others of such vertue that a touch of him is the only cure of Spiritual diseases Men tell of strange vertues of some stones but it is certain that this precious stone hath not only vertue to heal the Sick but even to raise the dead Dead bodies he raised in the dayes of his abode on earth and dead Souls he still doth raise by the power of his word The Prophet Malachy calls him the sun of righteousness which hath in it the rareness and excellency we speak of he is singular as there is but one Sun in the world so but one Saviour and his lustre such a stone as outshines the Sun in its fullest brightness and then for his usefull vertue he addes that he hath healing under his wings this his worth is unspeakable and remains infinitely beyond all these resemblances 2 There is here the laying of this foundation and it s said to be laid in Sion that is it is laid in the Church of God and first laid in Sion literaly being then the seat of the Church and true Religion he was laid there in his manifestation in the flesh and suffering and dying and rising again and afterwards being preached through the world became the foundation of his Church in all places where his name was receiv'd and so was a stone growing great till it fill'd the whole earth as Daniel hath it He saith I lay by which the Lord expresseth this his own proper work as the Psalmist speaks of the same subject Psa. 118. This is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes So Isa. 9.7 Speaking of this promis'd Messiah the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this And this is not only said I lay because he had the first thought of this great work the model of it was in his mind from eternity and that the accomplishment of it was by his Almighty power in the morning of his Sons birth and his Life and death and Resurrection but to signify withal the freeness of his grace in giving his Son to be a foundation of happiness to Man without the least motion from Man or motive in Man to draw him to 't and this seem's to be signified by the unexpected inserting of these prophetical promises of the Messiah in the midst of complaints of people's wickedness and theatning them with punishment intimating that there is no connexion betwixt this work and any thing on Mans part fit to procure it although you doe thus provoke me to destroy you yet of my self I have other thoughts there 's another purpose in my head And Isi. 7. 't is observable to this purpose that that clearest promise of the virgin's son is given not only unrequir'd but being refus'd by that profane King This again that the Lord himself is the layer of this corner stone teaches us the firmness of it which is likewise expres'd in the Prophets words very emphatically by redoubling the same word Musad Musad fundamentum fundamentum So Psal. 2.6 I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion who then shall dethrone him I have given him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the ends of the earth for his possession and who will hinder him to take possession on his right if any offer to do so what shall they be but a number of earthen vessels fighting against an Iron Scepter and so certainly breaking themselves in pieces Thus here I lay this foundation stone and if I lay it who shall remove it and what I build upon it who shall be able to cast down For it is the glory of this great Master-builder that the whole Fabrick that is of his building be unruinable and for that end hath he laid an unmovable foundation and for that end are we taught and remembred of its firmness that we may have this confidence concerning the Church of God that is built upon it To the Eye of Nature the Church seems to have no foundation as Iob speaks of the earth that it is hung upon nothing and yet as the Earth remaineth firm being establish'd in its place by the word and power of God the Church is most firmly founded upon the word made flesh Jesus Christ as its chief Corner stone and as all the winds that blow cannot remove the earth out of its place neither can all the attempts of Men no nor of the gates of hell prevail against the Church it may be beat with very boysterous stormes but it cannot fall because founded upon this Rock Thus it is with the whole house and thus with every stone in it as here it followes he that believeth shall not be confounded 3. There is next the building on this foundation This is plainly to be built on Christ to believe in him But in this the most deceive themselves they hear of such priviledges and happiness in Christ and presently imagine 't is all theirs without any more ado as that Mad man of Athens that wrote up all the ships came into the haven for his own We consider not what this is to believe in him and what is the necessity of his believing that we may be partakers of the salvation that he hath wrought 'T is not they that have heard of him or that have some common knowledge of him or are able to discourse of him and speak of His Person and nature aright But they that believe in him Much of our knowledge is as the poor Philosopher or as a Geometer that can measure Land exactly in all its dimensions but possesseth not a foot who defineth riches exactly and discourseth of their nature but possesseth none and truely 't is but a lifeless unsavoury knowledge men have of Christ by all books and study till he Reveal himself and perswade the heart to believe in him Then indeed it sayes of all the reports it heard when it sees him and is made one with him I heard much yet the halfe was not told me There is in lively faith when it is infus'd into the soul a clearer knowledge of Christ and his excellency than before and withall a recumbence of the soul upon him as the foundation of its life and comfort a resolving to rest on him and not to depart from him upon any termes Though I be beset on all hands be accus'd by the law and mine own conscience and by Satan and have nothing to answer for my self yet here I will stay for I am sure in him there is salvation and no where else All other refuges are but lies as it s in the words before these in the Prophet poor base shifts that will do no good and God hath laid this Precious stone in Sion for this very purpose that weary souls may rest upon it and why should not I make use of it according to his intention he hath not forbid any how wretched soever to believe but commands it and himself works it where he will even in the vilest sinners Think it not enough that you
is first impressed on the mind hence flowes out pleasant obedience and full of love hence all the affections and the whol body with its members learn to give a willing obedience and submit unto God whereas before they resisted him being under the standerd of Satan This Obedience tho imperfect yet hath a certain if I may so say imperfect perfection It s universal three manner of wayes 1. in the subject 2. In the Object 3. In the duration the whole man subjected to the whole Law and that constantly and perseveringly The first universality is the cause of the other because it s not in the tongue alone or in the hand c. but has its root in the heart therefore doth not wither as the grasse or flower lying on the superfice of the earth but it flourishes because rooted and therefore it embraces the whole Law because it arises from a reverence it has for the Lawgiver himself Reverence I say but tempered with Love hence it accounts no Law nor command little or of small value which is from God because he is great and highly esteemed by the pious heart No command hard tho contrary to the flesh because all things are easie to Love there is the same authority in all as St. Iames divinely argues And this Authority is the golden chain of all the commandments which if broke in any link all falls a pieces That this three fold perfection of obedience is not a picture drawn by fancy is evident in David Psal. 119. where he subjects himself to the whole Law His feet v. 105. his mouth v. 13. his heart v. 11. the whole tenor of his life v. 24. He subjects himself to the whole law v. 6. and he professes his constancy therein in v. 16. and 33. teach me the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the end According to the foreknowledge of God the Father The exactest knowledge of things is to know them in their causes it is then an excellent thing and worthy of their endeavours that are most desirous of knowledge to know the best things in their highest Causes and the happiest way of this knowledge is to possess those things and to know them in Experience to such the Apostle here speaks and sets before them the excellency of their spiritual condition and leads them to the causes of it Their Estate is that they are sanctified and justified the nearest cause of both these is Iesus Christ he is made unto them both Righteousness and Sanctification the sprinkling of his blood purifies them from guiltines and quickens them to obedience Now followes to consider the appropriateing or applying Cause the Holy and holy making or sanctifying Spirit the Author of their selecting from the world and effectual calling unto grace The source of all the appointing or decreeing Cause is God the Father for though they all work Equally in all yet in order of working we are taught thus to distinguish and particularly to ascribe the first work of Eternal Election to the first Person of the blessed Trinity In or through Sanctification for to render it Elect to the sanctification is strained so then I conceive this Election is their Effectual Calling which is by the working of the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 26.27.28 where Vocation and Election are used in the same sense Ye see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise after the flesh c. but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to condemn the wise 't is the first act of the decree of Election the beginning of its performance in these that are Elected and 't is in it self a real seperating of men from the profane and miserable Condition of the world and an appropriating and consecrating of a man unto God and therefore both in regard of its relation to Election and in regard of its own nature it well bears that name Rom. 8.28.30 Act. 2.47 13.48 Ioh. 15.19 Sanctification in a narrower sense as distinguished fâ—om Iustification signifieth the inherent holiness of a Christian or his Inclinement and Innablement to obedience mentioned in this verse but 't is here more large and so extends with the whole work of Renovation and is the severing and seperating of men to God by his holy Spirit drawing them unto him and so it comprehends Justification as here and the first working of faith by which the soul is justified through its apprehending and applying the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Of the spirit The Word calls men externally and by that Eternal calling prevails with many to an External receiving and professing of Religion but if it be left alone it goes no further it is indeed the means of sanctification and effectual calling Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth But this is doth when the spirit that speaks in the Word works in the heart and causes it to hear and obey The Spirit or Soul of a man is the chief and first subject of this work and 't is but slight false work that begins not there but the Spirit here is rather to be taken for the Spirit of God the Efficient then the Spirit of man the Subject of this sanctification And therefore our Saviour in that place prayes to the Father that he would sanctifie his own by that truth and this he doth by the concurrence of his Spirit with that word of truth which is the life and vigour of it and makes it prove the power of God unto salvation to them that believe 't is a fit means in it self but 't is then a prevailing meanes when the Spirit of God brings it in to the heart 't is a Sword and sharper then a two edged Sword fit to divide yea even to the dividing of Soul and Spirit But this it doth not without it be in the Spirits hand and he applyes it to this cutting and dividing The word calls but the Spirit Drawes not sever'd from that word but working in it and by it 'T is a very difficult work to draw a Soul out of the hands and strong chains of Satan and out of the pleasing Entanglements of the world and out of its own natural perversness to yield up it self unto God to deny it self and live to him and in so doing to run against the main stream and the current of the ungodly world without and Corruption within The strongest Rhetorick the most moving and persuasive way of discourse is all too weak the tongue of Men and Angels cannot prevail with the soul to free it self and shake off all that deteins it although it be convinced of the truth of those things that are represented to it yet still it can and will hold out against it and say non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris The hand of Man is too weak to pluck any soul out of the croud of the world and set it in amongst the select number of Believers Only the Father of Spirits hath absolute command of Spirits viz. the Souls of Men
his promise because I live ye shall live also Ioh. 14.19 Christ and the Believer are One this is that Great Mystery the Apostle speaks of Eph. 5. though ' it s a common known truth the words and outside of it obvious to all yet none can understand it but they that indeed partake of it by vertue of that Unction their sins were accounted His and Christs sufferings are accounted theirs and by consequence His Glory the consequent of his sufferings is likewise theirs there is an indissoluble connection betwixt the life of Christ and of a Believer Our life is hid with Christ in God and therefore while we remaine there our life is there though hid and when he who is our life shall appear we likewise shall appear with him in glory Colos. 3.14 Seeing the sufferings and Glory of our Redeemer are the maine subject of the Gospel and the Causes of our salvation and our comfortable persuasion of it ' it s a wonder that they are not more the matter of our thoughts should we not daily consider the bitterness of that cup of Wrath he drunk for us and be wrought to Repentance and Hatred of sin to have sin imbitter'd to us by that Consideration and find the sweetness of his Love in that he did drink it and by that be deeply possessed with Love to him these things we now and then speak of but they sink not As our Saviour exhorts where he is speaking of those same sufferings O that they were engraven on our hearts and that sin were Crucified in us and the world Crucified to us and we unto the world by the crosse of Christ. And then considering the Glory wherein he is And to have our eye often upon that and our hearts solaceing and refreshing themselves frequently with the thoughts of that Place and condition wherein Christ is and where our hopes are ere long to behold lin Both to see his Glory and to be Glorified with him is it not reason Yea ' its necessary it cannot be otherwise if our Treasure and Head be there that our hearts be there likewise The Third Expression here of the Gospell is that 't is the Doctrine of Grace The work of Redemption it self and severall parts of it and the Doctrine revealing it have all the name of Grace because they all flow from free Grace that is their spring and first Cause And 't is this wherein the Doctrine of Salvation is mainly comfortable that it is free ye are saved by Grace Eph. 2.8 't is true God requires faith it is through faith but he that requires that gives it too that 's not of your selves 't is the gift of God 't is wonderfull Grace to save upon believing believe in Jesus for Salvation and live accordingly and 't is done there is no more requir'd to thy pardon but that thou receive it by faith But truely Nature cannot do this 't is as impossible for us of our selves to Believe as to doe this then is that which makes it all Grace from Beginning to End that God not onely saves upon believeing but gives believeing it self Christ is called not onely the Author and finisher of our Salvation but even of our Faith Free Grace being rightly apprehended is that which stayes the heart in all Estates and keeps it from fainting even in its saddest times what though there is nothing in my self but matter of sorrow and discomfort it cannot be otherwise ' its not from my self that I look for Comfort at any time but from my God and his free Grace Here is Comfort enough for all times when I 'm at the best I ought not I dare not rely upon my self when Im at the worst I may and should rely upon Christ and his sufficient Grace Though I be the vilest sinner that ever came to him yet I know he is more Gracious then I am sinfull yea the more my sin is the more Glory will it be to his Grace to pardon it it will appear the richer doth not David argue thus Psa. 25.11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great But 'T is an empty fruitless notion of Grace to Consider it onely in the Generall and in a wandring way we are to look upon it particularly as address'd to us and 't is not enough that it comes to us in the message of him that brings it onely to our ear but that we may know what it is it must come into us then 't is ours indeed but if it come to us in the message only and we send it away again if iâ— shall so depart we had better never have heard of it it will leave a Guiltiness behind it that shall make all our sins weigh much heavier then before Enquire whether you have entertain'd this grace or not whether it be come to you and into you or not whether the kingdom of God is within you As our Saviour speaks 't is the woefullest condition that can be not to be far from the kingdom of God and yet to fall short and miss of it The Grace of God revealed in the Gospell is intreating you daily to receive it is willing to become yours if you Reject it not were your eyes open to behold the Beauty and Excellency of this Grace there would need no deliberation yea you would endure none desire your eyes to be opened and light from above that you may know it and your hearts open'd that you may be happy by receiving it The Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ as the foundation of our Faith calls him the same yesterday and to day and for ever Yesterday under the Law to day in those primitive times neerest his Incarnation and for ever in all succeeding ages And the Resemblance holds good between the two Cherubims over the Mercy-seat and the two Testaments those had their faces towards one another and both toward the Mercy-seat and these look to one another in their Doctrine agreeing perfectly and both look to Christ the true Mercy-seat and the great Subject of the scriptures This we see here the things that the Prophets foretold to come and the Apostles reported were accomplished were the same and from the same spirit they were the sufferings of Christ and his after Glory and in them our Salvation by free Grace The Prophesies look forward to the times of the Gospel and the things then fulfilled look back to the Prophesies and each confirms the other meeting all in Christ who is their truth and Center We have spoken already of the Author and subject of this salvation Now we come to say something of those who are Employed about it as well in Administring to it as in Admiring it And those are the Prophets and Apostles the first foretold what was to come the second Preached them when they came to pass In the Prophets there are three things here remarked 1. Their Dilligence 2. The Success of it 3. The Extent of its usefulness This
