of God the more they hate what is contrary to his will the evil Angels grow worse by frequent acts of spight and malice and the good Angels better by frequent acts of duty For the first see 1 Iohn 3. 8. The Devil sinneth from the beginning Satan is still a sinning and his whole life a continued act of Apostacy so the good Angels are always doing they rest not day and night Rev. 4. 8. Surely 't will be a matter of great advantage to exercise our selves unto godliness the greater will be our hatred of sin and delight in obedience as on the other side the exercising of the heart unto sin doth much strengthen and increase it 2 Pet. 2. 14. In Heaven where there is continual duty there is no sin Let us apply it now First It serveth to humble us we are the next rank of reasonable Creatures but how do we differ from them their natures ingage them to holiness and ours being corrupted engage us to sin their nature will not permit them to sin and our nature will not permit us to do that which is good Rom. 7. 21. and yet the Angels are ashamed of this their nature they cover their faces when they behold Gods Job 15. 14 15. What is man that he should be clean and he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous Behold he putteth no trust in his Saints yea the Heavens are not clean in his sight These holy Angels when they compare themselves with God are abased and should not we much more See also Job 4. 19. Secondly It serveth to stir us up to holiness you will say where lyeth the Motive I Answer 1. We are bound as well as they they behold his face and we behold his face in a glass we are under a Law as well as they yea commanded to observe their pattern Mat. 6. 10. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven The examples of the Saints on earth are no fit Copy for us to write after for there we shall find many of the Letters set awry in their lives corruption is more visible then grace therefore Christ giveth us a Copy from Heaven that we might aim at the holiness and perfection of the Angels 't is but equal that we who expect to be like the Angels in glory Luke 20. 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be like them in grace now many would strive to be as Angels for gifts and parâ—s but not for holiness for exact purity and chearfulness and readiness in service which yet are the things propounded to our imitatation the Devil retaineth cunning since his Apostacy to be wise to do evil is to be like the bad Angels not the good if you would not be cast out with them hereafter you should not take their Copy and example for imitation but that of the holy Angels 2. We are bound more then they as being of an inferior rank and acts of submission and obedience do chiefly oblige inferiours the Angels themselves are inferiour to God but dwellers in Houses of clay much more that passage of the Psalmist is emphatical Psal 103. 20. The Angels that excel in strength do his Commandments shall the Peasant scorn that work in which the Prince himself is engaged if the glorious mighty Angels durst not sin against God we should not much more When John would have worshipped the Angel he saith Rev. 22. 9. See thou do it not for I am thy fellow servant Ah who would decline the work when an Angel is our fellow servant when these mighty spirits put their necks to the work of the Lord shall sorry man be excused 3. We are the more bound for their sakes because of their Tutelage they are present with us we are awed by a man of gravity much more should we be by the presence of an Angel When Cato was upon the Stage they durst not call for their obscene Sports there is an Angel always by you What reports think you will they carry to Christ if they should see any thing that is unseemly 1 Tim. 5. 21. I charge you before God and our Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels c. The holy Angels are as it were the Spies and Intelligencers of Heaven and do acquaint Christ not only with our miseries but our sins Gods omni-presency is a great depth we cannot fathom it with our thoughts and therefore it worketh but little with us the nearer things come to the manner of our presence the more do they affect us consider the Angels are present with you in the Room where it may be you are acting your privy wickedness Again we had need be holy the rather for the Angels sake because else we shall lose their Tutelage they care not to take notice of an impure obstinate sinner Psalm 34. â— The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him they that fear God themselves delight most in them that do likewise sutableness of Spirit and life breedeth an holy and sweet familiarity between us they delight to keep us and go with us here that they may lay a Foundation for a more familiar acquaintance in Heaven Now shall we grieve such blessed companions When Balaam went to curse the people of God a good Angel resisteth him Num. 22. 22. If an Angel stood in the way of a Sorcerer much more do they seek to stop and prevent the miscarriages and offences of Gods children will you break forth or go on violently when an Angel standeth in the way and leave their Tutelage for a lust they are holy and disallow all carnal enterprises and would withstand the execution of them will you constrain them to forsake you You know how it sped with Josiah when he would not turn his face but go out without the defence of God and his Angels see 2 Chron. 35. 22. He was wounded in the battel and goeth home and dyeth Thirdly It teacheth us to be more awful all fear is not slavish the Angels that have a pure nature are afraid to sin we have a mixed nature corruption is already gotten into our souls and therefore have more need of caution as they that have an enemy without and a treacherous party within have need to watch and ward fear is all the remedy left us we cannot stop the flux of natural corruption but we may withstand an actual temptation as the Angels resist the admission of sin so let us withstand the increase and propagation of it we are always in the presence of God and shall we affront him to his face fear keepeth the Angels pure and us holy them from the admission of sin and us from the commission of it so Solomon saith Blessed is he that feareth always Prov. 28. 14. that is not that perplexeth himself with needless terrors and scruples that were a torture not a blessedness that 's the Devils fear who believe and tremble But when we are always cautious out of a deep
of the Empire Look upon duty as an honour and service as a priviledg Honorabilia legis Hos 8. 12. so the Vulgar And if ever you be put to your choyce either to enjoy the greatest outward honours or to serve Christ with disgrace choose the latter Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter when he came to age Heb. 11. 24 25. Galeacius Carraciolus left the honour of his Marquisate for an obscure life and the Gospel at Geneva Indignities and dishonours done you in the way of duty are honours reproaches for Christs sake are treasure Heb. 11. 26. One of Pauls honorary titles is Paul a Prisoner of Jesus Christ Philem. 1. and elsewhere he holdeth up his chain in a kind of triumph For the hope of Israel am I bound with this chain Acts 28. 20. What ever befalleth us in and for our service to Christ be it never so disgraceful it is rather a mark of honour then a brand of shame Observe again His relation to Christ is expressed by service as he describeth himself to be James's Brother so Christs Servant by that means he was entitled to Christ if we would be Christs we must do his Will our relation ariseth from service Therefore I shall here take occasion to shew you what it is to be Christs servants 1. Who ever is Christs servant must resign and give up himself wholly to the Will of Christ for he that is Christs servant he is so by Covenant and Consecration We are indeed Christs by all kind of rights and titles he made us and not we our selves no creature is of its self and therefore it is not its own but anothers It is Gods Prerogative alone to love himself and seek himself because he alone is without obligation and dependance but we owe our selves to him and therefore cannot without robbery call our selves our own Your tongues are not your own to speak what you please nor your hearts your own to think what you please nor your hands your own to do what you please by virtue of your Creation you are anothers and are bound to live and act for another according to his Will for his Glory But this is not all By Redemption you are Christs Ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. as the redeemed are bound to serve him that ransomed them If a man had bought another out of captivity or he had sold himself all his strength or service belonged to the Buyer Christ hath bought us from the worst slavery and with the greatest Price no thraldom so bad as bondage to Sin and Satan no Prison so black as Hell and certainly Christs Blood is better then a little money So that to live as if we were at our own dispose is to defraud Christ of his purchase Thus we are Christs by Creation and Redemption but now if we would be his servants we must be his by voluntary contract and spiritual resignation Yield up your selves c. Rom. 6. 