the Law compared with the glory of the Gospel That that which was made glorious now had no glory by reason of a greater glory that is come So I may say in this case the things of the world that were glorious in thine eyes before yet now they are not glorious but all darkned because there is a greater glory that now comes and shines in upon thee If a man had lived in a dark Dungeon under the ground all the dayes of his life and never had the glimpse of any light whatsoever never since hee was born if on a sudden a candle should bee brought to him hee would admire at that glory but now if this man should afterwards bee brought into the world and see the glory of the Sun the glory of the candle would bee nothing to him So the men of the world because they live as it were in darkness they have some comforts in the creature and they think them to bee glorious for they know no better But that soul that hath had a sight of God comes to see that all things in the world are but darkness to him There is nothing can disingage the heart of a man from the creature so as a sight of God You have a notable Scripture for that how a sight of God doth dis-ingage the heart of a man from the creature in Act. 7.2 And hee said Men Brethren and Fathers hearken The God of glory appeared unto our Father Abraham when hee was in Mesopotamia before hee dwelt in Charran and said unto him Get thee out of thy Country and from thy kindred and come into the Land which I shall shew thee And so hee shews how Abraham was content to forsake all his friends and Country Why the God of glory appeared to him it is said upon this when the Holy Ghost would shew what it was that brought Abraham out of his Country that took off his heart from all his friends and Country to go into a strange Country saith the Holy Ghost The God of glory appeared to our Father Abraham Let a mans heart bee never so much glewed to any contentments that are here in the world let but the God of glory appear to that man and all things are vanity then the heart quickly comes off from any thing And indeed though there may bee many arguments that may make men and women to deny themselves very much the use of creature-comforts yet the heart is never throughly taken off till the God of glory appear to the soul A notable example of self-denial it that of Moses Moses that might have had all the riches and glory of Egypt might have been next to the King himself an heir for so some write that Pharaoh had no son and that Pharaohs daughter did adopt Moses to the end that hee might bee an heir to the Crown and yet Moses that had all riches and the treasures of Egypt at command yet hee forsakes aâ—l but though hee forsook all for a while yet you will say did hee not repent him afterward No saith the Text Heb. 11.27 By faith hee forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for hee indured as seeing him that is invisible that was the thing that did it it made Moses forsake all the riches of Egypt and indure to go on and never repent him for making such a choice What was the great thing that did take Moses off from the creature It was the sight of God that God that was invisible My brethren the sight of God it puts a mighty magnanimicy upon a mans heart there is nothing great to a great spirit nor nothing can greaten the spirit of a man or woman so as the sight of the great God no men and women in the world have such great spirits as those that have seen the great God And the oftner any one hath the sight of the great God I say the greater will such mens and womens spirits bee they are raised to that height that all the world will not satisfie such a soul for the portion of it And this again in the fourth place may bee a Note of Trial whether ever you have seen God alone to bee excellent Hath it taken off your hearts from the creature Hath it ingaged your hearts fully to God himself that you can say There is none in heaven Psal 73.25 nor none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee In the fifth place Is Gods Name alone excellent Oh my Use 5 brethren study to know God then Labour to search into this Excellency so far as wee may and God gives us leave God hath revealed much of himself to us in the Scripture and in the book of the creature and God expects that what is revealed of him in the Scripture and in the book of the creature that the rational creatures Angels and Men should labour and search to know There is nothing so sweet so amiable so lovely so delightful unto a rational creature if it bee purged from the filthiness and corruption of sin as the sight of the infinite first being of all things Why here is concluded all excellent sights whatsoever some men are takeâ— with such a sight to behold fair buildings and others to behold brave pictures one with one thing and another with another Oh but the sight of God hath all sights in it that may delight the soul and give content to the heart of Man or Angel and therefore labour to know the excellency of God You poor creatures that have minded little all this while but meerâ—y to understand your Trades and how you may get a shilling or two to provide for your families Oh but know there is a higher obâ—ect for you to busie your thoughts and hearts about Learn to know this God who alone is excellent and bee not discouraged at those things that have been spoken though they are above thy reach at first yet if your hearts bee pure and cleansed from filthinesse you have the promise in Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God It may bee you that are poor people you can never come to get learning to have the knowledge of Arts and Sciences and such things I but if you have clean hearts you are blessed in this God saith you shall see him Labour to study God and labour to know God more Psal 91.14 Mark how acceptable it is to God for his creature to labour to know him I will set him on high because hee hath known my Name Thy Name O Lord alone is excellent and thy glory above the heavens and earth And I will set him on high because he knows my Name Oh saith God yonder is a poor creature that above all things in the world desires to know mee hee hath had a little glimpse of â—y glory and oh how earnest is his heart to know mee I will reveal more of my self to him and then I wil set him on high because hee
would see them to bee plunged into the bottomless gulf of eternal misery hee would put himself into it to keep them out hee did it willingly When hee did fir stundertake this great work with his Father hee knew what hee should suffer A body hast thou prepared mee it is written in the volume of thy book I should do thy will Heb. 10 5 7. and lo I come I delight to do thy will And what was it It was the suffering of all these things that I have named unto you and I have but even named them unto you Eighthly And yet further the wonder of Christs humiliation my scope is now to present as briefly as may bee as much of Christ as I can unto you that you may have some help for your more clear apprehensions of Christ and how to make him the object of your faith The wonder of Christ appears in this that there should bee such a way to save men as this is that the Son of God should bee thus humbled and this wee finde clearly in Scripture set out to us but that God would have such a way to save sinners and no other this is as great a wonder as any thing it is certainly the astonishment of the Angels and the admiration of the Saints to all eternity that the Lord should look upon base man and that hee should have thoughts to save him that was nothing but when God saw that if hee bee saved hee must bee saved after this way that God should as it were trouble heaven and earth for the saving of a poor wretched sinful creature and though God saw that it would cost him so dear to save a soul yet that hee should go on with his work to save him here is the wonder but this is the way of salvation and this is that that is infinitely above reason not onely above sense but above reason which of the Heathens could have imagined that there should have been such a way to save man by as this Why how wilt thou bee saved I will cry to God for mercy and break off my sin and bee sorry with all my heart why if this were the way there was no wonder in that but know oh thou sinner whosoever thou art that if ever thou bee saved that thou must bee saved by a wonderful way and the truth is considering that this is the way of saving sinners wee may stand and wonder that any are saved when you hear of but few that go to heaven and that most people in the world perish and when you come to hear the way of saving man and what it cost and the great difficulty of it you may then stand and wonder that any should bee saved Oh when ever you think of salvation think wisely of this it is a wonderful work of God to save a sinner and the most wonderful work that ever God did do why because the way of saving a sinner is so strange and truly my Brethren then doth God begin to work savingly upon the heart of a sinner when the sinner begins to stand and wonder at the way of saving and till that time it cannot bee conceived that God is beginning savingly to work upon your hearts I appeal to your consciences you that have gone on in a secure dead-hearted way when was ever your hearts taken up in admiring at the way of Gods saving sinners why if it hath done so that is a good evidence that God is beginning to shew himself unto you in a saving way But now if you go on and have but low thoughts about the way of salvation if your hearts do not sanctifie Gods Name in admiring at the wonderful way of salvation know that yet the Gospel is hidden to you certainly you yet do not understand the counsels of God about the way of salvation when your hearts are not taken up with admiring at the glory of God in it A note of Trial. I will but leave this note of Trial with you whether Christ bee revealed to you have your souls wondred at him My Brethen there are divers things that men wonder at in the world and their hearts are taken with them and all because they understand not Christ the great Wonder of the world Wee read in Rev. 17. that when Antichrist had gotten a great deal of power that the world did wonder at him vers 6. When I saw her I wondred with great admiration c. Antichrist having a great deal of power makes men to wonder much at him Now in vers 8. The Beast which thou sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the Beast that was and is not and yet is saith hee those whose names are not written the book of life that was written from the foundation of the world they shall make a wonder at Antichrist and at his great power and at the way of his falling too So in Rev. 13.2 3. And the Dragon gave him his power and his seat and great Authority c. When the Dragon had given his power to the Beast that is the Civil state and power had given its power unto Antichrist unto their Church-state so that they had the Civil sword in their own hands and were able by that Civil power to force all to come in to their Dictates now the Text saith That they all wondred at it but who are they in Chap. 17. v. 8. those whose names were not written in the book of life so that carnal hearts now may bee taken with the wondring after the pomp and glory of the word and after the power of Antichrist because Antichrist prevails in the world but they are those whose mames are not written in the book of life those whose names are written in the book of life they will never stand wondring at the excellency of Antichrist because of his outward glory no Those whose names are written in the book of life they have learned to wonder at Jesus Christ not at Antichrist let Jesus Christ bee never so mean and humbled and low and persecuted in his members in his Ordinances yet they see that excellency in Jesus Christ as makes them wonder and it is such a wonder as it doth darken all the wonders in the world besides The Fifth SERMON ON The Excellency of Christ Isaiah 9.6 And his Name shall bee called Wonderful THe point that wee are upon you may remember is this That Jesus Christ is the great Wonder of the world As is his Name so is hee Wonderful 9 Therâ— is yet more wonder in it if wee consider that God the Father was well pleased with all this it pleased him so you may finde in Isa 53.10 It pleased him to bruise him It pleased the Father For God the Father taking such delight
must I lay this to pawn I thought I should never have lived to the day to lay such a thing to pawn I but when thou comest to lay thy soul to pawn thou layest a more precious thing than all the world is Secondly When thou layest a thing to pawn thou dost prefix thy own time for the redeeming of it again perhaps two three four months before thou bring that that is bargained for but when thou layest thy soul to pawn thou canst not set any time Luk. 12.20 What dost thou know oh Fool but that this night thy soul may bee taken away from thee Thirdly Yea and further When you lay such a thing to pawn you make a bargain for the bringing of somewhat to redeem it that you have in your own power or make account that you shall have in your own power to bring you will not make the bargain to bring such a thing that you are sure you shall not have in your own power Now when you lay your souls to pawn you lay them to pawn for that that you have not in your power nor all the creatures in Heaven and Earth cannot help you to in your need and that is Faith and Repentance All the Angels in Heaven nor men in the world cannot help you to it it is onely in the hands of God of the Infinite blessed God against whom you sin and whom you provoke and yet how many do thus pawn their souls and no marvel though men lose their fouls because they pawn them thus foolishly and wretchedly and that is the second way of mens losing of their souls Thirdly Men lose their souls by wounding them they give them deadly wounds upon which the souls of most do perish Quest Wounding how you will say Answ By that I mean the commission of sins against conscience to commit a known sin and a wilful sin oh this gives a wide gash in the soul a most fearful wound every sin against conscience gives a wound that requires a salve to heal it that is more worth than a thousand worlds the sins against conscience against light against knowledge they are deep wounds unto the souls of men and it is not usual for such wounds to bee healed for they do not onely strike at the life of the soul but they harden the heart of the sinner exceedingly and keep off the means that might do the soul good thou goest abroad into company and there thou committest a sin against thy conscience oh thou hast given a gash to that precious soul of thine thou hast given it a deep wound and except thou lookest to it and that presently thy soul perhaps may die for ever A man that hath received a deep wound hee presently sends for the Chyrurgion and if it bleeds well hee hopes the cure is more hopeful so when thou hast committed sin if indeed it bleed that is if thy soul presently bee sensible of it and affected with it and mourn and lament and so seek after the Chyrurgion there may bee hopes but men and women do wound their own souls by wilful sins sins against their consciences and yet they are not sensible of them they do not so much as bleed but they lye in the very open Air as it were and are not bound up at all Ah! thousand thousands there are that die and perish this way Fourthly And then a fourth sort there are that lose their souls by being gulled of them by being deceived of them Satan perswades them they are in a good condition that all is well with them and they need not fear what need they to trouble themselves these are but the melancholly thoughts of such and such kind of people there is no such great matters required in sorrow for sin and it is but a Lord have mercy upon us and but a being in Christ and hoping in Gods mercy and the like and thus by such kind of delusions as these are many souls are gulled and deceived by the Devil and so perish for ever They are like unto Jonas that was asleep and awakened in the midst of a dreadful tempest so certainly these souls when they come to know themselves and to bee awakened it will bee in the dreadfull tempest of Gods wrath As Sampson the Philistims are upon thee when hee lay in Delilahs bosome so there will bee that dreadful noise one day to these souls the wrath of God and the curse of the Law is upon thee that must lye upon thee Oh the dreadful sorrow there will bee when the soul shall see oh I am deluded and gulled many of you are vext extreamly when you are gulled of any little part of your estates but to bee deluded and gulled of your souls so as they must bee lost for ever this will bee extream horrour another day Fifthly A fifth way of losing our souls is by selling of them away selling of them away you will say what do I mean by that It is said of Alexander the sixth that was Pope hee sold his soul to the Devil for the Popedome there was an express contract between the Devil and him that if in such a year hee should come to bee Pope the Devil should have his soul But now there is a twofold selling of our souls to the Devil besides such a kind of contract as when the Devil shall appear in a bodily shape and so people sell their souls to him First As first When men seek advantage to themselves by any unlawful means seek the gain of the world or any profits or pleasures by cheating couzening wronging swearing or forswearing seek I say to gain any thing in such a way there is such a thing that thou wouldest have and that thou mayest have if thou wilt bee false in thy books in thy reckonings or forswear thy self for gain I say thou dost as truly sell thy soul for the getting of that gain as ever Conjurer did that did contract face to face with the Devil I would have such a gain why saith the Devil though thou dost not see him then thou must lye thou must couzen thou must swear and forswear I will do it saith the soul and thus thou dost many times sell thy soul to the Devil You that are chap-men if one should come and offer you a little matter for a commodity that is of price you have such a peece of ware in your shops that is worth forty shillings and one comes and offers you tâ—o-pence for it why you rise in disdain against it what offer mee two-pence for that which is worth forty shillings oh now that your hearts would rise in disdain when the Devil comes to buy your souls you should rise in disdain what shall I venture the selling of this soul of mine that is more worth than ten thousand worlds for such a poor gain as this is and yet many of you do Secondly And then there is a second way of a mans selling of his soul and that
added for decency and order in the Church Answered 72 73 Christ is such a King whose soveraignty is absolute 74 Hee hath power to binde conscience ib Christs Kingly power reaches to mens hearts ib. Christ is wonderful in his Kingly office in this hee hath A perfect knowledge of all his subâ—ects 75 Is present with them in all administrations hee over-rules all the plots and counsels of his enemies hee is the King of righteousness and peace 76 14 Christ is wonderful in his Kingly office other Kings are born to bee Kings but Christ died that hee might bee King 77 15 Christ is a King from everlasting to everlasting 78 16 Hee sits at his Fathers Throne now at this time ib. 17 Christ will not onely subject all enemies but hee will put down all rule and all authority 79 18 Wonderful is Christ in his Kingly office for hee makes all his subjects Kings with him in a spiritual sense 80 Exercise of Faith aright is upon Christ as King 81 Christ wonderful in his Priestâ—y office 83 1 Christs Priesthood joyned with Kingly power ib. 2 All Priests in the Law did typifie Christ and cease in him 3 Hee needed not to offer for himself 4 Christ offered the blood of God 83 5 Christ offered a Sacrifice that was sufficient to satisfie God 84 6 Hee is wonderful in that hee offered himself ib. 7 Christ was not onely a Sacrifice but an Altar 85 8 Christ offered but one sacrifice at one time 86 9 His Priesthood indures for ever 87 Christs Priesthood preferred before Aarons Priesthood 88 89 Christ wonderful in his Prophetical office 90 Hee knows all the mind of God perfectly therefore must bee a wonderful Teacher 91 2 Dulness of understanding weakness of parts cannot hinder his teaching 92 How wee shall know whether Christ teach us 93 3 Christ is wonderful in his Priestly office in that hee is sent to reveal high and supernatural things 94 95 4 These high things are not revealed to the wisest and great ones of the world 96 97 5 Hee reveals these things many times suddenly 98 6 Jesus Christ teaches the heart so hee is wonderful 7 Christ teaches immediately himself 100 8 Christ teaches infallibly so hee is wonderful 101 Christ wonderful in his Miracles 102 In the wonders that hee wrought while hee lived 103 Christ wonderful in his endowments and excellency of his person ib. Fairer than the children of men ib. All the fulness of the God-head in Christ 104 This an Argument to us to take heed of abusing the humane nature of our bodies ib. Christ the brightness of Gods glory 105 Christ hath his excellency by virtue of the personal union 106 Christ wonderful in this that all his personal excellencies depend upon himself 107 Christ becomes worthy of divine honour ib. Christ wonderful in this that hee is an infinite object of the delight of his Father 107 108 109 Christ wonderful in his endowments in this that his excellencies are in him to bee conveyed unto his people 110 This should bee a strong Argument to draw our hearts to Christ 111 Christ is wonderful in regard of the glory of the Father that shines in him 112 113 First The glory of Gods Attributes shines in Christ as for iâ—stance Power 11â— Wisdome ib. Holiness 115 Justice 115. Mercy 116. Truth 117 2 The glory of thâ— great counsel and works of God appears in Christ 118 3 All the good from God in order to Eternal Life is from Christ 119 4 The glory of the Father is wonderful in Christ in this that by him hee attains unto his greatest design in making the world and preserving the world 120 What design ib. 5 All the services and praises of Gods Elect come to him through Christ 121 Christ wonderful in his Humiliation 122 The first wonder in his humiliation is that all the sins of the Elect should bee laid upon Christ 122 A second That hee that was so high should bee brought so low for the sin of man 123 A third Christ is wonderful in his humiliation in that hee suffered in his soul 124 A fourth wonder in Christs humiliation is that hee should suffer so much from his Father 126 A fifth In that God doth not spare him at all but is the executioner himself 127 A sixth wonder of Christs humiliation is that God should leave him 128 A seventh Though Christ sore-saw his suffering yet that hee should willingly undergo it 128 An eighth That this should bee the way of saving men 129 Use of Trial whether Christ bee revealed to us 131 A ninth wonder in Christs humiliation is this that God the Father should bee pleased with all this 132 A tenth is the efficacy of his humiliation is a wonder 133 An eleventh Christs humiliation takes away the venom of all the Saints sufferings ib. A twelfth Christ suffered as a common person ib. A thirteenth another wonder is that by such a way of humiliation Christ entred into his glory 134 A fourteenth Christs humiliation was a most wonderful argument of Gods hatred of sin 135 Christs suffering a pattern of Self-denial ib. Christ wonderful in his Conquests what did hee conquer answered 136 Christ conquered death by dying 137 Christ conquered in his own power ib. Christ conquered as a common person 138 Christ wonderful in his resurrection 139 to 144 Christ wonderful in his ascension 145 And sitting at the righâ— hand of his Father 144 Christ wonderful in his coming to judgement 145 Christ wonderful in his working towards his Saints and in their high esteem of him 146 In Heaven Christ shall bee wondred at for ever 147 Application 1 Christ but little known in the world 150 2 How vile a thing is it to prefer a filthy lust before Christ 151 3 It discovers the misery of mankinde to bee exceeding great 154 4 Hence then all beleevers have exceeding cause of rejoycing in hearing of what Christ is what a wonderful Saviour they have 156 God hath exceedingly honoured Beleevers ib. Jesus Christ a full Object for their souls rest 156 157 God doth intend wonderful things for the Saints 158 to 163 The reason that Christians are so empty in their spirits and conversations is because they know so little of the Mystery of the Gospel 164 Duty of Christians to hold out the wonderful glory of Christ in their conversations 166 If Christ bee wonderful here every one that hears of Christ should think it a dreadful thing to miss of Christ 167 Lastly Let us long for the time when Jesus Christ shall appear in all his glory 168 to the end The First SERMON ON The Nature of God THE last day you may remember wee opened that Point of the condition that men are in that live without a God in the world It is evil to bee without bread without friends without outward comforts how great an evil then to bee without a God in the world and who they were that did live without a God in the
