that time when he was driven from his fathers House when he was forced to fly to save his life he was in a sad conditihn he had not a bed to lye on he had not a pillow to lay his head upon but took a heap of stones to lay his head upon and yet in that condition did God come and manifest himself most gloriously to him he dreamed a Dream and saw a Vision of the Ladder set up to Heaven and of the Angel Ascending and Descending God was there in a special manner so he saith The Lord was there and he was not aware never did he enjoy more of God then in that condition Stephen the first Martyr never enjoyed more of God he never enjoyed more glorious Visions of Jesus Christ then when he looked through a showr of stones that came about his ears and took away his life he saw the arme of the Lord Jesus ready to receive him to embrace him in the everlasting armes of his love he had heard much of Christ in his everlasting Gospel but he never saw him before with his eye John the Evangelist there is another instance if you look into the first Chapter of the Revelation of John about the 9. vers you shall see there where he was and in what condition he was in when he received those gloriouâ— Revelations he said he was banisht into the Isle of Patmos for bearing witness to the Name of Christ and the truth of Christ he was a Martyr and fellow sufferer and when he was banished from all friends and comforts and left naked and destitute of all comforts the Lord Jesus doth draw nigh and doth reveal the most glorious Mysteries concerning his Churches to John The primitive Churches never enjoyed more of God then at that time when they were most persecuted by men in the times of those 10. bloody pâ—rsecution the Churches had abundance of the presence of Christ abundance of the Spirit of Christ and abundance of the grace of Christ abundance of holy zeal and abundance of activity for God it was poured out upon them the Lord Jesus never took so much delight to walk among them as when they were in the midst of the fiery persecution What presence of Christ the people of God enjoy in pâ—rsecution Quest If you ask me But what presence of Christ is it that the people of God do enjoy in their great afflictions and in the midst of their fiery tryals Answ 1. First of all they have most of the supporting presence of Christ never more of the supporting presence of Christ then in sad conditions he supports the inward man and he supports the outward man he upholds the spirits of his people in sad conditions and he makes their spirits able to bear their infirmity Now here is a wonderful work of the Lord that he should strengthen the spirit of a poor creature with such mighty power as to resist and to keep out the violence of such mighty tryals such great afflictions There is nothing that the Devil seeks more then to drive affliction home to the spirit that so he might crush the spirit and conquer the spirit when he can get in and ceaze upon the spirit then he becomes master and creats a deal of smâ—rt and vexation Now the power of the Lord Jesus is seen in that he doth support and strengthen the spirits of his people that when they have but a little strength no strength and yet are able to hold out notwithstanding they are so strongly besieged and so straitly girt many times round about with afflictions yet he makes that little strength to hold out at that time that so he is pleased to renew their strength to give fresh supplies and to remove the disease and so the power of Christ is seen in supporting the outward man many times in the midst of great afflictions when the Saints meet with great afflictions afflictions of the body crosses such afflictions as might even overwhelm the outward man and they have but little strength many times yet the Lord doth so blesse that little strength that though they meet with crosses that little strength shall not fail till such time as the Lord do bring deliverance to them Secondly As they have the supporting presence of Christ in the affliction so they have the inlightening presence of Christ and that 's a great mercy commonly the Lord never teaches his people more then in affliction when Christ gets them into the School of affliction then he instructs them there he doth open mens ears and he doth seal up mens instruction to them when Christ draws nigh in affliction I know afflictions in themselves cannot teach but when Christ draws nigh they learn a great deal in affliction they never see more of God and of themselves never more of their corruptions and vileness that is within them never see more of the power and way of God and the mysteries of Christ at that time when Jesus Christ draws nigh with his enlightening presence Thirdly Jesus Christ draws nigh with his sanctifying presence his people have more of his sanctifying presence in their greatest tryals when Christ draws nigh to sanctifie their afflictions to subdue their corruptions and to strengthen their graces the fruit of their affliction shall be to purge them from sin afflictions themselves cannot do it afflictions themselves harden but when the Lord Jesus Christ draws nigh in affliction the Saints do enjoy abundance of the sanctifying presence and through their afflictions they are made partakers of the Divine Nature their corruptions are subdued and mortified Again fourthly They never injoy more of the quickening presence of Christ then in affliction I say the quickening presence of Christ many times dead hearts how are they raised up when Christ draws nigh to them how are they elevated above themselves and their own strength because they are mightily acted by the Spirit of Christ in the fifth of Hosea you may see there how God doth promise his quickening presence in the time of their affliction Hosea 5 last verse I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their afflictions they will seek me early They were dead-hearted people and they had lost all activity for God they were not carryed out with desire after God they would not stir up themselves to take hold of him Well says God I will make them prize me I will fling them into affliction and then in their affliction I will draw nigh to them with my quickening presence and in their afflictions they will seek me early Again fiftly and lastly The Saints never injoy more of the comftoring presence of Christ then they do in the time of their great affliction in the 2. of the Song of Solomon vers 6. what says the Spouse there in her greatest afflictions His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me As Christ doth support in
enemies though I shall bring glory to thee another way yet I shall not bring glory to thee in this world And therefore Oh Lord do this for thy servant remember me for thine own name and for thine own glory and so the Psalmist David did use the same Argument with God in Psal 30. when he there was sick and ready to go down to the grave he pleads with God in the 8. and 9. vers What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit as much as to say Oh Lord what wilt thou not look to thine own glory What shall become of thy gain of thy Rent that should be brought in here in the land of the living if I go down to the pit I cannot lift thee up here in this world there is a long time indeed even for eternity when thou shalt be lift up by the Saints in Heaven but it is but a short time that thou shalt be glorified in the land of the living and thou hadst need spare the life of thy servant to lift up thy name in the land of the living What profit is there in my blood if I go down to the pit So that still you see the lives of the Saints are very precious in the eye of God Oh that you that are the people of God that you would believe this it is worth the pressing it upon you that you would fix this truth upon your heart that your lives are very precious in Gods sight if you be Some particulars to make out to the Saints that their lives are precious in Gods sight not perswaded of it I beseech you consider these particulars First of all consider What a charge God hath given to all his Creatures concerning the lives of his Saints do but remember their former charge He hath given charge to the water and charge to the fire and charge to the beasts in the earth and fishes in the sea he hath given charge to the earth he hath given a charge to violent men he hath given a charge to the Devil to Diseases and Sicknesses surely doth God take such pains and give such charges surely the lives of his Saints must needs be precious to him did a man go up and down in his family and give charge to every one from the greatest to the least Take heed you do not meddle with such a Box take heed that none of you touch it why then certainly 't is precious there is som precious thing in it such a charge haâ—h God given concerning the lives oâ— the Saints he hath taken pains to go up and down in all his family even the whole world Heaven and Earth is his Family and he hath spoken to every one of his Creatures to the highest and to the lowest Take heed you do nothing against the lives oâ— my servants the very meanest of all the Creatures in the whole family shall not say but that they were warned he commands the very stones in the field as it is in Iob making a League with the stones in the field not to hurt his servants doth God take such pains and give such charges you must needs conclude that your lives are precious in his sight Again Secondly Consider what a guard God hath set about the lives of his Servants He hath set a guard of Angels about them He shall give his Angels charge over thâ—e that they shall keep thee in all thy ways See what the Apostle saith in the first of the Hebrews he speaks of the great priviledge of the Saints in the last verse Are they not all Ministring spirits sent forth to Minister to them There is not one of the Angels in Heaven but hath a charge to guard the lives of his Saints are they not all Ministring Spirits Why brethren the best of them have a charge given them from the highest to the lowest they have all a charge given them concerning the lives of his Saints and they are as watchful as may be what says our Saviour Christ in Mat. 26. 53. do you think says he that man can take my life from me whether I will or no I go according as it is written of me I go because my father â—ath decreed it no man can take my life from me if I would rescue my self I could pray to my father and he should send a Legion of Angels to rescue me rather then my life should be taken away from me before my time be come And so the like may be said of all the Saints God would send more then twelve Legions of Angels to rescue the lives of his servants out of every danger and out of the hand of every enemy rather then their lives should be taken from them before it was determined of God certainly the lives of his servants are precious to him he hath set such a guard about them a guard of Angels that God should be pleased rather to want attendance in Heaven then hiâ— Sainâ—s lives on earth should be in jeopardy God he will spare them all out of Heaven for to rescue the lives of his Saints before they shall be cut off before his time appointed â—e come Yea further in the third place Consider that the Lord himself takes a special care of the lives of his children he will not trust the lives of the Saints with the Angels though the Angels be watchful and as faithful as can be desired in creatures yet God himself he will have to do with the lives of his Servants his eye shall be upon them and his hand under them there is never a moment in which God doth not watch over them and himself take a special care of them what he says of his Vineyard in Isa 27. 3. may be said of every particular Saint I the Lord will kâ—ep it I will water it every momâ—â—t least any hurt it I will kâ—ep it night and day See here is a gracious promise I will keep it and I will water it and this shall be every moment this shall be night and day there is not a moment in the night nor a moment in the day in which God hath not special care of his people from first to last from the womb he hath a care of them and so the Psalmist doth confess in Psalm 22. speaking of the watchful care of the Lord of the goodness of the Lord Ps 22. 9 10. Thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when upon my Mothers breasts I was cast upon thee from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers belly See here from the very womb from the very beginning God begins to take the care of his people he brings this to strengthen his faith on God for the future to uphold his soul now in his suffering 't is spoken of Christ surely the Lord he can do it he hath not left me he took care of me when I was in the womb he began then to take the
