what it is to lye under the burden of Gods wrath when Mountains and Milstones of wrath are thrown upon the soul and the Lord will so far enable the soul that it shall be bearing that wrath and bearing and bearing it to all Eternity 3. Take in this aggravation also This loss it is irrecoverable once lost and ever lost Heaven once lost will never never be recovered after as many millions of years as there are drops in the Ocean that loss will still be bewailed and bewailed and bewailed to all Eternity If you put all these together I believe you will assent to me now and acknowledg the truth of this point That to come short of Heaven is such an unvaluable and unconceivable and irrecoverable loss that it is to be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever For the use of this point First By way of Information Secondly By way of Exhortation First By way of Information It shews us the extream folly and madness of all impenitent Sinners who will venture the loss of God and the favour of God the loss of Christ and the presence of Christ the loss of heaven and happiness and the loss of their own souls rather than they will lose the pleasures of sin which are but for a season it is such a madness that heaven and earth may stand amazed at it Consider and befool your selves O you carnal and careless ones if you have not sinned away your very sense and reason also Consider blush and be ashamed and be confounded in the presence of the Lord this day you that never yet set your faces towards Heaven you that never made it your business to look out for a Christ you that never shed a penitential tear from a broken heart you that cannot abide to think of Humiliation and Repentance you that never sought for eternal happiness by patient continuance in well-doing you that know not what it is to mortifie a lust you that know not what it is to deny your own hearts any thing to cross your own wills in any thing you that are so far from working out your own salvation with fear and trembling that you work out your own damnation without fear and trembling without horror and astonishment that never once think of it that never once lay to heart this loss this coming short I cannot if I had the tongue of men and Angels I were not able to express the evil of coming short of eternal happiness you can now sell Glory for vanity Heaven for Earth the pleasures that are at the right hand of God for the pleasures of sin that are but for a season But the time will come when with heart-rending complaints you will tear off your own hair and rend your own hearts in pieces and cry out O fools beastly fools sensless sots that we were to bereave our selves of eternal happiness for a little momentany pleasures for the satisfaction of a base lust O what Bedlams O what humane beasts were we that would deprive our selves of mansions in the New Jerusalem for a few bruitish carnal sensual delights O what mad-men were we that would venture the loss of an eternal habitation in that place where to be and to be most happy is all one rather than we would cross our own carnal and corrupt wills in any thing we would fulfil the flesh and the mind O how will you then exceedingly befool your selves It is storied of Lysimachus a King being pursued by his Enemies and being very thirsty he sold his Kingdom for a draught of drink but afterward he cryed out Alas What a bargain have I made to sell my Kingdom for a draught of drink O this even this is the condition of all you that sell Heaven for Earth that sell Pearls for Pebles that sell your immortal Souls that sell the hopes of eternal happiness for the satisfaction of a base lust O how will you cry out What a Bedlambeast have I been that have run such a hazzard the loss of such a Crown an incorruptible Crown such a Crown of eternal Glory O what a beast have I been that have ventured the loss of Heaven and the favour of God and the presence of God and the loss of my own Soul and that for nothing for toys and trifles for dross and trash You can now complain of the Service of God and say It is an unprofitable Service What profit is it to wait upon the Lord what profit is it that we kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 But a time will come when you will wish that a thousand years had been spent in fasting and ten thousand thousand years had been spent in the strictest Exercise of Religion rather than you should have come short of that eternal happiness you now are ready to say when the Ministers press you to pray in your Families and catechise your Families and read the Scriptures in your Families and to drive a Trade for Heaven when we press you to these things you are ready to say We have no leisure alas we cannot look after these things we have no time to seek heaven and happiness No time Well well you that can find no time to look after those things that are of infinite concernment you that have no time to seek for Heaven you will have time enough to bewail the loss of Heaven when a thousand years are gone and ten thousand years are gone and a thousand thousand thousand years are gone in bewailing your loss bewailing this unconceivable damage and detriment when as many millions of years are gone as there are drops of water in the Ocean there will be time enough to bewail it to all eternity O the folly and madness of all those that will live in sin and lye in sin and for the pleasures of sin will venture the loss of those pleasures that are at the right hand of God for evermore it is such madness as cannot be expressed or conceived That is one Use Secondly By way of Exhortation And I have two Exhortations to tender to you if God would give you but hearts to hearken and the Lord of his infinite mercy bow and incline your hearts to consider what I say First If the coming short of this eternal Rest be such an unconceivable loss Then foresee this danger and tremble at it tremble at the apprehension of it if you be flesh and blood tremble at it Think with your selves certainly there will come a day when a final Sentence must pass upon my soul either a sentence of Absolution or a sentence of Condemnation if the sentence of Condemnation Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 If that should be the final Sentence that should pass upon me what would become of me As God speaks to the unrighteous Judg Isa 10.3 And what will you do in the day of visitation and
will you not run do you not strive to enter Again You say you do not undervalue Heaven I beseech you consider What are you content to part with for Heaven will you sell all to buy this Pearl Will you part with any thing that stands in opposition to your hopes Will you take Christ in his own way and on his own terms and in his own time Can you be content to swallow down some discouragements and difficulties and temptations and bless God for them and say One smile of thy face will recompence a thousand years of adversity If I have Christ for my portion and Heaven in reversion though I carry a Rod of affliction at my back every day though I am fed with the water of affliction and with the bread of adversity Heaven will make amends for all But alas How many have weak hands and feeble knees and are not able to go on in the way of Salvation and will not come up to the price of Salvation Do not deceive your felves These are plain down-right Truths bottomed upon Scripture if I speak not the truth believe me not but if I do some of you have cause with serious self-reflection to smite upon your Thighs and you have cause greatly to fear this despising and undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance is your sin and Oh that it might be your sorrow and shame Secondly This Doctrine may justly serve for to reprove and I profess I know no reproof sharp enough for such persons as despise and undervalue that heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light Let me say to some of you as God speaks Acts 15.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish So say I Hearken ye despisers hearken ye secure careless sensless sottish Atheists I can call you no better Oh you that have such slight thoughts of Heaven you that look upon this heavenly Inheritance but as imaginary a Fools Paradise or as a meer conceit rather than any real existent thing you that never yet set your hearts and souls to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and his Kingdom you whose hearts are buried in Earth and Earthly things who mind nothing but Earth nothing in the World but raising great Estates and satisfying the brutish part of your selves Tell me Do you think that ever you shall enjoy this external Inheritance which you have despised Shall you ever taste of that everlasting happiness which you have so much undervalued Will the Lord cast Pearls before Swine Will he hang such a Jewel such an unvaluable Jewel which is better worth than ten thousand Worlds will be hang such a Jewel on a Swines snout No no you deceive your selves if you think so Do you think that Heaven will drop into your mouths as you lie a-dying Do you think our Saviour speaks in vain when he says Matth. 11.12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force If Heaven could be purchas'd with a Lord have mercy upon us if it could be procured in such a cold lazy luke-warm way as you walk in then certainly our blessed Saviour did not know what he said his exhorting to strive to enter in at the strait gate was to no purpose But if prizing of this Salvation and striving or this Salvation to the end of your lives if these must go before enjoying then as sure as the Lord lives you careless secure sottish Sinners that mind nothing less than that one thing necessary assure your selves you shall never have a portion in that Inheritance which is prepared for the Saints in Light no there is another place prepared for such Dogs and Swine as they are called that place without Rev. 22.15 For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye You all cry out of Esau a prophane wretch the Spirit of God brands him for it a prophane Atheist that sold his Birth right for a Mess of Pottage he sold his Birth-right which was a Type of Heaven he sold this for an old Song as we say And you that neglect and undervalue and despise Heaven you are guilty of the same sin and have you not as prophane spirits as he You cry out of Judas because he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver Oh hearken impenitent sottish Sinner It may be thou sellest Christ and Heaven and Glory and all may be for a base lust a base lye thou sellest it for some considerable advantage as thou conceivest for the present though at last it will be like Gravel in the Throat Take home this reproof with you the Lord set it home upon your Souls you that never set your hearts souls to seek the Lord. I have done with a word of Exhortation That is I beseech you and exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you would take heed of this God-provoking Soul-damning sin take heed of undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance Let it not be said of any of you that you despised the pleasant Land instead of despising it do you highly prise it and say as David Psalm 119.174 I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight And what a kind of longing was it Not a cold wish such a wish as Balaam had O that I might die the death of the Righteous that Heaven might drop into my mouth then but I would live as I list it was not such a desire no says David I have longed for thy salvation what then Thy Law is my delight That is a right longing that is accompanied with an endeavour he rightly longs for the Salvation of God that delights in the Commands of God In the 123 ver of the same Psalm Mine eyes fail in waiting for thy Salvation Look as the Lord Jesus Christ will never bestow himself upon that Soul that does not pant and breathe and break with longing desires after him So likewise he will never bestow this heavenly Inheritance upon that Soul that does not most earnestly wishfully and industriously pant after him and long for him and seek him that you may prize him Take heed in the fear of God of those four causes of undervaluing this Salvation First Take heed of Earthly-mindedness beg that you may be digged out of the thick Mire and Clay say Give me not my portion here O Lord How sad will it be with me if thou puttest me off only with these outward things Secondly Take heed of sloathfulness and sluggishness in the service of God and in seeking this Salvation Rom. 12.11 Not sloathful in business sèrvent in Spirit serving the Lord. Seek the Lord and seek his Salvation with all your might mind and strength Thirdly Be content to part with any thing for Christ take heed of placing your love upon the Creature be content to part with any thing that stands in opposition to or in competition with
work of Grace in us Thirdly The Graces of the Spirit which likewise are purchased by him are precious Graces Faith is a precious Grace as it is called 2 Pet. 1.2 Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious Faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ that the tryal of your Faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth The tryal of Gold is the worst thing that belongs to Gold and the tryal of Faith is the worst thing that belongs to Faith yet saith the Apostle The tryal of your Faith is much more precious than that of Gold 1 Pet. 1.7 So Repentance that is a precious Grace because it is Repentance unto life as the Apostle calls it Acts 11.18 When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto life And Hope that is a stedfast Grace it is the Anchor of the Soul And Love that is a lovely Grace it brings the Soul into nearer Communion with God Then Wisdom that is a precious Grace a shining Grace A mans wisdom maketh his face to shine saith Solomon Eccles 8.1 And Job speaking of Wisdom saith he Job 28.12 13 But where shall Wisdom be sound and where is the place of Vnderstanding Man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the Land of the Living it is of more price than Rubies it is of an invaluable price And Humility that is an honourable Grace And Fear that is a preserving Grace And Patience that is a supporting Grace And Perseverance that is a Crowning Grace All these Graces are precious Graces and they are all of them bestowed upon us meerly upon the account of Christs merits Fourthly The Priviledges that we have by Jesus Christ they are precious Priviledges U-union with him and Communion in his Life and Death and Resurrection and Comforts access to God the Father and that with boldness Fifthly The Promises that are sealed by his blood they are precious Promises promises for this life and promises for the life to come that Promise That all shall work together fer good to them that love God a big-bellied promise as I may so say All things work together for good and our prayers and our persons shall be accepted Lastly The Inheritance that he hath purchased for us is a precious Inheritance An incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven In brief Such is the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that compare him with the most precious things that can be named and you shall see they are but vile and base in comparison of him For Example 1. The Souls of men and women they are said to be precious but Oh how infinitely precious is Jesus Christ whose blood is a valuable and equivalent price for the Souls of all the men and women in the world 2. Light is said to be precious Christ said of himself I am the light of the world John 8.12 Light is precious to those that are in a Dungeon of darkness Now says Jesus Christ I am the light of the world 3. Truth is precious so precious that we are to buy it at any rate and sell it at no rate Jesus Christ says of himself I am the Truth John 14.6 4. Fountains and Springs of water are precious in hot and dry Countreys Oh the Lord Jesus Christ he is the Well of Salvation Isa 12.3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wells of Salvation 5. Bread is precious to those that are ready to perish a man will venture the getting of bread with the hazard of his life Lam. 5.9 We get our bread with the peril of our lives Now Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life John 6.48 6. Balm and Balsom is precious His blood is the only Balm that can cure wounded Souls so precious is the Lord Jesus Christ that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth are but a picture of that beauty and preciousness that is in him he is the Abstract and Epitome of all perfections how precious must he needs be to whom all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth do contribute all their Excellencies to make him excellent and glorious Thus you see the Point opened Now for the Uses of it First By way of Information Is the Lord Jesus Christ so infinitely precious you may see then why the Souls of men and women are so precious because they are purchased by a precious Saviour purchased by his precious blood Hearken O sons of men why are you tumbling up and down in dirt and clay why do you not raise your hearts and thoughts higher and higher seeing that you have such precious Souls that are capable of a precious Inheritance why do you not look after a precious Covenant of Grace â—ealed to you and precious Promises confirmed to you by the blood of Christ why do you not look after that precious Pearl the Lord Jesus Christ who is worth more than ten thousand worlds Oh the baseness of the heart of man that should prefer dirt and dross and dung before him who is so infinitely precious that they should so undervalue their precious Souls that cost such an invaluable rate for their Redemption Secondly By way of Information see the horrible greatness of the sin of Unbelief that makes the Sinner undervalue this precious Redeemer Says Jesus Christ You will not come to me that you might have life John 5.40 Oh bewail your Unbelief that keeps Christ and your Souls a precious Christ and your poor Souls at such a distance Thirdly By way of Information take notice what a blessed condition they are in that have gotten the Lord Jesus Christ into their Souls If the Lord bestows this gift of all gifts this precious Christ upon you Oh it is more than if he had given thee the World nay then if he had given thee ten thousand Worlds for thy portion O rejoyce in thy portion for as soon as ever thou art a Believer thy heart is made a Cabinet for this precious Pearl the Lord Christ for He dwells in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 Oh manifest to the World the brightness of this Pearl let some lustre of Jesus Christ shine in thy Conversation shine through this Cabinet as Light shines through a Lanthorn The second Use is by way of Exhortation And here I must but name some few particulars answerable to the Explication of the Doctrine I insisted on more largely and there are several Duties I would briefly commend to you and the Lord give you hearts and me a heart and every one a heart to close with this precious Truth tendred to you in reference to this precious Redeemer First If Jesus Christ be so precious in his person as being God and Man then learn to honour him admire and adore him for This is the will of God the Father that all should
