisdom so there Secondly Therâ— is a Mirâ—â—le of Power is a Miracle of power in every souls conversion Oh wonderful power hath God put forth to overâ—ome the creature and to overcome himselâ— To overcome the creature to make a stubborn stout hearted sinner relent to shake the Oaks of Bashan and make the Cedars of Lebanon to stoop Yet truly this is the work of God he put abundance of power into a word of his and when an obstinate sinner hath stood out boâ—h the allurements of Mercy and hath out stood all the batteries of Judgment that God hath laid against him God hath sent out many Armies of judgments to bring him in and they have returned back again and have not done their work and that yet the Lord at last should be pleased to arme a word of his a poor naked word of his with so much power â—o give such authority and to give such commission as to go and bring in the stout hearted sinner and make him fall down at the footstole of Jesus Christ here is a Miracle of power and then that God should overcome all his wrath and all his fury and indignation and say it is not in me I give thee leave to draw nigh to me in my Son fury is not in me that God should overcome himself to stoop to the creature that the Majesty of Heaven should first stoop to the creature that the Prince should come and beseech the Rebel to accept of mercy offer the first tearms of peace and not looking to the infinite distance that is between him and the creature but lay that aside and beseech a poor creature to accept of mercy here is a Miracle of power And then there is a Miracle of goodness a Miracle of mercy in every souls conversion a Miracle of mercy that God should pardon the sin of his people from Eternity Oh the Miracles of mercy writes the pardon gives the pardon into the Sons hand that he should work it over by Covenant and make all sure for his people in Christ even from Eternity even to give Christ a pardon for his peoples sins many thousand years before the sins are committed I do not say the pardon is given out to them before they are brought in to submit to Christ but it is given out into the hand of Christ that if they come and submit to Christ 't is in his hand to give it out 't is already written and Sealed here is a Miracle of Mercy Again that the Lord should so freely and so fully bâ—ot out transgressions that he should make the sins committed to be as if they had not been committed there shall no more remain of them as if they had never been acted to bury them to cast them behind his behind his back to throw them into the depth of the Sea to carry them into the wilderness into a land of forgetfulness that when they are sought for they shaâ—l not be found they shall be as if they had never been what a Miracle of mercy is this that God should bear no old grudge to a poor sinner a Rebel one that have stood out against him and yet that God should retain no grudge in his heart but receive a poor soul into his Bosom as if he had never been defiled to receive him into his own boâ—els into intimate communion and acquaintance with himself in love as if he had never bin a Râ—bel to bear no old grudg here 's wonderful rich mercy Again for God to account the soul righteous to look upon him as righteous when he is unrighteous to look upon him as righteous in Christ when he is full of spots and polutions and deâ—ormity
in himself at that very time to look upon him in Christ and behold him as righteous as if he had no spot no defilement in him Brethren all these are Miâ—acles of mercy Again that God should pour out his spirit upon a poor lump of flesh that his spirit should work upon a poor creature and take a poor creature into union with himself and communion with himself that he should be working in the heart and cleanse a poor creature from pollution both of flesh and spirit all these are Miracles Miraracles of Wisdom Miracles of Power and Miracles of Mercy that doth shine in the bringing home of a soul to God And therefore to conclude all in the last place Let us bless God for his Word and look more Vse 3 to the word of God then to Miracles seeing what power God hath put into his word and how he â—s pleased to accompany his word with his spirit and do great things and now why should we look to Miracles and why should we stand upon miracles truly if you will not beleeve the Word of the Lord without Miracles neither would you beleeve though God should work Miracles why there is more power in the word to perswade the heart that it is indeed the word of God and so to overcome the soul to beleeve to rest on it then there is in all Miracles that can be shewed and therefore in this case if any look for a Miracle they may hear Christ say no Miracle shall be given to such a generation He that beleeves nâ—t the word he will not beleeve though one rose from the dead Nebuchadnezzar he saw three men that had a resurrection from the dead they were dead in all their accounts they â—hought that they had been all consumed they have an unexpected life they are all loose walkâ—ng in the midst of the fire and yet I say Nebuâ—hadnezzars heart was not firmly wrought upon by this Miracle but he returned again to hiâ— own folly And therefore Oh praise the Lord for his word bless the Lord for his word if it had not been for the word of his grace how should a poor creature have been brought in and what should poor creatures have relyed upon what foundation to build upon what can give boldness and confidence to a poor soul to draw nigh to God truly it could not be it is impossible that the heart should be overcome to submit to God without the word of his grace Oh bless the Lord for his Word we are more beholden to the Lord for his Word then for all Miracles that possibly can be shewed THE Fifth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God THere is witness given to a Miraculous deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants who through their faith overcame the violence of the fire Nebuchadnezzar makes a large confession here I propounded this question the last time Whether Nebucadnezzar was truly brought home to God or no he did a great deal he spake a great deal there was a great work of conviction past upon his spirit he doth acknowledge his Error and sin he doth rejoyce in his own disappointment that God did not suffer him to have his will he doth reâ—oyce in the goodness of God that was shewed to his Servants he rejoyces in their constancy that they did not obey the Kings command worship his Gods he did rejoyce in their deliverances he doth acknowledge that it was God that delivered them he takes care of the worship of God to promote it he makes a penal Statute That whosoever did profane the name of God should be cut in pieces and yet notwithstanding for all this we concluded probably That Nebuchadnezzar was not converted for in the next Chapter he â—eturned to his old way of sin of superstition he dreams a dream and he sends for the Sorcerers to tell â—im his dream which belongs to God to reveal secrets as Daniel told him So then we observed that It is not in the poâ—er of the greatest Miracle to convert Observat a soul to God Nebuchadnezzar saw great Miracles Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment We told you Pâ—araoh saw Miracles and Israel saw Miracles in Aegypt and at the red Sea in the Wilderness Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment sometimes their plagues were wonderfull stung with fiery Serpents and Miracles of mercy God he fed them with Man a and water out of the Rock and notwithstanding for all this they were a stubborn Generation and dwelt in unbelief our Saviour tells us in that Parable in the 16. of Luke but they are the words of Abraham They have Moses and the Prophets and if they will not hear them and bâ—leeve neithâ—r would â—hey beleeve though one rose from the dead Though God should shew the greatest Miracle yet that would not convince them that would not bring off their hearts to believe in the Son of God 't is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the heart together they are at such a great dâ—stance Infinite distance and the heart of the creature is filled with such slavery and lay under bondage that it dares not go to God when God calls to behold his face in his