have this Doctrine Doct. That as God the Father so the Lord Jesus Christ is the author of the Saints graces and comfort As the form of the Apostles salutations in most of his Epistles is grace and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ so he concludes generally the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ Reason Because Col. 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell Joh. 1.16 And of his fulness have all we received grace for grace Col. 2.9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness not only the fulness of Divinity but the fulness of the Deity of the Godhead bodily that second Person of the Trinity who was true Man was likewise true God therefore he is the author of all good from hence then for it is very remarkeable his mentioning the Son let us I say make this use of it let us honour the Son as we honour the Father I and the Father are one saith Christ Joh. 10.30 and the Apostle Phil. 2.6 7. saith of Christ Who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men c. though he were a creature as he was Man yet he is true God Creator as he is God he is the bestower of the same gifts as God the Father and he together with God the Father doth inable people to leave their sins and to walk in his ways this we may see Ephes 1.23 and Chap. 2.1 2. vers compared where speaking of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all and You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this World c. Christ inables the Saints to make progress in holiness to proceed in every good Word and Work Fourthly He directs us what course to take that we might obtain blessings from God namely from God Doct. The way to obtain blessings from God is to seek it of God For the Apostle prevents an objection which they might make he exhorts them to stedfastness but they might say Object How may we do to keep in the ways of God whence should we have this power He Answers We may have it from God and from Jesus Christ as appears in the Text. Now our Lord Jesus Christ He doth not say the Lord Jesus Christ but our's mark whom he speaks it of not only of himself Paul the believer and Silvanus and Timothy but the Saints the believers of the Church of Thessalonica from hence observe this Doctrine Doct. True faith doth apply Jesus Ch 〈…〉 as it 's own portion Psal 119.57 Thou art my portion oh Lord And again Psal 16.5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him And so true Faith doth apply Jesus Christ to the soul as it 's own portion Therefore when Thomas that staggered in his faith came to confirm it by putting his hand into his side c. he saith My Lord and my God Joh. 20. ver 28. Vse I. To apply this then You then that have Faith prize it as Christ is call'd Precious so likewise is Faith call'd Precious it is precious Faith by which you come to imbrace precious Christ now as Christ is the gift of God so Faith is the gift of God and you cannot receive Jesus Christ who is the gift of God but by Faith John 1.12 To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Believing is receiving Vse II. Oh then labour for Faith we can never go to Heaven without Faith consider what will it advantage you that he is the Lord Jesus unless he be your Lord Jesus what profit is it to you t 〈…〉 e is a Saviour if he be not your Saviour we have no ground of comfort to hear of the Lord Jesus â—…ist â—till we believe in him and 〈…〉 m if we believe not we mâ—… dye in 〈◊〉 sins Our Lord Jesus or our Saviour 〈…〉 he word signifies Our Saviour 〈…〉 e Doct. Christ is our Saviour As he is call'd often throughout the New Testament Christ is our Saviour and he alone There 's no other salvation to be had in any other Acts 4.12 First Christ is our Saviour as he saves us from Sathan Ephes 4.8 He led captivity captive it is Christ that came to destroy the works of the Devil and when he did come he did conquer and overcome principalities and power Col. 2.15 it 's Jesus Christ that recovers sinners out of the snare of the Devil that 's the first Secondly He saves us from sin Matth. 1.21 Thou shal't call his name Jesus saith the Angel for he shall save his people from their sins I might shew you both joyn'd together in the 2. Ephes 1.2 And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the power of the air c. First he saves his people from the power of sin he sets them into a glorious liberty Joh. 8.34 36. saith our Saviour He that commits sin is the servant of sin and in the 36. vers If the Son make you free you shall be free indeed and saith the Apostle Rom. 6.11 reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Forasmuch as ye know that you were not redeemed from your vain conversation with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish Secondly Jesus Christ saves as from the power of sin so from the penalty due to sin from the punishment of sin as first from the curse of the Law Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3.13 secondly from the wrath of God 1 Thes 1.10 Jesus who delivereth us from the wrath to come 1 Thes 5.8 9 10. For God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ Who died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him it is he alone by whom we obtain salvation Let us only apply it in a word Vse How precious then should Jesus Christ be to us saith the Apostle Peter Vnto you that believe therefore he is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 vers I he is your Saviour He that believeth on him shall not be confounded Oh! how do captives love their Redeemer when they see the man that comes to free them out of bondage how do they love the sight of him Oh how should sinners love Jesus Christ who is their Saviour 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathama
