believe this yet many of you can live as securely as merrily and madly as if so be you should never drop down into the dust here now indeed is a notional Faith I but there is not a practical Faith it is one thing to believe a Truth notionally and another thing to believe it practically Fourthly Would you have Unbelief removed then Oh beg and beg earnestly that God would take away your hearts of stone and give you hearts of flesh let this be your Prayer every day Do you not remember how I opened that Text to you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 What is a stony-heart but a sensless heart a heart sensless of sin and a heart fearless of wrath Now do but observe that unbelief and hardness of heart they still go together In Mark 16.14 Afterwards he appeared unto the eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart Our Saviour upbraids them for their unbelief and hardness of heart Why are you so backward to believe it is because of the hardness of your hearts Fifthly I beseech you to meditate often of the danger of Unbelief meditate often what will be the woful Effects and Issues of your Unbelief consider the Threatnings the Precepts and the Promises of the Almighty In John 8.24 I said therefore unto you that you shall die in your sins for if you believe not that I am he you shall die in your sins What die in sin Oh what greater curse can possibly be uttered To die in sin to rot in sin to come out of your graves in sin to be presented before your Judg in your sins John 3. ult He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him The wrath of God abideth on him If it were only for a few days it might be born I but it will be abiding and abiding and abiding to all Eternity the wrath of God will abide upon that Soul that does not believe In a word and so I have done As God speaks to the Prophet in another case They will not see but they shall see I apply it thus You that will not believe I promise you you shall believe you that will not believe savingly you shall believe desperately you that will not believe that God is so just so strict so severe you shall believe when you feel the wrath of the Almighty seizing upon you never to be removed you that will not believe now to the saving of your Souls you shall believe as the Devils to believe and tremble you then will believe the torments of Hell in that day when you feel them in that place where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth It is better to believe these things now than believe them when you feel them The Lord work these things upon our hearts that this Soul-destroying sin may not be our ruin CHRISTS'S PRECIOUSNESS 1 PET. II. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which are disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the Head of the Corner THE holy Apostle that he might the better draw Christians to believe in Jesus Christ to love him embrace him and obey him as the Captain of their Salvation in the beginning of this Chapter commends to them both the Word of Christ and Christ himself who is the Kirnel and Substance of the Word he commends the Word of Christ to them in the first and second verses of this Chapter Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings as new-born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby And he commends Jesus Christ himself to them two ways First By shewing what he is in himself Secondly By shewing what benefits Believers have by him First He shews what the Lord Jesus Christ is in himself in ver 4 To whom coming as to a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious He is a living stone a stone that hath life in himself and a stone that gives life unto others For he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 And not only a living stone but he is chosen of God and very precious the Pearl of the Gospel that precious only excellent one in comparison of whom all the Kingdoms of the World are but as a heap of dung But then as the Apostle commends him for what he is in himself so he commends Jesus Christ by what he hath done for all those that believe in him In the 5th ver Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual House an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ This invaluable benefit you shall have by him you shall not only be justified by him but you shall be sanctified you shall be made a holy Priesthood and all your services shall be made acceptable through him To confirm this weighty Truth the Apostle produces a Testimony out of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 28.16 Therefore saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Having thus confirmed this Doctrine he makes Application of it in this Verse and this Application is by way of Comfort to Believers and discomfort to those that believe not First It is a Doctrine that affords a great deal of comfort to Believers For says he to you that believe Jesus Christ is precious But it administers a great deal of discomfort to Unbelievers To them that are disobedient to them that hearken not to the voice of Christ for says the Apostle Though this Christ be despised by them yet he shall be infinitely advanced he is become the Head the Corner-stone and they notwithstanding their despising of him shall be everlastingly ruined for he will be to them a stumbling-stone and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the Word being disobedient This is the Connexion or Context of these words with the former It is the first Branch of the Text here that I principally aim at in these words To you therefore that believe he is precious The words therefore hath reference unto the fore-going verse wherein the Apostle tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is such a Foundation-stone such a Corner-stone such a rock of Salvation that whosoever believes in him shall not be confounded shall not be condemned For there is no condemnation to them that have a part and interest in him Rom. 8.1 Therefore saith the Apostle Certainly to you he must needs be
is that of the Prophet Jonah in the Whales belly in that remarkable place Jonah 2.2 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and said I cryed by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice If you would know a reason why God is thus ready to hear and answer the prayers of his Servants when they cry take these three or four reasons briefly First Because of Gods faithfulness He is very faithful that hath promised Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear and answer and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 So in Isa 65.24 And it shall come to pass that before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear God is faithful to his promises All his promises in Jesus Christ are yea and in him they are amen Our unfaithfulness cannot make him unfaithful if we believe not he remains faithful he cannot deny himself Secondly God hears his Servants prayers Because of that compassion that is in him towards them as he is very faithful so he is very pitiful as he hath beams of Majesty so hath he also bowels of mercy and his bowels yearn towards his poor children when they cry to him Can a mother forget her sucking-child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Isa 49.15 A tender-hearted mother if she hear her little child whimper in the cradle that does not move her but if the child cry to purpose then her bowels yearn towards it she can stay no longer from it but runs in all haste to it so here when we do but whimper pray coldly God may be is not ready to hear but if we cry in prayer if we follow God with our supplications then his bowels cannot but yearn towards us Third reason Because Gods servants have Jesus Christ to pray for them We have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous he is pleading our cause 1 John 2.1 And he ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.25 Nay his very presence with the Father is our intercession he appears in the presence of God for us he appears as our advocate in our stead for our good Heb. 9.24 For Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us The fourth reason is this Because the servants of God have not only Christ to pray for them but they have the Spirit of Christ to pray in them Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered If you ask me But how does the spirit of God help our infirmities I answer These four or five ways First The spirit of God helps our infirmities by affecting us with them with our wants and weaknesses that being humbled and lying low at the feet of God we may be vessels more capable of mercy God will not pour in the oyl of his mercy but into the vessels of a broken heart now the spirit of God by a sight and sense of our manifold infirmities doth empty us and work in us some kind of brokenness of heart and so fits us for mercy Secondly Again the spirit of God helps our infirmities likewise by acting his own graces in us by acting those beginnings of faith and love and humility and self-denial which he himself hath wrought in us Thirdly By stirring up in us holy motions holy desires and pantings and breathings after our heavenly Father even such breathings as these Psal 42.1 2. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God when wilt thou come to me when shall I come to thee And my soul followeth hard after God Fourthly The spirit of God helps our infirmimities by working in us a childlike-boldness enabling us to cry Abba Father we can come to God as a child to a Father Father I want this I want that God is delighted to hear the moan-makings of his poor children Fifthly By restraining Satan that he may not interrupt us and distract us in holy services for this is certain we seldom go to duty but Satan still stands at our right-hand When Joshua the high Priest stood before the Angel of the Lord Satan stood at his right-hand to resist him Zach. 3.2 But now Jesus Christ he is stronger than Satan and he by his spirit does rebuke him But there is one great objection I know will be ready to arise in every one of your hearts You say God is ready to hear and answer the prayers of his poor servants when they cry to him but some will say Experience seems to deny this Gods own servants pray oft and yet they have no answer nay God is sometimes angry with the prayers of his servants Psal 80.4 O Lord God of Hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people the prophet Jeremy he professes he cryed to God and shouted and yet God shut out his prayers and wrapt himself in a cloud that his prayers should not pass through Lam. 3.44 Thou hast covered thy self with a cloud that our prayers should not pass through It may be some will say I have been praying for such a grace twenty thirty years together and yet have not got it for strength against such a corruption and yet have not got it For answer to this objection you must know First Gods people sometimes pray not when they seem to pray Secondly God hears his people when sometimes he seems not to hear First Gods people pray not when they seem to pray as when they pray coldly and carelesly this is as no prayer as the Apostle said in the like case When ye come together therefore into one place this is not to eat the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.20 as if he should say irregular unprepared receiving is not receiving at all as good never a whit as never the better so here cold careless formal customary prayer is as no prayer Dan. 9.13 All this evil is come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God that me might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth for these seventy years hath thine hand been heavy upon us yet we have not made our prayers before the Lord our God we made a shew of praying but our careless praying may be said to be no praying Again Gods people in praying may be said not to pray at all when they exercise only gifts in prayer and have not the grace of prayer for you must know the power and prevalency of
