not at all understand them Whether there shall be a personal continuance of Christ on earth for a Thousand Years as some hold is very hard to be proved from the Scripture Yet that there will be a glorious time for the Church on Earth before the end of all things is very clear The 60 Chapter of Esay speaks it fully those Promises wait for the full accomplishment Great shall he the day of Jezreel Hos 2. ult This is the world to come as some judge mentioned Heb. 2.5 Then shall Knowledg abound and cover the Earth as the Waters do the Sea Some observe that the Girdle was about the Loins Ezek. 23.15 But then about the Paps Rev. 1.13 to signifie how Knowledg shall rise higher in the last than former Ages of the World Then will Holiness encrease All the Pots in the Lords House shall be holy and Holiness written on the Bells of the Horses Zech. last Then there will be an end of differences amongst God's people Now Ephraim is against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim and both against Judah but then the the Lord shall be one and his Name one Then will come down the new Heavens and the new Earth wherein shall dwell Righteousness Now men say Quod libet licet Sic volo sic jubeo but then Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning Kings Nursing Fathers c. Justice shall run down as Waters and Righteousness as a mighty Stream then shall Antichrist's Throne be utterly broken That implacable Enemy shall fall and rise no more And then will the Kingdom of Christ be enlarged The Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.15 The Kingdom of Christ shall be more observable and visible than ever We are not to expect a Kingdom de novo but the encrease and enlargement of that already extant And though the Glory of his Kingdom is eclipsed yet it will be rendred conspicuous to all when he shall not Reign in a corner but over the whole World God hath set his King long since upon his holy Hill of Sion all Power in Heaven and Earth was given to him at his Resurrection so that Christ hath been in his Throne many hundred years yet it shall grow and prevail till all implacable Opposers be put down and his Kingdom appear in its Beauty in this world though it will not be of the world neither will the Saints have worldly Troubles nor worldly Joys but shall have Heavenly Thrones I mean their Thrones shall be in Heaven upon Earth Then shall Overcomers know better than now they can apprehend how great the Mercy here promised is to sit with Christ in his Throne If any ask why Christ will thus priviledge them the Answer is from his free Grant so saies the Text To him that Overcometh will I grant Nothing more free than a Grant from a King All this Charter contained in these seven Promises is from the Royal Grant of the King of Saints Not for the Battles they have fought not for the Victories they have gotten but all flow from the Fountain of Free-Grace All that was done well was done by his assistance So then it will not be their Merit but his Mercy not of Debt but of Grace when they are sate down in his Throne with him they will and must cry Grace Grace The Vses follow Vse 1. If these things be thus Then let us all examine whether we be in the number of those that shall inherit the good of this and all the Promises we have heard of If any say How shall we come to an assured Interest in them The Answer is All depends upon our being victorious they are all entailed upon Overcomers Let us then to secure our Title to the one clear the truth of our being in the number of the other by discerning the soundness of our Regeneration for the Apostle saith Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world 1 Joh. 5.4 and all that is in the world the God of the world the Men of the world and the Lusts of the world without this work wrought in us any of our Enemies will ruine us When the Sons of Sceva thought to prevail by adjuring the evil Spirit by the Name of Jesus whom Paul Preached the Spirit answered them Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are ye And the men in whom the evil Spirit was leaped upon them and overcame them so that they fled naked and wounded Acts 19.14 15 16. As if he had said I know Jesus to be the Son of God and Paul to be the Servant of God the one may command me the other may in his Name compel me but who are ye Have you the Power Grace and Spirit of Jesus or Paul He knowing they wanted this overcame them And so will Satan conquer all unregenerate ones Let us then be looking diligently to our selves lest we fail of this Grace of God All depends upon it as to Victory O let us take heed lest our New-birth prove a false Conception lest Ephraim-like we be unwise Sons that stay long in the place of breaking forth of Children Hof 13.13 Many throws and pangs some have Convictions tending to Conversion yet they go away and the Soul not born of God Many go on in a way of Profession all their days and yet are not New-born are not in the Spiritual Genealogy And what do an Hundred Cyphers signifie without a Figure Just nothing To the same reckoning will all our external Religion come without the New-birth Above all things let us be careful lest we be deceived herein And truely he had need be as wise as Solomon to find out the true Mother Three or four things there are that deceive People 1. They have been convinced of Sin in a Legal way and much troubled and therefore hope they are born of God But this is many a mans mistake to rest in them They are troubled for Sin under the Word or Rod yet sin again The Children of Israel when God slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth and lied to him with their tongue For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Psal 78.34 36 37. 2. Some mistake in the point of good disposition They are well-enclined men good-natured and hopeful men but was not Christ's words to such an one Joh. 3.3 Verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Why did Christ put him in mind of this Why because he was a well-enclined and disposed man and did rest too much upon it therefore Christ tells him where his danger lay 3. Some plant the bottom of their Christianity upon Forms in things that are but the husk the Varnish and Plaistering of Religion They think it enough to go to an Ordinance to keep their Church to
spoken of thee O thou City of God 3. There is the Mystical Jerusalem which is the whole company of Believers here this is the City set upon a Hill Mat. 5.14 and it is called The City of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12.22 in regard of the Original of it and by Right of Inheritance as a Learned man speaks This is said to come down from God out of Heaven because the Power and Mercy of God shall signally appear in building his Church and making it glorious in the World The two latter may be taken in here though some wholly carry it to the last The sum is Overcomers shall be enrolled as free Denison and Citizens of the New Jerusalem No more to be Forreiners and Strangers but Fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God Ephes 2.19 Even here on Earth their City is in Heaven as is said Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our City-converse and Behaviour is above Some account it much to be Free of such a City as London is to have free Liberty to trade therein O what a Favour is it then to have liberty of Access to the great God of Heaven To drive a free and full Trade Heaven-ward to be Spiritual Merchants who deal for goodly Pearls of great price This is better than the Merchandise of Silver and the gain of those things than fine Gold They are more precious than Rubies and all we can desire are not to be compared with them as Solomon speaks Prov. 3.15 16. And after all you shall be taken up into the Celestial Jerusalem You that have been Fellow-Soldiers here and Overcome shall be Fellow-Citizens there and Triumph And though it will be a very glorious state he will bring his conquering Church into here yet Heaven will be Heaven when all is done Notwithstanding this the state here promised that they shall trade freely Heaven-ward and be helped to order their Lives here as Citizens of Heaven is an inestimable Priviledg To have their Hearts in Heaven their Discourses of Heaven as the Primitive Christians had the Kingdom so much in their mouths that their Enemies were jealous they had evil Designs against the Civil Government but it was the Heavenly Kingdom they talked of their daily recourses to Heaven their being Heavenly in earthly things their desires to be in Heaven and the like shew that Christ hath written this Name upon them that these are the Citizens of the New Jerusalem so that he that runs may read it This is the most sublime and noble state the most pleasant and delightful the most profitable to perfect Divine Discoveries to strengthen their Graces to encrease their Comforts this is the most safe estate for prevention of Temptations because hereby their Souls are taken up