Son but run to the bush as Adam did but though Miracles will not do it it hath a word of grace a sure word of grace to draw nigh to God and therefore we should look upon that Miracle of iniquity that is in the heart of all the sons of Adam it is a strange thing that the heart of man should out-stand so many blows that so small a piece of flesh as the heart of man is should withstand those great batteries that God many times is pleased to make by judgments wonderful judgments when he declares his wrath from Heaven to sinners and consider what a Miracle of mercy it is that any soul should be converted and brought home to God seeing Conversion is so hard a thing and Miracles will not do it What a Miracle it is for a soul to be brought home to God! I shew how many Miracles were in this work Miracles of wisdom Miracles of power Miracles of mercy Oh we should bless the Lord that hath given us his word we should prefer the word before Miracles we should not look to Miracles but we should look to the word of the Lord God hath made that to bring home souls and therefore we are infinitely beholden to the Lord for the word of his grace that we have the word of his grace to trust in We proceed Consider who it is that bare witness to the Miracle 'T is Nebuchadnezzar that was an enemy to the Saints a persecutor a scorner a contemner of God Who is that God that shall deliver out of my hand and yet the Lord makes him
to bear witness of that good he did his people We shall observe then this Proposition God many times makes his peoples Enemies to acknowledge and confess that the Lord is with them Observat 3. and that he hath dealt graciously with them God makes very enemies to confess oftentimes that he deals wonderfully and graciously with his people The Church was confident of this in her affliction therefore she was supported See that 7 of Mich. 9. 10. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned againsâ— him until he plead my cause and execute judgment for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness verse 10. Then she that is my Enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me where is the Lord thy God mine eyes shall behold her now shall she be troden down as the mire in the streets Then she that is my enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which saith where is the Lord thy God The Church was confident that she should not only see the footsteps of mercy but that God would make the very enemies to see it She that sayd where is the Lord your God! she that sometimes insulted over me and blasphemed the name of my God that said where is your God time is coming when she shall see it and I shall say Loe here is my God I waited for him and he will save me and she shall see the deliverance so as shame shall cover her she shall be ashamed that ever she opened her mouth against God And the Church did not loose her expectation this was fulfilled to the Church in the 126. Psalm you shall see the fulfilling there of this promise that she took hold of the 126. 1. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them When God turned again Sions Captivity when he brought them out of the grave Babylon the work was so wonderful that enemies could not but see that the hand of the Lord was in it to give poor Captives so much favour in the eye of Princes that they should release them send them home countenance them help them in all they could help them to build the Temple of the Lord this could not be if the Lord had not wrought wonderfully for them The Heathen were convinced They said amongst the Heathen the Lord hath dous great things for them God makes the very enemies to acknowledge his power and glory and that he was with his people in the 8. Chapter of Exodus verse 19. God wrought a Miracle by Moses and the Aegyptians stood out long but they say in the 19. verse Sure this is the finger of God Lo they had hardened their hearts and would not be converted at last God works a Miracle and makes them to cry out sure this is the finger of God look into the new Testament and you shall finde that the Lord Jesus Christ did extort confession from the mouths of his enemies he made them to acknowledge that he was the Son of God and that God was with him in those mighty works that he wrought See the 6. of John and the 14. verse There the multitude followed Christ when as they had seen the Miracles Christ wrought then they said This is of a truth that Prophet that should com into the world and so in the 7 of John verse 47. When the Officers were to bring Christ to the chief Priests they returned with their conviction and they answered never man spake like this man yea when he was upon the Cross in his greatest Eclipse seemed to be forsaken of all men even his very friends forsook him they all forsook him and fled and he was lookt upon as a scorn to all the people yet even then did the Lord Jesus extort confession from their mouths See the 27. of Matth. and the 54. For the further cleering of the Point by Demonstration The Point â—leared by Demâ—nstrations God makes sometimes the very enemies to confess that he is with his people and that he hath dealt wonderously graciously with them First of all you shall finde for this that Jesus Christ hath put up a Petition to his Father he hath Demonst 1 made it his request to his Father that his Father would manifest so much of himself to his people that the very men of the world might be convinced that hiâ— Father did love him that the world might be convinced that they were one with God and one with the Father and one with the Son for this Christ prays in the 17. of John and the 21 v. That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that thâ— world may bâ—leeve that thou hast sent me vers 22. And the glory which thâ—u gavest me I have given thâ—m that they may be one even as we are one vers 23. I in them and thou in me that they may bâ— made pâ—rfâ—ct in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thoâ— hast loved me that the world may know that tâ—ou hast sent me and hâ—st loved them as thou haâ—t lovâ—d me Christ he would manifest so much of himself and of his goodness unto his people that not only they may see it but that the very world may be convinced when they see what God hath done for his people and what excellent Spirit God hath put upon them that they may be convinced that God loves them as he loves the Son that they are one with the Father as the Son is made one with the Father Secondly The Lord Jesus Christ hath promised this to his people hâ— was confident that because Demonst 2 he prayed for it it should be given out he was never denyed any of his requests and therefore he hath made a promise to hâ—â— Churcheâ— â—hat he wiâ— do such great things for theâ— that the world shall be convinced that God is with them See the 3. of the Revâ—lations and the 9. verse Behold I will make them of the Synâ—gogu of Satan which say they are Jews and are not but do lye behold I will make them to come and worship before tâ—y feet and to â—now that I have loved thee He makes this promise to them as a recompence to them for their faithfulness because they had kept close to the word in time of persecution now as a recompence of their faithfulness and love Christ makes this promise to them Well because thou hast ventured all for me because thou hast ventured thy name for me thou hast suffered reproach for me I will give thee a name thou shalt have a name in all places where thou hast been put to shame those enemies that hated thee that made a scorn of
