that it ly's before God Lord here I am I am nothing I can doe nothing I cannot doe this or the other duty I cannot get up a desire I cannot get up a groane I am a poore miserable helplesse creature and Lord if thou wilt trample upon me Lord here I am thou mayest and if thou hast no pleasure in such a one as I am here I lye tread upon me doe what thou wilt I know not what to doe saith the soule now here 's a soule convinc't of righteousnes so as it s come to see if I had all the righteousnes of men and Angells all were nothing though it were as righteous as Adam in Innocency all were nothing if it were as righteous as Noah Adam Peter all were nothing why this it is for a soule to come to be cōvinc't ofrighteousnes Now if in any thing that yet I have said it is here wherein a true sincere heart goes beyond a hypocrite a hypocrite will goe with a true child of God through all the other doth a true child of God confesse mourn for his sin and repent and revenge himselfe and reforme and hath he joy and delight in duty 's and doth he deny himselfe hath he good aymes and ends hath he particular words given in hath he put forth acts of faith so doth the hypocrite all these things though none of them in truth and in righteousnes yet as to the outward act he will goe as far as the sincere heart and it will be hard to find out the one from the other the hardest thing in the world yet in this step of Conviction of righteousnes the childe of God goes beyond the other When a poore soule comes to this Lord I am here I thought I had abundance of things to rest in I thought I was so rich in my prayers and so rich in my Teares and so rich in my resolutions and vowes I had such good fitts in duty 's I had such glorious comfort and Joy but Lord I am brought to this I am nothing here the childe of God gets a step beyond the hypocrite for the hypocrite is never thoroughly convinc't of righteousnes but when he is convinc't of one peice he goes on upon another and when he is beaten off that he creepes on upon another and he is upon some foundation of his owne but now when the Lord Jesus comes to take possession of a poore soule he beates him off all the peices of his owne righteousnes if he will rest upon his confession of sin and mourning he will beate him off there and if he goe higher to resolutions vowes and revenge he beates him off there and if after this he rest upon his Reformation Christ will goe after him and beate him off from peice to peice till he hath wholly conquered the soule to himselfe and brought him off of all those false grounds and quagmires that the soule would have rested upon and perished till he comes to this thorough conviction of righteousnes when they come to great parts gifts and abilities Christ beates them off of this till they come to settle upon a right foundation or else they will drop off if they come not up to the true foundation hence true and faithfull hearts tremble and feare to see these great ones fall upon this account some assert falling away from grace not considering the distinction betwixt the old and new Covenant and the different truth 's that flow from either and not seeing how the same things in appearance flow out of both rootes when they saw the fruit of the old Adam they thought it had been grace and therefore conclude they fell from grace indeed they fall from the grace they had in the first Covenant a man may loose all that but not the grace of the new Covenant the soule that hath it can never fall from that grace but that soule that is partaker of that grace shall stand for ever O therefore looke that ye be rooted upon the new Covenant if you would stand for ever that you may be throughly convinced of all your owne righteousness as nothing And the Lord brings his people to this conviction many times by letting them fall by some Temptation or Corruption and hereby they come to be be beaten off from it God lets out some Temptations or some Corruptions and the soule struggles and strives withall its resolutions and vowes and all its power yet it s beaten downe and cannot stand and then the soule saith verily there 's no hope for me then the Lord brings it to this now I see I have nothing I can doe nothing Lord thou mightest destroy me and tread me underfoote and if thou wilt doe it I will lye before thee I have no hope nor none to turne to thus the soule is convinc't of righteousness and till such time as the soule is thus convinc't of righteousness it will never be able to stand conviction of righteousnes is the removing the soule off all false foundation the foundation of his workes and the foundation of his faith too as a worke and the soule that hath no foundation at all but onely lookes to the Lord Jesus Christ O be thou my foundation When the Lord hath once brought the soule to this that he hath no foundation in the world there is no sinner in the world but he hath one foundation or other he could not beare up else now when the Lord hath brought him to this that he hath no foundation in the world Lord saith the convinced soule I have no foundation in the world I hang between earth and heaven if the Lord bring not Christ as a foundation to me I am undone then is the Lord bringing in his Son Jesus Christ as a foundation of the soule O therefore let us looke into our hearts Professors Christians Saints and Brethren O how have our hearts been rooted have we not a foundation to stand upon of our owne truly the Lord will shake us out of all our righteousnes whether wrought by the Law or Gospel we may be in a miserable condition Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to all false foundations Lastly Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to true grace it selfe This conviction of righteousnes lookes to all the blessed graces of the Spirit faith repentance and new obedience and selfdeniall all these things as they flow from the holy Spirit as they are wrought in us by the Spirit grow up out of the new Covenant why of all these Christ is the bottome Christ is the foundation in opposition unto these these are not the foundation though grace is the most blessed thing in the world the most blessed thing of all yet it s not the foundation of our soules but the Lord Jesus onely must be the foundation O that every soule would now looke to Christ O is Christ my foundation you had need to look to your hearts here 's much preaching and much profession
it may be I am glorious in the outward parts of obedience and it may be in Comfort too O but is Christ my foundation is Christ at the bottome of all my comfort It may be I performe a great many duty 's but is Christ at the bottome of all my duties O have I yet the Lord Jesus Christ as the foundation for my soule to looke unto O Christians if ever there was a day now it s a day to looke to your foundation when the Lord is shaking heaven and earth even shaking the world and shaking it to peices he will yet shake more than ever he hath shaken till he hath shaken out all the rotten professors that are not founded upon himselfe the good Lord make you to looke to your foundation what a good thing is it to stand firme upon Christ when heaven and earth and all the things of the world shall be shaken yet we shall not be shaken being upon the right foundation the Lord build all your soules upon his Son if you would be upon this foundation say good Lord doe thou come and build how long have I been building and how long have I been working but good Lord come thou and build O that every one of you would but learne thus much as to goe home and say to the Lord Jesus Christ Lord come thou and build good Lord take the worke out of my hands and build thy selfe I shall lay all beside the foundation but come and take the worke out of my hand and if God will come and settle us upon his Son as the foundation of all then shall we have Joy unspeakable and full of glory then shall we Joy and glory in our God then shall we have that comfort and peace which passeth all understanding then shall our soules have heaven begun here that shall last to all eternitie O the Lord build all upon this foundation and let no poore soule here be discouraged those oftentimes that have least cause to be shaken are most shaken and the hypocrite that hath most cause is least shaken poore troubled soules they are apt to be shaken when they heare these things but art thou convinced Soule that thou hast built upon a false foundation do'st thou say thou art undone for ever that there is no hope for thee no rather say blessed be the Lord I have seene my false bottome now I come to the Lord O Lord doe thou build me O Lord doe thou take my soule into thy hand the Lord doe this for every poore soule here that you may all who meete here together meete with the generall Assembly of the first-borne whose names are written in heaven and then shall you not count it in vaine that you have followed the Lord and laid the foundation not in your selves but in the Son of God which the Lord Grant Here followeth the Prosecution of the Point as it was found in the Authors Notes QVest 3. What is Christ the foundation of Ans 1. Of the Fathers Eternall Election Election is built upon Christ he is the bottome stone thereof Eph. 1.4 5. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Christ is the first of the Fathers Election if I may so say Isai 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soule delighteth and all others are Elected in him Hence the Apâ—stle concludes that the foundation of God standeth sure that is Gods decree of Election cannot be overturned it hath such a bottome Stone Secondly Of the Covenant of Grace The Covenant of Grace is the most blessed thing in the world it s the Magazine of faith Comfort and Holines a Saints strong Tower of defence against all assaults Now Christ is the foundation of this glorious Covenant of grace Hence it s said to be made with him Psal 89.3 I have made a Covenant with my Chosen He is called the Mediator of this Covenant Heb. 8.6 But now he hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises And Chapter 12.24 And to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant his blood is called the blood of the Covenant Zach 9.11 As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant Heb. 13.20 Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the sheepe through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant Yea he is called the Covenant it selfe Isai 42.6 I the Lord have called thee in righteousnes and will hold thine hand and will keepe thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people for a light of the Gentills Chapter 49.8 I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherite the desolate heritages Thirdly Of all the Promises of God this followes upon the other if of the Covenant then of the promises every promise is built upon him Hence observe the promises still run to Christ the first promise that ever was made runs to Christ the Womans seede the promises afterward given to Abraham looke to Christ Gal 3.16 Now to Abraham and his seede were the promises made he saith not And to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seede which is Christ All the Leviticall Types and shaddowes which were a representation of things to come did looke to Christ the great Sacrifice Hence the Apostle concludes all the promises of God to be in him and because in him to be firme and Immutable 2 Cor 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us Fourthly Of all a Saints speciall priviledges as First Reconciliation 2 Cor 5.18 19. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himselfe by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the Ministry of Reconciliation To wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not Imputing their Trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation Rom 5.10 11. For if when we were Enemies we were Reconciled to God by the death of his Son much mere being reconciled we shall be saved by his life and not onely so but we also Joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement Coll 1.20 21 22. And having made peace through the blood of his crosse by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe by him I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minde by wicked works yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
