enemies though I shall bring glory to thee another way yet I shall not bring glory to thee in this world And therefore Oh Lord do this for thy servant remember me for thine own name and for thine own glory and so the Psalmist David did use the same Argument with God in Psal 30. when he there was sick and ready to go down to the grave he pleads with God in the 8. and 9. vers What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit as much as to say Oh Lord what wilt thou not look to thine own glory What shall become of thy gain of thy Rent that should be brought in here in the land of the living if I go down to the pit I cannot lift thee up here in this world there is a long time indeed even for eternity when thou shalt be lift up by the Saints in Heaven but it is but a short time that thou shalt be glorified in the land of the living and thou hadst need spare the life of thy servant to lift up thy name in the land of the living What profit is there in my blood if I go down to the pit So that still you see the lives of the Saints are very precious in the eye of God Oh that you that are the people of God that you would believe this it is worth the pressing it upon you that you would fix this truth upon your heart that your lives are very precious in Gods sight if you be Some particulars to make out to the Saints that their lives are precious in Gods sight not perswaded of it I beseech you consider these particulars First of all consider What a charge God hath given to all his Creatures concerning the lives of his Saints do but remember their former charge He hath given charge to the water and charge to the fire and charge to the beasts in the earth and fishes in the sea he hath given charge to the earth he hath given a charge to violent men he hath given a charge to the Devil to Diseases and Sicknesses surely doth God take such pains and give such charges surely the lives of his Saints must needs be precious to him did a man go up and down in his family and give charge to every one from the greatest to the least Take heed you do not meddle with such a Box take heed that none of you touch it why then certainly 't is precious there is som precious thing in it such a charge haâ—h God given concerning the lives oâ— the Saints he hath taken pains to go up and down in all his family even the whole world Heaven and Earth is his Family and he hath spoken to every one of his Creatures to the highest and to the lowest Take heed you do nothing against the lives oâ— my servants the very meanest of all the Creatures in the whole family shall not say but that they were warned he commands the very stones in the field as it is in Iob making a League with the stones in the field not to hurt his servants doth God take such pains and give such charges you must needs conclude that your lives are precious in his sight Again Secondly Consider what a guard God hath set about the lives of his Servants He hath set a guard of Angels about them He shall give his Angels charge over thâ—e that they shall keep thee in all thy ways See what the Apostle saith in the first of the Hebrews he speaks of the great priviledge of the Saints in the last verse Are they not all Ministring spirits sent forth to Minister to them There is not one of the Angels in Heaven but hath a charge to guard the lives of his Saints are they not all Ministring Spirits Why brethren the best of them have a charge given them from the highest to the lowest they have all a charge given them concerning the lives of his Saints and they are as watchful as may be what says our Saviour Christ in Mat. 26. 53. do you think says he that man can take my life from me whether I will or no I go according as it is written of me I go because my father â—ath decreed it no man can take my life from me if I would rescue my self I could pray to my father and he should send a Legion of Angels to rescue me rather then my life should be taken away from me before my time be come And so the like may be said of all the Saints God would send more then twelve Legions of Angels to rescue the lives of his servants out of every danger and out of the hand of every enemy rather then their lives should be taken from them before it was determined of God certainly the lives of his servants are precious to him he hath set such a guard about them a guard of Angels that God should be pleased rather to want attendance in Heaven then hiâ— Sainâ—s lives on earth should be in jeopardy God he will spare them all out of Heaven for to rescue the lives of his Saints before they shall be cut off before his time appointed â—e come Yea further in the third place Consider that the Lord himself takes a special care of the lives of his children he will not trust the lives of the Saints with the Angels though the Angels be watchful and as faithful as can be desired in creatures yet God himself he will have to do with the lives of his Servants his eye shall be upon them and his hand under them there is never a moment in which God doth not watch over them and himself take a special care of them what he says of his Vineyard in Isa 27. 3. may be said of every particular Saint I the Lord will kâ—ep it I will water it every momâ—â—t least any hurt it I will kâ—ep it night and day See here is a gracious promise I will keep it and I will water it and this shall be every moment this shall be night and day there is not a moment in the night nor a moment in the day in which God hath not special care of his people from first to last from the womb he hath a care of them and so the Psalmist doth confess in Psalm 22. speaking of the watchful care of the Lord of the goodness of the Lord Ps 22. 9 10. Thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when upon my Mothers breasts I was cast upon thee from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers belly See here from the very womb from the very beginning God begins to take the care of his people he brings this to strengthen his faith on God for the future to uphold his soul now in his suffering 't is spoken of Christ surely the Lord he can do it he hath not left me he took care of me when I was in the womb he began then to take the
faith will make them present as things new to come Fiftly Mercies become helpful for the future When the soul is careful to keep up his Communion with God when a man is careful to walk with God continually to fix his eye upon God and to follow God fully in every thing to follow God wheresoever he leads him so long as God and the mercy is kept together there will be abundance of lustre and beauty in every mercy but when the soul is careless in maintaining his Communion with God it looseth then the sense of all his goodness that formerly he tasted in every mercy and they become useless even grace it self cannot comfort a man if God be not nigh if God by his spirit do not shine upon it and therefore mercies much less though they be never so great and precious mercies that a man hath received yet they can afford no present comfort nor be a support to him nor incouragement to wait upon God for the future but if so be God and the mercy be kept together then mercies become useful and an help to the soul to trust in God for the future Sixtly Mercies are helps for the future when as the soul is inabled by the Spirit of prayer to urge God with former mercies and to lay them before the Lord as ingagements to help for the future there is such an improvement to be made of former mercies When God doth pour a Spirit of prayer upon his people and then and then only do mercies that are past become a help to the soul or the future you shall see so the Saints have urged this with God they have pleaded with God and put him in mind of his former kindness so you may see in the 51. of Isaiah about v. 9. Awake awake put on strength Oh Aâ—m of the Lord awake as in the ancient days c. And so in the 22. Psal The Psalmist there doth use the right Argument witâ— God he turns former mercies into Arguments to iâ—gage God for the future in the 9 10. verses But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breasts I was cast upon thee from the womb thou art my God from my mothers belly Thou art he that took care of me when I could not take care of my self and when the care of creatures could do me no good without the care of the Lord and seeing thou hast done this for me I am still incouraged to wait upon thee to trust in thee for future mercies Thus you see when mercies and deliverances may be incouragements for the future and how the soul may make experiences of them Quest But you will say further how should we look upon our mercies so as to make the best improvement of them to strengthen our faith in the Lord for the future I Answer