affliction so he doth embrace in affliction he commonly never reveaâ—s more of himself never gives out more glorious manifestations of himself then in the time of affliction I will bring her into the Wilderness see that place Hosea 2. 14. I will bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her she shall have my comfortable presence in the Wilderness I will speak comfortably to her and so David he had experience of it in Psalm 23. Thou art with me and I will fear none ill though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death I will fear none ill thy rod thy staffâ— doth comfort me never more consolations of Christ are given out to poor creatures then when the Lord brings theâ— into great tryals he deals as an indulgent Mother with her child never manifests more love then when the child is sick though a Parent does restrain love before yet then she maniâ—ests her love the child shall know that the Parents love it and then she shall bring out all her sweet meats in the time of sickness and so doth the Lord bring out a great deal of sweet meats they have more sweet meats and sweet drinks that the world knows not of then in the day of tribulation in the day of affliction when it is sad and dark with the outward man they have meat to eat that the world knows not of they have the comfortable presence of Christ that the world knows not of they have never more of the comfoâ—table pâ—eâ—ence of Christ then when they are brought into great straits and low conditions I shall have no time to come to the Application but only let me say this to you You kâ—ow not what use you may have of this before another Sabbath the Lord may bring you into afflictions and therefore remember this truth hide it in your heart that so upon all occasions you may make use of it and if God do bring you into afflictions submit willingly and readily to him submit to low conditions submit to tryals submit to persecutions know this that Jesus Christ manifests his presence and this is the way to manifest his presence I will abundantly comfort you in all your afflictions you lay under and that you meet with for his names sake and let it help to strengthen your faith and truly you had need to streagthen your faith in times of affliction there is no time in which the heart of men good men are more ready to faint and give over then in times of tryal how did David cry out and how did Christ cry out in his great aâ—fliction Oh my God my God why hast thou forsaken me In affliction we are apt to think that God hath forsaken us Sion sâ—id in her affliction the Lord hath forsaken me in her affliction she said the Lord hath forsaken me and thus an unbeleiving heart is apt to question in times of affliction Oh is God amongst us as Israel said when they were in wants and great straits Oh then their unbelieving hearts were discovered though they had seen his Miracles they tempted God and said is God amongst us And the best of Gods people in time of temptation and affliction may be apt to question is the Lord with us Now therefore strengthen your faith in the day of adversity that so you may not faint and dishonour God and look unto the Lord Jesus Christ that beholding the Lord Jesus Christ your faith may be strengthened remember that it is his way to give out much of himself to his people in times of affliction and therefore never say is the Lord wiâ—h us but expect to meet with God conclude the Lord is with you and he will be with you in the time of affliction and remember you shall never have more of his supporting presence of his enlightening presence his comforting presence his sanctifying presence and of his quickening presence I say you shall never have more of the presence of Christ then in such sad conditions strengthen the feeble hands and knees and look to the Lord that your faith may be strengthened THE Seventh Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God The handling of the Doctrine lastly named is put off to the next Sermon this not being preached in the same place with it FRom Nebuchadnezzars Testimony of this Miraculous Deliverance that God wrought for his Servants This Proposition was handled the last day God often times works such deliverance for his people as he makes their very enemies to confess that he hath done great things for them He made the very Heathen to confess that God hath done great things for his people When God did turn again our Captivity in the 126. Psalm They said among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them I will make them oâ— the Synagogue oâ— Satan saith Christ which say they are Jews and are not but do lie I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee but this Pâ—â—nt is concluded and therefore I shall proceed For I desire to keep time and to be short in these morning Exercises Well then let us go on and look upon the Restraint that God layd upon the fire Consider the effect of Gods command and the effect of his prohibition God had given command that the fire should not burn them that the fire shoulâ— burn and dissolve their chains and their fetters that were upon them they were cast in bound bound hand and foot but God had commanded and the fire obeys it takes part with the three Children to loose their fetters and set them at liberty they were cast in bound And low now says Nebuchadnezzar I see four men loose God had layd a prohibition upon the fire and it obeys the commandment that it should not burn them that it should not touch their bodies it should not stop their breath that it should not so much as singe one hair of their head or scorch their garments and the fire is obedient to the word of the Lord they were walking in the midst of the fire and they had no hurt I shall put the particulars together because I would make hast they hold forth this Proposition Observat 6. That at the Commandment of the Lord the fierceest of Creatures shall not only not hurt his people but shall take part with them and do them good I say At the command of the Lord the fiercest of Creatures shall not only not hurt them but shall side with his people to take their part and do them good The fire cannot hurt nay the fire takes part with them nay the fire sets them at liberty First of all I shall shew you that the Creatures cannot hurt And then secondly That they must of necessity take part with the Saints
Jonathans son took him and set him at his Table so doth Jesus Christ deal he remembers the kindness of his Father the kindness the Father shewed him in his low condition says he is there none of the seed of God are there none of the children of the most high that I may shew kindness to for the fathers sake Because he shewed kindness to me in my low condition and though he can hear of none but poor lame Mephibosheth yet he shews kindness to them takes them into communion with himself sets them at Table with him and in the midst of their low conditions will afford his presence because his Father their Father did not leave him alone when he was in low conditions Again The Lord Jesus he is bound unto this by many ingagements I say he is bound to be present with his people in low conditions He is bound by his Word by his Promise by the Law of love that is in his heart All my delight is in the Saints and those that be excellent it is a second Heaven to him next to the presence of the Father he delights to be in the presence of his Saints and therefore because he delights in them he will be present with them though they be in the prison in chains and fetters though they be in the fiery Furnace yet it is a Heaven unto Christ to be with them for all his delight is in his Saints He is bound also by the Law of friendship to be with them in low conditions a friend is tryed in adversity it was a reproof to Hushai when he left David in straits and therefore says Absolom is this thy kindness to thy friend that thou wouldst not go along with thy friend It shall never be said so of the Lord Jesus it shall never be said of him Why didst thou not go along with thy friend for he will go along with his friend in the greatest adversity he will not leave them but afford them his presence Again He is bound because his work is in hand A Physician is bound to look after his Patient because he hath given him a Purge And so the The Lord Jesus is bound to look after his Patient when he hath given him a Purge Gold-Smith is bound to look after his Gold when he hath put it into the Furnace And so the Lord Jesus is bound to look after his Gold when 't is in the Furnace of affliction But I come to the Application First of all for Instruction This lets us see the wonderful unparalel love of Jâ—sus Christ I beseech Vse you take notice of it and get your hearts affected with it here is such love as creatures cannot shew a friend that will never leave one a friend that will always afford his presence in the greatest straits afford his presence that 's a friend indeed a man may be brought into such conditions as all his friends