thereof from God wee shall have an infinite supply in stead of all these things Rev. 21.22 Here wee treat with God by meanes at a great distance there wee shall enjoy him immediately yea those gifts of the Spirit that suppose imperfection in us or misery in others shall there be done away The gifts that suppose imperfection in us are faith and hope and repentance wee shall not need promises to imply either faith or hope because all shall then bee performed and wee shall have actuall possession 1. Cor. 13. ult Nor shall wee neede sorrow for our sinnes because all our iniquities shall then be done away The gifts that suppose misery or sinne in others are such as these holy feare anger jealousie care hatred griefe pitty or such like now all these shall then be put off for ever because in that kingdome shall bee nothing that is either uncleane or wretched or in danger to fall away Yet notwithstanding this hinders not but that God may delight the soules of his people by waies unknowne to us after a most glorious manner which seemes to bee shadowed out by eating of the tree of life which beares so often fruit and by drinking of the water of life which runnes like a river pure as crystall and proceedes from the Throne of God Revel 21.6 22.1 For the third there is great difference betweene the company with whom wee live here and those with whom wee shall live there and that in seven things As first in the sorts of peoples Here our life is made grievous by the evill ones that either molest us with their oppositions or grieve us with their wickednesse or infect us with their evill examples but there shall bee no wicked ones no Divels to tempt us no divellish men to slander us or persecute us no abominable persons either to grieve or pollute us All these enemies shall be cast into the Lake of fire Revel 21.8 20.4 22.14 wee shall never be troubled with them more and the people there are all righteous Esay 60.23 Secondly in the dignity of the friends wee shall finde in heaven They are usually but meane persons wee must sort withall here but there they are such as exceed all the glory of this world our friends and companions shall be glorious Angells and blessed Patriarches and Kings and Prophets and Apostles and the Martyres of Iesus and in generall all weare Crownes of glory Thirdly in respect of the number of our friends Here we have scarce one friend we have reason much to admire or can safely relye upon there we shall have an innumerable company of Angels of the spirits of just men a huge congregation of the first borne even the generall assembly of all Gods elect Heb. 12. 22 23. Fourthly in respect of disposition both theirs and our owne Here our life with our friends is made often grievous by reason of envie suspicion offence passion pride forgetfulnesse and private discords or our owne indisposition at sometimes to take delight in the presence of our friends but in heaven the spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12.23 and charity will be inflamed on all hands to perform exactly all those properties mentioned 1. Cor. 13. Fiftly in respect of constancy Our friends here are not onely mortall and must leave us but mutable and may forsake us but there all the company is immortall and being perfectly sanctified are as God himselfe immutable and so their love is not only perfect but everlasting Charity there will abide for ever 1. Cor. 13. ult Sixtly in power to content us and satisfie us Alas here on earth many things befall us wherin our friends though they would yet they cannot helpe us but in heaven there is all sufficiency of power to solace and content one another to all eternity Lastly in their relation to us On earth wee lose daily such as are neare and deare to us in heaven we shall have them all and it is very probable wee shall know them all and one by one Adam in his innocency knew his Wife and could call her by her name without any body to tell him And Peter and Iohn in the Transfiguration on the Mount knew Moses and Elias and yet had never seene them how much more in heaven shall our knowledge be perfected to know and to bee knowne particularly and as it were by name For the fourth Our knowledge which is our life differs greatly now from that it shall bee both in respect of the ground of it and in respect of the manner of it and in respect of the measure of it The ground of it is our union with God by which we partake of his light Psal. 36.8 Now in heaven we shall be made one with God after an unspeakable manner in such a nearenesse as wee cannot conceive of now This is that which our Saviour praies so earnestly for Ioh. 17. 20.21 Secondly in respect of the manner of it Now God treates with us by meanes as by the Word and Sacraments c. but then without meanes immediately Now wee see by the helpe of a glasse or as an old man doth by Spectacles but then wee shall see God by direct vision Moses that saw as much of God as a mortal man then could saw but his backe parts hee saw God as wee see a man going from us but then wee shall see him face to face as hee is comming to us yea as hee is possessed by us Wee shall not need helpe to shew God to us as we doe now for God himselfe shall be our everlasting light as was shewed before There is a foure-fold vision of God the one is naturall as when wee see him in the crertures the other is speculous or Symbolicall when wee see God in certaine signes of his presence as in the burning fire in the Bush or in the Cloud or Pillar of fire at the Tabernacle The third is the vision of Faith when wee know how good God is by the promises of his word to us in Christ. The last is the vision of Glory which differs from all the former in a way of seeing unknowne to us Thirdly our knowledge will differ in the measure now wee know but in part there are many things we know not and what wee doe know wee know but obscurely and darkely then wee shall know perfectly even as wee are now knowne perfectly of God 1. Cor. 13.10 11. c. and so wee shall know both God and the Creatures There is a world of most delightfull and rare knowledge of the Creatures which wee attaine not to in this life but the chiefe glory of our knowledge then shall bee in the perfect vision of God and those unspeakeable beauties of his Nature when wee shall behold perfectly the glory of every propertie or attribute in God which will bee sufficient to breede everlasting wonder and delight In a word the knowledge of the meanest Christian in heaven shall be above
Which will appeare if we consider the quality of it or the meanes of preserving it or the short continuance of it or the subject of it or the things with which it is opprest or the whole nature of it 1 For the qualitie of it What is life It is but a winde or breath God breathed into man the breath of life as if his life were but his breath Gen. 2.7 and so it is said Every thing that had the breath of life Gen. 6.17 7.15.22 My life is a winde saith Ioh Ioh 7.7 What is your life saith S. Iames it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 2 If we consider the short continuance of it It will vanish away of it selfe after a while as wee see in that place It is compared to a Weavers Shuttle or at the best every houre of our life or every action addes secretly a threed till the web be woven and then wee are cut off So Hezekiah compares himselfe to a Weaver in that respect Esay 38.12 Our life is scarce a span long for to live is but to dye to begin to live is to begin to dye for death takes away time past and every moment we yeeld something to death 3 If wee consider the poore meanes of preserving life It is such a weake thing that if we doe not daily give it food it will faile us and if it be not kept with rayment it will be extinguished And for the meanes we use how silly are they Our life is called the life of our hands Esay 57.10 because it will not last unlesse wee make hard shift with our hands to preserve it 4 If wee consider the subject of it It is but our bodies for our soules in our naturall condition according to the sense of Scripture are dead in trespasses and sinnes They have as it were a beeing but not a life Our soules inrespect of the substance of them are excellent things because invisible and spirituall existences but yet are destitute of that life is proper to them They are things indeed will last long but are void of that life which is spirituall 5 If wee consider the miseries with which this life is infested both by sinne and the punishments of it As for sinne it is leprous from the wombe and charged with Adams fault and erres so often as cannot be numbred the faults of it are more than the haires of our heads As for punishment how hath God aveâ—ged himselfe upon thy wretched life to thrust thee out of Paradise and would not let thee enjoy life in any place that was not accursed The Divells also compasse about thy life to destroy it 2. Cor. 10.5 What deformities and