not for me only says he but for you also rest with us You shall come into the same Rest with us Ministers and People that are faithful in Christ Jesus shall all come into the same Rest a Rest that none of the troublers shall be able to disturb Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them The labours and the pains that you take here they are very many We were driven by God into this condition in the sweat of our faces to eat our bread Well but this is but for this life You have a Hope that is laid up in Heaven for you of a blessed and a glorious Rest wherein you shall have freedom from all your labours you shall have freedom from all the disturbances and pressures that you have here 4. There is a fulness of Joy that is laid up in Heaven for all Believers Says the Prophet Isa 66.11 That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolation that ye may milk out and be delighted with the abundance of her glory If that there be such a time a coming wherein this may be true of the Saints here upon Earth it will be much more so in Heaven for Heaven will heighten all it will heighten all your joy and heighten all your comfort and not only heighten the joy and comfort that you have but that succeeding Saints shall have when the whole Earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord still there shall be a disproportion between Earth and Heaven When the voice saith Come up hither that which follows is Enter into your Master's Joy Matth. 25.21 Here the Lord for the bearing up of the hearts of his People sends down a little joy into their spirits he sends down the Comforter unto them and he comes and now and then speaks a reviving word now and then he gives a drop of consolation and it may be it is upon the end of the Rod too and this is counted a great matter and truly it should be so with us But there is a hope of another manner of Joy or other measures laid up in Heaven for you Joy it shall be the Air that the Saints shall breath in it shall be the very Orb that they shall move in the very Elements that they shall dwell in their hearts cannot hold all it shall be overflowing it shall be round about them 1. The Joy that is laid up in Heaven for the Saints it is that that shall be fully satisfying They shall have enough of it they shall be filled with it to the full so as there shall be no room for more Psal 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of Joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore But shall the Saints have enough of this yes Psal 17.16 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness The Soul hath not its satisfaction here when it hath a little it is enlarged to bless God but it hath not enough it would have more still a little more communion with God But in Heaven there is satisfaction to the full When I awake that is in the morning of the resurrection when this mortality is blown out of his eyes when he comes to open his eyes in the other world then shall I be satisfied with thy likeness 2. The Joy that is laid up in Heaven is unmixed Here there is a mixture with your Joy you have a little joy and a great deal of sorrow you have a little peace and a great deal of trouble you have darkness with your light and you have vexation and crosses with your comforts But in Heaven there is nothing to cross there is nothing to grieve there is only joy there is no mixture with your joy It will be pure joy 3. And thirdly That Joy that is laid up in Heaven will be permanent It is such as you shall sit down in and that which you shall partake of to eternity Here your joy is not only mixed with sorrows but it meets with great overwhelmings it is coming and going it is partaken of here at great uncertainties but now in Heaven it will be alwaies the same 4. There is in Heaven laid up for you absolute freedom and full liberty of Soul in the Service of God Here 't is not so when the spirit is willing the flesh is weak and how often are our hearts ready to die within us The Spirit will not hold out we can hardly watch with Christ one hour bodies tire and spirits tire but now there will be a fulness of strength in Heaven and there will be liberty of spirit proportionable to all strength and to all grace the Soul will be in absolute freedom for God and the body under an absolute freedom too answerable unto all the freeness of the Soul now the body is a great clog to the Soul it is a great hinderance that you cannot do for God and you cannot lay out your selves for God as you would but there will be no weariness in Heaven in your Spirits though you shall serve night and day world without end the promise is Isaiah 40.31 That they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not be faint The Saints rejoyce as they can experience something of this here but the fulness of this promise will be in Heaven there you shall mount up indeed as with wings there Soul and Body shall be in all liberty in the service of God Now what would Saints give to have their Spirits in a freedom and full liberty for God but one day O they would count it a corner of Heaven if that they could have their Spirits set in full liberty for God but one of his daies that they may serve God and delight themselves fully in the service of God a whole day But Sirs in Heaven you shall be fully delighted in the service of God to eternity all clogs shall be taken off from your Spirits 5. The Saints have a hope laid up in Heaven for them of an eternal abode in the glorious pallace of their Father here their dwelling is uncertain they have no sure dwelling place upon earth their Landlords sometimes warn them out of their Houses and command them to seek a new dwelling sometimes God turns them out of their Houses they may be driven out of their Houses here by the Sword they may be driven out by fire but the Lord he hath chosen Heaven as the place of their perpetual residence Deut. 1.33 Who went in the way before you to search out a place The Lord went before Israel in the Wilderness by Fire and by the Cloud to search out a place for
Gospel that is consecrated for us to hold and enjoy fellowship with him in and now Christians what a ground of rejoycing is here Friends they die A bosom acquaintance in the flesh is taken from thee they die from thee and their places know them no more but here is Jesus he ever abides upon the Throne clearing the way of communion between God and thee So that God is alwaies thy friend alwaies in reconciliation to thee alwaies ready to make known himself and to impart of his Love and Grace to thee Here is an abiding ground of joy for us in Christ Jesus if we consider him as he is a glorious Person in his Mediatory Constitution SERMON II. Habakkuk 3.18 Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation THE words have been opened unto you and we have given you this Proposition from them Doct. That there is enough in Christ alone for the Soul that is interested in him to rejoyce in whatsoever his case and condition is You need no more than Jesus to make you blessed upon Earth and there is enough in Jesus to make you blessed for ever in Heaven there is enough in Jesus to make you happy in time and enough in Jesus to make you happy to eternity Now here for the Direction of your Faith in looking up to and in dealing with Christ in a dark or low condition we proposed to consider First What Jesus Christ is And here we told you that 1. In the first place He is glorious in his Person I now proceed 2. As he is glorious in his Person so he is gracious in his Nature full of grace full of kindness full of compassion both unto Saints and unto Sinners He might have apâ—eared glorious in his Person and not gracious in his Nature He might have appeared altogether terrible a glorious Person and yet surrounded with terrible Majesty but Jesus Christ is as gracious in his Nature as he is glorious in his Person he is full of compassion unto the Sons of men there is no harshness there is no bitterness in Christ Jesus there is nothing in him my friends that will discourage you if you search him never so narrowly and if you look him through there is nothing in him to discourage you but he is full of love and full of all encouragement I do not mean that he is full of love only as he is God absolutely considered The Apostle says That God is Love he speaks it of God the Father and so as Christ Jesus is God equal with the Father in the Divine Nature it is applicable to the Second Person but that is not all but he is full of grace in his Nature as he is clothed with our flesh and his Love it is alwaies an encouraging Love it is alwaies a heart-casing Love it is alwaies a Soul-satisfying Love You cannot find such an Object upon Earth nor such an Object in Heaven as Jesus Christ is that is so full of compassion and so full of grace as he is and the greatness of his Love as a ground of Joy unto the believing Soul in all conditions is such as First Does break through and conquer all opposings Secondly It heightens under all our sorrows And Thirdly It abides unmixed in all seasons First His Love is such and so great that it breaks through all opposings and forbiddings Though there is nothing in Christ to discourage our Love to him yet I must tell you that there is enough in us to discourage Christ's Love to us and indeed there is nothing else in us but that which may forbid the Love of Jesus Christ dealing with us Now whatsoever are the matters of discouragement in us the Love of Jesus breaks through them all it sticks at nothing Let the heart be never so vile let the sinner in himself be never so loathsom let his waies be never so contrary let the principles upon which he acts be never so averse the Love of Jesus Christ breaks through all What is the state of a sinner when Christ Jesus comes to visit him a vile loathsom filthy abominable state You have it set out in the 16th of Ezekiel by all manner of strange expressions that shews the sinner is in a very loathsom state in the 5th and 6th verses Thou layest in thy blood saith he and none Eye pitied thee One casts his Eye upon thee and says There is a loathsom Object I will have nothing to do with him another comes by and casts his Eye There is a loathsom Creature Who would come near such a one Thou wert cast out says he to the loathing of thy person but says Jesus I passed by thee and it was a time of love And in the 10th of Luke you may see it set out in a Parable of the Samaritan one passed by a poor Creature that lay in his blood and would have nothing to do with him and another passes by and would have nothing to do with him but Jesus the good Samaritan he passes by and he pities him and binds up his wounds and heals him You may see what forbiddings this Love of Christ marches through Titus 3 3. For we our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceivers serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice hateful and hating one another Good Lord one would think is it possible that such a Soul as this should be brought home and loved by Jesus Christ that is in such a state and have such a heart and walks in such waies But says the Apostle v. 4. After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but accoridng to his mercy he saved us c. And 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed c. Jesus he loves you notwithstanding this and continues to love you Nay my Friends this is not all but his love is such as doth not only march through great opposings and forbiddings before grace but high discouragements after grace Why what is the walk of the Soul after grace Is it not very crooked and very perverse Doth not he fall short of the Rule Doth not he offend God in every thing he doth Is there not a great deal of unbelief Is there not a great deal of pride a great deal of carnality and impatience and passion in your hearts after grace Do not you stumble and fall in the Christian walk every day violate the Covenant of your gracestate break the Commandments of God and yet notwithstanding all be continues to love you in the 80th Psalm v. 30.31 Supposing says God there that my Children my Redeemed Ones that I have set my love upon and visited with my grace that they will forsake my Law and walk out of the way of my Commandments that I have called them to walk in and charged them to abide in Now the Love of Jesus Christ keeps up through all therefore says the