carries them in his Bosom and gently Leads them and accordingly there are these two Points of Doctrine that are most eminently and clearly held forth in the Text. Doct. 1. That Jesus Christ is that Blessed Shepherd that is able both to feed and protect his People here and to give them eternal Life hereafter Doct. 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ in his carriage towards his People hath a tender respect to their Infirmities I begin with the first Doctrine The Lord Jesus Christ is that blessed Shepherd that is abundantly able to feed and protect his People here and to give them eternal life hereafter For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three Scriptures in Joh. 10.11 I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep and in Heb. 13.20 He is called the great Shepherd of the Sheep Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant c. And he is called the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls in 1 Pet. 2.20 For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls so that doubtless Jesus Christ is the most blessed the best the greatest the sweetest Shepherd that ever was as will appear by these four reasons First Because he hath the greatest care over them Secondly Because he hath the greatest love to his Sheep Thirdly Beeause he hath the greatest power that ever Shepherd had Fourthly Because he hath the greatest reward for them that can possibly be bestowed First Jesus Christ hath the greatest care over his Sheep for he seeks them when they are lost I come says he to seek and to save those which were lost Luk. 1.9 20 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost And he gathers them from the ends of the world he fetches them from all corners of the earth there is not one of his sheep that is not one that belongs to the election of grace but in what place soever he be though among Pagans Heathens and Infidels of what condition soever he be whether high or low rich or poor noble or ignoble of what calling or employment soever As some will be ready to complain and say I am lockt up under a Calling I would be better if my Calling would let me I but there is not one of Christs sheep that belongs to the election of Grace though he be lockt up under a Calling but the Lord Jesus Christ will seek him out in what condition or Calling soever he be That 's the first reason He hath the greatest care over his sheep to gather them into his Fold 2dly Because he hath the greatest love to his sheep such love as the like was never heard of Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend John 15.13 There cannot be greater love manifested than this but such love hath the Lord Jesus Christ he hath laid down his life that good Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep as in the forenamed place John 10.11 I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep You know Jacob sheweth a great deal of love to his sheep in that as he tells you he was in the day-time parched with heat the drought consumed him and in the night-time pinched with frost and he broke his sleep many times to watch his sheep Gen. 31.40 My sleep says he departed from mine eyes That was great love but David shewed greater love to his Flocks Psal 78.70 he followed the Ewes great with young when God took him from the Sheepfolds to wield the Scepter And he shewed yet greater love to his Flock as he tells you in 1 Sam. 17.34 35 And David said unto Saul Thy servant kept his Fathers sheep and there came a Lion and a Bear and took a Lamb out of the stock and I went out after him smote him delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him thy servant slew both the Lion and the Bear David ventured very far he ventured his life for one Lamb of the Flock but Jesus Christ that blessed Shepherd did not only venture his life but he laid down his life for his sheep and he did not venture to grapple with an ordinary Lion but with that roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour Nay he did not only wrestle with that roaring Lion but with all the powers of darkness he wrestled with principalities and powers Nay he wrestled with the wrath of a sin-revenging God and all that he might save his poor sheep therefore never was there such a loving Shepherd as the Lord Jesus Christ That 's the second reason Thirdly He hath the greatest power and ability that ever Shepherd had for this is extraordinary that he makes all the sheep he hath all his sheep are the workmanship of his hands Psalm 100.3 Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture He hath that power that he can do whatsoever pleaseth him in heaven and in earth All power in heaven and carth is given to him Matth. 26.18 He hath that power that he is able to deliver his sheep from the gates of hell He hath said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against them Matth. 16.18 He hath that power that he can do that for his sheep that all the world and all the Princes in the world cannot do for them and therefore he must needs be the best Shepherd That 's the third reason Fourthly He hath the greatest reward also to bestow upon every one of his sheep Alas his sheep give nothing to him My goodness does not extend to thee Psalm 16.2 We can bestow nothing upon this blessed Shepherd he hath no need of any thing we have I but he bestows a very rich portion upon his sheep a glorious reward he feeds them he cloaths them he protects them here in this world and gives them eternal life hereafter First This blessed Shepherd feeds all his sheep he feeds them first by his Word and then by his Sacraments He feeds them by his Word by sending his Messengers as under-Shepherds to feed his Flock It is a Gospel-promise that in Jer. 3.15 I will give you Pastors according to my own heart which shall feed you with knowledg and understanding And it was one end of our Saviours ascention into Heaven and a great blessing we have by it he ascended into heaven that he might give gists unto men Ephes 4.8 11 12 13 verses Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and
it was very pleasant therefore in the scituation of it Secondly It was pleasant in regard of the Air though it is true it was a hotter Climate than ours is yet it was a very temperate Climate it was a Climate of that temper that they were free from all noisome vapours so it was a healthful Land in that regard Thirdly It was a very fruitful Land a Land that did abound with Corn and Cattel and Vines and Fig-trees and Pomgranates as you may find Deut. 8.7 8 9 For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good Land a Land of Brooks of waters of Fountains and depths that spring out of valley and hills a Land of Wheat and Barley and Vines and Fig-trees and Pomgranates a Land of Oyl Olives and Honey A Land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness thou shalt not lack any thing in it a Land whose stones are iron and out of whose Hills thou mayst dig brass It 's a Land saith the Lord wherein thou shalt not lack any thing any thing that may be desirable any thing that may be comfortable for their subsistence for them therefore to despise such a Land as this was it could not but provoke the Lord to anger You know there is no juster provocation among men than kindness churlishly refused Now for the Israelites to despife this Land a free gift a gift of bounty and favour such a gift as they could not in the least merit at the hand of God you find God himself beating them off from that Deut. 9.4 Speak not then in thine heart after the Lord thy God hath cast them out before thee saying for my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this Land It was not for thy righteousness-sake but it was for his own Name-sake and his Promise-sake that he made to Abraham for them to possess this Land therefore it was a gift of favour and free bounty doubtless and it was a very great sin because ingratitude is hateful both to God and man Vnthankfulness as one calls it is the hellish bar or stop to all future mercies A man that is about to pour in some precious Oyl or Liquor into a Glass if he see the Glass be crack'd or there be a hole in it you know he will pour in no Oyl or Liquor in that Glass So here an unthankful man is a broken Glafs and God will not bestow his favours upon those that are unthankful at least he will not bestow them in mercy he sometimes gives these outward blessings in anger I gave thee a King in mine anger Hos 13.11 but he never gives mercies in love and favour to unthankful wretches This sin of unthankfulness sometimes provokes the Lord to strain for his Rent when men will not give him the quit-Rent of thankfulness Therefore says God Hos 2.8 9 Because she did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl and multiplyed her silver and gold which was prepared for Baal therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and will recover my Wool and my Flax given to cover her nakedness says God I will strip her naked and leave her bare Unthankfulness provokes the Lord you see to take away all his mercies and to strain for his Rent but that is not all for it provokes the Lord to inflict some spiritual judgment when men are unthankful Rom. 1.21 and 24 verses compared together it 's said Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkned Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour their own bodies between themselves So that you see despising or undervaluing those outward blessings or mercies that God bestows upon a People is a God-provoking sin a sin of ingratitude Let me briefly apply this for this is not the Point I intend principally to handle but only to touch at it I beseech you my Brethren Let every one of us enter into our own hearts and by some serious self-reflecting thoughts call our selves to an account whether we be not in the number of those that despise and undervalue those National mercies wherewith God hath enrich'd us We live in a pleasant Land in a Goshen for light in a Canaan for plenty We live here in a City that is lifted up to Heaven in Mercies in the use of Ordinances I believe there is not such a place under the Heavens of God not such a City that hath such plentiful provisions both for Soul and Body as we have But have we walked worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing Have we liv'd up to our light under our means under our mercies Have we thankfully prized and improved these National priviledges and blessings that we enjoy No no God knows and our own hearts know that it is not so Alas it may be said of these Nations as it was said of the Land of Canaan Ezra 9.11 The Land to which ye go to possess it it is an unclean Land with the filthiness of the People of the Lands with their abominations which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness So may it be said of this pleasant Land this goodly Land this goodly City that we live in it is an unclean City through the filthiness and abomination of many that live therein and therefore that which God threatens Levit. 18.25 And the Land it self vomiteth out her Inhabitants even so justly might our God deal with us because we have defiled the Land with our abominations and uncleanness therefore the Land should spew us out We have swallowed down his mercies without regarding him that bestowed those mercies upon us just like the Hog under the Acorn-tree that swallows down the Mast but does not look unto the Tree We have been a murmuring and discontented people so looking upon one cross as to forget a thousand mercies We have no way walked worthy of all the good things that our God hath given us to enjoy therefore it were just that God should deal with us as he threatens Deut. 28.47 48 Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemy which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until he have destroyed thee c. Our unthankfulness is intolerable the Lord awaken us to repentance but I will not insist longer upon that Point I eome therefore to the second Notion Consider the Land of Canaan as it was a Type or Figure or Pledg or Earnest-penny of that same Heavenly Inheritance that God hath laid up for the Saints in Light and so their ingratitude was far greater they despised
very precious As if he should say You have an infinite and an invaluable benefit by him therefore you have great reason so highly to prize him Vnto you that do believe that is that can rest and rely upon this Rock of Salvation that can pawn your Souls upon him that can close with him and cleave to him and obey him as your Prince and your Saviour Vnto you says the Apostle he is precious or he is a price and an honour for so the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he is not only precious but of infinite price he is not only honourable but honour it self in the Abstract for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both price and honour The words being thus opended afford these two Points of Doctrine which lie clear in the Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself Doct. 2. As Jesus Christ is precious in himself so he is exceeding precious in the eyes of all Believers and most highly prized by them Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself He is called in the 4th verse of this Chapter A living-stone chosen of God and precious And in Isa 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation For the better understanding of this Point two things are to be opened First What it is to be Precious or what may be included in this Phrase precious Secondly How this may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein the preciousness of Jesus Christ consists First What is it to be precious What is included in this Phrase precious The Hebrew word signifies divers things I will name you but these five or six and every one of those significations are rightly applicable to the Lord Jesus Christ Sometimes the word precious is taken for bright and glorious Thus the Sun and the Moon are said to walk in brightness Job 31.26 If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness Job there speaking of the Moon says it walks in brightness it walks as it were through the Heavens honourably it walks in a great deal of brightness and glory Thus the Lord Jesus Christ in this sense is precious because he is the glorious sun of Righteousness as he is called Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my Name shall the sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings And he calls himself the bright Morning-Star in Rev. 22.16 I am the bright Morning-Star Again Secondly The word precious is taken sometimes for that that is scarce and rare to be had for that which is not bestowed upon all but upon some few persons Thus the Word of God in Samuel's time was said to be precious 1 Sam. 3.1 And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days there was no open Vision it was communicated but to a few And in this sense also the Lord Jesus Christ may be said to be precious because he is communicated but to a very few A little Flock Luke 12.32 A little little Flock as the word signifies a very little Flock in comparison of those that have no interest in him nor any benefit by him For not many wise men after the flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 There are but few very few in comparison of the great multitude that have an interest in him in that regard he is precious Thirdly Sometimes the word precious is taken for that which is dear and costly So the Lord Jesus Christ is very dear to his Father the dearly beloved Son of his bosom and his blood is very costly it is called precious blood If the blood of all the Princes upon Earth had been spilt nay if all the Angels in Heaven had lost their lives it had not been comparable to one drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Fourthly The word precious sometimes is taken for that which is pleasant and delightful Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child There is the same word for precious called pleasant In this regard the Lord Jesus Christ may be called precious because he is so delightful to the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Fifthly That may be said to be precious that is of very great and invaluable use or that whereof we have an indispensable necessity Now in this sense also Jesus Christ is precious he is of infinite use to a Believer such indispensable need have we of him that without him we must perish everlastingly Except ye eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood you have no life in you John 6.53 Lastly That is said to be precious which is honourable Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Isa 43.4 And as I told you even now the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siguifieth honour as well as price So the Lord Jesus Christ he is infinitely honourable honourable in himself all the Angels honour and admire him and he is an Honour to his Church and Chosen to all those that have a part and interest in him therefore he is said to be The glory of his people Israel Luke 2.32 A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel You see the first thing opened What it is to be precious Now the second thing for Explication is this How this Title precious may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein does the preciousness of Jesus Christ so much appear For answer to this You must know the preciousness of Jesus Christ does appear in these six Particulars First He is exceeding infinitely unconceivably precious in his Person God and Man united in one Person Co-essential with the Father that is having the same Essence and Substance with him in John 10.30 I and my Father are one And he is Co-equal with the Father He thought it no robery to be equal with God Pbil. 2.6 Being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Therefore he is infinitely precious in his Person Secondly As he is precious in his Person so is he precious in his Titles those rich and glorious Titles that are attributed to him For Example Isa 9.6 This is the name wherewith the Lord Jesus Christ is called Wonderful Counsellonr El the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Pray mark with what a glorious Title he is called there The Mighty God How dare then any blasphemous Arrian or Atheist deny the Divinity