care of me he delivered me when I was in such straits when I was almost dead strugling to get into this world the hand of the Lord was helping of me The hand of the Lord was more to me then all creatures he helped me See at the beginning from first to last God takes a special care of the lives of his Saints Fourthly It will further appear this great love of God this great care of God will further appear if we consider what a rate he makes men pay for the lives of his Saints when they take their lives away by violence He will make them know they have stolen precious Jewels from him and he will make them pay dear for it you know what it cost Jerusalem there was found the blood of the Prophets slain there was a great deal of blood lay upon them the blood of Abel and the blood of Zacharias and they shed the blood of the Prophets and Servants of God and that blood became their overthrow the blood of them did throw down the Walls and Temple of the City the streams of blood did sweep away all the Inhabitants thereof whensoever the life of a Saint is stolen and taken away God presently sends Hue and Cry after it and wheresoever God hath found the blood of his people he hath declared his wrath against them he hath prosecuted the Law to the uâ—most against them See what is prophesied of Babylon how doth the Lord deal with her in the 18. of Revelation when God came to make inquisition after the blood of the Saints 't is said And in her was found the blood of the Saints There God found his stolen Jewels the blood of his Saints See how God doth prosecute the Law against her in thaâ— 18. Chapter you read of most fearful judgments that came upon Babylon God seizes upon all her Riches all her Glory and they were all brought down in a day she her self was brought to execution she was cast down as a Milstone cast down into the bottom of the Sea never to to rise again what was the cause of all this wrath and diâ—pleasure and fearful judgements that was to come upon Babylon Why this was given as the reason In her was found the blood of the Prophets So then still you see and I beseech you beleeve it there is nothing in all the world more precious to the Lord then the lives of his Servants Well 2ly If the lives of the Servants of God Use 2 be so precious how precious are the souls of his Servants the life is more then rayment saith Christ the life is more then all creatures and the soul is more then life the life of Christ in the soul it must needs be a hundred times more precious a thousand times more precious Oh what a high account hath God of the souls of his people what will not God part with rather then he will loose the souls of his people he will part with the Jewel of Heaven the great Jewel of Heaven to ransome the souls of his people he was content that his Son should come out of his bosome rather then he would loose one of the souls of his people the Son was infinitely dear to the Father more dear to him then all the world yea ten thousand worlds and yet he will part with his son that he may rescue the souls of his people from destruction Oh how precious was the soul in the eye of Christ what did he do what did he suffer to redeem the precious soul how far did he come to fetch them a mighty journey the Lord Christ took from Heaven to Earth that he might bring back poor souls that were taken captive by the Divel and rescue them from death and destruction what great hazard did the Lord Christ run when he was upon Earth Oh what mighty Armies what Troops did Jesus Christ break through Armies of sins and Armies of Divels that was in his way and yet he brake through them all to rescue the souls of his Servants when he had broke through those Troops what depths did he descend into that he might fetch up the souls of his Servants He was content to go into the depths of the Sea the red Sea the Sea of blood yea into the depths of the Sea of his Fathers wrath and indignation that so he might fetch up the souls of his Servants the depth of the wrath of God the depth of the infinite wrath of God it is a Sea that hath no bottom a Sea of wrath that men and Angels should never have found the bottom they shall be descending lower and lower still and never find the bottom and yet the Son of God was content to go to the bottome of wrath of all the billows of his Fathers wrath and displeasure that so be might fetch up the souls of his servants that lay under wrath they could never have lift up their heads above the billows of the displâ—aâ—ure of the Almighty if Christ had not fetcht them up if he had not upon his own back carryed them over Oh how precious were the souls of his Saints in the eye of God! The life of the Son of God was precious to him and yet his life was nothing to him in comparison that he might save the souls of his people if he had a thousand lives he would have layd them all down Now I beseech you think of this you that have a mean account of your souls O how precious is the soul in the account of the Son of God how great was the price that Christ paid for thy soul and why dost thou undervalue thy soul and art willing to part with this most precious treasure in the world it cost the life of the Son of God to purchase thy soul and wouldst thou be content to sell thy soul for a trifle and yet how many thousands in the world do value a thousand things in the world above their souls and many they will part with their souls for a lust for vanity for nothing for a bag of earth for an empty cloud of honour for a little pleasure Oh what undervaluing is this of thy poor soul I beseech you remember the worth of the soul do but consider how precious it was in the eye of God you that do slight your precious souls If 〈◊〉 â—â—ed your body you care not if the soul starve Oh that you would remember you wiâ—l make a hard bargain though you win all tâ—e world and loose your own soul what shall a man gâ—â—e in exchange for his soul I beseech you for the Lords sake have more care of your souls let your souls be precious in your eyes 't is more worth then all the world if you loose the things of the world you may find them again you may gain them again if you loose all the friends in the world you may finde them all in the Son of God he stands in all relations to his people nay
of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God YOu know what Proposition was raised the last day viz. That God doth often times in a wonderful manner rescue the lives of his Servants from death and destruction You had then the Doctrinal part I have since that in another place made some Application which I shall finish God willing at this time time we learned by way of Instruction First That the lives of his Servants are precious in Gods sight All the Income of glory that God hath brought in from this world it comes in this way from the lives of his Servants if it were not for them God should loose all his Rent and therefore the Psalmist doth plead with God when his life was brought nigh to the grave In Psalm 30. Lord saith he what profit is there in my bloâ—d if I go down to the pit as if he should say Lord thou art like to loose thy Profit thy Rent if I go down to the grave I shall not bring thee in that Rent of glory Though I shall glorifie thee in another way yet I shall not lift thee up here in this world I shall not make thy name glorious before the eyes of the sons of men in the midst of thy adversaries therfore Lord look to thine own Profit saith he The lives of the Servants of God are very precious to him and therefore he hath given such charges concerning their lives He hath laid a charge upon all his creatures Fire Water Wild beasts upon Fishes of the Sea upon violent men upon violent Diseases Sicknesses upon the Divels themselves he hath châ—rged them all concerning his Servants that they are not able to lift up a hand against them and therefore God hath set such a guard about the lives of his Servants are they not all Ministring Spirits so 't is said of the Angels Hebrews â— Are they not all miâ—istring Spirits sent forth for the good of the Saints God will spare all his Angels out of Heaven rather then the lives of any of his Servants should be lost yea the Lord he wil not trust the Angels themselves but he takes special care of the lives of his Servants I the Lord do keep it I watch over it every moment And therefore also you find that men have paid dear for his Jewels when they have taken away the lives of his Servants he hath always made Hue and Cry after them and where ever he hath found the blood of his Servants he hath made them to pay dear for it It is said of Babylon That when God made search for blood he found the blood of his Prophets there and how suddenly was Babylâ—n brought down all Babylons goods were forfeited presently they were seized upon as â—elons goods and â—he was brought down with all violence and she was cast down as a Milstone into the bottome of the Sea Now if life be so precious to God how precious is the soul to God Oh the care that God takes of the souls of his people Oh the pains that Jesus Christ took to fetch the souls of his people What a journey did he come And what a Sea of blood did he pass through What an Ocean of his Fathers wrath did he dive into He was content to go to the bottome when all the billows of his Fathers wrath lay upon him that so he might fâ—tch up the souls of his people and therefore if the soul be precious unto God and Christ it should be precious unto you What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and to loose his soul and therefore what ever you do neglect not those great Matters of Eternity those matters that concern the soul Again If life be so precious with God why then you should prize your lives It is the wil of God that you should look upon your life as precious take heed that you speak not against your lives It was the Prophets failing he would needs dye in a passion Lord I am no better then my Fathers and take heed that you act nothing against your lives it is the greatest sin that you can sin Improve your lives to the utmost gain as much knowledge of God and communion with God in this tearm of life as possibly you may do as much for God act as much for God in the tearm of life as possibly you may This is the way to put oâ—â— your lives for the best advantage Though man hath never so much of the world never so much oâ— outward honour yet if his life be not spent in this in seeking after God in acting for God he looseth all his honor at last become as the beasts that perish In the last place We should trust God for the future and I shall now press this Use of Exhortation more fully upon Gods people When eveâ— you have seen God in a way of deliverance you should trust God for the future 't is part of the Rent that God doth expect for mercy that they that have received mercy should for ever cleave unto God and in all conditions put their trust in him Psal 62. v. 11 12. God hath spoken once anâ— twice have I heard this saith the Psalmist thaâ— power belongs to Gâ—d he hath spoken once and I have heard it twice When God speaks in some remarkable providence why this is the voice oâ— God That power belongs to God and free grace belongs to God 1. Trust God first of all for all the comforts oâ— What we should trust God for life for whatsoever may make your lives comfortable and that because that life is more then alâ— the comforts of it and God that gives the greater will not deny the lesser it is our Saviourâ— Argument to his Disciples in Mat. 6. 25. Therefore I say unto you take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor yâ—t for your body what you shall put on is not the life more then meat and the body then raiment Is not life more then meat Is not the life of greater vâ—lue then meat drink and clothing more then aâ— the comforts of life it is more in the eye of God the life of one Saint is more unto God then all the creatures in the world Now where God gives life he takes care for life he takes care for the comforts of life See what provision God did make for the beasts in the old Law there was a Law given in the 25. of Deut. v. 4. That they should not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the coâ—n and the Apostle does apply it doth the Lord take care for Oxen and so doth he not abundantly care for men and so our Saviour he tells us the Lord takes care of the Ravens and he feeds them Does the Lord take care of Ravens and will he not take care of his Saints Certainly those that fear the Lord he
