care of me he delivered me when I was in such straits when I was almost dead strugling to get into this world the hand of the Lord was helping of me The hand of the Lord was more to me then all creatures he helped me See at the beginning from first to last God takes a special care of the lives of his Saints Fourthly It will further appear this great love of God this great care of God will further appear if we consider what a rate he makes men pay for the lives of his Saints when they take their lives away by violence He will make them know they have stolen precious Jewels from him and he will make them pay dear for it you know what it cost Jerusalem there was found the blood of the Prophets slain there was a great deal of blood lay upon them the blood of Abel and the blood of Zacharias and they shed the blood of the Prophets and Servants of God and that blood became their overthrow the blood of them did throw down the Walls and Temple of the City the streams of blood did sweep away all the Inhabitants thereof whensoever the life of a Saint is stolen and taken away God presently sends Hue and Cry after it and wheresoever God hath found the blood of his people he hath declared his wrath against them he hath prosecuted the Law to the uâ—most against them See what is prophesied of Babylon how doth the Lord deal with her in the 18. of Revelation when God came to make inquisition after the blood of the Saints 't is said And in her was found the blood of the Saints There God found his stolen Jewels the blood of his Saints See how God doth prosecute the Law against her in thaâ— 18. Chapter you read of most fearful judgments that came upon Babylon God seizes upon all her Riches all her Glory and they were all brought down in a day she her self was brought to execution she was cast down as a Milstone cast down into the bottom of the Sea never to to rise again what was the cause of all this wrath and diâ—pleasure and fearful judgements that was to come upon Babylon Why this was given as the reason In her was found the blood of the Prophets So then still you see and I beseech you beleeve it there is nothing in all the world more precious to the Lord then the lives of his Servants Well 2ly If the lives of the Servants of God Use 2 be so precious how precious are the souls of his Servants the life is more then rayment saith Christ the life is more then all creatures and the soul is more then life the life of Christ in the soul it must needs be a hundred times more precious a thousand times more precious Oh what a high account hath God of the souls of his people what will not God part with rather then he will loose the souls of his people he will part with the Jewel of Heaven the great Jewel of Heaven to ransome the souls of his people he was content that his Son should come out of his bosome rather then he would loose one of the souls of his people the Son was infinitely dear to the Father more dear to him then all the world yea ten thousand worlds and yet he will part with his son that he may rescue the souls of his people from destruction Oh how precious was the soul in the eye of Christ what did he do what did he suffer to redeem the precious soul how far did he come to fetch them a mighty journey the Lord Christ took from Heaven to Earth that he might bring back poor souls that were taken captive by the Divel and rescue them from death and destruction what great hazard did the Lord Christ run when he was upon Earth Oh what mighty Armies what Troops did Jesus Christ break through Armies of sins and Armies of Divels that was in his way and yet he brake through them all to rescue the souls of his Servants when he had broke through those Troops what depths did he descend into that he might fetch up the souls of his Servants He was content to go into the depths of the Sea the red Sea the Sea of blood yea into the depths of the Sea of his Fathers wrath and indignation that so he might fetch up the souls of his Servants the depth of the wrath of God the depth of the infinite wrath of God it is a Sea that hath no bottom a Sea of wrath that men and Angels should never have found the bottom they shall be descending lower and lower still and never find the bottom and yet the Son of God was content to go to the bottome of wrath of all the billows of his Fathers wrath and displeasure that so be might fetch up the souls of his servants that lay under wrath they could never have lift up their heads above the billows of the displâ—aâ—ure of the Almighty if Christ had not fetcht them up if he had not upon his own back carryed them over Oh how precious were the souls of his Saints in the eye of God! The life of the Son of God was precious to him and yet his life was nothing to him in comparison that he might save the souls of his people if he had a thousand lives he would have layd them all down Now I beseech you think of this you that have a mean account of your souls O how precious is the soul in the account of the Son of God how great was the price that Christ paid for thy soul and why dost thou undervalue thy soul and art willing to part with this most precious treasure in the world it cost the life of the Son of God to purchase thy soul and wouldst thou be content to sell thy soul for a trifle and yet how many thousands in the world do value a thousand things in the world above their souls and many they will part with their souls for a lust for vanity for nothing for a bag of earth for an empty cloud of honour for a little pleasure Oh what undervaluing is this of thy poor soul I beseech you remember the worth of the soul do but consider how precious it was in the eye of God you that do slight your precious souls If 〈◊〉 â—â—ed your body you care not if the soul starve Oh that you would remember you wiâ—l make a hard bargain though you win all tâ—e world and loose your own soul what shall a man gâ—â—e in exchange for his soul I beseech you for the Lords sake have more care of your souls let your souls be precious in your eyes 't is more worth then all the world if you loose the things of the world you may find them again you may gain them again if you loose all the friends in the world you may finde them all in the Son of God he stands in all relations to his people nay