thy friend is not this a brother born for adversity look amongst all thy friends upon earth hast thou such a one look into Heaven are any of the Angels able to do for thee as Jesus can Who is there in Heaven or Earth that thy Soul can desire in comparison with Jesus he is glorious in his person and he is gracious in his nature 3. Jesus is the exhibiter revealer and unfolder of all the fulness of the blessed and glorious Attributes of God in a salvation way God is thy God in and through Jesus Christ and not otherwise God absolutely in himself dwells in light unaccessable and is a consuming fire we cannot make an approach to God as he is absolutely considered and live but now in and through Jesus Christ God he is a God that may be spoken withal and all his attributes and the properties of his nature are savingly enjoyable There is a great deal of the glory of God that was discovered in the works of Creation there was the glory of his wisdom and the glory of his power of his goodness and of his soveraignty these were discovered in the works of Creation but as so exhibited they afre not saving neither do they afford soul-saving relief to us absolutely considered in that primary exhibition that was made of them in the works of Creation but now in and through Jesus Christ there all the attributes of God they are saving all the attributes of God they are comfortable and refreshing Adam when he was out of Christ could not think of God but it was a terrour to him therefore as soon as ever he had sinned fear entered into his Spirit and he hid himself why saies the Lord to Adam what is the matter O! saies he I was afraid and I hid my self Why so O to consider the greatness of God and the wisdom of God that was discovered in the Creation and the power of God that was discovered in the Creation and the soveraignty and dominion of God that was discovered in the Creation and to think that he had no interest in this God that he had provoked and grieved him this was a terrour to him and saies Adam Lord I was afraid and I hid my self ay and all the attributes of God are enough to strike terrour into the Soul that hath no interest in Jesus considered out of Jesus and they are not relieving But now in and through Jesus all Gods attributes they are reconciled to and engaged for the believer and he may see that which may comfort him and that which may satisfy him 1 Cor. 1.24 But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God as if he had said all the power of God that is saving it is in and through Christ Jesus and all the wisdom of God that is saving is in and through Christ Jesus therefore in him it is said are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 Now do but consider the attributes of God apart and you will find that they are no way relieving out of Christ but in Christ they are full of Grace and they are all exhibited and revealed through him as saving 1. As to the Justice of God Why the justice of God out of Christ it is terrible to consider that God is a most exact severe righteous God that will give every one their due and will mete out a portion to every one according to his desert This is most terrible to consider God out of Christ what may we expect but as Ps 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup This will be the portion of all those that God hath to do withal out of Christ But now in Christ Jesus this attribute is attoned and all that wrath and that justice and that vengeance had to execute is poured out upon Christ Jesus justice dealt with the Lord Jesus in its utmost severity and received satisfaction in him and from him so as now saies the Apostle in 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins c. and so Rom. 3.26 To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Why justice hath nothing to say against thee but it speaks all for thee because God is a righteous God therefore he will love thee and therefore he will bless thee with all blessings because he hath received full satisfaction from Jesus Christ thy surety 2. Consider secondly the power of God out of Christ and it is enough to fill thy heart with terrour Ezek. 26.14 Can thy heart endure or can thy hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee saith the Lord c. Hast thou a strength to grapple with me or canst thou set thy foot against me no verily what are all the nations of the earth they are less then a crawling worm before the foot of the great God thou canst not stand before it But now in Christ Jesus this Attribute is attoned too and the mighty power of God is engaged to carry on and to mannage a salvation design in thee Therefore saies the Apostle Eph. 1.19 That ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power So as let the power of God be never so great it is a power engaged for thee to manage and carry on salvation work in thee whatever be the opposings that it meet with either from thy own heart or from others Thirdly If you consider the Attribute of God's Wisdom It is not relieving out of Christ That God is so infinitely wise and so deep the Soul may think all this is against me and what is he now doing but contriving new torments and new Hells that are more fierce and exquisite for me and surely there will be no end of these torments But now in Christ Jesus the Wisdom of God is imployed in such a design of Salvation that the Angels are said to pry into it they are astonished at the design that is brought to light by the Wisdom of God Fourthly If you consider the Patience of God out of Christ it is no way relieving For what will it advantage a Soul that God does bear with it a while when under all there is wrath treasuring up for him against the day of wrath Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted for destruction So as the Patience of God is exercised in bearing with a sinner a little while till he greaten his sins But God will come in upon him notwithstanding all though he bear a little while But now in Christ Jesus the Patience of God is reconciled 2 Pet. 3.9
Satan will indefatigably endeavour to darken your evidence and to obscure the sense of interest Satans design is to keep Souls as long as he can from a closure with Christ he will meet the Soul in all waies if possible to turn him out of his way and if he cannot do that his next design is to obscure your evidence and to darken your sense of interest that so he may make you to walk heavily and in the dark he will follow you with false reports and false suggestions he will hint to you this falsity and the other if possible to make you to believe a lye and to deny what Jesus Christ hath done and to deny your interest and standing in him that it may be is clear upon undenyable grounds and demonstrations the Devil you know came to Christ with this very temptation to make him to question the truth of his relation to God though the Devil knew it well enough that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and the true Son of God yet he comes and sets upon him with this temptation if possible to make him question If thou beest the Son of God then do so and so And he levels at the Believer in the same manner and his design is to keep you in the dark to rob you of all the peace and comfort and joy that you might have upon the sense and evidence of your Interest Tenthly There are many that presume upon a groundless confidence that they have an interest in Christ and yet are wholly ignorant of the nature of a Gospel-Interest There are many that do promise themselves great things in and from Christ Jesus and yet they are wholly ignorant of him they have hopes of large blessings that shall come in by Christ and yet are ignorant of Christ and the nature of a close with Christ that gives right to him Doubtless the foolish Virgins had hopes that as to the bulk of them were as large and as promising as the hopes of the wise Virgins were they never at all questioned their admittance when the Bridegroom should come In Deut. 29.19 And it shall come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imaginations of my heart c. So when we are discoursing of the terrours of the Law that do belong to persons uninterested in Christ there are many that bless themselves in their hearts and say These things do not belong to us And when we are opening the comforts that Believers have in Christ those that are strangers to Christ will presume and say All these are mine Micah 3.11 The Heads thereof judge for reward and the Priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they lean upon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among us no evil can come upon us In the midst of all their wickedness they would still presume upon an Interest in the Lord and think all should go well with them My friends what think you of the Church of Laodicca they were a people of a very great and high profession they stood in a Gospel body and lived under the enjoyment of the great Priviledges of a Gospel-state and they promised themselves that all was well with them and yet see what the Lord says Rev. 3.17 Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art poor and miserable and wretched and blind and naked They had a profession upon them and they thought there was a great deal in that They were in a Church-state and they thought that would serve their turn They did enjoy Church-Priviledges and they thought upon it that their condition was good and that they might well say Now we are rich we are Professors in a Church-state we are under the common and sacred blessings of the Gospel and who better than we We are rich but says the Lord you say so but I say otherwise you say you are rich but I say you are poor you say you are full but I say you are empty you say you are encreased with goods and have need of nothing but I say you have nothing and have need of all things Verily my friends this is a deceivable Age an Age wherein many do not only deceive others but their own Souls and therefore it concerns you to enquire whether the Lord be your God or no and not to satisfie your selves with general notions of the Lord 's being your God In the Eleventh and last place An evidence of Interest obtained maintained and Gospelly managed will be of singular advantage to a Christian in his whole Christian course You do not know Believers you that are careless in and about the clearing of your state you do not know what a change a Gospel sight of your Interest in Christ will make in your hearts an evidence of your Interest will expel all your fears and will resolve all your doubts and will cause a calm in your hearts whatsoever the present storm is Why if that we could look into the hearts of many or most of us I believe they would be found very tempestuous storms they threaten sore fears are ready to overwhelm and doubts are even ready to swallow up a Christian why an evidence of your Interest will remove all these Christian an evidence of your Interest will make all in Christ Jesus precious to you and will strangely raise and inhaunse the price of Christ and the blessings of Christ in your esteem The evidence of Interest O how precious will it make the Blood of Jesus to you O how precious will it make the Death of Jesus to you O how precious will it make the Life of Jesus to you O how precious will it make the Offices of Jesus to you when you can see that you are concerned in his Blood that Jesus he is your Surety your Mediator that he hath suffered for you and satisfied for you that he is your forerunner in Heaven this will make all of Christ exceeding precious An evidence of Interest is that that will carry your Souls chearfully through all sufferings that do or may befal you in the way of Christ There are reproaches that Believers meet withal in the way of Christ and the sense of Interest will help you to bear them all There are great losses that we are exposed to in bearing our Testimony to the Truths of Jesus sense of Interest will bear you up under all Why we have a building of God that is above It is said of those in the Hebrews that they did not regard their outward comforts knowing that they had in Heaven a better and an induring substance Sense of Interest will bear you up under all changes of providences when the Lord is taking as well as when he is giving Why will the Soul say there is still enough in Christ Christ is still
assurance Jesus Christ doth not take the less care of you because your interest is very dark and cloudy for the present but his care over you is the same he is alwaies opening his watchful eye upon you and he is alwaies doing for you alwaies defending of you see what he saies Isaiah 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and gently lead those that are with young O alass they are scarceble to believe that they are Lambs in the flock of Christ they would hope so and they dare not wholly deny it but that Christ hath a part in them and hold of them but it is all they can do to say so but be it so they are under as much care as any He will carry them in his arms he will gently lead those that are with young Christ Jesus in one single act doth equally respect all those that are interested in him be their evidence of interest more or less clearer or more clouded Thirdly Again The comprehensions of Christ upon the union are not proportioned unto but do far exceed our apprehensions of him in the union Christ doth not say I will be unto you as you are unto me and as you do so will I do and as you be so will I be and according to your apprehensions so will I be unto you but he does exceeding abundantly for us above our faith and above our hope it may be we can but say unto him Lord help and though we are so weak he will not do the less but he will prosecute and manage the interest on his part upon your Souls though your apprehensions may be very small of him you have a very full satisfying Scripture for this Eph. 3.20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above what we are able to ask or think according to the power that worketh in him So that Jesus Christs actings towards us and dealings with us and comprehendings of us are not proportioned to our apprehensions of him not according to our faith and hope and not according to our prayer but saies he he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think and that according to the power that worketh in him So that though you cannot at all times make faith of that power yet that power is working and though your apprehensions be very small yet the comprehensions of Christ are very great it is in Heaven that we shall know as we are known we are fully known here but our selves know but in part Fourthly The weaknesses discovered upon your interest and the provocations given will be covered and forgiven by the Lord Jesus in the strength of the love of his relation to you or interest in you The Soul that is in relation is not able in a clear Gospel way to live up unto his standing in Christ Jesus but he oft-times walks very dishonourably unto his interest and very unbecomingly to his hopes of evidence well Soul though it be thus the Lord Jesus Christ will display such love on his part as shall cover and forgive all the Father will not disinherit his Child because he doth provoke him and because he doth grieve him by many foolish and unchildlike acts but the love of the relation on the Fathers part will forgive the Child The Husband won't give a bill of divorce to his Wife because he finds failings in her waies but the love of the relation doth bind him and influence him to cover all her weaknesses and continue his kindness to her if we have a member that is full of pain and puts us to a great deal of smart and puts us much out of order we do not presently call for the cutting off of