obedience fall short so that he can never come to be upon even disengaged terms much less to oblige a new and deserve somewhat further besides that same Grace by which any serves and obeys God is likewise his own gift as 't is said All things come of thee and of thine own have I given thee both the ability and the will of giving to him is from him so that in these respects not Angels nor Man in Innocency could properly merit at the hands of God much less Man lost redeemed again and so coming under the new obligation of Infinite Mercy And this is so evident a truth that the learnedst and most ingenuous Jesuits and Schoolmen have in divers passages of their writings acknowledg'd it that there cannot be any Compensation and much less merit from the creature to God but onely in relation to his own free purpose and the tenour of his word and Covenant which is inviolable because he is unchangeable and truth it selfe His first grace he gives freely and no less freely the increases of it and with the same gracious hand sets on the Crown of glory upon all the Grace that he hath given before 'T is but the following forth of his own work and fulfilling his own thoughts of free Love which love hath no cause but in himself and finds none worthy But gives them all the worthiness they have and accepts of their Love not as worthy in it self to be accepted but because he himself hath wrought it in them not onely the first tastes but the full draught of the waters of life is freely given Reve. 22.17 nothing brought with them but thirst That is to be brought not that is brought or that shall be brought but if we will render it strictly it is that is a bringing to you That blessedness that Consummation of grace the Saints are hastening forward to walking on in their way wheresoever it lyes indifferently through honour and dishonour through evill report and good report And as they are hastening to it it is hastn'ng to them in the course of time every day brings it nearer to them than before and notwith standing all difficulties and dangers in the way they that have their eye and hopes upon it shall arrive at it and it shall be brought safe to their hand all the malice of men and Devils shall not be able to cut them short of this grace that is a bringing to them against the day of the Revelation of Iesus Christ. At the Revelation of Iesus Christ. This is repeated from the 7 th Verse and it is a day of Revelation a Revelation of the just judgement of God Rom. 2 5. And thus it would be to all were it not that it is withall the Revelation of Iesus Christ therefore is it a day of Grace all Light and blessedness to them that are in him because they shall appear in him and if he be glorious they shall not be inglorious and ashamed indeed were our secret sins then to be set before our own eyes in their affrightfullest visage and to be set open to the view of Angels and Men and to the eye of divine Justice and we lest alone so revealed who is there that could gather any comfort and would not rather have their thoughts fill'd with horrour at the remembrance and expectation of that day and thus indeed all unbelieving and ungodly Men may look upon it and find it terrible but to those that are shadowed under the Robe of Righteous Jesus yea that are made one with him and shall partake of his glory in his appearing 't is the sweetest the most comfortable thought that their souls can be entertain'd and possess'd withall to remember this glorious Revelation of their Redeemâ—r 'T is their great grief here not that themselves are hated and vilified but that their Lord Jesus is so little known and therefore so much despised in the world he is vail'd and hid from the world many Nations acknowledge him not at all and many of those that do in word confess yet in deed deny him that have a form of Godliness and do not onely want but mock and scoffe the power of it and to such Christ is not known his Excellencies are hid from their eyes now this glory of their Lord being tender to them that Love him they rejoyce much in the consideration of this that there is a day at hand wherein he shall appear in his bright and full glory to all nations and all shall be forc'd to acknowledge him it shall be with out doubt and unquestion'd to all that here is the Messiah the Redeemer the Judge of the world And as it is his day of Revelation ' it s also the Revelation of all the adopted sons of God in him Rom. 8.9 they are now accounted the refuse of the world exposed to all kind of comtempts but then the beams of Christ's glory shall beautifie them and they shall be known for his 1 Ioh. 3â— 2. Col. 3 4. Next there is The Exhortation Hope to the end The difference of these two graces faith and hope is so small that the one is often taken for the other in Scripture 't is but a divers aspect of the same confidence faith apprehending the infallible truth of those divine Promises of which Hope doth assuredly expect the accomplishment and that is their truth so that this immediately results from the other· This is the Anchor pitch'd within the vail that keeps the soul firm against all the tossings on these swelling Seas and the winds and tempests that arise upon them The firmest thing in this Inferiour world is a believing soul. Faith establishes the heart on Jesus Christ and Hopelifts it up being on that Rock over the head of all intervenient Dangers Crosses and Tentations and sees the glory and happiness that followes after them To the end Or perfectly and therefore the Christian seeks most earnestly and yet waits most patiently Psal. 130.6 Indeed this hope is perfect in continuance 't is a hope unto the end because 't is perfect in its nature although imperfect in degree sometimes doubtings intermixed with it in the Christian soul yet this is their infirmity as the Psalmist speaks not the infirmity and insufficiency of the object of their hope Worldly hopes are in their own nature imperfect they do imply in their very being doubtfulness and wavering because the things whereon they are built are inconstant and uncertain and full of deceit and disappointments how can that Hope be immoveable that is built upon moving sands or quagmire 'T is that which is it self unfixed cannot give stability to any other thing resting on it but because the truth and goodness of the immutable God is the foundation of spiritual hope therefore it is assur'd and like Mount Sion that cannot be removed and this is its perfection Now the Apostle exhorts his Brethren to endeavour to have their hearts possess'd with as high a measure and degree of
as to be scorn'd out of it being so honourable and happy and the day is at hand wherein those that scoffe you would give much more than all that the best of them ever possess'd in the world to be admitted into your number Seeing you have purifi'd your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit Here is 1. The chief seat or subject of the work of sanctification the Soul 2. The subordinate means Truth 3. The Nature of it obeying of truth 4. The chief worker of it The Holy Spirit For the first 'T is no doubt a work that goes through the whole man renews and purifies all Heb. 10.22 2 Cor. 7.1 But because it purifies the soul therefore 't is that does purifie all There begins impurity Mat. 15. not onely evil thoughts but all evill actions come forth from the heart which is there all one with the soul and therefore this purifying begins there makes the tree good that the fruit may be good 't is not so much externall performances that are the difference of Men as their inward temper we meet here in the same place and all partake of the same word and prayer But how wide a difference is there in Gods eye betwixt an unwash'd profane heart in the same exercise and a soul purified in some measure in obeying the truth and desirous to be further purified by further obeying it 2. That which is the subordinate means of this purity is the Truth or the word of God it is truth and pure in it self and begets truth and purity in the heart by teaching it concerning the holy and pure nature of God shewing it and his holy will which is to us the rule of purity And by representing Jesus Christ unto us as the fountain of our purity and Renovation from whose fulness we may receive grace for grace 3. The nature of this work that wherein the very being of this purifying consists is the Receiving or Obeying of this Truth So Gal. 3.1 Where 't is put for right believing The chief point of obedience is believing the proper obedience to Truth is to give credit to it and this divine belief doth necessarily bring the whole soul into obedience and conformity to that pure Truth which is in the word and so the very purifying and renewing of the soul is this obedience of faith as unbelief is its cheif impurity and disobedience therefore Act. 15.9 faith is said to purifie the heart 4. The chief worker of this sanctification is the Holy spirit of God they are said here to purifie themselves For 't is certain and undeniable that the soul it self doth act in believing or obeying the truth but not of it self it is not the first principle of motion They purifie their souls but 't is by the spirit They doe it by his enlivening power and a purifying vertue recevied from him Faith or obeying the truth works this purity But the Holy Ghost works that faith as in the forecited place God is said to purifie their hearts by faith Verse 8. He doth that by giving them the Holy Ghost The truth is pure and purifying yet can it not of it self purifie the soul but by the obeying or believing it and the soul cannot obey or believe but by the spirit which works in it that faith and by that faith purifies it and works Love in it ' it s the Impurity and Earthliness of Mens minds that is the great cause of disuâ—ion and disaffection amongst them and of all their striâ—es Iam. 4.1 This spirit is that fire that refines and purifies the soul from the dross of earthly desires that possess it and sublimates it to the love of God and of his Saints because they are his and are purified by the same spirit T is the property of fire to draw together things of the same kind the outward fire of Enmities and persecution that are kindled against the godly by the world doth some-what and if it were more considered by them would do more in this knitting their hearts closer one to another but it is this inward pure and purifying fire of the Holy Ghost that doth most powerfully unite them The true reason why there is so little truth of this Christian mutuall Love amongst those that are called Christians is because there is so little of this purifying Obedience to the truth whence it flowes Faith unfeigned would beget this Love unfeigned men may exhort to them both but they require the hand of God to work them in the heart Verse 23. Being borne again not of Corruptible seed But of Incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever THE two things that make up the Apostles Exhortation are the very summe of a Christians duty to walk as obedient children towards God and loving brethen one towards another And that it may yet have the deeper impression he here represents to them anew that new birth he mentioned before by which they are the children of God and so brethren We shall first speak of this Regeneration And then of the Seed This is the great dignity of believers that they are the sons of God Io. 1.12 and the great Evidence of the love of God that he hath bestow'd this dignity on them 1 Io. 3.1 For they are no way needfull to him he had from Eternity a Son perfâ—ctly like himself the character of his person and one Spirit proceeding from both and there is no Creation neither the first nor the second can add any thing to those and their happiness 't is most true of that blessed Trinity Satis amplum alter alterj Theatrum sumus But the gracious purpose of God to impart his goodness appears in this that he hath made himself such a multitude of sons not onely Angels that are so called but man a little lower than they in nature yet dignified with this name in his Creation St. Luke 3.38 Which was the Son of Adam which was the son of God He had not onely the Impression of Gods footsteps as they speak which all the Creatures have but of his Image and most of all in this is his rich Grace magnified that sin having defac'd that Image and so degraded Man from his honour and devested him of that title of sonship and stampt our polluted nature with the marks of vileness and bondage yea with the very Image of Satan Rebellion and Enmity against God that out of Mankind thus ruin'd and degenerated God should raise to himself a new Race and Generation of sons For this designe was the word made flesh Io. 1. The son made Man to make men the sons of God and 't is by him alone we are restor'd to this they that receive him receive with him and in him this priviledge Verse 12. And therefore 't is a sonship by Adoption and is so called in scripture in difference from his Eternall and Ineffable Generation who is and that was the onely begotten son of God yet that we may
awak'd to seek diligently after Jesus and not to rest till they find him they 're well enough without him it suffices them they hear there is such a one but they ask not themselves is he mine or no But sure if that be all not to doubt the Bruites believe as well It were better out of all question to be labouring under doubtings if it be a more hopeful condition to find a Man groaning and complaining than speechless and breathless and not stirring at all There be in Spiritual doubtings two things their is a sollicitous care of the Soul concerning its own estate and diligent inquiry into 't and that is laudable being a true work of the spirit of God but the other thing in them perplexity and distrust that arises from darkness and weakness in the soul as where there is a great deal of smoak and no clear flame it argues much moysture in the matter yet it witnesseth certainly that there is fire there and therefore dubious questioning of a Man concerning himself is a much better evidence than that senseless deadness that most take for believing Men that that know nothing in sciences have no doubts he never truly believ'd that was not made first sensible and convinc'd of unbelief This is the Spirits first errand in the World to convince it of sin and the Sin is this that they believe not If the Faith that thou hast grew out of thy natural heart of it self 't is but a Weed be sure the right plant of Faith is alwayes set by Gods own hand and 't is watered and preserv'd by him because expos'd to many hazzards he watches it Night and Day Isa. 27.3 I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Again how impudent is it in the most to pretend believing while they wallow in Profaness if Faith unite the soul unto Christ certainly it puts it into participation of his Spirit for if any Man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his sayes St. Paul This faith in Christ bring us into Communion with God Now God is light says St. Iohn and therefore inferrs if we say we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth The lie appears in our practise an unsuitableness in our carriage as he said of him that sign'd his Verse wrong fecit solaecismum manu But there be imaginary Believers that are a little more refin'd that live after a blameless yea and a Religious manner for there outward and yet are but appearances of Christians have not the living work of Faith within and all these exercises are dead works in their hands Amongst these some may have such motions within themselves as may deceive themselves as well as their outward deportment deceives other some transient touches of desire to Christ upon the unfolding of his excellencies in the Preaching of the word and upon some conviction of their own necessity and conceive some joy upon thoughts of apprehending him and yet all this proves but an evanishing fancy an embracing of a shaddow And because Men that are thus deluded meet not with Christ indeed do not really find his sweetness therefore within a while they return to the pleasure of sin and their latter end proves worse than their beginning their hearts could not possibly be stedfast because there was nothing to fix them on in all that work wherein Christ himself was wanting But the truly believing Soul that is brought unto Jesus Christ and fastened upon him by Gods own hand abides stay'd on him and departs not And in these the very belief of the things that are spoken concerning Christ in the Gospel the perswasion of Divine truth is of a higher nature than the common consent that they call Historical another knowledge and evidence of the mysteries of the Kingdom than natural Men can have this is indeed the ground of all the very thing that causes a Man rest upon Christ when he hath a perswasion wrought in his heart by the Spirit of God that Christ is an able Redeemer a sufficient Saviour able to save all that come to him Then upon this the heart resolves upon that course seeing I am perswaded of this that whoso believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life as here it is shall not be confounded I am to deliberate no longer this is the the thing I must doe to lay my soul upon him upon one that is an Almighty Redeemer And it does so Now these first actings of Faith have in themselves an evidence that distinguishes them from all that 's counterfeit a light of their own by which the soul wherein they are may discern them and say this is the right work of Faith especially when God shines upon the Soul and clears it in the discovery of his own work within it And further they may find the influence of Faith upon the affections purifying them as our Apostle sayes of it Act. 15.9 Faith knits the heart to a holy Head a pure Lord the spring of purity and therefore cannot chuse but make it pure it is a beam from heaven that raises the mind to a Heavenly temper Although there remaines of sin in a believing soul yet 't is a hated wearysome guest there 't is not there as its delight but as its greatest grief and malady that it is still lamenting and complaining of and had rather be rid of than gain a World Thus 't is purified from affecting sin So then where these are a Spiritual apprehension of the Promises and a cleaving of the Soul unto Christ and such a delight in him as makes sin vile and distastful that the heart is set against it and as the Needle touch'd with the Loadstone is still turn'd towards Christ and lookes at him in all estates The Soul that is thus dispos'd hath certainly Interest in him and therefore ought not to affect an humour of doubting but to conclude that how unworthy soever in it self yet being in him it shall not be ashamed not only it shall never have cause to think shame of him but all its just cause of shame in it self shall be taken away it shall be cover'd with his Righteousness and appear so before the Father Who must not think if my sins were to be set in order and appear against me how would my face be fill'd with shame Though there were no more if some thoughts that I am guilty of were laid to my charge I were utterly sham'd and undone Oh! Nothing in my self but matter of shame but yet in Christ more matter of glorying who endured shame that we might not be ashamed We cannot distrust our selves enough nor trust enough in him Let it be right Faith and there is no excess in believing Though I have sinn'd against him and abus'd his goodness yet I will not leave him for whether should I go he and none but he hath