briefly First Look upon them all as the first fruits which God hath promised to you this will mightily help to strengthen the faith of the soul for the How to make the best improvement of mercies to strengthen our faith in the Lord for the future future look upon all as beginnings of that which God doth intend to do for his people as a spark of that flame of love that is in the bosome of God towards his people as drops of the Ocean of love drops of those Rivers that run at Gods right Hand which he hath reserved for his people I say look upon all mercies that you have received as fruits of that which God hath reserved in glory for his people and this will mightily help to strengthen faith for the future Secondly Look upon them all as staies that God hath given staffs to hold in your hands for the present all mercies all deliverances all sights of â—od all manifestations of his love all experiences of his goodness I say look upon them as staies and crutches that God hath given into your hand for the present to lean upon while you are in this your Pilgrimage do not build upon them you cannot build upon the best of your experiences do not lay them as the foundation but only look upon them as helps in your way and so use them as helps for the present that God gives you that you may Two things premised and a Caution how to rest upon former experiences more cheerfully go on to his self and to his son to the rest in him where there is everlasting peace And therefore here will I premise two things and give you a Caution how to rest upon former experiences and so I shall end the Point 1. Know this that it is possible that the soul may loose the sight of all his experiences they may be all out of sight 't is possible that a man may call them all in question the soul may be brought into such a sad condition into such a dark condition that it may call in question all that ever it hath seen of God and those very things that he did take as some special Tokens of love all manifestations given forth of himself all communications of his presence of his grace I say all these they may be darkened out of sight Or Secondly Though they may be in sight yet God doth many times bring his people into such conditions as their former experiences cannot reach them God may come still with further and further tryals and such tryals I say that all a mans former experiences cannot reach them his tryal and temptations may be above them all And therefore here take these two Cautions when as you are thus to follow experiences and to make use of experiences First of all Take heed that you do not make your own experience the first ground of your trust Make not I say any experience that you have had the first ground of your trust or confidence I said before experiences are good helps good Crutches but they will make no foundation for the soul to build upon They are not the first foundation that is to be laid No you must learn to trust God when you see him not you must trust God before your tryals for that is the most blessed thing See what our Saviour Christ says concerning Thomas in that 20. of Joh. 29. Jesus said to him Thomas because thou hast seen thou hast believed but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have beleeved The heart is so backward to faith that it is well if it be by any means at last brought off to beleeve and therefore the Lord hath condescended to reveal himself to his people by experiences but yet our Saviour he saith it is more blessed to beleeve and not to see Blessed are they that belâ—eve and have not seen This kind of faith is that which brings most glory to God to beleeve a man before he try him 't is a great trusting of him and so 't is an honour put upon him now to beleeve in
there was not a thorow work of grace at this time wrought upon his heart Many works he did but yet they seem to be effects of a temporary faith Nebuchadnezzer notwithstanding all this he fell back again to his old way of supposition for in the fourth Chapter you shall read there of his Superstitious ways He dreams a Dream and he fends for the Sorcerers to tell his dream and he would have cut them off because they could not tell him his dream and reveal it to him which belongs to God to reveal secrets So that though great conviction I say post upon him which did rise from the present sight of the Miracle that was wrought yet Nebuchadnezzer at that time he was noâ— truly brought home to God So then we may observe this Proposition of Doctrine The second Proposition of Doctrine That it is not in the power of the greatest Miracles to convert a soul to God unless the Spirit of Jesus Christ step in I say it is not in the power of the greatest Miracle to convert a Soul to God Neither Miracles of Judgment nor Miracles of Mercy will do it Pharaoh King of the Aegyptians Instances to clear it he saw as many Miracles of judgment as one would have thought would have broken the most stoniest heart and made the most obstinat wretch to submit to God and yet notwithstanding Pharâ—ohs heart was not softened but hardned And all those Miraculous works of Judgment they made him harder The people of Israel they saw Miracles both of judgment and mercy and yet for the most part they were secure hard hearted unbelieving people they were a burden to God and a provocation to his Spirit All the time they were in the Wilderness what Miracles of judgmement did they see God smote some of them with fire from Heaven and consumed them God smote Miriam with Leprosie in the 12. of Numbers for her murmuring And the Lord consumed Corah Dathan and Abiram in Numbers 16. they were consumed and yet the people rebelled against God he sent fiery Serpents amongst them in the 21. of Numbers another Miracle of judgment and yet notwithstanding for all that they rebelled against the Lord They saw Miracles of Mercy also What wondrous works did God do for them in the Land of Aegypt What wonders at the red Sea in dividing the waters and made a path of life and death to go through life to the Israelites and death to the Aegyptians they saw his wonders in the Wilderness God led them in the day time by a pillar of light and in the night time by a pillar of fire He rained Manna from Heaven they eat Angels food he gave them water out of the Rock Moses smote the Rock and the water came out He rained feathered foul into their Camp that they all eat and wâ—re full And many other Miracles of Mercy they saw many Mercies which are expressed in the 78. Psalm but notwithstanding for all this you may see what this people was at the 8. verse of the 78. Psalm A stuborn and rebellious generation a generation that sets not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God This is the description that is given of their fore-Fathers They were a stubborn generaâ—ion rebellious a generation that set not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Secondly As we have instances to prove it so we have the word of Christ to prove it to make it evident that it is not in the greatest Miracles of the world to convert a soul to God See what our Saviour saith in that 16. of Luke and the 31. 'T is the word of Abraham in the Parable he said unto them if you hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will you be perswaded though one rose from the dead The rich man in Hell he desires that one may be sent from the dead to give them warning why Abraham tells them they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them and if they hear not Moses the Prophets nâ—ither wil they be perswaded though one rose from the dead The greatest Miracle in the world what ever it wil noâ— turn the heart to God it wil not make them to believe in his name though one should come from the dead thou God should send an Angel a Saint from Heaven that should be as a flying Angel to fly up and down in the world to speak the voice and tongue of an Angel though he should declare this to all the world that the glory of Heaven is unspeakable incomprehensible eternal the joy is everlasting they shall never be able to declare it though he should declare one hours injoyment of the presence of God and the Lamb it is more worth then ten thousand injoyments of all the pleasures of the world though he should declare it that there is but one way to Heaven there is but one door o enter in at and that 's only by Jesus Christ and his Righteousness and should tel you of ten thousands that shal not come there that sought to enter in their own way and by their own works and their own righteousness and they are all shut out though he should further declare that God hath now set Heaven doors wide open and that he is willing that poor sinners the worst of sinners should come to him by his Son and they shall