Fourthly Parents love their children aright when as they are much praying for their children presenting their children to the Lord and praying for them crying to the Lord in their behalf for the blessing of the Lord upon them when they are very instant with God that he would take away the guilt of original sin that is upon their children and the guilt of actual transgressions that are found upon their children Job every day took a sacrifice and sacrificed for his Sons and Daughters he prayed for them he was careful that sin might not lie upon them Oh that was spiritual love that was found in Job it was of a right stamp he was careful that the guilt of sin might not lie upon them and therefore he every day offered a sacrifice to the Lord. And the woman of Canaan she cries in the behalf of her child she comes to Christ and cries to him for her child And so when Parents go to Christ for their children when under bodily Infirmities go to Christ for them and when under spiritual Infirmities go to Christ for them pleading with Christ for them then do Parents love their children aright Fifthly when Parents are careful to educate their children for God when they are careful that God may be honoured by their children that their children may be instructed so as to honour God when they desire and endeavour to prevent all dishonour that may be done to God by their children to reprove them and to rebuke them and not to be so indulgent as old Eli was which proved to be the ruine of the whole family I say when Parents are careful that God may not be dishonoured but labour that their children may be instrumental for God and they do seek the Lord for this thing and do deal with them upon this account and are careful to instruct them and to lay before them the mind of God and careful so to dispose of them as God may be served by them when this is the care of Parents this is a discovery that their love is not only natural affection but spiritual grace and their natural affection is set right by their faith which the Lord is pleased to bestow upon them For the Application First Take notice what a mercy it is that God hath planted such Natural affections in the hearts of Parents it is a great mercy it is that which is little taken notice of but it is that which we and all in the world have cause to bless God for that parents yea those that are evil can do so much good for their children give out of the good things which they have to their children there is much of the wisdom and goodness of God in it that Parents should do so much for their children when they doe not deserve it it is long before it can deserve any thing nay when grown up there are many times contrary deserts and that yet the hearts of arents should be kept up towards their children as I said before there is a great deal of the wisdom and goodness of God in it for there is a great deal of evil thereby prevented a great deal of sin and cruelty that is prevented by the Lords giving of natural affection Oh admire the wisdom goodness of God in this Secondly Let Parents know that this is not enough to have natural affection and love to their children but oh that Parents would labour to love their children aright It is not enough to love them much to have great natural affections but let Parents labour to love their children aright labour so to love them as to love their souls to take care of their souls which is a thousand times more worth then the body labour to love them in obedience to God labour to eye the Covenant of God in loving your children be more in seeking the face of God in the behalf of your children Oh that Parents would look upon it as their duty to pray more for their children Oh look upon Abraham and let him be your pattern how did he cry to the Lord in the behalf of Ishmael it lies upon all Parents to go to God for their children yea for every one in particular Oh that such an one might live in thy sight Look upon the woman of Canaan how did she cry to Christ for her daughter oh Lord have mercy upon me Now let Parents go to Christ for their children oh go and cry for the souls of thy children as this woman did for the body of her daughter oh Lord I see such a corruption in such a child and such a lust in such a child oh that the Son of David would have mercy on them We should go to Christ for the souls of our children that Christ would cast out those corruptions that we see sprouting in our children Thirdly Oh that this might provoke us all to look after faith what need have Parents to labour for faith in Jesus Christ if it be but upon this account that you may love your children aright oh look to Christ for faith cry unto Christ to give you faith that so you may love your children aright There may be a great deal of natural affection in parents they may dote upon their children and undo their children and yet not love them aright for it is impossible that a man or woman that hath not faith to love children aright they cannot love their children aright till they have faith And to provoke all parents to look after faith upon this account of their children let me say this to you that faith will teach you to love your children impartially There is a great deal of partiality in natural affection and it runs out much to one child and neglects another ah but with spiritual love it is not so When Parents love their children aright it will teach to love their children more equally not to love one more then another unless they see more of God in one then another Again let me tell you that faith will make your work to your children easie there is a great deal of labour travel and pains as you have heard to bring forth children and a hard work to bring up children when brought forth but faith will make your work more easie when as God is eyed in it and so you are bringing up children for God when as you are loving and caring for children in obedience to God Oh this will make your work more easie And further let me tell you that faith will make your work more acceptable to God That work you are doing for children when it is done in faith is accepted if you love your children in faith the Lord will take it well at your hand and the Lord will reward all the labour service travel and pains that Fathers and Mothers do undergo for their children That instance you find in Scripture of Moses his Mother when Pharoahs daughter found Moses by providence she commits
towards him And when the Captains went forth to battel David gave this charge that they should deal gently with him for my sake Thus you see how the hearts of parents works towards their children Fourthly That natural affection that God hath planted in the hearts of parents towards their children doth teach them to accept willingly any service that is done by their children though it be never so weakly done yet if the Father sees that the child hath done its good will in obedience and in love O! how acceptable is the least piece of service done by such a child And therefore the Lord taketh an argument from this to strengthen his peoples faith I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3. 17. Fifthly Natural affection will teach the parents to supply all the wants of the children O! what care doth parents take to supply their childrens wants that they may want nothing that is good for them They shall have that which is sutable to them Ye that are evil know how to give good gifts to your children What care do parents take of their children while young to supply their wants And what care do they take to make provision for their children when they are dead and gone Nay do not many a poor parent undoe himself to make provision for his children that he may make them great in this world and leave them something when he be dead and gone Sixthly and lastly to name no more The love that is in parents makes them exceeding unwilling to part with their children it is the greatest affliction in the world they had rather loose all their estates then loose their children Nay though parents many times be so poor as they cannot keep their children yet how loath are they to part with their children The poor Widdow we readâ—â— 2 King 4. 1. all her estate was gone nothing left her but her two sons the creditor came to take unto him her two sons from her but how loth was she to part with her two sons Nay how hard is it for parents to part with their children when God takes away their children by death You know that Instance of Job Job 1. he did bear very well all the afflictions and losses that he met withall till he came to loose his children the messengers came and told him that all his estate was taken away and you read of nothing that Job said but when they come and told him his children were slain then Job rent his mantle and fell down upon the ground and worshipped To loose his estate was nothing but to hear that all his children were slain he rent his mantle and fell down upon the ground a token of his great sorrow And you know how David was affected when they brought him word that Absolom was killed he went up to the chamber over the gate and he wept as he went saying O my son Absolom would God I had died for thee A most pathetical complaint that this poor man makes when his child was taken away though he was a wicked child and one that sought his fathers life Thus you see the first part of the Doctrine that God hath planted natural affection in the hearts of parents to their children But secondly I shall shewe you that where there is faith natural affection cannot work alone but faith will rectifie natural affection faith will teach Parents to love their children aright Natural affection will teach them to love their children ah but spiritual love that springs from faith will teach them to love their children aright Quest But you will say to me when may Parents be said to love their children aright or how shall we know that the love of Parents to their children is not only the working of Natural affection Answ First where there is faith it will teach Parents to love the souls of their children Nature will teach to provide for the body but the Spirit of the Lord that teaches Parents to look after the souls of their children now when the soul is loved and respected more then the body then do Parents love their children aright In Gen. 17. 18. you may see what a request Abraham doth make for his son Ishmael Oh! that Ishmael might live before thee God hath been making many gracious promises to Abraham concerning another Seed but Abraham did not forget his son Ishmael neither could he beg that he might have a great estate but that he might live in the sight of the Lord When Parents take care of the souls of their children then Parents love their children aright Secondly Parents love their children aright when as they do love them in obedience to the Lord when they love them and when they take pains and act for them and perform all offices of love to them in obedience to the Lord when Parents do bring up their children and perform every duty to them in obedience to the Lord these are the children that the Lord hath graciously given his servant and so he love them and perform duties to them that he may obey the Lord and be found working the work of his station and relation in bringing up these children to the Lord this is that love that is not only natural but spiritual Thirdly Again Parents love their children aright when as they have an eye to the Covenant of God concerning their children when they have an eye to the promises of God that he hath made to the children of Believers He hath said that they that come of thee shall build the old waste places When as Parents thus eye the Covenant of God in looking upon their children as the Lords and these are they that the Lord hath said he will own and so love their children more because they are the Lords then theirs because the Lord hath promised that he will own them and make use of them And so I conceive Moseâ—'s Mother had respect to this in her love to her child Hebr. 11. 23. By faith Moses when he was born was hid three Months of his Parents because they saw he was a proper child and they not afraid of the Kings commandment Her love sprung from faith when she hid her child Moses three months it was not from Natural affection but from faith By faith Moses when he was born was hid three months because they saw he was a proper child and they not afraid of the Kings commandment The Kings commandment was that all the Male-children should be drowned and to disobey his commandment it did endanger their own lives ah but by faith she ventured she looked upon her child as one that God would make use of she was perswaded that God would make use of this child Moses to do something for the future she knew that there was a promise that God would deliver his people and she knew not but that this might be the Man and so was not afraid but by faith hid him
of all in the vileness and sinfulness of our hearts and natures when as men or women come to be acquainted with the vileness of their nature and see what rebellion is in the heart and finde that there is a by as upon the spirit that doth carry it off continually from God the heart enclined toward vanity evermore O! How do vain thoughts and sinful imaginations croud in continually And they do defile the most holy Service that is taken in hand O! This proves matter of temptation This body of sin and death it made the Apostle cry out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. It had been a pressing temptation if the Lord had not made a discovery of the way of deliverance and salvation to him for a poor soul is apt to fear surely there is nothing of God in me if there were any seed of God in me my heart would never be so vain and the byas of my spirit would never carry me out from God so O! I fear I am not made partaker yet of the Divine Nature The sight of that woful evil that is in the heart proves many times a sad temptation that it is hard for a poor soul to get over it And Secondly When the Lord doth leave a poor creature to sin after mercy and against mercy it hath been saved by the Lord delivered by his right hand pressed with such and such a mercy and yet overtaken in the snare of sin sinning against mercy many times proves a sore temptation O! I am afraid that I am none of the Lord's children mercy hath not its kinde work upon me it doth not bring forth those fruits which the Lord may look for when he gives out such mercies sinning against mercy many times proves a sore temptation Thirdly When the Lord leaves a poor creature to fall again and again into the same sin O! this proves matter of temptation when as the soul hath seen the evil of sin and hath bewailed it hath run to the Lord for strength against it yet hath been overtaken again and again in the same sin that I say proves matter of sore temptation Surely may the poor soul say my spot is not the spot of children I have been overtaken once and again whereupon the poor soul may be tempted to cast away his hope and confidence and not only tempted to cast away its confidence but tempted to depart from God and to go out from the wayes of obedience There is no hope say they in Jer. 18. 12. but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart We have back-slidden again and again and there is no hope for us we had as good go on and take our fill in sin This temptation is set on many times by falling into sin That is the first That unworthiness by reason of sin Secondly Unworthiness by reason of that miserable weak and frail condition that the children of men are in the great distance that man is at from God this proves matter of temptation to many a poor soul when he considers that he is a poor piece of dust and ashes and that there is an infinite distance between God and the creature he is from everlasting to everlasting he is Jehovah and changeth not But we are poor creatures that are of yesterday and are going down to the grave to day and shall be in the place of silence to morrow O this proves matter of temptation and discouragement Will the Lord look down upon such a poor creature and upon such a piece of dust and ashes Is it possible that the Lord should humble himself to take notice of me And besides that common condition of frailty which all men are in the Lord is pleased to bring some of his people into a lower condition then that which is the ordinary state of man and yet he is as low as dust Yet I say the Lord is pleased to bring some of his people into a lower condition then ordinary By affliction God makes mans state to be low when he brings him into an afflicted state and when God maketh mans comforts to be low taketh away those comforts and those relations which have been his refreshments I say when a man is brought thus into a low and afflicted condition this added to that common condition of frailty it setteth at a great distance from God and it proves many times matter of discouragement and temptation to a poor soul So it was with Job chap. 14. v. 1 2 3. Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble he cometh forth like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shaddow and continueth not And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one Lord saith he Is it possible that thou shouldest humble thy self so far to look down upon such a one That God should look down with the eye of pity upon such a one frail man is one that is brought so low one that sitteth upon the dunghil Unworthiness by reason of frailness proves a temptation many times to Gods own people Thirdly Unworthiness by reason of coldness and deadness in affection When a poor soul finds how dead his heart is towards God O! I have a heart for the world and I have affections to friends and relations there is love to creatures nay there is affection enough to vanity but little or no heart for God there are not those breathings those thirstings those pantings after God not that first love which somtimes it hath found to the Lord and to the things of Christ O! This proves matter of discouragement and temptation O! I fear that the love of God dwelleth not in me saith a poor soul I finde my heart so dead and so strait towards God open to the world but strait to God O! I fear that the love of God dwelleth not in me How can it be that God should set his love upon such a one Surely if the love of God were in me I should love the Lord more then I do Deadness and coldness in affection toward the Lord it proves many times a sore temptation Fourthly and lastly Unworthiness by reason of unusefulness and unserviceableness to God that is matter of temptation when as a poor creature sees that it can do little or nothing for the Lord O! I am a barren tree I am a dry branch I see that others are fruitful I see that others have the promise fulfilled to them they bring forth much fruit they are serviceable in their generation they are an honour to God and do good to men but as for me I know not wherein I can honour him I know not wherein I can be useful or serviceable O I bring forth no fruit unto God and therefore am afraid that I am the Tree the Apostle Jude vers 12. speaketh of without fruit twice dead plucked