with high things and not so apt to be taken in Satans snare as the Bird that mounts aloft is not in danger to be caught in the Fowler 's Net And in a word It is the most suitable estate for they look to go to Heaven when they dye and expect a Saviour from Heaven at the last Day Almost all they have of any worth is there already Their Names are written in Heaven their Treasure is in Heaven their chief Relations are in Heaven their Inheritance is in Heaven and therefore to have a way and course of Life here that is becoming a Citizen of that City must needs be a choice and precious Mercy and this is here promised to him that Overcomes 3. Christ further promiseth to such That he will write upon them his new Name Some understand it of the Honour they shall share in with Christ When he had overcome God gave him a Name above every name the name of a King and Conquerour So Overcomers shall be made Kings and Priests unto God and shall reign on the Earth Phil. 2.9 Rev. 1.6 Others take it to be meant of Adoption and Regeneration But of this I have spoken in a former Sermon A new Name written in the white Stone Rev. 2.17 I come to the Vse of this to our selves Vse 1. See here the different estate of Believers and Unbelievers of them that Overcome and of them that are Overcome by the Enemy Unbelievers have no part no lot in these Promises They may be in the Temple of God and seeming Pillars there but they will not continue long but either go out or be cast out for ever none of the promised Names shall be written on them but Names of Contempt and Reproach Believers shall have the Stability Beauty and Perpetuity and all the excellent Names here set down O the Misery of the one O the Felicity of the other Who would be an Unbeliever still What should discourage Believers Vse 2. Let us all then strive for the Victory If a man strive for Mastery he is not crowned except he strive lawfully saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 9. 2 Tim. 2.5 and therefore much less they that strive not at all To move us unto Courage in this War many things might be urged Consider 1. the Justness of the Cause Though Soldiers be never so strong and well furnished yet if their Consciences tell them they fight in a bad Quarrel it will abate their Valour and make them timerous But our Cause is most just and our War lawful for God who is Justice it self hath proclaimed it by his Heraulds the Apostles saying Fight the good fight of Faith Endure hardship as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand and withstand in the evil day Resist the Devil and he will flee from you 2 Tim. 6.12 2 Tim. 2. Ephes 6.10 11. Jam. 4.7 Besides the Glory of God and the Salvation of our Souls lye at the stake our Enemies Design is to dishonour God and to destroy us And can there be a Cause of greater Importance If we would not treacherously betray these by our Sloathfulness and Cowardice into the hands of our Enemies let us enter the field and never cease our couragious fight till we have obtained a full Victory 2. The Enemies at this day are full of Rage and Wrath and a time of great Trial seems to be at hand terrible shakings there are already upon us Philadelphia is warned of an hour of Trial which was the Persecution under Trajan the Emperour as Expositors judge Some write that Philadelphia was Terrae motibus concussa often shaken with Earthquakes whatever of these proper natural Earthquakes as a City she was liable to she was as a Church shaken by the violent Assaults of enemies And it is the judgment of many Learned and Godly Men that an Hour of Temptation is drawing on upon the present Reformed Churches of Christ in Europe wherein they are like to be extremely shaken Satan's rage and wrath he is come down in is very great and his great Agent the Beast spoken of Rev. 13. is very powerful and his Worshippers
will be who have no better things than these who get no spiritual conquests over the enemies of their Souls their end will be eternal expulsion and exclusion from the Paradise of God As God sent forth and drove out Adam from the Garden of Eden whether by his word of command or by forcible strength is not material never to return thither again Gen. 3.23 24. so will he drive away all the wicked like chaff and scatter them like smoke that they never enter in the celestial Paradise And as God set an Angel with a flaming Sword which turned every way to keep the way of the Tree of Life that Adam might not eat of it having by his sin lost his right unto it so whosoever is finally overcome by Sin Satan and the World living and dying under the full power and dominion of these enemies the flaming Sword of Divine justice will for ever keep them out of the Paradise of God and from eating of the Tree of Life that grows there Oh! that men would believe this report and in time labour to prevent it Vse 2. This Doctrine is a ground of strong consolation to all overcomers 1. They shall enjoy the heavenly Paradise where are far greater delights than in the Garden of Eden Eden was earthly this is heavenly The Serpent got into Eden Satan that old Serpent can never wind himself into the heavenly Paradise In Eden our first Parents sinned and broke covenant with God in Heaven they have an impossibility of falling Adam was driven out from the Garden of Eden but none are expelled from the Paradise above 2. They shalâ—â—â—at of the Tree of Life feed upon Christ there this is the Paradise of Paradise the Heaven of Heaven it self Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee says that holy David This was the living Cordial Christ gave the penitent Thief in his dying hour Luke 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise To have Christ be with us here though in affliction in prison is an inestimable good and precious favour but to be with Christ is best of all This may sweeten your Christian warfare if you consider how much this Tree excels that in Eden that was material this spiritual that grew out of the Earth this grew in God's Bosom and was from Heaven that Tree had no life in it self more then any other of the Trees of the Garden but should have continued life to Adam if he had not sinned during the Divine pleasure meerly by God's institution but Christ hath life in himself and quickens whom he will Adam never eat of that Tree of life all true â—lievers shall partake of this Theâ—â— was a flaming-sword to keep all from coming to that Tree in Eden but here will be no obstruction nor any cause of separation from Christ That Tree of old is long since perished and that Garden destroyed but these abide fresh and glorious for ever Methinks the serious consideration of these things might allay the bitterness of present troubles Exod. 15.25 when the waters were bitter so that the Children of Israel could not drink of them Moses took a Tree which the Lord had shewed him and cast it into the waters and they became sweet The most bitter waters of affliction may be sweetned by Faith acted on Christs love in them Whom the Lord loves he rebukes and chastens They all come through Christ every rod of affliction is gathered off this Tree of Life by a Fathers hand A few leaves of this Tree put into the cup of affliction takes away the bitterness thereof and turns it into a cup of consolation yea a cup of salvation to all believers Oh that you would comfort your selves and one another with these things If any object and say I fear I shall never overcome but my sin and the world will conquer me the Devil will at last prevail and I shall one day perish at their hands Let such a Soul know and believe that what is spoken to Dan for his encouragement Gen. 49.19 is for its comfort in all its wars and combats with these enemies A troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at the last A man that wrestles or fights with his enemy may be foiled and worded at first and yet recover himself and get the victory in the end Peter was worsted at first in the combat yet gets up again and conquers all opposition Acts 4.19 He that is thrown down by his enemy and lies still in and under his fall not striving to rise and recover himself this man is fully overcome but thus it is not with any true believer Let none such be discouraged though never so weak but remember that of Solomon Eccles 9.11 The race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong only believe and ye shall see the Glory of God the glorious wisdom and power of God working out your Victory When some brought an ill report upon the promised Land Num. 13.17 28 29 30. and weakened the hands and hearts of the people by telling them of the walled Cities and the Children of Anak and other things to discourage them from fighting Caleb a man of excellent Faith and Courage stilled the people before Moses and said Let us go up and possess it for we are well able to overcome it This was he that afterwards God brought into the Land Numb 14.24 being a man of another Spirit and followed the Lord fully