supported him in that great distress On the contrary under less temptations and troubles if God do not support a man he will fall see it in Ahitophel because his counsel was not accepted God not supporting him under this light trouble he goes and hangs himself For the use of this If this be one way of Gods hearing our prayers when he strengthens us with strength in our souls Then call your selves to an account whether God hath strengthned your souls yea or no here is divers of you that have been made partakers of a strengthening Ordinance this day namely the Lords Supper which the Lord Jesus hath appointed for your spiritual confirmation and corroboration Now will it not nearly concern you to ask your own souls this question Hath God strengthened you with strength in your souls It may be you will say to me how shall we do to know it Answer me but these four or five questions and you may know it First tell me What are you in the time of troubles and temptations for what a man is in tryals that is the man Can you live in a time of straits fears doubts and dangers as the strength of a ship is tryed in the time of a storm if she can live in a storm then you may say she is a strong ship the strength of a Castle is tryed in the time of battel if it can endure the roaring Cannon then its a strong Castle now if you can keep your standing in a time of danger this argues you have received spiritual strength in your souls Secondly Can you bear variety of conditions without fainting can you pass through good report and ill report through honour and dishonour through a prosperous estate and decayed estate can you pass through these with an equal temper and frame of spirit as you are not puft up with prosperity so you are not too much cast down with adversity Saint Paul had this strength I have learnt saith he in what estate soever I am therewith to be content Thirdly Can you cleave close to Jesus Christ without weariness constantly if you be off and on if your way be uneven it 's a token you have little strength Fourthly Are you able to do duties in a spiritual manner the spiritual performance of holy duties argues the receiving of some spiritual strength By these and the like questions you may know whether you have received some of this spiritual strength yea or no. A second use I shall make it is by way of Exhortation Oh labour to read this Text experimentally read it I say so as your own hearts may make a commentary on it Oh Lord thou hast answered me Lord I can speak by experience I was as weak as water but thou hast strengthened me with strength in my soul Whatever was written aforetime was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope This instance of David was written for your imitation and consolation O labour for this spiritual strength To press you to attain it I shall use but this one motive Consider the great need you have of this spiritual strength at all times but especially in times of general fears and dangers then you have special need of it In what regard may be you will say do we need so much strength in our souls I will tell you in these four respects especially or on this fourfold account First In regard of Duties that are to be performed Secondly In regard of Afflictions that are to be endured Thirdly In regard of the Enemies that are to be encountered Fourthly In regard of the danger of Apostacy that is to be prevented First You have great need of this spiritual strength in regard of the Duties that are to be performed Oh a Christian hath much work lying upon his hands in reference to eternity a great work it is to provide oyl in your Lamps grace in your hearts a great work it is to get the hazzard of eternity over to get an interest in Jesus Christ and to get an assurance of that interest A great work it is for you to make your calling and election sure sure to your own souls to be working out your salvation with fear and trembling a great work it is for you to be pondering the paths of your feet to keep your hearts above all keepings to be building up your selves in your most holy faith These are very great works It is the language of the Apostle Saint Jude verse 20 of his Epistle But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost and to be pressing forward towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.14 Nay a Christian hath yet a harder work than this to do for a Christian is to do that work that crosses his own carnal and corrupt will There are some difficult duties of Christianity that are to be performed as denying of our selves a hard duty the crossing of our carnal and corrupt Affections a hard duty the mortifying of a beloved Lust a very hard duty the plucking out of a right eye the cutting off of a right hand a parting with a sin that is as dear as our right hand and our right eye a difficult duty so for a man to be crucifying the flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof to be contemning the world to trample upon the pleasures the flatteries the blandishments of it for a man to love his enemies to pray for them that persecute him to do good to them that despitefully use him How is it possible for a man to do all this work a difficult work this work which so much crosses his own carnal and corrupt frame if he have not a considerable portion of spiritual strength A weak Christian alas is offended with every thing he is ready to stumble at every straw every duty is a burthen to him every command of Christ seems grievous to him every yoke of Christ he is not able to take upon his neck it may be he may have some flashes of good desires now and then as Baalam had Oh that I might die the death of the righteous It may be he may have some good purposes and resolutions as Saul had 1 Sam. 26.21 Return my son David for I will no more do thee harm because my soul was precious in thine eyes this days But all his purposes came to nothing Nay may be sometimes he may have some endeavours faint feeble endeavours in the way of grace just like the third ground in the Parable which wanted root it brought forth indeed a blade but it brought forth the Text says nothing to perfection If a man be a weak Christian alas it is very little that he can do in the business of Eternity You have great need of strength therefore in this regard Secondly You have great need of strength in regard of the Afflictions Temptations Troubles and
in the Law blameless As to his outward man he was blameless none could say that black was his eye yet all these Priviledges he esteemed loss and dung in comparison of Jesus Christ And then consider who it was that did undervalue them it was Paul a Scholar a man of Parts a man of no mean City but of the City of Tarsus in Cilicia Acts 21.39 It was Paul that was not a Novice in Religion that knew not what he said but Paul the Aged that was well experienced in such things that knew very well what he said it is he that passes this account of all things in comparison of Jesus Christ I says he esteem all these Priviledges and if I had a thousand times as many more I would esteem them but loss and dross and dung as nothing in comparison of Christ Oh how invaluable was Jesus Christ to holy Paul that was a Believer But for the better understanding of this Point that we may see how excellent and precious Christ is to a Believer how highly he is prized by him First It may be demanded Who are those Believers to whom Christ is precious Secondly Why is Christ so precious to them First Who are those Believers to whom Christ is precious I answer Not they that have only an Historical Faith of Christ to know that there was such a Saviour that came into the World and that he was God and Man and that he is able to save to the uttermost those that come to him Nor they that have only a temporary Faith such a Faith as they had which you read of in the Parable of the Sower Matth. 13 They that received the seed into stony places the same are they which hear the Word and anon with joy receive it but they have no root and for a while believe but in time of temptation and persecution they fall away Luke 8.13 Not they I say that thus have only an historical Faith or only a temporary Faith but they are said to be Believers that are contented to take Jesus Christ upon his own terms to receive him as their King and Priest and Prophet they that can be content to close with him and to cleave to him as to the work of their Salvation and that can say with Job Though thou kill me I will put my trust in thee Job 13.15 In a word They are said to be Believers that can rest and rely upon Jesus Christ that can cast their Souls into his Arms to sink or swim with him to live or die with him to be saved or damned with him it is the true Believer the Text here speaks of when the Apostle says here To you that believe he is precious you must not understand it of a formal believer neither must you understand it of a hypocritical believer you must not understand it of those that have a false Faith but of those that have a true Faith I told you not long ago which some of you may remember out of that Text Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith That there was a false and counterfeit Faith as well as a true Faith for example I told you First That that is an easie Faith that is easily let into the Soul without any work of conviction contrition and humiliation That Faith that hath no tears nor prayers nor earnest endeavours paid for the purchase of it is cheap ware and not worth a farthing Secondly That Faith that is an idle and an ineffectual Faith that is never working upon the precepts of God to obey them nor on the Promises of God to embrace them nor on the Threatnings of God to tremble at them Thirdly That Faith that is an unthriving Faith that never grows under the means of Grace True Faith is a growing Faith 2 Thess 1.3 says the Apostle We are bound to thank God always for you Brethren as it is meet because that your Faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth Fourthly That Faith that is a loose and licentious Faith that Faith that hath room for Christ and room for any reigning lust also room for Christ and room for the World and the things of it when a man can pretend love to Jesus Christ and yet live in a known sin whereas the true Faith purifies the heart Acts 15.9 And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith To them that have such a Faith this false counterfeit Faith this easie idle unthriving loose and licentious Faith to them Christ is not at all precious they see no beauty at all in him But they that have this true Faith that is ushered in by conviction and humiliation that is a growing Faith an operative and working Faith this holy Faith as it is called in the 26 verse of the Epistle of Saint Jude But ye Beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost To them that have this true Faith to them Jesus Christ is precious and they are the Believers the Text here speaks of So much of the first who are those Believers to whom Jesus Christ is precious Secondly Why is Jesus Christ so precious to such Believers You see who they are but why is he so precious to them so highly prized by them Divers reasons might be rendered I shall give you these five or or six First Jesus Christ is so highly prized by Believers because they see the indispensable need that they have of him that without him they are lost dead damned and undone for ever therefore they prize him because they know they cannot live without him They know that a condemned Prisoner hath not more need of a pardon a poor beggar that is ready to starve in the streets hath not more need of food nor a naked man more need of cloaths nor a sick man more need of a Physitian than they have of Jesus Christ and therefore they prize him They know they are foolish yea folly it self therefore they have need of him to be their wisdom to guide them they know they are guilty Sinners therefore they know they have need of his Righteousness to clear them they know they are poluted and defiled Sinners therefore they have need of his blood to purifie them they know they are exposed to the wrath of a Sin-revenging God and the curse of the condemning Law and the condemnation of the second Death therefore they have need of him to be their Redemption They know that they are infinitely indebted that they owe to God a debt of ten thousand Talents which they are never able to discharge and therefore they have need of Christ to be their Surety they know they are weak and able to do nothing without him without me says Christ ye can do nothing and they know Christ is their strength as well as Redeemer and that through Christ they can do all things Phil. 4.13
Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation Luke 17.20 it cometh not with outward Pomp and Splendour it comes not with observation because it is a hidden Kingdom a spiritual Kingdom inward Faith and Love and self-denial and other inward Graces because these are the things belonging to the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ and being not obvious to carnal eyes therefore they see no beauty in them Therefore this is a plain token they see no beauty in Christ they that see no beauty in Christs Kingdom in his Ordinances and in his Spiritual comforts certainly they see no beauty in Christ There wants no beauty in him but carnal men want eyes to behold him certainly spiritual things they are the most precious and invaluable Commodities that are therefore because thou feest no beauty in Heaven and in heavenly things spiritual things the graces of the Spirit and the comsorts of the Spirit thou art one that dost not prize the Lord Christ Secondly They do not prize the Lord Jesus Christ that prefer their lusts before him that prefer the wills of the Flesh and of the Mind as the Greek word signifies before him in Ephes 2.3 Those that say in their hearts though it may be they will not speak it with their mouths but it is the language of their hearts We will not have this man to reign over us we will walk in our own crooked ways and not in the ways of Christ in the ways of holiness Certainly they that prefer their lusts before him they do not prize him Thirdly They that do not prize the Messengers of Jesus Christ they do not prize Jesus Christ himself So says our Saviour himself expresly Luke 10.16 speaking to his Disciples and in them to his succeding Ministers He that heareth you beareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me When Hannun the King of the children of Ammon cast contempt on the Messengers and Ambassadors of David and so wickedly entreated them by cutting off their Garments in the middle to their buttocks and shaving off the one half of their Beards 2 Sam. 10 it was a plain token that he despised David also because he despised his Ambassadors Fourthly They do not prize the Lord Christ that can keep the best room they have I mean their hearts for creature-comforts but the Lord Jesus Christ as I may say with reverence is thrust into the Stable But you will say How does that appear Thus when a mans Liberty or Estate or Friends or outward reputation come to be hazarded if Christ be owned that man now that can prefer any of his creature-accommodations rather than run any hazard for the Lord Jesus