a Command yet withall sheweth the difficulty of it and whence it doth come to pass that the children of God sensible of their sins are so hardly brought to Beleeve As also why ungodly men think it so easie a thing SERM. XXXIX Further sheweth how acceptable it is to God to beleeve in Christ the Mediatour and setteth forth the dangerous nature of Trusting in our own Righteousness SERM. XL. Further setteth forth the Excellency and Necessity of pressing the Doctrine of Faith in Christ the Mediatour and of our being affected with it and invites the greatest sinners to come unto him for Salvation SERM. XLI JOHN 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Of praying both for the Godly and the wicked with the Reasons and Motives thereof SERM. XLII The Excellency and Efficacy of Christs Mediatory prayer set forth in many Aggravations of it for the Consolation of the Godly SERM. XLIII Of the Extent of Christs Mediatory Prayer and of his Death That he praied and died not for all and every one of mankinde but only for the Elect and that the Scripture expressions of Christs dying for all are to be understood indefinitely and not universally SERM. XLIV Reasons why the Scripture speaks thus universally about Christs death when yet but some were intended Also what Benefits Reprobates have by Christ with some Arguments further proving the point of Christs dying not for every man but some SERM. XLV The Application of the former Subject setting forth the Necessity of Faith and Repentance as to the interesting us in Christ The Freeness of Gods Love The Qualifications of those to whom Christs death is made advantagious and also their priviledges above all others SERM. XLVI Of Free-Grace opposite to Arminianism tending to raise the hearts of those that are Godly to Joy and Thankfulness SERM. XLVII Of Gods Propriety in his people as the ground of all the good that accrueth to them SERM. XLVIII JOHN 17.10 And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them The Deity of Jesus Christ cleared and defended against the Socinians SERM. XLIX Of mans glorifying of Christ and how many waies that is done SERM. L. JOHN 17.11 And now I am no more in the world but these are in the world and I come to thee holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are Of Christs tender care of all his people in the greatest of their care and afflictions SERM. LI. Of the great danger of Gods peoples being in the world chiefly from its tempting and seducing to sin SERM. LII Of the danger Gods people are in in the world in respect of its hating and opposing of them with Reasons why the Lord makes the world such a disquieting place such a valley of tears unto his own people SERM. LIII The Exaltation of Christ improved for the Joy of all Beleevers SERM. LIV. That all Civil Governours as well as Ecclesiasticall from the meanest Master of a Family to the greatest Monarch have from Christ a spirituall charge of those that are under them and are above all things to endeavour the good of their souls SERM. LV. The great Lord-keeper of Israel from inevitable Ruine both of body and soul extolled SERM. LVI That it 's not enough to be put into a state of Grace unless by Gods power we are kept therein How farre men may acknowledge Gods help and yet with the Pelagians Arminians and Papists not give him his due Glory And also sheweth how many waies the power of God keepeth his people SERM. LVII Reasons proving the Necessity of Gods preserving his children in Grace That God keeps them by Faith Also why and how Faith keeps them rather then other Graces SERM. LVIII The greatness of the mercy of being kept sound in the Truth and the damnableness of Errour demonstrated SERM. LIX That it 's a speciall Mercy for the Ministers of the Gospel to agree in one Wherein their unity should be and the Reasons of the differences that are among them SERM. LX. The great Pattern of Unity the Nature and Property of the Unity that is between God the Father and the Sonne against the Socinians That the Ministers of God should endeavour after a perfect Unity even to be one as the Father and Sonne are Also some Rules guiding thereunto SERM. LXI JOHN 17.12 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the son of perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled The great changes that even a Godly man is subject unto in respect of the having and losing those sensible supports both outward and inward which God at sometimes vouchsafeth to them Also what those sensible injoyments are and why God doth so change the condition of his people SERM. LXII Sheweth how prone men are for to know Christ after the flesh and wherein it appears SERM. LXIII Of the Saints Lord-keeper shewing how safe the Godly are kept to Salvation by Christ as a trust committed to him SERM. LXIV Of the manner of Christs keeping those that are his Of a four fold principle that is operative to the preservation of Beleevers And of the excellent effects of the Lively Meditation of this Doctrine of being kept by Christ to Salvation SERM. LXV Of the Perseverance of the Saints The Question stated SERM. LXVI Of the Perseverance of the Saints SERM. LXVII Arguments proving that every one that is in the state of Grace shall be preserved to Eternall Life SERM. LXVIII Of the sonne of perdition Shewing that some persons are wilfully set for to damn themselves though they have never so many excellent Remedies and Means to the contrary And what are the Causes that move them thereunto and Characters of such persons SERM. LXIX Of the son of perdition Shewing more Causes and Symptoms of such wretched persons that are desperately bent to damn themselves SERM. LXX Of the sonne of perdition Sheweth from the example of Judas that men may be eminent for a while in the Church of God and afterwards prove desperate Apostates SERM. LXXI Of the sonne of Perdition SERM. LXXII Of the sonne of Perdition SERM. LXXIII The great stumbling-blocks of Religion removed SERM. LXXIV Of the Scripture SERM. LXXV Of the truth of Scripture-prophesies and against Judiciall Astrology and Witchcraft shewing the vanity and wickedness thereof and of seeking to them SERM. LXXVI John 17.13 And now I come to thee and these things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves The Joy of Saints handled both as a duty and priviledge as being one great end of Christs Prayer Command Promises and Ministry SERM. LXXVII Of Joy and Comfort shewing how many waies the Spirit of God works it in the hearts of his people SERM. LXXVIII The severall
Jew after the Spirit would farre esteem the latter Thus it is here No power or works are judged great but what are temporall visible and in civill outward things we are apt more to look upon Alexander the great or Constantine the great because of their civill power then Christ who is the King of Kings and Lords transcending all these but in a spirituall way 1 Tim. 6.15 Christ hath this magnificent Title King of Kings and Lord of Lords It 's observed by Drusius a Learned man that those Titles were usually given to the great Kings of Persia then which there were none assumed more to themselves then they did yet the Apostle attributeth this to Christ to inform us that as God hath exalted Christ above all earthly power so we should magnifie and glorifie him accordingly certainly if we Christians did put forth our faith and meditations about the greatnesse of this power it would work great joy and confidence in us It would work an holy fear and trembling The Apostle Eph. 1. Phil 2. Col. 1. is even transported with the expressions about it Now this power of Christ is no where more glorious then in sanctifying and preparing an holy people for himself To give them of the same Spirit with him They that were dead and noisome in sinne to make them live in holinesse and to adorn them with all the graces of his Spirit Oh then let not the people of God be dismaiâ—d or discouraged with the apprehension of their own weaknesse and impotency how can they love God bear afflictions die in hope and comfort Alas thou thinkest on thy own weaknesse and not Christs power Remember Of his Fulnesse thou art to receive A thirsty man need not doubt whether the whole Ocean hath water enough to revive him Christ we reade gave wonderful power to his Disciples and other beleevers to work miracles This amazed and astonished all the world but certainly this power of changing mens hearts and reforming their lives is farre above this To open the eyes of the minde is more then to give bodily sight to say Ephatha to the heart is more then to say so to the ear To raise from the death of sin is more then to command out of the grave Austin said To make a man holy is more then to create a world Conversion is not usually called a Miracle yet it 's a greater wonder then a Miracle Let that soul then which hath found Christ thus powerfull upon him admire the unsearchable greatnesse of his Christ wonder at it as the most admirable expression of Gods power to thee Secondly Christs power is seen in that he doth not only give grace but he is able to bestow all that glory and happinesse the Scripture promiseth Now the reward or fruit of grace is either that inward peace and joy of heart here or eternal happinesse hereafter both which are in Christs power and munificence It was alwaies a flower in the chiefest power to be able to remunerate those that did great service and this is part of Christs Jus Regale For the first the peace of conscience and joy which accompanieth well-doing is exceeding great insomuch that if there were no heaven hereafter yet godlinesse brings a present sweetnesse and delight with it It hath present pay Now all this peace and comfort especially between God and the soul is wrought by Christ only who is called the King of Peace Isa 9. yea our peace Eph. 2.14 because he reconcileth God and man If those Peace-makers be blessed that make man and man to agree how much more is he that brings God and man to agreement But this Christ worketh Alas the heart troubled for sinne rageth and is like an hell till Christ bids it be quiet and still Hence he promiseth to send the Comforter and it 's his Spirit which is sent into our hearts making us to cry Abba Father Gal. 4.6 Oh then let the grieved and perplexed soul through the guilt of sin that can finde no rest no ease go to him that hath power indeed to command these waves to be still See with what love and power Mat. 11.28 this is expressed Come to me ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you Christ will give ease See how imperiously he speaks Let your sinne be never so terrifying your conscience never so disquieted The devils never so much troubling and tempting of you yet I will give you ease You shall finde rest for your souls No earthly power in the world can say thus truly Therefore this is to direct the godly in their black temptations They cry out It cannot be I should have peace I should have joy There may as soon come fire out of water as peace and quietnesse out of my heart Oh remember this Text The power Christ hath over all flesh Is thine excepted Christ can ease and quiet every mans heart but thine Be ashamed to think thy weaknesse more then Christs power Thy guilt more then his consolations The other fruit of a godly life is Eternal happinesse and this Christ doth also bestow upon those that are his At the day of judgement we reade of him putting them into possession Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdom prepared for you Mat. 25. Heb. 5.9 he is called The authour of eternal salvation he cals himself the bread of life he that eateth on him shall never die more so that all that happinesse and blessednesse which is in the life to come is attributed unto Christ both the purchase and authour of it It 's he that will say Well done good and faithfull Servant enter thou into thy Masters joy For those Parables that speak of a great King employing his Servants in such work and then so abundantly rewarding of them is Christ This should be a great encouragement in Christs service What a glorious and powerful Master do ye serve one who is able to requite thee with eternal glory and everlasting happinesse If we suffer with him we shall reign with him Rom. 8.17 The greatnesse and bounty of the Master doth quicken the Servant Haman was glad of Ahashuerus his emploiment because he could put such honour upon him But oh how should our hearts be enflamed to work for Christ what cannot such a Master do for us Ask any thing in earth or heaven he can bestow it on thee How unworthy is it when we grudge at the work Christ requireth when we repine at the Crosse he would have us take up This is not to attend whom we serve how great our Master is what Treasuries he hath out of which he can bountifully reward us Thirdly Christs power is seen in that he can forgive and pardon sinne Which is acknowledged by all that God only can do it Mar. 2.7 You have this power of Christ particularly opposed by his enemies but vindicated by him and that he hath power to forgive sinnes he proveth by his power to work Miracles Not that
God We act with subordination and dependance on him we keep our selves because God inableth us to do so as the less wheel is moved by the greater as the greater orbmoveth the less so that here is no glory or praise due to us no more than the pen that writeth or the hatchet that cuts for we depend wholly upon God both quoad esse the essence and being of grace would not continue did not he uphold it as also quoad posse and quoad operari Therefore our keeping is not contra-distinct or separate keeping from God as if he were one partial cause and we another as when two lift one burden but ours is from him by him and under him as the Master guideth the hand of the Scholar to write Hence in the third place We may acknowledge Gods power to help us and that several wayes and yet not not give the full glory that belongeth to him All the Erratical Starres that have been in the Churches firmament have at last acknowledged some power some auxiliary help of grace but yet justly condemned by the Orthodox as robbing grace of its due praise for if a man should say It 's Gods power that helpeth us because he created us at first with a rational soul so giving of us understanding and will whereby we are inabled to choose what is good here Gods power is acknowledged but at a remote distance Here like some Heathens we sacrifice the wax to God but keep the honey to our selves thus Nature and Grace is confounded Pelagius at first thought this would serve But if a man should go further acknowledging Gods power in revealing the object though he worketh nothing upon the subject Here God is acknowledged but at a low rate Thus also Pelagius said It was the grace and power of God to make known and reveal the objects of faith but when revealed then we have power to believe them as a man cannot see till the Sunne arise but of himself he hath perfect eyes to behold the light Here is power given to God but not enough who doth not onely prepare the object but fit and sanctifie the subject Further If a man confess the power of God to help Not absolutely to do that which is good but to do it more easily and willingly as Pelagius at last did yeeld Here is Gods power acknowledged but still here is not glory enough ascribed to God God will have all the glory or else none Lastly If we acknowledge the help of God to keep us necessarily yet if we make it a general indeterminate cause and not efficacious till by mans will it be particularized Here is something attributed to God but yet still much ascribed to man Therefore though the Jesuites have many large Tractates De auxiliis gratiae yet because they do not make Grace efficacious in it self antecedently to our will but our will to improve that Therefore still we say They advance not Grace for it 's not Grace unlesse it be Gratuita omni modo Thus then you see a necessity of informing your judgements in this Point That no subtill Hereticks under fair pretences and acknowledgements of Grace do deceive you For Pelagius deceived the Eastern Bishops by this means yea Sulpitius was seduced by the Pelagians who had been a long enemy to them which when he perceived he was so grieved that he enjoyned himself perpetual silence as the Centuriators observe In the next place Let us consider How many waies the power of God doth thus keep us and let it not be thought tedious if I be long on this Text I do not compell the Text to go one mile one Sermon further than it would The honey drops from the comb without any crushing of it And First The power of God keepeth his people in the way of grace inspirando by inspiring and breathing into the Soul such holy thoughts and quickning meditations that thereby we are kept in the fear of sinne and love of God alwayes The Apostle saith We are not able to think of our selves any thing tending to our own good or the good of others but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3 7. How vain idle and distractive would our thoughts be if the Spirit of God did not suggest and put in other things Therefore that is promised as a remembrancer to bring to our mindes such things as we let slip when the Church prayeth Arise O North and blow O South Cant. 4.6 that her garden may give a smell it 's a prayer for the heavenly and holy breathings of Gods Spirit into the soul Secondly The power of God helpeth excitando by stirring up and quickning those habits and principles of grace which are in us Our faith our love are apt to lie dormant in the soul till they be awakened Thus David though in the state of grace prayeth often That God would quicken him that he might keep Gods Commandments Psal 119. And this the Church prayeth for Cant. 1. Draw me and we will run after thee so that were there not this drawing this quickning the people of God would be like so many lumps of earth they would be very Idols in all their duties seeing they would not see and though knowing yet not understand This exciting grace is as necessary every moment to thee for spiritual life as the air is for thy natural Thirdly The power of God keeps inclinando by inclining and determining the heart For though the heart have grace in it habitually yet the world and sin tempt strongly so that these habitual principles work not till God incline and determine the heart as Ezek. 36. besides an heart of flesh God promiseth to cause him to walk in his statutes David prayed That God would incline his heart to keep his Law This determining grace is that which Pelagians Arminians and Jesuites object against whereas if the power of God doth not this our power will have the greater part in our Salvation Fourthly The power of God keeps us dirigendo by directing and ordering our steps so that we do not fall We are very weak and unskilfull and like babes who are said Heb. 6. to be unskilfull in the word of righteousness Christ and the way of faith is unknown to us a strange thing to us As Sampson being blinde needed one to direct him where the beams were Thus we need direction concerning the Author of our strength and how we may be made partakers of it When David was in Saul's armour he could not tell how to weild or manage it The Lord Christ he it is that strengthens his people a kinde of omnipotency is communicated to them by him I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 But there is much skill and an heavenly act required to make use of Christ and to derive power from him Therefore the Lord helpeth us by directing our hearts unto the love of Christ and faith in him 1 Thess 3.5 Hence David many
yet we may be undone to morrow we may alter or Christ may alter No he is faithfull and true He is Christ to day yesterday and for ever Heb. 13. 3. There is his love and compassion for this quickens both power and fidelity and sets all on work It is his love to us that will not let his people perish and certainly if he loved his Children so as to die for them and that when they were sinners then it follows invincibly that he will do that for us which is lesse then death It is but speaking the word whereas before it cost him many a praier and strong cry it put him in agonies and made him sweat drops of bloud Again it is otherwise with us then formerly When we are Enemies he died for us and now being reconciled how much rather wil he finish what he bath begun Rom. 5 4. There is his wisedom for though there be power and love yet through imprudence we see amongst men it often miscarrieth but now in Christ are hid the treasures of all wisedom And Isa 9. he is called the Counsellor as having wisedom to direct and power to deliver in all the sad Trials they are plunged into He is called often the wisedom of the Father Now then put all these together Omnipotent Power unsearchable Wisedom Infinite Love and Immutable Fidelity and you must conclude that the godly mans safety is firmer then Mount Zion or the Earth that God hath established for they may be removed but these cannot be no more then Christ Christ and they will stand or fall together And lastly because more is to be said to this in the words following this implieth a strong tye and obligation upon Christ to keep them for they are given him as Sheep to the Shepherd and as Jacob was to answer for every torn or killed one so must Christ They are given him to keep as Benjamin was to his Brethren Look saith Jacob you see not my face unlesse you bring him safe Insomuch that if Christ should not preserve those that are given him all the glory of his Mediatourship will fall to the ground You see how he declareth his diligence None is lost For if he had lost some of them then had not Christ gone through with the work of Redemption and so could not expect the glory he praied for neither could he have said I have finished the work thou hast given me yea it would have behoved him to come and die again to be crucified again if he had not by one Oblation once perfected for ever the Godly Heb. 10 14. Vse of Exhortation to the godly to take heed of all unbeleeving and dejecting fears in the way to Heaven perswading themselves Oh they shall never hold out one time or other they shall be devoured by such and such sinnes Is not this to be ignorant of the relation you are in to Christ Will Christ be an unfaithfull Steward It lieth upon Christ more then thee that thou beest preserved Is not Christs honour and glory more then the salvation of thousands such as thou art Now if thou shouldst perish and not get to Heaven it would be Christs dishonour It would be because he was not either able or willing Indeed thou art to walk with an holy fear or trembling thou art to despair in thy self but thy faith and confidence in Christs strength should make thee couragious Stronger is he that is with thee then he that is against thee It is true thy corruptions are strong thy Temptations are strong but Christ is stronger Live not with such anxious fears as a Cain fearing every thing may kill and damn thee Interpose Christ between thee and all fears and dangers Say you may overcome me but can you Christ In the next place we come to the manner how he kept them In thy Name And here name may be taken in all the significations mentioned in the former Verse But I will not trouble you with that This may be spoken in a two-fold respect Either to shew what kinde of preservation it was viz. not a corporal or carnal one though he was bodily present among them but a spirituall one in the name of God He did not keep them as the powers of the world keep their Subjects by the outward force of the Sword but as Paul said of the Ministry Our weapons are not carnall but spirituall So was Christs defence or else it might be spoken by way of humility for Christ in respect of his office was inferiour to the Father And therefore he speaks of himself in this Chapter as one sent or an Embassadour from the Father who is to doe all things in his Name and to follow his will only in this latter sence we take it principally Obs That if the Lord Christ though God yet in respect of his office and Ministry doth attribute all to God how much more ought the Ministers of the Gospel who are frail sinful men Shall Christ say he kept them by the Fathers power Shall he say It 's not my Doctrine but the Fathers Shall he say I seek not my own glory but the glory of him that sent me How much more ought the Officers God hath appointed in the Church take their Auditors off from them and carry them to God wholly It is Observable That Christ did still inform his Disciples and Hearers to look up unto the Father and the Apostles they laboured to take off beleevers from applauding of them but to look up to God Thus Paul 2 Cor. 3.5 6. even when he advanceth his Ministry to the Highest yet left men should therewithall advance the persons put thereinto as Hortensins said of Tully that he commended Eloquence to the Heavens that he himself might be lifted up with it See what corrective expressions he useth Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing our sufficiency is of God All is attributed to God Paul though endowed with so many excellent gifts yet saith of himself he is not able to think he doth not say to doe to convert and change mens hearts but he cannot think and he doth not say he cannot think some choice sublime admirable thing but he cannot think any thing the least thought in reference to the salvation of others And therefore he addeth ver 6. It is God that hath made us able Ministers The Ministers of God may as well say they create the world They work Miracles by their own power as say they enlighten the mindes or soften the hearts of those to whom they preach Thus 1 Cor. 3.5 When the people through vanity did rest too much upon the Officers of the Church and attributed that to them which belonged to Christ Paul doth severely expostulate with them 1 Corin. 1.13 Was Paul Crucified for you Were you Baptized in the Name of Paul What are these but Ministers by whom ye beleeve Two errours in the extreme we are to avoid 1. That because the Ministry