when the other died in the Wilderness and never came thether Heb. 3. ult and the Scripture saith they could not enter in because of unbelief O let all take heed of an evil heart of unbelief and the day is yours believe you shall overcome and you shall surely overcome 1 Joh. 5.4 This is the Victory whereby every one that is born of God overcometh the World the Devil and their Corruptions even their Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of Faith says the Apostle to Timothy above all take the shield of Faith Eph. 6.16 this overcomes all before it Even Christ himself yields to this Thus he speaks to the Spouse Cant. 6.5 Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me he yields himself conquered to the Faith of his people and much more will it overcome the Enemies Gen. 32.28 when Jacob had prevailed over the Angel he soon saw a Victory over his Brother Esaus wrath Gen. 33.10 Oh! that you would stir up Faith all things are possible to him that believeth the Lord encrease our Faith To conclude Vse 3. Let us be exhorted to courage and confidence to this holy war for you fight not as uncertain of Victory not as those that beat the air Let nothing here below hinder us 2 Tim. 2.4 no man that warreth entangleth himself in the affairs of this Life but strives to please him that hath chosen him to be a Souldier If a Soulder be in Garison he may work on his Trade yet so as to be
I have read of a Tyrant who devised that Torment to keep a living man in his Coffin and feed him till by his own filth he bred Worms and those Worms fed upon him till he died by them A sad Judgment it was fell upon Herod to be eaten up of Worms Acts 12.23 But what is it then to have a worm gnaw upon the Soul This is that Christ speaks of This is nothing but the tormenting acts of Conscience termed a Worm 1. Because as a Worm is bred out of the Putrefaction of the subject in which it is so is this there is much filth of sin in the Conscience by which the Mind and Conscience is defiled Titus 1.15 inwardly full of rottenness and all uncleanness as the Pharisees were Mat. 23. and this may easily breed Worms 2. Because as Worms gnaw upon a man so will a man's Conscience gnaw upon him when he shall think what offers of Grade and Salvation he had and neglected them what Motions of the Spirit in the Word and under the Rod he had and quenched and resisted all and would suffer nothing to prevail how near he came to the Kingdom and yet fell short and is shut out Thus will the Worm of Conscience gnaw upon men to their unexpressible Grief and Vexation 6. The Fire will burn and torment them I am tormented in this flame saies one in Hell Luke 16.23 24. The horror of Hell is set out by Fire a Lake of Fire Fire and Brimstone and a burning Tempest Psal 11.6 Whether material Fire or not is not material but such as will torment Soul and Body beyond the hottest fire that men can make for the breath of the Lord as a River of Brimstone will kindle it The fire of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace was terrible being seven times hotter than ordinary Dan. 3. The Fire God rained from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah was very grievous Gen. 19. The Fire that burnt down the chief City of this Nation in 1666 was fierce and furious the Fire that will burn down the World at the last Day will be more dreadful yet but the Fire of Hell will be more terrible than all the rest 7. Despair will greatly afflict them they will be there without hope of escaping from under all the former evils To be in a Valley of Achor and see no door of Hope to be in a stormy Sea and have no Anchor of Hope to stay upon must needs make a mans case desperate In Hell all Hope is cut off which makes the heart to break Every man on this side Hell is a man of Hope To him that is joyned to all the living there is Hope Eccles 9.4 But in Hell there is no out-let of Hope the Hypocrites Hope perisheth Job 8.14 This will wound more cruelly than the Devil can do Hope deferred makes the heart sick but Hope utterly destroyed will make the heart break In Hell the Hypocrites Hope shall perish and the Cobweb Hopes of wicked men will be swept down and be as the giving up of the Ghost Here if men be in great Afflictions and under the guilt of great Transgressions there is upon their putting their mouths in the dust Hope in Israel concerning these matters but there is no Hope that Sin will be pardoned or Miseries be removed Spes alit Agricolas The Husbandman plows in Hope and soweth in Hope Here men pray in hope and hear and weep in Hope but in Hell their Cries and Tears are hopeless Seas of Tears will not quench one spark of the fire and this Despair links and torments them beyond expression 8. The place in which they suffer these things will yet aggravate their Misery 'T is called a Pit a Pit without water a bottomless Pit Rev. 9.1 Joseph's Pit Jeremie's Dungeon Paul's Prison and Bonner's Cole-house were pleasant and delightful places compared with this The worst place on Earth is infinitely better than the best place in Hell To live in Bridewel or in Bedlam is very grievous but these are places of Pleasure when this is spoken of 9. The company yet encreaseth the vexation Good-company is a great comfort in trouble and misery It is such a relief as hath made some even to forget their sorrow But here the Devil and his Angels and all the wicked wretches that ever were on earth and lived and died such shall be the company of hell Not one good person among them It will raise the happiness of Heaven that not one wicked person shall be there not an Hypocrite among them and it will no less aggravate the Misery of Hell that none but such are there It was a grief of mind to Rebecca to be among the Daughters of Heth Gen. 27. ult The filthy company and ways of the Sodomites were a vexation to the Soul of just and righteous Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 8. David when forced to dwell in Mesech cries Wo is me How will they lament in Hell where damned Devils will be their Society and these Companions their cruel Tormentors So they are called Mat. 18.24 The Devils are great Tormentors of the Bodies and Souls of men It was the Saying of a good man I had rather endure all the Torments men can devise than see the Devil with my bodily eyes What a miserable case will theirs in Hell be who shall both see and feel them their cruel Tormentors who will have no Pity shew no Mercy will not spare but cruciate and afflict as much as they are able 10. The Eternity of all the former Evils doth and will aggravate the Misery of them in Hell they are punished with everlasting destruction from the Presence of the Lord and shall never see his face with comfort 2 Thes 1. They rise to everlasting shame and contempt Dan. 12.2 Their worm dieth not and their fire is not quenched Mark 9. called Everlasting Fire everlasting Burnings the vengeance of eternal fire Mat. 25. Esay 33. Jude 7. The blackness of darkness for ever Jude 7. All this is without mitigation intermission or cessation O! who can bear it If they in Hell might have ease but one hour in a thousand years it were some comfort but there the smoak of their Torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest night nor day If after Ten thousand years a man might be taken up out of Torments the hopes of that would support but there they must lye in the scorching flames of God's Wrath for ever O who can endure unquenchable Fire Did we consider what an Eternity of Torment is to live ever dying and yet never dye to be in a Circle of Sorrow that knows no End in Variety and Extremity of Pains that have no Period but after a man hath been under these Torments as many Ages as many Millions of Ages as there have been Moments or Minutes since the Creation he is as far from coming out as he was in the first moment he went in O how inconceivable dreadful will this be Now