infirmities are found in all the Vessels of life even in all the parts of thy body in which it dwells And without thee in the objects of life how is it frighted with cares plagues or vexed with particular crosses How doth God passe by thee in many blessings he gives before thy face to others and will not to thee And what thou hast to comfort thy life is it not cursed to thee so as thou feelest vanity and vexation in the use of it But above how is thy life frighted with the danger of eternall death 6 Lastly if we consider the whole nature of life The Apostle here thinks it is not worth the naming by the name of life when he saith onely of the godly that they are heires of life as if there were no living men but they and as if they had bin dead all the time they were till they were adopted But it is not Naturall life is here meant but Spirituall life called in Scripture New life and the Life of God and eternall Life The words of the Apostle Paul Tit. 3.7 when hee saith We are heires according to the hope of eternall life serve to expound these words of the Apostle Peter Now concerning this life it is above the reach of all mortall creatures to describe it as it is especially in the perfection of it in heaven for Saint Paul saith of what he saw in heaven that he saw things that could not be uttered 2. Cor. 12. and Saint Iohn saith It doth not appeare what wee shall be 1. Ioh. 3.2 And in the 1. Cor. 2.9 it is said that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive of what God hath prepared for them that love him Yea Christ himselfe doth seeme to grant that as Man he did not fully see the glory of this eternall life in his mortall condition where speaking of his estate after death he said Thou wilt shew me the paths of life Act. 2. And for so much as is revealed concerning this spirituall and eternall life two things must be remembred the one That the doctrine of this life lyeth hid from ages and generations in extreame darkenesse and when the Gospell treats of it it brings it as it were out of a darke dungeon into the light 2. Tim. 1.10 The other is That when it is brought to light none can reach to it but such as God endewes with speciall wisdome for Salomon long since had observed that Life is above to the wise onely Prov. 15.24 The things I would consider of about this life are these 1 The Degrees of it 2 The Originall of it 3 A ghesse at the Nature of it 4 The things that nourish it 5 The differences betweene this life on earth and as it is in heaven 6 The Meanes to attaine it or what we must doe if wee would enter into life 7 The Signes to know whether it be in us 8 The Properties of it Lastly the Vses of it 1 For the first wee must understand that this life hath three degrees into which wee enter in at three gates as it were The first degree of eternall life begins at the first spirituall acquaintance with God in this life when his favour is made knowne to us in Iesus Christ by the Gospell so as wee are truely justified and sanctified being reconciled unto God having all our sinnes forgiven us and our natures made new and into this degree wee enter by the gate of Regeneration Thus our Saviour saith This is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 Thus he that heareth Christs words and beleeveth is passed from death to life Ioh. 5.24 The second degree beginnes at our death and continueth the life that the soule separated from the body enjoyes till the resurrection at the last day And concerning the estate of the soule in this degree of life wee have no absolute revelation but yet are taught in Scripture that it returns to God that gave it to the body at first Eccles. 12.7 and that it is with Christ Phil. 1.23 that it is in the hands of God and in Paradise Luk. 23.43 and lives in unspeakable joy Luk. 16. 25.
father begate but is the word which God the father uttered and is the word which God uttered to us bodily creatures God though he be a spirit yet doth speak both to spirits and bodies to spirits by a way unknowen to us to bodies he hath spoken many wayes as by signes dreams visions and the like so by printing the sense of his mind in the mindes of creatures that could speake and by them uttered in word or writing what hee would have knowen Thus he spake by the Patriarches Prophets Christ and the Apostles They that deny that God hath any wordes either deny that God is as Psal. 14.1 or else conceive him to bee like stuckes or stones or beasts as Rom. 1.23 or else thinke he can speake but will not because he takes no care of humane things as Iob 22 23. These are Atheists 2 The Scripture is called the Word by an excellency because it is the onely word wee should delight in God since the fall did never speake unto man more exactly than by the Scriptures and we were better heare God talk to vs out of the Scriptures than heare any man on earth yea or Angell in heaven yea it imports that wee should be so devoted to the study of the Scriptures as if we desired to heare no other sound in our eares but that as if all the use of our eares were to heare this Word Let him that hath eares to heare heare 3 This Word of God now in the time of the new Testament belongs to all men in the right application of the true meaning of it Once it was the portion of Iacob and God did not deal so with other Nations to give them his Word but now that the partition wall is broken downe the Gospel is sent to every creature That is here imported in that unbeleeving Husbands are blamed for not obeying the Word which should teach all sorts of men to search these Scriptures and to heare the Word devoutly and withall know that the comforts terrors and precepts contained in it will take hold upon all sorts of men respectively 4 The Word of God ought to rule all sorts of men That is implyed here in that fault is found with these unbeleevers that they obeyed it not It was given of God to that end to instruct reprove and direct men in all their waies 2 Tim. 3.16.17 It is the Canon or rule of menâ— actions Gal. 6.16 It is the light and lanthorne God hath given to men it hath divine authority If we will shew any respect of God we must bee ruled by the Scripture which is his Word 5 Vnregenerate men have no minde to obey the Word and the reason is because they are guided by other rules which are false as their owne reason the customes of the world the suggestions of the devill and the likes and because too the Word is contrary to their carnall desires â—â—nd therefore they yeeld themselves to be guided by such rules as are most pleasing to their corrupt natures and besides too the light of the Word is too glorious for his eyes He cannot see into the mysteries contained in it because they are spiritually to be discerned and the naturall man therefore cannot perceive the things of God 6 It is a dangerous thing not to obey the Word of God they are accounted for lost and forlorne men here that doe not obey the Word Men bee deceived if they think it is a course may be safe for to disobey God's Word for God's Word will take hold of them and destroy them and it will judge them at the last day Zacha. 1.4.5 2. Thes. 1.8 They are but lost men cast-awaies that care not for God's Word 7 Nothing is to be reckoned a sinne which is not disobedience to the Word That which is not contrary to some Scripture is no transgression and therefore men should take heed of burthening themselves with the vaine feare of sinning when they breake no commandement of God but only unwarranted traditions either on the left hand or the right 8 The constant omission of religious duties and good workes proves a man to be a carnall person aswell as the committing of manifest injuries or grosse offences Here the Periphrasis of a carnall person is That he did not doe what the Word required 9 Men that obey not the Word may bee wonne which should be a great comfort to penitent sinners It is true that disobedience clothed with some circumstances or adjuncts is very dangerous as when men have the meanes and love darknesse rather than light Iohn 3.20 and when men are smitten with remorse and have blessing and cursing set before them and see their sinnes and feele the axe of God's Word and yet will on in transgression Deut. 11.28 Mat. 3.10 or when men are called at the third or sixth or ninth howre and will put off and delay upon pretence of repenting at the eleventh howâ—e Mat. 20. or when men are powerfully convinced and will raile and blaspheme and contradict the Word Acts 13.45.46 18. 