Art thou not guilty of many omissions of duties Thou hast not reproved mourned prayed for others Thou hast not done that spirituall and temporall good thou shouldst Paul excused the Philippians that they would have done good but they wanted an opportunity Phil. 4.16 But how many times have we an opportunity and we want hearts John could write to that pious Gaius his Host 3 John vers 2. to wish that his body may be in health even as his soul prospered What a glorious commendation was this It was better with his soule then his outward man Now wee cannot say thus of our selves because we are not diligent and industrious to doe more then we doe Certainly every godly man may be astonished when he shall consider how broad the Commandements of God are and how narrow his heart is growne in doing more then thou hast done 2. Thou mayest be sanctified extensively by the Relations that thou doest take upon thee when made an Husband a Wife a Minister a Magistrate here thy holinesse is to extend further God requireth more of thee and that godlinesse which would have served thee before will not now While the Apostles were private men they needed not that Sanctification which they were to have as Apostles Hence we see the Apostle diligently in his Epistles informing Husbands Wives Children and Servants of what they have to doe And certainly the grace of our Relations is an excellent evidence of our holinesse in the main If the Heathen could say He was not Bonus vir that was not Bonus civis not a good man that was not a good Citizen So may we say He is not a good Christian that is not a good Minister a good Magistrate a good Husband a good Servant The Apostle bids Archippus fulfill his Ministry And thus Ministers are exhorted to look to the flock over which God hath set them Oh then see if thou mayest not be greatly sanctified in thy Relations if they may not be filled with more Wisdome Patience and exemplarity of Conversation Alexander wept because there was no more Worlds he wanted work But to be sure thou hast more then ever thou canst turn unto Every Relation requires a new grace or a new exercise of grace So that here is no time for thee to sit down or to be still as if all thy enemies were conquered Thirdly We may be more sanctified in the deeper radication of Grace in our hearts It 's a Philosophicall Dispute Whether accidents are intensed by addition of degrees or a deeper radication of them in the subject We may conclude That grace in the heart is both wayes improved and for the rooting of it in the soul This is so great a matter that the temporary believer is in this respect as well as others mainly differenced from the true believer Though they had some root yet they had not root enough and the unwise builder did not dig deep enough for this therefore the Apostle prayeth even in reference to such as were already rooted in Christ that they may be more rooted Colos 2.7 Rooted and built up in him And to this purpose are all those Exhortations of being stedfast and immoveable of being strengthened stablished settled 1 Pet. 5 10. as there the Apostle prayeth remrkably There is no man hath laid so sure a foundatinn but he may make it more sure No man is so established but he may be more established Is it not a terrible thing to see the fall of many Cedars in Lebanon of many Starres from Heaven And why is all this They were never established deep enough they never took more root downwards like unwise builders they attended to make a glorious upper-room and stairs in the house but mattered not the foundation and certainly though the childe of God even of the lowest form be so farre rooted that he shall never fall away yet this establishment and stedfastness of his is not by his own power and strength it 's God that keeps him neither is it continued but in the constant daily exercise of holy means Oh then every day be indeavouring after this Lord grace is not rooted in me enough it 's too superficiall Oh that I could say I no longer live but Christ within me Oh that it were like leaven diffusing it's power over me the Promise is Jer. 31. I will write my Law in thine inwards parts in the midst of them So that grace shall be habituated in thee and sink as deep as ever original sin did in thee Fourthly We may be more sanctified Subjectively that is every part of the soul may be more throughly sanctified every day as in that place 1 Thess 5.23 Hence to the converted Ephesians the Apostle exhorts as you heard both a further renovation of the minde and of the will and affections Ephes 4.23 24. In the mind How greatly may we be more sanctified have more illumination more heavenly knowledge of God and Christ Thou art to grow in knowledge more and more Paul was once like a childe but he became a man The Apostle Heb. 6. doth severely reprove those that continued babes and were not carried on to further perfection It 's both a shame and a sinne that thou hast yet no more knowledge and heavenly understanding by the Ministry thou hast enjoyed so many years Again the minde is to be more sanctified by a more firm and solid faith the Apostle then directs That they should be stedfast and sound in the faith not tossed up and down with every winde of doctrine Their increase of faith may be both in the Objects believed though for the things necessary to salvation the knowledge of them by the Spirit of God is promised to every believer yet there the superstructions in Religion which according to the means we enjoy we are to believe Therefore the Apostle 1 Thess 3.10 sheweth his earnest prayer to come to the Thessalonians that he might perfect what was lacking in their faith which could not be meant in regard of foundations but superstructures not essentials but additionals Thus they are to grow in the doctrine of believing but then in the manner of believing that is the proper way for all to grow To believe more certainly more firmly more practically Therefore though the fundamentals of Religion cannot be augmented No necessary truth to salvation can be revealed which was not known before yet it may be more strongly and clearly believed And this is the end of all Authors that write against Heretiques of all sorts not to bring a new Religion into the world or new Articles of Faith but to cause a more clear and firm assent to those things which the subtilty of Heretiques had obscured Further Their mindes are to be more sanctified by holy thoughts heavenly-Meditation For what godly man doth not perceive vain thoughts creeping into his soul as the Froggs did into Pharaoh's Chamber whether he will or no and as for a fixed heavenly-Meditation it 's an
these things Hence when Israel did see her vanity by false confidences in the creatures see what God saith of her Hos 13.4 Thou shalt know no God but me for there is no Saviour beside me and Hos 8.2 Israel shall cry unto me My God we know thee Though therefore knowledge be better then the greatest duties performed out of ignorant devotion the same Hosea 6 6. God there desireth knowledge more then burnt offerings yet this is but a lame imperfect knowledge if it breed not dependance on God as on our heavenly and gracious Father The other branch of dependance is on Christ for Justification and Salvation that is the beleeving on him which our Saviour so often promiseth eternall life to Oh when our knowledge of Christ and the fulnesse and sufficiency of a Mediator makes us to cast all our burden on him and to have free accesse to the Throne of Grace by his bloud this is precious knowledge This is that excellency of knowledge Paul Phil. 3. counted all things dung unto comparatively See then what trust and dependance doth the knowledge of God cause in thee for all thy knowledge art thou not as full of cares distractions and diffidence as if God did not rule as if Christ were not the Mediatour as if there were no promises in Gods Word 6. Then is our knowledge saving when it makes us glorifie God as God giving the praise of all things to him Rom. 1. This the Apostle taxeth the Gentiles withall that though they had a knowledge of God by the creatures yet they did not glorifie him according to this knowledge but they made sensible Images of him and worshipped wood and stone the work of mens hands They did not glorifie him as God there is a great deal in that To glorifie God as God is so to honour him as to give him the best and the supremacy in all things When our hearts are as much upon the creature as God or when we would serve God and Mamon this is not to glorifie God as God When we do any thing not principally and chiefly for God we do not honour him as a God These are the inward effects of knowledge Now there are outward effects which will necessarily follow true and saving knowledge even as the beams of the Sunne do the Sunne though they are not called externall as opposite to internall no they both go together for they that know God know him to be a Spirit and that he must be worshipped in Spirit and truth that all outward duties done without the heart are but a meer hypocrisie so that these outward effects are to be taken as streams coming from a full and precious fountain within and they are such as these 1. The true knowledge of God doth make a man effectually purge himself from all filthy and noisome lusts To say we know God and yet give our selves to sin is a lye and it argueth no truth in us 1· John 3.6 He that commits sin hath not known or seen God which is the reason why the Prophets attribute all the ungodlinesse in a Land to the not knowing of God So our Saviour tels the Pharisees that all their wickednesse was because they did not know him and his Father and in this Chapter Christ saith The world hath not known thee but these have known thee Ephes 4. If ye have been taught as the truth is in Jesus and ye have not so learned Christ What is this when we have so learned Christ as to put off the old man with the lusts thereof Never then boast of thy knowledge and thy parts what mortification of sinne what cleansing from thy filth doth it cause in thee if thy Christian knowledge doth not work a Christian life but thou art bruitish and dissolute in thy life tremble at thy estate for thou art out of the way to heaven 1 Pet. 2.20 some are said to have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of God yet these did it externally only They were swine though washed not sheep but thou dost not come thus farre though thou hast the knowledge of God yet thou wallowest in thy mire and lickest up thy vomit Thy condemnation will be the greater because thou knowest thy Masters will and dost it not What sentence then shall we passe upon all the carnall and wicked waies of most men they know well enough they understand well enough but because this knowledge hath no efficacy upon their lives therefore they go in the broad way to hell 2. Saving knowledge as it causeth an avoiding of sinne so a ready and willing obedience unto the commands of God And for this sake all disobedient and rebellious sinners are said in the Scripture not to know God They are excellently put together 1 Thess 1.8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God nor obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ What obedience then and conformity to Gods Law doth thy knowledge work in thee this God looketh at he careth not for thy head or thy tongue if he have not thy heart thy hands and thy whole life If so be the Apostle say that he which doubteth whether such a thing be sinne he is damned if he do it Rom. 14. how damnable is that mans condition who knoweth and is assured that he sinneth and yet wilfully persists in it So that our knowledge is not to be carried only to truths to what is to be beleeved and there to sit down No but Rom. 12.2 we are to be transformed in our minde that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God We are to consider what is that which is acceptable and well-pleasing to God and when we know it we must readily fullfill it Oh that men of knowledge and parts would think of these things Dost thou that which is well-pleasing to God Doth God accept of such a life as thine Is there not a plain contrariety and opposition between Gods will and thy lusts A man of great knowledge and also great impiety were he not puffed up with self-flattery would easily see the opposition between his life and Gods Word the one is strict his life is dissolute the one calleth to avoid not only sinne but the appearance of it but thy life plungeth thee both into sinne and the occasions of it Oh consider all thy knowledge and understanding helps thee no more then the devils knowledge doth them they are not able to love or delight in God and his will 3. The knowledge of God will make a man keep a good conscience in all things it will make him take heed of sinne in secret as well as publique it will make him do duties in secret as well as openly for whosoever is not afraid to sinne in secret whosoever neglects private duties and holinesse this man knoweth not God he doth not understand that he is omnipresent that his eye is every where beholding all things that
the like for us Heaven and eternal glory cannot be had without much working and suffering Rom. 8.17 If we suffer with him we shall also be glorified with him Hence are those commands and expressions Strive to enter in at the strait gate Mat. 7. Be in an agony The violent take the Kingdom of heaven That the righteous is scarcely saved Be not weary in well-doing because we shall have a recompence if we faint not Gal. 6.9 That implieth such labour and discouragements in the way to heaven that it is very hard not to faint not to be weary to give over all As the people of Israel in the wildernesse murmured and wished themselves in Egypt again because they found it so difficult to get into Canaan Hence Heaven is called a rest Heb. 4.9 There remains a rest What doth that imply but here in this world we are toiling and troubled and never have any rest but in heaven there is rest that also denoteth how sweet and excellent a place heaven is and how much we while in this world shold desire it and pray for it Whereas our desire to be in this world is as if a man should be willing to lie in a bed full of thorns pricking and gaâ—ling of him Thus hath God appointed a Fight before the Crown labour before our wages tempests and storms before the haven wearisomnesse before a rest Therefore in the 2d place Every Christian must up and be doing that doth expect Salvation Sluggishnesse and lazinesse will deprive of this glory Oh when such shall see themselves shut out of all happinesse and tormented for ever in those eternal flames then how will they cry out of their lukewarmnesse and unprofitablenesse what a terrible sentence is pronounced upon the unprofitable Servant Mat. 25.30 He is to be cast into utter darknesse where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth If Christ himself must first work and then look for a reward let not the Servant think to be above his Master We must not think to have heavenly glory as our Saviour saith Mat. 5. The Lillies of the Field have a greater glory then of Solomons yet they spin not they labour not No but the Scripture crieth out aloud to every one To work out his Salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Oh then that the consideration that Christianity is a work No work no glory would make us shake off slothfulnesse and negligence Do not think God will provide heaven for thee as he did a Wife for Adam in a deep sleep he thought of nothing he took no care about any such thing They that say Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die little think of the way and the work God requireth before happinesse Those that like Dives fare deliciously every day that live in ease and security let them think this Calm will breed a great Storm as they say before Earthquakes there is a wonderful stilnesse and calmnesse So all their pleasure ease and delight is but the forerunner of unspeakable torments and misery 3. Hence we see That good works and an holy active life is not forbidden but commanded by the Scripture To preach Christ or faith or grace or the benefit of the Sacraments so as that a godly exact and diligent walking and working is excluded is to preach another Christ another Gospel then we have received Our Saviour by those Parables of divers talents as also of the foolish Virgins and of the unjust steward Mat. 25. of hiring Labourers into the Vineyard did hereby commend the necessity of working Paul fought a good fight and all the godly Worthies commended by him Heb. 11. had an active laborious faith and they are accounted blessed that die in the Lord Why because their works follow them Rev. 14.13 yea at the day of judgement that judicial processe will be according to the works we have done or we have not done for omission of duties though there be no commission of sinne the sentence of condemnation will be pronounced so that concerning this duty of working there have been errours on both sides sometimes Satan hath so prevailed as to perswade men against working to fancy a kinde of notional faith that will not purifie or clense the heart a painted fire that will not burn Sometimes again when he could not prevail that waies then he hath set up working to overthrow beleeving to make Christ and his grace ineffectuall Take we heed then that we split not our selves at either of these rocks but conform our selves to Christ who was never idle but like a careful Shepherd went up and down seeking the lost Sheep This is the devils great temptation to tempt thee not to work or if thou workest to puff thee up with confidence about it and so to make thee â—un in vain The Popish Doctrines they have so infected men about works teaching them to put confidence therein that it was an infinite mercy to the Church when the true doctrine about Christ and the grace of the Gospel beâ—aâ—e to be published and by reason of some expressions there arose up the Antinomians and others who cried down working as if that were to bring the Law in again for justification but both these misse the mark both the Pharisee with confidence in his works and the Publican without his works are excluded this place of glory 4. There is therefore a necessity for many considerations while we are in our journey to heaven that we should be working all which are good to be laid to heart that so we may avoid all unprofitablenesse and at last to be able to say and now my work is done O Father glorifie me The first is from the command and will of God Every Page in the Bible presseth doing Gods will yea we are to be stedfast immoveable alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. So that if there were no other motive to excite us the command of God might be greatly provoking He who hath a command and a Soveraignty over all That commands the very inanimate creatures and they obey how much rather should we yeeld obedience to his will and the rather because whatsoever work he commands as it is good in it self so it 's good to us It 's good in it self When the devil and sinne tempt to that which is evil thou presently givest up thy self and shall God require that which is good and thou refusest it Besides It 's good for thee as well as good in it self It 's a work thou wilt never repent of it will never be matter of grief to thee Whereas for all other works of the flesh and the devil they will prove thorns in thy side There will be a horrour upon thy Spirit for them making thee to cry out Oh that I had never done this or that sin is called dead works Heb. 6.1 because they argue a man dead and devoid of spirituall life and so they also carry to eternal