Christ certainly that man does not prize Christ When it comes to a point that a man must part with some or all of his comforts and accommodation rather than part with his Saviour that man that can part with his Saviour rather than his comforts certainly that man does not prize Christ Thus was it with the Gadarens when it came to the Point that they must part with their Swine or with Jesus Christ they would part with Christ rather than with their Swine Fifthly They that do not prize his Ordinances that do not keep close to him to his way of worship those that do not set their hearts and souls to seek him to seek his Truth to seek his Face to rejoyce in his Love to content and satisfie themselves in him to say If I have but Jesus Christ though I be as poor as Job upon the Dunghil yet I am rich enough certainly these do prize the Lord Jesus Christ Oh that we could learn to be true to our own Souls and to love our selves so well as not to beguile our own Souls in the latter end That 's the second Use of Conviction Thirdly A third Use is this If Christ be thus precious to all true Believers then there are these three or four Lessons or Doctrinal Inferences that may be gathered from this conclusion or point of Doctrine First If Jesus Christ be so precious to Believers then it follows that Faith is an exceeding rich and precious Grace it is called precious Faith 2 Pet. 1.1 Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious Faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ But why is Faith so precious a Grace because it makes Christ so precious to our Souls it makes a man look upon Christ with an admiring eye it ravishes the Soul with the love of this precious Redeemer and it makes him break out and say There is no Beloved like my Beloved Oh the Dignity of his Person Oh the Vertue of his Blood Oh the value of his Sufferings Oh the sweetness of his Graces Oh the Comforts of his Spirit Oh the excellency of those glorious and transcendent Hopes that are laid up in him You read of Moses that he scorned all the Treasures of Egypt Why because by Faith he beheld him that was invisible Heb. 11.26 27. By the eye of Faith he lookt upon Jesus Christ and he saw more beauty in him than in all the Treasures of Egypt more sweetness in one smile of his Face than in ten thousand Worlds Oh therefore that you and I could learn to trade for Faith more a great deal than for the World Oh let us trade for this rich and precious Grace look out for Faith and long for Faith and strive to believe for until this Grace of Faith be planted in your hearts Jesus Christ and you are strangers Christ and you stand at a very great distance but as soon as ever Faith is planted in the Soul then there is instantly a closing with Christ as quick a closing between Christ and the Soul as there is between the Loadstone and the Iron the Soul presently closes with him and cleaves to him as soon as ever it begins to believe Secondly If Jesus Christ be so prrcious to Believers then learn this Lesson by way of Inference That Believers are rich and honourable Persons Why because Jesus Christ is to them both Riches and Honour I gather this from the signification of the word in the Greek Text Jesus Christ is both a Price and an Honour to his for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both a Price and Honour Jesus Christ therefore is a Price to Believers he is a Pearl to them First He is a Pearl of inestimable Price to all those that have got an interest in him this Pearl of Price is better worth than ten thousand worlds by him we are enriched in all things 1 Cor. 1.5 I thank my God always on your behalf for the Grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ that in every thing ye are enriched by him And you read of the unsearchable Riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 Vnto me who am less than the least
and this turns all it toucheth into Gold Blessed is the man that by Faith can touch Jesus Christ no man ever toucht him by Faith but was healed by Grace Secondly You shall have this benefit it will yield you abundance of joy and satisfaction in the expectation of your desires before you come to the fruition of your desires You read of the joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 And the Apostle prays for the Romans that their hearts may be filled with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 When Hannah had once poured out her Soul before God now her heart was quieted by Faith as if she had enjoyed her desires for the present She went away and did eat and her Countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. Thirdly Faith will reallize all the Promises Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for it makes things that are absent present that are afar off to be near at hand it will bring you to Heaven before you come to Heaven O what a precious grace is Faith And this is the grace you will most stand in need of in your approaches to the Lords Table Now the Lord strengthen this hand of Faith that by it we may make vigorous applications of the blood of Jesus Christ to our poor Souls who is the living bread that is able to give fit and full satisfaction to our Souls who is that living water whereof whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more CHRIST'S True Disciples ARE Doers of Gods VVill. JOHN VII 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self THese words are the words of our Saviour uttered at that great feast the feast of Tabernacles the occasion of these words was this The Jews marvelled at our Saviour as you may read Verse 15 How knoweth this man Letters having never learned That is how comes he to be so skilful in the Scriptures seeing he was never taught by man Our blessed Saviour to this Query answers two things First He tells them in the foregoing Verse the 16th verse that his Doctrine was not his own but was taught him of the Father Secondly He shews them an excellent way or means whereby they may discern truth from falshood true Doctrine from corrupt Doctrine namely by obedience to the will of God for If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self So then in the Text you may take notice of two particulars First An Invitation to a Duty Secondly An Encouragement to that Duty First An Invitation to a Duty in these words If any man will do his will that is that will do the will of God my Father Secondly The Encouragement to it in these words He shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self that is he shall know which is true Doctrine and which is false which is the Doctoctrine according to God and Godliness or what is spoken for popular applause and spoke of a mans own head and according to these two parts of the Text there are these two Doctrines that may be raised from the words Doct. 1. That the true Disciples of Christ are Doers of the will of God Doct. 2. That they that do the will of God shall know more of it and shall be more confirmed in their knowledg I begin with the first That the true Disciples of Christ or true Christians are such as are Doers of the will of God For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three places of Scripture Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven A true Child of God a true Professor of the Gospel is described by this he is a Doer of the will of God Rom 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified that is shall be owned and accepted of God the Father So James 1.22 But be ye Doers of the Word and not Hearers only deceiving your own souls cozening your selves with false Syllogisms as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies If a man be a Hearer of the Word only and not a Doer of it he cozens himself with false arguments and the like you have in the 25 verse of the same Chapter But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Word this man shall be blessed in his deed the man is a blessed Disciple of Jesus Christ But for the better Explication of this Point there are three things I shall open to you First What is meant by the Will of God Seconly How the Will of God must be done by those that are the Disciples of Christ Thirdly Why the Disciples of Christ must be Doers of the Will of God First What the will of God is Not to trouble you with the various distinctions of the Schoolmen briefly there is a twofold will of God mentioned in Scripture the one is called a Secret will the other is called a Revealed will you have them both mentioned in one Verse Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do all the words of the Law Now our Saviour speaks here in the Text of the Revealed will of God and it is called a Revealed will because it is made known to us in three Books In the Book of Nature In the Book of the Creature In the Book of the Scripture First The will of God is made known unto us partly in the Book of Nature Thus many of the better sort of Heathens that had nothing but the light of Nature by the dictates of their own Conscience knew what the will of God was as appears by that Rom. 2.14 15 For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law to themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Mark the Gentiles which had not the Law that is they had not the Law of Scripture yet did by Nature the things contained in the Law The Gentiles which had not the Law of the Scripture yet by the Law of Nature did those things that were agreeable to the will of God and by the dictates of their own Consciences did some things that were agreeable to the will of God and although this light of Nature was not sufficient to bring them to Heaven yet it was sufficient to leave them without excuse Secondly This will of God is revealed in the Book of the
last verse For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted p. 116 Fear of losing Salvation the way to obtain it on Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it p. 139 The persevering Saint shall be the Crowned Saint on Rev. 3.11 Behold I come quickly hold fast that which thou hast that no man take thy Crown p. 185 Mercy despised and God provokd thereby on Psal 106.24 Yea They despised the pleasant Land and believed not his Word p. 218 Christs Preciousness on 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious p. 269 The Necessity of Humiliation on Acts 16.29 30 Then he called for a Light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas c. p. 330 Christ the Bread of Life on John 6.35 I am the Bread of Life c. p. 360 Christs true Disciples Doers of Gods Will c. on John 7.17 If any man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self p. 383 These two Books of Mr. Tho. Brooks are lately Printed for and to be sold by Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey A Golden Key to open hidden Treasures or several great Points which refer to the Saints Blessedness and their future Happiness with the Resolution of several important Questions c. Paradise opened or the Secret Mysteries and Rarities of Divine Love of infinite Wisdom and of Wonderful Counsel laid open for Publick View Also the Covenant of Grace and the high and glorious Transactions of the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption Opened and improved at large c. Believers Mortification of sin by the Spirit or Gospel-Holiness advanced by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the Faithful Whereunto is added the Authors three last Sermons on Gen. 3.5 By the Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Carmichael formerly of Scotland and late Preacher of the Gospel in London Published by his own Copy The Crown and Glory of a Christian consisting of a sound Conversion and a Well-ordered Conversion Mr. Wadsworth's Legacy being his serious Exhortation to a Holy Life Also his Funeral Sermon Sayings and Elogy MANS PETITION AND GODS COMPASSION A SERMON Preach'd Septemb. 6. 