there was not a thorow work of grace at this time wrought upon his heart Many works he did but yet they seem to be effects of a temporary faith Nebuchadnezzer notwithstanding all this he fell back again to his old way of supposition for in the fourth Chapter you shall read there of his Superstitious ways He dreams a Dream and he fends for the Sorcerers to tell his dream and he would have cut them off because they could not tell him his dream and reveal it to him which belongs to God to reveal secrets So that though great conviction I say post upon him which did rise from the present sight of the Miracle that was wrought yet Nebuchadnezzer at that time he was noâ— truly brought home to God So then we may observe this Proposition of Doctrine The second Proposition of Doctrine That it is not in the power of the greatest Miracles to convert a soul to God unless the Spirit of Jesus Christ step in I say it is not in the power of the greatest Miracle to convert a Soul to God Neither Miracles of Judgment nor Miracles of Mercy will do it Pharaoh King of the Aegyptians Instances to clear it he saw as many Miracles of judgment as one would have thought would have broken the most stoniest heart and made the most obstinat wretch to submit to God and yet notwithstanding Pharâ—ohs heart was not softened but hardned And all those Miraculous works of Judgment they made him harder The people of Israel they saw Miracles both of judgment and mercy and yet for the most part they were secure hard hearted unbelieving people they were a burden to God and a provocation to his Spirit All the time they were in the Wilderness what Miracles of judgmement did they see God smote some of them with fire from Heaven and consumed them God smote Miriam with Leprosie in the 12. of Numbers for her murmuring And the Lord consumed Corah Dathan and Abiram in Numbers 16. they were consumed and yet the people rebelled against God he sent fiery Serpents amongst them in the 21. of Numbers another Miracle of judgment and yet notwithstanding for all that they rebelled against the Lord They saw Miracles of Mercy also What wondrous works did God do for them in the Land of Aegypt What wonders at the red Sea in dividing the waters and made a path of life and death to go through life to the Israelites and death to the Aegyptians they saw his wonders in the Wilderness God led them in the day time by a pillar of light and in the night time by a pillar of fire He rained Manna from Heaven they eat Angels food he gave them water out of the Rock Moses smote the Rock and the water came out He rained feathered foul into their Camp that they all eat and wâ—re full And many other Miracles of Mercy they saw many Mercies which are expressed in the 78. Psalm but notwithstanding for all this you may see what this people was at the 8. verse of the 78. Psalm A stuborn and rebellious generation a generation that sets not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God This is the description that is given of their fore-Fathers They were a stubborn generaâ—ion rebellious a generation that set not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Secondly As we have instances to prove it so we have the word of Christ to prove it to make it evident that it is not in the greatest Miracles of the world to convert a soul to God See what our Saviour saith in that 16. of Luke and the 31. 'T is the word of Abraham in the Parable he said unto them if you hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will you be perswaded though one rose from the dead The rich man in Hell he desires that one may be sent from the dead to give them warning why Abraham tells them they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them and if they hear not Moses the Prophets nâ—ither wil they be perswaded though one rose from the dead The greatest Miracle in the world what ever it wil noâ— turn the heart to God it wil not make them to believe in his name though one should come from the dead thou God should send an Angel a Saint from Heaven that should be as a flying Angel to fly up and down in the world to speak the voice and tongue of an Angel though he should declare this to all the world that the glory of Heaven is unspeakable incomprehensible eternal the joy is everlasting they shall never be able to declare it though he should declare one hours injoyment of the presence of God and the Lamb it is more worth then ten thousand injoyments of all the pleasures of the world though he should declare it that there is but one way to Heaven there is but one door o enter in at and that 's only by Jesus Christ and his Righteousness and should tel you of ten thousands that shal not come there that sought to enter in their own way and by their own works and their own righteousness and they are all shut out though he should further declare that God hath now set Heaven doors wide open and that he is willing that poor sinners the worst of sinners should come to him by his Son and they shall be accepted and all their former iniquities shall be no block no rub in the way he will embrace them as freely as if they had never sinned against him I say if such a thing should be it would be a Miracle of Mercy but yet for all this it would not perswade the heart of one sinner to submit to God This could not overcome the heart of man to Jesus Christ And again on the other side if one should come from the dead God should send one from the pit of destruction to declare to bear witness of the unspeakable Torments that are there and should declare that way is broad and many walk in the way to destruction and that unbelief it is the readiest way Though he should declare that every man and woman living that seek not after Jesus Christ and hath not an interest in him are like sooner or later to come into the same Lake of condemnation It would be a tirrable Miracle of judgment but yet all this would not work upon the heart of one sinner no our Saviour says to such men and women that sit under the Gospel and hear what I speak from day to day and thereby are not wonted to submit to God Why neither would they beleeve though one should come from the dead Thirdly The Point may be further cleered by our own Experiences I say by experiences of our own days are there not many poor Creatures that have seen Miracles of Mercy that have seen God many times in wonderful way of deliverance towards them at such a time they were in
Vineyard I the Lord will keep it I will watch over it every moment least any hurt it I will keep it night and day least any hurt it I will keep it night and day See then there is a special eye of providence over the Saints that are the Lords Vineyard and therefore 't is not possible the Creatures should hurt it God he watches over his Vineyard for this end least any hurt should befall it I will watch over it every moment 't is true other wicked men they are kept from harm by a common providence of God they have rheir lives preserved but still 't is but a common providence But there is a special eye and a special providence of God over his people least any hurt should befall them there is no time no moment that God doth lay aside his watchful eye and not watch over his people And therefore there is no time that any harmful creature can step in to his people to do them hurt they all come under the providence of God every creature comes under the providence of God and therefore the Lord he is able to prevent the harm Fourthly The Creatures they are all given to Jesus Christ as he is King as he is the great King All power is given to him in Heaven and earth Now Christ he hath reconciled the Creatures and therefore the creaâ—ures cannot be hurtful to the Saints the Lord Jesus Christ hath reconciled the creature He hath reconciled all things in Heaven and Earth and made them all friends and therefore the creature shall not do harm to the people of God See the Promise that is made to the Church in a special manner it shall be fulfilled in the latter Ages Hosea 2. 18. And in that day will I make a Covenant for â—hem with the beasts of the field aâ—d with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battle cut of the â—arth and I will make them to lye doâ—n safely This Promise is made to the Churches in the latter days When they shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall have abundance of the Spirit of Christ why then shall those promises be fulfilled in a great measure they shall enjoy peace with the Creatures In that day I will make a Covenant with them in a special manner with the beasts of the field and with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and sword and there shall be no hurt in all my holy Mountain we are all reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ And therefore they cannot hurt the Saints but do them good Briefly to make Application and so conclude If the fiercest of Creatures you see cannot hurt Application The fire it cannot hurt but it must do good when God commands take notice then of the mighty power of the Lord Oh know that he is a great King and his name is dreadful over all the world do but look upon the powerful command of God what effect it hath upon the Creatures 'T is impossible they should transgress he hath set them bounds that they cannot pass they are all ready to obey his Command if he say go they go and if he say come they come why this will make it evident That God is a God of infinite power to command so many Creatures so many thousand thousand Creatures as God doth order every day and that God should make them obedient to every command of his that none can transgress the least command but they must fulfill his word when he sets them about it Oh this declares that God is a God of infinite power and doth what he pleaseth Secondly What a shame is it to the sons of men that they will not submit to the Lord Will not the Creatures rise up in judgment against men When the Creatures fulfil the word of the Lord and you disobey the word of the Lord shall God have more service from senceless Creatures then from the sons of men that was made Lord over them Certainly this will be their iniquity another day and the very creatures will condemn them See what God says to that fire fire burn not it cannot so much as touch the hair of the head If God say to the fire fire burn their bands asunder set my children at liberty the fire it burns their bands and fetters and sets them loose that they were able to walk in the midst of the fire And so all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth and the Sea they all keep their bounds Hitherto shalt thou go and no further the Sea a raging Element it obeys the word of the Lord The Lord says to the Sun Sun run thy race it obeys stand still it stands still and is obedient Now shall all Creatures in their places obey the word of the Lord and shall not man Oh what a shame is this to the sons of men that they should disobey the word of the Lord That God should speak but one word to the Creatures and they should obey and that he should speak so many to the sons of men and they not obey That God comes again and again and speaks in his Ordinances and still man walks contrary to God when he lays a command upon them this is the command That you beleeve in Jesus Christ and renounce all your own righteousness and rely upon the Righteousness of the Son of God and still men disobey What a shame is it for man to disobey and all the Creatures that the Lord hath given to him to obey Thirdly Here is a great Incouragement and strong Motive to those that are strangers to God to come in and submit to him Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come in and submit to him So long as you are strangers to God see the danger you are in you are liable to be harmed by all Creatures in Heaven and Earth they are all at the command of the Lord they all obey his word If God say to the least of Creatures go and take away the life of man avenge my quarrel upon such a Rebel the Creatures obey The Lord can arm the least of his Creatures a fly he can make that take way the life of man And therefore 't is a miserable condition to be a stranger to God and Christ to be out of Covenant with God you have no Covenant made for you and therefore you are left to harm of the Creatures every day Oh that the Lord would perswade you to come in to cast away your own righteousness and to submit to the righteousness of the Son of God and to make a close with him and with his Son and then all Creatures will take his part and if God be your freind they will be your freind and if God will not curse they
