carries them in his Bosom and gently Leads them and accordingly there are these two Points of Doctrine that are most eminently and clearly held forth in the Text. Doct. 1. That Jesus Christ is that Blessed Shepherd that is able both to feed and protect his People here and to give them eternal Life hereafter Doct. 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ in his carriage towards his People hath a tender respect to their Infirmities I begin with the first Doctrine The Lord Jesus Christ is that blessed Shepherd that is abundantly able to feed and protect his People here and to give them eternal life hereafter For the proof of this Doctrine take two or three Scriptures in Joh. 10.11 I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep and in Heb. 13.20 He is called the great Shepherd of the Sheep Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant c. And he is called the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls in 1 Pet. 2.20 For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls so that doubtless Jesus Christ is the most blessed the best the greatest the sweetest Shepherd that ever was as will appear by these four reasons First Because he hath the greatest care over them Secondly Because he hath the greatest love to his Sheep Thirdly Beeause he hath the greatest power that ever Shepherd had Fourthly Because he hath the greatest reward for them that can possibly be bestowed First Jesus Christ hath the greatest care over his Sheep for he seeks them when they are lost I come says he to seek and to save those which were lost Luk. 1.9 20 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost And he gathers them from the ends of the world he fetches them from all corners of the earth there is not one of his sheep that is not one that belongs to the election of grace but in what place soever he be though among Pagans Heathens and Infidels of what condition soever he be whether high or low rich or poor noble or ignoble of what calling or employment soever As some will be ready to complain and say I am lockt up under a Calling I would be better if my Calling would let me I but there is not one of Christs sheep that belongs to the election of Grace though he be lockt up under a Calling but the Lord Jesus Christ will seek him out in what condition or Calling soever he be That 's the first reason He hath the greatest care over his sheep to gather them into his Fold 2dly Because he hath the greatest love to his sheep such love as the like was never heard of Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend John 15.13 There cannot be greater love manifested than this but such love hath the Lord Jesus Christ he hath laid down his life that good Shepherd laid down his life for his sheep as in the forenamed place John 10.11 I am the good Shepherd the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep You know Jacob sheweth a great deal of love to his sheep in that as he tells you he was in the day-time parched with heat the drought consumed him and in the night-time pinched with frost and he broke his sleep many times to watch his sheep Gen. 31.40 My sleep says he departed from mine eyes That was great love but David shewed greater love to his Flocks Psal 78.70 he followed the Ewes great with young when God took him from the Sheepfolds to wield the Scepter And he shewed yet greater love to his Flock as he tells you in 1 Sam. 17.34 35 And David said unto Saul Thy servant kept his Fathers sheep and there came a Lion and a Bear and took a Lamb out of the stock and I went out after him smote him delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me I caught him by his beard and smote him and slew him thy servant slew both the Lion and the Bear David ventured very far he ventured his life for one Lamb of the Flock but Jesus Christ that blessed Shepherd did not only venture his life but he laid down his life for his sheep and he did not venture to grapple with an ordinary Lion but with that roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour Nay he did not only wrestle with that roaring Lion but with all the powers of darkness he wrestled with principalities and powers Nay he wrestled with the wrath of a sin-revenging God and all that he might save his poor sheep therefore never was there such a loving Shepherd as the Lord Jesus Christ That 's the second reason Thirdly He hath the greatest power and ability that ever Shepherd had for this is extraordinary that he makes all the sheep he hath all his sheep are the workmanship of his hands Psalm 100.3 Know ye that the Lord he is God it is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture He hath that power that he can do whatsoever pleaseth him in heaven and in earth All power in heaven and carth is given to him Matth. 26.18 He hath that power that he is able to deliver his sheep from the gates of hell He hath said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against them Matth. 16.18 He hath that power that he can do that for his sheep that all the world and all the Princes in the world cannot do for them and therefore he must needs be the best Shepherd That 's the third reason Fourthly He hath the greatest reward also to bestow upon every one of his sheep Alas his sheep give nothing to him My goodness does not extend to thee Psalm 16.2 We can bestow nothing upon this blessed Shepherd he hath no need of any thing we have I but he bestows a very rich portion upon his sheep a glorious reward he feeds them he cloaths them he protects them here in this world and gives them eternal life hereafter First This blessed Shepherd feeds all his sheep he feeds them first by his Word and then by his Sacraments He feeds them by his Word by sending his Messengers as under-Shepherds to feed his Flock It is a Gospel-promise that in Jer. 3.15 I will give you Pastors according to my own heart which shall feed you with knowledg and understanding And it was one end of our Saviours ascention into Heaven and a great blessing we have by it he ascended into heaven that he might give gists unto men Ephes 4.8 11 12 13 verses Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men and he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and
hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me John 17.24 The sight of Christs glory in heaven is that which makes heaven to be Heaven It was a good speech of Luther Heaven without Gods presence would be but as a Box without a Jewel Now if this Beatifical Vision as it is called the beholding of the glory of Christ in Heaven be such a happiness Oh what is it to be excluded and thrust out from the glorified presence of Christ never to see his face You know when Saint Paul told the Disciples at Ephesus Acts 20.25 38 And now behold that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more This cut them to the heart this occasioned so much sorrowing and sadness because he said You shall see my face no more Now if that were matter of so much sadness never to see the Apostles face more Oh what will it be when Jesus Christ shall say to such an one Thou shalt never see my face Go thou cursed wretch get thee away from me go to Hell to the Devil and damned spirits there there shall be thy portion for ever and ever This is the first Reason to shew how unvaluable how unconceivable this loss is the coming short of Heaven is the loss of Gods presence 2. The second Reason is this They that come short of Heaven as they lose the presence of God so they lose the favour love mercy and compassion of God the favour of God is better than life Psalm 63.3 Because thy loving-kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee because when this life is gone the favour of God towards his Elect will last to all eternity therefore it is better than life but they that come short of Heaven lose this favour of God all pity all mercy all compassion all hope of favour shall then be utterly taken away God will be so far from shewing favour to them that he will laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh as desolation and their destruction as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon them as it is Prov. 1.26 27 They shall lose not only the favour of God but the favour of all their Friends that they have enjoyed here upon earth they shall lose the favour of their Fathers and Mothers of Husbands and Wives and Children and bosom-Friends for although they were nearly related to them yet if they come to heaven and themselves excluded those glorified Saints that are in heaven will abandon them with detestation and derision nay they will rejoyce in their destruction and in the execution of Gods justice and vengeance upon them Psal 58.10 The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance a glorified Father in Heaven shall rejoyce in the destruction and condemnation of a damned Son a glorified Yoke-fellow in Heaven shall rejoyce in the destruction and damnation of such a Yoke-fellow as is condemned No prayers no tears no sobs nor supplications no cryings to the mountains to fall upon them shall one whit avail there shall be no Mediator none in heaven or earth to plead for them or to speak one word on their behalf This is the second Reason They that come short of Heaven lose the favour of God 3. They that come short of Heaven as they lose the presence of God and the favour of God so they lose the fruition of God the enjoyment of God in eternal happiness they lose a Crown that is incorruptible undefiled that fades not away that is reserved for the Saints in light they lose an inheritance an everlasting inheritance If the loss of an earthly comfort suppose it be of a dear Wife or hopeful Child or a bosom Friend or an outward Estate of an Inheritance of a thousand pounds a year if the loss of a stately House or the loss of a rich Ship at Sea doth many times so affect a man that it goes to his very heart you know what Jacob said If Benjamin be taken away my dearly beloved son Benjamin then said he shall I go to my grave mourning my gray hairs will be brought with sorrow to the grave Gen. 42.38 If an earthly loss the loss of an earthly comfort do so affect and afflict a man O what will the loss of an everlasting Kingdom of everlasting Glory of everlasting Happiness of those everlasting Pleasures that are at the right hand of God which eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive O how will this loss torture and torment the soul and make such a one cry out in anguish and extream bitterness Oh cursed beast that I was to me was the Gospel preacht in power and purity I lived in a City where heavenly Manna was dropping down every day on the week-day as well as on the Lords day to me was Jesus Christ proffered in all his beauty and imbroidery nay the Ministers of the Gospel did woe me intreat me invite me and beseech me as if Jesus Christ himself had been upon his knees beseeching me to be reconciled to me was Salvation tendred but I neglected all I slighted all and now must I for ever endure those torments that might have been escaped and must for ever be deprived of those joys that might have been gained I might have been what now I am not O that I might be any thing rather than what I now am O that I might be a Toad or a Serpent or any thing or nothing The consideration therefore of this loss the loss of happiness the loss of such a happiness the loss of an eternal happiness will rend the caul of their hearts in a thousand thousand pieces the tears of hell will not be sufficient to bewail the loss of Heaven especially if you take in but these three aggravations of this loss 1. They that lose this eternal happiness shall look upon others that have gained it they shall look upon the Saints and Servants of Christ that are now in joy in that unconceivable Glory whereof themselves come short and this will be an eternal Corrosive to their consciences so saith our Saviour Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out All the blessed Saints and Servants of God received into Heaven and themselves shut out that is one aggravation 2. Take in this aggravation also That this loss of eternal happiness is ever accompanied with the punishment of sense if it were only a punishment of loss it was a dreadful punishment but the punishment of loss never goes alone they that lose Heaven must have Hell for their portion they must have those unconceivable tortures and torments which infinitely surpass the capacity and comprehension of such poor creatures as we are Alas we know not