world that knew him not that had no interest in him and the like and then was promised Therefore seeing there are so many poor wretched creatures so many Families that live without a God in the world that know nothing of him and live as if they expected nothing from him and fear no evil to come from him at all therefore wee promised to labour to set forth before you somewhat of God that might help you to know him to shew you what hee is And to that end turn to that Scripture Psal 148. part of the 13. verse For his Name alone is excellent Text. THis Psalm is a Psalm of praise praising of God for all the glorious manifestations of himself in his great Works and calling upon all creatures to praise him because hee is glorious in every creature but the Psalmist rests not in this in praising God for the glory of him that appears in the creatures but hee riseâ— higher and takes indeed the rise from thence to praise and bless God for what there is in himself above that which doth appear in any creature For so it is clear that to this the Psalmist doth arise in my Text Let them praise the name of the Lord for his name alone is excellent his glory is above the Earth and Heaven The Earth and Heaven and all creatures therein are called to praise Gods name and David praises the name of God for what appeared there but saith hee Praise the Lord for his Name alone is excellent and his glory is above the Earth and Heaven His Name the Name of God is either taken for God himself or for the manifestation of God often in Scripture for God himself Prov. 18.10 as The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous run unto it and are safe that is God himself Hee is the strength and Tower hee is the object of the trust of his people and so other Scriptures or otherwise that whereby God may bee known Psal 76.1 His Name is great in Israel And here we are to understand both for his Name alone is excellent that is God himself is excellent alone the Name of him of him alone is high is lifted up is excellent and that wee are to understand by the Name of God here God himself as well as his Manifestations appears in the words at the end of the verse His glory is above the earth and heaven Now Gods manifestation is either in heaven or earth But there is a further glory of God that is in himself that is beyond all that is or can bee manifested in or to any creature so that from the words thus opened there are these two doctrinal Points one I wil but only touch it is raised from the connexion of the words with the former and the other that is the substance of the Text that wee shall abide a while upon The first is this That a gracious heart is not satisfied with praising God onely for his works but rises higher to praise him and especially to praise him for himself for that that it sees in himself I say a gracious heart doth not stick in the Works of God nor is it onely inlarged to praise God for what it sees in Gods works but it will rise higher than all the works of God and praise him especially for that it sees in himself Thy self O Lord is excellent the glory that is in thy self it is above the earth and above the heaven While wee praise God for what wee see in his works our thoughts and hearts are limited for Gods manifestations of himself are finite and so there is not that spaciousness that a gracious heart desires to let our its self in but when it can rise up to God himself and look at the infinite excellency that there is in himself above all that doth appear in his works then the heart inlarged with grace can expatiate it self to the uttermost and that is that which doth delight him then is a gracious heart indeed in its own element when it is expatiating it self even in God himself And further God in setting himself before the soul in way of Covenant Jer. 31.33.32.39.24.7 Ezek. 11 2â— Gen. 15.1 hee doth not onely tell those that hee takes into Covenant that hee will do such and such things for them but hee would have them to close with himself I will bee your God The Lord told Abraham that hee would bee his exceeding great reward but that would not satisfie Abraham What wilt thou give mee Vers 2. having an eye to Christ and the enjoyment of God in him so let God say that hee will do never such things for a gracious heart that is not enough except God himself bee the portion of the soul the soul cannot bee satisfied with any thing that God doth if God should say to one whose heart he hath inlarged with grace I will give thee all the world to possess thou shalt have all the glory all the pomp all the sweetness all the comforts in the world nay more than that I will make ten thousand worlds more and give thee them all and they shall have all of them more excellency than this present world hath why all this would not satisfie a heart inlarged with grace for the portion of it though such a one sees its self unworthy of the least crum of bread yet it cannot bee satisfied with all the world what then will satisfie him onely God himself for so God propounds himse f unto his people in way of Covenant Psal 16.5 I will bee thy God I will bee your portion And upon this those that are in Covenant with him though they do rejoyce to see God manifesting himself in all his Names they bless God for the beholding so much as they do of him in his works but the thing that their hearts are most upon is God himself the excellency that there is in God above all his works And as it is in praising God so also it is in other workings of the heart towards God as now grace doth not love God so much for what God gives to it as for what God is himself that is the difference between true sanctifying grace and common grace common grace may make mee love God for what I receive from him oâ— for what I hope to receive from him but sanctifying grace makes mee to love God for what is in himself more than for what I receive from him or expect to receive and so there may bee the fear of God for some works of God when God doth manifest his power and dreadfulness in his works in thundring or lightening then the heart of a sinner may fear God though there bee no grace but now where there is grace such a one fears God more because of that excellency hee sees in God himself than from any dreadful works of God and this would bee a good rule to try your selves by You say you
Use Great is the evil of sin if committed against such a God Use 3 Thirdly Hence then if God bee thus excellent above all from the meditation of the Excellency of God and his glory wee see cause to bee vile in our own eyes the higher wee see God to bee the lower wee should bee in our own eyes there is nothing will take down the spirit of a man more than God I dare say of every proud heart in the worâ—d such a one knows not God never had a sight of the glory of God that hee hath to do withall the sight of God will wonderfully humble the heart before him Job 42.5 is very famous for this Job saith With the hearing of the ear I have heard of thee but now mine eyes have seen thee what follows then upon that Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Vers 6. Job that was a holy man yet hee confesses that hee had but even heard of God hee never had such a sight of God as God gave him at this time and upon the sight that hee had of God though hee were a holy and a gracious man and could stand in his uprightness yet saith hee Mine eyes have seen thee and therefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Oh that God would give such a fight of himself to all your souls to those proud stout and rebellious sinners that have gone on in wayes of rebellion against him You have heard of God by the hearing of the ear but have your eyes ever seen him If God would but give you a sight of what I have briefly spoken to you you would certainly fall down before him and abhor your selves in dust and ashes So the Prophet Isaiah though a godly man yet in Isa 6. hee heard the Cherubins and Seraphins praising of God and crying Holy Holy Isa 6.1 2 3. Holy is the Lord of Hoasts And there was a vision of God upon his Throne to the Prophet what follows saith the Prophet Woe unto mee for I am undone Why For I am a man of polluted lips and I dwell among a people that are of unclean lips Woe unto mee for I am undone for I have seen the King the Lord of Heasts I see the Lord upon his Throne and I behold the blessed Angels how they admire at his glory Oh woe to mee I am undone If so holy a man shall thus cry out upon the sight of God and say Woe to mee I am undone because I am a man of polluted lips Oh what mayest thou do then that art a man of polluted lips and polluted heart and polluted life Oh how are thy lips polluted The Prophet Isaiah hee was no swearer neither was hee one that would talk filthy unclean talk but yet hee complains hee was a man of polluted lips and cryes Woe to mee I am undone because I have seen the Lord Oh how would thy heart then bee humbled What cause at least is there that thy heart should bee humbled that art so polluted as thou art the sight of God should mightily humble us before God Psal 8 the beginning Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the earth saith the Prophet David and so hee goes on to shew the excellency of God then hee cryes out in verse 4. What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him Lord thou that art so excellent in thy self above all things it is a wonder that thou shouldest vouchsafe so much as to look upon man It may bee thou lookest high because thou art a little above thy brethren but if thou hadst a sight of God thou wouldest wonder that this God should look to thee Psal 113.6 there you have such an expression That God doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven Why what an expression is hereof Gods excellency God is so excellent that hee doth humble himself to behold the things that are done in heaven now if hee bee so excellent as to humble himself to the beholding of the things in heaven then how doth God humble himself to behold things done in earth to behold such wretched vilde creatures as thou art Oh bee vile in thine own eyes upon the sight of the great God and by these three Uses you may have three Notes whether ever God hath made known himself to you or no. First Are you ashamed and confounded in your thoughts for those low poor thoughts you have had of God Secondly Hath the sight of God caused you to see the dreadfulness of the evill that there is in sin Thirdly Hath the sight of God made you to bee vile in your own eyes That is a good evidence that you have had some sight of God indeed In the fourth place If God bee thus excellent and his Use 4 glory so great above the earth and heavens Hence wee may learn to know the vanity of the creature Set but God now and the creature together nay all the creatures in the world together Oh how is the vanity of all creature-comforts in the world made known to us There are many wayes to convince us that there is a vanity in all things in the world by the strength of reason wee may bee convinced and by experience A man sometimes that hath an estate God doth but touch his body and layes him upon his sick-bed such a man saith Oh what a poor thing is it to injoy all the world had I all the world at my command I could have no comfort in it and therefore what a vanity is there in the creature And another perhaps by arguments and reasons will tell you that every thing is vain and there is no contentment nor continuance in any thing in the world When wee see men that are rich and great dye and carry nothing with them wee are ready to say Oh how vain the world is these are some means to cause us to see the vanity of the creature But what are all these to the sight of God The sight of the glory of God it is infinitely more powerful to discover the vanity of all things in the world to us That man or woman that hath had once a real sight of this God in his infinite excellency wil not much regard what becomes of him concerning outward things in this world Hee that sees God to be great will see all other things to bee small And indeed wee never see God to bee truly excellent except wee see him alone to bee excellent Thou thinkest thou knowest somewhat of God I but still the excellency of the creature is glorious in thy eyes Certainly thou dost not know God aright If thou knowest God aright in his excellency thou knowest him Alone to bee excellent and therefore if thou knewest no other excellency but God all other things would bee but vanity in thine eyes In 2 Cor. 3.10 saith the Apostle there concerning the glory of
cause faith in the soul Christ is not onely an object for us to work upon when wee have a faculty but such an object as being set before the soul hath a quickning power to cause life therefore we cannot say why should Jesus Christ bee preached to a company of people as are dead in sins I Christ indeed is a glorious object But they must have somewhat to work upon Christ Wee must not say so for Christ is not onely an object for the soul to work upon when it hath an eye to see but such an object as the very setting of it before the soul hath a quicking power to work life in the soul to cause an eye to see him and to cause the heart to make after him though it was never so dead before And it should bee the work of Ministerâ— to set Jesus Christ before the hearts of people before their eyes continually and though it may bee there comes nothing of it this time I but try it again and though nothing comes of it the other time but they passe all lightly by and little regard the glory of God that appears in Jesus Christ yet hee is to bee set before them again and again who knows when the quickning power and life may come from Christ Now this is the scope of the setting Christ thus before you This day I have endeavoured to set him but a little before you in the opening this Title of his Let this bee the Use of it Oh when you go home go and meditate of what hath been said and labour when you are before God which is the time for the exercising of your faith upon Christ Labour to set Jesus Christ before your eyes and look upon him as the great Wonder of the World and never leave meditating until you finde your heart come to this to admire at the Glory of God in Jesus Christ If ever your hearts were taken with admiration at any thing in the World Oh let them bee taken up with the admiration of Jesus Christ this may confidently bee concluded upon that that Soul that â—eâ—â—r found its self taken with admiring of the Glory of God in Christ did never know what Christ meant for Christ is such a kinde of Saviour that if God do propound Christ to the Soul in any measure it is impossible but that the heart must bee taken with him There is a Saviour sent into the World hee that is the Object of my faith and by him my Soul shall bee saved Now the first work of the heart is for to think this is too good to bee true do not therefore think that you must bee onely saved by Jesus Christ but know what manner of Saviour it is it s hee whose Name is Wonderful The Second SERMON ON The Excellency of Christ Isaiah 9.6 And his Name shall bee called Wonderful Christ Wonderful in his Offices CHrist further is the Wonder of the World in his Offices In his Natures In his Person In the manner of his Incarnation In the end why hee was sent hither And in his Offices in his Anointment as hee was Christ Christ signifies the Anointed of God and is all one with the Messias that that was the Messias in the Old Testament is Christ in the New The word signifies Anointed And Christ is the Anointed of the Father Anointed to those three great Offices King Priest and Prophet Great in all these three Offices never any man in the world had them all before I say never man in the world was Anointed to these three together but onely Christ Wee read in Scripture of a King and Priest so Melchisedeck was wee read in Scripture of a King and a Prophet and so David was wee read in Scripture of a Prophet and a Priest so Jeremiah was but of King Priest and Prophet together anointed by God wee read of none but Jesus Christ onely Among the Egyptians they were wont out of their Philosophers their wise men to choose their Priests and out of their Priests to choose their Kings and so whosoever was a King to them was eminent first in wisdome being a Philosopher able to teach and eminent in his Priestly office and then eminent in his power that hee might bee honoured by all people as having those threefold eminencies that was accounted the greatest eminency in the world for those were the three great eminencies the eminency of wisdome to teach and of Priesthood and of Kingly power Now Jesus Christ hee was wonderful in all these now that is the thing that I aim at to shew in every particular of these Offices of Christ how wonderful hee was and then though but briefly I shall set the beauty and excellency of Christ in his three Offices before you and that shall bee all that I intend to do at this time and shall but bee very brief in them too For I told you in the opening of the Excellency of God I did not intend to stand to open every particular Attribute at large but onely to set the Excellency of God before you briefly so of Christ The Kingly Office of Christ Now for these Offices of Christ his Kingly Office first Christ is King and wonderful in this Office of his for you cannot understand Christ your Saviour aright except you understand him as before in his Natures in his Personal union and so in his Offices First As King I shall not need to shew Scripture for these the Scripture is full If you read the 45. Psalm at your leasure about the middle of it Thy Throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdome is a right Scepter And Rev. 17.14 Christ there is said to bee Lord of Lords and King of Kings Now Christ is a glorious King and wonderful in his Kingly power First Hee is King over all over all Kings over all Powers hee hath the highest Authority of all Take that for the first thing In Rev. 9 hee is said to bee King of Kings and Lord of Lords I remember Theodotius and another Emperour did use to call themselves the Vassals of Christ and so certainly all the Kings and Princes in the world they are but the Vassals of this great King Now hee is wonderful in his Kingly power that hath all the Kings and Lords and all Authority in the world under his feet indeed they all hold on him and that will appear from the second place 2 As his power is the highest so it is universal universal over all the world the Government of all the world is committed to him 1 Cor. 15.27 All things are put under his feet God the Father hath given unto him the Government of all the world hee is not onely the King of the Saints though hee bee their King in a special manner but hee is the King of Nations too Christ hee is the King of Nations God-Man I say the government of all the world is given to him all the Nations of the World
higher than naturalness of the place If I shall make this place by the consecration of man to bee used as an Ordinance to draw mee nearer to God or God nearer to mee that is to think that my prayers in that place are more acceptable than in another that because I perform services in that place it shall bee more accepted Here I say man raises it higher than natural and puts a Divine Institution upon it and so it comes to bee sinful and so now you may come to know what the meaning is when wee say that Christ only can make Lawes for his Church and Officers for his Church Why because whatsoever is spiritual it must bee only by the Authority of Jesus Christ this great King of his Church 6 And then Sixthly Christ is a wonderful King in this that his Soveraignty is absolute which no Kings power is though they have great power in the world yet they have not an absolute power to doe what they list and certainly no Subjects are bound so farre to the humours of men that they shall doe what they list there is no absolute power that one man hath over another bur the power that Jesus Christ hath is absolute an absolute Kingly power his Will it is the Law no mans will in the World is sufficient to be a law but the will of this King it is sufficient 7 And then in the Seventh place hee hath power to bind Conscience his Laws are such as lay obligations and bonds upon the Consciences of men no Law that would be made by all the Angels in heaven could lay bonds upon conscience but the Lavv only of Jesus Christ all the Lavves that men can make must receive their povver and authority especially from the end of them and therefore if they should not conduce unto that end for vvhich God sets up Magistracy over men that is for the good of the place then the rule vvill hold that if there be not scandal or contempt there is no obligation upon a mans conscience meerly because it is the will of man But now the Lavves of Christ vvhatsoever they are they lay bonds upon consciences and if I doe offend them never so secretly I stand as guilty before the great God and that is the seventh thing 8 And then in the Eighth place Christs Kingly power it reaches to mens hearts I must not as I goe along enter into the large opening of any thing that may be controversal but meerly present vvhat at large might be opened to you about the Kingly povver of Christ I say Christs Kingly povver is vvonderful in this in that it rules over the hearts of men as vvell as their consciences Christ by his povver is able to subue the vvills of men and bring their hearts to obedience to him all the power there is in the World cannot doe this vvhy the Kings of the earth if they vvere put all together they could not subdue the heart of any one poor man in the world the will of the poorest Creature in the world cannot be subdued by all the powers of all the Potentates and Emperours upon the face of the earth they may beat his body or torter his body or kill his body but to subdue his heart to make his soul to bee subject and obedient to them that I say all the powers of all the Potentates in the world nay all the Angels in heaven cannot doe it the will of a man or woman is such that all the Angels in heaven cannot bring it down only God himself you many times say you will break the will of such a one that is you will make them not to doe such a thing but you are never able to break their wills Kings may prevail over their subjects to make them to doe what they would have them doe and their Estates and Liberties may come to be at their dispose but all this while it may be he hath never a one of their hearts and that is but a very mean kind of Kingly power only to rule over men by fear and they not to love him But now Christ in his Church he hath never a subject that is truly under his Kingly power but he rules his very will and hath never a subject but loves him where Christ doth rule Spiritually in the hearts of his people though they were never so stubborn and rebellious before yet when Christ comes and brings them under his power hee brings their wills and their hearts to him and that is the glory of the Kingly power of Christ 9 And then in the Ninth place Christ is a wonderful King in this that he hath the perfect knowledge of all his Subjects and of their wants alas Kings and Princes in great States they know but very few Subject that they have but now Jesus Christ takes notice of every subject that is in his Kingdom and knowes all their thoughts and all their vvayes and all their vvants all their conditions he knovves them all perfectly Oh this is the glory of this King and vvonderful is hee in his Kingly povver in this 10 Hee is present vvith them all in all the Administration of Justice the King hee cannot administer Justice but hee must use Instruments to doe it and hee cannot bee present alvvayes but Jesus Christ hee is alvvayes present in the Administration of vvhat ever is administred to any of his Subjects he stands by and looks upon them all 11 Christ is such a King as he hath no need of any Instruments at all hee may make use of them sometimes but he hath no need of any Kings can doe but very little vvithout some Instruments vvhat can a King doe for the ruling of a Kingdom but vvith such and such Instruments But Jesus Christ is vvonderful in his Kingly povver in that hee hath no need of any Instruments for the administration of any Justice but he can doe it all immediately himself if he pleases 12 Christ is glorious in his Kingly power in this that he doth over-rule all the plots and counsels of all the enemies of his Subjects for the furtherance of the glory of his Kingdome and the good of his Subjects now my brethren look upon these things as real and certainly by faith they are made real to the hearts of the Saints and they doe rejoyce in this if we had such kind of Governours that had power over all the plots and designs of the enemies what a happy condition would we think our selves to be in Now this is in our King the Lord Jesus Christ he hath power over all the plots and endeavours of all adversaries to work them all for the good of his Church 13 Further the Lord Christ is wonderful for his Kingly power in regard of his righteousnesse Thy scepter is a righteous scepter he is King of righteousnesse and so King of peace as Melchisedeck was It is a happy thing when people live under righteous Governours that they