to the glorious Fathers and Because he pâ—ured out his soul as an offring for sin his Father gave him a portion with the great and mighty so that the number of Beleevers were increased and not diminished by this mischievous device against â—im The Primitive Churches persecution that was raised in Jerusalem it did help to the increase of the Gospel and number of Believers The Apostles and Brethren were scattered in the eighth of the Acts so they carryed the word up and down and by their means many were brought in to God Samaria a great City many in it were converted They with one accord gave heed to what Philip spake and there was great joy in that City I shewed you out of Ecclesiastical story that all the persecutions those bloody persecutions the Church meâ— with did not diminish but did increase the number of Believers The Lord delights to walk contrary to wicked men to cross the corrupt imaginations of the men of the world In those things wherein their deal proudly he will be above them he will let them know that his thoughts are above thy thoughts and his ways above thâ—ir wayâ— When they say concerning Sion Let her be defiled and let our eyes â—ook upoâ— her let us see her desolation They know noâ— the thoughts of the Lord nor understand his Counsel for the event shall be quite contrary their expectations The Lord Jesus is a great King and therefore it shall be so All power is given into his hand in Heaven and in Earth and he will order all for the advancement of his own Kingdom all is his and he hath given all to the Saints All is yours all shall do them good all shall further and increase their graces and the increase of his Kindom There is none can hinder the Lord from pouring out of his spirit there is none can hinder the Spirit from working and therfore all opposition cannot hinder the increase of Believers The wind blows where it lists and so the Spirit of the Lord breaths where it it pleaseth Man may as well stop the Sun in the Firmament or hinder the Sun from shining and the winde from blowing as the Spirit of the Lord from working grace he darts in beams of light beams of conviction to the hearts of Creatures and his work is an irresistable work all the powers of Hell and darkness shall not be able to hinder his work Therefore I conclude this Point with an Item to the men of the world To take heed how they seek to oppose the truth of Christ and the people of Christ this is not the way to diminish their number no the Lord he will out reach them in all their designâ— of persecution the hottest peâ—secution shall but increase the â—umber of the Saints they shall but sow the blood of Christ and their ashes the thicker and if one fall to the ground a hundred shall rise up in their stead But I entred into a second Point in which I shall proceed After we considered who this fourth man was Nebâ—chadnezzâ—r saw four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and tâ—ey have no hurt and the form of the foâ—rth is like thâ— Son of God it was indeed the Son of God It was the Angel of the Covenant the Lord Jesus who did assume a body at this time and came down to refresh his Servants in the fire It holds forth this That he would in time come to deliver poor servants from the flame of his Fathers wrath That he would be present with his people in all afflictions in the midst of all their fiery tryals The Proposition then entred into is this That the people of God never enjoy more of the presence of Christ then in their lowest conditions When they are in great afflictions and fiery tryals the Son of God is with them Here you see it in this fiery tryal Israel never saw more of God then when they were in the barren Wilderness Jacob never had such glorious visions as when he was driven from his house and home when he was separated from all creature comforts had not so much as a Bed to ly on nor a Pillow to lay his head upon but layd him down upon a heap of stones then had he those glorious Visions of the Ladder set up to Heaven and of the Angels ascending and descending Stephen never saw such glorious Visions of Jesus Christ but when he was vnder a showre of stones that took away his life He looked up then and he saw the Heavens opened and the Son of God at the right hand of the Father ready to recieve him The Apostle John never had so glorious Visions as when he was bâ—nished to the Isle of Paâ—mos then did Christ reveal those glorious Mysteries written in the Book of Revelations concerning the Churches to the end of the world The Primitive Churches enjoyed most of Christ in the times of persecution they enjoyed most of the presence of Christ and most of the mind of Christ most purity and most holiness they had most of the supporting presence of Christ then his left hand is put under to support a poor Creature when it is in a low condition in a sinking condition in an afflicted condition He supports the inward man and he supports the outward man he makes a little strength to go a great way as the Oyl in the widows cruse till such time as he sends deliverance unto his people They have never more of the enlightening presence of the teaching presence of Christ then in such conditions Affliction is Christs School in which he teaches his people many precious Lessons they have never more of the quickening presence of Christ then in such conditions never more of the Sanctifying presence of Christ he is pleased to make use of affliction to knock off that unevenness many times that is upon their Spirits and make them partake â—â— of his own nature They have never more of the comforting presence than in such conditions he brings his people into the Wilderness there he allures them and there he speaks to them then he puts under his left hand to support them and then his right hand embraces them But What are the grounds of the Point Why doth Jesus Christ manifest most of himself to his people in their afflicted conditions The Grounds of the Point First of all he knows that then they have most need of his presence If ever they have need of comfort if ever they have need of strength of teaching quickening guiding 't is then when they are in afflicted and low conditions then is a mercy sweet when 't is in seaâ—on and then 't is seasonable when a poor creature stands in need of it The Lord Jesus knows that they have need of his presence in low conditions First because of the weakness of the flesh And Secondly Because of the strength of temptation 1. Because of the weakness of the flesh He knows his peopâ—es framâ—
formed me in the womb and he took me out of the womb he guarded me all my life loâ—g Thirty years and upward when I was in the midst of the world with Bears and Tygers I remember how he sent his Angels to comfort me when I was wearied out by Satans temptations Nay I remember when he stood by me when all left me and fled when all left me that I had none in the world to stand by me the Fatheâ— stood by me and therefore I will lay all this kindness upon you his seed The last kindnesâ— that the Father shewed to the Son it took mighty impression upon him that his Father did not leâ—ve him alone but was always with him And therefore Christ he often makes mention of it iâ— that 16 of John vers 32. The Father hath not lefâ— me alone but he is with me all my life long he never left him alone yea when he was in his affliction and low conditions the Father did not leave him alone See that 16. of John vers 32. Bâ—hold the hour comes yea is now come that ye shaâ—â— be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me This made deep impression upon the heart of Christ that the Father did not leave him alone when he was in his affliction when he was persecuted when all his freinds upon earth fled from him then the Father did not leave him And therefore the Lord Jesus Christ he did often retain this Kindnesse and he will not leâ—â—â— thâ— Sons and Daughters of God alone in low conditions but he will be present with them though they be in the fire and water he will be sure to comfort them with the same consolation wherewith his Father comforted hâ—m when he was in the same distress That 's the second Ground of the Point Thirdly Christ will shew most of his presence iâ— afflicted conditions because he remembers his Ingagement he is ingaged then to manifest most of himself First of all He is ingaged by his Promise and Câ—venant He hath promised to be with them always he hath promised never to leave them nor forsake them as the Father promised to be with him in trouble so he hath promised to be with them You may see his Fathers promise to him in Psalm 91. 15. He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him Now as the Father made a promise to be with the Son in trouble so hath he made a promise to be with his people in trouble See that promise in the 43. of Isaiah vers 1. 2. how he hath promised to be with his people in all Tribulations in the midst of the fire and water and fiery try al 's nothing shall separate betwixt him and them he is always making good his Promise and therefore he will fulfill it to them Secondly He is ingaged by a Law of Love There is a Law of Love written in the heart of Christ he takes delight in his people they are â—â—e joy of his soul in the 16. Psalm at the bâ—ginning of it it is spoken there of Christ All my delight is in the Saints saith Jesus Christ and these that are excellent upon Earth All my delight is in them next to the delight that Christ hath in his Father to that Infinite Incomprehensible Light his delight is in his Saints in his people and therefore because he loves them because he delights in them he will be present with them he loves their presence whereever they are he loves to be with them though their condition be never so sad though they be in prison it shall be a Heaven to Christ because he bears dear love to them he loves to see their face he loves to hear their voice he loves to injoy Communion with them he loves to be giving out of himself to them and therefore be made it his great request before he went to Heaven that his Father would make room for his people as you may see in John 14. beginning of the third verse And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there you may be also he tells them he would have them with him in the same place they shall enjoy the same glory and they shal have no worse room then he And he besought his Father John 17. 24. That those who were given him of his Father might be with him Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me for thou â—o â—eâ—st me before the foundations of the world Father I desire that they may be with me I desire thou shouldst bid them as welcome to Heaven as thou bidst me and that they may pâ—â—take of the same glory as I do that they may â—e in the same place that they may always see â—y 〈◊〉 and I may see their faces for my delight is in them Heaven could not content Christ withâ—â—â— the presence of his Saints and it is a second Heaven unto Christ to be present with them here upon earth wherever they are or whatever their condition though be never so low though they be in prison in chains in the stocks the Lord Jesus loves to be with them he carries them about in his heart and therefore he cannot be absent from them Again Thirdly He is ingaged by a Law of Friendship to be most of all present with them in their low conditions the Law of friendship binds him to it Affliction is a Touch-stone it discovers fained friends and real friends it shews whether a friend be Cordial or no By the Law of Friendship a man is bound to stick to a friend in the midst of all his adversity and then there is most need of a friend It was a reproof unto Hushai that Absalom gave him in that second of Samuel 16. 17. Is this thy kindness to thy friend why went you not along with your friend David was a friend to Hushai and saith Absolom to Hushai Is this thy kindness to thy friend why wentest thou not along with thy friend This shall never be said of the Lord Jesus Christ that he broke the Law of friendship It shall never be said of Christ is this thy kindness to thy friend Why wentest thou not along with thy friend Thov wentest not along with thy friend but thou forsookest thy friend when thy friend had most need of thee no the Law of Friendship is iâ— Christs heart and he will keep it and therefore he will stick close and most close to his people when they are in low conditions Again Fourthly There is a fourth ingagement He is present with his people most of all in low conditions in afflicted conditions because he is ingaged to lâ—ok after hâ—s work 't is the