of the Lord Jesus Christ deny that he is God when this is one of the Titles wherewith he is called The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace What glorious Titles are here So you shall read he is called his Fathers delight Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my sul delighteth And the Fathers bosom-friend John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time save the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him If the love of all the Parents in the World were concentred in one it were but as a drop of that infinite Ocean of Love that is between the Father and the Son Nay more he is called the Fathers Fellow Zech. 13.7 Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my Fellow saith the Lord of Hosts So likewise he is called The Head of the Church Eph. 5.23 and the Judg both of quick and dead Acts 10.42 In a word such is the Dignity of his Person such is the Excellency of his Merits such is the sweetness of his Graces such is the fulness of his Perfection that the Scripture does abundantly put those terms of honour upon the Lord Christ as sometimes comparing him to a Corner-stone because he does support us Ephes 2.20 Sometimes to A Vine because he does refresh us John 15.1 Sometimes unto a Physician because he does heal us Matth. 9.12 Sometimes to a Day-star because he does enlighten us Rev. 22.16 Sometimes to A Shepherd because he does lead us John 10. Sometimes to Manna or the Bread of life because he does feed us What glorious Titles are these that are given to Christ therefore he is precious in his Titles Thirdly As he is precious in his Titles so he is precious in his Offices in his Kingly Office in his Priestly Office and in his Prophetical Office First He is precious in his Kingly Office he calls himself The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev 19.16 The King of Kings He is such a King that conquers the enemies of our Salvation as Sin and Satan and Death and Hell and the World other Kings Rule over us but this King can only Rule in us My Kingdom is not of this world saith he The Kingdom of God is within you Lnke 17.21 This King can make Laws that can bind the Conscience he is such a King as hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him Matth. 28.18 Again He is such a Priest as hath reconeiled us to God the Father and ever lives to make intercession for us who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Col. 1.21 Heb. 7.25 Heb. 4.15 And he is such a Prophet as can perfectly instruct his Church others may preach to the ear but he hath his Pulpit in Heaven only that can preach to the heart other Preachers can open the Scriptures but it is Jesus Christ only that can open our understandings that we may understand the Scriptures Luke 24.45 Then opened he their underderstandings that they might understand the Scriptures O what glorious Offices are these Fourthly He is precious in his Ordinances For Example His Word is exceeding precious to all those that have tasted the sweetness of it how precious was it to David Psalm 119.72 The Law of thy Mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver How precious are Sabbaths to those that know how much of Heaven is wrapt up in the Sabbath Certainly these Sabbath-days are Market-days for our Souls wherein we may make provision for Eternity days wherein the Lord Jesus Christ many times communicates himself and much of his sweetness to those that wait upon him in holy Duties And how precious is the Ordinance of the Lords Supper wherein the Lord Christ makes us a feast of fat things a feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of Marrow Wines on the Lees well refined Isa 25. Wherein he gives his own flesh to eat his flesh that was crucified to satisfie Divine Justice and his own blood to drink that blood which only can quench the fire of Hell quench the fire of Gods anger which otherwise would have been burning and burning against us to all Eternity Fifthly As he is precious in his Ordinances so he is precious in his Prerogatives for he and he only is the Saviour of the World and besides him there was no other Saviour Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved That is there is nothing can be named for it is but a Hebraism there is nothing can be named under Heaven whereby we can be saved but only the Name of Jesus Christ he had no Coadjutor or Helper in the work of our Redemption Isa 63.3 I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the People there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my rayment And as he is the only Saviour so he is the only Mediator too For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 So he is the only Head of his Church Eph. 1.22 And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church He only hath the Supremacy and Authority as being Omnipotent and Omnipresent one that is able to protect his people from all injuries one that is able to prevent all the plots and projects that are hatcht and invented against them he hath these Prerogatives that cannot be given to any Creature in Heaven or Earth but only unto him therefore he is precious in his Prerogatives Sixthly The Lord Christ is precious also in the purchase of his blood the purchase he made for us by his blood is a very precious purchase and the portion that he bestows on his Elect that he hath purchased for them is a precious portion so he is precious not only in regard of his Person but in regard of his Portion For Example the Redemption that he hath wrought for us by his blood is a precious Redemption a Redemption from Sin and Satan and Death and Hell In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Ephes 1.7 Secondly The donation or bestowing of his Spirit it is a very precious gift that the Spirit of God should in his Name that is for his Merit be bestowed upon all those that do believe But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 14.26 O what a precious invaluable gift is it to have the Spirit of God given us to quicken us to draw us to Jesus Christ and to carry on the
and this turns all it toucheth into Gold Blessed is the man that by Faith can touch Jesus Christ no man ever toucht him by Faith but was healed by Grace Secondly You shall have this benefit it will yield you abundance of joy and satisfaction in the expectation of your desires before you come to the fruition of your desires You read of the joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 And the Apostle prays for the Romans that their hearts may be filled with joy and peace in believing Rom. 15.13 When Hannah had once poured out her Soul before God now her heart was quieted by Faith as if she had enjoyed her desires for the present She went away and did eat and her Countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. Thirdly Faith will reallize all the Promises Heb. 11.1 It is the substance of things hoped for it makes things that are absent present that are afar off to be near at hand it will bring you to Heaven before you come to Heaven O what a precious grace is Faith And this is the grace you will most stand in need of in your approaches to the Lords Table Now the Lord strengthen this hand of Faith that by it we may make vigorous applications of the blood of Jesus Christ to our poor Souls who is the living bread that is able to give fit and full satisfaction to our Souls who is that living water whereof whosoever drinketh shall thirst no more CHRIST'S True Disciples ARE Doers of Gods VVill. JOHN VII 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self THese words are the words of our Saviour uttered at that great feast the feast of Tabernacles the occasion of these words was this The Jews marvelled at our Saviour as you may read Verse 15 How knoweth this man Letters having never learned That is how comes he to be so skilful in the Scriptures seeing he was never taught by man Our blessed Saviour to this Query answers two things First He tells them in the foregoing Verse the 16th verse that his Doctrine was not his own but was taught him of the Father Secondly He shews them an excellent way or means whereby they may discern truth from falshood true Doctrine from corrupt Doctrine namely by obedience to the will of God for If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self So then in the Text you may take notice of two particulars First An Invitation to a Duty Secondly An Encouragement to that Duty First An Invitation to a Duty in these words If any man will do his will that is that will do the will of God my Father Secondly The Encouragement to it in these words He shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self that is he shall know which is true Doctrine and which is false which is the Doctoctrine according to God and Godliness or what is spoken for popular applause and spoke of a mans own head and according to these two parts of the Text there are these two Doctrines that may be raised from the words Doct. 1. That the true Disciples of Christ are Doers of the will of God Doct. 2. That they that do the will of God shall know more of it and shall be more confirmed in their knowledg I begin with the first That the true Disciples of Christ or true Christians are such as are Doers of the will of God For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three places of Scripture Matth. 7.21 Not every one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven A true Child of God a true Professor of the Gospel is described by this he is a Doer of the will of God Rom 2.13 For not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified that is shall be owned and accepted of God the Father So James 1.22 But be ye Doers of the Word and not Hearers only deceiving your own souls cozening your selves with false Syllogisms as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there signifies If a man be a Hearer of the Word only and not a Doer of it he cozens himself with false arguments and the like you have in the 25 verse of the same Chapter But whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful Hearer but a Doer of the Word this man shall be blessed in his deed the man is a blessed Disciple of Jesus Christ But for the better Explication of this Point there are three things I shall open to you First What is meant by the Will of God Seconly How the Will of God must be done by those that are the Disciples of Christ Thirdly Why the Disciples of Christ must be Doers of the Will of God First What the will of God is Not to trouble you with the various distinctions of the Schoolmen briefly there is a twofold will of God mentioned in Scripture the one is called a Secret will the other is called a Revealed will you have them both mentioned in one Verse Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our Children for ever that we may do all the words of the Law Now our Saviour speaks here in the Text of the Revealed will of God and it is called a Revealed will because it is made known to us in three Books In the Book of Nature In the Book of the Creature In the Book of the Scripture First The will of God is made known unto us partly in the Book of Nature Thus many of the better sort of Heathens that had nothing but the light of Nature by the dictates of their own Conscience knew what the will of God was as appears by that Rom. 2.14 15 For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law to themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their Conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another Mark the Gentiles which had not the Law that is they had not the Law of Scripture yet did by Nature the things contained in the Law The Gentiles which had not the Law of the Scripture yet by the Law of Nature did those things that were agreeable to the will of God and by the dictates of their own Consciences did some things that were agreeable to the will of God and although this light of Nature was not sufficient to bring them to Heaven yet it was sufficient to leave them without excuse Secondly This will of God is revealed in the Book of the
are the Doers of the will of God shall know more of his will and shall be more assured of what his will is JOHN VII 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self NOW I come to the second Doctrine which is principally and especially held forth in this Text and it is this That he that doth the will of God shall know more of it and shall be more assured of what he knows For the better handling of this weighty Truth uttered by our Lord Jesus Christ it will not be amiss to divide the Doctrine into two Branches or into two Propositions and to speak distinctly to each of them The first Branch of the Doctrine is this He that doth the will of God shall know more of his will The second is this He that doth the will of God shall be more assured of what he knows For the first Proposition or the first Branch of the Doctrine He that doth the will of God shall know more of his will God will reveal himself more fully more clearly to such a Soul as is careful to live up to his light to walk according to the measure of knowledg he hath received this is that our Saviour promiseth in Matth. 13.12 For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath Whosoever hath to him shall be given What is the meaning of this That is as learned Pareus well expounds the place He that hath the beginning of saving knowledg and sound Conversion and sincere Faith and Obedience To him shall be given What shall be given There shall be given an encrease of that knowledg an encrease of that faith an encrease of that love an encrease of that obedience Whosoever hath to him shall be given But on the contrary Whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away that he seemeth to have that is from Hypocrites that make a fair shew as if they had grace saving knowledg true repentance and the like from him shall be taken away that he seemeth to have This is an excellent Scripture to prove the perseverance of the Saints they shall encrease in grace but then on the contrary it proves the warping declining and withering condition of Hypocrites they shall grow worse and worse and lose those gifts that they have The Arminians they make a wicked construction and interpretation of this place of Scripture for they say He that hath and well improves his natural parts and abilities he deserves the gift of saving grace This is their Exposition He that well useth the gift of Nature doth deserve of God the gift of saving grace this is a false Exposition and a reasoning against Reason for our Saviours words must be understood thus To him that hath shall be given He that well useth the gifts of Nature true indeed he shall have an encrease of the gifts of Nature for example Aristotle and Plato and the better sort of Heathen well using the gifts of Nature had the gifts of Nature encreased and they grew to be excellent men so far as the light of nature would carry them God gave them an encrease of the gifts of Nature but now he that well useth the gifts of grace to him shall be given he shall have an encrease of those gifts of grace Hitherto tends that excellent passage of the Prophet David Psalm 25.12 What man is he that fearcth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall chuse Mark this Scripture well That man that conscientiously walketh in the fear of the Lord and in obedience to his Commands he shall have more light and more direction from the God of his Salvation God will teach him and God will direct him and God will enable him to walk in a way that is well-pleasing in his sight that God whom he fears will guide and direct him to walk in paths of righteousness So in verse 14 of the same Psalm The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant A marvellous sweet and comfortable Scripture The secret of the Lord that is God will reveal some secret some mysterie of his some mysteries of grace and of the power of grace to those that do fear him and conscientiously practise what they know God will as I may say make them of his Privy-Council they shall be acquainted with some secrets of God that others are not acquainted with and the Prophet here instances in one secret God will shew them his Covenant O what a sweet Promise is that God will shew them the excellency and sweetness of the Covenant of grace that Covenant David speaks of 2 Sam. 23 Although my House be not so with God Alas I have had many failings failings in my Political Relations and failings in my Domestical Relations as a King as a Master as a Father though my House be not so with God though it hath not been ordered as it should be yet he hath made with me a Covenant sure and stedfast and ordered in all things aright Never mortal man was saved by a Covenant of works all that have been and all that shall be saved were and shall be saved by a Covenant of grace Now that man that feareth God God will shew him the Covenant of grace and God will shew that man the unconceivable beauty and sweetness and all-sufficiency that is in Jesus Christ God will shew to such a man the marvellous sweet and secret contentment that is in the power of Godliness God will shew such a man the invaluable comforts of his Spirit the Sweet-meats of Heaven those Soul-ravishing and Soul-satisfying comforts that delight the Soul Psalm 94.19 Thy Comforts delight my Soul God will shew such a man the transcendent excellencies of those glorious hopes that are laid up in Heaven for the Saints in light Thus the secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him Some secrets and mysteries that are not shewn to the World God will reveal to all those that fear his Name that do conscientiously walk before him that live up to their light And what a sweet and precious Promise is that which our Saviour made in John 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and keeps them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my self to him Mark that man that loves God and that walks in a way of obedience that lives up to his light that doth the will of God he shall know more of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ will more fully manifest himself unto him I will love him and I will manifest my self unto him he shall have more discoveries of my love To name but one Scripture more 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and
