Jesus Christ required and so much spoken of in Scripture I will content my self but with two Reasons at this time 1. Faith in Christ is most fitted for the acceptance of God's free Gift Faith and Grace do always go together and are put as opposite to Law and Works Rom. 4. 16. It is of Faith that it may be of Grace Eph. 2. 8. For by Grace ye are saved through Faith and not of your selves it is the Gift of God not of Works left any Man should boast Faith establishes and keeps up the Interest and Honour of Grace for it is the free Grace and Favour of God to condescend to the Rebel World so far as he hath done in the new Covenant We present our selves before him as those that stand wholly to his Mercy have nothing to plead for our selves but the Righteousness and Merit of our Redeemer by virtue of which we humbly beg Pardon and Life to be begun in us by his Spirit and perfected in Glory 2. Why Faith in Christ Because the way of our Recovery is so strange and wonderful It can only be received by Faith Sense cannot convey it to us Reason will not and nothing is reserved for the entertainment of this glorious Mystery Pardon and Salvation by our Redeemer but Faith alone If I should deduce this Argument at large I would shew you nothing but Faith or the Belief of God's Testimony concerning his Son can support us in these Transactions with God The Comfort of the Promise is so rich and glorious Sense and Reason cannot inform us of it Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor can it enter into the Heart of Man to conceive 1 Cor. 2. 9. the things God hath prepared for them that love him It is not meant only of Heaven but of the whole Preparations and rich Provisions God hath made for us in the Gospel It is not a thing can come to us by Eye or Ear or the conceiving of Man's heart we only believe and entertain it by Faith And then the Persons upon whom it is bestowed are so unworthy that certainly it cannot enter into the Heart of Man that God will be so good and do so much good to such Adam when he had sinned grew shy of God and ran away from him Besides the way God hath taken for our deliverance is so supernatural God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life That God should become Man that he should submit to such an accursed Death for our Sakes is so high and glorious it can only be entertain'd by Faith Besides our chief Blessedness lies in another World He that lacketh Faith is blind and cannot see afar off Here in this lower World where our God is unseen and our great Hopes are to come where the Flesh is so importunate to be pleased where our Temptations and Trials are so many and Difficulties so great we are apt to question all and we can never keep waiting upon God were it not for Faith and a steady Belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. For these Reasons if you look into the Scriptures it is why Faith is so much insisted upon that we may keep up the honour of God's Grace and because this Grace of the Redeemer is so mysterious and wonderful 4. The Use of these two Graces discover their Nature What is Faith and Repeatance Repentance towards God is a Turning from Sin to God The Terminus à quo of Repentance is our begun Recovery from Sin and therefore called Repentance from dead Works Heb. 6. 1. The Terminus ad quem to which we return is God and our being devoted to God in Obedience and Love God never hath our Hearts till he hath our Love and Delight till we return to a Love of his blessed Majesty and delight in his Ways This is called in Scripture sometimes a turning to God in many other places a seeking after God a giving up our selves to God 2 Cor. 8. 5. They gave up themselves to the Lord. This is the Repentance by which we enter into the Gospel-State Now what is Faith Besides an Assent to the Gospel which is at the bottom of it It is a serious thankful broken-hearted Acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ that he may be to every one of us what God hath appointed him to be and do forevery one of us what God hath appointed him to do for poor Sinners It is serious and broken-hearted done by a Creature in misery and thankful for such a wonderful Benefit a trusting to this Redeemer that he may do the Work of a Redeemer in our Hearts to save us from the evil of and after Sin And thus I have briefly opened this necessary Doctrine as clearly laid down in the Scripture And this is your Entrance in the Evangelick State II. For our Continuance therein For we must not only mind our Entrance but our Continuance Our Lord Jesus tells us of a Gate and a Way the Gate signifies the Entrance and the Way our Continuance And we read of making and keeping Covenant with God we read of Union with Christ that is our first Entrance for this Faith is the closing Act and exprest sometimes by a being married to Christ. But there is not only an Union with Christ but an Abiding in him Abide in me and I will abide in you Now as for our Continuance I would shew you that the first Works are gone over and over again Faith and Repentance are still necessary For the Righteousness of God is revealed frm Faith to Faith And Repentance is still necessary But I shall only press two things First New Obedience Secondly Daily Prayer 1. New Obedience is required 1 Ioh. 1. 7. If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have fellowship one with another and the Blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin Holy Walking is necessary to the continuance of our being cleansed from Sin and therefore Mercy is promised to the forsaking of our Sins Prov. 18. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his Sins shall find Mercy Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Our Hearts were not sound with God in the first Covenanting if we undo what was done If we build again the things we have destroyed then we are found Transgressours Gal. 1. 18. Well then a Man that seeks after Pardon seeks after it with the ruine and destruction of Sin Sin was the greatest Burden that lay upon his Conscience the Greivance from whence he sought ease the Wound pain'd him at Heart the Disease his Soul was sick of And was all this Anguish real and shall a Man come to delight in his Sores again and take up the Burden he groaned under and tear open
which we could neither imagine nor hope for partly because the chief of our Blessings lie in another World and Nature cannot see so far off 2 Pet. 1. 9. Partly because Christ's most sincere People are afflicted with so many Difficulties and so seemingly forsaken and Temptations to Unbelief are many and pressing that it is hard to maintain any Life in our selves unless we have Faith that is a strong Assent and invincible Trust. Well now consider for what good reason God requireth Faith Sense only looks to things seeen and felt Reason seeth Effects in their Causes and yet but probably but Faith is a believing such things as God hath revealed because he hath revealed them and surely this only can sustain us in the expectation of God's Grace and Mercy unto Eternal Life Whilst we are employed in Duties so opposite to the bent of the carnal Heart and have so many Temptations to the contrary what can support us but a strong and lively Faith 2. Till we believe in Christ we can have no Comfort or Use of all his Offices How can we learn of him the Way of Salvation till we believe him to be the Prophet sent of God to teach the World the Way to true Happiness Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him How can we obey him unless we believe in him that he is our Lord who hath power over all Flesh at whose Judgment we must stand or fall Acts 17. 30 31. Now commandeth all Men every where to repent because he hath appointed a Day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men in that he hath raised him from the dead How can we depend upon the Merit of his Obedience and Sacrifice and be comforted with his gracious Promises and Covenant and come to God with boldness and Hope of Mercy in his Name and be confident that he will justify sanctify and save us unless we believe that he is a Priest who once made an Atonement and continually makes Intercession for us Heb. 9. 25. In the days of his Flesh when any came for any Benefit to him he put him upon his Trial Believest thou that I am able to do this Mark 9 23. Iesus said unto him If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth Believest thou that I am able to Martha Joh. 11. 26. Thus they were not capable of any Benefit till they believed 3. With respect to that Holiness and Obedience which God expected from the Creature Christ came to restore us to God which he doth both as a Saviour and Law-giver to his Church and till we believe in him both these Qualities and Functions miss of their Effect 1. As a Saviour he came to take away the Curse of the Law and to put us into a capacity to serve and please God by giving us his Spirit to renew our Natures and heal our Souls Isa. 53. 5. The Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his Stripes we are healed 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree that we being dead unto Sin should live unto Righteousness by whose Stripes ye were healed We shall never mind our Duty nor be capable to perform it unless we believe that he is such a Saviour 2. As a Law-giver obliging us by his Authority to live in obedience unto God The Kingdom of the Mediator is clearly subordinate to the Kingdom of God for he came not to vacate our Duty but to establish it he came to restore the lost Groat to the Owner the lost Sheep to the Possessor the lost Son to the Father As the Grace of Christ doth not vacate the Mercy of God so the Authority of Christ that novum Ius Imperii doth not free us from the Authority of God Now who will submit to an Authority that is not convinced of it or doth not believe it But when once we believe then we bow Heart and Knee 4. With respect to our Comfort Often in Scripture Faith is represented as a quieting Grace The Comfort Quietness and Peace of the Soul dependeth much upon Faith in Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour which banishes our Fears and makes us in our greatest hardships to trust Christ with all our Happiness and to feast the Soul with a constant Peace and everlasting Joy Whether this World be turned upside down and be dissolved whether we be in Poverty and Sickness or in Health or Wealth whether we be under evil Repute or good whether Persecution or Prosperity befall us how little are we concern'd in all these if we know in whom we have believed 2. Tim. 1. 12. Heaven is where it was before and Christ is at the right hand of God how little then should all these things disturb the Peace and Comfort of that Soul that shall live with God for ever Psal. 112. 7. But Sin is our greatest trouble If Sin be your Trouble I answer Is it your Infirmity or Iniquity If Infirmity There is no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Iesus c. Rom. 8. 1. If Iniquity break off your Sin by Repentance and then there may be Comfort for you for Christ came to save us from our Sins USE 1. Is to confute Mens Presumptions of their Eternal good Estate whereby many damnably delude their own Souls 1. Some when they hear that whosoever believeth shall be saved have a carnal Notion of Christ that if he were alive they would own him and receive him into their Houses and use him more friendly than the Iews did This is but a knowing Christ after the Flesh 2 Cor. 5. 16. He is not to be received into your Houses but into your Hearts Besides we do not know our own Hearts or what we should have done if we had lived then a Person of such contemptible appearance as Christ was and so free in his Reproofs of the Sins of the Times would not have been for our turn no more than theirs The Iews said Mat. 23. 30. If we had lived in the days of our Fathers we would not have been guilty of the Blood of the Prophets The Memory of Corah Dathan and Abiram was as detestable to the carnal Iews as that of Iudas and Pontius Pilate to Christians but they were not a whit the better Men no more are we 2. They do great reverence to his Name and Memory profess themselves Christians and abhor Turks and Infidels No this will not do neither Many prize Christ's Name that neglect his Office honouring the Physician without taking his Remedies never brought Health They have learned to speak well of Christ by rote after others but they do not savingly and sincerely believe in him to cure and heal their Souls and suffer him to do the work of a Mediator there The other Respect is to be ascribed to the Chance of their
