about him are very bad Some say that Roses grow the sweeter when they are planted by Garlick Verily Christians that have gloriously improved their Graces are like those Roses they grow sweeter and sweeter holier and holier by wicked men The best Diamonds shine most in the dark and so doe the best Christians shine most in the worst times Sixthly Such turne their principles into practice They turne their speculations into power their notions into spirit their glorious inside into a golden outside Psal 45. 13. Seventhly Such as have made a considerable improvement of their gifts and graces Have hearts as large as their heads Whereas most mens heads have outgrowne their hearts c. Eighthly Such are alwayes most busied about the highest things viz. God Christ Heaven c. Phil. 3. 2 Tim. 4. 8. 2 Cor. 4. ult Rom. 8. 18. Ninthly Such are alwayes a doing or receiving good As Christ went up and downe doing good Mat. 4. 23. Chap. 9. 35. Mark 6. 6. Tenthly and lastly Such will mourne for wicked mens sins as well as their owne O the teares the sighes the groanes Psalm 119. Jer. 9. 1 2. 2 Pet. 2. 7 8 9. that others sins fetch from these mens hearts Pambus in the Ecclesiasticall History wept when he saw a Harlot dressed with much care and cost partly to see one take so much paines to goe to hell and partly because he had not been so carefull to please God as she had been to please a wanton Lover I have at this time onely given you some short hints whereby you may know whether you have made any considerable improvement of that grace the Lord hath given you I doe intend by Divine permission in a convenient time to declare much more of this to the World I shall follow all what ha's been said with my prayers that it may help on your internall and eternall welfare EPHES. 3. 8. The Vnsearchable Riches of Christ NOw the next Observation that we shall begin with is this That the Lord Jesus Christ is very Rich. And the second will be this That the great businesse and worke of the Ministry is to hold forth to the people the Riches of Christ We shall begin with the first Point at this time namely That the Lord Jesus Christ is very rich For the opening of this Point we shall attempt these three things 1 To demonstrate this to be a truth That the Lord Jesus is very rich 2 The Grounds why he is thus held forth in the word to be one full of Vnsearchable Riches 3 To shew you the Excellency of the riches of Christ above all other Riches in the world And then the Use of the Point For the first That the Lord Jesus Christ is very rich First Expresse Scripture speaks out this truth He is rich in goodnesse Rom. 2. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse that is ready to be imployed for thy internall and To chreston His native goodnesse c. eternall good c. Againe He is rich in wisedome and knowledge Col 2. 3. In whom speaking of Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Christ was content that his riches should be hid from the world therefore doe not thou be As man is an Epitome of the whole world so is Christ of all wisedome and knowledge c. angry that thine is no more knowne to the world What is thy one mite to Christs many millions c. Againe He is rich in grace Ephes 1. 7. By whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace Againe He is rich in glory Ephes 1. 18. That ye may know what is the hope of his calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints So in Chap. 3. 16. That he would grant unto you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the Nec Christus nec coelum patitur hyperbolem Neither Christ nor heaven can be hyperbolized inner man So in Phil. 4. 19. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus The riches of glory are unconceiveable riches Search is made through all the bowells of the earth for something to shadow it by The riches of this glory is fitter to be believed then to be discoursed of as some of the very Heathens have acknowledged But secondly As expresse Scripture speaks out this truth That Christ is very rich so there are eight things more that doe with open mouth speak out Christ to be very rich First You may judge of his riches by the dowry and portion his father hath given him In Psal 2. 7. Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession He is the heir of all things all things above and below in heaven and earth are his Heb. 1. 2. God hath in these last dayes spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed Heire of all things Christ is the richest Heire in heaven and earth Men cry up this man to be a good match and that and why so but because they are great Heires Ah! but what are all the great Heires of the world to this Heire the Lord Jesus Joseph gave Portions to all his brethren but to Benjamin a Portion five times as good as what he gave the residue So the Lord scatters Portions among the Sons of men he gives brasse to some gold to others temporalls to some spiritualls to others but the greatest portion of all he hath given into the hands of Christ whom he hath made the Heire of all things Rev. 11. 15. And the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voyces in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever and ever So in Chap. 19. 11 12. And I saw heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sat upon him was called faithfull and true and in righteousnesse he doth judge and make war His eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many Crownes Mark that what are Princes single Crownes and the Popes tripple Crowne to Christs many Crownes Certainly he must be very rich that ha's so many Kingdomes and Crownes waite but a while and you shall see these Scriptures made good c. Secondly You may judge of his riches by his Keeping open house for the reliefe and supply of all created creatures both in heaven and in earth Crassus was so rich that he maintain'd a whole Army with his owne Reâ—enues â—ut what is this to what Jesus does c. Psal 145. 16. You look upon those as very rich that keep open house for all commers and goers why such a one is the Lord Jesus Christ he keeps open house for all commers and goers for all created creatures both in heaven and
the most highly prized and esteemed of God doe set so low a price upon themselves And then the Use Iob 1. 8. Job was a none-such in regard of those perfections and degrees of grace that he had attained to beyond aâ—ny other Saints on earth Job was high in worth and humble in heart Job 42. 5 6. Humilitas animi sublimitas Christiani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A me me salva Domine Aug. Deliver me O Lord from that evill man my selfe 2 Cor. 12. 1. 7 vid. Bezim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wordless words such as words are too weak to utter Isa 6. 1. 5 6. compared The clearest sight vision of God does alwayes give a man the fullest sight of his own emptinesse sinfulnesse and nothingnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a I am out off Luke 5. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man a sinner a very mixture compound of dirt and sin For the first That this is so I shall give you most clear proofs and open them to you See it in Job no man ever received a fairer or a more valuable Certificate under the hand of God or the broad Seale of Heaven for his being a soule famous in grace and holinesse then Job as you may see Job 1. 8. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill And yet no man could speak more undervaluingly of himselfe then Job did Job 42. 5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee I abhor my selfe in dust and ashes This expression is the deepest act of abhorrency Abhorrency strictly taken is hatred wound up to the height I abhor my selfe the word that 's rendred Abhor signifies to reject to disdaine to contemne and to cast off Ah sayes Job I abhor my selfe I reject my selfe I disdaine my selfe I cast off my selfe I have a vile esteem of my selfe So our blessed Apostle who had been caught up into the third Heavens and had such glorious Revelations as could not be uttered yet he accounted himselfe lesse then the least of all Saints Not that any thing can be lesse then the least the Apostles holy Rhetorick doth not crosse Aristotle's Philosophy but the Originall word being a double diminitive his meaning is that he was as little as could be therefore he put himselfe downe so little as could not be lesse then the least Another proof you have Isa 6. 1 5 6. As Paul among the Apostles was the greatest so Esay among the Prophets was the clearest and choycest Gospel-Preacher and holds out more of Christ and of his Kingdome and glory then all the other Prophets doe Isa 6. 1. he sees the glory of the Lord in a Vision and this makes him cry out vers 5. Wee is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of uncleane lips for mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hosts I am undone the Hebrew is I am cut off I am a forlorne man why For I have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Here you have the highest and choycest among the Prophets as you had Paul before among the Apostles abasing and laying low himselfe So Peter Luke 5. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinfull man O Lord. When he saw that glorious Miracle wrought by the Lord Jesus he cryes out as one very sensible of his owne weaknesse and sinfullnesse Depart from me for I am a sinfull man Ah I am not worthy to be neer such Majesty and glory who am a meer bundle of vice and vanity of folly and iniquity Take another cleer instance Gen. 18. And Abraham answered Gen. 18. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnaphar vae pher dust and ashes i. e. base vile worthles Solemnly think that thou art dust and ashes and be pâ—oud if thou canst Isa 6. 1 2. Gen. 32. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am lesse then all meretes to wit in worth or weight c. and said Behold I have taken upon me to speake unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Here you have the Father of the Faithfull the greatest Believer in the world accounting himselfe dust and ashes Dust notes the basenesse of his Originall and Ashes notes his deserving to be burnt to ashes if God should deale with him in justice rather then in mercy The nearer any soule drawes to God the more humble will that soule lye before God None so neere God as the Angels nor none so humble before God as the Angels So Jacob Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant c. Jacob a man eminent in his prevailing with God a Prince that had the honour and the happinesse to overcome the God of mercy yet judges himselfe unworthy of the least mercy Ah how low is that soule in his owne eyes that is most honourable in Gods eyes David you know was a man after Gods owne heart a man highly honoured much beloved and dearly prized by the 1 Kings 15. 5. Lord yet 1 Sam. 26. 20. He counts himselfe a Flea and what 1 Sam. 26. 20. Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tolagnath An humble soule is a little little nothing in his owne eyes is more contemptible then a Flea In Psal 22. 6. I am a worme saith he and no man The word that 's there rendred Worme is a word that signifies a very little Worm which breedeth in Scarlet a Worme that 's so little that a man can hardly see or perceive it A Worme is the most despicable Creature in the world trampled under foot by every one Sayes he I am a despicable worme in my owne eyes and in my enemies eyes And thus you see the point proved that the most holy men have been alwayes the most humble men The second thing that I am to doe is To shew you the Properties of humble soules I confesse when I look abroad in the world and observe the carriage of all sorts of men my heart is stirr'd to speak as fully and as home to this point as Christ shall help me 'T is very very sad to consider how few humble soules there be in these dayes Ah the damnable pride that reignes and rules in the hearts lives of most men God loves to heare this as a parcell of his praise Paâ—cere subjectis debellare superbos to spare the lowly and strike downe the proud Isa 23. 9. I think 't is far greater then hath been knowne in the Generations before us Ah England England what folly what damnable wickednesse is this that thou shouldest be a lifting thy selfe up in pride when God is a staining the pride of all glory and bringing into contempt the honourable of the Earth and a
you so look upon your sins and deale accordingly with them Thirdly Sin is slaine Naturally as well as Civilly Christ hath given it its deaths wound by his death and resurrection He hath given sin such a wound that it cannot be long liv'd though it may linger a while in a Saint as a Tree that 's cut at the root with a sore gash or two must dye within a year perhaps a month nay it may be within a week though for a time it may flourish it may have leaves and fruit yet it secretly dies and will very shortly wither and perish The Lord Jesus hath given sin such a mortall wound by his death and Spirit and by the communication of his favour and grace to the soule that sin shall never recover its strength more but dye a lingring death in the soules of the Saints Christ did not dye all at once upon the Crosse but by little and little To shew us that his death should extend to the slaying of sin gradically in the soules of the Saints When our Enemy hath a mortall wound we say he is a dead man his wound is mortall So when Jesus Christ hath given sin such a deadly wound such a mortall blow that it shall never recover its strength and power more we may truly say 'T is dead 't is slaine Therefore cheere up Oh weak soules for certainly sin that is thus slaine can never provoke Jesus Christ to give you a Bill of Divorce Ah that all weak Christians would like the Bee abide upon these sweet flowers and gather Honey out of them c. To proceed The twelfth Support is this Christ and you are Sharers 12 Support The notion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is best expressed by Chrysostome in these words When mankind fled farre from Christ Christ pursued and caught hold of it and this he did by fastening on our Nature in his Incarnation c. The Ancients use to say commonly That Alexander and Ephâ—stion had baâ— one soule in two distinct bodies because their joy and sorrow glory and disgrace was mutuall to them both 'T is so betweene Christ and his Saints Their names that are written in red letters of blood in the Churches Kalender are written in golden letters in Christs Register in the Book of Life said Prudentius In my life-time said a gracious soule I have been assaulted with temptations from Satan and he hath cast my sins into my teeth to drive me to despaire yet the Lord gave the strength to overcome all his temptations Know this weak Saints for your support and comfort That Christ shares with you and you share with Christ I shall open this sweet Truth to you a little 1 Christ shares with you in your Natures In Heb. 2. 16. For verily he tooke not on him the Nature of Angels but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham And by this he hath advanc't fallen man above the very Angels This is the great Mysterie spoken of 1 Tim. 3. 16. And without controversie great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse God manifested in the flesh c. 2 The Lord Jesus shares with you in your Afflictions In Isa 63. 9. In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them In his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old It is between Christ and his Church as between two Lute-strings no sooner one is struck but the other trembles 3 He shares with you in all your sufferings and persecutions as well as in all your afflictions Acts 9. 4 5. