those that lie with their faces upwards that all Passengers may see who they are Is it of such a comfort to have the presence of a wise and knowing friend with us in our greatest troubles and deepest distresses what a transcâ—ndent comfort must it be to enjoy the presence of an all-seeing and an all-knowing God in all our troubles and distresses The eye of Heaven sees all and knows all and writes down all thy troubles and trials thy sorrows and sufferings Matth. 6. 32. thy losses and crosses and accordingly will an all-knowing God act for his own glory and his Peoples good Sixthly and lastly It is the presence of a God of Mercy a God of Bowels a God of compassions Jer. 31. 18 19 Exod. 33. 7. 8. 20. Hosea 11. 8 9. Lament 3. 22. His compassions fail not Mercy is as essential to God as light is to the Sun or as heat is to the fire He delights in mercy as the senses and faculties of the soul do in their Micha 7. 18 19. several actions Patience and clemency and mercy and compassion and peace are the fruits of his bowels the ofspring which the Divine Nature doth produce Gods compassions are Fatherly compassions Psalm 103. 13. They are Motherly compassions Isa 49. 15. They are Brotherly compassions Heb. 2. 12. They are Friendly compassions Cant. 5. 1 2. O how sweet must the presence of a God of mercy a God of compassion be to the Saints in a day of trouble the presence of a compassionate Friend in a day of distress is very desirable and comfortable what then is the presence of a compassionate God Thus you see that there is no presence to the Divine presence no presence to the signal presence of God with his People in their greatest troubles and deepest distresses But Seventhly and lastly If God be signally present with his People in their greatest troubles and deepest distresses then let them all know for their comfort that this presence will make up the want or loss of all outward 1 Sam. 1. 8. comforts this presence will make up the loss of a Husband a Child a Friend an Estate c. Look as all light meets in the Sun and as all water meets in the Sea so all our outward comforts meet in the God of all 2 Cor. 1. 3. comfort When Alexander asked King Porus being then his Prisoner how he would be used He answered in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. like a King Alexander again replying Do you desire nothing else No saith Porus all things are in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this one word like a King so all things all comforts are to be found in this signal presence of God with his People in their greatest troubles and deepest distresses certainly the gracious presence of the Lord is infinitely better than the presence of all outward comforts as you know one Sun is more glorious and comfortable than ten thousand Stars But how may a person that has lost this gracious Quer. presence of God recover it again First Observe how you lost this presence of God and Respon labour to recover it by a contrary course did you lose it by sinful omissions then be more active in a way of duty Didst thou lose the presence of God by neglecting thy watch or by not walking with God or by an eager pursuit of the world or by closing with this or that temptation or by letting fall thy communion with God take a contrary course now keep up thy watch walk close with God keep up a daily converse with lively Christians Psal 119. 63. Col. 3. 1. â— let thy heart and affections be set upon things above keep thy ground in the face of all temptations maintain a standing communion with God After Christ had stood knocking and calling to his Spouse Open to me my Sister my Love my Dove my Vndefiled for my head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night Cant. 5. 2 3 6. but found no entrance he retired and withdrew himself because she would not arise and put on her coat but when she bestirs her self she finds him whom her soul loved Cant 3. 1 2 3 4. Then Christ comes into his garden again and returns to his Spouse again and forgets all former unkindness Cap. 6. 1 2. But Secondly Enquire where when and why God has withdrawn himself as we do when dear Friends absent themselves from us O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land and as a way-faring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night Verse 9. Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy Name leave us not Thirdly Stand not with Christ for any thing not for a right eye or a right hand nor for an Isaac or a Benjamin don't say this work is too high and that too hard and t'other too hot and the other too dangerous in order to the recovery of Gods countenance and presence thou must not think any thing in the world too much to do for Christ or to suffer for Christ thou wilt be a happy man if thou canst recover Christs lost presence though it be upon the hardest termes imaginable But Fourthly Let your hearts lye humble and low under Psal 51. 8 9 10 11 12. 1 Pet. 5. 6. the loss of Gods gracious presence For 1. 'T is the greatest loss 2. 'T is a loss-imbittering loss it is a loss that will greatly imbitter all your worldly losses I have lost my health I have lost a hopeful Child I have lost a gracious yoke-fellow which was the delight of mine eyes and the joy of my heart I have lost a fair estate I have lost an intimate Friend I have lost a brave trade O but that which imbitters all my losses and puts a sting into them is this that I have lost the gracious presence of God that once I enjoyed 3. 'T is a loss that all outward comforts can never make up when the Sun is down nothing can make it day with us 4. 'T is an invisible loss and no losses to invisible losses as there are no mercies to invisible mercies so there are no losses to invisible losses 5. 'T is a loss that will cost a man dear before it will be made up again O the sighs the groans the strong crycs the earnest prayers the bottles of tears that the recovery of the Divine presence will cost a Christian upon all which accounts how well does it become a Christian to lye humble at the foot of God! Fifthly Lift up a mighty cry to Heaven Thus the Saints of old have done consult these Scriptures Psal 51. 6. to 13. Lam. 3. 56 57. Psal 4. 6 7. Psal 27. 9. Psal 38. 21 22. Psal 138. 3. Psal 119. 8. O forsake
A WORD IN SEASON To this Present GENERATION OR A SOBER AND SERIOUS DISCOURSE About the favorable Signal and eminent Presence of the LORD with his PEOPLE in their greatest Troubles deepest Distresses and most deadly Dangers WITH THE Resolution of several Questions concerning the DIVINE PRESENCE as also the Reasons and improvements of this great and glorious Truth All tending to encourage Christians in the way of their Duty in the face of all Afflictions Oppositions and Sufferings that they may meet with for Righteousness sake from the Serpents seed or from Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing By THOMAS BROOKS the Author of the Golden Key to open hidden Treasures But will God indeed dwell on the Earth Behold the Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee how much less this House that I have builded 1 Kings 8. 27. Deus unus est ubique totus diffusus Cyprian Maximilian the Emperour was so delighted with that Sentence of PAUL Si Deus nobiscum If God be with us who shall be against us that he caused it to be written upon the Walls in most rooms of his Palace LONDON Printed for Dorman Newman at the Sign of the Kings Arms in the Poultrie THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD With His PEOPLE In their greatest Troubles deepest Distresses and most deadly Dangers 2. Tim. 4. 17. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion IN my Text you have three things that are most remarkable Preached in March and April 1675. First you have Paul's commemoration of that singular experience that he had of the favourable presence Acts 23. 11. of Christ with him and of his strengthening of him Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 4. 16. 2 Tim. 1. 15. by me and assisted me though I was deserted by men yet I was ayded and assisted by Christ though all men left me to shift for my self yet the Lord stood by me and strengthned me with wisdom prudence courage and constancy in the want of all outward encouragements and in the face of all outward discouragements Secondly here is the end for which the Lord stood by him assisted strengthned and delivered him viz. Rom. 11. 13. Phil. 4. 