Birth they have the happiness to be born there where Christ is the God of the Country that which makes others Turks and Infidels makes them Christians but though they stand upon the higher Ground they are not the taller Men. 3. They are very willing to be forgiven by Christ and to obtain Eternal Life but this is what meer Necessity requires them They will not suffer him to do his whole Work to sanctify them and fit them to live to God nor part with their nearest and dearest Lusts and come into the obedience of the Gospel or at least if Christ will do it for them without their improving this Grace or using his holy Means they are contented But having such precious Promises and such a blessed Redeemer we are to cleanse our selves 2 Cor. 7. 11. The Work is ours though the Grace be from him So Gal. 5. 14. They that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts. 4. Some have a strong Conceit that they shall be saved and have Benefit by Christ. This which they call their Faith may be the greatest Unbelief in the World that Men living in their Sins shall yet do well enough is to believe the flat contrary of what God hath spoken in his Word 1 Cor. 6. 9. Know ye not that the Unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Drunkards nor effeminate Persons c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God It is not Strength of Conceit but the sure Foundation of our Hope that will support us nor are they the most happy who have the least Trouble but who have the least Cause Use 2. Do we believe in the Son of God Here will be the great Case of Conscience for setling our Eternal Interest 1. If we believe Christ will be precious to us 1 Pet. 2. 7. Unto them which believe he is precious Christ cannot be accepted where he is not valued when other Things come in competition with him and God will not be prodigal of his Grace 2. Where there is true Faith the Heart will be purified Acts 15. 9. Purifying their Hearts by Faith 3. If you do believe in Christ the Heart will be weaned from the World 1 Ioh. 5. 4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith 4. If you have the true Faith it works by Love Gal. 5. 6. For in Iesus Christ neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love By these things will the Case be determined Then the Comfort and Sweetness of this Truth falls upon your Hearts that God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life SERMON XVII DEUT. 30. 15. See I have set before thee this day Life and Good Death and Evil. MOses the Man of God having acquainted the People with the Tenour of God's Commandments both concerning Worship and civil Conversation doth inforce all by a pregnant Exhortation laying before their Eyes the Blessings of Obedience and the Plagues and Curses that should overtake them in case they should decline from the Ways of the Lord thus recommended to them In all which he sheweth himself not only as an ordinary Preacher speaking by way of Exhortation and Doctrinal Threatning but as a special Prophet speaking by way of Prediction and that with such clearness and certainty that these few Chapters may be looked upon as an exact Kalender and Prognostication wherein the good or bad days of this People are expresly calculated and foretold yea comparing Events with the Prediction you would rather conceive Moses his Speech to be an Authentick Register and Chronicle of what is past than an infallible Prophecy of what was to come nothing good or bad hath befallen this People from the beginning to this Day but what is here foretold What is more largely declared upon in this Exhortation is contracted into a narrow room and summary here in the Text See I have set before thee this day Life and Good Death and Evil. In the Words observe 1. The Matter propounded in two Pairs that have a mutual Connection one with another Life and Good Death and Evil. 2. The Manner of Proposal I have set before thee 3. A Duty inferred or Attention excited See 1. The Matter propounded a double Pair or Conjugation Life and Good Death and Evil. Life as the End Good as the Means leading to Life Or else Life that is the enjoyment of God and Good the Felicity following it The Septuagint changeth the Order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. The Manner of Proposing I have set before thee The Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in a lively manner laid forth and offered for choice We have a saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that contraries put together do mutually illustrate each other Here is Good and Evil Life and Death put together that we may embrace the one and eschew the other As the Poets feign of Hercules when he was young Vertue and Vice came to woo and make court to him Vertue like a sober chast Virgin offering him Labours with Praise and Renown Vice like a painted Harlot wooing him with the Blandishment of Pleasures So in the 5th of Proverbs Wisdom and Folly are represented both pleading to draw in the Hearts of Men to them ver 4. compared with the 16th Whoso is simple let him turn in hither as for him that wanteth Understanding she saith Come eat of my Bread and drink of the Wine that I have mingled The one hath her Pleasures and the other hath her Pleasures only the Pleasures of Folly are stolen Waters and Bread eaten in secret Comforts we get by Stealth Jollity and Mirth when Conscience is asleep So here Moses layeth before them the fruit of Obedience and Disobedience Life and Death 3. The Word exciting Attention 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See I have done this in order to Choice for so it is ver 19. Choose Life that both Thou and thy Seed may live Doct. It is the Duty of the Faithful Servants of the Lord in a lively manner to set before the People Life and Death as the fruit of Good and Evil. Moses was God's Minister to instruct this People and what doth he propose and confirm in his Doctrine but Life and Death Good and Evil and this was a part of his Faithfulness Witness that vehement Obtestation used ver 19. He calls Heaven and Earth to record that he had faithfully discharged his Duty herein This was the course that God himself took with Adam in Innocency he set before him Life and Death a Blessing and a Curse the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledg Gen. 2. 9. That he might live by the one and not perish by the other God had respect to the Mutability of his Nature and therefore restrained him by the threatning of
Debts and using Justice Equity and Honesty in all their Dealings they are Robbers Thieves and Enemies to Human Society 4. Opera Charitatis Misericordiae as to relieve the Poor to be good to all to help others by our Counsel or Admonition We are often called upon for these thus Acts 9 36. Dorcas is said to be full of good Works and Alms-deeds which she did So 1 Tim. 6. 18. Charge them to be rich in good Works It is not left arbitrary to you but laid upon you as Part of your Charge and Duty a Debt we owe to God Now if you do not mind these kind of good Works you are unfaithful Stewards in the good things committed to your Trust. You must not deny God his own when he or any of his have need of it 5. I think there is another Sort of good Works which concern our selves and that is Sobriety Watchfulness Mortification Self-denial A Man oweth Duty to himself Tit. 2. 12. Teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts. we should live soberly c. These conduce to our Safety 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober be vigilant for your Adversary the Devil like a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour And belong to our Fidelity to Christ. Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof Therefore take in these also and call them Opera Militiae Christianae the Works of our Spiritual Warfare by which we guard our selves from the Enemies of our Salvation that our Hands be not weakned and enfeebled in God's Work that we may carry it on without unevenness and interruption Secondly The Requisites to a good Work are 1. That the Person be in a good State Mat. 7. 17. A good Tree bringeth forth good Fruit. Married to Christ. Rom. 7. 4. Wherefore ye also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the Dead that we should bring forth Fruit unto God A Believer Tit. 3. 8. Let them which believe in God be careful to maintain good Works A carnal unregenerate Man may do that which is for the matter good but till he be changed in his Heart and State his Works are not acceptable to God 2. The Principles of Operation must be Faith Love and Obedience Faith owning God's Authority Psal. 119. 66. Teach me good Iudgment and Knowledg for I have believed thy Commandment Love inclining the Heart 2 Cor 5. 14. The Love of Christ constraineth me Obedience swaying the Conscience 1 Thess. 4. 5. This is the Will of God your Sanctification 1 Tim. 1. 5. The End of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and good Conscience and Faith unfeigned There we have the Pedigree of good Works Faith unfeigned begets a good Conscience and that a pure Heart and that Love to God and then all particular Duties succeed 3. A due Regard of Circumstances that it may be not only good but done well Luk. 8. 15. with that Diligence Reverence Seriousness Alacrity which the Nature of the Work doth require 4. The End that it be for God's Glory Phil. 1. 11. Filled with the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Christ Iesus to the Praise and Glory of God II. How new Creatures are obliged to these good Works 1. With respect to God He hath ordained that we should walk in them If you refer it to his Decree he will have his Elect People distinguished from others by the Good they do in the World that they may be known to be followers of a good God as the Children of the Devil are by their Mischief His Eternal Decree is made evident to us by our making Conscience of good Works and so we make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. If you take it for his Precept and Command surely we should make Conscience of what our Father giveth us in charge he hath appointed us to do so sent us into the Vineyard to work and shall we say I will not Mat. 21. 29 30. or loiter and neglect when we have given our Consent or pretend to go and never set about it To a gracious Heart the Signification of God's Will is instead of all Reasons 1 Thess. 5. 18. In every thing give thanks for this is the Will of God concerning you 1 Pet. 2. 15. For this is the Will of God that with well-doing you may put to silence the Ignorance of foolish Men. 2. With respect to Christ who died to restore us to a Capacity and Ability to perform these good Works Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all Iniquity and purify to himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works not only to do them but do them with Alacrity and Zeal As Christ came to raise the Comfort of the Creature to the highest so also the Duty of the Creature to the highest that his People might be eminent in Holiness Justice Goodness and Truth above all others 3. With respect to the Spirit who reneweth us for this end We are new made that we may look upon doing good as our Calling and only Business All other things are valuable according to the Use for which they serve the Sun was made to give Light and Heat to inferior Creatures and we are enlightned by Grace and inclined by Grace that our Light may shine before Men Mat. 5. 16. 4. With respect to Heaven and Eternal Happiness They are the Way to Heaven We discontinue or break off our Walk when we cease to do Good but the more we mind good Works the more we proceed in our Way Phil. 3. 14. Pressing onward to our final Reward and at length our Entrance is more full and with greater peace 2 Pet. 1. 11. III. How they are fitted and prepared by this new Nature that is put into them for good Works Answ. There is a remote Preparation and a near Preparation 1. The remote Preparation is an Inclination and Propensity to all the Acts of the holy and heavenly Life All Creatures have an Inclination to their proper Operations so the new Creature As the Sparks fly up and the Stones downward by an Inclination of Nature so are their Hearts bent to please and serve God The Inclination is natural the Acts are voluntary because it is an Inclination of a free Agent The Law of God is in their Hearts Psal. 40. 8. Psal. 37. 31. Others force themselves but here there is an Affinity between the Work and the vital Principle which is in us so that we need not much enforcement 1 Thess. 4. 9. As touching Brotherly Love I need not write unto you for you are taught of God to love one another Now God's teaching is not by Expression but by Impression he hath inclined suited our Hearts to it As there need not many Arguments to move the Mother to give suck to her tender Infant Nature hath taught her