this member but we bear with the pain and smart remembering that it is a member now thus it is my friends between the Lord Jesus Christ and you though there are weaknesses discovered in your waies yet he will remember that you are interested in him and though he meet with provocations from you yet he will remember that you are his Children and that you are in relation and that will engage him to cover and forgive all though I speak not this to give any a liberty to indulge themselves and I hope none of you will abuse discoveries of grace so I am sure an honest heart will not but for your terrour if your temptation be thereunto know that though Jesus Christ will not proceed in the utmost of his displeasure against you to give you a bill of divorce yet there are rebukes and there are frowns that are as bitter as death that the Soul may meet withal from Christ upon his high provocations though we don't presently cut off a member that is full of pain yet we may see cause to send for the Surgeon to make an incision and so verily will Jesus Christ be forced to do in your hearts that give your selves such an allowance Psal 89.31 32 33. If his Children forsake my laws and walk not in my judgments if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail c. Fifthly Know that your interest in Christ is not dissolvible as the evidence of your interest is loosable Christian it may be the Lord hath singled out some word that he hath made use of by his Spirit to give you some hopes in and about your interest in and relation unto Christ I would hope that all hath not been spoken to you in vain but if the Lord hath given you some hint by his word of your interest possibly within a little while all this will be lost again and thou maist be as much in the dark as ever thou wert since thou camest into Christ well Christ will not disown thee and Christ will hold thee up that thou shalt never be left to disown him still thy interest is sure in Christ Jesus though light is coming and going in thy Soul and thy evidence is sometimes coming and sometimes going yet know that thy interest is firm and inviolable Sixthly Thy present interest in and relation unto Christ in a state of Grace is a certain and infallible pledge of thy future possession of Christ in glory Christian thou hast now a little hope through grace O make much of it thou dost not know what is in it There is not only matter of consolation in it but it contains a pledge of Heaven and of thy full possession of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory for ever therefore saith Christ He that believeth on me hath everlasting life believing that gives the interest thereby the Soul is united to Christ now upon the union he hath everlasting life he hath the pledge of it his union is the
his People where they should dwell Jesus the fore-runner that is entered into Heaven he is gone before to search out a place to choose out a place and to prepare a place for you John 14 2. I go saith he to prepare a place for you and this place that Christ is gone to prepare 't is in the Fathers House there shall the Saints abode and dwelling be for ever and there is none that shall ever turn them out of that House but to eternity they shall peaceably possess it 6. In Heaven shall be the consummation of the Marriage between Christ and the believer here the Marriage is entered upon Christ and the believing Soul they are betrothed together as Hosea 2.19 20. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever but the betrothment here is like a young man when he betroths a Virgin they live asunder after they are betrothed so Christ and your Souls live asunder you are betrothed here by grace and you come together now and then in an ordinance and now and then Christ lets out of his heart unto you and now and then you let out of your heart to Christ and now and then Christ sends you a token of his love and a letter of his love wherein he gives a manifestation of his love but still you are asunder but in Heaven the Marriage shall be consummated 2 Cor. 5.6 While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord and we live asunder but saies he when we come to depart we shall be with Christ Phil. 1.23 and we shall ever be with the Lord 1 Thes 4.17 This is a blessed day indeed that will bring Jesus Christ and your Souls together never more to be separated never more to be at a distance never to be out of the presence of one another more Communion with God it is sweet now and when Jesus Christ lets out but a little of himself O the Soul he cries out evermore give me of this Bread O saies he that I were to go down no more but this communion is clouded and the sense of it lost but when we come to be dissolved and to enter into Heaven then saies he we shall be with the Lord. 7. Again The Saints have a hope laid up for them in Heaven of enjoying fellowship and society with all sanctified ones in Christ Jesus Heaven will bring all the Saints together and keep them in an eternal communion There are two things that have respect to the Saints in Heaven 1. They shall have a full knowledge one of another And 2. They shall have communion one with another 1. They shall have knowledge one of another There shall be no strangers in Heaven indeed it is questioned by some whether the Saints shall know one another in Heaven but truly it is out of question with me for the Saints shall be all of one Society they shall be all of one Company they shall be all of one intire body and surely it is inconsistent with the glory of that state for one member to have no knowledge of another if that you be of a company here upon earth let the company be 40 50 100 or 500 by abode together and by converse and by residence together and meeting together you come to have a knowledge one of another and can it be thought that an eternal abode together in Heaven won't give you the knowledge one of another but the Scripture seems very plain and clear in this case in Mat. 17.3 4. Jesus there taketh Peter James and John and goes up into an high mountain and there he was transfigured before them and indeed it was a little corner of Heaven that he carried them into there and he brings down Moses and Elias and Peter presently knew them and he said unto Jesus Lord it is good for us to be here if thou wilt let us make here three Tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias Peter had never seen Moses and Elias for they were dead many years before he was born and yet as soon as ever they did appear with Christ Peter knew them this is Moses and this is Elias Sirs the knowledge of the Saints won't be decreased but heightned in Heaven some of you it may be lye under mourning of Spirit for some of your relations that are gone to Heaven well wait but a little while and you shall know them again But let me tell you you shall not know them after a carnal manner but after a spiritual manner according to that state 2 Cor. 5.16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh Christ shall not be known hereafter after the flesh and when you come in Heaven you won't know one another after the flesh yet in a spiritual manner you shall know one another Parents shall know their Children and Children shall know their Parents in a spiritual manner you shall know those Servants of God that have taken pains with you here and helped your Souls on to Heaven Some of you often think it may be of Reverend Mr. Armitage that laboured with you in the Lord and some of you remember Reverend Mr Allen that was the Lords mouth unto you many years you that have a hope laid up in Heaven for you you shall follow them in your time and in your order and know them again and all the Servants of the Lord from one end of the world unto the other you shall know those that you have known and you shall know those that you have not known you shall know Moses and Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Patriarchs And then 2. You shall know them so as to have communion with them you shall sit down which is a note of communion Mat. 8.11 with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven indeed all your knowledge of the Saints and all your fellowship with the Saints it shall all be resolved into the glorifying of God so as God shall be uppermost in all and you shall see God through all and you shall triumph in God and sing praises to God through all yet as glorified Saints together and as members of the same body so there will be a fellowship and communion together in the enjoyment of God and communion with him 8. There is a hope which you have laid up for you in Heaven of Gods being all in all to you in 1 Cor. 15.18 And when all things shall be subdued to him then shall the Son also himself be subject to him that put all things under him that God may be all in all The dispensation that Christ hath now in his hand in that he is the Lord of the world and the government of it shall be laid down when the whole body of believers shall be brought home and all the election of Gods grace brought in yet then shall Christ be glorious in the eyes of the Saints but God then shall be all in all that is all
as it were a Confederacy against us to turn us out of all yet Ego exultabo in Deo I will rejoyce in my God even in the God of my Salvation And Calvin saith My joy is not founded upon the Creature nor upon external enjoyments therefore let all things be brought into confusion here below nay let God himself seem to stand frowning over us yet saies he will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation Joy is the sweet motion of the Soul in a full contentment of heart and complacency of Spirit upon some good set before it Now here the Prophet sees all discouraging below he turns his Eyes up to Heaven and he sees a certainty there he sees stability there and therefore he rejoyces in the Lord and Joys in the God of his Salvation I will rejoice in the Lord. Who is meant by Lord here I will rejoyce in Jehovah the God of my Salvation Jehovah is a Title given unto God the Father setting forth his self-being and self-sufficiency and giving existence unto all Creatures but the Title Jehovah is attributed also unto the Son and so I understand it here in this Text I will rejoice in Jehovah that is in Christ Jesus who may be called Jehovah not only as he hath a sufficiency in himself but as he gives existence and being unto all the promises of the Covenant of Grace in whom they are yea and Amen and on this account I take it that the Title Jehovah is often given unto Jesus Christ the second Person I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation that is in my Lord my Saviour my dear Jesus and my Redeemer and so from the words you may observe this proposition Doct. That there is enough in Christ Jesus alone for the Souls full rejoycing and triumph in all cases and conditions Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation Let things go how they will in the world as to my outward Concerns yet the ground of my joy that is never taken from me Although the Fig-tree do not blossom although there shall be no fruit in the Vine although the labour of the Olive shall fail and the Fields shall yield no meat the Flocks shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stall yet my Joy that abides the ground of my Joy that cannot be taken from me 't is not in the Creature 't is not upon Earth but 't is in Heaven 't is not in Man 't is in the Lord 't is not in the confluence of these things that are coming and going and in an uncertain enjoyment but it is in the Lord who never fails saies David in the 2 Sam. 23.5 Though my House be not so with God my Family is not as I would have it to be I cannot rectify all the disorders of my House and settle things as I would my house is not with God as I would have it according to my hearts desire yet God hath made with me an everlasting Covenant of Grace and this is all my Salvation and all my desire The word that is translated desire here in the Hebrew signifies also delight this is all my Salvation and all my delight as we may read it here is the Joy of my heart my delight is here Gods Covenant of Grace stands sure with me and therein will I rejoyce as if David had said things go ill with me here below the Sword is threatned never to depart from my House while I live that I must be a man of trouble and of war to the end of my daies what breaches may be made upon my Kingdom and what breeches may be made in my Family the Lord only knows yet the Covenant that stands sure and that is all my delight my heart centers here and I will comfort my self in the Lord my God And if we search into the Psalms there we shall find that David does frequently under great disasters make his boast of God Providences were frowning and he seemed to be driven out of all yet saies he The Lord God is my refuge he is the Horn of my Salvation my Sanctuary and high Tower and I will rejoyce and let all the righteous rejoice and be glad in him In the handling of this proposition there are these things that we shall propose to consider and unfold to you First What Jesus Christ is Secondly What he hath and Thirdly What he will do for the believing Soul that the believer may take comfort and rejoyce in him at all times whatsoever his condition is First What Jesus Christ is that the Prophet doth here so comfort himself in and rejoice and make his boast of First He is glorious in his Person a very glorious person he is not one like him in Heaven nor in Earth what is said concerning Saul in the 1 Sam. 9.2 we may in allusion apply unto Christ that he was a choice young man a goodly there was not among the Children of Israel a goodlier Person then he from the shoulders upward he was higher than any of the People I only allude to it Jesus Christ is a most choice excellent one a very goodly and a very lovely Person he is higher both by head and shoulders than any of his Brethren a Person all glorious a Person all over lovely and beautiful in Can. 5.16 His mouth is most sweet yea he is altogether lovely this is my beloved c. But I shall descend into particulars and shew you wherein Jesus Christ is such a sufficient ground of rejoycing and of comfort to the believing Soul that hath an interest in him in all conditions and I shall here shew you wherein it appeareth that the glory of Christs Person is such a ground of rejoycing to us at all times And that will appear in his Mediatory Constitution as God-man in one Person Jesus is a Mediator a days Man an umpire between God and Man one that hath come between God and Man to make peace for us and the glory of his Person lies in his mediatory constitution as he is God-man so he is a most glorious Person Now this Title of Mediator is often given him in Scripture in Heb. 8.6 he is called the Mediator of a better Covenant Heb. 9.15 the Mediator of the New Testament and Heb. 12.24 To Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling So 1 Tim. 2.5 This was such a one as Job wished for in Job 9.33 Neither is there any days-man between us that might lay his hand upon us both Now there are two things that are requisite for the compleating and accomplishing of a Mediator First He must be equally related to the Persons between whom he comes Secondly He must be impartial and faithfully indifferent now both these are found in Jesus Christ First A Mediator I say must be equally stated between and