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me There is such a neer Union between the Lord Jesus Christ and the weakest Saints that a man cannot strike a Saint but he must strike through the very heart of Christ Their sufferings are held his Col. 1. 24. and their afflictions are his afflictions and their reproaches are his reproaches Heb. 13. 13. and their provocations are his provocations Nehem. 4. 4 5. God is provokt more then Nehemiah So Isa 8. 18. compared with Heb. 2. 13. Behold I and the Children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and wonders in Israel This the Apostle applies to Christ Heb. 2. 13. 4 The Lord Jesus Christ shares with you in all your Temptations Heb. 2. 17 18. Chap. 4. 15 16. Christ was tempted and he was afflicted as well as you that he might he able to succour you that are tempted As a poore man that ha's been troubled with paine and griefe he will share with others that are troubled with paine or grief Ah friends the Lord Jesus Christ hath lost none of his affections by going to Heaven he is still full of compassion though free from personall passion When he was on earth Oh! how did he simpathize with his poor servants in all their temptations Satan sayes Christ to Peter hath desired to winnow thee but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Luther in his Preaching met with every mans temptation and being once askt How he could doe so answered Mine owne manifold temptations and experiences are the cause thereof Oh the manifold temptations that the Lord Jesus hath undergone makes him semable as I may say and willing to share with us in our temptations Secondly As Christ shares with weak Saints So weak Saints share with Christ And this I shall shew you briefly in a few particulars 1 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these we might be partakers of the Divine To be made partakers of the Divine Nature notes two things 1 Fellowship with God in his holinesse 2 A fellowship with God in his blessednesse Nature Not of the substance of the God-head as the Familists say for that is incommunicable But by the Divine Nature we are to understand those Divine Qualities called elswhere The Image of God the Life of God that whereby we are made like to God in wisedome and holinesse wherein the Image of God after which man was at first Created consists Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. Saints that doe partake of this Divine Nature that is of those Divine Qualities before spoken of they resemble God not onely as a picture doth a man in outward lineaments but as a Child doth his Father in countenance and condition And well may grace be called The Divine Nature for as God bringeth light out of darknesse comfort out of sorrow riches out of poverty and glory out of shame so does grace bring day out of night and sweet out of bitter and plenty out of poverty and glory out of shame It turnes Counters into gold Pebbles into Pearles sicknesse into health weaknesse into strength and wants into abundance Injoying nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6. 10. c. 2 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Spirit and Grace In Psal 45. 7. Christ
stark naught lâ—ke the Monk in the Fable did his excellent spirit appear in that he was holy and humble in heart though high in place and worth c. Dan. 6. 3-7 Daniel keeps humble and holy when he is lifted high yea made the second man in the Kingdome Malice it selfe could not find any thing against him but in the matter of his God 'T is much to be very gracious when a man is very great and to be high in holinesse when advanc'd to high places usually mens blood rises with their outward good Certainly they are worthy ones and shall walk with Christ Rev. 3. 4. in white whose Garments are not defiled with greatnesse or riches c. Secondly They that have highly improved their graces will comply with those commands of God that crosse nature that are contrary to nature And doubtlesse that man ha's improv'd his graces to a very high rate whose heart complies with those Commands of God that are crosse and contrary to nature As for a man to love them that loath him Mat. 5. 44. They use to say If any man would have Mr. Fox doe him a good turne let him doe him an injury c. to blesse them that curse him to pray for them that persecute him c. 'T is nothing to love them that love us and to speak well of them that speak well of us and to doe well and carry it well towards them that carry it well towards us Oh! but for a man to love those that hate him to be courteous to them that are currish to him to be sweet to them that are bitter to him c. this strongly demonstrates a high improvement of grace Certainly that man is very very good who ha's learned that holy Lesson of overcoming evill with good Such a one was Stephen Acts 7. 55 ult Rom. 12. ult He was a man full of the holy Ghost That is of the Gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost he was much in the exercise of Grace he can pray and sigh for them yea even weepe teares of blood for them who rejoyced to shed his blood So did Christ weep over Jerusalem so did Titus so did Marcellus over Syracuse so did Scipio over Carthage but they shed teares for them whose blood they were to shed but Christ shed teares for them who were to shed his blood So Abraham being strong in faith gave glory to God How Rom. 4. why by complying with those commands of God that were very contrary to flesh and blood as the offering up of his Son his onely Son his beloved Son his Son of the Promise and by leaving his owne Countrey and his near and dear relations upon a word of Command The Commands of God so change the whole man and make him new that you can hardly know him to be the same man saith one Well Sirs Lactant. defalsa sapient lib. 3. cap. â—7 remember this 't is a dangerous thing to neglect one of his Commands though it be never so crosse to flesh and blood who by another is able to command you into nothing or into hell Let Luther hate me and in his wrath call me a thousand times Devill yet I will love him and acknowledge him to be a most precious servant of God saith Calvin c. Thirdly consider this Such soules will follow the Lord fully that have made an improvement of their graces Oh! this was the glorious commendations of Caleb and Joshua in Numb 14. 24. that They followed the Lord fully in the face of all difficulties and discouragements They had another spirit in them sayes the Text they would goe up and possesse the Land though the Walls were as high as Heaven and Veni vidi vici I came I saw I overcame said that Emperour the Sons of Anak were there they made no more of it then to goe see and conquer They followed the Lord fully In the Hebrew it is They fullfilled after me The Hebrew word is a metaphor taken from a Ship under saile that 's carried with a strong wind as fearing neither Sands nor Rocks nor Shelves c. Such have little if any thing of Christ within who follow him by halves or haltingly I remember Cyprian brings in the Devil triumphing over Christ thus As for my followers I never dyed for them as Christ did for his I never promised them so great reward as Christ hath done to his and yet I have more followers then he and they doe more for me then his doe for him O where is that spirit in these dayes that was upon those Worthies Psal 44. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Fourthly Such soules that have improved their Graces to a considerable height will blesse God as well when he frowns as when he smiles As well when he takes as when he gives when he strikes as when he strokes as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together When the Lord had stript Job of all and had set him naked upon the dunghill why then Job 1. â—1 Levit. 10. 3. 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. Isa 63. 14 15. sayes Job The Lord gives and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the name of the Lord. Where Grace is improved to a considerable height it will work a soule to sit downe satisfied with the naked injoyment of God without other things John 14. 8. Shew us the father and it sufficieth us The sight Christus est mihi pro omnibus sayes a Christian as he said Plato est mihi pro omnibus of the father without honours the sight of the father without riches the sight of the father without mens favour will suffice the soule As Jacob said It is enough that Joseph is alive so sayes the soule that 's high in Grace 't is enough that Jesus is alive c. Fifthly Soules that have improved their Graces to a considerable height will be good in bad times and in bad places Such soules will bear up against the stream of evill examples in the worst of times and in the worst of places Abraham Though the Fishes live in the salt sea yet they are fresh So though soules eminently gracious live among the wicked yet they retaine their spiritualnesse freshnesse and liâ—e was righteous in Chaldea Lot was just in Sodome Daniel holy in Babylon Job upright and fearing God in the Land of Vz which was a prophane and most abominable superstitious place Nehemiah zealous in Damasco Oh take me a man that hath improved his grace and the worser the times are the better that man will be he will bear up bravely against the stream of evill examples he will be very good when times and all round
earth Psal 104. 24. The earth is full of thy riches so is the great and wide sea where are things creeping innumerable both small and great He opens his hand and he satisfies every living creature sayes the Psalmist So Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth let him come and buy wine and milke without money and without price wherefore doest thou lay out thy money for that which is not bread and thy strength for that which doth not profit All Creatures high and low honourable and base noble and ignoble blessed and cursed are fed at the cost and charge of the Lord Jesus Christ They are all fed at his Table and maintained by what comes out of his treasury his purse All Angels and Saints above and all Saints and sinners below are beholding to Christ for what they injoy Oh the multitudes the numberlesse number of those that live upon the cost and charge of Christ Can you number the Stars of heaven Can you number the sands upon the sea-shore Then may you number the multitudes the millions of Angels and men that are maintained upon the cost and charge of the Lord Jesus In Col. 1. 16 17. For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him And he is before all things and by him all things consist Thirdly You may judge of the riches of Christ by The time that he hath fed and cloathed cherished and maintained so many innumerable millions of Angels and men He hath maintained his Court above and below upon his owne cost and charge for almost six thousand years Oh to keep such a multitude if it were but for a day would speak him out to be richer then all the Princes in the World But to keep so many millions and to keep them so long what do's this speak out but that Christ is infinitely rich rich in goodnesse and mercy It would begger all the Princes on earth to keep but one day the least part of those that Christ maintaines every day c. But Fourthly You may judge of the riches of Christ by this That he doth not onely inrich all the Saints but all of the Saints That is He inriches all the faculties of their soules he inriches their understandings with glorious light their consciences with quicknesse purenesse tendernesse and quietnesse and their wills with holy intentions and heavenly resolutions and their affections of love joy feare c. with life heat and warmth and with the beauty and glory of the most soul-inriching soule-delighting soule-ravishing and soule-contenting objects c. All Saints experiences seale to this truth and therefore a touch shall suffice c. Fifthly Judge of the riches of Christ by this That notwithstanding all the vast expence and charge that he is at and hath been at for so many millions of thousands and that for neare six thousand yeares yet he is never the poorer his purse is never the emptier There is still in Christ a fullnesse of Abundance and a fullnesse of Redundance notwithstanding all that he hath expended It were blasphemy to think that Christ should be a penny the poorer by all that he hath laid out for the relief of all those that have their dependance upon him Col. 1. 19. It pleased the father that in him should all fullnesse dwell Not stay or abide a night or a day and away but should They say 't is true of the Oyle at Rhemes That though it be continually spent in the inauguration of their Kings of France yet it never wasteth I am sure though all Creatures spend continually on Christs stock yet it never wasteth dwell The Sun hath not the lesse light for filling the stars with light A Fountaine hath not the lesse for filling the lesser vessels There is in Christ Plenitâ—do fontis The fullnesse of a fountaine The overflowing Fountaine powres out water abundantly and yet remaines full why the Lord Jesus is such an overflowing Fountaine he fills all and yet remaines full Christ ha's the greatest worth and wealth in him as the worth and value of many pieces of silver is in one piece of gold so all his petty excellencies scattered abroad in the Creature are united to Christ yea all the whole volume of perfections which is spread through Heaven and Earth is Epitomized in him c. Sixthly The Lord Jesus is Generally rich and that speaks him out to be rich indeed he is generally rich You have few persons that are generally rich that is a rich man indeed that is generally rich that is that is rich in money and rich in Land and rich in Commodities and rich in Jewels c. Now the Lord Jesus Christ is one that is generally rich he is rich in all spiritualls he is rich in goodnesse rich in wisedome and knowledge he is rich in grace and rich in glory Yea he is generally rich in respect of temporalls He is the Heire of all things he is the Heire of all the Gold in The Philosopher once said Solus sapiens dives Onely the wise man is the rich man c. the world and of all the Silver and of all the Jewels and of all the Land and of all the Cattell in the world as you may see by comparing some Scriptures together Hos 2. 5 8 9. For their Mother hath played the Harlot she that conceived them hath done shamefully for she said I will goe after my Lovers that gave me my bread and my water and my wool and my flax my Oyle and my drinke But mark what followes vers 8 9. For she did not know that I gave her corne and wine and Oyle and multiplied her silver and gold which they prepared for Baal therefore will I returne and take away my Corne in the time thereof and my wine in the season thereof and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakednesse So in Psal 24. 1. The earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof the round world and all that dwell therein All others are either Usurpers or Stewards 'T is the Lord Jesus that is the great Landlord of Heaven and Earth So in Psal 50. 8 9 10. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offrings I will take no Bullock out of thy house nor He-goats out of thy folds for every Beast of the Forrest is mine and the Cattell upon a thousand hills I know all the Fowles of the mountaines and the wild Beasts of the fields are mine If I were hungry I would not tell thee for the world is mine and the fullnesse thereof 'T is all mine saith the Lord. Thus you see that the Lord is generally rich rich in houses in Lands in Gold in Silver in Cattell c. in all