be accepted and all their former iniquities shall be no block no rub in the way he will embrace them as freely as if they had never sinned against him I say if such a thing should be it would be a Miracle of Mercy but yet for all this it would not perswade the heart of one sinner to submit to God This could not overcome the heart of man to Jesus Christ And again on the other side if one should come from the dead God should send one from the pit of destruction to declare to bear witness of the unspeakable Torments that are there and should declare that way is broad and many walk in the way to destruction and that unbelief it is the readiest way Though he should declare that every man and woman living that seek not after Jesus Christ and hath not an interest in him are like sooner or later to come into the same Lake of condemnation It would be a tirrable Miracle of judgment but yet all this would not work upon the heart of one sinner no our Saviour says to such men and women that sit under the Gospel and hear what I speak from day to day and thereby are not wonted to submit to God Why neither would they beleeve though one should come from the dead Thirdly The Point may be further cleered by our own Experiences I say by experiences of our own days are there not many poor Creatures that have seen Miracles of Mercy that have seen God many times in wonderful way of deliverance towards them at such a time they were in
in himself at that very time to look upon him in Christ and behold him as righteous as if he had no spot no defilement in him Brethren all these are Miâ—acles of mercy Again that God should pour out his spirit upon a poor lump of flesh that his spirit should work upon a poor creature and take a poor creature into union with himself and communion with himself that he should be working in the heart and cleanse a poor creature from pollution both of flesh and spirit all these are Miracles Miraracles of Wisdom Miracles of Power and Miracles of Mercy that doth shine in the bringing home of a soul to God And therefore to conclude all in the last place Let us bless God for his Word and look more Vse 3 to the word of God then to Miracles seeing what power God hath put into his word and how he â—s pleased to accompany his word with his spirit and do great things and now why should we look to Miracles and why should we stand upon miracles truly if you will not beleeve the Word of the Lord without Miracles neither would you beleeve though God should work Miracles why there is more power in the word to perswade the heart that it is indeed the word of God and so to overcome the soul to beleeve to rest on it then there is in all Miracles that can be shewed and therefore in this case if any look for a Miracle they may hear Christ say no Miracle shall be given to such a generation He that beleeves nâ—t the word he will not beleeve though one rose from the dead Nebuchadnezzar he saw three men that had a resurrection from the dead they were dead in all their accounts they â—hought that they had been all consumed they have an unexpected life they are all loose walkâ—ng in the midst of the fire and yet I say Nebuâ—hadnezzars heart was not firmly wrought upon by this Miracle but he returned again to hiâ— own folly And therefore Oh praise the Lord for his word bless the Lord for his word if it had not been for the word of his grace how should a poor creature have been brought in and what should poor creatures have relyed upon what foundation to build upon what can give boldness and confidence to a poor soul to draw nigh to God truly it could not be it is impossible that the heart should be overcome to submit to God without the word of his grace Oh bless the Lord for his Word we are more beholden to the Lord for his Word then for all Miracles that possibly can be shewed THE Fifth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God THere is witness given to a Miraculous deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants who through their faith overcame the violence of the fire Nebuchadnezzar makes a large confession here I propounded this question the last time Whether Nebucadnezzar was truly brought home to God or no he did a great deal he spake a great deal there was a great work of conviction past upon his spirit he doth acknowledge his Error and sin he doth rejoyce in his own disappointment that God did not suffer him to have his will he doth reâ—oyce in the goodness of God that was shewed to his Servants he rejoyces in their constancy that they did not obey the Kings command worship his Gods he did rejoyce in their deliverances he doth acknowledge that it was God that delivered them he takes care of the worship of God to promote it he makes a penal Statute That whosoever did profane the name of God should be cut in pieces and yet notwithstanding for all this we concluded probably That Nebuchadnezzar was not converted for in the next Chapter he â—eturned to his old way of sin of superstition he dreams a dream and he sends for the Sorcerers to tell â—im his dream which belongs to God to reveal secrets as Daniel told him So then we observed that It is not in the poâ—er of the greatest Miracle to convert Observat a soul to God Nebuchadnezzar saw great Miracles Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment We told you Pâ—araoh saw Miracles and Israel saw Miracles in Aegypt and at the red Sea in the Wilderness Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment sometimes their plagues were wonderfull stung with fiery Serpents and Miracles of mercy God he fed them with Man a and water out of the Rock and notwithstanding for all this they were a stubborn Generation and dwelt in unbelief our Saviour tells us in that Parable in the 16. of Luke but they are the words of Abraham They have Moses and the Prophets and if they will not hear them and bâ—leeve neithâ—r would â—hey beleeve though one rose from the dead Though God should shew the greatest Miracle yet that would not convince them that would not bring off their hearts to believe in the Son of God 't is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the heart together they are at such a great dâ—stance Infinite distance and the heart of the creature is filled with such slavery and lay under bondage that it dares not go to God when God calls to behold his face in his Son but run to the bush as Adam did but though Miracles will not do it it hath a word of grace a sure word of grace to draw nigh to God and therefore we should look upon that Miracle of iniquity that is in the heart of all the sons of Adam it is a strange thing that the heart of man should out-stand so many blows that so small a piece of flesh as the heart of man is should withstand those great batteries that God many times is pleased to make by judgments wonderful judgments when he declares his wrath from Heaven to sinners and consider what a Miracle of mercy it is that any soul should be converted and brought home to God seeing Conversion is so hard a thing and Miracles will not do it What a Miracle it is for a soul to be brought home to God! I shew how many Miracles were in this work Miracles of wisdom Miracles of power Miracles of mercy Oh we should bless the Lord that hath given us his word we should prefer the word before Miracles we should not look to Miracles but we should look to the word of the Lord God hath made that to bring home souls and therefore we are infinitely beholden to the Lord for the word of his grace that we have the word of his grace to trust in We proceed Consider who it is that bare witness to the Miracle 'T is Nebuchadnezzar that was an enemy to the Saints a persecutor a scorner a contemner of God Who is that God that shall deliver out of my hand and yet the Lord makes him