danger eminent danger at such a time they were nigh to death and what great promises and what great purposes came into their hearts and mouths and yet notwithstanding all that God hath done for them they have turned again to folly nay sometime they have seen and tasted as it were of the power of the world to come that God hath convinced them many times of the excellency of the way and the necessity of walking with him and the happy condition of the Saints they it may be have had some tasts some drops to cool their tongue and though they have had that Miracle of Mercy yet notwithstanding their hearts have gone back again and they have not bin converted and perswaded to come to Christ after a hearty draught of his love and good ness which might abundantly satisfie them others that have seen even Miracles of judgment God many many times hath wrought strong conviction in their conscience they have been as it were for the present hung over the flames of Hell and great thoughts have been darted into their spirits convincing thoughts of the necessity of seeking after faith they have seen as it were the mighty consequence of the soul the mighty consequence of the things of Eternity and yet have worn out all hints that have been made upon conscience and soon returned to their former ways of folly to folly desperate madnes others taken up in vanity taken up in the world others taken up in their own righteousness and think themselves whole and need no Physician notwithstanding all these Miracles of judgment how many are there that have seen them and have felt them and have not been brought home savingly by them But you will say how come this to pass what cannot miracles of works bring home a soul to God what then what miracles I answer first of all God would have it so that he might put a great glory upon his word he will Reason 1 have it known what the word of the Lord is he will make known the power and efficacy of it his word is more dear to him then his work more then all his works of Creation of Providence or Miracles though all perish yet the word of the Lord that endures that abides God will put a great deal of glory upon his word and therefore he hath chosen his word rather then Miracles though men think Oh Miracles are glorious and surely if God shew miracles that will convert that will bring home the soul to God but Gods thoughts are not our thoughts his waies are not our waies he knows that miracles cannot do it therefore he hath chosen his word he will make that glorious in the Conversion of sinners for the most part God works by his word it is true the word it self neither cannot do it the word without the Spirit is a dead letter but God is pleased to send his spirit along with his word when hee intends this work the spirit of the Lord shall come with some word from heaven that shall be effectual to turn the heart of a sinner when Miracles of judgment or mercy cannot do it it seems a weak thing to men but the word of the Lord is mighty and powerful When God is intended to catch any soul to bring it home commonly this is his Net he takes his word and throws that over them and that shall catch them When he is intended to beat down strong holds mighty Towers of lusts sinful imaginations that do exalt themselves against Himself and his Son and his Gospel why God is pleased to use his word as the battery which will do this great and glorious work Secondly It comes to pass from the desperate Reason 2 hardness that is in mans heart that aversness that is in the soul naturally to God it is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the soul together Oh what striving is there in the gracious heart before it is brought to God it flies off from God and the soul is forced to put Arguments upon himself it may be again and again Why art thou cast down Oh my soul why art thou disquieted why trust in God Why trust in God He repeets it again and again and all too little to trust in God and to have confidence in God but there is much more aversness in a natural mans heart to God there is an infinite distance there is a contrariety and 't is a hard matter to bring off a soul to close with God to submit to him the greatest Miracle in the world cannot do it why when there is much peace in Gods heart there is war in the sinners heart yea when there is peace in Gods mouth too there is war in the sinners mouth when God doth call upon them come and behold the face of my Son and behold the face of my righteousnes I give thee leave to look to either me so thou look to me through my Son yet still he will have his heart draw back and he wil look to God through his own righteousness that of a creature or else run away from God hide himself in his own shame and confusion and dare not come to God And truly 't is a very hard thing to overcome the heart in this cause to trust God to rely upon him the heart is fille'd with slâ—very and 't is a very hard matter to overcome that slavery that is in the heart I tell you Miracles will not do it though it should see never so many Miracles when it is in that condition Miracles would not overcome the heart to trust in God to beleeve in God Miracles they declare tâ—e power of God and the glory of God hold forth the beams of his Majesty ay but there must be a declaration of the love of God and the mercy or God in Christ there must be a discovery of this to the soul before he can come in and submit to God and trust in him before the slavery can be overcome that is in the heart I tell you you must have a word a sure word to go upon for the soul dare not go to God he looking upon himself as stubble and upon God as a consuming fire and still he keeps off from God and therefore nothing but the word of the Lord can perswade the heart to come in and to trust and Application of the Point rely upon God Now let us make some Application Is it so that the greatest Miracle cannot convert a soul to God Why then First of all take notice what a Miracle of iniquity Vse 1 of sin is in every mans heart a stâ—aâ—ge thing that the heart of a man should be so haâ—dned against God and his own good who would think it that there should be so much stoutness in such a poor thing as the heart of man so small a pâ—ece of flesh to be so stout and so hard against God that no sword should be able to pierce it it
Vineyard I the Lord will keep it I will watch over it every moment least any hurt it I will keep it night and day least any hurt it I will keep it night and day See then there is a special eye of providence over the Saints that are the Lords Vineyard and therefore 't is not possible the Creatures should hurt it God he watches over his Vineyard for this end least any hurt should befall it I will watch over it every moment 't is true other wicked men they are kept from harm by a common providence of God they have rheir lives preserved but still 't is but a common providence But there is a special eye and a special providence of God over his people least any hurt should befall them there is no time no moment that God doth lay aside his watchful eye and not watch over his people And therefore there is no time that any harmful creature can step in to his people to do them hurt they all come under the providence of God every creature comes under the providence of God and therefore the Lord he is able to prevent the harm Fourthly The Creatures they are all given to Jesus Christ as he is King as he is the great King All power is given to him in Heaven and earth Now Christ he hath reconciled the Creatures and therefore the creaâ—ures cannot be hurtful to the Saints the Lord Jesus Christ hath reconciled the creature He hath reconciled all things in Heaven and Earth and made them all friends and therefore the creature shall not do harm to the people of God See the Promise that is made to the Church in a special manner it shall be fulfilled in the latter Ages Hosea 2. 