Office of Christ that all Beleevers are now made Priests unto God so as they may offer Sacrifice to God acceptable it may be thou goest to God in Prayer and offerest up a Sacrifice to God and thinkest God will be well pleased with it I pray now upon what terms dost thou offer them up Thy Prayers should bee Sacrifices but in the time of the Lavv none must offer a Sacrifice but a Priest Hast thou an interest in the Priestly Office of Christ and doest thou goe unto Jesus Christ by faith and give up thy Sacrifice into his hands and desire that hee vvould present it to the Father certainly except thou dost so all thy Sacrifices are cast out as dung and filth in thy face and are an abomination unto God As in the time of the Law we know let a man offer never so good a Bullock or Sheep though they were worth never so much yet if hee did not offer them by the Priest we know they were abomination unto God so our services are as our Sacrifices and they must be offered up unto God by this our High Priest and in this Jesus Christ is wonderful in his Priestly Office for by vertue of that Sacrifice of his that he offered to the Father all the Sacrifices of all the elect ones are tendered up to the Father and so come to be accepted And then doe wee exercise our faith upon Christ aright when we can look upon our High Priest and tender up our Sacrifices by faith unto the Father through him To beleeve in Christ is to have thy faith aâ—t upon Christ in his several Offices Oh what strangers are most unto the glory of Jesus Christ what little glory hath Christ from you when you understand him not in those things that are his glory or you that doe understand him oh but how seldome hath your faith acted upon him according as hee hath been set out unto you in these several things The Prophetical Office of Christ Christ is wonderful in his Prophetical Office I will but name one or two particulars about that which is exceeding comfortable First a wonderful Prophet he must needs be for hee is one that knowes all the minde of God the Father perfectly which certainly all the Creatures in the world doe not take all the Angels in Heaven and Men in the World and they know not all that is in the heart of God the Father Now Christ he knows all that is in the very heart of the Father and whatsoever the Father doth Jesus Christ knows it in the fifth of Joh. vers 20. For the Father loveth the Son and sheweth him all things that himself doth there is nothing that God the Father doth but he shews it all to Jesus Christ and in the first of John vers 18. No man hath seen God at any time but the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father This is a wonderful Teacher indeed a glorious Prophet wee may well call him Wonderful in regard of his teaching He is called the Prophet and that Prophet in Scripture because he is one that came from the bosome of the Father and lives in the bosome of the Father and whatsoever the Father hath done or will doe he shewes it unto him and therefore he knowes all the mind of his Father and knowes all things that doth any way concern his Church or whatsoever shall befall his Church it is hee that knowes it and is able to make it known as he pleases and hee is anoynted by God the Father to be the teacher of all those that are elect ones and that doe belong to Christ he hath taken the charge of every one of them to teach and instruct them in all the mind of his Father now next unto the Sacrifice of Christ there is no one thing in Scripture of greater use than this to the Servants of God beleevers many times goe away and say oh I have heard of great and wonderful things but we cannot understand them oh doe not goe away discouraged but remember the last thing that is said in the Sermon that Christ is wonderful in his Prophetical Office and hath undertaken the charge of thy soul to instruct it in all the mind of his Father and so farre as is necessary for thy Salvation thou shalt be instructed or Christ must be unfaithful in his Office now that cannot be but except thou be instructed this must be so for Christ hath the charge of thee And this is made in Scripture as a fruit of his being slain in the fifth of the Revelation vers 6. And I beheld and loe in the midst of the Throne and of the fear Beasts and in the widst of the Elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain and hee came and opened the seals opened the Prophecies and so fore-told what should befall the Church to the end of the World it was a Lamb slain that did it â—oting that it is a fruit of the death of Christ that those things which concern the Saints come to bee opened and made known unto them and Christ cannot plead to his Father and say that thou gavest me the charge of such and such but they were dull and could not learn and therefore that is the second thing 2 That the dulnesse cannot hinder whether they have strong parts or weak parts it is all one to the teaching of Jesus Christ it may be a hinderance to a Ministers teaching but if they come under the teaching of Jesus Christ it is all one whether strong parted or weak parted it makes no difference at all and there is one Scripture that doth declare the faithfulnesse of Christ in his Office and an infinite treasury of comfort it is to the Saints in the fifteenth of John vers 15. there is an expression of the Prophetical Office of Christ saith Christ there Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Jesus Christ knows the counsels of his Father perfectly and all his will and mind now saith he all things that I have known of the Father that is that concerns you to know there is nothing that I have known of my father from eternity that any way concerns you to know but I have revealed it to you Christ he is the Prophet of his Church to reveal to thy soul if thou beest a beleever whatsoever he knowes of his Father all those treasures of wisdome and counsels of his Father concerning thy eternal estate Christ is designed by his Father to make these things known unto thee first or last thou must come to know what thou art capable to know Oh how wonderful is Christ in this Prophetical Office of his to undertake to teach all the elect from the beginning of the world to the end this indeed is the reason why many poor weak people
many Miracles and saith he Josephus Antiq. B. 18. e. 4 If it be lawful to call him a Man He was afraid to call him a man because of the wondrous things that he did But if any of you say How shall wee bee able to know certainly the truth of all those Miracles that hee did wee read in the Gospel how great things Christ did how he cast out Devils and cured the Blinde and Lame and raised up the Dead and the like but how can we know the truth of them For the answer of that Austine hath this Either all those things are true or they are not true if they be then hee is confirmed to be the Messias but if they be not true then saith he this is the greatest Miracle of all that such a supernatural Doctrin as that is to beleeve in him that was crucified to save the World and for men to venture their souls and eternal estates upon this without having this to bee confirmed by Miracles at first this is the greatest Miracle of all but we will passe by that only note it as we goe that Christ was wonderful in all the Wonders that hee wrought while he lived Christ wonderful in his Glorious indowments and excellency of his Person But further Christ he is the Wonder of the World in regard of those glorious endowments and excellencie of his Person those Personal endowments and excellencies that he had and herein he is the Wonder of the World Now the endowments and excellencies of Jesus Christ they are great and glorious Thou art fairer than the children of men It is he that received the Spirit without measure it is he that had the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge dwelling in him bodily and he must needs bee the Wonder of the World that Scripture in the second of the Colossians doth shew unto us what a wonderful Saviour we have it is such an expression that had wee not had it from the Holy Ghost we should never have dared to have ventured upon it as in Col. 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and then in vers 9. For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily what an high expression is here All the fulnesse of the God-head doth dwell bodily in Jesus Christ surely he hath excellent endowments then he is filled with glorious things his Human Nature is elevated and inlarged to the highest capacity that a Creature can have to receive excellency And God hath raised up the Humane Nature of Christ to shew how high he is able to elevate a Creature and make it capable for the receiving of Glory that he might declare it to Angels and Saints to all eternity I say mans nature is raised to that height that God might to all eternity make known to the Angels and Saints this thing and say Behold to what a height is mine infinite power able to raise a Creature to be capable of happinesse Therefore Christs Human Nature is so raised and our nature in him which should be a wonderful comfort to us that our nature should be raised to so much glory in Christ And a great argument to us to take heed of the abuse of Humane Nature of thy Body and of thy Soul oh that ever any one should bee given up to that sottishnesse that is a man that hath Humane nature in him that should look after no greater good than meerly to eat and drink and play and satisfie his lust dost thou know oh Creature that thy nature is raised to such an height of excellency that God might declare to Angels and men what his power was able to doe and shalt thou that hast the same Nature that art a kin as it were to Christ shalt thou bee so base and vile to mind thy filthy and base lusts and mind no higher good than this the very thought of the raising our Nature in Christ it is a mighty argument to raise up the thoughts of one that is a man to a higher pitch than ever they have been think thus certainly my nature is capable of some higher good than meerly to ear and drink and play and to have a little Mony here for a while why now that shewes the personal excellency and endowments of Christ in general that all the fulness of the God-head doth dwell bodily in him and therefore Christ hee is called the Character and the ingraven form of the Image of God in the first of the Hebrews it is not said so of man though man be said to be made according to Gods Image yet it is never said of him That he is the brightnesse of Gods glory and the expresse Image of his Person so as it is said of Christ and in the Colossians you have mighty high expressions about the Personal excellency of Christ Chap. 1.15 Who is the Image of the invisible God the first born of every Creature and then he is the beginning of all things ver 18. He is the Image of the invisible God as God and man for so I must speak of him he is the Image of the invisible God in another manner and more fully than any creature is or possibly can be for Jesus Christ take him God and Man he hath the very character and ingraven form of whatsoever glory there is in the Father I say take him as God and Man as thus hee hath an omnipotency in him therefore it is said in the third of the Philippians latter end Who shall change our vild bodie that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body how according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Now this is a great Mystery of godlinesse that God-Man should have an Omnipotency in him and then likewise he hath the expresse Image of all the knowledge of God for as he is God-man he is made the Judge of all the World and hee will bee the Judge not meerly as he is God but as God and Man now seeing hee is the Judge of all the World hee must have an infinite knowledge he must know the hearts of men and all the works of men and he must have an infinite Holinesse and Justice that must judge all the World And thus God-man hath an expresse Character of the Attributes of God which none else hath and then he hath an expresse character of the Immensity of God If you speak of his Body it cannot be every where but God-Man is in all places thus you have it in the third of John vers 13. it is a very strange expression and it can never bee understood but by understanding the personal union of the two Natures Why at that time hee was speaking to them there upon the earth and yet saith hee The Son of man which is in heaven At this time hee that is the Son of man is in heaven his body could not bee in two places at once but God-man was then in heaven Thus
And the truth is there is no such way to set out the Justice of God as to shew the dealing of God with his Son for the sin of man If I would preach but one Sermon that should bee my last of the Terribleness of Gods Justice I would speak of some Scripture that should shew the terribleness of the dealing of God with his Son and that would set out the Justice of God to bee a great deal more glorious than any thing else The glory of Gods Mercy appears in Christ And so the glory of Gods mercy and goodness is more in Christ than any other thing wee injoy these outward comforts as a fruit of the bounty and goodness of God I but what are all these to all the love of God in his Son I remember a learned man compares all the good things wee receive from God from his general bounty and providence and his love and mercy that appears in Christ with a few sparks that come out of a burning furnace and the heat of it within look what difference there is between them such difference is there between the love of God to us in all the comforts in this world and the love of God in Jesus Christ God hee would have an Argument to manifest the infiniteness of his love unto his creatures and no such Argument as this So God loved the world that hee sent forth his onely begotten Son Joh. 3.16 And so the glory of Gods Truth that is manifested in fulfilling Promises The glory of Gods Truth appears in Christ any promise that is fulfilled manifests the glory of Gods truth and faithfulness but now the fulfilling that great Promise of God in sending his Son into the world here the truth and faithfulness of God appears more gloriously than in all other for there was never a promise so difficult as this promise many men can bee content to fulfil promises of smaller moment when there is no great difficulty in the fulfilling of them I but here is the greatest Promise that ever was and there was the greatest difficulty for God to fulfil this promise of any thing that ever God did promise and indeed when as wee hear that Christ was promised some four thousand years before hee came into the world and yet at length hee came into the world it is a good Argument to teach us never to doubt of the fulfilling of Gods promises And indeed the right apprehension of Gods faithfulness in this great Promise of his Son will mightily strengthen the faith of the people of God to beleeve any smaller promises and not to stagger in them and the reason why people are so ready to stagger in their beleef about smaller promises it is because they have not been acquainted with the work of faith in beleeving that great promise that God made with his people in sending his Son into the world so that these Attributes with all other do shine gloriously in Christ No marvel then though the Angels upon the birth of Christ they cry out Glory bee to God on high as if they should say Oh Lord Here is one come into the world wherein thy glory doth appear and by whom thou shalt have glory to all eternity Though Christ was but a Babe in the Manger yet the Angels did see more glory in him than in the highest heavens they did not see so much cause to cry Glory bee to God on high from any object that ever they saw as when they saw the Babe in the Manger then Oh glory bee to God on high wee behold thy glory shining here and blessed are those that shall bee inabled to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ who would not but have beheld the glory of God in his great works what man or woman that hath any knowledge of God at all would for a world but have beheld so much of the glory of God as doth appear in the great Works of Creation and Providence Oh what comfort have the Saints in beholding the glory of the great God when they look up unto heaven and upon the earth and in the seas Oh but then the sweetness and soul-satisfaction that there must needs bee in the beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And this by the way would bee a good evidence of your faith have you beheld more of Gods glory in the face of Christ than ever you did in all the world besides Yea and hath the glory of God in the face of Christ darkned all the glory of the world besides unto you Have your hearts been taken with that glory more than with all the glory that there is in the world Why here would bee a good evidence of faith indeed that you have had a true and real fight of Jesus Christ wee cannot have a real sight of Jesus Christ but wee must certainly see more of God in him than in all things else The glory of Gods great works in bringing man to his eternal estate appears in Christ Eph. 1.4 And then secondly As the glory of Gods Attributes so the glory of the great Counsels and Works of God especially in the governing of man unto his eternal estate that appears in Christ above all As the great Counsels of God in Election Wee are chosen in Christ the great Counsels and Works of God in Vocation Justification Adoption Reconciliation Sanctification and Glorification these are the great Works that God doth glorifie himself in these are the great things that the thoughts and counsels of God hath been from all eternity exercised about whatsoever your thoughts are exercised about yet I say the thoughts and counsels of God have been exercised from all eternity about these great Works of his Election Vocation Justification Adoption Reconciliation Sanctification Glorification all these Works whereby hee doth order and guide mankinde unto an eternal estate Now the glory of God in all these Works they are in Christ Christ hee is the head of our Election and all are chosen in him what is Vocation but a calling unto Christ and revealing Christ to the soul And so Justification it is in Christ still And wee are made children adopted in him and reconciled in him and sanctified through him and are to bee glorified through him all these great Works about which the heart of God is so much busied the glory of God in all these it doth shine in the face of Christ and without the knowledge of Christ wee could never come to know any of these things What could the heathen know of Gods eternal Election or Vocation or Justification or Adoption or Glorification to speak such words to the Heathens as these are in reference to God it would bee barbarism But now these are the great things of God that are revealed to Christians by Jesus Christ wee come to have all these glorious counsels of God in these great works of his to bee opened to us and Christ
in his Son and seeing him brought into such a low condition not onely to be in the form of a servant but in the form I say and similitude of an evil servant to bee beaten and so beaten by himself and all this to please him certainly there was some great matter in it that God the Father should bee well pleased with making his own Son to bee a curse for mans sin and yet this wee finde in Scripture that it was a thing that well pleased God certainly were it not for some great and wonderful design that God had to bring about God the Father could not have been well pleased with such a thing with the death of his own Son and putting him to death and that to an accursed death yet he was well pleased certainly there was a wonderful design that God had to bring about by such a way 10 And then further the humiliation of Christ is wonderful in regard of the efficacy of his humiliation that by his death all the wrath and the Justice of God should bee as it were swallowed up in reference to all the elect that the wrath and justice of God should bee swallowed up in a few dayes suffering of Jesus Christ of this man Jesus Christ that God should account it as much as if all the elect had been under his wrath to all eternity the efficacie of Christs suffering is a wonderful efficacie for it is an infinite efficacie it is infinitely satisfactory 11 Yea further not onely satisfactory to Gods Justice but it is that that takes away the sting and venome of all the sufferings of the Saints to the end of the world Christs sufferings takes away the venome and evil that is in the Saints sufferings the efficacie of Christs humiliation it is in reference unto God the Father and it is in reference unto the Saints I say in reference unto the Father it satisfies all his Justice and Wrath And in reference unto the elect ones it is that which takes away the sting and the venome of all their humiliations and sufferings to the end of the world though God hath so appointed that his Saints that hee sets his heart upon to do good unto for ever should here in this world suffer many hard things bee under grievous afflictions yet there is such a way taken as that Jesus Christs sufferings should take away all the sting the venome the evil of their sufferings and so Christ was wonderful in his sufferings in that regard There was never sufferings nor such a death in the world that it should take away the sting of all sufferings and death too for so many thousands of people and yet this did it 12 And further Christ is wonderful in his sufferings Christ suffered as a common Person because hee suffered as a common Person â—hee did not suffer as a particular man but wee are to look upon Jesus Christ in all the work of his humiliation as a common Person and so all the elect from the beginning of the world to the end are looked upon by God the Father as suffering in him as dying in him as being made a curse in him as the first Adam was a common person and God looked upon all mankinde as dead in him in Adam so the second Adam was a common Person and in his death all the elect are looked upon as dying and so as satisfying Gods wrath for their sins in their own person but vertually in him as in a head And in this Christ was wonderful in his humiliation and indeed wee do not understand Christs humiliation aright except wee understand it thus Wee sometimes speak of the great sufferings of Christ and so far wee understand perhaps that this was for us that hee dyed for us but wee do not understand that wee dyed in him and that hee was a common Person and all the elect were looked upon as in him as suffering in him and satisfying Gods wrath in him why thus wee are to exercise our faith upon Christs humiliation and indeed this is the mystery of the humiliation of Jesus Christ Christ by suffering enters into glory 13 And further Christ was wonderful in his humiliation in this that by such a way hee enters into his glory that when God intended the greatest height of glory to a creature that ever was or ever should bee that yet hee would have such a way to lead unto it as that Christ should first bee brought into such a low condition to bee a worm and no man to bee so accused to bee made a scorn of men to bee indeed in the lowest estate that is almost possible to conceive a creature here to bee in and yet that God should intend this to bee the way to the highest degree of glory that is possible for a creature to attain unto here was the wonderful counsel of God the wonderful work of God now you know that so it was in Christ the Scripture saith Ought hee not to suffer these things and so to enter into his glory God manifested in him what way hee would have to bring us unto glory that is by the way of suffering by the way of Afflictions by the way of trouble to pave the way to glory by such kinde of pavement as this this was the wonderful work of God 14 And in this further here was the most wonderful Argument of Gods hatred to sin In Christs suffering appears Gods hatred of sin that possibly can be imagined and wonderfullest pattern example of self-denial that ever was in the world Christ was wonderful in this in that in him there was held out the most wonderful Argument of Gods hatred of sin as if God would say I will set mine infinite wisdome on work to finde out an Argument to manifest my hatred to sin there could not have been a greater an infinite wisdome could not have found a greater manifestation of the hatred of sin And then hee was in his humiliation Christ in suffering a pattern of self-denial I say the pattern of the greatest self-denial that ever was or ever can bee God holds forth his own Son to bee the pattern of self-denial to all the world the Lord sees how wee are altogether for our selves how hard it is for us to deny our selves Well saith God I will not onely require of you that you shall deny your selves for mee as your duty and bound as creatures to do it to your Creator but I will send into the World such a pattern of self-denial as it is impossible for men or Angels to imagine a more wonderful pattern of self-denial My Son that is equal with my self to come in the form of a servant although hee had right to all things hee shall empty and deny himself to the extremity of all kinde of misery And then that that makes up all the wonder is this Christ suffered for us that all this should bee done for us for