all that he may buy the Pearl for as Jesus Christ may be called A Pearl of Price so may this Heavenly Inheritance be called A Pearl though not of that price that Jesus Christ is of yet a Pearl of price too Now when men will not part with all in cafe it come to that point to get this Pearl they despise and undervalue this blessed Inheritance Every man would be contented to come to Heaven so he might come in his own way on his own terms and in his own time If he may come to Heaven in his own way that is Heaven and the World Heaven and his lusts Heaven and his own ends and interests together Or if he may have Heaven upon his own terms namely to live as he list to take Jesus Christ as a Saviour but not as a Prince to take him as a Redeemer but not as a Ruler Or if he may have Heaven in his own time namely when he lies upon his Death-bed when his sick Bed is ready to deliver him over to his cold Grave but all his life long he would prosecute his own ends and interest and live to himself more than to Jesus Christ every man on Earth would be contented to have Heaven on these terms But now when it comes to this that a man that will have this Heavenly Inheritance must have it in Christs way in a way of Holiness Be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1.16 And without holiness none shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 And when it comes to this that if a man will have Heaven he must have it on Christs own terms which is that thou must be contented to serve me as well as to be saved by me and to be contented to be ruled by me as well as to be redeemed by me thou must be contented to bear my Cross as well as to wear my Crown And when it comes to this that a man must have Heaven in Christs own time what time is that To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Heb. 3.7 Put not off your repentance from day to day set about the work with all your might set about it without any further procrastination or delay Now here it sticks rather than men will have Heaven on these terms they resolve they will never have Heaven they will let it go Fourthly Then men may be accounted or said to despise Heaven when Heaven is not accounted worthy those difficulties or discouragements that they must fustain in the pursuit of those glorious hopes Thus with the Israelites when the Spies came from Canaan and told them True the Land is an excellent Land but let 's tell you there are Giants Anakims walled Towns there will be a great deal of difficulty before you get possession and if you will possess the Land you must fight for it it will cost you the lives of many of you before you obtain it Oh now upon this report they were ready to stone Caleb and Joshua those two that told them that they were able to conquer the Inhabitants and that they were but as bread for them and their strength was departed they were ready I say to stone them when they heard of the difficulties of obtaining the Land of Canaan and they would rather go back again into Egypt than fight for Canaan we will rather go back to our Leeks and Onions and Garlick than have this pleasant Land if we must fight and adventure our lives for it So here when faint-hearted cowardly Christians hear that through much tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3.12 And when they hear that truth which our Saviour tells them Mark 8 34 If you will be my Disciples you must take up your Cross and follow me As good Soldiers that follow their Captain through dirt and mire and blood And that they must be hated of all men for the sake of Jesus Christ Matth. 10.22 And that they must endure hardship in the World Matth. 5. Though their sorrow shall be turned into joy Say they If we cannot have Heaven but upon these terms we will have none of it we will rather have the pleasure of sin for a season we will lye and swear and cozen and cog and flatter and temporize and swim with every stream and lose the peace of our Consciences we will rather chuse to sleep in a whole skin though with gauled Consciences before we will have Heaven upon such terms we will have our ease we cannot abide difficulties and discouragements which are in the way that leads to Heaven this is a despising of the pleasant Land That is the first Query When may a man be said to despise this heavenly Inheritance But in the second place Secondly For Explication How comes it to pass that men are so ready to despise and to undervalue such a glorious Inheritance an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens 1 Pet. 1.4 A Kingdom that cannot be shaken Heb. 12.28 To despise those glorious and unconceivable joys that are at the right hand of God for evermore Psalm 16.11 I profess a man would wonder that any unless they were bereav'd of their reason unless they had lost their senses feeling that ever any man should part with such glorious hopes hopes of such a glorious Inheritance that surpasses what eye hath seen or ear heard or whatever the heart of man can conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 But I will tell you the reason the Reasons briefly are these First Men despise this glorious Inheritance because they know not the worth of it John 4.10 Jesus answered and said unto her If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water So if men did but know what this heavenly Inheritance is Oh were they but with Moses Deut. 32.49 to stand upon Mount Nebo to see this Land afar off to see but a glimpse of it Or if they were with Paul 2 Cor. 12. wrapt up into Heaven one day nay but a few hours they would adventure to get through the narrow Wicker the narrow Dore though an Angel with a drawn Sword kept the passage as you read an Angel did keep the Gate of Paradise Gen. 3.24 If a man saw but one glimpse of that eternal glory he would cry out as that Father Dominus hic affligas hic corrigas corpus maximis doloribus afficias c. modo in eternum parcas Oh Lord Cut me here wound me here burn me here let all the pains of Hell come upon my body so my poor Soul may be saved so I may come to that eternal Inheritance But men are ignorant and know not the worth of it therefore they do not prize it Secondly Men undervalue this heavenly Inheritance because they
what sin is there so gross and grievous that an unbeliever will not run into If a man believe not the threatnings he will practice no good For example if a man do but believe that terrble Scripture Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death If a man did believe that Scripture durst he be a Coward to betray the Truths of God God speaks of the fearful ones in that sense to be cowardly Christians did he believe this durst he be such an abominable wretch to run into such abominable blasphemies which are not to be named which are belched out against God in these days Durst he be an Idolater a Lyar a Swearer certainly he durst not but he does not believe the Threatnings of God If a Tyrant should threaten any of you with the Rack or Strapado which would break your bones Oh what terror and trembling would take hold of you how would you fall down at his feet and seek his face and favour yet that Tyrant could take away nothing but a poor miserable mortal life But the great God of Heaven he threatens Sinners with the punishment of loss the loss of his presence of his favour of fellowship with him in Glory nay he threatens with the punishment of Sense those unconceivable tortures and torments in Hell for ever to all Eternity and yet Sinners do not tremble at this great God they do not fall down and seek his face and savour What is the reason because they believe not If so be a faithful man that was never yet known to break his word and a man of a great Estate that was able to make good his promise if he should promise any of you an Inheritance of two or three hundred by the year you would believe that man on his word and you would seek to please him you would prize his favour but now the great God of Heaven and Earth that was never yet known to break his Word he tells you of an heavenly Inheritance incorruptible undefiled reserved in Heaven and yet do you not seek to please him or prize his favour or obey him what 's the reason Because you believe not his Word So the truth is unbelief is the Mother of all disobedience That 's the second Reason Thirdly Unbelief is a sin thus dangerous and destructive to the Soul because God hath provided more Antidotes and Remedies against this sin of unbelief than against any other sin to cure this sin of Unbelief First God hath given us his Word which is a most faithful Word Heaven and Earth shall pass away saith our Saviour but my words shall not pass away Matth. 24.35 Secondly God hath given us his Promises Now all his Promises are sure and certain Yea and Amen God is faithful and will make good his promises 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him are Amen unto the glory of God by us Thirdly He hath given us his Covenant and this Covenant is sure and stedfast and ordered in all things an everlasting Covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ and cannot be altered 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow Fourthly He hath given us his Oath Ezek. 16.8 Yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Now an Oath you know is the strongest bond of assurance between man and man And the Apostle speaking of the Word of God and of the Oath of God that they are two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6.17 18 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of the Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us As it is impossible for God to die because he is life it self so it is impossible for God to lye because he is Truth it self Fifthly Because he hath given us his Seal also he hath given us his outward Seal which is the Sacrament both the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper he hath given us also his inward Seal which is the Witness and Testimony of his own blessed Spirit sealing us up to the day of Redemption Sixthly He hath given us Experiences former Experiences and latter Experiences the Experience of all the Saints that have gone before us Psalm 22.4 Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them So in Psalm 34.6 This poor man cryed speaking of himself when he was in as low a condition as ever he was in scrabling on the ground and feigning himself mad 1 Sam. 21.13 says he This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his trouble Therefore others will be exceeding glad when they hear how graciously he hath dealt with them So in Psalm 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Now God hath given us experiences he hath given us all these Antidotes and Preservatives against unbelief hearken therefore O Unbeliever Well If thou do not believe thou must perish everlastingly God remains faithful and cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself But if thou do believe and perish if thou do believe and yet art damned then God hath broken his Word and broken his Promise and broken his Covenants and broken his Oath and broken the Seals of his Covenant which is as impossible as for God to cease to be God You see God hath provided so many Remedies and Antidotes against Unbelief therefore unbelief is such a dangerous and destructive sin It is observable when our Saviour came to his own Countrey that was Nazareth and preach'd to his own Country-men and did Miracles among them they believed not The Text says Mark 6.6 He marvelled because of their unbelief You do not read he marvelled at other sins as Ignorance Hypocrisie Pride Covetousness c. but our Saviour marvelled at their unbelief Oh when men shall sin against the Word of God and the Promise of God and the Covenant of God and the Oath of God and the Seal of God Heaven and Earth may stand amazed at their incredible incredulity Thus you see the Point opened For the Vse and Application of the Point First By way of Examination I beseech you to bring your hearts to the Touch-stone and see whether you be
work of Grace in us Thirdly The Graces of the Spirit which likewise are purchased by him are precious Graces Faith is a precious Grace as it is called 2 Pet. 1.2 Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious Faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ that the tryal of your Faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth The tryal of Gold is the worst thing that belongs to Gold and the tryal of Faith is the worst thing that belongs to Faith yet saith the Apostle The tryal of your Faith is much more precious than that of Gold 1 Pet. 1.7 So Repentance that is a precious Grace because it is Repentance unto life as the Apostle calls it Acts 11.18 When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto life And Hope that is a stedfast Grace it is the Anchor of the Soul And Love that is a lovely Grace it brings the Soul into nearer Communion with God Then Wisdom that is a precious Grace a shining Grace A mans wisdom maketh his face to shine saith Solomon Eccles 8.1 And Job speaking of Wisdom saith he Job 28.12 13 But where shall Wisdom be sound and where is the place of Vnderstanding Man knoweth not the price thereof neither is it found in the Land of the Living it is of more price than Rubies it is of an invaluable price And Humility that is an honourable Grace And Fear that is a preserving Grace And Patience that is a supporting Grace And Perseverance that is a Crowning Grace All these Graces are precious Graces and they are all of them bestowed upon us meerly upon the account of Christs merits Fourthly The Priviledges that we have by Jesus Christ they are precious Priviledges U-union with him and Communion in his Life and Death and Resurrection and Comforts access to God the Father and that with boldness Fifthly The Promises that are sealed by his blood they are precious Promises promises for this life and promises for the life to come that Promise That all shall work together fer good to them that love God a big-bellied promise as I may so say All things work together for good and our prayers and our persons shall be accepted Lastly The Inheritance that he hath purchased for us is a precious Inheritance An incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven In brief Such is the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ that compare him with the most precious things that can be named and you shall see they are but vile and base in comparison of him For Example 1. The Souls of men and women they are said to be precious but Oh how infinitely precious is Jesus Christ whose blood is a valuable and equivalent price for the Souls of all the men and women in the world 2. Light is said to be precious Christ said of himself I am the light of the world John 8.12 Light is precious to those that are in a Dungeon of darkness Now says Jesus Christ I am the light of the world 3. Truth is precious so precious that we are to buy it at any rate and sell it at no rate Jesus Christ says of himself I am the Truth John 14.6 4. Fountains and Springs of water are precious in hot and dry Countreys Oh the Lord Jesus Christ he is the Well of Salvation Isa 12.3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the Wells of Salvation 5. Bread is precious to those that are ready to perish a man will venture the getting of bread with the hazard of his life Lam. 5.9 We get our bread with the peril of our lives Now Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life John 6.48 6. Balm and Balsom is precious His blood is the only Balm that can cure wounded Souls so precious is the Lord Jesus Christ that