22. That he might preach the Gospel to the Nations That he might have more time and further opportunity to spread abroad the everlasting Gospel among the Gentiles whose Apostle he was Rome at this time was the Queen of the World and in its most flourishing condition people from all parts of the World flockt to Rome Now when they should hear and see Paul's prudence courage constancy and boldness in professing of Christ and in preaching and professing the Gospel even before that grand Tyrant that monster of mankind Nero they could not but be wrought upon and the fame of the glorious Gospel could not but by this means be spread all the World over Thirdly here is the greatness of the danger from which he was delivered viz. From the mouth of the Calv. In. Estiâ—â— c. Lyon Some Authors do conceive these words and I was delivered from the mouth of the Lyon to be a Proverbial speech noting some eminent present devouring danger I was delivered from the extremest hazard of death even as a man rescued out of a Lyons Beza A Lapide Vide Euseb hist l. 2. c. 22. mouth and pull'd from between his teeth Others more genuinly and properly by the mouth of the Lyon do understand Nero's rage and cruelty who for his potency in preying on the flock of Christ is here fitly compared to a Lyon which devoured and destroyed the flock of Christ This cruel Lyon Nero put a world of Christians to death and made a bloody Decree That whosoever confessed himself a Christian he should without any more a do be put to death as a convicted enemy Dedicator damnationis Christianoruâ— Tertul. of mankind Tertullian calleth him The Dedicatour of the condemnation of Christians This bloody Monster Nero raised the first bloody Persecution To pick a quarrel with the Christians he set the City of Rome on fire and then charged it upon the Christians under which pretence he exposed them to the fury of the People who cruelly tormented them as if they had been common burners and destroyers of Cities and the deadly enemies of mankind yea Nero himself caused them to be apprehended and clad in wild beasts skins and torn in pieces with Dogs others were crucified some he made bonefires off to light him in his night-sports To be short such horrid cruelty he used towards them as caused many of their enemys to pity them But God found out this bloody Persecutor at last for being adjudged by the Senat an enemy to mankind he was condemned to be wipt to death for the prevention whereof he cut his own throat The words being thus briefly opened the main point I shall insist upon is this viz. That when the People of God are in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers then the Lord will be most favourably most signally and most eminently present with them The Schoolmen say that God is five wayes present 1. In the Humanity of Christ by hypostatical union 2. In the Saints by knowledge and love 3. In the Church by his essence and direction 4. In Heaven by his Majesty and Glory 5. In Hell by his vindictive Justice Hemingius saith There is a fourfold presence of God 1. There is a presence of Power in all men even in the Reprobates 2. A presence of Grace only in the Elect. 3. A presence of Glory in the Angels and Saints departed 4. An hypostatical presence of the Father with the Son But if you please you may take notice that there is a sixfold presence of the Lord First there is a general presence of God and thus he Psal 139. 7. Nâ— quam est Deus c. ubiquâ— est Câ—rysost in Col. 2. H. 〈◊〉 5. is present with all Creatures Whither shall I flee from thy presence Empedocles the Philosopher said well That God is a Circle whose center iâ— every where and whose circumference is no where God is included in no place and excluded from no place saith another Non est ubi ubi non est Deus They could tell us that God is the soul of the World and that as the soul is Tota in totâ— tota in qualibet parte so is he his eye is in every corner c. To which purpose they so pourtrayed their Goddess Minerva that which way soever one cast his eye shee alwayes beheld him Though Heaven be Gods Palace yet it is not his prison Diana's Temple was burnt down when shee was busie at Alexander's birth and could not be at two places together but God is present both in Paradise and in the Wilderness
fainting and sinking under that hand When the People of God are Psalm 25. 9 12. Psalm 5. 8. in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers he leads and guides them 1. into supernatural wayes Prov. 15. 24. The way of life is above to the Wise He hath his feet where other mens heads are and like an heavenly Eagle delights himself in flying high 2. Into good wayes Jerem. 6. 16. 3. Into strait and strict wayes Mat. 7. 14. Hence they are called right or straight paths which lie betwixt two extremes or if you will which directly lead you to the view of Heaven they are paths which lie level with the rule and with the end a man may see Salvation and Heaven at the end of them 4. Into pleasant wayes Prov. 3. 17. Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace such as were those of Adam before his fall strawed with roses and paved with peace some degree of comfort pleasantness peace follows every good action as heat accompanies fire as beams and influences issue from the Sun 5. Into right paths Prov. 4. 11. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom I have led thee in right paths Hosea 1. 9. The wayes of the Lord are right and the righteous shall walk in them The wayes of his will the wayes of his Word and the wayes of his worship are all right wayes they carry us on in a straight line unto a right end 6. Into old and ancient wayes Jer. 6. 16. Ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest to your souls Jerem. 18. 15. They have caused them to stumble in their way from the ancient paths The wayes of holiness are of the greatest highest and ancientest antiquity the first wayes of Adam were wayes of holiness the wayes of sin are of a later Edition than the wayes of holiness God stampt his Image of holiness upon Man before ever Satan assayed to tempt him holiness is of the ancientest house of the greatest antiquity sin is but an upstart holiness is the first born the way of holiness is the eldest way the way of holiness is gray-headed and of ancientest institution all other wayes are but of yesterday they are but new wayes to the wayes of holiness The stamp of Antiquity upon many things is a praise and an honour to them as old gold old friends old manuscripts old monuments old scars and old holiness the stamp of Antiquity upon the wayes of holiness is the praise and honour of the wayes of holiness 7. Into paths of righteousness Psalm 23. 3. He leadâ— me in paths of righteousness for his names sake or in plain smooth easie paths or in sheeps tracts wherein I may walk unweariedly and unblamably herein he alludes to the Shepherds care in leading his sheep gently in fair and and plain wayes and not through deep mire brambles and briars or over craggy wayes that must needs be hard and troublesome for them to go in The word here used is Metaphorical sometimes respecting the blind who cannot walk without a guide sometimes little or weak children who cannot go without a leader and here the weak and wandring sheep which stand in need of the Shepherd to go in and out before them 8. Into paths of Salvation Acts 16. 17. Thâ—se men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation 9. Into wayes of truth 2 Petr. 2. 2. And many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken off The way of truth that is the true Christian Religion reveiled from heaven which shews the way to true happiness to Eternal salvation 10. Into wayes of uprightness Prov. 2. 13. Who leave the paths of uprightness to walk-in the way of darkness Now when the People of God are in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers the Lord by leading them 1. Into supernatural wayes 2. Into good wayes 3. Into strict and straight wayes 4. Into pleasant wayes 5. Into right wayes 6. Into old and ancient wayes 7. Into righteous wayes 8. Into wayes of salvation 9. Into wayes of truth and 10. Into wayes of uprightness does gloriously manifest his favourable his signal and his eminent presence with them There is nothing below a mighty presence of God that can enable a Christian especially when he is under great troubles and in deep distresses and most deadly dangers to do these five things 1. To approve of the wayes of God 2. To chuse the wayes of the Lord. 3. Highly to prize them 4. To delight and take pleasure in them 5. To walk in them and to keep close to them and yet in all these five things the Lord doth greatly and graciously help his poor People when they are as it were in the very mouth of the Lion But Sixthly The Lord doth manifest his favourable presence his signal and eminent presence with his People in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers by encouraging imbolding animating and heartning up his People in the midst of all their troubles distresses and dangers and by putting new life spirit and mettle into them when they are 2 Chron. 13. 12. Numb 13. 32. 33. compared with 14. 9. even in the very mouth of the Lion Josh 1. 6. Be strong and of a good courage Verse 7. Only be thou strong and very couragious Verse 9. Be strong and of a good courage be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest Joshua was a sword-man as well as a book-man he had his name changed from Oshea to Joshua from Num. 13. 16. let God save to God shall save Christ will never want a Champion tostand up for his Church if Moses dies Joshua shall stand up There shall be a succession of sworâ— men and book-men of Rulers and Teachers to caâ—â—y on Christs work in the world till the top-stone Zach. 4. 7. Mâ—iach 2. 15. be laid with grace unto it The residue of the Spirit is with the Lord and therefore he can and will put such an anointing of his Spirit upon one and another as shall fit them to carry on his works in the World Joshua was very valiant and a man of singular good Moses had a special command from God to charge Joshua to be couragious Deut. 1. 38. cap. 3. 28. God himself also layes the same command upon him Deut. 31. 23. mettle yet because he was sure to meet with such troubles deep distresses and dealy dangers as would put him to it therefore he is prest so frequently to be couragious Verse 6. Be strong and of good courage Verse 7. Only be thou strong and very couragious Verse 9. Be strong and of a good courage Verse 18. Only be strong and of a good courage Deut. 31. 7. And Moses called unto Joshua and said unto