1657. Psalm CXXXVIII 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthened me with strength in my soul THis Psalm for the kind of it is Eucharistical a Thanksgiving-Psalm The occasion of penning this Psalm in the judgment of Interpreters was this Davids establishment in the Kingdom after that he had been hunted like a Partridg upon the Mountains driven from his own Country and banished into a Wilderness and pursued like a Traitor when after all these dangers and fears and snares and opposition that he met with from Saul and from his bloody and implacable enemies God had now setled him in the Kingdom brought his hope into his hand and had lifted up his head above his adversaries and had trodden his enemies under his feet now what he had won by prayer he wears with thankfulness I will praise thee says he in the foregoing verses with my whole heart I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth for thy loving-kindness in promising and for thy truth in performing for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name In the 2d verse it is a dark sentence at the first view but as a judicious Expositor upon the place well observes the words may be thus read and will better agree with the Hebrew Thou hast magnified thy name above all things in thy word that is in fulfilling thy word thou hast magnified thy name above all things in that thou hast fulfilled thy word what thou freely promisedst thou hast faithfully performed what thou hast spoken with thy mouth thou hast fulfilled with thy hand for which thy name is wonderfully to be magnified The name of God is that whereby God is known thy name is wonderfully magnified in fulfilling thy word nay thy name is magnified above all things that is the meaning of the phrase For the proof and evidence of this truth That God is wonderfully to be magnified for fulfilling his promise for making good his word to his Servant for the proof of this David brings in his own experience to set seal thereto in the words of the Text for says he In the day when I cryed to thee thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul So then in this verse you may take notice of these two particulars First You have Gods free favour and gracious dealing with David in the day of his fears and of his straits in these words In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me Secondly You have the evidence or proof of this free favour of God towards him in an experience that he had of it for says he Thou strengthenedst me with strength in my soul and accordingly there are these two points of doctrine that may be fairly deduced from this Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord is ready to answer the Prayers of his poor servants when they cry unto him Doct. 2. It is one gracious way of answering our Prayers when God does strengthen us with spiritual strength when he gives us strength in our souls I begin with the first The Lord is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his poor servants when they cry unto him For the proof of this point I could bring you a whole cloud of witnesses out of the book of God but I will content my self with three or four That in the 107 Psalm Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses and it is four times repeated in that one Psalm for the confirmation of our faith because we are so backward to believe the truth of it and he gives four instances of men that were brought into great straits and still when they cryed unto the Lord the Lord delivered them out of their distresses and remarkable is that Scripture Isa 30.19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem thou shalt weep no more he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he shall answer thee Mark he will be very gracious to thee at the voice of thy cry you shall see the experience of it in two of Gods Saints and Servants that had tasted of Gods goodness in this particular and have set it down for our encouragement one was the Prophet Jeremy in the Dungeon Lam. 3.55 56 I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low Dungeon thou hast heard my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry God had an ear for his very breathing The other example
my suppoting-grace is better for thee than the deliverance thou beggest Paul was heard in that he was not heard though he was not heard in the letter of his request yet he was heard for the better for his advantage On the contrary The Devil was not heard in that he was heard he beg'd liberty to tempt Job God gave him leave Job 1 Lo he is in thy hand all he hath is in thy power but what did the Devil get by it he was baffled and fool'd and prov'd a lyar to his face for Job notwithstanding all the losses upon his estate kept his integrity and sinned not but saith the Devil Put forth thine hand and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face and the Lord said Lo he is in thy hand but save his life then the Devil used all his art he could to make him blaspheme God but he could not prevail so the Devil was proved a lyar to his face Now the use I shall make is this This doctrine may be like Aaron and Hur to hold up Moses hands it is a great encouragement to every one of us to pray still to seek the face of God still though he seem to delay us or deny our importunities or to turn from us yet follow God still though he seem to deny our prayers yet give not over praying for you see God will at one time or other in one kind or other answer all the prayers that are put up to him In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me Let me tell you We shall never have cause to repent of our praying could we pray an hundred times more than we do we should never have cause to repent of our praying except it be for this That we have prayed no more frequently and fervently And so much for the first point of doctrine The second point of doctrine is this It is one gracious way of answering our prayers when God doth bestow upon us some spiritual strength When he bestows strength in our souls that is one way of Gods answering our prayers graciously if he do not give the thing we desire yet if he gives us strength in our souls he graciously answers our prayers For the better clearing of this point it may be demanded What is this spiritual strength I answer it is a work of the spirit of God enabling a man to do and suffer what God would have him without fainting or backsliding I call it a work of the spirit of God because indeed it is the spirit of God that does corroborate and strengthen the soul Eph. 3.16 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man Alas we of our selves if we have not the spirit of God to help us are as weak as water we are no more able to stand in a day of trial or withstand any temptation than a little child is able to withstand a giant but now when Sampson was cloathed with the spirit then he could grapple with a Lion so when once we are cloathed with the spirit of God we shall be able to encounter with Lion-like corruptions and temptations Secondly Whereby a man is able to do and suffer what God would have him to do and suffer there is strength considerable strength required in doing the will of God Joshua 1.7 Only be thou strong and very couragious that thou mayest observe to do according to all the Law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right-hand or the left that thou mayest prosper whither soever thou goest but there is a great deal more strength required in suffering Paul had attained a great deal of strength when he said For the Lord Christ his sake I have suffered the loss of all things Phil. 3.8 Thirdly I say whereby a man is enabled to do and suffer what God requires without fainting and backsliding there is strength required in doing the will of God but there is much strength required in suffering I but yet more strength is required in perseverance for if we faint in the day of adversity our strength is but small Prov. 24.10 and therefore says the Apostle We must often look upon Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our faith and consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest we be weary faint in our minds Heb. 12.3 Secondly It may be demanded how doth God strengthen a man with strength in his soul I answer these three ways First God strengthens a Christian with spiritual strengths when he doth comfort him in the assurance of his love shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost Oh this will enable a man to bear any burthen Smite Lord will such a one say I will bear any thing willingly because my sins are forgiven Secondly God strengthens us with strength in our souls by encouraging us in our sufferings by cheering up our hearts with some inward cordial Look how God cheer'd up Saint Paul when he was in danger when forty men swore his death in Acts 23.11 And the night following the Lord stood by him and said Be of good cheer Paul for as thou hast testified for me in Hierusalem so must thou bear witness also at Rome So when God comes and cheers up the heart and brings some of his best cordials in our worst fainting fits when in our strongest afflictions he brings in his sweetest consolations when we are able to say with David Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my soul when God brings in his divine comforts then he strengthens us with strength in our souls As I remember when Philip Landsgrave being long prisoner under Charles the fifth being demanded what cheered him up in that condition made this answer I feel says he the divine comforts of the martyrs God hath divine comforts for his people in their fainting fits as their afflictions abound so he makes his comforts to abound Thirdly God strengthens with strength in the soul when he does support and keep up the spirit from sinking says David in Psalm 94.17 18 Vnless the Lord had been my helper my soul had almost dwelt in silence but when I said my foot slipped thy mercy O Lord held me up That is an excellent Scripture Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness And observe when God does support a man though the affliction be never so heavy yet it shall not sink him but he shall be able to stand under it see it in David 1 Sam. 30.4 when he was at Ziglag when there was such a load of afflictions upon him he wept that he could weep no longer his own soldiers mutinied his wives were taken and carried captive yet God
be more base in my own sight 2 Sam. 6.27 Lastly Act Grace humbly when you have done all that you can do say you are unprofitable servants and say with St. Paul It was not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 Lastly I shall shew you in what seasons you must act Grace certainly Grace must be acted at all times but there are some special seasons wherein we must especially act Grace First Upon the receipt of some special Mercy then we should act Thankfulness more than ordinarily and say What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal 116.12 Is Gods hand enlarged in bounty then let my heart be enlarged with thankfulness Secondly When you lye under a smarting Rod a piercing Affliction then act Faith and Patience A man usually never acts Grace better than when he is under some abasement a soul can better mannage a state of adversity than it can a state of prosperity for when it is in a state of abasement then it is at a less distance from God as Roses they are never so sweet as when they are in a Still and fire is under them never does our Graces usually send forth a sweeter favour than when God is pleased to exercise us with Afflictions David was never better than when he was under the Rod then he made those heavenly soul ravishing Psalms that you meet with in the book of Psalms The best Psalms the most heavenly and spiritual Psalms were made when David was in a low condition witness the 34 Psalm it s one of the sweetest Psalms you meet with when was it made when David was in the lowest condition that ever he was in when he was in that straight he was forced to feign himself mad 1 Sam. 21.13 See how Davids heart was enlarged in the making of this Psalm Thirdly Another fit season to act Grace in is when you receive the seals of the Covenant of Grace in the use of the holy Ordinance of the Lords Supper that is a time for you to act Grace in then should you be acting brokenness of heart for can you look upon a broken Saviour without a broken heart upon a bleeding Saviour without a bleeding heart then should you be acting Humility and say as Mephibosheth What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am 2 Sam. 9.8 Nay but here is more that thou shouldst not only look on me but set me at thy Table what a beggar a loathsom leprous beggar to sit at the Table of the King of Glory Then act Love to Jesus Christ what hath he loved me so dearly Oh how should I love him above all expressions of love and be sick of love to him Then act Faith especially for that is a grace you have most need of when you come to the Lords Table as now faith is the very eye whereby we look upon him it is the hand whereby we receive him it is the mouth whereby we feed on him says Christ except you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you Joh. 6.52 53. He does not here speak of a Corporal eating of him far be it from us to have such a thought as they of Capernaum had how can this man give us his flesh to eat that man that believes in Christ he feeds on Christ Then be acting of Thankfulness after you have received the Lords Supper Oh what thanks shall I return to the Lord my God! Oh! my whole course of life should be nothing but a continual gratulation to my Father for that never-sufficiently admired gift of the Lord Jesus Christ If I had ten thousand thousand tongues I could never praise him sufficiently Then act holy Resignation of your selves up to Christ what did the Lord give himself for me I will give my self up to him was he crucified for my sins I will crucifie my sins for him Study conformity to him and that will evidence that you have Communion with him There is no more certain evidence of our Communion with Christ in his Graces Comforts Merits and Spirit c. than in our conformity to him when we resemble him in Grace here it is a certain evidence that we shall resemble him in Glory hereafter In one word do but make it your business to be acting your Grace and you may trust God for the bringing in of your Comforts the more you are active in Grace the more shall be your Comfort If we had more activity of Grace we should have more evidence of Christs dwelling in our hearts here and God would have more Glory our souls would have more peace and we should have abundance of more rejoycing in the day of our Lord Jesus CHRISTS TEMPTATION THE SAINTS SUPPORTATION A SERMON Preach'd Decemb. 9. 1657. Heb. II. 13. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted THE scope of the Apostle in the former Chapter is to prove that Jesus Christ is truly God therefore far above the Angels for says he in the fifth verse of that Chapter Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee In this Chapter the Apostle proves that Jesus Christ is truly man and therefore in that respect inferiour to the Angels Verse 9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour And because it might be demanded But why is it needful that Jesus Christ should be man why did he not take on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Verse 16. The Apostle give us four reasons why our blessed Saviour would be man why he took our human nature upon him First He did it for the sanctification of our nature and that reason is set down in v. 11 For both be that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one that is they are all of one and the same nature we come all from one common root Christ came from the same root that we did namely from Adam and this he did that he might sanctifie our nature Secondly The Lord Jesus Christ became man that he might in our nature and for our benefit destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil that is set down in Verse 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Thirdly He became man that he might deliver us not only from the hurt of death but deliver us also from the fear of death and that 's set down in Verse 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Fourthly He became man that by the experience of his sufferings in our