against me And seeing the Lord hath given me an opportunity to testifie the truth for the Cause sake wherein I suffer and which the Author of these Sermons did own to his death I hope no inconvenience can arise from this brief Apology thus briefly represented to the little Remnant of the Womans Seed who in these dayes of Hypocrisie and Apostacy keep the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ One word to my Fellow-prisoners in this glorious Cause from the Word of the Lord and it is a part of those glad tydings which they through Grace may bee abundantly refreshed in the remembrance of as I have been in this long time of Oppression THERE REMAINETH A REST FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD. A Sabbatisme so the Word is an holy solemn Rest and it hath reference to the World to come even the state of the Saints in the Thousand years This hath been in all Ages good news to so many as being pilgrims and strangers for the Lords sake in this present evil world have been alwayes hated reproached oppressed persecuted tormented slaughtered by the four great cruel wild Beasts Dan. 7. Oh what a voluminous Martyrology would that be which can comprehend all the cruelties bloody Massacres and despiteful dealings with the Saints of the most High which have been perpetrated upon this earth since Cain slew his brother Abel which can exemplifie in punctual narrations of truth all the Methods Stratagems Pretences and Policies which Persecutors have and will make use of for the suppressing of that spirit which with boldness doth justly contradict them in their wickedness and Abominations It s not a work for a finite creature to undertake none are sufficient Historiographers of these things but the Three who bear Record in Heaven where there is a Book of Remembrance written for those which feared Jehovah and thought upon his Name in their Generations Blessed be the Name of the Lord our God and our Father how sweet is his presence in a prison to his suffering servants Moses esteemed the reproaches of Christ greater Riches than the treasures of Egypt And wee from the overflowings of Divine Love have such glorious Incombs that we would not exchange the least of them for all the gold and silver which is coming from the West-Indies to the New Court. As the noble Marquess Galeacius Caracciolus when Golden Temptations were presented Let their money perish with them saith he who account all the gold in the world worth one dayes communion with Jesus Christ in the holy Spirit Dear Brethren in Bonds for the Lords sake How is it with you Have you cheerful lively spirits Do you live in the sense of the love of God shed abroad in your hearts by the holy Spirit which is given to you Doth your faith grow exceedingly Doth your love and zeal abound more and more for the Lord Jesus and his Interest What ripeness and readiness of spirit soul and body do you find to arise to come forth and to march in the honorable Expeditions of the Lamb against the Beast Are you prepared to follow the Lord fully Oh let us for I desire to be of that number let us never give the Lord rest till he burn with fire that Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth together with all her Daughters and until Jerusalem the New Jerusalem be established the praise of all the Earth We cannot but wait and hope till the Spirit cloath 〈◊〉 as it did Amazia 1 Chron. 12.18 that we may speak saying in a mystery Thine are we David and on thy side thou Root of Jessai peace peace be unto thee and peace be unto thine Helpers for thy God helpeth thee And I make no Question but â—re it be long there will be a coming to our David day by day to help him untill it become a great Host like the Host of God and so to turn the Kingdom of Saul unto him whose right it is according to the word of the Lord. For do the Kings of the Earth at home or abroad think of setling and establishment at this time of the day Alas poor creatures their glass is almost run out The God of Heaven is numbring their Kingdoms and finishing them The God of Heaven is weighing the new and old Tyranical Monarchies and will find them too light The God of Heaven will work Divisions in their Kingdomes and will give them all to his Son and his Saints It is true their ghostly Fathers and their Court-Chaplines do put this evil day afar off and perswade their Majesties their Highnesses and their Excellencies c. that we are possessed with on evil spirit of Sedition and Emnity against Government but we dare say to our Father who sees in secret and tryes the reins that they Lye and speak not the truth for he knows who knows all things that the desire of our souls is to be under the best Government that ever was or will bee in the world We confess we groan to be delivered from that Bondage which we are in under the Tyrants of the world we would not have the Beast nor any of his Horns to exercise such cruel domination over us as in time past because we had a little reviving from our former yokes by the out-stretched Arm of the Almighty and it was sweet unto us and we long for a full possession wherefore let us oh let us beleeve and the Lord increase our faith that we shall take them captives whose captives we are and we shal rule over our oppressors We shall meet and magnifie the Lord together and those followers of the Lamb who have prayed and wrestled in prayer for us and for the present it will be of use to look into those good works and comfortable words which this servant of the Lord who lived and dyed in the testimony of this truth doth spread before you who purposed to visit you and to incourage your hearts and to strengthen your hands in God yea and to be refreshed by you I mean you who are removed far off and thrust into holes and corners contrary to All Rules of Righteousness But though he purposed Jehovah preverted who doth all things according to the counsel of his own will and it becomes us who remain alive and have through grace received a Kingdom which cannot be shaken to serve the Lord in our Generation acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire And now oh that those precious truths handled by him might through the blessing of the Almighty become spiritual nourishment to us in our captivity The first Kingdom is founded upon the New Covenant Christ Jesus is the onely foundation c. It is good we shouldbe put in remembrance of these things though we do know them and are through the rich supply of the spirit in some measure established in the present truth I might inlarge but I shall not detain you nor the other Readers any longer but
such a remarkable way at such and such a time and thereupon he lays the foundation of his hope if you lay too much upon this your faith will be but upon a providence and this will not be a sure foundation there may be a great deceit in this for Satan may give in a word as well as the Lord a soule may take in a word from Satan as well as from the Lord himselfe besides a word may be given in of the Lord too and yet this not an evidence of our Eternall commition therefore when we conclude our Eternall condition from the giving in of a word we erre in this for this is no foundation to it Hagar had an Angel of God from Heaven speaking to her Thou God seest me saith she and have I also here looked after him that seeth me yet she was an out-câ—st and under the old Covenant the Lord therefore grant that we may not lay our foundation in these things the word of God is a good foundation but if we lay it upon the giving in upon the providence it s a false foundation yet I say the Lord doth often goe in this way with his owne Children very frequently but here 's the mistake when we lay too much upon the providence you may have a word given in day after day and yet be all this while upon a false foundation Jesus Christ is a foundation in opposition to this foundation Fifteenthly Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to acts of beleiving the act of beleiving is not the foundation but Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to this many there are which when they see themselves cast as I may say as to the righteousnes of the law when they see that all the workes of the Law and the righteousnes of the Law will not helpe them but that life and blessednes is alone in Christ in the Gospel and heare the Lord calling upon them to come and beleive in Christ they run to Jesus Christ and hang upon him in an outward way and lay their foundation in the act of beleiving there is a faith of a mans owne as well as a faith of God's there 's a faith of the Law as well as a faith of the Gospel many a man hath laboured by his workes for righteousnes and Justification and when he sees all his working will not bring him in righteousnes and justification then he flies to faith as that which will helpe him and so he beleives in his owne strength and rests upon the Act of beleiving but it s not the act of beleiving that is our righteousnes it s not the act of beleiving that is the foundation of the soule a poore soule may hang upon the outside of the Arke as in the dayes of Noah men might have come and clung upon the outside of the Arke and yet have been cut off except they had come into the Arke that would not have saved them but they would have dropt off so when men by an outward act of beleiving hang upon Jesus Christ in an outward way they may hang a while but at last they will drop off when men make this a foundation they are upon a false foundation See how far men have gone in beleiving and yet it hath come to nothing if you looke into the 106 Psalme the 11 12 13 verses we reade there of a generation of men beleiving it s said The waters covered their Enemies there was not one of them left Then beleived they his words they sang his Praise They soone forgat his workes they waited not for his Counsell Here was beleiving and such beleiving as caused them to sing and yet who are they they are such as forgat his workes such as waited not for his Counsell such as had leaneness sent into their soules such as lusted and contemned God and envyed the Saints Moses and Aaron such as the breath of the Lord came upon and devoured them as wicked ones and yet there was beleiving Then beleived they his word men will lay a great deale of faith sometimes on Experiences and wonderfull providences why lay as much faith as you can upon these and all will faile when the day of Tryall comes men may say God is our God and we are the people of God and he delivered us The waters covered their Enemies there was not one of them left What a wonderfull providence is this and here they fall a singing to God and yet Rebells and Enemies to God and cut off by God by and by this is not the foundation therefore no not the Act 's of beleiving If you looke into Isai 48.1 2. we reade of a generation of men that did beleive and yet notwithstanding fell short Heare ye this O house of Jacob which are called by the name of Israel and are come forth out of the waters of Judah which sweare by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in Truth nor in righteousnes for they call themselves of the holy Citty and stay themselves upon the God of Israel the Lord of Hosts is his name They made mention of the Lord and stayd themselves upon the God of Israel what is that staying Look into the 26 of Isaiah and you shall finde its beleiving in the third verse staying is beleiving here are a generation of men that stayed themselves upon the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousnesse it was not in Truth nor in righteousnesse for all this now I say it s not the act of beleiving that is the foundation there 's a false faith as well as other things therefore if men make this the foundation the acts of beleiving they may be out too Jesus Christ is the onely foundation in opposition to this foundation Sixteenthly Jesus Christ is the foundation in opposition to conviction of Righteousnes this is that which is indeed a higher and a farther step than all that yet I have spoken of for men may goe all the way that we have gone and yet not be convinced of righteousness as his worke may be his righteousnesse so his faith may be his righteousnesse he may goe through all these things and yet not be convinc't of righteousnes this is a high foundation Christ is the foundation in opposition to conviction of righteousnes When a poore soule is wearied out of all when he comes to see that he is a poore miserable lost soule and that it s not all his confession of sin his mourning his sorrow his Teares his vowes his resolutions his revenge upon himselfe his Reformation no not his faith it s not any of all these things will helpe him nor that can helpe that soule ly's crying O Lord I can doe nothing I cannot pray I cannot mourne I cannot shâ—d a teare for sin I cannot beleive ô that thou wouldst helpe me and strengthen me to beleive now a soule is come to this to be convinc't of righteousnes