18. And in that day will I make a Covenant for â—hem with the beasts of the field aâ—d with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battle cut of the â—arth and I will make them to lye doâ—n safely This Promise is made to the Churches in the latter days When they shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall have abundance of the Spirit of Christ why then shall those promises be fulfilled in a great measure they shall enjoy peace with the Creatures In that day I will make a Covenant with them in a special manner with the beasts of the field and with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and sword and there shall be no hurt in all my holy Mountain we are all reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ And therefore they cannot hurt the Saints but do them good Briefly to make Application and so conclude If the fiercest of Creatures you see cannot hurt Application The fire it cannot hurt but it must do good when God commands take notice then of the mighty power of the Lord Oh know that he is a great King and his name is dreadful over all the world do but look upon the powerful command of God what effect it hath upon the Creatures 'T is impossible they should transgress he hath set them bounds that they cannot pass they are all ready to obey his Command if he say go they go and if he say come they come why this will make it evident That God is a God of infinite power to command so many Creatures so many thousand thousand Creatures as God doth order every day and that God should make them obedient to every command of his that none can transgress the least command but they must fulfill his word when he sets them about it Oh this declares that God is a God of infinite power and doth what he pleaseth Secondly What a shame is it to the sons of men that they will not submit to the Lord Will not the Creatures rise up in judgment against men When the Creatures fulfil the word of the Lord and you disobey the word of the Lord shall God have more service from senceless Creatures then from the sons of men that was made Lord over them Certainly this will be their iniquity another day and the very creatures will condemn them See what God says to that fire fire burn not it cannot so much as touch the hair of the head If God say to the fire fire burn their bands asunder set my children at liberty the fire it burns their bands and fetters and sets them loose that they were able to walk in the midst of the fire And so all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth and the Sea they all keep their bounds Hitherto shalt thou go and no further the Sea a raging Element it obeys the word of the Lord The Lord says to the Sun Sun run thy race it obeys stand still it stands still and is obedient Now shall all Creatures in their places obey the word of the Lord and shall not man Oh what a shame is this to the sons of men that they should disobey the word of the Lord That God should speak but one word to the Creatures and they should obey and that he should speak so many to the sons of men and they not obey That God comes again and again and speaks in his Ordinances and still man walks contrary to God when he lays a command upon them this is the command That you beleeve in Jesus Christ and renounce all your own righteousness and rely upon the Righteousness of the Son of God and still men disobey What a shame is it for man to disobey and all the Creatures that the Lord hath given to him to obey Thirdly Here is a great Incouragement and strong Motive to those that are strangers to God to come in and submit to him Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come in and submit to him So long as you are strangers to God see the danger you are in you are liable to be harmed by all Creatures in Heaven and Earth they are all at the command of the Lord they all obey his word If God say to the least of Creatures go and take away the life of man avenge my quarrel upon such a Rebel the Creatures obey The Lord can arm the least of his Creatures a fly he can make that take way the life of man And therefore 't is a miserable condition to be a stranger to God and Christ to be out of Covenant with God you have no Covenant made for you and therefore you are left to harm of the Creatures every day Oh that the Lord would perswade you to come in to cast away your own righteousness and to submit to the righteousness of the Son of God and to make a close with him and with his Son and then all Creatures will take his part and if God be your freind they will be your freind and if God will not curse they
of the righteous in the Psalm 126. v. 2. you may see there God he made the very Heathen to confess that God was with his people and that he had done great things for them Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them The Lord hath done great things for them Thirdly God brings glory to his Name by such kinde of Deliverances for he makes it appear that he hath the sole prerogative over the times of men and over the lives of men he will make it appear that the times of his creatures are in his hand and not in their own hand and not in the hand of enemies Above all things in the world God is said to keep this in his hand the times of men and the lives of men See what Daniâ—l says to Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 5. 23. And the God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways hast thou not glorified See here the breath that is in mans Nostrils it is in Gods hand and he can withdraw it when he please thy breath 't is in his hand and he will dispose of it he keeps it in his hand and he will not give it out of his hand and therefore when any life is communicated to any creature 't is given him of God Iob he will acknowledg this that his life was given out by way of favour and free grace Iob 10. 12. Thou hast granted me life and favour See here he doth acknowledge it that the giving out of his life 't is Gods prerogative 'T is granted of God Princes they grant such and such a favour so life and favour is granted of God He will keep it in his own hand He will not make any Lease and Tearm to any man living they shall have it from Moment to Moment the creatures shall have their lives from Moment to Moment but for any tearm God will not that shall be at his own disposiâ—g and therefore the Lord hath exercised wrath and anger when the creature hath gone about to make this their prerogative to promise life to themselves and grant life to themselves You know what is said of the fool in the Gospel when he had been very prodigal he would make many promises to himself Soul saith he thou hast goods laid up for many years why how doth God take this why he is called fool for his labour he reckons without the Landford and therefore God he comes and turns him out of his Farm Thou fool saith God thâ—â— night shall thy soul be taken from thee 't is Gods only prerogative he makes it appear so the giving out of life is in his hand and therefore it is said in the Scripture that the Issues from death belong to God