manner of his proceedings in bringing forth all the books of Gods forbearance and the books of mens conscience and the book of the word to proceed with men and Angels for their eternal estate in this Christ will appear then to bee wonderful Thus Christ is wonderful in his humiliation and in his exaltation But further a word or two more Christ wonderful in his working towards his Saints and in the high esteem that the Saints have of him Great and marvellous are thy works O Lord God Almighty who would not fear thee O thou King of Saints The great things that Christ doth in the world towards his Churches are wonderful and the great esteem his Saints have of him they account all things as dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ And hee shall bee wonderful eternally hereafter in the highest Heavens and there hee will bee the matter of the wonder of all the Angels and Saints and the matter of the admiration and the praises that God shall have to all eternity it shall bee from what the Angels and Saints do see in Jesus Christ therefore surely hee will bee wonderful in Heaven And then wonderful when the understandings of the Saints shall bee elevated to the highest pitch that they are capable of sometimes wee do wonder at things because of our ignorance ignorant people will wonder almost at any thing at the works of Arts and Sciences they wonder because they know but little but now that that the most understanding man in the world shall wonder at certainly it hath some great excellency in it Now Christ shall not bee the wonder of the Saints onely while they are here in in this world but when they shall bee in Heaven and have their understandings enlightened and enlarged to the height that possibly they can bee enlarged to and yet even then Christ shall bee their wonder and they shall wonder at Christ more than they do now abundantly Certainly that hath real excellency in it indeed and great excellency that the more understanding a man is the more hee shall admire at it perhaps poor people they may wonder at some men for their parts yet if they had any great understanding themselves they would see such a mans parts had little in them but if a man had such parts that the more any man came to understand him the higher in degree their understandings were the more they should wonder certainly this man had a great deal of excellency in him indeed So it is in Christ that when the Saints shall bee elevated to the height they shall so much the more admire at him Further In Heaven Christ shall bee wondred at for ever many things are wondred at for the present I but the wonder quickly ceases wee use to say of strange things they are but of nine daies wonder but Jesus Christ is not onely a wonder at first when the soul comes first to embrace Jesus Christ It is true poor sinners at their first embracing Jesus Christ for the very novelty of those things they see in him they do admire at them they never did understand such things before but the truth is if that grace bee true thou shalt not onely wonder when thou comest to Christ at first at the excellency in him but the longer thou continuest a Beleever the more thou wilt wonder and when thou comest to Heaven after thousand millions of millions of years thou wilt wonder as much at him as thou didst the first moment those men that have made profession of Religion and seem'd to come to Christ they wonder at first hearing of the Gospel like the stony-ground that received the word with joy Oh how wonderfully are they affected at the first hearing of the glorious things of the Gospel but now mark their wonder quickly ceases and their joy ceases within a little while they do not now see so great excellency to admire at it neither have they so great joy but where there is true Faith there the soul doth not onely wonder at Christ at his first comming to Christ but still more and more to all eternity And now my Brethren mee thinks that all wonders in the world should lye by a while upon this wonder of Christs being presented to you and as wee read in Dan. 6. of one that came in a vision and said Gabriel make this man to understand the visioâ— so shall I call to a Gabriel no to Jesus Christ to the Immanuel hee that is the great wonder Oh blessed blessed Redeemer make these souls to understand these things to understand somewhat of this wonder wee have many wonders of our own and wee tell this and that news but O that Christ would but shew himself now to your souls that you may understand somewhat of this wonder that your hearts may bee for ever taken off from wondring at any thing in this world I have seen saith David an end of all perfection but thy Law is very broad So wee may say and the heart would say that were brought to Christ Oh Lord I have seen an end of all the great things in the world but Jesus Christ is very great and glorious indeed it is hee that hath darkened all the glory that there is in the world but now I may say of all these things as it is said of Daniel in chap. 12. vers 10. None of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand these things that are spoken of Christ the wicked they will not understand those that God hath not given unto Jesus Christ will not understand but they will bee content to part with Christ for any thing for all this O detestable wickedness that there is in the heart of man that after this that hath been revealed to you about Christ so much of his glory held forth for the wonder of the world that after this yet thou shouldest prize thy base lusts before all the good and the glory that there is in Jesus Christ certainly that man or woman must needs have the Angels in Heaven and all the Saints to acknowledge the righteous judgement of God in the condemnation of them that hath lived under the Gospel and hath heard what a wonderful Saviour is come into the world if such a one should yet go away and prize a base filthy lust before all the good and glory that there is in Jesus Christ take heed of this certainly if it bee so if any of you bee found at the great day still going on in the waies of known fins this will bee your charge You lived in such a place wherein you heard that my Son was the great wonder of the world and glorious things were shewed you to allure you to beleeve in him and yet hee was nothing in your eyes but your own vile lusts were more glorious in your eyes O just and righteous is the condemnation of this creature for ever certainly the sin of unbeleef the sin
of rejection of Jesus Christ must needs bee a dreadful sin because Jesus Christ is so great a wonder as you have heard The Sixth SERMON ON The Excellency of Christ Isaiah 9.6 And his Name shall bee called Wonderful NOw wee come to the Application of all which is the work of this exercise Application First Certainly Jesus Christ is little known in the world if this bee hee this great wonder of the world Oh how little is Christ known Christ is but a meer Notion and Imagination to most people in the world you heard the very sound of this name and how Christ came into the world to save sinners but I appeal unto your consciences when were your hearts taken with the admiration of the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ hath Christ been made the greatest wonder in the world unto you some of you have seen many wondrous works of God some of you perhaps in the Seas or abroad in other Countries or if not there yet you have seen the Heavens and the Earth at which you many times wonder but when did God dart light into your spirits to cause you to see so much of Jesus Christ as made him to bee the great wonder of all his works certainly that soul knows not God nor Christ savingly that knows him not as the wonder of the world it is impossible that such a poor creature as man is should come to understand such great mysteries of godliness as are in Christ in any measure but must needs admire at the glory of that great work and say with acclamation Oh the height and depth and breadth and length of the glory of God his Wisdome and Mercy and Truth and Power Many Notes of Trial there may bee of Faith but I know not any one more familiar than this is at least negatively it must needs bee a true Note that is that there cannot bee Faith without it namely if the heart hath not been taken up with the wonder of Christ so as all the wonders in the world have been darkened in the soul in comparison of Jesus Christ Secondly If Christ bee so great a wonder then O how vile a thing is it for the hearts of men to prefer any base filthy lusts before Jesus Christ when God hath manifested him in that wonderful way unto the children of men and so much of his glory in him yet that their hearts should bee taken off from him and every base lust to bee preferred before him Oh how just must the condemnation of such bee for ever wee may take up that complaint that there was in Psal 106.7 Psal 106.7 Our Fathers understood not thy wonders saith the Psalmist So the truth is as our Fathers did not so few there are that understand the wonders of the Lord in Jesus Christ and therefore every thing is preferred before him with what infinite indignation must God needs look upon that wretched soul that shall prefer every base lust before Jesus Christ I remember a speech of Chrysostome speaking of that Text That our vile bodies shall bee made like unto the glorious body of Christ saith hee were all the world turned into tears yet they were not sufficient to lament the misery of that soul that forsakes Jesus Christ his heart was so much taken with the excellency of Jesus Christ that hee thought it impossible to lament the misery of the creature that should forsake him and so St. Paul having his heart filled with the glorious Mystery of Christ hee breaks forth with this dreadful curse Hee that loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ let him bee Anathema Maran-atha as if St. Paul should say having his spirit filled with the glory of Christ Oh what shall God manifest so much of his glory in his Son and shall base wretched vile creatures prefer their lusts before him and have their hearts taken up with other vain things and not love the Lord Jesus Christ let that soul bee cursed with a bitter curse saith Paul such a soul doth deserve indeed to bee cursed with a bitter and an eternal curse that shall hear so much of Jesus Christ and how God hath revealed himself in that wonderful way in his Son and yet that soul shall not bee willing to forsake a base lust for all the good there is in Jesus Christ let that soul bee cursed with a bitter curse It deserves above all creatures to have the most bitter curse to bee upon it to all eternity certainly the more glory there is in Christ the more dreadful will the condemnation of wicked men bee This is the condemnation that such glorious light is come into the world and men chose darkness rather than light How many hear of Christ and minde little but onely have a noise they hear some strange things of Christ and let them pass by and think there is little reallity in what they hear but the onely real comfort is in satisfying of the flesh in the lusts of it In Act. 13.41 Act. 13.41 wee have an excellent Scripture for the reproof of such that hear the Gospel and minde it not Beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold yee despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your daies a work which yee shall in no wise beleeve though a man declare it unto you It is spoken concerning Christ as appears in the verse before And by him all that beleeve are justified from all things by which yee could not bee justified by the Law of Moses Now then it follows Beware therefore lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish as if hee should say you hear the Gospel about the glorious way that God hath to reconcile sinners to himself to justifie sinners but in the mean time your hearts do close with your own Conceits and your own waies with the Law of Moses and think by your own good meanings and your own good works that you shall do well enough and shall stand before God but saith the Apostle Beware lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets Behold yee despisers and wonder you perhaps when you hear such things declared unto you you account it strange doctrine and you stand and wonder what the meaning of those things should bee but as you wonder so you do despise you condemn it as a strange thing that you were not wont to hear heretofore and as a thing you cannot understand the reason of this is the usual guize of carnal hearts when they hear any doctrine though there bee never so much of God in it and of the Mystery of the Gospel that is revealed in it yet if they understand not the reason of it if it appear to them as a new thing they wonder indeed but they despise withall and condemn it and slight it and pass it over as they did St.
Pauls Doctrine What will this babler say hee brings us news of a strange God and the like so these are things that people are not acquainted withall and so they cast them off and despise but mark saith the Text Take heed beware lest this come upon you that you shall behold and wonder and despise and perish too for I work a work in your daies a work which you shall in no wise beleeve though a man declare it unto you there shall bee the great Counsels of God revealed in your daies and in your Congregations there shall bee revealed those Counsels of God whereby God intends to save many souls and here and there God will make known these things to save poor souls but you in the mean time being conceited of your own understandings or your own Civil Righteousness that you are not so bad as others and that you are in a good case and in a good condition all this while and upon a conceit you hear and wonder and despise but you shall perish and shall never come to beleeve those great things that God in your daies shall reveal for the salvation of the souls of others and this is a most dreadful curse that is upon the hearts of many men and women that hear the great things of the Gospel as it is said in the second of the Acts that they spake the wonderful things of God and yet there was some that did but mock this is the condition of some that their spirits secretly despise and contemn those things that they should adore such things as upon the hearing they should even fall down upon their faces and adore God in the beholding of them and yet I say slighting of them and resting to their own waies and conceits here is the curse of God upon their hearts that though they hear them yet they shall not beleeve them I work a work in your daies a work that you shaâ—l in no wise beleeve though a man declare it unto you saith the Holy Ghost this Scripture is very much fulfilled in Congregations where the Gospel comes to bee preached Thirdly But further in the third place If Jesus Christ bee so great a wonder certainly then the misery of mankind is very great it follows from hence if there bee such need of so wonderful a Redeemer Oh the dreadful breach that sin hath made between God and man that required such a wonderful work of God to make it up this is that that God would have you have a right understanding of and have serious thoughts about it God would not have sinful wretched man to think the breach between God and him is a light matter a little thing No when the Lord hath sent his Son into the world and hath declared him to bee thus wonderful when the Lord shews what a wonderful glorious work of his there is in his Son for the saving of mankind hee thereby doth declare unto you and would have you know it that the breach that your sin hath made between God and your own souls it is a wonderful breach certainly were the Misery of man no other but such as the power of Angels as the power of any meer creature could help out of Jesus Christ had never come into the world there had never been such a wonderful work of God to redeem man But now when you hear that the way of God to redeem man is so wonderful you have cause to lay your hands upon your hearts and say Oh the depth of misery that my soul is fallen into Oh the desperate disease of my soul that must have such a wonderful cure Oh that ever the great and infinite God should work so wonderfully for the salvation of such a poor wretched creature as sinful man is My Brethren wee do not sanctifie the Name of God in the great thing that God would bee sanctified in except wee have right apprehensions of the dreadful breach our sin hath made between the Lord and our own souls that so wee might have right apprehensions of this wonderful work that God hath done for the salvation of man-kind this is the reason why God so many times doth bring sinful creatures into so great straights into the very gulf of despair oftentimes before hee reveals the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ unto them It is I say because the Lord would have his name sanctified in this wonderful work of redemption by Jesus Christ that the sinner might bee prepared to stand and admire at the wonderful glory of God in Jesus Christ And there is nothing in the world that God looks so much for as this to be sanctified in these wonderful things that hee hath done for man-kind in Christ and if wee have but slight thoughts of the breach that our sin hath made certainly wee cannot but have slight thoughts likewise of the work that God hath done to deliver us from our sin Thou thinkest thy sin to bee a light matter but know that when thou hast sinned against God there must bee the most wonderful work of God to reconcile thee to himself that ever God did from all eternity or will do to all eternity this is the greatest wonder his sending of Jesus Christ into the world know therefore the depth of thy misery by this if God should have devised as it were from all eternity how to have manifested the wonderful misery of man-kind no greater could bee found than this wonderful work of his in the redemption of man-kind This is a third And then Fourthly Is Jesus Christ the great wonder of the world hence then all Beleevers have exceeding cause of rejoycing in the hearing of what Christ is what a wonderful Saviour they have Let the children of Zion rejoyce in their King Rejoyce in this First That God hath so honoured you as that hee hath wrought so wonderfully for your salvation certainly as thy redemption is so art thou that is there is some reflection of the glory of thy Redeemer upon thee how hath Goâ— honoured thee before his Angels and how honourable shalt thou bee hereafter when it shall appear to all the world that the Infinite God did so gloriously work for the saving of thy soul God looks upon all the Kings of the Earth as worms Yea all the Nations of the earth as the drop of the bucket and the dust of the ballance as nothing less than nothing You see how meanly God values all the Nations of the Earth But when hee speaks of his Son that is thy Redeemer His Name shall bee called wonderful saith hee hee is wonderful in the eyes of God the Father thou that hast such a wonderful Redeemer as this is certainly thy condition must needs bee comfortable But Secondly The main comfort that Beleevers may have from this glory of Christ as hath been opened to you is this that hereby they may see Jesus Christ as a full object for their souls to rest upon whatever their condition bee thou hast
an ill-favouâ—ed dirty leather case but will have a curious silver case for it Now because the Lord did make a curious peece the soul of man which was the master-peece of Gods creation next to the Angels therefore hee puts it into a very curious case this shews the excellency of those spirits that are within us howsoever they are now defiled with sin yet thus they were made at first When we are speaking to men about their own excellency one would think that then they should attend I have spoken of God and Christs excellency they may seem to bee things above you But now I am speaking of your own excellency what you are and what you are capable off Oh remember this you poor people and others for as wee shall shew afterwards you have souls as excellent as the greatest men in the world And there is nothing to the contrary but you may have that spiritual substance of yours filled with so much good as is infinitely more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds if you have hearts to look after it The Second SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul Matth. 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own Soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul I Shall adde one thing more which shews the excellency of the soul in the relation that it hath to God and that is this That it is satisfied onely with God himself there is nothing can fill the soul of man to satisfie it but God himself For the true object of mans understanding it is not this truth or the other truth but truth in general and the highest truth and that is God and the object of this soul it is not this or that good but good in general the highest and the chiefest good and that is God Let all the creatures in the world present themselves before the soul of man to bee the portion of him Mans soul would say these are not the things that can satisfie mee saith Austin Lord thou hast made us for thy self and our heart is unquiet till it comes unto thy self and this is the excellency of mans soul it is above all creatures it is a vertue in the soul of man to have a holy kinde of pride to think all creatures in the world to bee too little to bee the portion of it and God takes this well hee likes it well that we should know our own souls so far that wee should have this kinde of pride of spirit as wee may so call it or rather a right elevation of spirit to look upon all creatures in the world as too low and too mean to bee the portion of one immortal soul Many other things were delivered about the excellency of mans soul that so you might know something of your worth that you are too good to bee slaves to the Devil and it is good for you to know your own worth in this thing that so your hearts might bee elevated above those bare things that you sought to have your happiness in all those that ever have had true wisdome have accounted souls to bee very precious I remember Zozomen the Ecclesiastical Historian saith of the Martyrs that they suffered torment in their bodies as if they were other folks bodies and not their own they lookt not upon them as any part of themselves but on their souls as themselves and so you finde it in Scripture that it is the soul of man that is a mans self Compare for this my Text in Matthew with Luke 9. where you have the same speech of our Saviour setting out the excellency of a mans soul In the one it is What will it profit a man if hee gain the whole world and lose his own soul In the other it is If hee lose himself this is all one the losing of a mans soul and the losing of himself for a mans self it is his soul as for the body it is but the case it is but the out-side and so indeed some of the Heathens accounted their bodies Anaxarchus Tunde tunde Anaxarchi follem Anaxarchum enim non tundis when hee was beaten in a Mortar to death by the Tyrants hee calls to them Beat Beat as long as you will you beat but the outward part of Anaxarchus it is but the vessel in which hee is The Devil himself hath high esteem of souls the Devil cares not so bee it hee may gain mens souls what they have for their bodies the Devil doth not envy any wicked man to prosper in this world to have a healthful lusty body and to have stature and strength and beauty But now if hee sees that there bee any means for the good of their souls hee envies that may the Devil have but their souls hee cares not what they have otherwayes But wee come to the application of this first point in my Text Of the excellency of mans soul And the first Use is this Use Surely then wee ought to look upon every childe of man with some reverent respect and honour there is not the poorest childe as I told you the last day that lyes crying at your doors for a crust but hath a soul in it more worth than heaven and earth And the consideration of this should make us look upon the meanest childe servant the poorest body with an honourable esteem and respect how ever the glory of their souls bee darkned for the present yet they have still in them such souls as are capable of a kinde of infinite good more than all the other works that ever God made except the Angels do not look upon your servants that are under you with scorn and contempt do not use them doggedly as if they were brute-beasts Remember though you bee a Master a Mistress a Governour you are a Governour of one that hath an immortal soul more worth than all the world A good man saith the Scripture is merciful to his beast and surely then a good man will bee merciful to one that hath an immortal soul and it may bee an immortal soul better than his Governour how many have more respect to Dogs to brute-beasts than they have to servants and children and poor people who have immortal souls I have read of the Turks that though they bee noted for most cruel people to men as you heard of their cruelty to those in the Gallies yet they are very pittiful to brute-beasts and therefore they will give alms and stipends out of charity to maintain brute-beasts withall and there is a story of a youth that abusing a bird that had a long bill was like to have been stoned to death in the street they did so hate cruelty to those kinde of creatures though they bee cruel to men Many have this Turkish disposition that are dogged and cruel to those of their own kinde to those that have immortal souls together with themselves though pittiful even to brute-beasts