am But yet remember this withal God tempts only by way of probation God does not tempt by way of seduction God tempts none but by way of probation If it be so then Christians should be expecting temptations when you foresee a dart that is shot against you you may the more easily avoid it if you be forewarned you may the more easily be fore-armed The second Use it is for Confolation Here is matter of unspeakable comfort to all tempted ones It may be I speak to some such in this Congregation this day We find every Lords day some that send their Bills to be prayed for that are battered and bruised with temptations Now I do not know one portion of Scripture in the whole Book of God that affords more sweet Soul-supporting comfort than this Text though you see matter of discouragement to you from your temptations yet you may look for matter of encouragement from Christs temptations Art thou tempted to distrust thy adoption whether thou art a child of God or no so was Jesus Christ If thou be the Son of God If thou art tempted to distrust the Providence of God so was Jesus Christ If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread when he was led into the Wilderness and was there forty days and had nothing to eat Art thou tempted to presumption so was Jesus Christ that he should cast himself down headlong from the pinacle of the Temple Art thou tempted to self-murther so was the Lord Jesus Christ when Satan would have had him cast himself down from the pinacle of the Temple to destroy himself Art thou tempted to blasphemy so was Jesus Christ for it was the most horrid blasphemy that could be named that the Lord Jesus Christ should fall down and worship a cursed Vassal Satan that he shonld give that honour to that cursed wretch that was due only to God there was no sin so horrid nor heinous nor hellish to which Christ was not tempted he was tempted to the vilest sin that is but he yielded not Hence you may observe that it is not sin to be tempted to sin but it is sin to yield to temptations therefore do not yield to temptations Art thou tempted either to Presumption or Desperation Atheism or Blaspemy do not yield to that temptation but run to Jesus Christ under that temptation even as the chickens run under the Hens wing when they see the Kite coming and say O Lord Jesus thou wast tempted that thou mighteft fuccour me when I am tempted O do not lead me into temptation but deliver me from the evil that I do not faint under them nor be foiled by them Lead me not into temptation that is leave me not in temptations but lead me out of them for I flye to thee But may be you will say to me What means or helps may we use that we may be strengthned against temptations those temptations wherewith Satan assaults us For answer to this let me briefly give these seven or eight practical Rules which I earnestly beg of you that you would make use of The first practical Rule is this Let not Satan know all that is in thy heart for thereby Satan may get a great advantage against you do not speak all that thou thinkest if thou be one inclined for example to the sin of Pride do not shew it in thy gayish Apparel if thou be one inclined to the sin of uncleanness do not shew it in thy wanton gestures if thou be one inclined to covetousness do not shew it in thy earthly greedy gaping after riches let not Satan know what is in thy heart 2dly Do not tempt the Tempter to tempt thee my meaning is this be not bold with those sins for which thou hast before smarted for by fostering any unmortified lust thou puttest a weapon into Satans hand to wound thee with be not bold with the occasions of sin do not venture into the Devils quarters as St. Peter did you know when he went into the High-Priests hall there he met with an occasion to sin he tempted Satan to tempt him Thirdly Do not think by yielding to one temptation thou shalt be freed from all the rest for if thou yield but to one temptation Satan will be more violent in tempting thee than he was before I have read of a young man that was tempted to three grofs sins to kill his Father to abuse his Mother and to be Drunk the Devil told him if he would yield to one of these he should be tempted no more at last he yielded to that which was the least of them namely to be drunk but when he had yielded to one the Devil prevailed with him after to do the two other so that he kill'd his Father abused his Mother so that by yielding to one temptation thou dost strengthen Satan but it weakens thy own hands As they say of the French in their fighting at the first onset they are like Lions but if they be strongly resisted at the first then they are very Cowards So it is here the Devil at his first Assault is violent the second Assault if he be resisted is weaker If he be resisted in his third Assault he is a very Coward therefore resist the Devil and he will flye from you James 4.7 hold thy weapon in thy hand though it be beaten to thy head As they observe of the Crocadile in Nilus if you run away from the Crocadile then he will follow you but if you come up to follow him manfully then he will run away from you So if Satan be resisted he is a very Coward Fourthly The fourth practical Rule is this Do not lay all the blame upon Satan for thy temptations but lay the blame in a great measure upon thy self upon thy own receptive tinder-like disposition Oh complain to God and say true Lord the Devil is continually striking fire but my heart is too ready to take the fire I have a tinder-like heart more ready to take fire than the Devil is to strike and therefore thou shouldst wet thy tinder with thy tears that the fire of temptation may not take hold of thy heart You may read of our Grand-mother Eve she layed all the blame upon the Serpent The Serpent deceived me and I did eat But David on the contrary having a holy frame of heart laid the blame upon himself when Satan tempted him to number the People 2 Sam. last he complains not of Satan but himself says he Lo I have sinned I have sinned I have done wickedly as for these sheep what have they done So I say lay the blame on thy Tinder-like heart Fifthly Observe Satan in his first temptations is more modest than he is usually afterwards his first temptations are usually of a finer-spun thred that so he may draw into greater sins for Example When he tempted our Saviour his first temptation was this says he Matth. 4 Cause these stones to be made
in the desolation which will come from far to whom will ye flee for help So say I to thee What wilt thou do in the day when that sentence passeth upon thee Whither wilt thou flee for help O the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth that this coming short of Heaven will produce especially when thou shalt consider that God was every day dealing with thee stretching out his hand to have gathered thee and to have converted thee and to have brought thee home but thou wouldst not Jesus Christ offered me a plaister of his own heart-blood to heal me but I trampled it under-foot the Spirit of God was knocking at the door of my heart sometimes by the Hammer of the Law and sometimes by the Hammer of the Gospel the Spirit of God was hindering me from sin and was stirring up holy motions in my heart and those I quenched the Ministers of the Gospel they prest hard upon me to yield to those warnings frequent warnings that were tendred to me but the Ministers I despifed and I mockt the Messengers of God which he sent to me to warn me not to come into this place of torment O the horrible hellish hideous cryes the fearful and doleful screetches roarings and yellings that these considerations will fetch from thee when thou shalt consider that thou hast not obeyed the Gospel thou hast not known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but thou hast wilfully lost such a Crown such a Kingdom such happiness as will be matter of heart-tormenting sorrow and mourning to all eternity if the loss of the Ark which was but a type of Gods presence 1 Sam. 4.18 19 20 was so terrible to that good old man Eli that he fell down and brake his neck when he heard of the loss of it and to that good woman Phinehas in her Travel when the Ark was lost that she cryed out The glory is departed from Israel O what then think you will be the loss of Gods presence the loss of his Favour the loss of eternal Happiness the loss of this Crown and Kingdom which I have been speaking of Oh how will this make such damned wretches cry out in extream bitterness The Glory the Kingdom the happiness the Glory the everlasting Glory is departed from me and I must never see the face of God any more This is the first Exhortation Foresee this evil and tremble at it My second Exhortation is this Do not only foresee this danger but study with the utmost endeavours of your souls to prevent it Prevent it you will say How must I do that I will tell you that if God will but give you hearts to follow my counsel First Be sure to avoid those sins that clog and hamper and fetter thee as it were in the way to Heaven so that thou canst not with any patience run the Race that is set before thee such as these Pride Presumption Unbelief Apostacy Earthliness Selfishness Security and Sensuality O these are the sins that fetter thee and hamper thee away with them therefore Secondly Pluck up thy feet and resolve to run the ways of Gods Commandments pray with David that God would enlarge your hearts that you may run in the way of his Commandments Psal 119.32 He doth not beg that the way may be made large but that his heart may be enlarged I will walk in the way of thy Commandments though it be never so narrow though there be never so many crosses in it or thorns or difficulties or discouragements if thou wilt but enlarge my heart I will run in the ways of thy Commandments Thirdly Take heed of delays and procrastination of putting it off from day to day by saying there will be time enough hereafter it will be time enough for me to look after Heaven when I have got enough of the World If I do it the last year of my life in the last month of the last year in the last week of the last month it will serve O take heed of delays this putting off of Repentance hath ruined thousands of Souls shun that Pit whereinto many have fallen shun that Rock upon which many have suffered ship-wrack say with David I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psal 119.60 Fourthly Look upon the Crown of Glory set before thee have the Goal in thy Eye just as Moses had he endured the frowns of Pharoah on the one hand and he scorned the flatteries and Riches of Egypt on the other hand Why because he had an Eye to the recompence of Reward O look upon the Crown and white Robe and let this quicken you Fifthly Be sure thou hold out unto the end if thou wouldst not come short of Heaven be not like many runners in a Race that sit down in the midst of the way Be thou faithful unto the death saith our Saviour to the Church of Smyrna Revel 2.10 and I will give thee a crown of life He that endures to the end shall be saved Matth. 24.13 Therefore be stedfast and unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord abhor Apostacy as much as thou wouldst abhor Hell it self Now to press this Exhortation upon you take these Motives First If you have but willing minds it is accepted of God so saith the Apostle for if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 If thou usest the utmost endeavour of thy Soul the Lord will help thee if thou faint he will support thee if thou overcome he will Crown thee Secondly Consider that among runners in a Race here on Earth there is but one that will get the Goal I but here in the Race of Christianity if thou do but so run thou mayst obtain If thou do not sit down if thou art not weary of well-doing If thou by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and immortality there is eternal life for thee thou shalt have a Crown of glory Nay there are ten thousand thousand Crowns in Heaven The Lord Christ will give every one a Crown that holds out to the end 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that day But why doth he call it a Crown of Righteousness Answer It is called a Crown of Righteousness because it is a Crown purchased by the blood of Christ and a Crown that is promised Now saith the Apostle This righteous Crown or this Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me and not only for me there is not only one Crown and one Kingdom for me but it is laid up for all those that love the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ O this glorious Master He makes every one of his Servants to be crowned Kings He hath made us Kings unto God Rev.