may forsake him all men upon earth may leave him David was left of his best friends Father and Mother forsook him and Jesus Christ was left of his best frsends they all forsook him and fled and truly this may be the condition of any man upon earth cast out and forsaken of friends of most friends of best friends will a friend venture his own life for a friend will a man keep his friend when some deadly infectious disease is upon him when he hath a plagâ—e sore upon him will he â—hen lye down in the bosome of his friend when a man is condemned to the flames of fire when a man is cast into the fire will a friend follow him into that condition Truly such friends you will hardly finde upon earth but this is the friendship of Jesus Christ to his people when he first lookt upon them he saw how many plague sores infectious diseases were upon them and yet that could not hinder him from drawing nigh and affording his presence and from working mightily by his spirit upon their hearts Nay when they are brought to fiery tryals to great afflictions yet even then he will not leave them and he will not forsake them and this makes the love of Christ the more remarkable that he should thus condescend when he was at the highest for he is now advanced above the Heavens he sits down at the right hand of the Father he is at the highest condition and yet he is pleased to condescend to the lowest condition he is pleased to come down when they are in the depths in the greatest straits that possibly can be what love was that the Spouse speaks of in the 5. of Canticles and the last verse she speaks a great deal of the beauty of Christ and in the last words she makes her boast of her Beloved This is my Beloved and this is my Friend Oh Daughters of Jerusalem I will compare with you all I will compare my friend to all the friends in the world This is my Belovâ—d and this is my friend she compares him for for his beauty and so you may compare him for his love you may make your boast of the Lord Jesus you may say This is my Beloved and this is my friend Secondly What a strong Motive may this Doctrine be unto such as are strangers unto Jesus Vse Christ to come in and submit unto him What glorious Benefits may you be partakers of What a desireable thing is it to have such a friend as Christ is which will be present with his friends in their lowest conditions Oh that every man would set down and consider that which Solomon speaks of to remember the days of darknesse which will be many many days of darknesse may come upon the earth what a favour will it be to have a friend in the darknesse a friend that will stick by thee when thou art in the dark a friend that thou mayst take hold of his skirts when thou art in the dark Entry a friend that will hold thee fast when thou art in the dark such a friend is Jesus Christ to all that do embrace him Oh what a favour what a mercy will it be to have a friend stand by thee that is both able and willing to help thee when all Creature-comforts shall fail when the very strength of body shall fail to have a friend stand by to help and succour and truly such a friend is the Lord Jesus what saith the Psalmist in the 73. Psalm vers 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever heart and flesh fail and then there is a strength above nature the Lord then is the strength of my heart and of my flesh and blood What a mercy will it be to have one stand by you when you go through the valley of the shadow of death a friend then to comfort a friend then to uphold such a friend is the Lord to his people David was confident of this therefore you see how his
though he hath spoken many years ago yet the Lord he cannot forget his promise he is always mindful of his promise See in the first of Chron. and the 16. Chapter and the 15. verse He is mindful always of his Covenant the word which he commanded to a thousand generations though the promise be given out never so long ago suppose it be a thousand generations yet the Lord he is always mindful of his promise always mindful of his Covenant to a thousand generations a man may promise his friend to meet with him but it is possible a man may forget his promise but so cannot God he is ever mindful of his promise Again He cannot mistake the time happily a man though he hath promised yet he may mistake the time he knows not how the time passes and so may be deceived but it cannot be so with God he knows all times all creatures Foreknowâ— unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. Nay he cannot be hindred by any impediment his Father will not hinder him he was willing to spare him out of Heaven for many years together that so he might be present with his people and all creatures cannot hinder him from performing his promise see the 27. of Isaiah verse 4. Fury is not in me who would set the Bryars and Thornes against me in battel I would go through them I would â—urn them together The greatest opposition was bryars and thorns to Jesus Christ bryars and thorns before devouring fire will soon be burnt and therefore upon this you may be confident seeing the Lord Jesus hath given out his word he will keep time and place with you Again Secondly You may be confident of his presence in affliction because affliction is for this end it is the main end that Christ in affliction may meet with his people that he may draw them into â—igher communion with himself that they may see more of him that they may enjoy more of him and he enjoy more of them that he may make use of affliction to remove that which is in the way between him and the soul to subdue corruption and to strengthen faith and to draw forth grace to heighten the holiness and the grace of the soul and to comfort the heart and all that the soul may enjoy more communion with Christ he doth take his people into a by-Lane as I may say in every affliction that he may speak unto them he took the Spouse into the wilderness that he might speak to her and so doth Jesus Christ when he takes his people into a by-way it is that he may speak something more to them that he may speak freely and speak something that may be for their good he doth not speak in affliction because he delights in affliction he doth not delight in their afflictions he doth not afflict that he may be satisfied no afflictions they are not their punishments for God hath satisfaction at the hand of Jesus Christ and therefore it relates to something to come that he may with this Chastisement draw the soul more nigh and see more of him and enjoy more of him more of his presence of his love more communion with him that he may comfort strengthen and support and sanctifie and therefore seeing it is the end the main end of affliction that Jesus Christ and his people may meet and converse together certainly Gods people must not slight this his afflicting them must not slight this main end of God Object But if Christ do meet with his people in affliction the presence of Christ cannot countervail the bitterness of the affliction Answ But it will to the full for there is that in the presence of Christ which may supply the wants of all creatures I say there is all goodnesse all sweetnesse gathered together in the Son of God which is scattered up and down in Creatures and therefore in Heaven the Saints need no creature comforts they need not the light of the Sun nor the light of the Moon and there all recomfortable relations are broken a pieces there is no husband nor wife nor child Master nor servant why because the good of â—ll these lations do meet in Christ and the good of all these relations shall be supplied by the presence of Christ and therefore Christ tells his Disciples in Mat 22. 