all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth are but a picture of that beauty and preciousness that is in him he is the Abstract and Epitome of all perfections how precious must he needs be to whom all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth do contribute all their Excellencies to make him excellent and glorious Thus you see the Point opened Now for the Uses of it First By way of Information Is the Lord Jesus Christ so infinitely precious you may see then why the Souls of men and women are so precious because they are purchased by a precious Saviour purchased by his precious blood Hearken O sons of men why are you tumbling up and down in dirt and clay why do you not raise your hearts and thoughts higher and higher seeing that you have such precious Souls that are capable of a precious Inheritance why do you not look after a precious Covenant of Grace â—ealed to you and precious Promises confirmed to you by the blood of Christ why do you not look after that precious Pearl the Lord Jesus Christ who is worth more than ten thousand worlds Oh the baseness of the heart of man that should prefer dirt and dross and dung before him who is so infinitely precious that they should so undervalue their precious Souls that cost such an invaluable rate for their Redemption Secondly By way of Information see the horrible greatness of the sin of Unbelief that makes the Sinner undervalue this precious Redeemer Says Jesus Christ You will not come to me that you might have life John 5.40 Oh bewail your Unbelief that keeps Christ and your Souls a precious Christ and your poor Souls at such a distance Thirdly By way of Information take notice what a blessed condition they are in that have gotten the Lord Jesus Christ into their Souls If the Lord bestows this gift of all gifts this precious Christ upon you Oh it is more than if he had given thee the World nay then if he had given thee ten thousand Worlds for thy portion O rejoyce in thy portion for as soon as ever thou art a Believer thy heart is made a Cabinet for this precious Pearl the Lord Christ for He dwells in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 Oh manifest to the World the brightness of this Pearl let some lustre of Jesus Christ shine in thy Conversation shine through this Cabinet as Light shines through a Lanthorn The second Use is by way of Exhortation And here I must but name some few particulars answerable to the Explication of the Doctrine I insisted on more largely and there are several Duties I would briefly commend to you and the Lord give you hearts and me a heart and every one a heart to close with this precious Truth tendred to you in reference to this precious Redeemer First If Jesus Christ be so precious in his person as being God and Man then learn to honour him admire and adore him for This is the will of God the Father that all should
the Gospel may be said to increase a mans curse and condemnation Whereas now the Law in its own nature is said to be a killing Letter because it leaves a man in a state of death and leaves him under a curse and does not shew him the way at all â—ow to avoid that curse as the Gospel does therefore the Apostle says The Law is a killing Letter of it self but the Spirit giveth life 2 Cor. 3.6 because in the preaching of the Gospel the Spirit of God is conveyed into our souls which enables us in some acceptable manner to perform what the Gospel enjoyns and thus you have the Point opened to you That the knowledg of Life and Immortality that Eternal Salvation that is laid up for the Saints in light is discovered and revealed by the Preaching of the Gospel For the Use of the Point now And the first is by way of Information and there are four Doctrinal Inferences or Lessons that we may learn fron this point thus opened 1. See how infinitely we stand indebted and ingaged to our gracious God that hath lookt upon us here in this Nation and in this City who hath brought us into the fellowship of th Gospel and hath kept us in that fellowship for so many years together Oh that we should live under the showres and Sun-shine of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ for almost a hundred years together without interruption What a singular mercy is this if we did but know how to prize it He hath scarce dealt so with any Nation under Heaven as he hath dealt with us What did God see more in us than in Turks Indians and Pagans that never heard of God nor Gospel He foresaw how we would despise this precious Pearl and how we would be ready to trample it under foot God foresaw how weary we would be of those glorious Gospel-mysteries that are discovered to us from day to day yet it did not hinder him from bestowing this precious Jewel upon us therefore not to us not to us but to his own Name be the Glory 2. A second Lesson we may learn by way of inference is this If the knowledg of eternal life be discovered in the Gospel then it follows Where-ever God hath a Church planted or a Church to be planted there will still be need of a powerful quickning soul-searching Ministry for the discovery and making known the Mysteries of Salvation The publick preaching Ministry of the Gospel is that standing Ordinance that must continue in the Church of Jesus Christ so long as he hath a Church here upon earth and this appears by that of the Apostle Ephes 4.11 12 13 And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the prefecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ How long till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ That is to the end of the World God will have a standing Ministry where-ever he hath a Church planted or to be planted God will have a Gospel standing Ministry till all the Saints be gathered If this be so then how justly are they to be reproved that think that a Gospel-ministry of all other things may be best spared if there be any such here mark what I say You could ill want any of the four Elements Earth Air Fire or Water You could ill want Salt Bread Drink Cloathing let me tell you a Gospel-ministry is as needful as any of these I have named as Earth Air Fire Water as Salt Bread Drink Cloathing for does not Solomon say Prov. 29.18 Where there is no vision the people perish and would you have your souls perish everlastingly Is not our soul worth a whole World It was a noble speech of Luther It were better that the whole World were in a Combustion and Confusion than that the Gospel should not be preached or that any one soul that belongs to Jesus Christ should be neglected And it was spoken concerning Chrysostom who was a famous Light in the Church It was better that the Sun should not shine than that Chrysostom should not preach and it was a witty observation of a Father speaking concerning the beheading of John Baptist Herod took off John Baptists head because of the promise he made to the Damosel Whatever she ask'd him to the half of his Kingdom should be granted says that Father speaking of this passage Herod might have kept his promise though he had not taken off John Baptists head for he promised the Damosel to give her to the half of his Kingdom But now says he John Baptists head was worth a whole Kingdom Pray tell me you that have slight thoughts of the Gospel or of a Gospel-ministry Does not the Scripture compare Ministers to Planters to Builders to Fathers to Remembrancers to Stars to spiritual Guides and to a City upon a Hill and the like If ever you be trees of Righteousness in Gods Garden it is a Ministry that hath planted you and if ever you be spiritual stones in Gods everlasting Building it must be the Ministry must build you if ever you be Sons and Daughters begotten to eternal Life it is the Ministry must beget you For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 says the Apostle and if ever your seet be guided into the way that leads into everlasting life it is a Gospel-ministry must guide you and if ever you be led to Jesus Christ as the Wise-men were by the Star in the East when Christ was born in Betlehem it must be these spiritual Stars that are in the firmament of Gods Church that must lead you Now judg in your selves therefore whether a Gospel-ministry can be spared 3. The third Doctrinal inference is this If the knowledg of eternal Salvation comes by the Gospel then it teacheth us this Lesson also How infinitely it does concern us to prize and fruitfully to improve our Gospel-seasons those opportunities God puts into our hands for the enriching of our souls but especially we should improve our Sabbath-day opportunities because Sabbaths are the Market-days of Eternity the Markets wherein we must make provision for Eternity Oh how careful should we be to improve these Gospel-seasons Let me tell you Gospel-seasons are very precious seasons because marvellous precious things are tendred to you in the preaching of the Gospel more precious than all the Gold of Ophir more precious than all the Kingdoms of the World if they were in your own power for in the preaching of the Gospel a precious Christ who is the Pearl of price worth ten thousand thousand Worlds and more worth this precious Christ this Pearl of Price may now be obtained and a precious Covenant a Covenant made between God and the soul this precious Covenant may
punish but to pity thee Oh think therefore with thy self that thou hearest the Lord Jesus Christ to use a homely Phrase as it were whistling after thee as he doth in the ministry of his word sometimes he comes with secret whisperings sometimes he comes openly whistling speaking calling crying in the ears of sinners Oh do but think that thou heardst the Lord Jesus Christ calling and crying after thee Why wilt thou die and perish Why wilt thou be lost when thou mayst have a Saviour Oh but says the poor soul I fear I fear that I am so diseased and that the Lord Jesus Christ will not look upon me Remember that this Shepherd is compared to a Shepherd that hath healing under his wings Mal. 4.2 But says the soul I am afraid I have so displeased him he will never own me Remember he is a meek gentle and compassionate Saviour There are two things that make men afraid and they are Pride and Fury these are not in Christ I am meek and lowly says he Matth. 11.29 and fury is not in me But I am lost says the poor sheep Jesus Christ will seek that that is lost but if I do come will he certainly own me and look upon me I answer Look upon that comfortable Scripture Luke 15.4 5 6 What man of you having a hundred sheep if he lose one of them doth not leave the Ninety and nine in the Wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it and when he hath found it he layeth it on his shoulders rejoycing and when he cometh home he calleth together his friends and neighbours saying unto them Rejoyce with me for I have found my sheep which was lost There are three or four things very observable in that Parable which I would have every poor sinner that is afraid to come to Christ to look upon First Observe the Shepherd he leaves ninety and nine in the Wilderness and goes and seeks after that one sheep that is lost Observe if there be but one sheep lost or missing the Lord Jesus Christ bestows as much pains and care in seeking that one sheep as if that all the sheep were lost there was but one sheep missing yet he hath so much care of that one that he leaves all the ninety and nine to seek that The Lord Jesus Christ hath so much care of every one of his sheep as if he had but one sheep to care for as the Sun for example would shine upon the world though there were but one man in it to shine upon so this blessed Son of righteousness if but one sheep be lost he seeks after that one Secondly Observe the Shepherd there seeks the sheep before ever the sheep seek the Shepherd The Lord Jesus prevents us with his mercies we cannot seek him till he first seeks us Psalm 119. v. last you have Davids Prayer I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant for I do not forget thy commandements Thirdly Observe when he hath found this sheep he carries it upon his shoulders or as the Text tells you he carries his lambs in his arms and gathers them in his bosom Mark this and let it sink into your hearts never did any man upon earth go to heaven any other way but upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ never was sheep saved but only by being embraced in the arms of this blessed Shepherd Fourthly Observe the Shepherd rejoyceth when he hath found the sheep he rejoyceth to find this one lost sheep observe this for thy comfort thou that art a poor wandring sheep discouraged from coming to Jesus Christ observe the Lord Jesus Christ will be more glad in receiving and entertaining thee than thou canst be in receiving him You see he rejoyceth that he hath found this one lost sheep Oh therefore be exhorted in Gods fear to stand out no longer but you that have not yet closed with Jesus Christ come to this Shepherd that whatsoever your diseases and maladies may be they may be all removed and your souls saved But may be you will say how shall we do to come to this Shepherd that so we may be saved by him I answer briefly That man that would come to Christ he must resolve First That he will flye out of himself and renounce all self-confidence and self-excellency and self-righteousness he that would come to Christ he must come poor come in the sense of his own poverty come like a poor distressed sheep without a Shepherd he must come in the sense and feeling of his own wants and weakness The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost Matth. 18 1â— Luke 19.10 Lost we are lost by nature therefore Christ came to save all no that is not the meaning but he came to save those that feel themselves lost thou must be sensible of thine own spiritual want thou must be spiritually poor or poor in spirit Secondly Learn to see so much beauty and excellency in him that thou canst be content to part with any thing for him any thing that stands in competition with him or opposition against him let all go and say I would have Jesus Christ whatever I part with for his sake Again Be sure you hearken to the voice of Christ if thou wouldst have him for thy Shepherd John 10.4 5 And when he putteth forth his own sheep he goeth before them and his own sheep follow him for they know his voice and a stranger they will not follow but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers If thou art a sheep of Jesus Christ thou wilt learn the voice of Christ and not be seduced and led away with the error of the wicked to fall from your own stedfastness When Theodosius the Emperour desired to have some conference with Arius the Heretick the Empress perswaded him not to talk and confer with such a Heretick that was so envious for says she by hearing of him you may be perverted by his words and so insnared in his cursed opinion This was excellent counsel Lastly You must come to Christ in a way of Obedience you must take up a resolution to obey this blessed Shepherd The same Hebrew word that signifies to feed signifies to rule if Christ feed thee in his Pastures he must rule thee Vnite my heart to thee that I may fear thy name Psal 86.11 But what would you have me do Come with a full purpose and cleave to this Shepherd and never to leave him Do as the Disciples of Christ in John 6.67 68 Then said Jesus unto the Twelve Will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life Oh that we had such a resolution as Peter had not only to say so but to do so Matt. 26.33 Though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended Master though all forsake thee yet will we believe