6. and when God pursues men with his judgements and they refuse to returne Ier. 5.2.3 or lastly when men despight the spirit of God and sinne of malice against the truth Heb. 10.26.27.28.29.30 10 The chiefe doctrine is That sound obedience to the Word of God is the character of a true Christian a mark to distinguish the true Christian from the false and from him that is no Christian at all God makes his count by righteousnesse Rom. 10. To professe the true religion to understand the Word to beleeve it with historicall or temporall faith to talke of the Word to receive Baptisme and the signes of the Covenants or the like makes not an essentiall difference It is obeying the Word proves us to be true Christians Not the hearers but the doers of the Word are acknowledged for just persons Mat. 7.26.27 Iames 1.22.23.24 But that we be not deceived in our obedience wee must know that unto sound obedience divers things are required as 1 That his obedience be from the heart Rom. 6.17 2 That his obedience ariseth from the love of God and the hatred of sinne as it is sinne and not from carnall and corrupt ends Deut. 30.20 Ioshua 22.5 Mat. 4.19 3 That his obedience be in all things with respect to all God's commandements though it be against his profit ease credit or the like Hebr. 11.8 Genes 22.12 Psal. 119.6 Exod. 15.26 4 That he doth righteousnesse at all times that he continue in his obedience and obey at all times that is constantly and not for a fit Psal. 106.2 Hos. 6.5 Gal. 5.7 2. Kings 18.6 Iam. 1.23 5 That he make conscience of obeying the least commandement aswell as the greatest Mat 5. â—9 6 That obeyes the commandements of the Gospel about beleeving in God and Iesus Christ aswell as of the Law that practiseth obedience of faith and lives by faith 2. Thes. 1.8 Rom. 1.5 Mat. 16.16 11 It is
God still supplies their Auditories with new generations that rise up by degrees in the roome of those hardned ones And withall they must thinke that all the yeare is not harvest they are Gods husbandmen and must not think much to labour and toile many dayes and weekes before they see the fruite of their labours as hoping that in the end God may grant them a comfortable harvest and if Israell should not be gathered yet their reward is with God Thus of the first point imported in this word Also Secondly we may hence gather further That the Apostle would have us to account all that are wonne to religion to be safe He implies so much in that he treats about winning of more to them as if he accounted them safe that were wonne already And it is true of such as are wonne to the outward profession of religion that in charity we are bound to hope the best of each one particularly but for such as are wonne to sound sanctification the signes whereof were noted before it is certaine of them they can never be lost which is cleare by these proofes 1. Cor. 1.8.9 Phil. 1.6 Rom. 8. ult 1. Pet. 1.5 Iohn 6. 10.29.30 And it must needs be so for God will not cast off the people whom he hath chosen Psal. 94.14 Rom. 11. And besides Christ lives in the hearts of those that are truly sanctified Gal. 2.20 and Christ can dye no more Rom. 6.10 He may aswell dye at the right hand of his Father as dye in the heart of a Christian. And further God hath given us his spirit as the earnest of our eternall salvation sealing to us thereby all the promises he hath made us Eph. 1.14.15 and it is a knowen principle that whom God loveth he loveth to the end and finally Gods decree is unalterable 2. Tim. 2.29 Object This may be true of the most but alas how know I that God will looke so carefully to mee in particular I may be lost Sol. Gods promise is vniversall Not one of them saith the Prophet shal be lacking Ier. 23.4 and God hath charged Christ to see to the keeping of the bodies and soules of every true beleever Iohn 6.39.40 Object It is true God will never depart from us but we may depart from him and so perish Sol. The Lords covenant is that neither he will depart from us nor we shall depart from him for hee will put his feare within us to that end Ier. 32.41 Object But I feele my selfe so weake and ignorant I cannot hold out Sol. The smoaking flaxe shall not be quenched nor the bruised reede broken Esa. 42. Object But we are in such coutinuall danger by reason of temptations within and infections of all sorts from without Sol. God is faithfull and will keepe you from evill for all that 2. Thes. 3.3 and Christ hath made intercession to his Father for that very thing that you may bee kept from those evills Iohn 17. and God hath put his Spirit within you of purpose to make you keep his statutes and to hold on your way Ezech. 36.27 Object But the Apostle Iohn seemes to say that we may lose what we have wrought 2. Iohn 8. Sol. The words of the Apostle Iohn are these Lookâ— to your selves that wee lose not those things which weâ— wrought but that wee receiue a full reward Which words may bee understood as spoken to such as were hypocrites and had but temporary grace and not sound sanctâ—fication for hee saith in the next words Hee that transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God They never had God then that lose what they have wrought and so this toucheth not such as are sure now they have God in that they have saving grace Againe it is true that the godly may lose what they have wrought when they fall into scandales or by weaknesse fall from the profession of the truth I say they may lose what they have wrought in those sins first in respect of the praise of men all their former honour may bee laid in the dust secondly in respect of the inward sense comfort of what good they have done and thirdly in respect of the fulness of the reward in heaven for their glory may be much lessened by their falls but it doth not therfore follow that they may fall finally away from God for they will recover again Object But wee see that Christians of greater gifts than we have fallen away and never recover againe but dye in their Apostacie as Hymeneus and Philetus did in the Apostles times Sol. The Apostle in that place answers that Gods foundation remaines sure and hath this seale he knoweth who are his which evedently importeth that God did never know them to bee his what shewes soever they made amongst men and therefore their fall need not discourage such as are sure by the former markes that they are Gods Object But wee see that the godly themselves doe fall as David and Peter did Sol. First they did recover againe and so were not lost Secondly though they fall they shall not be utterly cast downe for God slaies them from falling wholly away thoughâ— they fall away in some particular act Psal. 37.23 Thirdly in the worst falls of the Saints there is ever still an holy seed of grace faith and knowledge that abideth in all that are borne of God though in respect of outward fruites and the power or joy of inward gifts they may be said to lose 1 Iohn 3.9 Without the Word God hath divers meanes to further the salvation of men and he is pleased sometimes to worke by one meanes and sometimes by another sometimes by the Word preached sometimes by the Word read sometimes by Praier sometimes by the Sacraments sometimes by the example of his Servants So that God doth worke our good sometime by one ordinance and not by another in the same thing and at the same time sometimes hee will cure a man of a particular trespasse by the admonition of some private Christian Mat. 18.15 Iam. 5. ult sometimes he will bring a man to feele legall terrors by the doctrine of the Law and sometime hee will worke it by afflictions sometimes he will prepare a man to receive the grace of Christ by praier as hee did Cornelius sometimes hee winnes him to it by the example of his servants as here And the reason is partly because God would shew the vertue that is in each ordinance and partly to teach us not to despise or neglect any of the meanes and partly to shew his owne power that workes freely by what meanes hee will as being not tyed to any And therefore they deale very corruptly and perversely that under pretence of commending one ordinance of God labour to abase the respect of another as they do that say the house of God is a house of praier therfore there needs not so much preaching not considering that our Saviour Christ himselfe