punish but to pity thee Oh think therefore with thy self that thou hearest the Lord Jesus Christ to use a homely Phrase as it were whistling after thee as he doth in the ministry of his word sometimes he comes with secret whisperings sometimes he comes openly whistling speaking calling crying in the ears of sinners Oh do but think that thou heardst the Lord Jesus Christ calling and crying after thee Why wilt thou die and perish Why wilt thou be lost when thou mayst have a Saviour Oh but says the poor soul I fear I fear that I am so diseased and that the Lord Jesus Christ will not look upon me Remember that this Shepherd is compared to a Shepherd that hath healing under his wings Mal. 4.2 But says the soul I am afraid I have so displeased him he will never own me Remember he is a meek gentle and compassionate Saviour There are two things that make men afraid and they are Pride and Fury these are not in Christ I am meek and lowly says he Matth. 11.29 and fury is not in me But I am lost says the poor sheep Jesus Christ will seek that that is lost but if I do come will he certainly own me and look upon me I answer Look upon that comfortable Scripture Luke 15.4 5 6 What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them doth not leave the Ninety and nine in the Wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it and when he hath found it he layeth it on his shoulders rejoycing and when he cometh home he calleth together his friends and neighbours saying unto them Rejoyce with me for I have found my sheep which was lost There are three or four things very observable in that Parable which I would have every poor sinner that is afraid to come to Christ to look upon First Observe the Shepherd he leaves ninety and nine in the Wilderness and goes and seeks after that one sheep that is lost Observe if there be but one sheep lost or missing the Lord Jesus Christ bestows as much pains and care in seeking that one sheep as if that all the sheep were lost there was but one sheep missing yet he hath so much care of that one that he leaves all the ninety and nine to seek that The Lord Jesus Christ hath so much care of every one of his sheep as if he had but one sheep to care for as the Sun for example would shine upon the world though there were but one man in it to shine upon so this blessed Son of righteousness if but one sheep be lost he seeks after that one Secondly Observe the Shepherd there seeks the sheep before ever the sheep seek the Shepherd The Lord Jesus prevents us with his mercies we cannot seek him till he first seeks us Psalm 119. v. last you have Davids Prayer I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant for I do not forget thy commandements Thirdly Observe when he hath found this sheep he carries it upon his shoulders or as the Text tells you he carries his lambs in his arms and gathers them in his bosom Mark this and let it sink into your hearts never did any man upon earth go to heaven any other way but upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ never was sheep saved but only by being embraced in the arms of this blessed Shepherd Fourthly Observe the Shepherd rejoyceth when he hath found the sheep he rejoyceth to find this one lost sheep observe this for thy comfort thou that art a poor wandring sheep discouraged from coming to Jesus Christ observe the Lord Jesus Christ will be more glad in receiving and entertaining thee than thou canst be in receiving him You see he rejoyceth that he hath found this one lost sheep Oh therefore be exhorted in Gods fear to stand out no longer but you that have not yet closed with Jesus Christ come to this Shepherd that whatsoever your diseases and maladies may be they may be all removed and your souls saved But may be you will say how shall we do to come to this Shepherd that so we may be saved by him I answer briefly That man that would come to Christ he must resolve First That he will flye out of himself and renounce all self-confidence and self-excellency and self-righteousness he that would come to Christ he must come poor come in the sense of his own poverty come like a poor distressed sheep without a Shepherd he must come in the sense and feeling of his own wants and weakness The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Matth. 18 1â— Luke 19.10 Lost we are lost by nature therefore Christ came to save all no that is not the meaning but he came to save those that feel themselves lost thou must be sensible of thine own spiritual want thou must be spiritually poor or poor in spirit Secondly Learn to see so much beauty and excellency in him that thou canst be content to part with any thing for him any thing that stands in competition with him or opposition against him let all go and say I would have Jesus Christ whatever I part with for his sake Again Be sure you hearken to the voice of Christ if thou wouldst have him for thy Shepherd John 10.4 5 And when he putteth forth his own sheep he goeth before them and his own sheep follow him for they know his voice and a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers If thou art a sheep of Jesus Christ thou wilt learn the voice of Christ and not be seduced and led away with the error of the wicked to fall from your own stedfastness When Theodosius the Emperour desired to have some conference with Arius the Heretick the Empress perswaded him not to talk and confer with such a Heretick that was so envious for says she by hearing of him you may be perverted by his words and so insnared in his cursed opinion This was excellent counsel Lastly You must come to Christ in a way of Obedience you must take up a resolution to obey this blessed Shepherd The same Hebrew word that signifies to feed signifies to rule if Christ feed thee in his Pastures he must rule thee Vnite my heart to thee that I may fear thy name Psal 86.11 But what would you have me do Come with a full purpose and cleave to this Shepherd and never to leave him Do as the Disciples of Christ in John 6.67 68 Then said Jesus unto the Twelve Will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Oh that we had such a resolution as Peter had not only to say so but to do so Matt. 26.33 Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Master though all forsake thee yet will we believe
bread thou mayst as well turn stones into bread as water into wine but then afterwards he comes to more gross and grievous temptations to cast himself down headlong to murther himself and commit the horridest Idolatry that can be named So Satan is modest at the first he will perswade thee to tell a merry jocond lye to tell a lye in jest that is no great matter from a jesting lye he perswades thee to tell an officious lye for an advantage to thy self or neighbour from an officious lye he will tempt thee to a pernicious lye to tell a lye for thy neighbours ruine for the ruine of thy neighbours Name or Goods or Life Oh observe the wiles of Satan his temptations are at fist more modest The sixth Rule is this Do not think when one temptation is conquered or resisted that therefore thy corruption is mortified or that the Devil is quite vanquisned or quite hath left thee no for Satan lest our Saviour but for a season Luke 4.13 after he was shamefully vanquished and foiled he left him for a season he came to him again as he did in John 4.30 The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me The Devil like a Ram sometimes retires that he may come forwards with the greater violence Seventhly Would you be strengthned against temptations then above all take the Shield of Faith that is the Apostles Rule Eph. 6.16 Above all take the shield of faith whereby you may quench all the fiery darts of the devil Faith is the eye of the soul Now as a cunning Fencer when he is striving with his Adversary the first thing that he aims at is to strike out the eye of him with whom he is contesting if he can but strike out the eye then he knows he hath a great advantage so the Devil this cunning Fencer he strikes at the eye of Faith if he can but conquer thy Fath he knows he shall conquer thy soul therefore says he I fight neither against small nor great but against this King-Grace I fight against Faith therefore our Savour prays that Peters Faith should not fail so long as his faith did not fail though his other Graces be routed and broken yet Faith will recover all That was an admirable Captain who when the Battel was lost recovered it again himself when all his Soldiers fled and left him namely Shammah 2 Sam. 23.12 He alone stood to the battel and conquered a whole Troop and slew many of the Philistines Faith may be compared to Shammah when other Graces are foyled and routed our Faith will recover all again Now how should we strengthen Faith Faith is compared to a Shield now this Shield is composed of four or five plates First The gracious Promises that God hath made this is one plate that makes the shield of Faith you cannot be cast into such a condition wherein you may not meet with some Promise therefore study the Promises such as these When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Isa 43.2 So that is an excellent Scripture Isa 42.19 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not I will lead them in paths that they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight these things will I do unto them and not forsake them What a precious Promise is that though God leads his people through a dark Wilderness as I may say and they see not one beam of light yet notwithstanding if they lean upon the Lord he will cause darkness to be light before them A second Plate that the shield of Faith is composed of and made up of is the glorious Attributes of God Gods Wisdom Power Mercy Goodness Truth all these put together do spell All-sufficiency the wisdom of God to guide us the power of God to protect us the mercy of God to pity us and the like Thirdly Another Plate is this the triumphant victory of Jesus Christ he hath conquered our Enemy blessed be his Name our Saviour he hath crusht the head of the Serpent as Luther said excellently Why should we fear a conquered world when the Conqueror himself is on our side so why should we fear a conquered Enemy a cursed Enemy when the Conqueror himself is on our side The fourth Plate is this The former Experiments we have had of Gods goodness 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us And when the Prophet David was in those straits when he cryed out Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercy Oh says he This is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high Psal 77.7 8 9 10 I will remember thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites from the hill Nizar there I had a deliverance and there I had a deliverance and when my soul is cast down within me I will remember thee at such a place and at such a place where thou didst work a great deliverance for me Psal 42. Fifthly The last Plate the shield of Faith is made up of is Gods infinite love in giving of Jesus Christ He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things If God hath given us Jesus Christ he will give us supportation under trouble and he will give us deliverance out of trouble The last Direction is this Give not over praying Although for the present thou seest not the fruit of thy prayers give not over praying but remember he that was tempted for thee on earth is now interceding for thee in heaven Satan cannot be more ready to assault thee than Jesus Christ to assist thee Satan cannot be so busie on earth to hurt thee as Jesus Christ is busie in heaven to help thee and prayer through the intercession of Jesus Christ can cast out Devils Mr. Fox in his book of Martyrs in the second Volume speaking of Luther in the life of King Henry the eighth mentions a story of a man that was possessed with the Devil that had sold his soul to the Devil at Wittenburg But Luther got a company of praying Christians together to seek God on his behalf and would not give over seeking till they had received an Answer So at last the Devil in a great wind threw the Indenture in at the window Sometimes Prayer casts out the Devil God sometimes gives such signal testimonies of hearing Prayer for the enocuragement of his Servants therefore do not give over resisting Satans temptations nor praying against him Do as that blessed Saint Katharine Bretter when
and say Lord what will become of me Lord what will become of me Vse 2. Of Exhortation I shall close this Point with a word of Exhortation If it is possible for many that profess the Truth and true Religion and are confident that they are in a state of grace and seem to come very near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of it then as you love your God as you love your Souls as you love your Peace as you desire to appear with comfort before your Judg rest not in any bare outward profession rest not in a naked name of Religion Be not contented that you have the Lamps of Profession unless you have the Oyl of saving Grace Consider what advantage will it be for you to come near to heaven to come to the brow of the hill as it were and afterwards to drop down into hell What advantage will it be for a man to be lifted up to heaven and not lifted up into heaven it is the greatest curse that can possibly be expressed Oh what a cutting Corrosive what a gnawing Worm will this be to all Eternity for a man to say I came near to Heaven to the top of the Hill and yet I fell short of those glorious hopes that are laid up for the Saints in light O what a stinking Cockatrice will this be to them that have but a bare naked name of Religion an outward profession only It may be thou art no Swearer nor Lyar nor Sabbath-breaker but it may be thou art a covetous wretch over head and ears in the world tumbling up and down in dirt and clay as if there were no other happiness but here below It may be thou art but a formal Christian it may be thou art but a picture that hath hands and eyes but no legs it may be thou hast eyes but no feet to run the ways of Gods Commandments It may be it may be said of some of you young men that hear me this day what was said of the young man in the Gospel You are not far from the Kingdom of God what will this advantage you if you do not follow Jesus Christ fully and obey him sincerely that you may enjoy him eternally O that my counsel this day were accepted by you in the fear of the Lord give no rest to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids until you can say Blessed be God I am more than the best Hypocrite in the world though he can outstrip me in shew yet for the inside I outstrip him But it may be you will say What is this inside of Christianity this essential Religion wherein you would have us outstrip Hypocrites and those that come short of Heaven I will tell you in three words To the Essentials of Christianity there are these three things required 1. Union with Christ 2. Renewing Grace 3. A Compliance with the Will of Christ First Union with Christ Till you are united to him you have no interest in him nor benefit by him therefore look this that you have the Spirit of God to unite you to the Lord Jesus Christ Our Saviour saith John 15.4 As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine so neither can you bring forth fruit unless you abide in me O labour for this Union when the Soul is once united to him then it hath communion with him in his life in his death in his resurrection in his intercession in his graces and comforts and all What is that which knits the Cistern to the Fountain You know it is the Leaden Pipe that is it that is the conveyance from the Conduit-head to the Cistern so here What is it that knits thy Soul to Jesus Christ that thou mayst be continually partaking of him who is the Fountain of light and life and peace and consolation What is it but this Pipe the Union that is between Christ and the soul Now a Hypocrite hath not this Union he is not united to Christ it may be he bears the name of Christ but never was ingrafted into him it may be he is tyed to Christ by the thred of an outward profession as the Seions is tied to the stock but yet he is not ingrafted into the stock Secondly It consists in renewing Grace If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 An Hypocrite may have many trinkets and bables as we say I but a Regenerate man he brings forth one Jewel worth ten thousand of them An Hypocrite may have restraining grace but a truly Regenerate man he is renewed in the spirit of his mind he hath a new name which I spake of in so many Sermons the white Stone and the new Name Rev. 3. Thirdly This Essence of Christianity consists in a total compliance with the Will of Christ he that is a true Believer a true Regenerate man an inside Christian he can say Lord not my will but thy will be done Lord Rule in me as thou pleasest so I may be but thine take possession of my heart and dispossess sin and Satan he will say Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee But now an Hypocrite it may be he gives up his name to Jesus Christ in profession but he doth not give up his heart to Christ in subjection and submission it is one thing to give up the name to Christ and another thing to give up the heart to Christ when you give up the key of the Castle to Christ then you will say Lord I will do what thou wouldst have me do and suffer what thou wouldst have me suffer and forsake what thou wouldst have me forsake there is nothing I have though it be as dear to me as my right-hand and right-eye but I will part with it at thy command To shut up all If you would not come short of them that come short of Heaven then rest not in a bare profession in a bare naked name of Christianity labour to be united to Christ labour for renewing Grace labour to give up your selves to Jesus Christ let there be a compliance in your will to the will of Christ Again If many may be confident that they are in a state of Grace and yet come short of Heaven O then take heed of self-delusion and self-flattery to think your selves something when you are nothing and so deceive your own souls It is better a thousand times for a man to think himself nothing when he is something than to think himself something when he is nothing saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 I have laboured more abundantly than they all and yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Beg earnestly of God that you may know the worst of your selves and the best of Jesus Christ and pray O Lord let me not be deceived in this great business of Eternity let me not go to hell with vain hopes of Heaven