30. In the Resurrection saith he they neither marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven they neither marry nor are given in Marriage that which is the most comfortable relation in earth there is no need of in Heaven 't is too poor too needy for Heaven there shall be no marrying nor giving in Marriage and â—o the comfort of all other relations shall be found in Christ In him there is a perfection of all goodnesse of all sweetnesse now you cannot meet with the fulnesse of these in any condition there is a fulnesse of joy in Christ a fulnesse of good in Christ what says the Psalmist in Psalm 16. v. last In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore there is a fulnesse of joy in the presence of Christ there is not a fulnesse of sorrow in any condition no there is a mixture of Mercy in every condition the evil that a Soul meets with is not infinite there is not a fulnesse of sorrow but in the presence of Christ there is a fulnesse of joy there is that which can abundantly countervail the evil that is met with in any condition if all the evil under the Sun were met together in one condition and a Soul brought into it yet it might find in the presence of Christ that which may answer that condition the presence of Christ will comfort and support and raise up a Soul in that evil condition and therefore you shall find that the presence of Christ hath made the Saints to rejoyce in Tribulations to joy abundantly The Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Christ it doth fill the Soul with holy joy heavenly Raptures yea the presence of Christ hath been astonishment to the Soul many times when it hath been in a sad condition see what Paul saith of himself in 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago whether in the Boâ—y I cannoâ— tâ—ll or whether out of the Body I cannot tell God knows such a man whether in the Body or out of the Body was caught up into the third Heaven some think this vision of Paul was when he was in a sad condition it was immediately after his conversion when the light of his Body was taken away by blindnesse Now it is supposed when Paul was blind in hiâ— Body he had this Vision of Christ you may see what abundance of sweetnesse he found in Christ it carried him beyond himself he wâ—s carrâ—ed out with holy Raptures I knew not
condition and then no wonder though Christ be with thee and thou seest him not Faith is the eye of the soul and if that be shut Christ may stand at the right hand and the soul not discern him and therefore I say stir up thy faith go to the Lord to strengthen thy faith and stir up thy faith Faith shews Christ represents Christ to the soul Faith takes hold of Christ and brings the sweetness and the comfort of his presence to your souls Or it may may be 't is through unthankfulnesse that thou dost not see the presence of Christ thank thine unthankful heart I tell thee thou hâ—st a great deal of thanks to give and thou sayst Châ—ist iâ— not with thee who is it that supported thee who is it that put under his hand was there more strâ—ngth in thee then in others Surely there was an everlasting Arm put under to support thee in thine affliction and is not here matter of thankfulnesse And this you may be sure all yee people of God the heart of God is always towards you though his face is not towards you his hand may seem to be against you yet his heart is always towards you and therefore still I say the people of God ought to expect that they shall see and enjoy the presence of Christ and shall meet with him in every affliction Fiftly and Lastly What cause of thankfulnesâ— is here What cause hath the people of God to be thankful to Christ that hath made this comfortable provision for them as this that he is pleased to walk in such a gracious way and to afford them most of his presence at that time that they stand most in need of it Here is matter of thankfulnâ—â—â— that the Lord should not leave you alone but aâ—â—ord you his presence Here is matter of double thankfulness that the Lord Jesus should not leave you alone in your afflicted conditionâ— Oh 't is â—n uncomfortable condition to be left alone Wo to him â—hat is alone saith the wise man if a man fall and be alone who shall help him up and how miserable had it been if we had been left alone in such conditions in afflicted conditions when we were fallen low but the Lord hath not left his people alone Nay here is further matter of Thankfulness that he should afford his own presence to his people If the Lord had sent a Messenger to comfort a poor afflicted Creature we should have thought it a great mercy but that he should afford his own presence in affliction that he should come himself to support and strengthen what a double mercy is this This is more then if he had sent twelve Legions of Angels to comfort in afflicted conditions Oh what is the presence of Christ 't is the greatest good in the world 't is life eternal 't is the beginning of Heaven and shall be the fulness of Heaven hereafter the fulness of joy is the presence of Christ it shall be the greatest misery to loose the presence of Christ and therefore that is a most dreadful threatning when God doth threaten to depart from a people see how God doth threaten Jerusalem in Jeremiah 6. 8. Be thou instructed Oh Jerusalem least my soul depart from thee least I make thee a desolate land not inhâ—bited Least my soul depart fâ—om thee Now when God departs what follows nothing but desolation So in the Prophet Hosea see there what a dreadful threatning 't is for God to depart in Hosea 9. 12. Though they bring up their children yet well I bereave them that there shall not be a man left yea wâ— also to them when I depart from them There is all threatnings summâ—d up in this and more cannot be said wâ— unto them when I depart from them You see it will be the greatest evil in the world to be shut out from the presence of God it shall be the Torment in Hell so depart from Christ Why then 't is the greatest mercy to enjoy the presence of Christ if God go away all blessings go away with him Wo to them if I depart now on the contrary when the Lord Jesus comes unto a soul all blessings come along with him when Christ comes to a poor afflicted creature Oh what sweetness comes along with Christ there is comfort and there is refreshment there is grace and there is holiness and there is support there is life and light all come along with the presence of Christ Object Ay but if I could finde the effects of these may some soul say I shall labour to thirst after Christ if I could finde these effects of Christs presence why then I may be comforted but alass I finde not the effect of his presence and how then should I think it to be his presence that is with me Answ I say Believe Believe that Christ is present with thee I speak to every soul that hath made a close with Jesus Christ in the tenders of grace I say 't is thy duty to believe that he is with thee in thy afflicted condition Believe it though thou seest not the effects of his presence and that is the way to see believe that he is present according to his word and through the grace of God thou shalt see the effect of his presence only Christ would have us to believe his word Christ would have thee believe that he keeps time and place with them and that he is with them in afflicted conditions yea he deals with his people as Jobs friends dealt with him they came to visit Job in his affliction but sate them down seven days and spake not a word unto Job and at last they found an oportunity to speak even so doth Jesus Christ it may be he may sit seven days and not speak a word to his people he may come to the soul and not speak a word to the foul in an afflicted condition all the time he sits by them and looks on them and his heart is toward them and his bowels relent and he will break out at last and he will speak unto them it was long ere Joseph did reveal himself to his brethren when they were in straits but at last he breaks out and says he I am your brother and so the Lord Jesus he may sit long before he speaks a word Oâ— but at last he will break out and then shalt thou see that Christ was present with thee and therefore 't is thy duty to believe that the Lord Christ is with thee in thy affliction though thou seest him not though he be behind the Curtain and believe that thou shalt see the effect of his presence he will not go away and leave no blessing behind him surely where he comes he brings a gift with him he does not come empty and therefore believe that thou shalt see a blessing left behind it may be thou mayst not see â—â—e gracious effects of the presence of Christ in thee but believe the time is