is a Positive Unbelief and this is when men are ready to distrust Gods Power and his Providence and his Promises or when we do not so fiducially rest upon them as to obey the Gospel This is a Positive unbelief this is the sin which is so dangerous Now you must know this Positive Unbelief is twofold First Temporary Secondly Total or Final First There is a Temporary unbelief and this is that which may befall even Gods own Elect they may be under unbelief for a while True it is possible for an Elect Child of God to be under an act of unbelief though he cannot be brought into a state of unbelief for you must distinguish between these two between a state of unbelief and an act of unbelief A Child of God may be under an act of unbelief so you know was Godly Zachariah Elizabeth's husband he was under an act of unbelief And behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believedst not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season Luke 1.20 And Thomas one of the twelve Apostles he was under an act of unbelief when he said Vnless I shall see in his hands the print of the Nails and put my finger into the print of the Nails and thrust my hand into his fide I will not believe Joh. 20.25 So were all the rest of the Apostles under an act of unbelief for a while therefore our Saviour when he was risen again he upbraided them the Text says with their unbelief Mark 16.14 After he appeared to the Eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen This is a Temporary Unbelief Secondly There is a Total or Final unbelief and that is the sin of those that live in a state of impenitency and abide in that condition those that abide in their unbelief until the wrath of God abides upon them You see what this unbelief is a distrusting of Gods Power and Providences and Promises and that not for a time which may be the condition of a Child of God but when it is a Total and Final unbelief That 's the first thing for Explication Secondly By way of Explication it may be demanded Why is this such a dangerous and destructive sin that it does debar men of this Heavenly Canaan I shall give you these three Reasons of it First Because you must know it is a sin that robs God of his Glory Look as by believing we do most of all honour God for by this we set to our Seal that he is true John 3.33 He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true By believing we give him the honour of his Truth and Faithfulness and Mercy and Goodness and Power Thus Abraham by believing gave glory to God in Rom. 4.20 He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God So on the contrary by unbelief we dishonour him in a high degree nay in the highest degree that can be named because we make him a Liar 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave him of his Son Now what greater reproach or dishonour can be cast upon a man of worth than to give him the lye Unbelief therefore is a bold sin it steps into Gods Cabinet as I may say and it robs him of the choicest Jewel that he hath namely his Glory which he hath said He will not give to another Isa 42.8 I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another neither my praise to the graven Images The glory of God it is nothing else but the reputation that God hath in the World Take away Gods glory and the reputation that he hath among the Sons of men then with reverence be it spoken he is little worth in the eyes of men Now Unbelief is that that robs God of his Glory Secondly Unbelief is such a dangerous destructive sin because it is the first sin that ever was in the World As it is the mother of all other sins so it was the first sin whereby the Devil got entrance into the heart of man I know there is a dispute amongst Divines What was the first sin our first Parents were guilty of whether Pride or Unbelief without all doubt it was Unbelief for God told our first Parents expresly Whenever they did eat of the Tree of life they should die the death as sure as they lived they should die but the Devil he goes and tells them You shall not die Now mark they believed the Devil more than they believed God Unbelief therefore was the first sin that ever was committed in the World and as it was the first sin whereby the Devil got entrance into the heart of man so may it be said to be the root and mother of all other sins therefore says the Apostle Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 Look as Faith may be said to be the Mother of all other Graces because Faith lets in Jesus Christ into the Soul and so purifies the heart Act. 15.9 And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith it applyes the purifying-blood of Jesus Christ So on the other side Unbelief may be said to be the mother of all other sins because it keeps out Christ and keeps out Grace and polutes the heart and defiles it and makes it no better than a Den for Satan to lodg in It is a good observation of an eminent Divine whom for honour sake I mention namely Doctor Sibs Look as the first return of the Soul to God is by Faith so the first departing of the Soul from God is by Vnbelief for from thence comes a departing to other sins and so unbelief being encreased the rent that is made between God and the Soul the estrangement between God and the Soul is still made wider and wider and so the Soul departs further and further and is still departing and departing from one sin to another till at last it comes to hear that fatal and final sentence Matth. 25 Depart thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Well therefore may Unbelief be said to be the Mother of all other sins Unbelief and Apostacy are very near akin Unbelief may in some sense be said to be all disobedience The same Greek word that signifies unbelief signifies also disobedience Col. 3.6 For these things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief or children of disobedience And well may it be said to be the Mother of disobedience for
guilty of this sin of unbelief yea or no. I know every one of you will be ready to plead Not guilty Oh we do believe the Word of God and pity we should live if we did not believe the Word But let me tell you This is an inward secret lurking sin therefore not easily discerned But that you may know whether you be guilty of this sin or no I will give you these four plain undeniable Scripture-Evidences the Lord make you your own Judges in this particular First When men do slight the invitations of Jesus Christ slight the proffers of his Grace it is a token there is unbelief in the bottom for where Faith is once wrought in the heart there is instantly and readily a closing between Christ and the Soul there is a ready closure as there is between the Load-stone and the Iron When Jesus Christ says to a poor sinner Come to me though thou art weary and heavy laden the Believing Soul closes presently with Christ and answers Come thee Lord I I will creep to thee upon my hands and feet When Christ says to it again Do this or Do that the Soul says again O Lord give me strength to do what thou commandest and command what thou wilt But now when you find in you a backwardness to entertain Jesus Christ in your hearts this is a certain and undeniable evidence of your unbelief and is not this your sin Alas alas let Jesus Christ be tendred in the Ministry of the Word from day to day let him be proffered in the sweetest anst softest terms of Perswasions and Exhortations let Ministers use their best Art and Arguments to woo entreat invite and beseech you to accept of the Lord Jesus Christ as he is tendred to you in the Gospel and yet alas we poor Ministers can get no audience I speak of the most of you not of all scarce one of ten scarce one of a hundred will hearken to this Gospel-invitation to come unto Jesus Christ and to submit to him and to take him upon Gospel-terms Our Saviour complains in John 5.40 And ye will not come unto me that ye may have life Though I would give you life a life of Righteousness a life of Grace a life of Glory Yet you will not come to me that is You will not believe in me you will not embrace me you will not submit to me you will not solace your Souls in me Let the World call and you run straight let the flesh call and you obey it straight in the lusts of it nay let Satan call and you readily hearken to him but you will not hearken to me Just so may the Ministers of the Gospel at this day complain Lord Thou sendest us upon this Errand to bring Sinners in to thee thou sendest us upon the same Message Abraham sent his Servant to get a Wife for his Son Isaac Abraham gave his Servant Rings and Jewels and Bracelets to bestow upon her that would be Wife to Isaac So our Lord sends us with Rings and Jewels and Bracelets we have many Motives and Arguments to invite Sinners and to perswade and draw them But Lord we can do no good in our Ministry we tell men of the unsearchable Riches of Jesus Christ and what an unvaluable portion they shall have in him but they will not believe Lord Who hath believed our Report Now when there is a slighting of those invitations and proffers of Gospel-grace it is a certain token of Unbelief And that 's the first Sign or Character of Unbelief Secondly When men undervalue Christs Person and Portion this is a token of unbelief We tell men of the Beauty of Christs Person that he is white and ruddy white in his Innocency and ruddy in his Passion the choisest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 and that there is nothing in him but brightness and sweetness and beauty and fulness and all sufficiency yet men believe it not They see no beauty in him why they should desire him Isa 53.3 Nay What is thy beloved more than other Beloveds say they Cant. 5.9 So when we tell men of the invaluable portion they shall have by the Lord Jesus Christ those unsearchable Riches the riches of his Merits and the riches of his Spirit and that rich and royal Redemption and that they shall have whatever their hearts can desire we tell them of this they shall have a portion of grace Jesus Christ will give them grace for grace for every grace in himself he will give them part of it by his Wisdom they shall be made wise by his Holiness they shall be made holy he will give them a portion of Glory a Crown of Eternal glory to them that love him but because they see not this Portion this Crown of glory they will not believe it they will not believe further than they see they are all for present pay Demas hath forsaken me having embraced this present world They will have good things for the present as for future expectations they regard them not Where there is an undervaluing of Christs person or portion there is a great deal of unbelief Thirdly When men are secure and fearless it is a certain effect and sign and symptom of unbelief for Faith breeds fear Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being wanned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the World and became heir of the righteousness which is by Faith Faith makes men fear But now when men do nto stand in awe of God of the great God that is within us without us above us about us when we do not walk as in his eye nor walk as in his presence when men do not stand in awe of the Word of God and say with David Psalm 119 161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word As if he should say I more stand in awe of thy Word than of all the Princes of the World When men are so over-awed by the Word of God as that they dare not sin against God for the Word of God stands as a Schoolmaster stands with a Rod in his hands over a Boy so that he dare not act any untowardness When men are not over-awed by the Word but they sin and spare not they sin and grieve not this is a token of their unbelief they do not believe God is Omniscient Omnipresent they do not believe his Justice they do not believe his Truth Where men are thus fearless and secure it is a plain token of their exceeding great unbelief Fourthly A fourth Sign of unbelief is this when men profess one thing and practice another thing when their practice crosses their Profession this is a certain token of reigning unbelief Let me give you some instances For example You profess God to be your Soveraign Lord and King and Law-giver and that you have but one Law-giver which is
my self Hab. 3.16 If so be thou didst believe the Promises Oh thou wouldst embrace them thou wouldst suck and be satisfied with those Breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 It is said of the Patriarchs They saw the Promises after off and embraced them Heb. 11.13 But now when thou sayest thou believest the Commands of God and yet never obeyest his Commands thou sayest thou believest his Threatnings and yet never tremblest at any Threatning thou sayest thou belivest the Promises and yet art no way thereby encouraged to a more active and fruitful and chearful walking with God then thy Belief crosses thy Profession And this is a certain and undeniable Evidence of Unbelief the Lord awaken some of you and convince you and send you home to your own hearts to see how deeply you stand guilty of this sin my Text speaks of for if there be not reigning unbelief in many of you for my part I do not understand the Scripture I shall close with a word of Exhortation Is it so That Vnbelief is one main cause why so many men despise and undervalue that Heavenly Canaan and are debar'd from that Heavenly Canaan Then I have a twofold Exhortation to tender to you The First is to those that are Regenerate Secondly To those that are Unregenerate First To those that are Regenerate And my Counsel to you is this Oh do not mourn for the dregs of this sin that yet remain in you there are dregs of Unbelief even in those that are true Believers That man or woman that is not sensible of the dregs of this sin in him I say then he is a stranger to his own heart In Heb. 13.5 says the Apostle Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There you have a Promise He hath said Who is it that hath said it The Great God of Heaven and Earth that can make it good How hath he said it how with the greatest earnestness or asseveration that ever Promise was made for he that hath skill in the Greek Tongue shall find there five Negatives in that one Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not forsake thee that is not enough but says God Be assured I will not forsake thee no no no no I will not forsake thee so many No's therefore be assured As if the Lord