Thirdly May a man come near to Heaven and yet come short of it O then take heed of these two sins Slothfulness and Apostacy Take heed of Slothfulness Be not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Matth. 11.12 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure set to the work with all your might put your whole strength to the work shake off all drowsiness and dulness And then take heed of Apotacy this makes many that come near to Heaven to come short of Heaven because they do not hold out to the end He that endures to the 〈◊〉 shall be saved blessed are they who notwithstanding all difficulties and discouragements that they meet with in Heavens way are resolved to hold out to the end and in the end Thus I have dispatcht the first Doctrine That it is possible for many that profess the Truth and are confident that they are in a State of Grace and seem to come near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of Heaven Now I come to the second Doctrine in this last Branch of my Text from these words Come short of it And the Doctrine is this To come short of eternal Rest is such an unvaluable and unconceivable and irrecover able loss that it is to be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever It is a loss to be trembled at by all those that have not quite lost their sense and feeling For the confirmation of this truth there are these two Queries I shall speak to First What it is to come short of this eternal Rest Secondly How it may appear that this coming short of Heaven is such an unvaluable irrecoverable and unconceivable loss For the first What it is to come short of this eternal rest What is it Oh! God grant that neither you nor I nor any soul here present may ever experimentally know what it is to come short of Gods eternal rest let me shew you what it is that you may avoid this dreadful danger The Original word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifies to come too late just as those five foolish Virgins that had no oyl in their Lamps they came and knockt Lord Lord said they open to us but the door of Mercy was shut they came too late Matth. 25.10 11. It signifies likewise to fail of that which a man expects Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God Or it signifies this for a man to miss the Gole or Prize that he runs for and so it is a Metaphor from runners in a Race if they be heavy or lumpish or careless they lose the Prize they miss the Gole So Christians that are secure and careless and slothful and mind every thing more than that one thing that is necessary they come too late they fail of Grace and Glory they miss the Gole they lose the Prize they are deprived of that eternal happiness they expected this is to come short of this eternal Rest Second It may be demanded How will it appear that this coming short of eternal Rest is such an unvaluable unconceivable and irrevocable loss that it is to be trembled at I answer It will appear by these three reasons They that come short of Heaven they lose 1. The Presence Of God in eternal happiness They that come short of Heaven they lose 2. The Favour Of God in eternal happiness They that come short of Heaven they lose 3. The Fruition Of God in eternal happiness First They that come short of this Eternal Rest they lose the presence of God how great how unconceivably great this loss is it passeth my skill to tell you But conceive it thus David tells us in Psalm 16. ult In his presence is fulness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore Now if in the presence of God be the fulness of joy then certainly in the want of his presence is the fulness of misery If at his right hand are pleasures for evermore then certainly at his left hand is wo and misery and calamity for evermore even such misery as the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of Ezek. 2. ult A roll of a book was written within and without lamentations and mourning and wo And it stands with reason it should be so for if God be light then a separation from God must needs be darkness If God be life then a separation from God must needs be death If God be the fountain of Bliss then the separation from him must needs be the possession of all misery and wo and calamity and distress that can possibly be expressed or conceived This punishment of loss in the opinion of all Divines doth incomparably torment the soul more than all the punishment and tortures and torments of Hell-fire Nay the loss of that heavenly and unconceivable Joy the loss of one hours communion with the crowned Saints in glory the loss of one glimpse of the glorified Body of Jesus Christ is a greater and far more and considerable loss than the loss of all the Kingdoms of the World besides I know that carnal men have very carnal conceits of Heaven and happiness because they look usually upon heaven and spiritual things with carnal eyes but if they did but look upon them with such an eye as Moses did Heb. 11.27 By the eye of Faith he saw him that was invisible if they would not look upon things that are seen but upon things that are not seen For the things that arn seen are themporal but the things that are not seen are spiritual and eternal as saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.18 If they could but look upon them with spiritual eyes then they would acknowledg that a thousand thousand rendings of the body from the soul are far less than one rending of the soul from God It was the speech of one Nicostratus a curious Painter to one that admired at him for looking so wishfully upon a curious Picture Oh said he if thou hadst but my eyes thou wouldst admire what I admire so may I say to men that will not now believe that the loss of Gods presence is such a loss hadst thou but spiritual eyes thou wouldst acknowledg the truth of what I now say That the loss of Gods presence is such a loss as can never never be sufficiently bewailed no not with tears of blood It was the speech of Chrysostom and it was a savoury speech I had rather endure a thousand Hells than to hear that one dreadful sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And suitable to this was the speech of Augustine I could be contented to endure the torments of Hell for a while so I might but see the glorified body of Jesus Christ in Heaven for you know what our Saviour saith Father I will that they also whom thou
hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me John 17.24 The sight of Christs glory in heaven is that which makes heaven to be Heaven It was a good speech of Luther Heaven without Gods presence would be but as a Box without a Jewel Now if this Beatifical Vision as it is called the beholding of the glory of Christ in Heaven be such a happiness Oh what is it to be excluded and thrust out from the glorified presence of Christ never to see his face You know when Saint Paul told the Disciples at Ephesus Acts 20.25 38 And now behold that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more This cut them to the heart this occasioned so much sorrowing and sadness because he said You shall see my face no more Now if that were matter of so much sadness never to see the Apostles face more Oh what will it be when Jesus Christ shall say to such an one Thou shalt never see my face Go thou cursed wretch get thee away from me go to Hell to the Devil and damned spirits there there shall be thy portion for ever and ever This is the first Reason to shew how unvaluable how unconceivable this loss is the coming short of Heaven is the loss of Gods presence 2. The second Reason is this They that come short of Heaven as they lose the presence of God so they lose the favour love mercy and compassion of God the favour of God is better than life Psalm 63.3 Because thy loving-kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee because when this life is gone the favour of God towards his Elect will last to all eternity therefore it is better than life but they that come short of Heaven lose this favour of God all pity all mercy all compassion all hope of favour shall then be utterly taken away God will be so far from shewing favour to them that he will laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh as desolation and their destruction as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon them as it is Prov. 1.26 27 They shall lose not only the favour of God but the favour of all their Friends that they have enjoyed here upon earth they shall lose the favour of their Fathers and Mothers of Husbands and Wives and Children and bosom-Friends for although they were nearly related to them yet if they come to heaven and themselves excluded those glorified Saints that are in heaven will abandon them with detestation and derision nay they will rejoyce in their destruction and in the execution of Gods justice and vengeance upon them Psal 58.10 The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance a glorified Father in Heaven shall rejoyce in the destruction and condemnation of a damned Son a glorified Yoke-fellow in Heaven shall rejoyce in the destruction and damnation of such a Yoke-fellow as is condemned No prayers no tears no sobs nor supplications no cryings to the mountains to fall upon them shall one whit avail there shall be no Mediator none in heaven or earth to plead for them or to speak one word on their behalf This is the second Reason They that come short of Heaven lose the favour of God 3. They that come short of Heaven as they lose the presence of God and the favour of God so they lose the fruition of God the enjoyment of God in eternal happiness they lose a Crown that is incorruptible undefiled that fades not away that is reserved for the Saints in light they lose an inheritance an everlasting inheritance If the loss of an earthly comfort suppose it be of a dear Wife or hopeful Child or a bosom Friend or an outward Estate of an Inheritance of a thousand pounds a year if the loss of a stately House or the loss of a rich Ship at Sea doth many times so affect a man that it goes to his very heart you know what Jacob said If Benjamin be taken away my dearly beloved son Benjamin then said he shall I go to my grave mourning my gray hairs will be brought with sorrow to the grave Gen. 42.38 If an earthly loss the loss of an earthly comfort do so affect and afflict a man O what will the loss of an everlasting Kingdom of everlasting Glory of everlasting Happiness of those everlasting Pleasures that are at the right hand of God which eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive O how will this loss torture and torment the soul and make such a one cry out in anguish and extream bitterness Oh cursed beast that I was to me was the Gospel preacht in power and purity I lived in a City where heavenly Manna was dropping down every day on the week-day as well as on the Lords day to me was Jesus Christ proffered in all his beauty and imbroidery nay the Ministers of the Gospel did woe me intreat me invite me and beseech me as if Jesus Christ himself had been upon his knees beseeching me to be reconciled to me was Salvation tendred but I neglected all I slighted all and now must I for ever endure those torments that might have been escaped and must for ever be deprived of those joys that might have been gained I might have been what now I am not O that I might be any thing rather than what I now am O that I might be a Toad or a Serpent or any thing or nothing The consideration therefore of this loss the loss of happiness the loss of such a happiness the loss of an eternal happiness will rend the caul of their hearts in a thousand thousand pieces the tears of hell will not be sufficient to bewail the loss of Heaven especially if you take in but these three aggravations of this loss 1. They that lose this eternal happiness shall look upon others that have gained it they shall look upon the Saints and Servants of Christ that are now in joy in that unconceivable Glory whereof themselves come short and this will be an eternal Corrosive to their consciences so saith our Saviour Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out All the blessed Saints and Servants of God received into Heaven and themselves shut out that is one aggravation 2. Take in this aggravation also That this loss of eternal happiness is ever accompanied with the punishment of sense if it were only a punishment of loss it was a dreadful punishment but the punishment of loss never goes alone they that lose Heaven must have Hell for their portion they must have those unconceivable tortures and torments which infinitely surpass the capacity and comprehension of such poor creatures as we are Alas we know not
in the desolation which will come from far to whom will ye flee for help So say I to thee What wilt thou do in the day when that sentence passeth upon thee Whither wilt thou flee for help O the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth that this coming short of Heaven will produce especially when thou shalt consider that God was every day dealing with thee stretching out his hand to have gathered thee and to have converted thee and to have brought thee home but thou wouldst not Jesus Christ offered me a plaister of his own heart-blood to heal me but I trampled it under-foot the Spirit of God was knocking at the door of my heart sometimes by the Hammer of the Law and sometimes by the Hammer of the Gospel the Spirit of God was hindering me from sin and was stirring up holy motions in my heart and those I quenched the Ministers of the Gospel they prest hard upon me to yield to those warnings frequent warnings that were tendred to me but the Ministers I despifed and I mockt the Messengers of God which he sent to me to warn me not to come into this place of torment O the horrible hellish hideous cryes the fearful and doleful screetches roarings and yellings that these considerations will fetch from thee when thou shalt consider that thou hast not obeyed the Gospel thou hast not known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but thou hast wilfully lost such a Crown such a Kingdom such happiness as will be matter of heart-tormenting sorrow and mourning to all eternity if the loss of the Ark which was but a type of Gods presence 1 Sam. 4.18 19 20 was so terrible to that good old man Eli that he fell down and brake his neck when he heard of the loss of it and to that good woman Phinehas in her Travel when the Ark was lost that she cryed out The glory is departed from Israel O what then think you will be the loss of Gods presence the loss of his Favour the loss of eternal Happiness the loss of this Crown and Kingdom which I have been speaking of Oh how will this make such damned wretches cry out in extream bitterness The Glory the Kingdom the happiness the Glory the everlasting Glory is departed from me and I must never see the face of God any more This is the first Exhortation Foresee this evil and tremble at it My second Exhortation is this Do not only foresee this danger but study with the utmost endeavours of your souls to prevent it Prevent it you will say How must I do that I will tell you that if God will but give you hearts to follow my counsel First Be sure to avoid those sins that clog and hamper and fetter thee as it were in the way to Heaven so that thou canst not with any patience run the Race that is set before thee such as these Pride Presumption Unbelief Apostacy Earthliness Selfishness Security and Sensuality O these are the sins that fetter thee and hamper thee away with them therefore Secondly Pluck up thy feet and resolve to run the ways of Gods Commandments pray with David that God would enlarge your hearts that you may run in the way of his Commandments Psal 119.32 He doth not beg that the way may be made large but that his heart may be enlarged I will walk in the way of thy Commandments though it be never so narrow though there be never so many crosses in it or thorns or difficulties or discouragements if thou wilt but enlarge my heart I will run in the ways of thy Commandments Thirdly Take heed of delays and procrastination of putting it off from day to day by saying there will be time enough hereafter it will be time enough for me to look after Heaven when I have got enough of the World If I do it the last year of my life in the last month of the last year in the last week of the last month it will serve O take heed of delays this putting off of Repentance hath ruined thousands of Souls shun that Pit whereinto many have fallen shun that Rock upon which many have suffered ship-wrack say with David I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psal 119.60 Fourthly Look upon the Crown of Glory set before thee have the Goal in thy Eye just as Moses had he endured the frowns of Pharoah on the one hand and he scorned the flatteries and Riches of Egypt on the other hand Why because he had an Eye to the recompence of Reward O look upon the Crown and white Robe and let this quicken you Fifthly Be sure thou hold out unto the end if thou wouldst not come short of Heaven be not like many runners in a Race that sit down in the midst of the way Be thou faithful unto the death saith our Saviour to the Church of Smyrna Revel 2.10 and I will give thee a crown of life He that endures to the end shall be saved Matth. 24.13 Therefore be stedfast and unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord abhor Apostacy as much as thou wouldst abhor Hell it self Now to press this Exhortation upon you take these Motives First If you have but willing minds it is accepted of God so saith the Apostle for if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 If thou usest the utmost endeavour of thy Soul the Lord will help thee if thou faint he will support thee if thou overcome he will Crown thee Secondly Consider that among runners in a Race here on Earth there is but one that will get the Goal I but here in the Race of Christianity if thou do but so run thou mayst obtain If thou do not sit down if thou art not weary of well-doing If thou by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and immortality there is eternal life for thee thou shalt have a Crown of glory Nay there are ten thousand thousand Crowns in Heaven The Lord Christ will give every one a Crown that holds out to the end 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that day But why doth he call it a Crown of Righteousness Answer It is called a Crown of Righteousness because it is a Crown purchased by the blood of Christ and a Crown that is promised Now saith the Apostle This righteous Crown or this Crown of Righteousness is laid up for me and not only for me there is not only one Crown and one Kingdom for me but it is laid up for all those that love the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ O this glorious Master He makes every one of his Servants to be crowned Kings He hath made us Kings unto God Rev.