of your own heart and satisfying your own lusts what-ever these men pretend they have not hope of the right stamp their hope is but as the spiders web or as the giving up of the ghost Thirdly Let me exhort you all to look after this saving lively hope for it is that which will keep your hearts from breaking in the evil time at one time or other the heart will break if men have not this saving hope therefore seek after this saving hope for it will keep you up in the midst of storms in the midst of evils and establish you in the midst of good it will do you good in a storm and it will be useful to you in a calm you can never take comfort in the good things you enjoy and your hearts cannot be established in peace if not grounded in hope therefore look after this lively hope this anchor of the soul yea soul wouldst thou dwell with God and live neer God and live upon him continually O then cast the anchor of your hope in God true hope will hold your souls close to him that you shall not depart from him Yea would you have your hearts made more holy purified and sanctified and get victory over your corruptions O then seek after this saving hope for that man that hath his hope cast on God and Christ that man is most free from corruption and most active for God true hope it will make you able to suffer it will make you able to rejoyce in tribulation why now dost thou desire all this why then seek after this lively hope But it may be you will say unto me how shall we obtain this hope I see it is exceeding useful and of absolute necessity how shall we come by it where shall we have this anchor to stay our souls For answer First Look to the free grace of God in Christ for it 't is he that doth beget this grace of hope in his people look to those tenders that free grace makes God holds forth his self and Son and pardon and life to poor creatures Free grace makes a render of all this unto you and therefore look to this free grace that so you may have that hope which shall not be confounded and ashamed Secondly Look to Christ for it especially look to the resurrection of Christ that place 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Christ is risen from the dead he hath paid the debt and brought in everlasting righteousness and therefore look to the resurrection of Christ for by eying that this lively hope may be begotten in you Thirdly Look to the promise to the word of the Lord the word of the Lord is written that you might have hope Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope The Scripture is written that we might believe and in believing might have eternal life and therefore consult with the word of the Lord. You that desire to have hope strengthned look to the word and promises and behold the freeness of them and the unchangeableness of God in them O study the Scripture much and beg that the Spirit of the Lord may shine in them and give you a sight in them and so this hope may be begotten in you Fourthly Look to those patterns and examples of free grace that the Lord set forth for you to look upon the Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 1. 16. saith He was a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting That the Lord should reconcile such an enemy and set his love upon him that was injurious to the Saints one that thought he had sinned so much as that he had out-sinned mercy yet saith he I obtained grace that might be a pattern of mercy and therefore look to those patterns of grace and mercy that the Lord hath set forth before you that so you may be encouraged to come and hope in his mercy And to conclude all do not go on desperately any longer and do not say as they said Jer. 2. 25. But thou saidst there is no hope No for I have loved strangers and after them will I go They resolved to go on in the imaginations of their own heart they said there was no hope and they would do evil as they had done O let not this be the resolution of any poor soul for though you have no hope for the present you are invited to come to Christ that you may have hope The word of the Lord is come to you that you might have hope and those patterns of free grace are set before you that you might have hope O that the Lord would make you more intent in your spirits in looking after this anchor of hope What will you do another day when storms arise and to have no anchor It will be a most sad condition for a poor soul to see it self ready to split and to have no hope no anchor to stay upon O! who would venture to Sea without an anchor If you have no anchor when storms arise you will be at your wits end O that God betimes before it be too late would make you as wise for your souls as you would be for your bodies FINIS Artis est â—â—lare artem Chrysostomus illud quasi peculiare custodit ac proprium quod cum semper sollicitus sit semper vigilans noxii stuporis inimicus nusquam tamen ejus oratio in pompam elevatur dicentis sed tota aptatur ad utilitatem audientis est enim stilus ipse Ecclesiae auribus accomodandus Sixt. Senens Biblio lib. 4. de Jo. Chrysost Vers 21. Two great Wonders wrought by Christ 1. Wonder 2. Wonder The wonder of this womans faith appears first The declaration of thâ— womanâ— faith The Argugument this woman useth to move Christ How Christ tryed the womans faith The behaviour of this woman of Canaan under her tryals The victory of this womans faith 21. Verse spoken to three things to be considered Proposition or Doctrine Application Two sorts of people that exalt their rule above Christs Rule Second sort of people that exalt their rule above Christs Rule Object Answ Third thing laid down which is the place Christ came unto Observation The love of Christ to the souls of men Application Observation that God hath some in every place Observation Application Incouragement to seek Christ Who this woman was that come to Christ Doctrine Weak in estate many times chosen Weak in parts many times chosen Weak in age many times chosen Weak in respect of sex many times chosen Application A declaration of this womans faith Why this woman cals Christ the son of David How David was a type of Christ and how Christ like
their imitation think upon the children that sung Hosanna O that children and youâ—â— men would read that place the very children suâ— Hosanna to the son of David Oh what sweâ—â— musick was it What heavenly musick to heâ—â— young men and children to be praising the name of Christ Children in tender years they sung Hosanna and oh that this might be a pattern for children Children fear the Lord look after him in tender years that while other children are blaspheming and cursing you may be singing of praise to the Lord O what heavenly musick is it The Lord Christ will take it well at your hand if you that are young will begin in tender years to look after Christ and lift up the name of Christ Christ took the part of those children the Pharisees were offended that the Children should cry Hosanna but Christ he took it well and he pleaded for them this is that which is written saith Christ Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings wilt thou ordain praise Christ will take it well at your hands if you that are children will be singing Hosanna to the Son of David Christ will take it well at your hands if you will be praising and praying to the Lord though accompanied with a great deal of weakness as it is like they sung Hosanna with a great deal of weakness yet Christ takes it well at their hand and saith this is that which is written Out of the mouth of babes and suoklings thou wilt ordain praise And let me speak to women the weaker sex the Lord as you have heard doth make choice of the weakest and you have had the example of women set before you that the Lord hath done good to O remember the women that ministred to Christ remember the women that followed the Apostles to the rivers side remember Lydia whose heart the Lord opened and the woman of Samaria and this woman of Canaan and oh that this might be an incouragement to women be not discouraged because of your weakness and do not say I know not how to come to Christ Why the Lord makes choice of the weakest and they are brought home sooner then the strong And O that it might be an incouragement for you to come to Christ And let me say to all women that hear me this day The woman was first in the transgression O that that might provoke women to look after Christ the woman was the first that sinned and the woman was the first that was deceived and therefore oh that women would be the first in coming to Christ And let me tell you that if there be any women that hear me this day and hear the Word of the Lord and shall despise it and will not come to Christ but stay at home and dwell in themselves in their lusts take heed that the Lord doe not leave you for the refusal of the tender of Christ to be worse then the vilest of men Wicked women the Lord hath left them many times to be worse then the worst of men You know what Jezabel was a mother of witchcraft and whoredome Ahab was bad enough but she was 〈◊〉 times worse drew him on to shed all the bloud of the innocent And you know that Herodias heard John as well as Herod but she received not the Word and Herodias was worse then Herod whâ—â— would have thought that there had been so much cruelty in her heart towards John a good man And therefore women take heed how you deâ—spise the word of Grace least the Lord leaâ—â— you to greater abominations and you becomeâ— worse then the vilest of men And let me speak also unto those that are unworthy in respect of parentage If there be any here that with a sad heart look upon their kindred and fathers house as being such as know not God but are contrary to God O let not that be any block in your way you may be accepted of Christ though you come of the vilest kindred your kindred cannot be worse then the kindred of the woman of Canaan was they were cast out of the Land a cursed Generation and therefore all the sins of your parents shall not be any block in your way the child shall not bear the sin of the parents if the child be coming to Christ and taking hold of his Covenant all the sins of your parents shall not be any block in your way but you shall be welcome to Christ And so for those that are sensible of personal transgression O let not that be any block in your way to hinder you from coming to Christ though you have sinned greatly with a high hand yet do not go on to estrange your selves from the Lord by keeping at a distance from Christ and by adding unbelief to all your sin which will set home all your sin and bind them all upon your back O that those that have committed great offences might see what a door the Gospel to Christ opens to them to come in to Christ And let me say for your incouragement that the Grace of the Lord shall appear the more towards you the more sinful you are the more rich and glorious and excellent shall the Grace of the Lord appear to you and know that Grace is never more glorious then when it triumphs over great iniquities when Grace doth triumph over great transgressions O then the Grace of God is glorious grace towards you shal be exceeding glorious And it shall be for the Lords honour to receive you to passe by and to forgive seventy times seven It is the honour of a man a mans glory why it is the glory of the great God to forgive many and great transgressions and there shall be the more joy in heaven for your return the greater sinners you have been the more glad shall the heart of Christ be When the Prodigall son came home what joy was there at his return And let me say to you that all your transgressions shall not be mentioned though he or she hath been never so vile yet if the Lord doth give any sinner a heart to come to Christ the Word of the Lord shall be made good That all their sins shall not be mentioned Ezek. 18. 21 22. If the wicked forsake his way all his transgressions shall not be mentioned Oh that this might incourage unworthy ones to look to Christ And truly if unworthy ones shall not be perswaded by this to come to Christ know that this example of the woman of Canaan will rise up in judgement against you she was as unworthy and sinful as you and oh what a cutting thing will it be when sinners shall see Manasseh and Paul and Mary Magdalen and the woman of Samaria and this woman of Canaan to sit down with Christ and they themselves shut out O that God would help you to imbrace the Gospel and know that all unworthiness and sinfulness shall be no block in your way if the Lord now perswade your heart to
but full of sin full of all manner of unrighteousness not only lost the Image of God but is filled with the image of the Devil and discovers that all the imaginations of mans heart are evil and only evil and that from his youth upward Now when the Spirit of the Lord comes to make this discoverie to a man that he is thus filled with sin and lets a man see what a filthie thing sin is how displeasing to God how contrary to his Holiness that soul that hath this discovery can plead nothing of his own when he comes to God but mercie and free grace Thirdly The Spirit of the Lord doth discover to man that he is a poor weak creature that he is one that can do nothing to help himself out of this miserable state that he can do nothing to procure a better condition for himself that he can make no satisfaction to God for the least of his transgressions full of sin ah but he cannot make satisfaction for the least transgression he cannot lay down a price to redeem his own soul he cannot change his own heart and he cannot work up his own spirit to believe in Christ he cannot subdue any lust in his own heart a poor weak creature that can do nothing cannot think a good thought nor move toward God Now when the Spirit of the Lord discovers this to a man O then he sees there is nothing to plead but mercie Fourthly The Spirit of the Lord doth discover to a soul that his natural estate is a state of enmitie the Lord rips open a mans heart at his conversion and shews him what enmities is in his bosome how full he is of contrary workings in his heart and spirit to the Lord he sees that secret enmitie that he never saw before Now when this comes to be discovered to a man or woman that they are in a stare of enmitie to God and the workings of that enmitie cannot cease if the Lord doth not put forth the mightie power of the death of Christ I say that soul that hath all these discoveries made to it first sees that it hath no worthiness pleads nothing of his own especially such a creature so full of wants so full of sin and so full of weakness and so full of enmitie such a creature can plead nothing of his own when he comes to the great God Nay as it sees that it hath no deserts to plead so it sees that there are contrary deserts I say these discoveries will make a soul sensible of contrary deserts that it deserves nothing but hell and wrath and confusion rejection from the Lords presence for ever and ever The Prophet Daniel was sensible of these contrary deserts of the people Dan. 9. 8. To us belongs nothing but shame and confusion So that you see when the Lord by his Spirit comes to discover to man what a vile creature he is such a soul sees that it hath nothing to plead as matter of merit but mercie And as in its first coming so whenever a gracious heart goes to God after it is brought home reconciled made one with God through Christ after it hath walked with God yet even then no gracious heart that can plead any worthiness any righteousness of his own when he goes before God he cannot plead any of his graces nor any of his own services non any of his own sufferings and if so then there is nothing to plead I say a gracious heart cannot plead his own graces it cannot plead his faith not holiness it cannot present that to the Lord that the Lord for such and such graces should bestow mercie for the very faith of the Saints is imperfect now that which is imperfect cannot merit any thing abundance of unbelief mixed with the strongest faith Lord help my unbelief It is true indeed that David in some of his Psalmes desires God to look upon his faith Psal 25. 