opportunites to grow rich in the world as formerly doe we wonder that they thrive not as before Surely no. And sometimes this arises from the breaking of some bone by sin David found it so Many a man by breaking a bone Psal 50. is much hindered from thriving in the world O this broken arme this broken legge hath lost me many a faire pound which otherwise I might have got O friends sin is the breaking of the bones the breaking of a mans peace and communion Isa 59. 1 2. Chap. 64. 7. Gal. 6. 1. with God 't is the breaking of his hope and confidence in God 't is the dis-joyning of a man from God and so it hinders a mans spirituall growth Believe it Christians if you play and dally with sin if you fall in with sin if you make one with sin you will never grow rich in spiritualls Sin will cause such a breaking of bones as will undoubtedly hinder the prosperity of your soules And so much for the sixth Proposition The seventh and last Proposition I shall propound is this A man may grow rich in those Graces that are more remote from Christ that are lesse conversant about Christ when he doth not grow rich in those Graces that as speciall favourites stand alwayes at the elbow of Christ and are most busied and conversant about Christ Let me open it thus to you You know at Court there are some that have the honour to attend alwayes at the Princes elbow and there are others that appertaine to the same Prince but are more remote in their imployments for him c. So in the soule there are some graces that are more remote and not so conversant about the person of Christ as now Humility Self-denyall Patierce Meeknesse Temporance Sobriety and the like Now though these graces doe appertaine to the same Prince though they are all servants of the Lord Jesus yet notwithstanding they are more remote and busied about other objects and things O but now faith and love are choyce favourites that alwayes stand at the elbow of Christ faith and love are Christs greatest favourites in Heaven Now I say a Christian may grow rich in those graces that are more remote from Christ that are lesse conversant about the person of Christ when he doth not grow rich in those particular graces that are most active about the person of Christ He may grow rich in Humility in Self-deniall in Meeknesse in Temperance c. when he doth not grow up in joy and delight Some Limbs and branches of a Tree grow more then others and comfort c. The Tree growes downward when it doth not grow upward so a soule may grow rich in some particular graces when he doth not grow rich in other graces he may grow rich in those graces that are more remote from Christ when he doth not grow rich in those graces that are more conversant about the person of Christ And so I have done with these Propositions the serious minding of them may prevent many Objections and to many give satisfaction in severall cases c. The fourth and last thing propounded was to give you Some Notes of a person that is Spiritually Rich. Cleerly As there are few worldly rich men to those that are poore so there are few in this professing Age that will be found to be spiritually rich compared with the multitude of Laodiceans that swarme in these times We have many that say they are rich and that think they are rich when the truth is they have either no grace or but a very little grace And these five following things doe clearly evidence it c. Notes of a person that is spiritually rich FIrst Rich men have more variety of objects to delight themselves with then poore men have They have Houses and Gardens and Lands and Cattell and Silver and Gold and Jewels and Pearls and what not to delight themselves with Oh but poore men have not such variety of objects to delight themselves with as rich men have It 's just thus in spirituall riches A man that 's rich in grace hath more variety of spirituall objects about which his soule is most conversant then a man that is poor in grace Joseph in Pharâ—ah's Court had more variety of objects to delight him then his brethren had to delight themselves in their fathers house c. He ha's more objects of love of joy of delight of content to busie and exercise his soule about then others that are weak in grace 2 Cor. 6. 10. Injoying nothing and yet possessing all things A soule rich in grace possesses and injoyes all things in Christ and Christ in all things They injoy all good in him who is the chiefest good who is the spring and fountaine of good I have spoken largely to this already and therefore shall content my selfe in giving you this hint It stands you upon to inquire what variety of Objects you have to delight your soules in But Secondly Rich men can reach to those things that poore men cannot reach to I would have such and such things saith the poore man as the rich man hath I would fare as he fares and weare as he wares and doe as he does but my stock will not reach it So a soul that is spiritually rich can reach to those things that one that is poore in grace cannot reach unto He can reach to those joyes to those comforts and to those contents to those heights of communion with God and to those Visions and apprehensions of God that a soule that is not rich in grace cannot reach to Oh! I would faine have that comfort and that joy and that peace and that communion with God and those Visions of God that such and such soules have saith a poore Christian but I cannot my stock will not reach to it It 's an Argument a man is growne higher when he can reach higher then he could before whether it be a beam or a pin c. So it 's an Argument that a soule is grown rich in grace when he can reach beyond what formerly he could reach unto when he can reach beyond his inlargements beyond his incomes beyond his comforts to a Christ When in duty he can reach above duty when in an Ordinance he can reach to Christ above the Ordinance when under inlargements he can reach above inlargements to Jesus Christ Oh but now a man that hath but a little grace he can rarely reach above his duties above Ordinances above Inlargements to Christ he is very apt to sit downe and warm himselfe with the sparkes of his owne fire and to feed upon Isa 50. 11. Isa 44. 20. ashes as the Prophet speaks c. But now a soule that is rich in grace sayes Well these Ordinances are not Christ these refreshings are not Christ these meltings are not Christ these inlargements are not Christ these are sweet but he is more sweet these are very precious but he
To read much and practice nothing is to hunt much and catch nothing Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar That seeing Alexanders statue he fetched a deep sigh because he at that Age had done so little Ah! what cause have most to sigh that they have heard so much and read so much and yet done so little Surely 't is more honourable to doe great things then to speak or read great things 'T is the doer that will 'T was a saying of Augustine one thousand two hundred years agoe That we must take heed least whilst we fear our exhortation being cooled prayer be not â—amped and pride inflamed be most happy at last John 13. 17. In vitae libro Scribuntur qui quod possunt faciunt si quod debent non possunt Bâ—rn They are written in the Book of Life that doe what good they can though they cannot doe as they would I have read of a good man coming from a publick Lecture and being askt by one whether the Sermon was done answered with a sad sigh Ah! it is said but not done My third Request is this That you will pray over what you read Many read much and pray little and therefore get little by all they read Galen writes of a Fish called Vrana Scopos that ha's but one eye and yet looks continually up to Heaven When a Christian ha's one eye upon his Book the other should be looking up to Heaven for a blessing upon what he reads When one heard what admirable Victories Scanderbeg's Sword had wrought he would needs see it and when he saw it sayes he This is but an ordinary sword alasse what can this doe Scanderbeg sent him word I have sent thee my Sword but I have the arme that did all by it Alasse what can Christs Sword Christs word doe without his arm Therefore look up to Christs arme in prayer that so his Sword his word may doe great things in your soules Luther professeth That he profited more by prayer in a short space then by study in a longer as John by weeping got the sealed Book open My fourth Request to you is this That Ingratitude say some is a monster in nature a solicisme in manners and a Paradox in grace damning up the course of Donations Divine and humane if by the blessing of the Lord upon my weake endeavours any leafe or line should drop myrrhe or mercy marrow or fatnesse upon your spirits that you will give all the glory to the God of Heaven for to him alone it does belong Through grace I know I am a poore Worme I am nothing I have nothing but what I have received The Crowne becomes no head but Christs Let him who is our all in all have the honour and the glory of all and I have my end Pliny tells of some in the remote parts of India that have no mouths and yet live on the smell of Hearbs and sweet Flowers But I hope better things of you even such as accompany salvation My fifth Request to you is this That you would let me lye neere your hearts when you are in the Mount especially 1 Thess 5. 25. 2 Thess 3. 1. Heb. 13. 18. Col. 4. 3. Phil. 1. 19. â— Cor. 1. 11. Acts 12. 5. O pray pray hard for me that the spirit of the Lord may be redoubled upon me that his word may prosper in my mouth that it may run and be glorified and that I may be high in my communion with God and holy and unblameable in my walkings with God and that it may be still day with my soule that I may live and dye in the joyes and comforts of the holy Ghost and that when my Sun is set my glasse out my work done my race run I may rest in the Rev. 14. 13. everlasting armes of Divine love c. My last and least Request to you is this That you will please to cast a Mantle of love In every Pomgranate there is at least one rotten kernell to be found said Grates the Philosopher over the mistakes of the Presse and doe me that right and your selves the courtesie as before you read to correct any materiall faults that you shall find pointed at in the Errata Gods easie passing over the many and daily Errata's of your lives cannot but make you so ingenuous as readily to passe over the Errata's in this Book You are choice Jewels in my eye you lye neer unto my heart I am willing to spend and be spent for your sakes My earnest and humble desire is That my service and Rom. 15. 31. labour of love may be accepted by you and that it may worke much for your internall and eternall welfare And that an abundant 2 Pet. 1. 11. Ch. 1. 8. entrance may be administred to you into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And that you may be filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory and with that peace that passes understanding This is and by grace shall be the Prayer of him who desires to approve himselfe faithfull to Christ his truths his interests and his people and who is Your soules servant in all Gospel Engagements THOMAS BROOKS THE Contents THE words opened Page 1 2. The first Doctrine Those that are lowest in their owne esteem are highest in Gods estem Proved 3 c. Eighteen Properties of an humble soule 6. to 27. Five Reasons of the Point 27 30 Eight Motives to provoke persons to be humble 31 41 Nine Directions and Helps to keep us humble and low in our owne eyes 41 49 The dangerous Nature of Pride held forth in nine Propositions Also six wayes wherein Pride shewes it selfe 49 58 The second Doctrine All Saints are not of an equall cize and growth in grace and holinesse 58 59 Twelve things by which soules weake in grace are discovered and deciphered 59 75 Twelve Supports and Comforts to uphold Weake Christians Wherein also you may see how Christ and they are sharers 75 96 Six Duties that lye upon weake Siants And in the opening of them severall weighty Questions are propounded and answered 96-124 The Duties of strong Saints to the weake shewed in eleven particulars 124-136 The third Doctrine That the Lord gives the bests gifts to his best beloved ones 136 137. What those best gifts are that Christ bestowes upon his dearest ones shewed in ten particulars 137-147 The Difference between Christs giving and the worlds giving shewed in six things 147-149 The Excellency of those gifts that Christ gives above all other gifts that the world gives shewed in five things 149-151 Six Reasons why God gives the best gifts to his dearest ones 151-157 Eight Inferences or Vses made of this Point 157-165 A Word to Sinners 165-168 The fourth Doctrine That the gifts and graces that God bestowes upon his people should be improved imployed and exercised by his people This Point proved and opened 168-170 Twelve Reasons why gracious soules should exercise
setting his feet upon the neck of pride Now the first property that I shall lay downe of an humble soule is this An humble soule under the highest spirituall discoveries and under the greatest outward mercies forgets not his former sinfullnesse and his former outward meannesse Paul 1 Property 2 Cor. 12 1 2 3 4. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Chrysostome observes it of Paul as his greatest honour that although he had obtained pardon of God for his sins yet he is not ashamed to reckon them up to the world Rom. 7. 23. The Spouse of Christ under all the kisses and embraces of Christ acknowledges her selfe to be black Cant. 1. 2. 5. compared Gen 32. 10. Omnia mea me cum porto All my Goods I carry with me had been taken up into the third Heavens and had glorious revelations and manifestations of God he cryes out I was a Blasphemer a Persecuter and Injurious Under the choycest discoveries he remembers his former blasphemies So Rom. 7. 23. I see a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members He had been at this time about fourteene yeares converted as some judge He was a man that lived at as high a rate in God as any we read of a man that was filled with glorious discoveries and revelations and yet under all discoveries and revelations he remembers that body of sin and death that made him cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Who shall ease me of my burden who shall knock off these Chaines that make my life a hell I will by a few instances prove the other branch Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies saith Jacob for with my staffe I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands I remember saith he when I went over Jordan I was as a footman that carried all his wealth with him Under his outward greatnesse he forgets not his former meannesse An humble soule is good at looking back upon his former low estate upon his thred-bare Coat that was his best and onely Robe So David 1 Chron. 17. 16 17. And David the King came and sat before the Lord and said What am I O Lord God and what is mine house that thou hast brought me hitherto And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes O God for thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come said Bias one of the seven wise men of Greece 1 Chron. 17. 16 17. Iphicrares that noble Captain â—ryed ouâ— From how smal to how great an estate am I raised So does the humble soule when God turnes his brasse into silver his iron into gold his pence into pounds Agathocles who of a Potters son was made King of Sicily would always be served in earthen vessells Psa 73. 3. 13 Iob 21. 7. 