that time when he was driven from his fathers House when he was forced to fly to save his life he was in a sad conditihn he had not a bed to lye on he had not a pillow to lay his head upon but took a heap of stones to lay his head upon and yet in that condition did God come and manifest himself most gloriously to him he dreamed a Dream and saw a Vision of the Ladder set up to Heaven and of the Angel Ascending and Descending God was there in a special manner so he saith The Lord was there and he was not aware never did he enjoy more of God then in that condition Stephen the first Martyr never enjoyed more of God he never enjoyed more glorious Visions of Jesus Christ then when he looked through a showr of stones that came about his ears and took away his life he saw the arme of the Lord Jesus ready to receive him to embrace him in the everlasting armes of his love he had heard much of Christ in his everlasting Gospel but he never saw him before with his eye John the Evangelist there is another instance if you look into the first Chapter of the Revelation of John about the 9. vers you shall see there where he was and in what condition he was in when he received those gloriouâ— Revelations he said he was banisht into the Isle of Patmos for bearing witness to the Name of Christ and the truth of Christ he was a Martyr and fellow sufferer and when he was banished from all friends and comforts and left naked and destitute of all comforts the Lord Jesus doth draw nigh and doth reveal the most glorious Mysteries concerning his Churches to John The primitive Churches never enjoyed more of God then at that time when they were most persecuted by men in the times of those 10. bloody pâ—rsecution the Churches had abundance of the presence of Christ abundance of the Spirit of Christ and abundance of the grace of Christ abundance of holy zeal and abundance of activity for God it was poured out upon them the Lord Jesus never took so much delight to walk among them as when they were in the midst of the fiery persecution What presence of Christ the people of God enjoy in pâ—rsecution Quest If you ask me But what presence of Christ is it that the people of God do enjoy in their great afflictions and in the midst of their fiery tryals Answ 1. First of all they have most of the supporting presence of Christ never more of the supporting presence of Christ then in sad conditions he supports the inward man and he supports the outward man he upholds the spirits of his people in sad conditions and he makes their spirits able to bear their infirmity Now here is a wonderful work of the Lord that he should strengthen the spirit of a poor creature with such mighty power as to resist and to keep out the violence of such mighty tryals such great afflictions There is nothing that the Devil seeks more then to drive affliction home to the spirit that so he might crush the spirit and conquer the spirit when he can get in and ceaze upon the spirit then he becomes master and creats a deal of smâ—rt and vexation Now the power of the Lord Jesus is seen in that he doth support and strengthen the spirits of his people that when they have but a little strength no strength and yet are able to hold out notwithstanding they are so strongly besieged and so straitly girt many times round about with afflictions yet he makes that little strength to hold out at that time that so he is pleased to renew their strength to give fresh supplies and to remove the disease and so the power of Christ is seen in supporting the outward man many times in the midst of great afflictions when the Saints meet with great afflictions afflictions of the body crosses such afflictions as might even overwhelm the outward man and they have but little strength many times yet the Lord doth so blesse that little strength that though they meet with crosses that little strength shall not fail till such time as the Lord do bring deliverance to them Secondly As they have the supporting presence of Christ in the affliction so they have the inlightening presence of Christ and that 's a great mercy commonly the Lord never teaches his people more then in affliction when Christ gets them into the School of affliction then he instructs them there he doth open mens ears and he doth seal up mens instruction to them when Christ draws nigh in affliction I know afflictions in themselves cannot teach but when Christ draws nigh they learn a great deal in affliction they never see more of God and of themselves never more of their corruptions and vileness that is within them never see more of the power and way of God and the mysteries of Christ at that time when Jesus Christ draws nigh with his enlightening presence Thirdly Jesus Christ draws nigh with his sanctifying presence his people have more of his sanctifying presence in their greatest tryals when Christ draws nigh to sanctifie their afflictions to subdue their corruptions and to strengthen their graces the fruit of their affliction shall be to purge them from sin afflictions themselves cannot do it afflictions themselves harden but when the Lord Jesus Christ draws nigh in affliction the Saints do enjoy abundance of the sanctifying presence and through their afflictions they are made partakers of the Divine Nature their corruptions are subdued and mortified Again fourthly They never injoy more of the quickening presence of Christ then in affliction I say the quickening presence of Christ many times dead hearts how are they raised up when Christ draws nigh to them how are they elevated above themselves and their own strength because they are mightily acted by the Spirit of Christ in the fifth of Hosea you may see there how God doth promise his quickening presence in the time of their affliction Hosea 5 last verse I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their afflictions they will seek me early They were dead-hearted people and they had lost all activity for God they were not carryed out with desire after God they would not stir up themselves to take hold of him Well says God I will make them prize me I will fling them into affliction and then in their affliction I will draw nigh to them with my quickening presence and in their afflictions they will seek me early Again fiftly and lastly The Saints never injoy more of the comftoring presence of Christ then they do in the time of their great affliction in the 2. of the Song of Solomon vers 6. what says the Spouse there in her greatest afflictions His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me As Christ doth support in
in affliction hast not been supported by Christ in affliction and is that nothing saist thou to support a poor creature under affliction Hast thou not been suppâ—â—â—ed by the strength of Christ or by some word â—â— Christ in affliction And hast thou not said as David said I had perished in my affliction if thy word had not been my stay hath not Christ given thee some secret Refreshment in affliction surely he hath been nigh to thee and thou wett not aware he hath fed thee in affliction and thou didst not take notice of it Joseph he sed his Brethren and they did not know it was Joseph And so Christ he doth give sweet refreshments to his people and they do not take notice of it they do not consider that it is Christ that supports them Oh thy Spirit had sunk under affliction if it had not been Christ that had upheld thee Object Ay But if it had been Christ that had supported me in my affliction I should hâ—ve gained by my affliction I should have seen the benefit of my affliction but I see nothing at all affliction is come and gone and left nothing behind Answ Hast thou seen nothing no benefit Why resolve again to walk through though thou hast not seen thou maist see and these afflictions that have been layd upon thee though they be gone the fruit of them may be to come When man takes Physick you cannot expect that he should have health the same day strength the same day he must wait some days after and see how his strength comes in and then afterward he perceives the benefit of his Physick and so it is with affliction God may and doth do his people good by affliction though they saw little benefit while they were under affliction The rain doth make the earth fruitâ—â—l but the growth of the corn 't is not seen presently wait a while stay a Week or a Fortnight and then look into the Field and you shall see the rain was beneficial to the Field and so 't is with afflictions they are as rain when the Lord Jesus comes along with them he makes them very beneficial to his people Ay but the growth is not discerned presently No stay a while But do not thou say in unbelief I shall get no good by my affliction no thou hast got good by thy affliction The Lord hath said it he hath said That All things shall work together for their good he hath said that He will purge away their sins he hath said that We are made partakers of his Divine Nature by affliction and therefore give not way to unbelief do not by unbeâ—ief shut out the blessing but beleeve that it shall be as God hath spoken and though thou hast not seen the accomplishment of the promise go and wait upon God watch over thine own heart look to thy self the Weeds grow as well as the Corn you know how it was with Hezekiah and therefore we had to need watch over our own hearts and know thou shalt get good by affliction for God hath spoken it and it shall be accomplished unto thee in the Lords due time for the Lord wll fulfill his word THE Ninth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God YOu may remember the Proposition in hand Namely That Christ is never rigler his people thâ—n when they are in great afflictions in fiâ—ry tryals