in two respects first before we loved him 1 Joh. 4.10 19. Herein is love in that he loved us first and secondly God loves us as before we loved him so when we had nothing to render us lovely to him Rom. 5.8 While we were sinners ungodly in our wickedness when we had nothing but sin and corruption in us not that he loved his peoples sins but their persons when the whole head was sick and the whole heart faint nothing but sores and putrifying corruptions yet he loved his people though he hated their corruptions he loved them and loved them before they had grace Ephes 1.4 5 6. ver Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will To the praise of the glory of his grace c. Secondly As God loved us undeservedly so constantly Jesus Christ having loved his own he loves them to the end A friend loves at all times saith Solomon in time of adversity as well as prosperity there are few such friends in the World but God is such a friend he loves his people when others care not for them God will love you that are his people always at all times Isa 54.10 The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee He hath taken you into an everlasting covenant with him and else where they are call'd everlasting hills because they last as long as the World lasteth but there will come a time when they shall be broken and the Earth shall be no more Oh but his love is everlasting when time shall be no more Vse II. Secondly If this be so then let them that have grace take heed of offending God a wise man will be willing to please and loth to displease such a Father as he is take heed of doing evil in the sight of God stand in awe and sin not for all iniquity is abomination in the sight of God God loves you oh do not provoke him Vse III. Again thirdly Doth God love his people then let us love them that fear God and walk in his ways Ephes 5.1 Be followers of God as dear children God loves the righteous First Hereby we shall resemble God Secondly Hereby we evidence our love to God 1 Joh. 4.20 Thirdly Hereby you will evidence Gods love to you if you love those that are Gods 1 Joh. 3 14. We know we are passed from death to life be 〈◊〉 we love the Brethren and 18.19 vers Let us not love only in word but in deed and in truth Vse IV. Fourthly Doth God love his people then let us not be troubled though the World hate us what though men regard us not remember this if thou fearest God God loves thee rejoyce in this oh Saints thou that art the servants of God though thou art not the favourite of great men thou art the favourite of the great God And hath given us everlasting consolation Everlasting consolation that is everlasting happiness everlasting life it is therefore call'd everlasting consolation because the happiness of mans life is the comfort of his life comfort in Scripture and consolation is taken for happiness Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 That is they shall be brought into that glorious happiness Luk. 16.25 Son remember that thou in thy life time receivest thy good things and Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented He is comforted that is he is made blessed as appears in the opposition of the words but thou art tormented Luk. 6.21 Blessed are you that weep but you shall laugh it is not taken in that sense we commonly take laughing in but ye shall be made happy that is the meaning and so 〈◊〉 24. Woe to you that are rich now for you have received your consolation 〈…〉 are rich in self conceit in prid 〈…〉 vain glory that boast in the multitud◠of your riches you have received your consolation as if he should say you have all the happiness you are like to have they shall have no more From whence this Point Doct. God hath given his people everlasting happiness God hath given it them in the promise of the Word Luk. 12.32 Fear not little flock it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom and ere long they shall have the performance of it God is giving everlasting consolation it is not long ere thou shalt receive it Vse And if it be so then be not dejected at short tribulation and the troubles you meet with in the World why though you be afflicted for a moment Yet the rod shall not always lye upon the back of the righteous Psal 125. and Psal 126.5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal 30.5 Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning the night of this World may be a night of affliction but in the morning we shall have joy and comfort Joh. 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled saith our Saviour and we know saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.1 When this earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands c. as soon as you dye your trouble shall end and your joy then begins and then no man shall be able to take that joy from you Joh. 16.22 God will hide his face from you no more Isa 54.7 For a moment have I hid my face from thee but with great Mercies will I gather thee And good hope through grace this is taken two waies Doct. I. As God gives his people everlasting happiness so he gives them hope of it Rom. 15. vers 13. He is call'd the God of hope as the object of our hope so the Author of it Secondly Good hope Do. II. The Saints hope of happiness is a good hope Good in the rise of it the work of God in the nature of it the work of the Spirit in the end of it it makes People good therefore let us all labour for it Doct. III. The ground of Peoples hope of Everlasting happiness is meerly through the grace of God The Saints everlasting happiness is from the free grace of God Rom. 6.23 The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Ephe. 2.8 For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God And if it be so Vse Why then I mighty shew you it is not from man's deserving that he hath happiness man cannot merit Heaven it is not from the desert of man for mans merit and God's free grace are quite opposite one to another I should have show'n the folly of that opinion that hold men may merit happiness from God For First they must do that which is good And Secondly that only And Thirdly by his own strength Fourthly