20. Deliver me for I put my trust in thee But he doth not look upon his faith as merriting any thing at Gods hand but only desires that God would look upon his Covenant the Lord had promised grace to his people in trusting upon him so that he doth not desire the Lord to look upon it as any act of his for faith is little worth as an act of ours but he puts the Lord in mind of his Covenant of the Promise that he made with his people And the Saints as they cannot plead faith so they cannot plead holiness for as their faith so their holiness is imperfect they have many failings manyfold corruptions are found in the most gracious heart therefore they cannot plead holiness before the Lord. It is true Hezekiah in Isai 38. 3. and so Nehemiah spread before the Lord what they had done and how they had walked but that can be no Argument that we should make use of that as an Argument no Argument that that was the best Argument but I say they only did desire the Lord to look upon his own work in them they were far from pleading any merit any desert And therefore you shall find the best of the Saints when in the best temper have been found disowning their own righteousness and their own worthiness Paul he had as much to plead and to trust too as any man living and yet he looks upon all as drosse and dung in comparison of Christ in respect of pleading righteousness all is drosse and dung though it is good in its place yet to lay it as a foundation it is drosse and dung And see what is said Job 9. 20. If I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse O that they would mind this that boast of perfection Job was as perfect as any yet if I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me if I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse The very saying I am perfect would condemn me it would declare that I am lying against the truth and I should declare my imperfection while I am pleading perfection Thus a gracious soul dare not plead faith nor holinesse Secondly It dare not plead any services when it hath done its utmost for God it dare not plead what it hath done no work no services no tears no fastings it dare not plead these before the Lord. Indeed you shall find many unsound hearts that have pleaded these things and trusted to them many unsound hearts and hypocrites that have looked much to their righteousness to their prayers and fastings and their good works and services that they have done for God they have pleaded these before God Isai 58. Wherefore have we fasted and thou hast not seen and afflicted our soul and thou regardest not And so you know the storie of the Pharisee and the Publican that went up to the Temple to pray the Pharisee he stood upon it to justifie himself Luke 18. 11 12. he stood
to free grace it is to be had in mercy there is healing for you I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely Oh that the Lord would help us all to flee to this refuge Doe you desire any thing Goe upon the account of mercy doe not stand upon any worthinesse any justification of your selves and if you be kept from Christ by your unworthinesse then you have an eye to your worthinesse O that we might not look upon any worthinesse If a man come to you and plead that you would take pitty upon him it would move your hearts more then if a man should come and require of you that you should doe so and so for him because you have done so and so for others No but if he falls down at your feet it prevails more with you and so when God sees that a man stands upon it upon his own justification O this does not prevail but when a soul cometh to the foot-stool of free grace and pleads nothing but mercy I am worthy to be cast out but thou hast given an invitation to sinners and here I will wait at the foot-stool of free grace this will move the bowels of Jesus Christ Quest Ah but may not a man cry for mercy and yet goe without it Answ True indeed it is possible a man may cry for mercy and call for mercy in a dead cold formal way many a poor creature will say Lord have mercy on me and he trusts to his Lord have mercy on me and so thinks that should save him but that is not to trust in mercy they trust in their saying so but they trust not in mercy It is possible that a poor wretch in time of extremity may cry out Lord have mercy and yet not apply himself to mercy for the soul that applies himself to mercy he applies himself in Gods way Now Gods way in shewing mercy it is in Jesus Christ if a man cries never so loud for mercy yet if he does not apply himself in Gods way look thorough the Mediator he may cry and go without it but he that doth apply himself rightly to mercy he seeks it in Chist for mercy will doe no good out of Christ therefore a gracious heart applies himself only to Christ and he that applies himself to mercy he waits the Lords time for mercy So that a man may say Lord have mercy and cry out for mercy and yet be far from obtaining mercy But now this let me say that if any poor soul that is sensible of his own misery that sees it is full of wants and full of sin and unrighteousness and full of weakness unable to help himself and full of enmity so that it can do nothing but sin against God I say a soul that shall see this and shall apply it self to mercy in mercies way look to God through Christ the Messias come as this woman to the Messias O thou son of David have mercy on me no soul that shall thus apply himself to the mercy of God thorough Christ being sensible of his own lost condition and shall there wait but certainly the Lord will make a good end with that soul and that soul as the Apostle speaks Shall find grace and mercy to help in time of need Matth. 15. 22. My daughter is grie vously vexed with a Devil SERMON VII YOu have seen this womans faith in her coming to Christ and closing with Christt as Lord and as the son of David We shall now see the love of this woman here is her love as well as her faith there was a great deal of love and compassion in her towards her daughter the stroke that was upon her daughters body fell upon her spirit and lay heavy there and therefore she doth not say Lord have mercy upon my daughter but Lord have mercy upon me It is my affliction and my burden Lord have mercy upon me for my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Her daughters affliction was heavy upon her spirit Quest But you will say Whether was this affection natural or spiritual grace Whether did she speak this from natural affection to her child or was this a fruit of her faith Answ I answer Here was both natural affection and spiritual grace for seeing this woman had a seed of faith in her as hath been proved natural affection could not work alone where there is the grace of faith in the heart it will not leave nature to work alone but grace will step in and rectifie natural affection order natural affection set bounds to natural affection set natural affection upon a right ground and make them look to right ends where there is grace natural affection cannot work alone Indeed in that heart where grace doth not dwell there nature works alone as the natural affections grief and sorrow and anguish in a natural man where the spirit is not nature works alone he cannot propound any spiritual consideration to himself to quiet his grief and sorrow he may fetch in some carnal considerations or he may stay till nature settle of it self time may wear out his grief but no work of grace to compose the spirit time must work it out But now in a gracious soul nature cannot work alone but grace will step in to order and rectifie to set bounds to the affections and will help to compose the spirit and so we may conclude of this woman here was first natural affection in her nature did teach her to love her child but natural affection did not work alone here was also the spiritual grace of faith faith taught her to love her child aright nature taugh her to love her child but grace taught her to love her child aright So that there was the working both of nature and grace Quest But you will say Was it not an evil to give way to natural affection Answ I answer No natural affection is not the corruption of nature Indeed there is a great deal of corruption in natural affection but natural affection is not the corruption of nature no natural affection is part of the Image of God the remnant of the Image of God which was left in man since the fall of Adam for it is a sin to be without natural affection The Apostle speaking of the sins of the last dayes he reckons up this as one without natural affection Rom. 1. 31. Natural affection is part of the Image of God and it is that without which the world could not be continued The Lord in abundance of mercy and wisdome hath planted natural affection in the hearts of Parents to their Children for if it were not so Gods name would soon be dishonoured and there would be all manner of cruelty and the race of mankind would soon be destroyed so that it is a mercy to have natural affection but to have spiritual grace to work with natural affection to have faith to set natural affection right and to cause it to work aright that
is the greatest mercy Now this woman had both she loved her child and loved her child aright And this woman may be a pattern to all parents to all those that have children and may teach every one of us not only to love our children but to love them aright So then to close with the Doctrine which is this That wheresoever there is faith in any man or woman it will rectifie natural affection in them faith will teach parents to love their children aright In the opening of this Point I shall shew you two things First That there is a great deal of love in natural affection in the hearts of parents towards their children Secondly Where there is faith it will rectifie those natural affections and teach to love Relations aright First It will not be unnecessary to shew you that there is a great deal of love in natural affection in the hearts of parents to their children it will not be altogether unuseful to see how much love there is in the hearts of parents to their children that children may see the love of their parents to them What a great deal of natural affection is there in the hearts of parents towards their children O Lord thou son of David have mercy on me for my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil And you shall see that the Lords hand hath ingraven natural affection upon the hearts of parents and it is ingraven in such great letters upon the hearts of parents that it is almost impossible to wear it out Isai 49. 15. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb It is a very hard thing to do it it is almost impossible that a woman should forget her sucking child It is true indeed some have done it some have forgotten it some have laid cruel hands upon their sucking child such are monsters rather then women but it is not possible that a woman that hath the compassions of a woman should forget her sucking child And our Saviour tells us that it is in the worst of men Matth. 7. 11. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children There is this good thing in the hearts of the worst men living love in their hearts to their children And therefore it is that the Lord doth make use of the compassions that is in the hearts of parents to set forth his own love and compassion toward his people that place before Isai 49. 15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands And so Psal 103. 13. Like as a father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that fear him He maketh use of the bowels the pitty and compassion of Parents to hold forth what bowels are in his heart towards his children Now that you may see what this natural affection is and that you may see the greatness of the love of parents to their children consider how it works First of all Love makes them willing to undergo a great deal of pain and sorrow labour care and travel what is it almost that Parents are not willing to undergo for their children O how much sorrow do poor women meet withall in bearing and bringing forth children And yet their desire to children doth carry them through all A woman though she have a sore travel saith Christ when delivered forgets her sorrow for joy that a man is brought forth into the world And so when they are brought forth what great pains are parents willing to take for their children How long doe they hang upon their mothers breasts before they can shift for themselves And yet that affection that the Lord hath planted in parents makes them willing to doe all this Secondly that natural affection that the Lord hath planted in parents to their children maketh them to sympathize with their children in every burden and affliction every affliction that lieth upon their children to be their own affliction so this woman in the Text O thou son of David have mercy upon me The affliction was upon her daughter but it was her burden O Lord have mercy upon me The parent doth sympathize with the child and doth account the affliction of the child to be their own affliction for how are Parents affected when their children are ill and when the hand of God is upon their children If the childs head doth but ake it makes their heart ake so sensible are parents of their childrens troubles The Noble man that came to Christ see how he was affected when his child was sick John 4. 49. Sir come down ere my child die At verse 47. he besought Christ that he would come down and heal his son for he was at the point of death Christ delayed the businesse verse 48. then said Jesus unto him Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe But see how abruptly he answered Christ verse 49. Sir come down ere my child die He was not able to attend any thing else all his mind was upon his child O Sir come down ere my child die He could hear nothing till his child was healed and thus natural affection vvorketh tovvard their children Yea thirdly This natural affection vvill maâ—â— the parents to passe by many injuries that are done by children to parents and yet parents ready to pardon them upon the least submission the heart of a parent relents it is a very hard matter for a parent to cast off his child though there be many provocations See some Instances in Scripture that of Abraham is remarkable Gen. 21. 9 10 12. His son Ismail he vvas a vvicked child one that scoâ—fed at the son of the Promise and Sarah she maketh her complaint and desires that the bond-vvoman and her child might be cast out verse 10. And the thing was very grievous in Abrahams â—ight because of his son verse 11. Though he vvas a vvicked child a rebelliâ—â—s child a scoffer at good yet when it came to casting of him out it seems very grievous to Abraham because of his son And you know the Prodigal son that had spent his portion in riotous courses how willing was his father to forgive him to pardon all his miscarriages and to close with him again upon his first return and submission And you know that Instance of David which holds forth a great deal of affection that was in that good man towards a wicked child 2. Saâ— 18. 5. Deal gently for my sake with the young man even with Absalom He was a wicked and rebellious son one that rose up against his father one that would have turned his father out of his kingdome one that sought his fathers life one that had committed great wickedness in the sight of the Sun But oh how doth Davids heart yearn