Blessed is he that shall eat bread this Bread of Life in the Kingdom of God both of Grace and Glory This is not meat that perishes but meat that endures to everlasting Life John 6.27 This is the first thing Christ here promises to them that overcome 2. The white Stone is another of those peculiar Favours I will give him the white stone 'T is judged to be an Allusion to that practice in use of old among the Romans who gave both white and black Stones white ones were given in the Election of Officers and Absolution of Malefactors 1. In the Election of any to an high Office they gave him a white Stone as a certain Token thereof The sense then of the Promise is that Conquerors shall have the assurance of their Election to be Vessels of Mercy that they are chosen to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the Truth to the end and to the means to Glory and to Grace and though the means be the last in intention yet they are first in execution their Salvation is first intended but Faith and Holiness are first effected Now to have the Assurance that we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that we be holy before him here and happy with him hereafter Who can declare the Refreshment it carries with it Comfortable it is 1. In respect of Delusion They shall deceive if it were possible the very Elect Mat. 24.24 In the superstructure of Truth they may be deceived but fundamentally and finally they never shall because both the deceived and the deceiver are the Lords Job 12.13 16. Deceivers may distemper them but it is not possible they should poison them The Elect are a people exempted from the fatal Infection of false Prophets and false Christs who decive many this is a great Comfort to such in these erroneous days 2. In respect of Accusation Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Rom. 8.33 Who shall charge when God dischargeth True it is many will be ready to lay things to their charge Satan will accuse them he is the Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12. the Law will accuse them the World will accuse them but God will justifie them which makes all their Accusations null and void as Christ caused all the Womans Accusers to go out so will Gods acquitting them make those Accusers and all their Accusations to vanish 3. In respect of publick Calamities which are shortned upon their account For the Elects sake those days shall be shortned Mat. 24.23 What days Even the days of Tribulation which were to come upon the Jews except those days should be shortned no flesh should be saved no Jew should be alive all would fall under destruction when those Calamities come Many others fare the better for the Elects sake these are the Salt of the Earth that being sprinkled here and there preserve it from perishing God gave all that were in Zoar to Lot and all that were in the Ship to Paul if it were not for his Elect in the world he would make a short work in the Earth And 4. In respect of their own personal oppressions Shall not God hear and avenge his Elect that cry unto him night and day I tell you he will avenge them speedily Luke 18.7 8. When their Enemies are above Fear and they below Hope when there is not Faith on the Earth to believe there are Bowels in Heaven to relieve them 5. In respect of his working for them at the Resurrection and Day of Judgment whereas they will lye scattered here and there he will gather together his Elect from all parts of the world by his Angels Mat. 24.31 Who will know them by their Fathers mark upon their Foreheads And as Servants know their Masters Corn from anothers and the Wheat form the Tares so will the Angels soon discern and single out the Elect from the rest by the Glory and Cheerfulness which he will put upon them and into them 6. In respect of the co-operation of all things here for their good according to that Promise All things shall work together for good to them that are called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 They say the Philosophers-Stone turns all it touches into Gold This white Stone as a Token of our Election according to God's Eternal purpose turns all Conditions and Dispensations to good How unspeakably full of Comfort are these things to all Overcomers from this Gift of the White Stone as a Sign of their Election 2. White Stones were given of old in the Absolution of Malefactors as black ones were given to persons Condemned as a Token they must dye so white ones to them acquitted in their Courts of Judicature 'T is as if Christ had said To him that overcometh will I give an evidence of the Remission of his Sins And what a Fountain of Consolation is in this particular Son be of good chear thy Sins are forgiven thee Mat. 9.2 Well might he be cheerful to have the assurance of our sins being pardoned is able to make any one everlastingly merry Yea though under present afflictions This Palsy-man was not cured of his disease when Christ bid him rejoyce yet ground enough of joy he had to be assured from Christ's own mouth that his sins were forgiven him Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered Psal 32.1 for this is an infallible evidence of Gods favour outward mercies we may receive from an angry God silver and gold and precious stones in abundance and yet from the wrath of God but this white stone of Absolution is a certain token of Love and Reconciliation 'T is not a giving-God for our Bodies that can give grounds of Comfort so much as a forgiving-God for our Souls can do This evidenceth our Redemption by Christ In him we have Redemption through his Blood the Forgiveness of Sin This bringeth Salvation John Baptist's going before the face of the Lord was To give knowledg of Salvation to his People by the remission of their Sins Ephes 1.7 Luke 1.77 Reconciliation stands in it God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their sins 2 Cor. 5.19 In a word it is the inlet to and ushers in all other Good and Mercy Take away all Iniquity and take up good or give us good as it is Hos 14.2 They must pray for good O but your Sins keep good things from you Jer. 5.25 Therefore first their request is Take away all Iniquity No good to be given till sin be forgiven but when that is removed that withholds good from them then the passage is cleared and way is made for all good to come unto them It makes way for the Liberty and Deliverance of the Church from Troubles Speak comfortably to Jerusalem tell her that her Iniquity is pardoned and her Warfare is accomplished When Sin was pardoned her Afflictions and Troubles soon had an end It brings
health to a whole Land The Inhabitant of the Land shall not say I am sick the Land shall be free from infectious pestilential and Epidemical Diseases How comes this about The People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their Iniquity Esay 33.24 Oh this is that which sweetens all other Comforts and Contentments as the want of it imbitters all our sweet things What are we the better for House Land Silver and Gold when our Sin is not pardoned when the Curse and Wrath of God hangs over our heads and is ready in this condition to fall upon us and arrest us every moment to draw us to Hell for ever But then Mercies are Mercies indeed when they come to us in the stream of Christ's Blood with a Pardon in their hand Hence Believers are taught to pray Give us this day our dayly Bread and forgive us our sins to shew that our Bread is sweet when it comes with pardoning Mercy God had given David the healing his Diseases and crowned him with loving Kindness and tender Mercies What made it so but forgiving Mercy First he sets down that Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities then follow the other Mercies Psal 103.2 3 4. Pardoning Mercy is Crowning Mercy Yea this fits us for holy Duties Prayer or Sacraments as sin unpardoned makes God hide his face that he will not hear or appear to the Soul It turns Prayer into Sin and Sacraments into Sin So if this be taken away the person is accepted and then all Duties are accepted and God will be seen in them to the Soul and give it communion with himself In a word this fits us for a Suffering state and time How will the sense of Pardon that assures a man he shall never be cast into Hell-fire make him even willingly embrace and submit to a Fiery Trial for Christ's sake It prepares for Death whether natural or violent All must die and as a mans Death is such is his Doom As Death leaves us Judgment findes us Job prayed earnestly for the white Stone of Absolution as it is an excellent preparative for his Dissolution And why dost thou not pardon my sin for now shall I sleep in the dust Job 7.21 As if he had said Lord my great Afflictions seem to hasten on my great change and therefore now especially I beg the pardon of my sin and the sense of it unto my Soul and then I am prepared to sleep in the dust We should not lye down in our Beds much less in our Graves with sin unpardoned If that be taken away no matter how soon we dye Feri Domine feri tantum ignosce mihi peccatum said Luther Smite me Lord smite as thou wilt though by sharp Afflictions or Death all is welcome if sin be forgiven This is that the Lord here promiseth to victorious Christians when he saith He will give them the white Stone 3. Anew name written in the Stone is the third and last of those special Favours promised to Overcomers in the Text. There are some that take it to be an Allusion to that Custome of giving Stones to men with their Names written on them as Tickets shewing them such as should be admitted to those Solemn Feasts held in honour of those that were Victorious in their sacred Games Then the meaning is that Christ will give conquering Christians a privy Mark whereby they may be known and admitted to the Heavenly Banquet of the hidden Manna as welcome Guests And O! how high a Favour is it to carry the Privy-Seal of Heaven about us To have a Token that we shall be taken up to the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb when others shall not taste of those Dainties