Mr. Tillinghasts EIGHT LAST SERMONS I The Fifth Kingdome or Kingdome of Christ founded on the New Covenant one Sermon on Jer 33.20 21. II Signs of the Times two Sermons on Matth. 16.3 To which is added six Signs as they were in his Notes III Christ the only Foundation one Sermon on 1 Cor. 3.11 With the prosecution of the point as it was in his Notes IV The Promise of the Father two Sermons on Act. 1.4 V The evil of the Times one Sermon on Mal. 3.16 17. VI Look to your Aims and Ends one Sermon on Matth. 11.7 To which is added The Idols abolished being his Notes on Is 2.18 Matth. 3.2 Repent yee for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand LONDON Printed by M. S. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head Alley 1655. A PREFACE TO THE READER THe Lord upon my frequent remembrance of the depth of the Riches both of his Wisdome Rom. 12.33 and of his Knowledge hath given me many and manifold occasions to break forth in the words of the Apostles sudden exclamation How unsearchable are his Judgements and his waies past finding out Yea such hath been the tenor of his dispensations and of the Appearance of some of them of late years from out of those unsearchable depths as may well induce us in the midst of such musings to cry out in the words of the Song of the Lamb saying Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty Rev. 16 3. Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who will not fear thee Oh Lord and glorifie thy Name But Oh ye faithful followers of the Lamb who shall be able to fathom and to measure the depth and heighth the breadth and length of those judgements which are yet to come upon the people and the Princes of the earth Wo Wo to the worshippers and admirers of the Dragon of the Beast and the false Prophet how terrible will Jehovah be unto the little Horn the last power which lifts it self up against the Saints of the most High after the expiration of the two and forty months How will this little Horn which goar 's our sides and pusheth us into corners roar when the Judgement shall sit and they that is the Saints shall take away his Dominion Dan. 7.26 to consume and to destroy it unto the end And with what consternation of mind will the proud Nimrods of the world flye before the Lamb and his followers when the mighty Hunters themselves shall be hunted from Mountain to Hill by the little handful of those who ar redeemed from the earth And whitherwill ye rune for shelter Oh ye Tyrants Who shall be your Lord Protector in the Day when Jehovahs fury shall be powred out like fire Nâ—humâ— 6 And if the Rocks are thrown down by him what will become of Reeds If the Sons of ancient Kings be hurried out of the world to their own place for their oppressions and persecutions for their contempt of God his Word and his Works what will be the portion of the New Monarchical Tyrants who are but of yesterday and have not had time to take root in the earth neither shall ever be able to confirm or establish their Domination But to contract and call off my mind from expatiating upon this point It cannot but be confessed That the sudden loss of so blessed an Instrument in the hand of Christ in such a juncture of time may well be matter of astonishment or of great grief to those poor souls who beginning to halt betwixt two opinions found present help and strength administred to their feeble knees by his Ministry and having also their eyes anointed with Gospel Eye-salve for the discovery of the present and other Truths It was no marvel that they became so sensible of the usefulness of such an Interpreter in that populous City as the deceased Author of the insuing Sermons And indeed We Prisoners your Brethren and Companions in Tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Jesus Christ could not refrain rejoycing with you for the hopes you had that he should have been as an Arrow or a polished shaft in the hand of a mighty man even the man Christ Jesus in such a day as this But as the heavens are higher than the earth Isa 55.9 so are the Lords ways higher than our wayes and his thoughts than our thoughts We are taught to say It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3 18 let him do with us also as seemeth good to him for indeed we are not our own 1 Cor 6.20 we are bought with a price whether we live or dye we are the Lords Rom. 14 8 and therefore we are obliged to glorifie him in our bodies and in our souls But to proceed to a brief Narrative of some particular passages and circumstances which may be of use for the Christian Readers who are far remote from the City to know It is to be remembred That this Servant of the Lord had waited for some space of time viz. about a year of daies to understand the mind of God in reference to the work which was upon his heart to do for the Lord Jesus at length perceiving his way to be plain before him he came up to the City of London where it pleased the Lord to put a period to his dayes within a very short space after he was arrived But how diligently he improved his time and his talent I need not declare for it s well known to thousands that he laboured as if it had been for his life to promote that glorious Cause which was once the joy of the Saints generally throughout the Nation although now it be almost forgotten by the most and the concernments of Christ and his people in the midst of a generation of Revolters and Backsliders from the work of God in their day Three principal businesses he had upon his spirit to dispatch The first was to speak his mind freely to the Great Man as they call him which accordingly after solemn seeking the face of the Lord with some Brethren he did and did bear his Testimony to his face in the first place in the presence of divers witnesses in such a way of plaineness and pity towards him who was guilty of such open Abominations that undoubtedly it will be of use hereafter to the stopping of the mouths of all Court-flatterers who are one of the worst sort of creeping Vermine in the world purposing moreover to proceed to an higher and more publick Testimony as God should give him a spirit and opportunity thereunto In the next place like another young Apollos Act. 18.27 28. being come to the City he helped them much who had beleeved the present Truth through Grace for he mightily convinced many and that publickly that the Kingdome of Christ is not only a Spiritual Kingdome but an outward visible Kingdome as his words are that this is a branch of the New Covenant That this
But now Christ beside these had outward sufferings he was made a reproach and was buffetted he was nailed to the Crosse and he was peirced Now the reward must be as large as his sufferings if the reward were onely a spirituall reward that would answer onely the spirituall part of Christs sufferings for so great was Christs spirituall sufferings that what ever he receives from the Father in a spiritual way is but a full sufficient reward for them Now what shall Jesus Christ have for all his outward sufferings why surely he must have some reward for these also there must be something that must be given by the Father to the Son as a reward of these therefore I take it that these words they are mainely that part of the reward they doe hold forth the outward part of the reward God had told him before that he should see his seede and that he should Justifie many I but now because Jesus Christ met with a great deale of suffering from the world too therefore saith God I will give him a portion among the great and he shall divide the spoile with the strong because he was buffeted and nailed to the Crosse and peirced therefore the Father will give him a portion among the great and he shall devide the spoile with the strong therefore I will honour him and set him above the great and above the strong and this shall be the reward of his sufferings that the Father will give him a kingdome and glory and that as a reward of his sufferings Isai 52.13 14 15 ver Behold my servant shall deale prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high As many were astonied at thee his vissage was so marred more then any man and his forme more then the sons of men so shall he sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their mouths at him for that which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider My servant shall be exalted and extolled and be very high who is this Gods servant why Jesus Christ he whose vissage was more marred then any mans and his forme than the sons of men to speak of Christs suffering day in Christs suffering day his vissage was marred and he was without forme or comelines that is he had no beauty men were astonied at him to look at him seeing him so poore and so despised that this should be the Messiah and the Saviour of the world well saith God though my Son hath been so debased so dishonoured in the world yet I will exalt him above the great men of the world and as the world have been astonied at him and despised him Kings shall shut their mouths at him as much as to say as men when in the presence of a Prince or great man hold their tongues and are silent out of respect and honour so Kings and Potentates shall be silent in his presence in the day of Christs glory though in Christs suffering day every one spake against him called him deceiver and Belzebub and trampled upon him O yet there 's a day saith God wherein my Son shall be exalted shall be very high and then the Kings shall shut their mouths at him the great men of the earth shall be dumb they shall not dare to speake a word in the presence of him there shall be such a dread in the day of his Glory and truly this too you shall see Phil 2.6 7 8 verses Because Christ when he was in the forme of God and thought it no robbery to be equall with God was willing to be vilified and to be trod upon was willing to be of no account that he might thereby glorifie his father and save sinners therefore saith the Lord I will highly exalt him Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow so exalted as every knee shall bow before him we are not to understand this of the Popish bowing of the knee at the name of Jesus for