of Jesus Christ and 2. Thes 3.3.4 The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you and keep you from evil Means IV. The last direction I shall give you look to recompence of reward Heb. 11. that made Moses leave all the pleasures of the World the pleasures of sin which were but for a season look to that reward to them that keep close to his commands Psal 84. vers 11. For tht Lord God is a Sun and Shield the Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from those that walk uprightly now what would you have more what can you desire more Walk but uprightly God will never disappoint you you may believe him Jam. 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 I shall conclude all this Exhortation with the Direction and Exhortation of the spirit of God Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of life and vers the 10. Be faithfull to the death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Oh take notice of the advice given to the Church of Philadelphia Rev. 3.11 Hold fast that thou hast that no man take thy Crown and Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his Work shall be God will render to every man according to his Workes Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory honour and immortality eternal life Eternal life should be the end of all our Preaching and your hearing so the Apostle Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved this was the portion of Scripture I first took to discourse upon when I first came amongst you and the desire of my Soul was that your Soules should be saved and I desire still that I and my People may serve the Lord and therefore I wish the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all and the Lord grant that they which love not grace may have grace wrought in their hearts and that you that have grace may grow in grace more and more I wish even your perfection I dare not appeal unto Heaven as Paul Act. 20. but this I pray that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole Spirit Soul and Body may be perserved blamless unto the â—omming of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 13.20 21. and the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepheard of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father who hath loved us and hath given us Everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and Work Amen FINIS 1 Pet. 1. vers 6. Wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold Temptations THough many Saints have but a small Portion in this World yet there is alotted to them a goodly heritage in another world though they are not filled with the good things of the earth yet they are promised which is better the glory of Heaven though they have but a little in Possession yet they have much in reversion and though many of them be Poore many times as to the things they have in hand ye they are very Rich as to what they have in hope These Saints to whom Peter Writes were Pilgrims and Strangers here on Earth scatttered up and down the World they had no certaine abode no continuing City yet they sougâ—… on that was to come they looked for a City whose Builder and Maker was God Silver and Gold many of them either had none or very little and as to the Possessions of the Earth their Portion was not great Houses and Lands they were either denyed or deprived of they suffered the Spoiling of their goods yet they were begotten to a lively hope unto an inheritance better then this world affords unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for them and that they might know it was not only reserved for them but to be obtained by them the Apostle tells them They should be kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation which now as it was promised them should ere long be manifested ready to be revealed in the last time and the Apostle having shewed what they had hopes of he shews what effect this their hope had upon them namely much joy and Alacrity in the minds of their present Sufferings and Calamities as the words I have read do declare unto you Wherein ye greatly rejoyce c. In which Verse we may Observe First The Christians great Joy Secondly The Christians great Sorrow I. You have here believers great Joy arising from hopes of their future Salvation in these words Wherein you greatly rejoyce II. The Christians or the Saints great Sorrow arising from sense of their present tribulation Ye are in heavyness through manifold temptations Which Heaviness or which Temptations are set forth First By the time of them Secondly By the ground of them I. By the time of them and that is declared in these words Now for a season II. By the ground of them and that is supposed or intimated If need be Wherein you c. Wherein that is in the hopes of Heaven in the hopes of their inheritance in the hopes of the glory of God and that eternal Salvation that was promised to them and expected by them as the 4. and 5. verses do declare Wherein you greatly rejoyce you though others do not yet you rejoyce others do not rejoyce in the hopes of Heaven they have no right to it no hope of it they have no ground to expect it it is not promised to them nor no ground have they to look for it but you that are the elect the chosen the called people of God you that were as elected by the love so sanctified by the Spirit of God 2. ver Wherein that is in hopes of the glory of God you rejoyce you greatly rejoyce you triumph for joy Though now for a season or though now for a little time you are in heaviness or in grief through manyfold temptations troubles and trials you have in the World The words are not difficult they may afford us these six Instructions From hence we might Observe You are in heaviness through manyfold temptations First That the people of God in this world are exercised with manyfold temptations Secondly That the Saints of the most high