the words of Eternal life yea though he being so often offended should threaten to leave me to the shame of my own follies yet I will stay by him and wait for a better answer and I know I shall obtain it this is assur'd me for my comfort that whosoever believes in him shall not be ashamed Verse 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them who be disobedient the stone which the Builders disallowed the same is made the head of the Corner BEsides all the opposition that meets Faith within in our hearts it hath this without that it rowes against the great stream of the Worlds opinion And therefore hath need especially where it is very tender and weak to be strengthened against that The multitude of unbelievers and the considerable quality of many of them in the world is one continuing cause of that very multitude And the fewness of them that truely believe doth much to the keeping of them still few and as this prejudice prevails with them that believe not so it may sometimes assault the mind of a believer when he thinks how many and many of them wise men in the world reject Christ Whence can this be Particularly the believing Jews to whom this Epistle is address'd might think it strange that not only the Gentiles that were strangers to true Religion but their own Nation that was the select people of God and had the light of his Oracles kept in amongst them only that yet so many of them yea and the chief of them should be despisers and haters of Jesus Christ. And that these that were best vers'd in the Law and so seem'd best able to judge of the Messiah foretold should have persecuted Christ all his life and at last put him to a shameful death That they may know this makes nothing against him nor ought to invalide their faith at all but rather indeed testifies with Christ and so serves to confirm them in believing the Apostle make use of those Prophetical Scriptures that foretell the unbelief and contempt the most would entertain Christ withal as old Simeon speaks of him when he was come conform to these former predictions That he should be a sign of contradiction as he was the promis'd sign of salvation to believers so he should be a very mark of enmities and contradictions to the unbelieving world the places the Apostle here useth suite with his present discourse and the words cited from Esay in the former Verse continuing the resemblance of a corner stone they are partly from Psa. 118. partly out of 8th of Esay Vnto you c. Wonder not that others refuse him but believe the more for that because you see the word to be true even in their not believing of it it is fulfill'd and verified by their very rejecting it as false And whatsoever are the worlds thoughts concerning Christ that imports not For they know him not but you that do indeed believe I dare appeal to your selves your own faith that you have of him whether he is not precious to you if you do not really find him fully answerable to all that is spoken of him in the word and that accordingly you have believ'd concerning him We are here 1. To Consider the opposition of the persons And then 2. Of the things spoken of them 1. They are oppos'd under the name of believers and disobedient or unbelievers for the word is so neer that it may be taken for unbelief as is by some so rendered And the things are large as near as the words that signify them disobedience and unbelief 1. Unbelief is it self the grand disobedience for this is the work of God that which the Gospel mainely commands Ioh. 6.29 that ye believe Therefore the Apostle calls it the obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 And there is nothing indeed more worthy the name of obedience than the subjection of the mind to receive and believe those supernatural truths that the Gospel teaches concerning Jesus Christ. To obey so as to have as the Apostle speaks the impression of that divine pattern stamp'd upon the heart to have the heart delivered up as the word there is and laid under it to receive it Rom. 6.17 The word here us'd for disobedience signifies properly unpersuasion and there is nothing can more properly express the nature of unbelief than that and it is the very nature of our corrupt hearts We are Children of disobedience or unpersuasibleness altogether incredulous towards God who is truth it self and as pliable wax in Satan's hand he works in them what he will as there the Apostle expresses most easie of belief to him that is the very father of lies as our Saviour calls him a Liar and a murderer from the beginning murdering by lies as he did in the beginning 2. Unbelief is radically all other disobedience For all flowes from unbelief This we least of all suspect but 't is the bitter Root of all that ungodliness that abounds amongst us A right and lively persuasion of the heart concerning Jesus Christ alters the whole frame of it brings low its high lofty Imaginations and brings not only the outward actions but the very thoughts unto the obedience of Christ. Concerning these disobedient unbelievers these two testimonies taken together have in them 1. Their rejection of Christ. 2. Their folly 3. Their misery in so doing 1. They did not receive him as the father appointed and design'd him as the foundation and chief corner stone but slighted him and threw him by as unfit for the building and this did not only the ignorant multitude But the builders they that proâ—ess to have the skill and the office or power of building The Doctors of the Law the Scribes and Pharisees and chief Priests and think to carry the matter by the weight of their authority as overbalancing the belief of those that followed Christ. Have any of the Rulers believed in him But this People who know not the Law are cursed Iohn 7.48.49 2. We need not wonder then that not only the powers of the world are usualy enemies to Christ and that the contrivers of policies those builders leave out Christ in their building but that the pretended builders of the Church of God though they use the name of Christ and serve their turn with that yet reject himself and oppose the power of his spiritual kingdom There may be Wit and Learning and much knowledge of the Scriptures amongst those that are haters of the Lord Christ and the power of godliness and corrupters of the worship of God 'T is the Spirit of humility and obedience and â—aving faith that teaches Men to esteem of Christ and build upon him But the vanity of those builders opinion appears in this that they are over power'd by the great Architect of the Church his purpose stands notwithstanding their rejecton of Christ he is still made the head corner stone They cast him away by their miscensures and reproaches
to work on them as he pleaseth and where he will This powerful this sanctifying Spirit knowes no Resistance works sweetly and yet strongly it can come in to the heart whereas all other speakers are forc'd to stand without That still voice within perswades more then all the lowd crying without as he that is within the house though he speak low is better heard and understood then he that shouts without doors When the Lord himself speaks by this his spirit to a Man selecting and calling him out of the lost world he can no more disobey then Abraham did when the Lord spoke to him after an extraordinary manner to depart from his own Country and Kindred Gen. 12.4 Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken to him There is a secret but very powerful vertue in a word or look or touch of this spirit upon the soul by which 't is forced not with a harsh but a pleasing violence and cannot chuse but follow it not unlike that of Elija's Mantle upon Elisha 1 Kin. 19.19 How easily did the Disciples forsake their callings and dwellings to follow Christ. The spirit of God drawes a Man out of the world by a sanctfied Light sent into his mind discovering to him 1. How base and false the sweetness of sin is that withholds men and amuses them that they return not and how true and sad the bitterness is that will follow upon it 2. Setting before his eyes the free and happy condition the glorious liberty of the Sons of God the riches of their present enjoyment and their far larger and assured hopes for afterwards 3. Making the beauty of Jesus Christ visible to the soul which straight way takes it so that it cannot be stayed from coming to him though its most beloved friends most beloved sins lye in the way and hang about it and cry will you leave us so It will tread upon all to come within the embracements of Jesus Christ and say with St. Paul I was not disobedient to or unperswaded by the heavenly Vision 'T is no wonder that the Godly are by some called singular and precise they are so Singular a few selected ones pickt out by Gods own hand for himself Psal. 4.3 Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself Therefore saith our Saviour the world hates you because I have chosen you out of the world For the world lyes in unholiness and wickedness is buried in it And as living men can have no pleasure amongst the dead neither can these Elected ones amongst the ungodly they walk in the World as warily as a Man or Woman neatly apparel'd would doe amongst a multitude that are all sullied and bemired Endeavour to have this sanctifying spirit in your selves pray much for it for his promise is past to us that he will give this holy spirit to them that ask it and shall we be such fools as to want it for want of asking when we find heavy setters on our souls and much weakness yea aversness to follow the voice of God calling us to his obedience then pray with the Spouse Draw me She cannot go nor stirre without that drawing and yet with it not only goes but runs We will run after thee Think it not enough you hear the word and use the outward Ordinances of God and profess his Name for many are thus called and yet but a few of them are chosen There is but a small part of the world outwardly called in comparison of the rest that is not so and yet the number of true Elect is so small that it gains the number of these that are called the name of many They that are in the visible Church and partake of external vocation are but like a large list of names as in civil elections is usual out of which a small number is chosen to the dignity of true Christians and invested into their priviledge some men in nomination to Offices or employments think it a worse disapointment and disgrace to have been in the list and yet not chosen them if their names had not been mention'd at all certainly 't is a greater unhappines to have been not far from the Kingdom of God as our Saviour speaks and miss of it then still to have remained in the furthest distance to have been at the mouth of the Haven the fair Havens indeed and yet driven back and Shipwrackt your labour is most preposterous you seek to ascertain and make sure things that cannot be made sure and that which is both more worth and may be made surer then them all you will not endeavour to make sure Hearken to the Apostles advice and at length set to this in earnest to make your calling and Election sure make sure this Election as 't is here for that 's the Order your effectual calling sure and that will bring with it assurance of the other the eternal Election and love of God towards you which follows to be considered According to the foreknowledge of God the Father Known unto God are all his works from the beginning saith the Apostle Iames Act 15.18 He sees all things from the beginning of time to the end of it and beyond to all Eternity and from all Eternity he did foresee them but this foreknowledge here is peculiar to the Elect Verâ—a sansus in sacra scriptura connotant affectus as the Rabbins remark so in man Psal. 66. if I see Iniquity and in God Psal. 1. ult Amos 3.2 and in that speech of our Saviour relating it as the terrible doom of Reprobates at the last day Depart c. I know you not I never knew you so St. Paul Rom. 7.15 and Bezâ— observes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the Greeks sometimes taken for deceâ—â—ere judicare thus some speak to cogâ—osce upon a business so then this foreknowledge is no other but that Eternal love of God or decree of Election by which some are appointed unto life and being foreknown or elected to that end they are predestinate to the way to it Rom. 8.29 'T is most vain to Imagine a foresight of faith in men and in the vieu of that as the Condition of Election it self to have chosen them for 1. Nothing at all is futurum or can have that imagined futurition so to speak but as it is and because 't is decreed by God to be and therefore as before the Apostle St. Iames sayes known to God are all his own works therefore because his works in time and his purpose from Eternity 2. 'T is most absurd to give any reason of Divine will without himselfe 3. This easily solves all that difficulty that the Apostle speaks of and yet he never thought of such a solution but runs high for an answer not to satisfie cavilling reason but to silence it and stop its mouth For thus the Apostle Argues Rom. 9.19 20. Thou wilt say then unto me why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will
Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God Who can conceive whence this should be that any man should believe unless it be given him of God and if given him then it was his purpose to give it him and if so then is it evident that he had a purpose to save him and for that end he gives faith not therefore purposes to Save because Man shall believe 4. This seems cross to these Scriptures where they speak of the subordination or rather Coordination of those two as here Foreknown and Elect not because of Obedience or sprinkling or any such thing but to Obedience and sprinkling which is by faith So he predestinated not because he foresaw Men would be conform to Christ but that they might be so as Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and the same order Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church dayly such as should be saved and 13.48 And as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed This Foreknowledge then is his Eternal and Unchangable Love and that thus he Chuseth some and rejecteth others is for that great End to manifest and magnifie his Mercy and Justice but why he appointed this Man for the one and the other for the other made Peter a vessel of this mercy and Iudas of wrath this is even so because it seemed good to him This if it be harsh yet is Apostolick Doctrine Hath not the Potter saith St. Paul power over the same Lump to make one Vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour This deep we must admire and alwayes in considering it close with this O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Now the Connexion of these we are for our profit to take notice of that effectual Calling is inseparably tyed to this Eternal Foreknowledge or Election on the one side and Salvation on the other These two links of the chain are up in Heaven in Gods own hand but this middle one is let down to earth into the hearts of his Children and they laying hold on it hath sure hold on the other two for no power can sever them and therefore the reading the characters of Gods Image in their own souls those are the counterpain of the golden characters of his Love in which their names are written in the Book of Life Their believing writes their names under the promises of the revealed Book of Life the Scriptures and so ascertains them that the same names are in the secret Book of Life that God hath by himself from Eternity So finding the stream of grace in their hearts tho they see not the Fountain whence it flowes nor the Ocean into which it returns yet they know that it hath its source and shall return to that Ocean which ariseth from their Eternal Election and Salvation and shall empty it selfe into Eternity of happiness Hence much joy ariseth to the Believer this tye indissolvable as the Agents are the Father the Son and the Spirit So Election and Vocation and Sanctification and Iustification and Glory and therefore in all conditions they may from the sence of the working of the Spirit in them look back to that Election and forward to that Salvation but they that remain unholy and dissobedient have as yet no evidence of this Love and therefore cannot without vain presumptions and self delusion Judge thus of themselves that they are within the peculiaâ— Love of God but in this Let the Righteous be glad and let them shout for joy all that are upright in heart 'T is one main point of happiness that he that is happy doth know and judge himselfe to be so this being the peculiar good of a reasonable creature 't is to be enjoyed in a Reasonable way 't is not as the dull resting of a Stone or any other natural body in its natural place but the knowledge and consideration of it is the fruition of it the very relishing and tasting its sweetness The perfect blessedness of the Saints is abiding them above but even their present condition is truly happy tho incompleatly and but a small beginning of that which they expect and this their present happiness is so much the more the more clear knowledge and firm perswasion they have of it 't is one of the pleasant fruits of the Godly to know the things that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Therefore the Apostle to comfort his dispersed Brethren sets before them a description of that excellent Spiritual Condition to which they are called If they be inseparably linkt together then by any one of them a man may lay hold upon all the rest and may know that his hold is sure and this is that way wherein we may attain and ought to seek that comfortable assurance of the Love of God Therefore Make your Calling sure and by that your Election for that being done this follows of it self We are not to pry immediately into the Decree but to read it in the performance though the Mariner sees not the Pole-star yet the Needle of the Compass that points to it tells him which way he sails thus the heart that is touched with the Loadstone of Divine Love trembling with godly fear and yet still looking towards God by fixed believing it points at the Love of Election and tells the soul that its courss is heavenward towards the Haven of Eternal rest He that Loves may be sure he was loved first and he that chuses God for his delight and Portion may conclude confidently that God hath chosen him to be one of those that shall enjoy him and be happy in him for ever for that our Love and Electing of him is but the return and repercussion of the beams of his Love shining upon us Find thou but within thee Sanctification by the Spirit and this argues necessarily both Justification by the Son and the Election of God the Father 1 Ioh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit 'T is a most strange demonstration ab Effectu reciproco He Called those he hath Elected he Elected those he Called where this sanctifying Spirit is not there can be no perswasion of this Eternal Love of God they that are Children of disobedience can conclude no otherwise of themselves but that they are the Children of wrath Although from present unsanctification a Man cannot inferre that he is not Elected for the Decree may for part of a Mans life run as it were under-ground Yet this is sure that that estate leads to death and unless it be broken will prove the black line of reprobation A man hath no Portion amongst the Children of God nor can read one word of Comfort in all the Promises that belongs to them while he remains unholy Men may please themselves in prophane Scoffing at the Holy Spirit of Grace but let them withal know this that that Holy Spirit