him in the sight of all Israel be strong and of a good courage c. And why all this not because Joshua had discovered any faint-heartedness or cowardise but because the work he was to undertake was so weighty and perillous in regard of those many and mighty Nations whom he was to destroy and plant the Israelites in their room the work that Joshua was to undertake was attended with many great difficulties and dangers in respect of the Enemies he was to encounter as being men of vast and Giant-like statures and strength and dwelling in Cities with high walls and strongly fortified Now the main Argument to raise his courage and mettle is drawn from Gods special presence and assistance Joshua 1. 9. For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest We are not to understand it of Gods general presence in all places but of his special favourable signal and eminent presence which God would manifest in his preservation and protection notwithstanding all the difficulties enterprises dangers and Enemies that he was to encounter with So 2 Chron. 32. 7. Be strong and courageous be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there be more with us than with him Verse 8. With him is an arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels c. At this time the King of Assyria was the greatest Monarch in the world and the most formidable Enemy Israel had he had a mighty Army for there was a hundred fourscore and five thousand of them slain in one night Verse 21. Now the great thing they were to mind and attend was to look narrowly to it that the favourable signal and eminent presence of God with them did raise all their hearts above all discouragements fears and dismayedness what is the chaff to the whirl-wind what are thorns and briars to a consuming fire what is an arm of flesh to the arm strength and power of a God what is weakness to strength and the nothing Creature to the Lord of Hosts Now if the special signal presence of God with his People in their greatest troubles and most deadly dangers won't put singular courage life and mettle into them what will Acts 23. verse 10. And when there arose a great dissention the chief Captain fearing lâ—â—â— Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them commanded the Souldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and to bring him into the Castle Verse 11. And the night following the Lord stood by him namely in a vision or in a dream or in an extasie and said be of good cheer Paul for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem so must thou bear witness also at Rome The favourable signal presence of the Lord with him turned â—is Prison into a Palace Mr. Philpot being a Act. and Mon. 1663. prisoner for the testimony of Jesus writes thus to his Friends Though I tell you that I am in hell in the judgement of this world yet assuredly I feel in the same the consolation of heaven I praise God and this loathsome and horrible prison is as pleasant to me as the walks in the garden of the Kings-Bench When Paul was in See Actâ— 27. â—3 24. great danger the Lord stood by him to cheer comfort and encourage him Now God claps him on the back and puts new life and mettle into him When Dionysius was given up by the Executioner to be beheaded he remained constant and couragious saying come life come death I will worship none but the God of Heaven and Earth When Chrysostom had told Eudoxia the empress that for her covetousness she would be called a second Jezebel she thereupon sent him a threatning message to which he gave this stout and resolute answer Go tell her Nil nisi peccatum timeo I fear nothing but sin When the Executioner had kindled the fire behind Jerom of Prague he bad him kindle it before his face for said he if I had been afraid of it I had not come to this place having had so many opportunities offered me to escape it At the giving up of the ghost he said Hanc animam in flammis offero Christe tibi This soul of mine in flames of fire O Christ I offer thee The Emperour coming into Germanie sent for Luther to Worms but many of his friends from the danger they apprehended hanging over his head disswaded him from going to whom he gave this prudent couragious and resolute answer That these discouragements were cast in his way by Satan who knew that by his profession of the Truth in so illustrious a place his Kingdom would be shaken and that therefore if he knew that there were as many Devils in Worms as there were tiles on the houses yet he woulâ— go The German Knight in his Apologetical Letter for Luther against the Pontifical Clergy saith I will go through with what I have undertaken against you and will stir up men to seek their freedom I neither care nor fear what may befal me being prepared for either event either to ruine you to the great benefit of my Country of my self to fall with a good conscienee c. William Flower the Martyr said That the Heavens should assoon fall as I will forsake my profession or budge in the least degree from it Apollonius being asked If he did not tremble at the sight of the Tyrant made this answer God which gave him a terrible countenance hath given also unto me an undaunted heart When Gardiner asked Rowland Taylor If he did not know him c. To whom he answered Yea I know you and all you greatness yet you are but a mortal man and if I should be afraid of your Lordly looks why fear ye not God the Lord of us all Basil affirms of the primitive Christians that they had so much courage and magnanimity of spirit in their sufferings that many Heathens seeing their heroick zeal resoluteness and undauntedness turned Christians When one of the ancient Martyrs was terrifyed with the threatnings of his persecutors he replyed There is nothing of things visible nor nothing of things invisible that I fear I will stand to my profession of the Name of Christ and contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints come on 't what will By these instances which may be of great use in this trying day you may clearly see how the Lord has manifested his favourable signal and eminent presence to his People in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers by raising up in them a spirit of courage magnanimity and holy gallantry But Seventhly the Lord doth manifest his favourable signal and eminent presence to his People in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers by preserving them from troubles in the midst of troubles from dangers in the midst of dangâ—rs Dan. 3.
place into the Land of the Caldeans for their good To be carried captive to Babylon was doubtless a very sore and matchless affliction Dan 9. 12. And he hath confirmed his words which he spake against us and against our Judges that judged us by bringing upon us a great evil for under the whole Heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem This may be the abridgment of Jeremiah's Lamentations Lam. 1. 12. Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by Behold and see If there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Cap. 4. 16. For the punishment of the iniquity of the Daughter of my People is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom that was overthrown as in a moment and no hands stayed on her Sodom sustained not any siege from forreign forces they were not vexed and plagued with the Armies of the Chaldeans there was no hand of man in the destruction of Sodom but a hand of Heaven only Sodom was not kept long in pains and misery as I and my People have been but was suddenly overwhelmed and in an instant dispatched all which shews that their miseries and sufferings were incomparable and matchless and that they were so indeed will evidently appear if you please but seriously to consider either the antecedents of it or the consequents of it The antecedents of it what went before their captivity viz. blood and slaughter and dreadful devastations Or if you consider the consequents of it as 1. The enslaving of their persons under a fierce and most cruel enemy 2. The loss of their estates 3. The leaving of their Country and the Land of their nativity 4. A deprivation of the ordinances and worship of God 5. The scorns and reproaches the exaltations and triumphs of their adversaries that pleased and delighted themselves in their captivity and misery These were the See Psal 137. 7. Obadjah 12. 13 14 15 16. Ezek. 25. 6. Psal 44. 13 14. woful consequences of that captivity and yet all the power and malice of men in the world could not hinder these amazing and astonishing tryals from working together for the spiritual and everlasting Deut. 8. 15 16. Psal 119. 71 75. Heb. 12. 