See that place in the 68. Psal v. 20. T is our God that is the God of salvation and unto the Lord belongeth Issues from death Issue that is the way that God leads to death and from death The Door the Gates of death both to and fro they belong to God to the Son of God he keepeth the door Behold saith he I have the keys of Hell and death so that the Issues to death belong to him He shuts the door when he pleaseth and the Issues of death belong to him he opens the door when he pleaseth Sometime a man hath this conceit of himself well I am brought lower and weaker wasted and decayed in my strength and in my body but there is such a means as will surely help me such a Friend such a Physician they will certainly help me if it were not for them I should despair there is my hope why you are deceived saith God I will have you know that I keep thee door of life and the Issues of life belong to me if God shut the door of life man cannot get back again notwithstanding all his friends Again sometime a man is brought low that friends give him over and then we say he is gone all means are used and none effectual and we say surely there is no hope for him to come back again You are mistaken saith God I will have you to know that the Issues of life come from me and I will open a door for life and say life come back again and thus God makes it appear that the Issues of life belong to him and that is for his glory That is the first ground of the Point Secondly God doth work such Deliverance Second Ground of the Point for his Servants that so he may afford great matter of rejoicing both to themselves and to others I say that he may afford great matters of rejoycing great Mercies and great Deliverances they commonly bring along with them great joy 't is not only a Mercy but a Duty great Mercies call for great joy See it was their duty in Psal 126. 1 2 3. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion we were like them that dreamed them was our mouth filled with laughter and our Tongue with singing Then said they among the Heathen the Lord hath done great things for them the Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad or rejoyce The Spirit of joy 't is the life of Heaven 't is the inheritance that the Saints shall have there Wâ—ll done good and faithful servant enter into thy Mâ—sters joy Now God whilest they are upon earth he will cause part of that joy to enter into them that they shall have some of that joy now have a little taste of the joy of Heaven whilest they are here upon earth therefore God he will will work such deliverance for his people that they may see much of the glory of God in the Mercy much of the glory of God in the Deliverance that so they may have their hearts lift up to rejoyce in God Yea Again God will have others to rejoice with them and therefore some Mercies are spreading Mercies such a Mercy as God gave to Saraâ— See Gen 21. 6. And Sarah said God hath made me to laugh so that all that hear will laugh with me her own â—ffection was too narrow to rejoyce in the goodness of God and therefore I saâ— God many times he gives out such Mercies such Deliveranceâ— that they shall be spreading Mercies the joy and the sweetness of them shall spread abroad and his people shall say we rejoyce in the goodness of tâ—e Lord and all the people that fear his Name shall rejoyce with us That 's the second Ground Thirdly God he works â—uch Deliverances for his people that so he might strengthen their confidence Thirâ— Ground of the Point for the future that he might encourage their hearts and the hearts of many that trust in the Lord that whensoever they are brought down into low conditions they might look back and see what God did sometime for them See what the Psalmist saith in Psalm 77. see what a help this was when he was in a low condition the 77.
enemies though I shall bring glory to thee another way yet I shall not bring glory to thee in this world And therefore Oh Lord do this for thy servant remember me for thine own name and for thine own glory and so the Psalmist David did use the same Argument with God in Psal 30. when he there was sick and ready to go down to the grave he pleads with God in the 8. and 9. vers What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit as much as to say Oh Lord what wilt thou not look to thine own glory What shall become of thy gain of thy Rent that should be brought in here in the land of the living if I go down to the pit I cannot lift thee up here in this world there is a long time indeed even for eternity when thou shalt be lift up by the Saints in Heaven but it is but a short time that thou shalt be glorified in the land of the living and thou hadst need spare the life of thy servant to lift up thy name in the land of the living What profit is there in my blood if I go down to the pit So that still you see the lives of the Saints are very precious in the eye of God Oh that you that are the people of God that you would believe this it is worth the pressing it upon you that you would fix this truth upon your heart that your lives are very precious in Gods sight if you be Some particulars to make out to the Saints that their lives are precious in Gods sight not perswaded of it I beseech you consider these particulars First of all consider What a charge God hath given to all his Creatures concerning the lives of his Saints do but remember their former charge He hath given charge to the water and charge to the fire and charge to the beasts in the earth and fishes in the sea he hath given charge to the earth he hath given a charge to violent men he hath given a charge to the Devil to Diseases and Sicknesses surely doth God take such pains and give such charges surely the lives of his Saints must needs be precious to him did a man go up and down in his family and give charge to every one from the greatest to the least Take heed you do not meddle with such a Box take heed that none of you touch it why then certainly 't is precious there is som precious thing in it such a charge haâ—h God given concerning the lives oâ— the Saints he hath taken pains to go up and down in all his family even the whole world Heaven and Earth is his Family and he hath spoken to every one of his Creatures to the highest and to the lowest Take heed you do nothing against the lives oâ— my servants the very meanest of all the Creatures in the whole family shall not say but that they were warned he commands the very stones in the field as it is in Iob making a League with the stones in the field not to hurt his servants doth God take such pains and give such charges you must needs conclude that your lives are precious in his sight Again Secondly Consider what a guard God hath set about the lives of his Servants He hath set a guard of Angels about them He shall give his Angels charge over thâ—e that they shall keep thee in all thy ways See what the Apostle saith in the first of the Hebrews he speaks of the great priviledge of the Saints in the last verse Are they not all Ministring spirits sent forth to Minister to them There is not one of the Angels in Heaven but hath a charge to guard the lives of his Saints are they not all Ministring Spirits Why brethren the best of them have a charge given them from the highest to the lowest they have all a charge given them concerning the lives of his Saints and they are as watchful as may be what says our Saviour Christ in Mat. 26. 