it shall appear in its full brightnesâ— at the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The peculiar treasure of a Christian being the Grace that he receives from Heaven and particularly that Soveraign Grace of Faith whatsoever he can be assur'd will better him any way in this he will not only bear it patiently but gladly imbrace it Rom. 5.3 Therefore the Apostle sets this before his Brethren in those words of this verse where is 1. The Worth and Excellency of Faith 2. The usefulness of Temptations in relation to it The trial of Faith is call'd more precious a work of more worth then the tryal of Gold because Faith it selfe is of more value then Gold the Apostle chuses this comparison as fitting his purpose for both for the Illustration of the worth of Faith and likewise the use of Temptations representing the one by Gold and the other by the trying of Gold in the Fire The worth of Gold is 1. Real the purest and preciousest of all mettals having many excellent properties beyond them as they that write of the nature of Gold observe 2. Far greater in the Esteem and Opinion of Men. See how Men hurry up and down over Sea and Land unwearied in their pursuit with hazard of life and often with the loss of Uprightness and a good Conscience and not only thus Esteem it in it self but make it the Rule of their Esteem one of another valuing Men less or more as they are more or less furnish't with it and we see at what a height that is for things we would commend much we borrow its name to them viz. Golden Mediocrity and that Age which they would call the best of all they name it the Golden Age and as Seneca observes describing heavenly things as Ovid the Suns Pallace and Chariot still Gold is the word for all And the Holy Scriptures descending to our reach do set forth the Riches of the new Ierusalem by it Rev. 21. And the Excellency of Christ. Cant. 5.11.14 And here the preciousness of Faith whereof Christ is the Object is said to be more precious then Gold I will not insist in the parallel of Faith with Gold in the other Qualities of it as that it is pure and sollid as Gold And that ' it s most ductile and malleable as gold beyond all other mettals it plies any way with the Will of God But then Faith truly Enriches the soul And as Gold Answers all things so Faith gives the Soul propriety to all the rich Consolations of the Gospel to all the promises of Life and salvation to all needful Blessings it draws vertue from Christ to strengthen it self and all other Graces And thus 't is not onely precious as Gold but goes far above the Comparison 't is more precious yea much more precious 1. in its Originall the other is dig'd out of the bowels of the Earth but the Mine of this Gold is above it comes from Heaven 2. In its Nature answerable to its Originall it is Immateriall Spirituall and pure we refine Gold and make it purer but when we receive Faith pure of it self we mix dross with it and make it Impure by the allay of Unbelief 3. in its Endurance flowing from the former it perisheth not Gold is a thing in it selfe Corruptible and perishing and to particular owners it perisheth in their loss of it being depriv'd of it any way Other Graces are likewise tryed in the same Furnace but Faith is named as the Root of all the rest Sharp afflictions give a Christian a tryal of his Love to God whether it be single and for himself or not for then it will be the same when he strikes as when he Embraces and in the fire of affliction will rather grow the hotter and be more taken off from the world and set upon him Again the Grace of Paâ—ience is put particularly upon triall in distresses but both these spring from Faith for Love rises from a right and strong belief of the Goodness of God and patience from a persuasion of the Wisdom and Love of God and the truth of his promises He hath said I will not fail thee And that we shall not be tempted above our strength and he will give the Issue Now the belief of those Causes patience The triall of faith worketh Patience Iam. â— 3 For therefore doth the Christian resigne up himselfe and all that concerns him his triall the measure and length of them all unto Gods dispose because he knowes that he is in the hands of a wise and loving Father Thus the trial of those and other particular Graces doe still resolve into this and are compris'd under it the triall of Faith This tryal as 〈◊〉 of Gold may be for a 〈◊〉 â—old end 1 for Experiment of the truth and pâ—reness of a Christians faith 2. for râ—fining it yeâ— more and to raise it to a higher pitch or degree of pâ—reness 1. The furnace of Affliction shows upright â—eal Faith to be such indeed remaining stâ—ll the same even in the fire the same thaâ— it was undiminished as good Gold 〈◊〉 none of its quantity in the fire Doubtless many are deceiv'd in time of ease and prosperity with imaginary Faith and Fortitude so that there may be still some doubt while a Man is under set with outward helps as Riches Friends Esteem c. whether he leanes upon those or upon God who is an Invisible support though stronger then all that are visible and is the peculiar and alone stay of Faith in all Conditions But when all these outward props are pluckt away from a Man then it will manifest whether something else upholds him or not for if there be nothing else then â—e falls but if his mind stand firm and unremoved as before then 't is evident he laid not his weight upon these things he had them about him but was built upon a foundation though not seen which is able alone to stay him although he be not only frustrated of all other supports but beatâ—n upon with stormes and tempests as our Saviour sayes the house fell not because it was founded upon a rock Mat. 7.25 This testified the truth of Davids Faith who found it staying him upon God when there was nothing else near that could do 't I had fainted unless I had believ'd Psa. 27.13 So in his strait 1. Sam. 30.6 Where it s said that David was greatly distressed but he encouraged himself in the Lord his God Thus Psa. 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion for ever The Hearts naturall strength of spirit and Resolution may beaâ— up under outward weakness or the failing of the flesh but when the Heart it self fails that is the strength of the flesh what shall strengthen it nothing but God who is the strength of the heart and its portion for ever Thus Faith worketh alone when the Case suites that of the Prophets Haback â— 17 Although the fig
tree shall not Blossom neither shall fruit be in the vine c. yet vers 18. I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation In spirituall tryalls that are the sharpest and fieryest of all when the furnace is within a Man when God doth not onely shut up his loveing kindness from its feeling but seems to shut it up in hot displeasure when he writes bitter things against it yet then to depend upon Him and wait for his salvation this is not onely a true but a strong and very refined Faith indeed and the more he smites the more to cleave to him well might he say When I am tried I shall come forth as Gold who could say that word though he slay me yet will I trust in him though I saw as it were his hand lifted up to destroy me yet from that same hand would I expect salvation As the furnace shews faith to be what it is so also it betters it and makes it more precious and purer then it was The Graces of the spirit as they come from the hand of God that infuses them are nothing but pureness but being put into a heart where sin dwells which till the body be dissolved and taken to pieces cannot be fully purg'd out there they are mixed with Corruption and dross And particularly Faith is mixed with Unbelief and Love of earthly things and dependance upon the Creature if not more then God yet together with him and for this is the furnace needfull that the soul may be purified from this droâ—s and made more sublime and spirituall in believing T is a hard talk and many times comes but slowly forward to teach the heart by discourse and speculation to sit loose from the world at all sides not to cleave to the best things in it though we be compass'd about with them though Riches do increase yet not to set our hearts on them not to trust in such uncertain things as they are as the Apostle speaks Therefore God is pleas'd to chuse the more effectual way to teach his own the right and pure exercise of Faith either by witholding or withdrawing those things from them makes them relish the sweetness of spirituall Comfort by depriving them of those outward Comforts wherein they were in most danger of excess to have doted on them and so forget themselves and him when they are necessitate and experimentally train'd up easily to let go their hold of any thing Earthly and to stay themselves onely upon their Rock this is the very refining of their faith by those losses and afflictions wherewith they are exercised they that learn bodily Exercises as fencing c. Are not taught by sitting still and hearing Rules or seeing others practise but they learn by exercising themselves The way to profit in the art of believing or comeing to this spirituall activity of faith is to be often put to that work in the difficultest way to make up all wants and losses in God and to sweeten the bitterest griefs with his loving kindness Might be found unto praise and honour and glory This is the end that is intended and shall be certainly obtain'd by all these hot trials Faith shall come through them all and shall be found unto praise c. An unskillfull beholder may think strange to see Gold thrown into the fire and left there for a time but he that puts it there would be loath to lose it his purpose is to make some costly piece of work of it every believer gives himself to Christ and he undertakes to present them blameless to the Father not one of them shall be lost nor one dram of their faith they shall be found and their Faith shall be found when he appears That faith that is here in the furnace shall be then made up into a Crown of pure Gold it shall be found unto praise and honour and Glory This Praise and Honour and Glory may be referr'd to believers themselves according to the Apostle S. Pauls Expression Rom. 2.7 or to Christ that appears but the two will agree well together that it be both to their Praise and to the Praise of Christ for certainly all their praise and glory shall terminate in the Glory of their Head Christ who is God blessed for ever they have each their Crown but their Honour is to cast them all down before his Throne He shall be glorified in his Saints and admired in them that believe They shall be glorious in Him and therefore in all their glory he shall be glorified for as they have derived theâ—r glory from him it shall all return back to him again At the appearance of Iesus Christ This denotes the Time when this shall come to pass For Christ is faithfull and true he hath promised to come again and to Judge the World in Righteousness and he will come and will not tarry he shall Judge Righteously in that day that was himself unrighteously judged here on Earth T is called the Revelation all other things shall be Revealed in that day the most hidden things good and evil unvail'd but 't is eminently the day of His Revelation it shall be by his Light by the brightness of his coming that all other things shall be reveal'd but he himself shall be the worthiest sight of all All eyes shall behold Him He shall then gloriously appear before all Men and Angels and shall by all be acknowledged to be the son of God and Judge of the World some shall with joy know him and acknowledge him to be foâ— others â—o their Horrours and amazement How beautifull shall he be to those that Love him when he as the glorious Head shall appear with his whole body mysticall together with him Then the Glory and Praise that all the Saints shall be honoured with shall recompense fully all the Scorns and Ignominies and Distresses they have met with here And they shall shine the brighter for them Oh! if we Consider'd often of that solemn day how light would we seâ— by the opinions of Men and all ouâ—ward hardships that can befall us digest dispraise and dishonour here and pass through all cheerfully providing we may be then found in him and so partakers of Praise and Glory and Honour in that day of his appearing Verses 8 9. 8. Whom haveing not seen yee Love in whom tho you see him not yet believing ye reâ—oyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 9. Receiveing the End of your faith even the Salvation of your Souls IT is a paradox to the world that the Apostle hath asserted that there is a Joy that can subsist in the midâ—â— of sorrow therefore he insists in the Confirmation of it And in all those words proves it to the full yea with advantage that the Saints have not only some measure of Joy in the griefs that abound upon them here but excellent and eminent Joy such as makes good all that can be said of it cannot
not then be our wisdom to make the worthiest choyce seeing it is offered us and is extream folly to reject it Grace doth not pluck up by the roots and wholly destroy the natural passions of the mind because they are distempered by sin that were an extreme remedy to Cure by killing and heal by cutting off no but it corrects the distemper in them it dries not up this main stream of Love but purifies it from the Mud it is full of in its wrong Course or calls it to its Right Channel by which it may run into Happiness and empty it selfe into the Ocean of goodness The Holy Spirit turns the love of the soul towards God in Christ for in that way only can it apprehend his Love so then Jesus Christ is the first Object of this divine Love he is Medium unionis through whom God conveys the sense of his Love to the soul and receives back its Love to him And if we will consider his incomparable Beauty we may look on it in the holy Scriptures particularly in that divine song of Loves Wherein Solomon borrowes all the beauties of the Creatures dips his pencill in all their severall Excellencies to set him forth unto us who is the chief of ten Thousands There is an inseparable intermixture of Love with Belief and a pious Affection receiving divine Truth so that in effect as we distinguish them they are mutually strengthened the one by the other and so though it seem a Circle 't is a divine one and falls not under censure of the School's Pedantry If you ask how shall I do to Love I Answer Believe If you ask how shall I believe I Answer Love Although the Expressions to a carnall mind are altogether unsavoury by gross mistaking them yet to a Soul taught to Read and Hear them by any measure of that same Spirit of love wherewith they were penn'd they are full of heavenly and unutterable sweetness Many Directions and means of begetting and increasing this Love of Christ may be here offered but they that delight in number may multiply them but sure this One will Comprehend the greatest and best part if not all of them Believe and you shall Love Believe much and you shall Love much labour for strong and deep persuasions of the glorious things that are spoken of Christ and this will command Love Certainly did Men indeed believe his worth they would accordingly Love him for the Reasonable Creature cannot but affect that most which it firmly believes to be worthy of affection O this mischief of Unbelief is that which makes the heart cold and dead towards God Seek then to believe Christs Excellency in himselfe and his Love to us and our interest in him and this will kindle such a fire in the heart as will make it ascend in a Sacrifice of Love to him Many Signes likewise of this Love may be multiplied according to the many fruits and workings of it but in them all it self is its own most infallible Evidence When the soul finds that all its Obedience and endeavour to keep the Commands of Jesus Christ which himself makes its Character do flow from Love then it is true and sincere For do or suffer what you will withour Love all passes for nothing All are