with carnal Delights but the virtue of that Opium will be soon spent All those Joys are but stollen Waters and Bread eaten in secret a poor sorry Peace that dares not come to the Light and endure the Trial a sorry Peace that is soon disturbed by a few serious and sober thoughts of God and the World to come but when once Sin is pardoned then you have true Joy indeed Be of good Cheer thy Sins be forgiven thee Mat. 9. 2. Then Misery is pluckt up by the Roots Comfort ye comfort ye my People Why Her Iniquity is forgiven Isa. 40. 1 2. And we joy in God Rom. 5. 11. as those that have received the Atonement The Lord Jesus hath made the Atonement but when we have received the Atonement then we joy in God then there is matter for abundant Delight when the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy-Ghost given unto us 3. When we are pardoned then we are capable of Eternal Happiness Pardon of Sin is Gratia removens prohibens that Grace that removes the Impediment that takes the Make-bate out of the way removes that that hinders our Entrance into Heaven Sanctification is the beginning but till we are pardoned there can be no Entrance into Heaven now this removes the Incapacity I observe Remission of Sins is put for all the Priviledge-Part as Repentance for the Duties Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted to give Repentance and Remission of Sins There are two Initial Benefits Repentance as the Foundation of the new Life and Remission of Sins as the Foundation of all our future Mercies There are two chief Blessings offered in the New Covenant Pardon and Life Reconciliation with God and the everlasting Fruition of Him in Glory and the one makes way for the other Acts 26. 28. To open their Eyes and to turn them from Satan to God that they may receive Remission of Sins and an Inheritance among the Saints When we are pardoned then we are capable to look for the blessed Inheritance the Impediment is taken out of the way that excludes from it And thus you see the Blessedness of the Man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Filth is covered and unto whom the Lord will not impute his Sin A Word of Application 1. Let us bless God for the Christian Religion Where this Priviledge is discovered to us in all its Glory and that upon very commodious terms fit to gain the Heart of Man and to reduce him to God Mic. 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee among all the Gods pardoning the Transgressions of thine Heritage The Business of Religion is to provide sufficiently for two things which have much troubled the considering Part of the World a suitable Happiness for Mankind and suitable means for the expiation of Sin Happiness is our great desire and Sin is our great burden and trouble Now these are fully made known and discovered to us by the Christian Faith The last is that we are upon The Way how the grand Scruple of the World may be satisfied and their guilty Fears appeased And that we may see the Excellency of the Christian Religion above all Religions in the World it offers Pardon upon such terms as are most commodious to the Honour of God and most satisfactory to our Souls that is upon the account of Christ's Satisfaction and our own Repentance without which our Case is not compassionable The first I will chiefly insist on The Heathens were mightily perplexed about the way how God could dispense with the Honour of his Justice in the Pardon of Sin That Man is God's Creature and therefore his Subject that he hath exceedingly failed and faulted in his Duty and Subjection to him and is therefore obnoxious to God's just Wrath and Vengeance are Truths evident in the light of Nature and common Experience And therefore the Heathens had some Convictions of this and saw a need that God should be atoned and propitiated by some Sacrifices of Expiation and the nearer they lived to the Original of this Tradition and Institution the more burdened and pressing were their Conceits and Apprehensions thereof But in all their cruel Superstitions there was no rest of Soul they knew not the true God nor the proper Ransom nor had any sure way to convey Pardon to them but were still left to the Puzzle and Distraction of their own Thoughts and could not make God merciful without some diminution of his Holiness and Justice nor make him just without some diminution of his Mercy Somewhat they conceived of the Goodness of God by his continuing forfeited Benefits so long God left them not without a Witness But yet they could not reconcile it to his Justice or Will to punish Sinners And all their Apprehensions of the Pardon of Sin were but Probabilities and what was wrought to procure Merit was ridiculous or else barbarous and unnatural giving their First-born for the Sin of their Soul Mic. 6. 7. And all those Notions they had about this apprehended Expiation were too weak to change the Heart or Life of Man or to reduce him to God Come we now to the Iews The Iews had many Sacrifices of God's own Institution but such as did not make the Comers thereunto perfect as pertaining to the Conscience Heb. 9. 9. And the Ransom that was to be given to provoked Justice was known but to a few They saw much of the Patience and Forbearance of God but little of the Righteousness of God and which was the great Propitiation Till God set forth Iesus Christ to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the Remission of Sins that are past through the Forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the Iustifier of him that believes in Iesus Rom. 3. 25 26. Their Ordinances and Sacrifices were rather a Bond acknowledging the Debt or presignifying the Ransom that was to be paid and their Sacrifices did rather breed Bondage and their Ordinances were called an Hand-writing of Ordinances that were against them The Redemption of Souls was then-spoken of as a great Mystery but sparingly reveal'd Psal. 49. 3 7. My Mouth shall speak of Wisdom and the Meditation of my Heart shall be of Understanding I will incline mine Ear to a Parable I will open my dark Sayings upon the Harp What was that Wisdom What was that dark Saying The Redemption of Souls is precious it ceaseth for ever As it lies upon meer Man's hand none can give a Ransom for his Brother Eternal Redemption by Christ was a dark Saying in those days only they knew no meer Man could do it And in more early times in Iob's time he was an Interpreter One of a Thousand that could bring this Message to a distressed Sinner that God had found out a Ransom This Atonement then that lies at the bottom of Pardon of Sin was a rare thing in those days Let us bless
the Conscience and the Conscience against all But where the Heart is framed to the obedience of God's Will there is Peace Pax est tranquillitas ordinis when all things keep their place as in an accurate orderly Life they do Gal. 6. As many as walk according to this Rule Peace and Mercy be upon them and the whole Israel of God There is Peace for there is an harmonious Accord between God and them and between them and themselves Psal. 119. 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law not only Peace but great Peace a Peace that passeth all understanding Whilst we are in our Sins there is ever a fear of the War which is between God and us and there is a War in our selves Conscience disallowing our practices and our practices disliking the conduct of Conscience so that there is no peace to the Wicked But when the Lord Jesus hath taken us in hand and begun to cure us and frame us aright and shew us his wonderful Grace in turning us from our Sins here is matter provided for Serenity and Peace 2. It is the pledg of our eternal Felicity hereafter For Heaven is the perfection of Holiness or the full fruition of God in glory Now when the Mediator begins to take away Sin he blesses you for the Life is then begun which shall be perfected in Heaven Unless it be begun here it will never be perfected there For without Holiness no Man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. But if it be begun it will surely be perfected there for blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The vision and fruition of God is begun here the Spirit of Holiness is the earnest of our Inheritance Eph. 1. 13 14. O what Blessedness is it then to have the new heart planted into us by Christ and to live the new Life It is the Beast about you that delights in the momentany base dreggy Pleasures of Sin But when Christ hath turned you from your Sins you are blessed indeed you are in the way to Blessedness and you shall be blessed for ever he gives Peace as a Pledge of Happiness and Eternal Glory III. I shall prove that this is the Mediator's Blessing 1. Let me lay down this that those Blessings that are most proper to the Mediator are spiritual Blessings We forfeited all by Sin but especially the Grace of the Spirit whereby we might be made serviceable to God Other Mercies run in the Channel of common Providence but spiritual Blessings are the discriminating Graces and Favours that are given us by the Mediator Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in heavenly Places Christ came not to distribute Honours and Greatness and worldly Riches to his Followers but to turn away every one of us from our Sins to reduce us to God that we may love him and be beloved of him He came as a spiritual Saviour to give us Grace rather than temporal Happiness Most Men have a Carnal Iewish Notion of Christ they would have a temporal Safety and Happiness they would have Deliverance from Affliction rather than Deliverance from Sin To be delivered from every evil Work is more than to be delivered from the Mouth of the Lion This is most proper to the Mediator 2 Tim. 4. 18. A sanctified Use of Troubles is more than an Exemption from them a carnal Man may have Exemption from them but not a sanctified Use of them Poverty Lameness Blindness are not as bad as Ignorance unruly Lusts and Want of Grace Moral Evils are worse than Natural Daniel was cast into a Lion's Den you would think that was a Misery but it was a greater Misery when Nebuchadnezzar was thrust out among the Beasts being given up to a brutish Heart Exemption from Trouble may be hurtful to us but Deliverance from Sin is never hurtful to us Among the spiritual Blessings we have by the Mediator Conversion from Sin to God is the chiefest we have on this side Heaven That it was the main Part of Christ's Undertaking I shall prove by Scripture and Reason For Scripture the Text is clear for it for thus the Apostle interprets the Covenant-Blessing In thy Seed shall all Nations of the Earth be blessed viz. God hath sent him to bless you wherein in turning every one of you from your Sins He shall be called Iesus Mat. 1. 21. for he shall save his People from their sins not only from the Guilt but the Power of Sin not only from the Evil after Sin but the Evil of Sin it self Denominatio est à majori the Name is taken from what is chiefest And so when he is promised to the Iews The Redcemer shall come out of Sion and he shall turn away Ungodliness from Iacob There is his principal Work 1 John 3. 5. Christ came to take away Sin and in him is no Sin He means not only the condemning Power but the Power of it in the Heart for he is pleading Arguments for Holiness why Believers should not run into Sin which is a Transgression of the Law One is from the Undertaking of Christ he came to take away Sin and from the Example of Christ In him is no Sin he plainly means the Power of Sin 2. Now to give you some Reasons why this is the chief Benefit most eyed by Christ and should be most regarded by us 1. Christ's Undertaking was principally for the Glory of God All the Promises are in him Yea and Amen to the Glory of God And it should not be a Question which should have the precedence the Glory of God or our Good Christ came to promote God's Glory and that must have the precedence of our Benefit Now then the abolishing the Guilt of Sin doth more directly respect our Interest and Good but the abolishing the Power of Sin or the turning and cleansing the Heart from it doth more immediately respect the Glory of God and our Subjection to God Therefore Christ would not only pacify the Wrath of God but his chief Work that doth mostly concern the Glory of God was to heal our evil Natures and prevent Sin for the time to come 2. To be turned from Sin is to be freed from the greatest Evil. For Pardon gives us an Exemption from Punishment which is a natural Evil but Conversion gives us freedom from our naughty Hearts which is a moral Evil and certainly Vice is worse than Pain and Sin than Misery Besides Sin is the Cause of all Evil and the taking away the Cause is more than ceasing the Effect 3. This hath nearer Connection with the Life of Glory Pardon only removes the Impediment but the sanctifying and healing of our Natures is the beginning of the Life of Glory and Introduction into it Pardon removes our Guilt which hinders our Happiness therefore Divines say Justification is Gratia removens prohibens that that removes the Impediment but the sanctifying