13. Christ loveth to have his right and title established by our own consent We take Christ for Lord and Master and give up our selves to him that we may be no longer at our own dispose and therefore it is not only robbery but treachery and breach of Covenant to seek our selves in any thing This resignation must be made out of a sense of Christs love to us in his death and sufferings 2 Cor. 5. 15. Christ dyed that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but unto him that dyed for them We enter upon other services out of hopes but we enter upon Christs service out of thankefulness Again This resignation must be universal without reservation of any part You must have no other Master but God Mat. 6. 24. Ye cannot serve two Masters ye cannot serve God and Mammon Usually men divide themselves between God and the world they would give their Consciences to Christ and their hearts to Mammon The Devil pleadeth for a part for by that means he knoweth that the whole will fall to his share therefore all the whole man in vow purpose and resolution must be given up to God 2. Having given up your selves to Gods service you must walk as his servants that is not as you list but as the Master pleaseth The Angels are Gods Ministers doing his pleasure Psal 103. 21. A servant hath no will of his own but hath given up his liberty to the directions and commands of another therefore if you be Gods servants you must earnestly desire the knowledg of his Will and readily comply with it you must not do things as they please self and flesh but as they please God David beggeth for knowledg as Gods servant Psal 119. 125. I am thy servant grant me understanding that I may know thy Testimonies A faithful servant would not willingly offend his Master and therefore would fain know what is his will They plead with God and search themselves Rom. 12. 2. and all to know his pleasure and not only to know it but to do it otherwise they are worthy of many stripes by Christs own sentence The Masters will should be motive enough 1 Thes 4. 3. 5. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 15. If God will have it so if Jesus Christ will have it so it is enough to a faithful servant The very signification of Gods Will carryeth with it reason enough to enforce the practise of it Yea you must equally comply with every Will of God not only with the easie and pleasant ways of obedience but such as cross lusts and interests When two men go together a man cannot tell whom the servant followeth till they part When God and our lusts or our interests command contrary things then you are put to the tryal whether you are Gods servants Again Observe from the proper acception of the phrase as it is applyed to those that stand before the Lord in some special Office and Ministration as to the Apostles and by consequence to the Ministers of the Gospel The Note is That Ministers are servants of Jesus Christ Paul a servant and Jude a servant We are to deal between God and the Soul Factors for Heaven there is many a good inference may be collected from this Notion I shall refer all to two heads the Ministers Duty and the Peoples 1. It hinteth Duty to Ministers it teacheth us diligence in our Lords work for we are Servants and must give an account Heb. 13. 17. what good we have done in our places how we have employed our parts improved our Interests for his glory Math. 25. 19. After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them We are entrusted with the talent of gifts with the talent of office and authority in the Church now God will see what we have done for his Glory whether we have beaten our fellow servants or helped them in the way of Salvation whether our pound hath been hidden in a napkin or
should come out from his Fathers bosom and dye for us Therefore herein is love that is this is the highest expression of Gods Love to the creature not only that ever was but can be For in love only God acteth to the uttermost he never shewed so much of his Power and Wisdom but he can shew more of his Wrath but he can shew more but he hath no greater thing to give then himself then his Christ At what a dear rate hath the Lord bought our hearts He needed not he might have made nobler creatures then the present race of men and dealt with us as he did with the sinning Angels he would not enter into treaty with them but the execution was as quick as the sin so the Lord might utterly have cast us off and made a new race of men to glorifie his Grace leaving Adam to propagate the World to glorifie his Justice Or at least he might have redeemed us in another way for I suppose 't is a free dispensation opus liberi consilij But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son He took this way that we might love Christ as well as beleeve in him God might have redeemed us so much in another way but he could not oblige us so much in another way He would not only satisfie his Justice but shew his Love 'T was the Lords design by his Love to deserve ours and so for ever to shame the creature if they should not now love him Oh think much of this glorious Instance the love of God in giving Christ and the love of Christ in giving himself When the Sea wrought and was tempestuous and Jonah saw the storm he said Cast me into the Sea and it shall be calm to you but the storm was raised for his own sake Now Christ when he saw the misery of mankind he said Let it come on me We raised the storm but Christ would be cast in to allay it If a Prince passing by an execution should take the Malefactors chains and suffer in his stead this would be a wonderful instance indeed Why Christ hath born our sorrows and carryed our griefs Isai 53. 4. the very same griefs that we should have suffered so far as his holy Person was capable of them his desertion was equivalent to our loss his agonies to our curse and punishment of sense and all this very willingly for the sake of sinners 'T is notable he doth with like indignation rebuke Peter disswading him from sufferings as he doth the Devil tempting him to Idolatry Get thee behind me Satan compare Mat. 16. 22. with Mat. 4. 10. He is well pleased with all his sorrows and sufferings so he may gain the Church and espouse her to himself in a firm League and Covenant Isai 53. 11. He shall see the travel of his Soul and be satisfied as if he said Welcome agonies welcome death welcome curse so poor Souls be saved As Jacob counted the days of his labour nothing so he might obtain Rachel and yet there is a vast difference between the love of Christ and the love of Jacob Rachel was lovely but we are vile and unworthy creatures and Christs love is infinite even beyond his sufferings and the outward expressions of it as the windows of the Temple were more large and open within then without Well then every one of Christs wounds is a mouth open to plead for love He made himself so vile that he might be more dear and precious to us Certainly if Love brought Christ out of Heaven to the Cross to the grave should it not carry us to Heaven to God to Christ who hath been thus gracious to us Thus God hath deserved our love The third and next Argument is God hath desired it What doth the Lord see in our hearts that he should desire them If a Prince should not only make love to a vile and abject creature but seek all means to gain her affection you would count her very froward and unthankeful to give him the denyal Christ doth not only oblige us but woo us If man were such as he should be he would not need enforcements because of the multitude of his obligations and if the Lord did deal with us as we deserve he would slight us and scorn us rather then woo us He doth not want lovers there are Angels enough in Heaven whose wills and affections cleave to him perfectly yea God doth not need the love of any creature all this wooing is for our sakes Wherein can frail men be beneficial to God What increase of happiness hath he if all men should love him 'T is his happiness to love