He entred into the Furnace here into the fiery Furnace that he might save his people harmless I gave you the Grounds the last day why Christ draws nigh to his people and why he doth communicate most of himself in their afflicted lowconditions First of all he knows that they have most need of him they have most need of him because of the weakness of the flesh and because of the strength of temptation he knows the flesh is weak and therefore he expresseth pity and compassion to his Disciples when they could expect nothing but fury from him they could not watch one hour when he stood in need of them and yet the Lord Jesus pities them The flesh is weak but the Spirit is strong he knows what the weakness of the flesh is and he himself was partaker of our flesh that he might know experimentally what the weakness of the flesh is and therefore well might Isaiah say He was a man of sorrow a man of sorrow and acquaâ—nted with grief he was a man of sorrow all his days and he had no other acquaiâ—tance almost but grief and sorrow when all his acquaintance left him his grief and sorrow followed him even to the very grave and therefore there is no grief no sorrow but the Lord Jesus had experience of it that he might know how to pity his people in their weakness and when they lye under their burdens Again He knows the strength of temptation he knows what it is for a poor creature to be tempred for he was in all things tempted like unto us saith the Apostle He had experience of all manner of temptations he knows how to releeve his people under temptation he knows their straits when they are besieged he knows how the force of Satans Batteries are he knows that in their weaknesses the Devil takes advantage against them and then above all other times indeavour to drive home the darts of his temptation into their Spirits and therefore the Lord Jesus because they have most need of him he pities them and relieves them at that time Again He remembers the kindness of his Father to him in his low condition and therefore will shew the like kindness to his people in their low conditions he remembers that his Father did not leave him in his straits and therefore he will not leave them in their straits The kindness that God the Father shewed to his Son when he was upon earth took such an impression made such an impression upon the heart of Christ that he can never forget it but he will always labour to requite it by shewing the like kindness to the people of God in their distress Oh how was he taken with that kindness that The Father would not leave him alone how often doth he make mention of it I am not alone but the Father is with me and therefore he enquires for some of the Saints of God that he may shew the like kindness unto them David remembers the kindness that Jonathan shewed him when he was in his low condition and therefore David enquires for some of his children Is there none left of the house of Soul that I may shew kindness to for Jonathans sake though there be but one poor lame Mephibosheth one that is lame of his feet that is no fit companion for a King yet for Jonathans sake and for the kindness Jonathan shewed to David David shews great kindness to
go forth to seek and save them That is the first thing that doth concern them to know seek after this knowledg and that speedily with all your might Secondly to know the Lord Jesus it concerns the sinner to search after the knowledg of Christ to know that he is the only Mediator between God and man to know that all pardon all peace and all grace and all strength and all holinesse it must come in through the blood of Jesus Christ that this Lord Jesus is freely held forth to lost sinners he is tendred by free promise or Covenant of grace and that men are invited every where to return to the Lord to deny themselves their own works their own righteousness their own worthinesse and to submit to the righteousnesse of the Son of God that everlasting righteousness that Jesus Christ hath brought in by his blood To seek after this knowledg of Jesus Christ is the second great work that sinners have to do Thirdly To beleeve in Jesus Christ this is an other work To believe in the name of Jesus Christ Oh this is the great work when poor sinners came to Christ and askt him what work they should do How they should work the works of God he tells them that this is the work of God To beleeve in the Name of Jesus Christ Joh. 6. 29. this is the work of God this is the great work the first work all other works are not accepted till this be done This is the first born of graces this is the beginning of the souls strength and till this be done all other works are lost because without faith it is not possible to please God All the time of their continuance in unbelief in the wildernesse it was a time of temptation and provocation this is the great work the work of God which meets with most opposition all within a man and all the powers of darknesse do make against it and therefore it concerns poor sinners to seek after this great work of God with all their might they can never begin too soon never begin too speedily it is a mighty work if you had hundreds of years to live you would finde time little enough to beleeve in to exercise faith in I shall go no further with sinners for till this work is done nothing is accepted And therefore Oh that God would perswade the hearts of poor sinners to know that this is their work To know themselves and to know Christ and to beleeve in his Name Oh that the Lord would stir them up to seek after it with their might But what is the work of Beleevers What must What Beleevers must do with their might they do with their might First of all To seek after further knowledge of their God and Communion with him acquaintance with him fellowship with him to know more of him in his Attributes in his Son in his Word the mysteries of his Kingdome to know the truth of the Times the will of God concerning you Oh this is a great work it concerns you to seek after this with all your might to wait upon God in all means for it To wait at wisdoms Posts to climbe upon every Sycamore Tree where Jesus Christ is wont to pass by to set your souls under every Golden-Pipe where there is saving knowledge of Christ to be Communicated to you or further acquaintance with God Breath more after him thus did David in Psal 63. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is He doth not only thirst but he longs Now longing is a mighty strong desire How dangerous is it to the Creature if longing be not satisfied With this desire of longing was Davids soul carried after further acquaintance with God further enjoyment of him That 's the first Secondly The second work that you have to do with your might you that have interest in Christ is to get your hearts fully rooted and fully established upon the promises that you may not be left at uncertainties in the great matters of your everlasting welfares to get your hearts built I say establiâ—hed upon the Promises rooted in Christ to get your Acquittance cleered up to you cleerly written and wait till the Lord shall teach you to read it that you may be able to say as the Apostle in Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth it is Christ that dyed and is risen again and sits at the right hand of God and makes intercession for us I say you had need be perfect in your evidence for Heaven there may come a time of darkness black clouds may come over all your comforts and present enjoyments a black night of temptation may be upon you the Divel may cast a mist before your eyes and therefore you had need be perfect to read your evidence for Heaven that you may be able to read and to know your interest in Christ in such a condition as that is Oh do this make hast to do this do it with your might Third To serve God in your generation is another work you have to do with your might to serve God in your generation is that you have to do and Oh that you would do it with all your might to honour and lift up God upon earth to make him glorious to lift him up by your praises to lift him up by your conversations by your obedience by your shining in the midst of a crooked and sinful generation The Lord he hath put his Name upon you Christians for this end he put his Spirit into you to inable you to this He expects more from you then from others the eyes of the world are upon you and God shall either reap honour or dishonour by you therefore it concerns you I say to do the work of your generation with all your might to seek wherein you may be serviceable to the Lord how you may advance his Name That is the third work to lift up God by the service of your Generation Fourthly It concerns you to get your hearts made sensible of the perishing condition of the Creature of the fading condition of all things under the Sun that you are fading Creatures your life fades and comforts fade The Lord would have you seek with all your might to have such impressions as these made upon your spirits 't is a hard matter to receive them and therefore God bids the Prophet cry in Isa 40. The voice says cry What shall I cry all flesh is grass and the glory of it as the flower in the field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth The Prophet must cry and cry again before men will hear this before this impression will be made upon the spirits of men That they are fading men and their comforts are fading That they are as grass and their comforts