bread thou mayst as well turn stones into bread as water into wine but then afterwards he comes to more gross and grievous temptations to cast himself down headlong to murther himself and commit the horridest Idolatry that can be named So Satan is modest at the first he will perswade thee to tell a merry jocond lye to tell a lye in jest that is no great matter from a jesting lye he perswades thee to tell an officious lye for an advantage to thy self or neighbour from an officious lye he will tempt thee to a pernicious lye to tell a lye for thy neighbours ruine for the ruine of thy neighbours Name or Goods or Life Oh observe the wiles of Satan his temptations are at fist more modest The sixth Rule is this Do not think when one temptation is conquered or resisted that therefore thy corruption is mortified or that the Devil is quite vanquisned or quite hath left thee no for Satan lest our Saviour but for a season Luke 4.13 after he was shamefully vanquished and foiled he left him for a season he came to him again as he did in John 4.30 The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me The Devil like a Ram sometimes retires that he may come forwards with the greater violence Seventhly Would you be strengthned against temptations then above all take the Shield of Faith that is the Apostles Rule Eph. 6.16 Above all take the shield of faith whereby you may quench all the fiery darts of the devil Faith is the eye of the soul Now as a cunning Fencer when he is striving with his Adversary the first thing that he aims at is to strike out the eye of him with whom he is contesting if he can but strike out the eye then he knows he hath a great advantage so the Devil this cunning Fencer he strikes at the eye of Faith if he can but conquer thy Fath he knows he shall conquer thy soul therefore says he I fight neither against small nor great but against this King-Grace I fight against Faith therefore our Savour prays that Peters Faith should not fail so long as his faith did not fail though his other Graces be routed and broken yet Faith will recover all That was an admirable Captain who when the Battel was lost recovered it again himself when all his Soldiers fled and left him namely Shammah 2 Sam. 23.12 He alone stood to the battel and conquered a whole Troop and slew many of the Philistines Faith may be compared to Shammah when other Graces are foyled and routed our Faith will recover all again Now how should we strengthen Faith Faith is compared to a Shield now this Shield is composed of four or five plates First The gracious Promises that God hath made this is one plate that makes the shield of Faith you cannot be cast into such a condition wherein you may not meet with some Promise therefore study the Promises such as these When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Isa 43.2 So that is an excellent Scripture Isa 42.19 And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not I will lead them in paths that they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight these things will I do unto them and not forsake them What a precious Promise is that though God leads his people through a dark Wilderness as I may say and they see not one beam of light yet notwithstanding if they lean upon the Lord he will cause darkness to be light before them A second Plate that the shield of Faith is composed of and made up of is the glorious Attributes of God Gods Wisdom Power Mercy Goodness Truth all these put together do spell All-sufficiency the wisdom of God to guide us the power of God to protect us the mercy of God to pity us and the like Thirdly Another Plate is this the triumphant victory of Jesus Christ he hath conquered our Enemy blessed be his Name our Saviour he hath crusht the head of the Serpent as Luther said excellently Why should we fear a conquered world when the Conqueror himself is on our side so why should we fear a conquered Enemy a cursed Enemy when the Conqueror himself is on our side The fourth Plate is this The former Experiments we have had of Gods goodness 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us And when the Prophet David was in those straits when he cryed out Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercy Oh says he This is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high Psal 77.7 8 9 10 I will remember thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites from the hill Nizar there I had a deliverance and there I had a deliverance and when my soul is cast down within me I will remember thee at such a place and at such a place where thou didst work a great deliverance for me Psal 42. Fifthly The last Plate the shield of Faith is made up of is Gods infinite love in giving of Jesus Christ He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things If God hath given us Jesus Christ he will give us supportation under trouble and he will give us deliverance out of trouble The last Direction is this Give not over praying Although for the present thou seest not the fruit of thy prayers give not over praying but remember he that was tempted for thee on earth is now interceding for thee in heaven Satan cannot be more ready to assault thee than Jesus Christ to assist thee Satan cannot be so busie on earth to hurt thee as Jesus Christ is busie in heaven to help thee and prayer through the intercession of Jesus Christ can cast out Devils Mr. Fox in his book of Martyrs in the second Volume speaking of Luther in the life of King Henry the eighth mentions a story of a man that was possessed with the Devil that had sold his soul to the Devil at Wittenburg But Luther got a company of praying Christians together to seek God on his behalf and would not give over seeking till they had received an Answer So at last the Devil in a great wind threw the Indenture in at the window Sometimes Prayer casts out the Devil God sometimes gives such signal testimonies of hearing Prayer for the enocuragement of his Servants therefore do not give over resisting Satans temptations nor praying against him Do as that blessed Saint Katharine Bretter when
that to come short of Heaven This is a very awakening Truth but I shall by Gods assistance make it clear to you and confirm it in the three Branches of it First That it is possible for many Professors of the Truth or true Religion to come short of Heaven Secondly That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace to come short of Heaven Thirdly That it is possible for many that come very near to Heaven yet to come short of Heaven I shall prove these three and let your hearts go along with me and oh that you and I could follow the counsel of the Prophet Isaiah To hear the word of the Lord with trembling For the first That it is possible for many that profess the Truth and true Religion to come short of Heaven I shall give you two instances for this the Scribes and Pharisees were those that professed the truth and true Religon they sate in Moses Chair our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them because they opened the Law they were Expounders of the Law and our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them although they should not do as they did they professed the Truth and true Religion and in the outward acts of Piety these Scribes and Pharisees went exceeding far I will shew you how far they went in these six particulars First They searched the Scriptures they were very diligent in reading the Law of Moses they gave themselves so much to the study of the Law that they could tell exactly almost every verse in the five books of Moses nay they could tell you how often every letter in the Hebrew Alphabet was repeated in the Law of Moses for example the Letter Aleph was repeated Three-hundred seventy-seven times in the five books of Moses Secondly They were frequent in prayer they prayed in the Streets and in the Synagogue and made long prayers for a pretence to devour Widows houses Matth. 23.14 Thirdly To Prayer they added Fasting also hear what one of them saith Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and this he did for the taming of the body Fourthly They were very strict in the observation of the Sabbath insomuch that they quarrelled with our Saviour because his Disciples did but pluck the ears of Corn upon the Sabbath day nay they were so superstitious in the observation of the Sabbath that if one had got a thorn in his foot they would not pull it out upon the Sabbath-day for fear of breaking the Sabbath Fifthly They were very industrious in teaching of others they compassed Sea and Land to make a Proselyte Matth. 23.15 they would have taken any pains to win others to the same Sect or Religion with themselves Sixthly They were very exact and unblameable in their outward conversation for 1. They were free from more gross and scandalous sins which stare a man in the face God I thank thee saith the Pharisee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican Luke 18.11 Nay they separated themselves from notorious sinners they would not come into the company of Drunkards and Sabbath-breakers they were of the strictest Religion amongst the Jews their Religion was the most strait Sect Acts 26.5 which knew me from the beginning if they would testifie that after the most strait Sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee insomuch that it was generally conceived among the Jews that if there were but two men in all the world that should go to Heaven a Scribe was one and a Pharisee the other and yet those Professors for all that fell short of Heaven and our Saviour saith That except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 Let me give you another example of the five foolish Virgins which you read of in Matth. 25 Our Saviour tells us That five Virgins were wise and five were foolish By Virgins there are meant Professors and they are called Virgin-Professors because they were not tainted or defiled with any gross or scandalous sin even those five foolish Virgins they notwithstanding in their own opinion and in the opinion of others were waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom Christ and yet for all this those Virgin-professors fell short of Heaven Matth. 25.10 And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut the door of Heaven the door of Mercy was shut against them so you see the first Branch proved 2. Let me prove the second Branch That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace and that they have an interest in and belong to the Lord Jesus Christ to come short of Heaven in Matth. 7.22 23 Many will say to me in that day at the great day of Judgment Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Mark how confident they are have we not prophesied in thy name and cast out Devils in thy name We have eaten and drunk in thy presence Luke 13.26 To whom Jesus Christ will say Depart from me ye that work iniquity get you out of my sight I cannot abide to look upon you these were confident What a deal of confidence express they as if they had been as really acquainted with Jesus Christ as any were Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name c Again in Rom. 2.17 18 19 the Apostle speaks there to that boasting Jew Thou restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law and art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darkness an instructor of the foolish a teacher of babes which hast the form of knowledg and of the truth in the Law thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Such a one as teacheth others and teacheth not himself such a one is stark naught so that it is possible for a man to be a teacher of others and confident of coming to Heaven and yet for all that come short of it that 's the second Branch 3. Let me prove the third branch of the Doctrine That it is possible for men to come very near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of Heaven Let me give you some Examples for that This was the case of the young man in the Gospel which you read of Matth. 19 20 21 when our Saviour bid him to keep the Commandments saith he Lord all these things I have kept from my youth up the meaning is this as to his outward