himself and he would have us to share in this happiness therefore he threateneth and promiseth and beseecheth As one that would gladly open a door tryeth key after key till he hath tryed every key in the bunch so doth God try one method after another to work upon mans heart He threateneth eternal torments if we do not love him 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha The form of speech implyeth the most dreadful curse that may be 'T is not arbitrary whether you will love him or no you are either to love him or to perish eternally Among men if love doth not come kindly we neglect it that which is forced is nothing worth yet the Lord is so earnest after the love of the creature that he would have it by any means He promiseth We have not only mercies in hand but mercies in hope not only obligations but promises 'T is our duty to love God if there were no Heaven our obligations might suffice yet what great things hath God provided for them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. If a man should sell his love he cannot have a better Chapman then God who is most rich and most liberal If an earthly Potentate should promise to them that love him half his Kingdom he would find lovers enough God hath promised glory the Kingdom of Heaven and shall we not take him at his word The Lord will give a gift for a gift because he hath given us to love him therefore he will give us Heaven as the reward of love Who ever heard that an hungry man was hired to eat and rewarded for tasting dainty food or a thirsty man for drinking The Love of God is so excellent a priviledg that we should endure all torments to obtain it and yet God hath promised a reward yea he is pleased to bargain with us as if he were our equal and we were altogether free before the Contract Again He beseecheth We are cold and backward therefore he useth intreaty upon intreaty as if he were impatient of a denyal Out of what rock was man hewn God himself cometh a wooing and we have the face to give him a repulse and what doth he woo for but our hearts which are his already
more care of the Ark of God now God hath built me such a stately Palace But they in Haggai We dwel in sieled houses therefore the time to build the Lords house is not come so they might live in pomp and ease they little cared how matters went with Gods house Once more I Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good he argueth from thence to meekness and a submislive patience but now compare 2 Kings 6. 33. This evil is from the Lord why should I wait upon him any longer from the same principle he argueth himself into a murmuring and fit of impatience Thus carnal men are alwaies out in their reasonings A Parable in a Fools mouth saith Solomon is like a thorn in the hand of a drunkard When the spirits are disturbed by excess of drink men have not an even touch and so when they would use a Thorn or any sharp thing they wound and gore themselves so do wicked men being besotted with lusts argue falsly from the Grace and the holy principles of the world to their own destruction Again it serveth for caution when you meet with such base inferences from Evangelical principles doe not blame the Gospel or the Ministry and dispensation of the Gospel 1. Not the Gospel as if it were not clear enough or faithfull enough or wary enough such thoughts are wont to haunt us when we see grosse errours creeping under a shelter and pretence of Scripture foolish men would give Laws to heaven we think God should speak more plainly as if the Lord should make a sun for them to see that shut their eyes vain man will stumble in Gods plainest waies should things be never so clearly carried a perverse apprehension would make them obscure Parables which are the liveliest and most sensible representations of things hardned the Pharisees Mark 4. 11 12. If men ruin themselves by their own false Logick we should not therefore accuse God they that have a mind to fall shall not want a stone of stumbling they that will onely be feasted with comforts no wonder if they contract a spiritual sickness and undoe their souls by a misunderstood and misapplyed Gospel 2 Doe not blame the Ministry and dispensation of the Gospel because some abuse Free grace others cannot endure to hear it preached but children must not be kept from their bread because Doggs catch at it because some are drunk with wine and others eat to excesse shall the hungry man want his food Shall hungry consciences lose their portion for others abuse No no if carnal men serve their lusts of these truths we cannot help it we are not in the place of God we can onely deliver the Doctrine we cannot give them gracious hearts to improve it The Papists will not let the people have the Scriptures upon this reason for fear of abuses and Gardiner would not have this gap of free Grace opened to the people c. The Devill hath ever maligned a Gospel dispensation Let not us withhold the truth for fear of inconvenience Let us look to our commission preach the Gospel to every creature if men abuse it we are clear their destruction is just as the Apostle speaketh to this very case Rom. 3. 8. Some slanderously report that we say let us doe evil that good may come thereof whose damnation is just some gave out that Paul taught that they might sinne freely that God might have the more glory in pardoning their damnation is just if they went away with such a vile conceit saith he they learned it not from me Musculus complaineth in one of his books that no place was so prophane and irreligious as those where the Gospel had been preached and Contzen a Jesuit citing this passage cryeth out See the fruit of Protestantism and their Gospel preaching many are of his spirit doe even hate the publication of the doctrin of Grace as if these were the cause of mens miscarriage If men abuse the truth we cannot help it however visible mistakes must be prevented lest men goe away with a Scorpion instead of Fish and a stone instead of Bread 2. The next point that though Grace its self be not pliable to such conclusions yet wicked men are very apt to abuse it to the countenancing and cherishing of their sinnes and lusts You see here the abuse of the Doctrine of the Gospel was very ancient this spirit of Errour wrought betimes the former dayes were no better than these Eccl. 7. 10. In the Apostles dayes vile hearts did abuse good doctrine Men were the same then which they are now when such kind of Errours have a second spring and revolution Indeed of all Errours these seem to be very natural we greedily drink in the poyson of carnal liberty but let me give you the reasons why ungodly men take liberty and occasion from the Grace of God to serve their sinful lusts and pleasures 1. Because carnal hearts do assimulate all that they meet with and turn it into the nourishment of their carnal lusts as the salt sea turneth the fresh Rivers and the sweet Showres of Heaven into Salt waters so do carnal men pervert the holy principles of the Gospel or as sweet Liquours are soon sowred in an unclean vessel so doe truths lose their use and efficacy when layd up in a carnal heart and are quite turned to anopurpose 2. Because they would fain sin securely cum privilegio with a free dispensation from God and therefore seek by all means to entitle God to the sin and the sin to God they would finde a great deale of ease from gripes of conscience if they could make God the Author or at least the countenancer of their evill practices and therefore when they can rub their guilt upon the Gospel and pretend a liberty by Christ the design is accomplished Augustine often taketh notice that the Heathens took the most liberty to sin because their Gods were represented as approvers and countenancers of such kind of actions if men could once make God an approver of sin and giving leave to satisfie our desires the design of carnal nature were at an end and they would be freed of that awe of a divine power which is only left in nature as the check and restraint of sinne and therefore because God hath revealed so much of his indulgence to the faln creature in the Gospel they strive to draw all the passages of it that way as if God had given leave to sinne freely 3. Because man is obedient naturally no longer than when under impressions of awe and fear the cords of a man work little with us like beasts we onely put forward when we feel the Goad Violent means doe more than gentle perswasions and the sweet strains of Grace Usually where we are dealt with in that kinde we wax wonton and kick with the heele as an Asse-colt being suckled and full kicks her dam in the