THE SON OF GOD Walking in the Fire with the Servants of God IN NINE SERMONS Upon DAN III. XXV BY That Precious and Holy Man Mr TIMOTHY ARMITAGE Late Pastor of a Congregation gathered in the City of Norwich Unto which is added another SERMON Preached by him upon Eccles 9. 10. At the Entrance of one of the Mayors there into his Office LONDON Printed by J. Macock for Henry Cripps and are to be sold at his Shop in Popes-Head-Alley near Lumbard-Street 1656. To the Reader THe Prophets do they live for ever as the holy Prophet Zechariah asks the Question wherein he also implies the Answer Surely they do not live for ever which dayly experience doth bear witness unto For we see that wise and good men dye as well as the foolish and bruitish person And 't is no small Mercy unto them what ever it be to those who remain that they may rest from their Labours yet were it not great pity that all their precious Labors should dye and be buried in the dust together with themselves Now although that gracious and sweet-Spirited Man Mr. Timothy Armitage the late Pastor to a Congregation gathered in the City of Norwich is now gone to his blessed Rest of whose Death it cannot be said as 't was of that King Jehoram That he departed without being desired for his absence is still very much lamented and not without cause unto this day Yet through the Lords good Providence some of his holy Labors that fell from him being taken up by the careful Hand of a Christian Brother of that Congregation who had the Pen of a ready Writer are here presented to the world as some others also may if the Lord please in time be brought to light whereby such as have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil may easily perceive what a good Treasure there was in the heart of that good man whence such good things both new and old have been brought forth I doubt not but such a sweet savour of a gracious Spirit will so evidently appear all along through the Veins of these Sermons to such as are spiritual and can savour spiritual things as that should I go about to write Letters of Commendation of Him or Them I suppose it might be said to me as the Samaritans sometime spake unto the Woman that perswaded them to come and see the Christ Now we believe not because of thy saying for we have heard him our selves and know that this was a most choice and precious Man indeed And seeing it hath been the Lot and Portion of the Saints even in all Ages more or less to meet with manifold exercises and sharp sufferings in one kind or other yea sometimes even with Fiery Tryals and what afflictions may also abide us in these latter Times the Lord only knoweth Therefore I cannot but think that the Subject of these ensuing Sermons viz The walking of the Son of God with his Servants in the midst of the Fire may be very seasonable and comfortable to all the Servants of Christ even in these and the after times What this our Dear and Reverend Brother spake herein was as it seems that which he had the experience of not long before having as I am told but newly come out of the Furnace I mean a most violent hot burning Fever so that there is the more cause to hope that what came from his own heart may through the Blessing of Christ go to the Hearts of others also If any seeming Pleonasms or Redundances or deficiency in any Phrases or words may appear to any herein let them please but to consider that these Sermons are put forth not by the Authors own Notes which as it seems are very hardly to be read but as they were taken from his Mouth in Preaching I shall only crave leave to mention one passage lest possibly any might seem to stumble or be offended at it viz. That about the suppressing of Errors in pag. 118 119. as if he did absolutely deny the exercise of the Magistrates Power in any such matters or in any case whatsoever Whereas if his Expressions be candidly taken as they may viz. That the Sword or Power of the Magistrate is not to be exercised against any Person meerly for the very holding of an Error if no more without any manner of Civil disturbance or circumstances of that Nature for he speaks not at all of any such holding spreading of Errors I know not any that wil or can affirm or maintain the contrary and so take any just offence at the Expression I shall add no more but desire that the Blessing of Christ may accompany these holy Labors 13d. 7m. 56y. THO. ALLEN The Table Shewing several things observable in every particular Sermon in this Book The first Sermon SEven Wonders or seven Miracles discovered in the Text. First That the light of the fire continued and not the heat Page 3 Secondly That their number was not diminished but encreased 4 Thirdly That the fire did burn their bands asunder but did not hurt them ibid. Fourthly These men were seen walking in the midst of the fire ibid. Fiftly That the fire did remain fire and yet not burn them ib. Sixtly That they should be in the midst of the fire and have no hurt 5 Seventhly There was one among them like the Son of God ib. The Observation That the Lord doth oftentimes in a wonderful manner rescue the lives of his Servants from death 7 What restraints God lays upon the Creatures that he might rescue the lives of his Servants p. 7 8 9 10 The first Ground of the Point 10 How Gods Name is glorified by delivering his Servants 11 12 13 The second Ground of the Point 15 The third Ground of the Point 16 Quest What God requires when he works Mercies for his people 17 1. Take heed that we neither forget the Mercy nor the God of the Mercy ibid. 2. Not look with a slight eye upon great Mercies 19 3. Give nothing to the Creature but all to free grace ibid. 4. Give back again to God what God lends us 20 5. Be willing that we lay down our lives when God calls for them ibid. 6. We should do something extraordinary for God 21 7. Look upon all outward mercies in reference to some spiritual mercy 22 The second Sermon Use 1. To teach that the lives of the Saints are very precious to God p. 28. This is made out in four particulars 30. Use 2. To teach that the souls of the Saints are much more precious to God and therefore our souls should be very precious to us 34 Use 3. To teach us to set an high price upon our lives 37 4. Rules how to prize our lives 39 Use 4. To exhort the Saints to trust God for ever 45 The third Sermon The former Use further pressed and directions given what to trust God for 1. For all the comforts of their lives 52 2. For overcomming the
thee I will make them to come and fall down and worship thee I will make them to acknowledge that God is with thee this is a promise that Christ hath given out and he will fulfil it to his Churches those that have kept the word of Christ those that are faithful to the truth of Christ to the ways of Christ in the worst times though they may suffer reproach for a time yet at last he wil make the very enemies to confess that he was with them That 's the second Demonstration Thirdly Therfore it is that God hath put so much power into his word to convince the men of the Demonst 3. world and to force them to make them acknowledge that the Lord is with his people and that he hath loved them and that he deals graciously with them I say for this end the Lord hath made his word powerful he hath made it sharper then a two edged sword that it shall serve not only for the conversion of some but for the conviction of many that are not really brought home to God The Gospel where it comes it shall lay chains upon men it shall lay a restraint upon men See what is spoken of the power of the word of God in the first Epistle of the Corinthians and the 14. 24. 