10. good of his captive People That God will do his People good by the most terrible dispensations that they are under you may see more and more evident by comparing the Scriptures in the margin together As the Apothecary of poyson makes Triacle to drive out poyson so can God make the poyson of afflictions which in themselves are the curse of the Law to drive out the poyson of sin All the world can never hinder the affliction troubles and evils that befal the People of God See my London's Lamentations p. 34. to P. 53. See also my Mute Christian under the smarting Rod. from working for their good for God do's and wiâ—â—â—y these means 1. Discover sin 2. Prevent sin 3. Imâ—â—tter sin 4. Mortify sin And God will by afflictions troubles c. 1. Revive quicken and recover his Childrens decayed graces 2. Exercise his Childrens graces 3. Increase his Childrens graces 4. Make a further tryal and discovery of his Childrens graces Let the enemies of Sion storm and rage plot and combine c. yet they shall never be able to hinder the greatest troubles the deepest distresses and most deadly dangers from working for the internal and eternal good of all the sincere lovers of God I have read a story of one Pereus who running at another with a sword to kill him by accident the sword only run into his impostume and broke that and so he was instrumental to save him whom he design'd to have kill'd And so all the afflictions and troubles that the righteous meet with they do but serve to cure them of the impostume of pride or of the impostume of earthly mindedness or of the impostume of self love or of the impostume of hypocrisy Look upon the revolution of the Heavens how every Planet moves in its proper orb their motions are not alike but various nay opposite each unto the other hence those different conjunctions oppositions and aspects of the Planets yet by the wheeling round of the primum mobile they are brought about to one determinate point The People of God have many enemies in the World whose course and scope whose aims and ends and actions are not the same yea divers nay advers one thwarting and crossing the other yet the overruling providence so swayes all subordinate and inferiour instruments and enemies that in the midst of their mutual jars they conspire in a sacred harmony as if they were entred into a holy-league or some sacred combination for the good of his Chosen where ever our Enemies be in respect of their places whosoever they be in regard of their Persons and however they are disjoyned in regard of their affections yet all their projects and pracâ—â—â—s shall tend and end in the good of those that love God But Sixthly If God be with us who can be against us I answer None as to hinder our communion and fellowship with the Father Son and Spirit 1 John 1. 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Nunâ—uem minus sâ—lus quam cum selus never less alone than when aloâ—e said the Heathen and may not a Saint say so much more that has communioâ— with Father Soâ— and Spirit My God and I are good company said famous Doctor Sâ—â—s Mans summum bonum stands in his Communion with God as Scripture and experience evidences A Man whose soul is conversant with God shall find more pleasure in a desart in a den in a dungeon in a fiery furnace yea and in the valley of the shadow of death than in the Palace of a Prince There is a sweet and intimate Communion which Believers have with God hence they are said to walk with God Genes 5. 24. cap. 6. 9. and to talk with God as Moses frequently did and to dwell in God 1 John 4. 15. And to sup with God Rev. 3. 20. And to lodge with God Cant. 7. 11. The nearness of this fellowship which we have with the Father is represented by a gradation of allusions in Scripture all which do excellently illustrate this truth There is some kind of participation that a Servant hath with his Master yet greater is that which one Friend hath with another but yet greater is that which a Son hath with the Father but greatest of all is that which the Bride hath with the Bridegroom Now in all these relations we stand to the Father we are his Servants and he is our Lord Exod 12. 7. We are his friends John 15. 14 15. Jam. 2. 23. And he is our friend Cant.
5. 1. an able friend a sure friend a faithful friend a close friend a constant friend Plutarch's reasoning is good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Friends have all things in common But God is our Friend Ergo we cannot want a most rare speech from a poor Heathen He is our Father Isa 63. 16. cap. 64 8. And we are his children Isa 63. 8. He is our Bridegroom and we are his Bride Isa 61. 10. Hosea 2. 19 20. Isa 62. 5. And therefore it is no pride nor presumption for Believers to say our fellowship is with the Father Our fellowship with Jesus Christ is set forth by the Parable of Matth. 22. 1 2 3. Luke 15. the Wedding-Feast and by the Entertainment of the Prodigal Son and by such relations or various similitudes as carry communion in their bosoms as of the head and the members root and branches foundation and building husband and wife The head hath communion with the body by sense influence motion The root with the branches by leaf sap and juice The foundation with the building by support and strength The husband with the wife by love and consent Thus it is betwixt Christ and the Believers 1 Cor. l. 9. God is faithful by whom ye are called to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ All Believers have fellowship with Christ whether they be strong or weak rich or poor Gal. 3. 28. 1 Pet. 2. 2. John 17. 20 21 22 23. high or low ripe and well grown or new born babes and very tender The head hath conjunction with all the members and an influence into all the members even the little Toes as well as into the strongest Arms and the root in the vertue of it extends to the weakest branches as well as to the strongest limbs of the Tree Communion is as large as union all Believers are united to Christ and all Believers have communion with Christ Though one star exceeds another in magnitude yet all are alike seated in the heavenly Orb and though one member be larger in the body than another yet every one hath an equal conjunction with the head And as Believers have fellowship with the Father and the Son so they have fellowship with the Spirit also every Believers communion extends to all the Persons in the Trinity 2 Cor. 13. 14. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen Now no Men no Devils no wrath no rage no malice no enmity no afflictions no oppositions do persecutions no troubles no trials no bonds no banishment can interrupt or hinder a Believers communion with the three Persons in Trinity But Seventhly If God be with us who can be against us I answer None so as to hinder our private Trade to Heaven All the world can never hinder a sincere Christian from driving a secret Trade with Heaven as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margin together Psalm 3. 2 3 4. Psalm 6. 8 9 10. Psalm 138. 3 Lan. 3. 55. to 59. A Christian â—an as well hear without ears and live without food and fight without hands and walk without feet as he is able to live without secret Prayer Secret Prayer is the life of our lives the soul the sweet the heaven of all our enjoyments of all the duties of Religion Secret Prayer is the most soul-sweetning soul-strengthning soul-nourishing soul-fatning soul-refreshing soul-satisfying and soul-encouraging duty in all the Ages of the world the Saints have kept the Trade in spite of all opposers and persecutors in prisons in dungeons in dens in bonds in banishments on racks and in the very flames the Saints have still kept up this secret Trade as you may see at large in my Treatise on closet Prayer called The privy Key of Heaven to which I refer you But Eightly If God â—e with us who can be against us I answer None so as to deprive us of the sweet Testimonie of our renewed consciences 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing or boasting is this the testimony of our conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boasting or glorying that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-ward They were in great and pressing troubles in Asia Verse the 8. and yet they boasted in the testimony of their consciences they were under a Sentence of death in themselves Verse 9 and yet gloried in the testimony of their consciences Joy of conscience is the greatest joy as trouble of conscience is the greatest trouble when conscience bears its testimony with us and for us how full of joy is the soul even in the midst of the deepest sorrows and greatest sufferings Conscientia pura semper secura a good conscience hath sure confidence and he that hath it sits Noah like mediis tranquillus in undis Quiet in the greatest combustions freed if not from the common destuction yet from the common distraction A good conscience is an impregnable Fort it fears no colours it will enable a man to stand against the fiercest batteries of men and divels A good conscience will fill a man with courage and comfort in the midst of all his troubles and distresses Paul had enough to say for himself when standing before the Council he could say Men and brethren I have lived in all good conscience Acts 23. 1 2. before God until this day And though as soon as he had said so Ananiâ—s commanded to smite him on the mouth yet he bears up bravely because his conscience did not smite him but acquit him That man can never want musick whose conscience speaks in consort and is harmonious with himself A good conscience is a Paradise in a wilderness it is riches in poverty and health in sickness and strength in weakness and liberty Isa 38. 3. in bonds and life in death A good conscience will enable a man to triumph over innumerable evils yea over death it self Death to such a person is not the King of terrors but the King of desires A good conscience Phil. 1. 23. will be a Christians best friend in the worst times it will be a sword to defend him a staff to support him a pillar of fire to lead him a Joseph to nourish him a Dorcas to cloath him a Canaan to refresh him and a feast to delight him He that is of a merry heart hath a Prov. 15. 15. continual feast Now there is nothing that can make a man Divinely merry below a good conscience A good conscience saith one is Thalamuâ— Dei palatium Aug. Ser. 10. ad Fratres in Eâ—em Christi habitaculum Spiritus Sancti Paradisus delitiarum The bed of God the palace of Christ the habitation of the holy Ghost the Paradise of delights and wherein every Tree yieldeth a Feast Tranquillitas conscientiae Ambros Offic. l. 2. c. 1.