that lieth within the compass of a natural cause where God permitteth Again they may possess the bodies of men hinder the Godly in the execution of their duty over rule the spirits of wicked men and act and stir them up to wrath lust filthiness Eph. 2. 3. besot them with error c. it would require a distinct discourse to open this power to you they cannot create new beings nor raise dead bodies nor compel the will of man they can do mira but not miracula c. Let me now come to observe somewhat of practical concernment from what hath been spoken 1. That God hath proper places where the Creatures shall perform their duty and injoy their happinesse as the Angels had Heaven which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their proper place so Adam had Paradise and the Saints the Church 't is misery enough to be thrown out of that place where God manifesteth himself he that was cast out of the Church was given up to Sathan 1 Cor. 5. 5. in the Church Christ ruleth in the World Sathan 't is good to keep to the Shepheards Tents Cant. 1. 8. the Angels left their first estate at the same time that they lost their own habitation 't is dangerous to leave our own place to be cast out of the Congregations of the Faithfull where God dwelleth and is glorified he inhabiteth the praises of Israel Psalm 22. 3. that is in the Church where he hath praise and we have benefit the Church is the Gate of Heaven Gen. 28 17. where God is there Heaven is Cain himself could bewail his misery in being turned out from the Church he had the whole earth before him but saith he I shall be hid from thy face Gen. 4. 14. that is I am turned out from the place of thy worship and where thy name is called upon 't is sad to be banished from the Lords gracious presence 2. Sin depriveth us of Gods presence this is the Wall of separation between us and God Isa 59. 2. Your sins have separated c. it not onely provoketh God to stand at a distance from us but worketh a strangenesse in us and maketh us shie of his presence it cast the Angels out of Heaven Adam out of Paradise Cain out of the Church well then when you are tempted to folly bethink with your selves God could not indure the sight of Angels when once they were defiled with sin if I should yeeld to this temptation I should never indure God nor he me this will either cause the spirit to leave me or me to leave the Throne of Grace guilty souls cannot sustain the presence of God and God doth not own the presence of guilty sinners Peter said Luke 5. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinfull man And God saith Depart from me into everlasting torments Mat. 25. 3. Observe again Jude maketh it their act and Peter Gods Act Jude saith they left their own habitation and Peter God cast them down and punishments are voluntarily contracted founded upon some act of ours God may passe by a creature out of his meer will but he damneth not till we provoke him first there is a voluntary aversion from God and then God turneth away from us Hosea 13. 9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self our ruine is caused by the free motion of our own wils God punisheth not willingly and as delighting in our destruction we sin and so freely depart from our own happiness we leave and then he casteth down 4. God casteth Sathan out of Heaven Do you imitate your heavenly Father cast Sathan out of your hearts Who would entertain him whom Heaven hath spued out 't is said Rev. 12. 8. That Sathan and his Angels found no more place in Heaven Oh then give him not place to dwell in your hearts Eph. 4. 17. do not entertain wrathful or lustful motions God decreed that the evil Angels should be cast out of Heaven and Christ died that they might be cast out of your hearts Joh. 12. 21. Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out Oh let him not erect a new Heaven and Empire in your soules his great aim is now he cannot get into Heaven to dwell in the hearts of men 5. Angels Creatures of the highest exeellency are not spared when they sin 2 Pet. 2. 4. God spared not the Angels c. wonder at the patience of the great God to us sinners if a King be angry with his offending Nobles should not the skullions tremble how come we to be of this side Hell Go home and adore that Grace that hath kept you out of the chains of darkness Lam. 3. 23. It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed not swallowed up quick not cast down to Hell if the Angels in the very Infancy of their Creation were so soon punished for the first offence Lord what didst thou see in us that after so many offences we should be yet alive t is mercy pardoning mercy that giveth us our beings we fail not because compassions fail not 6. Angels were forced to leave their habitation when they changed their nature they changed their estate let all sinners tremble consider the instance and you wil see that no dignity and worth of the Creature is of any avail nothing can keep off the stroakes of vengeance but the blood of Jesus Christ they were Angels glorious Creatures their sin but one and probably that in thought yet how dreadful is their punishment cast out of Heaven kept in chains of darkness for a severer vengeance Oh then how should we tremble that have drunk in iniquity like water surely God is the same he doth no less hatâ— pride obstinacy and contempt of his grace now then he did in times past God is but one Gal. 3. 20. he acteth according to the same tenour of justice now as heretofore c. 7. From the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their own place observe the true dwelling place and rest is Heaven 't was the habitation of the Angels and the rest of the Saints Oh long for your home let your hearts and your hopes be there enter upon your eternal inheritance by degrees the Angels left their habitations do you be always travelling thither let your hearts be in Heaven your conversations be in Heaven ere your persons there are good Angels still blessed companions Heb. 12. 22. 23. an innumerable company of Angels and Spirits of just men perfect An Heathen could see out of a glimpâ—e of the soules immortality O preclamor illum diem cum ad illud animorum concilium atumque proficiscar There you shall see the vacant rooms of the Apostate Angels occupied by the Saints Say wo is me that my pilgrimage is prolonged Psal 20. 5. 8. They were cast from Heaven into this world do but look-upon the World in a right notion Sathan that was not fie for Heaven is cast out into the Earth as a meet place for misery
7. I will not be so bold with the Schoolmen as to say that the faeculent and drossie parts of this fire are reserved for the torment of the wicked in Hell for ever but in the general we may safely say that 't is an instrument of Gods vengeance on them Well now that day which hath such an end and cloze must needs be a great day Sodoms fire was dreadful but nothing to this burning that was of one particular place but this of the whole world that was a preparative warning but this the last expression of his wrath against the ungodly world Many give divers witty reasons for this burning a taste may not be unwelcom under the Law the vessel that held the sin-offering was to be purged with fire so the world where sin hath been committed The object of our Adulteries is burnt and defaced that we may know the anger of the Lords jealousie the old world was destroyed by Water propter ardorem libidimis because of the heat of lust and the present world burnt with fire propter temporem charitatis because of the coldness of love in the latter dayes But of such kinde of allusions more then enough You see then by all this that the day of judgement is a great day let us now apply it If it be a great day let us regard it more seriously for all things should be regarded according to their weight This is the greatest day that ever we shall see and therefore we shall be more affected with this day then with any thing else we have slight thoughts of things to come and therefore they do not work with us can we expect such a day and not spend a thought upon it Oh Christians look for it more long for it more provide for it more 1. Look for it Phil. 3. 21. Titus 2. 13. Every time you look up to the clouds remember you have a Saviour that in time will come from thence and call the world to an account faith should alwayes stand ready to meet him as if he were upon his way as Rebecca spied Isaac afar off so doth faith which is the evidence of things not seen Look within the curtain of the Heavens and spy out Christ as preparing for his comming If he tarrieth longer then we expect he is not stack 2 Pet. 3. 