rather to women than to men especially in the new Testament as 1. Tim. 2.9 1. Pet. 3.3 The use may be first to give vs occasion to magnifie the power and mercy of God His mercy that dispiseth not his weake creatures but bestoweth the grace of life upon them His power in that he keepes them in life and preserveth his owne worke of grace vnto the possession of eternall life Secondly it should stirre up women so much the more to use all the Ordinances of God and all helps to make themselves strong in the power of the gifts of grace especially they should get a strong faith in God that they may trust in the power of God that giveth strength to the weake Esay 40. 29 31. 1. Pet. 3.5 It will bee their greater glory if they can overcome their naturall weaknesses especially if they can excell men in the things of the kingdome of God as many times it comes to passe Thirdly all Christians should have those women in great estimation that have overcomne their frailties and doe excell in knowledge and piety and mercy and trust in God Fourthly all women should bee therefore the more humble and apt to feare and judge themselves and more willing to be taught or admonished and more frequent in praier to God to helpe them and keepe them and in particular they should be the more willing to bee ruled by their husbands as knowing it is a mercy of God considering their weaknesse to give them husbands to support them and provide for them and finally they should bee the more faithfull and diligent to doe all the good they can in domesticall affaires seeing by nature they are not fit to manage the greater and more publike services of God The third doctrine concernes Husbands and so they are taught from hence to give the more honour to their wives because of their naturall weaknesse For as it is in the naturall body those members of the body which we thinke lesse honourable upon them wee bestow the more abundant honour 1. Cor. 12.23 24. so it should bee in the Economical body for the wife is unto the husband bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and this honour he should give her and shew it both by taking the more care to provide for her and by cherishing incouraging her the more by hiding covering her frailties as much as he may by not exacting more from her than she is able to performe by helping her all he can by instruction or otherwise Only we must note that he is not bound to honor her the more for sinful infirmities but for naturall defects How he must carrie himselfe towards her in respect of sinfull infirmities or personall faults hath beene shewed before in the manner of his carriage towards her as a man of knowledge And thus of the first reason As being heyres together of the grace of life In these words is contained the second reason taken from the generall dignity of Christians which also extends to Christian wives And concerning the dignitie of Christians five things may be noted out of these words 1 The title of their dignitie They are Heyres 2 What they inherite Life 3 What the cause of this dignitie is viz. Grace 4 In what maner they possesse it viz. Together 5 The persons capable of it Women as well as men From the coherence we may note That if women will have their husbands to honour them they must be religious women and true Christians that have grace as well as worldly portion God requires religion and grace in all wives And the rather should they bee carefull to get grace and become truely religious because it was long of their sexe that sinne came into the world and as by one womans bearing of a childe salvation was brought againe into the world so should they everie one in particular strive to recover their honour by expressing the sound power of a religious life in all faith and charitie and holinesse and sobrietie 1. Tim. 2.14 15. And besides what shall it profite wives to get them jointures on earth and husbands to provide for them while they live here if their soules and bodies perish when they dye and lose the inheritance in heaven and perish they will if they get not true grace And further if they be gracious women if their husbands be so profane as not to make much of them yet they shall be greatly set by of God as was shewed vers 4. But on the other side if they be ignorant and irreligious women it is just with God to deprive them of the comfort of this life and to let their husbands neglect them or abuse them For though their husbands sinne in so doing yet God is just in permitting such a thing for their punishment Secondly another doctrine may be noted from the coherence and that is That in heaven there shall bee no difference betweene husbands and wives but they shall bee all one in Christ alike heires of eternall life Which is to be noted the more to perswade them to submit themselves and endure to be under the rule and authority of their husbands in this world for that estate of inferiority shall not last ever for in heaven God shall be all in all they shall be ruled by God and the Lambe Thus from the Coherence The first thing to be observed about the dignity of Christians in generall is That they are heires Heires The doctrine is That all true Christians are heires Now for the opening of this doctrine two things must be considered 1. How they come to be heires 2. What their glory is in being so For the first Christians are not borne Heires I meane not heires to God as is intended in this place but have it by the grace of adoption God hath but one Heire by generation and that is Christ all his other heires are by adoption such as hee chooseth of his meere Grace and makes them his heires Now the mystery of our adoption must be considered of in this manner A Christian by the Gospell is made a Believer Now faith after an unspeakable manner engrafts him into the body of Iesus Christ Now being engrafted into Iesus Christ who is Gods Sonne hee thereby comes to the power to be the sonne of God and to be an heire with Christ. Christ is Gods Heire and so is all that is grafted upon Christ Ioh. 1.12 Now there is a double Adoption the one imperfect in this life the other perfect which wee shall have after the Resurrection of the dead By the one we have the promise of inheritance and by the other wee shall have full possession Of the first is mention made Rom. 8.15 of the other Rom. 8.23 the first adoption is meant here For the second Adoption is called a glory by an excellence because there is no glory like to it even the adoption to bee heires as it is in this life is the greatest
glory in the world Now the glory of our Adoption may appeare to bee very great if wee consider 1. By whom we are adopted viz. God If it be such a glory to be Heire to any great Prince in the world what a surpassing glory is it to be the sonne and heire of God Rom. 8.17 and that if wee respect either the excellence of God who is the King of all the earth and above all kings or his eternity he is such a Father as lives ever Hos. 1.10 An everlasting Father Esay 9.6 Other Fathers that adopt may dye before they passe the estate or at the best it is a kind of infelicity to enjoy the inheritance without the presence and love of the father But not so here 2. The great price was laid downe to make us capable of this honour to be Gods Heires viz. the blood of Christ. There was never so much paid for all the inheritances in the world besides Gal. 4.4 5. Heb. 9.14 15. 3. The great things we are heires to which I will but briefly touch here Wee are heires not onely to all our eyes can see but to all things our hearts can thinke of Wee shall inherite the earth Mat. 5.5 Wee shall bee heires of the world Rom. 4. God will give us all the world yea we shall inherite eternall life as is to be shewed afterwards yea wee are coheires with Christ Rom. 8.17 And what would wee aske more 4. The great priviledges which Gods adopted children doe enjoy even in this life as 1 They have within them the spirit of Christ in their hearts therefore called The spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 16. Gal. 4.6 The spirit of Christ I say to drive away legall terrors and to testifie to their spirits that they are the sons of God and that he hath adopted them to heaven and to make them able to treat with God as a Father by affectionate prayerâ— and as other Scriptures shew to lead them into all truth and to bee the guide of their lives to tell them when they goe out either on the right hand or on the left And lastly to be their continuall comforter Iohn 16. Esay 30. 2. By the right of their Adoption in Christ both their persons and their workes are accepted before God so as they stand alwaies high in Gods favour howsoever they are entertained in the world Eph. 1.6 3. They have a name and honour shall never bee taken from them an everlasting name no preferment so high as theirs Esay 56.4 5. And this is the greater priviledge because no meannesse or contemptiblenesse of condition on earth can barre them from the enjoying of this prerogative as the coherence of that place shewes 4. They have the Angells of heaven to attend them God shewes by that that hee will have them looked unto as his sonnes and heires Heb. 1. ult 5. They may aske whatsoever they will of God and are sure to have it They may get any suit of God and he is so far from not granting that hee rather complaines that they will not aske him often enough Ioh. 16.23 6. If at any time they fall into distresse they have such interest in Gods speciall providence that a haire of their heads shall not fall to the ground without the providence of their heavenly Father And besides God will make himselfe marvellous in their deliverance if all worldly helpes faile Esay 43.18 19 20 21. 