such creatures are said here to bow the knee that have no knees and then too as well every tongue shall confesse him as every knee bow to him But the meaning is this that as Jesus Christ had been dishonoured in the presence of men and Angells so a day shall come that Jesus Christ shall be so exalted by the Father and that in the presence of men and Angells that all men and Angells all creatures in heaven and earth and under the earth they shall all bow to Christ that is subject to him worship before him and every tongue shall acknowledge that this Jesus that was crucified and made a reproach at Jerusalem that he was the Lord Christ the glory of God the Father so that Jesus Christ is to have a kingdome wherein all his enemies are to be under his feete subjected to him and this as the reward of his sufferings This is the sum of that that hitherto I have been speaking of that it was a thing that was concluded upon between God and Christ even in Eternitie when the first foundation of the Covenant of Grace was laid that the Lord Jesus Christ in recompence of what he was to doe here on earth for the bringing about the salvation of sinners shall in reward of his worke have a glorious kingdome given to him by his Father so that this kingdome of Christ it s founded in the new Covenant in the very first striking of it up betwixt the Father and the Son But then Secondly It s cleare if we looke unto the Promulgation of it the first Promulgation of the new Covenant was to man immediatly upon the fall so soone as Adam was fallen the Lord comes to him and in the Lords first words of promise to him we have couched this thing that we are speaking of namely the kingdome of Christ yea it was one great part of it that Christ should have a visible kingdome I take it that that promise that we have in Gen 3.16 The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpents head that it doth very clearely hold forth this thing as will appeare if we doe but consider as Who is meant by the seede of the Woman so likewise What we are to understand by breaking the head of the Serpent It s not questioned but that the seed of the Woman is Jesus Christ who was borne of a woman in the Fathers due time Now about the breaking the head of the Serpent is the Question There may be a question Whether that the breaking of the Serpents head were onely a spirituall victory conquest obtained by Christ over the Serpent his seed or whether there be not something further in it Now indeed I conceive that though there is that in it namely Christs spirituall victory and conquest yet there is more in it viz. that this breaking the head of the Serpent doth
then againe Vse 6 If it be a new Covenant mercy it will be a spirituall thing though some may call it a carnall and a low thing yet it will be a spirituall thing the Lord teach us to waite upon him to looke up to him to trust in him to relye on him for there shall be a day of his kingdome our worke is to waite seeke pray and waite in these day's the Lord teach his people to goe along with him as the little Children at his entrance into Jerusalem cryed Hosanna Hesanna he rides upon a poore meane creature the foale of an Asse and the Children follow him crying Hosanna Hosanna so we should eye the Lord Jesus now in the meanest appearances and follow him crying Hosanna in the Highest this we should doe The Lord make us waite on him for his owne Time and that time is not farre off I cannot thinke its farre off because many thinke it a great way off it s an argument to me its neare for God comes upon his people when he finds not faith on Earth when Gods people say its farre off then its neare as when God sent Moses to tell the Children of Israel the Lord would deliver them but before deliverance thesentence of death comes and O say they to Moses Aaron what have you brought us to where is their faith now expecting deliverance at the hand of God Now it was worse with them than before and their bondage is encreased and their deliverance was thought further off O but then was the Lords time he Immediatly brought it to passe then was the Lords time come when their faith was gone So when David stood up first upon the account of his kingdome saith he to Abiathar Come with me and thou shalt be safe I am sure God will give me the kingdome though Saul be a Potent Enemy and mine Enemies many yet I am sure God will give me the kingdome but yet after that when Saul pursued him that he was forc't to fly out of one Hole into another Now saith he shall I perish one day by the hand of Saul then when he thought it thus farre off then the kingdome comes forth the hand of the Lord cutts off Saul and the kingdome Immediately comes to David As when the Children of Israel came out of Babylon they thought they should have all things then Jerusalem built and the Temple and all things but when they were about it building the Temple now a stop is put upon the worke and they cry The time is not for the Lords worke yet till that Haggai and Zachary tells them Now is the Time for building the Lords Temple As it is with private Christians in a doubting houre Saints usually conclude we are too forward for that time observe Then is Gods time they had faith at first and after their faith fayles from the worke and they said it was not time mark then was the time the Lord sends Haggai to tell them they liv'd in their Ceiled Houses and neglected Gods house O now was the time when they thought not of it And just so when Christ suffered on the Crosse We thought say the Disciples this was he that should have delivered us their hope was gone of any deliverance by him yet then was their Redemption at hand their Redemption comes forth Immediatly he finishes the worke of Redemption at that time so that to have faith struck dead is not an Evidence that the worke stands a great way off but that its neare and approaching surely the Lord will come forth in his Time and he is not farre from doing some great and glorious thing in the world Gods peoples faith is not grounded upon fancyes but they see and know that God is doing some glorious thing in the world he is overturning kingdomes and setting up the kingdome of his Son O that we could quietly looke up unto the Lord and waite upon the Lord Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with Trembling kisse the Son lest he be angry yee great ones of the Earth lest his wrath be kindled and you that follow the Lord O doe you rejoyce with feare and serve him with Trembling they that stand may fall O when was there such a falling as now shall be when the Lord saith I will arise to shake terribly the earth no History can paralel such shakings as have been in these last dayes therefore we had need take heed lest we fall and looke up to the Lord that we may stand Indeed it s a blessed truth what ever men may thinke of it so sure as my hand is upon this Bible so sure shall such a thing come forth in due time for as this is the true word of God of a true God that cannot lye so certainly it shall come to passe I have onely insisted on one particular the kingdome as a Branch of the new Covenant but to speake of the kingdome as it s held forth in the Word would take up a large time for there 's not any one truth hath more to be said from the Scripture for it than this of Christs kingdome for as the end of all is Gods glory so this is that concerns Christs glory there 's a vane of it running through the Scripture from the first promise made to Abraham to the last spoken of in the Revelation The Lord give us hearts to looke up to him for the accomplishing of it in his Time FINIS Signes of the Times MATHEVV 16.3 O yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the Times THese words are spoken by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto a generation of men which came to him tempting him desiring him to shew them a signe from heaven in the first verse The Pharisees also with the Sadduces came and tempting desired him that he would shew them a signe from heaven The Pharisees and Sadduces they were in their Principles contrary and opposite one unto another and yet they can either of them very well agree and comply against Christ and both joyne hands and heads in tempting our Lord and their Temptation it ly's in desiring a signe from heaven our Lord Jesus he takes occasion from this to mind them of the signes of the times Can yee not discerne the signes of the times and lest that they should reply that these signes were so darke that they could not be knowne therefore our Lord labours to convince them and that from things that were of a more outward nature you say in the evening it will be faire weather for the skie is red and in the morning it will be foule weather to day for the skie is red and lowring O yee hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said what are yee not as wise in spirituall things as you are in Temporall are you not as wise concerning the
signes of the times as ye are in outward signes yee can discerne the face of the skie how is it that you are not so wise as to discerne the signes of the times I shall not spend much time about the words in the words there is this Observation Observa That the Times of the Lords more glorious appearance and manifestation of himselfe they are times that are marked out they are such times as have evident signes set upon them This the word of Christ doth clearely hold forth Can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said the present time it s such a time as hath signes set upon it ye might see signes if so be that ye were not blind If so be that I should run through the booke of God we should finde this to be a truth First There was a great and wonderfull appearance of the power and majesty of God when the Lord was to deliver Israel out of Egypt and that was a remarkable time a time that God had mark't out 430 yeares At the end of 430 yeares all the host of the Lord it s said came out of the Land of Egypt Secondly At the time of Israels coming out of Babylon There was a glorious appearance of God in stirring up the heart of Cyrus of a Heathen to make him so forward and ready of his own accord to put on the worke of God of building the Temple and make Proclamation throughout all his Dominions to the Jewes to goe up to Jerusalem to doe this worke here was a great hand of God now this time was also mark't out seventy yeares Israel was to be in Babylon and then to come forth Thirdly The time of our Lords first Coming it was a time wherein there was a glorious manifestation of God God now manifests himselfe in the flesh as the Apostle tells us now what remarkable signes were set upon this time there were three remarkable signes set upon this time by either of which this Generation might have knowne or discerned Jesus Christ to be the True Messiah First There was at this time the departure of the Scepter from Judah Prophesied of by Jacob as you may find Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Lawgiver from between his feete untill Shiloh come that is untill Christ come so that whensoever the Scepter was taken away from Judah they might then conclude now will the Messiah come now is he in the world whether we see him or no yet he is come for the Scepter was not to depart till he was come now its observable that at this very time the Scepter was taken away for this Herod that was now king in Judea he was a stranger and not of the blood of the Jewes an Idumean and he was the first stranger that ever was King over the people of the Jewes for they had alwayes some of their own nation ruled them but now there was a stranger swaying the Scepter among them at this time so that here was an Evident fulfilling of the signe of the time at this time the Scepter was gone so they might well have concluded the Messiah was come