coming when thou shalt see a friend may come with a Present to a friend but noâ— presently give it him it may be he will sit with him a long time and when he is ready to go away he will give the gift to him and so the Lord Jesus Christ he never comes empty and he comes and sits long before he gives out that grace that strength that comfort that is in his hand ready to give but undoubtedly Christ will give it before he goes away and therefore 't is the duty of all his people to wait upon him for the giving of that grace that he hath promised to their â—ouls and therefore when Christ comes to a soul manifesting of himself is expressed to the soul by his supping with the soul see Revel 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will comâ— in to him and will sup with him and he with me If any man open the door I will come in and sup with him he doth not say I will come in and break-fast with him or Dine with him no he shall have my comforts before I go away though I be at the last Meal I will be sure to sup with him though he break his fast with sowre herbs and dine with sowre herbs yet I will be sure to sup with him and he with me before I go away I will open my Bottels and pour out my Flagons of Wine and he shall taste of my Dâ—â—ties before I go and therefore the Martyrs cryed out He is come he is come meaning the gracioâ—â— presence of Christ to their souls the Lord Jesus will at last manifest himself to his people and will be present with them in their afflicted conditions according to his word and 't is the Lord Jesus his will that his people should expect his presence though he do not give it out to them presently yet wait for it and he will abundantly satisfie your souls before he goâ—â— away FINIS A SERMON Preached in Norwich upon the day of the Mayors entring into his Office ECCLES 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdome in the grave whither thou goest WE shall not seek far for the sence of the words we shall finde the sence in themselves Some conceive that Solomon spake in the person of the natural man or the Atheist who keep this Counsel Follow after the world enjoy thy pleasure and thy profit and do it with all thy might for thou hast no long time to enjoy them in there is nothing in the grave and therefore now take thy fill But I rather conceive that Solomon spake here as a Prophet in the person of a Prophet and spiritual man and gives better Counsel then this from the seventh verse unto the end of the Chapter He gives advice in the seventh verse to take the comforts of those things that God hath given And upon this Account Because the Lord accepts thy works Goe thy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry heart for God now accepts thy works And so in the ninth verse Live joyfully with thy Wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity not with the Harlot as the Atheist would have spoken but with the wife whom thou lovest And so also this Counsel in the Text seems to be given by Solomon in the person of a spiritual man Whatsoever thy hand finds to do do it with all thy might for there is no working in the Grave c. The wise man here gives counsel unto all men to improve the time of life he calls all men to activity in the time of life And first he declares wherein men ought to be active Whatsoever thy hand findes to do Whatsoever is in thine hand to do as some read it Whatsoever God puts into thy hand to do in thy general or particular Calling more especially in the great Affairs that do concern the world to come whatsoever thy hand finde to do in relation unto the state of Eternity whatsoever thy hand finde to do a man finds that sometime which he seeketh and sometimes that which he seeketh not After thou hast sought out the mind of God and dost know what is his will concerning thee when thy hand hath found out what to do then do it with thy might or if the Lord shall prevent thee with his goodnesse and shall discover his will to thee when thou soughtest not after it Oh then give up thy self to work the work of God and do it with all thy might And then he shews in the second place how men must work these works of God do it with all thy might with all diligence with all faithfulness lay forth thy self to the very utmost for God do it with thy might This he presseth with two Arguments First There is no work in the grave there is no work to be done there that is the place of rest tâ—ere is no possibility of working if thou wouldst work afterward thou canst not thou shalt not be able to work there is no possibility of working for God and for thy soul when once in the grave there is no beleeving there is no repenting there is no turning to God when once in the grave if it be not done before thou comest there it is like to be undone for ever There is no work in the Grave And secondly as there is no work in the grave so there is no device nor knowledge nor wisdome there is no means to accomplish work if there were any work to be done in the grave there is no means to accomplish this work there is no knowledge in the grave This Argument is further backed by the consideration of the hastening of that estate of death where there shall be no possibility of working there is no work in the grave whither thou goest He doth not say there is no work in the in the grave whither thou shalt go but whither thou goest thou hadst need make hast for thou art going Thou and Thou and every one thou goest to the grave thou art making post hast thither thou art going every moment thou art every moment stepping over the Threshold of Eternity And therefore the Result of all is this Whatsoever God shall lay before thee to be thy work whatsoever thou hast to do for God or for thy soul in the great business of Eternity do not dally with it do not defer it do not put it off there is no work in the grave there is no possibility of working there If thou wouldst there is no means to accomplish work there And this condition is hastning upon thee thou art stepping into the grave every moment thither thou goest therefore he saith what thou doest do it with thy might I shall fasten upon this one consideration to prosecute at this time Observat That
it concerns every living man to do with his might whatsoever he hath to do for God or for his own soul in that great business that doth concern Eternity It concernes every living man and woman to do with all their might what ever they have to do with all their might whatever they have to do for God or for their own souls in the great business that doth concern Eternity I shall here shew you First what it is for a man to do with his might Secondly what are those things that God requires of every one of you to be done with your might And that will make way for the Application First of all What is to do with thy might To do with thy might First is to do with diligence to do diligently to take all opportunities of doing for God yea seek opportunities not only embrace opportunities but seek opportunities of doing for God Our Lord Jesus Christ went up and down doing good in the days of his flesh he sought opportunities to serve his Father and to serve the sons of men The Sun carries his light up and down the world and visits poor Creatures that are in darkness when a man is faithful in taking opportunities to do for God in seeking opportunities when a man works with diligence then he works with his might Again secondly To do with thy might to do with a mans might is to do or work resolutely to do with resolution not to be beaten back by discouragements and by opposition that doth lye in the way never did any work meet with so much opposition as the great work of our Redemption by Christ But he brake through Divels and all the powers of darkness that were in his way he did with his might the work of his Father for he did it with resolution To go on notwithstanding all storms all winds that blow though never so many dangers lay in a mans way though there seem to be Lions in the way great enemies great persecutions losse of name losse of estate losse of friends to go through evil report as well as good to break through the strife of Tongues and the strife of hands This is to work Resolutely this is to do with a mans might Again thirdly to do with a mans might is to do faithfully when a man works faithfully and sincerely when he doth not warp nor turn aside when he is not byassed nor drawn by the allurements of the world