death but these works of God they are living works partly because they proceed from a life of grace and partly because they will live for ever they will go to the grave with thee to heaven with thee they will never forsake thee 2. It 's our duty to work because God hath made them the necessary way to walk in if we will be saved Without holinesse no man shall see God Labour for the meat that perisheth not Hence if we consider every gracious work of patience love meeknesse we shall see blessednesse is promised to them Not that these justifie only the person justified cannot be without them They are the media ordinata ordained mean in the use whereof we are to arrive at eternal happinesse It 's faith only that receiveth Christ and his righteousnesse yet this faith cannot be separated from an holy walking It 's the eye only that seeth yet the eye cannot be separated from the other parts of the body and thus the Apostle doth immediatly oppose Rom. 4. beleeving working grace and works in respect of Justification yet he doth at the same time presse the Children of God to all holinesse and the fruits of righteousnesse 3. Working is necessary by way of gratitude and thankefulnesse to God and Christ If there were nothing else but this this might pour coals of fire upon thee for how many works of Gods grace hast thou been partaker of If Gods grace did not work all the day long for thee thou couldst not be a moment preserved out of hell and as for Christs working reade the History of his Life he was alwaies finishing the work of thy Redemption and Salvation he had nothing to do for himself all was in reference to thee Oh then how unworthy wilt thou shew thy self of all that love and kindenesse which God and Christ have done for thee If thou like the Sluggard let the Field of thy Soul grow full of briars and thorns Oh how can thy heart be so cold and slothful When thou considerest grace is working for thee all the day long if Christ had no more zealously and earnestly wrought my peace for me then I do perform his duties my soul had perished irrecoverably Lastly Therefore it 's necessary we should work Gods work because we have for a long time spent our selves in the Service of Satan and doing the works of the devil Oh this should be a perpetual goad in thy side this should be fire in thy bosome to consider that there was no hour no day no season but thou didst take the opportunity to satisfie thy lusts Thou never couldst have enough of sinne No thirsty man did more greedily swallow down water then thou didst sinne yea how active to draw on others to infect others with the same plague thou hadst I tell you this will lie heavy upon the godly soul If I were to live Methusalems age it would not be time enough to do God service for the dishonour I have put upon him Thy time is short and thou hast much to do because thou hast undone so much In the next place Consider That it 's lawful for the people of God in all the work they do for God to encourage themselves with this that there is an everlasting glory laid up for them Even as Christ had an eye to this glory so it 's lawful for us Thus Moses had an eye to the recompence of the reward Heb. 11. The godly Rom. 2. are said to be such as seek for immortality and glory Rom. 5.2 They rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and Paul accounted all these sufferings but light in respect of that eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 Indeed Gods glory is to be sought in the first place and then our glory so that it 's a shame if in all our doings and sufferings for God we are not full of joy because of that unspeakable glory apprehended by faith Faith makes it present as if we already were partakers of it So that whatsoever temptations and discouragements are in the work of the Lord this glory will abundantly make amends for it Are there reproaches and disgrace in the world All the while thou didst sin and the devils work thou hadst the love and good-will of the world but since thou hast betaken thy self to the service of God thou art the scoff and reproach of all O think of the glory God will crown thee with before all the world Again are all the works of God painful difficult and contrary to flesh and bloud thou must strive and wrastle much in praier be alwaies in a combat and conflict Remember this everlasting glory yea God therefore doth many times put his Children upon all exercises and sad temptations which make them ake at the very heart and all is to encrease their glory the more Thus Job thus Paul they had extraordinary trials that they might have extraordinary glory Furthermore is there self-denial required in Gods work Must thou part with thy pleasures with thy profit thy delights still remember this glory will make thee no loser for alas what proportion is there between these petty things thou leavest and those everlasting treasures God hath provided for thee In the sixth place That the glory of Gods people may be full he giveth them time and large opportunities of working for him and keeps thee in this world not for any earthly and outward advancement of thy self but to serve him in thy generation as it 's said David served God in his generation Act. 13.36 and God calleth Moses his servant Whatsoever thy relation thy place thy office be God hath appointed thee to work and therefore he prolongs thy life till thy work be done This is a comfortable consideration which all the godly may take that death shall not seize on them while thay have work to do for God and when that is finished then this summons to everlasting glory As for Infants this Truth reacheth not to them and if any like the Thief on the Crosse are called at the last hour and so are not able to work in the Vineyard yet even such have an habitual prepared heart for it if they had the opportunity But for others whose daies are prolonged they are thus to think with themselves I have this day this week longer to adde to my work God hath for me to doe Take heed of mispent time take heed of losing daies and weeks The night is coming when none can work Vse 1. How much comfort and joy the godly may take at the hour of death Their work is done now they have nothing but the Robes of glory to put on That fulnesse of glory they are immediatly to possesse should swallow up the fears of death and the love of the world With what joy should they cry out Farewell Friends Wife and Children welcome God welcome eternal glory Alas thou hast no glory here Thy body is a vile body thy soul a
he plainly feeleth God working in him The wicked man knoweth God by the creatures and his works abroad but the godly knoweth him by the new creature and works of grace upon his heart and this is the most excellent knowledge when he knoweth God by the regeneration and sanctification of his nature by his heavenly and gracious quicknings to holy duties and against sinne If in regard of out naturall life we live and move and have our being in God how much more in our supernatural life Those know God indeed that feel those divine workings upon their souls As Job before when God had humbled him said I have heard of thee by the ear but now my eye seeth thee Job 42.5 So saith the godly I have heard many Sermons of God but I never felt him till now or as the Queen of Sheba who had heard much of the fame of Solomon but when she came to be an eye-witnesse of it then she was astonished and judged all her former apprehensions nothing Thus it is with the truly sanctified though you tell him what good parts what Scripture understanding what abilities in duties he had Oh saith he all that time I did not know God I never knew him till these inward workings were upon me I spoke of him as a man will do of some strange Countrey he had often heard of but never saw Argum. 5 5. The true godly man only knoweth God because he only hath communion and fellowship with him he only is admitted into Gods presence All wicked men though never so knowing are at a great distance from God They know not the light of his countenance what it is to have the assurance of his favour what to have those experimental sweetnesses of heart which flow from the enjoying of him Therefore it s added in that of Joh. 18. I will manifest my self to him and come and sup with him that is God will give us a joyfull chearfull familiar fellowship with himself he will make known himself as Joseph did at last to his brethren God draweth nigh to them and they to God and this indeed is a choice way of knowing of God when we know what it is to have his love shed in our hearts when we hear God speaking peace to us when it 's not duties nor any religious performance but God himself that the heart partakes of Thus the Psalmist inviteth to taste and see how good God is Psa 34.8 Oh hast thou ever had this tasting and seeing then thou knowest God comfortably Now the ground of all this is because obedience love and fear are the end of all knowledge therefore that knowledge which doth not obtain its end is no knowledge and hence the Scripture saith If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Joh. 13.17 and generally the Scripture describeth wicked men by this that they know not God as Paul said of the Jews If they had known Christ to be the God of glory they would never have crucified him 1 Cor. 2.5 Thus did men know God as they ought they could not think and speak or live as they do Vse Rest not in any kinde of knowledge about God till it hath these effects on thee Never judge thy self to know any thing of Religion till it hath thus transformed thee till it be the acknowledgement of truth after godlinesse but alas where are the persons where is the Family where are the people that know God The ungodliness they live in proclaim they know no such divine Majesty Oh consider that God knoweth not thee likewise with a knowledge of approbation of omniscience he doth and that will be thy confusion but not of complacency at the day of judgement he will say Depart I know you not Oh that we were such of whom it may be said Their obedience their pure and holy life their delight and acquaintance with God manifests they know God and then you will not die with such terrour with such fear I go to him I have known I go not to an unknown God SERMON XXX The Great End of the Ministery And what should be the end of both Ministers and people in their Preaching and hearing JOH 17.6 I have manifested thy Name to as many as thou hast given me out of the world WE have considered the action or efficacy of the person or efficient spoken of in the Text We now come to consider the person himself and that is Christ who saith of himself I have manifested thy Name Christ speaks in this as he is the great Prophet and chief Shepherd of our souls for being intrusted with this office he did faithfully discharge it whoever reads over Christs life and seeth how laborious and diligent he was to bring men to the knowledge of God and to save their souls must needs say The Lion of the Tribe of Judah went up and down more earnestly to save then the roaring Lion of hell is busie to destroy Hence Joh. 4. while he is emploied to bring home but one poor Sheep that was gone astray the Woman of Samaria he is so earnest in it that he forgets to eat his bread and tels them his meat and drink was to do his Fathers will which was to declare the truth of God and invite sinners to come in unto him so then we see here an excellent President for all the Ministers of the Gospel to follow As Christ was wholly in this to make people know God so ought they to be In Christs works of his Mediatorship and of his Miracles we may not imitate him we cannot but in this of his labour and tender love to mens souls we are bound to follow him Obs That the end of the Ministry and Ministers should be to bring people to the knowledge of God to the saving knowledge of Christ Thus Paul exceeded the Heathen Hercules in his manifold labours to this purpose especially see what a divine profession he makes to them of Ephisus Act. 20.26 27. I take you to record this day that I am pure from the bloud of all men Here we see there is a soul-murder as well as a body and the Ministers of the Gospel are to keep themselves pure from that for if the bloud of Abels body crieth aloud what outcries will the bloud of peoples souls make Now Paul kept himself thus pure by declaring unto them all the Counsell of God so that if we would doe our duty we must be Lights shining upon the understandings of men that they may know beleeve in and obey God And so Paul again at large 1 The. 2. There his very heart flameth out into affectionate words for their salvation The end then of our Preaching and of your hearing should be to have God manifested to your souls how apt are both Ministers and people to fail of this great and necessary end To open the doctrine you may take notice that as the Logicians speak of a twofold end Finis operis and
obedience Nothing is too much too great too dear to part with for so gracious a God This breedeth love and we know love is an active fire it cannot lie still but kindleth all that it cometh near Thirdly They are active and willing because of that sanctified renewed nature which they are partakers of They are said to have the divine Nature 1 Pet. 1.4 The Seed of God is said to abide in them 1 Joh. 1.3 And by this means they are carried out voluntarily to divine actions Thus in nature saith Aristotle which is the inward principle of motion or rest How readily do sparks fly upward The stones descend downward And thus it is here Those inward principles of Sanctification they do so new mold a man that now the will of God is his delight the Law of God is written in the inward man Nothing is so connatural and sutable to him as those things that are also pleasing to God Indeed for the unregenerated man it 's no wonder he must be haled and constrained to what he doth That he like the Mill cannot move any longer then the waters of affliction fall upon him for there wants a principle within but it is otherwise with those that are born again Their proper food their proper delight their all in all is to be doing the will of God as Christ professed Joh. 4. and David doth often acknowledge those indeared affections he had to the Word of God above Kingdomes and all other earthly advantages Fourthly They are a willing people because in their former time of unregeneracy they were so willing and ready to serve sin and Satan and were constantly obedient thereunto Now saith the Apostle As they had given themselves servants to sinne so now to righteousnesse Rom. 6.19 They readily set themselves as the word signifieth whensoever lust bad them go they did go Whatsoever was commanded there was ready obedience This by way of an holy revenge and to make a godly satisfaction They are the more serviceable to God They grudge the devil had so much time that so much of their choicest and best affections were lessened in time They therefore strive to redeem the time to recover all for God They shame themselves saying What was I willing and glad to doe the works of the devil and shall I not doe the Will of God Fifthly They are willing because they know no Obedience is accepted of with God unlesse it be willing It 's not thy faith thy humiliation thy zeal unlesse there be willingnesse and delight in it that God accepts of Isa 1.29 If ye be willing and obedient so God accepts of a willing minde Wo be to me saith Paul if I preach the Gospel and not willingly but of constraint 1 Cor. 9.6 Though he did preach it yet if not willingly there is a Woe to him Oh then it 's no wonder if the people of God are so glad and chearfull within them in the work of the Lord otherwise their work would lose their reward and they the Crown of Glory Think of this then when you finde the wheels of your Chariots move heavily Thou art happily thinking how to put off truth or duty or thou wishest it over say this unwillingnesse marreth all God will not aceept of a Sacrifice unlesse offered in fire Say upon all thy dead and formal duties these are not duties God looks not upon them as so Non operari non esse are all one before God in some respects Sixthly They must needs be a willing obedient people because of that eternall glorious reward which is promised to every holy duty What will put Wings to the soul if not this To think that God will assuredly put upon thee Robes of Immortality and glory for a duty though never so little for a cup of cold water who may not admire the vast disproportion that is between our work and Gods reward If the Apostle spake of the most extreme sufferings that could be in this life they were not worthy to be compared to that eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4 17. How much more is it true of those good works we do which are but little in quantity and defiled in quality Well therefore may they rejoyce and work righteousnesse Well may the godly labour even in the heat of the day with much gladnesse of heart for the recompence of thy reward doth exceed all proportion If the Kingdomes of the world should be given to a man for lifting up a straw it would not be so great a matter as when God and Heaven became thy reward for every holy duty No wonder if they are best when they are thus doing for how can they be better There is no such profitable and comfortable wotk as to be doing that of the Lords Lastly Even in the very duty it self though there were no heaven hereafter yet there is so much present comfort and joy attending it that it 's both work and meat and drink also Therefore we see how David was joyfully affected herein Who are we that we should be able to offer thus willingly He that doth Gods service willingly and fervently he hath present pay in hand The very sence and feeling that he doth it so readily doth afford great comfort to him Virtus est sibi ipsi praemium A godly duty is accompanied with honey and manna he would not do otherwise for all the world Oh then that wicked men who though they have some pleasure in sinne yet finde many wounds and torments within them would make an exchange in stead of drunkennesse put on temperance in stead of riot and wantonnesse live in all chastity Thou wouldest finde an heaven for a hell immediately Oh how wouldest thou bewail thy time that thou didst not leave these husks no sooner Oh what an enemy was I to my own soul when I lived in such lusts and neglected such holinesse Taste and see the difference while you have this sinful distempered palate upon you it 's no wonder if you love the Egyptian garlick above the heavenly Manna Vse of Instruction How lothsome and unacceptable all that Obedience is to God which comes from any other principle then a renewed spirit It 's the free and principal spirit David praied for Psa 51. he saw all obedience if constrained if forced by the judgements of God was condemned as hypocrisie Thus the Prophets complained of the Jews that in the time of their distresse and calamity they would pray to God They would fast and humble themselves but saith God Oh that there were such a heart within them Deut. 5.29 And hence it is that Repentance and contrition extorted by the fear of death and the judgements of God are not acceptable Whatsoever is done is by force and this mâ—y be even death to many that hear it for when art thou for any good duty When is thy heart or mouth for it but when some great judgements of God are abroads or
appropriated if no man had the light of the Sun but one or few men Oh what a price would be put upon it It 's then proptiety both with God and man that is the Fountain of all good of all care and brings about all the blessednesse that Gods Children have To open this Point and not to fall in with what you have heard already 1. Take notice That a people becomes the Lords peculiar ones his Jewels solely by his grace and goodwill He hath chosen us and not we him he loved us first The great God of heaven who might have made other people other persons his treasure did out of his own meer goodnesse take thee and thee into such a blessed relation The Apostle doth every where in his Epistles reduce it to this cause The counsell of his will and out of his meer grace and certainly if Deut. 9.5 the Lord doth again and again inform the Israelites that it was not for their righteousnesse or any good in them but meerly because be set his love on them that he made them his externall people by an outward Covenant how much rather must it needs be the meer grace of God to make a people inwardly and spiritually his so that whosoever finde themselves thus appropriated to God to be able with the Church to say as she doth many times because our blessednesse lieth in this I am my well-beloveds and my well-beloved is mine Cant. 6.3 Oh let such be deeply humbled and even astonished under the discriminating Grace of God I am the Lords when the devils are not when such men of parts abilities and great Revenues in the world And if the Lord would have looked to any thing in man how many thousands are there that if converted would have been more glorious Instruments of Gods glory then I am 2. As it is the meer goodnesse of God to make a people his so it is not out of any want or any necessity any need that he hath of us that he did thus make us his and this also is a quickning consideration Husbands have Wives because they want such helps Masters have Servants because they need them Even the greatest Monarchs want their people But it is otherwise with God My goodnesse extends not to thee saith David Psa 16.2 And thus Job was told that if he were perfect and righteous he did not advantage God God is the Elshaddai the Allsufficient God blessed and happy enough in himself Though he had never created the world Though he had not appointed one man to Eternal glory yet such was his goodnesse that he would have those Objects to whom he might communicate of his fulnesse And therefore God of many thousands hath made such and such his not that he wanted their graces duties or praiers but that they might partake of his riches 3. When Christ saith here They are thine he doth not exclude himself from having a propriety in them nor the holy Ghost neither For this is the infinite priviledge of the Godly that they are both the Fathers and the Sons and the holy Ghosts not only because whatsoever one person hath the other hath as Christ saith All mine are thine and thine are mine but in an appropriated consideration Thus Christ saith they are the Fathers They are thine in the present tense he had formerly at the sixth Verse used the preterperfect tense Thine they were but now he useth the present tense to shew that though the Father had given them to Christ yet he had not abdicated or quitted himself of his interest in them he had not so given them to the Sonne as that the Father had no dominion or right to them but they did still continue the the Fathers possession though they were given to Christ And as they are the Fathers so they are the Sons purchased people also They belong to Christ in an indeared manner which makes them to be called bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Eph. 5.30 To be his members and body as he is the head They are also the holy Ghosts and therefore they are said to have the Spirit dwelling in them and they are his Temple and they are led by the Spirit and walk in the Spirit We are the Fathers by meer grace and therefore are given to Christ as a Mediatour We are Christs by merit for he purchased us by his bloud We are the Spirits by operation for he works the holy Image of God in us Oh then that our hearts were enlarged in this matter that we might wonder how and why we who are not worth the owning or the the looking after should yet be made the Lords in such indeared respects 4. When the Godly are said to be the Fathers though it doth not exclude the other persons yet it doth all other creatures By this we are delivered from all other proprieters and interest whatsoever and this makes the phrase to contain in it a Treasure of happinesse as first Seeing we are the Fathers therefore we are no longer the devils We are no more in his possession and under his dominion We may see by the Scripture in what a wofull and cursed state all men by nature are They belong to the devil they are his proper goods The devil hath them as his even as he hath the damned in hell though in this life there may be hope of delivering them whereas the damned have none Eph. 2. The devil who is called the God of this world is said to rule in the hearts of the disobedient Hell is not more the devils place then the heart of a wicked man and therefore 1 Tim. 2.26 they are said to be Captives to the devil to be like tamed birds and our Saviour tels the Pharisees They were of their Father the devil Joh. 8. And why because they did his works So that whosoever doth the works committeth the sins that the devils do the devil is their Father Though they rage and are mad at such a charge and this is the reason in part why the glorious fruit of Christs death is called a Redemption and why he is called a Redeemer because we were wholly in bondage and captivity to the devil We were his he had a proper right to us till Christ redeemed us Oh that the ungodly men of the world should hear this and not tremble Whose art thou To whom dost thou belong Who may challenge thee but the devil There are a cursed sort of men who give themselves to the devil by compact in the waies of witchcrafts Now all wicked men though not by such an expresse Covenant yet implicitely by their wicked waies give themselves up to be the devils Oh what a terrible thing is this to consider that though thou canst say These grounds are mine these Cattell are mine these goods are mine yet thou thy self art the devils Oh consider that the devil will have his own when thou diest he will lose nothing