16 Vers 14 15. and hast regarded me according to the state of a man of high degree Who am I O Lord God and what is mine house David remembred the meannesse of his birth he remembred his Shepheards Crook as Jacob did his Travelling Staffe Mercies make an humble soule glad but not proud An humble soule is lowest when his mercies are highest he is least when he is greatest he is lowest when he is highest he is most poor when he is most rich Nothing melts like mercy nothing drawes like mercy nothing humbles like mercy mercy gives the humble soule such excellent Counsell as Plasilla the Empress gave her Husband Theodosius Remember Oh Husband saith she what lately you were and what now you are so shall you Governe well the Empire and give God his due praise for so great an advancement The voyce of mercy is Remember what lately thou wert and what now thou art and be humble Now proud men that are lifted up from the dunghill that abound in worldly wealth ah how do's their blood rise with their outward good the more mercies they have the more proud they are mercies doe but puffe and swell such soules in a croud of mercies they cry out in the pride of their hearts Depart from us O God for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him A second Property of an humble soule is this He overlookes his owne righteousnesse and lives upon the righteousnesse of another to wit the Lord Jesus So the Apostle Phil. 3. 8 9 10. overlooks his owne righteousnesse and lives wholly 2 Property Phil. 3. 8 9 10 ver 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dogs-meat i. e. courâ— contemptible Isa 64. 6. upon the righteousnesse of Christ I desire to be found in him saith he not having mine owne righteousnesse away with it it 's drosse it 's dung it 's dogs-meat 't is a rotten righteousnesse an imperfect righteousnesse a weak righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by Faith That is a spotlesse righteousnesse a pure righteousnesse a compleat righteousnesse an incomparable righteousnesse And therefore an Cant. 4. 2. Rev. 14. 5. Col. 2. 10. humble soule overlookes his owne righteousnesse and lives upon Christs righteousnesse Remember this all the sighing mourning sobbing and complaining in the world doth not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble as his overlooking his own righteousnesse and living really and purely upon the righteousnesse of Christ This is the greatest demonstration of humility that can be shewne by man Men may doe much heare much pray much fast much and give much c. Mat. 6 Chap. 23. Isa 58. and yet be as proud as Lucifer as you may see in the Scribes Pharisees and those in Isa 58. who in the pride of their hearts made an Idol of their owne righteousnesse Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest it not wherefore Vers 3. have we afflicted our soules and thou takest no knowledge O! but for a man now to trample upon his owne righteousnesse and to live wholly upon the righteousnesse of another this speaks out a man to be humble indeed there is nothing that the heart of man stands more averse to then this of coming off from his owne righteousnesse Man is a Creature apt to warme himselfe with the sparks of his owne fire though he doth lye downe for it in Eternall sorrow Man is naturally Isa 50. 11. Rom. 10. 4. prone to goe about to establish his owne righteousnesse that he might not subject to the righteousnesse of Christ he will labour as for life to lift up his owne righteousnesse and to make a Saviour of it I but an humble soule disclaimes his owne righteousnesse All our righteousnesse is as filthy raggs Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall Psal 143. 2. no man
Alexander had with the Conquest of halfe the world and the fruition of all the treasures pleasures and glories of Asia So an humble soule is more contented and satisfied with Daniel's pulse and John's Coat then proud Princes are with their glistering Crownes and golden Scepters The fourteenth Property of an humble soule is this It can 14 Property rejoyce in the graces and gracious actings of others as well as in its owne An humble Moses could say when Eldad and Medad Prophecied in the Camp Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon Numb 11. 26-30 them So humble Paul in Acts 26. 29. And Paul said I would to God that not onely thou but also all that hear me this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little and a gâ—eat way day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds I heartily wish and pray for thine owne sake that not onely in a low but in an eminent degree both thou and all that are here present were as far Christians as I am Onely I The Ancient Church had her Diptyâ—hs or publick tables wherein the peâ—sons most noted for piety were recorded Plato called Aristotle the Intelligent Readerâ— and Aristotle set up an Altar in honour of Plato would not wish them Imprisoned as I am An humble soule is no churle there is no envy in spirituall things one may have as much of spirituals as another and all alike So in 1 Thess 1. 2 3. We give thanks to God alwayes for you all making mention of you in our prayers Remembring without ceasing your worke of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our father So in the 2 Epistle 1. 2 3 4. Grace be unto you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ We are bound to thanke God alwayes for you brethren as it is meet because that your faith groweth exceedingly and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth So that we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure Ezekiel can commend Daniel his contemporary matching him with Noah Ezek. 14. 14. 2 Pet. 3. c. and Job for his power in prayer And Peter highly praises Pauls Epistles though he had been sharply reproved in one of them Oh! but proud soules will be still a casting disgrace and contempt upon those excellencies in others that they want Caesar Bâ—rgâ— a emulating imitating Julius Caesar used to say Aut Caesar aut nullut But not long after he was slaine in the Kingdome of Navarre in themselves A proud Cardinall in Luthers time said Indeed a reformation is needfull and to be desired but that Luther a rascally Fryer should be the man should doe it is intollerable Pride is like certaine Flies called Cantharides who light especially upon the fairest wheat and the most blown Roses Though Licinius who was joyned with Galerius in the Empire was so ignorant that he could not write his owne name yet as Eusebius reports he called the Liberall Arts a publick poyson This age is full of such Monsters that envy every light that outshines their owne and that throw dirt upon the graces and excellencies of others that themselves may onely shine Pride is notable both at Substraction and at Multiplication A proud heart alwayes prizes himselfe above the Market he reckons his owne pence for pounds and others pounds for pence he looks upon his owne Counters as gold and upon others gold as Counters All Pearles are counterfeit but what he wears The fifteenth Property of an humble soul is He will rather 15 Property Psal 94. 1. Rom. 12. 19. I maytruly say of thehumble soul what Tul ly said of Caesar Nihil obli visci solet nisi injurias that he forgot nothing but injuries bear wrongs then revenge wrongs offered The humble soule knowes that Vengeance is the Lords and that he will repay c The humble soule loves not to take the sword into his owne hand he knowes the day is a coming wherein the Lord will give his Enemies two blowes for one and here he rests An humble soule when wrongs are offered is like a man with a sword in one hand and a salve in the other could wound but will heale Psal 35. 11 12 13 14 15 16. False witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not They rewarded me evill for good to the spoiling of my soule But as for me when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my soule with fasting and my prayer returned into my owne Aâ—gustus Caesar in whose time Christ was born bid Catullus the â—aiâ—ing Poet to supper to shew that he had forgiven him bosome I behaved my selfe as though he had been my friend or brother I bowed downe heavily as one that mourneth for his mother c. The Scripture abounds in instances of this nature Dyonisius having not very well used Plato at the Court when he was gone fearing least he should write against him he sent after him to bid him not to write against him Sayes he Tell Dyonisius that I have not so much leisure as to think of him So humble wronged soules are not at leisure to think of the wrongs and injuries that others doe them Mr. Fox that wrote the Book of Martyrs would be sure to doe him a kindnesse that had done him an injury So that it used to be a Proverb If a man would have Mr. Fox doe him a kindnesse let him doe him an injury An humble soule is often in looking over the wrongs and injuries that he ha's done to God and the sweet and tender carraiage of God towards him notwithstanding those wrongs and injuries and this wins him and works him to be more willing and ready to beare wrongs and forgive wrongs then to revenge any offered wrongs The sixteenth Property of an humble soule is this An humble soule though he be of never so rare abilities yet he will not 16 Property Isa 11. 6. disdaine to be taught what he knowes not by the meanest persons A Child shall lead the humble soule in the way that is good he cares not how mean and contemptible the person is if a guide or an instructer to him Apollo an Eloquent man and mighty in the Scripture a Master in Israel yet sits by an Aquilla a Tent-maker and Vide Beza on the words Priscilla his wife to be instructed by them Acts 18. 24 25 26. Sometimes the poorest and the meanest Christian may for counsel and comfort be a God to another as Moses was to Aaron As an humble soule knowes that the Starres have their scituation in Heaven though sometimes he sees them by their reflection in a puddle in the bottome of a well or in a stinking
my spirit that I would not leave a man alive but blessed be God and blessed be thy Counsel An humble soule can sit downe and blesse God under reproofs An humble soule is like the Scythian King that went naked in the snow and when Alexander wondered how he could endure it he answered I am not ashamed for I am all forehead Manasses King of Judâ—h being reproved by the Aged Princely Prophet Isaiah caused him neare to the Fountaine of Silce to be sawen in sunder with a wooden Saw in the eightieth yeare os his age For which cruell fact amongst other of his sinnes he was sorely punished by God 2 Chron. 33. 11 So Cambyses King of Persia hated Prexaspes one of his Nobles that was familiar with him for reproving his drunkennesse An humble soule is all forehead able to bear reproves with much wisedome and patience Oh! but a proud heart cannot bear reproofs he scornes the Reprover and his Reproofs too Prov. 15. 12. A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him neither will he goe unto the wise Amos 5. 10. They hate him that reproveth in the gate as Ahab did good Micaiah and Herod did John Baptist and the Pharisees our Saviour Luke 16. 13. Christ being to deale with the covetous Scribes and Pharisees he layes the Law home and tels them plainly that they could not serve God and Mammon Here Christ strikes at their right eye but how doe they bear this mark in the 14 verse The Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him The Pharisees did not simply laugh at Christ but gave also externall signes of scorne in their countenance and gestures * Exemukterizon they blowed their nose at him manifesting thereby their scorning at what he said Exod. 2. 13 14 They blew their nose at him for that 's the meaning of the Originall word By their gestures they did demonstrate their horrid deriding of him they fleared and jeared when they should have feared and trembled at the wrath to come In Isa 28. 10. For precept must be upon precept precept upon precept line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little One observes that that was a scoff put upon the Prophet and is as if they should say Here is nothing but precept upon precept line upon line And indeed the very sound of the words in the Original carries a taunt Zau le zau kau lakau as scornfull people by the tone of their voyce and riming words scorne at such as they despise Pride and passion and other vices in these dayes goe armed touch them never so gently yet like the nettle they will sting you and if you deale with them roundly roughly cuttingly as the Apostle speaks they will swagger with you as the Hebrew did with Moses Who made thee a Judge over us And thus much for the Properties of an humble soule I come now to the next thing and that is to shew you the Reasons why the best men are the most humble men First Because they see themselves the greatest debtors to God 1 Reason for what they doe enjoy There 's no man on Earth that sees himselfe such a debtor to God as the humble man Every smile makes him a debtor to God and every good word from Heaven makes him a When a Knight died at Rome that was much in debt Augustus the Emperour sent to buy his bed conceiâ—ing that there must needs be some extraordinary vertue in it it he that was so much in debt could take any rest upon it An humble soul sees hiâ—self so much in debt for mercies in hand and mercies in hope that he can't sleep without blessing and admiring of God I have read of a Stork that cast a pearle into the bosome of a Maid which had healed her of a wound So humble souls cast the pearl of praise into the bosome of God for all his favours towards â—hem Guc Hist l. 4. 2 Reason debtor to God he looks upon all his temporals as health wealth Wife Child Friend c. and sees himselfe deeply indebted for all He looks upon his spirituall mercies and sees himselfe a great debtor to God for them he looks upon his Graces and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon his Experiences and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon all his priviledges and sees himselfe a debtor for them he looks upon hiâ— incomes and sees himselfe a debtor for them The more mercy he hath received the more he looks upon himselfe indebted and obliged to pay duty and tribute to God as you may see in Psal 116. 6 7 8 12 13 14 verses compared In the 6 7 8 verses he tels you of the mercies he had received from God and in the 12 13 verses sayes he What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me I see my selfe saith he wonderfully indebted well what then why I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord I will pay my vowes unto the Lord in the presence of all his people c. The same you have in the 16 17 18 verses of the same Psalme So David Psal 103. 1 2 3 4. casts his eyes upon his temporall and his spirituall mercies and then cals upon his soule O my soule blesse the Lord and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases c. An humble soule knowes that 't is a strange folly to be proud of being more in debt then another 'T is true saith he I have this and that mercy in possession and such and such mercies in reversion but by all I am the more a debtor to God Caesar admired at that mad Souldier who was very much in debt and yet slept so quietly So do's an humble soule wonder and admire to see men that are so much indebted to God for mercies as many are and yet sleep so quietly and be so mindlesse and carelesse in blessing and praising of God There is nothing saith one that endures so small a time as the memory of mercies received and the more great they are the more commonly they are recompenced with ingratitude Secondly it is Because in this life they have but a tast of God In the 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. As new borne Babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gratious The best of men on this side Heaven have but a tast he is but in a tasting desiring hungring thirsting and growing condition Job 26. ult These are part of his wayes but how little a portion is heard of him So in 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 12. We knew but in part and we prophecy but in part now we see through a glasse darkly but then face to face The