two things 1. A designation of that which is laid up to some peculiar person 2. A reservation and safe keeping of it to the use of those it is designed to Earthly Crowns have been often pulled off from Princes heads but this Crown of righteousness is so safely laid up that none can reach it none can touch it none can pull it from a Believers head Xerxes â—rowned his steers-man in the morning and beheaded him in the evening of the same day And Andronicus the Greek Emperour crowned his Admiral in the morning then took off his head in the after-noon Rosseâ—sis had a Cardinals hat sent him but his head was cut off before it came to him Doth the Crown saith Prov. 27. 24. Solomon endure to every generation It is a question which implieth a strong negation O no there is nothing more uncertain than Earthly Crowns Henry the Sixth was honoured with the Crowns of two Kingdoms France and England The first was lost by the faction of his Nobles the other was twice pulled from his head Princes Crowns are withering things Earthly Crowns may be soon put on and as soon be pulled off Most Princes Crowns do but hang on one side of their heads All the Powers on Earth and all the Devils in Hell can never reach this Crown of righteousness though wicked men have long reaches yet they can never reach a Believers Crown which is his joy and Basiâ— ad 40. Martyr c. and comfort in the midst of all his sorrows and sufferings Thus Basil speaketh of some Martyrs that were cast out all night naked in a bitter cold frosty season and were to be burned the next day how they comforted themselves in this manner The winter is sharp but Paradise is sweet here we shiver for cold but the bosom of Abraham will make amends for all The Philosopher could say to the Tyrants face You may kill me but you cannot hurt me you may take away my head but you cannot take away my Crown O Christians let this be your joy and triumph that the Crown of righteousness is laid up safe for you no Tyrants arm is long enough to reach that Crown But Secondly There is no power nor policy on Earth or in Hell that can deprive a Christian of his Crown of life James 1. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him The Crown of life that is Eternal life whereby after Pâ—seat the fight and conquest he shall be gloâ—â—fied as with a Crown as there was a Crown to him that overcame in their exercises among the Grecians Blessedness is the general reward the Crown of life is the particular reward In these words as Chrysostom obseâ—ves there is a great Emphasis they are both Emphatical for life is the best of all natural things and a Crown is the best of all civil things Here is the best and the best words are too weak to express what a rare blessing a Crown of life is The Crown of life is in the other World saith Gregory this life is the life of conflict that of crowns and wreaths but you will say what doth this Crown of life signifie I answer First The Crown of life signifies solid and substantial honour and glory as a Crown is a solid and substantial thing Heaven admits of no honour and gloâ—â—â— but what is solid and substantial the Crown of life is a massie Crown a ponderous Crown to shew that the glory above is a massie glory substantial glory That you 2 Cor 4. 17. may see it is massie and substantial observe what a word the Apostle useth The weight of glory the exceeding eternal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weight of glory Such a weight as infinitely over-poyseth all afflictions The Apostle alludeth to the Hebrew and Chaldee worâ—â— which signifie both weight Mâ—do eminâ—â—â—issimâ— largissinâ— and glory The Arabick version renders it Worketh for us a weight of glory in the most eminent and largest degree and measure The Syriack reads it Infinitam gloriam An infinite glory Haymo reads it Magnitudinem glorie supra omnem modum mensuram A greatness of glory beyond all bounds and measâ—â—re Beza reads it Excellenter excellens Exceedingly excellent Yet none of these reach the height of the Apostle's Rhetorick neither is any translation able to express it Glory is so great a weight that if the Saints were not upheld by the infinite power and strength of God it were impossible they should be able to bear it To gold and preclous things the weight addeth to the value as the more massie and weighty a Crown is the more it is worth The glory of Heaven is not only Eternal glory but it is a weight of glory yea such a weight as exceeds all expressions all comparisons The honour and glory of this world is but like the cracking of thorns under a pot it is but like a blaze a shadow a dream a vapour it is but like a fading flower or the picture of a Prince drawn upon the Ice with his purple Robes and his glorious Crown c. which melts away as soon as the Sun riseth the consideration of which made one Prince say of his Crown O Crown more noble than happy A crown is the the choicest and chiefest of all humane rewards A mongst all terrene gifts none more honourable and glorious than a Crown this is the heigth of humane excellencies and for the attainment of which many have made most sad desperate and dangerous adventures but alas what are all earthly Crowns for honour dignity to the Crown of life No more than shadows to substances pebbles to pearls or dross to gold But Secondly The Crown of life signifies the greatest honour and glory there is nothing higher in the estimation and in the admiration of men than a Crown it is the highest appendent of Majesty A Crown is the Psâ—lm 8. 7. Emblem of Majesty and so it notes that Imperial and Kingly dignity to which Believers are advanced by Ephes 1. 3. Christ There is nothing that Men esteem of above a Crown oradmire than a Crown or are ambitious off than a Crown The Crown is the top of Royalty all earthly Crowns have crosses hanging upon them all earthly Crowns are stuffed with thorns which made a Xerxes great Prince say You look upon my Crown and my purple Robes but did you but know how they are lined with thorns you would not stoop to take them up Queen Elizabeth is said to swim to her Crown through a Sea of sorrow And so many of the Princes of this world have swum to their Crowns through a Sea of sin a Sea of trouble a Sea of sorrow and a Sea of blood The Crown of life is an honourable Crown and that is the reason why the Heavenly glory is exprest by a
Rev. 3. 21. Crown the Saints are heirs not only of Christs cross but also of his Crown that is of his honour and glory The honour and glory of all earthly Crowns are greatly darkned and obscured by the cares and troubles the temptations dangers that are inseparably annexed to them but no cares no troubles attend the Crown of life the Crown of glory Eternal life is a coronation day But Thirdly The Crown of life signifies the reward of victory a Crown is the honour of those that strive Crowns were alwayes the rewards of Conquerours Gregory Revel 2. 10. Be thou faithful to the death and I will give thee a Crown of life A Crown without cares corrivals envy end a Crown not of gold silver pearls laurels or such like fading perishing corruptible things but a Crown of life an everliving Crown an everlasting Crown a neverfading Crown 'T is an allusion to a custom that was amongst the Grecians for such as got the mastery Dr. Raynolds against Hart p. 482 in their games of wrastling or running or the like were crowned with a Garland in token of victory 't is not he that fights but he that conquers that carries the Crown The Crown of life is for that man and that man is for the Crown of life who holds on conquering and to conquer as Christ his head has done before him The Heathens in their Olympicks had their Cups and Garments and Crowns that were the rewards of the Conquerors yea if a horse did but run a race and won he had a Cup or a Crown and thereupon Theocritus saith See what poor things the world glories in that bruit beasts are taken with their conquerours are crowned and so are their horses But what were all their cups garments and crowns of ivy and laurel c. to this crown of life that is promised to the overcoming Christian you must first be conquering Christians before you shall be crowned Christians Why do you require that in one place saith one of the Ancients which Ambros is due in another why would you preposterously have the crown before you overcome whil'st we are in our warring state fighting against the world the flesh and the Devil a crown does not become us I have read how that upon a triumph all the Emperour Severus his Souldiers for the greater pompe were to put on crowns of bays but there was one Christian among them that wore it on his arm and being asked the reason of it he boldly answered Non decet Christianum in hac vita coronari It becomes not a Christian to wear his crown in this life That crown that is made out of the Tree of life is a wreath of laurel that never withers a crown that never fades a crown that will sit fast on no head but the conquerours But Fourthly the Crown of life signifies a lasting Crown a living Crown to say the Crown of life is to say a living Crown and living Crowns are only to be found in Prov. 27. 24. Eze. 21. 