9. But we are hasty he wants no affection to us his delights were with the sons of men before they were created Prov. 8. 31. And certainly now he is so deeply interested in uâ— as having bought us with his blood he desireth to enjoy what he hath purchased 't is not want of love keepeth â—im away nor want of truth God is punctual in his promises even to a day Exod. 12. 41. even the selse same day c. If all things were ready he would come presently therefore wait and look still they were not deceived that expected his first comming in the flesh 't was said a Virgin shall conceive was it not done that God would bring his Son out of Egypt was it not done that he should ride to Jerusalem upon the foal of an Asse and was it not done Surely the God that hath been faithful all along hitherto will not fail at last 2. Long for it The faithful love his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 8. This is the great day which they long to see that they may meet with their beloved and see him in all his Glory and Royalty They have heard much of Christ and tasted much of Christ and they love him much but yet they have not seen him they know him by hearsay and by spiritual experience but never saw his person whom having not seen you love c. They have seen his picture crucified before your eyes Gal. 3. 1. beholding at in a glass the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. therefore they cannot be satisfied till this day cometh abouâ— Oh when shall it once be the spirit in the Bride saith come Rev. 22 17. Nature saith not come but tarry still if it might go by voices whether Christ should come yea or no carnal man would never give their voice this way The language of corrupt Nature is depart Job 22. 14. Carnal Men are of the Divels mind art thou come to torment us before our time Matth. 8. they cannot endure to hear of it but come Oh come saith Grace this day we have cause to long for not only upon Christs account but our own 't is the day of our perfection as well as Christs royalty now every thing tendeth to its perfect state so doth a Christian then there is perfect holiness and perfect freedom we never find Christ a Saviour to the uttermost till then to the glorified spirits he is but a Saviour in part some fruit of sin is continued upon the body but then body and soul are united and perfectly glorified to enjoy God in Heaven Christ then cometh to make an end of what he had begun he first came to redeem our souls and then our bodies from corruption the body is a captive in the grave when the soul is set at liberty 't is held under the power of death till that day the Butler was not afraid to go before Pharaoh because Joseph told him he should be set at liberty lift up your heads 't is a day of redemption Luk. 17. 28. Christ cometh to loosen the bands and shackles of death to think and speak of that day with horror doth ill become him that looketh for such great priviledges 3. Provide for that day 'T is called the great and noteable day of the Lord Acts 2. 20. it should be the whole employment of our lives to prepare for it but how shall we provide for that day I answer by making peace with God in and by Jesus Christ When Jacob heard that Esau was comming with a great power and force he sendeth to make peace with him we hear of a great day comming when the Lord shall descend from Heaven with a shout and all his holy Angels with him 1. Let us compromise all differences between us and him we are advised so to do Luke 14. 32. While he is yet a great way off he sendeth an Embassage and desireâ—h conditions of peace We need not send to the Lord God maketh the offer to us let us lay down the weapons of our defiance and accept of the terms proposed 2. If you would provide for this day clear up your union with Jesus Christ he is the Judge and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8. 1. Will the head contemn his own members If we abide in him we shall be able to look him in the face we shall have boldness in that day 1 Joh. 2. 28 then though it be a great day it will not be a terrible day to us 3. Frequent Communion with him at the Throne of Grace When familiar friends meet together after long absence what a sweet interview is
3. Again after conversion they watch over us in duty and danger and temptations in duties where Satan is most busie to hinder Zech. 3. 1. they are most helpful the Angels are in the Assemblies of the faithful 1 Cor. 11. 10. So in dangers when Peter was in prison God sendeth him an Angel to bring him out Acts 12. Ruffinus speaketh of a young man a Martyr on the Rack that had his face wiped by an Angel and refreshed by him in the midst of his pains nay in casual dangers which we cannot foresee and prevent Psal 91. 12. He shall give his Angels charge over thee that thou dash not thy foot against a stone so in Temptations Mat. 4. 11. they ministred to Christ when he was tempted by the Devil they came to shew how God will deal with his people in like cases Once more they are with us to comfort us in death in the midst of his Agonies the Lord Jesus was comforted and refreshed by an Angel Luke 22. 43. so they are with the faithful helping and easing them in their sicknesses After death they carry our souls to Heaven as Lazarus was carryed into Abrahams bosome Luke 16. 22. Though the body had not the honour of a pompous burial yet the soul is solemnly conveyed by Angels and gathered up into the communion of the souls of just men made perfect as Christ himself also ascended into Heaven in the company of Angels Acts 1. Once more after death they guard our bodies in the Grave as the Angels guarded Christs Sepulchre Mat. 28. 2 3 4. God did set his Guards as well as well as the High-Priests Their last Ministry and service about the faithful is to gather up their bodies at the last day They shall gather up the Elect from the four winds Mat. 24. 31 and then their Office and charge ceaseth 9. This Tutelage is ever administred according to Gods pleasure Psal 103. 21. Ye Ministers of his that do his pleasure not their own not ours but his pleasure the help of Angels is more powerful but no more absolute then the help of other means for it dependeth still on the will of God as all other means of defence and outward support do their imployment is to attend us and serve us according to the Lords direction Let us now apply what hath been spoken First It serveth for Information to shew us 1. The care of God for the Elect He ingageth his own power for our preservation as also the Mediation of Christ the conduct of the Spirit and the Ministry of Angels In Zech. 1. you have a Schem of providence the man that stood among the Mirtle Trees sent the Angels too and fro throughout the earth and then they come and give him an account of what passeth in the world The Man is Jesus Christ who to pre-figure his Incarnation is thus represented and he hath all the Angels at his command to send them forth as the condition of his Church requireth and they as his Intelligencers and Agents are to bring him notice how all affairs and matters pass in the world Thus doth the Lord set forth himself to our capacity and that we who are used to means may the better believe in him 2. The Condiscention and humility of the Angels they rejoice in names of service more then in names of honour and will perform Offices of respect to the meanest Creatures an Angel cloathed with light and glory would come to the Shepherds and do not refuse at Christs direction to wait upon those who are despised and rejected of men 3. It informeth us of their mankindness which shameth our envy their love is great to mankind and are affectionately desireous of our good and therefore decline no Office of love and service to us they rejoiced when the world was created as a dwelling place for man Job 38. 7. And again at the comming of Christ which was mans restoring Luke 2. 13. And so at the calling and conversion of a sinner Luke 15. 7. when we come to be possessed of our priviledges in Christ 4. It informeth us of the dignity of the Saints what a price doth the Lord and the holy Angels set upon the meanest Christian Gods own Court is their Guard certainly a godly man though of the meanest calling should not be contemptible there is somewhat in holiness more then the world seeth some worth in it or else God would not set such a Guard upon it a Guard so full of state and strength 't was a mighty favour for Mordicai to have a Courtier of a great King to wait upon him for one hour We have Angels that still attend and wait for our good 5. It informeth us of the obedience of the Angels in the lowest services God saith go and they go though it be to wait upon poor and mean Creatures we usually dispute commands when we should practice them and stick at duties that have any thing of abasement and self-denyal in them in the Lords Prayer we are brought to this pattern Mat. 6. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven that is by the holy Angels it should be done by us with like readiness and submission No Office or employment that God calleth us to should be looked upon as too mean and base for us the Angels that excell in strength when God commandeth being willing to condiscend to the Guardianship of men Secondly It serveth for Exhortation to the children of God 1. To wait for the Angels help Do you keep in Gods ways and in your Callings and you shall have safety and defence when the Lord sees it fit for you remember you are a spectacle to God Men and Angels in all your actions tryals and sufferings and bear up with a confidence becoming Christians though you can do little as to the promotion of Christs interest What cannot God do by his Angels 2. To behave our selves as those that do expect this help not tempting God not grieving the Angels We should take heed how we carry our selves in regard of this honourable attendance our sins and vanity offendeth them as it doth God Let was a man of a mixt nature yet vexed with the impure conversation of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 8. Angels are pure and holy Creatures that still abode in the truth pride lust and vanity is very offensive to them especially impurities and undecencies in Gods worship about which they have a special attendance therefore the Apostle bideth the women to cover their heads because of the Angels 1 Cor. 11. 10. their fashion being to come into the Congregation with loose dishevelled locks he mindeth them of the presence of the Angels We may use a like Argument to women to cover their naked Breasts now their immodesty is grown so impudent as to out-face the Ordinances of God 3. To observe this when 't is bestowed upon us The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and then Oh come
best seen in the light of his own Spirit the Heathens could say non loquendum de Deo sine lumine we need light from God when we come to speak of or to God That sense of the Lords greatness and those fresh and awful thoughts that we have of his Majesty in prayer they are stirred up in us by the Holy Ghost he uniteth and gathereth our hearts together that they may not be ravelled and flittered abroad by impertinent and vain thoughts Psal 86. 11. Leave men to themselves and they will do as foolishly as a man that is to gather a posie for his friend and filleth it fuller of stinking weeds than flowers we shall mingle many unfavoury worldly thoughts or deal as basely and affrontingly with God as if a man under the Law should mingle Sulphure and Brimstone with the sweet perfumes that were in the Censer lust will be interposing in prayer and out-talking grace therefore that we may be reverend and heedful we must use the help of the Spirit praying in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance Eph. 6. 18. Well then when thou goest to prayer look upon the Holy Ghost as appointed by the Father and purchased by the Son to help thee in this sweet and comfortable service Rom. 8. 26. the Spirit helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goeth to the other end of the staff and beareth a part of the burden we are tugging and wrestling at it and can make no work of it but the Spirit cometh and puts under his shoulder and then it cometh off kindly 2. It informeth us how much they sin that are so far from praying with the Holy Ghost that they do not pray with their own spirit alas this is but babling when the heart doth not go along with the lips 3. It informeth us of the priviledges of the Saints God is their Father willing to hear prayers Christ is their advocate willing to present their requests in Court and the Spirit a Notary to indite and draw up their requests for them oh what incouragement have we to go to the throne of Grace Surely we do not improve our priviledges or else we might have more comfortable access to the Father through Christ by the Spirit Eph. 2. 18. Verse 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life THe Apostle goeth on directing to the means of perseverance as before he mentioned two duties Conference and Prayer so here two graces â—ove and Hope Keep your selves that is use the means we are kept by the power of God unto Salvation but because of the concurrence of ouâ— endeavours 't is ascribed to us your selves Some interpret it as before alii alios keep one another In the Love of God it may be taken for that love which God beareth to us or else for the Love wherewith we love God which is fitly called the Love of God partly because God is the object of it partly because the Author of it be commandeth or begetteth it increaseth it perfecteth it in the Soul in this second sense I take the Love of God here namely for that grace wrought in us and the great work committed to our care is to keep it encrease it and discover it in all the operations of it looking the formal act of hope for the mâ—rcy the cause is put for the effect for all that good which we shall receive at Christs coming 't is called mercy because his proceeding with the Elect at the last day will be upon terms of grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 'T is so called because 't is purchased by Christ and dispâ—nsed by him John 17 2 he hâ—th power to give eternal lifâ— and at his coming he introduceth his people into their happy estate John 14 3 unto everlasting lifâ— our happiness in Heaven is sometimes called everlasting life at other times everlasting glory Observe hence 1. In perseverance there is a concurrence of our care and diligence Phâ—l 2. 12 13 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling for c. The main work is Gods he that hath begun a good work must perfect it Phil. 1. 6. and the same Jesus that iâ— author is also finisher Heb. 12. 2. the deeper radication of the habit the defence of it the growth and perfection of it the ability to act is all from God 1 Pet. 5. 10. The God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you but yet a concurrence there is of our care and endeavours a child in the womb is nourished by the mother liveth by the life of the mother feedeth by the food of the mother but a child born liveth a more distinct and separate life of its own though it still be under the mothers care and provision so 't is with us after grace received we have a power to act and do what is necessary for the preservation of the spiritual life Well then let us not neglect the means you must not lye upon the bed of ease and think that God must do all he doth all indeed but in us and by us Idle wishes will do us no good as long as our hands refuse to labour Again Men that have grace had need look to the keeping of it Why first we our selves are prone to revolt this people loveth to wander and they erre in their hearts though under the immediate conduct of God 'T is noteable in Scripture that we read of a decay both of faith love and obedience which are the three main graces some that left their first faith 1 Tim. 5. 12. Others that left their first love Rev. 2. 4. and as to obedience we read of the first wayes of David aâ— distinguished from his latter 2 Câ—ron 17. 3. he walked in the first wayes of his father David David in his latter time fell into scandalous crimes 2. We are assaulted with continual temptations an importunate suiter by perseverance in his suit may at length prevail Sathan will lose nothing for want of asking those that refused at first may yield afterward Long conversing with the world may taine the Spirit a deformed object when we are used to it seemeth less deformed in dwelling lust though long restrained breaketh out afterward with the more violence Rose trees sâ—ipt in June bear in the winter many that in youth have held an hard hand over sin in their very old age have found their lusts more violent 3. A man of long standing is apt to grow secure and negligent as if he were now past danger when his condition was doubtful he seemed to be more diligent and serious but when the labours and difficulties of our first entering into favour with God are well over and a man hath gotten some freedom from the terrors of the Law and some peace and confidence he is in danger of security by which all runneth to waste in the Soul see Rev. 3.