should say it as the greatest Asseveration and with the greatest earnestness that ever we read of any Promise made with Yet let me tell you and it is what you will find by your own experience Though in time of prosperity it is an easie matter to presume yet in time of adversity it is a hard matter to believe this Promise when we come into straitness to say God will not leave me nor forsake me he will not leave me in the Bryars nay though you and I have had experience of Gods faithfulness to this day we had experience of his faithfulness when we were in our Mothers womb As a learned man once said If a man should live to the days of Methuselah if he should live a thousand years he could never have that experience of Gods power and tender mercy to him as he had when God preserved him in his mothers womb and took him out of his mothers belly We have had experience of Gods preserving us then and we have lived upon him ever since some twenty some thirty some forty some fifty years all this time God did never leave us nor forsake us yet if we be in straits we find it a very hard matter to believe that one Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Oh therefore bewail and bemoan the dregs of Unbelief cry out with that good man Lord I believe I would believe help my unbelief That is the first Exhortation Secondly I have an Exhortation to those that are in a state of unbelief unregenerate impenitent wretches that go on in sin and will not be reclaimed that slight the invitations of Jesus Christ and the proffers of his Grace My Counsel to you is this and I have but two words of Counsel to tender to you First Be sensible of this sin Secondly Labour to get this sin removed First Be sensible of this sin be sensible of the greatness of it be sensible of the hainous nature of it what to turn the Truth of God into a Lye what to make the great God of Heaven and Earth a Lyar what to rob him of his Glory what to go into his Cabinet and steal away his chiefest Jewel Can there be a greater sin Be sensible of the danger of this sin it brings imminent and unavoidable destruction along with it Tremble at that Scripture John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemnâ—d already because he hath not believed on the Name of the only begotten Son of God he is condemned a sentence of death is past upon thee if thou be in a state of Unbelief Secondly My other word of Counsel is this Oh labour labour to get this cursed sin of unbelief destroyed in you O let this sin be destroyed or else thou must be destroyed But you will say How shall we get this sin of unbelief cured I will tell you Will you hearken to me in four or five Rules and then I have done First Take heed of Atheism for I profess we are fallen into days of Atheism and all our Religion if the Lord be not merciful to us will end in Atheism Infidelism and Athesm there is but one step between them what is Atheism but when men will not believe there is a God all Insidelity springs from Aheism But you will say What do you think we are Atheists Do you think that we believe there is not a God Let me tell you There are Atheists in Opinion as well as Atheists in Language The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God there are Atheists in practice as well as Atheists in profession They profess they know God but in works they deny him Take heed therefore of this cursed sin of Atheism Secondly Would you have Unbelief removed then learn to know more of God to know more of his Goodness Wisdom Holiness Purity Perfection and other of his glorious Attributes They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee I am sure did you but know him you would believe in him you would obey him you would fear before him I know whom I have believed saith St. Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 Thirdly Resolve to practice what you do know if you would be Believers you must know that there are many things a man may believe notionally which he does not believe practically I shall give you an instance There is never a one of you that hears me this day but believes you are mortal you believe you shall die you verily believe that as you believe there is a Sun in the Firmament yet notwithstanding though you do
Heaven the red leaf that was the blood of Jesus Christ the black leaf that was the torments of Hell You may look into Hell by contemplation and meditation that you may prevent Hell to all Eternity you may meditate upon the blood of Christ and steep as it were your souls in it by meditation it may be it may soften them It is said of the Goats blood when nothing can soften an Adamant the blood of Goats can the blood of Christ that can soften your hard hearts when nothing else can Thirdly A third thing you can do you can sorrow more and mourn more than you do there is none of you but can sorrow and mourn for outward losses loss of Friends as Husband and Wife or Child perhaps for the loss of a Horse what canst thou mourn for the loss of a Child and canst thou not mourn for the loss of a Soul when one Soul is worth all the Kingdoms in the World If any of you have lost a good Bargain or mist a good Market you can grieve for this O methinks you should mourn for this how many Market days have I lost for my Soul I have burnt out many a precious light and spent out my precious time and can you not mourn for the loss of such a Bargain as this is Suppose one of you should be sent for before a mighty Monarch and should be impeach'd of high Treason before him how would you tremble to appear before so mighty a King that hath power in his hands to cut you off instantly O you and I must appear before the great Judg of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings that knows all the sins and Treasons that ever we have committed and you should bless God if you are cast into fear and thereby be brought to mourn and grieve and sorrow for your sins Job 23.16 For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me that is soft by troubling of me Fourthly There is never a one of you but may leave gross and scandalous sins which I prove thus you can do it for fear of men and you may do it much more for fear of God A prophane Swearer if he be in the company of a Godly grave Minister he can refrain his mouth from vile talk he can forbear his Oaths and blasphemous Speeches and obscene expressions An Adulterer if a boy be but in the Room of seven years old he will forbear to act his uncleanness until the boy be out of the Room If you can forbear gross sins for fear of men much more can you do it for fear of God If a boy can say his Lesson with a Rod certainly he can do it without a Rod if you can abstain from gross sins for fear certainly you can do it without You read of the hypocritical Pharisee he abstained from gross sins Luke 18 God I thank thee saith he I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. Fifthly Though it is true a man in a state of Nature is dead in trespasses and sin yet then at that time he may do many good works works morally good works materially good he may fast and pray and give Alms therefore it is that Daniel speaks to Nebuchadnezzar Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 Certainly the Prophet Daniel would never have spoken so to him if it had not been in his power to do it The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles though they wanted the knowledg of the Law and had not the Law saith he Yet they did by Nature the things contained in the Law they were a Law to themselves which shews that the works of the Law are written in their hearts Rom. 2.13 14. They that are in an unregenerate estate they may pray they may make Conscience of praying in their Families though they cannot pray as they should yet they may pray as they are able they may fall down at the feet of God and say Lord I am a poor sinful wretch I cannot please thee praying or not praying thou hast promised to give the spirit of prayer to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Say Lord give me thy Spirit to break my hard heart take any way with me so my proud heart may be humbled and hard heart broken that I may welcom Jesus Christ to my Soul that I may believe in him and cast my Soul upon him So that Beloved I put you upon no more than you are able to do you may suffer the word of Exhortation you can ponder and weigh the Word in your own hearts you may sorrow and mourn for sin you may abstain from gross sins and you may do those works that are morally good do what you can do men are not damned because they can do no better but because they will do no better Matth. 23 O Jerusalem Jerusalem I would have gathered thee as a Hen her Chickens under her wings but ye would not If there were no will there would be no Hell saith St. Austin Do what you can set upon works of Holiness and Piety strive and put forth your strength to the uttermost endeavour of your Souls to get your hearts humbled to see sin and to sigh for it to grieve and groan for it lay your conditions to heart be feelingly apprehensive of that wrath that sin hath kindled of that Justice that sin hath provoked of that Mercy that sin hath abused of that vengeance and anger that sin hath deserved to be inflicted O were we but thus humbled we should have cause to bless God to all Eternity I shall close with one word to those that have been under a spirit of bondage that have been convinced awakened as this Jaylor was that have had their broken bones that have felt the burden of sin and it may be lie under that burden at this day O be you comforted it s better to be broken here than hereafter it is better to be convinced here than convinced hereafter it is better to be humbled here than for God to humble the Soul in Hell to all Eternity God will make thy Valley of Achor a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 Thou that art humbled now shalt be exalted and thou that mournest now shalt be comforted CHRIST THE Bread of Life John VI. 35. And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst THis Chapter contains in it that admirable and Heavenly Sermon of our Saviour concerning the Bread of Life wherein you may take notice of three parts First The occasion of this Sermon that was the Peoples following of him because they did eat of the Loaves and were filled Verse 26. Secondly The Sermon it self and that is
Will but they shall know it more assuredly they shall be sure of what they know and shall attain to this certainty of Knowledg that I have been speaking of then it serves to let us see what is the reason of all the Errours that are broached and so greedily drunk in in these days in which we live what is the reason of that uncertainty and unconstancy that is in Religion that men are giddy-headed turned with every wind of Doctrine and new Opinion and suck in such strange and corrupt Doctrines and that there is so many Sects and Schisms the reason is because men never attained to this full assurance of Understanding this certainty of Knowledg that the Text speaks of If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self All the knowledg that they have of the Scripture it may be it is but an Opinion or a conjecture or a guess a notional knowledg a knowledg that is taken up upon tradition or trust not that they have any assurance of it in their own hearts and understandings All the knowledg of Scepticks those that you call Seekers Nullifidians that believe nothing all whose profession is to profess nothing all their knowledg is but a meer Opinion the truth is they have no knowledg at all If they did know the truth the truth would make them free If they had known the truth they would have been rooted and fetled and established in it they would part with their lives rather than part with the truth A second Lesson you may learn hence is this It lets us see what the reason is of all that Atheism and loosness and libertinism that is in the hearts of men and practises of men at this day the reason is because they never attained to any certainty of knowledg in the Doctrine of Christ and Mysteries of Religion they never did believe the Precepts and Promises nor Threatnings of God cordially For Example Did men but believe the threatnings of the Word to name two or three When God saith Vpon the wicked he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup Psalm 11.6 Again when God saith that he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses Psalm â—8 21 And God saith expressly that no unrighteous person shall inherit the Kingdom of God neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. And that Text saith expresly That the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Did men but know these truths were they but assured of them durst they do as they do durst they venture their immortal Souls that must sink or swim for ever that are capable of endless bliss or endless remidiless misery in Hell more days than there are drops of water in the whole Ocean Durst they venture their precious Souls for the satisfying of every base lust as they do No they durst not Men do not know these truths and because they do not know them therefore it is that they do not believe them and because they do not know and believe them therefore there is in them an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God The first step of the Souls departure from God is by unbelief so the first step of the Souls approach to God is by Faith Unbelief is the cause of all other sins A man that doth not believe the Promises of God to embrace them nor the Threatnings of God to fear them nor the Precepts of God to obey them when he departs from God by unbelief he departs to other sins and still departs further and further so that the breach between God and the Soul is never made up again but such a man departs from God step by step until at last he comes to hear that Thunder-striking sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels A second Use is by way of Examination and I beseech you my Brethren to call your selves to an account and examine whether you have this certainty of understanding this assured Knowledg that I have discoursed of May be you will say to me But how shall we know whether we have it or no Answ I will tell you how you may know it these three ways First By the names or expressions that the Spirit of God gives it Secondly By the Properties of it Thirdly By the Effects of it First You may know it by the names or Expressions that the Spirit of God gives it such Expressions as these now First It is called a Knowledg of those things which are most surely believed Luke 1.1 Not barely believed but certainly believed A second Expression is a being taught of God John 6.45 And they shall be all taught of God Thirdly It is known by this Expression by writing the Law of God in our hearts upon the Tables of our hearts Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 Fourthly By this Expression by receiving the anointing that teacheth you all things 1 Joh. 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth Fifthly It is known by this expression By having the mind of Christ or knowing the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult Sixthly It is known by this expression by bringing high thoughts into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 When there is such a light in a man that it can answer those Objections that are made against the truth when it can likewise so stifle those reasonings and cavils of his back-sliding heart that none of them shall be able to beat down the truth but he shall be able to stick to the truth notwithstanding such a man hath this certainty of Knowledg Lastly It is known by this expression the manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.2 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal Secondly This certainty of knowledg may be known by the Properties of it I shall name but these four Properties First This assuring Knowledg is ever an heart-humbling knowledg Carnal knowledg natural knowledg unsanctifyed knowledg puffs a man up it makes him like a pair of Bellows as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original signifies 1 Cor. 8.1 but this assuring Knowledg it ever makes a man base and humble in his own eyes the more you know of God and of the truths of God and of your own selves the more vile and base you will be in your own eyes I have