all that he may buy the Pearl for as Jesus Christ may be called A Pearl of Price so may this Heavenly Inheritance be called A Pearl though not of that price that Jesus Christ is of yet a Pearl of price too Now when men will not part with all in cafe it come to that point to get this Pearl they despise and undervalue this blessed Inheritance Every man would be contented to come to Heaven so he might come in his own way on his own terms and in his own time If he may come to Heaven in his own way that is Heaven and the World Heaven and his lusts Heaven and his own ends and interests together Or if he may have Heaven upon his own terms namely to live as he list to take Jesus Christ as a Saviour but not as a Prince to take him as a Redeemer but not as a Ruler Or if he may have Heaven in his own time namely when he lies upon his Death-bed when his sick Bed is ready to deliver him over to his cold Grave but all his life long he would prosecute his own ends and interest and live to himself more than to Jesus Christ every man on Earth would be contented to have Heaven on these terms But now when it comes to this that a man that will have this Heavenly Inheritance must have it in Christs way in a way of Holiness Be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1.16 And without holiness none shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 And when it comes to this that if a man will have Heaven he must have it on Christs own terms which is that thou must be contented to serve me as well as to be saved by me and to be contented to be ruled by me as well as to be redeemed by me thou must be contented to bear my Cross as well as to wear my Crown And when it comes to this that a man must have Heaven in Christs own time what time is that To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7 Put not off your repentance from day to day set about the work with all your might set about it without any further procrastination or delay Now here it sticks rather than men will have Heaven on these terms they resolve they will never have Heaven they will let it go Fourthly Then men may be accounted or said to despise Heaven when Heaven is not accounted worthy those difficulties or discouragements that they must fustain in the pursuit of those glorious hopes Thus with the Israelites when the Spies came from Canaan and told them True the Land is an excellent Land but let 's tell you there are Giants Anakims walled Towns there will be a great deal of difficulty before you get possession and if you will possess the Land you must fight for it it will cost you the lives of many of you before you obtain it Oh now upon this report they were ready to stone Caleb and Joshua those two that told them that they were able to conquer the Inhabitants and that they were but as bread for them and their strength was departed they were ready I say to stone them when they heard of the difficulties of obtaining the Land of Canaan and they would rather go back again into Egypt than fight for Canaan we will rather go back to our Leeks and Onions and Garlick than have this pleasant Land if we must fight and adventure our lives for it So here when faint-hearted cowardly Christians hear that through much tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 And when they hear that truth which our Saviour tells them Mark 8 34 If you will be my Disciples you must take up your Cross and follow me As good Soldiers that follow their Captain through dirt and mire and blood And that they must be hated of all men for the sake of Jesus Christ Matth. 10.22 And that they must endure hardship in the World Matth. 5. Though their sorrow shall be turned into joy Say they If we cannot have Heaven but upon these terms we will have none of it we will rather have the pleasure of sin for a season we will lye and swear and cozen and cog and flatter and temporize and swim with every stream and lose the peace of our Consciences we will rather chuse to sleep in a whole skin though with gauled Consciences before we will have Heaven upon such terms we will have our ease we cannot abide difficulties and discouragements which are in the way that leads to Heaven this is a despising of the pleasant Land That is the first Query When may a man be said to despise this heavenly Inheritance But in the second place Secondly For Explication How comes it to pass that men are so ready to despise and to undervalue such a glorious Inheritance an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens 1 Pet. 1.4 A Kingdom that cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 To despise those glorious and unconceivable joys that are at the right hand of God for evermore Psalm 16.11 I profess a man would wonder that any unless they were bereav'd of their reason unless they had lost their senses feeling that ever any man should part with such glorious hopes hopes of such a glorious Inheritance that surpasses what eye hath seen or ear heard or whatever the heart of man can conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 But I will tell you the reason the Reasons briefly are these First Men despise this glorious Inheritance because they know not the worth of it John 4.10 Jesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water So if men did but know what this heavenly Inheritance is Oh were they but with Moses Deut. 32.49 to stand upon Mount Nebo to see this Land afar off to see but a glimpse of it Or if they were with Paul 2 Cor. 12. wrapt up into Heaven one day nay but a few hours they would adventure to get through the narrow Wicker the narrow Dore though an Angel with a drawn Sword kept the passage as you read an Angel did keep the Gate of Paradise Gen. 3.24 If a man saw but one glimpse of that eternal glory he would cry out as that Father Dominus hic affligas hic corrigas corpus maximis doloribus afficias c. modo in eternum parcas Oh Lord Cut me here wound me here burn me here let all the pains of Hell come upon my body so my poor Soul may be saved so I may come to that eternal Inheritance But men are ignorant and know not the worth of it therefore they do not prize it Secondly Men undervalue this heavenly Inheritance because they
were never yet sufficiently humbled for their sins they never had Soul-shaking humiliation and conviction upon their Spirits they never yet feelingly groaned under the burden of sin they never tasted the bitterness of sin they never yet considered the woful wages of sin But if God now should but take such a one by the neck as he did Job and shake him to pieces and set him up for a mark and his Archers should compass him round about and cleave his Reins asunder and not spare him and pour out his Gaul upon the ground and break him with breach upon breach and run upon him like a Giant as Job complains Chap. 16. ver 12 13 14 Oh Christ now would be Christ indeed Heaven now would be Heaven indeed such a one would say Oh Lord Do with me what thou pleasest so I may be but thine But because men were never yet throughly humbled therefore they never prize this glorious Inheritance Thirdly Because men are bewitched with the pleasures of sin which are but for a season and why are they bewitched with them because of the present enjoyment of them Demas hath for saken me having loved this present world 2 Tim. 4.10 and he loved it because it was present Fourthly Because men are rockt asleep in the Cradle of security the Devils Cradle Satan makes them believe Heaven may be got with a wet Finger and that they may come thither whatsoever their course and conversation be and that they may put off their repentance to the last Year of their lives nay to the last Month of the last Year nay to the last day of the last Month and that one day is as good as five thousand to make their peace with God in and that it is a small matter to repent and that a Lord have mercy upon thee will serve thy turn to bring thee to Heaven That 's the second Query But thirdly The third Query is this But how will it appear that this despising and undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance is such a grievous God-provoking sin I will tell you it will appear thus There are two reasons I shall give you for it First Because this despising of that heavenly Inheritance speaks men to be Atheists it proves men to be Atheists to look at nothing but at things present that look upon things that are seen but never look upon things that are not seen Things that are seen are temporal but things that are not seen are spiritual and eternal So I say they look only at things present and they measure their joy only by outward prosperity and they measure their sorrow only by the want of it Now what a dreadful thing it is for men to be Atheists Secondly This despising or undervaluing of the heavenly Inheritance it provokes the Lord so to anger that he sware in his wrath such despisers shall never never taste of that Inheritance never enjoy that they have despised Thus did God deal with those despising Israelites those scornful Israelites in the Wilderness that despised that pleasant Land You may read the sad story Numb 14.28 29 30 Says God being exceedingly provoked to anger Say unto them As truly as I live saith the Lord as you have spoken in mine ear so will I do unto you your carcasses shall fall in the Wilderness and all that were numbred of you according to your whole number from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me doubtless ye shall not come into the Land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein save Caleb the son of Jephunch and Joshua the son of Nun. Not one of those thousands that I brought out of the Land of Egypt not one of them shall see the Land they despised Just so will God deal with those that despise and undervalue this heavenly Inheritance Says the Lord Have I prepared a Kingdom an Everlasting Kingdom a Kingdom of Glory Have I prepared such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive Have I prepared a place of infinite and unspeakable happiness such happiness as all the Kingdoms of the World and the beauty and glory and splendor and pleasures of them are not worthy to be a Picture of it what have I provided such a Crown such a Kingdom and do you undervalue it Do you not regard it Will you not tread in the way that leads to it As I live saith the Lord You shall never enter into my Rest you shall never enjoy the Land nor possess it Thus I have opened the Point to you and shewed you that despising or undervaluing that heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light is a very grievous God provoking sin Now briefly to apply it First Vse by way of Examination Would it no be a very necessary enquiry a very neeedful enquiry for you and me and every one of us in some serious self-reflecting thoughts to call our selves to an account whether we be in the number of those that despise and undervalue this heavenly Inheritance yea or no But it may be you will say We hope we are not such as despise or undervalue this heavenly Inheritance God forbid we should be such Atheists But for answer Pray tell me Art thou one that overvaluest Earth and undervaluest Heaven Art thou one that sayest I am so much taken up with the World so over head and ears in the World I drive a Trade to provide for my Family but to drive a Trade for Heaven I have no leisure no leisure thou that sayest thou hast no leisure to look after Heaven thou wilt have leisure enough to bewail the loss of Heaven when thousands of years are gone and ten thousand to that and a hundred thousand to that all this while thou shalt be weeping and wailing and gnashing of thy teeth for the loss of it When thou preferrest a present possession before a future expectation do you not despise Heaven and undervalue it Commune with your own hearts is it not as I speak Do I not speak the hearts of some of you Again Are you not sloathful and secure and do you not neglect those means that God hath appointed Do you work out your Salvation Do you so run that you may obtain Do you fight the good fight of Faith Examine your hearts and see if you are not secure and neglectful of the means God hath ordained for the obtaining of this glorious and heavenly Inheritance Remember the speech of the Spies Judg. 18.9 For we have seen the Land and behold it is very good and are ye still Be not sloathful to go and to enter to possess the Land The Land is an exceeding good Land all things that can be desired are there and do you sit still So may I say Here is a pleasant Land a glorious Land a Land flowing with Milk and Honey here are pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore and do you sit still
what sin is there so gross and grievous that an unbeliever will not run into If a man believe not the threatnings he will practice no good For example if a man do but believe that terrble Scripture Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death If a man did believe that Scripture durst he be a Coward to betray the Truths of God God speaks of the fearful ones in that sense to be cowardly Christians did he believe this durst he be such an abominable wretch to run into such abominable blasphemies which are not to be named which are belched out against God in these days Durst he be an Idolater a Lyar a Swearer certainly he durst not but he does not believe the Threatnings of God If a Tyrant should threaten any of you with the Rack or Strapado which would break your bones Oh what terror and trembling would take hold of you how would you fall down at his feet and seek his face and favour yet that Tyrant could take away nothing but a poor miserable mortal life But the great God of Heaven he threatens Sinners with the punishment of loss the loss of his presence of his favour of fellowship with him in Glory nay he threatens with the punishment of Sense those unconceivable tortures and torments in Hell for ever to all Eternity and yet Sinners do not tremble at this great God they do not fall down and seek his face and savour What is the reason because they believe not If so be a faithful man that was never yet known to break his word and a man of a great Estate that was able to make good his promise if he should promise any of you an Inheritance of two or three hundred by the year you would believe that man on his word and you would seek to please him you would prize his favour but now the great God of Heaven and Earth that was never yet known to break his Word he tells you of an heavenly Inheritance incorruptible undefiled reserved in Heaven and yet do you not seek to please him or prize his favour or obey him what 's the reason Because you believe not his Word So the truth is unbelief is the Mother of all disobedience That 's the second Reason Thirdly Unbelief is a sin thus dangerous and destructive to the Soul because God hath provided more Antidotes and Remedies against this sin of unbelief than against any other sin to cure this sin of Unbelief First God hath given us his Word which is a most faithful Word Heaven and Earth shall pass away saith our Saviour but my words shall not pass away Matth. 24.35 Secondly God hath given us his Promises Now all his Promises are sure and certain Yea and Amen God is faithful and will make good his promises 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him are Amen unto the glory of God by us Thirdly He hath given us his Covenant and this Covenant is sure and stedfast and ordered in all things an everlasting Covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ and cannot be altered 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow Fourthly He hath given us his Oath Ezek. 16.8 Yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Now an Oath you know is the strongest bond of assurance between man and man And the Apostle speaking of the Word of God and of the Oath of God that they are two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6.17 18 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of the Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us As it is impossible for God to die because he is life it self so it is impossible for God to lye because he is Truth it self Fifthly Because he hath given us his Seal also he hath given us his outward Seal which is the Sacrament both the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper he hath given us also his inward Seal which is the Witness and Testimony of his own blessed Spirit sealing us up to the day of Redemption Sixthly He hath given us Experiences former Experiences and latter Experiences the Experience of all the Saints that have gone before us Psalm 22.4 Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them So in Psalm 34.6 This poor man cryed speaking of himself when he was in as low a condition as ever he was in scrabling on the ground and feigning himself mad 1 Sam. 21.13 says he This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his trouble Therefore others will be exceeding glad when they hear how graciously he hath dealt with them So in Psalm 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Now God hath given us experiences he hath given us all these Antidotes and Preservatives against unbelief hearken therefore O Unbeliever Well If thou do not believe thou must perish everlastingly God remains faithful and cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself But if thou do believe and perish if thou do believe and yet art damned then God hath broken his Word and broken his Promise and broken his Covenants and broken his Oath and broken the Seals of his Covenant which is as impossible as for God to cease to be God You see God hath provided so many Remedies and Antidotes against Unbelief therefore unbelief is such a dangerous and destructive sin It is observable when our Saviour came to his own Countrey that was Nazareth and preach'd to his own Country-men and did Miracles among them they believed not The Text says Mark 6.6 He marvelled because of their unbelief You do not read he marvelled at other sins as Ignorance Hypocrisie Pride Covetousness c. but our Saviour marvelled at their unbelief Oh when men shall sin against the Word of God and the Promise of God and the Covenant of God and the Oath of God and the Seal of God Heaven and Earth may stand amazed at their incredible incredulity Thus you see the Point opened For the Vse and Application of the Point First By way of Examination I beseech you to bring your hearts to the Touch-stone and see whether you be