him to his own Mother to be his Nurse and she pays his own Mother for him And so the Lord he will deal with you that are parents that act in faith and perform your duties in faith the Lord will reward you for your love to your own children for taking care of your own children all your labour is taken notice of by the Lord and you shall be rewarded Oh! what an encourageis here to all Parents to look after faith in Christ that so your service may be accepted of the Lord One thing more and so I conclude and that is a word to children is it so that there is so much love in the hearts of Parents to their children is there so much that Parents do from love to children oh that children would labour to know what is their duty that they owe to Parents it cannot be told it cannot be exprest how much it is that children owe unto parents Children it is impossible that ever you should requite the love of your parents oh the pains the travel and sorrow of bringing forth and bringing up oh that children might know that there is a great engagement lies upon them to love their parents to respect their parents to take heed that they do not grieve their parents to pass by all in firmities of parents to shew all respect to them and when grown up to take care of them And this is a duty that Christ lays upon you though a Moral duty see what is said in 1 Tim. where children may see what Christ injoyns them 1 Tim. 5. 4. But if any widow have children or Nephews let them learn first to shew piety at home and to requite their parents for that is good and acceptable before God God lays this duty upon children you should labour to requite your parents to remember their love their care their sorrow their pains and travel and you are bound by the Law of Christ to requite your parents this is good this is piety and this is acceptable to God And so that place Levit. 19. 3. Ye shall fear every man his Mother and his Father and keep my Sabbaths I am the Lord your God Here is a duty that God lays upon children to fear every man his Mother and Father Children are most apt to despise their Mothers therefore the Lord begins there and lays that duty first that children should fear every man his Mother And take notice of it that this is a duty that the Lord sets before the keeping of his Sabbath as if the Lord should say in vain shall they pretend to be Religious if they do not fear and reverence every man his Mother and his Father I will not accept of your service It was a brand that was set upon Esau to all generations that he did that which was a grief to his Father and Mother Now children see your duty and remember your duty which the Lord Jesus lays upon you And oh that children would labour for faith that they may perform their duties Parents cannot love their children aright till they have faith and truly children cannot reverence their parents nor perform the duties they owe unto parents unless they have faith Oh then that Parents and children would look up to Christ for faith and then shall both be able through faith in Christ to perform that mutual duty that God requires from parents and children And to shut up all let this that hath been spoken strengthen the faith of all Gods people in Gods love to them Oh that by this we might ascend to the love of God! O that they that think they have not been concerned in what hath been spoken hitherto would know they are concerned in this The Lord would have you to ascend by the consideration of the bowels that are in parents to their children to a consideration of those infinite bowels that are in him towards you that are his children As the Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him what ever workings of love are in the hearts of parents towards their children oh know that there is larger workings of love in the heart of God towards his children there are infinite bowels in the everlasting Father and if there be so much pity in the hearts of parents that they are willing and ready to give out good things to their children and willing to pass by and to pardon the miscarriages of their children oh how much more willing is our God to pass by and to pardon the failings of you that are his children oh that this might encourage prodigal children to return to the Lord If the father receive his child that hath been a prodigal why the Lord is ready to receive you though a prodigal if the Lord give you an heart to return though you have spent all and abused all your mercies yet the Lord is ready to pardon and to receive you And let it strengthen your faith and hope in Christ you that cleave to Christ for righteousness you that are the children of that everlasting Father oh know that Christ will plead for you Christ will cry to his Father for you Was the woman of Candan so affected with the misery of her daughter that she cries Lord have mercy on me my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil 〈◊〉 I say this found in this woman towards her daughter and shall not this be found in Christ towards his children oh then let this comfort you when you scarce dare go to God and cry your selves such and such a corruption doth annoy you such and such an unclean spirit is in you Oh! the Lord Jesus pities you under every spiritual burden when as you are troubled with unclean spirits he hath bowels of compassion towards you and know that he will go to his Father and cry to his Father and if he cry he cannot deny the son of his love but an answer shall be given to all those requests that Christ puts up for you or for any of his people Matth. 15. 23. But he answered her not a word SERMON VIII I Come now to speak of the trial of this womans faith and here is the first tryal of her faith he answered her not a word A very great trial a sore trial that this poor woman should in her great strait and under such a burden and pressure of spirit come to Jesus Christ and cry so earnestly unto him and believe so stedfastly upon him and yet Jesus Christ give her not one word of answer to her prayer this was a sore trial for this carriage of Christ it seems to be contrary to what she had heard of Christ and to what she believed was in Jesus Christ for Christ seemed now either to be without compassion to her he seems to take no notice not to be affected she complained and cried out of her great burden and Christ speaks not a word the Lord Jesus Christ seems either not to be affected with her
more As a man that delights in musick if the Musicians play he 〈◊〉 take no notice but lets them play on because he delighteth in it and so the Lord he takes delight in the prayers of his servants The prayerâ— the upright is his delight and he will give no present answer that so they may go on praying 〈◊〉 crying Secondly the Lord may seem to be silent 〈◊〉 the prayers of his people that so he may exerâ—â— the faith and patience of his servants It is great trial of the faith and patience of the Saiâ—â— when as the Lord seems to take no notice 〈◊〉 give no answer to their prayers it was for 〈◊〉 end that our Lord Jesus Christ gave not a 〈◊〉 of answer to this woman of Canaan it was that might try her faith and her patience and that might exercise it and that by the exerciâ—â— faith faith might be increased and her faith 〈◊〉 arise to a great faith by this exercise for at 〈◊〉 Christ commends her for her faith Oh 〈◊〉 great is thy faith be it unto thee even as 〈◊〉 wait Again the Lord is silent many times at the prayers of his people to try whether they will continue in prayer though the Lord doth give them no present answer oh here is the trial of perseverance God hath heard my prayer saith David therefore will I call upon him as long as I live Ah but that is no great matter for a man to say God hath heard my prayer and therefore I will call upon him still But for a soul to say I have been crying and calling and I will still wait upon him as long as I live I will wait upon God Oh here is perseverance in prayer in which Christ doth delight Fourthly the Lord is silent many times upon this ground he gives no present answer that so he may prepare an answer for them and that he may prepare them for an answer God gives no present answer that so he may prepare mercy and ripen mercy and make mercy fit for his people and that he may ripen them and fit them and their hearts for the mercy so that it is in abundance of grace and mercy and love that the Lord is pleased many times not to give out a present answer to his people for all the time the Lord is silent he is preparing of mercy and goodness for them he is making of the mercy fit for his people the mercy shall be ripe and the mercy shall be sweet and wholsome and do them good at the heart When the Lord hath thus prepared mercy for them and fitted them for the mercy they shall have the mercy see what is said in Isa 80. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he way be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted for the Lord is a God of judgement blessed are all they that wait for him He waits that he may be gracious he waits for the best season the fittest opportunity he will stay till the soul hath need of help in the fittest time the Lord will come in mercy when he may be most exalted for mercy when his people may see most of the hand of God when they most prize their mercies and glorifie God for mercy God waits for such a time And therefore you see it is for gracious ends that God many times seems to be silent for a season and gives not one word in answer to prayer as Christ here to this woman of Canaan For the Application of the Point First it speaks sadly of them that never regard whether the Lord give an answer or no to their prayer that pray and pray and look not after an answer How far are such men and women from the disposition of Gods children a gracious heart cannot but be affected when it speaks to the Father and the Father gives no answer And therefore surely when men and women make many prayers and look not up for an answer that regard not whether the Lord answer or not either they are none of his children or else under a sore temptation for let me say unto you that though it is not for your prayers that God doth regard prayer yet if you do not look up for an answer if you do not regard your prayers neither will God regard your prayers And let me say further that this is a great dishonour to God Oh what a 〈◊〉 is it it is a loss to God and it is a loss also to the soul for a man to lose all his prayers it is a loss indeed When as a soul doth not regard whether God answer or no God loseth he loses that glory which would redound to him in the answer of prayer Call upon me saith God in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Now if the soul call upon God and doth not observe whether God hears or no it cannot glorifie God for the return of prayer but God loses that honour that thankfulness and that love and obedience and that dependance which an answer of prayer might engage the soul to And as God loseth so the soul loseth oh they that look not after the return of prayer they lose that which would make their souls rich For a Merchant to lose all his return it will make him a poor Tradesman in conclusion that soul that doth not look after the return of prayer loseth a great deal of faith and dependance and experience for God by giving out an answer to the prayers of his people he doth encourage them and engage them to trust in him at all times so long as they live they that lose the return of prayer lose the strengthening of faith and the engaging of their heart to God But secondly let me speak to such poor souls as are in the same condition with this woman of Canaan that have prayed and have not met with one word of answer Poor souls is this the condition of any of you I know that it hath been and may still be the condition of the Lords dearest servants they may pray and the Lord may seem to give no answer Remember it was so with David Jeremiah and Habakkuk and with Christ himself And let me say this unto thee that if thou regardest any iniquity in thy heart any known sin that thou regardest or connivest at or if there be slightness in the performance of thy duty or contentest thy self with a slothful performance of thy duty or thou dost not regard thy prayer when thou hast put it up to the Lord for this we have cause to be humbled and no wonder the Lord do not answer our prayers But now if thy own spirit and the Spirit of the Lord can testifie that thou desirest to regard no iniquity in thy heart but to walk up to thy duty and desire to be conformable to Christ and desire to cry in faith and to wait upon the Lord for an answer be of good comfort
answer Oh justifie God and say the Lord is holy thus did the Psalmist Psalm 22. 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel though thou dealest thus with me thou art holy thou art just and thou art righteous and thou art good and faithful though silent for the present to my prayer And so let us say if the Lord be silent to any of our prayers yet Lord thou art holy thou art righteous Thirdly this is thy duty labour to maintain good thoughts of God it is not enough to justifie not to charge God but to maintain good thoughts of God at that time that God is silent to our prayers and do thou believe that God is contriving good at that time now is the Lord waiting to be gracious and preparing an answer Oh this is a blessed frame of heart and how pleasing would it be to God to believe that he is good and that he is gracious and this very thing it is for good for the good of my soul that he may exercise faith and patience and try my perseverance and that he may fit me for mercy and mercy for me Oh that we could entertain good thoughts of a gracious God when he defers an answer Fourthly be looking to God through the Mediator close more with him through the Son look to the great God through the son of David look to him through that merciful and compassionate High-Priest look more to God through Christ and there rest Fifthly and lastly wait patiently for him oh take up a resolution to wait upon the Lord charge thy own heart to do it as David did and though he speaks not to day nor to morrow though he speaks not this month this year not in this opportunity yet say I will wait for the Lord I will wait in every season and get upon the watch-tower and wait patiently and see which way Christ will come to thy soul know it is thy duty to wait take hold of his promise he is a God of judgement and waiteth to be gracious he waiteth for an opportunity and therefore it is good thou shouldst wait it is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Matth. 15. 23. And his Disciples came and besought him saying send her away for she crieth after us SERMON IX CHrist as you have heard is silent to the prayer of the woman he answered her not a word whereupon the Disciples they step in and perform an office and duty of love for this poor woman they step in and they plead with Christ for her Lord send her away for she crieth after us It is a great question with some whether the Disciples did pray for this woman here or no some think that they did not make any request for her there is no mention of any they only say Lord send her away for she crieth after us Lord stop her mouth send her away give her an answer dispatch her for she crieth after us and this was done say they that so the trial of this womans faith might be the greater But I rather conceive that the Disciples in these words did pray for her they did perform an office and duty of love in interceding with Christ for her For First of all it seems they were very earnest in it they came and besought him saying send her away Surely if it had been only to stop her mouth to dispatch her the Disciples would not have been so earnest with Christ to beseech him good nature would have taught them more compassion and therefore grace teacheth them much more And then they seem to be affected with the cry of the woman she crieth after us send her away it breaks our hearts the cries that she makes Thou Son of David have mercy on me And thirdly it is clear and evident in the following verse from the answer that Christ gives upon their seeking of him I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Therefore it is evident that the Disciples did not plead with Christ to send her away to stop her mouth but they did plead with Christ though not mentioned that he would grant her request The truth then which the words hold forth to us is this That it is the duty of Christs Disciples to present the conditions of others unto the Lord in prayer as well as their own We find that Moses the servant of the Lord was much in this work much in praying for others and interceding for Israel upon every occasion he steps in and pleadeth with God for the people And so David in many of the Psalms he presents the conditions of others unto the Lord. And our Lord Jesus Christ himself who is our great pattern was much in the performance of this duty John 17. you shall â—nd there that the most part of the time that Christ spent in prayer it was spent in praying for others there is but one petition that he put for himself in ver 1. and repeated again in ver 5. and all the rest of his time it was spent in praying for others for the Disciples for those that were converted and for those that did belong to God that were not converted Many requests the Lord Jesus makes in the behalf of others and but one for himself And so the Apostle Paul who was a follower of Christ he was much in this work of praying for others Rom. 1. 9. he did appeal to God that he did not neglect this duty For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his son that without ceasing I make mention of you alwayes in my prayers And so 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God whom I serve from my fore-fathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers Paul did remember others before the Lord. But in the opening of the point I shall shew you First who they are that we are bound to pray for whose conditions Gods people are bound to remember before the Lord. Secondly what are the special time we are called unto this duty to remember others before the Lord. If you ask who they are that we are bound to pray for First we are bound to pray for them that have done us wrong a hard lesson but a lesson that Christs Disciples must learn we must pray for those that have done us wrong that have done evil and spoken evil of us See what our Saviour Christ saith Mat. 5. 44. But I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you See here out of Christs own mouth this is our duty if we be Christs Disciples we must pray for them that persecute us and despitefully use us we should go to the Lord and beseech the Lord to forgive them thus did Christ Father forgive