related to the Persons that he comes to reconcile A Mediator must be a middle Person that must not be related more to one Person than to another that he comes between but there must be an equal proximity or nearness in him unto the parties that he comes to mediate for or to make peace between Now Jesus Christ was such a Person in whom there was an equal proximity or nearness to both parties that he had to do with for he was both God and Man as he was true Man he stood in a nearness unto man and as he was true God so he stood in a nearness unto the Father that he had to do for he was by the Divine Nature as near unto the Father as by the Humane Nature he was near unto man and he was as near unto man by his Humane Nature as he was unto the Father by his Divine Nature so as he is equally stated between and related unto the persons that he came to reconcile Secondly A Mediator must be impartial and faithful indifferent in and about the interest of the parties that he hath to do for Jesus Christ being made God-man was not only in a nearness to man and to the Father but he was thereby unbiassed and carried out upon equal terms impartially to manage the Concerns of the Interest of both Parties he was both God and man and was not only as so in a nearness to both Parties but he was equally concerned honourably to manage the Interest of both Parties that he came between and had to do for and was engaged in this nearness that he stood in unto both he was engaged thereby equally to manage the Concerns of both Parties being God he was engaged in point of honour to give satisfaction to his Father and being Man he was engaged in point of faithfulness to work out the whole business and concern of our Salvation and to make peace for Sinners he was faithfully indifferent and equally concerned in the Interest of both Parties having the Divine Nature and the Humane united together in one Person both Natures do constrain him to have an equal and right aspect into both Interests if he should look more unto God's side than unto man's side the Humane Nature would speak and if he should look more unto man than unto God the Divine Nature would speak he had both Natures and therein was unbiassed and carried out with an impartial spirit to manage the Concerns of both Interests and to bring them into one and it was requisite that Jesus that was to be a Mediator should be thus constituted for indeed had he undertook the work and had not been thus constituted it would not probably have been so impartially managed neither could Jesus Christ have been compleat for the work of his Mediation but under this constitution for if he had been God only then he had been too high for the work for he must make satisfaction he must suffer and die for Sinners he must be made sin for Sinners and be substituted in the room of sinners Now God absolutely considered cannot be thus And if he had been man only he had been too low for the work for there could not have been that dignity in his sufferings as to give a value and worth to all his layings out and layings down for us He must therefore be God-man and as so he was neither too high nor too low but equally stated between both and so compleated for the work and thus was Jesus Christ constituted and thus do the Scriptures set him forth to us as Mediator Joh. 1.14 The Word that is the Second Person was made flesh there is Jesus becoming Immanuel God with us and 1 Tim. 3.16 God was manifest in the flesh c. and Luk. 1.31 32. And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son and shalt call his name Jesus And Rom. 1.3 4. Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power c. So as you see he was constituted God-man The Word was made flesh Now being thus constituted God-man he had his nearness to God the Father and his nearness to the Sons of men for whom he came and appeared in the flesh You may see his nearness unto the Father Zech. 13.7 Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of Hosts So as Jesus Christ he is and he was the fellow and the companion of the Lord of Hosts So Phil. 2.6 Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God c. Here you see he hath his nearness to the Father and also his nearness to the Sons of men for whom he appeared in the Flesh Heb. 2.14 For as much then as the Children are partakers of flesh blood he also himself likewise took part of the same c. and in Isaiah 9.6 For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given c. and Luke 1.35 The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God he thought it no robbery to be equal with God there was his nearness to the Father and he was born of the Virgin and so clothed with our flesh and therein he was near a kin unto man and hence is he called Immanuel that is God with us now as thus constituted did he undertake the work of his mediation for thus he suffered and thus he satisfied his sufferings hereby came to be satisfactory as he was God he died as man and he overcame death and arose again from the Grave by the power of his God-Head Quest But you will say this indeed is a great mystery worthy of all admiration that the Eternal Son of God should become man that he should be God and Man that there should be a union of the two natures in one Person but what is this to us as a standing constant ground of rejoycing to us in all saddening sinking providences whatsoever Ans I answer much every way and this would be clear to you should I enter upon and open to you the glory of his Person as thus constituted The glorious excellencies of Heaven that are shining in both natures or upon his Person under its constitution in the union of both natures and there may be a greater matter of rejoycing to our Souls in the exercise of faith in our contemplating upon his personal glories It may be a matter of greater rejoycing to our Souls than ever there was satisfaction to the heart and mind upon any object whatsoever it did behold with a bodily eye but I shall not go that way nor enter upon such a prolix discourse but shall only give you some particulars wherein there is a standing ground
it as a part or the first fruits of the whole whereby the whole nature of the Elect of God are dedicated to the Lord and sanctified and made holy or way is made for the sanctifying of it I may allude unto that Scripture in Rom. 11.16 For if the first fruit be holy the lump is also holy and if the root be holy so are the branches I know this is not the meaning of this Text I only allude to it as the Apostle saies in that case so I say in this case if the first fruits be holy the lump is also holy and if Jesus the root be holy then all the branches are holy to be under a peculiar and special consecration to the Lord now here Christian is a ground of rejoycing for thee thou art born a child of wrath and thy nature is a sinful nature and there is by nature nothing but sin dwelling in thee ay but Jesus Christ he hath taken thy nature he hath worn it and he hath consecrated thy nature to God and made way for the sanctifying of it So as now way is made through Jesus Christs appearing in our flesh for the consecrating of thee unto God and making of thee holy so as thou mayest rejoice notwithstanding the remains of sin that are in thee notwithstanding all the impurity and defilements that are to be found in thy heart thou hast a stained polluted Soul thou lookest into thy self and thou seest thy self so spotted and defiled that thou art ashamed of thy self well but look upon Jesus Christ and consider how thy nature is sanctified in him he sits upon the Throne all holy and thy nature that he did assume is holy why Christian there is holiness in the root for thee there is holiness in Christ thy head for thee and because he is holy thou also shalt be holy because he hath sanctified thy nature therefore thy nature shall be sanctified for your sakes saies he I sanctify my self that you also may be holy I am holy and you also shall be holy Analogically that is in some proportion in your degree and measure you shall be in a suitableness to my holiness that you may be made meet for me Saies the Apostle in 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of peace sanctify you wholly ay it shall be so because Jesus Christ hath sanctified himself and your nature is sanctified in him and therefore you shall in due time be made holy and therefore rejoice though defiled and sinful for a season yet you shall be made holy and without spot and blameless Christ hath made way for this Fourthly Hereby way is made for our stability for an eternity and perpetuity for us in grace and in glory Jesus Christ he is a Mediator for ever he hath taken our Nature to wear it for ever he will never lay aside our Nature again no not to eternity well therefore we who are consecrated by him and reconciled to God by the blood of his Cross have a perpetual standing in his Grace and shall have an everlasting abiding in that state of Glory unto which we shall be advanced by him and through him all Enemies cannot unthrone Christ Ages cannot remove Christ off from his Throne in Heaven but there he is and there he shall ever Rule and Sit. Now because he Sits there thence is your state in Grace sure Why if he keep our Nature in conjunction with his own Divine Nature then he abides alwaies full and powerful in reference unto the Concerns that he is to manage and the work that he is to do for you full of strength and powerful therein able to make all effectual he Sits there in Heaven to that end This makes him so much concerned about the bringing in and gathering home of those that he did appear for in our flesh Joh. 10.16 See how Christ doth concern himself for all those for whom he was a Mediator There are others says he that are not of this fold I have some among the Jews and among the Gentiles I have some of all Nations these I must gather home Christ will not lose any And those that are brought home he will maintain in his Grace because he is an ever-living and an everlasting Mediator and a powerful Mediator Why under all your temptations Christians in your way that you meet withall to cast away your confidence and to renounce your hope in the Grace of God Do you glory and triumph in Christ Jesus that is our standing Mediator in Heaven comfort your selves in him for as long as he abides in our Nature he will concern himself for us and as he hath his Eye alwaies upon the Glory of God so upon the good of sinners and being a Mediator he is carried on with unbiassed ends and aims to act impartially and indifferently between both Parties therefore whilst Jesus Christ is Mediator your state in Grace is certain whilst Jesus Christ hath God's Glory to care for your Salvation is sure for while he concerns himself for the Glory of God he must concern himself for the Salvation of his People These two Interests are made one by Jesus Christ the Mediator And then Fifthly In the 5th and last place Hereby we have familiarity and communion with God Jesus Christ having as Mediator made peace for us now behold he lets Believers into a comfortable enjoyment of God Now we may look towards Heaven and see God the Father in the face of Jesus Christ He therefore that hath seen the Son saith Christ hath seen the Father also Joh. 14.9 What Do you say Shew us the Father What Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Do you not know that I have reconciled both together and made way for communion that you now in and through me may converse with the Father as your God and Father Jesus as our Mediator hath given us boldness with God and let us into the enjoyment of communion with God and hath given us blessed familiarity with God that now we shall enioy him in a Gospel way here and and have certain hopes of enjoying of him in a glorious way in Heaven ever to be in his presence and to behold his glory all this comes in by Jesus Christ the Mediator and by the way there is no state and condition into which a Soul may be brought while he is under Grace on this side Heaven but in that state and condition he may hold fellowship and communion with God The three Children did so in the fiery Furnace Daniel did so in the Lion's Den. Jonah did so in the Whale's belly when he went down into the great deep yet there he enjoyed communion with God So as whatsoever your discouragements be here in the flesh yet glory in this that having peace with God through the blood of Jesus you may go to him and say Father You may say My Lord and my God You may converse with him in the way of the