this is the best to keep them from falling Job feares and conquers on the dunghill Adam presumes and falls in Paradise Nehemiah fears and stands Nehem. 5. 15. Peter presumes and falls Mat. 26. Mr. Sanders the Martyr in Queene Mary's dayes feares and stands Dr. Pendleton presumes and falls from a Professor to be a Papist When Agamemnon said What should the Conquerour feare Casander presently answered Quod nihil timet He should feare this most of all that he fears not at all And so I have done with the Reasons of the point I shall now come to the Uses of it And the first is this Is it so that the most holy soules are the most humble soules Then this shewes you That the number of holy soules is very few Oh how few be there that are low in their owne eyes The number of soules that are high in the esteeme of God and low in their owne esteem are very few Oh the pride of England Oh the pride of London Pride in these A proud heart resists and is resâ—sted this is duâ—o duâ—um flint to flint fire to fire yet downe he must dayes ha's got a whores fore-head yet pride cannot climb so high but Justice will sit above her Bernard saith that Pride is the rich mans Cousen I may add And the poore mans Cousen and the prophane mans Cousen and the Civil mans Cousen and the formall mans Cousen and the Hypocrites Cousen yea all mens Cousen and it will first or last cast down and cast out all the Lucifers and Adams in the world Secondly As you would approve your selves to be high in the account of God as you would approve your selves to be not onely good but eminently good Keep humble Since England was England since the Gospel shined amongst us there was never such reason to presse this duty of humility as in these dayes of pride wherein we live and therefore I shall endeavour these two things First to lay downe some Motives that may work you to be humble Secondly to propound some Directions that may further you in this work First for the Motives Consider First how God singles out humble soules from all others ot 1 Motive poure out most of the Oyle of Grace into their hearts No Vessels that God delights to fill like broken vessels like contrite spirits Jam. 4. 6. He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble The Greek word signifies To set himselfe Anâ—itassetai in battell array God takes the winde and hill of a proud soule but he gives grace to the humble The silver dewes flow downe from the Mountaines to the lowest valleyes Abraham was but dust and ashes in his owne eyes I but saith Gen. 18. 17. God Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe No I will not An humble soule shall be both of Gods Court and his Counsel too Humble Jacob that was in his Gen. 32. 10. owne eyes lesse then the least of all mercies what a glorious Vision had he of God when the Ground was his Bed and Gen. 28. the Stone his Pillow and the Hedges his Curtaines and the Heavens his Canopie Then he saw Angels ascend and descend An humble soule that iies low O what sights of God He that is in the low pits and caves os the earth sees the starres in the fiâ—mament when they who are upon the tops of the mountains discerne them not hath he what glory doth he behold when the proud soule sees nothing God poures in grace to the humble as men poure in liquor into an empty vessel he does not drop in grace into an humble heart but he poures it in The Altar under the Law was hollow to receive the fire the wood and the Sacrifice So the hearts of men under the Gospel must be humble empty of all sprituall pride and self-conceitednesse that so they may receive the fire of the Spirit and Jesus Christ who offered himselfe for a Sacrifice for our sins Humility is both a Grace and a vessel to receive Grace There 's none that sees so much need of grace as humble souls there 's none prises grace like humble soules there 's none improves grace like humble soules Therefore God singles out the humble soule to fill him to the brim with grace when the proud is sent empty away Secondly Of all Garments humility doth best become Christians 2 Motive and most adorne their profession Faith is the Champion of grace and Love the Nurse but Humility the beauty of grace 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be clothed with humility The Greek word imports That Humility is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ribbon or string that tyes together all those pretious Pearles the rest of the graces If this string break they are all scattered The Greek word that is rendred Cloathed comes of another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word that signifies to knit and tye knots as delicate and curious women use to doe of Ribbons to adorne their heads and bodies as if humility were the knot of every vertue the grace of every grace Chrysostome calls Humility 'T is reported of the Christall that it hath such a virtue in it that the very touching of it quickens other stones and puts a lustre and beauty upon them so does humility put a lustre upon every grace The Root Mother Nurse Foundation and Band of all Virtue Bazill calls it The Store-house and Treasury of all good For what 's the scandall and reproach of Religion at this day nothing more then the pride of Professors Is not this the language of most They are great Professors O but very proud they are great hearers they will run from Sermon to Sermon and cry up this man and cry up that man O but proud They are great talkers O but as proud as the Devil c. Oh that you would take the Counsel of the Apostle Be cloathed with humility And that Col. 3. 12. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and Beloved Bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering No Robes to these The Third Motive is this Humility is a Load-stone that 3 Motive drawes both the heart of God and man to it In Isa 57. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit The Lord singles out the humble soule of all others to make him an Habitation for himselfe Here is a wonder God is on high and yet the higher a man lifts up himselfe the farther he is from God And the lower a man humbles himselfe the neerer he is to God of all soules God delights most to dwell with the humble for they doe most prize and best improve his pretious presence In Prov. 29. 23. A mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Prov. 22. 4. By humility
4. 5. Mat. 11. 8. Gen. 27. 15. Isa 52. 1. Hos 2. 13. Exod. 28. 40. I cite these Scriptures so much the rather because some through weaknesse and peevishnesse stumble and are not satisfied herein There is nothing in the Law of God or nature against it But you may say May not persous sin in their Apparrell I answer Yes and that in foure Cases 1 When 't is not Modest but carries with it provocation to lust and wantonnesse Prov. 7. 10. There met the young man A woman in the Attire of an Harlot The Hebrew word signifies a Habit or Ornament finely set and fitted to the body And saith the Text She was suttle of heart or trust up about the Breasts with her upper parts naked so Levi-Ben-Gersom reads the words She met him with her naked Breasts At this day too commonly used by such as would not be held Harlots Oh what a horrid shame and reproach is it to Reâ—igion the wayes of God and the people of God that Professors should goe so One saith That superfluous Apparrell is worse then whoredoome because whoredome onely corrupts chastity but this corrupts Nature Another saith If women adorne themselves so as to provoke men to lust after them though no ill follow upon it yet those women shall suffer eternall damnation because they offered poyson to others though none would drinke of it 2 Persons sin in their Apparell when as they exceed their degree and rank in costly Apparrell which is that which is condemned by the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 3. The Apostle doth not simply condemne the wearing of gold but he condemnes it in those that goe above their degree and rank The words are rather an Admonition then a Prohibition 3 It 's sinfull when 't is so expensive as that it hinders works of Mercy and Charity Oh how many Proud soules be there in these dayes that lay so much upon their backs that they can spare nothing to fill the Poores bellies Silke doth quench the fire of the Kitchin saith the French Proverb The meaning is that it doth hinder works of Charity and Mercy Surely those that put on such costly Ornaments upon their backs as close up the hand of Charity will at last share with Dives in his misery 4 When persons habite themselves in strange and forraine fashions which is the sin shame and reproach of many among us in these dayes Now that is strange Apparrell which is not peculiar to the Nations where men live The Lord threatens to punish such Zeph. 1. 8. that are cloathed with strange Apparrell There are too many women and men in our dayes that are like the Egyptian Temples very Gypsies painted without and spotted within Varnish without and Vermin within Mercury being to make a Garment for the Moon as one saith could never fit her but either the Garment would be too bigge or too little by reason she was alwayes increasing or decreasing May not this be applied to the vaine curiosity of too too many Professors in these dayes whose curiosity about their cloaths can never be satisfied I shall conclude this Head with this Councel Cloath your selves with the Silke of Piety with the Sattin of Sanctity and with the Purple of Modesty and God himselfe will be a Suiter to you Let not the Ornaments upon your backs speak out the vanity of your hearts Fourthly Sometimes Pride shewes it selfe by the gesture and carriage of the body In Isa 3. 16. the Daughters of Sion were haughty and walked with stretched out necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing as they goe making a tinkling with their feet Oh Earth Earth doest thou not groan to bear such Monsters as these Fifthly And sometimes Pride shewes it selfe in contemptuous challenges of God as Pharoah Who is the God of the Hebrewes that I should obey him Sixthly Sometimes Pride shewes it selfe by bragging promises I will arise I will pursue I will overtake I will divide Exod. 14. the spoyle and my lusts shall be satisfied The fourth Proposition that I shall lay downe is this Pride is a sin that of all sins makes a man or woman most like to Satan Pride is Morbus Satanicus Satans Disease Pride is so base a disease that God had rather see his dearest Children to be buffeted by Satan then that in Pride they should be like to Satan 2 Cor. 12. 7. When Paul under the abundance of Revelations was in danger of being pufft up the Lord rather then he would have him proud like to Satan suffers him to be buffeted by Satan Humility makes a Man like to Angels and Pride makes an Angel a Devil Pride is worse then the Devil for the Devil cannot hurt thee till Pride hath possest thee If you would see the Devil Limned to the life look upon a proud soule for as face answers to face so doth a proud soule answer to Satan Proud soules are Satans Apes and none imitate him to the life like these And oh that they were sensible of it before it be too late before the doore of darknesse be shut upon them A fifth Proposition is this Pride cannot climb so high but Justice will sit above her One askt a Philosopher what God was a doing he answered That his whole worke was to exalt the humble and pull downe the proud It was Pride that turned Angels into Devils they would be above others in Heaven and therefore God cast them downe to Hell Pride saith Hugo was borne in Heaven but forgetting by what way she fell from thence she could never find the way thither againe The first man would know as God and the Babel builders would dwell as God but Justice set above them all This truth you see verified in the Justice of God upon Pharoah Haman Herod Beltshazzar and Nebuchadnezzer all these would be very high but Justice takes the right hand of them all and brings them downe to the dust Yea Pride cannot climb so high in the hearts of the Saints but Divine Justice will be above it Vzziah his heart was lifted up 2 Chron. 26. 27. but Justice smites him with a Leprosie and so he died out of griefe and sorrow saith Josephus David glories in his owne greatnesse 2 Chron. 29. 32. and for this seventy-thousand fall by the hand of Justice Hezekiah's heart was lifted up but wrath was upon him and upon all Judah and Jerusalem for it 2 Chron. 29. 32 33. Pride sets it selfe against the Honour Being and Soveraignty of God therefore Justice will in spight of all sit above her Other sins strike at the word of God the people of God and the Creatures of God but Pride strikes directly at the very Being of God and therefore Justice will be above her Nebuchadnezzer was Proud and God smites his reason and turnes him into a Beast Oh how many young Professors Staupecius was proud of his memory and Justice smote it are there in our dayes who have been proud of their notions and
but alasse when the day of Tryall comes upon them when they are put to it they prove but men of poor and impotent spirits and then they roare and complaine and lye downe in the dust suffering crosses and losses to bind them hand and foot and to spoyle them of all their Comforts And now though they have many comforts for one crosse yet one crosse doth so damp and daunt their hearts that joy and comfort flyes away from them and they sit down overwhelmed Certainly this speaks out little of Christ within All Rachels comforts were no comforts because her Children were not This speaks out much weaknesse within Prov. 24. 10. If thou faintest in the day of adversity thy strength is small If thou shrinkest if thou abatest and slackest in the day of adversity thy strength is small Man hath no triall of his strength till he be in trouble faintnesse then discovers weaknesse Afflictions try what sapp we have as hard weather tryes what health we have A weak Christian sinks under a little burden every frowne every sowre word every puffe of wind blowes him downe and makes him sinke under his burden But now a soule strong in grace bears up bravely against all winds and weather That 's a brave Text and worthy to be written in letters of gold that you have in Gen. 49. 23 24. Joseph's Bow abode in strength though the Archers sorely grieved him shot at him and hated him And the armes of his hands were made strong by the mighty God of Jacob The Archers that sorely grieved him were his Barbarous Brethren that sould him his Adulterous Mistresse that Harlot-like hunted for his precious life his injurious Master that without any desert of his imprisoned him the tumultuating Egyptians that were pined with hunger perhaps spake of stoning him and the envious Courtiers and Inchanters spake evilly of him before Pharoah to bring him out of favour All these shot sorely at him The word that is rendred Archers in the Hebrew is Arrow-masters which terme implieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cunning and skilfulnesse in shooting They were cunning and skilfull to hit the mark and they shot at him as at a mark But yet his Bow abode in strength When God in the midst of weaknesse makes a soul strong that soul will not only face enemies and difficulties but triumph over them Those that are strong in grace seldome want courage or counsell when they are at the worst They alwayes find their hope to be an Anchor at Sea and their faith a Shield upon Land and therefore they triumph in all stormes and dangers They stand firme when they are under the greatest pressures 2 Cor. 11. 23. I labours more abundant In stripes above measure If we perish Christ perisheth with us said Luther in prisons more frequent in deaths often c. And yet he triumphs in 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in singlenesse and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the Grace of God we have had our conversation in the world and more abundantly to you-wards Strong Paul rejoyced in his sufferings for Christ and therefore often sings out I Paul a Prisoner of Jesus Christ not I Paul wrapt up in the third Heaven He prefer'd his Crowne of Thornes before a Crowne of gold his Prison raggs above all Royall Robes Fourthly A weak Christian thinks that little to be much that he suffers for Christ In Mat. 19. 