53. do you think says he that man can take my life from me whether I will or no I go according as it is written of me I go because my father â—ath decreed it no man can take my life from me if I would rescue my self I could pray to my father and he should send a Legion of Angels to rescue me rather then my life should be taken away from me before my time be come And so the like may be said of all the Saints God would send more then twelve Legions of Angels to rescue the lives of his servants out of every danger and out of the hand of every enemy rather then their lives should be taken from them before it was determined of God certainly the lives of his servants are precious to him he hath set such a guard about them a guard of Angels that God should be pleased rather to want attendance in Heaven then hiâ— Sainâ—s lives on earth should be in jeopardy God he will spare them all out of Heaven for to rescue the lives of his Saints before they shall be cut off before his time appointed â—e come Yea further in the third place Consider that the Lord himself takes a special care of the lives of his children he will not trust the lives of the Saints with the Angels though the Angels be watchful and as faithful as can be desired in creatures yet God himself he will have to do with the lives of his Servants his eye shall be upon them and his hand under them there is never a moment in which God doth not watch over them and himself take a special care of them what he says of his Vineyard in Isa 27. 3. may be said of every particular Saint I the Lord will kâ—ep it I will water it every momâ—â—t least any hurt it I will kâ—ep it night and day See here is a gracious promise I will keep it and I will water it and this shall be every moment this shall be night and day there is not a moment in the night nor a moment in the day in which God hath not special care of his people from first to last from the womb he hath a care of them and so the Psalmist doth confess in Psalm 22. speaking of the watchful care of the Lord of the goodness of the Lord Ps 22. 9 10. Thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when upon my Mothers breasts I was cast upon thee from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers belly See here from the very womb from the very beginning God begins to take the care of his people he brings this to strengthen his faith on God for the future to uphold his soul now in his suffering 't is spoken of Christ surely the Lord he can do it he hath not left me he took care of me when I was in the womb he began then to take the
labour to be for God every one of you in your places Oh lay out your selves with all your might to do something for God though the service you are to perform in your generation may be tedious may be laborious and toilesome to the flesh yet be willing to lay out your selves for God lay down strength for God and lay down life for God Why consider there is a long rest that is prepared for the people of God this is the day time and here you must work for God there shall come a time of rest yeâ— they shall rest in their grave there is sleeping time enough and they shall rest in Heaven and there they shall rest enough they shall rest for ever and for ever and therefore be content to do for God and lay down all your strength for God Oh there is a resting time a long resting time that is prepared for you I have glorifiâ—d thee on earth saith Christ to his Father and now Oh Father glorifie me in Hâ—aven labour every one of you in your places in your callings to exalt the name of God to glorifie God on earth I would not have you glorifie God that God may glorifie you that is not the end of your work but glorifie God because he will glorifie you because he hath declared that there is rest for you that are his people and there is an eternal rest in which he will glorifie you with himself Oh glorifie him therefore with your lives with your strength with your abilities with your parts with your riches with all you have glorifie God in your lives I shall conclude all with one word of Exhortation doth God rescue the lives of his servants in such a wonderful manner why let his servants for ever trust him as great mercies do call for great thankfulnes so they call for great faith in the Lord expect a great deal of future confidence in him when he hath declared his name to his people when he hath once made his goodness and mercy and power and faithfulness and truth to pass by before them in some special providence he expects then that they should trust him in the lowest condition in the faddest condition that you should take hold of him and live upon him he expects that you should reason upon former experiences and remember the years of the right hand of the most high remember such and such yeers when the right hand of the most High was declared when God wrought such works of deliverance such and such wonderful mercies the Lord expects that such kind of deliverances should be ingagements to trust in him to trust in him at all times Many times we will not beleeve unless we see signes and wonders and the Lord he is pleased to condescend to our weakness and Christ he shews us a Miracle yea he shews many wonderful works mercies and deliverances that he works for his people and now God he may wonder at the weakness of our faith if after all these wonders we shall distrust him See what the Psalmist saith in Psalm 96. 10. Be still and know that I am God why in all your afflictions in all your temptations in all your crosses in all sad conditions God would have you to be still and know that he is God and when ever we have received any special mercy from God we should urge this upon our owâ— souls if at any time we are ready to distrust God and repine at any of the dealings of God Oh my soul be still and know that God is Jehovah remember the years of his right hand remember what he did for such and such of his servants and for thee in such a condition how he made his power and mercy and truth and faithfulness to pass before thee and wilt thou again murmur and repine and distrust him Oh my soul be still and know that he is God know that he is Jehovah and that he gives existence to his promises know that he is as good as his word know that he is better then his word when ever any rebellious lust doth rise up in thy heart after we have received mercies which is a great ingagement yet still beat it back with this know that the Lord is Jehovah the Lord hath a mighty Arm and as he hath done so he will do and he will not leave his people the power and the goodness of the Lord it should sound in our ears when ever we are in any strait this is a glorifying of God for mercies received And Brethren upon all occasions Remember the years of the mercy of the most High See what the Psalmist saith with which I will conclude all Psal 62. 