But most take the new Name here to be Filius Dei an Adopted Son of God and make it an Allusion to that of Isaiah 65.15 God shall call his Servants by another Name A name better than the name of Sons and Daughters For by this they are Called and Translated out of the old family of Sin and Satan to be of the Family of God of the houshold of Faith a Priviledge far excelling the civil Adoption in use among men for he takes many Sons and brings them to Glory a man but one And when he hath done that he cannot communicate his own Likeness to him But God with the new Name gives a new Nature with the Spiritual Adoption conveys a Principle of the Divine Nature 2. Pet. 1.4 If a man adopts it is either because he hath no Son of his own or else because his Son is prodigal and disobedient but God had a Son from all Eternity one who never displeased or disobliged him in thought word or deed So that this new Name giving is an act of free and rich Grace Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3.1 If men Adopt it is but to some earthly Inheritance But God gives an Inheritance in light incorruptible undefiled that never fadeth away reserved in Heaven for them 1 Pet. 1.4 So that all his Children are Heirs Heirs of God and Joint-heirs with Christ Roman 8.17 Heirs of the Promises Heb. 6.17 Heirs of the Righteousness which is by Faith Heb. 11.7 Heirs of Salvation of the Kingdom of Heaven Heb. 1. ult Jam. 2.5 They have a glorious Liberty called The Liberty of the Sons of God Rom. 8.21 A Liberty from sins Dominion and Pollution from the Covenant and Curse of the Law from the Power of Satan the World and Death They have a gracious Access to God their Father I will arise and go to my Father saies the Prodigal Luk. 15. And his pity in all their Troubles As a Father pities his Children so the Lord pities them that fear him Psal 103.13 They have access with boldness to the Throne of Grace and have his eye his ear his heart and his hand We read of a Child who finding himself not well ran to his Father and cried out My head my head 2 King 4.19 Thus may God's Children go to him and say My head my heart Oh! this ignorant head Father enlighten it Oh this carnal heart Father spiritualize it Oh this dead hard earthly divided heart of mine Father quicken soften make Heavenly and compose it unite my heart to fear thy Name Yea as a Father spares his obedient Son so the Lord will spare his As a man spares his own Son that serves him Malac. 3.17 If he correct them it is in love and in measure and he will provide for them here Your Heavenly Father knoweth you have need of all these things Matt. 6. Jesus Christ is your Brother he is not ashamed to call you Brethren the Angels are your Guard the King's Son hath the Nobles and Peers of the Realm to wait upon him The Angels are all Ministring Spirits sent forth for their good yea you shall be ever with your Father The Son abides in the house for ever John 8. as that
joyful Harvest of Heavenly Felicity hereafter The first beginnings of Spiritual Regeneration are an earnest of the whole crop of Salvation And as it was said of old The Gleanings of Ephraim are better than the Vintage of Abiezer so may I say in this matter The first Fruits of Glory Believers receive here are better than the greatest harvest of earthly contentments because a drop here is a sure sign of a River hereafter the Morning-star a certain forerunner of a glorious constellation in Heaven To all which may be added that 5. This Phrase implies that Christ will clear the wronged innocency of Believers As the Morning-Star brings light after a dark night so after many false accusations and uncharitable censures passed against them by the World and Professors also God will bring forth their righteousness as the light and their judgment as the Noon-day as the Scripture sheweth Psal 37.6 As the hope of the Morning-Star to usher in the day causeth us not to be offended with the darkness of the night so ought Believers to trust and wait upon God knowing that he will clear their cause and restore to them their right When Zophar would encourage Job to listen to his counsel his agument is Thine age shall be clearer than the Noon day thou shalt shine forth as the morning Job 11.17 Thou shalt overcome the darkness at present upon thee thy innocency be revived and comforts renewed Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the Morning Psal 30.5 The morning is as it were the reviving time after the death of sleep and brings the light the emblem of joy after darkness Thus will Christ cause the light of his peoples Innocency and Uprightness to rise in obscurity and their darkness to be as the Noon day Isaiah 58.10 As God can cause the Sun of wicked mens honour and prosperity to go down at noon so he can and will cause the light of the Saints to rise at midnight As Haman is a notable example of the first so Joseph of the latter Hamans glory and honour how quickly was it obscured and eclipsed with clouds of disgrace and ignominy so the false accusations which darkened Josephs reputation vanished as clouds before the Sun when he goeth forth in his night There shall be a resurrrection of names as well as of persons A day when God will make up his jewels Mal. 3.17 Then shall he take them up out of the dirt of reproaches and sufferings and make them clean such a vindication from all unjust imputations and aspersions as will give them light and gladness joy and honour Esth 8.16 By these things it is evident how eminent the glory is Christ promises to the Overcomer when he saith he will give him the morning-star The Use follows Vse 1. Behold here then the misery of those who yielding themselves servants to corruption slaves to Satan and Captives to the world lose their part in these great promises and the contrary evils are their lot and portion such are all those who instead of keeping Christ's works to the end keep their sinful and wicked works to the end hold fast deceit and hypocrisy to the end retain their pride and worldliness to the end keep their unclean drunken and profane works to the end being thus entangled and overcome and some after they seemed to have escaped and got victory over them yet are again brought into bondage their latter end will be worse than their beginning 2 Pet. 2.21 Because they sin against knowledge and love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil These may have power over Nations as civil Governours so had Ahasuerus Belshazzar and others Alexander called the Conquerour having subdued a great part of the world then inhabited yet these were overcome by their lusts It was true of them all what was said of the last vicit mundum a se vero victus He conquered the world but was overcome by himself What could it profit to rule over men a while and lusts ruled over them unto their destruction These were also overcome by Divine Wrath and Justice All the power men have and Victories they get over men will not secure them from being broken to shivers by Christs Iron rod as a Potters Vessel fatally and irrecoverably ruined Better is he that by the power of grace ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a City or ruleth over Kingdoms Fortior est qui se quam qui fortissima vincit Maenia Such may have worldly grandeur external Pomp and Splendour and shine like Stars of the first magnitude yet going on in a slate and course of sin are but wandering Stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever Jude 13. The Angels are stiled Morning-stars the Morning-stars sang together that is the Angels as Expositors have it The Angels rejoyced to see the Foundations of the Earth laid yet some of them became Apostats fallen Stars being willingly overcome by sin Satan is called a fallen Star Rev. 9.1 We read also of a great Star that fell from Heaven called Wormwood Rev. 8.10 11. The Roman Emperour say some who shined brightly for a time but was put down by the Goths of whom the Prophet Isaiah thus speaks How art thou fallen from Heaven O Lucifer son of the Morning How art thou cut down to the ground who didst weaken the Nations Isaiah 14.12 Sic transit gloria mundi Though the wicked spring as the Grass and all the workers of Iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Psal 92.7 O! who would rest or glory in outward enjoyments or endowments when if the work of Faith and Holiness be not wrought in us with power if the Kingdom of God comes not into our souls with power the sinners in Sion will be afraid fearfulness will surprize the Hypocrites and the cry will be who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Who shall dwell with devouring fire Isaiah 33.14 Thus will all who are here finally overcome by their yielding themselves Servants unto Unrighteousness and Iniquity be everlastingly miserable and God justified in his proceedings and his Justice and Wrath overcome them when they are judged Vse 2. This gives yet further matter of Comfort to Believers to meditate upon the Power and Glory here promised to him that Overcometh Here you are many times oppressed by the Powers of the Nations therefore you shall have at length full Power over all Nations Here you endure long and dark Nights of Temptation Desertion and Affliction yet yielded not to Satan and Sin therefore the Morning-Star shall be given to you And when Christ who is your life shall appear you also shall appear with him in Glory Col. 3.4 Faithful is he that hath promised who also will do it Mens Promises fail through want of Fidelity or Ability to perform them Satan's Promises are made to deceive but the words of Christ are true and faithful He is Jehovah who gives a being