27. Then answered Peter and said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have Their worldly case in following Christ was little worse then when they onely Traded in Fishing and yet we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have This their All was not worth a speaking of and yet for this they look for some great worldly reward and recompence We have forsaken all A great All sure a few broken Boats and a few tatter'd Weak Christians are like Children they look for a great reward for a little work and torne Nets and a little old Houshold-stuffe and Christ maintain'd them too upon his owne cost and charge and yet say they We have forsaken all and followed thee Neither is it without an Emphasis that they begin with a Behold Behold we have forsaken all as if Christ were greatly beholding to them Let their wills but be crost a little by servants children friends c. Or let them but suffer a little in their Names or Estates c. and presently you shall have them a sighing it out No sorrow like our sorrow no losse to our losse no crosse to our crosse c. Whereas soules strong in grace suffer much and yet count that much but little A soule strong in grace can suffer much and yet make nothing of it I am heartily angry saith Luther who suffered very much with those that speak of my sufferings which if compared with that which Christ suffered for me are not once to be mentioned in the same day c. Fifthly Those that are weak in Grace dwell more upon what may discourage them in the wayes of Grace and Holinesse then they doe upon what may incourage them They dwell more upon their sins then upon a Saviour more upon their misery then upon free grace and mercy more upon that which may feed their feares then upon that that may strengthen their faith more upon the Crosse then upon the Crowne more upon those that are against them then those that are for them Isa 51. 12 13. I even I am he that comforteth you Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man which shall be made as grasse and forgettest the Lord thy maker that hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the Oppressor as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the Oppressor This same is intimated Rom. 4. 19 20. Abraham being not weak in faith he considered not his owne body being dead nor yet the deadnesse of Sarahs womb Mark being not weak in faith Soules weak in faith are very apt to dwell upon discouragements but strong Christians look above all discouragements He considered not The Greek is He cared not for his owne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 body he did not mind that but in the 20 verse He considered him that had promised Soules strong in grace dwell more upon their incouragements to holinesse and beleeving then upon their discouragements He considered him that had promised He had an eye fixed upon the faithfulnesse of God and the Sufficiency and Almightinesse of God and this bore up his heart above all discouragements So in 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory while we look not mark they are
and manifestations when their Visions are onely the Visions of their owne hearts and their Manifestations are plaine delusions Ah but sayes the Apostle Little Children let none of these deceive you I tell you he and onely he that doth righteousnesse is righteous as God is righteous Children you know may be easily cousened and made to take Counters for gold because they are broader and brighter Children in grace are soon deceived hence is it that they are so cousened Little Children keep your 1 John 5. 21. The Idols that are here mentioned are surely those that the Gnosticks used to worship viz. The Images and pictures of Simon Magus and Helena as might be made evident out of Eâ—sebius selves from Idols So in Heb. 12. 12 13. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees Some think that the Apostle Alludes to those Combates of the Heathens wherein it was a token of yielding when a man hung downe his hands You are weake saith the Apostle and by reason of Trials you are apt to hang downe your hands and to give up all as lost therefore sayes he lift up your hands to fight and your feet to run take heart and courage faint not give not over turne not aside because of the sharpnesse of afflictions But soules strong in grace will hold on in the wayes of grace and holinesse in the face of all dangers and deaths Psal 44. c. Ninthly Weake Christians are apt to make sense and feeling the Judge of their spirituall estates and conditions And therefore upon every turne they are apt to judge themselves miserable and to conclude that they have no grace because they cannot feele it nor discerne it nor beleeve it and so making sense feeling and reason the judge of their estates They wrong and perplex and vex their precious soules and make their lives a very Hell As if it were not one thing to be the Lords and another thing for a man to know that he is the Lords As if it were not one thing for a man to have grace and another thing to know that he hath grace The Canaanite woman had strong faith but no Assurance Mat. 15. that we read of Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father Mark they are first the Sons of God and then the Spirit cryes Abba father 1 John 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye have Eternall life Mark they did beleeve and they had Eternall life in respect of Christ their head who as a publick person was gone to Heaven to represent all his Saints And they had Eternall life in respect of the Promises And they had Eternall life in respect of the beginnings of it and yet they did not know it they did not believe it Therefore these things write I unto you that beleeve on the name of the Son of God saith he that ye may know that ye have Eternall life and that this life is in his Son Ponder on Mich. 7. 7 8 9. Much of this you may read in my Treatise call'd HEAVEN ON EARTH or A well-grouded Assurance of mens everlasting happinesse and blessednesse in this World and to that I referre you The word shall judge us at last and therefore strong Saints John 12. 48. make onely the word of God the judge of their Spirituall conditions now as Constantine made it the Judge and decider of all opinions Tenthly Their thoughts and hearts are more taken with the love-tokens and the good things they have by Christ then with the person of Christ Oh their graces their comforts their inlargements their meltings and their warmings c. are the things that most take them Their thoughts and hearts are so exercised and carryed out about these that the person of Christ is much neglected by them The Child is so taken with Babies and Rattles c. that the Mother is not minded And such is the carriage of weak Christians towards Christ But now souls strong in grace are more taken with the person of Christ then they are with the Love-tokens of Christ They blesse Christ indeed Christ is the most sparkling Dâ—amond in the Ring of glory c. for every dram of grace and for every good word from heaven and for every good look from heaven I but yet the person of Christ that 's more to them then all these This is remarkeable in the Church Cant. 5. 9 10. What is thy Beloved more then another Beloved O thou fairest among women c. My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand c. She doth not say My Beloved is one that I That wise is but weak in her love that is more taken with her husbands presents then with his person have got so many thousands by and heaven by and pardon of sin by and peace of Conscience by Oh no but he is white and ruddy Her soule was taken most with the person of Christ Not but that every one is to mind the graces of Christ and to be thankfull for them I but 't is an Argument of weaknesse of grace when the heart is more exercised about the bracelets and the kisses and the Love-tokens of Christ then it is about the person of Christ But now saith one strong in grace My Christs person to a strong Christian is the greatest Cordiall in all the world bracelets are precious but Christ is more precious the streames of grace are sweet but the fountaine of grace is most sweet the beams of the Sun are glorious but the Sun it selfe is most glorious A naked Christ a despised Christ a persecuted Christ is more valued by a strong Christian then Heaven and Earth is by a weak Christian Eleventhly Soules weake in Grace are easily stopt and taken off from acting graciously and holily when discouragements face them This you may see in that remarkeable instance concerning Peter in the 26 of Matthew from the 69 to the end A silly wench outfaces him she daunts and dis-spirits this self-confident Champion she easily stops and turnes him by saying Thou wast with Jesus of Galilee v. 70. But he denied it before them all saying I know not what thou sayest He makes as if he did neither understand her words or her meaning and this false dissembling was a true denying of Christ Now Mark saith Chap. 14. 68. That upon the very first deniall of Christ the Cock crew and yet this faire warning could not secure him but when another Maid saw him and said This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth vers 72. He denied it with Cavebis autem si pavebis an Oath saying I doe not know the man This was fearfull and dreadfull and the worse because his Master whom he forsware was now upon his Tryall and might say with wounded Caesar
bâ—st Gifts to his Dearest ones I shall onely give you these six FIrst Because he loves them with the dearest with the choycest and with the strongest love therefore he gives them the best Gifts Christ doth not love Believers with a low flat dull common love with such a love as most men love one another with but with a love that is like himselfe Now men will give as they love 1 Sam. 1. 4 5. And Elkanah gave to Penninah his wife and to all her sonnes and daughters Portions but unto Hannah he gave a worthy Portion for he loved her Jiâ—â—en manah ahhath appaiim In the Hebrew it is He gave her a Gift of the face That is a great an honourable Gift Men look upon great and honourable Gifts with a sweet and cheerfull countenance So the Gifts that Jesus Christ gives to Believers are Gifts of the face that is they are the greatest Gifts the honourablest Gifts the choycest Gifts Gifts fit for none but a King to Mundus cadaver est petentis cum sunt Canis The world is a Carcasse and those that hunt after it are Doggs is an Arabick Proverb give Augustus in his solemne Feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others The Lord Jesus scatters the trifles of this world up and downe as Luther well speaks The whole Turkish Empire is but a crust that God throwes to a Dogge God scatters giftlesse Gifts viz. the honours riches and favours of this world up and downe among the worst of men but as for his gold his spirit his grace his Son his favour these are Jewels that he onely casts into the bosome of Saints and that because he dearly loves them Secondly Christ gives the best Gifts to his people Beeause Wicked men are onely principled to abuse mercy which occasions God so often to raine hell out of heaven upon them as he did once up on Sodome Gomorrah for abusing of mercy Gen. 25. 5. they are best principled and fitted to make a Divine improvement of them There 's no men on earth that are principled and fitted for the improvement of the speciall Gifts that Christ gives but his owne people None have such principles of wisdome love holinesse and faithfullnesse to make an improvement of the joy the peace the comfort that the Lord gives as his people Ergo. Abraham gave unto the Sons of the Concubines Gifts and sent them away but unto Isaac he gave all that he had As Isaac was better beloved then the Concubines Sons so Isaac was better principled to improve love then they were The application is easie Thirdly He doth it upon this account That he may the more indeere the hearts of his people to him The greatest designe of Christ in this world is mightily to indeere the hearts of his people and indeed it was that which was in his eye and upon his heart from all eternity It was this designe that caused him to lay downe his Crowne and to take up our Crosse to put off his Robes and to put on our Raggs to be condemned that we might be justified to undergo the wrath of the Almighty that we might for ever be in the armes of his mercy He gives his Spirit his Grace yea and his very selfe and all to indeere the hearts of his people to himselfe When Isaac would indeere the heart of Rebeckah then the Bracelets the Jewels and the Ear-rings are cast into her bosome So the Lord Jesus casts his Gen. 24. 53. heavenly Bracelets Jewels and Ear-rings into the bosomes into the laps of his people out of a designe to indeere himselfe unto them Prov. 17. 8. A Gift is a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it whither soever it turneth it prospereth In the Hebrew 'tis thus A Gift is as a stone of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is it makes a man very acceptable and gracious in the eyes of others A Gift is like that precious stone Pantarbe that hath a marvellous consiliating property in it Or like the wonder-working Load-stone that as some Writers observe hath among other Properties this That it makes those that have it well-spoken men and well accepted of Princes Certainly the Gifts that Jesus Christ gives to his doe render him very acceptable and precious in their eyes Christ to them is the Crowne of Crownes the Heaven of Heaven the Glory of Glories he is the most sparkling Diamond in the Ring of Glory Prov. 18. 16. A mans Gift maketh roome for him and bringeth him before great men The Gifts that Jesus Christ gives widen the heart and inlarge the soule of a Believer to take in more of himselfe Naturally we are narrow-mouthed Heaven-ward and wide-mouthed earth-ward But the Lord Jesus by casting in his Jewels his Pearles his precious Gifts into the soule doth widen the soule and inlarge the soule and make it more capacious to entertaine Psal 24. 7 8 9 10. himselfe Christ by his Gifts causes all doores to stand open that the King of glory may enter in Now the fourth Reason of the Point is Because Christ expects more from his people then he doth from all the world besides therefore he gives them the best Gifts Where the Lord expects and looks for most there he gives 'T was a good saying of Just Maâ—tyr Non in verbis sed infactis res nostrae religionis consislunt God loves saith Luther curristas not quaristas the â—unner not the question or c. most Though Believers are but A little little flock though they are but A remnant though they are A fountaine sealed A spring shut up A Garden inclosed yet Christ looks for more from them then from all the world besides He looks for more love from them then from all the world besides and he expects more service from them then from all the world besides and he looks for more honour from them then from all the world besides Mal. 1. 6. A Son honoureth his father and a servant his Master if I am your father where is my honour And if I am your master where is my feare He looks for more fear from them then from all the world besides and for more honour from them then from all the world besides and for more prayers and praises Some say that the Panther wil leap three times after his prey but if he misse it the 3d time he will leap no more 'T were well for Saints if Satan would doe so c. 1 Chr. 21. 1. Job 2. 9. Mat. 26. 2 Cor. 12. 7. Mat. 4. 1 12. from them then from all the world besides Fifthly The Lord Jesus gives the best gifts to his owne people That he may fence and strengthen them against the worst Temptations There are no men on earth that lye open to temptations as Saints the best men have been alwayes the most tempted The more excellent any man is in grace and holinesse the more shall that man be