lame in thy body yet if thou canst walk in the wayes of Gods Commandements and run there thou art a happy creature It may be thou wantest food I but if God feed thy soul with spiritual Manna feed thee every day with food from heaven and take care for the feeding of thy soul thou art not so miserable as thou thoughtst thy self thou hast tattered cloaths I but if God hath provided the righteousness of his Son to bee a garment to cloach thy soul every time thou appearest before him thou art a happy creature in that therefore when thy heart is ready to murmure that God hath denied thee bodily mercies that hee hath granted to others think with thy self I but hath not God recompenced mee in soul mercies I make no question but there are many souls that bless God that ever they have lived to this time though they have suffered hard things for their bodies many that have lost and been plundered of all yet bless God that they have lived to the time wherein there was so much plenty of the food of souls Oh those truths of God that have been revealed unto us since those times but had those that had the power before had the power still continued wee had never had such truths made known unto us they account all recompenced in soul-mercies in Eph. 1.3 Blessed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Mark what the Apostle saith there his heart is filled with this Blessed bee God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Wherefore that hee hath given us good trading and good incomes that hath given us food and rayment wee are to bless God for this I but the Apostles heart was above this therefore saith hee Blessed bee the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ they are the blessings indeed that wee have cause to bless him for spiritual blessings soul-mercies as for bodily-mercies wee know that the Heathens and Reprobates have had as great a share in as any in the world but blessed bee God though wee bee denied these outward bodily favours yet wee have spiritual blessings Oh thanks bee to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ And this now would bee a good argument that you do know the worth of your souls if you can be blessing of God for spiritual blessings in Jesus Christ above all blessings and account your selves rich enough if you have the riches of spiritual blessings And then further Oh if the soul of man bee so precious What great pitty is it that God should not have the honour of mens souls of such a noble and excellent creature it is great pitty that there should bee any creature under the Sun that God should not have the honour of that God should not have honour from every pile of grass from every bit of bread that is eaten from every stone in the street But now that God should give to mankinde such an excellent spirit a soul more precious than all the world and yet that God should not have the glory of this Oh this is an evil thing under the Sun indeed this must needs go to the heart of God for the truth is God hath his glory from all other creatures by the soul of man As for other creatures hee hath his glory but passively from them but for mans soul hee doth expect to have his glory actively from that that man by his soul should come to know this God the infinite first-being of all things should fear him and worship him and serve him and have communion with him and praise him and therefore David in Psal 103. My soul praise thou the Lord and all that is within mee praise his holy name And again hee concludes My soul praise thou the Lord. And so in Psal 104. Now upon the consideration of what hath been said of the excellency of our souls wee should lay a charge upon them that they do honour God and serve God What a sad charge will this bee to many a man at the great day when God shall say Haddest thou been made a Dog I never had had so much dishonour as I have had I should have had more honour if I had made thee a Dog there I should have had my honour passively and no dishonour from thee But now thou being made an immortal soul as it was capable of honouring mee so of sinning against mee the more excellent a thing is the more capable of evil it is as well as of good no creatures but Angels and men are able to sin against God Oh it is pitty that God should not have the honour of thy immortal soul God had more honour from Nebuchadnezzar when hee was driven out among the beasts than when hee sat upon the Throne as a King And then further that should have been another Use to have laboured to perswade you to take heed of dishonouring these souls of yours God hath put a great deal of glory and excellency upon them do not you dishonour them and many wayes should have been said how men do put dishonour upon their souls only for the conclusion Oh that you would but learn to love your own souls To love them It is a strange exhortation you will say to exhort men to love their souls Oh that you would but do it Psal 22. David calls his soul his Darling the souls of men should bee indeed their Darlings not their bodies It was a speech of a Courtier to his friend saith hee I love you as mine own soul Oh saith hee then you love mee not at all if you had said you had loved mee as your body then I should have thought you had loved mee but I see no love you have to your soul It was the prayer of the Apostle St. John in the Epistle that hee writ to his host Gaius I suppose you that know Scripture are not unacquainted with it in his third Epistle Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and bee in health even as thy soul prospereth I shall close all I intend for the present with this Scripture it seems that Gaius was a holy man but a man of a weakly and sick body and therefore St. John writing to him hee prayes thus Above all things I desire that thy body may but prosper as thy soul prospereth As if hee should say O Gaius thou hast an excellent gracious soul indued with admirable graces of the Spirit of God full of God thy soul is though thy body bee weakly Oh that thou hadst but as good a body as thou hast a soul It seems Gaius had more care of his soul a great deal than of his body but now my brethren consider this Would not this bee a curse to
them to thou hadst need look about thee while they live that if it bee possible thou mayest make a satisfaction for that soul-wrong that thou hast done to them and it may bee such a one is dead and so dead as for ought thou knowest hee never did repent him of that sin now then see what a case thou art in there is one drawn to a sin by thee and now hee is in Hell for that sin that thou wert the cause of what a case hast thou brought thy self into now Is it any otherwise like but that thou must follow shall one bee in Hell for a sin that thou wert the cause of and dost thou think alwaies to escape here is the dreadful estate that any man brings himself to when hee draws others to sin thou hadst need to look about thee and thy heart to bee affected with that sin that hath been punished with the eternal damnation of those souls that thou hast drawn to that sin And not onely by tempting to sin but by incouraging to sin by disswading from that that is good It may bee some souls have been in a good forwardness to that which is good they have begun to inquire after the waies of God but have gotten into thy company and thou hast sought to take them off and what will you bee such fools as to beleeve every thing that is said and you will bee melancholly and mad and who are they but a company of simple people that do thus and thus and thus thou hast been a means to hinder the good work of God in others and to draw them from the good way that they were a beginning to set their feet in and now they begin to bee out of love with the good waies of God and thou hast been the cause of it Now if these souls perish and it may bee some of them are in Hell already truly if a mans heart weâ—e as hard as any Iron or Steel in the world one would think that such a meditation as this should break his heart in peeces That I know nothing to the contrary but some may bee in Hell for my cause And so many other waies wee might name how a man might have his hand in the loss of the souls of others what way soever thou hast a hand in the sin of others â—or keeping of others from good so many waies thou mayest have a hand in the loss of their souls But I intend not to stand upon this point onely consider of it and the Lord strike the hearts of those that are guilty in this kind But the main use that I would spend the chief part of the time in is this Use 4 If the loss of a soul bee so dreadful then hence is rebuked the folly and madness of most people that have no care of their souls but through their own wretchedness and vileness they suffer their souls to perish eternally all their care is in pampering their bodies and making much of them but little minding their souls and their eternal estates Certainly when the bodies of those souls shall meet them at the day of judgement it will bee a very dreadful meeting When thine immortal soul shall know what it is to bee lost for ever and shall bee brought to joyn again with the body Oh how do you think it will look upon that cursed carkass Oh this is that carkass that body of mine for whose sake I must perish for ever yea and wee must now bee joyned both together to bee fuel for the wrath of the Infinite God to burn upon to all eternity certainly souls are lost and perish thick and threefold they go down to Hell as Bees flie to the hive in the time of a storm There are many waies by which the soul may bee lost though there bee but one by which it may bee saved The several waies by which men come to lose their Souls As first Some there are that lose their souls by wandring up and down in darkness all the daies of their lives by wandring in the waies of sin in the dark and so are a continual prey unto the Devil how many yea and in many places the generality of people they go on continually in blindness and darkness in the vanity of their conversations knowing nothing of God nor of their own souls and the first time that the eyes of their souls are opened and enlightned it is when they are irrecoverably undone yea the first thing that many souls do ever understand concerning themselves it is this I am lost and undone for ever it is so with many certainly they know nothing about their own souls nor about God till they come to know this I am cast away from God and have lost my soul for ever Secondly Others they lose their souls by pawning of them away by pawning of them what is that you will say why you know what it is to pawn a thing when you come and receive from a Broker such a thing you lay something else to pawn for it and upon this condition that within such a time you bring them such a thing that you bargain for and if you do not bring it against that time then you lose your pawn Thus many pawn away their souls when there is a temptation to any sin and they have a mind to it now upon the commission of this sin thou dost lay thy soul to pawn to the Devil onely upon this condition that if thou dost repent and beleeve before God cuts thee off then thou shalt have thy soul again upon these tearms most people sin and in case thou dost not bring repentance and beleef in Christ thy soul is gone I appeal to you there is a temptation to sin you know it is a sin and there is a great deal of danger in it well but you have a mind to it and you will needs have it now you will acknowledge this indeed if I do not repent then I shall bee damned but before I die I hope to repent and so I hope that my soul shall not perish that is as much as to say I will lay my soul in pawn and if I can bring repentance before I die I will have my soul again but if I do not then my soul is gone thus upon the commission of every sin thou dost lay thy soul to pawn the devil hath it upon such tearms as these Now how many thousands have lost this their pawn they have not brought Faith and Repentance within their time before they died and so the Devil hath kept the pawn and will keep it for ever And it is more dangerous the laying of such a pawn than the ordinary laying of pawns to Brokers First There is no such pawn that possibly can bee laid as this the soul of a man Men and women that have any wisdome they will not lay pawns of those things that are precious to them Oh it goes to their hearts to think what
thus long therefore hee will bee so still Wee may indeed venture upon the Grace of God in his Son as well for sanctification as for pardon but not to venture either upon patience or any thing else so as to continue in our sins though God hath been patient thus long thou dost not know but that upon thy next venture the cord of mercy may crack and thou mayest sink and perish eternally that may befall thee in one day that hath not befallen thee all thy life before take heed my brethren of venturing upon patience for that hath not a word of promise to strengthen it unto thee Indeed Faith is a kind of venture but that ventures upon the Word of God and the Promise of God and it is good venturing upon that but when thou venturest upon patience thou hast no word to assure thee that patience will hold Thou hast no word to make this good unto thee that though God hath been patient so many years therefore hee will bee so still Fourthly And then a fourth venture that men make it is to venture upon their own lives they are young and they hope they may live many years yet I know others they live to bee old men and why may not I live and have my pleasure as well as they and thus they venture Oh but what if the threed of thy life should bee snapt asunder what will become of thee then wilt thou venture thy eternal miscarrying upon such a brittle and frail thing as thy life is Oh it is a desperate venture when men and women will venture thus that if God take away my life now certainly I must perish for ever Now I put it unto every soul in this place let this bee the case now do you examine what you think in your consciences your conditions would bee if you should hear a voice from Heaven saying unto you presently this soul shall have no more time to make provision for eternity I am perswaded that in such a place as this is there cannot but bee many that would in their own consciences say If God should take away my life now I fear I should bee lost for ever I doubt if wee could go from one to another and lay our ears to the bosoms of men and could but hear what the consciences of men say upon this that is now put to them that thou shouldest dye in the condition in which now thou art and what repentance thou hast had bee it good or bad that thy soul must depend upon if it bee not right thy soul must perish I say I fear that upon such a message from Heaven many a mans and womans heart would ask within them and their consciences would tell them I am afraid I should bee lost for ever Oh for thee to bee content to bee in such a condition any one moment that if thou shouldest dye that moment thy soul should bee damned I say thou art a bold and presumptuous sinner a most desperate wretch The Sixth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul Matthew 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul 8. MAny do lose their souls by starving of them that is such as neglect the Word that is the food of the soul the Word of God upon which the soul should feed as the body doth upon any food that neglect Gods Ordinances that care not to come to the Word either to feed upon it privately or publickly that think that there is no need of the Word but if they can procure food for their bodies and make shift to get up a living and that that may satisfie the flesh there is all that they look after but for the feeding of their souls by the Word it is that that is little minded or regarded by thousands Oh how many that belong to this Congregation perish eternally even that way by starving Wee pitty people that wee see ready to die that are starved if wee hear but of a prisoner starved even the poorest body wee account it an in humane thing in those that knew it and did not relieve them to see a beast to die by starving wee account it a cruel thing and it can scarse consist with the heart of a man to see I say so much as a dogg to perish by way of starving Now to see immortal souls thousands of them to die and perish and drop down to Hell as thick as may bee and that for want of the food of their souls meerly for starving it should bee an object of pitty and commiseration Now because wee are sensual wee are onely affected with such things as concern the body immediately but for the soul how many care not what kind of Ministry they live under Oh the curse of God is upon them as wee read of in Psal 106.15 Hee gave them their requests and sent leanness into their souls hee gave them their requests that is hee gave them Quails They lusted in the wildeâ—ness and tempted God in the desert and hee gave them Quails to feed upon but sent leanness into their souls wee may apply it thus unto those that seek after nothing else but Quails but that that may feed the flesh Oh the curse of God is upon their souls there is leanness there and they are starved there even unto death whereas those that do but know what the sweetness of the Word is to their souls and have fed upon the Word they had rather feed upon brown bread and water all their daies so bee it they may have the Word than have the greatest delicacies in the world without the Word I put this to your consciences answer it as in the presence of God if this should bee put to you can you say as in Gods presence that sees and searches the hearts of men that upon the real sweetness and good your souls have found in the Word that if God should put it to your choice either to live with bread and water and have the Word or to live with all the delicacies in the world without the Word you would a thousand thousand times sooner chuse to live with the Word with bread and water rather than without the Word with all delicacies Luther I remember hee hath an expression That hee had rather bee in Hell with the Word than in Paradise without the Word Ninthly In the ninth place there is another sort that lose their souls by surfeiting of them their souls do surfeit with the cares and pleasures of this life they glut their hearts with the delights and pleasures and cares of this world until their souls get a surfeit and die of them giving liberty unto their hearts to delight themselves in all outward contentments especially if they bee lawful Now a man or woman may surfeit their souls Licitis perimus omnes and undo themselves by lawful things as a man may not onely destroy his life by eating poison but by
a surfeit of good meat though the meat bee good yet hee may surfeit upon it so though the things of this world the cares and the pleasures may bee as some things are in themselves lawful yet by an inordinate and immoderate letting out thy heart to lawful things thou mayest surfeit thy soul and it may die of that surfeit Many men think themselves out of danger if the things that their hearts are upon bee in themselves lawful they are not swearers and whoremasters and drunkards and theeves as others are and therefore they think their souls may bee saved I say thou mayest busie thy heart onely about that which is in its self lawful and yet thy soul may take a surfeit and perish eternally Tenthly and lastly Many lose their souls by forfeiting them and that by these two waies First A man forfeits his soul as men do their Coppy-holds by not tendering that homage to their Lord that is due by which they hold their Lands and so their Lands come to bee forfeit so dost thou God hath given thee thy precious soul more worth than all the world and thou holdest it of God but so as thou must tender up to this Lord that homage that is due to him that is thou must worship God When wee come to worship God this is that wee do wee come to tender up that homage that wee acknowledge to bee due to God for these souls of ours that hee hath given unto us that is our worship that is the nature of worship The tendering up something by way of homage to acknowledge that due respect wee owe unto God as that Lord that hath the absolute dispose of us now by neglect of worshipping of God of tendering up his homage thou forfeitest thy soul and indangerest thy self to perish eternally and oh how few people regard any such worship of God! and though they do the thing that God requires as praying and coming to hear the Word yet do they not do it as in a way of tendering up homage to that God upon whom they do onely depend but now this is that which God requires of us or otherwise our souls are forfeited Secondly Men forfeit their souls by breaking covenant with God however there may bee some that God will not take the forfeiture of yet certainly upon thy breach of covenant with God thy soul is forfeited Thou dost ingage thy soul to God every time thou dost enter into covenant with him It may bee said of any man or woman that enters into covenant with God who is this that hath ingaged his soul to God now thou ingaging and binding thy soul to God in thy covenant upon thy breach of it dealing falsely thou dost forfeit thy soul And by these several waies souls are lost and oh how many thousand souls perish with such waies and manners as these are and therefore seeing there are such several waies of the loss of souls let not people think themselves safe though they do not go in some waies whereby they may come to lose their souls for there are very many waies whereby thou mayest lose thy soul and so miscarry to eternity Use The other Use that remains is this If the loss of our souls bee so dreadful a thing and there bee so many waies for the losing of them then it concerns us neerly to examine whether wee bee not in such a condition for the present that if our souls should depart out of our bodies they would certainly bee lost this is a needful scrutiny and a most necessary inquiry Many men have these thoughts what if I should now die I have not made my Will and my estate would go such and such waies as I would not have it it would bee squandered away it would bee spent in Sutes of Law I but rather let thy thoughts run out thus what if I should now die would not my soul bee lost and perish for ever Now though I have said wee cannot set forth such a man or woman and conclude that their souls shall certainly bee lost because wee know not what God may do hereafter but wee may say this that such a man or womans soul in the condition it is If God do no more for it than hee hath yet done that then it will certainly bee lost Indeed a man or woman may come to know and certainly to conclude that they are elected but none can come to such a conclusion to know certainly that they are Reprobates the vilest wretch that is upon the face of the earth hee hath not ground sufficient to conclude against himself that hee is a Reprobate and that his soul shall for ever bee lost and therefore surely wee cannot conclude against another if not against our selves Well but who are they that if God should work no otherwise upon them than hee hath done that then their souls would bee lost First In the first place That soul to whom God hath not made known and convinc'd it of the dangerous natural condition in which it is if such a soul should depart from the body it would bee lost Onely let mee premise these two cautions I do not speak of Infants but of those that are come to years and that live under means And I speak of Gods ordinary way wee will not limit God what hee may do in extraordinary waies but in an ordinary course and way of Gods dealings with the children of men that hee lets live to come to years and bee under means these following rules will discover who they are that at the present are in a lost condition I say such to whom God hath never revealed and convinced them of the evil of their natural condition in which they were born in which they are if God should let them so die and make known no more to them than hee hath such a soul would bee lost and that upon this ground because that without Faith it must bee lost that is acknowledged by all hee that beleeves not shall bee damned is condemned already Now there cannot bee Faith in a Saviour to save the soul but it must needs imply that I know what a dangerous condition I am in by sin For there is even a contradiction implied in my beleeving in Christ as a Saviour and yet I not convinced of the damnable condition that I am in without this Christ Secondly That soul that yet hath not made it to bee its great care above all outward things in this world to save its self that soul if it should now depart from the body would bee lost I say if God hath not first convinc'd thee and made thee sensible of that damnable condition in which thou art in thy self and secondly if hee hath not taken off thy heart from the creature from the things that are here below and made it to bee the great care of thy soul for to get it to bee saved hath not made thee to bee solicitous about the work of saving of