In the 33. of Deut. it is said that Levi did not know his own Father nor his own Mother nor his children he did the work of God with all his might for he did it faithfully And when the cause of God was in hand he knew no friend he knew not his Father he knew not his children Get thee behind me Satan saith Christ to Peter a dear friend a chosen Disciple yet when Peter will disswade Christ from doing the work of his Father Peter is a Satan he is an adversary get thâ—e behind me Satan And so what do you mean to vex my heart saith Paul when his friends disswaded him I am ready not only to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for the name of Christ When a man works faithfully then he works with his might Fourthly when a man works spiritually then he works with his might When his heart goes into the work when the spirit goes into the work when a man is content not only to give God the outside but his heart shall be engaged and that shall bow to God and submit to Christ If he do not find that his heart and spirit is engaged in the work he cannot be satisfied It is said of good Josiah in the 2 of Kings 23. vers 25. there was none like to him there was none like before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soul and with all his might He turned with his heart and soul his heart and Spirit was engaged in it and therefore now he did it with his might Fiftly when a man works with his might he works speedily I say speedily Our Lord Jesus did the work of his Father with his mighâ— and he began betimes in the morning he was called the Hind in the morning he was hunted betimes in the morning He began betimes to work the works of his Father when he was thirteen years of age he was found disputing among the Doctors and saith he Wist you not that I must do the work of my Father To begin betimes in the day of youth to take the best season the fittest opportunity to do for God when a man doth speedily then he doth with his might Sixthly When a man doth strenuously when he doth with all his strength with all those abilities God hath given him when he is content that God should have all that he hath that God should serve himself of the best he hath and rejoyce that he hath any thing for God when a man lays down himself and lays down all at the foot-stool of God saith Lord take me and take mine and improve me to the utmost of thy self it matters not what become of the Creature so God may be glorified when a man works thus he works strenuously and with all his might Seventhly and lastly when a man works constantly When a man holds out unto the end when he is willing to abide with Jesus Christ yea to abide with Christ in his tribulation when he is willing to serve the Lord all the six days of his life when he is content that his works and his life should be finished together and not one before the other Thus it was with our Lord Jesus Christ when he was upon the Cross his work and his life were finished together when a man works thus to the end this man works with his might That is the first Particular we hasten to the second You have heard what it is for a man to work with his might The second follows What those things are that every man ought to do with his might I shall speak first to Sinners and then to Believers and shew both their works Something the Lord requires of both to be done thus with all their might If Sinners ask what is their work I answer What the work of sinners is to be done with their might First their work is to know themselves To know that they are poor and miserable blind and naked that they are lost and undone that they are without light and without life and without strength and without hope for eternity that they have sinned and cannot satisfie that they have lost themselves and cannot return of themselves that they have done evil and cannot do better of themselves If free-grace do not prevent them they are as poor wandring sheep upon the Mountains they are like to wander and wander and wander for ever till they be separated everlastingly from the Lord if the good Shepherd of souls do not
as the grass You had need live in a continual converse with your fading condition dye daily see death at a distance and grapple with death at a distance Put your selves into a dying condition and say often Oh! what if this were my last What if I were now to breath forth my soul What if now to shoot the Gulf of Eternity What have I now to rely upon What have I to carry me through How shall death be conquered How shall the sting be taken out for me You had need I say converse with death at a distance and live continually in the sence of your dying condition that so death may not be terrible when it comes that you may know before hand how to conquer it and that it is conquered by the blood of the Lamb. Fiftly Another work that you have to do with your might is to do good to your friends and to your Relations Christians give out the good things to your Relations and do it speedily do it with all your might Impart the knowledge of God to your Relations Christ finds Andrew and Andrew finds Simon Peter Christ finds Philip and Philip finds Nathaniel Oh come saith he we have found the Saviour the Messias 1 Joh. 41. 45. You have but a little while to be with your Relations and they are gone they are taken from you and you from them and therefore with all your might work this work and do them good and give out good to your Relations That is the fifth work that you have to do with all your might Sixthly In all your waitings upon God see that you do there with your might I say when ever you wait upon God in every Duty in every Ordinance whensoever you draw nigh to God the Lord requires you should do it with your might In the second of Samuel the 13. it is said there that David when he danced before the Ark he did it with all his might And so in the second of Chron. 28. It is said there that David when he offered unto the Lord he offered with all his might And so that place in 2 King 23. and 25. It is said that King Josiah turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his might what ever you do in the matters of God do it not lazily If you pray do it with your might and if you hear let it not be done but with all your might and if you speak do with your might because these are mighty things and they have relation to the business of Eternity Seventhly and Lastly To mortifie your corruptions to get your lusts mortified subdued cast out your souls more conformable to Christ this is an other work and the last work that I shall name that you Christians and Beleevers have to do and that with your might To get your lusts mortified and subdued Do it with your might do not look upon it as an easie matter as a frivolous business Do not go out against such Giants with straw and Bulrush But Oh! get the compleat Armour of God go forth in the name of Christ in the strength of Christ with the blood of Christ with with the promises of Christ it is a work of great concernment and therefore I beseech you do it in good earnest go out in the Name of the Lord and do this great work in good earnest that your corruptions may be mortified and more of the Image and likenesse of Christ may be imprinted upon your Spirits And thus have I shewed you my Brethren what it is for a man to do with his might and what are those works the Lord puts into your hands to do with all your might You have heard what works are put into the hands of sinners and what works are put into the hands of Beleevers And now I shall make some short Application and I have two words to speak First The one a word of Caution and Direction The other a word of Exhortation First in the first place a word of Caution and Direction is needful and let this be the first Caution That though God call upon you to work with your might yet he doth not put you upon it to work to pay your debt To discharge that great debt of ten thousand Talents of transgressions My Brethren if you had a thousand hands to work with if you could work as much as the very Angels it is not possible you should work so much as should discharge the debt for you could not pay the least farthing of that which is owing to God No know my Brethren the Father of mercies hath pittyed poor Creatures he sent his