25 26 27. Heaven The word Crown notes the perpetuity of glory A Crown is round and hath neither beginning nor ending and therefore the glory of the Saints in Heaven is called an immortal an immarcessible incurruptible 2 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 9. â—4 and never fading Crown The Crown of life signifies the lasting honour and glory of the Saints in Heaven I have read of an Emperour that had three crowns one on his sword another on his head and then cries out Tertiam in Coelis The third is in Heaven and my hope See my String of Pearls saith he shall be in the everlasting Crown The life to come is only the true life the happy life the safe life the honourable life the lasting yea the everlasting life and therefore the Crown is reserved for that life King William the Conquerour was crowned three times every year all his reign at three several places viz. Glocester Winchester and Westminster but death hath long since put a period to his Crown The Crowns of the greatest Monarchs in the world though they last long yet are Hackwel corruptible subject to wearing cracking stealing they will be taken from them or they from their crowns suddenly Witness that pile of crowns as the Historian speaks that was piled up as it were at Alexander's gates when he sate down and wept because there were no more worlds to conquer All Scripture and Histories do abundantly tell us that there is nothing more fading than Princes crowns But Fifthly the Crown of life notes a well entitled crown a crown that comes by a true and noble Title A Christian has the best Title imaginable to the Crown of life Eph. 1. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Luk. 12. 32. 2 Cor. 11. 2. Heb. 1. 2. 2 Sam. 23. 5. Jer. 32. 40. 41. 1. He has a Title by Christs blood 2. By the new Birth 3. By free and precious promises 4. By donation 5. By marriage union and communion with Christ who is heir apparent to all the glory of Heaven 6. By a sure everlasting Covenant King Henry the VII of England pretended a sixfold title to the crown 1. By conquest 2. By the election of the Souldiers in the field 3. By Parliament 4. By birth 5. By donation 6. By marriage but what was his pretended Title to that real and full Title that a believer has to the Crown of life But Sixthly and lastly the Crown of life notes the perfection of the glory of the Saints in Heaven as the crown compasseth the head on every side so in Heaven there is an aggregation of all internal and eternal good One of August de Triplicâ— Habitu c. 4. the Ancients speaking concerning what we can say of the glory of Heaven saith It is but a little drop of the Sea and a little spark of the great Furnace for those good things of eternal life are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they are above all estimation Nec Christus nec Coelum patitur hyperbolem Neither Christ nor Heaven can be hyperbolized Noscie quid erit quod ista vita non erit And saith one of the Fathers what will that life be or rather what will not that life be since all good either is not at all or is in such a life light which place cannot comprehend voices and musick which time cannot ravish away odours which are never dissipated a feast which is never consumed a blessing which eternity bestoweth but eternity shall never see at an end Do you ask me what Heaven is saith one when I meet you there I will tell you The world to come say the Rabbins is the world where all is well I have read of one that would willingly swim through a Sea of brimstone to get to Heaven for there and only there is perfection of happiness What are the silks
as those that have no interest in that inheritance that fadeth not away But Fourthly and lastly there is no power nor policy on Earth or in Hell that can deprive a sincere Christian of a Crown of glory 1 Pet. 5. 4. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory which fadeth not away as the garlands did where with the conquerours at games races combates were crown'd which were made of herbs leaves and flowers A Crown imports perpetuity plenty dignity It is the height of humane ambition The Greek word Amarantinon cometh from Amarantus which is a flower that fadeth not of which garlands were made in former times and wherewith they crowned the Images of the Heathen Gods A Believers Crown his inheritance his glory his happiness his blessedness shall be as fresh and flourishing after he hath been many millions of years in Heaven as it was at his first entrance into it Earthly Crowns are like tennis-balls which are bandied up and down from one to another and in time wear out When time shall be no more when earthly Crowns and Kingdoms shall be no more yea when the world shall be no more a Christians Crown of glory shall be fresh flourishing and continuing all the Devils in hell shall never wrangle a Believer out of his heavenly inheritance nor deprive him of his crown of glory The least thing in Heaven is better than the greatest things in this World all things on Earth are fading but the crown of glory never fadeth away Thus you see why Heaven the glory above is expressed by a crown sometimes it is called a crown of righteousness to note the grounds and rise of it sometimes it is called a crown of life because it is only to be enjoyed in everlasting life sometimes it is called an incorruptible crown to note the duration continuance of it and sometimes it is called a crown of glory to note the honour splendour and eternity of it Now let Devils let oppressors let persecutors do their worst they shall never be able to deprive the Saints of their blessed and glorious crowns But Sixteenthly If God be with us who can be Psal 89. 30. 35. Jer. â—1 31. cap. 32. 38 39 40 41. Isa 54. 10. Heb. 8. 8. 10. against us I answer none so as to make void our Covenant-relation or our covenant-interest as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margin together The Covenant of grace is bottomed upon Gods free love upon Gods everlasting love upon Gods special and peculiar love upon Gods unchangeable love so that God can as soon cease to be as he can cease to love those whom he has taken into covenant with himself or cease to keep covenant with them Those whom free-grace hath brought into covenant shall continue in covenant for ever and ever once in covenant and for ever in covenant The Covenant of grace is bottomed upon Gods immutable counsel and purpose The foundation Heb. 6. 17. 2 Tim. 2. 19. of God standeth sure that is the decree and purpose of Gods election stands firm and sure Now the purpose of Gods election is compared to a foundation because it is that upon which all our happiness and blessedness is built and bottomed and because as a foundation it abides firm and sure The Covenant of grace is John 10. 28. 29 30 31 32. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Jude 1. bottomed upon Gods glorious power upon Gods infinite power upon Gods supreme power upon Gods invinâ—ible power upon Gods independent power upon Gods incomparable power and till you can find a power that can overmatch this Divine power the Saints covenant-relation holds good The Covenant of grace is bottomed upon the oath of God To perform the mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his holy Covenant Luke 1. 72. 73. the oath which he sware to our Fathers Now to think that God will break his oath or be perjured is an intolerable blasphemy The Covenant of grace is bottomed upon the precious blood of Christ the blood of Christ Mat. 26. 28. Heb 9 15. â—bid 13. 20. is called The blood of the everlasting Covenant 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 Now by these hints it is most evident that the Saints covenant-relation their covenant-interest holds good at all times in all cases and in all conditions It is not the indwelling power of sin nor spiritual desertions nor violent temptations nor heavy afflictions nor Divine delays that can dissolve our covenant-relation Though sin may work and Satan may tempt and fears may be high and God may hide his Isa 8. 17. Lam. 3. 44. face from his People and stop his ears at the prayers of his People yet God will still maintain his interest in his People and his Peoples relation to himself God hath not cast away his People whom he foreknew Rom. 11. 2. I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. 6. I will betroth thee unto me forever Hos 2. 19. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. It is not all the powers of Hell nor all the powers on Earth that can make null or void our covenant-relation our covenant-interest But Seventeenthly and lastly If God be with us who can be against us I answer none so as to hinder our growth in grace or the thriving and flourishing estate of our precious and immortal souls The troubles afflictions persecutions and sufferings that the Saints meet with in a way of holyness shall but further the increase and growth of their graces grace never rises to so great a height as it does in times of persecution Suffering times are a Christians harvest times Let me instance in that grace of Psalm 69. 7 8 9 12. of zeal I remember Moulin speaking of the French Protestants saith When Papists hurt us and persecute us for reading the Scripture we burn with zeal to be reading of them but now persecution is over our Bibles are like old Almanacks Michal's scoffing at David 2 Sam. 6. 20 21 22 did but inflame and raise his zeal If this be to be vile I will be more vile Look as fire in the Winter burns the hotter by an Antiperistasis because of the coldness of the air so in the winter of persecution that Divine fire the zeal of a Christian burns so much the hotter and flames forth so much the more vehemently and strongly When one desired to know what kind of man Basil was there was presented to him in a dream saith the Historian a pillar of fire with this Motto Talis est Basilius Basil is such a one he is all on a light fire for God Warm persecutions will but set Christians all on a light fire for God as you may see among the Apostles primitive Christians the Martyrs of a later date Grace