cannot do any thing without God therefore we despise it and neglect it as too many do This is to oppose the Principall and the Instrument They will not do so in naturall things though man doth not live by materiall bread alone but by the Word of God yet they will not throw away that Food as needlesse unprofitable and unnecessary Why then will they do so to the immaterial food and heavenly manna of the Word The other extream is To advance it too much To set up the Instrument to the neglect of the Principall and that is when we so rest on and admire the Gifts Learning Elocution or parts of the Minister that we look not up to God and this we are prone unto Therefore the Apostle gives a large Commendation to the The ssalonians 1 Thessal 2.13 That they received the Word Not as the Word of man but as of God which effectually worketh in Beleevers John 4. It 's said of Johns Hearers That they did a while rejoyce in his light They flocked after his Ministry yet afterwards they quarelled with him and said He had a Devil Thus Ezech. 33.32 He was to the Jews a very lovely Song They loved to hear him they came thronging in great Multitudes and Companies unto him but yet they would not do any thing Vse of Instruction If the Office and Abilities of the Ministry are nothing without God then do you lift up your hearts in Prayer to God more That his Power his Voice his Strength may be seen in the Ministry When you go from the Sermon examine whether Gods power and grace come home to your hearts or no Can you say Here was more then the Ministers Study then the Ministers Gifts for Gods mighty heart-changing power did also work on me Oh the Convictions the meltings the burnings and changes of heart that were upon me It was upon my minde like Lightning It was upon my affections and Conscience like Thunder As we are to preach like the Oracles of God 1 Pet. 4.11 He doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as the Word but as the Oracles as having the Spirit of God immediately breathing upon us So should you hear and receive them as the Oracles As the Prophets received their Visions and the Word that was spoken to them It wrought a mighty change They did not seem to be the same men they were nor did the same Actions Even thus should ye return home Ye come Earthly but go home Heavenly Ye come carnall but return spirituall SERMON LXIV Of the Manner of Christs keeping those that are His. Of a four-fold Principle that is operative to the Preservation of Believers And of the excellent Effects of the lively Meditation of this Doctrine of being kept by Christ to Salvation JOHN 17.12 Those which thou hast given me I have kept c. IN the former part of the verse you heard our Saviour expressing that glorious priviledge of Protection and Preservation of his Disciples and so all that were given him in the midst of all dangers to eternal life Now our Saviour amplifieth the fidelity and diligence he used in this custody So that in the words we may observe Christs diligence and fidelity expressed I have kept them 2. The Subject Whom thou hast given me This is the fift time our Saviour repeateth it and therefore the more to be observed 3. His fidelity in preservation is illustrated by the signe or effect of it None of them is perished 4. He answers an Objection concerning Judas granting that he perished with a twofold reason He was the son of perdition and that the Scripture may be fulfilled All these particulars contain solid and substantial Divinity both Doctrinal and Practical They will serve to confute false Doctrines and reprove wicked conversations And First Let us consider the fidelity and diligence Christ useth expressed in that word I have kept them This is a new and different Greek word from the former which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint make often to answer the Hebrew word Shamar which signifieth to keep with all diligence and circumspection In the New Testament it 's many times used of a corporal violent detaining in prison as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Act 12.4 Act. 23.35 Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often for a prison Act. 16.23 24 27 37 40. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to hale to prison Act 22.19 but when it 's applied in a spiritual sense it signifieth a diligent observing of a command or more frequently a carefull preserving of our selves from sinne as Luke 12.15 1 John 5.21 And hence comes the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 23.5 They made broad their phylacteries called so because by them they were warned to take heed of sinne But in the Text it 's used for protection and preservation to everlasting happiness as John 12.25 onely we may observe the use of it in three places very fit to our matter in hand It 's applied to Shepherds diligently watching to their sheep and that in the night time Luke 2.8 and thus Homer useth it also and hereby is represented that Christ is that chief Shepherd which will keep his sheep though never so infirm or weak that no danger shall befall them 2. It 's applied to the keeping of some precious thing deposited in our hands that we are betrusted with 1 Tim. 6.20 and thus also all the godly are delivered to Christ as his charge that none be lost 3. Lastly It 's used of preserving in a safe place in the midst of dangers Thus Noah is said to be kept in the Ark 2 Pet. 2.5 which is notably true in all the godly The deluge of Gods wrath fals upon all the wicked of the world and the godly are kept safe in Christ as Noah was in the Ark whereas then our Saviour doth so often inform his Disciples that he keepeth them Observe That Christs divine protection and preservation of his people to eternal life is daily to be thought on and improved by them They are not in a transient manner to apprehend it but they are to keep this blessed truth in their hearts till it inflame them As it 's not one showr but plentifull and constant droppings that go to the root of the Tree so it 's not a thought now and then about Christs keeping of thee safe for heaven will affect thee but as Jacob to the Angel so thou art to say I will not let this truth go till it bless me and truly for this end it was that our Saviour doth so often repeat Those thou hast given me and I have kept them to confirm and increase the Disciples faith seeing they have so many strong Anakims in the way to Canaan Every man that looks only to his own strength and the dangers that are in the way would bring up an ill report of Heaven
least so difficult as that phrase imports Do they not say David by his Fall did wholly shake off all grace branch and root and yet there was no such difficulty to that How easily did one sinne draw on another So that it would have been absurd to have said that Bathsheba who was meerly passive at first did so strongly tempt David that if it were possible he would have fallen into Adultery And if further you say The godly may fall into fundamentall errours though Elected Even the disciples did not beleeve Christs Resurrection and his spiritual Office as a Messiah We answer they may a while but God will graciously recover them These Vipers shall not stick upon them till they die Though they have swallowed these deadly things yet they shall at last vomit them up As God though he suffered Christs body to be dead and buried in the grave yet he would not let it see corruption Thus it is here Though the Godly may erre dangerously and fall fouly yet they shall not see corruption Lastly It is answered that the Elect before their conversion may lie in all sinne and be deceived by all kinde of errours Therefore there cannot be any strength from this because Elected But the Reply is easie By elect are meant such who do not only partake of that mercy but such who finde the effects of this upon their soul Elected and converted And that this is included is plain because it is said If it be possible to deceive even the Elect Now he is said to be deceived that was in the right and Truth it 's improper to say They shall deceive such as are already in a plain deceived way So that this necessarily inferreth That it is meant of Elected persons who finde the mighty power of this upon their hearts Argum. 2 A Second Argument is from the Covenant of grace and Gods sure mercies which are made to such and this makes them stand like Mount Zion yea firmer for at the day of Judgemnt that shall be shaken but these will go safe thorow the fiery Triall This Magna Charta of which you have several branches or promises every where is clearly laid down Jer. 32.39 30. God there promiseth first the Conversion of his people He will write his Law in their inward parts and then he promiseth Perseverance He will put his Fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from him God there promiseth he will never turn from them and he will so graciously affect their hearts as they shall never turn from him and this Covenant the Prophet cals an Everlasting Covenant it shall last above the Sunne and Moon it shall not be like the former Covenant that was broken and indeed it must needs continue for it promiseth all those qualifications which may enable to persevere and perseverance it self For whereas it may be thought Gods own Children may through carelesse negligent and slothful walking undo themselves God saith He will put his fear in their hearts as being the special Antidote against Apostasie fot Blessed is he that feareth alwaies Prov. 28.14 It 's a blessed thing not to be in a doubtfull perplexing fear that is a cursed hellish thing the portion of Cain and Judas but in a filiall godly Fear as Joseph was when he said How can I do this and sinne against God Now sinne can never come in at the Gate while Fear is the Porter Therefore above all things God saith He will put his Fear in their hearts and this promise is spoken so peremptorily and absolutely that it 's an absurd thing with the Arminians to suppose some condition on mans part that it may be made good as if God indeed were ready to put his fear in their hearts for his part nothing shall be wanting only they must not put a stop to his munificence for this is as if God had said I will give you a will to fear me if you will I will make you to will if you will or I will make you to persevere if you will persevere I will make you that you shall never depart from me if ye will not depart from me What a ridiculous and absurd sence would hereby be put upon this Glorious Promise The Arminians doe to evade this powerfull Argument Say This was made to the whole body of the Jews in their Captivity and are busie in finding out subtle Reasons That it was never made good and are off and on like Noahs Dove not knowing where to set their Feet Whereas the Apostle in Hebr. 10.16 17. doth very plainly apply it as the Covenant of Grace to all Beleevers Argum. 3 3. A Third Argument shall be From the Mediatour of this Covenant or the way to ratifie and confirm these Gracious Promises which are from the first to the last that we shall have Everlasting Glory from Predestination to Glorification and that is by Christs bloud So that Christ is become their Mediatour their Head and they his Members The Covenant is confirmed by the Death of Christ and the Sacraments are visible Seals to confirme this 2 Corinth 2.20 All the Promises of God are in Christ Yea and Amen There is not Yea and Nay but a sure infallibility in them Hence this Priesthood of Christ and our Blessing in him as Abrahams Seed is said to have a Promise and an Oath to confirm it Hebr. 6.18 That by two Immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong Consolation Christ then by his Bloud purchased these Priviledges for us he obtained by his Death our Salvation and his Priesthood for this purpose was confirmed by an Oath How then can we ever think or imagine that they should perish who have such preservation and Security provided for them Indeed we see the Angels and Adam though full of Grace to Apostatize and the Godly man though weak in Grace and surrounded with many Temptations yet safely preserved but the Reason is plain They have a Mediatour of this New Covenant who by his Death will certainly bring them to Glory for if this were not so but all depended upon mans indifferent power Christ might have died and not one man have been saved who cannot but detest and abhorre such a thought that by the Arminian Position Christ might have suffered and endured all those Agonies and not one be saved all might have been in vain but the Scripture speaks otherwise Isaiah 53.11 The work of the Lord shall prosper in his Hand He shall see his Seed and the Travell of his Soul and shall be satisfied Christ would not have been satisfied in his Soul had he not seen the Fruit and Event of his Agonies and Sufferings and that such persons were saved for whom he died Argum. 4 4. A Fourth Argument is taken From Christs peculiar Praier and Intercession for their Preservation And thus the Argument runnes Those for whom Christ offered up a Mediatory Praier and earnestly begged and entreated that they might
whereby we are called If Achan do secretly steal a wedge of gold when Joshua comes to know it he shall be troubled that troubled Israel and glory shall be given to God 1 Cor. 5. They are commanded to cast out from amongst them that wicked person and if any walk disorderly 2 Thes 3.14 Note that man and have no communion with him that he may be ashamed Such are a burthen a grief to those that are truly godly David can even weep Rivers of tears because of such That place is observable Joh. 13.21 Christ was troubled in Spirit and testified and said One of you shall betray me Judas was a trouble and a grief to Christs Spirit think not then that the truly godly own such any more then Job did the â—â—res upon his body or the Israelites did the Jebusites that were thorns and goads in their side Lastly Religion it self is the more to be prized for this sheweth the authority and command it hath over mens Consciences that none do ordinarily commit hainous trespasses but they are willing to put the vail of Religion upon them certainly this is so farre from disparaging that it rather advanceth Piety as being that which hath an universall Command every where men cannot commit iniquity before they blinde their eyes with some religious arguments The Pharisees made account they did all for the glory of God But you will say how cometh it about that any prove thus scandalous in the way of Religion Is not the way of it as comfortable and as blessed as it did at first promise Hath any thing that Christ said for our encouragement to follow him proved false Hath he deceived any so that they could say The Land of Canaan was not better then their old Egypt No in no wise only This is one great cause of mens miscarriage They take not up Religion at first upon pure and sincere motives It 's not from a renewed and regenerated principle within and therefore it being not from a good and sure foundation no wonder if at last all fall to the ground Our Saviour spake often to this Point as being indeed the summe of all What is that which perswadeth thee and prevaileth with thee to follow Christ Is it from an heavenly principle to an heavenly End Go on and God will be with thee But if some other carnal or insincere motive put thee on know that when the temptation comes thou wilt prove an offence Painting will melt away when it comes near the fire The un-rooted Tree will fall to the ground when the Windes shall shake it mightily SERMON LXXII Of the Sonne of Perdition JOHN 17.12 But the Sonne of Perdition I Shall at this time finish the good Observations from so bad an instance For as through the perfidiousness of this sonne of perdition though he intended it not God wrought the greatest salvation that could be insomuch that in this sense we may call his fact an happy sinne So through a divine consideration of this sad example we may receive the greatest good and with an holy skill turn this poison into nourishment for the sins and destructions of wicked men are written for our instruction as well as the good life and mercies of the godly As Abel though dead speaks â—o Judas though damned crieth to all to take warning from him Two Observations I shall briefly dispatch at this time The first whereas you see Judas thus hopefully and forwardly beginning leaving all with the other Apostles to follow Christ and that in a contemned persecuted manner yet at last dreadfully and finally to revolt from all Observe That unlesse men are carefull at first to look to their grounds and motives why they take upon them the profession of Christs way they will never hold out but one time or other forsake and revolt from all A sure and sound beginning will ever have a blessed and happy ending but when men upon slight and insincere motives look towards Christ at first such build upon the sand and their fall will be great Our Saviour spake many Parables especially that of the foolish builder and of the stony and thorny ground for this end that men should be well advised upon what terms they at first undertake for him Hence it is that when some voluntarily profered their service and obedience to Christ Christ presently informeth them of the difficulty of that work of the contrariety of it to flesh and blood that they had better never begin then afterwards to fall off hence he so solemnly bids them to remember Lots wife Luk. 17.32 and that he who hath put his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdome of Heaven Seeing therefore this is often to be seen though it be very sad That many who have been once zealous and hopefull for Gods way yet afterwards decline totally and are not the men they were Let us consider what it is to set rightly at first upon the owning of Christ to lay a sure foundation at first And First Then are our beginnings hopefull when the Spirit of God in the Ministry or other means of grace did work upon us When it was not meer education under good Governours when it was not the acquaintance and company we had with those that feared God but some inward experimental work of Gods grace upon our own hearts Alas let a man be never so fervent so overtopping others and even to admiration shew himself in holinesse yet if it hath not been the work of Gods Spirit effectually moving upon his heart he is but like a Land-flood which though swelling high upon much rain yet when a drought comes will be presently dried up It 's not meer nature or externall restraint from sinnes or any sudden motions in our own spirit that will ever hold out We reade 2 Chron 24.22 of Joash who in his latter age did most wickedly degenerate when yet in his former times he was very forward in repairing the Temple of God and shewed more zeal to Gods glory then the Priests did But what was the ground Jehoiada the high Priest had a great hand over him he helped him to the Kingdom and engaged him to God several wayes but when this good man was dead he becomes a Wolf and puts Zachariah Jehoiada his sonne that had been such a kinde Uncle to him to death and that meerly because he reproved them for their sinnes So that though here was some external restraining of Joash yet there was no internal renovation by Gods Spirit Now I make a sure foundation to lie in these two The Spirits work by the Ministry in an ordinary way because one is the efficient and the other the subordinate and instrumental cause Hence our conversion our regeneration and spiritual begetting anew is constantly attributed to the Word preached as the ordinary cause and the Word preached is but as a dead letter without the Spirit Oh then runne to the fountain of thy owning of
Snewing how many waies the Spirit of God works it in the hearts of his People JOH 17.13 These things I speak in the world that they might have my joy fullfilled in themselves IT 's Christs speciall Care and will as you have heard that his people should walk joyfully Severall Demonstrations have been thereof Christs Commands to rejoyce in his promises his Ministers are appointed for their joy In the next place This will appear true if yeu consider the works of Gods Spirit and Christs end of sending them into his Church The Spirit of God is not only to convince of sinne To sanctifie and make holy but it is also to comfort Hence he is four times called the Comforter Joh. 19.16.26 Joh. 15.26 Joh. 16.7 Even those who pleade to render the word Advocate and not a Comforter yet it comes to this at last Seeing the end of all his actions is to bring Consolation into the afflicted Soul That as the Spirit of God moved at first on the waters to make a lightsome and glorious world so he doth on the waters of the broken in heart to make as it were New Heavens and a new Earth there where was nothing but horrid confusion That as the devil is the Prince of darknesse is alwaies accusing and troubling the godly endeavouring to bring them to horrour and despair Therefore he kept the possessed party about the solitary Tombs and endeavoured that the Incestuous person should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow So on the contrary the Spirit of God is wholly to comfort to support to revive and to make glad the grieved in Spirit insomuch that the Hebrews have a Proverb Super maestum non cadet Spiritus Sanctus for this Reason say some Learned men the Prophets before they could prophesie sometimes took an Instrument of Musick to play on as Elijah Isaac would eat of Venison to refresh his Spirits before he did prophetically blesse his Children Howsoever the Spirit of God being expresly called a Comforter it 's plain that in all his operations and workings he intends solid and true joy called therefore Joy in the holy Ghost not only objectively but efficiently because it is wrought by him and indeed we need the Spirit of God to comfort us for we cannot attain to this joy by our own strength That as we need the Spirit of God to regenerate us because dead in sinne So also to comfort us because under the guilt of sinne We are like so many Judasses and Cains Naturally we are a barren wildernesse not only in respect of graces but also of Consolations Look upon many afflicted and tempted Children of God No Friends No Ministers can comfort Reade the Promises apply them never so powerfully yet they cannot be comforted till God work it in them Now the Spirit of God is a Comforter to his people several waies 1. By way of Instruction and conviction It informeth that it 's a sinne not to beleeve in Christ that it 's not humility but frowardnesse when we keep off from the Promises That as it would be self-murther not to eat or drink so it 's Soul-murther not to eat or feed on Christ which is called beleeving Joh. 6. Hence this Spirit of God is said to convince the world of sinne Joh. 16 9. And wherein or what sinne especially Even because they would not beleeve in Christ Oh this is a speciall mercy when the Spirit of God hath by the Gospel so farre convinced thee that thou seest it thy duty to beleeve to rejoyce for who is there when once feeling the burthen and weight of sinne doth not with Adam run and hide himself doth not conclude his sins are greater then he can bear It 's not for such a wretch as I am to have a drop of water to refresh me much lesse a drop of Christs bloud yea his whole bloud Hence when we come to a tempted Christian we may admire at the subtleties and strong Objections he can bring against his comfort Never did any Heretique more subtilly and pertinaciously oppose the Truth of Christ then such an one will object against the Promises So that you heard it was the tongue of the Learned Isa 50.4 that could know to speak a word in season to such wearied persons yea to this day are not the Protestant Writers conflicting with the Papists about the particular application of Christ to every Beleever asserting that it is every Christians duty to say with Paul Gal. 2. who loved me and gave himself for me Now this particular appropriation of Christ to a man is the foundation of all joy and peace And do not the Papists bring all those Objections that a tempted Christian is apt to produce Such as these Gods Promises they are indeed true I doubt not but God is able only I question my self whether I have such conditions and qualifications as are required for the Promises Again the Promises are general whosoever shall beleeve or repent shall finde mercy but my great fear is whether I do truly repent or beleeve Yet again They object as Bellarmine the heart is deceitfull how many have perswaded themselves they do repent and love God when indeed they doe not and it may be I am such an one Lastly They doubt not of Gods power they say or of his ability to pardon all their sins and to justifie worse sinners then themselves Only here is the Question whether God will or no God hath no where in his Word said Thou such an one thy sins are forgiven thee These and the like Objections which Popish Writers urge with much vehemency The tempted Christian presseth with great strength because such are in a contrary disposition to beleeving and so feel nothing but sinne in the guilt of it and Unbelief doth as much deceive and disturb the soul as Melancholy or madnesse will the fancy I have been large in this to shew what mighty and gracious work of Gods Spirit that is to instruct and convince the heart of this duty to beleeve and rejoyce to be able to say God delights not in these perplexed thoughts as he saith of these superstitious duties so these immoderate fears and dejections Who hath required these things at your hands I shall answer for unbeleeving sorrows as well as carnall mirth for those dejecting fears and unquiet troubles of soul Thou art to fear hell and damnation as well as for Licentious jollities 2. The Spirit of God doth not only inform of the duty of Comfort but also directs unto the way of comfort It doth leade into the true way of Justification Joh. 14.16 The Comforter will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance As he is the Comforter he will teach them what way to take that they may have true Consolation for as by nature it 's an ingrafted principle in all to desire happinesse Ask any man in the world and he will answer affirmatively to this Question So every man troubled and