not please you so much as when they desire you to teach them and instruct them in their Duty that they may not offend God and you When you ask temporal Things of God you do not sin for God hath given a Liberty to ask daily Bread but when you ask Grace that you may be free from Sin that you may not offend God or be a Scandal to the Gospel this is most pleasing to God When Solomon had asked Wisdom and not Riches and Honours the thing pleased the Lord. These Prayers are most acceptable to God they will bring their Answers with them then you set your Redeemer about his proper work for God sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from your Sins Nay if you beg only for Pardon and do not mind the Destruction of Sin you are no more willing to be saved than the Devils are Certainly the Devils are willing to be saved from the Wrath of God Every Creature seeks its own ease and they would be eased of their Torments Every one would have Eternal Life Evermore give us this Bread But you are unwilling to be saved upon Christ's Terms if you will not let him mortify your Lusts and submit to his Healing 3. If this be the Mediator's great Blessing to turn you from your Sins then it follows that those who have their Corruptions most mortified are the best Christians the Redeemer hath been at work in their Hearts and they have most of the Mediator's Blessing He is not the best Christian that hath the most plausible Gifts that can with Art and Parts best perform outward Duties that hath the strongest Memory clearest Apprehension readiest Elocution but he that hath an humble mortified holy pure and self-denying Spirit for this is a more weighty Point of Christ's undertaking to make you Holy Humble and Meek than to furnish you with Gifts and make you free in speech Again he is not the best Christian that hath most fanatical Raptures of Joy or pretended Admirations of Grace but he that is crucified to the World and hath felt the Power of Christ's Death Many who are not careful watchful and exact in their Conversations yet will pretend to live upon Christ and think they need not be so scrupulous to be troubled about their Sins These neglect the main End of Christ's coming which was to turn every one of us from our Iniquities 4. It shews the Necessity and Excellency of Holiness The Necessity of it will appear thus it is not only an Evidence of our Interest in the relative Priviledges such as Pardon Adoption and the like nor only necessary by way of Gratitude for Salvation received but it is necessary as a part of Salvation it self This is the Salvation the Blessing of the Redeemer this is the thing wherein he hath shewed his free Grace in that he hath purchased the Spirit to heal our Natures and restore the Image of God to us which was defaced by Sin Herein is Christ a Saviour in saving his People from their Sins and he hath saved us by washing us in the Laver of Regeneration And once more It is not only a main Part of our Salvation but a necessary Means to obtain the rest No obtaining Pardon without Conversion nor Heaven till Sin be quite done away 2dly The Excellency of Holiness appears For this End we are redeemed by Christ Luk. 1. 74 75. And renewed by the Holy Ghost Eph. 4. 24. Yea our everlasting Blessedness consists in the Perfection of Holiness Eph. 5. 27. 5. It informs us how much Christians are to blame that they improve their Christianity no more to get Power and Strength against Sin Christ consider him as a Prophet Priest or King doth still discover himself to be one that came to take away Sin As a Prophet he hath given us such a Doctrine as is fit for such an use Ioh. 17. 17. His Word is the best Glass wherein to see Corruption The highest Motives in the World are propounded to purge it out His Calls Promises and Threats are all to take away Sin And as a Priest he hath paid the Price that was necessary to preserve the Honour of God's Justice that there might be no stop in the way of that abundant Grace and that we may have the Gift of the Spirit 1 Ioh. 1. 7. Because his Blood was that meritorious Price that was shed that we might be turned from Sin and this Blood is pleaded before God He lives for ever to make Intercession for you that in all your Conflicts and Temptations you may have necessary strength against Sin As a King he doth powerfully by his Spirit maintain his Interest against the Devil World and Flesh and helps you to overcome Sin He is the Captain of your Salvation Yet lamentable it is to see what a poor cowardly Spirit is in most Christians how soon captivated with every slender Assault and petty Temptation and their Resolutions so soon shaken not so much for want of Strength as Sluggishness and Cowardise and want of Care Men spare their pains and then cry out they are impotent when there is such Grace provided in the Redeemer Like lazy Beggars that personate and act Diseases because they would not work they are not able to stand before the slightest Motions of Sin because they do not stir up themselves and improve the Grace they have or might have by Christ. Certainly idle Complaints of Sin will not become those that profess an Interest in Christ for his main great Undertaking which is by all Methods carried on still is the taking away Sin So much for the Information II. Take home with you this Truth in your Hearts That Christ's work is to turn you from Sin and it is the great Blessing we have from him in the New Covenant Then do not neglect this Work nor contemn this Blessing You know the Fault of those they made light of these things Especially do not resist this Work nor grieve the holy Spirit of Christ which would work it in you and quench not his sanctifying Motions rather deliver up your selves to all his healing Methods and be so far from resisting that you should improve the Power of his Grace every day He turns us indeed by way of Efficiency but we turn our selves by Submission to his blessed Motions He draws and we run after him Therefore every time Christ offers this saving Help thou art put to thy choice whether thou wilt have Christ or Sin to reign over thee Christ that doth it for thee must do it in thee Christ is the Author that turns but the Sinner is the Subject and he first works upon you and afterwards he works by you He converts you to God by the victorious Impressions of his Grace and afterwards ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body We cannot do it Christ must do it but he will do it in his own way He hath sanctified Ordinances to convey this to you
weakned by Almighty Grace 2. It may come from Libertinism And these harden their Hearts in sinning by a mistaking the Gospel 1. Some vainly imagine as if God by Jesus Christ were made more reconcilable to Sin that it needs not so much to be stood upon nor need we to be so exact to keep such ado to mortify and subdue the Inclinations that lead to it They altogether run to the Comforts of the Gospel and neglect the Duties thereof Christ died for Sinners therefore we need not to be troubled about it Some actually speak out these things as if all the Mortification required were but to quell the Sense of Sin in the Conscience not to destroy the Power of Sin in their Hearts and if they can but believe strongly they are pardoned all is well If this were true then in the hardest Heart would be the best Faith for they have the least trouble about Sin and least Conscience of Sin This is to cry up the Merit of Christ to exclude the Work and Discipline of this Spirit yea to set the Merit of his Death against the End of it and so to set Christ against Christ. He bore our Sins He bore our Sins in his Body upon the Tree that we might be dead to Sin and alive to Righteousness to promote this Mortification that we speak of 2. Another Sort think such Discourses may be well spared among a Company of Believers and they need not this Watchfulness and holy Care especially against grievous Sins that they have such good Command of themselves that they can keep within Compass well enough 'T is well if you be come to this height of Christian Perfection that Temptations make none or no considerable Impression upon you But we must warn you and that of the most gross Sins Christ thought fit to warn his Disciples Luk. 21. 34. Take heed lest your Hearts be overcharged with Surfetting and Drunkenness and the Cares of this Life And the Apostle every where warns Christians of Malice of Hypocrisy of Envy of Lying of Evil-speaking 1 Thess. 4. 6. Take heed that you do not over-reach and defraud one another for God is the Avenger of all such But these Men would be fed with refined Strains of Contemplative Divinity and have no Sins reproved but such kind of Sins as would seem a Credit rather than a Disgrace like those Diseases that are incident only to the best Complections and Constitutions If you speak against something that may rather argue their Excellency than shame them of their Sin you shall be welcome This over-spiritual Preaching ends in an aery Religion Is Sin grown less dangerous or Men more skilful to avoid it than heretofore Certainly he that considers how many scandalous Professors there are that would be accounted the People of God hath no cause to think so If Paul saw need of Mortification 1 Cor. 9. 27. We are not more strong but more fool-hardy 3. A third Sort are such as think Believers are not to be scared with Threatnings but only oiled with Grace But then consider the words of Christ were to his Disciples And to whom did the Apostle Paul write to Believers questionless If you live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live Rom. 8. 13. No part of the Spirit 's Discipline must be omitted If one end of Christ's coming was to verify God's Threatnings and that the Curse of the Law should not fall to the Ground surely there is use of Threatnings still 3. It may arise from another Cause that is the Passionateness of carnal Affections Men are so wedded to their Lusts they cannot leave them and so strangely besotted they are even ready to sit down and say they will venture their Souls rather than live a strict Life Is the pleasing of the Flesh so sweet to you or Hell so slight a Matter And will the Day of Judgment be so slubber'd over There is a raging Despair and there is a sottish Despair The raging Despair of a Cain Gen. 4. 13. My Evil is greater than can be born when we are ready to sink under the Burden of our Sins And a sottish Despair when we are not sound with God and loth to improve the Grace of the Redeemer but say There is no hope we will go on in the Imaginations of our own Heart Jer. 2. 25. There is no Hope it is an Evil and I must bear it If I be damned I cannot help it I must bear it as well as I can What! will you bear the Loss of Heaven the Wrath of the Almighty and Eternal God Surely you know not what Eternity means what Hell and Heaven means You will know when the Eyes that are now blinded by the delusions of the Flesh shall be opened when you shall see others sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and you shall be shut out Canst thou bear this If Rachel could not endure the want of Children and Iacob the supposed Loss of Ioseph when all his Sons and Daughters rose up to comfort him If Ahitophel could not endure the loss of his Credit in Counsel How wilt thou endure the Loss of thy Soul and the Glory of the Blessed to all Eternity When thou hast nothing to beguile thy Mind and thou art devested of all other Comforts and thou must feed upon this for ever So for the Pains of Hell Thou that canst not endure to be scorched a day or two in feaverish Flames or the Pain of the Stone or Gout when God arms the Humours of thine own Body against thee and canst not endure the Torment of an aking Tooth how canst thou endure the Wrath of an Eternal God Can your Hearts endure or your Hands be made strong in the Day that I will deal with you saith the Lord 2d Use is To perswade you not to neglect the Salt of the Covenant It may be fretting but it is healthful as the most salutary Medicines are usually most troublesom To help you to improve this kind of Argument which our Lord here useth 1. Consider There are but two Sorts of Men in the World and you are one of them There is no Neutral no middle State there are but two Principles that Men are influenced by the Flesh and the Spirit and there are but two Ends Men propound to themselves either the pleasing of the Flesh upon Earth or the enjoyment of God in Heaven And two Places they issue into Heaven or Hell The Scripture is peremptory and tells you who shall go to Heaven and who shall go to Hell Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live Gal. 6. 8. He that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life everlasting Or consider that Prov. 14. 14.