Cyphers without it they signifie nothing 1. Cor. 13. This is the Message of the Gospell and that which the Ministry aimes at and therefore the Ministers ought to be Suitors not for themselves but for Christ to Espouse souls to him and to bring in many hearts to Love him And certainly this is the most compendious way to perswade to all other Christian duties this is to converse with Jesus Christ and therefore where his Love is no other incentive will be needfull For Love delights in the presence and converse of the party Loved If we are to perswade to duties of the second Table the summe of those is Love to our Brethren resulting from the Love of Christ which diffuseth such a sweetness into the soul that its all Love and meekness and Gentleness and long suffering If times be for suffering Love will make the soul not onely bear but welcome the bitterest afflections of life and the hardest kinds of death for his sake In a word there is in Love a sweet constraint or tying of the heart to all Obedience and Duty The Love of God is requisite in Ministers for their preaching of the word so our Saviour to St. Peter Iohn 21.15 Peter lovest thou me then feed my lambs It is requisite for the people that they receive the Truth in the Love of it and that Christ preach'd be Entertain'd in the soul and Embrac'd by Faith and Love You that have made choyce of Christ for your Love let not your hearts slip out to renew your wonted base familiarity with Sin For that will bring new bitterness to your souls and at least for some time will deprive you of the sensible favour of your beloved Jesus delight alwayes in God and give him your whole heart for he deserves it all and is a satisfying good to it the largest heart is all of it too strait for the riches of consolation that he brings with him seek to Increase in this Love for tho its at first weak yet Labour to find it daily rise higher and burn hotter and clearer and consume the dross of Earthly desires Receiving the end of your Faith Although the soul that Believes and Loves is put in present possession of God as far as it is Capable in its sojourning here yet it desires a full Enjoyment which it cannot attain to without Removing hence While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord saith the Apostle And because they are assur'd of that happy Exchange that being united and freed of this body they shall be present with the Lord and that having his own word for 't that Where he is they shall be also this begets such an assured Hope as bears the name of possession Therefore its said here Receiveing the end of your faith This Receiveing likewise flows from Faith Faith apprehends the present Truth of the divine Promises and so makes the things to come present and Hope looks out to their after Accomplishment which if the promises be true as Faith averrs then Hope hath good reason firmly to expect it This desire and Hope are the very wheels of the Soul that carry it on and Faith the common Axis on which they rest In the words there are two things 1. The good hoped for in Christ so Believed on and Loved 2. The assuredness of the Hope it selfe yea as sure as if it were already accomplished As for the good hoped for it consists 1. In the nature of it Viz. The Salvation of their Soul 2. in a Relative Property of it the End of their Faith The nature of it is Salvation and Salvation of the soul it imports full deliverance from all kind of misery and
and set with Princes As there is Joy from Faith so also from Love Though 't is in it self the most sweet and delightfull passion of the Soul yet as we foolishly misplace it it prove often full of bitterness but being set upon Jesus Christ the only right and worthy Object it Causeth this unspeakable Delight and Rejoycing 1. T is matter of joy to have bestowed our Love so worthily and though our Saviour seems to withdraw himselfe and sometimes sadden the soul that loves him with absences in regard of sense yet even in those sad times the soul delights to Love him and there is a pleasure in the very pains it hath in seeking after him And this it knowes that his mercies are Everlasting and that he cannot be long unkind but will return and speak comfortably unto it 2. Our Love to Christ gives us assurance of His to us so that we have not only chosen worthily but shall not be frustrate and dissapointed and it assures us of his not as following but preceeding and Causing ours for our Love to Jesus Christ is no other but the reflex of his on us Wine maketh glad the heart but thy love is better then wine saith the Spouse And having this perswasion that he hath loved us and wash'd us in his blood and forgets us not in our conflicts that though he himself is in his Glory yet that he interceed's for us there and will bring us thither what condition can befal us so hard but we may Rejoyce in it And in them so far as we are sure to arrive at that full Salvation and fruition of him who hath purchas'd it Then there is the third Cause of our Rejoyceing viz. our Hope Now Hope is our anchor pitch'd within the vail that stayes us against all the stormes that beat upon us in this troublesome Sea that we are tossed upon The Soul that strongly Believes and Loves may confidently Hope to see what it believeth and Enjoy what it loves and in that rejoyce It may say whatsoever hazards whether ontward or inward whatsoever Afflictions and Temptations I endure yet this one thing puts me out of hazard and in that I will Rejoyce the salvation of my Soul depends not upon my own strength but is in my Saviours hand my life is hid with Christ in God and when he who is my Life shall appear I likewise shall appear with him in Glory The Childish world is hunting shadows and gaping and hoping after they know not what but the Believer can say I know whom I have trusted and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day Now we have not only right to those things but withal there must be frequent Consideration of them to work Joy The Soul must often view them and so Rejoyce My meditation of him shall be sweet saith David I will be glad in the Lord Psal. 104. And the Godly failing in thiâ— deprive themselves much of that Joy they might have and they that are most in these sublime thoughts have the highest and truest Joy The Excellency of this Joy the Apostle here expresseth by these two words Vnspeakable and full of glory That 't is Vnspeakable no wonder seeing the matter of iâ— is Inconceivable it is an Infinite Good God reconciled in Jesus Christ and testifying and sealing his Love unto the soul and giving assured hope of that blessed Vision of Eternity what more unspeakable than this And for the same Reason 't is Glorious or glorified joy having the highest and most glorious Object for it derives all its Excellency from thence Vnspeakable The best worldly Joyes are easily speakable they may be express'd to the uâ—most yea usually more is spoke of them then they are indeed Their name is beyond their worth they are very seldom found upon experience equal to the opinion and expectation that men have of them But this spiritual Joy is above the report any can make of it say what they can of it who are of happiest Expression yet when a Man comes to know it in his own breast he will say as that Queen said of Salomons wisdom the half was not told me of it Again earthly Joyes are Inglorious Many of which Men are asham'd of and those that seem most plausible yet are below the Excellency of the Soul and cannot fill it but the Joyes that arise from Union with Christ as they are most avowable a Man needs not blush to own them so they are truly contenting and satisfying and that 's their Glory and the Cause why we may glory in them My soul shall make her boast in God sayes David For Application of all this If these things were believed we would hearken no more to the foolish prejudice that the World hath taken up against Religion and wherewith Satan endeavours to possess mens hearts that they may be scarr'd from the wayes of Holiness 't is that they think it a Sour Melanel oly life that hath nothing but Sadness and Mourning in it but to remove this prejudice Consider 1. Religion barres not the lawful delights that are taken in natural things but teaches the moderate and regular use of them which is far the sweeter for things lawful in themselves are in their excess sinful and so prove Bitterness in the end and if in some cases it require the forsaking of lawful Enjoyments as of pleasure or Profits or Honour for God and for his Glory this is Generous and truly more delightful to deny them for this reason then to enjoy them Men have done much this way for the Love of their Country and by a Principle of Moral Vertue but to lose any delight or to suffer any hardship for that highest End the glory of God and by the strength of love to him is far more Excellent and truly Pleasant 2. The delights and pleasures of sin Religion indeed banishes but 't is to change them for this Joy that is unspeakably beyond them it calls men from sordid and base delights to those that are pure delights indeed it calls to Men drink ye no longer of the pudle here are the Crystal streams of a living fountain There is a delight in the very despising impure delights as he said how pleasant is it to want these pleasures But for such a change to have in their stead such delights as in comparison the other deserve not that name To have such spiritual joy as shall end in Eternal Joy 't is a wonder we hasten not all to chuse this joy but 't is indeed because we believe it not 3. 'T is true the Godly are subject to great Distresses and Afflictions but their Joy is not extinguished by those no nor diminished either but often sensibly increasâ—d When they have least of the Worlds joy they abound most in Spiritual Consolations and then Relish them best They find them sweetest when their taste is not depraved with Earthly enjoyments We rejoyce in
tribulation sayes St. Paul and here our Apostle insists on that to verifie the subsistance of this Joy in the midst of the greatest afflictions 4. Spiritual Grief that seems most opposite to this Spiritual Joy prejudgeth it not for there is a secret delight and sweetness in the tears of Repentance a Balm in them that refreshes the Soul and even their saddest kind of mourning viz. The dark times of Desertion hath this in it that is some way sweet that those mournings after their Beloved who absents himselfe is a mark of their Love to him and a true Evidence of it and then all these spiritual sorrowes of what nature soever are turn'd into Spiritual Joy that 's the proper End of them they have a natural tendency that way 5. But the Natural Man still doubts of this Joy we speak of because he sees and hears so little of it from them that profess to have it and seem to have best right to it If we consider the wretchedness of this Life and especially the abundance of Sin that 's in the World what wonder though this their Joy retire much inward and appear litle abroad where all things are so contrary to it and so few that are capable of it to whom 't were pertinent to vent it Again we see here 't is Vnspeakable it were a poor thing if he that hath it could tell it all out And when the Soul hath most of it then it remains most within it self and is so inwardly taken up with it that possibly it can then least of all express it 'T is with Joyes as they say of Cares and Griefs Leves Loquuntur ingentes stupent The deepest waters run stillest true Joy is a sollid grave thing dwells more in the heart then the Countenance whereas on the Contrary base and false Joyes are but superficial skin-deep as we say they are all in the face Think not that it is with the godly as the Prophet sayes of the wicked that there is no peace to them and the LXX Reads it no Ioy. Certainly 't is true There is no true Joy to the wicked they may revel and make a noise but they Rejoyce not the Laughter of the fool is as the crackling of thornes under the pot a great noise but little heat and soon at an End There is no continuing Feast but that of a good Conscience Wickedness and real Joy cannot dwell together as the very Moralist Seneca hath it often and at large but he that can say the Righteousness of Jesus Christ is Mine and in him the favour of God and the hope of Eternal Happiness hath such a light as can shine in the darkest Dungeon yea in the dark valley of the shadow of death it selfe Say not thou if I betake my self to the way of Godliness I must bid farewel to gladness never a merry day more no on the contrary never a truly Joyful day till then yea no dayes at all but night to the soul till it entertain Jesus Christ and his kingdom which consists in those Righteousness Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Thou dost not sacrifice Isaac which signifies Laughter as St. Bern. but a Ram. Not thy Joy but filthy sinful delights that end in Sorrow Oh seek to know in your Experience what those Joyes mean for all describing and commending it to you will not make you understand it but taste and see that the Lord is good you cannot see and know it but by tasting it and having tasted that goodness all those poor Joyes you thought sweet before will then be bitter and distasteful to you And you that have Christ yours by Believing know your happiness and Rejoyce and Glory in it Whatsoever is your outward Condition Rejoyce alwayes and again I say Rejoyce for Light is sowâ— to the Righteous and Ioy for the upright in heart Verses 10 11 12. 10. Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched dilligently who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you 11. Searching what or what maner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when he testified before hand the sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow 12. Vnto whom it was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did Minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have Preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things the Angels desire to look into IT is the Ignorance or at least the Inconsiderance of Divine things that makes Earthly things whether good or evil appear great in our Eyes Therefore the Apostles great aime is by representing the Certainty and Excellency of the Belief and Hope of Christians to his afflicted Brethren to strenthen their minds against all discouragements and oppositions That they may account nothing too hard to doe or suffer for so high a Cause and so happy an End 'T is the low and mean thoughts and the shallow perswassion we have of things that are spiritual that is the Cause of all our Remisseness and Coldness in them The doctrine of Salvation he mention'd in the former verse at the End of our Christian Faith is illustrated in these words from its Antiquity Dignity and infallible truth 'T is no more Invention for the Prophets enquir'd after it and foretold it in former ages from the beginning Thus the prejudice of novelty is removed that usually meets the most ancient truth in its new discoveries Again 't is no mean thing that such Men as were of unquestion'd Eminency in Wisdom and Holiness did so much study and search after and having found out were careful not only to publish it in their own times but to record it to posterity and this not by the private motion of their own spirits but by the Acting and Guidance of the Spirit of God which sets likewise the truth of their Testimony above all doubtfulness and uncertainty But taking those three Verses entirely together we have in them those three things testifying how Excellent the Doctrine of the Gospel is 1. We have the Principal Author of it 2. The matter of it 3. The worth of those that are exercis'd about it viz. The best of Men the Prophets and Apostles in administring it and the best of all the Creatures the Angels in admiring it The first Author is the absolutely first the Spirit of God in the prophets Ver. 11. in the Apostles Ver. 12. but Ver. 11. The spirit of Christ there is the same spirit that He sent down on his Disciples after his Ascending to Glory and which spoke in his Prophets before his Descending to the Earth It is the spirit of Christ proceeding joyntly from him with the Father as he is the son of God and dwelling most richly and fully in him as the son of Man The Holy Ghost is in himself Holiness and the Source and worker of Holiness and Author of this holy doctrine that breaths