humbled for sinne would willingly have comfort as the lame man would to walk the blinde man to see but how to have true peace with God there is the difficulty As there were above an hundred Opinions amongst the Philosophers whaâ— was the summum bonum So there are great disputations about that Righteousnesse whereby we are justified the ground of peace So that it 's an heavenly skill to be directed into the right way for comfort Heb. 6. The babe is unskilfull in the word of Righteousnesse As the young Childe though it cryeth for the breast yet knoweth not how to come at it Before the Gospel was purely preached how many false waies were observed to comfort the afflicted conscience how many Pilgrimages devotional praiers and several penitential practises were enjoyned to comfort the timerated heart through sinne but all these were like Jobs miserable Comforters Physicians of no value The souls Mountebanks that instead of healing did enflame and enrage the wounds more Therefore as to the infant new-born it 's a great matter to fall into the hands of a good Nurse for the education of it and care about it No lesse is it for people when once awakened through the guilt of sinne and deeply wounded for their iniquities to have such spiritual Physicians that can prepare them the true Gospel-cordials and direct them into the right way for Consolation This is the Art of Arts Nothing being more tender and to be handled with more câ—rumspection then a wounded Spirit These are therefore two distinct benefits to be convinced of the duty to walk comfortably and to be direâ—â—ed into the way of it for who is not here out of the way Doth not every one think to obtain comfort by working and not beleeving Do they not labour to qualifie themselves sufficiently first and then go to Christ Do we not think by works to come to Faith and not by faith to works To do enough to comfort our selves and then go to Christ for comfort This is the preposterous course that every afflicted soul doth naturally take Oh then as the wise men when they saw the Starre that directed them to Christ rejoyced with exceeding great joy so when the Spirit of God shall direct thee by the word into this supernatural way of rejoycing blesse God for thou mightst have wandred through dark and uncomfortable waies into hell it self 3. The Spirit of God is given by Christ to comfort us Causaliâ—èr that is it doth by a mighty efficacious power work joy in the soul Is bids the heart rejoyce and it will rejoyce Neither greatnesse of sins sence of unworthinesse weight of Temptations oppositions of Satan shall discourage But as it 's said in Job when he speaks peace who shall make Trouble So it 's here When God commands the heart to be quiet and to rejoyce before him who can forbid it Hence Gal. 5.22 Joy and peace are made the fruits of the Spirit It 's only the God of all Consolation and Father of all comforts that comforteth us in tribulations 2 Cer 1. So that as the Almighty insuperable power of God goeth to make a gracious heart so also it doth to give a comfortable heart That God who made Iron to swim and the waters of Jordan to go backward he also and he alone makes the heavy heart to sing for joy Oh therefore pray for this work of Gods Spirit though thou canst not of thy self rejoyce yet the Spirit of God can make thee joyfull 4. The Spirit of God is a Comforter by witnessing and sealing unto us that we are the Children of God for then we have joy in the fulnesse of it when we have assurance not only resting on Christ for Salvation but assured that we are in him Now this is the proper work of Gods Spirit to witnesse unto us Rom. 8. and to seal unto us Eph. 4 30. when the Spirit of God doth thus assure then the Oyl of joy doth overflow On the contrary many of Gods Children do therefore walk in darknesse and are like the Passengers with Paul in his Voyage tossed up and down with waves and tempests not seeing the Sun for many daies and all because they have not this sealing and witnessing unto them had they this then they could with old Simeon say Lord let thy Servant depart in peace I can live and die comfortably when he hath thus seeen the Salvation of God Hence he is called the Spirit of Adoption which being sent into the hearts of the Godly makes them to cry Abba Father Gal. 4.6 Lastly The Spirit of God comforts them by blessing the Ordinances and making them successeful to them These are like Jonathans eating of honey like Elisha feeding himself to go a long journey The Gospel is a Gospel of comfort The Sacraments Seals of Comfort The Preaching of the Word instrumental to encrease joy Praier is an heaven to the Soul Now the Spirit of God blessing these to the godly soul doth thereby fill him with heavenly Consolations That as Christ in Praier had his countenance changed shining like the Sun and his garments with glorious Light and as Moses in his Communion with God had his face shining so as to dazle the eyes of his beholders Thus many times the children of God in these duties have soul-transfigurations and are so full of joy that they can scarcely bear it despising the pleasures of this world for such spiritual joy Thus you have heard it's Christs will we should have compleated joy in us because of the holy Ghost But in the next place if we consider Christ himself for what end he came into this world and what he hath wrought for us this makes it evident that Christ left nothing unwrought that might procure our joy for what are his three Offices but to procure our peace Did he not as Priest make an atonement for our sins Did he not as Prophet reveal the good pleasure of God about our Salvation Did he not as King subdue all our enemies Now what is the fruit of all this but joy and peace Therefore he is called our peace and the Prince of peace Isa 9. yea Is he not still our Advocate ever-living to make Intercession for us and can any other thing then honey distill from these sweet Combs Vse of Exhortation To the people of God Awe your selves with this Duty As Jonah said he did well to be angry so you think you do well to be thus immoderately grieved with Peter You bid Christ go from you because you are a sinner you pleade for your unbelief you argue for your troubles Is not this to oppose the comforting spirit of God within you Did not Judas murmure and cry but because there was no faith and holy joy therefore he became miserable 2 Cor. 7.10 you see there is a sorrow opposite to godly sorrow and that is when it is not in the manner God hath appointed There is a repentance to be repented of There
tongue as the disease within is discovered by the Tongue The Apostle Jude v. 15. speaks of one end of Christs coming viz. to execute Judgement on men for all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners were guilty of David speaks of wicked mens tongues that they were like Rasors and sharp Swords men that breathe Hell Fire every time they speak This is a fruit of their hatred And Lastly It breaketh out into actions as that which consummateth all their wickednesse It was hatred killed all the holy Prophets crucified Christ and put to death so many Millions of Martyrs Before this hatred no good man no holy man could stand Obj. But you may ask How can a man hate a good man whom he knoweth to be good seeing it is ordinarily said No man can will evil because it is evil And to hate a good man because he is good implieth That the will can refuse and detest its proper Object The Answer is We are said to hate godly men as wicked men are said to hate God Now God as he is good and full of all lovelinesse so cannot be hated but as he hath that which a wicked man looks upon as evil to himself so he hateth him Thus as God is a holy God one that will not acquit a sinner that will render to every man according to his works So the wicked hate God In like manner the wicked man hateth a godly man because his Godlinesse is that which is contrary to him an evil to him It discovers thy naughtinesse It reproveth and rebuketh thy Impiety and upon this reason he hateth him yet the wicked man doth not only hate a Godly man but all things that belong to him and every thing a godly man loveth he hateth Godly Ordinances the means of Grace and all because a Godly man loveth them All Praying and preaching he hateth All godly Order and Government in the Church of God he hateth because these things are loved by a Godly man As love loveth not only the person but all things that belong to him so doth hatred the contrary In the next place Consider the Properties of this hatred 1. It is a Causelesse One There is no just and true ground of such bitternesse Hence our Saviour Joh. 15.20 21. applieth that of David to all the godly They have hated me without a cause Indeed if you doe regard the contrariety of wicked men to what is holy this is a necessary cause but it 's not a just cause for this indeed deserveth the clean contrary Had the Pharisees a Cause to crucifie Christ Had the Galatians a Cause to become Enemies to Paul Oh no Those thou hatest should be accounted of as Jewels by thee Those thou revilest and reproachest the delight of thy soul should be to them It is a causless hatred 2 It is an universal hatred For seeing he hateth a Godly man for his Godlinesse then he must needs hate it wheresoever he seeth it Indeed some Godly men either through the power and place they have or for other Reasons are not so subject to the effects of wicked mens hatred but the heart is full of poison and venome against the one as the other for he cannot be a good man whom wicked men do not hate one way or other Wo be to you when all men speak well of you This hating of Godlinesse is called hating of the Light Joh. 3.19 Now all Light is offensive to soar eyes Thus the Godly man liveth but he must have his portion Be afraid if wicked men love thee as seeing nothing of God in thee they think thee like one of themselves if I did my duty I should be more opposed 3. It is an implacable irreconcilable Hatred Gen. 3. There was at first an Enmity put between the devil and his Seed and the Woman and her Seed Though wicked men may sometimes flatter and applaud yet the sting is still in the heart Safety and opportunity would quickly make them vent their poison You see though Saul sometimes melted to David saying O my Son David thou art more Righteous then I I have sinned yet for all this David would nor tempt him nor go home with him The Sheep may not think the Wolf ever mindes good to her Therefore our Saviours advice is good but very strange Beware of men Mat. 10.17 He saith not Beware of Lions and Bears or Serpents but of men as if these were worse then all 4. It 's a cruell hatred who is able to reckon up the several kindes of torments that wicked men have invented to excruciate the godly with No death for Christ would satisfie the Jews but what was most ignominious and painful Heb. 11. Some were sawn asunder This was like that Command of Nero Ita feri ut se mori sentiat It 's known to all that reade Ecclesiasticall History what exquisite torments have been invented that the Martyrs might not simply die but die as many Deaths as they have parts of body Obj. But you will ask Whether every godly man is thus hated Though some may be yet are all Ans It 's the inward disposition of all wicked men to hate those that are godly but then the effects of it may be restrained sometimes for fear because those that are godly may be advanced to places of honour and power Though even then all wicked men have not been able to refrain David complaineth that Drunkards made Songs of him and when he was in his afflicted condition with what scorn and contempt did Shemei revile him So that if we respect the habitual inclination of the heart no godly man can be loved by a wicked man though there may be an outward restraint Again sometimes God may so work the hearts of wicked men that for some time and in some exigences they may love the godly and refresh them It 's Gods promise that when our waies please God even our enemies shall be friends with us Prov. 16.7 What a strange thing was that that when the Israelite was so transcendently hated by the Egyptian yet God should give them such favour that the Egyptians should lend them their Gold and their Jewels yea while all that multitude went away not so much as a dog to bark at them so that though the ordinary Rule be for the Godly man to be hated yet God may at some time preserve some Godly men from the strife of tongues he can change Esaus bloudy heart to melt towards Jacob and he can command Laban to speak kindely to him thus he promised Israel they should finde mercy in the eyes of them who led them captive 2. Though the world may hate godly men yet it 's not necessary that every godly man should be hated by every wicked man Those Godly men are most subject to hatred who by their Office and Calling set themselves most against vice Therefore godly Magistrates and godly Ministers are more exposed to hatred then private Christians for they are not
be kept from sinne and all evil in our Afflictions and Troubles then from the afflictions themselves This is a speciall Truth for whose heart is not troubled about the Affliction more then the Sinne Whose heart is not more upon the passive evil he suffers then the active evil he doth Whose soul is made so spiritual that no vexation or pain and losse in body or Estate doth affect him so greatly as the sinful distempers and troubles of his soul doth But to open this Consider 1. That it's Gods special Gift and his power only that keeps his people from sinne in their afflictions For did not God sanctifie Did not God teach as well as chasten the Evil of Sinne and the Evil of Punishment would alwaies go together the time of our trouble and the time of our transgressions would never be separated When David could say That out of very Faithfulnesse God had afflicted him that before he was afflicted he went astray This was wholly from the Grace of God for how many in their distresse are like Ahaz that then did worse then ever before for certainly Afflictions to wicked men are like the fire or pouncings to ill and unsavoury Herbs the more they are medâ—ed with the more they stink As the damned in hell their Torments make them rage and blaspheme against God Thus it is with the wicked on the Earth their present troubles draw out their corruptions They are more impatient more discontented and never more evil then when they have the greatest cause to be exceeding good But to the Godly it is otherwise that light which burneth the wicked enliveneth the Godly as the fire in Nebuchadnezzars Furnace did lose the bonds that the Worthies were bound in and made them at Liberty when it consumed the ungodly Thus Afflictions many times set the Godly at Liberty from their sinnes loose their hearts more from the world but how comes this about it 's the meer Gift of God Did not God support as Christ did Peter in these waves we would presently be over-whelmed Oh then reflect on thy self Hath any trouble Have any Afflictions made thee more humble and more upright Hath Beleeving outed thee from the world and earthly things know that it's God that hath kept thee from the evil Secondly The Scripture speaks of it as a special favour when God will be with us in our Afflictions so that we shall not be left to Temptations Therefore we are constantly to pray Mat. 6.13 that God would deliver us from Temptation Now although prosperity and outward mercies are a Temptation yet the Scripture doth for the most part call Afflictions only Temptations because we are so hardly able to keep our Integrity and holinesse in them We can hardly overcome flesh and bloud or conquer our selfish Inclinations so as to lie humbly and with deep Resignation into Gods hand Oh then what great thoughts of heart should there be that such a Condition such a streight such an Affliction be not a Temptation to thee that God do not leave thee in it It 's a special mercy to be kept from a Temptation but a greater in it This is miraculous like those that were in the fire and yet not burnt There is not a more comfortable evidence of Gods love when thou shalâ—be bruised and broken with many afflictions and yet they are not able to stir up corruptions in thy heart Never forget to pray That as Temptations and Afflictions shall come on thee so Gods sutable Grace and tender Preservation may accompany thee Though Christ prayed thus for the Apostles to be kept from the evil yet Peter gradually though not totally or finally was left by God in his Temptation when he was surprised with fear how grievously doth he deny Christ with bitter curses and swearings Here Peter was not quite from evil though so farre as Christ prai'd for him he was preserved viz. that his faith might not fail Oh by this sad instance we see if God withdraw his Arm from us how dreadful our Estate would be That thou hast not blasphemed God and his Providence and charged God foolishly in thy streights blesse and praise God for it and remember that self confidence is the great sinne to provoke God to leave thee to the evil of temptations as we see in Peter and Hezekiah Take heed of going out of Gods arms of letting go his hand or provoking him any way Thirdly Afflictions and Tribulations do not of themselves make us holy but they work according to the subject exercised with them Indeed naturally to every man unregenerate they draw out corruption and sinne and Physick to an incurable disease doth but hasten Death and fire to wood and such like Combustibles doth not refine but consume The more a muddied Pool is stirred the more noisome it is and thus it would work even in a godly man did not grace live within him as well as sinne Yet even to a godly man it 's a very difficult thing not to have the waves of his heart rise high when these windes and tempests have blown upon them and for this reason it is that the more troubles are upon us the greater assistance and discoveries of grace we need and therefore there is more comfort in this praier of Christ then the heart can conceive Here is a provision made for thee in that which thou dost most want for if the least temptation the least Evil fall on thee if that fall upon thy heart it will presse thee to hell should not God support and sanctifie it a gnat will choak thee as well as a Camel God only moveth on these deeps and makes them fruitful In the next place Let us consider the Grounds and Reasons why it 's more blessed to have preservation from sin the evil of an affliction then from the affliction And First Because an Affliction is but a particular temporall Evil but Sinne is an infinite universall Evil Sicknesse depriveth of Health Poverty of Wealth and thus every Streight doth but oppose some temporall particular Good that is the Creatures Good But Sinne is an Universall Evil it depriveth of God and it divesteth of all Glory and Happinesse so that as Anselme said It ought to be our Resolution That if Hell were on one side and Sinne on the other we ought rather to choose Hell-Torments then Sinne and the Reason is because Sinne is an Offence and a Dishonour against God God is infinitely more then the Creature and his Glory and Honour is more worthy then all we are It 's better the whole World should be annihilated and destroyed and come to nothing in all its Comforts then that the least glimpse of the Glory of God should be Eclipsed Oh then whosoever had rather sinne then be afflicted he preferreth himself above God he preferreth himself above Christ and he sets up his own particular Safety and Security above Gods Glory Oh then that we could be more afraid of Sinne then we