The Scripture declares both the first This is love to keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous The second Psal. 97 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil When we are fearful of committing or omitting any thing may be a violation of his Law a grief to his Spirit or a dishonour to his Name then we are said to love God What ever lofty and luscious strains of devotion we may otherwise please our selves with here will our Trial rest He doth not love God that can most accurately discourse of his Attributes or soar aloft in the nice speculations of contemplative Divinity or pretences of Secrecy with God but he that is most awful serious and consciencious in his Duty 2. It is a Transcendental Love we owe to God we must love him above all other things For he must be loved as our Felicity and End He must have the chiefest place in our Hearts and our principal design must be to please serve and glorify him If we seek God in order to other things we do not love him but our own Lusts nay if all other things be not sought after in order to God we do not set him up as our chief good or last end He that loves Father and Mother more than me is not worthy of me Luke 14. 26. If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Many have a partial half-love to God but a greater love to other things then God's interest will be least minded For there is something nearer and dearer to us than God which will be soon preferred before the Conscience of our Duty to him No all must be subordinated to our supream Happiness and last end or else God is not loved as God But now the second thing propounded is the nature of that influence upon Love which is exprest here by the Apostle in the word direct The Lord direct your Hearts in the Love of God What doth this Imply 1. It implies that God works upon us as Rational Creatures He changeth the Heart indeed but he doth it by Direction he draws us to himself but it is with the Cords of a Man he teacheth while he draws Joh. 6. 44 45. None can come unto me but those whom the Father draws and he proves it by this because they shall be all taught of God God's drawing is teaching it is both by the attractive force of the Object and the internal Efficacy of his Grace the Spirits conduct is sweet yet powerfull accomplisheth the Effect but without offering violence to the liberty of Man We are not forced but directed There is not a violent compulsion but an inclination sweetly raised in us by victorious Grace or the overpouring sweetness of his Love For we love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. And this love is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost who by giving us an esteem and serious remembrance of his Benefits blows up this holy flame in our Hearts We do not love God we know not why or wherefore An account can be given of all the Spirits operations Look as in an impression there must be a Seal and Wax to the Seal and the hand that stamps it so all concurr here The Word doth its part that is the Seal and the Heart of Man receives the Impression but to make it effectual and durable the hand of God concurs or the power of his Spirit The Object is the Gospel wherein God commends his Love to us by the Incarnation Death and Intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ as also by the new Covenant because he will work upon Man after the nature of Man by Love he will work upon Love Beside all this there is an internal powerful Agent the holy Spirit The external objective means cannot do it without the inward cause Though God's Love doth so gloriously and resplendently shine forth in the Gospel yet the Heart of Man is not affected with it till it be shed abroad by the illuminating sanctifying Spirit The Heart of Man is dark and dead to these things till changed by Grace and when that is once done that Impression is according to the Stamp 2. The Inclination to God as our Felicity and End which is the Fruit of this Grace is the inclination of a reasonable Creature so the Inclination is necessary but the Acts are voluntary therefore you must keep them up still There is an Inclination put by God into inanimate things as in light and airy Bodies to move upwards and in heavy Bodies to move downwards as a Stone falls to the Earth but Fire and Smoak ascend they cannot do otherwise because they have no choice But now in Man there is an Inclination to God and Heaven which is the Fruit of Grace The Inclination is necessary why because all those whom the Spirit sanctifies he sanctifies them not in vain he certainly begets this Tendency in them towards God therefore so often they are said in Scripture to be converted or turned to God Their Hearts were averse before but then they tend and bend towards him but the Acts are voluntary There is a Duty lying upon us to stir up the Gift of Grace that is in us the Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 1. 6. When this holy Fire is kindled in our Bosoms we must blow it up and keep it burning We must not be negligent and secure for we cannot reasonably imagine the idle and diligent should fare alike that the Holy Ghost will direct our Hearts into the Love of God whether we will or not therefore not only as we are rational Agents but as we are new Creatures we are obliged to use the Means and then expect his Help and Blessing What is a Prayer in the Text the Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God to the patient waiting for Christ is an Exhortation Iud. 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the Mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ unto everlasting life There is both again you must look to your Love that your Hearts be kept streight and bent towards God and not distracted with worldly Vanities The Blessing is from God but you must use the Means this Direction is not to encourage Slothfulness but Industry We must charge it upon our selves as our main Work and Duty the Spirit stirs and quickens we must rouse up our selves 3. It implies there are many things would writhe and crook and turn our Hearts another way the Devil the World and the Flesh. The Devil seeks to draw us off from God to abate the Fervor of our Love towards him therefore we are bidden to flee youthful Lusts 2 Tim. 2. 22. that we may not be taken captive by him at his will and pleasure Some tamely yeeld to his Temptations and he doth unto them as he listeth but there is more tugging
we to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 2 Pet. 3. 11. Men are secure and careless either because they do not believe this Day or do not seriously think of it Could we bring ourselves to this to think and speak and do as having Judgment and Eternity in our Eye we would be other manner of Persons than ever we have been What! believe this Day and be so careless it cannot be We would not beat down the Price of Religion to so low a rate nor serve God so loosly if we did wait for the Coming of Christ who will bring every thing into the Judgment whether it be good or evil we could not then satisfy our selves in such a negligent Profession and Practice of Godliness 3. It would produce a more heavenly Temper and Conversation That is evident from the Apostle's words Phil. 3. 20. Our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for a Saviour Looking for this Salvation and this Saviour it breeds in us the Heavenly Mind He comes from Heaven to bring us thither for he comes to receive us to himself Io. 14. 3. therefore if we be not heavenly our Practice will be a Contradiction to our Faith You believe that there is a God and a Christ and a Life to come that this Christ came from God to bring us to God that we may enjoy him in the Life to come and thereupon you renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh and give up your selves to God believing that this Christ will come again to lead all his sincere Disciples and penitent Believers into the Glory and Happiness of the Heavenly State If you believe this what follows That your Conversation must be Heavenly either you must live for Heaven as seeking it with all diligence that you may at length certainly obtain it and not be excluded with the wicked or live upon Heaven solacing your selves in the fore-sight and hopes of it otherwise to profess this Faith and yet to live as though your Happiness were altogether in this World were to go about to reconcile Contradictions to pretend you place your Blessedness in Heaven and yet fly from it as a Misery you profess to look and long for that you have no mind to The second Notion is Patience 2. Patience that also hath a great Influence upon Religion for that which destroyeth all Religion and Godliness is making haste therefore 't is said Isa. 28. 16. He that believes shall not make haste God's Promises are not presently effected and if we cannot tarry but run to our own Shifts because they are next at hand presently you run into a Snare On the other side it is said Lament 3. 26. It is good to hope and quietly to wait for the Salvation of God When we can hope and wait it mightily secures our Obedience Sense is all for present Satisfaction but Faith and Hope can tarry God's leasure till those better things which he hath promised do come in hand Whatever our Condition be afflicted or prosperous we are in the place and station where God hath set us and there we must abide till he bring us to his Kingdom Impatience and Precipitation is the Cause of all Mischief What moved the Israelites to make a Golden Calf but Impatience not waiting for Moses who according to their Mind and Fancy remained too long with God in the Mount What made Saul force himself to offer Sacrifice but because he could not tarry an hour longer for Samuel and so lost the Kingdom 1 Sam. 13. 12 13 14. What made the bad Servant or Church-Officer to smite his Fellow-Servant and eat and drink with the drunken that is to abuse Church-Censures countenance the Profane and smite and curb the Godly but only this Mat. 24. 48. My Lord delays his Coming He sees the strictest are hated in the World and the others befriended and Honour and Interest runs that way and Christ comes not to rectify these Disorders My Lord delays his Coming Hasty Men are loth to be kept in Suspence and long Expectation and so miscarry Look to all Sorts of Sinners The Carnal and Sensual they cannot wait for the Time when they shall have Pleasures for evermore at God's right Hand therefore take up with present Delights like those cannot tarry till the Grapes be ripe therefore eat them sowre and green solid and everlasting Pleasures they cannot wait for therefore choose the Pleasures of Sin that are but for a season A covetous Man will wax rich in a day and cannot tarry the fair Leisure of Providence therefore we are told He that makes haste to be rich cannot be innocent Prov. 20. 21. An ambitious Man will not stay till God gives true Crowns and Honours in his Kingdom and therefore he must have Honour and Greatness here though his Climbing and Affecting to be built one Story higher in the World cost him the Ruin and Loss of his Soul All Revolt and Apostacy from God proceeds from hence because they cannot wait for God's Help and tarry his fulfilling the Promise but finding themselves pressed and destitute the Flesh that is tender and delicate grows impatient It is tedious to suffer for a while but they do not consider it is more tedious to suffer for evermore Thence comes also our murmuring and distrustful Repining Psal. 31. 22. I said in my haste I am cut off nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my Supplication Just at that time when God was about to hear him So I said in my haste all Men are liars And thence also our unlawful Attempts and stepping out of God's way Men fly to unwarrantable Means because they cannot depend upon God and wait with patience Look as an impetuous River is always troubled and thick so is a precipitate impatient Spirit out of order full of distemper a ready Prey to Satan IV. The Necessity of Divine Concurrence The Apostle prays here The Lord direct your Hearts into the Love of God and the patient Waiting for Christ. It concerns this Clause as well as the former 1. As to the Carnal and Unregenerate Till their Hearts be changed they can never attain to this patient waiting for Christ for two Reasons 1. In the wicked there is no sound Belief of these things for they live by Sense and not by Faith The Apostle tells us He that lacketh Grace is blind and cannot see afar of 2 Pet. 1. 9. Things of another World are too uncertain and too far off for them to apprehend so as to be much moved by them They hear of the Coming of Christ and speak by rote of it after others but they do not believe it therefore till God enlighten them how shall they be affected with this matter 2. There is an utter Unsuitableness of Heart to them Things present that sute their Fancies and please their Senses carry away their Hearts Psal. 49. 18. Whilest he lived he blessed his Soul and Men will praise thee when thou doest well to thy self Men