poured upon Aarons head run down to the skirts of his cloathing so from that fulness of Grace which is in Jesus Christ Believers receive and grace for grace a continual supply of grace from him he is the Author of all their graces he is the Author of their Faith he is called The Author and Finisher of their Faith Heb. 12.2 He is the Author of their Love Christ first warms their hearts with a sense of his Love before they can love him We love him because he first loved us 1 John 4.19 He is the Author of their Repentance God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins to his people Acts 5.31 Thirdly And then they receive spiritual comforts by him too My peace I give unto you my peace I leave with you not as the world giveth give I unto yon let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid John 14.27 He gives Believers that peace that the World can neither give nor take away from them that peace and comfort that can hold up their heads in all outward storms In the world says he you shall have tribulation but in me you shall have peace John 16. ult At the same time when they have tribulation in the world they may have peace in Christ at the same time when there is ratling upon the Tiles there may be Musick in the Chamber outward tribulations and inward consolations they may stand together at the very same time In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul Psalm 94.19 So though there may be multitude of troubles within yet there may be comforts to refresh the Soul This is the third Reason why Jesus Christ is so precious to Believers Because they have much in hand from Christ they have Temporal Mercies and Spiritual Mercies Spiritual Priviledges Justification Sanctification and Adoption and Spiritual Graces and Spiritual Comforts Reas 4. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers because they expect much from him As they have much in hand by him so they have more in hope from him they have much for the present but more for the future for what do they expect from him but an Inheritance incorrupted undefiled reserved in Heaven for them an everlasting Kingdom a Kingdom that cannot be shaken everlasting Communion with himself bosom-Communion with himself in Glory to have their Souls bathed in those Rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand for evermore yea the following the Lamb. wheresoever he goes to be triumphing in his Praises to be sounding forth those Hallelujahs to him that sits upon the Throne for ever to live and lie in his continual embraces Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath laid up for them that love him Now because with the eye of Faith they look upon these things and they fully expect to enjoy them therefore hence it is they do so highly prize Jesus Christ Reas 5. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers they do most highly prize him Because Faith you must know is a uniting grace an espousing grace it is the Wedding-Ring as I have sometimes told you that makes up the Match between Jesus Christ and the poor Soul as soon as ever a man comes to be a Believer to take Jesus Christ to be his Head his Husband his Portion then is the Match made up between them Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 Now then Believers being thus espoused to him thus united to him they cannot but dearly love him As a Wife that hath pitcht her affections upon a Husband and forsaken all others and hath vowed to cleave to him and him only while they both shall live therefore she does prize him above all the men in the World so when the Soul is once united to Christ marryed to him Thy Maker is thy Husband when the Soul is espoused to Christ it cannot but dearly love him and forsake all others in comparison of him Reas 6. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers Because true Faith ever works by Love Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love True Faith will make a man dearly love the Lord Jesus Christ now if we love him we cannot but prize him whom we love so dearly The Use I shall make of this Point briefly First For Examination And O that you and I could engage our own hearts a while and call our selves to account in sad and serious thoughts whether Jesus Christ be precious to us yea or no Is he highly prized by you even by you that hear me this day Can you say with the Church My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand And with St. Paul I esteem all things but dross and dung in comparison of Jesus Christ the whole World the glory the beauty and treasures and pleasures of it but as a heap of dung in comparison of him this pitch and frame you must come unto or else you can never have any assurance that Christ is yours and that you are his for as our Saviour saith in the like case He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. Matth. 10.37 So here if any thing be more prized than Jesus Christ you can have no assurance that Christ is your portion if any thing be preferred before him or prized more highly than he is there not great need then that you should enquire whether Jesus-Christ be precious to you yea or no That I may press you to this enquiry consider but this one Motive this is one of the surest Characters to distingnish between a sincere-hearted Christian and an Hypocrite For he that is sincere and upright-hearted does lay Jesus Christ the nearest to his heart and says None but Christ nothing but Christ whereas ever observe it and you shall see a Hypocrite hath always something that lies nearer to his heart than Jesus Christ does however he may shew much love to Christ with his mouth yet his heart goes after his covetousness or after some base lust or other as God told the Prophet Ezek. 33.31 And they come unto thee as my People and they sit before thee as my People and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness So that Jesus Christ hath not the heart of a Hypocrite he may have the mouth of a Hypocrite a shew of love but there is something still that doth lie nearer his heart than Christ does Look into the parable of the Sower and you will find that Seed that was sown in the stony-ground it sprung up and made a fair shew for a while but there was something that lay between the seed and the Soil so there is something that lies between
and Sisters and our own lives certainly that is not the meaning of the words of our Saviour that he would have us to offer violation to the Law of Nature it is not spoken therefore simply but comparatively he that does not love me so much so as to hate all other in comparison of me he that does not prize me before Father Mother Wife Children Brethren House Lands yea life it self and all things that are desirable such a one hath no interest in me and shall have no benefit by me Now because it is an Exhortation of such infinite concernment therefore I shall divide it into three Branches First I shall shew you the manner how you should prize Christ Secondly The Motives which may perswade you to it Thirdly The means that may help you in it First For the manner how you must prize Christ It may be you will say In what manner must we prize Christ In what manner must Christ be precious to us Prize him in your Understandings in your Choice in your Affections and in his Ordinances First In your Understandings desiring to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 And count all things but dross and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledg of Jesus Christ Indeed there is a thousand times more worth and beauty and sweetness and excellency in Jesus Christ than you can know as he said That man that knows Jesus Christ well although he be ignorant of all other things he is the right knowing man If a man had all the learning of both Universities concentred in himself and yet ignorant of Jesus Christ he were but a poor simple Sot Secondly Prize Jesus Christ in your Choice to pitch upon him as the adequate Object satisfying Object of your Souls pitch upon him as the only excellent one As a woman that selects and singles out one man from amongst all the rest upon whom she places all her Affections for her Husband so do you select and chuse out Jesus Christ for your Beloved and say Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire in comparison of thee Thirdly Prize Jesus Christ in your Affections love him above all expressions of love labour to be sick of love towards so sweet and precious a Saviour as the Spouse was Cant. 2.5 Stay me with Flaggons Comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love saying as David did in that mournful Elegy which he made for Saul and Jonathan speaking of Jonathan says he Thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women 2 Sam. 1.26 I am distressed for thee my brother Jonathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women Then trust in him as the Rock of your Salvation trust to his Wisdom to lead you in his Power to support you trust in his Mercy and Merit to save you Again Do you rejoyce in him to say as the Virgin Mary did My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour And cleave to him as to that Rock that only can deliver you both from the raging Ocean of Gods everlasting displeasure and from the leaking boat of your own graces prize him in your Affections Fourthly Prize him in his Ordinances in his Word Oh how sweet is thy Word O Lord that brings me good tidings of a blessed Redeemer The Word of God is as a Letter sent from a dear and precious Husband to his Wife And prize him in the Sacraments which is as a Love token or Ring sent to you from the Beloved of your Souls Oh how should you prize these Ordinances In the Sacrament by an eye of Faith you may see him bleeding and pouring out his Soul an offering for sin in the Sacrament you may see him crying and dying for your sakes in a word esteem one hours communion with him better worth than all the pleasures in the World as that Noble Marquess of Italy did who said He was not worthy of Christ that did not esteem one hours Communion with him better than all the treasures in the World So much for the manner how we must prize Jesus Christ Secondly For the Motives that may perswade you to it and Oh that I knew what Motives might raise up your esteem of this precious Redeemer I will name but these three Will either worth or beauty or excellency or sweetness or Soul-satisfaction win upon your hearts all these are to be found in him He is an All-sufficient-Saviour All-sufficient for Justification his blood can pardon All-sufficient for Sanctification also for his blood can purifie All-sufficient for Redemption his blood can deliver from wrath to come Do but consider how precious this Christ is in himself as I shewed you in the former Doctrine precious in his Person precious in his Titles precious in his Offices being a King Priest and Prophet precious in the purchase of his blood Secondly I beseech you to consider that Jesus Christ is the only desirable good The common vote and voice of the World is this Who will shew us any good Psalm 4.6 But why do you not say Who will shew us Jesus Christ who is indeed the only needful good the All-sufficient good the Soul-satisfying good assure your selves nothing under Heaven can do you good without him nothing under Heaven can be good if you want him what are Riches without Jesus Christ what is Gold and Silver without Jesus Christ but rotten stinking dung what are the most Royal Robes that ever were put on by the greatest Emperour without Jesus Christ what are they but poluted clouts what is the most Princely Palace without Jesus Christ but a Pest-house what is Birth Endowments Education without Jesus Christ but glittering sins So your choicest comforts and accommodations without Jesus Christ they are no better than gilded damnation what are all your outward Blessings without Christ no better than curses And as nothing is good without him so nothing can do you good without him there is no creature in Heaven or Earth that can do you good without Christ neither Men nor Angels if you had all the Angels in Heaven to speak for you they could do you no good without Christ God himself will do you no good without Christ he will not if I may use such an expression truck or trade with you he will not exchange one word in the business of Salvation but by Christ John 14.6 Jesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me You cannot have any access to God approach to him to stand up for your lives or the life of your Souls without him who is the life of your lives and the Soul of your Souls Pray tell me therefore Are you contented to perish for ever in your sins Are you contented that the curses and threatnings of the Law those Treasures of wrath that