but yet how common is it for such who know and read the Word of God yet not to be reformed in their lives thereby Though they look in this glass yet they wash not those loathsome spots that are upon them conclude the Scriptures are not in their proper use to thee till they have reformed thee from such sins as thou didst formerly live in 3. The people of God though they have a spiritual life within them yet under desertions and temptations finde not the Word of God effectual for joy and consolations till God bring such texts and such promises close to their soul That we saith Paul through the Scriptures might have consolations 2 Cor. 1. And David doth often acknowledge That the word of God did comfort and revive him but let a godly man groaning under the guilt of sinne hear the sound of the Gospel a thousand times over yet he will remain like dried bones and a parched wilderness till God sanctifie it Oh how often have the people of God desired comfort and assurance read over the promises again and again gone to the Ministers of the Gospel to have oyl poured in their wounds yet not the Law but even the Gospel hath been made a dead letter till the Spirit of God doth comfort in and by it the Word then of God though instrumental yet is but instrumentall it 's not a principal Fourthly When we say it 's Instrumentall to Sanctification we are to distinguish of instrumental causes For there are Physical and Natural Instruments which work by an inherent and natural power and there are Moral Instruments which work by the sole institution and appointment of another Now the Word of God is not instrumental to Sanctification in the former but in the later way The Word doth not by any inherent vertue and efficacy in a natural manner purifie the heart but by Gods appointment and his voluntary co-operation when and where he will For if it did work thus naturally then wheresoever the Word is preached it would sanctifie it would heal As the fire whereever it is in one Countrey as well as in another it doth burn but experience doth confute this Are there not two hearing the Word of God the one is sanctified the other not At the same Sermon one is humbled made tender The other is more obstinate and hardened Whence comes all this diversity under the Word preached but because it is not a natural instrument Again If the word of God did convert and sanctifie naturally then the grace of God could not so much be amplified and magnified which yet the Scriptures do Though it be Gods goodness that the Sunne shineth the fire burneth yet we do not speak of it or call it his grace but if the Word of God ever touch and heat any mans heart if it ever reform his life this is the meer grace of God By which it appeareth That the Word of God is instrumental only by Gods institution and where he commands it to work there it works where he requireth it to break down all oppositions there it hurrieth all down before it Insomuch that sometimes the most unlikely and prophanest enemies to godliness they are changed by the Word and those that are very ingenuous and civilly disposed remain in a perverse opposition 5. When we say The Word of God is instrumentall to our Sanctification this is not to be opposed to those other causes which God hath appointed Grace is the efficient cause and Christ the meritorious cause onely this is the medium God who could convert immediately and reach home to our souls as he did to the Prophets by an immediate Revelation hath taken this way That as it 's the goodness of God in natural things though he be the first and universall cause and so could do all things immediately himself yet he hath ordained second causes who have their derived causality Thus it hath pleased God in the Government of his Church to use means and external helps the Word and Sacraments thereby to work grace when yet he could change the hearts of men immediately or communicate himself to his Church as he did once without Scriptures When therefore you hear many oppose the Scripture to the Spirit and the Ministry in the Church to Christs teaching this is absurd and tends to the division of those causes which God hath so wisely joyned together The Spirit and the Scripture must not be opposed nor Christs teaching and the Ministers for that Rule is true here Quando duorum unum est propter aliud sunt ut unum Sixthly The Word thus made known is the ordinary means both of our beginning and increase in Sanctification Two things are couched in this particular 1. It 's the ordinary means so that what God may do in extraordinary cases is not for us to dispute but ordinarily there is no other way to beget and increase grace but this Neither may we say this is dishonourable to God to binde him to one way for it hath pleased himself to appoint the communication of his grace by the Word ordinarily so that as in naturall things he will give light to the world only by the Sunne though he could do otherwise Therefore the Sunne was not made till the fourth day to shew us that God could give light to the world without a Sunne Thus it is also in spiritual things though God could otherwise communicate his graces yet he hath pleased to appoint this ordinary way So that there is no expectation of the Spirit but in the Word as the Word can no wayes avail without the Spirit and it 's the goodness of God that he hath commanded all spirits to be tried by this Rule and if not conforming to it to reject them which could not be if the voice of the Spirit could be heard any other way but in and by the Scriptures we then are bound to come to this pool if we will have the divine moving not of an Angel but of the Spirit of God As the Israelite that would escape death was to keep within his doors and those within the Ark who would enjoy Gods Protection Thus must such keep within the bounds of the Scripture who expect Gods Spirit to guide them But although we are thus bound to expect Sanctification onely in this means yet we cannot say that God hath bound himself to work these effects alwayes for though he will not ordinarily dispense his grace but in this way yet he will not alwayes accompany this way yea it 's the savour of death to many 2 Cor. 2 16. Hence in the seventh place The word of God though it be ex se and quoad institutionem an instrument of Sanctification yet to some accidentally through their corruption it becomes an instrument of greater sinfulnesse and wickednesse So that commonly there are no greater sinners under Heaven then in the Church and in the Church none greater then where the best and
most powerfull means of grace are It was thus with the Jews Col. 6. who enjoyed besides the ordinary Ministry of their Priests the instructions of extraordinary Prophets and yet the truth of God did not sanctifie them But go saith God to the Prophet make their eyes blinde and their hearts hard and this our Saviour did apply to their posterity also who enjoyed Christ himself and saw all the wonderfull miracles he did This is a dreadfull and terrible thing to consider of when in stead of sanctifying God shall say Harden them blinde them and make them more wicked by the truth It 's not the Word worketh thus of it self but wicked hearers through their unbelief and unprofitableness provoke God to give them up to believe a lie and for the abuse of heavenly light they are given up to vile affections To many cursed sins which is a greater judgment then to be cast into the mouth of wilde beasts for they will only devoure the body but these will damn the soul Vse of Direction to all the people of God whose burden and grief it is that they have no more holiness who cry out like the horsleech It 's not enough and their souls refuse all comfort because they cannot climb up this hill to Heaven faster let such be directed to take the right way How willingly is the earthly man ready to hear how he may get more wealth and the languishing man how he may get more health and strength Why then shouldst not thou rejoyce to know which is the way to purifie the heart more Few know the divine efficacy of Gods Word but such who set themselves to get the vertue of it And that this may be instrumentall to your Sanctification In the first place Remember faith without which it can do no more good then excellent medicines if they be not applied set faith a work and then the word of God will powerfully work upon thee It 's with thee as thou believest Believe and those high mountains of lusts shall be thrown down 2. Bring an humble tender and trembling heart at the teaching of it Such an heart King Josias had and he is commended for it yea Ezra 9.4 it 's the character of the godly to tremble at his Word The hard heart no more then the hard Rock can receive the seed sown into it 3. It 's not enough to receive the Word of God at first but keep it there The Apostle Peter cals it the ingraffed Word the Word that turneth us into the nature of it that we are walking Bibles as great Schollers are called walking Libraries David said He had hid Gods word in his heart This is the leaven that will diffuse it self 4. Rest not in the bare hearing but joyn earnest and fervent prayer that the Spirit of God may teach inwardly while the Word doth outwardly Vse 2. Of Instruction How terrible a thing it is to see men grow more wicked and ungodly by how much the more plentifully they enjoy the Word that the Word should work contrary to it's nature upon thee that this light should put out thy eyes that this life should bring thee to death Oh the rivers of water that should run out of our eyes for this matter and yet is there any more common judgment then this Oh bewail and cry out for fear of it Lord every thing I take doth me more hurt SERMON XCII Of the Truth of the Scriptures JOH 17.17 Thy Word is Truth THis is a Description or Explication of what was meant by Truth Thy Word is Truth which is a Proposition Wherein you have 1. The Subject 2. The Predicate The Subject is described by its Name and Nature with the propriety thereof Thy Word The Word of God is sometimes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It 's called Gods Word because spoken by him and that two waies Either 1. Immediately when God himself spake as unto the Patriarchs of old Or 2. Mediately when he inspired the holy Prophets and made them to publish his Word It 's called at other times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All Scripture is given by Inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16 So Search the Scriptures and in many other places This is a Description of Gods Word from the accidentall form of it as it is put into writing Sometimes God did govern his Church by his Word as revealed only Thus it was with the Church at first In this latter Age he guides it by the Scriptures only There is no other Word of God but what is written In Christs time there was both for there were the Books of the Old Testament and they were Gods written Word and what Christ while on the Earth did with his own mouth speak to the Church that was the Revealed Word and Will of God We reade not that Christ wrote any thing but once upon the Ground and what that was though there are many and severall Conjectures yet none can certainly tell But what Christ spake and did the Evangelists afterwards being guided infallibly by the divine Spirit of God did commit to Writing Object If then you ask What Word of God it is our Saviour doth here mean I answer Both the Word that was written the Scripâ—ures that were the Oracles of God committed to the Jews and that Word which he did manifest to his Disciples of which he had spoken ver 6. Some indeed by Word understand Christ and it 's true that Christ is the Essential Word of God and so also the Essential Truth but the Context doth evidence it that he speaks of the Revealed and Preached Word Now this is called Gods Word because whether immediately delivered by God or commanded to be written It 's still Gods Word Speaking and Writing are but accidentall to it It 's the same Essentiall Word as it is the same man though he alter his Garment and the same wine though put in divers Vessels The Word of God written ought with as much Faith and Reverence to be received as if God did immediately speak it from Heaven and though it seem incredible yet our Saviour confirmeth it Luke 16.31 that he who doth not beleeve the Scriptures the Word of God written would not beleeve though there were miraculous waies of publishing it In the next place we have the Predicate its Truth Interpreters judge this to be taken out of the Psalm 119.151 They are therefore said to be Truth not true in the Abstract to shew the Fulnesse and Universality of Truth in them Obs That the Word of God is Truth This Doctrine if beleeved may work wonderfull changes in the mindes and lives of men for Certainly the Foundation of all Heresie and Impiety is because Gods Word is not received as true In the Scripture it is often called the Word of Truth Colos 1.5 2 Timoth. 2.15 James 1.18 And sometimes Truth in the Abstract 1 Peter 1.22 2 Peter 2.2 To Open this Consider That it 's not my purpose
true Sanctification as the Apostle speaks 1 John 2.19 They went from us because they were not of us As leaves fall from the Tree when they have no more of their wonted nourishment and this discovers the falshood of those who appear sanctified onely in some fits and upon some sad afflictions on them 4. Truth of Sanctification is discovered by the purity of our aims and ends They love God they obey him from such holy grounds as are suitable to the sanctified nature As the hungry man loveth his food because of his naturall desire to it Thus a sanctified man loveth and doeth that which is holy for holinesse sake 5. True Sanctification is growing and proficient every day more and more That which hath solid root doth not wither but ripens and flourisheth by the Sunne-beams The Apostles though already sanctified yet are still to be more sanctified and certainly such is the sweetnesse and peace which Sanctification brings that it 's no wonder if the heart be never satisfied but still crieth like the horsleech Give Give 6. True Sanctification will make a man diligently and fruitfully improve all the instituted means for the increase of it because the Spirit of God works holinesse Therefore he is fearfull to grieve it Because the Ministry is to make more holy therefore he prizeth it and labours to profit by it yea because afflictions are sent by God to sanctifie the heart therefore he is humble under them and prayeth more earnestly for the Sanctification of them then the removal of them 7. This Sanctification though inchoate and imperfect here yet shall be perfected hereafter in Heaven Christs prayer Christs Spirit Christs merit will at last obtain their compleat and ultimate effect which is full Sanctification in Heaven when there will be no more need to pray for further Sanctification Vse Hath Christ thus merited and pray'd for Sanctification Then know Christ hath done nothing to encourage prophane and ungodly men Christ died not neither is he a Redeemer or Saviour but to such who are made holy This may amaze and astonish all such as divide the effects of Christs death yea and divide Christ himselfe They look upon him as a Saviour but not as a Sanctifier They would have his blood to wash away the punishment of their sinnes but not the filth and pollution of them Oh let the ungodly know They set up an Idol-Christ There is no such Christ as pardoneth but sanctifieth not also Come then more earnestly to be healed of thy soul-pollution then they did of bodily diseases SERMON CII Sheweth Why Christ who could do all things yet put up Prayers What difference there is between his Prayers and ours And the great advantage Believers have by Christs Praiing for them JOH 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone c. HItherto our Saviour hath praied for his Apostles as they were Apostles But because many things in his Petition for them did aâ—so concern all Beleevers and lest it should be thought that none but the Apostles were the Object of his Praier he therefore comes to a third part in his Petition which relates to the Catholique Church even the whole number of those who in time by Gods Spirit shall be enabled to beleeve Christ doth represent in his Praier to God the weakest beleever as well as the most Eminent Apostle So that here begins the third principall part of this Chapter Now in this Context we may observe 1. The Object of Christs Praier 2. The Final Cause of it 3. The Reasons enforcing it The Object of the Praier is set down 1. By a Negative limitation Not for these alone 2. By a Posiâ—ive explication or description But for those who shall beleeve Through their word In the Negative limitation Consider Who it is that is here said to pray The Person is Christ God und man As for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we need say no more to that only we are to adde a further Consideration about Christs Praying Seeing therefore that this is the last place wherein he mentioneth his praying I shall now supply what hath been defective in the consideration of this Point and so Observe That Christ though God yet as man did pray unto the Father as other men This Point about Christs Praying is worthy of our knowledge and right understanding For the Arians and Socinians did from hence argue that Christ was not God it being absurd they say for him to pray who could do what he pleased even as it 's absurd to say that God can pray seeing he is omnipotent and hath no Superiour Yea some of the Ancient Fathers have not spoken so soundly in this Point Hilary makes it to be but a kinde of holy simulation that Christ praied and generally it 's made a reason why he praied that he might give us an example But although this be one subordinate end yet there were other more principal ends 1. Therefore let us Consider upon what ground Christ did pray 2. The difference between his Praier and ours He praied then for himself and his Church 1. Because as man he was not omnipotent and so his humane will was not able to accomplish the things he desired for although as God he could do all things in which respect he wrought Miracles and did them not by Petition as the Apostles but by his own power and in his own Name yet as man so what he desired by his humane will by that he could not simply accomplish it so that in this respect it was that Christ as man did pray 2. As man Christ was subject to the Law of God and so was bound to give that worship and Religious Service to God which the Law did require so that when Christ praied he did it as fulfilling a duty he had voluntarily submitted unto Even as when he came to be baptized he told John it behoved him to fullfill all Righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 It was part of his Righteousnesse to be baptized because as man he was made a member of the Church Therefore Matth. 4. he brings that command of worshiping and serving God alone as reaching to him intimating he was bound by that Command as well as other men So Joh 4. he tels the Woman of Samaria We worship we know not what He puts himself in the Number of Worshipers So that Praier being part of Gods worship and a chief part of it no wonder if Christ was constant in it Hence we reade of spending nights in Praier yea in his Troubles his Prayers were accompanied with strong Cries and Agonies and the more they encreased the more earnestly he praied 3. He praied because though all things were due unto him yet by the Ordination of God he could not be partaker of them but by Praier So that though the Glorification of his body was due unto him from the beginning of his Incarnation yet he is to come to it by way of Prayer Hence in this Chapter he doth by many
God doth not Elect or choose any untill he foresee what every man will do and if he do well and persevere in this then he is predestinated but this doth at once dash out all the Prepositions Prae and turn them into Post it is not prae-destination but post-destination not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this administers a second Argument Secondly If so be that God did Elect and choose to Eternall Life because he did fore-see our Faith then the whole difference of one Beleever from another would be attributed solely to mans Power For to say That this is Gods Decree and his Appointment that whosoever shall beleeve shall be saved doth not in the least work upon any person no more then that Decree of God Whosoever shall do this shall live doth suppose any that will exactly keep the Law so that no man in the world may beleeve for all this Decree And thus when Christ prayed for those who shall beleeve he might have praied for a Non ens a thing which might never have been Therefore all the Question is How come some to beleeve and not others How is it that of many who live under the same means of Grace some are called effectually and others grow more wicked and sinnefull Certainly the Scripture doth not give this unto mans Will but to Gods free-grace and Love as Matthew 13. To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God and unto others not Thus Christ also Matthew 11. solemnly blessed and thanked God That he had hid these things of Heaven from the wise and prudent ones of the world and that he had revealed them unto Babes And the Apostle expresly Who hath made thee to differ from another 1 Corinth 4.7 Therefore it 's horribly injurious unto the Grace and goodnesse of God to say That under the same Means of Grace I made my Self to beleeve to repent rather than another Certainly such an Opinion as this is so grosse and absurd that well may Arminianism be said not only to be repugnant to many places of Scripture but even to the common sence and experience of all beleevers They have a witnesse within their own breasts That they were as unwilling as froward as opposite to the work of Grace as any That it was God that made them of unwilling willing Even as there were many others that heard Paul yet God is said to open the heart of Lydia rather then others Thirdly Faith and all holinesse is the Effect and Fruit of our Election and also of the Death of Christ and therefore it cannot be an antecedent Condition That is plain that the same thing cannot be an Effect and Consequent of Election and yet an antecedent Condition at least in the same Respects for then it should be considered as before and after at the same time which is a plain Contradiction Now that Faith is a Consequent and an Effect of Election and that we are Elected to Faith and Holinesse not because we have Faith and Holinesse is clear by severall Texts of Scripture as Act. 13.48 They beleeved as many as were ordained to Eternall Life Here is plainly set down the Effect and the Cause They beleeved and why Because ordained to Eternall Life As for that Cavill to understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intransitively as if it were no more than dispositi and so did imply some inherent probity that is not worth the answering For how were the Gentiles disposed to beleeve who were said to be dead in sinnes and plunged into all manner of impiety untill Grace had converted them Besides this disposednesse to beleeve whence doth it arise Either from our selves and so all Glory is due to us or from the Grace of God And if so How cometh it to passe that some have it and not others but because of Election And it is further to be added That it is not said in the Text They beleeved that were ordained Or as they say disposed to beleeve but to Eternall Life which doth necessarily suppose an Action of God in whose power alone it is to dispose of Eternall Life Thus also Ephes 1. There are very emphaticall Expressions to shew that we are Elected to be holy and unblameable in the sight and presence of God And whereas they would referre this to our glorious Estate in Heaven that cannot be because unblameable doth properly relate to our being here upon the Earth It is true we will readily grant That both Faith and Holinesse they doe enter into the Decree of Election taken terminatively as it ends in Everlasting Happinesse Therefore it is a meer Calumny to say We hold such an absolute Election to Glory and Happinesse as hath no respect to Christ or to Faith For although we deny that Christ was the meritorious Cause of our Election yet it 's plain by Scripture we are chosen in him as the Head and so the Cause of all the Benefits that come by Election And God had respect unto Faith He chose Beleevers to Salvation onely this Faith was not looked upon as an antecedent Condition in us but as a qualification which God by Election doth work in the hearts of those that shall be saved We say God hath Elected such to Salvation whom in time he will by that Decree make Beleevers For he that wils an end doth thereby will the means that tendeth thereunto only we deny they were supposed Beleevers first and then God Elected them Fourthly God doth not Elect upon the fore-sight of Perseverance in Faith Because the Scripture every where makes Election to be the Originaâ—l and Causall Fountain or Womb of all other Benefits That Ninth Chapter to the Romanes is pregnant to this purpose where Election is made to be that which bringeth about all blessed Effâ—cts in time Election hath obtained and it is not of him that willeth or runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Whereas Austin of old urged by the Adversaries Opinion replied We might as well say according to them it is not of him that calleth but of him that willeth And Rom. 8. The Apostle maketh predestination the cause of Vocation Justification and Glorification not Vocation the Cause of Predestination Fifthly If the humane Nature of Christ was not chosen to the personall Union for any fore-seen merit much lesse may any meer man be Elected to Glory because of any supposed worth This was an Argument urged of old by Austin and is very strong By what Grace that particular man was made Christ by that we are made Christians Now the Apostle saith expresly that Christ 1 Peter 1.20 he was fore-ordained and appointed before the Foundation of the world and all will readily grant that this was not for any fore-seen worth and Excellency in the Humane Nature of Christ Lastly Not to mention all that may be brought If we are Elected upon Faith fore-seen and Perseverance therein then none are Elected until they come to die and