11. God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God God hath spoken how hath he spoken in some glorious deliverance he hath spoken in some great mercy for God speaks in his providence as well as in his words and when God speaks in his mercy he expects that we should hear him nay that we should not only hear him but that we should hear him often he expects that we should hear what should we hear we should hear this That power belongeth to God * When ever God worketh any glorious deliverance this should sound in our ears That power belongeth to God and mercy belongeth to God and loving kindness and free grace belong to God and so loving kindness it belongs to God The Attributes of God that do found in evâ—ry mercy in every deliverance and in some special mercies we should not hear it once but twice God spoke once and I heard it twice that is often 't is an allusion to an Eccho a man speaks sometime that it raises an Eccho and the words will be repeated again he shall hear it round about him the words sound again he speaks once and it sounds twice often so there is such a voice in many mercies many deliverances and many special providences they sound lovd as the Eccho of a man doth The Lord speaks once we should hear twice that power belongs to God Well remember that the Lord expects that thou should'st hear it often and when ever thou art brought into a low condition remember this what thou hearest in thy former low condition that power belongs to God and mercy belongs to God And thus should we trust the Lord in straites former mercies are ingagements for the future and this is part of the glory the Lord expects this is part of the In-come that he desires for mercy for deliverance poor creatures that have seen much in it they should never forget the loving kindness of God when they are in straits in great straits still to make use of former experiences and to remember the years of the right hand of the most High Thus you hear what improvement there should be of our afflictions THE Third Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst
God before the soul hath tryed him before he hath had experience this is an honour a great honour that is done to God and this is the faith that wil hold out this wil last this kinde of faith it will uphold the soul in the greatest straits in the lowest condition when sense fails and when experiences are gone out of sight why then this kinde of Faith wil hold up the soul when the soul can trust the Lord though he had not tryed him trust him though God had not given experience trust him first of all because of his word because of the word of his grace that is given forth to the soul as a foundation to build upon this is an honour Indeed to God Secondly Be careful throughout all your Caution 2. whole course of life that you rely more upon the word of the Lord then upon your experiences throughout the whole course of your life you will find this more beneficial to rely upon the word of the Lord and here I beseech you to remember that this life it is the life of Faith it is the life of Faith and not the life of sense in Heâ—ven the Saints shall live by sence they shall have no need of Faith the life of Faith is not proper for them but the life of Faith is proper to Gods people on earth to beleeve and not see Faith is the evidence of things nâ—t seen it is taken up with things not seen I say this life it should be a life of Faith unto the Saints 't is not a life of sence And consider moreover if God do give any spiritual sence or if he do give any experiences of his love it is given for this end that so he might help the Faith of his people that he might help their Faith and strengthen their Faith that so he might encourage them for the future to trust in him to trust in him when they see him not when all is dark and sad when God seems to be out of sight I say God gives incouragements for this end that so he might incourage them to beleeve and therefore it is that oftentimes he trains up his people in this way he will strike the Crutches out of their hands he will put them to it they shall walk alone by Faith that all the sence of Gods dealings with them shall be out of sight they shall have nothing to rely upon God will put them to it to rely upon him alone upon a naked word of promise upon the word of grace to rely upon him though they have nothing in the world to rely upon 2. Consider though it be great mercy that the Lord is pleased to condescend so far to the Creature to give spiritual sence and many times experiences by which he will seal up his word and his grace to them yet it is a greater mercy that God hath given a word of promise to rely upon that is the greatest mercy in the world asurer foundation of hope and that which will stand a poor creature in stead when 't is in the dark when all the sence will be in the dark and experiences out of sight but then the word oâ— the Lord wil endure for ever and so then to have a word of grace to rely upon a word of promise this is the greatest mercy that God can shew to poor Creatures My Brethren if it were not for this it were not possible that the soul should be at any certainty though God had given never so many experiences of his love though the soul had seen and though it had felt and tasted of love and though it had layen in the bosome of Jesus Christ and been refresht with his â—ove yet if the Lord had not given a word of grace to rely upon aword of promise to rely upon It would be impossible but that â—t some time or other they would call all in question for 't is not possible that otherwise the soul should be supported in dark conditions for why when the soul begins to look towards God why it is fill'd with the sense of his own vileness with the sence of his own unworthiness Oh that â—s one of the greatest discoveries that the Lord makes shew the soul how vile it is in it self and therefore I say the soul is ready to question all all that God hath done for it though it hath seen God walk in a way of love to him yet still Oh 't is too good for me too good for such a â—ile Creature as I am Again The desire of the soul is carryed mighâ—ily after God when God comes once to set his Face towards Heaven it is fill'd with vast desires to God that it can never have enough never be satisfied and though God do come and manifest himselfe by gracious Experiences yet still it desires more of God It is apt to question Have I any thing of God or no Have I seen God or no it is very solicitous when it is once set towards Heaven God makes it very solicitous concerning the great matters of Eternity 't is fill'd with the weighty thingsof Eternity and the weighty business of Eternity so though God hath come and hath spoke and the soul hath seen God and experiences of God yet because it apprehends such great weighty matters concerning the soul for eternity all experiences are called in question of Gods love and his favour to him A man is so