bless themselves and the carnal World applauds them in a sensual Course and Way of Living They measure all Happiness by their outward Condition in the World and please themselves with golden Dreams of Contentment and this being seconded with the flattery and applauses of the deceived World they are fast asleep in the midst of the greatest Soul-Dangers and so go down into Hell before they think of it 2. Come we now to the Regenerate Such the Apostle looks upon the Thessalonians to be They need to have their Hearts directed to the patient waiting for Christ for these Reasons 1. Because we have too dim and doubtful a foresight of these things How dark a Prospect have even the best of God's Children of the World to come We may speak of others as Unbelievers but God knows how doubtful our own Thoughts are about Eternity and Christ's Coming how little we can shut the Eye of Sense and open that of Faith and say truly with the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 18. We look not at the Things that are seen that are temporal but to the Things unseen that are Eternal Alas we have no through Sight into another World The best Christians have need to have their Eyes anointed with spiritual Eye-salve that their Sight may be more sharp and piercing to beg the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation to open the Eyes of their Mind that they may see what is the Hope of Christ's calling Eph. 1. 17 18. There are too many intervening Clouds between us and Eternity that darken our Sight and obscure our Faith 2. Our Thoughts of these things are strange and dull and too rare and unfrequent How seldom have we any serious thoughts of his Coming and how unwelcom are they to our Hearts It was a Complaint against Israel that they did put far away the evil Day but the Complaint against us may be taken up thus that we put far away the good Day when all our Desires and Hopes shall be accomplished and satisfied The Atheistical World deny it and we forget it Solomon saith to the sensual young Man Remember that for all these things God shall bring thee to Iudgment Young Men forget or put off these Thoughts lest like cold Water cast into a boiling Pot they should check the Fervor of their Lusts. But alas grave Men good Men forget these things When Christ had spoken of his Coming to Judgment he saith Mark 13. last v. What I say unto you I say unto all Watch. Watching is keeping up this Attentiveness to his second Coming with all Christian Vigilance and Endeavour But few regard the Charge therefore the Lord direct your Hearts c. 3. Because our Affections are so cold and we are no more affected with it but as if we were senseless of the weight of these things Some dead and drousy Desires we have but not that lively Motion which will become Hope and Love If Nature say Come not to torment us before the time Grace should say Come Lord Jesus O come quickly We are not only to look for his Appearing but to love his Appearing Where are these Desires that Christ would either come down to us or take us up to himself that we may live with him for ever 4. This Prayer need to be made for the Renewed too because Christians think of it with too much perplexity and fear Is the Sight of a Saviour unwelcom to you Or should the drawing nigh of your Redemption be a Comfort or a Terror Why do you then believe in Christ and choose his Favour for your Happiness We thought that this had been all your Hope and your Desire and your great Comfort and shall your Hope be your Torment and beget Horror rather than Joy O beg the Lord to direct your Hearts that you may hope to the end for the Grace that shall be brought unto you at the Revelation of the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 13. We do not only wait for Glory but for Grace and shall not this be a Comfort to you 5. We need to pray this Prayer because our Preparations are too slender for so great a Day Serious Preparation is necessary 'T is described 1 Pet. 3. 14. Wherefore Beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless that is In a State of Reconciliation with God But we live too securely and quietly in an unprepared State If we have the habitual Preparation we do not keep up the actual Preparation by clarifying and refining our Souls from the Dregs of Sense by honouring God in the World with greater earnestness that when our Lord comes he may find us so doing We do not stand with our Loins girt and our Lamps burning that when the Lord knocks we may open to him immediately We do not keep up the Heavenly Desire the actual Readiness The Return of a Husband after long Absence is more welcom to the Wife than to a Harlot but she would have all things ready for his Reception and Entertainment 6. Because our Motions are too inconstant We interrupt the Course of our Obedience frequently faint in our Afflictions do not keep up the Fervor of our Affections and follow after Salvation with that industrious diligence We need often the Christian Watchword The Lord is at hand We lose much of our first Love intermit of our first Works Therefore the Lord direct your Hearts to the patient waiting for Christ. The Exhortation is To quicken you to take care of this Grace that you may be constantly exercised in it While we are upon Earth we should continually be expecting Christ's Coming from Heaven The Motives may be these 1. Before Christ's Coming in the Flesh the Saints waited for him I have waited for thy Salvation O Lord saith Iacob Gen. 49. 18. And Simeon for Christ the Saviour of the World for so it is explained Mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation And our Lord tells us Abraham rejoyced to see my Day Joh. 8. 56. And it is said of Anna and others That they waited for the Consolation of Israel Luk. 2. 25 38. And after Christ was come the Disciples were commanded to wait for the Promise of the Spirit Acts 1. 4. So by parity of Reason we must wait for the Coming of Christ for that is the next great Promife to be accomplish'd and the great Thing to put Life into our Religion 2. The People of God are described by this 1 Thess. 1. 10. Who wait for his Son from Heaven whom he raised from the Dead even Iesus which delivered us from the Wrath to come A Man would have thought in those early Days they should have heen described by their respect to what was past rather than to what was to come which was at so great a distance they should have been described by believing Christ was already come in the Flesh rather than waiting for his Coming in Glory No this is proposed as an
For Continuance in the new Covenant and delightful Obedience unto God The Remedy is not only suted to the Disease but the Duty to the Reward Our Duty is to know God and to love Him and our Reward is to see Him and be like Him 1 Ioh. 3. 2. There is a marvellous Sutableness between the End and Means Holiness and Happiness Conformity to God and our Communion with Him the Holiness required of us now and the Happiness we expect hereafter perfect Conformity and uninterrupted Communion And they differ only but as the Bud and the Flower the River and the Ocean Here it is begun hereafter perfected III. In the Application of his Grace to particular Believers he hath abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence 1. In the Way God taketh to convert Souls to Himself there is a sweet Contemperation and Mixture of Wisdom and Power There is a Proposal of Truth and Good to the Understanding and the Will and by the secret Power of his Grace it is made effectual We are taught and drawn Ioh. 6. 44 45. No Man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him In the 45th vers And they shall be all taught of God Every Man therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me There is opening of blind Eyes and the turning of an hard Heart Acts 26. 18. To open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light c. Eph. 1. 18. The Eyes of the Understanding being opened c. Col. 3. 10. Renewed in Knowledg Turning the Heart Acts 16. 29. God opened the Heart of Lydia Acts 11. 21. The Hand of the Lord was with him and a great Number believed and turned to the Lord. His Hand implieth his Power Thus God worketh strongly like Himself sweetly with respect to us that he may not oppress the Liberty of our Faculties Christ comes into the Heart not by Force but by Consent We are transformed but so as we prove what the Will of God is Rom. 12. 2. He draweth we run Cant. 1. 4. The Power of God and Liberty of Man do sweetly consist together As God is said to create in us a new Heart he is also said to give us a free Spirit Psal. 51. 10 12. Eph. 2. 10. We are said to be his Workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good Works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them So he puts a new Heart and we are said to walk in his Ways Ezek. 36. 26 27. A new Heart will I also 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. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Iudgments and do them Thus God sheweth forth the powerful Efficacy of his Grace and doth also win the Consent and good Liking of the Sinner he obtaineth his Effect and yet doth preserve the Liberty of Man's Nature and the Principles thereof It is not only Voluntas mota but mutata the Nature is changed and renewed 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we all with open Face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2. In the perswasive and moral Way the Wisdom of God is seen as taking the most likely Course to gain the Heart of Man discovering Himself to us as a God of Love Kindness and Mercy Guilty Creatures stand aloof from a condemning God our Fear of his Justice maketh us run from him Gen. 3. 7 10. Adam hid himself from the presence of the Lord. So all his Posterity forsake God and hate him But God though the Superior though the wronged Party maketh Offers of Peace and sheweth how willing he is to be reconciled to us Having first laid the Foundation in the highest Demonstration of Goodness that ever could come to the Ears of Man to hear of or enter into the Heart of Man to conceive namely in giving his Son to die for a sinful World 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. What more apt to make Man relent And then because Man had fallen from the Love of God to the Creature Ier. 2. 3. What Wisdom doth God shew not only in the Offers of Pardon but Eternal Life and Blessedness infinitely beyond the false Happiness which carnal Self-Love inclineth us to that it is a Shame and Disgrace to our Reason to think these things are worthy to be compared together What are all the Pleasures Profits and Honours we dote upon to the Pleasures at God's right-Hand the Riches of the Inheritance of the Saints and the Glory which cometh from God And therefore what more powerful Motive can be produced than this Blessed Immortality Indeed God is invisible and the Glory is to come and sensual Pleasures are at hand ready to be enjoyed But Faith checketh Sense Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the Evidence of Things not seen O the Wisdom of God in the Frame of the Gospel 2. In the Effect it self the new Creature which is the wisest Creature on this side Heaven To evidence this to you I shall shew you that all Wisdom and Prudence consisteth in three things 1. In fixing a right End 2. In the choice of apt and proper Means 3. In a dextrous effectual Prosecution of the End by those Means 1. In fixing and propounding to ourselves a right End A wise Man doth not mind Trifles but is conversant about Things of the greatest Reality Necessity and Excellency such are God and Heaven All other Wisdom will prove but Folly in the end Others disquiet themselves about a vain Show Psal. 59. 6. Poor silly Creatures cark and labour and turmoil to get together a few poor transitory Enjoyments where there is neither durable possession nor solid Satisfaction The Honours Pleasures and Riches of the World are but Pictures and Shadows of the true Honours the true Riches and Fulness of Joy at God's right Hand Surely he is a wise Man that chooseth God for his Portion and Heaven for his Home Prov. 15. 24. The Way of Life is above to the Wise to avoid Hell beneath He is wise and hath chosen the true Sort of living which mindeth the Salvation of his Soul and looketh after Eternal Life Surely this is above and beyond any Wisdom Man can pretend unto to be happy not for a while but for ever 2. In the Choice of apt and proper Means A Man is wise enough if he knows his Duty and the Way to Happiness God hath appointed us the Way wherein to walk to fear him and love him and keep his Commandments Deut. 4. 6. Keep these Statutes for this is your Wisdom Job 28. 28. The Fear of God that is Wisdom and to depart from Evil that is Understanding There is an Excellency in this sort of Life Prov. 12.