punish but to pity thee Oh think therefore with thy self that thou hearest the Lord Jesus Christ to use a homely Phrase as it were whistling after thee as he doth in the ministry of his word sometimes he comes with secret whisperings sometimes he comes openly whistling speaking calling crying in the ears of sinners Oh do but think that thou heardst the Lord Jesus Christ calling and crying after thee Why wilt thou die and perish Why wilt thou be lost when thou mayst have a Saviour Oh but says the poor soul I fear I fear that I am so diseased and that the Lord Jesus Christ will not look upon me Remember that this Shepherd is compared to a Shepherd that hath healing under his wings Mal. 4.2 But says the soul I am afraid I have so displeased him he will never own me Remember he is a meek gentle and compassionate Saviour There are two things that make men afraid and they are Pride and Fury these are not in Christ I am meek and lowly says he Matth. 11.29 and fury is not in me But I am lost says the poor sheep Jesus Christ will seek that that is lost but if I do come will he certainly own me and look upon me I answer Look upon that comfortable Scripture Luke 15.4 5 6 What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them doth not leave the Ninety and nine in the Wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it and when he hath found it he layeth it on his shoulders rejoycing and when he cometh home he calleth together his friends and neighbours saying unto them Rejoyce with me for I have found my sheep which was lost There are three or four things very observable in that Parable which I would have every poor sinner that is afraid to come to Christ to look upon First Observe the Shepherd he leaves ninety and nine in the Wilderness and goes and seeks after that one sheep that is lost Observe if there be but one sheep lost or missing the Lord Jesus Christ bestows as much pains and care in seeking that one sheep as if that all the sheep were lost there was but one sheep missing yet he hath so much care of that one that he leaves all the ninety and nine to seek that The Lord Jesus Christ hath so much care of every one of his sheep as if he had but one sheep to care for as the Sun for example would shine upon the world though there were but one man in it to shine upon so this blessed Son of righteousness if but one sheep be lost he seeks after that one Secondly Observe the Shepherd there seeks the sheep before ever the sheep seek the Shepherd The Lord Jesus prevents us with his mercies we cannot seek him till he first seeks us Psalm 119. v. last you have Davids Prayer I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant for I do not forget thy commandements Thirdly Observe when he hath found this sheep he carries it upon his shoulders or as the Text tells you he carries his lambs in his arms and gathers them in his bosom Mark this and let it sink into your hearts never did any man upon earth go to heaven any other way but upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ never was sheep saved but only by being embraced in the arms of this blessed Shepherd Fourthly Observe the Shepherd rejoyceth when he hath found the sheep he rejoyceth to find this one lost sheep observe this for thy comfort thou that art a poor wandring sheep discouraged from coming to Jesus Christ observe the Lord Jesus Christ will be more glad in receiving and entertaining thee than thou canst be in receiving him You see he rejoyceth that he hath found this one lost sheep Oh therefore be exhorted in Gods fear to stand out no longer but you that have not yet closed with Jesus Christ come to this Shepherd that whatsoever your diseases and maladies may be they may be all removed and your souls saved But may be you will say how shall we do to come to this Shepherd that so we may be saved by him I answer briefly That man that would come to Christ he must resolve First That he will flye out of himself and renounce all self-confidence and self-excellency and self-righteousness he that would come to Christ he must come poor come in the sense of his own poverty come like a poor distressed sheep without a Shepherd he must come in the sense and feeling of his own wants and weakness The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Matth. 18 1â— Luke 19.10 Lost we are lost by nature therefore Christ came to save all no that is not the meaning but he came to save those that feel themselves lost thou must be sensible of thine own spiritual want thou must be spiritually poor or poor in spirit Secondly Learn to see so much beauty and excellency in him that thou canst be content to part with any thing for him any thing that stands in competition with him or opposition against him let all go and say I would have Jesus Christ whatever I part with for his sake Again Be sure you hearken to the voice of Christ if thou wouldst have him for thy Shepherd John 10.4 5 And when he putteth forth his own sheep he goeth before them and his own sheep follow him for they know his voice and a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers If thou art a sheep of Jesus Christ thou wilt learn the voice of Christ and not be seduced and led away with the error of the wicked to fall from your own stedfastness When Theodosius the Emperour desired to have some conference with Arius the Heretick the Empress perswaded him not to talk and confer with such a Heretick that was so envious for says she by hearing of him you may be perverted by his words and so insnared in his cursed opinion This was excellent counsel Lastly You must come to Christ in a way of Obedience you must take up a resolution to obey this blessed Shepherd The same Hebrew word that signifies to feed signifies to rule if Christ feed thee in his Pastures he must rule thee Vnite my heart to thee that I may fear thy name Psal 86.11 But what would you have me do Come with a full purpose and cleave to this Shepherd and never to leave him Do as the Disciples of Christ in John 6.67 68 Then said Jesus unto the Twelve Will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Oh that we had such a resolution as Peter had not only to say so but to do so Matt. 26.33 Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Master though all forsake thee yet will we believe
in thy name Thus if you follow this Shepherd hear and obey him then all the sweetness and marrow of this Doctrine belongs to you The Lord write these things upon our hearts and draw us nearer and nearer to him that we may say he feeds us and cloaths us and gives us eternal life So much for the first point of Doctrine drawn from the first part of that Christs Relation to his People CHRIST'S PROVISION FOR MANS DIRECTION Isaiah XL. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young 2. Doct. JEsus Christ in his carriage to his People hath a tender respect to their infirmities For the proof of this Point I shall give you but one place of Scripture and it is so full that I shall need no more Ezek. 34.19 It is spoken of our blessed Saviour says our Saviour I will seek that which was lost and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick There are four sorts of Persons mentioned there that have a great deal of need of Christs care and compassion and of his tender indulgence towards them First Some there are that are lost Sheep not finally or totally lost but lost in their own apprehension in their own sense and feeling as David complains in Psalm 119.176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep Now these our Blessed Saviour will seek he will recover them by his Word and Spirit though in their own apprehensions they think themselves lost dead damned and undone yet notwithstanding he will seek them and bring them into his Fold again Secondly Others there are that are driven away and that is a further degree of Misery Satan hath not only gotten them out of the Fold but when they are got out they wander more and more they are driven more and more from Jesus Christ by Satans subtilty and his temptations Now says our Saviour those which are driven away I will bring them again Thirdly Some are in a further degree of Misery they are broken broken with discouragements they are ready to say There is no hope no mercy belongs to such sinners as they are and these are in a worse condition than the former for a sheep may be lost and driven from the Fold but if that be all he may return but if the sheep have broken a Leg though he hear the voice of the Shepherd he cannot help himself his Leg is broken and he cannot come at the call of the Shepherd So some are so broken with discouragements that though they hear the voice of Christ they are ready to say No mercy belongs to us Now says Christ these will I bind up again and restore that Comfort that will quiet their hearts and speak peace to them Fourthly Others are sick and that is yet a further degree of misery when a poor sheep doth not only wander and is driven away and hath a broken leg discouraged with temptations but hath some kind of sickness of spirit seized on him so that he saith his soul abhors all manner of meat as David describes a man in such a condition says he his soul abhors all manner of meat and they are brought to the very gates of death Psalm 107 18. This is the saddest condition of all but says Christ these are such that I will strengthen If you would know the reason why Christ hath such a tender respect to his Peoples infirmities I will give you these Three The First is drawn from that gracious Disposition that is in him He is a Saviour of a very meek mild tender and compassionate heart this appears by those Names and Titles that sets forth the sweetness of our Saviours disposition in Scripture he compares himself to a Father to a Physician to a Husband To a Father Heb. 2.13 it is the speech of Christ Behold I and the Children which God hath given me And again he compares him to a Physician Matth. 9.12 But when Jesus heard that he said unto them They that be whole need not a Physician but they that be sick So likewise to a Husband Isa 54.5 For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name Now of whom should Children expect pity and compassion but of their Father as a Father pitieth his own Children so is the Lord merciful to them that fear him Psalm 103.13 And of whom should a Patient expect help but of the Physician And of whom should a Wife expect pity but of her Husband band who knows how to give the Wife the honour of a mild Usage because he knows she is the weaker Vessel All these Relations of a Father a Physician a Husband and of a Shepherd they are most eminently in the Lord Jesus Christ That is one reason Secondly He hath a tender respect to our infirmities because he is a Merciful High-Priest toucht with the sense of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 For we have not a high Priest which cannot be toucht with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Heb. 2.18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted As God speaks to the Jews Exod. 23.9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger for ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt So the Lord Christ he knows the hearts of poor tempted broken bruised souls because he himself was tempted A Father you know because he is acquainted with the distempers of his Child more than a stranger is pities his Child more than a stranger doth So the Lord Christ he knows our frame he considers our temper Psalm 103.13 24 therefore he pities us more than strangers do that do not know our tempers he considers we are but dust and as the wind that passeth away therefore he suffers not his whole displeasure to fall upon us Psal 78.38 39. That 's the second reason he pities us and hath a tender respect to our infirmities because he is a merciful High Priest toucht with the sense of our infirmities Thirdly The Lord Jesus Christ hath a tender respect to the infirmities of his people because he loves and likes and means to cherish the beginings of grace in any one of his poor children he loves grace and he likes it and cherisheth it he looks more at the good in us which he means to cherish than at the bad in us which he means to abolish the Lord Christ looks at the very buddings and blossoms of grace in the soul those beginnings of grace are precious unto him therefore he says of a little grace as a man says of a tree that has but one cluster upon it Do not cut the tree it hath a blessing in it Isa 65.8 The Lord Christ will not destroy a cluster