5. If wee consider the wonderfull manner of their communion with Christ and that foure waies For first wee have communion of nature with him and that by his Incarnation for he tooke our nature and so became our Brother And this doth nothing at all belong to Reprobates because Christ tooke not nature polluted with sinne Heb. 2.14 Yea wee have communion with him in his divine nature as that nature doth dwell graciously in us and we are made like unto it 2. Pet. 1.4 Secondly they have communion of state with him which the Scripture acknowledgeth as a great mystery for so they are said to live with him to suffer with him to dye with him to be buried with him yea to rise with him to ascend to heaven with him and to sit together with him Eph. 2. yea to judge the world with him onely preserving the difference betweene the head and the members in all this Thirdly they have communion of offices with him for he hath made them Kings and Priests with him The oyle that was powred on his head hath run downe upon his members Revel 1.5.6 so that Gods heires are all Kings Priests A royall nation and a kingdome of Priests 1. Pet. 2.10 Fourthly they have communion in benefits with him for God as a Father hath blessed them in him with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things Eph. 1.3 Communion they have with him in Grace in this life in Glory in the life to come Lastly if wee consider the assurance that Christians have given them for their right of Adoption for first they have an Act for it in Gods eternal Councel Eph. 1.5 Men that have an Act of Parliament for the holding of their lands they thinke they have a sure tenure and yet many Acts of Parliament may be repealed but the Acts of Gods Councell are like himselfe immutable The godly they are predestinate to Adoption Secondly they have not onely Gods promise for their inheritance but Gods oath that by two immutable things the heires of promise might have abundant consolation as the Apostle shewes Heb. 6.17 18. Thirdly to make all sure God hath put his spirit within them as the seale and earnest of their inheritance Eph. 1.13 14. The use may be 1 For Information and so first to shew the great goodnesse of God to man that not onely requires and gives holinesse but addes also blessednesse to his servants In Iustification and Sanctification he gives to men those good things they call bona virtutos the good things of vertue and in Adoption he gives those good things they call bona conditionis the good things of condition even blessednesse and true happinesse whom God makes holy he will make happy also Secondly it manifestly shewes that we hold all our happinesse not by Merit but by Grace For adopted children cannot plead merit but must acknowledge all of gift as will more appeare when we come to speak of the cause of Inheriting viz. Grace 2 For Instruction and so The first impression this Doctrine should worke upon us should be a desire to be such as may obtaine the right of Adoption of sonnes for flesh and blood cannot inherite 1. Cor. 15.50 So long as wee are carnall and unregenerate men wee neither are nor are to be called the heires of God The unrighteous that is such as live in grosse sinne and doe the workes of the flesh are expressely and peremptorily excluded from the benefit of Adoption 1. Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.21 None but such as are effectually called and borne
of God are capable of this Grace Heb. 9.16 Ioh. 1.13 And in particular wee must have a true justifying faith Ioh. 1.12 For as was shewed before we come to the right of Sonnes onely as wee are ingrafted into Christ upon whom all the inheritance is originally and fundamentally conferred and into Christ wee cannot get but by faith And further wee must looke to the sound mortification of the deedes of the flesh Rom. 8.13 and know that none can inherit but such as ouercome the power of their corruptions and are not in bondage to any sinne Rev. 21.7 And more specially God requires in all such as will be his sonnes that they bee such as are not in bondage to the passions and perturbations of the heart 〈◊〉 for hee hath promised that the meeke shall inherit Mat. 5.5 Thirdly we must forsake all needlesse society familiarity with the wicked of the world if wee will be Gods sonnes and daughters and resolutely refuse to be corrupted with the sinnes of the times as the Apostle shewes at large 2. Cor. 6.17 18. Fourthly wee must be such as are described Esay 56.4 5 6. Wee must make conscience to keepe Gods Sabbaths and chuse the thing will please God being more desirous to please God in all things than naturall children are to please their earthly parents and take hold of Gods Covenant as resting upon this preferment and the promises of it as our sufficient happinesse And that we may be the more established in the knowledge of our Adoption it will bee good for us to try our selves by the signes of such as are Gods adopted children 1 Such as are Gods children by Adoption haue this marke They are made like unto God their Father in holiness in some truth of resemblance 1. Pet. 1.25 And this they shew two waies first by purifying themselves and sound humbling of their soules for their sinnes that deface the Image of God in them as Saint Iohn saith Every one that hath this hope purifyeth himselfe as he is pure 1. Ioh. 3.2 3. Secondly by imploying himselfe constantly in doing righteousnesse for hereby the children of God are knowne from the children of the Divell 1. Ioh. 3.10 2 In the last recited place you may discerne another signe of a sonne and heire to God and that is the love of the godly as his brethren and fellow heires Hee that loveth not the brethren is of the Divell not of God 1. Ioh 3.10 3 The gift of prayer is a signe of Adoption and that we have received the spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 16. By the gift of prayer I meane not the skill to utter words to God in a good form of words and variously but the gift to speake to God in prayer both with confidence in God as in a father and with the affections of praier which the phrase of crying Abba Father imports 4 A Child of God discovers his Adoption by the manner of doing good dueties hee doth serve God not with servile respect but with filiall affection hee loves to be Gods servant as may be gathered Esay 56.6 5 To love them that hate us and blesse them that curse us and doe good to them that persecute us is a signe that wee are children to God as our heavenly father Luk. 6.35 Mat. 5. The second impression that this glory of Adoption should make upon our hearts should be to stir up us to cary our selves in this world as becomes the children heirs to such a father as God is And so in generall it should wonderfully fire us to all possible care to be holy as he is holy and to expresse more to the life the Image of Gods grace and holinesse 1. Pet. 1. 14 15. And that in all manner of conversation striving to carry our selves as the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of this froward and wicked world all sorts of the men of the world being so ready to reproach such as are Gods people that if they will speake evill it may be onely for our good conversation in Christ Phil. 2.15 16. And in particular wee are charged in Scripture with certaine speciall and choise things that doe greatly adorne and grace the life of a child of God that is an heire of heaven if we be Gods heirs and he be our father 1 Wee should be Peace-makers for our father is the God of peace and this will force men to call us the sonnes of God Mat. 5.10 2 Wee must not render reviling for reviling but rather blesse seeing wee are heires of blessing as the Apostle urgeth it ver 9. 3 Wee should live without care as knowing that wee have a heavenly father that careth for us Mat. 6.32 And seeing wee are heires of a better world wee should not love this world nor set our hearts upon such mean things as this world can afford 1. Ioh. 2.15 4 If wee be Gods sonnes wee should be willing to submit our selves to his correction If wee yeeld that power to the fathers of our bodies how much more to the Father of our spirits Heb. 12.9 But especially take heed that we provoke not God by carelesnesse and boldnesse in favouring any corruption Deut. 32.18 19. Thirdly our Adoption should be a singular consolation to us against all the miseries of this life It matters not though our life bee hid and though it doe not appeare to the world what wee are and though wee have many crosses and losses and persecutions yet the thought of our inheritance with God should swallow up all Whatsoever wee are now yet when Christ appeares wee shall appeare in glory and there can be no comparison betweene the suffering of this life and the glory to be revealed upon us Rom. 8.17 Mat. 19.29 Col. 3.2 4. 1 Ioh. 3.2 And that wee may be the more comforted wee should often pray to God to shew us by degrees and to make us know the riches of our inheritance both in what we possesse in this world and what wee looke for in heaven And thus of the title of our dignities We are heires Of life Now follows to consider what we inherit and that is Life We are heires of life It is somewhat a strange speech but yet if wee consider of it Life is a most sweet thing there can be no happinesse without it A living Dog is better than a dead Lyon But as life is to be taken here it is a Treasure above all treasures in the world But the enquirie into it is very difficult it is wonderfull hard to find out what life is especially to describe or define the life here mentioned as the glory of Gods adopted ones Life in Scripture is either naturall or spirituall as for naturall life especially since the fall that is so poore a thing as to be an heire to it is no great preferment By naturall life I meane that life that men live while they are unregenerate I say that life is a very poore thing