Kâ—ngs for their sakes Touch not mine Anointed and do my Propâ—ets noâ—â—arm you know what command God gave to Laban and what restraint he laid upon Esau concerning Jacob in Gen 31 33. though it was in the heart of Laban to destroy him and though Esâ—u came out with an intention to take away his life the Lord laâ—d a restraint upon them Again Sometimes you shall finde that God Sixtly upon deadly Diseases hath laid a restraint upon deadâ—y Diseases upon violent sicknesses such as would have been destructive to the bodies of his Servants God hath laid a restraint upon them that though vâ—olent Diseases and Dâ—stempers have pulled down his Servants from their strength to great weakness to the grave God hath given command that they should not destroy them And thus God dealt with David and with Hâ—â—zekiah and David doth acknowledge it in the 30. Psalm 3. saith he O Lord thoâ— hast brought up my soul from the nrave thou hast kept me alive that I shoâ—ld got go dâ—wn â—o the pit He was at the very grave and he Lord delivered him and then a remarkable instance you have of Hezekiah at the 38. of I aâ— at the beginning of the Chapter there is the very sentence of death gone out against him and a deadly Disease seizes upon Hâ—zekian he was gone and quite gone by the course of nature he could not have lived and yet the Lord rescues his life as you shall read in that Chapter at the fift verse Again Sometimes you shall finde that God Seventhly upon the Divel hath laid a restraint upon the very Devil himself and hath given him a charge that he should not meddle nor touch the lives of his Servants and thus God dealth with Job as you may see in the second of Iob there the Divel sought after nothing more then the life of Iob fain would he have had his life but God would not grant it in the 6. vers of that Chapter in the 5. verse saith Satan Put forth thy hand now and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse thee tâ— thy face vers 6. And the Lord Answered Behold he is in thine hand only save his life There is nothing the Divel thirsts more after then the taking away the precious life and therefore he set upon Christ with this temptation If thou beest the Son of God cast thy self down and so the Devil doth set upon many of the poor Servants of God many times with this Temptation Cast thy self down make away thy self and take away thine own life Yet the Lord is pleased to lay a restraint upon him and keep up his people notwithstanding all those stormes and temptations and they are yet in the land of the living and thus you see what care God takes for the lives of his Servants and in what a wonderful manner he doth sometime rescue them from death and destruction But you will say What end hath God in this Wherefore doth God do this First of all and above all in respect of his own Name He respects his own glory in it therefore The first ground of the Point he suffers his people to be brought into such great straits and low conditions as none but God can deliver thence He suffers them to be brought down sometime even to the very dust that it may appear that none can deliver but God that doth raise from the dead and call things that are not as if they were Now Gods name is glorified these 3. ways by such kind of deliverances as these Fâ—rst of all God doth thereby draw forth great praises from his people I say such deliverances How Gods Name is glorified iâ— delivering of his Servants draw forth great praises from his people When God gives great mercies into the hands of his people he is pleased to put high praises into the mouths of his Servants in Ps 149. at the 5. and 6. v. Lâ—t the Saints be â—oyful in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds Let the â—igh praises of God be in their mouth Now my brethren know this That there is nothing on earth that God doth more delight in then in the praise of his people he is pleased to account it as a glory done to him Who so offereth prâ—ise glorifieth me and therefore it is that God is said to dwâ—ll in the praises of his people See that expression in the 22 Psalm it is an expression of Jâ—sus Christ in his Agony 22 3. v. Oh thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel To inhabit the praises of Israel 't is one of the most glorious Titles that is given to God O thou that inhabitâ—st the praises of Israel The Lord delights more in the praises of Israel then in all the world beside He delights there more then in Heaven if it were not for the presence of his Son therefore it is one of the dwellings of God the praises of his people Great Princes and Nobles have their several Palaces so hath God sometime they leave the City and go into the Country and places of Recreation Why thy Lord he is said sometime to come down among his people and he is pleased to dwell there that he may refresh himself in the praises of his people 'T is a house that God doth delight to dwell in for ever and for ever when Faith shall cease and Prayers shall cease the Praises of the Saints the Halelujahs shall never cease but the Saints shall compass the Throne round about with their Praises with their Songs with their Hallelujahs and there shall God delight to dwell there shall God delight to inhabit for ever and therefore because that God doth thus delight in the praises of his people he works great deliverances that so he may greatly draw forth the praises of his people that their hearts may be abundantly inlarged to him He will work such deliverances as there shall be a great deal of God in them that so their hearts may be greatly drawn forth in praises to God 2. Again God gets himself the glory in the second place by confuting the blasphemies of the enemies and therefore 't is that God doth carry on such works of deliverance that he may stop the mouth of enemies and confute all their blasphemies When God brings his people into a low condition many times enemies they rise high in their blasphemies against God and his people sometimes they cry out where is now thy God and sometimes they condemn the generation of the righteous and judge rashly as those in Act. 28. did of Paul when they saw the Viper on his hand they said among themselves No doubt this man is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the Sea yet vengeance suffereth him not to live Now God many times he works great deliverance that he may confute the enemies of the Saints that they shall see if they will not willfully blinde their eyes they shall see that God was in the generation of
Ps v. 10. Then said I so this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember those days those years when God did by his Mighty Hand save and deliver me This is an encouragement for the future to trust in God he saved me at such a time at such a low condition Oh he was there the right hand of the Lord was stretched out to What God requires when he works such mercies for his people and how the Servants of the Lord should express their thankfulness for such Mercies received deliver and why should we ever distrust the Lord again surely that power of the Lord can never be nonplust that hath wrought such great things for me Thus you see the Grounds Here is no time for Application I shall adde a fourth Particular and that is this which will yet make the Point more useful before I leave it What doth God require of his people when he works such Deliverances for them And how should the Servants of the Lord express their thankfulness for such Mercies when God doth so and so rescue the lives of his people First of all Take heed that we neither forget the Mercy nor the God of the Mercy I say forget not the Mercy nor the God of the Mercy we are very apt to look upon our mercies with a slight eye we remember our wormwood and our gall but we forget our mercies and the goodness of the Lord that did shine in the Mercy Now know that there is a great provocation to the Lord It was the sin of Israel that they forgot so soon what God had done for them we read of this how they provoked the Lord and they turned back saith the Psalmist and you shall see â—ow God did take it as a great provocation and God threatens them for it See how they forgot what God had done for them Psal 106. 13. They soon forgat his works they waited not for his Counsel and verse 21. They forgot God their Saviour which â—ad done great things in Egypt and therefore the Lord was wroth with them Brethren so should we take heed that we do not forget our Mercies and forget the God of the Mercie forget not what God is and forget not what God hath done for us forget not what God requires of us Did God remember us in low conditions and shall we forget him shall we forget him when he hath raised us up will not this be horrible ingratitude does the Lord remember us continually and shall we forget him Oh! we should get a remembrance of God and a sense of God and the goodness of the Lord written in our hearts Where doth God write the name of his people Why he writes their names there where he will not forget them why see what the Lord says in Isa 49. vers 15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her wombe they may forget yet will I not forget thee Vers 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the Palmes of my hands See what care God takes that he might not forget his people and so he would have us not to forget his Mercies Behold I have engraven thee upon the palmes â—f my hands When a man would not forget his friend he will ingrave his name upon a Ring but you will say he will not forget that doth not only write it upon a Ring but upon his own flesh And thus the Lord deals with you Behold I have engravâ—n you upon the plames of my hands and doth the Lord thus take care to remember us Let not us forget him Secondly we should not look with a slight eye upon great Mercies Oh view the Mercy compass the Mercy go round about it tell the Towers and see the Bulwarks see what Mountains of goodness and mercie shine in them Oh see how the Attributes of God do shine in them God cannot indure that people should despise affliction his Chastisements My son despise not the chastening of the Lord he cannot abide when men are careless when they are sleighty under affliction and surely he will not endure that men should look sleightly upon mercies My son despise not the goodness of the Lord the mercies of the Lord the deliverances of the Lord Let not them be lookt upon with a sleighty eye look into the height of the Mercy and the depth of the Mercy and all the evil that would have befallen us if we had not enjoyed the Mercy And Thirdly Take heed that we give nothing to creatures but all to the free grace of God this God he requires in thankfulness when he gives such Deliverances ascribe nothing to man nothing to our selves nothing to our prayers nothing to our faith No give all to God give all to free grace look upon Ieb take him for an instance in the 9. of Iob v. 16. If I had call'd and the Lord had Answered if he had given me my Petition given me what I desired yet I would not say he hath harkened to my voice I would not say 't is for my prayers or for my faith No I am poor dust and ashes what 's my voice in Heaven No sure I will give all to him I will say surely the Lord hath heard his own voice the voice of his free grace pleading for me he hath heard the voice of his Spirit pleading in me and the voice of his Son making Intercession for me I will not say the Lord hath heard me but that the Lord may teach his people this he gives Mercies before they have thoughts to seek them as in Ps 21. 3. Yea sometime God he hath exceeded the faith of his people to let them see that it was not for the worthiness of their faith though when God would give Mercies Many times he sets his people a praying and beleeving but he doth not give mercies for these And therefore God he doth prevent their faith as you may see in Psal 126. vers 1. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion then were we like to them that dreamed like to them that dream as much as to say When the Lord brought us back we had not faith enough to believe it we could not think that the Mercy was real when as we came out of Babylon we doubted whether we should believe it or no whether it was real or a dream It was real but it was not for their faith and therefore ascribe nothing to faith nothing to means nothing to prayer but all to the free grace of God Again Fourthly we should give back again to God what God lends us That is the Fourth way to express Thankfulness Hath God given us life let us give it back again to him Hath God given us strength we should give it back again to God we should lay out all our strength for