25. verses But if all Prophecie and there come in one that beleeveth not or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all Verse 25. And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest and so falling down on his face he will he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth See the power that God hath put into his word for the convincing of the hearts of wicked men that God is in his word and that God is with his people the secrets of his heart shall be made manifest when he comes in he shall fall down on his face and say God is in you of a truth It may be before he came he had hard thoughts of the people of God it may be he was ready to say that folly was in them and madness was in them nay they were ready to say that the Devil was in them Ay but when his conscience lay before the word when he comes and sees your way when he hears that God speak in you such a power shall go along with the word that it shall lay chains upon him and it shall make him to fall down and say I was deceived I was wrong in that I did judge amiss of the people of God Now I see that God is in you of a truth Fourthly Therefore it is that when God hath dealt graciously with his people when he hath given out great mercies or great deliverances he hath ordered it so that their greatest enemies should be eye witnesses and sometimes Agents against their will in doing good to his servants you shall finde it so that when God hath so ordered to do great things for his people he hath made his peoples enemies to be great eye witnesses and ear witnesses You see here in the Text how God doth order the King Nebuchadnezzar that he should be present to see this Miracle that so a work of conviction should pass upon his conscience it is a wonder that the King should be present and would have thought it should not have stood with the State of the King to be with three poor Captives he might â—ave left them to his Officers but God did â—o order it that he should see that he should be present and therefore in the 6. of Dan. There you may see the Lord made him to be an eye-witness After Daniâ—l was câ—st into the Lions Den he could not sleep nor râ—st that night and he rose betimes in the morning to see the Miracle to see the wondrous deliverance that God wroâ—ght for his Servants Yea God makes his peoples enemies to be Agents sometimes in doing good to his Servants though agaiâ—st their wills that so he might convince them and exâ—ort confession from them that he is with his people In the promotion of Mordecai which you read in the 6 oâ— â—stâ—er God did order it so that the King did command that Haman Mordecais great enemy should be an Agent in his promotion He was Arrayed by Haman with Royal Apparrel Hâ—man was one that sought Mordicais life and God orders it that this man Haman should be an Agent in his promotion that hâ— should Array him that he should lead his Horse and he should cry Thus shaâ—l it bâ— done to the man whom the Kâ—ng will dâ—light to honour Fiftly Therefore it is that God many times Demonst 5 works deliverance for his peoâ—le because he God works for his people in such away that Enemies mustt needs confes that Goâ— is with his people works it in such a manner and in such a way as must needs leave convâ—ction upon the hearts of the men of the world if they be not given up to that fearful judgment of hardness of heart I say if they be not given up to hardness of heart God works in such a way that they must needs confess â—hat God is with his people First The Lord he works freely for his people he works freely for his name sake when there is nothing at all in them that might deserve the least mercy God many times gives out great mercies when they can apprehend nothing in themselves Nay when the men of the world of look upon them and see nothing in them they themselves through their grace and humility see nothing in themselves and the men of the world see nothing in them why God should do them good yet the Lord then many times he gives out great mercies and works great deliverances for his people Secondly As God works freely so he works unrxâ—ectedly and this helps to work conviction in mens hearts when God works unexpectedly for his servants when he gives out mercies contrary to expectation when enemies conclude Oh they are brought down into such a condition that it is impossible that ever they should be brought up yet the Lord he works unexpectedly that so he might work conviction in mens hearts See that fourth of Micah you shall see how God works contrary to mens thoughts Verse 11. Now also many Nations are gathered against thee that say let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Sion Vers 12. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord neither understand they ais Counsel for he shall gather them as the sheaves into his floor And v. 13. Arise c. When they say let her be defiled and let our eyes look upon Sion Why she is utterly undone she is brought down she is destroyed she lay in her blood she lay in her heaps she lay in her ruins why you are deceived say's God I will work unexpectedly above your thoughts you know not the thoughts of the Lord you say let your eye look upon Sion
where I was saith he whether I was in the body or was taken out of the body I cannot test the Lord he knows and therefore still I say there is no cause why any of Gods people should inordinately fear affliction seeing you may meet with the presence of Christ in that condition and the presence of Jesus Christ will countervail the loss of all Creature comforts and the sweetness of it will be equivalent to the bitterness of it let thy condition be never so low That 's the third Use Fourthly Let the people of God expect the presence of Christ in their affliction in their low condition seeing Christ hath promised his presence do you expect his presence look for his presence Oh that we might labour to improve our affliction for this end that we may meet with more of Christ that we may enjoy more of the presence of Christ in our affliction truly there is a great deal lost Gods people loose abundance of sweetness which they might enjoy both in Ordinances and in afflâ—ction if their hearts were raised up to look for the performance of that which Christ hath promised if we would believe that Jesus Christ will be as good as his word did our souls expect the fuâ—lfilling of this word that â—e shall see the presence of Christ in affliction why then should we be so loth to suffer for Christ and be unwilling to submit to low conditâ—ons seeing it is the will of God that we should suffer Therefore I beseech you you that are the people of God get your hearts enlarged in affliction that so you may get above your â—ffliction if that you shall certainly meet with the presence of Jesus Christ in your afflicted conditions he hath spoken it he hath given out the word and therefore he will fulfill it what confidence had the people of God in their affliction when they remembred this I will fear none ill though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death And see what David saith in the 27. Psalm the beginning of it The Lord is my light and my salvation whom should I fear the Lord is the strength of my liâ—e of whom should I be afraid I cannot tell who the enemy is who is it he looks and he fiâ—des none in all the world whom should I fear and be afraid of so long as the Lord is with me I see no such enemy and therefore I beseech you that you would look after the presence of Christ expect the presence of Christ in all your afflictions that you meet with Object But you will say I have no such word as David had David might well belâ—eve that the Lord would uphold him for David had a particular word God spake to David he â—ware to David He swore by his Holiness that he would not fail David and so others of the Sainâ—s they had a particular word the Lord spake to Joshua Fear not I will not leave thee be couragious but we have no such word and therefore how should we expect to meet with Christ in afflicted conditions Answ I Answer first of all Though God does not speak now from Heaven by Visions he doth not reveal himself by Vrim and Thuâ—mim as unto David yet we have a larger word then David had and Joshuah had the Scripture is larger now we have abundance of the word there was but little of the Scripture writ in Daâ—ids time and less in Joshuahs time there was none of the written word but only the Book of Moses but now we have the word of God compleat we have a sure word a large word and 't is full of gracious invitations and incouragements and therefore the Saints now may be incouraged as well as they to whom God spake Secondly Yea Secondly I say God hath sent forth more of his spirit now in a Gospel way in a way of Gospel dispensation there is a great deal more of the Spirit of Christ poured out Now 't is the work of the Spirit the Office of the Spirit to particularize those promises to the soul to take thâ— promises and bring them home to this and that particular soul Now where the Spirit of God comes â—â— comes with evidence and he brings home the word of grace to thâ— soul that the soul