these places shew Psal. 30.5 63.7 8. 36.3 16. ult with coherence 3 The entertainment God gives his people in his house is one speciall cause of encrease of this life in us as it encreaseth both knowledge and joy and all goodnesse and satisfies the heart of man especially amongst all the things that are without us the Word of God as it is powerfully preached in Gods house is the food of this life called the savour of life unto life 2. Cor. 2.16 Christs words are the words of eternall life Ioh. 6. see Psal. 36.8 Ioh 12.50 Prov. 4.22 4 Fellowship with the godly is singular to quicken and excite the life of grace and joy and knowledge in us therefore it is an amiable thing for brethren to dwell together in unity because there God hath commanded the blessing even life for evermore Psal. 133. ult Prov. 2.20 The mouth of the righteous is a veine of life Pro. 10.11 Yea the very reproofes of instruction are the way of life Pro. 6.23 And therefore weake Christians should be instructed from hence with faith to rest upon the God of their lives who by the spirit of Christ can inable them to eternall life with thankfulnesse to embrace all signes of Gods favour and presence and above all things in life to provide for themselves powerfull meanes in publike and good society in private and not to be turned off from either of these by slight either objections or difficulties and to resolve to labour more for these than carnall persons would doe to have their naturall lives if they were in distresse or danger It is also excellent counsell which Saint Iude gives in this point concerning eternall life hee would have us looke to foure things The first is to edifie our selves in our most holy faith striving to get in more store of Gods promises and divine knowledges and to strive to establish our hearts in our assurance of our right to them The second is to pray in the holy Ghost for hee knew that powerfull prayer doth greatly further eternall life in us The third is to keepe our selves in the love of God avoiding all things might displease him chusing rather to live under the hatred of all the world than to anger God by working iniquity The fourth is to looke as often and as earnestly as we can after that highest degree of mercy and glory wee shall have in the comming of Christ Iud. 1.19 20. I will conclude this point with that one counsell of Salomon Keepe thy heart with all diligence for there out come the issues of life Christians that would prosper in spirituall life should be very carefull of the first beginnings of sin in their thoughts and desires and bee very diligent in nourishing all good motions of the holy Ghost preserving their peace and joy in beleeving with all good consciences Pro. 4.23 Thus of the fourth point 5 Now for the differences of life in these degrees especially the first and last degree they are very great for though eternall life in the first degree bee a treasure of singular value yet the glory of this life doth greatly excell as it is to be held in another world I entend not to compare life in heaven with naturall life here for that is not worthy to be mentioned in the balance with that eternall life of glory but with eternall life it selfe as it is held by the godly onely in this world And so the difference is very great 1 In respect of the place where the godly lives in each degree 2 In respect of the meanes of preservation of life in each degree 3 In respect of the cōpany w th whō we live in each degree 4 In respect of the quality of life itselfe 5 In respect of the effects of life eternall in each degree For the first there is great difference betweene the life of grace and the life of glory in the very place of living Here we live in an earthly Tabernacle in houses of clay there wee shall live in eternall Mansions buildings that God hath made without hands 2. Cor. 5.1 Here we live on earth there in heaven Here wee are strangers and pilgrims farre from home Heb. 11. there wee shall live in our Fathers house Here wee are in Aegypt there we shall live in Canaan Here we live where death sorrow and sinne and Divells dwell there wee shall live in a place where God and immortality and all holinesse dwells 2. Pet. 3.13 Here wee are but banished men there we stall live in the celestiall Paradise Here wee have no abiding City but there we shall abide in the new Ierusalem that is above The glory of the whole earth can but shadow out by similitude the very walls and gates of that Citie Rev. 21. Here wee can but enter into the holy place there we shall enter into the most holy place Heb. 10.19 To conclude there wee shall enter into the heaven of heavens which for lightnesse largenesse purenesse delightfulnesse and all praises almost infinitely excells the heavens wee enjoy in this visible world For the second in this life unto the preservation of life we have neede of many things as first we neede meate drinke rayment sleepe marriage physicke the light of the Sunne by day and the Moone by night Yea the life of Grace though it consist not in these things yet in a remote consideration hath neede of these that wee may bee the better able to serve God in body and soule But in heaven wee shall neede none of these wee shall bee as the Angells of heaven and God himselfe shall there be all in all and shall fill us with his goodnesse 1. Cor. 15.28 Our life shall subsist in God himselfe who shall satisfie us out of the plenty of his owne glory In that City there will be no need of the Sunne to shine by day or of the Moone to give light by night for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lambe shall bee the light thereof and there shall bee no night there Rev. 21.23 22.5 Esay 2.60.19 Secondly in this world wee neede the helpe of superiours as Kings Rulers Parents Husbands Teachers c. But in that world inferiority and subjection shall cease when wee shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God Mat. 8.11 and so all the first things shall then be done away Rev. 21.4 Thirdly in this world wee need spirituall meanes for our soules and the helpe of divers gifts in the Spirit which serve for our furtherance in the way to eternal life Our soules cannot live without a Temple on earth without the Word and Prayer and Sacraments but in that new Ierusalem S. Iohn saw no Temple in it there is no preaching nor praying there wee shall not neede any nor have cause to mourne for the want of it as many times we doe now for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the Temple
the knowledge of Prophets or Apostles on earth The fift difference is in the effects of our Knowledge for from our knowledge and this celestiall light flowes righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost which the Apostle Paul makes to bee the parts of the kingdome of God and so both in this life and in heaven Rom. 14.17 And unto these three heads may bee referred all things that concerne the glory of eternall life and all these are held with great difference in each degree of eternall life For though wee have righteousnesse and peace and joy now in the truth of them yet we have them not as wee shall have them in heaven as will appeare if we consider of them distinctly First for righteousnesse Here it is the greatest burthen of life unto the godly that they are not able to serve God as they desire the imperfections of their gifts the corruption of their natures the daily infirmities that discover themselves in their conversations make life many times more bitter than death would be to them as appeareth by Saint Paul Rom. 7. But there all that is imperfect shall bee done away there shall be no danger of displeasing God for wee shall be made perfect in all parts and degrees of holinesse our nature shall be perfect like the nature of God our members shall never more be servants unto unrighteousnesse and our soules shall exactly resemble God in all perfection of goodnesse and gifts Here the glory of mans inheritance lyeth in the goodnesse of things without them there it shall consist principally in an everlasting goodnesse confirmed upon themselves We shall be without spot and wrinkle Eph. 5.27 Wee shall be as hee is in holinesse 1. Ioh. 3.2 Here is our griefe that our hearts cannot be so filled with the love of God and the