if men had but enlightened and stirring consciences how easie would it bee for men and women to see themselves in a restless condition and to conclude that if these things be the truths of God then I am in such a condition and though I do not know what God may work for time to come yet if I should now die my soul would bee lost eternally and so that other place in Rom. 8. They that live after the flesh shall die that is perish eternally if your hearts bee after the flesh after fleshly things and they are the things that you minde and if you would speak as in the presence of God you cannot but acknowledge that the things of the flesh are the things that do take up your hearts that are the adequate objects of your spirits and you think your great good and contentment lies in them so that if so bee you might but live alwaies in this world and have those contentments to the flesh as you desire you would care for nothing else but your hearts would bee fully satisfied this is living after the flesh now the Scripture tells us clearly that those that live after the flesh thus shall die It is your great care that the flesh bee satisfied and it is Gods threat that when you make it thus your great care to satisfie the flesh that you shall die so that this is a perishing condition unto you Seventhly Yea further what soul soever is but under the dominion of any one lust that soul if it should now depart would certainly bee lost Not onely such as live in all kind of sins that the constant course of their lives is in every kind of sin but if there bee but any one reigning ruling sin if there bee but any one sinful way that God hath convinc'd thy conscience of to bee a sin and yet because of gain or delight or pleasure or honours or respects thou dost go on in a constant course and way and practice of that sin though it bee but one sin so that thou art a slave to any one lust certainly this soul of thine if God works no ootherwise upon it than yet hee hath done will certainly be lost and that is clear out of Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace I would reason from this Scripture thus what soul soever is not under grace under the covenant of grace and under the mercy that there is in that covenant that soul if now it should depart must perish eternally but whosoever is under the dominion of any one sin is not under grace for the Scripture plainly saith That sin shall not have dominion over us if wee bee under grace If our souls bee in such an estate as they bee under the grace of the Gospel then there must not any one sin have dominion over them there may some sin dwell there but not reign there there is a great deal of difference between sins being in the soul and ruling over the soul Quest You will say then What is it for sin to have dominion Answ When sin shall set up a kind of Throne in the soul and give Laws as a King and thou shalt obey It is one thing for an enemy to come with violence and take possession and hurry one on to do that one would not do and another thing to bee subject and to yeeld to the laws and commandements of sin Now sin hath dominion when it is as a King upon his Throne that thou yeâ—ldest subjection unto it and for the satisfying of thine own lusts thou art willing that this sin should rule over thee Now that you may know a little further for the meaning of this sin and Jesus Christ cannot have dominion both together Then thus far wee may go safely that except Jesus Christ hath dominion over you then sin hath But how shall I know whether Christ hath dominion I will but appeal to you in this plain and familiar kinde of expressing of my self canst thou say as in the presence of God that seeth and searchest thy heart O Lord thou knowest that I have given up my heart to the Rule of Jesus Christ I would put this to every soul here present and I beseech you weigh it for wee are speaking of matters of life and death of salvation and damnation now therefore I put this unto you and think of it canst thou appeal to God in the sincerity of thy heart and say Lord thou art the seer and searcher of all hearts and thou knowest that though I have many weaknesses and infirmities and am often overcome by temptation yet thou knowest that I have given up my heart to the obedience of Jesus Christ and I do give it up and it is that that my soul desires above all things that Jesus Christ may rule in it that Christ may have dominion that his Laws may bee set up and if I knew any more of the mind of Jesus Christ whatsoever it cost mee thou that knowest all things knowest I would submit unto it and if there bee any thing that is against the mind of Jesus Christ if it bee but known to mee thou knowest that my heart is against it and I would rather than a world that I were delivered from the power of it canst thou speak thus as in the presence of God and certainly a Christian though a weak Christian can appeal to God in the sincerity of it and is able to venture its self upon such an appeal to God And if there bee not this dominion of Jesus Christ then there is the dominion of sin and then thou art not under grace therefore if God doth not more in thy soul than hee hath done thou shalt perish for ever and that man or woman that can sleep quietly so hath a strange pillow to sleep upon It is reported of Augustus Caesar that hearing of a Gentleman that was much in debt hee sent to buy his pillow saying Surely there is a great deal of virtue in that pillow that such a man could sleep on who was so much in debt Truly I may say so it is a strange kinde of pillow that men can sleep upon who are in such a condition that if God do no more for than hee hath done would certainly perish Eighthly But further That man or woman that hath not yet had such a change wrought by the power of the Spirit of God as is a new birth a resurrection from death a new creation that soul if it now depart would certainly perish Certainly every one of you as you come into the world as you are by nature your souls are in a lost estate and in such a lost estate as except the Lord make such a change in your heart as is a new birth by which you come to bee born again as is a new resurrection by which you come to bee raised from the dead as is a new creation
by which you come to bee a new Creature certainly you perish till this bee wrought in your hearts by the power of the Spirit you are in a perishing condition there is nothing more plain than this in Scripture You know what Christ saith to Nicodemus Verily verily I say unto you except a man bee born again John 3.3 hee cannot see the Kingdome of God Therefore it is not enough that it may bee thou livest somewhat better than heretofore thou hast done It may bee when thou wert a young man thou wert wanton or unclean and prophane and abroad in the fields and in wicked houses on the Lords day I but now thou hast more wisdome and understanding and now thou dost not so this is well and good and this is to bee encouraged I but what is this to such a mighty change as to bee born again If so bee that your bodies had no other kind of soul than that that is of sence and afterwards a rational soul should bee put into it what a mighty change would there bee in that body before they could onely see and hear and feel but now having a rational soul they can understand understand reason understand the waies of men this is a mighty change and truly there is as mighty a change when God puts a new life into the soul and doth regenerate it making it partaker of the divine Nature and even to come to live the life of God according as the Scripture phrase is Now this must bee in every soul that must bee saved and if the time bee not come that this regeneration is wrought then certainly thy soul is yet in a perishing condition God knows onely what hee doth intend to do hereafter but for the present thy soul I say is in a perishing condition The first work that God made that is the work of Creation by sin was quite spoiled Now Jesus Christ the Son of God that is his honour and his work to rear up a new world and that is a better world a great deal than the former world was and the special creatures of this world they are his Saints and the new Creation in their hearts now this is the condition of a converted soul it is made a new Creature All old things are done away 2 Cor. 5.17 Thou that livest in thine old waies and art altogether for thine old customes and what shalt thou do contrary now to what thy Fore-fathers did and thou thy self hast done all thy life time and the like oh this is a dangerous kind of reasoning why thou must bee a new Creature and all things are to become new in thy soul thou must know that the Old Man is dead in thee and that the New Creature is reared up in thee or else thou canst not know that if thy soul should this night depart but that thou shouldest bee an undone Creature for ever Yea Shall I yet say further because it is a point of a wonderful consequence for men and vvomen to put themselves to it I fear that there is many men and vvomen here that yet all their lives time have not put this question to themselves What are the tearms betvveen God and mee vvhy I hope that God vvill vvork grace in mee I but vvhat hath God done is it so vvrought at this present that if I were this moment to die I were in a safe condition and the hazard of my miscarrying to all eternity were over A man may joyfully go thorow all conditions in this world if hee were able to say well vvhatever befall mee in this world yet my condition is such that I know the hazard of my miscarrying for ever blessed bee God that is over Oh that people would but put this question to themselves In what estate am I now it if I were to die this instant Ninthly Wherefore then another thing is this That soul that yet hath not gone beyond those that the Scripture doth brand and note for Hypocrites or Reprobates if thou hast yet no more wrought in thee than the Scripture shews that they had then certainly if thou shouldest now die thou must needs perish As now the Scripture holds forth these examples Pharaoh confessing his sins The Lord is Righteous saith Pharaoh and I have sinned Saul I have sinned against the Lord. Ahab Hee humbled himself in sackcloath and went softly when the Prophet threatned Gods anger against him The Scripture tells you of the stony-ground which received the Word with joy Of Herod That hee heard John Baptist gladly and reformed many things Of Judas Hee came and acknowledged his sin and brought again the thirty peeces that hee had gotten by it and cast it down yet these of which the Scripture thus speaks all of their souls were lost for ever and yet I say they went thus far Now it concerns us very nearly to look to our selves and not to think wee are safe upon every sleight apprehension if the Scripture holds forth such examples that went thus far and yet vvere lost vvee had need bee careful to examine our state To vvhat end do you think doth God set dovvn these examples of vvicked men vvhose souls vvere lost and shevv you hovv much good they did certainly this vvas Gods end that men and vvomen might not flatter themselves vvith every little good thing that they do but that they should bee ferious and very solicitous in the examination of the estate of their souls hovv the terms are betvveen God and them this vvas Gods end in it and this being Gods end vvee are to make the use of it that God did aim at in holding forth these things in his Word unto us Oh therefore do not satisfie your selves vvith a little do not say if I should novv die this night and no further vvork vvrought yet I hope the vvork is so far wrought that my soul will not bee lost The Seventh SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul Matthew 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Quest BUt you slay wee must go further How shall a man know that hee is gone further than those whose souls are lost Answ To that I vvould briefly ansvver thus Canst thou say vvith David Lord thy Word is pure therefore doth thy servant love it I beleeve not one of these could say so Lord God Thy Word is a pure Word I see a holiness and beauty in thy Word and therefore my soul doth close vvith it because it is pure this is further than any of them vvent David could say so Saul could not nor Ahab could not nor Herod could not the stony-ground and Herod rejoyced in it but it vvas not from the purity of it that they did rejoyce for then they vvould have rejoyced in all the Word of God every part of Gods Word being pure and holy Secondly They could not say thus That they did prize Jesus Christ for a Sanctifier as
many ignorant people that pervert the Word to their own destruction If God bee not merciful to them therefore why should wee pray or read or hear or use any means let us lay aside all wee can do nothing wee are dead in sins and the like Now wee are to know that though nothing can bee done by us till God bring us into a state of grace and salvation that is acceptable so as certainly shall bring us to Heaven yet if it bee but that that shall stop us in the contrary way a little it is worth our labour If it be but that that any way may tend towards the bringing of us unto any means that may do us good why it is worth our labour and all our pains but especially if wee consider this that though wee are not able to do that that shall save us yet God is pleased often to convey his strength to those hee doth intend to save through the use of those means rather at that time when they do improve their natural abilities than at that time when they sit idle and do nothing and therefore you must bee up and bee doing Wee read in the Gospel concerning the young man that I told you came to Christ and inquired what hee should do for eternal life Christ profest to him that hee was not far from the Kingdome of Heaven hee was not so far as others It is true if a man abuses his doing and rests in his doing that sets him as far from the Kingdome of Heaven as prophane ones and therefore Publicans and Harlots may enter into the Kingdome of Heaven as soon as Scribes and Pharisees But there may bee many actions done by a common assistance of Gods Spirit that may bring some nearer to the Kingdome of Heaven than others and the denial of such a thing as that is would bee an extream boldness in any for they are the very words of Christ to the young man That hee was not far from the Kingdome of Heaven and therefore notwithstanding your inability and notwithstanding the things that wee do are not the things that save us yet wee have ground enough to put on men and women to do Now the meaning of this great question is this What is the way that God ordinarily takes to bring men and women to salvation by or how should I follow God on in his way that is a certain truth of the Antients Though God made thee without thee yet hee will not save thee without thee God works upon us as upon rational creatures and therefore it doth concern all the children of men that would have their souls saved to observe the work of God and to stir up what is in them to joyn with the work of God in the way of salvation and certainly whatever conceits there are to the contrary they are not onely foolish but extream dangerous and Satans policy and cunning is exceedingly much seen in them A further thing that I would premise before I come to particulars is this when I speak of any thing that should bee done I prescribe no particular order knowing that the works of God are various And sometimes God stirs up a soul to do one thing and sometimes to do another thing but take them in what order you will yet wee must name them for memory sake in some order and God expects them from you and you are to joyn with God in those works if you would have your souls to bee saved The great Question of what wee should do to bee saved answered First If you would have your souls saved do you joyn with God in what hee hath revealed to you concerning your lost condition labouring to understand those truths clearly that are delivered in the Word concerning the lost condition of souls by nature and to work those truths upon your hearts to bee sensible of them Those whom God intends to save hee shews unto them what this salvation is hee shews them from what it is they are to bee saved that so they may not run away vvith the meer word Salvation and saving of souls now God reveals this in his Word and when hee intends to save a soul hee doth by his Spirit stir it up to joyn with the Word of God and work those things upon its self so as to bee made sensible of them As thus the soul being solicitous how it should come to bee saved it searches the Scripture and there it findes how wee are by nature the children of wrath there it findes that God had made man according to his own Image at first but man hath sinned against God and broken the covenant upon which his eternal state did depend and in the sin of the first man all men have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God and now are conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity so that there is a most dreadful breach between God and the soul and that man by nature is become an enemy to the Infinite God That now hee hath the seeds of all kind of sin in him and that all his life while hee continues in his natural estate here is nothing else but a fighting against God a flying in the very face of God Hee findes that by sin hee is brought under a most dreadful curse the curse of the Law and that hee is bound over by the bonds of the Law even to death to eternal death as the wages of sin these things the soul findes in Scripture now if thou wouldest bee saved when thou findest God revealing such things labour thorowly to convince thy soul of the truth of them and are these things so indeed is this my condition am I thus and thus naturally Oh what good then will it do to mee to have all the world and bee in such a condition as this is Oh my soul when wert thou sensible of this condition dost thou walk as it becomes one that is sensible of such a lost estate as this is Oh! labour to drink in these truths and to work them upon thy heart and cry to God to set them home upon thy spirit to make thy soul thorowly sensible of them as hee uses to make those whom hee hath a purpose to save Here 's the first thing And yet one thing about this further is That you must come to a conviction not onely of your lost estate but of your inability to save your selves and the inability that there is in all creatures in Heaven and Earth to save them that thy fall from God is so dreadful that all the created power in Heaven and Earth cannot help thee yea and that thou thy self now art unable to help thy self to save thy soul bee convinc'd thorowly of this This was the way that Christ took with the young man hee tells him of the Law first and then afterwards because hee was conceited that hee had fulfilled the Law and done it Christ puts him upon a duty that might convince him
to the contrary which was required in the spiritual meaning of the Law that forbids covetousness and requires that wee should bee willing to part with all for God when hee calls for it Go and sell all that thou hast and follow mee and take up thy cross and follow mee saith Christ I but the young man hee had great possessions but because â—â—e was no swearer nor stealer nor murderer nor lyar hee thought hee had fulfilled the Law but Christ by putting that to him did as much as if hee should say poor young man thou art deceived thou thinkest that thou are able to do what God requires in his Law but didst thou but understand the spiritual part of the Law thou wouldest see that thou art so cast by it that all that thou art able to do in thy obedience to the Law cannot bee sufficient through the sinfulness of thy heart and nature but thou must perish if thou takest such a course as that is to think to bee saved by the Law certainly this it is upon which thousands of souls do perish they think indeed they are sinners but they hope they shall do better and they are able they think though not without God God must help them to do that that the Word of God requires of them whereby they may come to bee saved now certainly thou knowest not thy fallen condition and how far off thou art from God and what thy sinful estate is naturally that hast such thoughts as these But secondly If thou wouldest have thy soul saved break off the acts of thy sin at least you will say why do we speak to men to break off the acts of their sin why certainly wee may well speak for God doth give men power for outward acts very far thou canst not do it of thy self that is true but there is a common work of Gods Spirit that doth inable men and women for outward acts very far Let him that stole steal no more A man now at the day of judgement cannot say Lord I continued in theft because I was not able to forbear it though thou canst not change thy heart indeed yet forbear the outward act thou canst one that is dumb might say if hee could speak Lord I was no swearer because I could not speak otherwise thou art ready to say I cannot help it but God will finde it otherwise at the great day Certainly if thou wouldest but put thy self upon what strength God gives thee thou mayest as well go to a Sermon as to an Ale-house It is a very false reasoning of people that because they have not true grace therefore God inables them to do no outward acts therefore do what in thee lies to break off the outward acts of thy sin Thou that art a company-keeper a Sabbath-breaker a swearer an unclean person take heed of continuing in the outward way of sinning against God resolve this day against those outward acts of thy sin do but do thus much because thou thinkest thou canst do nothing do but profess thus to God in his presence when thou art gone get alone and say Lord it is true I can do nothing-without thee but here I do ingage my self to joyn with whatsoever thou hast given mee or shalt give mee to abstain from those acts of sin which I have lived in and this Lord I ingage my self to do as ever I expect to bee saved in the day of Jesus Christ canst thou not say these words express thy self but thus to God and certainly these things thou mayest say and that is somewhat That man and woman that shall wilfully go on in those vile gross acts of sin that are against the very light of nature and the light of their consciences for them to come and say What shall I do to bee saved and yet still continue in their sins it is but a trifling with God and taking Gods Name in vain except it bee with a resolution to go thus far Thirdly Thou must labour to take off thine heart as much as thou canst from the things of the world from these outward contentments here from seeking after them as thy greatest good that that was thy chief desire heretofore thou must labour to take off thy heart from and possess thy soul vvith the one thing necessary to conclude thus with thy self it is not necessary that I should be rich that I should bee honourable that I should have these and these outward comforts in the world but it is necessary that I should look to the salvation of my soul when God hath a purpose to save hee doth take the heart off very much from creature-comforts Oh if peoples hearts were but taken off from the world to seek after salvation in a constant way as they are at some flashes when they hear some truths that come near to their hearts or when they are upon their sick-beds Oh how far might they have been gone in the way of salvation but the thoughts of the world hath taken their hearts and all other things have vanisht and come to nothing Fourthly If thou wouldest have thy soul saved thy great care and indeavour must bee to acquaint thy self with the knowledge of the Mysteries of the Gospel of the covenant of grace of the way that God hath chalkt out for salvation let a man or woman have never so good meanings never such good desires and affections live never so fairly and civilly in the world yet if they bee not acquainted with the way that God in the Gospel and in the Covenant of Grace hath revealed for the salvation of souls they may perish for all that God hath appointed but one way to save souls and hee is set upon it and determined that whosoever misses that way must perish whatsoever good thoughts and desires they have otherwise The Eighth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul Matthew 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul Quest NOw you will say What is it in the Gospel and in the Covenant of Grace that wee must labour to inform our selves in that wee may bee saved Answ First Thou must labour to inform thy self of the absolute necessity of satisfaction to divine Justice that is revealed in the Gospel and that thou must come to know I am a sinful wretched creature my soul is in a damnable condition now that that must save mee must satisfie Gods infinite Justice I may not bee saved meerly by my crying to God for mercy no if there were nothing else but my crying to God for mercy yea put all my good deeds into the scale put what I have done what I can do what I can bee inabled to do all my prayers my cries this will not do It is true there is not enough in mee but will not Gods mercy eke it out No it is neither what thou doest or canst do or canst be inabled to do and put Gods mercy meerly without