them they know not what they do We should pray that the Lord would open their eyes that the Lord would turn their hearts to himself first and then to us Brethren such a prayer is very welcome to the Lord as welcome as most prayers that his people can make when you shall from the heart pray to the Lord for those that injured you and done you wrong such a prayer seldom goes unrequited Sometimes the Lord gives in the soul of an enemy at the request of his people and oh what a choice mercy will that be if thou mayst gain the soul of an enemy if a soul may be delivered from going down to the pit why the Lord many times gives in the soul of an enemy but if the Lord should not give in the soul of an enemy that prayer shall not go unrewarded it may be sometimes the Lord will give in the soul of a friend thou goest to God and thou prayest for such an enemy Lord forgive such an enemy Lord open his eyes and turn his heart and forgive his transgression if the Lord does not grant that request it may be the Lord will give in the soul of a child or some of thy relations because thou hast found in thy heart to pray for an enemy or else the Lord will reward that prayer by giving out more of himself thou beggest for an enemy if the Lord do not that the Lord will give thee more grace more of his Spirit the Lord it may be will cause his face to slaine more upon thee while thou at his commandment and for his sake canst find in thy heart to pray for them that are thy enemies and have done thee wrong thou hast prayed for an enemy and I will be a friend to thee saith the Lord I will shew thee more friendship more of my face this is the first thing Oh that the Lord would teach us to practise it it is our duty to pray for those that have done us wrong Secondly if it be our duty to pray for those that have done us wrong then it is our duty to pray for such as the Lord hath made instruments to do us good Creatures they are but instruments and all the glory is due to God alone ah but God is to be sought to for the instrument hath the Lord done us good by such an instrument in respect of our souls in a word of counsel and direction we are to pray for them When God made use of Abigail in giving a word of counsel to David how did he bless the Lord and pray to God for her 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. And David sad to Abigail blessed be the Lord God of which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou c. And so hath the Lord made any instrumental any way to do us good in the outward man to give any refreshment we are bound to remember them before the Lord thus did Paul 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains Onesiphorus was a means of refreshing Paul in his bonds and Paul looked upon it as his duty to remember him before the Lord he begs a blessing for him and his houshold The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus it is our duty to remember those before the Lord that have been used as instruments to do us good Thirdly it is our duty to remember before the Lord even those that are strangers to us those that we have not known if we know their conditions If the Lord hath brought the condition of strangers to us if the condition of strangers be a sad condition we are bound to remember them and to present their condition before the Lord and thus did the Disciples here in the Text this woman she was a stranger to them they never saw her face before she was of a strange Nation one of the Cananites and yet when the sad condition of this woman was brought before them and they heard her cry their hearts were moved with compassion and they besought Christ for her Lord send her away Lord grant her requestâ— And the Lord layd a great charge upon his people Israel that they should remember strangers and not oppress strangers but shew kindness to them and this is one part of the duty we owe to them to remember them and if in any sad condition we are bound to present them and their condition before the Lord. Fourthly If it be a duty to remember Strangers then much more to remember our own Relations and to present them before the Lord. All our Relations what ever they be as we stand related to others in Political Societies there is an engagement to remember them before the Lord a mutual tye betwixt the Magistrate and the people and they are bound to pray one for another godly Magistrateâ— and godly people are bound to remember one another You know King Solomon he was one that feared the Lord and he was very much in praying for the people 1 Kings 8. 22. he spent much time in prayer And so back again it is the peoples duty to remember their Governours The Apostle lays it upon Christians as their duty 1 Tim. 2. 1. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men ver 2. for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty In this relation there is a mutual tie to remember one another before the Lord. And if we come to Family-societies there we shall see relations are bound to remember one another before the Lord the relation of Husband and Wife Parents and Children Masters and Servants the Scripture holds it forth as a duty incumbent upon all Christians to remember their relations mutually before the Lord. Husbands are bound to remember their wives to present their condition before the Lord Isaac prayed for Rebeckah Gen. 25. 21. and at his request the Lord was entreated and so back again the wife is bound to remember the husband And so in the relation of parents parents are bound often to present their children before the Lord the example of Job is given for our imitation Job 1. 5. And it was so when the dayes of their feasting were gone about that Job sent and sanctified them and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all for Job said it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts thus did Job continually See Job presented them all one by one before the Lord and begged mercy for them and that the Lord would take away the guilt of sin which they might contract while they were feasting in one anothers house And so good old Jacob performed this duty for his children even then when he lay a dying
been more sad if God had taken away our estates from us before he had found us but if the Lord hath found us though we lose the world there is good cause we should be content what God calls for let it go we should be willing to lose our estates our credit our name for Christ hath found us if we cannot walk with Christ and do the service Christ calls us to but we must lose estate and credit and name why let all go Christ found us and we should be willing to lose our lives for Christ and know that it shall not be lost but what a man loses for Christ it shall be restored him again And fiftly and lastly Let us take heed that we do not go out from Christ any more O! what an engagement lyeth upon us to keep close to Christ O! What pains did Christ take to seek us when wandring And what pains did Christ take to bring us home O! Take heed of wandring in the ways of sin for it is a dangerous way and therefore take heed that we be not found wandring let us labour to cleave to God and keep close to Christ let the sheep hear the voice of Christ and follow him where ever he goeth keep close to Christ in every Ordinance in every Truth take heed that we go not out from Christ for that will be sadder then all that hath gone before that lost sheep whom Christ hath found should go into the wilderness again dark wayes again and defile your elves again O! this will go to the heart of Christ and therefore Brethren what need have we to watch O! let us watch over our own hearts if Christ hath found us and brought us home to God O let us watch over our hearts and wayes that we go not out from Christ O let us watch and let us cry to the Lord that he would watch over us that we may not go out from him O! let us beg of him that he would put his holy fear into our hearts that is his promise O beg of the Lord that he would make good his Covenant that we may have that holy fear in our hearts that may keep us for ever from wandring and going out from Christ Matth. 15. 24. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel SERMON XII HEre is a second Tryal of this womans Faith as I told you when I opened the words Christ had tryed her faith by his silence and now by his speaking a sad word I am not sent but to the lost Sheep c. Wherein he holds forth that there a certain number that he is sent unto a certain company that are given to him to be his sheep and that he can shew mercy only to such they only are in his Commission and he cannot go beyond his Commission they whose names are written in the book of life their names are written in Christ's Commission I am not sent but to the lost sheep Here is a great tryal of this womans faith and she is put upon it to make out her Election here is a tryal concerning her Election whether she did belong to God or no. So then the Doctrine is this That the Lord is pleased sometimes to exercise his people with many temptations about their Election That was the great tryal that this woman was now put upon In the opening of the point it will be needful to shew you First That there is an Election of God Secondly That this Election may be known it may be known who are elected Thirdly I shall shew you that this Doctrine it self it is full of sweetness and unspeakable comfort to God's people Fourthly I shall shew you that God's own people may meet with many Temptations both about the doctrine of Election and concerning their own election in particular First then That there is an election of God which is a glorious truth of the Gospel and it is needful that it should be known Let us enquire what election is It is an Act of God ' s good pleasure from eternity whereby he made choice of certain persons that he might make them holy and happy through Christ Jesus unto the glory of his own grace Take this as a description of Election where you have First The efficient cause that is God it is an act of God and you have the nature of this Act. 1. It was an act of his good pleasure 2. It was from eternity 1. It was an Act of his good pleasure there was no moving cause at all in the creature why God did love it and chuse it no impulsive cause was found out of God's own bowels nothing in the creature nothing out of himself it was an Act of good pleasure 2. And this was from eternity what ever was done in time it was purposed from eternity they are chosen before the foundation of the world blessed of my Father before the foundation of the world it was from eternity that God did thus chuse and set his love upon poor creatures You see the nature of it Thirdly In the description you have the Subjects of it who they were that God did chuse from eternity Why they were certain persons a certain number of persons that God set his love upon freely and amongst those sometimes in Scripture Christ is said to be the first that was chosen he was the head of them he was the foundation of the building therefore he is called chosen of God Disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious 1 Pet. 2. 4. the Apostle saith of Christ he was a chosen precious foundation stone And as Christ was chosen to be Head so there was a certain number that were chosen to be his members a certain number known unto God that should fill up the body of Christ for God's Decree is not an uncertain nnumber or conditional proposition as some conceive that whosoever believes shall be saved some make no other decree of God but this that whosoever believes should be saved but he did not purpose any particular person but whosoever believe shall be saved Truly that decree is no decree if there were no other decree but so that whosoever believe should be saved and not decreed certain persons then it were possible that no man nor woman at all should be saved if God did not determine such and such persons but onely such as believe should be saved then I say there is a possibility that none at all should be saved it is true that is the way of the declaration of God's grace that whosoever believes is saved But fourthly We have further to consider what is the end of Election wherefore did God chuse certain persons There is a two-fold end First In respect of the creature Secondly in respect of God In respect of the creature this was God's end that such creatures should be made holy and happy that they should attain to eternal life which eternal
of him that willeth nor runneth but God that sheweth mercy and therefore why should I strive for life and salvation I deny that that God will save thee without thy striving It is true it is not for thy faith and repentance that God will save but without these God will not save this is the way by which God saves You would think he were an unreasonable man that should argue thus God hath decreed how long I shall live whether twenty thirty forty or sixty yeares the period is appointed by God and therefore it matters not that I eate Now if God hath appointed a man should live so long he hath also appointed that you should use the meanes Hezekiah he knew how long he should live I will add unto thy dayes fifteen yeares 2 Kings 20. 6. It had been strange reasoning for Hezekiah to say I will neither eate nor drink for Gods purpose must stand as God hath purposed the end so he purposed the means so that the means and the end are joyned together But thou reasonest further that if God doth decree that I shall be saved why then I shall be saved though I goe on in a way of sin First of all here is a grosse mistake of Gods decree God doth not decree to save any man whatever he doth though he all his dayes goe on to destroy himselfe God never made such a decree no Gods decree is to save men from sin as well as from wrath If God decrees to save any man from wrath he decrees to save that man from sin As it is impossible that that man should goe to hell that God decrees to save so it is impossible that that man should wallow in sin And oh what great ingratitude to say though I goe on in sin I shall be saved if God hath decreed it Oh great ingratitude As if a child should say my father hath entailed a great estate upon me and I cannot goe without it though I doe all that I can against him oh is this the part of a child sure of a bastard and not a child oh horrible ingratitude Nay let me say there is madnesse in it there is this madnesse as if a man should say God hath purposed how long I shall live and it matters not though I stab my selfe and though I run into the Sea I shall live so long as God hath purposed oh such desperate madnesse is in many men when they reason about Gods decree The seventh and last temptation is a temptation of despaire which some of Gods people may be exercised withall and thus they may reason if the Lord hath not purposed my salvation if he hath not decreed my salvation them I cannot be saved whatever I doe though I take never so much paines and strive never so much though I seek faith and repentance yea though I doe believe and though I doe repent yet if God hath not decreed my salvation I cannot be saved To this I answer that Gods decree and purpose shall never infringe the truth of any promises that he hath made now he hath made a promise that whosoever believe in Christ shall be saved Now Gods decree shall not infringe the truth of this promise and there is no man upon earth that shall believe in the name of Jesus Christ but he may claime life and salvation upon Gods promise and it shall be made out to him And let me say further that thou dost not take the right course to begin at Gods decree Oh! this is a discouragement this will keep thee off from the use of the meanes if I be not elected I cannot be saved thou takest the wrong course to begin at they election who taught thee this way God never taught thee so it is from Sathan who endeavours to pussell thee in thy way Though there be such an election and the Saints have much comfort when they doe know their election yet you must not begin with election but know that you must walk by Gods revealed will and look to Gods revealed will if thou art called to faith and to believe thou art not amongst the lost ones and art called to life and salvation and therefore look to the revealed will of God so long as a man is in the state of unbeleefe it is not possible that he should know what God hath decreed concerning him Therefore doe not begin at election this is for a man to covet to set his foot upon the highest step of the Ladder before he sets it upon lowest When a man is in his youth he doth not know whether God hath purposed old age for him and because he does not know it he is not discouraged from the use of the meanes and so I say in a state of unbeleefe thou canst not know that God hath loved thee but this should not discourage thee to waite upon God in the use of the meanes giving up thy selfe to his revealed will which commands thee and all the Sons of men to beleeve in Christ And as I said so I say againe that there is no man that ever beleeved in Jesus Christ but he was saved and therefore it is madnesse and folly for a man to say though I beleeve in Christ I shall not be saved if God hath not purposed it I tell you there is none that ever did beleeve in Christ but was saved and any that doe beleeve to the end of the world may goe to God and challenge him upon his word Nay I may say if Judas had beleeved and repented and turned to the Lord Judas had been saved Question But you will say If I be not elected I cannot believe it is in vaine for me to take pains if the Lord hath not purposed to give me faith I shall never be able to work it in my own heart and therefore in vaine for me to temper with my own heart I Answer That thou dost not know that God hath not purposed to give thee faith and therefore thou art bound to wait upon the Lord in the use of the means And that thou hast not faith do not lay it upon God though it be true Faith is his gift yet God doth hinder no man from believing God layes no Blocks in any man's way Nay there is a great deal that God doth to bring men unto Faith what means doth God use What workings are there What strivings of the Spirit What Invitations What Exhortations the Word of the Lord is full of them And let me say further that if the Lord hath given thee a heart in good earnest to desire the gift of faith the Lord will certainly give it out to thee I say if the Lord hath set a man's Heart and Will to the Lord that a man doth from the heart desire Christ that great gift of God the Lord will certainly give the gift of Faith If thou knewest the gift of God and did ask of him he would have given thee living water John 4. 10.