scatters and blots out the Clouds that there is nothing of them to be seen their sins are so done away as not to he remembred any more are as if they had never been As a Table-Book wash it and there is no appearance of any thing written there so hath the Lord removed their Iniquities and having blotted out their sins for his Name 's sake will not blot out their Names for their sins sake So then it remains that none but Christ can blot out their Names for he is the Master of the Rolls and keeps this Book in his own possession and he hath prevented all fears of it by his own solemn Promise in the Text. Object Against this some object these two Scriptures Exod. 32.32 33. Moses said Blot me out of thy Book Whosoever hath sinned against me saies God him will I blot out of my Book especially that Rev. 22.19 It any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life Answ As for that place in Exodus some carry it as if Moses desired in the former verse to lose his part in a better Life than is here to be enjoyed even Eternal Life rather than God be thus dishonoured and blasphemed but think it a sinful desire or great zeal at the best with a mixture of corrupt passion in it But others understand it of the Book of Records in which mens names were Registred Princes use to keep such Books in which were set down the Names of those that had done them any special Service Mordecai's name was recorded in such a Book and how he acted to preserve the King's Life Esth 6. And this was much Self-denial in Moses to be willing to have his Name razed out thence for the Peoples good Moses rather desired not to live than that all the people involved in that sin should dye willing to have his Name blotted out of the Church Records than the people come under this great Judgment Like that wish of St. Paul Rom. 9.3 who wished himself accursed from Christ for his Brethren and Kinsmen according to the flesh Some say Such was his Love to his Kindred that if it had been consistent with the Will of God he desired to have redeemed the casting away of the Israelites with the loss of his own Soul for ever But besides that this desire was impossible to be accompliâ—hed it would have been sinful By this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or being Accursed from Christ he means only to be Excommunicated from the Church which is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 Which argued a high Affection to his Relations And as to the other place God's taking away their part out of the Book of Life is no more than to manifest they have no part therein and hence we find the Scripture speaking of some Whose Names were not written in the Lambs Book of Life from the Foundation of the world Rev. 13.8 God will declare them to be such as were not Predestinated from all Eternity to be saved by the Death of Christ Some there are not written in this Book but none written there shall be blotted out That 's the Second Particular 3. Rea. Christ will confess the names of Overcomers before his Father and before his Angels as if he had said I will own and acknowledg him as he hath owned and acknowledged me They have confessed him before men and he hath promised to confess such before his Father Mat. 10.32 The meaning is that Christ will publickly own them in the great Day of Judgment and will openly profess their well-tried Faith and other victorious Graces and they shall be found to Honour Praise and Glory at his appearing 1 Pet. 1.7 Then he will avouch them to be his Children saying Father Behold I and the Children which thou hast given me Isa 8.18 Esther though advanced to Honour with the King own'd her Relation to Mordecai and told him what he was unto her Esth 8.1 Joseph though advanced to great Dignity and a chief Favourite in Pharaoh's Court yet owned and confessed his poor Relations even before the King and his Courtiers Gen. 47. Even so will Christ at that day own his victorious Servants and Soldiers before the King of Kings and all those glorious Courtiers of Heaven the holy Angels A taste of this he gave when he was here on Earth When some told him his Relations stood without desiring to speak with him he pointed to his Disciples and said Behold my Mother and my Brethren For whosoever doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Mother and Sister and Brother Mat. 12.49 50. Here he freely owns and confesses his Spiritual Kindred and prefers them before his bare natural Relations So we find him making a report of their excellency who were his Disciples unto God his Father saying I have manifested thy Name to the men whom thou gavest me out of the world and they have kept thy word Joh. 17.6 Here he makes an honourable mention of their laying up his words in their hearts and keeping to it in their lives And though as yet they were but weak yet he doth notably commend their good beginnings to his Father What will he do then at last when they shall have perfectly overcome We find it recorded of John the Baptist that he confessed and denied not but confessed I am not the Christ and after owned him and pointed at him saying Behold the Lamb of God vers 29. John is plain and bold ingenuous and constant in his testimony of Christ renonuncing the honour due to his Master and confessing and declaring Christ in the dignity and excellency of his Office shewing them how he was to execute the same for their good and benefit which was by Suffering and therefore points him out as the substance of the Passover and daily Sacrifices who by the Merit and Vertue of his Death takes away the sin of his own both Jews and Gentiles And did John lose by this his resolute Confession No not even here for Christ did as freely confess and make an honourable mention of him For saith he among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist Mat. 11.11 Because he was Christ's immediate Forerunner now the nearer to Christ the more excellent He prefers him not only before all the Prophets but all others that were born before him This is but the beginning of what Confession shall be more fully made of the Names of all that overcome in the great day of the Lords coming to Judgment The Vses follow Vse 1. See hence the miserable estate of all who overcome not but are fatally and finally overcome in their warring against these enemies of our Salvation They have neither part nor lot in these precious Promises yea the quite contrary things will be their Portion Instead of being clothed in white raiment in token of Purity Dignity
Beauty and Festivity they will at last appear in all their filthy Rags and menstruous Garments clothed with Shame and covered with confusion of Face His enemies saith God of David will I clothe with shame Psal 132.18 Much more those that dye in their enmity to himself Their Names are written in the Earth and will be blotted out from under Heaven Deut. 29.20 They shall not be written among the living in Jerusalem but registred among the dead as those that are Eternally forgotten of God Instead of confessing him he will profess He never knew them Mat. 7.23 He will be ashamed of them before his Father and before all his Angels as they were of him and of his words before men Mark 8.38 A Figurative Speech and spoken of Christ after the manner of men for our capacity Not that Christ shall then be subject to any shame or be affected with it but that he shall so carry himself towards such as have been ashamed of him ashamed to own his Truth and engage to fight in his Cause as men are wont to do towards those of whose company and acquaintance they are ashamed that is to say That he will not acknowledg them for his Saints Servants or Soldiers but utterly refuse reject and cast them off as wicked and reprobate They who now deny to fight under his Banner or professing so to do shall yield to the Enemy be overcome and recover not rise not by true Repentance these will Christ deny before his Father and before all Men and Angels Vse 2. Here is yet further Encouragement to all to strive to Overcome Whose heart can sink into discouragement whose Faith can fail that reads and duely considers the sweet Cordials in this Text You shall be clothed with white Raiment by Christ's own hand it shall be put upon you White inwardly as well as outwardly Not like the Pharisees whited Sepulchres outwardly beautiful but within full of rottenness and dead mens bones but as the King's Daughter All glorious within Psal 45. Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like a Lily of the field Mat. 6.29 The most splendid and gorgeous Robes of the greatest Monarch are not to be compared unto this clothing This is the best Robe spoken of Luke 15. which the Father commanded to be brought forth and put upon his returning Son who by Repentance and converting Grace overcame all his former vicious and evil Conversation This is durable Raiment God did miraculously preserve the Garments of the Israelites from waxing old Deut. 8.4 But they were otherwise the worse for the wearing as we say of all other Garments But this clothing waxeth not old is as fresh upon the Overcomer after he hath worn it Thousands of Years as it was the first day it was put put upon him The rich man we read of in the Gospel was clothed with Purple Luke 16.19 But Overcomers with Cloth of Gold Her clothing is of wrought Gold Psal 45.13 Yea far more precious than Gold that perishes He that yields to his Lusts and other Enemies rejects this raiment and does like him we read of Luk. 8.27 that wore no clothes and would suffer none to be put upon him Is it not great encouragement then that is here promised that none shall be so well arraid as the Overcomer When that man was cured of his Madness he sate at Jesus feet clothed and in his right mind vers 35. None come rightly to themselves but will fight couragiously and strive to be victorious since their Rags and poor Apparel here they many times wear shall be converted into such rich clothing And so what a sweet Promise is it that follows I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life When some came to Christ rejoycing that they wrought Miracles and particularly cast out Devils in his Name he corrects them as mistaking the true ground of Joy and points them to the right Rejoyce not in this that the Spirits are subject to you but rather rejoyce in this that your Names are written in Heaven Luk. 10.20 out of the reach of all your Enemies they can never cast a blot upon them Here they blot them with Reproaches and vile Aspersions as Joseph's Mistress did him Here they blot out excommonucate and cast out their Names as vile and odious but still they remain written in Heaven and shall be had in everlasting Remembrance So to be confessed by Christ at last before God Angels and Men when others shall be discarded with a Discedite a me nescio vos Depart from me I know you not What Favour and Comfort will it give Overcomers Having therefore these Promises let nothing daunt or dismay us nothing is more unbeseeming the Royal Spirit of a Christian Say not the Devil is so malicious the World so ensnaring the Heart so deceitful our Attempts against them so fruitless we shall one day perish by our Enemies hand Is this the language of Heaven Are these the words of Faith Is this the voice of the Scripture and not rather the whisperings of the Old Serpent The fruit of slavish Fear and Unbelief Is not the voice of God quite contrary Doth not he say I will pour clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your Iniquities and from all your Idols I will cleanse you The God of Peace shall tread down Sathan under your feet shortly Rom. 16.20 That whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world 1 Joh. 5.4 Has he said it and shall it not come to pass Is not he faithful that hath promised Why then should we be faint-hearted Why should we suffer our Fears to disanimate and dispirit us Let us not be like those unbelieving timerous Spies who said Canaan was a good Land but there were Anakims Giants and by bringing an evil report disheartned the people and were shut out by God Josh 6. But let us all beg a Caleb-like Spirit whereby we may follow God fully as he did Numb 14.24 and our Enemies shall not stand before us Give a Soldier Courage and you give him all But take away his Heart and then he is almost dead before he strike a stroak It is a Seal to his Overthrow and a great advantage to the Enemy This evil of Unbelief and slavishness of Spirit doth us more hurt than all our Enemies can do When Saul was afraid he had not a heart to strike a stroke but went to the Witch c. 1 Sam 28.4 5. Were we valiant to the Battle God would say as he did of old to Joshua and Israel Your enemies shall not be able to stand before you Observe therefore the language of their enemies I know the Lord will give you the Land for your terrour is fallen upon us say they and all the Inhabitants of the Land faint because of you Assoon as we heard these things our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more Courage in any man because of you Josh 2 9-11 We cannot
begin to boast and make Challenges saying Who is like unto the Beast Who is able to make war with him We have heard of the Prophecy of the late Reverend Bishop Vher and what probability there is of its accomplishment any one may see by the present dark Providences going over us which if God shall order to come to pass O what terrible shakings will there be Not the Earth only but the Heavens will be shaken The Pillars of the Earth are the Lords saies Hannah and he hath set the world upon them 1 Sam. 2.8 Yet we read that the Pillars of Heaven and Earth tremble Job 9.6 and 26.11 By the Pillars of Heaven some understand the Angels by the Pillars of the Earth Political Pillars Kings and Princes and Ecclesiastical Pillars such as Peter and John were Whether they be State-Pillars or Church-Pillars if Antichrist once again prevail over us they will be terribly shaken Men and Angels will be filled with Amazement and Astonishment at the Providences of God I have read of one Simeon who is said to have been Prophetical that he passing through a Temple spake to the material Pillars and Prophecying of an Earthquake bid them Stand fast for they should shortly be shaken Things work in our days so strangely as without a Spirit of Prophecy I may say to all the Churches of Christ to all that seem Pillars in the Temple of God Stand fast for you shall shortly be shaken God will arise suddenly to shake terribly the Earth Stand sure therefore that ye be not worsted and overcome by the Adversary 3. Consider the Honour and Profit that will accompany this Victory if ye get it Great is the Reward laid up in all these Promses Everlasting Honour and Recompence will be the portion of all such Brevis est labor as one saith praemium vero aeternum Earthly Soldiers will purchase Honour and get their Pay with the hazard of Life the Commendation of their Captain the Applause of People or a little Money will make them courageous What hazard then Should not we run in fighting this good fight who shall have the commendation of Christ the Captain of our Salvation and the Praise of the blessed Angels who observe and look upon us how we quit our selves in this holy War If it were only the present Profit and Benefit which will accrue to us it should move us to fight how terrible soever it seems to flesh and blood For that is truely here verified Pax Belli filia Peace is the Daughter of War We no sooner enter the field to fight against these Enemies but presently we have Peace with God and Peace of Conscience if not the sense yet the ground of it What then should the receiving of a Heavenly Kingdom move us to do Satans pay to his Soldiers is but the Pleasures of Sin for a Season the Honour and Profit of the world for a moment and in the end everlasting destruction both of Body and Soul Whereas they who keep close to Christ's Standard and overcome the Enemy besides what they have here shall be filled with such Rewards and Joys as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard nor Heart of man can conceive Lastly We have sure grounds of Victory for our Enemies are already overcome to our hand Christ hath cooled their Courage and abated their Strength And he that calls us to the Fight will help us to Overcome Deficientes sublevat vincentes coronat When we faint he sustains us and crowns us when we overcome Besides God gives us to see the end from the beginning He shewed David the Victory before-hand This uncircumcised Philistine saies he shall be as one of them meaning the Lion and Bear he had slain 1 Sam. 17.36 We may say as the Church of old Rejoyce not against me O mine Enemy for though I fall yet I shall rise again She that is mine Enemy shall see it shame shall cover her that said unto me Where is the Lord thy God Mine eyes shall behold her now shall she be trodden down as the Mire in the Streets Mic. 7.8 10. Behold Earth's Triumph in the midst of the Enemies Insultations to see this before-hand is ground of hope of Victory Further every piece of Armour speaks them Conquerors It is the Armour of God the Armour of Righteousness and secures on the right hand and on the left Though Saul's Armour was too cumbersome for David yet this is fitted and suited exactly to all that rightly