from Jacobs Prophesie that Jesus was the Messiah for he comes at the very same time that the Scepter departed Secondly There was another remarkable signe of the Time and that was The Expiring or ending of Daniels seventy weekes it s foretold to Daniel that seventy weekes should be the tearme of time unto the Messiah's appearance Dan. 9.24 Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for Iniquitie and to bring in Everlasting righteousnesse and to seale up the vision and Prophesie and to anoint the most holy Seventy weekes was the determined time of Christs coming that is from the time the Angel here speakes these words seventy weekes or foure hundred and ninety yeares reckoning so many dayes as there are in so many weekes for that indeed is the Holy-Ghosts way of account now it was cleare enough that the seventy weekes must be either expired or very neare expiring about that time and therefore that was another great signe of the Time that the Lord Jesus came and declared himselfe to be the Messiab about that time that Daniel had soretold the Messiah was to come forth Thirdly There was another Evident signe of this time and that was Christs doing of those things that were foretold should be accomplished by the Messiah and that in the day of his appearance as Christs opening the eyes of the blind the eares of the deafe causing the lame to walke in the 11th of Math The lame walke the dumb speake the dead are raised the Lepers are cleansed and the poore receive the Gospel Here were the signes of the Times It was foretold by the Prophets that when the Messiah came these things should be done now they saw these things done Jesus Christ comes and doth these very workes and miracles that they expected should be done by the Messiah therefore this was a very convincing signe of the Time that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and therefore Jesus Christ labours to convince John by these signes of the Times But then Fourthly The time of Chirsts second coming that shal be another time wherein the Lord will most gloriously appeare and manifest himselfe now that time also hath most evident and remarkable signes set upon it and that by the Lord and his Word If we looke into the 24 of Mathew we shall find many of the signes of this day I shall touch upon some few in the 10 verse Many shall be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another there 's one signe of that time many offended at the wayes and people and truth of God hate one another and betray one another Againe Iniquitie shall abound vers 12. and the love of many shall wax cold many shall fall away Againe in the 29 verse in those times the Starres shall fall from heaven an Apostacie of such as shal be eminent leading men in the Churches of Christ for indeed starres in the Revelation are interpreted to be the Angells of the Churches now Immediately before that time there shall be a great dropping of Starres of great leading eminent men in the Churches they shall fall from heaven from their former walkings and the truth and wayes and cause of Christ Againe at that time there shall be some shall smite their fellow-servants at the latter end of this Chapter and that under this pretence my Lord delay 's his coming clearely intimating that Immediatly before his coming some should smite and beate their fellow-servants why why indeed because they speake of the coming of their Lord as neere and the other they say its a great way off and that they make more hast then is meete they eate and drinke with the drunken that is have society
his workes and in sundry signes then for men to call for other signes its provoking Christ doth give them a signe There shall be no signe given this evill and adulterous Generation but the signe of the Prophet Jonas what signe was that he gives them such a signe that they should never see the signe till the worke was over they could conclude nothing from it till it was too late As Jonas was three dayes and three nights in the Whales belly so shall the Son of man be three dayes and three nights in the belly of the earth they could gather nothing from this signe till Christ was dead and risen againe and then the worke was over they had fild up the measure of their Iniquitie and so they could gather nothing from this signe till it was too late therefore it s bad dallying with and tempting of the Lord Christ gives these persons a signe for the hardening of them a signe in Judgement a signe that should not open their eyes till it was too late therefore take heed of shifting off the signes of the times take heed against cleare signes to shuffle off Gods worke saying I must have some other signe or some extraordinary signe God will not be dallyed with in such things as these are The second Sermon MATHEVV 16.3 O yee Hypocrites yee can discerne the face of the skie but can yee not discerne the signes of the Times SUrely its good for us to know the times the signes and seasons of Gods worke and this is that that is here held forth to us and shall be the subject of my present discourse namely The signes of the Times Quest What are the signes of the Times Answ Truly it was not in my thoughts till very lately that it had been a Question among any of the Children of God Whether or no the worke of the present time were the worke of Christs kingdome I did conceive it to be one great Article of our faith that the work that God doth call his Children to at this day and he calls upon them from heaven to attend to had been the worke of Christs visible kingdome over the world but there is a notion among good and holy men worthy Instruments of Christ that we are not to expect such a thing as this fift kingdome untill such time as our deare Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shall come forth and bring his kingdome with him and indeed if so I must confesse for my owne part I am very much in the darke what should be the worke of the present time and what the worke is that the Saints and people of God are called to if the dispensations of God doe not call to this and if the word of God doth not leade them to this if all doth not leade us to this namely To looke upon the worke of Christs visible kingdome in the world Satan that is indeed the grand Enemie of the kingdome of our Lord Jesus he doth labour as you may have observed might and maine so long as he could wholly to obscure the notion it selfe of a visible kingdome and indeed to hold the Saints and people of God in such a beleife as that there was no such thing at all as an outward kingdome but it was a phansie and a dreame of those who ever they were that did expect it and truly it was none of the lest of the subtilties of the Serpent in setting abroach those principles of late yeares among professors that all things were to be taken spiritually and so indeed make them to allegorize the whole Scripture knowing that could he once bring them to this he should thereby keepe downe the kingdome which he did clearely foresee was neere approaching and would rise in the world but when the Devill saw that his pollicy fayl'd him here and that indeed there was such a blessed light of this visible kingdome let forth into the world that all those mists that he rais'd could not darken the light of it why truly as I have feared others doe he fly's to this retreate as to another hole out of which he might beate downe the present worke of the Generation namely this to perswade the hearts of the Children of God and to make us all be of a beleife that there is no such thing that Saints should looke for or expect or attend unto as a visible kingdome untill the day of Christs appearance and truly if so be the Devill can but accomplish his end and designe here if he can but bring us to the beleife of such a thing as this he doth know full well that he shall as effectually oppose and strike dead the present worke of the generation as ever he could have done if he had held the people of God in the beleife of the other thing that there is no fift kingdome at all for what are Saints called to or can they doe unlesse it be onely to pray and to beleive which Saints of all ages and generations from the beginning of the world might doe I say what in this age are they in an especiall manner called to in reference to Christs kingdome if so be there be not such a thing till Christ appeare I desire to speake this soberly because indeed I could not wave it I thought to have fallen directly upon the signes of the Times and not to have spoken any thing as to the thing it selfe but truly all signes will be of little use if the thing it selfe be in doubt therefore I saw a necessity that something be spoken unto that To cleare therefore the conceptions of the people of God in this and that we may goe upon as cleare ground as may be let it be considered Asser That the kingdome of Christ his visible kingdome or that thing called the fift Monarchy its twofold or it doth consist of two parts namely the kingdome of the Stone and the kingdome of the Mountaine The first of these I conceive to be as the evening time of that kingdome to wit all that time that is to be before the rising of the morning Starre the sun of righteousnesse Jesus Christ the last is the morning state of that kingdome that which succeedes the rising of the morning Starre and Sun of Righteousnesse The first of these it is as I may so say the working kingdome of the Saints it s that kingdome wherein Saints are by their Lord Imployed to doe some notable service against his coming which is The breaking downe the great Image the bringing downe all his Enemies that when he comes he may find them his footstoole for he is to sit at the fathers right hand untill all his Enemies be made his footstoole therefore this kingdome of the Stone is the working kingdome the kingdome wherein the Saints are Imployed in a glorious worke for Christ to plucke downe all that Jesus Christ when he comes may have his Enemies his footstoole The other I call the kingdome of glory wherein the Saints
make both good looke the 21 22 verses of the 7 of Daniel I beheld and the same Horne made warre with the Saints and prevailed against them untill the Antient of dayes came and Judgement was given to the Saiats of the most high and the time came that the Saints possessed the kingdome And againe looke into the 25 26 27 verses And he shall speake great words against the most high and shall weare out the Saints of the most high and thinke to change times and Lawes and they shall be given into his hand untill a time and times and the deviding of time But the Judgement shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end And the kingdome and Dominion and the greatness of the kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose kingdome is an Everlasting kingdome and all Dominions shall serve and obey him So that observe the very people that the little Horne warr 's against in the day of his raign that very people at the ending time of his Dominion shall take his Dominion from him but they are Saints I say Saints must be considered under that notion in taking the kingdome and Dominion of the little Horne as they are considered in the little Hornes warre against them why if we consider that in the time of the little Hornes warre against them he doth not war against them as they are nations but against Saints as Saints therefore when the ending time of his Dominion comes Saints as Saints not Saints as the body of nations for there was never yet a nation made up of Saints but Saints as Saints cul'd out shall execute the vengeance of God upon this little Horne that hath warr'd against them and troden them underfoote so long Thirdly Reason 3 That generation of men shall destroy the kingdome of the Beast in the time when his kingdome is to be destoyed that did beare