undid the Jews Rom. 10. They sought to establish their own Righteousnesse and so would not submit themselves to that of Christ In Popery what is the reigning errour but that men are not taught to go out of the works they do and believe in Christ only Do they not expresly pleade for some co-partnership in the work of Mediation and is not also this poison sucked down every where in all mens hearts who is there till God hath humbled him over and over again that flieth wholly to Christ Nay even in a godly man what is that that keeps the soar so raw and the heart so unquiet Is is not because he would not be beholding to Christ only Therefore when a man is thus fitted by the Spirit of God as to see every thing is a rush a reed to lean upon but Christ Though I could weep a Sea of tears and those tears turn into bloud though I had all the grace of Men and Angels yet it would not reconcile me to God Then is he upon the Confines of Justification Therefore 6. When a man is thus driven out of all hopes and like the people of Israel seeing his Enemy of sinne following behinde and a Sea before then the Spirit of God stirreth up desires and hungrings after Christ then are his out-cries Oh that I could believe Oh that I had an Arm to embrace Christ For we see Judas coming thus far to bewail and confess his sins to throw away that silver he had so unjustly got to cry out of himself But then there were no desires no groans after Christ so that while the Soul is in this posture many times it's ground between hope and despair It is in great agonies like the woman that is to be delivered sometimes throbs come and there is an hope of deliverance but then all goeth back again sometimes they are ready to lay hold on Christ then comes a violent gust and puts all back again It 's true desires of faith if reall and sincere are faith initiall and Mat. 5. there is a promise of full satisfaction to those that hunger and thirst after Righteousnesse and that is implied when our Saviour saith a bruised reed he will not break and smoaking flax he will not quench that is where there are the least motions and tendencies of souls towards grace there shall be the greatest encouragement 7. God leaveth not the afflicted Soul in these desires and agonies but doth so strengthen and enable the heart that now he doth not only desire but actually receiveth and embraceth Christ His desire is put forth into actings so that it 's no longer Oh that I could rest upon Christ But he doth rest his soul on him with a lively recumbency Therefore Joh. 6. believing is called coming unto Christ Those tormenting slavish fears which affrighted him Shall such a sinner as I one that hath more offended God then many thousands approach near to him May I not only touch the hem of his garment but take him also in my arms These and the like Questions he can now answer and therefore cals upon his soul and chideth it Why art thou thus cast down and why art thou thus troubled within thee Beleeve on Christ So that now he doth with Simeon take Christ in his arms He can now say Lord let whatever come I shall bear it patiently now I have seen thy Salvation as it was with the poor Criple that could not stir or move when healed he can take up his bed and walk so the poor tempted sinner that before lay trembling afraid to pray afraid to come to the Ordinances can now arise and walk performing all duties with comfort and zeal You must know that this resting on Christ when thus humbled for sin is not an effect of mans power It 's not in mans strength to make this Iron to swim to walk thus upon the waters when every thing within and without is against man and yet for all this to depend upon the Lord Christ No it must be a divine and supernatural power from above and therefore the work of Gods grace in Faith justifying is as great though not as wonderfull as in miraculous Faith when any were enabled by beleeving to remove Mountains this was not by any greater power of God then when a poor humbled sinner by resting on Christ doth remove those mountains of sins and that great gulf which is between God and the soul We may well call justifying faith miraculous faith For is not this a miracle and a wonder of wonders That the soul thus in darknesse and plunged into the deeps yet should cleave unto Christ and say Though he kill me yet I will trust in him Oh we see if there were nothing but mans power and the troubled sinner were left to himself he would immediatly despair as we see in Cain and Judas Even as the stone naturally descends downwards when you take away the pillar it leaned upon so when you take away all the carnal props and hopes of a sinner and his sins do every way environ him he presently fals into the mouth of despair It 's therefore the great work of Gods grace to enable to beleeve To you it 's given to beleeve Phil. 1.29 And some are said to beleeve through the grace of God Act. 18.27 and faith is called the work of God not only because it 's that special grace which he doth so eminently require but because he is the immediate efficient of it Know then that the mighty work of God goeth to make the soul rest on Christ it would of it self despair a thousand times over and fall into hell before it would come to Christ and Experience confirms this in many sad and tempted Christians who though they goe from Minister to Minister and reade the good promises of the Gospel yet cannot beleeve till the Sprit of God enable them Now God enableth the humbled Soul to believe two waies directive and effective by direction and instruction and that in these particulars 1. By informing him that when the Soul is truly humbled for sin that it is a duty to beleeve in Christ That such are threatned with damnation who shall refuse to come unto Christ and this is a blessed lesson to learn when the Soul shall be thus perswaded that if in this case I receive not Christ I commit a worse sin then ever yet I was guilty of What a madnesse is it in me to damn my self for fear I should be damned I fear my other sins may destroy my Soul and not fear my unbelief This is the great crying sin of all others He that believeth not the anger of God abideth on him yea he is said to be condemned already and to make God a lyar Oh then how happy is that soul when the Spirit of God doth thus enlighten and perswade thee Once it was a Question and a doubt to thee Whether thou mightst lay hold on Christ Once thy thoughts were That
to beleeve though it might be matter of comfort and priviledge yet it was not of duty But O how graciously hath God taught thee otherwise Now thou ar◠as much afraid not to lay hold on Christ as to commit any other sin Thou art as consciencious in believing every promise as in conforming to every command Thou darest no longer listen to doubts and fears to Satans Temptations in this matter then thou darest to the lusts and pleasures of sin 2. The Spirit of God doth instruct us in this That thus to beleeve and rest on Christ is to perform or to do that to which Justification is promised He that believeth is passed from death to life and still Remission of sins is said to be received by Faith and we are justified by Faith Rom. 5. So that when the Soul doth rest on Christ he performeth that to which Christ with all his benefits are promised Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternnl Life So that the humbled sinner having his eyes thus opened he seeth it the greatest madnesse and folly that can be not to receive Christ and to rest on him Why thus he argueth I cannot he justified I cannot partake of Christ till I do believe so that to believe is as necessary in an instrumental way as Christ in a meritorious way Shall the diseased Patient question whether he shall take that medicine which will certainly heal him Shall the hungry man doubt whether he may receive that alms which will preserve his Life Thus the humbled sinner is convinced that as he must not murther his own body wilfully by refusing to eat meat so he must not his own soul by a wilful rejecting of the promise 3. The Spirit of God instructs him in this also That by beleeving he doth not only bring comfort and salvation to his soul but in a most eminent manner doth also glorifie God As Abraham by that remarkable act of Faith is said to give Glory to God Rom. 4.20 The tempted Soul is apt to think Why should I believe this is but to seek my self This is because I would have comfort whatever becometh of Gods Glory Oh but saith the believer when thus awakened if I could perform all the Commandments of God if I could love God so as to give my body to be burnt for his Name yet I could not glorifie God so much as by believing for this acknowledgeth God in Christ wherein God is more to be admired then in the creation and government of the world Lastly He is enabled to see the folly and unprofitablenesse of Vnbelief If he go not to Christ where can Salvation be had he is sure to be damned by keeping from Christ Therefore with those Lepers he is resolved not to perish but to go to God though he seem an Enemy to him And then 2. God worketh faith in us effectively as you heard by strengthening the heart of a man fiducially to repose on Christ if other graces as love and patience do not grow of themselves in mans heart much lesse doth Faith which is so supernatural every way SERMON CIX Of Justifying Faith JOHN 17.20 But for them also who shall believe in me through their word WE are treating upon the Doctrine of Justifying Faith and certainly we may say It 's good to be on this Mount of Transfiguration and having declared that method Gods Spirit leads an humbled soul into when it 's enabled to believe We proceed to further particulars instructive in this business The ultimate and last act of justifying faith was a fiducial resting upon Christ for all spiritual benefits But to understand this further Consider that the Scripture expression of it is very emphatical and denoteth several notions in it as when it expresseth it by receiving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word often applied to faith in this act it receiveth Christ Joh. 1.12 it receiveth the promise it receiveth forgivenesse of sins Act. 26.18 so that in this justifying act of faith we are to conceive a precious treasure offered by the grace of God even Christ himself and faith as the hand receiving of it and this expression is full of excellent matter for it teacheth 1. That we in this act of Justification or laying hold on Christ have nothing of our own All our righteousness is without us we are to receive it offered we have nothing inherent This Paul knew experimentally Phil. 3. when he would be found not in his own righteousness but that which is by faith His own mark that Any thing we may call our own we must not be found in and that is our own which is not only so effectivé by our own procuring and labour or merit but subjectivé which is inherent in us though it be wrought by the grace of God as the Just is said to live by his faith Hab. 2.4 It 's his faith subjectively though Gods effectively This word then receiving doth carry every man humbled Evangelically wholly out of himself and as was said to the woman looking into the Sepulchre Why look you for him he is not here he is risen So it may be said Why art thou searching and digging into thine own heart Thy works or graces these are not the object of faith It 's above thee It 's without thee though by faith applied to thee Even as the poor cripple that desired to be healed looked upon Christ expecting help from him he knew he had nothing in himself or as the indigent beggar looks without him and stretcheth out his hand to receive food or money So is it with the humbled sinner Oh then be directed here why doth God make thy own heart thy own wayes so bitter to thee Is it not because thou shouldst seek out for a Christ and look for a righteousnesse without thee 2. This word receiving implieth That we are wholly passive in our Justification That we are not justified by doing any thing or offering any thing to God but receiving from him Even as some Philosophers say Intelligere and sentire are passions Though we express them actively yet the soul therein is passive So when by believing a man is justified we are not to consider what he brings to God or doth for God but what he receiveth from him This is a fundamental principle to be grounded in it 's a mercy of mercies to be directed in the agonies of thy soul to the right way of believing to know the way to this City of refuge If a manslayer pursued by the avenger had not known the way to the City of refuge what danger had he been in It 's like the childe not coming the right way in it's birth now naturally we all think by doing to partake of Christ not receiving which made the Apostle so industriously assert this That it 's not to him that worketh but to him that believeth
Faith is not wrought by the Spirit of God neither is it upon divine motions but experience and manifest conviction They feel in part the torments of hell and therefore it 's experimentally evident to them that there is a God who is also just and terrible in his vengeance But the historical faith in an unsanctified man as it is the gift of God so it works some inclining disposition to God yea in the temporary believer who goeth beyond a meer dogmatist it works as appeareth Mat. 3. Some reformation and some joy so that the word makes some hopeful ingresse into him though at last it passe away as our lives even as a tale that is told having no setled continuance 6. This historical faith as it is wrought efficiently by the Spirit of God so the motive of it is Divine Authority and Revelation That as by the light of the Sun we see the Sunne so by God we come to know every thing of God This divine motive of faith is freely acknowledged to be in the Thessalonians by the Apostle 1 Thess 2.13 They received the word not as the word of man but as the word of God Hence the Prophets begin with Thus saith the Lord and Paul discovers himself to be called by God So that every thing hath but a weak ineffectual operation till it hath a maker a divine stamp upon the soul Oh when we once believe a threatning as it is Gods when we once believe a promise as it is Gods it must bear down all before thee What if the world come What if Satan come What if thy companions come telling thee this and this Oh but saith the believing soul God that cannot lie saith the contrary And truly herein is discovered that in Religion we have but an humane faith yea not so much for an humane faith will make great changes in our life when yet our divine faith doth not If a man tels thee of such danger of such evil in the way doth it not presently make thee turn out of that path But now when Gods word tels thee there is death and damnation in such paths that doth not at all move thee SERMON CXXI Of Dogmaticall Faith the Properties of and Contraries to it JOHN 17.21 That the world may believe thou hast sent me WE are discovering the nature of faith in the General as it is carried out to Scripture-truth because of Divine Authority We are to adde more particulars to clear this And First Though this Faith be not a peculiar saving grace yet it is a common grace of Gods Spirit It 's a common grace of God to be inabled to believe How many Pharisees and Jews saw the miracles of Christ as well as the Apostles yet did not believe so much as a Simon Magus did It 's the grace of God that makes a man to have a sound minde in Religion witnesse the many heresies and blasphemies divers are fallen into yet it 's a common grace not peculiar common I call it not in that sense as some plead for an universal grace which indeed is no grace but because an unregenerate man may have it as well as a regenerate so that no man may conclude this is enough for his salvation that he doth believe such and such principles of Religion unlesse also he hath that peculiar effectual purifying work of faith upon his soul As therefore those extraordinary gifts of Gods Spirit to work miracles to cast out Devils were common to such who yet were workers of iniquity Thus it is with this ordinary gift of Historical faith many men may believe the truth of those things the goodnesse whereof they never felt upon their hearts And many may maintain the Doctrine of Regeneration orthodoxly who never felt the power of it experimentally upon their own souls There is a faith that is common to the elect all the children of God have the like precious faith Tit. 1.1 in regard of the essentials yet there is a faith common to elect and reprobate so that no man may conclude his salvation because he is no Jew no Pagan no Papist Secondly Although this dogmatical Faith be common to the regenerate and unregenerate yet it 's the foundation of our conversion and in the regenerate when improued doth wonderfully provoke the increase of grace And this is good to be observed for though we make it not saving faith yet it is the foundation of saving faith He can never believe on Christ for his Mediatour that doth not believe Christ to be a Mediatour Therefore the Apostle describing the general nature of faith saith Heb. 11. He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those that serve him No spiritual building can be made without this foundation as it is thus the foundation so if improved it doth wonderfully promote justifying faith The general acts of faith if vigorously prosecuted do mightily strengthen the peculiar and proper acts of it The more strongly we believe Christ to be a Mediatour the more will this help that he be so to me and therefore it 's observed that our Saviour put them so often upon the trial of their very historical faith Dost thou believe that I am able and doest thou believe that I am the Messias Partly because that was the great Question then Whether that individual Person was the Messias or no and partly because if it was believed that he was the Saviour then there was no such cause of doubt Whether he would be a Saviour to them that truly sought to him Insomuch that it may be questioned Whether it be a greater act to believe Christ to be a Mediatour or to believe him a Mediatour to me Although indeed there are more Objections against the latter for there are not only Objections against the truth but against the application of it because of the many sins and infirmities which I perceive in my self yet we would think the harder task were then over when the soul could believe such great things and transcendent to humane reason for when a man believeth that Christ is both God and man united in one Person whose office is to redeem the oppressed sinner may not then he conclude easily that he will redeem him For which is greater to believe such a Person God and man or that this Person whose Office it is to save will save thee Howsoever if we do not make comparisons between these acts of faith yet certainly the more strong and powerfull thy acts of faith are about the truths of Christ the more will they conduce to apply him to thee Even as in man the more vivid his senses are which do accompany his common nature with a beast the more strong and quick are his rational acts likewise So that this Dogmatical faith is the root as it were which if not thriving those peculiar acts of faith will wither Distinct III Thirdly The general properties of this faith are