enough and therefore upon the sight desired to have his eyes clos'd Now let thy Servant depart in Peace for my eyes have seâ—n thy salvation Therefore our Saviour sayes to his Apostles Math. 13.16 Blessed are your eyes for they see for many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them This is he whom we disesteem and make so small account of being now so clearly Revealed that they studied and sought and wish'd so much for so many ages before Now the sucess is in seeking they found the certainty and the time of that his coming they sought out till they found and then they prophesied of that Salvation and Grace they searched what and what manner of time and the Spirit did manifestly foretel it them They sought to know what manner of time it should come to pass viz. In a time of great distress and bad Estate of the People as all the Prophets testifie and particularly that place Gen. 49.10 gives an express character of the time though there be some diversity of Exposition of the particular words yet the main sense is agreed on by all sound Interpreters and the Chal. Parah hath it expresly that that Shiloh is the Messiah And of his sufferings and after glories they prophesied very clearly as Psal. 22. Isa. 53. c. And our Saviour himself makes use of their testimony in both these points S. Luke 24.25 26 27. Then there is the benefit of their search and finding in the extent of it in Verse 13. to the Believers in the Apostles times and to the succeeding Christian Church and so to us in these dayes but in some peculiar sense the Prophets ministred to them of those times wherein Christ did suffer and enter into glory for that they were the first that enjoyed the accomplishment of those Prophesies they being fulfilled in their own dayes They knew well that the things they Prophesied were not to be fulfilled in their own times and therefore in their Prophecying concerning them though both themselves and People of God that were contemporary with them did reap the comfort of that Doctrine and were by faith partakers of the same Salvation and so it was to themselves as well as to us yet in regard of the accomplishment they knew it was not to themselves it was not to be brought to pass in their dayes and therefore speaking of the Glory of Christs Kingdome they often foretel it for the Latter dayes as their phrase is And as we have the things they Prophesied of so we have this peculiar benefit of their Prophesies that their fuiting so perfectly with the event and performance serves much to confirm our Christian Faith There is a foolish and miserable way of verifying this Men ministring the Doctrine of Salvation to others and not to themselves carrying it all in their heads and tongues and none of it in their hearts not hearing it even while they Preach it reaching the Bread of Life to others and eating none of it themselves And this the Apostle sayes that he was most careful to avoid and therefore dealt severely with his body that it might not this way endanger his soul. I beat down my body sayes he and keep it in subjection lest when I have Preach'd to others I my selfe should be a Castaway 'T is not in this sense that the Prophets ministred to others and not to themselves No they had Joy and Comfort in the very hopes of the Redeemer to come and the belief of the things that any others had spoke and that themselves spoke concerning him and thus the true Preachers of the Gospel though their Ministerial gifts are for the use of others yet that Salvation they Preach they lay hold on and partake of themselves as your boxes wherein perfumes are kept for Garments and other uses are themselves perfum'd by keeping them We see how the Prophets Ministred it as the great and never failing Consolation of the Church in those dayes in all their distresses 't is a wonder when they are foretelling either the sorrowes and afflictions or temporal restorement and deliverances of that People of the Jewes what sudden outleaps they will make to speak of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ and the dayes of the Gospel that who considers not the spirit they were moved by would think it were Incoherence and Impertinency but they knew well what they meant that those newes were never unseasonable nor besides the purpose that the sweetness of those thoughts viz. The Consideration of the Messiah was able to such as belie'v'd it to allay the bitterest distresses and that the great deliverance he was to worke was the top and summe of all deliverances Thus their Prophecies of him were present Comfort to themselves and other believers then and further were to serve for a clear evidence of the divine truth of those Misteries in the dayes of the Gospel in and after their fulfilling These sweet streams of their Doctrine doe as the Rivers they made their own banks fertile and pleasant as it ran by and flowed still forward to after Ages and by the Confluence of more such Prophecies grew greater as it went till it fell in with the main current of the Gospel in the New Testament both acted and Preach'd by the great Prophet himselfe whom they foretold to come and recorded by his Apostles and Evangelists and thus united into one River clear as Crystall This doctrine of Salvation in the Scriptures hath still refresh'd the City of God his Church under the Gospel and still shall do so till it empty it self into the Ocean of Eternity The first discovery we have of this stream nearest its source the Eternall purpose of divine mercy is in that Promise which the Lord himself preach'd in few words to our first parents that had newly made themselves and their Race miserable The seed of the Woman shall break the head of the serpent Gen. 3.15 The agreement of their Predictions with the things themselves and the preaching of the Apostles following the other kind of Men employed in this Salvation make up one Organ or great Instrument Tun'd by the same hand and sounding by the same breath of the spirit of God and that is express'd here as the common Authority of the Doctrine in both and the cause of their harmony and agreement in it And all these extraordinary Gifts of the holy Ghost the Calling of Prophets and Apostles and Evangelists and the ordinary Ministry of the Gospel by pastors and Teachers tends to that great designe that God hath in building his Church making up that great assembly of all the Elect to enjoy and praise him for all Eternity Eph. 4.11 For this end sent he his Son out of his bosome and and for this end sends he forth his messengers to divulge that salvation that his Son hath wrought and sends down his spirit upon them that they may be fitted for so high a service Those
among ten thousands yea the fairest of the Children of men for that he is withall the onely begotten Son of God the brightness of his fathers glory and the express image of his Person Heb. 1.3 The soul once acquainted with him can with disdain turn off all the base sollicitations and importunities of sin and command them away that formerly had command over it though they plead former familiarities and the interest they once had in the heart of a Christian before it was enlightned and renewed He can well tell them after his sight of Christ that it is true while he knew no better then they were he thought them lovely and pleasing but that one glance of the face of Jesus Christ hath turn'd them all into extream blackness and deformity that so soon as ever Christ appear'd to him they straightway lost all their credit and esteem in his heart and have lost it for ever they need never look to recover it any more And ' its from this that the Apostle enforceth this dehortation ' its true the lusts and vanities that are in request in the world were so with you but 't was when you were blind they were the lusts of your Ignorance but now you know how ill they will suite with the light of that Gospel which you profess and that inward light of faith which is in the souls of such as be really believers Therefore seeing you have renounc'd them keep them still at that distance do not ever admitt them more to lodge within you that sure you cannot do but do not so much as for custom sake and compliance with the world about you outwardly conform your selves to any of them or make semblance to partake of them as S. Paul sayes have no more fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but rather reprove them reprove them by your carriage and let the light of your holy lives discover their soulness 2. Positive Be yea holy This includes the former the renouncing of the lusts and pollutions of the world both in heart and life and addes farther filling of their room being cast out with the beautiâ—ying graces of the spirit of God and the acting of those in their whole conversation in private and abroad â—n conversing with themselves and conversing with others whether good or bad in a constant even courâ—e still like themselves and like him who hath called them for 't is a most unseemly and unpleasant thing to see a Man's life full of ups and downs one step like a Christian and another like a wordling it cannot chuse but both pain himself disedifie others But as he that calleth you is holy Consider whose you are and you cannot deny that it becomes you to be holy your near Relation to the holy God this is express'd two wayes namely As children and as he which hath called you Which is all one as if he had said hath begotten you again the vâ—ry outward vocation of those that profess Christ presseth holiness upon them but the inward far more you were running to destruction in the way of sin and there was a voyce together with the Gospel preached to your ear that spake into your heart and call'd you back from that path of death to the way of holiness which is the onely way of life He hath sever'd you from the mass of the perfane world and pickt you out to be jewels for himself he hath set you apart for this end that you may be holy to him as the Hebrew Word that signifies holiness is from seting â—part or fitting for a peculiar use be not then uâ—true to his designe he hath not called you to uncleanness but unto holiness Thes. 4. Therefore be ye holy 't is sacriledge for you to dispose of your selves after the impure manner of the world and to apply your selves to any profane use whom God hath consecrated to himself As children This is no doubt relative to that which he spoke Verse 3. by way of thanksgiving and that wherefore of the 13. Verse drawes it down hither by way of Exhortation Seeing you are by a spiritual and new birth the Children of so great and good a Father he commands you holiâ—â—ss be obedient Children in being holy and seeing he himself is most holy be like him as his Children be ye holy as he is holy As obedient Children Opposit to that Eph. 2â— Sons of disobedience or unbelief as the word may be rendered and that is alwayes the spring of dissobedience Sons of misperswasibleness that will not be drawn and perswaded by the tenderest mercies of God Now though this Hebrew manner of speech Sons of obedience and disobedience signifie no more but obedient or disobedient Persons yet it doth signifie it most emphatically and means a high degree of obedience or disobedience these Sons of disobedience Verse 2. are likewise Sons of wrath Verse 3. Of all Children the Children of God are most obliged to Obedience for he is both the wisest and the lovingest of fathers And the summe of all his Commands is that which is their glory and happiness that they endeavour to be like him to resemble their heavenly father be ye perfect as your heavenly father is perfect sayes our Saviour And here the Apostle citing out of the Law be ye holy for I am holy Levit. 11.44 Law and Gospel agree in this And as Children that resemble their Fathers as they grow up in years they grow the likâ—r to them thus the Children of God do increase in their resemblance and are daiâ—y more and more renew'd after his Image There is in them an innate likeness by his Image impress'd on them in their first renovation and his spirit dwelling within them and there is a continuing increase of it by their pious imitation and study of conformity which is here exhorted to The imitation of vitious Men and the corrupt world is here forbid the imitation of Mens indifferent customes is base and servile the imitation of the vertues of good Men is commendable but the imitation of this highest pattern this Primitive goodness the most holy God is the top of Excellency And 't is well said Summa Religionis est imitari quem colis All of us offer him some kind of worship but few seriously study and endeavour this blessed conformity There is no question among those that profess themselves the People of God a select number that are indeed his children and bear his Image both in their hearts and in their lives this Impression of holiness is on themselves and their conversation but with the most a name and a form of godliness is all they have for Religion Alas We speak of holiness and we hear of it and it may be we commend it but we act it not or if we do 't is but acting of it in that sense the word is taken for a personated acting as on a stage in the sight of Men not as in the sight of our lovely God
this Fear is twofold 1. Their Relation to God 2. Their Relation to the world First To God as their Father as their Judge because you do call him father and profess your selves his Children begotten again by him for this looks back to that it becomes you as obedient Children to stand in awe and fear to offend him your father and a father so full of Goodness and tender love but as he is the best father so consider that he is withall the greatest and justest judge Iudges according to every mans work God allwayes sees and discerns Men and all their work and judgeth that is accounteth of them as they are and sometimes in this life declares this his judgement of them to their own Consciences and in some to the view of others in visible punshments and rewards but the most solemn judgement of all is reserv'd to that Great day which he hath appointed Wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by his son Iesus Act. 17 32. There is here The Soveraignty of this judge the universality of his Judgement and the Equity of it all must answer at his great Court he is supreme Judge of the world he made it and hath therefore unquestionable right to Judge it he judgeth everyman and 't is a most righteous Judgement which hath these two in it First an exact and perfect knowledge of all Mens works 2. impartiall judgement of them so known This Second is express'd negatively by removing the crooked Rule which mans judgement often follows ' its without Consideration of those personall differences that men eye so much And the first is according to the work it self Iob. 34.19 He accepteh not the person of princes nor regardeth the rich more than the poor and the reason is added therefore they are all the work of his hands He made all the persons and he makes all those differences himself as it pleaseth him therefore he doth not admire them as we do no nor at all regard them we find very great odds betwixt stately palaces and poor Cottages betwixt a Princes Robes and a Beggars Cloak but to God they are all one all these petty differences vanish in Comparison of his own greatness Men are great and small compar'd one with another but they all together amount to just nothing in respect of him We find high mountains and low valleys on this Earth but compar'd with the vast compass of the heavens 't is all but as a point and hath no sensible greatness at all Nor regards he any other differences to byasse his Judgement from the works of men to their persons You profess the true Religion and call him Father but if you live devoid of his fear and be disobedient Children he will not spare you because of that Relation but rather punish you the more severely because you pretended to be his Children and yet obeyed him not therefore you shall find him your Judge and an impartiall Judge of your works Remember therefore that your father is this Judge and fear to offend him But then indeed a Believer may look back to the other for comfort that abuses it not to a sinfull security He resolves thus willingly I will not sin because my father is this just Judge but for my frailties I will hope for mercy because the Judge is my father Their works comprehends all actions and words yea thoughts and each work intirely taken outside and inside together for he sees all alike and judgeth according to all together he looks on the wheels and paces within as well as on the handle without and therefore ought we to fear the least crookedness of our intentions in the best works for if we entertain any such and study not singleness of heart this will cast all though we pray and hear the word and preach it and live outwardly unblameably And in that great Judgement all secret things shall be manifest as they are alwayes open to the eye of this Judge so he shall then open them before Men and Angels therefore let the Remembrance and frequent Consideration of this all-seeing Judge and of that great Judgement wean our hearts and beget in us this fear 2 Cor. 5.10.11 If you would have confidence in that day and not fear it when it comes fear it now so as to avoid sin for they that now tremble at it shall then when it comes lift up their faces with joy and they that will not fear it now shall then be overwhelm'd with fears and terrour they shall have such a burden of fear then as that they shall account the hills and mountains lighter than it Pass the time of your Sojourning here in Fear In this I conceive is Implied another persuasive of this fear You are Sojurners and Strangers as here the word signifies and a warry circumspect carriage becomes strangers because they are most expos'd to wrongs and hard accidents You are encompassed with enemies and snares how can you be secure in the midst of them this is not your rest watchfull fear becomes this your sojurning Perfect peace and security is reserved for you at home and that 's the last term of this fear it continues all the time of this sojurning life dyes not before us we and it shall expire together Blessed is he that feareth alwayes says Salomon in secret and in society in his own house and in Gods we must hear the word with fear and preach it with fear affraid to miscarry in our Intentions and Manners Serve the Lord with fear yea in times of inward comfort and joy yet rejoyce with trembling Psa. 2.11 Not onely when he feels most his own weakness but when he finds himself strongest None so high advanc'd in Grace here below as to be out of need of this Grace but when their sojourning shall be done and they are come home to their fathers house above then no more fearing No entry for dangers there and therefore no fear A holy Reverence of the Majesty of God they shall indeed have then most of all as the Angels still have because they shall see him most clearly and the more he is known the more Revernc'd but this Fear that relates to danger shall then vanish For there there is neither sin nor sorrow for sin nor tentation to sin no more Conflicts but after a full and finall victory an Eternall peace an Everlasting Triumph Not onely fear but faith and hope do imply some Imperfection not consistent with that blessed Estate and therefore all of them having obtained their End shall end Faith in sight and Hope in possession and fear in perfect safety and Everlasting Love and delight shall fill the whole soul in the vision of God Verse 18. For as much as ye know that ye were not Redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation received by tradition from your fathers IT is Impossible for a Christian to give himself to conforme with the world's ungodliness unless first