witnes against the Beast for Christ all the time his kingdome stood this is grounded upon the cleare truth of the 11 Chapter of the Revelation which tells us that the witnesses for 1260 dayes prophesied in the end of this time they are kil'd by the Beast they rise up againe and rising up they knock the Beast downe for Immediatly thereupon the tenth part of the Citie fell and there was a great earthquake and there were slaine of men seven thousand and great feare fell upon all the rest and they gave glory to the God of heaven This is done by the rising witnesses therefore that generation of men that have borne Testimony against the Beast in the time of the Beast's kingdome that generation of men when his time runs out shall give the deadly stroake to the Beast and his kingdome but that generation of men that have borne their witnesse hath not been in the world it hath not been the nations of the earth for all the world saith John wondered after the Beast and all the Hornes and that with one mind and with one consent give up their power kingdome to the Beast and therefore not the powers of the world but they that have borne witnesse against the Beast all the time of his kingdome and they are the poore despised handfull of Saints that have been in the world that have borne their testimony against the Beast and therefore they are those who at the expiring time shall come forth and give the deadly Blow to the Beast Fourthly Reason 4 The Angel that enlightens the earth with the glory of the truth of the Lord that is that Angel or Instrument that shall ruine Babylon Revel 18.1 And after these things I saw another Angel come downe from heaven having great power and the earth was enlightened with his glory The Angel that enlightens the earth with the glory of God carry's on the worke against Babylon but the earth hath not been enlightened with the glory of God by the generation of the world but the world hath been enlightened by the generation of the faithfull that God hath revealed his truth to they have been the light enlightening the world with the glory of Gods truth and this Angel that enlighteneth the earth with the glory of God he gives the deadly blow unto the Beast there where light comes forth God will carry on the worke by those hands Fifthly Reason 5 Those which have had a Bloody Cup fil'd to them by the Beast all the time of his kingdome those shall give forth a bloody Cup double to the Beast when his kingdome doth expire that is grounded upon Revel 18.6 Reward her even as shee rewarded you and double unto her double according to her workes in the Cup which shee hath filled fill to her double Whence I reason thus the Generation of men that have had the bloody Cup fil'd to them by the Beast all the time of his kingdome they shall fill the bloody Cup to the Beast in the ending time of his kingdome for reward her as shee hath rewarded you and give her blood to drinke give her double according to her workes But they that have had blood from the Beast all the time of his kingdome have not been the nations of the earth as nations for the Beast sits upon the nations the waters upon which the whore sits are nations and peoples and multitudes and tongues The Beast is strengthened by the nations that oppose the Saints and tread underfoote the holy Citie but they have been the Saints that have had the bloody Cup from the Beast The Horne made warre with the Saints I saw the woman drunke with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Now they that have had the bloody Cup shall give the bloody Cup they that have been thus dealt with by the Beast shall thus deale with the Beast they are the Saints and therefore the glorious worke is carryed on against the Beast it shall be done by Saints as the leading Instruments I shall speake yet a little more to this because many begin now to thinke that this worke must be carryed on thus and thus by States and Kingdomes Sixthly Reason 6 Another argument to prove this is The worke of God against Rome shall be so mannaged as there may be singing of Hallelujah's in the Churches for the carrying of it on this is cleare from Revel 19.1 After these things that is after the ruine of Rome spoken of in the foregoing Chapter I heard a great voice of much people in heaven saying Allelujah Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lordour God here 's singing of Hallelujah's upon the destruction of the Beast but now if this should be done onely by the clattering of a company of nations falling upon the Beast and ruining him what singing of Hallelujah's would there be in the Churches for this what would there be more in this than in the worke
among Divines That a man in the first worke is meerely Passive aâ— a childe when first conceived and formed in the wombe is meerely passive it doth nothing so it s with a Soule in the first worke it therefore doth nothing in laying Christ as a foundation but Christ is first by the father laid as a foundation in the soule and then the soule Acts it beleives it repents it obey's c. And indeed it s a thing Impossible to conceive that man by any act of his either his faith repentance obedience c. should lay Christ as a foundation seeing the creature is a finite thing and all his acts are like himselfe finite but Christ is the Infinite God now how can a finite hand or power moove an Infinite thing how can that which is finite bring downe that which is Infinite and lay it as a foundation the laying Christ therefore as a foundation is not the act of the creature but of God onely Quest 5. But how doth God lay Christ as a foundation Answ 1. By razing all other foundations one soule as I said before builds upon his Legal convictions mournings humiliations another upon his resolutions vowes Covenants his acts of revenge upon himselfe his reformation Another on his Joyes Comforts his disposition of heart that sometimes he finds to a duty and his sincere aymes as he thinkes therein Another upon his particular words given in sometimes to beare him up under straits's sometimes to encourage to his duty and upon his faith in these c. Now when God comes indeed to lay Christ as a foundation in any soule if a soule have such foundations God will shake them all yea raze them to the ground So that now the soule will see and say my convictions mournings humiliations resolutions vowes covenants acts of selfe-revenge reformations are nothing nothing as to evidence Gods love to my soule I may be miserable perish and be undone for ever notwithstanding this my priviledges Church-ship participation of ordinances are nothing I may be a cast-out for ever notwithstanding these my comforts joyes good fits to duty good aymes therein as I thinke are nothing as to build any hope here for I may be deceived and gull'd in all these and perish eternally notwithstanding these my words given in in straights when I have been going to some worke and my faith laid upon these are nothing as to assure me God is my father I may be under a mistake in all these Now is the soule stripped bare and naked and become truly poore in spirit for whereas before it thought it selfe rich and had many things convictions humiliations vowes reformations comforts joyes particular words faith in these which it could muster up as evidences of Gods love to it now it sees it hath nothing at all it cannot bring forth one thing that can evidence to it it is a childe of God or got beyond the hypocrite And now it lies Lord a Christ or nothing a naked Christ or nothing I have tryed all foundations now they are nothing they are all shaken to pieces razed to the ground Thus the soule hang's as 't were betwixt Earth and heaven or Hell and heaven rather not knowing what will become of him but a little glimpse he hath that Christ can save him yet and some inward groanings there are O Christ or nothing Christ now to be my Comfort my wisdome my righteousnes my sanctification c or nothing Secondly By making an Inward discovery to the soule that all that which it hath sought to the Law for is laid up in Christonely and to be had from him Now the soule sees that whereas before it ran to the Law for conviction of sin repentance obedience faith Comfort c. that all this is treasured up richly in Jesus Christ and it must have these things if it will have the true and not be put off with counterfeit ware from Jesus Christ onely now the soule begins to looke after a new conviction of sin repentance saith obedience Comfort c. And whereas it thought before that it had all these now indeed it sees it had them not what it had was onely counterfeite ware the true ware being to be had onely from Christ out of his warehouse now it cry's Lord give me the wisdome of Christ the sanctification of Christ that faith that repentance obedience Comfort that is in Christ and flow's from him now begins Christ to be all and there is nothing that hath any credit with the soule but what is Christs it cares not for repentance faith Comfort c. if it be not Christs But as before it said I am nothing my convictions humiliation reformation comfort faith c. are nothing now it saith otherwise Christ is all Christ is my wisdome my righteousnes my sanctification my repentance my faith my Comfort my obedience my strength to stand c. that is I looke for all these no where but in and from Christ Thirdly By enabling the soule to make a direct actuall close with Christ for all these This is that coming which followes the drawing hearing learning of the father John 6.44 45. No man can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the father cometh unto me But note that this latter is not so properly laying of the foundation for the foundation is laid in the two former as the uniting of the soule to the foundation or the soddering of the soule and foundation Cementing them into one in order to spirituall growth and fruitfulnes for the foundation Christ being by the father planted in the soule his wisdome righteousnes sanctification c. being laid at the very bottome of all it is necessary that now to the end that this wisdome grace holines c. might shoot up into the soule and cause the glorious buddings forth of Gospel light grace and holines in it that there should be a soddering of the soule and the foundation for as the tender graft partakes of the sap that is in the stocke by such a union with the stocke as makes the graft and stocke grow into one so the participation of that light life grace Righteousnes Holines of which the blessed foundation Christ is full is conveyed into the soule by such a knitting of this foundation and the soule together as makes them inseparably one now flowes up out of the foundation that wisdome grace Holines that is in it into the soule and the soule which before was emptied of all and had the sap of old Adam that wisdome righteousnes holines c. which springs from old Adam let out hath the new Adam sending up his living sap into it and now the soules faith repentance obedience c. are all such as this new sap sends forth that is it is all grace of another kinde its faith is of another kind to what before it had its repentance and obedience