cannot gainsay it nor resist it Object But you will say How shall I know 't is the Spirit of God that doth speak to me Answ I Answer The Spirit of God always speaks according to the word of God I say it speaks according to the written word that is given to us it speaks according to the word of grace for the spirit and the word do bear mutual testimony one of another But I Answer 'T is in the power of the Spirit to resolve the soul the Lord Jesus sends forth the Spirit with so much evidence â—s to convince the heart that it is the spirit that speaks the Lord Jesus he is able to perswade the soul that it is not a delusion but speaking according to the word of grace it is indeed the voice of the Father the voice of the Spirit that speaks Objct. But you will object further If the Lord Jesus be present with mâ— according to his promise if the Lord were present with me in affliction why how is it possible that it should be thus with me as it is How is it possible that there should be so much deadness and so much of the world and unbelief Surèly the presence of Christ is not with me in my affliction Answ I Answer to such a poor soul that looks after the presence of Christ and fain would enjoy the presence of Christ but cannot see him in affliction I say first of all Undoubtedly there is the presence of Christ with thee and thou canst not but thou mayst see something if unthankfulnesse doth not lye before thine eyes he is there the Lord Jesus is there and he will make good his word certainly if he hath promised to be with his people in afflicted conditions he will make good his word anâ— he is with thee at the door though he may be behind the Curtain and undoubtedly he is not far as I said before Joseph was with his Brethren when they did not know him and so the Lord Jesus is present with his people and they do not see him he doth feed them support them and maintain their lives and they not know it Secondly Yea I say secondly That if thou dost not see more of the presence of Christ the fault is in thee 't is not in the Lord not in the word of the Lord he is present according to the word that he hath spoke and therefore Christ may be present and thou seest him not because through negligence thou dost not stir up thy self to take hold of him thou givest way to a slothful spirit and so thou dost not stir up thy self to take hold of him or else thou dost not exercise faith in thy afflicted
it concerns every living man to do with his might whatsoever he hath to do for God or for his own soul in that great business that doth concern Eternity It concernes every living man and woman to do with all their might what ever they have to do with all their might whatever they have to do for God or for their own souls in the great business that doth concern Eternity I shall here shew you First what it is for a man to do with his might Secondly what are those things that God requires of every one of you to be done with your might And that will make way for the Application First of all What is to do with thy might To do with thy might First is to do with diligence to do diligently to take all opportunities of doing for God yea seek opportunities not only embrace opportunities but seek opportunities of doing for God Our Lord Jesus Christ went up and down doing good in the days of his flesh he sought opportunities to serve his Father and to serve the sons of men The Sun carries his light up and down the world and visits poor Creatures that are in darkness when a man is faithful in taking opportunities to do for God in seeking opportunities when a man works with diligence then he works with his might Again secondly To do with thy might to do with a mans might is to do or work resolutely to do with resolution not to be beaten back by discouragements and by opposition that doth lye in the way never did any work meet with so much opposition as the great work of our Redemption by Christ But he brake through Divels and all the powers of darkness that were in his way he did with his might the work of his Father for he did it with resolution To go on notwithstanding all storms all winds that blow though never so many dangers lay in a mans way though there seem to be Lions in the way great enemies great persecutions losse of name losse of estate losse of friends to go through evil report as well as good to break through the strife of Tongues and the strife of hands This is to work Resolutely this is to do with a mans might Again thirdly to do with a mans might is to do faithfully when a man works faithfully and sincerely when he doth not warp nor turn aside when he is not byassed nor drawn by the allurements of the world In the 33. of Deut. it is said that Levi did not know his own Father nor his own Mother nor his children he did the work of God with all his might for he did it faithfully And when the cause of God was in hand he knew no friend he knew not his Father he knew not his children Get thee behind me Satan saith Christ to Peter a dear friend a chosen Disciple yet when Peter will disswade Christ from doing the work of his Father Peter is a Satan he is an adversary get thâ—e behind me Satan And so what do you mean to vex my heart saith Paul when his friends disswaded him I am ready not only to be bound but to dye at Jerusalem for the name of Christ When a man works faithfully then he works with his might Fourthly when a man works spiritually then he works with his might When his heart goes into the work when the spirit goes into the work when a man is content not only to give God the outside but his heart shall be engaged and that shall bow to God and submit to Christ If he do not find that his heart and spirit is engaged in the work he cannot be satisfied It is said of good Josiah in the 2 of Kings 23. vers 25. there was none like to him there was none like before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soul and with all his might He turned with his heart and soul his heart and Spirit was engaged in it and therefore now he did it with his might Fiftly when a man works with his might he works speedily I say speedily Our Lord Jesus did the work of his Father with his mighâ— and he began betimes in the morning he was called the Hind in the morning he was hunted betimes in the morning He began betimes to work the works of his Father when he was thirteen years of age he was found disputing among the Doctors and saith he Wist you not that I must do the work of my Father To begin betimes in the day of youth to take the best season the fittest opportunity to do for God when a man doth speedily then he doth with his might Sixthly When a man doth strenuously when he doth with all his strength with all those abilities God hath given him when he is content that God should have all that he hath that God should serve himself of the best he hath and rejoyce that he hath any thing for God when a man lays down himself and lays down all at the foot-stool of God saith Lord take me and take mine and improve me to the utmost of thy self it matters not what become of the Creature so God may be glorified when a man works thus he works strenuously and with all his might Seventhly and lastly when a man works constantly When a man holds out unto the end when he is willing to abide with Jesus Christ yea to abide with Christ in his tribulation when he is willing to serve the Lord all the six days of his life when he is content that his works and his life should be finished together and not one before the other Thus it was with our Lord Jesus Christ when he was upon the Cross his work and his life were finished together when a man works thus to the end this man works with his might That is the first Particular we hasten to the second You have heard what it is for a man to work with his might The second follows What those things are that every man ought to do with his might I shall speak first to Sinners and then to Believers and shew both their works Something the Lord requires of both to be done thus with all their might If Sinners ask what is their work I answer What the work of sinners is to be done with their might First their work is to know themselves To know that they are poor and miserable blind and naked that they are lost and undone that they are without light and without life and without strength and without hope for eternity that they have sinned and cannot satisfie that they have lost themselves and cannot return of themselves that they have done evil and cannot do better of themselves If free-grace do not prevent them they are as poor wandring sheep upon the Mountains they are like to wander and wander and wander for ever till they be separated everlastingly from the Lord if the good Shepherd of souls do not