without it 't is true that the substantial Eternal word is to us as we said the spring of this New birth and life the head from whom the spirits of this supernatural life flow but that by the Word here is meant the Gospel the Apostle puts ouâ— of doubt Verse last and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you Therefore it is indeed that this Word is thus the seed of this New birth because it contains and declares that other word the Son of God as our life The word is spoken in common and so is the same to all hearers but then all being naturally shut against it God doth by his own hand open some hearts to receive it and mixes it with faith and those it renews and restoreth in them the Image of God drawes the traits of it anew and makes them the Sons of God My Doctrine shall drop as the dew sayes Moses the word as a heavenly dew not falling beside but dropt in to the heart by the hand of Gods own spirit makes it all become spiriâ—ual and heavenly and turns it into one of those drops of dew that the Children of God are compared to Psal. 110. Thou hast the dew of thy youth The natural estate of the soul is darkness and the word as a divine light shining into it transforms the soul into its own nature that as the word is called Light so is the soul renew'd by it ye were darkness but now are ye not only enlightn'd but light in the Lord. All the evils of the natural mind are often compriz'd under the name of darkness and Errour and therefore the whole work of conversion likewise signified by light and truth he begat us by the word of truth So 2 Cor. 4 6. alluding to the first fiat Lux or Let there â—e Light in the Creation The word brought within the soul by the spirit lets it see its own necessity and Christs sufficiency convinceth it throughly and causeth it to cast over it self upon him for life and this is the very begetting of it again to Eternal life So that this Efficacy of the word to prove successful seed doth not hang upon the different abilities of Preachers their more or less Rhetorick or Learning 'T is true Eloquence hath a great advantage in civil and moral things to perswade and and to draw the hearers by the Ears almost which way it will but in this spiritual work to revive a soul to beget it anew the Influence of heaven is the main there is no way so common and plain being warranted by God in the delivery of saving truth but the spirit of God can revive the soul by it and all the skilful and most autoritative way yea being withal very spiritual yet may effect nothing because left alone to it self One word of holy Scripture or of truth conform to it may be the principle of Regeneration to him that hath heard multitudes of excellent Sermons and hath often read the whole Bible and still unchang'd if the spirit of God preach that one or any such word to the Soul God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life It will be cast down with the fear of perishing and driven out of it self by that and rais'd up and drawn to Jesus Christ by the hope of everlasting life it will believe on him that it may have life and be inflamed with the Love of God and give it self to him that so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son to purchase us that everlasting life Thus may that word prove this Immortal Seed which tho very often read and heard before was but a dead letter A drop of those liquors that are called Spirits operates more than large draughts of other waters one word spoke by the Lord to the heart is all Spirit and doth that which whole streams of Mans eloquence could never effect In hearing of the Word Men look usually too much upon Men and forget from what spring the Word hath its power they observe too narrowly the different hand of the Sowers and too little depend on his hand that is great Lord both of Seed-time and Harvest Be it sowen by a weak hand or a stronger the Immortal seed is still the same yea suppose the worst that it be a foul hand that sowes it that the Preacher himself be not so sanctified and of so edifying a life as you would wish yet the seed it self being good contracts no defilement and may be effectual to Regeneration in some and strengthening of others Although he that is not renew'd by it himself cannot have much hope of such success nor reap much comfort by it and usually doth not seek nor regard it much but all Instruments are alike in an Almighty hand Hence learn 1. That true conversion is not so slight a work as we commonly account it 'T is not an outward change of some bad customes which gains the name of a reform'd Man in the ordinary dialect 't is a New birth and Being and elsewhere called a new Creation though it be but a change in qualities as 't is such a one and the qualities so far distant that it bears the name of the most substantial productions from Children of disobedience and that which is link't with it heirs of wrath to be sons of God and heirs of glory They have a new spirit given a free princely noble spirit as the word is Psal. 51. and this spirit acts in their life and action 2. Consider this dignity and be kindled with the ambition of it how doth a Christian pity that poor vanity that men make so much noise about of of their kindred and extraction this is worth glorying in indeed to be of the highest blood royal and in the nearest Relation Sons of the King of Kings by this new birth and addes Matchless honour to that birth which is honourable But we all pretend to be of this number Would we not study to cozen our selves the discovery would not be so hard to know whither we are or not In many their false confidence is too evident No appearance of the spirit of God not a foot-step like his leading and that character Rom. 8.14 not a lineament of God's visage as their father if ye know that he is righteous sayes St. Iohn 2.29 ye know then that every one that doth righteousness is born of him And so on the contrary how contrary to the most holy God the lover and fountain of holiness are they that Swinishly love to wallow in the mire of unholiness Is Swearing and Cursing the accent of the Regenerate the Children of God No 't is the language of Hell Do children delight to indignifie and dishonour their Fathers Name No Earthly mindedness is a countersign Shall the King's Children they that were brought up in scarlet as Ieremy laments embrace the dunghil
which is able to save our souls Thus ought they that Preach to speak it to endeavour their utmost to accommodate it to this end that sinners may be converted begotten again and believers nourish'd and strengthned in their spiritual life to regard no lower end but aim steddily at that mark Their hearts and tongues ought to be set on fire with holy zeal for God and love to souls kindled by the Holy Ghost that came down on the Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues And they that hear should remember this as the end of their hearing that they may receive spiritual life and strength by the word for though it seems a poor despicable busines that a frail sinful Man like your selves speak a few words in your hearing yet look upon it as the way wherein God communicates happiness to them that believe and works that believing unto happiness alters the whole frame of the soul and makes a new creation as it begets it again to the Inheritance of glory Consider it thus which is its true notion and then what can be so precious Let the world disesteem it as they will know ye that it is the power of God unto salvation The Preaching of the cross is to them that perish foollishness but unto them that are saved it is the power of God sayes the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.18 And if you would have the experience of this if you would have life and growth by it you must look above the poor worthless Messenger and call in his almighty help who is the Lord of life As the Philosophers affirm that if the Heavens should stand still there would be no generation nor flourishing of any thing here below 't is the moving and influence of the spirit that makes the Church fruitful Would you do this before you come here present the blindness of your minds and the deadness of your hearts to God and say Lord here 's an opportunity for thee to shew the power of thy word I would find life and strength in it but neither can I that hear nor he that speaks make it thus unto me that 's thy prerogative say thou the word and it shall be done God said let there be light and it was light In this Exhortation to the due use of the word the Apostle continues the resemblance of that new birth he mention'd Chap. 1. As new born babes Be not satisfied with your selves till you find some evidence of this new this supernatural life There be delights and comforts in this life in its lowest condition that would perswade us to look after it if we knew them The most cannot be made sensible of those consider therefore the end of it Better never to have been than not to have been partaker of this new being Except a man be born again sayes our Saviour he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Surely they that are not born again shall one day wish they had never been born What a poor wretched thing is the life that we have here a very heap of follies and miseries now if we would share in a happier being after it that life that ends not it must begin here grace and glory is one and the same Life only with this difference that the one is the beginning and the other the perfection of it or if we do call them two several lives yet the one is the undoubted pledge of the other 'T was a strange word for a Heathen to say that that day of death we fear so aeterninatalis est is the birth day of Eternity Thus it is indeed to those that are here born again this new birth of grace is the sure earnest and counter-pawn of that birth day of glory Why do we not then labour to make this certain by the former Is it not a fearful thing to spend our dayes in vanity and then ly down in darkness and sorrow for ever to disregard the life of our soul while we may and should be provident for it and then when its going out cry quo nunc abibis whither art thou going O my soul But this new life puts us out of the danger and fear of that Eternal death we are passed from death to life sayes St. Iohn speaking of those that are born again and being passed there is no repassing no going back from this life to death again This new birth is the same that St. Iohn calls the first Resurrection and pronounces them blessed that partake of it Blessed are they that have part in the first Resurrection the second death shall have no power over them The weak beginnings of grace in comparison of further strength attainable even in this life are sometimes express'd as the infancy of it and so believers ought not to continue Infants and if they do 't is reprovable in them as we see Eph. 4.14 1 Cor. 2.2 1 Cor. 14.20 Heb. 5.12 though the Apostle writes to new Converts and so may possibly imply the tenderness of their beginnings of grace yet I conceive that Infancy is here taken in such a sense as agrees to a Christian in the whole course and best estate of his Spiritual life here below and so likewise the milk here recommended is answerable to this sense of Infancy and not to the former as 't is in some of those cited places where it means the easiest and first Principles of Religion and so is oppos'd to the higher mysteries of it as to strong meat but here it signfies the whole word of God and all its wholesome and saving truths as the proper nourishment of the Children of God And so the Apostles words are a standing Exhortation for all Christians of all degrees And the whole estate and course of their Spiritual life here is called there Infancy not only as oppos'd to Corruption and wickedness of the old man but likewise as signifying the weakness and imperfection of it at its best in this life compar'd with the perfection of the life to come for the weakest beginnings of grace are nothing so far below the highest degree of it possible in this life as that highest degree falls short of the state of glory so that if one measure of grace is called Infancy in respect of another much more is all grace Infancy in respect of Glory And sure as for Time the time of our present life is far less to eternity than the time of our natural Infancy is to the rest of our life so that we may be still call'd but new or lately born Our best pace and strongest walking in obedience here is but as the stepping of Children when they begin to go by hold in comparison of the perfect obedience in glory when we shall follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes all our knowledge here is but the Ignorance of Infants and all our expressions of God and of his Praises but as the first stammerings of Children in comparison of the knowledge we shall have of him hereafter
unvail'd and appear what they are indeed before Men and Angels 't is a poor thing to be approved and applauded by Men while God condemns to whose sentence all men must stand or fall Oh seek to be approved and justified by him and then who shall condemn 'T is no matter who do How easily may we bear the mistakes and dislikes of all the world if he declare himself well-pleas'd with us It is a small thing for me to be judged of Man or mans day he that judgeth me is the Lord. Saith the Apostle But these evils are here particularly to be put off as contrary to the right and profitable receiving of the word of God for this part of the exhortation Laying aside Desire look's to that which follows and is specially so to be considered There is this double task in Religion When a Man enters to it he is not only to be taught true wisdom but he is withall yea first of all to be untaught the Errours and wickedness that are deep rooted in his mind which he hath not only learn'd by the corrupt conversation of the world but brought the seeds of them into the world with him and they improve and grow indeed by the favour of that example that is round about a Man But they are orginally in our nature as it is now they are connaturall to us besides continuall custome which is another nature There is none comes to the School of Christ suiting the Philosopher's word ut taâ—ula rasa as blank paper to receive his doctrine but on the contrary all scribl'd and blurr'd with such base habits as these malice hypocrisie envy c. Therefore the first work is to raze out these to cleanse and purifie the heart from these blotts those foul characters that it may receive the impression of the image of God And because it is the word of God that both begins and followes forth this work draws the lineaments of that divine Image on the soul therefore to the receiving this word aright and this proper effect by it the conforming of the soul to Jesus Christ which is the true growth of the spirituall life this is prerequir'd that the hearts of them that hear it be purged of these such and like impurities malice hypocrisie c. These are so opposite to the profitable receiving of the word of God that while they possess and rule the soul it cannot at all embrace those divine truths While it is fill'd with such guests there is no room to entertain the word They cannot dwell together by reason of their contrary nature the word will not mixe with thâ—se the saving mixture of the word of God in the soul is that the Apostle speaks of and gives the want of it as the cause of unprofitable hearing the word Heb. 4.2 the mixing of it with saith For by that the word is concocted into the nourishment of the life of grace united to the soul and mix'd with it by being mix'd with faith as the Apostle's expression imports That 's the proper mixture it requires but with these qualities here mention'd it will not mix There is a naturall antipathy betwixt them as strong as in those things in nature that cannot be brought by any means to agree and mingle together Can there be any thing more contrary than the good word of God as the Apostle calls it and those evil speakings Than the word that is of such excellent sweetness and the bitter words of a malignant tongue Than the word of life and words full of deadly poyson For so slanders and diffamings of our brethren are And is not all malice and envy most opposite to the word that is the message of peace and Love how can the gall of malice and this milk of the word agree Hypâ—crisie and guile stand in direct opposition to the name of this word that is called the word of truth and here the very words shew this contrariety sincere milk and a double unsincere mind These two are necessary conditions of good nourishment 1. That the â—ood be good and wholesome 2. That the inward constitution of them that use it be so too And if this fail the other profit's not This sincere milk is the only proper nourishment of spiritual Life and there is no defect nor undue quality in it but the greatest part of hearers are inwardly unwholesom diseas'd with the evils here mention'd and others of the like nature and therefore either have no kind of appetite to the word at all but rather feed upon such trash as suite with their distemper as some kind of diseases incline those that have them to eat Coales or Lime c. Or if they be any wayes desirous to hear the Word and seem to feed on it yet the noxious humours that abound in them make it alltogether unprofitable and they are not nourish'd by it as this evill of malice and envying so ordinary among Men and which is most strange amongst Christians as an overflowing of the Gaul possesses their whole minds and not only they are not nourish'd by the word they hear but are the worse by it their disease is fed by it as an unwholsom stomach turns the best meat it receives into that bad humour that abounds in it Do not they thus that observe what the Word sayes that they may be the better inabled to discover the failings of others and speak malitiously and uncharitablely of them and vent themselves as is too common This word met well with such a one's Fault and this with anothers Is not this to feed these diseases of Malice Envy and evill-speakings with this pure milk and make them grow in stead of growing by it our selves in grace and holiness Thus likewise the hypocrite turnes all that he hears of this word not to the inward renovation of his mind and redressing what 's amisse there But only to the composing of his outward carriage and to inable himself to act his part better to be cunninger in his own faculty a more refin'd and expert hypocrite not to grow more a Christian in deed but more in appearance only and in the opinion of others Therefore it is a very needfull advertisment seeing these evils are so natural to Men and so contrary to the nature of the word of God that they be purg'd out to the end it may be profitably receiv'd A very like exhortation to this hath the Apostle S. Iames and some of the same words but in another Methapor Iam. 1.21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the ingrafted word He compares the word to a plant of excellent vertue the very tree of life the word that is able to save your souls but the only soyle wherein it will grow is a heart full of meekness a heart that is purg'd of those Luxuriant weeds that grow so rank in it by nature they pluck up and throw them out to make place for this