Thirdly May a man come near to Heaven and yet come short of it O then take heed of these two sins Slothfulness and Apostacy Take heed of Slothfulness Be not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Matth. 11.12 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure set to the work with all your might put your whole strength to the work shake off all drowsiness and dulness And then take heed of Apotacy this makes many that come near to Heaven to come short of Heaven because they do not hold out to the end He that endures to the 〈◊〉 shall be saved blessed are they who notwithstanding all difficulties and discouragements that they meet with in Heavens way are resolved to hold out to the end and in the end Thus I have dispatcht the first Doctrine That it is possible for many that profess the Truth and are confident that they are in a State of Grace and seem to come near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of Heaven Now I come to the second Doctrine in this last Branch of my Text from these words Come short of it And the Doctrine is this To come short of eternal Rest is such an unvaluable and unconceivable and irrecover able loss that it is to be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever It is a loss to be trembled at by all those that have not quite lost their sense and feeling For the confirmation of this truth there are these two Queries I shall speak to First What it is to come short of this eternal Rest Secondly How it may appear that this coming short of Heaven is such an unvaluable irrecoverable and unconceivable loss For the first What it is to come short of this eternal rest What is it Oh! God grant that neither you nor I nor any soul here present may ever experimentally know what it is to come short of Gods eternal rest let me shew you what it is that you may avoid this dreadful danger The Original word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifies to come too late just as those five foolish Virgins that had no oyl in their Lamps they came and knockt Lord Lord said they open to us but the door of Mercy was shut they came too late Matth. 25.10 11. It signifies likewise to fail of that which a man expects Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God Or it signifies this for a man to miss the Gole or Prize that he runs for and so it is a Metaphor from runners in a Race if they be heavy or lumpish or careless they lose the Prize they miss the Gole So Christians that are secure and careless and slothful and mind every thing more than that one thing that is necessary they come too late they fail of Grace and Glory they miss the Gole they lose the Prize they are deprived of that eternal happiness they expected this is to come short of this eternal Rest Second It may be demanded How will it appear that this coming short of eternal Rest is such an unvaluable unconceivable and irrevocable loss that it is to be trembled at I answer It will appear by these three reasons They that come short of Heaven they lose 1. The Presence Of God in eternal happiness They that come short of Heaven they lose 2. The Favour Of God in eternal happiness They that come short of Heaven they lose 3. The Fruition Of God in eternal happiness First They that come short of this Eternal Rest they lose the presence of God how great how unconceivably great this loss is it passeth my skill to tell you But conceive it thus David tells us in Psalm 16. ult In his presence is fulness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore Now if in the presence of God be the fulness of joy then certainly in the want of his presence is the fulness of misery If at his right hand are pleasures for evermore then certainly at his left hand is wo and misery and calamity for evermore even such misery as the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of Ezek. 2. ult A roll of a book was written within and without lamentations and mourning and wo And it stands with reason it should be so for if God be light then a separation from God must needs be darkness If God be life then a separation from God must needs be death If God be the fountain of Bliss then the separation from him must needs be the possession of all misery and wo and calamity and distress that can possibly be expressed or conceived This punishment of loss in the opinion of all Divines doth incomparably torment the soul more than all the punishment and tortures and torments of Hell-fire Nay the loss of that heavenly and unconceivable Joy the loss of one hours communion with the crowned Saints in glory the loss of one glimpse of the glorified Body of Jesus Christ is a greater and far more and considerable loss than the loss of all the Kingdoms of the World besides I know that carnal men have very carnal conceits of Heaven and happiness because they look usually upon heaven and spiritual things with carnal eyes but if they did but look upon them with such an eye as Moses did Heb. 11.27 By the eye of Faith he saw him that was invisible if they would not look upon things that are seen but upon things that are not seen For the things that arn seen are themporal but the things that are not seen are spiritual and eternal as saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.18 If they could but look upon them with spiritual eyes then they would acknowledg that a thousand thousand rendings of the body from the soul are far less than one rending of the soul from God It was the speech of one Nicostratus a curious Painter to one that admired at him for looking so wishfully upon a curious Picture Oh said he if thou hadst but my eyes thou wouldst admire what I admire so may I say to men that will not now believe that the loss of Gods presence is such a loss hadst thou but spiritual eyes thou wouldst acknowledg the truth of what I now say That the loss of Gods presence is such a loss as can never never be sufficiently bewailed no not with tears of blood It was the speech of Chrysostom and it was a savoury speech I had rather endure a thousand Hells than to hear that one dreadful sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And suitable to this was the speech of Augustine I could be contented to endure the torments of Hell for a while so I might but see the glorified body of Jesus Christ in Heaven for you know what our Saviour saith Father I will that they also whom thou
what it is to lye under the burden of Gods wrath when Mountains and Milstones of wrath are thrown upon the soul and the Lord will so far enable the soul that it shall be bearing that wrath and bearing and bearing it to all Eternity 3. Take in this aggravation also This loss it is irrecoverable once lost and ever lost Heaven once lost will never never be recovered after as many millions of years as there are drops in the Ocean that loss will still be bewailed and bewailed and bewailed to all Eternity If you put all these together I believe you will assent to me now and acknowledg the truth of this point That to come short of Heaven is such an unvaluable and unconceivable and irrecoverable loss that it is to be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever For the use of this point First By way of Information Secondly By way of Exhortation First By way of Information It shews us the extream folly and madness of all impenitent Sinners who will venture the loss of God and the favour of God the loss of Christ and the presence of Christ the loss of heaven and happiness and the loss of their own souls rather than they will lose the pleasures of sin which are but for a season it is such a madness that heaven and earth may stand amazed at it Consider and befool your selves O you carnal and careless ones if you have not sinned away your very sense and reason also Consider blush and be ashamed and be confounded in the presence of the Lord this day you that never yet set your faces towards Heaven you that never made it your business to look out for a Christ you that never shed a penitential tear from a broken heart you that cannot abide to think of Humiliation and Repentance you that never sought for eternal happiness by patient continuance in well-doing you that know not what it is to mortifie a lust you that know not what it is to deny your own hearts any thing to cross your own wills in any thing you that are so far from working out your own salvation with fear and trembling that you work out your own damnation without fear and trembling without horror and astonishment that never once think of it that never once lay to heart this loss this coming short I cannot if I had the tongue of men and Angels I were not able to express the evil of coming short of eternal happiness you can now sell Glory for vanity Heaven for Earth the pleasures that are at the right hand of God for the pleasures of sin that are but for a season But the time will come when with heart-rending complaints you will tear off your own hair and rend your own hearts in pieces and cry out O fools beastly fools sensless sots that we were to bereave our selves of eternal happiness for a little momentany pleasures for the satisfaction of a base lust O what Bedlams O what humane beasts were we that would deprive our selves of mansions in the New Jerusalem for a few bruitish carnal sensual delights O what mad-men were we that would venture the loss of an eternal habitation in that place where to be and to be most happy is all one rather than we would cross our own carnal and corrupt wills in any thing we would fulfil the flesh and the mind O how will you then exceedingly befool your selves It is storied of Lysimachus a King being pursued by his Enemies and being very thirsty he sold his Kingdom for a draught of drink but afterward he cryed out Alas What a bargain have I made to sell my Kingdom for a draught of drink O this even this is the condition of all you that sell Heaven for Earth that sell Pearls for Pebles that sell your immortal Souls that sell the hopes of eternal happiness for the satisfaction of a base lust O how will you cry out What a Bedlambeast have I been that have run such a hazzard the loss of such a Crown an incorruptible Crown such a Crown of eternal Glory O what a beast have I been that have ventured the loss of Heaven and the favour of God and the presence of God and the loss of my own Soul and that for nothing for toys and trifles for dross and trash You can now complain of the Service of God and say It is an unprofitable Service What profit is it to wait upon the Lord what profit is it that we kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 But a time will come when you will wish that a thousand years had been spent in fasting and ten thousand thousand years had been spent in the strictest Exercise of Religion rather than you should have come short of that eternal happiness you now are ready to say when the Ministers press you to pray in your Families and catechise your Families and read the Scriptures in your Families and to drive a Trade for Heaven when we press you to these things you are ready to say We have no leisure alas we cannot look after these things we have no time to seek heaven and happiness No time Well well you that can find no time to look after those things that are of infinite concernment you that have no time to seek for Heaven you will have time enough to bewail the loss of Heaven when a thousand years are gone and ten thousand years are gone and a thousand thousand thousand years are gone in bewailing your loss bewailing this unconceivable damage and detriment when as many millions of years are gone as there are drops of water in the Ocean there will be time enough to bewail it to all eternity O the folly and madness of all those that will live in sin and lye in sin and for the pleasures of sin will venture the loss of those pleasures that are at the right hand of God for evermore it is such madness as cannot be expressed or conceived That is one Use Secondly By way of Exhortation And I have two Exhortations to tender to you if God would give you but hearts to hearken and the Lord of his infinite mercy bow and incline your hearts to consider what I say First If the coming short of this eternal Rest be such an unconceivable loss Then foresee this danger and tremble at it tremble at the apprehension of it if you be flesh and blood tremble at it Think with your selves certainly there will come a day when a final Sentence must pass upon my soul either a sentence of Absolution or a sentence of Condemnation if the sentence of Condemnation Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 If that should be the final Sentence that should pass upon me what would become of me As God speaks to the unrighteous Judg Isa 10.3 And what will you do in the day of visitation and