take it to themselves Their Girdle and Helmet of great Strength and Purity Their Breast-plate such as secures the Vitals of Godliness and Religion Their Shoes impenetrable though the way be strewed with Thorns and sharp Stones Their Sword better than Goliah's and it may be said of it most truely There is none like it Their Shield better than the Shields of the Mighty quenching all the fiery Darts the Enemy can throw upon them Moreover Whatever fights against us fight for us All these things are against me saies Jacob Gen. 42.32 yet found all for him whatever resists Believers in a Conflict doth encourage them Their former and present Trials beget future Trust Their former Assaults are their after Experiences By these they learn how to ward off such a Blow how to evade such a Snare and Stratagem how to withstand such a Temptation and to add no more In their Inability lies their Ability out of weakness they are made strong and wax valiant in fight as they of old Heb. 11.34 Many are valiant to fight at first but to grow strongest at the last piece of Service to so say as St. Paul When I am weak then am I strong this is encouraging indeed These and other grounds of Victory Believers have let all such stand and withstand in the evil day for you shall certainly overcome at last Assurance of Victory will make a Coward fight stoutly and courageously O let not your hands be weakned or your hearts faint and fail seeing you are sure to prevail There is a notable Speech of Charles the Fifth who venturing into apparent danger in War was disswaded from hazarding himself â—est if he were killed the whole Army should be routed and broken said An Emperour was never shot through with a Bullet Let the hearts and hands of Believers be strengthned by this A true Believer was never totally and finally overcome by the Enemies of his Soul but though foiled and his Weapons beaten out of his hand yet recovers and stands when they are fallen and destroyed Only be strong and of a good courage put forth your utmost endeavours to overcome Qui creavit te sine te non servabit te sine te was the Saying of an Antient. It is not Armour in the Magazine but put on and well used that defends us and offends our Enemies This Church of Philadelphia had but a little strength yet improving it well kept Christ's word and denied not his Name For to him that hath shall
Father in his Throne The Text is express for it This is variously expressed in the Scripture He is sometimes said to sit at the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in the Heavens Heb. 8.1 Sometimes to sit on the right hand of God Mark 16. All amounts to the same purpose Four things are implied in it 1. It notes Dignity Superiors sit when Inferiors stand The ancient of days is said to sit Dan. 7.9 And God is described sitting upon a Throne Rev. 7.15 Thus Christ sate down in his Fathers Throne that is he was advanced to great honour The Angels never arrived to such honour To which of all the Angels did God ever say sit thou on my right hand Heb. 1.13 The very interrogation implies a negation he never spake thus to any of them It was great honour Solomon did his Mother to cause her to sit down at his right hand 1 Kings 2.19 But Christ is raised to greater Dignity for the Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand till thine Enemies be made thy foot-stool Ps 110.1 To such a height of honour is he advanced that God hath charged all the Angels to worship him Heb. 1.6 At first made lower than the Angels now above them 2. It imports Authority Thou satest in the Throne judging right says the Psalmist Psal 9.4 Thus God hath highly exalted Christ to be the judge of all the world A throne he shall have in the Clouds and he that once came to be judged shall come the second time to judge The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son that all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father John 5.22 23. And to shew his Authority 't is said to him every knee shall bow Phil. 2. All things in Heaven in Earth and under the Earth that is Angels Men and Devils are subject to the Name and Authority of the Lord Jesus And every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2.8 9 10. The Devils and wicked men shall at last be forced to acknowledg the Authority of Christ and to say as Julian the Apostate did Vicisti Galilee O Galilean thou hast overcome me and all Saints and holy Angels shall with one consent acknowledg and own him as the Lord and as their Lord And all this to the glory of God the Father which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it signifies the great end of Christ's exaltation viz. the glory of God yet some understand by it that Jesus Christ is exalted to the same Authority and Glory with the Father in Heaven being now set down with him in his Throne at his right hand 3. It implies a settled continuance of Christ in this Honour and Authority 'T is said that Josephs Bow abode or as some read sate in strength Gen. 49.24 As standing is a posture that shews a man ready to go this way or that way so a sedentary gesture notes continuance or abiding Though man being in honour continued not Psal 49. ult Adam being in honour lodged not whence some conjecture Adam fell in the very day he was created And though our days on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding 1 Chron. 29.15 Yet the second Adam abides and continues in the Fathers Throne for ever 4. It signifies Christ's resting from all his Travels Labours Services and Sufferings As after much Labour a man sits down and resteth himself even so Christ having finished the work his Father gave him to do a cessation from all troublesome Labours followed and he shall know them no more After Gods works of Creation were finished he rested on the seventh day Gen. 2.2 Thus also when Christ had accomplished the works put into his hand He entred into rest and ceased from his own works as God did from his Heb. 4.10 Some carry these words of Believers they are ceased from sins who are entred into heavenly rest others that Believers are ceased from all sufferings and sorrows being once in glory All this is true yet some take it for Christ his Rest from all his labours and troubles Though here he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief yet being exalted to sit with his Father in his Throne is ceased from these for ever Bran. 3. Overcomers shall sit down with Christ on his Throne so saith the Text An allusion say some to the practice of those Eastern Kings whose Thrones were made large and capacious after the manner of a Couch so that besides the Kings place others whom the King would honour might sit down with him in the same Throne what this Throne of Christ is there are various conjectures The Kingdom of Grace say some we are made Kings and Priests and reign on the Earth Rev. 5.10 That is have Dominion over Sin Satan and the World But this is Christ sitting on the Throne of our Consciences rather than our sitting with Christ in his Throne say others who therefore will have it meant of his Throne in Heaven But there Christ hath no Kingdom distinct from the Father for having once ended that great transaction of the last judgment he shall deliver up the Kingdom to his Father and God shall be all in all Cor. 15.24.28 Not that then Christ shall lay aside his humane nature as some have thought but that his present mediatory Kingdom shall give place to the essential Kingdom of the God-head God shall he all in all not personally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but essentially 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divine being the Father Son and Spirit shall be all in all that is communicate himself to the glorified Church without the intervention of Ordinances and Creatures and also without the proper and immediate exercise of the Office of the Mediator For when the difference between God and the Creature is compleatly made up what formal need will there be of a Mediator For we cannot make a Mediator of one nor of those that are made one It is an Apostolical maxim A Mediator is not of one Gal. 3.20 But if any say how then is the Kingdom of Christ everlasting I answer this doth not at all hinder it for he hath victory over all the Kingdoms of the world all the four Monarchies being fully conquered by him Dan. 7. and the Gospel of his Kingdom is vertually everlasting Rev. 14.6 And Believers by vertue of it shall possess everlasting glory neither shall this resignation of the Kingdom be any diminution to his glory for the song in Heaven will be Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive Power and Riches and Wisdom and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing c. Rev 5.11 12. Others understand this Text of a Temporal and Visible Throne and Kingdom to be erected in this World before the last Judgment If these words saith an excellent Divine Do not intimate a reigning time for Christ's Church on earth I do