took that bitter cup of the father's wrath and drunk it out that he might be free from it Think not that you believe if your hearts be not taken up with Christ if his love do not possesse your soul so that nothing is precious to you in respect of him if you cannot despise and trample upon all advantages that either you have or would have for Christ and count them with the great Apostle loss and dung in comparison of him And if you do esteem him labour for increase of Faith that you may esteem him more for as Faith growes so will he still be more precious to you And if you would have it grow turn that Spiritual Eye frequently to him that 's the proper object of it for even they that are Believers may possibly abate of their love and esteem of Christ by suffering Faith to ly dead within them and not using it in beholding and applying of Christ And the World or some particular vanities may insensibly creep in and get into the heart and cost them much paines ere they can be thrust out again but when they are daily reviewing those excellencies that are in Christ which first perswaded their hearts to love him and discovering still more and more of them his Love will certainly grow and will chase away those follies that the World dotes upon as unworthy to be taken notice of Verse 9. But ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light IT is matter of very much both consolation and instruction to Christians to know their own Estate what they are as they are Christians This Epistle is much and often upon this point for both those ends both that the reflecting on their dignities in Christ may uphold them with comfort under suffering for him and may lead them in doing and walking as becomes such a condition Here it hath been represented to us by a building a Spiritual Temple and by a Priesthood conform to it The former is confirm'd and illustrated by testimonies of Scripture in the preceeding Verses In this the latter in these words tho 't is not expressly cited yet 't is clear that the Apostle here hath reference to Exod. 19.5 6. where this dignity of Priesthood together with the other titles here express'd is ascrib'd to all the chosen People of God 'T is there a promise made to the Nation of the Jewes but under the condition of obedience and therefore is most fitly here apply'd by the Apostle to the believing Jews to whom particularly he writes 'T is true that the external Priesthood of the Law is abolish'd by the coming of this great high Priest Jesus Christ being the body of all those shaddowes But this promis'd Dignity of Spiritual Priesthood is so far from being nulled by Christ that it is altogether dependant on him and therefore fails in those that reject Christ although they be of that Nation to which this Promise was made But it holds good in all of all Nations that believe and particularly sayes the Apostle 't is verified in you You that are believing Jewes by receiving Christ you receive withal this dignity As the Legal Priesthood was remov'd by Christs fulfilling all that it prefigur'd so he was rejected by them that were at his coming in possession of that Office as the standing of that their Priesthood was inconsistent with the revealing of Jesus Christ so they that were then in it being ungodly Men their carnal minds had a kind of antipathy against him though they pretended themselves builders of the Church and by their calling ought to have been so yet they threw away the foundation stone that God had chosen and design'd and in rejecting it manifest that they themselves are rejected of God but on the contrary You that have laid your soules on Christ by believing have this your chusing him as a certain evidence that God hath chosen you to be his peculiar People yea to be so dignified as to be a Kingly Priesthood through Christ. We have here 1. To Consider the estate of Christians in the words that here describe it 2. The opposition of it to the state of Unbelievers 3. The end of it A chosen Generation Psal. 24. The Psalmist there speaks first of Gods universal Soveraignty then of his peculiar choyce The earth is the Lords But there is a select company appointed for this holy Mountain describ'd and then clos'd thus This is the generation of them that seek him Thus Deut. 10.14 15. So Exod. 19.5 Whence this is taken for all the Earth is mine and that Nation which is a figure of the Elect of all Nations Gods peculiar beyond all others in the World As Men that have great variety of Possessions yet have usually their special delight in some one beyond all the rest and chuse to recide most in it and bestow most expence on it to make it pleasant Thus doth the Lord of the whole earth chuse out to himself from the rest of the World a number that are a chosen generation Chusing here is the work of effectual calling or severing of Believers from the rest for it signifies a difference in their present estate as the other words joyned with it But this election is altogether conform to that of Gods Eternal Decree and is no other but the execution or performance of it Gods framing of this his building just according to the Idea of it which was in his mind and purpose before all time The drawing forth and investing of such into this Christian this Kingly Priesthood whose names were expresly written up for it in the Book of life Generation This imports them to be of one race or stock as the Israelites who were by outward calling the chosen of God were all the seed of Abraham according to the flesh So they that believe in the Lord Jesus are Children of the Promise and all of them by their new birth one People or Generation they are of one Nation belonging to the same blessed Land of Promise all Citizens of the new Ierusalem yea all Children of the same family whereof Jesus Christ the root of Iesse is the stock who is the great King and the great high Priest and thus they are a Royal Priesthood there is no devolving of his Royalty or Priesthood on any other as it is in himself for his proper dignity is Supreme and incommunicable and there is no succession in his Order he lives for ever and is Priest for ever Psal. 110.4 and King for ever too Psal. 45.6 but they that are descended from him do derive from him by that new original this double dignity in that way that they are capable of it to be likewise Kings and Priests as he is both They are of the Seed-Royal and of the holy seed of the Priesthood in as much as they partake of a new
we owe Honour to all is nothing but a conformity to this inward temper of mind for he that inwardly despiseth none but esteemeth the good that is in the Lowest at least that they are men and loves them as such will accordingly use no outward sign of disdain of any will not have a scornful Eye nor a reproachful tongue to move at any not the meanest of his servants nor the worst of his Enemies but on the contrary will acknowledge the good of every Man and give unto all that outward respect that is convenient for them and that they are capable of and be ready to do them good as he hath opportunity and ability But in stead of walking by this rule of honouring all Men. What is there almost to be found amongst Men but a perverse proneness to dishonour one another and every Man ready to dishonour all Men that he may honour himself reckoning that what he gives to others abates of himself and taking what he detracts from others as good booty to make up himselfe Set Mens own interest aside and that common Civility that for their own Credit they use one with another and truly there will be found very little of this real respect to others out of their obedience to God and love to Men tendring their esteem and good Name and their wellfare as our own For so the rule is but mutual disesteem and Defaming filling almost all Societies And the bitter root of this Iniquity is that wicked accursed self love that dwells in us every Man is naturally his own grand Idol would be esteem'd and honoured by any means and to magnifie that Idol selfe kills the good Name and esteem of others in sacrifice to it Hence is the narrow observing Eye and broad speaking tongue upon any thing that tends to the dishonour of others and where other things fail the disdainful upbraiding of their Birth or Calling or any thing that comes next to hand that serves for a reproach And hence arises a great part of the jarrs and strifes amongst Men the most being drunk with an over weening opinion of themselves and the Worthlessest most A fool sayes Solomon is wiser in his own conceit then ten Men that can render a reason and not finding others of their mind this frets and troubles them they take the ready course to deceive themselves for they look with both Eyes on the failings and defects of others and scarce give their good half an Eye on the contrary in themselves they study to the full their own advantages and their weaknesses and defects as he sayes they skip over as Children do the hard words in their lesson that are troublesome to read and making this uneven parallel what wonder the result be a gross mistake of themselves Men miscount themselves at home they reckoning that they ought to be regarded and their mind should carry it and when they come abroad and are cross'd in this this puts them all out of frame But the humble man as he is more conform to this Divine Rule so he hath more Peace by it for he sets so low a rate upon himself in his own thoughts that 't is scarce possible for any to go lower in judging of him and therefore as he payes due respect to others to the full and so gives no ground of quarrel that way so he challenges no such debt to himself and thus avoids the usual contests that arise in this Only by Pride comes contention sayes Solomon a Man that will walk abroad in a crowded Street cannot chuse but be often justled but he that contracts himself passes through more easily Study therefore this excellent Grace of Humility not the Personated acting of it in appearance which may be a chief agent for Pride but true lowliness of mind to be nothing in your own Eyes and content to be so in the Eyes of others Then will you obey this Word you will esteem as is meet of all Men and not to be troubled though all Men disesteem you As this Humility is a precious Grace it is the preserver of all other graces and without it if they could be with out it they were but as a Box of precious Powder carried in the wind without a cover in danger to be scatter'd and blown away If you would have Honour there 's an ambition both allow'd you and worthy of you whosoever you are Rom. 2.7 2 Cor. 4. other honour though it have the Hebrew Name from weight is all too Light and weighs onely with cares and troubles Love the Brotherhood There is a love as we said due to all included under that word of honouring all but a peculiar love to our Christian Brethen which the Apostle Paul calls by a like word the Houshold of Faith Christian Brethren are united by a threefold cord two of them common to other Men but the third the strongest and theirs peculiarly their Bodies descended of the same Man and their souls of the same God but their new life by which they are most entirely Brethren is deriv'd from the same God-Man Jesus Christ yea in him they are all one body receiving life from him their glorious head who is called the first born among many Brethren and as his unspeakable love was the source of this New being and Fraternity so out of question it cannot but produce indissolluble love amongst them that are partakers of it The Spirit of Love and concord is that Precious Oyntment that runs down from the Head our great High Priest to the skirts of his Garment The life of Christ and this Law of Love is combin'd and cannot be sever'd Can there be enmity betwixt those hearts that meet in him Why do you pretend your selves Christians and yet remain not only Strangers to this Love but most contrary to it Biters and Devourers one of another and will not be convinced of the great guiltiness and uncomliness of Strifes and Envyings amongst you is this the badge that Christ hath left his Brethren to wrangle and maligne one another Doe you not know on the contrary that they are to be known by mutual Love By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if you love one another How often doth that Beloved Disciple press this he drank deep of that wellspring of Love that was in the Breast on which he leaned and if they relate right he died exhorting this Love one another Oh that there were more of this Love of Christ in our hearts arising from the sense of his Love to us and that would teach this Mutual Love more effectually which the Preaching of it may set before us but without that the other cannot work it within us Why do we still hear these things in vain Do we believe what the Love of Christ did to us and suffer'd for us And will we do nothing for him not forgive a shadow a fancy of Injurie much less a real one for his sake And love him that
Captain or Leader of our salvation as the Aposte speaks was consecrate by suffering that was the way by which he entred into the holy place where he is now our everlasting High Priest making intercession for us if he be our Leader to Salvation must we not follow him in the way he leads whatsoever it is if it be as we see 't is by the way of sufferings we must either follow on in that way or fall short of salvation for there is no other Leader nor other way but that which he open'd up so that there is not only a Congruity in it that his followers be conform to him in suffering but a necessity if they will follow him on till they attain to Glory and the consideration of both these cannot but argue a Christian into a Resolution for this via regia this Royal way of suffering that leads to Glory through which their King and Lord himself went to his Glory It could hardly be believ'd at first that this was his way and we can as hardly yet believe that it must be ours Luk. 24. O fools and slow of heart to believe ought not Christ to have suffer'd these things and so to enter into his glory Would you be at glory and will you not follow your Leader in the only way to it Must there another way be cut out for you by your selfe O absur'd shall the servant sayes he be greater than his Master Are you not fairly dealt with if you have a mind to Christ You shall have full as much of the Worlds good will as he had if it hate you he bids you remember how it hated him But though there were a way to do otherwayes would you not rather chuse if the love of Christ possess'd your hearts to take a share with him in his Lot and find delight in the very trouble of it is not this conformity to Jesus the great ambition of all his true hearted followers We carry about in the body the dying of the Lord Iesus sayes the great Apostle besides the unspeakable advantage to come that goes link'd with this that if we suffer with him we shall reign with him there is a glory even in this present resemblance that we are conformed to the Image of the Son of God in sufferings Why should we desire to leave him Are you not one with him Can you chuse but have the same common friends and enemies Would you willingly if it might be could you find in your heart to be friends with that World that hated your Lord and Master Would you have nothing but kindness and ease where he had nothing but enmity and trouble or would you not rather when you think right on 't disdain and refuse to be so unlike him As that good Duke said when they would have Crown'd him King of Ierusalem No said he by no means I will not wear a Crown of Gold where Iesus was Crown'd with thornes 2. This Spotlesness and Patience in suffering are both of them set here before us the one Verse 22. the other 23. Whosoever 't is that makes such a noise of the injustice of what he suffers and thinks to justify his Impatience by his Innocency let me ask thee art thou more just and innocent then he that is here set before thee Or art thou able to come near Him in this Point Who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth This is to signify perfect holiness according to that Iames. 3.2 Man a litle world a world of wickedness and that litle part of him a litle world of Iniquity all Christs words and actions and all his thoughts flow'd from a pure Spring that had not any thing defiled in it and therefore no tentation either from Men or Satan could seize on him other Men may seem clear unstirr'd but move and trouble them and the mudd arises but he was nothing but holiness a pure fountain all purity to the bottom and therefore stirr and trouble him as they would he was still alike clear The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me This is the main ground of our confidence in him that he is a Holy Harmeless undefil'd high Priest and such an one became us sayes that Apostle that are so sinfull the more sinfull we the more need that our High Priest should be sinlesse and being so we may build upon his perfection standing in our stead yea we are invested with him and his righteousness Again there was no guile found in his mouth this serves us concerning all the promises that he hath made us that they are nothing but truth hath he said Him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out then you need not fear how unworthy and vile soever do you but come to him and you have his word that he will not shut the door against you and as he hath promis'd access so hath he further promis'd ease and Souls rest to those that come then be confident to find that in him too for there was never a false nor guilefull word found in his mouth But to consider it only in the present action this speaks him the most innocent sufferer that ever was not only judicially just in his cause but entirly just in his Person altogether righteous and yet condemn'd to death and an opprobrious death of Malefactours and set betwixt two as chief of the three I am sayes he the rose Sharon and the Lillie of the valley And the Spouse saith of him My wel beloved is White and ruddy thus indeed in his death ruddy in his bloodshed and white in his innocency and withal in his meekness and patience the other thing wherein he is here so exemplary Verse 23. Who when he was reviled reviled not again This spotless Lamb of God was a Lamb both in guiltlesness and silence and the Prophet Esay expresses the resemblance in that he was brought as a Lamb to the slaughter he suffer'd not only an unjust Sentence of death but withall unjust revilings the contradictions of sinners none ever did so litle deserve revilings none ever could have said so much in his own just defence and to the just reproach of his enemies and yet in both he preferr'd silence None could ever threaten so heavy things as he could against his enemies and have made good all he threatned and yet no such thing was heard from him The heaven and earth as it were spoke their resentment of his death that made them But he was silent or what he spoke makes this still good how far he was from revilings and threatnings As spices pounded or precious ointment poured out give their smell most thus his name was an ointment then poured forth together with his blood and fill'd Heaven and Earth with its sweet perfume was a favour of rest and peace in both appeasing the wrath of God and so quieting the Consciences of Men and even in this particular was it then most fragrant in