world Ah how many have turn'd their backs upon God and Christ and truth c. to gaine the world how will you get off this burden No way in the world like to the exercise and actings of grace Many men heare much and yet remaine worldly and pray like Angels and yet live as if there were no heaven nor hell They will talk much of heaven and yet those that are spirituall and wise doe smell their breath to stink strong of earth and all the art and parts and gifts in the world can never cure them of this soule-killing disease but the exercise of grace till faith break forth in its glorious actings A man may hear and pray many years and yet be as carnall base and worldly as ever There is no way under Heaven to remove this stone this burden but the exercise of faith and love c. Cant. 8. 6 7. 1 John 4. 5. For whatsoever is borne of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God Not that the habit of faith overcometh the world but faith in the exercise of it conquers the world and that it does these three wayes First Faith in the exercise of it presents the world to the soule under all those notions that the Scripture holds forth the Diviâ—â—ae corporales paupertatiâ— plenae sunt Earthly Riches are full of poverty saith Austin world unto us by The Scripture holds forth the world as an impotent thing as a mixt thing as a mutable thing as a momentary thing Now faith comes and sets this home with power upon the soule and this takes the soule off from the world Secondly Faith doth it by causing the soule to converse with more glorious soule-satisfying soule-delighting and soule-contenting objects 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. Though our outward man perish yet our inward man is renewed day by day how comes this to passe while we * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whiles we loâ—k upâ—n eternall thâ—ngs as a man looks upon the mark that he aimes to hit looke not at the things which are seen but at the things that are not seen for the things that are seen are temporall but the things that are not seen are eternall Now when faith is busied and exercised about soule-ennobling soule-greatning soule-raising and soule-cheering objects a Christian tramples the world under his feet and now heavy afflictions are light and long afflictions short and bitter afflictions sweet unto him c. Now stand by world welcome Christ c. So in Heb. 11. It was the exercise of faith and hope upon noble and glorious objects that carried them above the world above the smiling world and above the frowning world above the tempting world and above the persecuting world as you may see by comparing severall verses of that Chapter together Vers 9 10. By faith he sojourned Every man is as the objects are about which his soule is most conversant c. in the land of Promise as in a strange Countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the Heires with him of the same Promise for he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Vers 24 25 26. And by faith Moses when he was come to yeares refused to be called the Son of Pharoahs Daughter choosing rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures in Aegypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward Vers 27. By faith he forsooke Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible And in vers 35. They refused deliverance that they might obtaine a better Resurrection So in Heb. 10. 34. They tooke joyfully the spoyling of their Goods Upon what account Knowing in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and more induring substance Thirdly and lastly Faith doth it by assuring the soule of Injoying of better things For my part I must confesse so farre as Heb. 11. 1. I understand any thing of the things of God I cannot see how a soule under the power of a well grounded Assurance can be a servant to his slave I meane the world I confesse men may talke much of heaven and of Christ and Religion c. but give In my treatise call'd Heaven on earth you may find many consideratioÌ„s to evince this and to that I referre you c. me a man that doth really and clearely live under the power of divine Assurance and I cannot see how such a one can be carried out in an inordinate love to these poore transitory things I know not one instance in all the Scripture that can be produced to prove that ever any precious Saint that hath lived in the assurance of divine love and that hath walkt up and downe this world with his pardon in his bosome have ever been charged with an inordinate love of the world that 's a sad word 1 Joh. 2. 15. Now a fourth reason of this poynt why persons are to exercise their Graces is Because its the best way to preserve their soules from Apostasie and back sliding from God 2 Pet. 1. 5-11 Adde to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience Godlinesse c. For if ye doe these things ye shall never fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adde to your faith vertue The Greeke word that 's here rendered Adde hath a great emphasis in it 't is taken from dansing round linke them saith the Apostle hand in hand as in dansing virgins took hands so we must joyne hand to hand in these measures of Graces leade up the dance of Graces as in Pulâ—brior in praelio occisus miles quam fugâ salvus the Galliard every one takes his turne So in Chap. 3. 17 18. Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things beware lest ye also being led aside with the error of the wicked fall from your owne stedfastnesse There are many turne aside and shake hands with God and Christ and truth and the words of Righteousnesse and therefore you had need to take heed that you fall not as others have fallen before you But how shall we be kept from apostatizing why Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 'T is a growth in grace 't is the exercise of grace that will make a man stand when others fall yea when Cedars fall c. Fifthly All other exercises without the exercise of Grace will profit nothing Or if you will take it thus All other exercises will be lesse to us without the exercise of Grace therefore we had need to Improve our Graces When the house is on fire if a man should onely pray or cry
great Masters Treasure differs from yours in that his hath no bottome as I find yours to have alluding to the Mines in Mexico and Petosi c. Certainly Christs Treasures have no bottome all Hast thâ—u entred into the treasures of the Snow sayes God to Job Now Gregory saiâ—h That the treasures of the Snow are worldly riches which men â—ake together as children do Snow which the next show rewashes away and lâ—aves nothing in the roome but dirt and can dirt satisfie Surely no. Nâ— more can worldly riches his baggs are bottomlesse but Scripture History and Experience doe abundantly testifie that mens baggs purses Coffers and Mints may be exhausted or drawne dry but Christs can never millions of thousands live upon Christ and he feels it not his Purse is alwayes full though he be alwayes giving c. Thirdly The riches of Christ are Soule-satisfying riches O those riches of grace and goodnesse that be in Christ how doe they satisfie the soules of sinners A Pardon doth not more satisfie a condemned man nor bread the hungry man nor drink the thirsty man nor cloaths the naked man nor health the sick man then the riches of Christ doe satisfie the gracious man John 4. 13 14. Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst againe but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of living water springing up to everlasting life Grace is a perpetuall flowing fountaine Grace is compared to water water serves to coole men when they are in a burning heat so Grace cooles the soule when it hath been even scorcht and burnt up under the sence of Divine wrath and displeasure Water is cleansing so is Grace Water is fructifying so is Grace And water is satisfying it satisfies the thirsty and so doth Grace Shew us the father Anima ratinalis caeteris oâ—nibus occupari poâ—est impleri non potest Bern. The reasonable soule may be busied about other things but it cannot be filled with them c. and it sufficeth us John 14. 8. But now earthly riches can never satisfie the soule but as they said once of Alexander That had he a body sutable to his minde he would set one foot upon sea and the other upon land he would reach the East with one hand and the West with the other And doubtlesse the same frame of spirit is to be found in all the Sons of Adam In Eccles 5. 10. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase This is also vanity If a man be hungry silver cannot feed him if naked it cannot cloath him if cold it cannot warm him if sick it cannot recover him much lesse then is it able to satisfie him Oh! but the riches of Christ are Soule-satisfying riches A soule rich in spiritualls rich in eternalls sayes I have enough though I have not this and that temporall good c. Fourthly The riches of Christ are Harmlesse riches they are riches that will not hurt the soule that will not harme the soule Where is there a soule to be found in all the world Da Domine ut sic possidiamuâ— temporalia ut non perdamus aeterna Bern. that was ever made worse by spirituall riches O but earthly riches have cast downe many they have slaine many If poverty with Saul ha's kill'd her thousands riches with David ha's kill'd her ten thousands Eccles 5. 13. There is a sore evill which I have seen under the Sun namely riches kept from the owners thereof to their hurt Earthly riches are called Thornes and well they may for as Thornes they pierce Some say where Gold growes no Plant will prosper So no truth no good c. will have any heart-roome where the love of money bears the bel c. both head and heart the head with cares in getting them and the heart with grief in parting with them O the soules that riches have pierced thorow and thorow with many sorrowes O the minds that riches have blinded O the hearts that riches have hardened O the consciences that riches have benummed O the wills that riches have perverted O the affections that riches have disordered and destroyed Earthly riches are very vexing very defiling very dividing and to multitudes prove very ruining It was a wise and Christian speech of Charls the Fifth to the Duke of Venice who when he had shewed him the glory of his Princely Palace and earthly Paradise instead of admiring it or him for it onely returned him this grave and serious Memento Haec sunt quae faciunt invitos mori These are the things which make us unwilling to dye c. Fifthly The riches of Christ are Vnsearchable riches This The Philosophers seeing to the very bottome of earthly riches contemned them preferred a contemplative life above them Omniameâ—mecum porto said Bias one of the seven wise men of Greece c. is plaine in the Text Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable riches of Christ There are riches of Justification riches of Sanctification riches of Consolation and riches of Glorification in Christ All the riches of Christ are Vnsearchable riches A Saint with all the light that he hath from the spirit of Christ is not able to search to the bottome of these riches Nay suppose that all the perfections of Angels and Saints in a glorified estate should meet in one noble breast yet all those perfections could not inable that glorious glorified Creature for to search to the bottome of Christs unsearchable riches Doubtlesse when believers come to Heaven when they shall see God face to face when they shall know as they are knowne when they shall be filled with the fullnesse of God even then they will sweetly sing this Song O the height the depth the length the breadth of the unsearchable riches of Christ As there is no Christ to this Christ so there are no riches to his riâ—hes c. O but such are not the riches of this world they may be reckoned they may be fathomed c. Ron Gnathak It is repored of one Myâ—cgenes when great gifts were sent him he sent then back saying I onely desire this one thing at your Masters hands to pray for me that I may be saved for eterniâ—y c Sixthly The riches of the Lord Jesus Christ are Permanent and abiding riches They are lasting they are durable riches That 's a choyce Scripture Prov. 8. 18. Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches and righteousnesse The Hebrew word that 's rendred durable riches signifies old riches All other riches are but new they are but of yesterday as it were Oh but with me are old riches durable riches all other riches in respect of their ficklenesse are as a shadow a bird a
promises are over-performed 1 Cor. 2. 9. c. Christ upon his word Doe you believe he will give you a Crowne and will you not trust him for a crust Doe you believe he will give you a Kingdome and doe you doubt whether he will give you a Cottage to rest in Ha's he given you his blood and doe you think that he will deny you any thing that is really for your good Surely he will not he cannot Againe Trust him for power against all the remainders of sin in you Hath Christ freed you from the damnatory power of sin Rom. 8. 1. Rom. 6. 14. Heb. 13. 5. and from the dominion of sin and will not you trust him for deliverance from the remainers of sin Psal 65. 3. Iniquities prevaile against me As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away O excellent faith Againe Trust him to bring you into the Land of rest Doe you think that this Joshua is not able to carry you through all difficulties dangers and deaths Doe you think that he will leave you to dye in the wildernesse who have already had some glimpses of Heavens glory O trust to this Christ for the bringing of your soules into the Promised Land Christ would loose his glory should you fall short of glory c. Againe If Christ be so rich Then don't forsake him don't leave him don't turne your backs upon him Is there Riches of Justification and Riches of Sanctification and Riches of Consolation and Riches of Glorification in Christ Yes why then doe not depart from him doe not You read of no Armes for the back though you doe for the breast Phil. 6. shake hands with him That 's a sad complaint of God in Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my people have committed two evills They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Cisternes broken Cisternes that can hold no water Is it madnesse and folly to flye from the fountaine to the streame from the light of the Sun to the light of a candle And is it not greater madnesse and folly to forsake the Creator to run after the creature O say as Peter Whither should we goe thou hast John 6. 68. the words of eternall life To run from Christ is to run from all life peace and joy 't is to run from our strength our shelter our security our safety our Crown our glory Lev. 11. 10. Crabbs that goe backward are reckoned among unclean creatures The application is easie Origen coming to Jerusalem after that he had shamefully turned his back upon Christ and his truth and being exceedingly pressed to preach at last he yields and as he opened the Book he happened to cast his eye upon that place of the Psalmist What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest Psa 50. 16 17. instruction and castest my words behind thee Now the remembrance of his owne folly so reflected upon his conscience that it made him close the Book and sit downe and weep Such as forsake a rich a full Christ shall have weeping work enough That is a very dreadfull Scripture Jer. 17. 