I will lay may hand upon my mouth vers 5. Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further Behold I am vile as vile as thou hast discovered to me Lord I see it and therefore I will stand no more upon my own justification but I will justifie thee and truly so it is with every soul that is truly humbled when God comes and makes a discovery of its corrupt nature and life and chargeth sin upon him it is so and so aggravated thou hast sinned against light against knowledge against mercy and goodness truth Lord all is true saith the gracious heart yea not only when God speaks in the way of discovery of sin the soul that is humble will cry truth Lord and justifie the Lord. But secondly Even then when the Lord speaks very sharply in a way of threatening the soul that is truly humble it will justifie the Lord Psal 51. 4. Against thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Here David he will justifie the Lord in all that he spake against him as much as if David should say I have made this publique confession and have penned this Psalm that I might clear thee before all the world that I might justifie God what ever God should do against David or speak against David I will say Lord thou art righteous He would justifie God in all that God had spoken against him and yet God spake terrible things against David by Nathan the Prophet 2 Sam. 12. 10 11 12. Verse 10. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house because thou hast despised me and hast taken the wife of sriah the Hittite to be thy wife Verse 11. Thus saith the Lord Behold I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy Neighbour and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this Sun Verse 12. For thou didst it secretly but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the Sun See here what terrible things God threatens he threatens that the sword should never depart from his house That he would raise up evil against him out of his own house a terrible threatning Nay God threatens that he would give his wives to his Neighbours that should defile them before his face a terrible threatening Nay God tells him that this should be done before all Israel and in the face of the Sun And yet Lord I will clear thee when thou judgest and justifie thee when thou speakest Take another instance in old Eli and you shall see how he justified the Lord when the Lord spake against him 1 Sam. 3. 18. at verse 11. Behold I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle and at verse 14. I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Elies house shall not be purged with Sacrifice nor Offering for ever Now all this was told Eli at verse 18. And Samuel told him every whit and hid nothing from him And he said It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And so Hezekiah take that instance and see how he justified the Lord when the Lord spake terribly against him 2 Kings 20. 19. at vers 17 18. God threatens Hezekiah because he boasted of his treasure and shews it to the Ambassadors of the King of Babylon verse 17. Behold the dayes come that all that is in thine house and that which thy fathers have laid up in store to this day shall be carried unto Babylon nothing shall be left saith the Lord. Verse 18. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee which thou shalt beget shall they take away and they shall be Eunuchs in the Palace of the King of Babylon A hard lesson and yet he justifies the Lord Verse 19. Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken So that you see that a gracious heart that is truly humbled before the Lord it will justifie the Lord in all that he speaks against it when he discovers sin or threatens punishment still he will justifie the Lord and not only justifie the Lord in what he hath spoken but he will justifie the Lord in what he shall speak if God should speak seven times worse still a gracious heart that is truly humble resolves to justifie the Lord 2 Sam. 15. 26. saith David But if he thus say I have no delight in thee Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him He did not only justifie the Lord in what he had spoken but in what the Lord should say if the Lord should say I will use David no more nor bring David back no more to his Throne David in that justifieth God and submits to the Lord. But secondly A gracious heart that is truly humbled desires to justifie God in his Actings when God shall act against him as well as speak against him it will justifie the Lord if the Lord shall prefer others before him in this he will justifie the Lord. Instance in this woman of Canaan the Jewes the children they must have whole loaves and full dishes and they must be preferr'd before her yet she justifies the Lord and says Truth Lord. But I shall make it out to you in divers particulars that you may see how a gracious heart that is truly humbled will justifie the Lord in his actings First of all If the Lord shall manifest more love more grace more favour unto others then to it self though there be nothing in all the world that it longeth more after then after the enjoyment of the presence of God yet if the Lord shall be pleased to discover more of himself and give out more clear full intimations of his love and grace to others then to it self it desires to justifie the Lord. Christ as I said he will deal with the Jews as with children give them whole loaves and full dishes this woman she justifies the Lord and if the Lord will give more tokens of acceptance to others then to it self still it desires to justifie the Lord The heart that is unsound cannot do this nothing is more hard to bear that the Lord should shew more favour to others then to them so it was with Cain the Lord shewed more favour to Abel his brother then to him God gave him a token of his acceptance Cain could not bear it and so the Prâ—digal's eldest brother the father shews a great deal of love to the returning Prodigal and the eldest brother could not bear it I have served thee all my dayes and thou hast not dealt so with me thou hast not killed the fatted calf for me But the soul that is truly humble it will justifie the Lord in this if the Lord gives
man in respect of Saul's House yet he justified the Lord the Lord sees that I am a bloody man though not in that particular and therefore saith he The Lord hath bidden him Either thou art guilty or not guilty when God suffers men to revile and speak evil and to fasten such accusations upon thee if thou art guilty it is thy duty to make use of it by whomsoever God shall discover it make use of that which comes out of the enemies mouth to finde out the evil that is in our own hearts But if thou art clear and not guilty of that which thou art accused of yet in respect of the Lord there is cause of justifying the Lord So David though he was not guilty in that respect that Shimei said he was guilty yet saith he it is just with the Lord and it is a righteous thing that I should be thus accused by Shimei And for the quieting of thy spirit use those Arguments that David did Behold the Son out of my Bowels riseth up against me and therefore shall I think it a great matter for a stranger to do it So let us say behold here is that which riseth up in mine own heart the corruptions in mine own bosome that doth me many an ill turn shall I think much that strangers do accuse me And consider also that which David said The Lord doth hear the curses of Shimei and will do me good by it And so if thou canst approve thy heart to God and art not guilty of what men do accuse thee of and that thou canst say it is false in respect of man but in respect of God thou sayest Truth Lord Know that the Lord he can do thee good by it and that he will turn those very curses of men to thy good Again One word of Use more and so I shall conclude Look up to the Lord for this grace of Humility O! What cause have we to give up our hearts into God's hand that he may make us truly humble Surely we shall never be able to justifie the Lord if the heart be not laid low and made truly humble The Lord Jesus he had humbled this woman he had laid her very low he had sanctified her affliction to humble her she had met with great afflictions her daughter was vexed with a dvvil the Lord sanctified that affliction to humble her And she also met with great temptations three sore Temptations we read of and the Lord also sanctified those temptations to humble her And she had also met with discoveries of grace and love the Lord revealed himself very gloriously to her faith or else she could never have held out the Lord also sanctified those discoveries to humble her and lay her low Truly if this woman had not had a humble heart she could never have carried it so in the time of affliction and in the time of this temptation but she would have flown in the face of Christ Christ calls her dog and tells her That it is not meet to take the childrens bread and give it to dogs if her heart had not been humble she would have discovered her self to have been a dog she would have barked against him but she carried it very graciously and in all that Christ spake justified him Truth Lord. O that we might go to the Lord and beg of God that he would give out more of this grace of humility to us A proud heart will never justifie God when he speaks himself or when he suffers men to speak a proud heart will never take a repulse from God nor reproofs from men O! There is need of the grace of humility that will enable a soul to justifie the Lord in what-ever he shall speak and in what-ever he shall do The Apostle saith God resisteth the proud but he giveth grace to the humble He gives this grace to the humble that they shall carry it graciously when the Lord speaks against them when the Lord shall make a discovery of their hearts to them of their Corruptions to them of the deserving of their Transgressions to them they shall justifie the Lord and say Truth Lord all is true And when God shall suffer men to speak against them the Lord gives grace to the humble they shall have this grace made able to justifie the Lord. And truly When the soul is brought into this posture when the soul is thus truly humbled before the Lord and can justifie the Lord when the Lord speaks it is not far from deliverance Salvation is nigh Deliverance is at hand the time of God's Controversie is at an end When God hath thus humbled the soul under his mighty hand and made it willing to lye low and to justifie the Lord in all that he speakes and doth surely the time of refreshment from the presence of the Lord is not far off The Prophet Ezekiel he lay low before the Lord there were discoveries of the glorious Majesty of the Lord made to him at the latter end of the first Chapter As the appearance of the Bowe that is in the Cloud in the day of Raine so was the appearance of the brightness round about this was the appearance of the likenesse of the Glory of the Lord and when I saw it I fell upon my face See here he lay low before the Lord and in Chap. 2. and Verse 2. What is said And the Spirit entred into me when he spake unto me and set me upon my feet And truly Brethren When the Lord giveth out such a frame of spirit that the heart is made so humble as to lie low before the Lord and to justifie the Lord in what he speakes and doth the Spirit of the Lord is not far Salvation is not far off As the Spirit did enter into Ezekiel and set him upon his feet so the Spirit of the Lord will come into that soul and fill it with joy and refreshment from the Lord's presence Eccles 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil dayes come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them SOlomon having spent a great part of his life in following after vanity and being brought by the Spirit of God to a serious consideration of his wayes he doth write this Book of Ecclesiastes as the Book of his Repentance and like a true penitent he takes care of the souls of others and gives warning to all men that they should take heed that they do not split against those Rocks against which he cast himself He is exceeding careful of the souls of men and in a special manner he takes care of the souls of young men he speaks once and again to them that they might be warned by him and not spend their youth in vanity that they might not lose the comfort that they might enjoy by enjoying God and that they might not lose their opportunities of doing God service in their youth Now
Name of God threaten all those people that seek not after the knowledge of God thâ—â— though God made them yet he will not save theâ— if they do not know him Isa 27. 11. For it is â—people of no understanding therefore he that maâ— them will not have mercy on them If thou doâ— not know God though thou hadst outward lifâ— from him yet thou canst not expect eternal lifâ— from him for if thou dost not know him he wiâ—â— not have mercy on thee And therefore To Remember thy Creator is to know God Secondly To Remember God is to Trust 〈◊〉 God to lay the confidence of the soul upon God and upon God only Psal 20. 7. Some trust 〈◊〉 chariots and some in horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God So much faith in God so much remembrance of God when God is not believed on and when God is distrusted when any thing beside God is trusted then God is forgotten And therefore when Solomon saith Young man Remember God that is seek after faith in God let them trust in God let them not trust in their strength trust in their parts let them not trust in their wealth let them not trust in their friends their fathers to provide for them no let them Remember God let them put their trust in God for that is a remembring of God Thirdly To Remember God is to Love God to prize him to have a high account of God to love him dearly above all things for when God is not loved above all things whatsoever God is forgotten We will remember thy love more then wine The upright love thee Cant. 1. 4. We will remember thy love more then wine that is our heart is affected with thy love our heart is taken with thy love we finde more sweetness in the love of Christ then in the sweetest of creature comforts so that when Solomon saith Young man Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth that is set thy affections upon God betimes prize him above all thy comforts and enjoyments if the heart be not set upon God the Lord is forgotten Fourthly To Remember God is to Serve God and to obey God to walk with him and to worship him to honour him this is a Remembring of God Deut. 8. 11. Beware that thou for get not the Lord thy God in not keeping his commandments and his judgements and his statutes which I command thee this day If thou dost not yeild obedience to the will of God thou forgettest God but to yeild obedience to the Will of God is to Remember God So when Solomon saith Young man Remember God in the dayes of thy youth that is Walk with God and take heed of disobeying God sinning against God for if thou sin against God thou forgettest God and therefore be found walking with him and worship the Lord in truth for that is a remembring of him Fiftly To Remember God is to spend the thoughts of the heart upon God When a man spends many thoughts upon a person or upon such an object he then remembers it and so when the thoughts of the heart are spent upon God then God is remembred But when God is not thought upon but vain thoughts thrust out the thoughts of God there is no remembrance of God the wicked they are said to forget God God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10. 4. And therefore when Solomon saith Young man Remember God that is young man spend thy thoughts upon God thou hast many thoughts in youth do not let them run out to base objects to soul-destroying objects but Remember God let God be often in thy minde and let the thoughts of thy heart be spent on him thy many thoughts and thy best thoughts thy choice thoughts let them be spent on God for that is a Remembring of God Sixtly and lastly To Remember God is to Endeavour after communion with God Seek to see the face of God and to have the presence of God in and thorow Christ to walk with God this is a remembring of God when a man neglects his friend and hath no communion with him he is said to forget his friend and so that soul that seeks not after communion with God that soul forgets God And therefore when Solomon saith Young man Remember God that is let the strongest endeavour and pursuit of thy soul be after God that thou mayest enjoy God and act for God and serve him That 's the first particular you see what it is to Remember God But secondly The second thing is to shew you what cause there is that all the sons of men should Remember their Creator First of all God is worthy yea only worthy to be remembred What is in any creature in any object that does make it worthy of the thoughts of your heart Look unto God and you shall finde it infinitely more in him Is it Goodness Kindness bounty Liberality Wisdome Power and Greatness Beauty and Loveliness Go all the world over and finde out all the excellencies that you can name and you shall finde them all to meet and center in God all divine perfections are in him originally there is Love and Bounty Goodness and Meekness yea infinite grace in God He is good and he doth good and he doth good to the worst of creatures even to those that forget him while they run away from him Yea the most forgetful of God they have showers of mercy poured down every day upon their heads Now because of those excellent glorious perfections that are in God God is worthy to be remembred of the sons of men Secondly He is worthy to be remembred because he hath Done so much to be remembred God hath taken more care of this one thing then he hath done of any thing else besides the great work of the salvation of his people that the sons of men might remember him when man went out from God in Adam God saw that man would soon forget him man would have forgotten that there was a God now what a great deal hath God done that the sons of men might remember him He hath written the remembrance of himself upon every creature that wheresoever man looks either upward or downward he shall see some footsteps of God somthing that God hath done to remember him he hath engraven some remembrance of himself upon every creature Psal 8. 3 4. verse 9. When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained Verse 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him When I saw saith he the remembrance of God that was graven upon the Sun Moon and Stars and so upon every creature on the face of the earth why then at Verse 9. he cries out O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the Earth Nay The Lord hath engraven the remembrance of himself upon all his