godly as they should bee there our hearts shall burne with an eternall inflamation of affections towards God and the blessed ones without any interruption or decay wee shall never more be troubled with hardnesse of heart discouragement feare distractions inordinate desires and perturbations Yea our holinesse shal be better than Adams in Paradise for he had a power not to sinne but we shal have no power at all to sin Yea in relation to Christ it shall be better with us then than it is now for now we are reckoned just men only by the benefite of Christs righteousnesse imputed to us but then we shall be made so perfectly holy by inherent righteousnesse that wee shall stand everlasting righteous before God by the righteousnesse that is in us Imputation shall there cease for ever when Christ hath delivered up the kingdome to God the Father and when Faith shall bee done away Lastly the difference in this point may further appear in the freedome of our will In this life many times our wills are not free to desire to doe the good we should doe and most an end want power to execute what we desire but there shall be all libertie so as we shal never want either desire or power to accomplish what may be for Gods everlasting glory or our owne felicity Secondly for peace there is great difference for first in this life we have but little peace in respect of the miseries of life Somtimes we have but little inward peace our hearts being unquiet with fear or grief or discouragement or passions or else our consciences are unquiet eyther because God fights against us to try us or to humble us or we fight against our selves through ignorance unbeleef or distresse for sin Somtimes when our spirits are quiet and there is a truce from inward warre we then want outward peace eyther men are unreasonable molest us without cause in our estates or names or else God afflicts us in body with paine and weakenesse or in estate sometime with easie crosses like small raine sometimes with greater crosses like some fierce stormes Now in heaven there shall be an eternall cessation of all miserie there shall be no curse and affliction shall be cast into the Sea Rev. 22.3 Secondly our Sabbath or dayes of rest which God hath consecrated and blessed to us as the chiefe joy of our lives proves many times dayes of sorrow and affliction because eyther our bodies are molested with paine or our soules distressed for want of powerfull meanes or for want of abilitie to keepe a Sabbath unto God or for want of joy in our soules But in heaven we shall have an eternall Sabbath not one day in seven but all our dayes rest without labour and solace of heart without any difficultie in our selves or interruption without us God and the Lambe will be an eternall Temple to make our rest for ever glorious We shall be freed from all the labours of life from all pain difficultie in serving God and our workes shall be all easie and full of delight even the praising of God for ever Rev. 14.12 Heb. 4.9 Thirdly for Ioy there is great difference both in the causes and in the measure and in the continuance of it The causes of our Ioy shall be the highest can befall a creature Here while we are present with the bodie and the blessings of life we are absent from the Lord the infinite life of our lives but there we shall enjoy him as fully as our hearts can desire 2. Cor. 5.8 Here we want our crown whatsoever else we enjoy but there our honour and glory and majestie shall be so great as if all the Kings of the earth did bring their glory to one man it would not equall what every one shall have there 2. Tim. 4.8 Revel 2.24 3.21 wee shall raigne in life Rom. 5. And this Crowne is the more glorious because it shall not consist of some precious thing without us but of royall excellency with which our soules and bodies shall shine as the Sunne in the firmament our very bodies in qualitie being altered to such an expression of majestie and beautie and angelicall excellencie as now exceeds all mortall language being rather like spirits than earthly bodies And for the measure now we have but little tastes of joy and if these tastes be unspeakeable and glorious what are those rivers of joy at Gods right hand Psal. 16. ult And for continuance they are for evermore as the Psalmist there speakes whereas now they are gone from us like lightning in an instant and our lives are afterward assaulted almost continually with causes or occasion of sorrow so as the world in the best place is but like a vale of teares but there shall be no sorrow no death no crying nor paine but God shall wipe away all teares from our eyes for ever Revel 21.4 6 Thus of the differences of life on earth and life in heaven What men must doe that they may enter into life followes And about this point our Saviour tells us two things beforehand First that the way to
Thirdly this should greatly move true Christians to strive after this vertue and to expresse it lively and shew it forth in all the fruits of it as first by declaring our affection to the afflicted with all tendernesse of heart and words of comfort secondly by using all our meanes and power to relieve them and helpe them out of distresse thirdly by pouring out our soules before God for them Love as brethren This is the third duetie charged upon them viz. the exercise of brotherly love This is vehemently urged in many Scriptures Rom. 12.10 Heb. 13.1 Ioh. 13.34 1. Ioh. 2.7 4.21 Now for the explication of this doctrine foure things would be distinctly considered of viz. 1 Who are brethren 2 What priviledge they have by the brotherhood or by being brethren 3 For what reasons we should so love them 4 With what kinde of love we should love them For the first Men become brethren one to another manie wayes as first by propagation when they are borne of the same bloud and so the children of the same parents are brethren and in a remoter sense kinsmen of the same bloud are brethren Luke 8.19 Secondly by Nation when men are countreymen they are called brethren especially when they descend originally from the fountaine of the same ancient families and so the people of the twelve Tribes were brethren Exod. 2.11 Thirdly by profession especially the profession of Religion makes all professors brethren Act. 11.1 1.16 And this was one of the first titles of love and relation in the Christian world Fourthly communion with Christ and so wee become brethren eyther by his incarnation Heb. 2.16 17. or in respect of our mystical union with him in his mysticall bodie Col. 1.2 Matth. 25.40 And so we are brethren with the Angels as they also are joined under this head Christ Iesus Rev. 19.10 22. So then if any aske who are the brethren here meant that wee must so love I answer they are such as are professors with us of the same religion fellow members of the body of Christ. But that we may more plainly see who are meant by brethren in the Scriptures it will bee profitable to observe that they are described by their holinesse The brethren we must love are such as are partakers of the holy calling Heb. 3.1 such as are begotten of God 1 Ioh. 5.1 such as will doe the will of God by sound practise Mat. 12.47 49. They are the holy brethren wee are here charged to love 1. Thes. 5.27 For the second our relation to the Godly as brethren ought not to be dispised for as wee are brethren by religion wee enjoy many excellent prerogatives for thereby wee partake of a heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 wee stand all in relation to God as his owne children by adoption Eph. 4.6 and so peace and the blessing of God as a father is upon us all Eph. 6.23 Gal. 6.16 and we are greatly beloved of God Rom. 1.7 and brought up in the same family Eph. 3.17 fed with the same diet and entertainment in Gods house and estated into an inheritance better than all the kingdomes of the world Rom. 9.17 And hereby also wee enjoy the fruit of the love of all the godly in the world even those that know us not in the face For the third There are many reasons why we should love the godly as our brethren above all the people in the world For first if to be all the children of one father have such a power over the naturall affections of men then should it not bee without power in religion Secondly this is charged upon us above many other things yea above all things wee should put on love Col. 3.14 and yet he had reckoned many excellent vertues before This was the speciall and one of the last commandements of our blessed Saviour which hee gave in charge when hee was going to his death 1. Ioh. 3.23 Ioh. 13. 34. Thirdly because this love comes of God and is a signe that God is in us and dwells in us and that wee doe indeed love God himselfe 1. Iohn 4.7 8 12 16 20 21. Fourthly wee have the example of God himselfe and Christ his Sonne that love them as their peculiar treasure above all the world and hee shewed them love by unspeakable benefits 1. Ioh. 4. 