danger eminent danger at such a time they were nigh to death and what great promises and what great purposes came into their hearts and mouths and yet notwithstanding all that God hath done for them they have turned again to folly nay sometime they have seen and tasted as it were of the power of the world to come that God hath convinced them many times of the excellency of the way and the necessity of walking with him and the happy condition of the Saints they it may be have had some tasts some drops to cool their tongue and though they have had that Miracle of Mercy yet notwithstanding their hearts have gone back again and they have not bin converted and perswaded to come to Christ after a hearty draught of his love and good ness which might abundantly satisfie them others that have seen even Miracles of judgment God many many times hath wrought strong conviction in their conscience they have been as it were for the present hung over the flames of Hell and great thoughts have been darted into their spirits convincing thoughts of the necessity of seeking after faith they have seen as it were the mighty consequence of the soul the mighty consequence of the things of Eternity and yet have worn out all hints that have been made upon conscience and soon returned to their former ways of folly to folly desperate madnes others taken up in vanity taken up in the world others taken up in their own righteousness and think themselves whole and need no Physician notwithstanding all these Miracles of judgment how many are there that have seen them and have felt them and have not been brought home savingly by them But you will say how come this to pass what cannot miracles of works bring home a soul to God what then what miracles I answer first of all God would have it so that he might put a great glory upon his word he will Reason 1 have it known what the word of the Lord is he will make known the power and efficacy of it his word is more dear to him then his work more then all his works of Creation of Providence or Miracles though all perish yet the word of the Lord that endures that abides God will put a great deal of glory upon his word and therefore he hath chosen his word rather then Miracles though men think Oh Miracles are glorious and surely if God shew miracles that will convert that will bring home the soul to God but Gods thoughts are not our thoughts his waies are not our waies he knows that miracles cannot do it therefore he hath chosen his word he will make that glorious in the Conversion of sinners for the most part God works by his word it is true the word it self neither cannot do it the word without the Spirit is a dead letter but God is pleased to send his spirit along with his word when hee intends this work the spirit of the Lord shall come with some word from heaven that shall be effectual to turn the heart of a sinner when Miracles of judgment or mercy cannot do it it seems a weak thing to men but the word of the Lord is mighty and powerful When God is intended to catch any soul to bring it home commonly this is his Net he takes his word and throws that over them and that shall catch them When he is intended to beat down strong holds mighty Towers of lusts sinful imaginations that do exalt themselves against Himself and his Son and his Gospel why God is pleased to use his word as the battery which will do this great and glorious work Secondly It comes to pass from the desperate Reason 2 hardness that is in mans heart that aversness that is in the soul naturally to God it is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the soul together Oh what striving is there in the gracious heart before it is brought to God it flies off from God and the soul is forced to put Arguments upon himself it may be again and again Why art thou cast down Oh my soul why art thou disquieted why trust in God Why trust in God He repeets it again and again and all too little to trust in God and to have confidence in God but there is much more aversness in a natural mans heart to God there is an infinite distance there is a contrariety and 't is a hard matter to bring off a soul to close with God to submit to him the greatest Miracle in the world cannot do it why when there is much peace in Gods heart there is war in the sinners heart yea when there is peace in Gods mouth too there is war in the sinners mouth when God doth call upon them come and behold the face of my Son and behold the face of my righteousnes I give thee leave to look to either me so thou look to me through my Son yet still he will have his heart draw back and he wil look to God through his own righteousness that of a creature or else run away from God hide himself in his own shame and confusion and dare not come to God And truly 't is a very hard thing to overcome the heart in this cause to trust God to rely upon him the heart is fille'd with slâ—very and 't is a very hard matter to overcome that slavery that is in the heart I tell you Miracles will not do it though it should see never so many Miracles when it is in that condition Miracles would not overcome the heart to trust in God to beleeve in God Miracles they declare tâ—e power of God and the glory of God hold forth the beams of his Majesty ay but there must be a declaration of the love of God and the mercy or God in Christ there must be a discovery of this to the soul before he can come in and submit to God and trust in him before the slavery can be overcome that is in the heart I tell you you must have a word a sure word to go upon for the soul dare not go to God he looking upon himself as stubble and upon God as a consuming fire and still he keeps off from God and therefore nothing but the word of the Lord can perswade the heart to come in and to trust and Application of the Point rely upon God Now let us make some Application Is it so that the greatest Miracle cannot convert a soul to God Why then First of all take notice what a Miracle of iniquity Vse 1 of sin is in every mans heart a stâ—aâ—ge thing that the heart of a man should be so haâ—dned against God and his own good who would think it that there should be so much stoutness in such a poor thing as the heart of man so small a pâ—ece of flesh to be so stout and so hard against God that no sword should be able to pierce it it
and do them good First of all they cannot hurt The water of the Red Sea it could not destroy the Israelites The Lyons though fierce creatures yet they could not open their mouths against Daniel The most violent men of the world cannot hurt when God lays a restraint upon them you know Laban was not able to speak so much as a hurtful word to Jacob because God met him and layd a restraint upon him Take heed that thou speak to Jacob neitâ—er good nor evil God would perswade his people of this in that 54. of Isaiah verse 15 16. God would let them know that they were not able to lift up a weapon without him nay they could not so much as make a weapon without him the Smith could not so much as blow the fire to form a weapon without the Lord Thus saith God I have power over all creatures and over all the actions of creatures a weapon cannot be lifted up for the workman cannot so much as lift up his hand to blow the fire unless God permit him â— Dog cannot bark against a man unless God give leave the barking of a Dog will do little â—urt yet a Dog could not so much as bark against Israel when the Lord lay a restraint upon them God would carry them quite out of the land of Aegypt and not one Dog should move his Tongue at them as you may see in the 11. of Exodus vers 7. you see the creature cannot do the least hurt for a Dog cannot do so much as bark he cannot do so much as move his Tongue when God lays a restraint upon them Secondly The creature cannot hurt but they must do good to Gods people at his command if the Lord will make choice of any creature to do his people good he will effect his own design it cannot be hindered he will do them good by any thing he will do them good by any creature by the most violent creature Who would have thought that the fire should have done these three children good that the fire should take their part and yet the fire at the command of the Lord does loose their bonds and sets them at liberty Who would have thought that the waters at the red Sea should have done the Israelites good and yet they were abundantly useful to them in their passage through the red Sea you shall read in the 14 of Exodus vers 22. that the children of Israel walked through the Sea and the waters were a wall to them on the right hand and on the left the creature that might have been their destruction became security to them their way was made strait to them they could not go out of their way for the Sea was a wall to them on the right hand and on the left Who would have thought that the Ravens should have done Eliaâ— so much good that the hungry Ravens creaturâ— that are of so greedy an appetite should sparâ— meat out of their own bodies to feed the Prophet yet so it was as you may read in the first book of Kings 17. vers 6. God makes the very Ravens to be careful Nurses to Elias when he was in the Wilderness they brought him his meat in the morning and in the evening Who would have bin thought that the belly of the Whale should have a protecting place to Johah that it should save him from destruction yet God he made use of it and he made the belly of the Whale to be a place of safety to Jonah the Whale kept him safe till she carryed him and set him on shore So that you see God can do his people good by any creature he can make them all to be useful Sometimes he works by improbable means and sometimes by impossible means I say sometimes God doth his people good by improbable means to have Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the Rock you will say this is improbable and yet this is his promise that is made to Israel in the 32. of Deuteronomy vers 13. And he made him to suck Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the flinty Rock He speaks of the fruitfulness of the Land of Canaan God made the barren places fruitful and he made the very Rocks to bring forth yea the very flinty Rocks to be fruitful the Rocks gave them Honey and the Rocks gave them Oyl That is as I conceive God made the very Rocks to bring forth trees and trees brought forth pleasant fruit the Rocks brought forth the Olive Trees and the Date Trees and so they had Honey out of the Rock and Oyl out of the Rock You know that it was impossible that Israel being carryed into Babylon they should be carryed again into their own Country and while they were in Babylon they seem to be in the grave What a mercy was it that God should stir up their enemies to be a defence to them and to have them to be assisting of them and to stir them up to the work of the Lord to work in the Temple you know God wrought by that means And so how improbable was it that Josephs accusation by his Mistress that his fetters his chains should be his advancement and you know God wrought that way and he made Joseph to be lift up and made the second man of Pharaohs Kingdom Yea God works sometimes by Impossible means you see it was impossible that the fire should have been a protection to these three Children to loose their bands and set them at liberty and be a place to walk in and yet it was at the command of the Lord. He can turn the very stones into bread He can send bread out of Heaven as to Israel and give water out of the Rock as to them in the Wilderness He cannot only work without means but by impossible means And thus you see at the command of the Lord all creatures must obey He can do his people good by Improbable means and by Impossible means For the Grounds of the Point Why creatures The Grounds of the Point cannot hurt but they must do good to the people of God First of all Because they must all go along with God and where God is a friend they must be a freind where God will not hurt they will not hurt for they all go along with him Balaam could not go against the word of the Lord If Balack would have given him his house full of Gold and Silver he could not go against the word of the Lord and therefore when he would have had him cursed the people Oh says Balaam How should I curse when God hath not cursed and defie whâ—n God hath not defied This is the voice of all Creatures how shall we curse when God hath not cursed and how shall we hurt when God hath not hurt they are all obedient to the word of the Lord to the command of the Lord all creatures obey that word of the Lord that he gave them