into Eternall perdition and therefore our Saviour chargeth the Pharisees Joh. 6. That they were of their Father the devil because they did his works Thus if Christ be in thee thou wilt do the works of Christ shew forth the patience the meeknesse the zeal of Christ if Christ be in thee â—â—ou wilt have a Christ-like operation and therefore the godly are said to put on Christ Gal. 3.27 As a garment which covers the whole body so that no nakednesse appeareth Thus Christ onely ought to be seen in us not our own infirmities and corruptions nothing of our selves but Christ 2. Where Christ is there he is all in all he is instead of all to that believer Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile c. but Christ is all in all Two things are affirmed He is in all Every believer though never so weak and infirm hath Christ as well as the noblest as the soul is in every finger and toe as well as in the head which should be a great consolation to a weak believer for though thou hast not as good gifts and parts as good grace and holinesse yet thou hast as good a Christ as the chiefest pillars in Religion have but then he addeth that as Christ is in all so he is all What all is Christ He is all priviledges as appeareth by the Context he is Jew and Greek he is male and female that is Christ is instead of all priviledges and prerogatives hence 1 Cor. 1. he is said to be made of God to us wisedom righteousnesse and redemption and we are said to be compleat in him So that wheresoever Christ is there he is all to that soul He is wisedome to it righteousnesse to it all spiritual priviledges yea and all temporall comforts likewise He is husband wife friend riches health Thus he is all things to the soul eminently and virtually again he is all things meritoriously there being no benefit a beleever can stand in need of but he hath purchased it by his death he is also all things efficiently because he subdueth every sin he quickeneth to every grace so that a beleever can never say I am in such a condition in such a temptation that Christ himself cannot help me 3. Where Christ is in a man there also his Spirit is putting it self forth in the severall operations thereof an illuminating spirit a guiding leading spirit a sanctifying and sealing spirit So that men do absurdly boast of their Interest in Christ who yet finde none of these efficacious works of Gods Spirit within them The Apostle John speaketh notably to this 1 Joh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dâ—ell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit So that as the beams of the Sun discover the Sun so do the spirituall effects of the holy spirit manifest Christ to be in us Vse of Examination Try your selves in this main Point as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.5 Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates If you take the word as signifying one of an unsound minde it argueth that man is very unsound and unskilfull who findes not Christ in him As they sought for a proof of Christs being in Paul So do thou of his being in thee If Christ be in thee why is there so much of the devil of sin and the world if Christ be in thee how come his Enemies also to be in thee But you will say May not Christ be in a Beleever and yet he not feel it or be sensible of it yea think the clean contrary that Christ hath left him I answer it is often so and thus Christ may not manifest himself to be in us sometimes for triall sake to give us experience of our own need without him as Christ slept in the â—â—ip and suffered the windes and storms to arise that they might call more earnestly upon him sometimes we through our corruptions and sins do provoke him to withdraw his powerful operations We entertain his enemies and then he hideth himself from us especially our unbeleef hinders the lively operations of Christ in us for as Christ dwels in our hearts so he worketh in our hearts by faith SERMON CXXVIII Of the Fathers being in Christ Of both their being in Believers And how that can be and yet they not quite freed from Sinne and Sorrow JOHN 17.23 I in them and thou in me THe next thing considerable in this Text is the highest round in this ladder of Unity and that is The Fathers being in Christ As I am in them so thou in me The words need no further explication then what will necessarily be discussed in the Doctrine onely when Christ is said to be in beleevers and the Father in him this is not to be understood exclusively as if the Father were not also in beleevers for the Scripture expressly affirmeth that Joh. 14.23 yea it 's impossible to have the Son in us and not the Father also 2 ep Joh. 29. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son Yea we cannot know the Sonne or believe in him except we believe in the Father also Joh. 1.4 7 8 9. When Philip desired Christ to shew him the Father because Christ spake so much of him our Saviour doth first reprove Philip and then instruct him Reprove vers 9. Have I been so long time with you and yet thou hast not known me Observe that Philip desired to see the Father and Christ rebuketh him for not knowing of him and then instructs him He that hath seen me hath seen the Father also and thereupon he proceeds to exhortation ver 11. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me So that by this discourse none can know or beleeve in Christ but he must also know and beleeve in the Father and because the Disciples were not so fully acquainted herein they are checked by our Saviour saying Have I been so long time with you and ye know not me The longer time people have lived under means of grace and yet not acquainted with divine truths it is the greater condemnation When we speak of the Fathers being in Christ this is not to be understood in a speculative and abstracted sense but practically and as it relateth to us for to that purpose is it spoken by our Saviour that hereby it might be shewed that the Father is in us also Obs That as Christ is in us so the Father being in Christ is also thereby in us In this Position there are two distinct things 1. That the Father is in Christ 2. That by this means the Father is also and abideth in us For the first The Father is in Christ and that in several respects 1. In respect of the Divine Nature for so the Father is in the Son as in the expresse Image and representation of him thus the Son is called the Image of his Father Col. 1.15
and we in him by Christ our Mediator Now if we had perfection and freedom from sin we needed not a Mediator So that as Sacraments suppose imperfection in the Communicant thus doth also Christ in the person he is in for if sin were not there How could he be in thee as reconciling thee to God as further sanctifying thee as healing thy corruptions Therefore though in heaven as some say the mystical union of Christ as Head and the Church as his body shall never cease yet the manner of his presence will cease he will not then be in us by faith nor shall we appear in him before God as mediating for us and covering our imperfections for then shall all be done away if then you observe how Christ is in his people to what end you will conclude if I were such as I desire and groan to be then I did not need Christ to be after that manner present in me at all 2. Though God and Christ be in us yet they are in us as free agents communicating efficacy and power according to that measure and degree they please If Christ were in us as a natural agent as the fire burneth or the Sun shineth then he being also omnipotent would produce the greatest effects of grace possible in every beleever because he is free and worketh according to his own councel therefore he distributeth grace as he pleaseth to some more to some lesse to none according to what shall be hereafter Therefore though he might sanctifie thee perfectly yet he will not 3. Christ is not only in us thus freely working in us but he hath also bounded and ordered the way of dispensations of his grace so that he doth not put forth power in us after we are regenerated as if we were so many bruit creatures but he requireth our co-operation and stirring up of our selves Though in the initials of grace we are passive yet not in the progress and though it be Christ that doth daily quicken and preserve us yet we so distemper our selves that some obstructions may be put to his operative presence As 1. Vnbelief Christ worketh in us yet so as by faith insomuch that we are not onely justified by faith but we are in the progress of holiness sanctified by faith Hence Ephes 3.17 Christ is said To dwell in our hearts by faith It 's by faith we receive of the fulness and fatness of Christ insomuch that where faith is not there Christ doth not put forth his power So that as our Saviour said to Mary If thou doest believe thou shalt see the glory of God Joh. 10. so if thou actest faith and dost put that on working then thou wilt both see and feel the glorious presence of Christ Therefore there is no blame in Christ his arm is not shortned This fountain would send forth such living streams it useth to do only thou dammest it up that it cannot run 2. Dulness and slothfulness this doth much withstand Christs operations The Church in the Canticles when she was lazy and pretended excuses not letting in Christ when he desired to come in made her at losse and be without his presence to her dear loss when Christ therefore hath quickned thee by preventing grace he hath many times knocked at the door and there hath been no entrance this hath greatly hindred the course and flourishing of grace 3. When thou givest way to any gross sin this makes Christ with-draw so that little appeareth of him This is like winter to the trees that maketh all the sap withdraw to the root so that outwardly it appeareth a dead tree Therefore cast away that abominable thing and then Christ will come and work as formerly in thee 4. Christ may live and work in thee yet thou not be sensible and apprehensive of it It 's Christ but thou mistakest him for something else as to the Disciples when Christ approached on the waters to them he appeared to be a Spirit at which they trembled not thinking him to be Christ and as Mary Magdalen thought it had been the Gardner when it was her Lord. Thus the godly soul though Christ at that very time doth evidently work in it yet through black distempers doth not indeed judge Christ to be there Lastly Christ sometimes purposely withdraws his operative presence to try us that we might see our own infirmities that we might the more earnestly prize his power and grace Even as in the ship Christ did on purpose sleep that the Disciples being in extremity might the more earnestly awaken him Thus Dormit in te Christus and as Joseph to his brethren discovers not who he is that so he may be the more welcome afterwards And as for the second Question How can Christ be in thee and yet thou have no comfort and assurance You may see the possibility of that in Christ himself who though so dearly beloved of the Father and the Father was in him yet for the present those heavenly consolations were suspended Vse of Instruction to demonstrate the happy condition of such as do believe They have God and Christ within them Though contemptible vessels yet they have a glorious treasure within Though the Cabinet have no excellency yet the Jewel hath Take heed then of grieving such a noble guest within thee when a noble person enters into thy house how doth it trouble thee that any offensive object should come before him Be thou as much carefull left any vain thought any evil action should molest him SERMON CXXIX Of the Vnity of Believers Of the Cause and Nature of it And what makes to the perfect Consummation of it JOHN 17.23 That they may be made perfect in one THose words contain the effect and fruit of that former Unity specified viz. Christ in us and the Father in him for our Saviour here speaks of a three-fold Unity 1. Of the Father with Christ as Mediator 2. Of Christ as Mediator and Head with his Church 3. Of believers amongst themselves and the Vnity of Christ with believers as their Head is the cause of the Members union and communion one with another Now this is the last time our Saviour repeateth this particular of unity for our Saviour doth in this prayer for believers four times repeat it which demonstrateth his exceeding ardent affections for it only every expression seemeth to rise higher then the former The first is That they may be one 2. That they may be one in us 3. That they may be one even as we are one 4. That they may be made perfect in one and this is here mentioned Now what it is to be made perfect in one will appear afterwards onely the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used sometimes of performing and consummating a thing with perfection sometimes it 's used of sanctification and consecration Heb. 2.10 Heb. 5.9 Heb. 7.28 Now although it be true that all believers are consecrated and set apart as holy
after that heavenly unity to have it with the Church here in grace as it shall be with the Church hereafter in glory And certainly if this were not accomplished in Heaven then there would not be all tears wiped away nor would the reproach of Jerusalem cease Thus you have heard what it is that makes this unity of believers consummate and perfect Now let us consider What is the cause of this and that we shall finde to be no humane strength or outward wisdome and policy but the lively communication of grace inabling thereunto by Christ himself Though the Papist pleades That the acknowledgement of one visible Head in the Church is the onely means to preserve unity yet experience sheweth the falsenesse of it The divisions and breaches of the godly like those of Reuben have made sad workings of heart and many have come running in with their water to quench this fire Several Antidotes have been prescribed against this corruption but yet when all is done It 's the onely power of Jesus Christ as Head of his Church that workes this sweet Harmony It 's true indeed many rules and pacificall means are commended by wise and godly men to make an unity but these work onely morally and swasorily that which doth as it were physically and really worke it is the Lord Christ himselfe as the fountain of this unity And the reason is because this unity among believers is not onely externall but internall and spirituall Now no man can worke this unity in the hearts of the godly any more then he can worke purity and holinesse Therefore we see in the Text That because Christ is in us and the Father in Christ therefore are the godly perfected in one so that it requireth a Divine Supernaturall power to make the godly at heavenly accord even as it doth to make them godly Hence it is that in this prayer Christ commendeth it to God to work it as being beyond all humane power to effect it Now Christs being in a believer is a cause of these things in reference to their unity First He is thereby a cause of the Vnity it self For we told you This unity though externall yet is chiefly spirituall and internall viz. The harmonious knitting and joyning of all the Members of Christ together in him their Head Now this being wholly spirituall none can effect it but God alone for naturally we are dis-joyned from God and full of contrariety to him Therefore to be made a member of Christ and implanted into him cannot be by any other but the Spirit of God As those dry bones in Ezekiel could not of themselves gather together nor can a Cyen graft it self into a stock Thus it is here till the Spirit of God joyne us to Christ we are enemies and adversaries unto him That power therefore which gives grace that onely unites As in the naturall body the same cause which makes a member makes it also a united member Insomuch that in all the fractions and divisions we see amongst the godly we ought to have our eyes up more to God to consider that power which makes them holy must unite them and indeed to make them gracious and holy is the greater work yea unity would flow by a necessary resultancy from our membership in Christ but that still our corruptions are too strong and apt to disturb all Secondly Christs being in us is not onely the cause of our Vnity but also of the harmonious sutable proportion to each other We have an admirable description of this harmonious sutablenesse in the unity of Christs body Colos 2.19 Ephes 4.15 16. For the first It 's a Text full of rich and glorious matter and to understand it consider What it is that the Apostle makes the cause why those false Teachers did advance the worship of Angels introduce humane traditions and all to set up other means and wayes of Justification then the Scripture hath appointed It is saith he because they hold not the Head So that every Christian in the matter of all spirituall concernments is still to look up to Christ as the Head and not to let him goe and this he amplifieth from a two-fold precious effect of this Head The first respects the union of beleevers to Christ and so the body is said by joynts to receive nourishment that as the body hath it's nourishment suppeditated by those natural helpes so hath every Christian from Christ Now the joynt that suppeditates these spirituall helps is chiefly the Spirit of God So Romans 8.9 If any man have net the Spirit of Christ he is none of his So that as that is not a member truely united to the Head which is not informed with the same forme the Head is so neither is that Christian really united to Christ which wants the Spirit of Christ Now the Spirit of Christ is here said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To administer nourishment The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to supply all those ornaments which were necessary to such as kept their sacred dancings and festivities but here it signifieth the supply of those things that are necessary for our spirituall end and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added amplifieth it denoting the full plentifull and abundant supply it giveth So that you see it 's Christs Spirit not ours which doth thus inable us The second benefit flowing from Christ our Head is of the Members themselves They by bands are knit together Now the band here is chiefly also the Spirit of God though gifts and graces doe ordinarily unite So the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.13 For we all by one Spirit are baptized into one body So that the Spirit of God which is in Christ doth also work in all beleevers inflaming and exciting to such graces whereby they have intimate communion one with another Now from these two benefits conjoyned we have the admirable fruit thereof that the body groweth with the increase of God The spirituall growth of Christians as in the body is called The increase of God partly because God onely is the efficient and cause of it partly formally because the nature of this increase is divine and heavenly partly finally because it is to the glory and honour of God So that by all this we see Every true member of Christ is a thriving and growing member and that harmoniously according to it's respective nature and all this comes wholly by the Spirit of Christ so that an unity in the harmonious increase of it depends solely upon him By this Explication the other fore-mentioned Text may also be discovered Lastly Christs being in us is the cause of the perpetuity and constancy of that Vnity the godly have This Union in Christs body can never be dissolved As the Personall Union of Christ could never be divided so neither the mysticall Therefore our sound Divines doe well from Christs in-dwelling in us propugne and assert the perseverance of the Saints Vse of Instruction
that grace is vouchsafed So then be instructed in this Is thy heart groaning under sin all thy desires and inclinations are to Christ Know this is done intra recipiendo not extra mittendo This is done by receiving grace from God not doing any work for or to him yet how apt are we all to cry out with those What shall we do I till Christ inform us that the great work God approveth of is beleeving or receiving It 's the looking upon this brazen Serpent that healeth thee 3. This therefore implieth That believing on Christ doth not justifie for any dignity or intrinsecal worth it hath Not because it 's a more excellent and noble grace but meerly because that alone is receiving and applicative of Christ. We receive only by faith as we do corporally only by the hands yet the hands are not more noble then the eyes or the head Hence the Scripture never saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for faith but through faith and it 's never said actively saith justifieth but by faith we are justified passively So that as it would be absurd to say That the beggars hand hath made him rich in receiving large alms so it would be as absurd to attribute it to the dignity of faith when by it we are justified Therefore fourthly In that believing is expressed by receiving of Christ is implyed That faith it self is excluded as it 's a work So that not onely all other graces but faith if considered as it 's a work doth not justifie us The eye in looking on the brazen Serpent did not heal as it was a work but from the vertue of the Serpent exalted by Gods appointment When the woman touched Christs hem of his garment and healing was thereby conveyed It was not the touching as it was a labour and work but the vertue of Christ Thus it is in this case And hence lastly we see Why faith and no other grace doth thus justifie because this alone doth receive Other graces are active this is receptive Not that faith is separated from other graces they are existent together though they retain their distinct properties He that believeth on Christ is cleansed and sanctified he loveth God and is patient in tribulation but yet not by this is he justified As the Sun-beams have heat as well as light but it shineth by the light only not the heat so the earth hath driness as well as gravity but it fals downward not because dry but because heavy Secondly This receiving is not a bare receiving but such as is with imbracement As Heb. 11.2 These imbraced the promises Even as Simeon took Christ with joy in his arms So that there is great delight and cordial joy in laying hold on Christ Even as the Church said after she had lost her Beloved yet finding him at last she would lay hold on him and not let him go as Ruth to Naomi thus she cleaveth to Christ So that as a man receiveth with dearest imbracements some choice and precious friend he longed to see Thus it is with the humbled sinner Oh this is the beloved of many thousands whom my soul hath long prayed for long sought for What have I found thee Oh thou chiefest of many thousands Hence it is that Christ compareth himself to a Bridegroom and Husband and his Church to a wife to shew what real affections are in the heart of an humbled sinner for to lay hold on him Hence it 's called Believing with the whole heart and with joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1.8 There was great feasting and joy for the finding of a lost son But oh the unspeakable joy for discovering a Christ that we thought was for ever lost as to us What meltings what ravishments are there at the meeting of him Oh how often saith the humbled soul did I think I should never finde thee How many times did I conclude that I should perish in my lusts and fears but Christ at last appeareth as he did to those women after his death who thought there was no hope Thirdly In this act of faith there is contained resting relying or fiducial reposing of the soul upon Christ. You heard the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did enforce this so that the soul before it believeth is to be conceived as a stone falling downwards which cannot stay till it meet with its center and then it enclineth no further In the Old Testament it 's called trusting in the Lord which in other synonymous expressions is sometimes called staying and leaning and so is a metaphor taken from those who have some great and heavy burden upon their back and thereby are crushed to the ground unless they have something to rest upon Thus it is with the afflicted penitent he cryeth out I finde such a load of sins that my back would break and heart would break yea every thing would fail within me had not I Christ to throw my self upon hence Christ is called the Foundation stone because all the building is established upon that Now that which in the Old Testament is called trusting in God in the New is called believing Illyricus thinketh this is the reason of the different expression because the God of Israel was known to the Jews therefore there was required only a fiducial adhesion unto him but in the New Testament Christ as Mediator was not known therefore another word is used viz. to believe which comprehends both an assenting knowledge and also a fiducial application So then by this act of beleeving the soul which was ready to sink under it's burden doth lean upon Christ and as a drowning man doth catch hold on the next branch to save him so doth a humbled sinner finding himself even falling into hell catch hold on Christ and therefore it 's called him· Fourthly In this act of believing there is an appropriation or application of Christ to be my Christ That whereas the promise runneth in the general Whosoever shall believe to him Christ is a Saviour This justifying faith doth in particular rest on Christ as a Saviour to him Thus Paul Gal. 2. Who loved me and gave himself for me and Thomas My God my Lord Joh 20. So that as when any threatning is denounced against a sinner the true convert will apply it to himself when guilty of such a sin I am the sinner this threatning meaneth So Christ being offered as a Saviour to every humbled sinner from this general he concludeth his particular Thus Paul Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief Hence it is that our Divines against Papists do well maintain That the object of justifying faith is the special mercy of God It 's not enough to believe that Christ is a Saviour but to rest on him to be my Saviour Hence faith is called eating and drinking Joh. 6. which is more then the meer seeing meat upon the Table only when we say special mercy is the