in the overcoming and binding of all enemies that are against thee Let thine enemies be never so strong let the powers of men engage against a poor Soul Jesus Christ hath a power greater then them all and will bind them at his pleasure and will take the prey out of the hands of the terrible let Satan the Prince of darkness put in against a poor creature he shall never be able to take him and carry him Captive for Jesus Christ will secure him because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world 1 John 4.4 He is greater than the Prince the God of the world now the great power that Jesus Christ hath is a power for you Jesus Christ he is invested with this power as he is Mediator that he might over rule all the enemies of your state vanquish them at his pleasure so as let them for a while tyrannize and vaunt it yet they shall never be able to carry one poor believer to Hell nor out of the dominion power of Gods Grace for all this power that Jesus hath he is intrusted withal for your security And 2. For the over-ruling of all your wants in your state Jesus Christ hath a power and all power that he might supply you in all your occasions necessities it may be the poor believer is discouraged he sees but a little meal in the barrel but a little Oil in the cruise he sees his stock begins to wast he thinks he spends upon the principal and it will soon be all done and how shall he live then the water in the pitcher is almost out and the cake that is baked is almost eaten and the Soul begins to think now it must die ay but Christian this Jesus hath an all-power to answer all thy wants let thy necessities be never so many do but consider who it is that thou hast to deal with it is he that hath the fulness of the earth in his own possession Psal 50.12 If I were hungry I would not tell it thee for the world is mine and the fulness thereof and Psal 89.11 The Heavens are thine the Earth also is thine and as for the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded it whose is the world I pray In whose hand is it is it not in the hand of your Jesus Hath not a dominion over all creatures for you his mediatory power is for you to be improved for you and to be imployed for you so as let your necessities be what they will they cannot be greater then your Jesus hath a supply by him for and is able to answer You know the thousands of Israel were called to live 40 years in a howling wilderness where there was no plowing nor sowing and yet behold they were alwaies supplied They did but cry unto the Lord when they seemed to be in want and the Lord gave them bread from Heaven and flesh from Heaven and he gave them water out of the Rocks and the fulness of the earth is still in his hand Elijah was in a low condition and did not know what to do and God commands a Raven to feed him and God commanded an Angel to be his Servant All the Creatures they are in covenant for your good I have made saith the Lord a Covenant for you with the Beasts of the field and with the Fowls of heaven and with all Creatures And if God does but command the quails to come and feed the people of Israel they shall do it And if God do but command the Ravens to seed the Prophet he shall not want saies Christ Mat. 16.9 do ye not yet understand neither remember the 5 loaves of the 5 thousand and how many Baskets ye took up They were in a little strait and reasoned among themselves Why saies Christ have you forgotten how I fed so many thousand with 5 loaves and 2 fishes and my arm is not shortned my power is not lessened It is an absolute power an uncontroulable dominion that I have therefore fear not Soul do not weep over your empty bottle do not weep over your lost estate do not weep over your past comforts but look up to the fulness of Jesus he hath enough for your relief he can command of the fulness of the earth into your condition and give it you by what hand he pleaseth And as he hath an uncontroulable power that can rebuke all your enemies and make a supply to you in all your wants So 2. He hath an unexhaustible treasure It hath pleased the Father to put his all-fulness of Grace into him and make him Lord of all that Grace that is to be dispensed to believers in that known place Col. 1.19 It hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell All Grace it comes from Christ it is placed in him as the Fountain and he hath the fulness of all Grace for your relief 1. Vnto vital influences And 2. Vnto actual assistance 1. He hath a fulness of all Grace unto vital influences Therefore the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit as the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 15.45 he hath received life that he might give it unto others the Son of God is said to raise those that were dead he is a living spring of Grace that sends vital Grace into our hearts It is he that doth implant vital principles of Faith of love of patience and of new obedience and makes us new creatures to God and causeth us to live before him and this may be matter of encouragement to those that are yet dead in trespasses and sins those that are yet void of Grace and destitute of spiritual life why Sirs Jesus Christ is a living Spring Jesus Christ is a quickning Spirit and he gives life to those that are dead he is furnished with life by the Father to give life to dead Souls let the dead sinner then hope in Jesus and let him wait upon Jesus he that hath commanded those that have been dead to live can also command thy dead Soul to live he hath still life-power in him and life-grace in him And 2. He hath all grace for actual assistance he is the true Olive that empties of his golden Oil into the hearts of believers hence Christ saies John 15.5 Without me you can do nothing I am the Vine and ye are the branches or I am the Root and ye are the Branches Why Jesus Christ he is an influential root he is a root full of sap and full of nourishment and full of moisture that he does convey to believers for their spiritual growth and improvement by his strength it is that we are able to stand in a day of temptation by his strength it is that we are able to manage spiritual duties O alass a little duty would be too great for us were it not for the strength of Christ Jesus and a little of the grace of Christ Jesus will make a Soul wonderfully strong that
saith the Lord so as I will never cast thee off I will never give thee a Bill of Divorce I will be thy Husband for ever and thou shalt be my Spouse for ever The relation is alwaies pleadable And in your near and intimate union with himself as you stand in relations of grace to him so you stand in relations of grace to the Father You are the Adopted Children of God God the Father of Christ is your Father and he is alwaies your Father and you are alwaies his Children nothing can come between nothing can cause him to cast you out and disinherit you having received you into this firm into this intimate union you are Heirs being made one with Christ you are Joynt-Heirs with Jesus Christ Heirs of God once an Heir and for ever an Heir so as all the blessed things of the purchase of Christ Jesus and the whole Inheritance of Christ Jesus is before you 't is yours and for you And now Christian what a ground of rejoycing is here for you What though your outward comforts are coming and going they are fading and vanishing It may be you have your hands full of them to day and to morrow they will be gone and you shall see them no more for ever yet know that you have an abiding ground of Joy in Christ Jesus for he it is that maintains your union with himself he hath not only united you but he keeps you in union and he maintains all the gracious relations of the union both with him and also with his Father so as though you have not a Friend upon Earth you may go and say well I have a Friend in Heaven I have not a Father upon Earth ay but I have a Father in Heaven I have not a Husband upon Earth ay but I have a Husband in Heaven I have not a faithful Brother upon Earth ay but I have a sincere hearted Brother in Heaven the relations of Grace they hold and they are alwaies pleadable and improveable And then Eightly In the eighth and last place Jesus Christ is making glorious provisions in Heaven and will in due time glorify all his people with himself for ever saies Christ Jesus It is expedient for you that I go away 't is for your good it was for your good that I came and it is for your good that I staid so long and it is for your good that now I go away For I go to prepare a place for you In my Fathers House are many mansions and I go to make these mansions ready for you I go to Heaven as your fore-runner Consider Jesus as your fore-runner that is entered in for you before-hand making Heaven ready preparing the Crown and the Kingdom for you now though you be robbed of your earthly comforts you cannot be robbed of your Heavenly glory you may be spoiled of your Treasures here upon Earth but you cannot be cheated of your Treasures in Heaven Why Jesus Christ is there to secure it and he hath it in possession he is there as your fore-runner he is there to make all ready I will Father saies he that those that thou hast given me be with me where I am and the glory that thou hast given to me be bestowed upon them that they may be one as thou Father and I are one Now under all your vicissitudes and changes and emptyings and spoylings in this world look up to Christ Jesus and see Heaven sure in him and see glory sure in him and see a Crown and a Kingdom sure in his hand take comfort then Christians in all your necessities here below in the Lord Jesus Christ and with the Prophet do you alwaies glory and rejoyce in him Vse All that I shall super-add shall be only in a sentence or two unto Sinners for as to Saints how they should come to improve Christ Jesus and to live by faith upon him in all conditions I shall shew you afterward if God gives the opportunity but here in a word let Sinners consider how miserable their state and condition is Why Sirs you have heard that there is an abiding ground of joy in Christ Jesus for the believer whatsoever his state is But do you consider that none of this belongs to you all this comfort belongs to Saints not to you you have no part in it there is an abiding ground of terrour of sorrow and of bitterness that belongs to you because you are apart from Christ that hath such a fulness of all joy in him for believers Take heed therefore how you content your selves in a Christless state and how you bless your selves whilest you are remote from Jesus Christ and without a part and interest in him thou art not under the blessing but under the curse there is the flaming Sword that hangs over thy head and there is the hand writing that is over thee upon the wall Let then the Sinner tremble on the consideration of his perishing condition in which he is out of Christ And let it be an inviting word to all of you who have not yet made your close with Jesus that you enquire after him that you earnestly pursue after him for your rest and your peace your comfort and your blessedness it is all in him and can only be obtained by a closure with him SERMON IV. Habakkuk 3.18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will Joy in the God of my Salvation THe Proposition that we are upon from the words is this Doct. That there is enough in Christ Jesus alone for the Souls full rejoycing and triumph whatsoever his condition be in this world Before I come to that which I further proposed to consider and speak to viz. how the believer should be helped to live a life of faith upon Christ Jesus unto his spiritual joy and comfort in all conditions I shall alittle insist upon and labour to clear to you the Souls interest in this Jesus that hath such abiding grounds of joy at all times in him saies the Prophet here in the text Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation I shall insist upon the Pronoun my and labour to clear the believers standing that he may know his interest and that he is indeed united unto Christ Jesus it is not in Christ at large that a Person can glory in but it is in Christ under or in a peculiar Gospel relation unto his Soul it is not in Christ in general but in Christ that his Soul is interested in that he can rejoice in in all conditions and this I suppose is an inquiry that all of you will be desirous should be spoken to viz. Qu. How the believer may know that he hath an interest in Christ Jesus That this glorious and blessed Jesus this full Jesus is his Jesus his Saviour That he may be able to say with the Prophet here Yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation
the other tends more immediately to thy satisfaction and joy There is more in a little grace than in a great deal of consolation Now it may be the Lord seeth that thou art not fit for comfort nor yet fit for settlement and for peace and therefore he holds thee in the dark Now the heightening of grace will fit thee for the enjoyment of an Evidence The higher grace is in the heart the more fair the Soul lies for an evidence the more grace thou hast the more fit thou art for the joys and consolations of the Holy Ghost Therefore strive to heighten grace and holiness upon the want of an evidence Fourthly Keep in thy way waiting upon the Lord though the Answer is delayed Thou art seeking to be assured and thou art waiting for an evidence of thy Interest and yet it doth not come Well hold on Christian and do not give over until the Answer is given in He that believeth maketh not haste Wait quietly and patiently upon the Lord pressing after him that he would remember his Word from Ordinance to Ordinance but do not give over know that whilst the Lord doth suspend the evidence of your Interest he calls you to abide in a waiting posture and therefore continue to watch and pray Fifthly Diligently attend all discovering Ordinances but bound your desires after a sense of Interest in waiting upon the Lord in the waies that he bath consecrated for the dispense God hath been pleased to appoint many ordinances for us to wait upon him in wherein he is pleased to make known himself Sometimes he doth it in one ordinance and sometimes in another sometimes he will come in in prayer and sometimes in meditation and sometimes he will come in in preaching and sometimes in that great sealing ordinance of the Gospel the Lords Supper Now attend upon the Lord in all sealing ordinances but bound your desires I pray mark I say bound your desires in the waies that the Lord hath consecrated for the dispense do not expect that God should work a miracle to confirm you don't think that there must be a voice from Heaven to settle you and satisfy you don't look for some miraculous expressions or impressions upon you but bound your desires after the sense of your interest in his own way and that which makes me mention it is this That Satan doth rush many Souls upon this they cannot believe an ordinary evidence and a small sign won't serve them but they must have some immediate appearance from Heaven an immediate testimony from Heaven in some miraculous way upon their Spirits or else they cannot think that their state is good and the design of Satan here is to drive you into such a way wherein you shall certainly meet with a disappointment and being under a disappointment then you may more easily and more strongly question your state But we are not to expect revelations nor miraculous operations but to wait upon the Lord in his own consecrated waies that he hath appointed for the dispense of pardon of peace and comfort and an evidence of our interest Sixthly Again Look upon and rejoice in the dawnings of the day when thou canst not see the Sun in its noon day brightness my meaning is bless God for a little let it be never so small that he hath given to thee and wear it with much thankfulness though thou hast not a full assurance of thy interest yet bless God that thou hast a liberty to follow Christ thou hast not a full sight of thy standing in Christ ay but bless God that thou hast a liberty to cry after Christ thou maist cry after Christ though for the present thou canst not rejoyce in Christ well if the Lord hath given thee a heart for this thou should'st magnify his name let the work be never so small that is in thy Soul yet if thou beest in the way to Heaven bless God for this It is matter of comfort to thee in thy present state Christian that though thou hast not yet assurance yet thou art in the way to be assured though thou hast not yet a full evidence of thy interest thou art in the way of following of Christ thou dost not know how soon thou maist have the evidence of thy interest It is a comfort to a Child to consider that though he is in some remoteness from his Fathers House yet he is in his way upon his journey to it So Christian though thou hast not all yet thou art in the way to more thou art in the way to be assured and in the way to the full possession of Christ take notice of this and bless God for it Seventhly Prefer service for Christ before assurance in Christ and esteem duty for and towards Christ before consolation in Christ It argues a very low and mercenary spirit to act only for or towards the Lord upon the feelings of our interest in him or only for the comforts that do attend a sensible interest in him no we must follow Christ wherever he goeth and prefer service for Christ before comfort in Christ and resolve to follow Christ and to serve him whether he do settle us and comfort us or no It is a very filial genuine Spirit in a Child to say well let my Father give me a portion or deny me a portion yet I will serve him though my Father disinherit me yet I will serve him so the believer should say he should prefer a command before a promise and assistance for duty before incomes in duty Now it may be Christian thou hast failed here therefore advance thy esteem of the command and advance the honour of duty and service for Christ and let these things be uppermost in thy heart and in time the Lord may more fully appear to thee to settle thee and to comfort thee whilest thou art serving of him 8. Again upon the rising of new darkness have recourse unto the former experiences that thou hast had of peace joy and comfort in believing God it may be doth with-hold a new word because he would have thee go to the old word that he hath spoken before and God may withhold a new sign because he would have thee go to the old sign that he gave thee for a discovery before now in present daies of darkness often reflect upon what formerly thou hast enjoyed in order to thy hope and confidence and make use of that And then Ninthly In the ninth place Be you kind unto all the Lords mourners that are companions with you in darkness I mean learn to sympathise with those that want the light of Gods countenance The Lord it may be in with-holding a sense of interest doth design to make thee more sensible of anothers condition in the dark that thou mayest know how to sympathise with him in his sorrows and tribulations ay and to comfort others with the consolation wherewith the Lord hath comforted thee Therefore be you kind and affectionate
Lord Jesus Christ and this works up his heart to the frame he is in and causeth him to move towards the Lord and makes him unsatisfied without Jesus Christ Now my Friends bring your Soul-state into an examination by this What change is there wrought in your hearts Do not eye your profession so much as your hearts Consider what work hath past upon your Souls Are you spiritually renewed Have you received Life from Christ Is there such a real spiritual Change wrought in your Souls as doth amount to a New Creature And have you received of the Divine Nature from Christ And is there a living Spring that moves your Souls in all your motions towards Christ If so it argues an Interest but if the Spring of your motion be from without it is a sign that it is artificial and not living and so it argues no Interest in Christ Jesus Secondly Interest in Christ mixeth concerns and may be discovered by reciprocal acts in a mutual Interest The Interest that the Soul hath in Christ is never alone but the Soul that is interested in Christ Jesus hath Christ Jesus interested in him so as the Interest is mutual and upon a mutual Interest concerns are mixt so as Christ and the Believer have one concern between them Christ is interested in the Believer's concerns and the Believer is interested in Christ's concerns The Believer concerns himself for Christ and Christ concerns himself for the Believer The Believer is interested in all that Christ is and in all that Christ hath and Christ is interested in all that the Believer is and in all that the Believer hath The Believer hath a room in Christ's heart and Christ hath a room in the Believer's heart The believer hath a propriety in Christ and Christ hath a propriety in the believer saies the Spouse I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine the interest is mutual Jesus is my Jesus saies the believing Soul Christ is my Christ he is my Saviour and I have an interest in his love and grace and I have an interest in his life in his power in his strength fulness and Christ he hath an interest in me also he hath an interest in my love he hath an interest in my heart and in my strength and in all that have and am and the interest being mutual mixing concerns it may be discovered by reciprocal acts that is as Christ makes over himself to the Soul so the Soul makes over himself unto Christ 1 John 4.19 We love him because he first loved us he hath set his love upon us and there will be a reciprocal acting in the Soul towards him he will also set his love upon Christ Christ indeed is the first mover and so the glory must be given unto him but the interest it is mutual and the acting is reciprocal The Lord Jesus Christ he makes over himself to the Soul to be his The Soul he accepts of Christ when tendered and that is not all but he makes a return unto Christ devoting himself unto him yielding and resigning himself unto Christ to be his to walk in his waies Ezek. 16.18 there you may see the actings of Christ towards the Soul saies he I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness yea I sware unto thee and entered into a covenant with thee saith the Lord and thou becamest mine I sware unto thee there the Lord did pass over himself to the believer Now there are reciprocal actings in the Soul towards him Deut. 26.17 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God to walk in his waies and to keep his Statutes c. and the Lord v. 18. hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised here are reciprocal acts now Christian if thou wouldst make a discovery of thy state to know whether thou art interested in Christ Consider what interest Christ hath in thee what interest he hath in thy heart what a share he hath in thy affections and what a place he hath in thy life is there a kind of sacredness in thy heart for the Lord Jesus Christ in a holy resignation to him So there is in the Soul that is interested in Christ Cant. 4.12 A Garden enclosed is my Sister my Spouse a Spring shut up a Fountain sealed She is under a peculiar dedication to and reserve for her Lord whom she hath devoted her self unto and is as a Garden enclosed Now Christian if thy heart lieth in common and there be no sacredness upon it and no secret reserve of it it speaks but sadly for thee but where there is a dedication unto Christ and if you can find Christ interested in you it is an evidence that your are interested in Christ for we can never move towards Christ till he first moveth towards us We can never choose Christ until Christ hath first chosen us If that thou canst find thy heart open for Christ and towards Christ it is a clear evidence that Christs heart hath been first opened to thee all our love to Christ is but the reflection of Christs love to us Mary did not call Raboni till Christ first called Mary So as if thou findest thy heart under a dedication to Christ that Christ is thy joy and delight and hath full rule and liberty in thy heart that thy heart is opened or at least opening and there are outgoings of Soul in thee towards the Lord Jesus Christ It doth argue that thou hast an interest in him and that he hath begun to draw thee that he hath cast the skirt of his Grace over thee and made thee his Thirdly The Soul that hath an interest in Christ is brought under the ruling power of Christ so as he chooseth him to be his only Lord. That Soul hath as yet no interest in Christ that despiseth the government of Christ that resuseth obedience unto the Scepter and dominion of Jesus Christ these you know are reckoned among Christs enemies that say concerning him this man shall not reign over us you have a clear Scripture for this Isaiah 63.19 We are thine How did it appear that they were the Lords Because it was implicitely and tacitly asserted that the Lord did bear rule over them And how did it appear that they were none of Christ's and Christ none of theirs Because he did never bear rule over them neither were they called by his name So then those that slight and despise the Scepter of Christ Jesus and refuse allegiance to this glorious King of Heaven are none of his Subjects and so have no part nor interest in him but now that Soul that hath an interest in Christ is brought under the rule of Christ and Christ doth exercise and display an over-ruling power in his heart that brings him unto his foot and he is enabled to live in a professed subjection to the Scepter and Kingly power of Christ Jesus upon this interest the Soul hath in Christ his
rich are soon made poor and as to your relations that you at present take comfort in now they are and anon they are not Parents Children Friends Comforters Counsellors they die away from us and we see them and we know them no more for ever and which of you that are here in the Lord's presence that may not sit down weep over your broken pitchers and say This once I had and that once I had but now I have it not once I was full but now I am empty once I was lifted up on high but now I am brought down very low once I was a lender but now I am a borrower once I had most comfortable relations none happier than I in a tender Father in a loving Yoke-fellow in a desirable Child in a faithful Friend but now it is quite otherwise they are all like Jonah's Gourd that grew up and withered on a sudden This you may see in the verse before the Text the Figg tree that blossoms not the fruit of the Vine and the labour of the Olive they fail and the Fields yield no meat the Flocks are cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stall The Lord you see hath given us but a weak tenure to all these outward enjoyments and he maintains a Soveraignty over every comfort that he is pleased to bestow upon us that so we shall hold all that we have in this world at great uncertainties and must day by day stand to the allowance of the great disposer of Heaven who will sometimes give and will sometimes take what he hath given Secondly The Lord Jesus Christ is and hath whatsoever the Scripture hath said and much more than we are able to conceive of him in our largest and utmost apprehensions He is and he hath according unto all Old Testament Prophecies and Predictions in the utmost Exposition that can be made of them in the largest extent and he is and he hath according to the utmost word of the revelation that is made of him in the New Testament and you are not able to conceive and apprehend what he is and what he hath in the considering of the Scripture expressions that are made use of to set him forth unto you You cannot measure Christ by your thoughts and imaginations but when you have conceived all that you can Christ is more and Christ hath more than you are able to apprehend of him The Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ hath a fulness of grace in him now you are not able to apprehend what this fulness of grace is it is an infinite fulness and you are not able to comprehend it in your finite thoughts how comprehensive soever they are The Gospel tells you of the outgoings of Christ's heart unto sinners but you are not able to apprehend nor to measure what is the love of the heart of Christ to poor sinners but when you have conceived never so much