Christ the Saviour of the world 2. Be much in Duty if you would not be weary of well-doing be much in well-doing It is a Paradox in other things to say He that would not be weary of running let him run the more and if you would be weary of working work the more I but here in Divinity it is a truth the more you are doing the better you will be able to do be acting grace and in the acting of it your grace will be encreased grace acted intends the habit and the habit intended does encrease strength therefore up and be doing and God shall be with you 3. Walk in the spirit and then you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh if the Spirit of God help you you shall run and not be weary walk and not faint Isa 40. ult Remember what I have told you It is not the strength of habitual grace but it is the auxiliary the assisting-grace of the Spirit that carries you through every duty Though you do duty yet the Spirit of Christ is the moving and working-cause for without him you can do nothing 4. Set before you the example of the Saints that is another help to perseverance it is said of Moses he held out though he met with temptations on the right hand and on the left he held out why because he saw him that was invisible Heb. 11.27 So Job Job 23.11 My feet hath held his path his way have I kept and not declined So David I was almost consumed on earth by trouble and persecution that he met with yet have I not forgotten thy Law Psal 119.87 So Daniel when he knew the Writing was sealed and his Religion would cost him not only his liberty but his life Daniel was Daniel still he went on his course as he was wont to do Dan. 6.10 The blessed Martyrs that went through imprisonment bonds reproaches persecution yet with what courage did they press towards the Mark and so with courage they held out to the end and in the end 5. Be often meditating on the rich and royal Reward those rich and glorious hopes laid up for those that persevere this if any thing will bear up your hearts and hopes when they are ready to faint What made the Apostle hold out in the midst of all temptations 2 Cor. 4.16 For this cause we faint not Why because says he our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Ver. 17. Moses he held out chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Why he had an eye to the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 A Traveller after a long journey when he is weary and faint and sits down if he see the Town before him it puts life into him and he plucks up his feet and resolves not to be weary till he be at his journeys end O look at the Crown and white Robe set before you and faint if you can get on the top of Mount Nebo look on the Land of Promise those good things set before you taste the grapes of Canaan before you come to Canaan Consider two things from what you are delivered and to what you are appointed You are delivered from wrath and appointed to mercy delivered from Hell and appointed to Heaven delivered from a hopeless condition to a most hopeful and happy condition that the heart can conceive or tongue express If these things were soundly digested and seriously considered they would awaken your drooping drowsie spirits and set the wheels a going and make us redouble our endeavour and encrease our diligence that the Kingdom of Heaven might even suffer violence yea these things will constrain us in the midst of all afflictions temptations and tryals to press towards the Mark therefore awake thou that sleepest the Apostle speaks of a sleep of drowsiness Rom. 13.11 For says the Apostle your salvation is nearer than when you believed A stone the nearer it comes to the Center the swifter the motion will be Redeem and recover lost time by double diligence set on Heaven by a new resolution set thy face towards Sion as one that looks on all these creature-comforts as vanishing into smoak and as one that resolves to have Heaven or nothing do much and suffer much thou wilt never repent Be stedfast and unmovable abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. To set home this Exhortation of holding fast what you have received there are two Motives in the Text which I will dispatch with a quick hand First Behold I come quickly What coming does our Saviour here speak of I Answer This coming of our Saviour may be understood three ways He comes either in a way of Tryal or in a way of Mercy or in a way of Judicature He comes in a way of Tryal so he foretels the heavy temptations and persecutions that came upon his Church in the time of Trajanus the Emperor as Mr. Brightman well observes This lasted fourteen years yet our Saviour calls it but an hour of temptation in ver 10. Likewise Strabo the Geographer writes That the Church of Philadelphia was often shaken with Earth-quakes both she and other Cities were shaken with Political Earth-quakes as well as Natural with Adversaries that sought their ruine Hence you may take this Observation That God hath sore and shaking Tryals to exercise his Church withal Through many Afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution In one kind or other in one measure or other God sees shaking is needful to awaken us to shake us out of our security and to purifie and reform and refine us therefore let us not settle upon our Lees and promise our selves security from Tryals The hand of God hath been heavy upon the Protestant Churches in Piedmont in Poland Oh the dreadful things that they have suffered Why should we expect exemption are we better than they Be forewarned that you may be fore-armed lay in provision against the day of Tryal lay in a stock of Faith and Patience and Self-denial c. Gird on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand 2. It may be understood in a way of mercy I come quickly in a way of mercy I come to moderate the tryals and to deliver thee from temptations God will not suffer the Rod of the wicked to lie on the back of his righteous servants Psal 125.3 So then the Doctrine is this Doct. The troubles and tryals of Gods Church and Chosen though they may be sharp yet they shall be but short I come quickly I come to deliver my Church quickly Nero's Tribulation was but for ten days Rev. 2.10 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee in a
were never yet sufficiently humbled for their sins they never had Soul-shaking humiliation and conviction upon their Spirits they never yet feelingly groaned under the burden of sin they never tasted the bitterness of sin they never yet considered the woful wages of sin But if God now should but take such a one by the neck as he did Job and shake him to pieces and set him up for a mark and his Archers should compass him round about and cleave his Reins asunder and not spare him and pour out his Gaul upon the ground and break him with breach upon breach and run upon him like a Giant as Job complains Chap. 16. ver 12 13 14 Oh Christ now would be Christ indeed Heaven now would be Heaven indeed such a one would say Oh Lord Do with me what thou pleasest so I may be but thine But because men were never yet throughly humbled therefore they never prize this glorious Inheritance Thirdly Because men are bewitched with the pleasures of sin which are but for a season and why are they bewitched with them because of the present enjoyment of them Demas hath for saken me having loved this present world 2 Tim. 4.10 and he loved it because it was present Fourthly Because men are rockt asleep in the Cradle of security the Devils Cradle Satan makes them believe Heaven may be got with a wet Finger and that they may come thither whatsoever their course and conversation be and that they may put off their repentance to the last Year of their lives nay to the last Month of the last Year nay to the last day of the last Month and that one day is as good as five thousand to make their peace with God in and that it is a small matter to repent and that a Lord have mercy upon thee will serve thy turn to bring thee to Heaven That 's the second Query But thirdly The third Query is this But how will it appear that this despising and undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance is such a grievous God-provoking sin I will tell you it will appear thus There are two reasons I shall give you for it First Because this despising of that heavenly Inheritance speaks men to be Atheists it proves men to be Atheists to look at nothing but at things present that look upon things that are seen but never look upon things that are not seen Things that are seen are temporal but things that are not seen are spiritual and eternal So I say they look only at things present and they measure their joy only by outward prosperity and they measure their sorrow only by the want of it Now what a dreadful thing it is for men to be Atheists Secondly This despising or undervaluing of the heavenly Inheritance it provokes the Lord so to anger that he sware in his wrath such despisers shall never never taste of that Inheritance never enjoy that they have despised Thus did God deal with those despising Israelites those scornful Israelites in the Wilderness that despised that pleasant Land You may read the sad story Numb 14.28 29 30 Says God being exceedingly provoked to anger Say unto them As truly as I live saith the Lord as you have spoken in mine ear so will I do unto you your carcasses shall fall in the Wilderness and all that were numbred of you according to your whole number from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me doubtless ye shall not come into the Land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein save Caleb the son of Jephunch and Joshua the son of Nun. Not one of those thousands that I brought out of the Land of Egypt not one of them shall see the Land they despised Just so will God deal with those that despise and undervalue this heavenly Inheritance Says the Lord Have I prepared a Kingdom an Everlasting Kingdom a Kingdom of Glory Have I prepared such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive Have I prepared a place of infinite and unspeakable happiness such happiness as all the Kingdoms of the World and the beauty and glory and splendor and pleasures of them are not worthy to be a Picture of it what have I provided such a Crown such a Kingdom and do you undervalue it Do you not regard it Will you not tread in the way that leads to it As I live saith the Lord You shall never enter into my Rest you shall never enjoy the Land nor possess it Thus I have opened the Point to you and shewed you that despising or undervaluing that heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light is a very grievous God provoking sin Now briefly to apply it First Vse by way of Examination Would it no be a very necessary enquiry a very neeedful enquiry for you and me and every one of us in some serious self-reflecting thoughts to call our selves to an account whether we be in the number of those that despise and undervalue this heavenly Inheritance yea or no But it may be you will say We hope we are not such as despise or undervalue this heavenly Inheritance God forbid we should be such Atheists But for answer Pray tell me Art thou one that overvaluest Earth and undervaluest Heaven Art thou one that sayest I am so much taken up with the World so over head and ears in the World I drive a Trade to provide for my Family but to drive a Trade for Heaven I have no leisure no leisure thou that sayest thou hast no leisure to look after Heaven thou wilt have leisure enough to bewail the loss of Heaven when thousands of years are gone and ten thousand to that and a hundred thousand to that all this while thou shalt be weeping and wailing and gnashing of thy teeth for the loss of it When thou preferrest a present possession before a future expectation do you not despise Heaven and undervalue it Commune with your own hearts is it not as I speak Do I not speak the hearts of some of you Again Are you not sloathful and secure and do you not neglect those means that God hath appointed Do you work out your Salvation Do you so run that you may obtain Do you fight the good fight of Faith Examine your hearts and see if you are not secure and neglectful of the means God hath ordained for the obtaining of this glorious and heavenly Inheritance Remember the speech of the Spies Judg. 18.9 For we have seen the Land and behold it is very good and are ye still Be not sloathful to go and to enter to possess the Land The Land is an exceeding good Land all things that can be desired are there and do you sit still So may I say Here is a pleasant Land a glorious Land a Land flowing with Milk and Honey here are pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore and do you sit still
very precious As if he should say You have an infinite and an invaluable benefit by him therefore you have great reason so highly to prize him Vnto you that do believe that is that can rest and rely upon this Rock of Salvation that can pawn your Souls upon him that can close with him and cleave to him and obey him as your Prince and your Saviour Vnto you says the Apostle he is precious or he is a price and an honour for so the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he is not only precious but of infinite price he is not only honourable but honour it self in the Abstract for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both price and honour The words being thus opended afford these two Points of Doctrine which lie clear in the Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself Doct. 2. As Jesus Christ is precious in himself so he is exceeding precious in the eyes of all Believers and most highly prized by them Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself He is called in the 4th verse of this Chapter A living-stone chosen of God and precious And in Isa 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation For the better understanding of this Point two things are to be opened First What it is to be Precious or what may be included in this Phrase precious Secondly How this may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein the preciousness of Jesus Christ consists First What is it to be precious What is included in this Phrase precious The Hebrew word signifies divers things I will name you but these five or six and every one of those significations are rightly applicable to the Lord Jesus Christ Sometimes the word precious is taken for bright and glorious Thus the Sun and the Moon are said to walk in brightness Job 31.26 If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness Job there speaking of the Moon says it walks in brightness it walks as it were through the Heavens honourably it walks in a great deal of brightness and glory Thus the Lord Jesus Christ in this sense is precious because he is the glorious sun of Righteousness as he is called Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my Name shall the sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings And he calls himself the bright Morning-Star in Rev. 22.16 I am the bright Morning-Star Again Secondly The word precious is taken sometimes for that that is scarce and rare to be had for that which is not bestowed upon all but upon some few persons Thus the Word of God in Samuel's time was said to be precious 1 Sam. 3.1 And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days there was no open Vision it was communicated but to a few And in this sense also the Lord Jesus Christ may be said to be precious because he is communicated but to a very few A little Flock Luke 12.32 A little little Flock as the word signifies a very little Flock in comparison of those that have no interest in him nor any benefit by him For not many wise men after the flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 