Life Evil and Death Secondly The Manner how this is to be done it must be set forth with all Evidence and Conviction as to the Reason of Men with all Earnestness and Affectionate Importunity to awaken their Affections In short 1. So as will become the belief of these things We must not speak of them as a thing spoken in jest and by rote but as firmly perswaded of the truth of things as if Heaven and Hell were before our Eyes and as evident to Sense Heb. 11. 1. We look upon these things naturally as at a distance and so have but a cold apprehension of them but we should by Faith see them as near at hand As you would pull a Man out of the Fire Iude 23. or as falling into a deep Pit or bottomless Gulph as one in the greatest earnest Belief puts a Life into Truths which otherwise are but dead and weak in their Operation I believed and therefore did I speak as if we had a deep sense of these things upon our own Hearts 2. As will become Experience 2 Cor. 5. 10. Knowing the Terrors of the Lord we perswade Men. A Man that knoweth the Terrors of the Lord that hath been scorched himself will set them before Men as if they were at hand ready to surprize them Others that talk of these things but as cold Opinions they will not be so careful to rouse up Men to mind the case of their Souls If one went unto them from the Dead then will they repent Luk. 16. 30. 3. So as will become Zeal for the Glory of God which is much promoted by the Subjection and Obedience of his Creatures and his Interest in them therefore we should be diligent and industrious in drawing Souls to Christ. Col. 1. 27 28. Christ in you the hope of Glory whom we preach warning every Man and teaching every Man in all Wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Iesus 2 Cor. 11. 13. They have blind unbelieving Hearts therefore need to be taught cold careless Affections and need to be warned and this with the greatest Wisdom that can be used that all may be presented to Christ at the last day This is that which sets all a going When we are wooing for Christ we should not do it coldly and triflingly but as those that would prevail for their Master that he may be glorified in their being gained to him 4. So as will become compassioners of precious and immortal Souls for whom Christ died Souls that must live for ever in Heaven or Hell Oh mind them of their Duty warn them of their Danger they are ready to tumble into the Flames of Hell every moment therefore with all earnestness set Life and Death before them We should use the more compassion to Souls because God himself who hath employed us hath expressed so much of his Compassion he doth not only tell them they will die but expostulateth with them Why will you die O House of Israel Ezek. 33. 11. And Ezek. 28. 25. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die and not return from his ways and live The greatest quarrel Christ hath with Sinners is because they will not come to him for Life John 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life Two Reasons make this more evident 1. This is God's Will 2. This is of great Profit to the Souls of Men. First This is God's Will that his Law should be propounded with the Sanction of it that is with Penalties and Rewards God might rule us with a Rod of Iron require Duty out of meer Sovereignty but he will draw us with the Cords of a Man Hos. 11. 4. with such Arguments as are fitted to Mans Temper as he is a reasonable Creature that is by Promises and Threatnings We are best moved and induced to any thing by those two Affections of Fear and Hope the one Affection serveth for Aversation and Flight the other for Choice and Pursuit Therefore he that knoweth the Wards of the Lock accordingly suiteth the Keys and doth not only require an exact Duty but also promiseth Good and threatneth Evil. Sovereigns in their publick Edicts do not argue with their Subjects but only interpose their Authority but God condescendeth to reason with his Creatures He doth not say as sometimes Thus shall ye do I am the Lord but if you do thus this will be your ruine and obey these Statutes for your Good Deut. 6. 24. and so doth perswade as well as command Secondly It is of great Profit to the Souls of Men. 1. It is of Profit that they should often be minded of the Issues of things Israel's want of Wisdom cometh from this Deut. 32. 29. O that they were Wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end that is how Obedience and Disobedience will succeed with them Lam. 1. 9. David's trouble at the prosperity of the Wicked arose from want of this Psal. 73. 17. Then I understood their End Rom. 6. 21. The end of these things is Death Fugientes respice what will they leave in their farewel and departure Jer. 17. 11. At his latter end he shall be a Fool. The first addresses of Sin smile upon us but the Sting is in the Tail So the beginning of Godliness is Bitter but afterward it yieldeth everlasting Peace and Comfort 2. That they may reflect on both combined either of them single is of great force but both joyned together comes in upon the Heart with greater Power We need a Bridle and a Spur a Bridle because of our proneness to Evil and a Spur because of our Backwardness to Good We have both we are compassed and hedged in with our Duty on every side If we look back there is Death to affright us if forward Heaven to allure us there is Eternal Life to draw us there is Eternal Death to drive us If God had only terrified us from Sin by unexpressible Pains and Horrors and made no promise of unspeakable Joys this were enough to engage us to live without Blame and Blemish that we might not be cast into the Prison of Hell or if only to quicken our Diligence he had propounded Hopes and Happiness as the Priviledg of those that live Vertuously and Holily and evil Men did utterly perish when they die this were enough to draw us If God had only promised Heaven and no Hell there would not be so strong a Motive but can we be cold and dead when both Life and Death are laid before us and both for ever this is very unreasonable Solomon telleth us Prov. 15. 24. That the way of Life is above to the Wise to avoid Hell beneath Every step they tread is a going from Eternal Death and an approach to Eternal Life Therefore as we would escape the Torments of Hell and possess the Joys of Heaven we should be serious We are undone for ever if we be not blessed for ever and the
Acts 5. 31. This is the Grace which the Saints pray for Faith it self Repentance it self Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a clean Heart Heb. 13. 21. The Lord make you perfect to do his Will working in you that which is pleasing in his Sight We pray not only for a Grace that gives the Possibility but the Effect not only for such as doth invite and sollicit us to Good but such as doth incline and determine us to Good And this is the Grace we give thanks for not a Power to repent and believe if we please but for Repentance and Faith wrought in us If God did only give a Power to will if we please to do if we please Man would difference himself 1 Cor. 4. 7. 3. With respect to Christ. We are his Workmanship created in Christ Iesus who is the Head of the new World or renewed Estate All things are new in the Kingdom of Christ there is a Change of every thing from what it was before There is a new Adam which is Jesus Christ a new Covenant which is the Gospel a new Paradise not that where Adam enjoyed God among the Beasts but where the Blessed enjoy God among the Angels a new Ministry not the Posterity of Aaron or Tribe of Levi but a Ministry of Reconciliation put into their Hands whom God hath qualified and fitted to be Dispensers of these holy Mysteries New Ordinances We serve God not in the oldness of the Letter but the newness of the Spirit therefore if we be in Christ we must be new Creatures We are both obliged and fitted by this new Estate to be so Some are in Christ externally by Baptism and Profession they are visibly in Covenant with him and de jure of right are bound to be new Creatures Others are in Christ by real internal Union these not only ought to be but de facto are new Creatures they are made Partakers of his Spirit Rom. 8. 9. and by that Spirit they are renewed and sanctified Well then since there is a new Lord and a new Law all is new there must be a new Creation for as the general State of the Church is renewed by Christ so is every particular Believer 4. With respect to the Use for which this new Creation serveth One is mentioned in the Text Created unto good Works but other things must be taken in 1. In order to our present Communion with God Till we are created anew we are not sit to converse with an holy and invisible God earnestly frequently reverently and delightfully which is our daily Work and Business The Effects of the new Creature are Life and Likeness those that do not live the Life of God are estranged from him Eph. 4. 18. Trees cannot converse with Beasts because they do not live their Life nor Beasts with Men for they have Sense only but no Reason nor Men with God till they have somewhat of the same Nature and Life If one had Power to put the Spirit of Man into a brute Beast that Beast would discourse reasonably God hath Power to put a Divine Spirit into his People to sanctify their Souls that sits them for converse with God Look as in Innocency Adam was alone though compassed about with a Multitude of Creatures Beasts Birds and Plants yet there was none till Eve was made fit to converse with him because they did not live his Life therefore the Lord God said Gen. 2. 18. It is not good that Man should be alone I will make him an 〈◊〉 meet for him The Man was alone because he had none like himself that he might converse withal as a Man in the exercise of Speech and Reason the Beasts of the Field and Fowls of the Air were no fit Companions for him they wanted the means of Converse Reason and Speech So without Grace we are not meet for Communion with God till we have Faith and Love to admire reverence and delight in him So for likeness Conformity is the ground of Communion Amos 3. 3. How can two walk together except they be agreed Our state of Sin is a state of Enmity and our state of Holiness a state of Love Our old Course made the Breach between us and God Isa. 59. 2. but the new Life and Likeness qualifies us for Communion with him 1. Ioh. 1. 6 7. An holy Creature may sweetly come and converse with the Holy God 2. In order to our Service and Obedience to God Man is unfit for God's use till he be new moulded and framed again In the Text we must be created in Christ Iesus to good Works Every Creature hath Faculties suitable to the Operations that belong to that Creature so Man must be new created new formed that he may be prepared and made ready for the Lord. You cannot expect new Operations till there be a New Nature and Life When a Man is turned from Sin he is made meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good Work 2 Tim. 2. 21. Our first care must be to get the Heart renewed Many are troubled about this or that Duty or particular Branches of the Spiritual Life first get Life it self There must be Principles before there can be Operations In vain do we expect strengthning Grace before we have received renewing Grace This is like little Children who attempt to run before they can go or stand Many complain of this or that Corruption but they do not groan under the burden of a corrupt Nature as suppose wandring Thoughts in Prayer when at the same time the Heart is habitually averse and estranged from God as if a Man should complain of an aking Tooth when a mortal Disease hath seized upon his Vitals or of a cut Finger when at the same time he is wounded at the Heart of deadness in Duty and want of quickning Grace when they want converting Grace This is like blowing to a dead Coal to complain of Infirmities and incident Weakness when our habitual aversion from and Enmity to God is not yet cured and unfitness for Service when we are not come out of the carnal State 3. In order to our future enjoyment of God and that Glory and Blessedness which we expect in his Heavenly Kingdom None but new Creatures can enter into the New Ierusalem It is said John 3. 3. Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Seeing is put for enjoying Yet the expression is Emphatical as if he should not be suffered so much as to peep or look within the Vail therefore the meer carnal Man neither knoweth his true Happiness nor careth for it but followeth after his own Lusts till he be new moulded and framed By Nature Men are opposite to the Kingdom of God it being invisible future spiritual mostly for the Soul and by nature Men are for things seen present and bodily The Interest of the Flesh governeth all their choices and inclinations and how unmeet are these for Heaven In short our frail