Providences there is some remembrance of God upon every mercy all those mercies that have been made thy portion which thou hast enjoyed since thou hadst a beeing wherefore are they but that thy soul might remember God Nay God hath written his name upon his judgments in the earth that he might be remembred wherefore God he doth work wonderfully that as his mercies are wonderful so his judgements are wonderful wherefore doth God do such great things in the earth Doubtless that he might be remembred that men may say Verily there is a reward for the righteous and a God that judgeth the earth Nay God hath set up Conscience in every mans soul and wherefore hath God set up Conscience in every man but that Conscience might put us in minde of God That every man's Conscience might speak for God that it might stand up and cry for God Remember God and Conscience doth cry and doth speak and men may hear the cries of Conscience if they will not stop their ears When men sin Remember saith Conscience that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Nay further God hath engraven his Name upon his Ordinances and the great end is that he might be remembred This is the great end of the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper Do it in remembrance of me saith Christ and so every Ordinance the Word that is preached to you it is that you might remember God wherefore is Prayer and every Ordinance but that the sons of men might remember God He hath engraven some remembrance of himself upon all his Ordinances See then what cause there is that you should remember God seeing God hath done so much that he might be remembred Thirdly There is cause that the sons of men should remember God for God is their Creator Remember thy Creator Now God being our Creator it is but a just and equitable thing that thou shouldest remember God thy Creator thy being is from him thy life is from him thy soul is from him thy comforts are from him all thy enjoyments are from him thou hast not the least comfort in the world but what comes from God he being thy Creator it is but a just thing that thou shouldest remember him yea thy dependance is upon him as he is thy Creator thy life is not only from him but thy life is in his hand and thy soul is not only from him but thy soul is in his hand it is in his power to kill and to save to destroy both body and soul And if there be so great a dependance that man hath upon his Creator that not only thy comforts but thy breathing thy soul and thy eternity is in his hand there is good cause that thou shouldest remember thy Creator Fourthly There is good cause that we should remember God for while you remember God you remember your selves for all good comes to the creature by remembring God thy peace and thy rest thy comforts thy satisfaction and thy contentments thy establishment of heart thy hope for life for heaven for glory there is not any good thing that a creature can enjoy or hope to enjoy but it must come in by remembrance of God And while you remember God you remember your selves remembring God thou enjoyest God and enjoying God thou enjoyest all good whatsoever good reason then that thou shouldest remember him That 's the second particular Thirdly I shall shew you what advantage it is to man to remember God in youth First There is this great advantage for the most part that soul that remembers God betimes in its coming unto God he findes the easie and the ready way to God the longer a man forgets God the further he goes from God every day he is going from God and therefore it will be the harder task to come back again it is a harder task to cast over a great Account then to cast it up while lesser though in respect of God all things are alike and God can as easily forgive many transgressions as few he can wash away great sins as well as small but yet when poor creatures come to look towards God through their unskilfulness they make it a difficult thing to finde God and to return to God when they go a great way from him the greater account they have to cast up it proves so to man because of his unskilfulness though to God all things are alike So that the sooner men begin to look after God they finde an easier way to come to Christ they have some helps in nature that when a man is once turned to the Lord his natural abilities being sanctified become great helps so that young men have more advantage in respect that natural parts are more strong the Understanding and Memory and Reason the Senses Internal and External they are all more vigorous and these prove helps to a man when once the heart is sanctified and the sooner a man turns to God the more he hath of these helps Yea Christ is very ready to go out to meet such children and young men Are the hearts of young ones towards the Lord The heart of Christ is towards them and he is mightily taken with such and will go forth and meet them The young Progigal in the Gospel no sooner did he think of returning to his fathers house but his father ran out to meet him But you will say for ought we see young men meet with as much trouble as others and when they come to remember God they are afflicted as much as others and it proves hard to them as to others I answer If it be so hard when they do return to God in youth it would have been much more hard if they had stayed till old age and if they do meet with difficulties and temptations and it prove a hard way it is because that the Lord seeâ— it is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth and I might add that the Lord will recompence all with abundance of grace and with the discoveries of himself That is the first advantage that young men have many times for the most part they finde the ready way to Christ Secondly They have this advantage The Lord for the most part doth discover more of himself to them that begin betimes to remember God then to those that begin more later Joel 2. 28. And it shall come to pass that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesie your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions Let not old men grudge at God's dispensation it is mercy to them that they shall dream Dreams but the young men shall see Visions they shall have clearer discoveries of God and that is a great advantage Thirdly There is this advantage They that remember God betimes they have an opportunity of doing more for God then other men have for when men begin late it is work enough to get
Gods own people for there are many things that may evidence that this Duty is neglected by God's own people What is the Cause of all the dark and sad apprehensions of God to many of God's own people Why Because they have not remembred God What is the cause of all those distrustful thoughts that do arise in the hearts of God's own people That our hearts are ready to sainct within us That God is no more trusted for the things of this life and for the things of Eternity Why all these distrustful thoughts they spring from this root not remembring God when the Disciples did distrust Christ Matth. 16. 8 9 10. Why saith Christ O ye of little faith Why reason ye among your selves because ye have brought no broad Verse 9. Do ye not yet understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets ye took up Verse 10. Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets ye took up As if Christ had said to them if ye had remembred me and my power my works of providence my former goodness it were not possible that ye should have distrusted but in that ye have so little faith it is evident that ye do not remember me and what I have done Truly if at any time we distrust God for the fulfilling of any promise it is because we do not remember God we do not remember the faithfulness of God in fulfilling Promises we do not remember the former experiences we have had of the goodness of God and of the power of God O how much distrust is to be found in Gods own people And because there is so much distrust it is evident that there is little remembrance of God Nay further it appears that Gods own people are guilty of this sin of Forgetting God Because there is so much coldness and deadness in our hearts to God O how much deadness in heart and affection in the things of God What little Love What poor weak Breathings after God What little delight in the Lord Whence comes all this coldness of heart this forsaking of our first love It comes from this root because we do not Remember God we do not remember that he is altogether lovely and desireable we do not remember that his wayes are beautiful there is much deadness and coldness even in God's own people and therefore there is little remembrance of God Nay further It appears that God's own people are guilty of this sin because there is so little done for God by them and so much done against God so many failings so many breaches of Covenant so much scantness so many haltings and swervings in our walkings with God Whence is all this but because we do not remember God we do not remember what a God he is we do not remember the Rule that he hath given us to walk by we do not remember that he will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth little is done for God and that discovers that God is little remembred Nay further How many vain thoughts lodge in the hearts of God's own people O! How do the current of their thoughts run out to vanity How many crooked thoughts How many fruitless unprofitable sinful thoughts How few of the precious thoughts of the heart are spent upon God And whence is this But because God is not remembred Nay further How little is God pursued after How little do we prize Communion with God How little delight in the presence of God How little do we seek after the Image of God and conformity to Christ Whence is all this but because we do not remember that the enjoying of God is the souls happiness and that the enjoying of Christ is the souls perfection so that by all this it appears that there is little remembrance of God even among God's own people And O what cause have we to take up a sad complaint against our selves and every one to smite upon his own breast that we should be so negligent of this Duty of remembring God O what hath God done for many of his people How many how dear how precious are the thoughts of God to his people Psal 40. 5. Many O Lord my God are thy wonderful works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to us-ward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred Now that God should spend his precious thoughts upon us and we spend so few of our choice thoughts upon God O what an ill requital is this O what hath God done that he might remember us He hath graven the names of his people upon the palms of his hands Isa 49. 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands For a man to be so careful to remember his friend as to cut his name upon his own flesh that is love indeed why God hath graven the names of his people upon the palms of his hands that so he might remember them Yea he hath taken upon him the relation of a Father and hath the bowels of a Mother Can a woman forget her sucking childe that she should not have compassion on the son of her wombe Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Now Brethren and Christian friends the consideration of God's remembring us should make us to be ashamed that we should think no more of him But you will say to me what is there in God that we should remember him The Spouse in her description of Christ saith of him that he is altogether lovely so I may say of God he is altogether worthy to be remembred in his Nature in his Essence in his glorious Eternal Being He is worthy to be remembred in all his Attributes his Wisdome his Power his Goodness and Loving Kindness his Faithfulness and his Truth his Omnisciency and Omnipresence He is worthy to be remembred in all his Works for God he hath done them for that end that he might be remembred both the works of Creation and works of Providence He is worthy to be remembred in his Word every word of the Lord is precious as gold that is purified seven times He is worthy to be remembred especially in his Son and O that we might spend more of the thoughts of our heart upon God as he hath revealed himself in his Son His Name is Glorious and worthy to be remembred Jehovah our Righteousness He is worthy to be remembred in his Love and Free grace in his Promises in his everlasting Covenant made with poor creatures in Christ we need not ask what is in God that we should remember him look where you will and there is not any thing in God but is worthy of remembrance and therefore O that the Lord would stir us up to this duty to remember the Lord to spend the precious thoughts of our hearts more upon him David is a pattern to all