they should be your portion Are you contented to be banished from the presence of God and to be sent into a dungeon of darkness there to be and to be most miserable is all one Are you contented to be sent to that blackness of darkness for ever as the Apostle calls it Jude 12. I know you are not Oh then why do you not prize Jesus Christ by whom alone it is that you may escape eternal wrath and vengeance Isa 55. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which will not satisfie Why do you trifle away your time in impertinencies in things that will not profit why do you pour out your hearts on every lust and vanity and in the mean time neglect him who only can give you remission of sin and a right to the Promises and reconciliation with God and Eternal Salvation Thirdly Let me use one Motive more Do but consider how infinitely precious the Lord Jesus Christ is to God the Father O what account does he make of him He esteem him the Son of his Love the Son of his Bosom the Delight of his Soul My Servant in whom my Soul delighteth Jesus Christ was both a Son and a Servant in our flesh when he took our Nature and became our Surety Isa 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my Soul delighteth I have put my Spirit upon him he shall bring forth Judgment to the Gentiles What account do the Saints in Heaven make of Christ they look upon him as the life of their lives and the Soul of their Souls as the heaven of their Happiness as the joy of their Joy the Heaven that the Saints now enjoy it is the beholding of Jesus Christ now in Glory Nay do but consider what account Sinners will make of him they that now slight him that prefer every base lust before him that mind the getting of every thing but Christ Oh what account will they make at that great day when they shall call to the Mountains fall on them and the Hills to cover them Oh what would they give for a smile of his face at that day when if they had ten thousand Worlds in their possession they would give it for a smile of his face Will Christ be so precious hereafter and shall he not be precious now will not these Motives work upon you are they jests and fables If my Brethren such Arguments will not prevail for my part I am out of hope to prevail with you Thirdly Let me but shew you some Means that may help you to prize the Lord Christ to make him precious to your Souls The Means or Helps briefly are these four or five First The Soul must be convinced of the indispensable need that it hath of Jesus Christ it is necessity that does inhance the price for till the Soul be convinced of this all the Arguments and Motives that we can use are but like water that runs besides the Bottle because the Bottle is stopt all our Arguments prevail nothing they take no impression upon the heart at all but when a Soul once sees either I must have Christ or I must perish for ever I am lost damned and undone for ever I am a fire-brand of Hell for ever O Christ is now Christ indeed to such a Soul If ever therefore you desire to prize him according to his worth be much in the duty of self-examination turn your eyes inward to see the vileness of your Natures the sinfulness of your hearts and the manifold transgressions of your lives reason thus with thy own Soul What am I by Nature but a child of Wrath and an heir of Hell and a bondslave to Satan a stranger to God and an enemy to him without God and without Hope the number of my sins are more than the hairs of my head my heart fails me in the remembrance of them and one sin is enough to sink me into Hell because it is committed against an infinite Majesty and therefore it deserves an infinite punishment for where God does punish he does punish infinitely his Justice must have an infinite satisfaction and there is no satisfaction can be given to God without blood Heb. 9.22 For without blood there is no remission saith the Apostle and no blood can expiate sin can take away the guilt of sin but the blood of an infinite value and no blood is of an infinite value but the blood of this precious Redeemer that is that blood that is of invaluable and unconceivable worth for for the Son of God to shed his blood it is more than if all the Angels in Heaven and Potentates of the Earth had laid down their lives to purchase one of our Souls therefore I must have this blood sprinkled on my Soul or else I must resolve to perish everlastingly consider therefore of the need that you have of Jesus Christ Secondly Do you desire to prize Jesus Christ then labour to eat this blessed Passover with bitter herbs I mean labour to partake of this Sacrament with the bitter remembrance of all your former unkindnesses all your miscarriages failings wandrings and back-slidings Oh let the remembrance of these be as bitter to you as Gall and Wormwood Oh labour to say feelingly It is an evil and bitter thing that thou hast provoked the Lord Jer. 2.19 that thou hast grieved his Spirit that thou hast forfeited his Love that thou hast abused his kindness that thou hast turned his grace into wantonness O say I have done enough a thousand and a thousand times to damn my Soul if the mercy of God were one jot less than infinite if the blood of Jesus Christ should not quench the fire of his anger it would be burning and burning and burning against me to all Eternity even as long as God shall be God it is a bitter thing that I have provoked my God You should in this Sacrament look upon him whom you have pierced and mourn over him as one that mourns for the loss of his only Son and be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born Zech. 12.10 that is the Image of his Person and is as it were the prop and stay of his Family This is certain my Brethren there are none that do prize Jesus Christ so much as they that are stung with the sense of their own sinfulness of their own vileness none prize the Lord Jesus Christ so much as they that most of all feel the burthen of their own sins Let me give you two remarkable examples the one of a man the other of a woman Did ever man prize Jesus Christ more than St. Paul that counted all his Excellencies but as dirt under his feet in comparison of Christ he did esteem them as things that we cast to Dogs as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Did ever woman prize Jesus Christ more than Mary Magdalen who you know washt
Heaven the red leaf that was the blood of Jesus Christ the black leaf that was the torments of Hell You may look into Hell by contemplation and meditation that you may prevent Hell to all Eternity you may meditate upon the blood of Christ and steep as it were your souls in it by meditation it may be it may soften them It is said of the Goats blood when nothing can soften an Adamant the blood of Goats can the blood of Christ that can soften your hard hearts when nothing else can Thirdly A third thing you can do you can sorrow more and mourn more than you do there is none of you but can sorrow and mourn for outward losses loss of Friends as Husband and Wife or Child perhaps for the loss of a Horse what canst thou mourn for the loss of a Child and canst thou not mourn for the loss of a Soul when one Soul is worth all the Kingdoms in the World If any of you have lost a good Bargain or mist a good Market you can grieve for this O methinks you should mourn for this how many Market days have I lost for my Soul I have burnt out many a precious light and spent out my precious time and can you not mourn for the loss of such a Bargain as this is Suppose one of you should be sent for before a mighty Monarch and should be impeach'd of high Treason before him how would you tremble to appear before so mighty a King that hath power in his hands to cut you off instantly O you and I must appear before the great Judg of Heaven and Earth the King of Kings that knows all the sins and Treasons that ever we have committed and you should bless God if you are cast into fear and thereby be brought to mourn and grieve and sorrow for your sins Job 23.16 For God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me that is soft by troubling of me Fourthly There is never a one of you but may leave gross and scandalous sins which I prove thus you can do it for fear of men and you may do it much more for fear of God A prophane Swearer if he be in the company of a Godly grave Minister he can refrain his mouth from vile talk he can forbear his Oaths and blasphemous Speeches and obscene expressions An Adulterer if a boy be but in the Room of seven years old he will forbear to act his uncleanness until the boy be out of the Room If you can forbear gross sins for fear of men much more can you do it for fear of God If a boy can say his Lesson with a Rod certainly he can do it without a Rod if you can abstain from gross sins for fear certainly you can do it without You read of the hypocritical Pharisee he abstained from gross sins Luke 18 God I thank thee saith he I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. Fifthly Though it is true a man in a state of Nature is dead in trespasses and sin yet then at that time he may do many good works works morally good works materially good he may fast and pray and give Alms therefore it is that Daniel speaks to Nebuchadnezzar Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 Certainly the Prophet Daniel would never have spoken so to him if it had not been in his power to do it The Apostle speaking of the Gentiles though they wanted the knowledg of the Law and had not the Law saith he Yet they did by Nature the things contained in the Law they were a Law to themselves which shews that the works of the Law are written in their hearts Rom. 2.13 14. They that are in an unregenerate estate they may pray they may make Conscience of praying in their Families though they cannot pray as they should yet they may pray as they are able they may fall down at the feet of God and say Lord I am a poor sinful wretch I cannot please thee praying or not praying thou hast promised to give the spirit of prayer to them that ask it Luke 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Say Lord give me thy Spirit to break my hard heart take any way with me so my proud heart may be humbled and hard heart broken that I may welcom Jesus Christ to my Soul that I may believe in him and cast my Soul upon him So that Beloved I put you upon no more than you are able to do you may suffer the word of Exhortation you can ponder and weigh the Word in your own hearts you may sorrow and mourn for sin you may abstain from gross sins and you may do those works that are morally good do what you can do men are not damned because they can do no better but because they will do no better Matth. 23 O Jerusalem Jerusalem I would have gathered thee as a Hen her Chickens under her wings but ye would not If there were no will there would be no Hell saith St. Austin Do what you can set upon works of Holiness and Piety strive and put forth your strength to the uttermost endeavour of your Souls to get your hearts humbled to see sin and to sigh for it to grieve and groan for it lay your conditions to heart be feelingly apprehensive of that wrath that sin hath kindled of that Justice that sin hath provoked of that Mercy that sin hath abused of that vengeance and anger that sin hath deserved to be inflicted O were we but thus humbled we should have cause to bless God to all Eternity I shall close with one word to those that have been under a spirit of bondage that have been convinced awakened as this Jaylor was that have had their broken bones that have felt the burden of sin and it may be lie under that burden at this day O be you comforted it s better to be broken here than hereafter it is better to be convinced here than convinced hereafter it is better to be humbled here than for God to humble the Soul in Hell to all Eternity God will make thy Valley of Achor a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 Thou that art humbled now shalt be exalted and thou that mournest now shalt be comforted CHRIST THE Bread of Life John VI. 35. And Jesus said unto them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst THis Chapter contains in it that admirable and Heavenly Sermon of our Saviour concerning the Bread of Life wherein you may take notice of three parts First The occasion of this Sermon that was the Peoples following of him because they did eat of the Loaves and were filled Verse 26. Secondly The Sermon it self and that is
and after the imaginations of their own hearts and they that fulfil the lusts of the flesh and of the eye those are no Disciples of Christ for the Disciples of Christ are Doers of the will of God O hear and fear all you voluptuous ones that deny your own hearts nothing as it was said of Adoniah David denyed him nothing You that pamper the flesh and you that study more to please men than to please the great God of Heaven and Earth Know assuredly for the present you are no true Christians no Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ A second Use it is by way of Examination If time would give leave I might press this Use home upon you You may call your selves to account whether you be in the number of those that do the will of God or no whether you do it in a right manner whether you do it knowingly there is a great deal of knowledg and yet there is but a little knowledg there is a great deal of confused knowledg but there is but little sound savoury experimental distinct knowledg of God Do you do the will of God believingly There is much talking of the grace of Faith but little living the life of Faith Do you do the will of God graciously from a principle of grace It is one thing for a Jack or Clock that hath a constrained motion to go and another thing for a man that walks and moves by a principle of life that is within Do you duties from an inward principle of grace And do you do the will of God cordially from the heart And do you do the will of God sincerely aiming at the honour and glory of God And do you do it fully and constantly Do not these Questions puzzle many of you What satisfactory answer can your Consciences give to such Interrogatories as these are Happy is the man that with a good Conscience can give answer to these Questions that can say It is the desire of my heart in sincerity to do the will of God fully and constantly Thirdly For a close of this first Point with a word of Exhortation I beseech you as you would be Disciples of Christ set upon this work of doing the will of God and here let me shew you some Rules and Directions First Would you do the will of God then shake off security and slothfulness and formality and coldness in Religion formality eats out the heart of Religion Strive to enter in at the strait gate strive as in an Agony Luke 13.24 Whatever you do in the service of God do it with all your might It was the great commendation of that good King Hezekiah That in every work that he began in the service of the House of God and in the Law and in the Commandements to seek his God he did it with all his heart 2 Chron. 31.21 Secondly Labour for a strong Faith for Faith is the Nurse of Obedience Heb. 11.8 By Faith Abraham obeyed God and he obeyed him in as hard Commands as ever you heard of which was to leave his Countrey to leave his own Habitation and all that he had and to go into a strange Land into a place he knew not whither another Command that he obeyed was in the sacrificing of his dearest and only Son Isaac By Faith he obeyed God And you read of the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 Thirdly would you do the will of God then set about it without delay To day if you will hear his voyce harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7 I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psalm 119.60 Fourthly Study Self-denial cross your own wills that Gods will may be fulfilled all the controversie between God and such poor worms as we are is this Whether Gods will or ours shall be obeyed Study Self-denial for if Gods will and your will meet upon a narrow Bridg and one must give way to the other if you be not well ballasted with self-denial you will cross Gods will to do your own Now let me lay before you some Motives to quicken you to do the will of God First I beseech you to remember this This doing of the will of God will prove you to be the Children of God that you have God to be your Father O what an honour is it to have God to be your Father It is more than if you had all the Kingdoms of the world in your possession for so many thousand years This doing of the will of God will shew you to be the true Children of God for how doth our Saviour prove those stubborn Jews to be the children of the Devil John 8.44 You are of your father the Devil and the will of your father you will do You do the Devils will and therefore you are the Devils children So here if you do the will of your Heavenly Father it is a plain token that you are his Children Secondly Consider what a high price and esteem you shall be in with the Lord Christ himself by doing the will of God consider what a high price the Lord Christ will put upon you you shall be related to him Matth. 12. ult For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother Christ looks upon such a one in near relation to himself Thirdly Consider this is that which will yield you Honey and sweetness in all conditions if you be eareful to do the will of your Heavenly Father Psalm 63.5 My Soul shall be satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness And that is an excellent Scripture Psalm 119.56 This I had because I kept thy Precepts This I had what is that This comfort I had this supportation I had in all my afflictions this consolation I had this sweet Communion with God I had why because I kept thy Precepts I obeyed thy will Look how much Obedience is yielded to the Commands of God so much Comfort doth flow into the Soul God usually gives in Comforts proportionably to our Obedience Oh the sweet Soul-satisfying Consolation a Child of God finds in the ways of God and in doing the will of God! especially when he lies on his death-bed then it will be sweeter to him than the Hony the Hony-comb then will he say with good King Hezekiah when he lay upon his death-bed Lord Remember how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which was good in thy sight Oh that sweet satisfaction that a Soul shall find in God when he comes to appear before God! Then here is one Motive more in the Text and that is the next Point I shall come unto the great encouragement that he shall have in doing the will of God for saith our Saviour He that doth the will of God he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self This is the Point I shall speak to next time They that