17 18 19. Cap. 37. 15. ult Dan. 3. 23 24 25. Cap. 6. 22 23. in prison Jeremiah was in Covenant with God and God kept him company in the Dungeon The three Children or rather Champions were in Covenant with God and God was signally present with them in the fiery Furnace Daniel was in Covenant with God and God was wonderfully with him in the Lions Den. Job was in Covenant with God and God was with him in six troubles and in seven David was in Covenant Job 3. 18 19. Psal 89. 33 â—4 Psal 23. 4. with God and God was with him in the valley of the shadow of death Take not up in a name to live nor in a form of godliness nor in common convictions nor in an outward reformation take up in nothing below a Covenant-relation as you would enjoy the precious presence Deâ—t 26. 17 18 19. of the Lord with you in your greatest troubles and deepest distresses if you chuse him for your God you shall then assuredly find him to be your God if he be the God of our love and fear he will be the God of our comfort and safety if God be your God in Covenant then in distress the cities of refuge are open to you he will stick close to you he will never leave you nor forsake you you have a Father to go to a God to flee Heb. 13. 5 6 7. to a God that will take care of you Come my People enter thâ—u into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast Here are Chambers withdrawing rooms provided not open Chambers but with doors and doors shut round about intimating that guard of protection which the People of God shall find from him even in a common inundation But Secondly if you would enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in your greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers then look to the practical 2 Chron. 15. 2. part of holyness keep up the power of godlyness in your hearts and lives Joh. 14. 21. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Ver. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him He that frames his heart and life according This is evident throughout the whole Boâ—k of the Prophet Eâ—ekiâ—l See Cap. 2. 4. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. to Christs rule shall be sure of Christs presence Ezekiel was a man that kept up the power of holyness and godliness in his heart and life And O the glorious visions and deep mysteries and rare discoveries of God and of his presence and of the great things that should be brought about in the latter days that was discovered to him Daniel kept up the power of holyness and godliness in his heart and life And O what secrets and mysteries did God reveal to him Many of those great and glorious things which concerns the destruction of the four last Monarchies and the growth increase exaltation flourishing durable invincible and unconquerable estate of his own Kingdom was discovered to him Paul was a person that kept up the power of holyness and godliness in his heart and life And O what a mighty presence of God had he with him in all his doing suffering and witnessing work And O what glorious revelations and discoveries of God had he when he was caught up into the third Heaven into Paradise heard unspeakable words or wordless words such as words were to weak to utter Such as was not possible for man to utter and that either because they transcended mans capacity in this life or else because the Apostle was forbid to utter them they being revealed to him not for the publick use of the Church but only for his particular encouragment that he might be the better able to encounter with all hardships difficulties dangers and deaths that did or might attend him in his Ministerial 3 Cor. 1. 7 8 9 10 work Some of the Ancients are of opinion that he saw Gods essence for say they other things in Heaven might have been uttered but the essence of God is so great and so glorious a thing that no man or Angel can utter it But here I must crave lieve to enter my dissent from these learned men for the Scripture is express in this That no man hath thus ever seen the Lord at any time that no man Joh. 1. 18. 1 Tim. 6. 16. 1 Joh. 4. 12. Exod. 33. 20 21 22 23. can thus see the Lord and live And as great a Favourite of Heaven as Moses was yet he could only see the back parts of God he could only behold some lower represâ—ntations of God Some say that he heard the Heavenly singing of Angels and blessed Spirits which was so sweet so excellent and glorious that no mortal man was able to utter it and this of the two is most probable But no man is bound to make this opinion an Article of his Faith This I think we may safely conclude that in this rapture besides the contemplation of Celestial mysteries he felt such unspeakable delight and pleasure that was either like to that or exceeded that which Adam took in the Terrestrial Paradise Doubtless the Apostle did see and hear such excellent things as was impossible for the tongue of any mortal man to express or utter John was a burning and a shining Light both in John 5. 35. life and doctrine he was a man that kept up in his heart and life the power of holyness and godliness and Christ reveales to him the general estate of his Church and all that should besal his People and that from John's time unto his second coming Christ gives John a true representation of all the troubles tryals changes mercies and glories that in all times and in all ages and places should attend his Church until he came in all his glory About sixty years after Christs Ascension Christ comes to John and opens his heart and unbosomes his soul 'T is the general opinion of the learned that this Book of the Revelation was penned about the latter end of the reign of Domiâ—ian the Emperour which was about sixty years after Christs Ascension and makes known to him all that care that love that tenderness that kindness and that sweetness that he would exercise towards his Church from that very time to the end of the world Christ tells John that though he had been absent and seemingly silent for about threescore years that yet he was not so taken up with the delights contents and glory of Heaven as that he did not care what became of his Church on earth O no! and therefore he opens his choicest secrets and
accounted as sheep for the slaughter It is a question when and upon what occasion this Psalm was written Some think that it was written upon occasion of the 70 years captivity in Babylon but this can't Dan. 9. 11 12 13 14. be because that captivity was the fruit and product of their high iniquities as the Scriptures do every where evidence They could not say in Babylon for thy sake we are killed all the day long but for sins sake for our wickedness sake we are killed all the day long It is more probable that this Psalm was prenned upon the occasion of the horrible persecution of the Church under Antiochus Epiphanes unto which I guess Paul hath reference towards the latter end of that 11. to the Hebrews In this 22. Verse you have three things observable 1. The greatness of their sufferings They were killed amplified by a similitude As sheep to the slaughter 2. The cause not for their sin but for thy sake 3. The continuance how long even all the day long Their sufferings are great and long that Tyrant Antiochus made no more Dan. 11. reckoning of taking away of their lives than a Butcher doth of cuting the throats of the poor sheep and as Butchers kill the sheep without making conscience of the effusion of their blood even so did that Tyrant Antiochus destroy the Saints of the most high without making the least conscience of sâ—eding innocent blood and as Butchers think well of their work and are glad when they have butchered the poor sheep so did this Tyrant Antiochus he thought he did God good service in butchering of the holy People and rejoyced in that bloody service and yet notwithstanding all the dreadful things that these blessed souls suffered they still kept close to God and close to his Covenant and close to his wayes and close to his worship And Austin observes Aug. liâ— 22 de Civit. Dei c. 6 Exod. 1. 12. that though the Heathen sought to suppress the growth of Christianity by binding butchering racking stoning burning c. yet still they increased and multiplyed and still they kept close to God and his wayes The Church was at first founded in blood and it has thriven best when it has been moistned with blood it was at first founded in the blood of Christ and ever since it has been moistned or watered as it were with the blood of the Martyrs The Church of Christ in all Ages hath been like the oak which liveth by his own wounds and the more limbs are cut off the more new sprouts O how close to God his wayes and worship did the Saints keep in the Ten Persecutions they have followed the Lamb whither ever he went If they would have complyed with the wayes of the World and the worship of Rev. 14. â— 5. Heb. 11. 35. the World and the customs of the World they might have had case honour riches preferments c. but nothing could work them off from God or his wayes and therefore he will certainly stand by them and cleave to them and be signally present with them in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers But Tenthly the Lord will be signally present with his 10 Reason Mat. 5. 12. Lu. 6 23. People in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers that they may be joyful and cheerful under all their troubles and that they may glory in all their tribulations It is good to have a patient Spirit but it is better to have a joyful Spirit in all our sufferings troubles distresses c. that we meet with in a way of well-doing Acts. 5. 