and leading promise that stood out before all the other promises and that was the coming of the Messiah and unto this promise all the Types shaddowes Ceremonies and services of the Law did looke they ran into this promise so the Saints and people of God in the times of the new Testament have a great and leading promise also but this great promise of the old Testament is no promise to them for it s accomplished Christ hath come and dyed and is risen againe and we looke not for him to come and dye any more to satisfie his Fathers Justice but now there is I say a great and leading promise in the new Testament which the Saints fix their eye upon above all other promises and that is the promise of the Spirit as the Saints under the old Testament look't cheifely to this promise of the Messiah O when will our Messiah come when will the Redeemer come when will Christ come why so the Saints under the new Testament have this as their great expectatior O when will the Spirit come when will the Spirit come down more into our hearts O when shall we be more fill'd with the Spirit and be enabled to walke in the Spirit and to live in the Spirit and have all our teaching from the Spirit and all our strength and life and whatsoever we have from the Spirit this is that that the Saints should have their eye fixed upon under the new Testament and so the Observation at this time shall be this Obser That the promise of the Spirit is the great New Testament promise it 's the great promise that the Children of God in the times of the new Testament are to be looking up to God for the fulfilling and accomplishing of In the prosecution of which point I shall follow this Method all moulds and methods they are but things wherein we are to seeke the edification one of another First I shall shew you That the promise of the Spirit is a great promise Secondly That its the great New Testament â—romise Thirdly Why the Lord held forth his Spirit to his Children as the great promise why he would have them looke more upon that promise than upon any other promise Fourthly I shall apply this blessed truth to our hearts First The promise of the Spirit it 's a great promise a very great promise so it is First If we doe consider The thing promised the gift given by vertue of this promise What can be a greater gift than for God by promise to give himselfe to a poore soule for the Father and Son to give themselves to a poore soule Now the promise of the Spirit it 's the gift of God himselfe the promise of God himselfe we have God giving himselfe by promise the Father giving himselfe and the Son giving himselfe for these three are one where the Spirit is given all are given and where the Spirit comes and dwells there 's the dwelling of the whose the Father Son and Spirit all the blessed Trinity now what a wonderfull gift is here is it not a great promise then Secondly It 's a great promise If we consider the Promise-Maker wee make account of the promises of great men this is a promise made by the greatest in Heaven and earth the Father and the Son are the greatest My sheepe saith Christ heare my voice and I give unto them Eternall life and none shall plucke them out of my Fathers hand and my Father saith he is greater than I Here are the two greatest in heaven the Father and the Son and they make this promise the Spirit proceedeth from both as the gift of either the Father promiseth it and therefore it 's called in the Text the promise of the Father the Son promiseth it John 16.7 Neverthelesse I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you Thirdly It 's a great promise If we looke to the way or meanes of conveying this promise to the soule The greater and more difficult meanes a man must use to fulfill some promise made to us the greater and higher account we have of his promise the worth of a mercy may sometimes be measured by the meanes through which it is brought about Now doe but looke at the difficulty's this promise comes thorough It comes upon the account of Christs Intercession for it in heaven I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter before this promise can come forth in the fulnes and glory of it Christ must strip himselfe of his glory come downe from heaven to earth be made a reproach dye a cursed death and after this goe up to heaven againe and there pray and plead and all before this promise can be given forth so that it 's a promise that comes through all Christ's doings and sufferings and Intercessions before it can be given out in the fulnes and glory of it I will pray the Father he shall give you another Comforter It 's therefore a great promise Fourthly It 's a great promise If we doe but consider The great things that are laid up in this promise First All our spirituall peace and comfort is laid up in this promise all that inward Joy and peace comfort that a poore soule hath it 's all lodg'd up in this blessed promise hence the Spirit is call'd the Comforter because all our comfort if it be true it comes from him there 's a Joy which men have for a season as that of the Stony ground which men may have by the common working 's of the Spirit but it 's not that comfort and Joy which the Spirit workes in the hearts of the Saints in a speciall way as the comforter all the true Joy and comfort that Saints have they have it in and from this promise hath a soule comfort in a way of sence from the sencible feeling of the gifts and graces and operations of the Spirit of God in his heart This comfort if it be right it comes from the Spirit and so it 's laid up in this promise It 's the Spirit of God that must come and worke in us and that must discover his own workings in us that must worke our grace and make us to feele our grace and make us to know that that which we feele it is grace for if the Spirit of God doe not come in and beare witnesse to what we feele there will be no true comfort that we can have that way have we comfort in a way of faith in hanging upon the generall promise A poore soule finds nothing all is dry and dead and all comfort he had formerly in duty 's and ordinances is gone now he lookes up to the promise and draw's in comfort from God altogether in a way of faith when all is dead within This comfort of faith is also from the Spirit
know things by the Spirit of man but by the Spirit of God for the spirit of man will get a great deale of knowledge and let it out againe O that the Spirit of God condemn'd by many in this generation might be honoured by us art thou a poore soule hast thou no strength nor life to duty do'st thou say I come to pray sometimes and would faine have my heart in heaven and keepe my faith up and be full of groanes but I cannot speake a word nor utter a groane but am just like a blocke O come to the Lord and say Good Lord give me of thy blessed Spirit I have sat often and heard in a customary and formall way and so have I pray'd but Lord give me thy Spirit to heare and thy Spirit to pray and thy Spirit to doe all in my soule O then you should finde strength and assistance and helpe and such helpe as the soule cannot Imagine so hast thou not boldnes can'st thou not call God father say now Lord thy Spirit let the Spirit of Adoption come into my heart Lord fill my heart with thy Spirit that I may cry Abba father if thy Spirit come downe into my soule I shall cry father it will helpe my Infirmities and tell me what to say I would goe to God but I know not what to say nor what to lay before God nor what to aske O Lord thy Spirit now to put words into my mouth and thy Spirit to put groanes into my heart so a poore soule that goes about doubting and saith I am undone such and such are happy and blessed they are the Children of God but I shall perish for ever whosoever goes to heaven I shall goe to hell O goe to the Lord and say Lord I cannot see thy seale upon this my affliction good Lord come and give me thy Spirit that earnest of glory and seale my Spirit for glory and witnes by thy Spirit with my spirit that I am thy childe O let every one looke after this every one mind this we are here but a little while we run through the world and little thinke of Eternitie and then at last we cry out O that I had look't after God his Spirit O that I had now the Evidence of the Spirit I have follow'd pride and vanitie and wantonnesse and the world and how I might be rich O that I had now the Spirit of God I would give ten thousand worlds if I had them that I had but the witnesse of the Spirit and the Evidence of the Spirit O Christians doe not mind the great things of God of Religion and of their soules but we have gotten Religion in a forme and as an art like a trade in the world men thinke they do enough if they doe but now then say over a prayer and read one of the Psalmes or the like O you will wish another day O that I had Jesus Christ O that I were sealed with the Spirit of God if you want this the day of Christ will be a bitter day to you so is your heart dry and withering pray to God to come by his Spirit and water you every moment it may be your hearts are a little stirred when you are under a Sermon but you goe away againe and forget all now say soule say to the Lord my conscience is touched now good Lord as I goe out of this place water me and as I goe home water me and all the weeke water me and every moment Lord water me till I come againe there 's need of this beg of the Lord for it and pray to the Lord to give his Spirit for this end for the Spirit of the Lord doth this so hast thou had many sweete promises many times and thou forgettest them cry Lord thy Spirit thy Spirit to bring all these things to my remembrance all the glorious promises O that I might remember them all and that by the holy and blessed Spirit O that day is not farre off that God will come downe with more abundance of this Spirit it will fall upon our hearts O therefore thinke of these things ponder something and goe away with these groanings in your hearts O father give thy Spirit thy Spirit to my poore soule The Lord worke with you I have spent many words but its God that must give you his Spirit looke up for it and if you will helpe all faults heale all divisions cure all distempers in the soule bring the soule to Joy unspeakeable and full of glory get this Spirit it will give such peace to the soule as shall passe all understanding The Lord give more of it to every one of us FINIS The second Sermon ACTS 1.4 Waite for the Promise of the Father THis promise it s no other but the promise of the holy Spirit and our Lord Jesus is pleased to entitle it the Promise of the Father that his Disciples and Children might be as throughly apprehensive of the Fathers willingnes to give forth the Spirit as they were confident of his The last time I shewed you that this promise was a great promise I shall now the Lord assisting goe on and come to the second thing Secondly That the Promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise I say the promise of the holy Spirit is the great new Testament promise here are two things to be cleared and proved First That the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise Secondly That its the great new Testament promise First That its a new Testament promise my my meaning is not that its a promise proper and peculiar unto the new Testament Times so as that we are to conceive the people of God that lived under the old Testament Administration had not the Spirit we must not so conceive of the thing for the people of God in the time of the old Testament they had the Spirit Holy men of God saith the Apostle Peter spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost and therefore they had the holy Spirit with them and if they had it they had it in a way of promise and therefore it s not a promise so peculiar to the new Testament times as that the Saints of the old Testament had not this promise as well as we nay the Saints and people of God under the old Testament they had that very same Covenant in which this glorious promise of the Spirit is held forth and given that we have the new Covenant it runs downe even from Adam as I may say to the end of all things the new Covenant it runs through all the times of the old Testament and its this Covenant the new Covenant that gives forth the Spirit and they had that Covenant running through all that long time they had therefore the Spirit given forth to them But when I say the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise we are to understand it thus That its a promise that