the fire burning I and if God should have said thus unto us from Heaven wee had all cause to have fallen upon our faces and have blessed God for his mercy towards us but now God doth not require any such thing as this at your hands but requires the abandoning of your lusts and the attending upon him in his Ordinances and hee requires the keeping of your souls under his Word and Conscience and the following of the motions of his Spirit and the beleeving in his Son such things as these the Lord requires upon which your souls may eternally bee saved and will not you accept well that soul that God intends to save hee will perswade and the Lord perswade your souls in these things that so you may bee saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ The Tenth SERMON ON The Excellency of the Soul Matthew 16.26 For what is a man profited if hee shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul NOw then having done with that point wee are to come to the last thing That as the loss is great as in all the respects I opened so it is such that suppose a man to have gained the whole world in a way of the loss of his soul yet that gain will never recompence it Job 27.8 For what is the hope of the hypocrite though hee hath gained when God takes away his soul There are some men that seek the world and yet lose both the world and their souls they neither gain the world nor their own souls and some there are that do gain the world and their souls both But there is no necessary connexion between either gaining the world or losing ones soul or losing the world and gaining the soul but one may bee severed from the other But suppose God should let a man gain what hee will though many men seek for gain by sinful waies and God crosses them in it they have not their gain and yet they are damned eternally for seeking gain but suppose a man had gotten all the world as hee would desire and yet this man wicked and losing his soul hee is a most miserable man Now this is the thing that I have to do to shew unto you what a poor gain a man hath that is wicked though hee hath got the world when hee hath cast up all his reckonings it may bee said of him as wee usually say of men that have got little They may put all their gain in their eye and never see the worse So certainly if thou hast sought after gain in this world in such a way as thou hast not provided for thine own soul when thou comest to summe up all thine accounts thou wilt see that very little is got There are many waies whereby a man may come to see all the glory in the world to bee but darkness By seeing the glory of God the glory of Christ and the infinite consequence of an eternal estate those three things make the spiritual man to look upon all the glittering vanities of this world but as meer darkness and as nothing But now there bee three other things that may help a natural man to see the things of the world to bee as nothing and the gains of it to bee very poor gain I mean one that is not sanctified that hath no grace The first is If God do but please to wound his conscience and terrifie him hee will see all things to bee poor things indeed Or secondly When God laies his hand upon him in afflicting of him upon his sick-bed or upon his death-bed It is reported of Musculus that when hee lay upon his death-bed and his friends coming about him and seeing what a poor condition hee was in that had been an eminent worthy Instrument of God and an excellent Preacher in his time and they mourning for the sad condition they saw him to bee in O quid sumus say they as hee lay in his bed hee over-heard them Fumus said hee that is O what are wee smoak Many a carnal man in the time of his sickness and apprehension of death will say that all this world it is as nothing A third thing that may make even a carnal heart to see all the things of this world to bee as nothing It is strength of Reason though there should not bee terrour of conscience nor any afflictions yet strength of reason may discover the gain of this world to bee as nothing in comparing of it unto the soul and this strength of reason God is pleased sometimes to sanctifie by his Spirit when it is helped by the Word by the sanctified reason that there is in the Word I say when it is helped by that then God blesses it so as to work off the heart from the world to the things that concern the everlasting good of the soul And it is that that I shall speak to at this time to convince you what a poor thing the gain of the world is even by strength of reason and yet such reason as is founded upon the Scripture I have already shewn you the things that may make a spiritual heart see a vanity in all things in the world as the excellency of God and of Christ and the consequences of eternity Now the other two terrour of conscience and afflictions they are Gods work and God when hee pleaseth to shew the vanity of the World â—oth ordinarily bring them upon the creature but now for the third way of God to discover to the creature by the sanctified saving work of his Spirit the vanity of all things I shall indeavour to shew it you by strength of Argument and Reason out of the Word As First Surely though thou shouldest gain the world and yet bee a man that art like to perish at last thou hast gotten but little and it appears first in this that all those that ever came to have true wisdome and that are in Scripture commended for men of true wisdome they have lookt upon all the things of the world as very poor things First What do you think of him that was the wisest man upon Earth meer man even Solomon that had the greatest experience that ever man had of what good the honours or pleasures or profits of the world could do and yet after all his experience see his testimony of all in Eccles 1.2 Vanity of vanity saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanity Observe these five things in it First The things of this world are not onely vain but vanity in the abstract Secondly They are an excessive vanity vanity of vanities Thirdly A heap of vanity vanity of vanities Fourthly All is vanity Fifthly Hee adds his name to this Saith the Preacher Now the word that is translated here Preacher in the Hebrew as those that know the tongue know it signifies one gathered and it is in the feminine gender and so some think it notes the soul of Solomon that gathered wisdome after hee had
do do they make the Carrion to bee less corrupt and putrified than it was truly all the bravery that wicked men have it is at the best but a few herbs and flowers strewn upon a filthy carrion which makes them not to bee the better The things of this world therefore in Scripture are called the things of another mans in Luk. 16.12 And if you have not been faithful in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your own You may know the meaning of it by the verse before If therefore yee have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches The riches of this world are called unrighteous Mammon now these are opposite to the true riches as if these were not True riches and then in vers 12. If you have not been faithful in that which is another mans that is in these riches of the world who shall give you that which is your own so that nothing is a mans own to make him better but grace the good things of the soul they are a mans own but the other things they are the worlds things they are not a mans own therefore what doth it profit a man that hee hath gained the world for hee is never a whit the better man Thirdly All these things they are things beneath the soul things of an inferiour nature what good is it for a man that hath gotten never so much food that hee hath laid up for his horses and doggs but hee hath nothing for his children or for himself So if a man hath gotten the world hee hath gotten somewhat for his body his inferiour part I but hee hath gotten nothing for his soul that is above it These are things beneath and under the soul what good would it bee for a souldier if hee have gilt his scabbard but hee hath a broken rusty sword within or but a wooden sword within Therefore I finde in Scripture that the bodies of men and women are called the sheath of their souls Dan. 7.15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body So it is in your books translated but those that understand the Original Text they know it is a word that signifies a sheath and so Arius Montanus turns it and likewise in your Margents in the midst of his sheath and by comparing this Scripture with another it is plain that that is the propriety of the word 1 Chron. 21.27 Where the Text saith The Lord commanded the Angel and hee put up his sword again into the sheath thereof Now the word that is here translated sheath I finde by comparing of them together that it is the very same word in the Original that Daniel translates body for the body is but as the sheath unto the soul and what will it gain a souldier to have a brave sheath and in the mean time have nothing within it or that that is of no use at all thus it is with many they seek great things for their bodies but their souls are left in the mean time without any succour or help and in a most miserable condition all things that are in the world should bee servants to thy soul for they are all inferiour to it Wee account it a great disâ—onour to a man to marry his servant a man of estate in the world if wee hear hee hath married his servant which is very mean wee account it a dishonour Now for thy heart to mingle it self with the things of this world as its chiefest good what dost thou but marry thy soul to that which should bee thy servant for all these things are but as servants to the soul and for the heart of a man to bee set upon the things of this world it is to have the curse of Cham to bee upon him A servant of servants shalt thou bee for the things of the world they should bee thy servants and thou art their servant and so a servant of servants the curse of Cham is upon thee when thou art a slave to thy estate or thy honours or to thy brutish lusts a servant of servants art thou Fourthly They are such things as God in his ordinary administration of providence hath denied to the choicest of his servants specially in the times of the Gospel Many of the choice of his servants in former times were in very low and mean conditions but for the times of the Gospel how did Christ himself who was the Son of God live hee had not a hole to hide his head in The fowls of the air had nests and the Foxes had holes but the son of man not whereon to lay his head Jesus Christ that was infinitely beloved of the Father and all the Apostles they were in a poor mean condition every one of them died a violent death but onely John wee have records of their several sorts of death some crucified some stoned and some other kinds of death but all put to death save John and read but the latter end of the eleventh of the Hebrews Those that the world was not worthy of how they wandered up and down In sheep-skins and goat-skins and dens and caves of the earth That was a little before Christs time hee speaks of those in the time of the Macchabes Now certainly if God hath so ordered things in his general administrations towards such as are most dear in his eyes as to deny them these things that they shall have but little of them there is no great matter in them surely if there were any great matter in them God would not deny them to his servants when a wicked rich man shall look upon a poor man that walks humbly before God and would not commit the least sin willingly for a world meethinks such a man should think thus Oh Lord what a difference is there between such a poor man and I and yet my conscience tells mee that God hath more honour from him in one day than hee hath from mee in all my life surely there is no such great matter in the things of the world that God hath denied them him If there were any great matter in them certainly such as walk most humbly with God and most close with God should have them if they were absolutely good And indeed this is one great reason that Gods own dear servants should have so little of the world and others so much it is that hee might hold this forth to all the world that the things of this world have but little in them Fifthly And consider but the next Argument which follows upon this and is of a near kin to it That all the things of this world the pleasures profits honours they surely have no great matter in them for they are no more than may stand with Gods eternal hatred of his creature Now certainly those things that have no higher excellency in them than may stand with the eternal hatred of the Infinite
God certainly they have no great excellency in them those things that Reprobates may have surely have no great matters in them that that you give to your Swine you make no great matter of it take all the things of the world they are no more than God gives to Swine than God gives to Reprobates than God gives to such as hee doth eternally hate I remember that Luther hath such an expression as this of the Turkish Empire It is but a crum that the great Master of the family casts to his Dogg Now if all the Turkish Empire be no more than a bit of bread that you would cast to your Dogg then what is your estate The Lord who is so infinitely rich in mercy hee can afford such bones for Doggs as these are surely there is no great matters in these things that Reprobates may have as well as children therefore you that are poor people and yet godly that want these things do you quiet your hearts what though you have not such an estate as others Oh do not murmure why it is no great matter you want you want but that that God gives to Reprobates Suppose a man gains the world if hee lose his soul what gets hee hee gets a bone that Doggs have for the loss of his soul Sixthly Take this Argument That the things of this world they have no reality in them at all no real good in them according to the language of Scripture what are the things of the world divided into take the division that you had before of St. John The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life Take pleasures and riches and honours do but see what the Scripture speaks of them all First For sensual pleasures you think they have a great deal of reality in them why in the Scripture phrase they are nothing in Amos 6. compare the former part of the chapter with vers 13. vers 4. That lye upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their Couches and eâ—â— the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stall that chaunt to the sound of the Viol and invent to themselves instruments like David that drink Wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the chief ointments but they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph Here is the pleasures that these men liv'd in described but mark what hee saith in vers 13. Yee which rejoyce in a thing of nought You do rejoyce in that which is nothing all these pleasures these brave merriments when you get into a Tavern there you drink and vaunt and have pleasure and musick and what a brave life is this I but yee that rejoyce saith the Holy Ghost in a thing of nought it may bee a great matter in your eyes I but the truth is it is nothing that is for Pleasure Secondly For Riches see the testimony of the Holy Ghost concerning them in Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thiâ—e eyes upon that which is not That which hath no being at all no it is onely grace and godliness that is that that hath a beeing Prov. 8.21 That I may cause those that love mee to inherit substance Junius turns it to inherit that which is you think that the things of grace are but imaginations and onely worldly things are real no the things of the world are but fancies and the things of grace are real Thirdly And then the third is for Honours Act. 25.23 And on the morrow when Agrippa was come and Bernice with great Pomp With much fancy it was but all a fancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the truth is the excellency that these things of the world have it is an excellency that our fancy puts upon them as a peece of gold that heretofore was but twenty shillings it is raised up to two and twenty shillings I but though men may raise it up in their fancies to bee worth more the gold is the same So the things of this world wee may raise them up very high by our fancies but there is no more real good in them than there was before they are but shadows and though a mans shadow bee longer or shorter yet a man grows not longer and shorter with his shadow so though a mans estate bee more or less yet his happiness doth not grow more or less according to his estate therefore still what doth it profit a man if hee gains the world why hee gains a shadow hee gains that that hath nothing in it hee gains a fancy a dream and hee loses his soul for all this Seventhly Further suppose there were some reality yet there is nothing that can satisfie the heart Isa 55. Why do you lay out your mony for that that is not bread and for that that satiâ—fies not Onely Grace is that that satisfies the soul these things have so much mud at the bottom that you cannot have a full draught of them And besides there is a curse of God upon them that they should not satisfie yea God hath so fashioned the hearts of the children of men that they shall never bee satisfied with these things And the eager desire after these things comes from a great distemper just as Maids and Women that have green-sicknesses or that long you shall have them long for coals it may bee and dirt and so green fruit but though they long for it yet this cannot satisfie them why because it is but trash So the heart of a man or woman that longs for the things of this world why it is in a distemper as one that longs to feed upon dirt they may feed upon them but never bee satisfied with them Eighthly Yet further how can the gain of the world make up the loss of any spiritual good for one that goes on in waies of looseness that soul whatever hee gets in the world hee hath it without God God in his ordinary providence may cast it in but hee hath it without the blessing of God with it What if a man had never such fine flowers in a Garden if the Sun should never shine upon them truly so it is wâ—th many wicked men they have brave and fine estates but they never have the Sun-shine of the blessing of God upon any thing they have yea that that they have in a way of sin they have it with a curse of God together with it That that wicked men feed upon it iâ— bâ—t â—will and like Hoggs-meat that is wrapt up in the dirt their meat is filthy and stinking it self but when it is wrapt up in dirt then it is worse and so their estates the Scripture calls all in the world but as doggs-meat and it is wrapt up in their sin and the curse of God is upon it Suppose that that thou doest feed upon had no curse of God upon it yet it is but as a peece of carrion but now it is wrapt up in thy sin and so long
as thou goest on in thy sin the curse of God is upon it But now the good of all the things in the world consists in this the communication of Gods goodness towards mee in them and Christs blessing of them to draw my heart nearer to God and to bee instrumental for mee the better to serve God but Oh how few men do know wherein the true chief good of these things doth consist I have more of the things of the world than others have I but wherein am I more happy wherein Oh! I see God letting out of himself to me in the way of his goodness and hee gives mee this to do him more service than others that are poor Oh if thou couldest say thus this were a sign of a gracious heart indeed A man that loses his soul and gets the world hee gets dogs-meat wrapt up in dirt and filth Oh poor price for an immortal soul Ninthly And then besides wee must shew you somewhat about the uncertainty of all these things Charge those that are rich in the world 1 Tim. 6.17 that they trust not in uncertain riches The whole woâ—ld is as it were upon a wheel the Scripture saith that the tongue sets on fire the whole course of nature it is in the Original the wheel of nature all these things are turning up and down as it were in a wheel you have heard of the wheel of him who was a great King and having overcome others set them to draw his Charriot but he observing of them as they drew his Charriot took notice how they continually look'd back unto the wheel and asking them what the reason was why say they wee by this see the turning of the things of this world the nail that is now on the top is by and by on the bottom wee were high enough within a while but now are low enough and the consideration of this did abate the pride of that great Prince that made four Kings to draw his Charriot So it is but a wheel of nature and wilt thou venture thy soul for these things that have no certainty in them I remember Philip de Coâ—â—ines reports of a Duke of Exeter which married one of the Kings of Englands Sisters and yet hee saith that hee was seen in the Low-Countries begging his bread bare-foot Oh therefore would a man venture the loss of his soul for the gaining of these things that are so fading and passing away All flesh is grass and as the flower of the field it passes away and comes to nothing yea at those times when wee have most use of the things of the world then they are gone from us as Absalom when hee was caught by the tree and had the most use of his Mule then his Mule left him and leaves him hanging by the hair of the head so worldly things are most out of the way when you have the most need of them and will a man venture the loss of his soul for the gaining of these things that will leave you when you have the most need of them when you lye upon your sick-bed and death-bed what good will it do you to think that I wore fine cloaths and I had so much riches coming in yearly Riches avail not in the day of wrath but Righteousness that delivers from death All these things are but fading and will fail a man when heâ— hath the most need of them I remember our Chronicles tell a strange story of Richard the third King of England and you that have them it is worth your reading I do not know that ever I read of a more magnificent Coronation for a King than of his set out in abundance of glory hee had one Earl that bare before him his Crown and four Earls carrying four swords before him one a sword of state and another without a point to betoken mercy and two glittering swords one in respect of the Temporalty and the other in respect of the Clergy and four Barons bearing a Canopy over his head and himself in a long Purple Velvet Robe and his Queen in all her Pomp and State himself had a Duke to bear up his Train and his Queen shee had a Countess to bear up hers and divers other particulars that might bee shewn to set out the greatest pomp and glory almost that could bet conceived for a man to bee in but behold the revolution of things within some two years and a little more after this this glorious Prince was slain and his body lying naked to the view of all and carried on a Horse with his hands and head hanging down on the one side and his heels on the other as Butchers carry Swine or Calves and so hee was carried to Leicester and there lay divers daies above ground naked and contemptible and the very stone in which his body was laid was afterwards made use of to bee a Trough for Horses to drink at at a common Inne such hatred did they shew to him which a while before was in such a glorious condition Thus wee see that these things which are here will not hold long and for one to seek to make his rest in these things is as if a bird should build her nest in a little bush that is floating up and down in the Sea these things will carry you a little way but not far wee have all to provide for eternity If a man had a Voyage to the Indies and hee should provide a little Boat that should carry him from Westminster to the Bridge it were a poor provision so when wee provide for outward comforts and no more wee little think of the great Voyage that wee have to go wee have all of us to sail to eternity and what is a Boat of these outward comforts to carry us that long Voyage The things of this world may well bee compared to a Tree in the time of a storm when you are travelling in the way it begins to rain and you ride under an Oak or an Elm-Tree Now if there falls but a little Rain it may keep you dry but if it rains much the longer you stand under the Tree the worse you will bee So the things of this world may comfort and quiet us against a little trouble but Riches as I said Avail not in the day of wrath They will not keep off the dreadful storm of Gods wrath all these things are uncertain and will disappoint us Now these and divers other Considerations that might bee added are the strength of Reason grounded upon the Scripture to convince a man of the vanity of all the things of the world Now put all these Considerations together and well may wee say as it was said of the price that was given for Christ that Zechariah prophesies of those thirty peeces a goodly price that was given for him You hear sometimes of Judas's sin that hee betrayed Christ for thirty peeces a goodly price I may well apply this to your souls