though he hath spoken many years ago yet the Lord he cannot forget his promise he is always mindful of his promise See in the first of Chron. and the 16. Chapter and the 15. verse He is mindful always of his Covenant the word which he commanded to a thousand generations though the promise be given out never so long ago suppose it be a thousand generations yet the Lord he is always mindful of his promise always mindful of his Covenant to a thousand generations a man may promise his friend to meet with him but it is possible a man may forget his promise but so cannot God he is ever mindful of his promise Again He cannot mistake the time happily a man though he hath promised yet he may mistake the time he knows not how the time passes and so may be deceived but it cannot be so with God he knows all times all creatures Foreknowâ— unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. Nay he cannot be hindred by any impediment his Father will not hinder him he was willing to spare him out of Heaven for many years together that so he might be present with his people and all creatures cannot hinder him from performing his promise see the 27. of Isaiah verse 4. Fury is not in me who would set the Bryars and Thornes against me in battel I would go through them I would â—urn them together The greatest opposition was bryars and thorns to Jesus Christ bryars and thorns before devouring fire will soon be burnt and therefore upon this you may be confident seeing the Lord Jesus hath given out his word he will keep time and place with you Again Secondly You may be confident of his presence in affliction because affliction is for this end it is the main end that Christ in affliction may meet with his people that he may draw them into â—igher communion with himself that they may see more of him that they may enjoy more of him and he enjoy more of them that he may make use of affliction to remove that which is in the way between him and the soul to subdue corruption and to strengthen faith and to draw forth grace to heighten the holiness and the grace of the soul and to comfort the heart and all that the soul may enjoy more communion with Christ he doth take his people into a by-Lane as I may say in every affliction that he may speak unto them he took the Spouse into the wilderness that he might speak to her and so doth Jesus Christ when he takes his people into a by-way it is that he may speak something more to them that he may speak freely and speak something that may be for their good he doth not speak in affliction because he delights in affliction he doth not delight in their afflictions he doth not afflict that he may be satisfied no afflictions they are not their punishments for God hath satisfaction at the hand of Jesus Christ and therefore it relates to something to come that he may with this Chastisement draw the soul more nigh and see more of him and enjoy more of him more of his presence of his love more communion with him that he may comfort strengthen and support and sanctifie and therefore seeing it is the end the main end of affliction that Jesus Christ and his people may meet and converse together certainly Gods people must not slight this his afflicting them must not slight this main end of God Object But if Christ do meet with his people in affliction the presence of Christ cannot countervail the bitterness of the affliction Answ But it will to the full for there is that in the presence of Christ which may supply the wants of all creatures I say there is all goodnesse all sweetnesse gathered together in the Son of God which is scattered up and down in Creatures and therefore in Heaven the Saints need no creature comforts they need not the light of the Sun nor the light of the Moon and there all recomfortable relations are broken a pieces there is no husband nor wife nor child Master nor servant why because the good of â—ll these lations do meet in Christ and the good of all these relations shall be supplied by the presence of Christ and therefore Christ tells his Disciples in Mat 22. 30. In the Resurrection saith he they neither marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven they neither marry nor are given in Marriage that which is the most comfortable relation in earth there is no need of in Heaven 't is too poor too needy for Heaven there shall be no marrying nor giving in Marriage and â—o the comfort of all other relations shall be found in Christ In him there is a perfection of all goodnesse of all sweetnesse now you cannot meet with the fulnesse of these in any condition there is a fulnesse of joy in Christ a fulnesse of good in Christ what says the Psalmist in Psalm 16. v. last In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore there is a fulnesse of joy in the presence of Christ there is not a fulnesse of sorrow in any condition no there is a mixture of Mercy in every condition the evil that a Soul meets with is not infinite there is not a fulnesse of sorrow but in the presence of Christ there is a fulnesse of joy there is that which can abundantly countervail the evil that is met with in any condition if all the evil under the Sun were met together in one condition and a Soul brought into it yet it might find in the presence of Christ that which may answer that condition the presence of Christ will comfort and support and raise up a Soul in that evil condition and therefore you shall find that the presence of Christ hath made the Saints to rejoyce in Tribulations to joy abundantly The Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Christ it doth fill the Soul with holy joy heavenly Raptures yea the presence of Christ hath been astonishment to the Soul many times when it hath been in a sad condition see what Paul saith of himself in 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago whether in the Boâ—y I cannoâ— tâ—ll or whether out of the Body I cannot tell God knows such a man whether in the Body or out of the Body was caught up into the third Heaven some think this vision of Paul was when he was in a sad condition it was immediately after his conversion when the light of his Body was taken away by blindnesse Now it is supposed when Paul was blind in hiâ— Body he had this Vision of Christ you may see what abundance of sweetnesse he found in Christ it carried him beyond himself he wâ—s carrâ—ed out with holy Raptures I knew not
condition and then no wonder though Christ be with thee and thou seest him not Faith is the eye of the soul and if that be shut Christ may stand at the right hand and the soul not discern him and therefore I say stir up thy faith go to the Lord to strengthen thy faith and stir up thy faith Faith shews Christ represents Christ to the soul Faith takes hold of Christ and brings the sweetness and the comfort of his presence to your souls Or it may may be 't is through unthankfulnesse that thou dost not see the presence of Christ thank thine unthankful heart I tell thee thou hâ—st a great deal of thanks to give and thou sayst Châ—ist iâ— not with thee who is it that supported thee who is it that put under his hand was there more strâ—ngth in thee then in others Surely there was an everlasting Arm put under to support thee in thine affliction and is not here matter of thankfulnesse And this you may be sure all yee people of God the heart of God is always towards you though his face is not towards you his hand may seem to be against you yet his heart is always towards you and therefore still I say the people of God ought to expect that they shall see and enjoy the presence of Christ and shall meet with him in every affliction Fiftly and Lastly What cause of thankfulnesâ— is here What cause hath the people of God to be thankful to Christ that hath made this comfortable provision for them as this that he is pleased to walk in such a gracious way and to afford them most of his presence at that time that they stand most in need of it Here is matter of thankfulnâ—â—â— that the Lord should not leave you alone but aâ—â—ord you his presence Here is matter of double thankfulness that the Lord Jesus should not leave you alone in your afflicted conditionâ— Oh 't is â—n uncomfortable condition to be left alone Wo to him â—hat is alone saith the wise man if a man fall and be alone who shall help him up and how miserable had it been if we had been left alone in such conditions in afflicted conditions when we were fallen low but the Lord hath not left his people alone Nay here is further matter of Thankfulness that he should afford his own presence to his people If the Lord had sent a Messenger to comfort a poor afflicted Creature we should have thought it a great mercy but that he should afford his own presence in affliction that he should come himself to support and strengthen what a double mercy is this This is more then if he had sent twelve Legions of Angels to comfort in afflicted conditions Oh what is the presence of Christ 't is the greatest good in the world 't is life eternal 't is the beginning of Heaven and shall be the fulness of Heaven hereafter the fulness of joy is the presence of Christ it shall be the greatest misery to loose the presence of Christ and therefore that is a most dreadful threatning when God doth threaten to depart from a people see how God doth threaten Jerusalem in Jeremiah 6. 8. Be thou instructed Oh Jerusalem least my soul depart from thee least I make thee a desolate land not inhâ—bited Least my soul depart fâ—om thee Now when God departs what follows nothing but desolation So in the Prophet Hosea see there what a dreadful threatning 't is for God to depart in Hosea 9. 12. Though they bring up their children yet well I bereave them that there shall not be a man left yea wâ— also to them when I depart from them There is all threatnings summâ—d up in this and more cannot be said wâ— unto them when I depart from them You see it will be the greatest evil in the world to be shut out from the presence of God it shall be the Torment in Hell so depart from Christ Why then 't is the greatest mercy to enjoy the presence of Christ if God go away all blessings go away with him Wo to them if I depart now on the contrary when the Lord Jesus comes unto a soul all blessings come along with him when Christ comes to a poor afflicted creature Oh what sweetness comes along with Christ there is comfort and there is refreshment there is grace and there is holiness and there is support there is life and light all come along with the presence of Christ Object Ay but if I could finde the effects of these may some soul say I shall labour to thirst after Christ if I could finde these effects of Christs presence why then I may be comforted but alass I finde not the effect of his presence and how then should I think it to be his presence that is with me Answ I say Believe Believe that Christ is present with thee I speak to every soul that hath made a close with Jesus Christ in the tenders of grace I say 't is thy duty to believe that he is with thee in thy afflicted condition Believe it though thou seest not the effects of his presence and that is the way to see believe that he is present according to his word and through the grace of God thou shalt see the effect of his presence only Christ would have us to believe his word Christ would have thee believe that he keeps time and place with them and that he is with them in afflicted conditions yea he deals with his people as Jobs friends dealt with him they came to visit Job in his affliction but sate them down seven days and spake not a word unto Job and at last they found an oportunity to speak even so doth Jesus Christ it may be he may sit seven days and not speak a word to his people he may come to the soul and not speak a word to the foul in an afflicted condition all the time he sits by them and looks on them and his heart is toward them and his bowels relent and he will break out at last and he will speak unto them it was long ere Joseph did reveal himself to his brethren when they were in straits but at last he breaks out and says he I am your brother and so the Lord Jesus he may sit long before he speaks a word Oâ— but at last he will break out and then shalt thou see that Christ was present with thee and therefore 't is thy duty to believe that the Lord Christ is with thee in thy affliction though thou seest him not though he be behind the Curtain and believe that thou shalt see the effect of his presence he will not go away and leave no blessing behind him surely where he comes he brings a gift with him he does not come empty and therefore believe that thou shalt see a blessing left behind it may be thou mayst not see â—â—e gracious effects of the presence of Christ in thee but believe the time is