of Christ How durst thou that art a sinner look him in the face lay hold of Christ hope for glory Still the Call is our Warrant and Title If it should be asked of the guests that came in a wedding garment Friends how durst ye come hither and approach the presence chamber of the Kings son they might answer We were bidden to the wedding Mat. 22. So in Mat. 20. Why do not you go into the Vineyard their answer was No man hath hired us they had no calling Partly to give us encouragement We need not only leave to come to God by Christ but also quickening and encouragement for we are backward In other preferments there needeth nothing but leave for there men are forward enough but here guilt maketh us shy of God and God is forced to call and hollow after us By nature we are not only exiles but fugitives Before God banished Adam he first ran away from him he ran to the bushes and then God called him Adam where art thou Gen. 3. 9. How often doth God hollow after us in the Word before we return and come out of the bushes He maketh proclamation Isa 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth c. We are under spiritual bondage as the Israelites were in Egypt under corporal bondage and God sendeth again and again and out of very anguish of heart we will not beleeve him therefore he calleth and cryeth Sinners where are you why will you not return unto me Gods outward Call is managed by men and therefore it is very hard to perswade them to discern the voyce of God as Samuel would not be perswaded but that it was Eli called him when it was the Lord We think it to be the charity of the Minister and will not easily acknowledg a call from God and therefore do not only need leave but encouragement Partly because God will work in a way suitable to his own nature and ours fortiter suaviter strongly like himself and sweetly with respect to us and therefore he doth not only draw but call not only put forth the power of his Spirit but exhort and invite by the Word the efficacy of divine grace is conveyed this way more suitably to the nature of man There is grace offered in the Gospel and the Spirit compelleth to come in In all the Works of God there is some word by which his Power is educed and exercised In the Creation Let there be light c. At the Resurrection there is a Trump and the voyce of an Archangel Arise ye dead and come to Judgment In all Christs miraculous cures there are some words used Be thou clean and Be thou whole and Be thou opened and to Lazarus in the grave Christ useth words of ministerial excitation Lazarus come forth So in converting a sinner there is not only a secret power but a sweet call and invitation some word by which this power is conveyed and represented in a way suitable to our capacity For all these Reasons doth God work grace by calling Again Gods people are well stiled a called people because they are so many ways called from self to Christ from sin to holiness from misery to happiness and glory They are called from self to Christ Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden The main end of a call is to bring Christ and the Soul together every dispensation of God hath a voyce and God speaketh to us by Conscience by his Works by benefits by crosses but chiefly by his Word the application of which by the Spirit is as it were an awakening call but the chief call of God is by the voyce of the Gospel wherein the offers of grace are discovered to us Câ—me poor wearied Soul come to Christ and thou shalt find ease and comfort Again they are called from sin to holiness 1 Thes 4. 7. God hath not called us to uncleanness but to holiness though the immediate end of divine calling be faith yet the intermediate end is holiness as the ultimate end is glory Thus we are called out of Babylon into Sion from the Tents of Kedar into the Tents of Shem from nature to grace and the power of Satan into the Kingdom of God in short this call is a separation from uncleanness and all common and vile uses Again they are called from misery to happiness and glory from aliens to be friends from darkness to light 1 Pet. 2. 9. from being enemies to be reconciled from bastards to become sons from vessels of wrath to be heirs of Glory With respect to all these sorts of calling it is termed sometimes an high calling Phil. 3. 14. sometimes an holy calling 2 Tim. 1. 9. and sometimes an heavenly calling Heb. 3. 1. It is an high calling because of the honour and dignity of it it is no small matter to be children of God coheirs with Christ Kings and Priests to God Many are lifted up because they have born Offices and are called to high places in the world a Christian hath a calling more excellent he is called to be a Saint a spiritual King an holy Priest to God It is an holy calling because of the effect and purpose of it Mans calling may put dignity and honour upon us but it cannot infuse grace it may change our condition but not our hearts It is an heavenly calling because of the Author of it God by his Spirit and because of the aym of it the grace whereby we are called came from Heaven and its aym and tendency is to bring us thither see 1 Thes 2. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 3. Called us to glory and virtue c. We are first called to grace and then to Heaven first the sweet voyce saith Come unto me and then the great voyce Come up hither from self sin and the world we are called off that we may enjoy God in Christ for evermore You see the Reasons let us apply it now First It serveth to press us to harken to the Lords call Many are kept off by vanity and pleasures others by their own fears To the first sort I shall only represent the danger of neglecting Gods invitation and slighting a call Prov. 1. 25 26. Ye have set at nought my counsel therefore I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear cometh Gods wrath is never more terrible then when it is stirred up to avenge the quarrel of abused Mercy Men cannot endure that two things should be despised their anger or their kindness Nebuchadnezzar when he thought his anger despised he biddeth them heat the furnace seven times hotter and David when he thought his kindness despised threatened to cut off from Nabal every one that pissed against the wall Certainly the Lord taketh it ill when the renewed messages of his love are not regarded and that is the reason why where mercy is most free God is most quick and severe upon the refusal of it The Lambs wrath is most
or enjoy the use of the Seals we may expect to reap the fruits of Christs Purchase Celsus objected against Christianity that it was a sanctuary for Villains and men of a licencious life Origen answered him that it was not a Sanctuary to nourish them in their evil practises but an Hospital to cure them As under the Law all the Cities of Refuge were Cities of Levites and Schools of Instruction so Christ hath made the Church a School wherein to learn the trade of holiness and the Word and the Seals and all the Ordinances look that way Lastly It is for the honour of God the Spirit that the called people should be holy because they are his charge in pupillage to the Holy Ghost for this end and reason that they may be sanctified Sanctificaâ—ion is made his personal operation The sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thes 2. 14. and 1 Pet. 1. 2. He is to shape and fashion all the vessels of glory to deck the Spouse of Christ with the Jewels of the Covenant This is the great advantage that we have in the Oeconomy and dispensation of grace that we have God to purpose it God to purchase it and God to work it the Father Word and Spirit who agree in one to sanctifie the creature and make it holy Now it is a great grief to the Spirit when the work doth not go on and prosper in the Soul for he worketh us to this very thing and is therefore called the Spirit of holiness it is not for his honour to dwell in defiled temples and to let the called people go naked and without their ornament Well then you see God for his honours sake will have his purposes accomplished for which he chose us and Christ his purchase made good and the Spirit who is left in charge to see all accomplished he goeth on with the worâ— 2. Another Reason why we must be sanctified is because of the hopes to which we are called and the happiness which we expect now we cannot have it unless we be holy Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness no man shall see God We are bidden in that verse to follow peace but chiefly holiness for it is not said that without Peace no man shall see God Peace may be often broken in the quarrel of truth and holiness and so Gods children may be passively men of contention aye but for all that they shall see God but those that are not holy he cannot endure their presence and therefore they shall never see his face and enjoy him hereafter Usually by a fond abuse we restrain the word Saints to the Saints departed I but we must be Saints here or else we shall never be Saints hereafter I mean true Saints for by another abuse the word Saints is made matter of pretence in some and matter of scorn by others but to be Saints indeed that is all the evidence you have to shew for your interest in your glorious hopes What should others do with Heaven that are not Saints how can they see God that have not a pure eye A dusky glass cannot represent the image the degree of Vision is according to the degree of Sanctification And what should a carnal heart that knoweth no other Heaven but to eat drink and sleep and wallow in sensual delights do with the inheritance of the Saints in light The Apostle saith we must be made meet for such a state Col. 1. 12. The vessels of glory are first seasoned with grace Alas otherwise carnal men can no more tell what to do with Heaven then Swine with Pearls We do not look for a Turkish Paradise but a sinless state not to bathe our Souls in carnal pleasures but to be Consorts of the immaculate Lamb our hopes engage us to holiness 1 John 3. 