left such an Instinct and Inclination upon her which doth sufficiently excite her to do it 2. The near Preparation is called Promptitude and Readiness for every good Work or a ready Obedience to every good Work Tit. 3. 1. So 1 Tim. 6. 18. Ready to distribute Heb. 13. 16. Ready to communicate So Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 21. 13. This is beyond Inclination The Fire hath an Inclination to ascend upwards yet something may violently keep it down so a Christian may have a Will to Good a strong not a remiss Will but yet there are some Impediments Rom. 7. 18. Inclination implieth a remote Power but Readiness the next and immediate Power therefore a Christian ought to keep himself in a readiness or fitness of Disposition for his Duty whether it concerneth God our selves or others This is seen in Zeal that beareth down all Impediments All Graces are operative and Zeal is that earnest Impulsion and Activity of every Grace where it is in strength and vigour Faith worketh Gal. 5. 6. Love constraineth 2 Cor. 5. 14. Hope quickneth 1 Pet. 1. 3. A lively Hope This proceedeth from the new Nature when it is in right Frame and Strength We need not only make Conscience of our Duty or have some mind to it but our Hearts will not let us have any Quiet and Rest without it 2 Pet. 1. 8. They make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledg of our Lord Iesus Christ. Christians must be zealous of good Works Tit. 2. 14. Paul was pressed in Spirit Acts 17. 10. Acts 18. 5. The Benefits that come by it are 1. We do good Works more easily as being inclined thereunto Exod. 35. 29. The Children of Israel brought a willing Offering unto the Lord. Psal. 110. 3. Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power There is a great deal of Difference between doing things by Compulsion and doing things from an Inclination between Israel's making Brick in Egypt and building the Wall in Nehemiah's Time Neh. 4. 6. 2. With more Delight and Alacrity 1 Iohn 5. 3. His Commandments are not grievous Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments It is a Pleasure to them to do a good Work to others a Toil. 3. With Constancy That which is forced lasts not long Upon the first occasion we break out cast off the Burden which pincheth and galleth us A Man is never constant to his Duty till he be held to it by his Heart and the Byass of the Heart is not Fear but Love You cannot easily perswade him against his Love and Inclination though you may overcome his Fears Cant. 8. 6 7. Set me as a Seal upon thine Arm for Love is strong as Death Iealousy is cruel as the Grave Many Waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it If a Man would give all the Substance of his House for Love it would utterly be contemned The Uses are 1. For Reproof of many professing Christians who are not more prepared for the Lord and made ready for every good Work Alas some are to every good Work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. unfit for any Christian Practice In others all their Holiness standeth in being less vitious or wicked than others If they avoid the greater Crimes though they freely practise the less they are accounted good Men. Some talk but do nothing like Cypress-Trees tall and beautiful but unfruitful or the Carbuncle afar off seeming all on fire but the Touch discovers it to be key-cold their Zeal is more in their Tongues than their Actions Others are very unready arguing for a Mediocrity disputing every inch with God beating down the price of Religion as low as they can as little Worship and Charity as may be and will do no more than needeth and it is well if they do that True Goodness like live-Honey droppeth of its own accord 2 Cor. 8. 2. and is always desirous to do more for God Psal. 71. 14. I will praise thee more and more Phil. 1. 9. I pray that your Love may abound yet more and more in Knowledg and in all Iudgment 1 Thess. 4. 1. Furthermore we exhort you Brethren That as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more But little of this Temper is to be found 2d Use of Information First Observe the Deduction of good Works from their proper Causes viz. The Will of God requiring our Regeneration fitting the one determineth our Duty the other maketh us ready to perform it While carnal that which we do is but the Image of a good Work not really and spiritually good 2dly The Necessity of good Works 1. Necessitate Consequentis as the Fruit and End of Regeneration All things are valued by their use What doth the new Creature serve for but that we may walk in newness of Life otherwise it is but a Notion It is not given us to lie hid in the Heart as a sluggish idle quality but that we may act by it and improve it for God The Lord made no Creature in vain Inded all that we have from God both in Nature and Grace was that we might be fruitful in Holiness In Nature we have Life Health and Parts for nothing else but that by our present Duty we may prepare our selves for everlasting Joys All God's Mercies bind us to Diligence all his Ordinances are Means to help us all his Graces are Power to enable us and there is over and above the holy Spirit to excite and quicken that Power Ioh. 4. 10. Ezek. 36. 27. 2. Necessitate Praecepti God hath required them at our hands Now we must make Conscience of what God hath required especially when all his Commandments are holy just and good If some greater thing were required ought we not to have done it 2 Kin. 5. 13. But when he hath required such noble Work shall we refuse There is nothing in his Law but what becometh his Nature preserveth and makes happy ours 3. Necessitate Medii as the Way to Heaven Good Works are indispensibly required of grown Persons if they mean to be saved Heb. 12. 14. Follow Peace with all Men and Holiness without which no Man shall see God A Christian shall be judged at the last day by what he hath done Rev. 20. 12. I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which was the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things that were written in the Books according to their Works 1 Pet. 1. 17. If ye call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth every Man according to his Work Profession will not carry it but our Works come into the Judgment So Rev. 14. 13. Their Works follow them that is They have the Fruit and Comfort of them in another World and without them we cannot be
the Death incurred by Sin And how by him by his being a Propitiation that he speaks of there vers 10. We were in a State of Death when the Doors of Mercy were first opened to us under the Guilt and Power of Sin for while the Guilt and Tyranny of Sin remaineth we are said to be dead and strangers to the Life of God and we begin to live when first regenerated by the Spirit of Christ. Now this we have not without Christ being a Propitiation for our Sins that is without doing something whereby God without any impeachment of his Honour might shew himself placable and propitious to Mankind his Justice Holiness and Hatred of Sin being sufficiently demonstrated in the Sufferings of Christ. Now the Honour of his governing Justice being kept up his pardoning Mercy is the more freely exercised God may be propitious to Mankind and yet still be acknowledged as a sin-hating God 2. In regard of Efficacy Christ is a quickening Head or a life-making Spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. Whatever Grace we have comes from God through Christ as Mediator and from him we have it by virtue of our Union with him 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature As soon as joyned to him as our Head this Grace is applied to us by his Spirit It is first applied by converting Grace and then continually supplied by the confirming Grace of the Spirit and so we are fitted to every good Work Christ first applieth it in Conversion when he giveth us Repentance and a new Nature Acts 5. 31. And supplieth it by continual Influence Iohn 15. 5. We live on him as the Branch doth on the Root Now from hence we learn what a great Benefit renewing Grace is it is a Fruit of reconciling Grace 2 Cor. 5. 18. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ. God giveth Grace only as the God of Peace that is as pacified by Christ's Death The holy Spirit is the Gift of his Love and the Fruit of this Peace and Reconciliation which Christ made for us First our Lord Jesus Christ merited this Grace by the value of his Sacrifice and bloody Sufferings and then doth apply it by the Almighty Power of his Spirit and Christ is first our Ransom and then the Fountain of Life unto our Souls and so the Honour of our whole and entire Recovery is to be ascribed to our Redeemer When he satisfied God's Justice for our Sins he purchased a Power to change the Heart of Man and he purchased this Power into his own Hands not into anothers and therefore doth accomplish it by his Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 18. We should often think what a Foundation God hath laid for the Dispensation of his Grace and how he would demonstrate his infinite Love in giving his Son to be a Propitiation for us When he would shew forth his infinite Power in determining and changing the Heart of Man all the Persons concurred the Father purposing the Son by way of Redemption and Purchase the Holy Ghost by effective Power and all to bring back our Souls to God and to make us capable of serving and pleasing him it is surely a Workmanship of much cost Two Reasons why they are as it were created anew 1. Because of the Badness of our former Estate Ruinous and decayed Buildings are only to be thrown down to make way for a new Structure and House to stand in the same place Man naturally is a Creature in a State of Apostacy and Defection under a loss of Original Righteousness averse from God yea an Enemy to him prone to all Evil weak yea dead to all Spiritual Good And what must be done with such a Creature to bring him out of his Misery but wholly to new-mould him and make him that he may have a new Being and Life The Scripture represents Man as blind in his Mind 2 Pet. 1. 9. Perverse in his Will Zech. 7. 12. Rebellious in his Affections Eph. 2. 3. fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind What sound Part is there left in us to mend the rest If we will be brought home to God we must of sinful and polluted become clean and holy and Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one Job 14. 4. We must of carnal become spiritual and therefore we must be new-born new-made Ioh. 3. 6. That instead of minding the things of the Flesh we may mind the things of the Spirit we must of Wordly become Heavenly Now he that formeth us for this very thing is God 2 Cor. 5. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that frameth and createth us for this Heavenly State is God He that is the Framer and Maker of all things of infinite Wisdom Power and Love he createth us anew in Christ that we may look after Eternal Life The Heavenly Disposition wrought in us is a Pledge of it 2. From the Nature of God's Work which is not meerly by helping the Will but by giving us the Will it self or the Act of Volition of it not by curing the Weakness of it but by sanctifying it and taking away the Sinfulness of it and inclining it to himself If the Will were only in a Swoon and Languishment a little moral Perswasion and Excitation outward or inward by the Word and Spirit would serve the turn but we cannot say of it as Christ of the Damsel She is not dead but sleepeth No the Scripture saith We are dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph. 2. 1. God's Grace is not only necessary for facilitation that we may more easily pursue and chuse that which is good as a Horse is necessary that a Man may pass on his Journey more easily which otherwise he might perform on foot with Difficulties No 't is impossible as well as difficult to escape the Carnal Life without God Mat. 19. 26. He doth work such a Change on a carnal Man's Heart that he contemns the World and seeks after Heavenly Things Nay he doth not only give us a remote Power to will if we please or a remote Power to do if we please but he giveth to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. the Will it self and the Deed it self Thus is God's Operation set forth he reneweth the Faculties and exciteth the Act of willing and doing by his powerful and victorious Influence Ezek. 36. 26 27. Otherwise if Grace did only give us an Indifferency so that a Man may or may not then Man would be the principal Cause of his own Conversion and God lose the Glory of his Grace and the Honour of it be ascribed to the Liberty of Man 's own Will God doth not give a power to repent and believe and leave it to the Determination of Man's Will to make it effectual but he giveth Faith it self and Repentance it self Faith is his Gift Eph. 2. 8. To you it is given to believe Phil. 1. 29. The Redeemer was raised to give Repentance