of his love there is more still than you are able to grapple The Scripture tells you of a great power that is in Christ conceive never so much of his power what it is that he is able to do for you in a strait and how wonderfully he is able to work there is yet a greater extent in the power of Christ than your apprehensions can reach The Gospel tells you of an All-fulness or an Allness that is in the Lord Jesus Christ Sum up all that you can think of and all that the Scripture can help you to conceive of to add unto this Allness of Christ and yet behold you are not able to tell what his All is you may soon tell what your All is or you may tell what anothers All is what a great man 's All is or what a Prince's All is or what a Kingdom 's All is but you cannot tell what Christ's All is but when you have thought and conceived when you have dived and reached until you are weary still the grace the power the love the fulness of the Lord Jesus is above your reach and there is more than ever entered into your hearts to conceive of him This you have Isa 55.8.9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies saith the Lord for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my waies higher than your waies and my thoughts than your thoughts See how the Lord tells us that he is advanced above all our imaginations of him Now the thoughts of Christ's heart are alwaies towards us and alwaies proportioned unto the fulness that he hath received Now says he My thoughts are not like to your thoughts you thought that I could relieve only in such a case or I could help only in such a strait you thought I could do thus and that I could do thus and do no more but alas says Christ you are mistaken there is as great a distance between my thoughts and your thoughts as there is between Heaven and Earth so as the fulness of Christ Jesus is a most glorious and blessed fulness enough for all your Soul's relief and to spare Thirdly Christ's fulness of grace is alwaies subjectively and objectively the same First It is alwaies subjectively the same Christ's Spring is not a rising and a falling Spring but the waters of it are alwaies of the same depth the waters of this Fountain do not admit of an ebb and of a flow but they are alwaies at one and the same height Christ hath not a more and a less his fulness will not admit of an augmentation and a diminution but notwithstanding all the overflowings of the fountain still it is a fountain-fulness notwithstanding all the streams that have run from it still it is as full as ever notwithstanding all the thousands of Souls that Jesus hath relieved and empty hearts that Jesus hath filled still he is as full of grace as ever as full of mercy as ever There is no less in this fountain as it is subjectively considered upon all that he hath given and dispensed but he is as rich in grace and there is as great a plenty in him as there was when he first opened his fountain unto sinners Col. 1.19 For it hath pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell There it doth alwaies abide and the same fulness without change the same fulness without diminution That fulness that God placed in his Son there it doth abide in the glory of its utmost height Heb. 13.8 Jesus is the same yesterday to day and for ever This is that that is said of your Jesus his fulness was a great fulness at first why he is the same to day spend Christians what you will and draw out of the fountain what you can it will be as full to morrow as it is to day Yesterday to day and the same for ever Secondly Christs fulness is alwaies objectively the same unto all those that do possess it the Soul that
if they had not something in reserve to mend their condition they were poorly on 't saies Christ John 16.33 In the world ye shall have tribulation The Saints have nothing but sorrows tryals temptations troubles and afflictions here But there is a glory which remains a glory that is in reserve that is to be revealed that is another manner of inheritance then what is possessed and enjoyed by them here Col. 3.4 For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God The life of the Saints is a hidden life God hath hid it from the world he hath hid their estate he hath hid their riches he hath hid their glory from the world they do not know what they are born and entitled to but when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory as for the men of the world you may see all they have for they have their All here All the portion that God intends to give them it is possest by them here and therefore they are called men which have their portion in this life Psal 17.14 And thus 't is said of the rich man in the Parable Luke 16.25 That he received his good things in this life And Abraham said Son remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things thou hadst thy portion and thy All here all the comfort and all the peace and all the honour and all the riches and all the plenty that ever God intends to bestow upon wicked men they have it here but now besides all that the Saints have here they have a hope that is laid up for them in Heaven They can look beyond and over things that are seen unto those things that are not seen that is with a carnal eye they can look from present things that are perishing unto spiritual things that are eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 Whilest we look not saies the Apostle at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal We look at those things that are not seen at the unseen things of another world and Rom. 5.2 We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God We have saies he peace with God now which is something of Heaven let down into our hearts but this is not all but we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and Rom. 8.17 18. Being Children we are heirs heirs of God and Joynt-heirs with Christ and saies he there is a glory that shall be revealed that all the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with it 2 Tim. 4.8 There is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to all them also that love his appearing Now saies he that I have fought the good fight now that I have finished my course now that I am come to the end of my journey now that I am a going out of the world and leaving all that I have here there is a Crown of righteousness which is in reserve for me that is just ready to be set upon my head and 1 Pet. 1.3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled which fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you It is not known what a Saint is whilest he is here in this world nor yet what a Saint hath what he hath in reversion what he is called to and what he shall be put into the possession of 1 Joh. 3.2 Beloved now are we the Sons of God but it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is In speaking to this Proposition we shall shew you what Hope the Saints have laid up in Heaven for them A few particulars we shall alittle glance upon for the help of your Faith by the way But what the Hope of a Saint is which is laid up in Heaven for him is that which no man upon Earth is able to tell you The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 2.9 That eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him And the Apostle Paul was mounted up into the third Heavens and when he came down he tells us that the glory that was there and the high and blessed enjoyments that are there they were unspeakable he was not able to utter them 2 Cor. 12.4 He was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter unspeakable words unutterable words he was not able to utter them when he was come down again He says at the 3d verse Whether he was in the body or out of the body he could not tell but when he was come down again he was not able to tell what he heard and what he saw when he was in the transport But yet there is something that the Word of Truth hath made known to us for the reviving of our spirits and the strengthening of our hope whilst we are in our Journey and some of those things I shall briefly lay before you As First In Heaven the Saints shall have the perfection of all grace Here they have grace but grace is under-age grace is in a great deal of weakness grace is mixed with a great deal of corruption that is there is a great deal of sin in the heart with grace they are not all grace grace doth not stand alone grace is not in its full strength grace here is so low and so little so born down and so often overtopt with corruption as that it can hardly be seen by another it can hardly be discerned by themselves That a Child of God is oftentimes at a loss to know what to make of his condition he knows not whether he hath any grace or no. Says Christ Matth. 14.31 O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt The same may be said to us all O ye of little faith O ye of little love O ye of little patience O ye of little humility O ye of little self-denial grace is in a great deal of weakness here grace indeed lieth under a growing promise and they that have received but a little receive it as the earnest of a great deal but they have only the earnest here But now when they come in Heaven there is perfection all their graces are put into perfect strength there will be no weakness in their love to God there will be no short comings in their submission to the will of God but in
that heavenly state the Saints are all advanced unto a heavenly stature even unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 3 13. till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ And Eph. 5.27 That says he he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish There will be no weakness no imperfection in the new man but you shall be in your full grown state in Heaven immediately upon your translation and therefore the Souls of Just men entring into Heaven are said to be in a perfect state Heb. 12.23 To the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of Just men made perfect Here you are glad to receive now a little and then a little and to be adding by degrees But there grace shall be so compleat as there shall be no room for a further degree nor for a higher improvement 2. The Saints have a hope laid up in Heaven of the glorification of these vile bodies Our bodies are now full of corruption they are earthly bodies and they are a great clog and a hinderance unto a spiritualized Soul but there shall come a change upon them 1 Cor. 15.42 43. So also is the resurrection of the dead It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption It is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory Ver. 44. It is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body It is sown in corruption Many are the coâ—â—upting diseases that our flesh is exposable to whilst we live and such infections sometimes seize upon the body as do separate Lovers and acquaintance far from them but to be sure at death corruption that seizes the body and makes it so loathsom that near relations cannot bear one another Abraham cries out O! Bury my dead out of my sight and yet she was the Wife of his bosom that was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh to whom he wanted no love yet says he Bury my dead out of my sight It is sown in dishonour and indeed it lives so for much of the glory and beauty and fairness of the body of man that was at first bestowed upon him is lost But all the scarrs and all the blemishes and all the disfigurements of our bodies even all the effects of sin shall at once be done away that that which is sown in dishonour shall be raised in glory and that which is sown in weakness shall be raised in power and that which is sown a natural body shall be raised a spiritual body it shall be spiritual in its temperature constitution and complexion it shall be spiritual in all its operations It shall be raised to glory and all the robes of mortality and all the raggs of its vileness they shall be left behind Lazarus when he rose out of the grave he arose with all his grave-cloths about him and he came with them out of his grave because he was to return again Joh. 11.44 And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave-cloths Jesus saith to them Loose him and let him go The grave had not done with him This was not the blessed Resurrection that was under promise but he came out of the grave to return again but now Jesus Christ when he arose out of the grave he arose to return no more and he left all his grave-cloths behind him Joh. 20.6 7. Then cometh Simon Peter and went into the Sepulchre and seeth the Linnen-cloths and the Napkin that was about his head The Grave-cloths the Napkin and all that he had about him was all left behind because he was to return no more Now Jesus he arose as the first fruits of the Saints 1 Cor. 15.20 But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept So as you may see in the Resurrection of Christ what shall be unto the Saints in their Resurrection They shall leave all the cloths of their dishonour and of corruption and mortality behind them And Phil. 3.20 21. These vile bodies of ours shall be changed and made like to the glorious body of Christ Who shall change our vile bodies bodies full of corruption full of weakness bodies in so much dishonour they shall be changed and shall be fashioned like to the glorious body of Christ And Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also who have the first-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies So that this is another part of the hope that is laid up in Heaven for the Saints the glorification of their vile bodies We shall have part of that glory and honour upon our bodies that the Father did bestow upon that body which he prepared for his Son when he took our nature And truly the body of Jesus Christ in Heaven is the most glorious creature that is there and it is a glory which the Saints shall admire for ever they shall not only admire it in Christ but admire it in themselves as they also shall be made partakers of it 3. The Saints have a Hope laid up for them of an everlasting Rest Here is no Rest in this world it is full of troubles and tossings to and fro like a Ship that is at Sea in a storm but now in Heaven there is Rest Rest from all the troubles of men Rest from all the troubles of Satan Rest from all the troubles of sin sorrow shall flee from them All tears shall be wiped from their eyes Rev. 21.4 I shall not here tell you how far the Saints may be made partakers of this that is here promised on this side Heaven but to be sure 't is true of Heaven it self Glad would a Saint be to get into a corner where he might sit down and be at rest but if he take up in this condition he is presently disturbed if he go into another condition he finds his troubles follow him his quarters are continually broken up he can never be at rest but one disquiet follows another and one trouble takes another by the heels But in Heaven there the Saints shall be taken into an everlasting Rest 2 Thes 1.7 And to you who are troubled rest with us He cheers up these Thessalonians to whom he writes under all the troubles that they met withal from men and Devils and all their enemies in their way that were continually disquieting of their spirits Well says he Cheer up to you who are troubled rest with us He was abundant in labours and abundant in sorrows and sufferings but he comforted himself with this that there was a Rest that remained for him and