There are but few very few in comparison of the great multitude that have an interest in him in that regard he is precious Thirdly Sometimes the word precious is taken for that which is dear and costly So the Lord Jesus Christ is very dear to his Father the dearly beloved Son of his bosom and his blood is very costly it is called precious blood If the blood of all the Princes upon Earth had been spilt nay if all the Angels in Heaven had lost their lives it had not been comparable to one drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Fourthly The word precious sometimes is taken for that which is pleasant and delightful Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child There is the same word for precious called pleasant In this regard the Lord Jesus Christ may be called precious because he is so delightful to the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Fifthly That may be said to be precious that is of very great and invaluable use or that whereof we have an indispensable necessity Now in this sense also Jesus Christ is precious he is of infinite use to a Believer such indispensable need have we of him that without him we must perish everlastingly Except ye eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood you have no life in you John 6.53 Lastly That is said to be precious which is honourable Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Isa 43.4 And as I told you even now the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siguifieth honour as well as price So the Lord Jesus Christ he is infinitely honourable honourable in himself all the Angels honour and admire him and he is an Honour to his Church and Chosen to all those that have a part and interest in him therefore he is said to be The glory of his people Israel Luke 2.32 A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel You see the first thing opened What it is to be precious Now the second thing for Explication is this How this Title precious may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein does the preciousness of Jesus Christ so much appear For answer to this You must know the preciousness of Jesus Christ does appear in these six Particulars First He is exceeding infinitely unconceivably precious in his Person God and Man united in one Person Co-essential with the Father that is having the same Essence and Substance with him in John 10.30 I and my Father are one And he is Co-equal with the Father He thought it no robery to be equal with God Pbil. 2.6 Being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Therefore he is infinitely precious in his Person Secondly As he is precious in his Person so is he precious in his Titles those rich and glorious Titles that are attributed to him For Example Isa 9.6 This is the name wherewith the Lord Jesus Christ is called Wonderful Counsellonr El the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Pray mark with what a glorious Title he is called there The Mighty God How dare then any blasphemous Arrian or Atheist deny the Divinity
and Sisters and our own lives certainly that is not the meaning of the words of our Saviour that he would have us to offer violation to the Law of Nature it is not spoken therefore simply but comparatively he that does not love me so much so as to hate all other in comparison of me he that does not prize me before Father Mother Wife Children Brethren House Lands yea life it self and all things that are desirable such a one hath no interest in me and shall have no benefit by me Now because it is an Exhortation of such infinite concernment therefore I shall divide it into three Branches First I shall shew you the manner how you should prize Christ Secondly The Motives which may perswade you to it Thirdly The means that may help you in it First For the manner how you must prize Christ It may be you will say In what manner must we prize Christ In what manner must Christ be precious to us Prize him in your Understandings in your Choice in your Affections and in his Ordinances First In your Understandings desiring to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 And count all things but dross and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledg of Jesus Christ Indeed there is a thousand times more worth and beauty and sweetness and excellency in Jesus Christ than you can know as he said That man that knows Jesus Christ well although he be ignorant of all other things he is the right knowing man If a man had all the learning of both Universities concentred in himself and yet ignorant of Jesus Christ he were but a poor simple Sot Secondly Prize Jesus Christ in your Choice to pitch upon him as the adequate Object satisfying Object of your Souls pitch upon him as the only excellent one As a woman that selects and singles out one man from amongst all the rest upon whom she places all her Affections for her Husband so do you select and chuse out Jesus Christ for your Beloved and say Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire in comparison of thee Thirdly Prize Jesus Christ in your Affections love him above all expressions of love labour to be sick of love towards so sweet and precious a Saviour as the Spouse was Cant. 2.5 Stay me with Flaggons Comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love saying as David did in that mournful Elegy which he made for Saul and Jonathan speaking of Jonathan says he Thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women 2 Sam. 1.26 I am distressed for thee my brother Jonathan very pleasant hast thou been unto me thy love to me was wonderful passing the love of women Then trust in him as the Rock of your Salvation trust to his Wisdom to lead you in his Power to support you trust in his Mercy and Merit to save you Again Do you rejoyce in him to say as the Virgin Mary did My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour And cleave to him as to that Rock that only can deliver you both from the raging Ocean of Gods everlasting displeasure and from the leaking boat of your own graces prize him in your Affections Fourthly Prize him in his Ordinances in his Word Oh how sweet is thy Word O Lord that brings me good tidings of a blessed Redeemer The Word of God is as a Letter sent from a dear and precious Husband to his Wife And prize him in the Sacraments which is as a Love token or Ring sent to you from the Beloved of your Souls Oh how should you prize these Ordinances In the Sacrament by an eye of Faith you may see him bleeding and pouring out his Soul an offering for sin in the Sacrament you may see him crying and dying for your sakes in a word esteem one hours communion with him better worth than all the pleasures in the World as that Noble Marquess of Italy did who said He was not worthy of Christ that did not esteem one hours Communion with him better than all the treasures in the World So much for the manner how we must prize Jesus Christ Secondly For the Motives that may perswade you to it and Oh that I knew what Motives might raise up your esteem of this precious Redeemer I will name but these three Will either worth or beauty or excellency or sweetness or Soul-satisfaction win upon your hearts all these are to be found in him He is an All-sufficient-Saviour All-sufficient for Justification his blood can pardon All-sufficient for Sanctification also for his blood can purifie All-sufficient for Redemption his blood can deliver from wrath to come Do but consider how precious this Christ is in himself as I shewed you in the former Doctrine precious in his Person precious in his Titles precious in his Offices being a King Priest and Prophet precious in the purchase of his blood Secondly I beseech you to consider that Jesus Christ is the only desirable good The common vote and voice of the World is this Who will shew us any good Psalm 4.6 But why do you not say Who will shew us Jesus Christ who is indeed the only needful good the All-sufficient good the Soul-satisfying good assure your selves nothing under Heaven can do you good without him nothing under Heaven can be good if you want him what are Riches without Jesus Christ what is Gold and Silver without Jesus Christ but rotten stinking dung what are the most Royal Robes that ever were put on by the greatest Emperour without Jesus Christ what are they but poluted clouts what is the most Princely Palace without Jesus Christ but a Pest-house what is Birth Endowments Education without Jesus Christ but glittering sins So your choicest comforts and accommodations without Jesus Christ they are no better than gilded damnation what are all your outward Blessings without Christ no better than curses And as nothing is good without him so nothing can do you good without him there is no creature in Heaven or Earth that can do you good without Christ neither Men nor Angels if you had all the Angels in Heaven to speak for you they could do you no good without Christ God himself will do you no good without Christ he will not if I may use such an expression truck or trade with you he will not exchange one word in the business of Salvation but by Christ John 14.6 Jesus saith unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me You cannot have any access to God approach to him to stand up for your lives or the life of your Souls without him who is the life of your lives and the Soul of your Souls Pray tell me therefore Are you contented to perish for ever in your sins Are you contented that the curses and threatnings of the Law those Treasures of wrath that
from vers 27 to ver 59. Thirdly You have the issue or consequence of the Sermon some believed and some revolted some murmured and some marvelled The Text that I have now read unto you is part of the Sermon it self wherein our Lord and Saviour because of the stupidity and incredulity of his Auditors doth again and again both press and prove this Heavenly Doctrine that he himself was the Bread of Life I am says he the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall not hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst In which Text you may take notice of these two parts First An undeniable Proposition I am the Bread of Life Secondly A comfortable Inference upon that Proposition He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall nevtr thirst I shall begin with the first the evident and undeniable Proposition I am the Bread of Life which words must not be understood literally as if our Saviour was such Corporal Bread as could be chewed in the mouth and digested in the stomach as the Capernaites did fondly conceive when they said How can this man give us his flesh to eat this was as gross a conceit as Nicodemus's who askt If he should go into his Mothers womb again and be born But the words must be understood in a Metaphorical sense That as Bread strengthens the body and revives the spirit and supports the nature of a man and enables him to perform natural actions with more vigour and vivacity so likewise the Lord Jesus Christ strengthens the Soul and revives the spirit and supports us in our spiritual life and helps us to perform spiritual duties in a spiritual manner therefore he saith I am the Bread of Life He is not only bread but the bread of life because it is he that gives us spiritual life here and preserves that life and will hereafter give to us Eternal lise in Glory and therefore he is called The Bread of Life So then the Doctrine I would commend to you from hence is this Doct. The Lord Jesus Christ is that living bread that gives Spiritual and Eternal life to all those that have a part and interest in him This is a Truth so unquestionable that it is no less than six times repeated in this one Chapter And for the better Confirmation of it it may be demanded First Wherein doth our Saviour resemble bread Secondly And how doth it appear that our Saviour is better than bread I shall speak briefly to them both First Wherein doth our Saviour resemble bread I will name but three particulars though I know more might be reckoned up First Bread you know it is prepared food the Corn must be threshed and winnowed and ground in a Mill and baked in an Oven before it can be bread for us to eat So the Lord Jesus Christ he was threshed as I may say by afflictions and tribulations He was a man of sorrows and he was winnowed by temptations he was baked and scorch'd as it were in the Oven of his Fathers wrath for it was he that trod the Winepress of his Fathers wrath alone for us and all this was done before he could be made fit Bread that is a fit Saviour for our Souls Secondly Bread you hnow it is common food it is common to the poor as well as to the rich for the foolish as well as the wise the poor have bread if they have any thing so the Lord Jesus Christ he is a common Saviour common for all ranks and conditions of men for high and low and rich and poor noble and ignoble all are beholding to Jesus Christ here There is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Col. 3.11 Thirdly Bread you know it is the principal food it is the stay and support of a mans life therefore it is called The staff of bread Isa 3.1 So the Lord Jesus Christ he is the principal portion of the Souls of all Believers He is the choicest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 We may better want any thing than bread The Lord Jesus Christ is as I may say not only the food of our Souls but the Soul of our Souls and the Life of our Lives Secondly It may be demanded But wherein doth Jesus Christ excel this corporal bread I answer in these four respects First Corporal bread though it doth help to preserve life yet it cannot give life but now the Lord Jesus Christ is he that gives spiritual Life he begins it and begets it in his People Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins And hence it is that the Lord Jesus Christ is called the second Adam The first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 And in John 5.21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom be will Secondly Bread doth satisfie but one appetite namely hunger never was it known that bread could satisfie thirst but now the Lord Jesus Christ he can satisfie all the desires of the Soul and supply all the wants of the Soul he is both the bread of life and the water of life nay not only bread and water but he is cloathing to the Soul as it is in Rom. 13. ult Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ So that he is both Food and Spiritual Cloathing Thirdly Bread though it satisfie your hunger for the present yet it cannot so take away your hunger that you shall hunger no more if it satisfie hunger to day you will be hungry again to morrow But now the Lord Jesus Christ doth so satisfie the hunger of our Souls that we shall never hunger nor thirst more for so the Text tells you He that comes to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst Fourthly Corporal bread you know is perishing and doth but nourish a perishing life John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth But now the Lord Jesus Christ is not perishing bread but that bread that endures for ever and that life that he gives is not a perishing life neither John 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world So you see the Point opened Let me briefly apply it because I principally aim at the second part of the Text the comfortable-Inference But for the improvement of this Point First By way of Information and then by way of Exhortation First By way of Information there are three Doctrinal Inferences from the Point thus opened that may be thence deduced First If the Lord Jesus Christ be that living bread that gives Spiritual and Eternal life to them that believe in him then you may learn this