you will seek salvation by works you rest upon your works and if you rest upon your works you break your works and both you and your works are like to be lost for ever and therefore know my Brethren you are to do your utmost for God if you could do ten thousand times more all is too little for God But know that life and salvation is not purchased by your doing work as much and do as much for God be as diligent in doing the work of God as if life were to be purchased by works but when you have done your utmost renounce all and know that by your own works you are no more nigh to Heaven then the very Publicans and Harlots It is by the door of grace only that you must enter into life That is the third Fourthly When God calls you to work with your might he does not call you to work with your own strength I beseech you take this Caution along with you that poor Creatures may not think that they are able to do that which they are called upon to do I say the Lord does not call you to work in your own strength And therefore know that without Christ you can do nothing you are not fit for the least work for the least duty All your sufficiency must come down from Heaven you cannot beleeve you cannot repent you cannot obey you cannot give glory to God unless this power be given you from on high you cannot move towards God in any gracious action unless the Lord comes in with strength O therefore when ever you are to work for God go and set your selves under the promise the promise of strength and assistance Go and look for strength to Christ do not act in your own strength Oh let your souls open to the breathings of the Spirit of Jesus Christ The soul never acts graciously but when it is acted by the Spirit of Christ Oh know that you are as a Ship becalmed upon the Sea and you cannot sayl till the spirit breath upon you and fill the sayle of your affections and carry you God-ward and Heaven-ward and therefore let Christ be your strength wait for his strength that you may say Now I live and yet not I but it is Christ that liveth in me I act and yet not I it is the Spirit of Christ that acts in me I pray and yet not I I beleeve and yet not I I obey and yet not I it is the Spirit of Christ that acts in me it is his strength that helps me This is the fourth Caution I beseech you take heed you do not work in your own strength you will spoil your works Fiftly Take this Caution do not present your works your selves to God When you have done your work go to Jesus Christ and desire him to carry your works home Christians know it is not for you to carry your work home it is the Office of Christ and therefore make use of Christ and say Lord present this Sacrifice this Duty do thou wash it with thine own blood and cover it with thine own righteousness I tell you your works are not pleasing unless they come out of the hands of Jesus Christ Christ must wash your works and perfume your works and sweeten your works and present your works with acceptation to the Father and therefore when you have wrought with all your might let Jesus Christ present it to God your Father and his Father Sixtly Take heed that when you work with all your might you work not for your own end I tell you good works may be spoiled if you work for your own end if self come in a man may work the work of a Magistrate or the work of a Minister but if self come in if vain glory be his end if the praise of men if his own profit If the glory of God be not the end he propounds to himself that man will be called by Christ another day a worker of iniquity We have cast out Devils in thy name and yet saith Christ to them I know you not depart from me ye workers of iniquity Oh this is the dead fly that spoils the Box of Ointment when a man does it for vain glory to be seen of men to get a name in the world and to raise their estates in the world when they do publique works for private ends how ever it seems to be glorious it is abhominable and therefore when ever you work for God make God your principal Begin in his strength and end for his glory The second word is a word of Exhortation and I will conclude with that let me speak in my former order first to Sinners and then to Beleevers and I will be but short First to Sinners You that have not yet wrought the work of God you that have not given up your names to Christ in whose heart the great work of faith is not yet wrought You that are found this day working the works of darkness the works of iniquity Let me speak a word to you let me reason with you thus in the name of the Lord Jesus my Master and yours What do you think of it my dear friends does it not concern you Is not this a work put into your hands to seek after an interest in Jesus Christ to beleeve in his name to give up your selves unto him is not this work that is put into your hands that God hath given you to do in this moment of your life Doth it not concern you to beleeve in the name of Christ think you Without faith it is not possible to please God If you be found in a way of unbelief you are found in the way of wrath It is said the wrath of the Lord does hang over the heads of unbeleevers If in a state of unbelief you are in an estate of wrath if in an estate of unbelief you are lost and your works are lost whatsoever you do without faith your works cannot be accepted without faith you cannot please God without faith you cannot enter into life And now what think you my dear friends is it not a work that concerns you to seek after faith in Jesus Christ If you grant it let me further urge it upon you Oh if this be your work then do it with your might Oh that the Lord would stir up your hearts to do it with your might There is but a moment to seek faith in there is but a moment to seek after an interest in Christ and if this be not done now O when shal it be done If it be not done now it is like to be undone for ever there is no work in this kind in the grave there is no repenting in the grave no beleeving in the grave there is no turning to God in the grave Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts of a necessity of seeking after Christ and getting an interest in him and do it I beseech you speedily and diligently the
Lord hath put it into your hand and therefore now seek after an interest in Christ with all your might To you that have an interest in Christ I shall say no more but what I said before I laid you your work before you get more acquaintance with God get your hearts established upon the truth of the promises that you may not be left at uncertainties and lift up God in your generations and get your hearts made sensible of your frailty to dye daily to wait upon God with all your might in Ordinances to get your hearts subdued and your corruptions mortified This is your work and Oh that the Lord would help you to do it with all your might To you that are the Fathers of the City I have one word to you from the Father of Heaven Oh that the Lord would make you willing to receive it and to do it with all your might There is something that is your work that the Lord requires you should do with all your might I shall but briefly give you a few hints and shal leave it to the blessing of the Lord. First of all There is a work of Judgment and Justice that the Lord hath put into your hands I say the first work that God hath put into your hands it is a work of Justice to punish sin to punish sin is the work that is in your hand to do to puâ—ish the breaches of the moral Law and the contempts thereof that Law of nature which is written in the heart of all men the Lord hath put it into your hand to punish the breach of this Law What ever your hand finds to do in this case I beseech you do it faithfully do it with your might God requires it of you that you should do it with your might yea let your hand find out sinners let your hand do this work of the Lord to punish the drunkards and the swearers and the prophane persons the deceiver the lyar and the stealer and all other workers of iniquity here is no fear of smiting Christ smite here and spare not where there is no danger of smiting Christ smite on and spare not do it with all your might the Lord lays it before you as your duty Secondly There is a work of Righteousness and Equity that the Lord puts into your hands to do and Oh that you would do this also with all your might to judge betwixt man and man do it faithfully to accept no mans person to know no friend in the matter of Justice but to decide every mans cause with wisedom and with faithfulnesse and with sincerity not to know Father nor Brother nor Son nor Daughter as Levi did not in the cause of God That so Justice and Righteousness may run down as a mighty stream That there may be no oppression that there may be no complaining in our streets This is the second work that the Lord puts into your hand And Oh that you would do it with your might The third work is a work of Mercy There is a work of mercy the Lord puts into your hands to relieve the poor and the needy and the fatherless to take care that the poor be provided for that they may have work that they may have employment and that they may have maintenance this is a work of mercy that the Lord puts into your hands to do Oh it is one of the crying sins of England it is the sin of the whole Land and Oh that it were not the sin of this City that the poor are not yet imployed and provided for that God would put it into your hearts to do it Oh that some blessed hand might find out this way to employ the poor this would be an acceptable work of mercy Know that the Lord hath given you something for the poor though I think every man hath a propriety in his estate yet I also think that God hath given every man something for the poor and truly before God the poor hath a right in it though not to take yet it is your duty to give and to provide for them And I fear if this work do not go through the whole land that there be not some provision made for the work of the poor and for the relief of the poor That God will level this Land and that God will bring down all the pomp and pride and stain the glory of all flesh in it this is a work of mercy There is a fourth work and that is a work of Piety that God puts into your hand to seek the good of poor souls to provide that all that are under your power in this City may be instructed in the knowledg of the Lord Jesus to send into the dark corners the Suburbs of this City and not only to confine men to the heart of the City but send to them that will not come out for it The Lord Jesus came to seek as well as to save and therefore send forth to seek them they know not what they do in rejecting the means of life But Oh send to seek them and instruct them in the knowledge of the Lord that they may not perish for want of provision And what though my Fathers and Brethren every man cannot see his way clear to take a Pastoral charge of such a people where he knows there is but little of Christ yet if he do the work what though he do it not under that notion If he preach Christ to them if he bleed for them If his desires be to instruct them and be willing to instruct them in publique and private and to pray for them that the Lord would give them repentance and bring them into the number of Christs Sheep-fold I say if this work be done what though it be not done under that notion why should the work of the Gospel be hindred If in all other things men be conscientious and able and fit to teach and instruct the people in the knowledg of Jesus Christ this will be a work of Piety to send into the dark corners of the City that there may be no place in which the word of the Lord shall not be heard There is a work of Love to Christ and of wisedome to your selves and I will name no more I commend this to you as the last And Oh that your hand would finde to do it a work of love to Christ and of wisedom to your selves And that is to protect the Saints and those that have an interest in Christ and desire to walk unblamably before you if they be such as walk according to the Law of God and not disobey the Law of Magistracy it is the work of the Magistrates to protect them The Magistrate is set up to be a praise to them that do well What though they may differ from you in particular opinions I am pâ—rswaded it will not excuse before Christ not to have protected them If you be convinced that they are