in against him at last that after-reckonings may undo all No saies God when I forgive sin I do it with this resolve of grace never to remember it more and therefore Psal 103.12 As far as the east is from the west so far hath he removed our transgressions from us east and west can never meet together so the sins of a believer that are forgiven by God shall never return again never return again to his Condemnation The sense of them may return again and again for his humiliation but the sins themselves shall never return again unto Condemnation for God having once blotted them out will never more write them down therefore Rom. 11.29 The gifts and callings of God are without repentance God doth all in wisdom in righteousness and in judgment he knows what he doth he sees all before and he sees after at once and therefore there can never be any repentance in God for him to recede from his own act of grace but having once absolved the poor sinner he shall remain so to eternity Micah 7.19 Thou wilt cast their iniquities into the depth of the Sea That which is thrown in at the Havens mouth may be washt up again but now take a milstone and carry it into the vast Ocean and cast it into the depth of the Sea and it will never be seen more and thus the Lord to illustrate his own grace doth make use of such comparisons to speak to our understanding This act of his grace is done in Judgment and God will never repent of it it is an irrevocable act Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus VVE made entrance upon these words and gave you this Proposition from them Doct. That all those that are in Christ are acquitted absolved and discharged by God We have given you the properties of this discharge that God gives out unto the believer in Christ And shall now proceed Object But you will say if that believers be thus fully and irrevocably discharged by God how comes it to pass that they are the persons that God doth so much afflict in the world that they are seldom free but followed with adversity upon adversity trial upon trial and yet all their sins done away Ans I answer Though Gods People are the People of affliction and adversity ordinarily in the world yet their afflictions are not from wrath but from love and consistent with his pardoning grace you must distinguish between punishments that are satisfactory and punishments that are monitory You must distinguish between wrathful proceeds from justice and fatherly corrections and chastisements God doth afflict his people upon two accounts in the world sometimes for sin and sometimes for the trial of grace God I grant doth sometimes Chastise his people for sin that Scripture clears it to me Psal 89.30 31 32 33. If his Children forsake my law and walk not in my Judgements if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgressions with rods and their iniquity with stripes nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail c. Here you see God doth chastise for sin he hath reserved to himself a power so to do that if his Children break his law if they transgress and walk contrary to it they shall hear of it they shall feel the smart of his rod ay but it is such a chastisement and visitation as is consistent with the stability of his Covenant for that is not shaken thereby it is such a chastisement as is consistent with unchangeable love and grace and by these afflictions God carries on his work in them the more to humble them and to recover the Soul and to bring it to a due consideration of its self and waies in order unto a closer walking with God and sometimes again afflictions are for the exercise the trial and the improvement of grace and all that God might be the more glorified 1 Pet. 1.6 7. Now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations that the tryal of your faith being much more precious than that of Gold that perisheth may be found unto praise and honour c. Afflictions stir up patience and patience that encreaseth experience and experience hope so as under the trial grace is made to abound and much glory is brought forth to God Obj. Ay but you will say further The believer is taken near to God and forgiven but he sins again don't his renewed transgressions break his pardon Ans Renewed and repeated transgressions they are found in those whom God pardons and they may break their peace and take away the comfort of their pardon but they don't null the pardon of God Their pardon that is continued that is renewed as their transgressions are renewed so as the obligation to punishment obligation to Hell and the wrath of God that returns no more upon their head really before God it returns no more for the pardon that is given forth of God takes it off but the sense of the pardon and all the comforts of the pardon may be lost for a considerable while This seems clear to me from that of the Prophet 2 Sam. 12.13 David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David The Lord also hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die God had blotted out the sin of David and yet if you look into the 51 Psalm you will find there that the comfort of his pardon was gone he was not able to read it nor to make Faith nor to take any joy from it O says he Verse 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness That seems to be a strange voice in his ears the voice of joy and gladness that he had so often heard from the Lord he was a stranger to O! says he that I could hear that voice again Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit V. 12. The joy of his pardon was out of sight and till God returned again to him with fresh consolations and till the Comforter came again to visit him he was not able to apply a Promise nor to take in the comfort of his pardon although the Prophet had told him that God had pardoned him But the obligation to condemnation that doth not return For says the Apostle 1 Joh. 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous Christ lieth there in Heaven to secure the state of a Believer and he keeps up the torrent and stream of God's love to the Soul though the manifestations of that love are under a soveraign over-rule and dispose But 3. We proposed to give you the ground upon which God doth proceed in the giving out of this discharge unto those that are in Christ And that is the merits and the satisfaction the propitiation and atonement
Jesus Christ amazed when he saw all the wrath that was to be poured out upon him And do you see all the grace that the Gospel hath brought forth for you Do you see all this grace and doth it not amaze you That God should do so much for such a sinner as you are for one so unworthy for one so undeserving for one so provoking as you are I remember how Abigail was taken with the kindness and condescension of David when he sent to her to take her 1 Sam. 25.41 She arose and bowed her self on her face to the Earth and said Behold let thine Handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord. O what Doth King David send to me What! David the the Lord 's Anointed send after me It is more than I deserve should he make me but a Handmaid to wash the feet of his servants she was amazed at his love and condescension And Sirs Doth not all the grace of God that is laid out on you in freeing you from Hell and in blotting out of all your transgressions that they shall never be remembred against you Doth not all this grace amaze you I remember a passage of Solomon 2 King 8.27 When God afforded his presence in the Temple but says he Will God indeed dwell on the Earth Behold the Heavens and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him how much less the house that I have builded Will God indeed dwell on the Earth O! he was taken with the condescension of grace that God should stoop so low as to fill that house with his glory that he had built for him O Sirs hath God filled your hearts with his glory with the glory of his pardoning love and grace O say what Lord Wilt thou dwell with me What! Lord Dost thou pass by all my rebellion and all my backslidings and wilt thou receive me into thy love and favour O! do you magnifie and admire and live in the admiration of this grace that hath thus wrought for you Use 4. Hath the Lord pardoned and discharged your Souls that there is now no condemnation for you Think with your selves what returns of love you ought to make unto this God that hath done so much for you If you were taken captive by the Turks and were cruelly used in their bondage and a friend should hear of your misery and captivity and should come to you and pay the price of your Redemption and set you free and bring you home into your own Country you would never forget the love of this man if you had any gratefulness in you I am sure you could not but all the love that you could manifest to him you would alwaies think too little and would come far short of his to you But Sirs what is the love of such a friend in such a case unto the love of God in your Soul's case he hath taken off the sentence of condemnation that was against you when you were ready to die he saved you from wrath and Hell and assured you that none of your sins should ever rise up to your condemnation not any thing shall ever be laid to your charge because God hath discharged you all that you can do for this God is but to love him and you will manifest ungratefulness indeed if you do not stir up your love to this God Psal 31.23 O love the Lord all ye his Saints Ay! they have reason to do it What! saved from Hell delivered from going down to the Pit thousands and thousands of transgressions forgiven at once O! it becomes those that are thus dealt withal to love God Sirs you should love him with a heart-love you should love the Lord with all your hearts and withall your souls here the whole strength of your affections should go out you should love God with a transcendent love you should love him above all you should love him with an abounding love It is said of Mary that she loved much Luk. 7.47 Wherefore I say unto thee her sins which are many are forgiven her for she loved much Many sins forgiven and much love aboundings of love upon it The higher your sins were the greater is your pardon and the greater should your love be you should love God with a love of complacency so as to joy in him and to take up your delight in him God loves you with such a love He is said to rest in his love towards us Zeph. 3.17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save thee he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love Now shall God take complacency in such a poor vile creature as thou art and do so much in the greatness of his love for thee and wilt not thou take up thy delight in God You should love God with an abiding love you should dwell in your love to God you should live in love to God Says the Apostle Jude v. 21. Keep your selves in the love of God Your love to God you should love and cherish at all times that you should alwaies live in love to God and you should do all that you do in love to God love him with an abiding love Use 5. Again You whom the Lord hath discharged be alwaies ready to discharge and forgive others wherein they provoke and offend you As the Apostle says concerning love 1 Joh. 4.11 Beloved if God so loved us we ought also to love one another So I may say in this case if God hath forgiven us we ought to forgive one another Solomon tells us and truly I think it is a Scripture that a great many do not understand in the practice of it Prov. 19.11 That it is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression Many do not think so but they think that it is the nobleness of their spirits to stand to it and to argue out the point and to have satisfaction upon such an injury and such an injury or upon such a provocation and such a provocation and he is counted of a poor pusillanimous spirit that passeth over such things that will bear affronts and make nothing of them But says Solomon It is the glory It is the crown of a man to do it because the more you forgive others the more you manifest the sense of the grace of God in forgiving you We are taught of Christ to pray Luk. 11.4 Forgive us our debts as we also forgive every one that is indebted to us Canst thou say so in thy heart when thou goest unto God for forgiveness that thou hast forgiven freely thy Brother thy Sister thy Neighbour that hath offended thee that hath wronged and injured thee Luk. 17.3 4. Take heed to your selves if thy Brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him and if he trespass against thee seven times a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him And