40. And to him they agreed Gre. Rejoyce leap for joy 2 Cor. 12. 10. and when they had called the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the Name of Jesus and let them go Verse 41. And they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name In the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they were honoured to be dishonoured for Christ They looked upon it as a high honour to be dishonoured for Christ as a grace to be disgraced for Christ It was the Divine presence that made Acts 16. 20 22 23 24. Paul Silas to sing when they were accounted trouble-towns and when they were beaten with many stripes and cast into prison into the inner prison and laid neck Beza and heels together as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes The Divine presence made Paul and Silas to glory in all Ephes 6. 17. Rom. 5. 3. their stripes sores and wounds as old Souldiers glory in their scars and wounds which they receive in battle for their Prince and Country The Divine presence might well make Paul and Silas to say of their stripes sores as Muncer once said of his ulcers Hae sunt gemmae pretiosa ornamenta Dei These are the Jewels and the precious ornaments with which God adornes his dearest Servants It was the Divine presence that made Ignatius say in the midst of all his sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I bear my bonds as so many spiritual pearls So 2 Cor. 7. 4. I am filled with comfort Tam exceeding joyful in all our tribulations Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I do over-abound with joy Verse 5. For when we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no rest but we werâ— troubled on every side without were fightings within were fears Verse 6. Novertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down comforted us It was the Divine presence that filleth the Corinthians with exceeding comfort and joy when their fiesh had no rest and when they were troubled on every side this signal presence of God with them in all their tribulations filled their souls with such an exuberancy of joy that no good could match it nor no evil over-match it It was the Divine presence that made the Martyrs both ancient modern so comfortable cheerful under all their hideous sufferings It was the Divine presence that made Francisco Soyit say to his Adversaries You deprive me of this life promote me to a better which is as if you should rob me of counters furnish me with gold Oh how my heart leapeth for joy said one that I am so near the apprehension of eternal bliss God forgive me mine unthankfulness and unworthyness of so great glory In all the dayes of my life I was never so merry as now I am in this dark Dungeon believe me there is no such joy in the world as the People of Christ have under the cross Act. and Mon. fol. 1668 1669. 1670. said blessed Philpot that went to Heaven in flames of fire Let God but withdraw this fignal presence from his People in their sufferings and you will quickly find their hearts to droop their spirits to fail and they overwhelmed in a sea of sorrows as
you see in Mr. Glover the Martyr and many others It was this Divine presence that made the primitive Christians to rejoyce more when they were condenmed than absolved and to kiss Magis damnati quâ—m absoluti gaudemus Tert. in Apol. the stake and to thank the Executioner and to sing in the flames and to desire to be with Christ So Justin Martyr Apol. 1. Adv. Gent. Gratias agimus quod à mâ—lâ—stis Dominis liberemur We thank you for delivering us from hard Task-masters that we may more sweetly enjoy the bosom of Jesus Christ The Bee gatheres the besthoney of the bitterest herbs and Christ made the best wine of water certainly the best the purest the strongest and the sweetest joyes spring from the signal presence of God with his People in their greatest troubles and deepest distresses only remember this that that joy that flowes from the Dâ—â—ine presence in times of troubles and distress it is an inward joy a spiritual joy a joy that Prov. 14. 10. lyes remote from a carnal eye The heart knoweth his own bitterness and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy The joy of the Saints in sufferings is a Jewel that falls not under a strangers eye The joy of a Christian lyes deep it cannot be expressed it cannot be painted Look as no man can paint the sweetness of the Honey-comb nor the sweetness of a cluster of Grapes nor the fragrancy of the Rose of Sharon so no man can paint out the sweetness and spiritualness of that joy that the Divine presence raises in the soul when a Christian is under the greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers Holy joy is a treasure that lyes deep and 't is not every man that had a Golden Key to search into this Treasury Look as a man standing on the Sea shore sees a great heap of waters one wave riding upon the back of another and making a dreadful noise but all this while though he sees the water rouling and hears it raging and roaring yet he sees not the wealth the gold the silver the jewels and incredible treasures that lye buried there so wicked men they see the wants of the Saints but not their wealth they see their poverty but not their riches their miseries but not their mercies their conflicts but not their comforts their sorrows but not their joyes O this blind World cannot see the joyes the comforts the consolations that the Divine presence raises in the souls of the Saints when they are at worst Holy joy and cheerfulness under great troubles and deep distresses is an honour to God a glory to Christ and a credit to Religion it stops the mouths of sinners and it encourages and strengthens weak Saints and therefore the Lord will be signally present with his People in their greatest troubles c. that they may grace their suffering condition with joy and cheerfulness And let thus much suffice for the reasons of the point But before I come to the useful application to prevent the Objections and to allay the fears and doubts and disputes that may arise in the hearts of weak Christians concerning this signal presence of God I shall briefly lye down these following propositions First That Christ is many times really present when 1. Pâ—â— position he is seemingly absent Genes 28. 16. And Jacob said surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not Choice Christians may have the presence of Christ really with them when yet they may not be kindly sensible of his presence nor yet affected with it God is present every Psalm 139. where but especially with his Saints and not only then when they are apprehensive of him but when they perceive no evidence of his presence Being awakened he perceived that God had very graciously and gloriously appeared to him and therefore he falls admiring and extolling the singular goodness and the special kindness of God towards him As if he had said I thought that such strange and blessed apparitions were peculiar to the family of the faithful I thought that God had only in this manner reveiled himself in my Fathers house I did not in the least think or imagine that such an Apparition such a Divine Revelation should happen to me in such a place But now I find that that God who is every where in respect of his general presence he hath by the special testimonies of his presence manifested himself to me also in this place So Job Lo he goeth by me Job 9. 11. Consult these Scriptures Luke 24. 32. John 20. 13 14 15. Psalm 31 22. Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 Cap. 5 6 7 8. me and I see him not he passeth on also but I perceive him not So Jonah Jon. 2. 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple In times of sore afflictions Gods Children are very prone to have hard conceits of God and heavy conceits of themselves Unbelief raises fears doubts despondency despair and works a Christian many times when he is under deep distresses to draw very sad conclusions against his own soul I am cast out of thy sight But this was but an hour of temptation and therefore he soon recollects and recovers himself again yet I will look again toward thine holy Temple Here now Faith has got the upper hand of unbelief In the former part of the Verse you have Jonah doubting and despairing I am cast out of thy sight but in the latter part of the Verse you have Jonah conquering and triumphing yet I will look again toward thine holy Temple When sense saith a thing will never be and when reason saith such a thing can never be Faith gets above sense and reason and saith I but it shall be what do you tell me of a roaring raging Sea of the belly of Hell of the weeds about my head of the billows and waves passing over my head for yet as low as I am and as forlorn as I am I will yet look towards Gods holy Temple I will eye God in the Covenant of grace though I am in the Sea though I am in the belly of hell yet by Faith I will look toward thy holy Temple toward which 1 Kings 8. they were to pray and triumph over all those difficulties which formerly I looked upon as insuperable I will pray and look and look and pray all which does clearly evidence a singular presence of God with him even then when he peremptorily concludes that he was cast out of Gods presence out of his sight out of his favour out of his care out of his heart The Lord is many times really present with his People when he is not sensibly present with his People Judg. 6. 12. And the Angel God may sometimes appear terribly to those whom he loves entirely Job 9. 34. of the Lord appeared to him and said unto him the Lord is with thee thou