lest hee should have his portion in these outward things and here should bee all hee breaks forth in this expression fearing lest God should give him his portion here I did saith hee protest to God with all my power and strength that hee should not put mee off so with these things hee would not bee content with them that is the first Use Little cause to envy at the men of the world for the truth is it is but a poor pittance they have and they have made a most miserable bargain If you should see one that professes himself to be a Merchant and hee should venture many thousand pounds but bring home nothing but a fair painted bauble for children to play with would you envy it to him Just thus it is with the men of the world they flatter and please themselves with their baubles but their souls are gone in the mean time Secondly Wherefore in the second place let all those that do seek to get the world in those waies wherein they are like to lose their souls let them lay this Scripture to heart and O that God would settle it upon their spirits that you might when you awake in the night season think of it when you walk up and down when you are in your shops in your business think but of this Text I remember I told you in the beginning of one that counselled one of the Kings of Portugal to think of this Text a quarter of an hour every day O that you would every time you awake especially you that have been seeking after much of the world think seriously of this Scripture Am not I the man or woman that have hazarded my soul for seeking after somewhat of the world hast thou never sought to gain any thing of the world in a way of sin and to this day thy heart not thorowly humbled for it nor repented it may bee not to this day made restitution hath not the eager pursuit after the things of this world taken thy heart up so much that thou hast not favoured the things of God and eternal life thou lookest upon the things of the world as if they were the onely realities but for spiritual things they are imaginations have not the things of this world so taken up thy spirit as made thee to have sleight thoughts of spiritual and heavenly things hast not thou blest thy self in the injoyment of these things though in the mean time God hath not made known to thee the riches of his Kingdome yet thou hast thought thy self to have enough in the enjoyment of what thou hast hast not thou often when thou hast been at the Word had thy thoughts and spirits about the things of the world as the things suitable to thee but the things of the Word thou hast not relisht yea and any thing in the Word that hath come close to that covetous corruption of thine thy heart hath secretly derided it there are no men in the world that do more secretly condemn and deride the things of God spiritual things than worldly-minded men In Luk. 16.14 wee read that Christ preaching to the Pharisees against their covetousness and telling them That no man could serve two Masters but either hee will hate the one and love the other or else hee will hold to the one and despise the other yee cannot serve God and Mammon saith Christ You cannot think to have your hearts set upon the world and your gain and yet serve the Lord but if your hearts bee set so upon your estates you will make bold with God you will venture upon the waies of sin for the gaining of the things of this world but mark The Pharisees also who were covetous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heard all these things and they derided him the word in the Greek is They blew their noses at him as a man when hee scorns and derides another hee will sâ—ew it by his nose so they in a kinde of speaking in their nose in a jeering scorning way they derided Jesus Christ that talk'd after this fashion What that a man cannot serve God and Mammon too that a man cannot look after the things of the world and the things of God too Carnal hearts they do hear things in Religion as unsavoury things whose hearts are after the things of the world And so not onely for Riches but for thy Credit Hast thou not often ventured to lye to save thy credit in something and hast been more troubled when thou hast been discovered in any thing that makes against thy credit and esteem than in the sin that thou hast committed against God Now by such kinde of evidences it is clear that men injoy the world in such a way as wherein they are like to lose their souls to all eternity and now Oh do but look upon your estates that you have and do but think what they cost you and little comfort you will have in them It is observed of David when hee did long for the waters of the Well of Bethlehem and there were men ventured their lives to get him the water when it came to him hee would not drink of it Oh it is the price of blood so when thou lookest upon thy estate and fittest at thy table and seest that thou hast more there than other men and lookest into thy Chest and there thou hast plenty of Garments and thy children are fine and brave and the like these are pretty things for a while to please the fancy with I but what do they cost as hee that would reckon his cloath hee reckons that the dying and the spinning it cost him so much I but what cost the wooll why that was his own and hee accounted nothing of that So such and such things that thou hast what do they cost they cost thus much and thus much I but hath not thy soul gone into the bargain and canst thou have pleasure in it when it cost thee so dear as it hath Psal 31.6 the spirit of holy David rises up in indignation against such men as these are I have hated them that regard lying vanities My spirit cannot but with indignation and abomination rise up against them what that men should follow after vanity when there are such glorious things to bee followed after when there is the blessed God and the glorious Riches of Grace and Salvation that are revealed in his Word that may take the hearts of the children of men and yet they follow after vain things men that have immortal souls capable of eternal communion with the Lord in the highest Heavens for them to follow after vanity and satisfie themselves in such things I hate them saith David certainly it is the curse of God that is upon the hearts of men that suffers them to follow after such things and especially in the times of the Gospel when such glorious things are revealed to their souls I say the curse of God is upon them Isa 44.20
Hee feedeth on Ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that hee cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lye in my right hand Hee feedeth of Ashes A deceived heart hath turned him aside that hee cannot deliver his soul there lies the sore evil of it A deceived heart hee needs not cast it upon the Devil but it is his own bare filthy corrupt heart that dares not trust God for his soul for eternity hee will have present things come of it what will come hee knows what the meaning of present things are but what those are that are to come hee knows not a deceived heart hath seduced him and hee cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lie in my right hand that is is not the strength of my indeavour set upon falshoods the chief of my strength and indeavours is it not set upon a lie Chrysostome saith If hee were to preach to all the world hee would chuse that Text as soon as any Oh yee children of men why do yee love vanity and follow after leasing And it were happy if it were alwaies sounding in the ears of every one whose hearts are after present things so that such a one may hear a voice behinde him saying This is not the way but this is the way walk in it Thou hast deceived thy soul all this while and wearied thy self and that through the curse of God upon thy heart as Hab. 2.13 Behold is it not of the Lord of Hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity Is not this of the Lord of Hosts So when wee see men and women why they have understanding in the things of the world yet for the matter of God they have none at all They are very industrious and laborious to get outward things and outward comforts of this world and tire themselves can sit up late and rise early Oh is it not of the Lord of Hosts that people should thus weary and tire themselves by way of similitude wee may apply it to the spirits of men that are wearying and tyring of themselves after vanity it is the Lords curse that is upon their hearts It is said I remember of Dionysius that when hee was upon his sick-bed hee hears Thales the Philosopher discoursing excellently about divers excellent moralities and hee curses those pleasures and delights that had taken off his heart from attending to such things When thou comest upon thy sick-bed what will comfort thee then it cannot bee thy silver nor gold therefore oh that the Lord would make thee now for the present to see thy vanity and folly before it be too late and thou curse thy self and there bee no hopes for thee But it is this point shews the folly and madness of those that seek after never such great things in the world with the hazard of their souls but then what shall wee say to those that will hazard their souls for every trifle Wee spoke of that in the aggravation of the dreadfulness of the loss of the soul onely a word or two more of it here In Amos 2.6 God complains there that the righteous were sold for silver and the poor for a pair of shooes That they put such a poor price upon righteous men and upon poor men as if God should say Know I put a greater price upon my righteous servants than all the silver in the world Oh now the complaint may bee against many people that sell their souls for silver yea even for a pair of shooes for a trifle for a toy for nothing not for all the world but for every little pittance what is that that thou hast or art like to have why very poor things in comparison of the world I remember it is reported of Alcibiades a young Gallant that Socrates comes in a jeering way unto him for his pride and brings him a Map of the world and saith hee to him Shew mee I pray thee where lies thy Land here Now if I were to speak to Princes and Emperours yet this Text would speak dreadfully to them that they should venture their souls for Kingdomes and Empires but now for you that are never like to have any such things for you to set your hearts upon such trifles and so to damn your souls what can you get look upon a Map and see what all England is Europe is but a fourth part of the world that is known I but then what is England to Europe and then to all the world and then what is one County in England and one City or one House I have a great many Tenements saith one in a Parish but what is all this to the world and all this world unto Heaven and Heaven and the world unto God but now to think that thou art blessed because thou hast but a few rotten Tenements Oh what a seduced heart hath deceived thee that thou canst bee satisfied with such things as these are this one meditation mee thinks might sink into the hearts of those that will venture their souls for every trifle If ever thy soul bee saved God must set such a price upon it that hee must give more than a thousand worlds are worth to save it hee must give no less than the blood of his Son and canst thou think that the infinite God should prize thy soul at such a high rate when thou thy self dost prize it at such a low rate If so bee that a man had lost any thing of his estate and it could not bee redeemed without some great summe of mony If his friends come to know that hee doth not prize what hee hath lost will any friend bee so mad as to lay down five hundred pound to redeem that for his friend which hee knows aforehand that hee doth noâ— prize at twelve pence So canst thou think that that soul of thine that thou prizest at nothing that the Infinite God should lay down such a price to redeem it Thirdly From the consideration of the comparison of the gain of the world to the loss of the soul It is a Use of exhortation To teach us to answer all temptations or to work this upon our hearts the answering of all temptations to any way of sin To answer all with this you offer mee too little whatsoever you can offer mee to draw mee to think well of sin certainly it is too little for it indangers my soul the thorow understanding of this point and the working of it upon the heart is a very great help against whatsoever temptation should come to draw thee to sin Surely If these things bee so then this can bee no Argument for mee to neglect any duty that God calls for at my hands or to venture upon any way that my conscience tells mee is sin Oh but if I do thus it will indanger my estate but if I do such a thing I shall get so much by it
Certainly there can bee no strength in this if what hath been spoken out of this Text bee true But now when there comes a temptation and prevails over thee thou dost deny this Scripture to bee the Word of God and thou settest thy judgement against the truth of God but now consider with thy self which is like to stand know that God will make his Word stand hee will make it good when thou and a thousand thousand such as thou art shall perish for ever and therefore as you that are chapmen when men offer you less than your ware is worth you scorn and contemn them so you should do when temptation offers you less than your soul is worth Wee read of Saul when hee saw the people following David saith hee What can the son of Jesse do for you Can hee give you Olive-yards and Vine-yards and the like So when temptation to sin comes ask it what can you do for mee can you save my soul in the time of distress you would draw mee to such and such courses such and such companions would draw mee to such and such waies I but you may put them off with this Is this the way to save my soul if it bee then I will do it but if it will not do that God forbid that I should meddle Oh therefore remember remember that the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7.30 31. The Apostle would take off the hearts of men from the things of this world and bring this Argument saith hee The fashion of this world it passeth away Therefore use the world as not abusing it That that you have in your English book passes away it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I finde two very learned Writers translate it by a word that signifies to deceive The fashion of the world will deceive you at last and another by a word that signifies To go quite cross These two significations it hath it doth deceive or it goes quite cross the outward shew of the world oh it doth deceive thousand thousands of souls to their eternal perdition and it goes quite cross it seems to promise thee thus and thus much but it will go quite cross in the conclusion and will bee thy undoing if thou dost not take heed and therefore let not any thing in the world bee a temptation to thee for the least sin that possibly may bee I remember Austin in his book about an officious lye hath this passage saith hee A man must not tell an officious lye that is a lye without an intention to do any body hurt for the gaining of the world nay for the gaining of all the souls in the world the least sin is a greater evil than the gain of all the world is a good because that it is dangerous to the soul upon that very ground and therefore it is said of Basil when the persecutors terrified him with the loss of all that hee had but that did not prevail then they made him fair proffers and great advantages that hee should have I but Basil laught at them and bid them go and proffer such things to children So the story of the Martyrs tells us of Austinius that godly man that having been a means to demolish a place for Idol worship The Idolaters afterwards came upon him and put him to extremity of torments and set children upon him to rake his flesh with their knives but at length they would bee content if hee would but give never so little for the building up of the Idol Temple again to let him go free No saith hee not one half-penny Certainly this point will bee enough to justifie any that shall lose estate or indure any thing in the world rather than do any thing that may in the least degree hazard their souls And so that Martyress Juletta when one accused her and said that shee was a Christian nay then saith the Judge you must not have liberty of the Law No saith shee then farewel riches and life and all shee would bee sure to keep her soul safe whatsoever became of all other things The last Use is an Use of Incouragement to those that will rather venture all in the waies of God than to hazard their souls thou art the wise Merchant that art willing to sell all for the Pearl and bless thy self in God for this that ever God hath put this into thy heart to look to that which is the main chance as wee use to say If God had left thee to thy self thou mightest have gone on in such waies as others do but canst thou say the Lord hath caused the fear of himself and the fear of eternity to fall upon my soul and I can appeal to him that whatever comes of mee in regard of outwards mee thinks I can bee satisfied so bee it all things bee well with my soul I say bless thy self in God a man is not to praise himself but in God that is thus When thou dost consider how God hath drawn thy heart to him and thy interest in God thou mayest bless thy self in God in the grace of God that hath given thee a heart taken off from creature-comforts dis-ingaged from them and set upon the things that concern the eternal salvation of thy soul bless thy self in God and bee not troubled though thou beest cut short in the things of this world One would think that that which hath been said about the vanity of the things of this world should make people that are crossed in them if they bee godly to bee satisfied What if thou art plundered of all and â—ast little pâ—ovision for thy family and â—ast bread for one day and knowest not where to get bread for the next I but is thy soul safe I remember wee read in Genesis of the King of Sodome hee could say to Abrâ—ham Give mee the souls and take the goods to thy self though hee were but a Heathen King hee spake of their natural lâ—ves So do you whose hearts God hath inclined to soul-saving waies say to the men of the world Do you take the riches but let mee have the safety and welfa e of the soul Oh if God have assured thee upon good grounds that thy soâ—l is safe thy sin pardoned what great matter though thou hast not some of the lumber of this world If a malefactour that were in danger to die should go to seek for a pardon for his life well when hee hath gotten it and is coming from the presence of the King perhaps hee loses his glove or handkerchief upon the staires were it not an unseemly thing for such a man to fall a crying and wringing of his hands because hee had lost his glove Just thus for all the world is the madness and folly of people that say they have some comfortable hope that God will have mercy upon their souls and will save them for ever yet when they are crost and wronged they cry out they are undone man
and woman thou art not undone for thy soul is safe Lord strike saith Luther strike onely pardon my sin And my Brethren well may you bee incouraged to undergo any difficulties and to bear the loss of the comforts of this world for the saving of your souls for indeed the Lord hath granted to us the way of salvation of souls at an easier rate than our Forefathers had If I should but tell you the way that many of our Forefathers had for the saving of their souls and many of the Saints of God in former times you would have said then that it was a difficult way to save souls and go to Heaven As I will but give you an instance of one man and another woman how hardly they came to salvation That blessed Martyr Bensesius see but what a way hee had to Heaven for profession of Christian Religion The Persecutors came to him and because hee would not deny the Truth they strike his body in all his members out if joynt and when they had done that they make wounds in all parts of his body then thirdly they bring Iron combs sharpened and so rake upon his body thus wounded and when they had done that they laid him upon an Iron grate and with instruments of Iron open those wounds and after that they melt hot burning salt and strew it upon those wounds being opened and then they come with hot Irons and fear him with those hot Irons and after that dragg him by the heels into a dungeon where they had prepared sharp shells and there hee lay and perished here is one that went to Heaven upon hard terms you will say but God calls not you to do so but to deny your selves in some base lust in some sinful and ungodly way in something that you may spare that you may spare as well as the water out of your shooes as wee use to say And then of a woman that was of Noble birth and yet shee being convented for Religion and answering boldly and resolutely and would not yeeld after many temptations and fair speeches they dragged her by the hair of the head from the seat of Judicature and having dragged her they pull off one joynt from another and having done that get the teeth and claws of wilde beasts and rake her flesh from the bones and having afterwards done that then they came with hot Irons and Torches and burning flames one of one side and another of another side and scorch and burn her to death in such a way as that was and yet shee goes on constantly so bee it shee might save her soul shee was willing to indure all this misery wee do not know what God may call you to before you die many of our Brethren have suffered very hard things and God may call you to hard things Oh that this Text might prepare you And now my Brethren as it hath been a means to carry others thorow temptations and many difficulties in this world so if you would lay but these truths to your hearts and if you cannot think of every particular passage yet do but think of the Text and take but this one Note and that is that whereas God calls others to spend their strength in suffering so great evils to save their souls bee you willing to spend the strength that God spares you in doing in serving spend your strength in active obedience so much the more by how much the less you are called to spend it in the way of passive obedience that so you may have cause to bless God for ever in Heaven when you shall come to see soul and body to bee blessed and saved eternally you may bless God for ever in Heaven for revealing such a truth and setting home such a Text What shall it profit a man though hee gain the whole world and lose his soul and what shall a man give in exchange for his soul FINIS Books printed for and sold by Thomas Parkhurst at the three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside Folios A Practical Commentary or an Exposition with Observations Reasons and Uses upon the first Epistle General of John By that pious and worthy Divine Master John Cotâ—on Pastor of Bostox in New-England A Learned Commentary or Exposition upon the first Chapter of the second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians being the substance of many Sermons formerly Preached at Grayes-Inne London by that Reverend and judicious Divine Richard Sibbs D. D. sometimes Master of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge and Preacher to that Honourable Society Published for the publick good and benefit of the Church of Christ by Tho. Manton B. D. and Preacher of the Gospel at Stoake-Newington near London 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine Characters in two parts acutely distinguishing the more secret and undiscerned differences between 1. The Hypocrite in his best dress of seeming vertue and formal duties And the true Christian in his real graces and sincere obedience As also between the blackest weeds of daily infirmities of the truly godly eclipsing saving grace and the reigning sins of the unregenerate that pretend unto that godliness they never had By that late burning and shining Lamp Mr. Samuel Crook B. D. late Pastor of Wrington in Sommerset A Commentary upon the Divine Revelation of the Apostle and Evangelist John By David Pareus sometimes Professour of Divinity in the University of Heidelburg And specially some things upon the twentieth Chapter are observed by the same Author against the Millenaries Translated out of the Latine into English by Elias Arnold Quartoes A Theatre of flying Infects wherein especially the manner of right ordering the Bee is excellently described with discourses Historical and Physical concerning them with a Second part of Meditations and Observations Theological and Moral in three Centuries upon the same subject by Samuel Purchas M. A. Peoples Need of a living Pastor at the Funeral of Mr. Iohn Frost M. A. by Mr. Zach. Crofton 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Saint's Worthiness and the World's worthlesness both opened and declared in a Sermon preached at the Funeral of that eminently Religious and highly honoured Knight Sir Nathanael Barnardiston Aug. 26. 1653. By Samuel Faireclough Pastor of the Congregation at Ketton Holy things for holy men or the Lawyers Plea non-suited c. In some Christian reproof and pitty expressed towards M. Prynn's book intituled The Lord's Supper briefly Vindicated by S. S. Minister of the Gospel An Antid te against H. Haggar's poysonous Pamphlet intituled The Foundation of the Font discovered or a reply wherein his audaciousness and sophistry in arguing against Infant-Baptism Discipleship Church-membership is detected his cavils against M. C. M. B. and M. Hall are answered c. By A. Houghton Minister of the Gospel at Prees in Salop. Large Octavoes Four profitable Treatises very useful for Christian practice viz. The Killing power of the Law The Spiritual Watch The New Birth Of the Sabbath By the