careful in this case that he will scarce beleeve himself nay though he have seen Christ and though he have felt him and seen his goings still he will hardly beleeve himself whether he hath seen him or no you know Mary Magdalâ—u she was very solicitous she stood weeping she saw him and she would not beleeve her own sence and so 't is with a poor Child of God Oh 't is so solicitous that though it have seen Christ and experiences of his goodnesse and his favour and love yet it will scarcely beleeve his own sence and he is apt to call all in question whether he hath seen the Lord or no So that still I say after all experiences and the manifestations of love the soul would call all in question many and many a time if iâ— had not a word of Grace to trust to and therefore the Saints are more beholden to the Lord for his Word of Gruce to them then for all experiences And remember this That though God hath done uever so much for you and you have seen hiâ— goings in your hearts yet doe not you make your experience the first Ground oâ— your trust and do not trust to your experiences so but look to the Promises as thâ— Promises as the onely Foundation that will â—ear up your heart for ever through all dark conditions And so for Experiences look upon them as Crutches to lead you to the word of his Grace but they are not to be rested in THE Fourth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo
in himself at that very time to look upon him in Christ and behold him as righteous as if he had no spot no defilement in him Brethren all these are Miâ—acles of mercy Again that God should pour out his spirit upon a poor lump of flesh that his spirit should work upon a poor creature and take a poor creature into union with himself and communion with himself that he should be working in the heart and cleanse a poor creature from pollution both of flesh and spirit all these are Miracles Miraracles of Wisdom Miracles of Power and Miracles of Mercy that doth shine in the bringing home of a soul to God And therefore to conclude all in the last place Let us bless God for his Word and look more Vse 3 to the word of God then to Miracles seeing what power God hath put into his word and how he â—s pleased to accompany his word with his spirit and do great things and now why should we look to Miracles and why should we stand upon miracles truly if you will not beleeve the Word of the Lord without Miracles neither would you beleeve though God should work Miracles why there is more power in the word to perswade the heart that it is indeed the word of God and so to overcome the soul to beleeve to rest on it then there is in all Miracles that can be shewed and therefore in this case if any look for a Miracle they may hear Christ say no Miracle shall be given to such a generation He that beleeves nâ—t the word he will not beleeve though one rose from the dead Nebuchadnezzar he saw three men that had a resurrection from the dead they were dead in all their accounts they â—hought that they had been all consumed they have an unexpected life they are all loose walkâ—ng in the midst of the fire and yet I say Nebuâ—hadnezzars heart was not firmly wrought upon by this Miracle but he returned again to hiâ— own folly And therefore Oh praise the Lord for his word bless the Lord for his word if it had not been for the word of his grace how should a poor creature have been brought in and what should poor creatures have relyed upon what foundation to build upon what can give boldness and confidence to a poor soul to draw nigh to God truly it could not be it is impossible that the heart should be overcome to submit to God without the word of his grace Oh bless the Lord for his Word we are more beholden to the Lord for his Word then for all Miracles that possibly can be shewed THE Fifth Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God THere is witness given to a Miraculous deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants who through their faith overcame the violence of the fire Nebuchadnezzar makes a large confession here I propounded this question the last time Whether Nebucadnezzar was truly brought home to God or no he did a great deal he spake a great deal there was a great work of conviction past upon his spirit he doth acknowledge his Error and sin he doth rejoyce in his own disappointment that God did not suffer him to have his will he doth reâ—oyce in the goodness of God that was shewed to his Servants he rejoyces in their constancy that they did not obey the Kings command worship his Gods he did rejoyce in their deliverances he doth acknowledge that it was God that delivered them he takes care of the worship of God to promote it he makes a penal Statute That whosoever did profane the name of God should be cut in pieces and yet notwithstanding for all this we concluded probably That Nebuchadnezzar was not converted for in the next Chapter he â—eturned to his old way of sin of superstition he dreams a dream and he sends for the Sorcerers to tell â—im his dream which belongs to God to reveal secrets as Daniel told him So then we observed that It is not in the poâ—er of the greatest Miracle to convert Observat a soul to God Nebuchadnezzar saw great Miracles Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment We told you Pâ—araoh saw Miracles and Israel saw Miracles in Aegypt and at the red Sea in the Wilderness Miracles of mercy and Miracles of judgment sometimes their plagues were wonderfull stung with fiery Serpents and Miracles of mercy God he fed them with Man a and water out of the Rock and notwithstanding for all this they were a stubborn Generation and dwelt in unbelief our Saviour tells us in that Parable in the 16. of Luke but they are the words of Abraham They have Moses and the Prophets and if they will not hear them and bâ—leeve neithâ—r would â—hey beleeve though one rose from the dead Though God should shew the greatest Miracle yet that would not convince them that would not bring off their hearts to believe in the Son of God 't is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the heart together they are at such a great dâ—stance Infinite distance and the heart of the creature is filled with such slavery and lay under bondage that it dares not go to God when God calls to behold his face in his Son but run to the bush as Adam did but though Miracles will not do it it hath a word of grace a sure word of grace to draw nigh to God and therefore we should look upon that Miracle of iniquity that is in the heart of all the sons of Adam it is a strange thing that the heart of man should out-stand so many blows that so small a piece of flesh as the heart of man is should withstand those great batteries that God many times is pleased to make by judgments wonderful judgments when he declares his wrath from Heaven to sinners and consider what a Miracle of mercy it is that any soul should be converted and brought home to God seeing Conversion is so hard a thing and Miracles will not do it What a Miracle it is for a soul to be brought home to God! I shew how many Miracles were in this work Miracles of wisdom Miracles of power Miracles of mercy Oh we should bless the Lord that hath given us his word we should prefer the word before Miracles we should not look to Miracles but we should look to the word of the Lord God hath made that to bring home souls and therefore we are infinitely beholden to the Lord for the word of his grace that we have the word of his grace to trust in We proceed Consider who it is that bare witness to the Miracle 'T is Nebuchadnezzar that was an enemy to the Saints a persecutor a scorner a contemner of God Who is that God that shall deliver out of my hand and yet the Lord makes him