13. All you that forsake the Lord shall come to be ashamed and they that depart from him shall be written in the dust Can you read this Text backsliding soules and not tremble c. Againe If the Lord Jesus Christ be so rich Oh then all you that have an interest in him labour mightily to clear up your interest and to be more and more confident of your interest in so rich a Jesus My Brethren 't is one thing for a man to have an interest in Christ and another thing to have his interest cleer'd up to him I doe speak it with grief of heart That even among such Christians that I hope to meet in Heaven there 's scarce one of forty nay one of a hundred that is groundedly able to make out his interest in the Lord Jesus Most Christians live between feare and hope between doubting and believing One day they hope that all is well and that all shall be well for ever the next day they are ready to say That they shall one day perish by the hand of such a corruption or else by the hand of such or such a temptation And thus they are up and downe sav'd and lost many times in a day But you will say unto me What Meanes should we use to clear up our interest in Christ I 'le tell you there are six singular Means that you should labour after for the evidencing more and more your interest in Christ And take it from experience you will find that they will contribute very very much for the evidencing your interest in Christ And the Means for the evidencing our interest in Christ First is this Faithfully and constantly fall in with the interest of Christ Holinesse is the interest of Christ the Gospel is the interest of Christ the precious Ordinances are the interest of Christ c. Now the more sincerely and roundly you fall in with the interest of Christ the more abundantly you will be confirmed and perswaded of your interest in Christ Such soules The Primitive Christians did generally fall in with the interest of Christ and they generally had an assurance of their interest in Christ Lam. 1. 16. Phil. 4. 30. Isa 63. 10. Spiritus sanctâ— est res delicaâ—a Psal 77. 2. 1 Thess 5. 19. as fall in with strange interests or with base and carnall interests may justly question whether ever they had any reall interest in Christ Christians did you more sincerely and fully fall in with Christs interest you would lesse question your interest in Christ this would scatter many a cloud Secondly Be kind to the spirit of Christ Doe not grieve him doe not slight him If you should set this spirit a mourning that alone can evidence your interest that alone can seale up your interest in Christ by whom shall your interest in Christ be sealed up O doe not grieve the spirit by acting against light against conscience against ingagements doe not grieve him by casting his cordialls and comforts behind your backs doe not grieve him by slighting and despising his gracious actings in others doe not cast water upon the spirit but wisely attend the hints the Items and motions of the Spirit and he will clear up thy interest in Christ he will make thee say My Beloved is mine and I am his Câ—nt 2. 16 Thirdly Labour more and more after a full and universall conformity to Jesus Christ The more the soule is conformable to Christ the more confident it will be of its interest in Christ 1 John 4. 17. As all good Orators indeavour to be like Demosthenes so all good Christians should indeavour to be like to Jesus Christ for
Jesus and Oh that I could perswade with you to get an interest in this Christ get this Christ and you get all misse him and you misse all 'T is a matter of eternall concernment to your soules nothing can make that man miserable that hath this rich Christ nothing can make that man happy that wants this rich Christ In Prov. 4. 5 7. Get wisedome that 's Christ get understanding forget it not Vers 7. Wisedome is the principall thing therefore get wisedome and with all thy getting get understanding And so in Prov. 16. 16. How much better is to get wisedome then gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen then silver Hadst thou all the power of the world without an interest 1 Cor. 1. 25. to 29. in Christ thou wouldest be but weak Hadst thou all the wit and learning in the world without an Interest in Christ thou wouldest be but a foole Hadst thou all the honours in the world yet without an Interest in Christ thou wouldest be but base Hadst thou all the wealth in the world Dan. 4. 17. Luke 16. 2◠23 24 25 26. Mat. 13. 45 46 47. yet without an Interest in Christ thou wouldest be but a beggar c. Oh therefore labour for an Interest in Christ Oh turne the wise Merchant at last The wise Merchant in the Gospel parts with all to buy the Pearle to get an interest in Christ Oh! 't is your greatest wisedome 't is of an eternall concernment to your soules to sell all to part with all for an interest in the Lord Jesus Oh doe not deale with your soules when Christ is tendered and offered to you as sometimes simple people doe when they goe to Market they might have a good penny-worth but that they are loath to part with some old peece of gold that ha's been given them by a father or a friend somewhat willing they are to have the good penny-worth but unwilling they are to part with their gold 'T is so with many poore sinners when the Lord Jesus Christ is presented to their soules as a very glorious penny-worth somewhat willing they are to have him but unwilling they are to part with their old gold with some old sweet darling lust But sinners don't you deceive your own soules sin and your soules must part or Christ and your soules can never meet Sin and your soules must be two or Christ and your soules can never be one Christ is a most precious commodity Prov 8. 11. he is better then Rubies or the most costly Pearles and you must part with your old gold with your shining gold your old sins your most shining sins or you must perish for ever Christ is to be sought and bought with any paines at any price we cannot buy this gold too deare He is a Jewel more worth then a thousand worlds as all know that have him Get him and get all misse him and misse all Now if ever you would get an interest in Christ and so by gaining an Interest in him be possest of all the riches and glory that come by him then be sure to get your hearts possest with these nine Principles that follow And the first is this That the great end and designe of Christs coming into the world was the Salvation of sinners Get this Principle rooted in your spirits I came not to call the righteous saith he but sinners to repentance And Ma◠9. 13. Mark 2. 17. in 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners Christ layes aside his Royal Crowne he puts off his glorious Robe he leaves his fathers bosome he takes a journey from Heaven to Earth and all to save poore lost sinners That which Christ had most in his eye and upon his heart in his coming into the world was the salvation of sinners Lay up this truth feed upon this Honey-comb Secondly Get this Principle rooted in your hearts Viz. That none ever yet obtained an interest in Christ but unworthy creatures When you are pressed to get an Interest in Christ you are ready to say O I am unworthy Will Christ ever looke after such a one as I am I answer Yes For this is a most certaine Principle That none ever attain'd an interest in Christ but unworthy creatures Was Paul worthy before he had an interest in Christ Wbat worthinesse was in Mathew when Christ call'd him from the Receipt of Custome And what worthinesse was in Zacheus when Christ call'd him downe from the Cycomore Tree and told him that This day salvation was come to his house Was Manasses or Mary Magdalen worthy before they had an Interest in Christ Surely no. Though you are unworthy yet Christ is worthy Though you have no merit yet God ha's mercy Though there is no salvation for you by the Law yet there is salvation for you by the Gospel Againe Christ requires no worthinesse in any man before Such as shall goe to prove he does must make a new Gospel a new Bible he believes and he that won't believe before he is worthy will never believe If you look upon God with an Evangelical eye you shall see that he that is most unworthy is most capable of mercy A real sense of our owne unworthinesse renders us most fit for Divine mercy This Objection I am unworthy is an unworthy Objection and speaks out much pride and ignorance of the Gospel and of the freenesse and riches of Gods grace c. Thirdly Let this Principle dwell in you Viz. That Christ hath lost none of his affections to poor sinners by going to heaven Oh! how did his bowels work towards sinners when he was on earth And certainly they work as strougly towards them now he is in heaven His love his heart his good will is as much towards them as ever Christ is Alpha and Omega Rev 1. 8. the phrase is taken from the Greek letters whereof Alpha Heb. 13. 8. Vide Grotius is the first and Omega the last I am before all and I am after all Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Christ is the same before time in time and after time Christ is unchangeable in his Essence in his Promises and in his Love to poore sinners Fourthly Get this Principle riveted in your hearts That he is able to save to the uttermost all them that come unto God by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Originall word signifies all manner of perfection Heb. 7. 25. He is able to save to the uttermost That is to all ends and purposes perfectly and perpetually he needs none to helpe him in the great businesse of redemption he is a thorow Saviour he ha's Trod the Wine-presse alone Isa 63. 3. Fifthly Get this Principle riveted in your hearts That the want of such preparations or qualifications Some men there be that would have men better Christians
in his works you will find nothing but what may incourage you to believe in him and to resigne up your selves to him Ah poore sinners what would you have Is there not power in Christ to support you and mercy in Christ to pardon you and grace in Christ to heal you and goodnesse in Christ to relieve you and happinesse in Christ to crowne you and what would you have more Oh that you would believe Ninthly Let this Principle be rooted in you That the surest way and the shortest cut to mercy and to get an interest in Christ is by a peremptory casting of the soule by faith on Christ John 3. 16 17 18 36. 8. 24. 16. 9. 4. 50 53. 5. 24. 6. 35 40. 7. 38. 11. 25 26. 12. 46. Acts 10. 43. Rom. 3. 26. 1 John 5. 10 11 12. There 's no way under heaven to be interested in Christ but by believing There 's no way to get an interest in the riches of Christ but this He that believes shall be saved let his sins be never so great and he that believes not shall be damned let his sins be never so little And so much shall suffice to have spoken concerning this great and weighty Point I shall follow what hath been said with my prayers that what ha's been said may work for your internall and eternall welfare c. EPHES. 3. 8. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ. THERE are two other Observations that arise from these words I shall by Divine assistance speak something to them and so finish this Text. And the first is this Viz. That 't is the great Duty of Preachers to Preach Jesus Christ to the people To me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 'T is the great Duty of Ministers to Preach the Lord Christ to the people I shall prove it and then open it to you In Acts 5. 42. And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach what Jesus Christ So in Acts 3. 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you So in 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. 2 Cor. 4. 5. We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake So in Acts 4. 2. 2. 35. 9. 20. As soon as Paul was converted straightway he Preached Christ in the Synagogue that he was the Son of God Now for the opening of the Point I shall onely attempt two things 1 Give you the Reasons Why it 's the great Duty of Ministers to preach Christ to the people 2 Which will be the maine To shew you How they are to preach Christ to the people I confesse this is a very usefull Point in these dayes wherein many men Preach any thing yea every thing but a crucified Jesus Well Christians remember this As 't is your duty to take heed how you heare so 't is as much your duty to take heed who you hear Many there are that count and call themselves the Ministers of Christ and yet have neither skill nor will to Preach Jesus Christ to exalt and lift up Jesus Christ in lip or life in word or work a sad reckoning these will have to make up at last But to come to the Reasons of the Point Why it is the great worke and duty of Ministers to preach Jesus Christ to the people First Because that this is the onely way to save and to win soules to Jesus Christ There is no other way of winning and saving soules but by the Preaching of Christ to the people In Acts 4. 10 11 12. compared Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby Jewel Cowper and others had no such pleasure or joy as they had in Preaching Christ unto the people we must be saved You may Preach this and that and a thousand things to the people and yet never better them never win them 't is onely Preaching of Christ that allures and drawes soules to Christ John 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Ah! nothing melts the hearts of sinners nor wins upon the hearts of sinners like the Preaching of the Lord Jesus 'T is true the teaching of this and that opinion may please many a mans fansie but 't is onely the Preaching of Christ that changes the heart that conquers the heart that turnes the heart c. Peter by Preaching of a crucified Christ Acts 2. 14. to 42. converts three thousand soules at once Were Christ more Preached men would be more inamoured with him He is onely precious to them that hear of him and that believe in him Christ is in all respects incomparable and therefore as 1 Pet. 2. 7. you would honour him and win upon others make him more and more knowne to the world c. Secondly They are to Preach Christ to the people Because it is the choycest and the chiefest way to ingratiate Christ with poore soules This brings Christ and the soule together and this keeps Christ and the soule together nothing indeares Christ to Marâ—ian Arch Bishop of Constantinople said once of Subbaâ—ius a wretched and unworthy man whom he had Oâ—dained to be a Presbyter We wish we had raâ—her laid our hands on the bryars then on such heads the soule like this We see by wofull experience Christ neglected despised scorned and trampled upon by most and no wonder for many Preach themselves more then Christ and they Preach men more then Christ and their owne notions and impressions more then Christ Surely Christ is but little beholding to such Ministers and I think the soules of men as little and Oh that they were so wise as to consider of it and lay it to heart Surely a reall Christian cares not for any thing that hath not Aliquid Christi something of Christ in it There is a strange and strong Energy or forciblenesse in hearing Christ and his beauties and excellencies displayed and discovered The daughters of Jerusalem by hearing the Church presenting Christ in so high a Character and by describing and painting him out in such lively colours are so inchanted and inflamed that might they but know where to find him they would be at any paines to seek him When Christ is set forth in his glories with much affection and admiration others fall in love with him as you may see by comparing Cant. 5. 10. ult with Chap. 6. 1. Thirdly 'T is their great duty to Preach Jesus Christ to the people Because the Preaching up of Christ is the onely way to Preach downe Antichrist or whatever makes against Christ Some would have Antichrist