To him that hath shall be given he that well useth his Talent shall have more Talents given to him Thirdly Because God doth love to reward his Servants Just as a Master deals with his Factor beyond the Seas when he sees that he deals faithfully with him in smaller matters he intrusts him with more of his Estate so when God sees us faithful in a little he trusts us with more when he sees us to use one talent well he will give us five talents to trade with Fourthly Because the more grace is acted the more it grows and is encreased Remarkable is that Scripture Heb. 5. ult But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil By reason of use have their spiritual senses exercised Use legs as we say and have legs the more a man sets about this Heavenly Employment of acting of grace the more grace he shall have in his heart Now for the Application of this Point and first by way of Instruction it serves to let you see what is the reason of that truth which carnal men will hardly helieve That Godly men are the only wise men and that wicked men though they are never so knowing are errant fools this is a truth plainly set down in this Scripture The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom Prov. 9.10 None are wise but those that fear the Lord none are prudent in Gods account but those that are obedient those that practise what they know practical Christians are the only prudent Christians in Gods account Remarkable is that Scripture Deut. 4.5 6 Behold I have taught you Statutes and Judgments even as the Lord my God commanded me that ye should do so in the Land whither ye go to possess Keep therefore and do them for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the Nations that shall hear these Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding People But now on the contrary wicked men let them have never so much knowledg let them have as much knowledg as the wicked Angels who are knowing Spirits the Devils are intelligent Spirits if he do not put his knowledg into practise if he be a wicked man he is in Gods account an errant fool he is but a very Sot He is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because darkness hath blinded his eyes 1 John 2.11 The second Use it is by way of Exhortation and let it be a powerful perswasion to every one here present and Oh that I could leave this Exhortation warm upon your hearts Oh that I could put you upon the practise of what you have heard I beseech you as ever you desire that Jesus Christ should take you by the hand and kiss you with the kisses of his mouth and manifest his love to you as ever you desire that Jesus Christ should make fuller discoveries of himself to you labour to practise what you know live up to your light do not foster or favour any known sin nor bauk nor decline any known Duty but live up to your light Now that I may press you to it consider First We live in times of Libertinism and loosness wherein many hold the truth in unrighteousness The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against them that imprison the Truth that sin against the light of their knowledg and Conscience that blow out the Candle lest it should discover truth to them Light is come into the world but men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil John 3.19 And this is the condemnation to them with a witness who shut the light out of their Souls The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 Let me set on this Consideration with this Motive First Consider how little it is that we know of God The very best of Gods Saints and Servants how little do they know of him To use Jobs phrase Job 26. ult How little a portion is heard of him What a little knowledg is it that the most knowing men have There is a thousand times more excellency and sulness and sweetness and Soul-satisfaction and beauty and all sufficiency in God in the Lord Jesus Christ than ever yet was known or discovered How little a portion do we know of God! The greatest part of our knowledg is the least part of our ignorance we are ignorant of a thousand times more than we know There are unsearchable riches in Jesus Christ as the Apostle calls them Ephes 3.8 There is a thousand times more riches in Christ than ever was discovered Mines of Wisdom and Knowledg that you were never yet acquainted with now if you would know more practise what you do know Secondly Consider the more you know of God the nearer do you come to Heaven for the fulness of the Saints happiness in Heaven will be this when they shall see God as he is and know him as he is 1 John 3.2 Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Heaven consists in the Beatifical Vision of God a sight of God seeing of him as he is in Heaven David gives you a glimpse of Heaven in one Verse Psalm 17. ult As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Heaven consists in the Vision of God in conformity to God and in satisfaction in God this is Heaven Vision of God I will behold thy face in righteousness Conformity to God When I awake with thy likeness Satisfaction in God I shall be satisfied then our Knowledg will be perfected Thirdly Consider that this experimental Knowledg that springs from Obedience will make you sound and solid Christians that you shall not take up Religion upon trust but you shall know upon what grounds you believe upon what grounds you have the hope of eternal happiness you shall not have your Religion upon trust or Tradition you shall have a certain evidence of your interest in Jesus Christ and your hope of Eternal happiness you shall be able to read your names written in Heaven On the contrary take away that experimental Knowledg that springs from Obedience and a man may be a Turk upon the same ground that he is a Christian because he takes his Religion upon trust Take away this experimental Knowledg a man may be of any Religion as well as a Christian O get this Knowledg that springs from Obedience then you will know upon what grounds you take up Religion and your hopes of Heaven and happiness will be upon good grounds Fourthly Consider God looks upon all your Knowledg as nothing worth unless
may meet with some knots in Religion fome knotty Disputations he may meet with some Objections that he doth not know how to answer as Saint Austin said That original sin was propagated to the Soul I know it certainly but how it is propagated I cannot tell A man may meet with some Objections that he cannot answer however he will not be overswayed so as to forsake the Truth because he cannot answer some Objections Thirdly When I speak of this full assurance of understanding or knowledg in the mysteries of our Salvation this Caution likewise must be remembred That though it is true that God doth bestow it upon those that do his will yet it is not gained only by doing the will of God but it is gained especially by the gift of the Spirit of God When Saint Peter made that excellent confession of Christ when our Saviour asked his Disciples But whom say ye that I am he answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Matth. 16.15 16 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven It is the Spirit of God that leads us into all Truth Fourthly When I speak of a certainty of Knowledg you must remember that it is not a common gift of the Spirit of God but it is a saving gift of the Spirit of God for so saith our Saviour Matth. 13.11 12 13 To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to others it is not given for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath therefore speak I to them in Parables because they seeing see not and hearing they heart not neither do they understand This same certainty of Knowledg therefore is not attained by any natural qualification it is not a Knowledg that can be gotten or learned in Natures School it is not gotten by Art or Industry or reading of Books neither is it gotten by Tradition The Gentiles had a Natural knowledg of God Rom. 1.21 Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God They knew God by a Natural light but it is a Knowledg that is revealed by the Spirit of God and therefore the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledg of him Ephes 1.17 Fifthly Take this Caution this assurance of Knowledg is gradual that is it hath different degrees in some it is more and in some it is less some are but Babes in Christ others there are that are strong men some are weak in the Faith Rom. 14.1 Others are rooted in Christ and built up in him and stablished in the Faith Col. 2.7 This certainty of understanding at the first is but very weak as the Disciples of Christ in the great Point of the Resurrection at the first they were not clear in their knowledg of it Luke 24.21 We trusted that it had been him which should have redeemed Israel beside all this to day is the third day since these things were done so that now our hope is almost at an end in the great business of our Saviours Resurrection they were not cleat at the first A man that hath this certainty of Knowledg may have but a weak beginning at the first and yet notwithstanding it will encrease more and more like the morning light that shines more and more to the perfect day Prov. 4.18 So that a man will at last come to be grounded and stablished in the truth he will be stedfast and unmovable abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult He will be stablished in Christ and grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. ult Secondly Let me give you some Distinctions of Knowledg that you may be the better able to find it out Knowledg you must know is twofold there is a Natural and a Supernatural Knowledg First Natural Knowledg which is ingraven in the Soul of man by Nature as the Gentiles by Nature knew God Rom. 1.21 That is a Natural knowledg that is gotten by Art and Industry as the knowledg of Astronomy is and the like Secondly Supernatural Knowledg that is revealed by the Spirit of God Now the Supernatural Knowledg is twofold First It is either common Or secondly It is saving There is a common Supernatural Knowledg that is common to the Reprobates as well as to the Elect for Reprobates who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost they are enlightned with a Supernatural light Every thing that is Supernatural is not Spiritual the Devils they have a Supernatural light and yet it is not a spiritual nor sanctifying light and therefore they that sin the sin against the Holy Ghost have common light which is Supernatural the Text saith They have received the knowledg of the truth Heb. 10.26 Secondly There is a saving Supernatural light viz. that which is infused into the Souls of the Regenerate by the saving work of Gods holy Spirit Now this supernatural saving light that is again twofold First It is either mediate that is that which is acquired by means as Reading Hearing and Praying waiting upon God in the use of his Ordinances according as God told Saint Paul in the preaching of the Word Mens eyes should be opened and they should be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26.18 Secondly Or else it is immediate and this is that light which is darted into the Soul without the use of means Saint Paul for example he was enlightned miraculously by a Revelation from Heaven Acts 9. And so in the Conversion of the Jaylor how wonderfully was he enlightned on a sudden Acts 16. And the Conversion of the Thief on the Cross it was done immediately by the Spirit of God Now when I am speaking of this certainty of Knowledg I speak not of a Natural but of a Spiritual Knowledg neither do I speak of a common Supernatural Knowledg but of the sanctifying and saving gift of the Spirit of God neither do I speak of the immediate without the means but I speak of the mediate in the use of means therefore to come to the third thing that is to give you the Description of this certain and assured Knowledg and the Description is this Certainty of Spiritual Knowledg it is a saving work of the Spirit of God whereby a Believer receives satisfying light and doth give up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths that are revealed to him There are these five things to be noted in this Description First I say it is a saving work of the Spirit of God It is not the knowledg of Devils the Devils have a Supernatural Knowledg neither is it the knowledg of Hypocrites such a knowledg as they that sin the sin against