though he hath spoken many years ago yet the Lord he cannot forget his promise he is always mindful of his promise See in the first of Chron. and the 16. Chapter and the 15. verse He is mindful always of his Covenant the word which he commanded to a thousand generations though the promise be given out never so long ago suppose it be a thousand generations yet the Lord he is always mindful of his promise always mindful of his Covenant to a thousand generations a man may promise his friend to meet with him but it is possible a man may forget his promise but so cannot God he is ever mindful of his promise Again He cannot mistake the time happily a man though he hath promised yet he may mistake the time he knows not how the time passes and so may be deceived but it cannot be so with God he knows all times all creatures Foreknowâ— unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. Nay he cannot be hindred by any impediment his Father will not hinder him he was willing to spare him out of Heaven for many years together that so he might be present with his people and all creatures cannot hinder him from performing his promise see the 27. of Isaiah verse 4. Fury is not in me who would set the Bryars and Thornes against me in battel I would go through them I would â—urn them together The greatest opposition was bryars and thorns to Jesus Christ bryars and thorns before devouring fire will soon be burnt and therefore upon this you may be confident seeing the Lord Jesus hath given out his word he will keep time and place with you Again Secondly You may be confident of his presence in affliction because affliction is for this end it is the main end that Christ in affliction may meet with his people that he may draw them into â—igher communion with himself that they may see more of him that they may enjoy more of him and he enjoy more of them that he may make use of affliction to remove that which is in the way between him and the soul to subdue corruption and to strengthen faith and to draw forth grace to heighten the holiness and the grace of the soul and to comfort the heart and all that the soul may enjoy more communion with Christ he doth take his people into a by-Lane as I may say in every affliction that he may speak unto them he took the Spouse into the wilderness that he might speak to her and so doth Jesus Christ when he takes his people into a by-way it is that he may speak something more to them that he may speak freely and speak something that may be for their good he doth not speak in affliction because he delights in affliction he doth not delight in their afflictions he doth not afflict that he may be satisfied no afflictions they are not their punishments for God hath satisfaction at the hand of Jesus Christ and therefore it relates to something to come that he may with this Chastisement draw the soul more nigh and see more of him and enjoy more of him more of his presence of his love more communion with him that he may comfort strengthen and support and sanctifie and therefore seeing it is the end the main end of affliction that Jesus Christ and his people may meet and converse together certainly Gods people must not slight this his afflicting them must not slight this main end of God Object But if Christ do meet with his people in affliction the presence of Christ cannot countervail the bitterness of the affliction Answ But it will to the full for there is that in the presence of Christ which may supply the wants of all creatures I say there is all goodnesse all sweetnesse gathered together in the Son of God which is scattered up and down in Creatures and therefore in Heaven the Saints need no creature comforts they need not the light of the Sun nor the light of the Moon and there all recomfortable relations are broken a pieces there is no husband nor wife nor child Master nor servant why because the good of â—ll these lations do meet in Christ and the good of all these relations shall be supplied by the presence of Christ and therefore Christ tells his Disciples in Mat 22. 30. In the Resurrection saith he they neither marry nor are given in Marriage but are as the Angels of God in Heaven they neither marry nor are given in Marriage that which is the most comfortable relation in earth there is no need of in Heaven 't is too poor too needy for Heaven there shall be no marrying nor giving in Marriage and â—o the comfort of all other relations shall be found in Christ In him there is a perfection of all goodnesse of all sweetnesse now you cannot meet with the fulnesse of these in any condition there is a fulnesse of joy in Christ a fulnesse of good in Christ what says the Psalmist in Psalm 16. v. last In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore there is a fulnesse of joy in the presence of Christ there is not a fulnesse of sorrow in any condition no there is a mixture of Mercy in every condition the evil that a Soul meets with is not infinite there is not a fulnesse of sorrow but in the presence of Christ there is a fulnesse of joy there is that which can abundantly countervail the evil that is met with in any condition if all the evil under the Sun were met together in one condition and a Soul brought into it yet it might find in the presence of Christ that which may answer that condition the presence of Christ will comfort and support and raise up a Soul in that evil condition and therefore you shall find that the presence of Christ hath made the Saints to rejoyce in Tribulations to joy abundantly The Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the Name of the Lord Christ it doth fill the Soul with holy joy heavenly Raptures yea the presence of Christ hath been astonishment to the Soul many times when it hath been in a sad condition see what Paul saith of himself in 2 Cor. 12. 2. I knew a man in Christ about 14 years ago whether in the Boâ—y I cannoâ— tâ—ll or whether out of the Body I cannot tell God knows such a man whether in the Body or out of the Body was caught up into the third Heaven some think this vision of Paul was when he was in a sad condition it was immediately after his conversion when the light of his Body was taken away by blindnesse Now it is supposed when Paul was blind in hiâ— Body he had this Vision of Christ you may see what abundance of sweetnesse he found in Christ it carried him beyond himself he wâ—s carrâ—ed out with holy Raptures I knew not