11 10. Fiftly because our soules will thrive and be edified as brotherly love is continued and encreased in us Eph. 4.16 Sixtly because the Godly they must bee our everlasting companions in heaven 1. Pet. 4.8 1. Cor. 13.8 and if we cannot see so much it is because wee are purblinde 2. Pet. 1. For the fourth point if any aske with what kinde of love wee should love them I answer that our love must have many properties in it 1 It must be a naturall love that is such a love as is not by constraint but ariseth out of our dispositions and inclinations as wee are made new Creatures in Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 8.8 2 It must be a sincere love a love without dissimulation Rom. 12.10 not in word but in deed 1. Ioh. 3.18 3 It must be a fervent love wee must love them earnestly and with great affection above all other people 1. Pet 4.8 brotherly kind love 2. Pet. 1.7 4 It must be a pure love that comes from a pure heart 1. Tim. 1.5 and projects not any iniquity 1. Cor. 13.6 and therefore must be a love in the Spirit Col. 1.8 5 It must be a diligent love that will expresse it by the daily fruits of it upon all occasions a labouring and working love 1. Thes. 1.3 Heb. 6.10 6 It must bee a speedy love that will not put off or delay a love that will not say Goe and come againe tomorrow Prov. 3.28 7 It must be an humble love a love that would ever serve the brethren not doe them good only Gal. 5.13 And that is further shewed by not respecting persons but loving all the Saints even those that are poore or sicke or in temptations or fallen by weaknesse Eph. 1.15 Prov. 19.7 Iam. 2. and that is also shewed by carrying our selves with all lowlinesse and meekenesse of minde in all long suffering and forbearing one another Eph. 4.2 8 It must be a constant love wee must love alwaies as well as earnestly Gal. 4.18 9 It must be a growing love that will still encrease and abound Phil. 1.9 1. Thes. 4.10 The use may be divers for Vse 1. First carnall Christians are by this doctrine sharply to be reprooved for their want of love to the brethren and for all the courses by which they shew their dislike or hatred of godly Christians This verie sinne is grievous in the sight of God for for this sinnes sake when they hate a godly Christian because his workes are better than theirs God reckons of them but as Cainites the seed of Cain yea as the children of the Divel 1. Ioh. 3.10 yea God will reckon
will witnesse for him to his singular joy 2. Cor. 1.12 The daily encouragements of a good conscience are like a continuall feast within 3 From God and so they have Gods blessing certaine and this is a great inheritance and hath so much happinesse in it as it should swallow up all the grievance of afflictions and the contempts and scornes of the world It is enough if wee have Gods blessing Now that this point may bee distinctly beaten out wee must understand that true Christians may be said to inherite Gods blessing first in a more restrained sense and then in a more large sense In a restrained sense blessing may here be taken for Gods comfortable speaking for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies blessing by words so it answers to the coherence If they will use good words to men God will speake good words to them And in this sense we may hence gather That Gods naturall language to the called of Iesus Christ is blessing or comfortable words God will speake to his people peace Psal. 84.5 and therefore hee gives a charge to his Ministers to speake comfortably to Ierusalem Esay 40.1 2. Secondly that Gods elect never finde this till they have their calling Thirdly that it is a great inheritance in this life to have God to speake well to us Fourthly that if the fault be not in us we shall never have God speake otherwise It is our inheritance to comfort us against all the miseries of life And therefore Ministers that are the mouth of God should studie comfort much and those Christians that desire to have the fruit of their inheritance in this thing should provide to live in such places where God speakes to men And those Ministers have a great account to make that set themselves to speake disgracefully and terribly to such as feare God striving to discourage their hearts and to strengthen the hands of the wicked Thus of the restrained sense onely note by the way That God speakes good words both for his people behinde their backes and to his people before their faces They inherite Gods good word for them in their absence Thus God speakes excellently in the praise of Iob to the Divell before the Angells Iob 1. 2. and thus hee can speake in the consciences of the greatest on earth in praise of his people as Esay 41.9 Now in the generall sense Gods people enjoy this blessing many waies and that both in this life and in the life to come In this life they have his blessin 1 In temporall things of all sorts hee makes the earth blesse them and the heavens and the waters Gen. 49.25 hee blesseth them in the City and in the field in the fruit of their bodies and of the ground and of their cattell in their Basket and in their store when they come in and when they goe out yea God will command the blessing upon them in their storehouses upon all they set their hands to he will open his good treasures unto them and blesse all the worke of their hands Deut. 28.2 3 4 5 6 8 12. And if they enjoy not so much in quality of these things as some wicked men yet they have a faire portion and a good blessing because that they have is blessed both in the originall of it and in the nature of it and in the use of it and in their right to it 2 In the meanes of grace and salvation and so they enjoy the blessing of God in his house-keeping and great is thâ—â—â— blessing where with God blesseth his people in his house on his holy hill and round about The Lord hath long since promised to make all the places about his holy hill blessings Yea there Gods people doe receive showers of blessing every powerfull Sermon is as a shower of blessing every doctrine being as a blessed drop of instruction or comfort Ezech. 34.26 Exod. 20.24 Psal. 132.15 3 In the gifts of grace and so he hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things A poore Christian carrieth about with him in his heart more treasure than all the Monarchs of the world being not true Christians can any way possesse or command Eph. 1.3 Thus of Gods blessing in this life After this life who can recount the glory of their inheritance in the blessing they shall have then from God Oh that our hearts could be enlarged to thinke of the power of these words of Christ at the last day Come yee blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world The use should be for great comfort to all true Christians They have great cause to rejoyce in their fathers blessing all their daies and the rather if they consider that Gods blessing as a Father is better than the blessing of any earthly father For an earthly fathers blessing is most an end but verball in words Gods blessing is reall in deeds A father on earth cannot derive blessing to his childe from himselfe but from God whereas Gods blessing is from himselfe Besides if an earthly father would blesse his childe yet hee wants power to give him what he desires but God our Father is almighty able to give as much as he wisheth Gen. 28.3 Finally an earthly fathers blessing may bee lost as Chams was but Gods blessing cannot be lost hee will blesse with everlasting mercy Secondly such as yet enjoy not the priviledge of Gods called ones should be greatly stirred up with desire to get this blessing even to have Gods blessing Let no man bee prophane like Esaâ— to contemne Gods blessing but seeke it while it may be had Heb. 12.17 Que. But what should we doe to get Gods blessing Ans. First you must diligently resort to Gods house for there God hath commanded the blessing Psal. 133.3 and bee carefull and attentive hearers of Gods Word for the ground that drinketh in the raine receiveth a blessing from God Heb. 6.7 the raine of instruction must soake into your hearts 2 You must turne you every one from all your transgressions if you will have Gods blessing in his Son Iesus Act. 3.26 without sound repentance Gods blessing will not be had Men must not thinke to get Gods blessing and doe after the things they doe now a daies every one that is right in his owne eyes Deut. 12.7 8. Finally wee must be all such as feare God truly Psal. 115.13 and such as will not lift up their soules to follow vanity but get cleane hands and a pure heart for such onely shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of their salvation Psal. 24.4.5 and to this end we must carefully hearken to Gods voice and observe to doe all that he commandeth us Deut. 15.4.5.6 Lastly Gods owne children that have felt the comfort of Gods blessing must be admonished to carry themselves so as they may grow in the comforts of it more and more