you that fear the Lord he was continually in the remembrance of God when he looked upon the works of God he remembred God and when he looked upon the Providences of God he remembred God yea he remembred God in the night season Psal 63. 5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches David was night and day spending the thoughts of his heart upon God And let me add somthing that may provoke and stir us up to the practise of this duty to Remember God First of all This is the beginning of all good whatsoever as the Forgetting of God is the mother of all sin so the Remembring of God is the mother of all good it is that which will make a man gracious and act graciously in every condition if he receive mercy his heart is carried out in thankfulness if he be in affliction he is able to glorifie God and to honour God in the lowest condition Secondly The more we Remember God the more shall we keep out base lusts and vain thoughts if the heart be not filled with the thoughts of God it will be filled with vain thoughts the memory it is the store-house of the soul and if God be not laid up there that which is evil will be laid up and therefore when the soul straggles from God then vain thoughts possess it The more that you remember God the less troubled with vain thoughts Thirdly Let me tell you that there is no comfort nor sweetness like to that comfort that comes into the soul by the Remembrance of God Psal 63. 5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches It is as high an expression as can be of content and sweet refreshment which David met with in the Remembrance of God O the sweet comfort and refreshment that comes into a gracious heart in the Remembrance of God But you will say It is not so alwayes the good man Asaph he Remembred God and was troubled Psal 77. 3. and therefore this doth discourage many a poor soul to turn to the Remembrance of God for Asaph he was troubled perplexed and terrified with the Remembrance of God But I answer It was the good man's distemper that he Remembred God and was troubled and he afterward saw his own mistake and doth acknowledge it verse 10. And I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the yeers of the right hand of the most High What Did I say that I Remembred God and was troubled This is my Infirmity It was not his Remembrance but his Forgetting of God that did trouble him he did not Remember God so as he should have done He did not Remember God in his free grace in his promises in his Son had he thus Remembred God it would not have been trouble to him it may be many a poor soul thinks it is trouble to Remember God but this is a gross mistake for if we did Remember God as he is held forth in the Gospel and in his Son it would be as David saith marrow and fatness Fourthly The heart being much in the Remembrance of God it doth enoble and put a high price upon the thoughts till then mens thoughts are poor and vain and no good comes of them the thoughts of the world perish the thousand thousand thoughts that are in the heart if not spent on God they are all perishing thoughts Psal 146. 4. His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish But now those thoughts that are spent upon God they are excellent living and noble thoughts thoughts that shall be established for ever thoughts that shall run out into the great Ocean and never be buried but you shall meet with them all again O excellent satisfying thoughts when spent on God! Fiftly You that are God's people had need Remember God more for it is the great difference between the righteous and the wicked the wicked may do the same works that the righteous man doth hear and read and pray but all this is without Remembring of God he knows not God he trusts not God he loves not God he is disobedient to God it is said of the wicked God is not in all his thoughts Psal 10. 4. The great work of the Gospel is to deal with the thoughts of men and bring them to a right order to bring the thoughts of the heart to a subjection to Christ 2 Cor 10. 45. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Nay further let me tell you that this will be the glory and excellency and happiness of the Saints in heaven that they shall remember God continually and the thoughts of their heart shall be established in the remembrance of it they shall not turn aside from thinking upon God they shall have no more vain thoughts no more idle thoughts but the thoughts of the heart shall run out to eternity in the remembrance of him and never forget him more Sixtly The more we Remember God the more of God shall we meet with in every duty in every providence and in every way there is such a gracious promise in Isa 64. 5. Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy wayes See here the promise is That he will meet those that remember him in his wayes not to a man that walking outwardly in God's wayes but to him that walketh with God and that hath the thoughts of his heart spent upon God it is God that he eyeth and it is God that he seeks communion with it is such a soul that God will meet as doth thus remember him in his wayes But it may be some poor soul is afraid to look toward God it cries out O I am so troubled with vain thoughts and sinful thoughts with a dead heart and a loose heart and I cannot remember the Lord. Why if thy soul be turned to the Lord in truth the Lord will fulfil this his promise if thou settest about the work and give up thy self to wain upon God in the Ordinance thou shalt have communion with him God will meet thee and if God meet thee then thy vain thoughts will vanish But may some soul say my thoughts are worse then vain thoughts my thoughts are sinful thoughts blasphemous thoughts which are suggested into my minde even at that time when I should have communion with God that I dare scarce look toward God I dare scarce remember him Why yet do not give over thy
is sure in respect of the event of it The Event and Issue of a Believers hope is alwayes sure it can no more be disappointed of his hope then the foundation of his hope which is Christ can be overturned but that which a believing soul hath in hope it is as sure as if he had it in hand already Lo This is our God we have waited for him and he will save us saith the Church The Doctrine then is this That the beleiving soul hath Hope for a sure and stedfast Anchor Or thus This Grace of Hope it is a sure and stedfast Anchor to every believing heart It is plain in the Text Which hope we have as an Anchor both sure and stedfast In the handling of this Point I shall shew you First What this Hope is Secondly Make it out to you That this Hope is the souls Anchor Thirdly That this Anchor of the soul is sure and stedfast And that will make way for Application First of all Our work is to enquire What this Hope is You may take this description of it It is the work of the spirit of Christ upon the heart whereby it is raised in expectation of those good things that faith believes and which God hath promised We shall open the parts of it that we may come to know what this saving Hope is that is the Anchor of a believing soul And first of all you have the efficient cause of this hope and that is the Spirit of Christ it is not all the world that can raise a poor dejected heart to hope in God it is not all the comforts of the world nor comforters in the world that can make any poor drooping heart to cast this Anchor of Hope in heaven and therefore when the Apostle doth describe the condition of Natural men he saith of them That they are without God without Christ and without Hope This is the state of every man by Nature he hath not the least dram of saving hope till the Spirit of Christ comeâ— to work upon the heart And therefore God is called the God of Hope Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Here you see the efficient cause it is the work of God to raise up the heart to hope in himself and it is the Spirit of Christ that must cause the soul to abound in hope That you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost And in Psal 22. speaking there in the person of Christ he confesseth that it was his Father that did cause him to hope Psal 22. 9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breasts It was thou Lord that didst cause me to hope God only is the efficient cause Secondly For the Formal Cause of this Hope we said it is an Expectation of the soul it takes its rise from faith what faith believeth that hope expects and waits upon God for the fulfilling of It is an Expectation of the heart Now this Expectation it is First A patient Expectation Secondly An ardent Expectation Thirdly A confident Expectation All which do express the Nature of saving Hope First of all It is a Patient Expectation it causeth the soul to wait patiently for the fulfilling of the Promise to sit down at the feet of Christ and wait even all its dayes for the fulfilling of the Promise and therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 36. For you have need of patience that after you have done the Will of God you may inherit the Promise As if he should say your hope will not hold out if you have not patience God hath given you a promise but God doth not presently fulfil the promise and therefore that you may hope till the Promise be fulfilled you have need of patience and truly Hope is nothing else but Patience lengthned out It is a patient Expectation Secondly It is an Ardent Expectation What the believing soul doth hope for it is earnestly carried out after it is such an expectation as doth make the soul exceedingly Intent and cause it to look every way round about for the fulfilling of that which it hopes for it is an earnest expectation The Apostle speaks in Rom. 8. 19 20 21. Verse 19. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God Verse 20. For the creature was made subject to vanity not willingly but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope Verse 21. Because the creature also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God The whole creation hath a hope to be delivered from that bondage which the sin of man brought upon it and because there is a hope there is an earnest expectation and the earnest expectation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God And truly where there is saving hope it will cause the soul to look after the fulfilling of the Promise it waits earnestly and groans earnestly for the fulfilling of those Promises that it waits for It is an ardent expectation Thirdly It is a Confident Expectation though indeed it is true the hope of the best Saints may flag yet when hope doth work like it self and act like it self it acts confidently it is accompanied with holy confidence and boldness toward God when hope is strengthned then it acts confidently and confidence is nothing else then hope strengthned That is the second particular You have seen the efficient and formal cause of this hope Thirdly What is the Object of this Hope I told you that it was an expectation of those good things that God hath promised what God hath promised that hope looks for the fulfilling of all outward comforts that are needful refreshments in their way Protection Deliverance Assistance the Increase of Grace and the Carrying on of the work of God in the heart what-ever is laid up in the Promise that hope waits for the fulfilling of but more especially the Object of a Believers hope it is Eternal Life Tit. 1. 2. In hope of Eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began And in Tit. 3. 7. That being justified by his grace we should be made Heirs according to the hope of Eternal Life So that Eternal life is the Object of a Believers hope Fourthly We have the concomitant of Hope and that is Faith It is an expectation of those good things which faith believes that God hath promised so you see how Hope stands towards Faith they are twins as it were they are born and brought forth together Faith is the Elder sister faith believes that the promise is true and hope looks for the fulfilling of the Promise because faith believes it They grow up together they are nourished together and they flourish
be my anchor will hold I have an invitation to it Who is among you that walketh in darkness and sees no light let him trust in the Lord and stay upon his God Isa 50. 10. though it be in a storm at midnight let him cast anchor upon me saith God let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God this the poor soul hears and being encouraged by the Word of the Lord it cast anchor and makes a desperate venture That 's the sixt Seventhly The anchor is useful not only in a storm but the anchor is useful in a calm when the ship at Sea is be calmed and cannot sayl they cast anchor and so this anchor of hope it is needful in a calm for if it were not for this anchor of hope a believing soul could not have any settlement in a calm though a man hath never so much for the present if he hath not hopes that his goods shall be increased his heart will be disquieted and so hope is useful in the greatest calm to hope that the present good that they have shall not be lost that that measure of grace and spirit that the Lord hath given them shall be carried on from one degree to another till he hath perfected it if it were not for this the heart could not have any peace in the greatest of his enjoyments And thus you have seen the second particular First I have shewn you what saving hope is Secondly That this saving hope is the Anchor of the soul The third and last particular is To shew you that this anchor of a believing soul is sure and stedfast And it will appear in these few particulars First It is made of good mettle it is that which will not bow nor break it is not as the hope of an hypocrite the hope of an hypocrite is compared to a spiders web that breaks presently the spiders web it is a poor thing to hold a ship fast in a storm but this saving Hope that the Spirit of Christ doth work in the heart of believers it is made of good mettle it was not digged out of their own bowels but fetcht from Christ it is Christ that is the store-house of all grace it is made of gold of tryed gold Their faith is more precious then gold saith the Apostle and so their hope is more precious then gold and more firm and solid then gold the matter of it is sure and stedfast Secondly It is well wrought and therefore it must needs be sure and stedfast for it is an anchor of Christ's own working The God of hope sill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. and saith the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead The hope of the Saints it is a grace that is of God's own begetting it is an anchor of Christ's own making and that which comes out of the hand of Christ must needs be sure and stedfast Thirdly It is sure and stedfast for the Cable that holds it is sure and stedfast and that is the Word of the Lord now the Word of the Lord which is the Cable that a believers hope is fastned unto it is twisted of many precious promises all being twisted together must needs be strong the least of them is stronger then heaven and earth Heaven and earth shall pass but not one jot or tittle of the word of the Lord shall fail till all be fulfilled The promises they are the cable which a believing souls anchor is fastned unto and therefore it is sure and stedfast Fourthly It is cast upon a sure ground What is the ground that a believers hope is cast upon I answer First It is fastned upon Jesus Christ first upon Christ crucified upon the death of Christ upon the sufferings of Christ by which Christ hath made satisfaction for sin and brought in everlasting righteousness to cover the nakedness of poor creatures their love is fastned upon the wounds of Christ the sufferings of Christ That 's the first ground for a believers hope to fasten upon Secondly The Anchor of a believers hope it fastens upon the Resurrection of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God that hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ that is a main ground for hope to fasten upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ the poor soul looks to Christ Christ dead and risen and in that Christ rose from the grave he hath given full satisfaction to his Father he hath paid the debt and is a common person for his people that come to him by faith so that the resurrection of Christ doth strengthen the faith of the soul exceedingly it gives the soul assurance that it shall be accepted with God the Father because Christ is risen again Thirdly It fastens also upon the Intercession of Jesus Christ He is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him for he ever liveth to make Intercession for them Now this gives great encouragement to a poor soul that is made sensible of his own lost condition of being far off from God it would fain draw nigh and know not which way to come when this is discovered that Christ sits in heaven to plead for poor souls and to make Intercession for all that come to God by him this causes the soul to give a venture to fasten upon Christ Secondly As the soul fastens upon Christ so also it fastens upon God the Father by Christ it goes to the Fathers and takes hold of him First It fastens upon the free Grace of the Father that infinite everlasting love which did finde out the way of Redemption for poor creatures that love which gave Christ at first and which gives poor creatures to Christ and which tenders Christ in the everlasting Gospel there the anchor of hope takes hold Secondly Hope takes hold of the strength of God He is a God mighty in strength he can overcome all difficulties all enemies that are betwixt him and my soul he can overcome all my unworthiness all my provocations yea he can overcome himself his own wrath and displeasure that which no creature can do this being presented to a poor soul that is in a sad doubting condition this helps through grace to draw the soul to Christ and to fasten it upon God Thirdly It fastens also upon the unchangeableness of God and this gives a sure hold to the anchor of hope He is not as man that he should lye Who is it that hath spoken Who is it that tenders Christ to poor creatures It is not the word of him that is the true and faithful witness Is it not the strength of Israel that cannot lye nor