Son the Lord Jesus Christ for this end to marry poor Widdow-souls that were left in an infinite debt and could not discharge it he hath sent his Son to to pay the debt of every widdow-soul that is content to be espoused to Christ he came from Heaven for this end he wrought with his hands he had no other way to pay the debt he left himself poor The Lâ—rd Jesus was rich but for your sakes he became poor he had no way to pay the debt but by working with his hands he wrought hard he wrought till he sweat he wrought till he sweat drops of water and blood he wrought three and thirty years together that he might pay this great debt that was owing that his people did owe to the Father And therefore take heed you do not go about to work to discharge your own debt do not work to pay your debt but work because your debt is paid and discharged by Jesus Christ Secondly Take heed you do not work for your living God calls upon you to work with your might but he does not put you upon it to work for your living Life is not from your works neither should Christians live upon their works The life of your joy and the life of your peace the life of your comforts the life of your righteousness it is not from your works the Lord never put you upon it to work for this end no Christ hath wrought enough for his people that they might live as his people he hath provided for their maintenance to fill their cup he hath provided for their cloathing he put mighty righteousness everlasting righteousness upon you It is not now to do and live this is not the Covenant But the Covenant of grace is live and do fetch life from Christ and then do and do with all your might because life is given freely by Christ Thirdly God doth not put you upon it to work to purchase love to purchase favour or to purchase Heaven I say you are not to work to purchase the favour of God by your works to purchase Heaven by the works of your hands Alas Adam in innocency could not do it he could not yearn life by working And how shall poor Creatures in a fallen estate be able to purchase and yearn life by their own works No if
Lord hath put it into your hand and therefore now seek after an interest in Christ with all your might To you that have an interest in Christ I shall say no more but what I said before I laid you your work before you get more acquaintance with God get your hearts established upon the truth of the promises that you may not be left at uncertainties and lift up God in your generations and get your hearts made sensible of your frailty to dye daily to wait upon God with all your might in Ordinances to get your hearts subdued and your corruptions mortified This is your work and Oh that the Lord would help you to do it with all your might To you that are the Fathers of the City I have one word to you from the Father of Heaven Oh that the Lord would make you willing to receive it and to do it with all your might There is something that is your work that the Lord requires you should do with all your might I shall but briefly give you a few hints and shal leave it to the blessing of the Lord. First of all There is a work of Judgment and Justice that the Lord hath put into your hands I say the first work that God hath put into your hands it is a work of Justice to punish sin to punish sin is the work that is in your hand to do to puâ—ish the breaches of the moral Law and the contempts thereof that Law of nature which is written in the heart of all men the Lord hath put it into your hand to punish the breach of this Law What ever your hand finds to do in this case I beseech you do it faithfully do it with your might God requires it of you that you should do it with your might yea let your hand find out sinners let your hand do this work of the Lord to punish the drunkards and the swearers and the prophane persons the deceiver the lyar and the stealer and all other workers of iniquity here is no fear of smiting Christ smite here and spare not where there is no danger of smiting Christ smite on and spare not do it with all your might the Lord lays it before you as your duty Secondly There is a work of Righteousness and Equity that the Lord puts into your hands to do and Oh that you would do this also with all your might to judge betwixt man and man do it faithfully to accept no mans person to know no friend in the matter of Justice but to decide every mans cause with wisedom and with faithfulnesse and with sincerity not to know Father nor Brother nor Son nor Daughter as Levi did not in the cause of God That so Justice and Righteousness may run down as a mighty stream That there may be no oppression that there may be no complaining in our streets This is the second work that the Lord puts into your hand And Oh that you would do it with your might The third work is a work of Mercy There is a work of mercy the Lord puts into your hands to relieve the poor and the needy and the fatherless to take care that the poor be provided for that they may have work that they may have employment and that they may have maintenance this is a work of mercy that the Lord puts into your hands to do Oh it is one of the crying sins of England it is the sin of the whole Land and Oh that it were not the sin of this City that the poor are not yet imployed and provided for that God would put it into your hearts to do it Oh that some blessed hand might find out this way to employ the poor this would be an acceptable work of mercy Know that the Lord hath given you something for the poor though I think every man hath a propriety in his estate yet I also think that God hath given every man something for the poor and truly before God the poor hath a right in it though not to take yet it is your duty to give and to provide for them And I fear if this work do not go through the whole land that there be not some provision made for the work of the poor and for the relief of the poor That God will level this Land and that God will bring down all the pomp and pride and stain the glory of all flesh in it this is a work of mercy There is a fourth work and that is a work of Piety that God puts into your hand to seek the good of poor souls to provide that all that are under your power in this City may be instructed in the knowledg of the Lord Jesus to send into the dark corners the Suburbs of this City and not only to confine men to the heart of the City but send to them that will not come out for it The Lord Jesus came to seek as well as to save and therefore send forth to seek them they know not what they do in rejecting the means of life But Oh send to seek them and instruct them in the knowledge of the Lord that they may not perish for want of provision And what though my Fathers and Brethren every man cannot see his way clear to take a Pastoral charge of such a people where he knows there is but little of Christ yet if he do the work what though he do it not under that notion If he preach Christ to them if he bleed for them If his desires be to instruct them and be willing to instruct them in publique and private and to pray for them that the Lord would give them repentance and bring them into the number of Christs Sheep-fold I say if this work be done what though it be not done under that notion why should the work of the Gospel be hindred If in all other things men be conscientious and able and fit to teach and instruct the people in the knowledg of Jesus Christ this will be a work of Piety to send into the dark corners of the City that there may be no place in which the word of the Lord shall not be heard There is a work of Love to Christ and of wisedome to your selves and I will name no more I commend this to you as the last And Oh that your hand would finde to do it a work of love to Christ and of wisedom to your selves And that is to protect the Saints and those that have an interest in Christ and desire to walk unblamably before you if they be such as walk according to the Law of God and not disobey the Law of Magistracy it is the work of the Magistrates to protect them The Magistrate is set up to be a praise to them that do well What though they may differ from you in particular opinions I am pâ—rswaded it will not excuse before Christ not to have protected them If you be convinced that they are