revealed which we shall enjoy and be made pertakers of with this Paul comforts Timothy If we suffer with him we shall also raigne with him And whatever the poor blind world thinks suffering Saints shall be glorified Saints they that suffer with Christ shall be glorified with Christ the great thing that Paul presents to the thoughts of the Saints in suffering times to comfort them and refresh and bear up their hearts is that they shall have a Kingdome they shall come into the Kingdome of God and raigne with him there There 's a most excellent place for this purpose Revel 5.9 10 13 verses And they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall raigne on earth And every Creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing and honour and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Now look into the next Chapter vers 9 10 11. And when he had opened the fifth Seale I saw under the Altar the soules of them that were slaine for the word of God and for the testimony which they held and they cryed with a loud voyce saying How long O Lord Holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth And white Robes were given unto every one of them We see white Robes in one place under the Altar crying How long How long O Lord wilt thou not avenge our blood on them that dwelt upon the earth And in another place we see them in their Kingdome sing Praises and Hallelujah's to God and the Lamb there they are in their glory and in their triumph O let us look to our white Robes to keep our white Robes about us for white Robes shall not alwayes lye under the Altar O this we should be often arguing of and speaking one to another of O the sweet and the great and the glorious precious Promises that God hath made of better times to come Let us make it our care I say to keep our white Robes about us that in all our bearing testimony and appearing for God against the sins of the Times we may keep our white Robes And then we shall conquer and overcome all our enemies for that noble Spirit hath overcome come and conquered all along though it hath been in the fewest never so weak despised a company yet that noble Spirit hath conquered all along though it hath been never so low and never so contemptible yet it hath carried it from the great and mighty and high ones of the world O let us speak often one to another of these things and this will quicken us and keep a lively and active spirit in us and among us and therefore see what notice the Lord takes of it The Lord hearkned and heard O God did hearken and listen to hear what his Children did say for him and to him at such a time as this was wherein there was such great and high Apostacies and backslidings It is as when a man hears many speaking against him and his Child stands and looks on and heares them the father will listen and hearken to hear what his Child saith and what his Child will speak for him he will take speciall notice what his Child saith and how he appears and stands up for him Why so doth the Lord when he sees a company fall from him and tread his name under foot then he will take speciall notice of them that speak and appear for him and not onely so but A Booke of Remembrance is written before him Like unto a man that keeps a Note-book about him to write down things that so he may not forget them so doth the Lord to speak after the manner of men the Lord hath a Note-book and he writes downe what they doe that fear him that fear his name and speak and plead for him he writes it downe O saith he there 's such a one he speaks for me and he appears and pleads for me against the sins of the times O writt it downe presently saith God I will not have that forgot I will not loose that note when others revolt and turne their backs upon me and when others look upon my name and see it trodden under foot and blasphemed they will not speak for me nor appear for me but these doe O write it downe I will not forget that For them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name O it 's good to fear the Lord to be of a fearfull spirit lest we should fall and lest we should turne aside with the croud and with the workers of iniquity to fear least we should backslide and Apostatize and see Gods name dishonoured and not appear for him to speak a word for him it 's good to be fearfull lest we should be drawne and carried away with the stream Let us pray often for one another lest we should be led and drawne away But these feare the Lord and thought upon his name though they could not speak for God nor it may be declare for God as others did yet they thought upon his name they thought how is the name of God dishonoured How is it spoken against and blasphemed by this Apostacy How doth the name of God suffer And thus they thought upon his name But now these men to whom the Prophet spake they forget God and yet they say Wherein have we forgotten God and wherein have we done thus and thus Well saith God there 's a company of poor soules that fear me and think upon my name write it downe write downe every thought that they have of me and of my name how that suffers and how that is dishonoured truly if we can doe nothing else let us think of the name of God at this day how that suffers and how that is trodden under foot God took this exceeding well from them and certainly God will take it well at our hands too And saith God They shall be mine in that day when I make up my Jewells Thou shalt be mine saith God and what would'st thou have God say to thee more than this Thou shalt be mine in that day when I make up my Jewels thou art mine now but then at that day it shal appear that thou art mine It doth not yet appear as John saith what we shall be but when he shall appear we shall be like him Poor soule what wouldst thou have God say to thee more then this Thou shalt be mine God's thou shalt be mine is more worth then all the world If we could be but faithfull to God he would gather
Saints And such a time hath not yet been from the beginning of the world to this day Civill Power hath been in the hands of worldly men all hath been managed by them Servants have ruled over Gods Heritage And for the Gospel hath it not ever come out of Universities though Christ no where in the Gospel did ever appoint the building of such Cities to send his Gospel from but hath appointed his City Jerusalem his true Church thence it is sent 3 This relates to a time when the House of Jacob shall be come in or upon coming in for they are called to come vers 5. O House of Jacob come yee and let us walke in the light of the Lord. 4 This relates to a time when God will darken all the glory of the world and exalt himselfe onely from vers 10. to 18. Enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his Majesty The lofty lookes of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day For the day of the Lord of Hests shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oakes of Bashan and upon all the high mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up and upon every high Tower and upon every fenced wall and upon all the ships of Tarshish and upon all pleasant Pictures And the loftinesse of man shall be bowed downe and the haughtinesse of men shall be made low And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day Lastly This relates to a time In which God will shake terribly the earth and what time is that Other Scriptures tell us that Christ a little before his coming will shake all Nations Hag. 2.6 7. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry Land And I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come quoted Heb. 12.26 27. Whose voyce then shooke the earth but now he hath promised saying yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also Heaven And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remaine To this time this relates so that our Text looks to a time a little before Christs coming and so falls into the lap of our Times Quest What will Christ doe at this day Answ Many glorious things here mentioned which particularly I cannot now handle of which this is one most glorious thing The Idolls he will utterly abolish Of which a word Doctrine There is a most glorious day a coming in which all Idolls shall be utterly abolished I shall shew 1 What is meant by Idolls By Idoll is meant any thing that a man loves honours and prefers before God and his glory So a coverous mans money is his Idoll Hence Covetousnesse is Idolatry the Gluttonous and voluptuous mans belly is his Idoll hence Phil. 3.19 Their belly is their God The ambitious mans honour name and credit is his Idoll The holy mans Grace wheâ— trusted in gloried in and when it 's preferred before Christ his truth and word and when it 's made a thing more infallible than Gods truth it 's an Idoll whatever is preferred loved looked at talked of trusted to and gloried in more than Christ be it a thing good or bad it is an Idoll Quest 2. What Idolls will God abolish Answ 1 The Idoll of Prophanesse Some men make an Idoll of their very wickednes love serve and glory in that God will abolish this Idoll 2 The Idoll of Pomp worldly glory and greatnesse What an Idoll hath this been This God will abolish vers 12. For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low That is those persons that are haughty proud lofty puffed up with their dignity honour advancement and preferment the day of the Lord shall be upon them to bring them low to lay them their glory and honour in the dust and vers 13. And upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up Cedars tall Trees Ezek. 17.22 Cedars tall Trees upon high Mountaines vers 14. And upon all the high Mountaines and upon all the hills that are lifted up Men that are in honour and dignity over others to whom therefore others come and bow the knee the day of the Lord shall be upon them 3 The Idoll of Strength Strength is an Idoll the proud King Dan. 11. honours the God of forces in his strong holds vers 38 39. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces thus shall he doe in the most strong holds with a strange God The Assyrian King glories in strength Isa 37.24 By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord and hast said by the multitude of my Chariots am I come up to the height of the Mountaines to the sides of Lebanon and I will cut down the tall Cedars thereof and the choyce Firre Trees thereof and I will enter into the height of his border and the forrest of his Carmell This Idoll shall be destroyed vers 13. The day of the Lord shall be upon all the Oakes of Bashan Oakes the strongest of Trees vers 15. And upon every high Tower and upon every fenced wall Towers and fenced places are the strength of a City the day of the Lord shall be upon these So see Isa 26.5 He bringeth downe them that dwell on high the lofty City he layeth it low he layeth it low even to the ground he bringeth it even to the dust Compared with vers 2. Open yee the gates that the righteous Nation which keepeth the truth may enter in Thus for Land strength Is the strength gloried in Sea strength Navall strength God will take away that Idoll vers 16. And upon all the Ships oâ— Tarshish Whether Land strength which lyes in Armies fenced Cities Townes or Sea strength which lyes in Shipping Navies God will abolish this Idoll 4 The Idoll of Pollicy What a wonderfull Idoll is this and how much adored in the world God will abolish this Idoll Isa 29.14 Therefore behold I will proceed to doe a marvellous work amongst this people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of the wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid To what time doth this relate vers 18 19 24. In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the booke and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse The meek also shall encrease their joy