3. He that hath this hope purifieth himself as Christ is pure If his heart be fastened upon such an hope as to see Christ as he is and tâ— be like him both for temper of Soul and state of body certainly he must needs be an holy man he will be practising and trying here upon Earth how he can conform to Christ and begin his happiness as well as he can Certainly he that expecteth that his body shall be like to Christs glorious Body he will possess his vessel in sanctification and in honour he cannot use his body that is under so great hopes meerly as a strainer for meats and drinks and a channel for lust to pass through his mind that shall see God he cannot fill it with chaff or suffer it to be occupied with vanity toying thoughts and vile cares and unworthy projects and his affections that should cleave to God inseparably to be prostituted to every base â—bject Thus with respect to our hopes we must be sanctified the foundation and seed of glory is layd in grace and that life began which we must live for ever It serveth for Conviction If Gods people are a sanctified people then here is but sad news for two sorts of persons 1. The prophane that care not for holiness God hath no birthright for such Esaus the portion of the Lord are an holy portion but these have a spot that is not as the spot of his children See what John speaketh of such persons as wallow in their filthiness 1 John 3. 8. He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that tradeth in sin and maketh it his work and business You may presume that you belong to God but you are of the Devil you have not indeed the least pretence of a claim and do not go so far as hypocrites being so little careful to be holy that you are not moral Are you called from what where is the least evidence of it I but our hearts are better then we shew for This is to appeal to a witness that cannot be found it is all one as if a man should lay claim to anothers Land and pretend that he hath lost the Evidences your guilt is written in legible characters that he that runneth may read it 2. It convinceth persons that scoff at holiness scoffing is the overflow of gall and malice and a black mark let it be found where it will be in the general it argueth a bad spirit but especially when Religion is made a by-word and a reproach When you deride men for their holiness you deride them for that which is the express Image of the glorious God and so deride God himself Holy Brethren as the Saints are stiled Heb. 3. 1. should no more be a disgrace then holy Father as God himself is stiled John 17. 11. You hate God more then you do the Saints if you hate them for their holiness which shineth in them with a faint lustre but is infinitly and originally in God Take heed of the chair of scorners those are dogs that are without that bark at the splendor of Gods
of grace and mercy to us and we lay down cur enmity against God he is gracious to us and we love and serve him only observe that God beginneth first though he the wronged party he was reconciling And mark again 't is in Christ to shew 't is sure Those that are reconciled to men are still in â—mbrage and suspition with them they that have once been enemies they may be again therefore they do not return to perfect grace When the wound is cured the scars remain But our reconciliation with God 't is like the sodering of a vessel which is strongest in the crack or as a leg broken if well set it is the stronger so are vve upon firmer terms then vve vvere in innocency there vvas a possibility of being at odds vvith God vvhich is novv taken avvay 4. God being reconciled in Christ all things else are at peace with us For his League vvith us is offensive and defensive My horses are as thy horses and my chariots as thy chariots God and all his Confederates are in the League or rather God and all his Subjects as a Prince doth not only contract for his person but his subjects and estates Angels are at peace vvith us in stead of being Instruments of Vengeance they become ministring Spirits Heb. 1. 14. A Christian hath an invisible guard Satan is sensible of it though vve be not he saith of Job Thou hast hedged him round about Gods heirs are vvell attended Angels vvait upon them at Christs direction Other creatures serve us as if they vvere in League and Covenant vvith us Stars Winds Seas Beasts Job 5. 23. Thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field and the beasts shall be at peace with thee They are included in Gods League vvhich is as much as if there vvere an express Covenant betvveen us and them that they shall not do us harm they are at the beck of Providence and therefore so far as it conduceth to our good at our service So Hosea 2. 18. I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the fowls of the Heaven c. So for men they are wolves one to another yet God can change them The Gospel civillizeth and pulleth the beast out of mens bosoms vvhere it vvorketh least see Isai 11. 7 8 9. The hearts of men are in Gods hands he can either destroy their persons or restrain their rage or turn out their respects to you When a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him Prov. 16. 17. We think to carry all by force and violence many times but obedience to God is the best vvay to gain the respects of men as a key openeth a door sooner then an Iron bar If you be in vvith God you stop enmity and strife at the Fountain head So for peace with the Saints Jesus Christ breaketh down the partition wall Ephes 2. 16 17 18. removeth prejudices and jealousies changeth interests cleareth up truths and by his Spirit meekeneth their hearts that they be at one Surely his Blood is the best cement and bond of friendship Christ hath called us into a Body that there might be peace in the Church Col. 3. 15. Brothers have defaced the feelings of Nature but fellow-members are wont to care one for another Peace with fellow Saints was his dying charge his legacy John 14. 27. his prayer John 17. and his constant care now he is in Heaven Then for peace with our selves Sin rendeth and teereth a ma from himself it maketh a mutiny in his own heart Rom. 2. 15. thoughts accusing and excusing by turns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man and his conscience are at odds and a man and his affections Now we being reconciled to God the foundation is layd for peace of Conscience that we and our hearts may talk together as loving friends without scolding without reproaching And then Grace giveth us a calm and contented spirit which easeth us of a great deal of trouble for a discontented man is his own burden We need the peace of God not only in our consciences but to bear rule in our hearts Col. 3. 16. that we may refer all matters to Gods disposal Psal 4. 8. 5. Though all things are at peace with us yet some troubles are left for our exercise but not for our hurt and destruction The peace of God 't is a very riddle Phil. 4. 7. It passeth all understanding To sense who more wretched then Gods children hated reviled persecuted afflicted How are they are at peace with God and all his creatures I answer The priviledges of Christs Kingdom are spiritual what ever troubleth the Saints nothing can harm them 1 Pet. 3. 13. they may harm the man but not the Christian All things are at peace vvith them because they are at the disposal of a wise and gracious Providence and cannot do hurt to the better part they vvork for good Death is at peace vvith them vvhich doth the greatest hurt to the body Ask old Simeon and he 'l tell you so Luke 2. 29. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace c. They are sent for by their friend the King of fears is a grim messenger but they knovv his errand and therefore are not afraid 6. In Heaven there is a perfect Peace In the nevv Jerusalem all is quiet 'T is just with God to give you that are troubled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rest 2 Thes 1. 7. And there is a rest that remaineth for the children of God Heb. 4. 9. there vve rest both from our sorrows and our labours there is no trouble nor affliction more all priviledges are at the height no more apprehensions of Gods Wrath fears of death there vve are not only free from hurt but danger our exercise is at end there vve do immediately behold the Kings face vvhich is not granted us here novv vve are in Absaloms condition pardoned reconciled but cannot see the Kings face So much for the nature of this Peace and the Observations that open it to you Let us novv apply all If Peace be such an excellent Blessing and a main priviledg of the Gospel then it puts us upon tryal Are vve at peace vvith God through Christ If it be so then 1. Enmity is layd aside Gods enemies vvill be yours and yours vvill be Gods otherwise what peace What do we talk of peace with God as long as we are in league with Gods enemy What peace as long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezabel are so many Our League with God is defensive and offensive There is a war with Satan if we be at peace with God The spiritual conflict is the best evidence we have of our unity with God With the wicked God is at open war There is no peace c. Isai 57. 20. The Devil may be at a secret peace with them but God is at distance and abhorreth all communion
with them Christ is called the Prince of Peace Isai 9. 6. but 't is to those that submit to his Government to his Subjects he saith Take my yoke upon you and ye shall find rest Mat. 11. 29. We are not in a capacity to receive this Blessing till we take an oath of allegiance to Christ and continue in obedience to him 2. The next Note is delight in communion with God Job 22. Acquaint thy self with him and be at peace A man that is at peace with God will be often in his company Bondage and servile awe keepeth us out of Gods presence We cannot come to him because we cannot come in peace A man never delighteth in duties of commerce with God when either he hath a false peace or no peace Duties disturb a false peace and when we are raw and sour we are unfit for work When a Peace is concluded between Nations that were before at War Trading is revived so will it be between God and you commerce will be revived and you will be trading into Heaven that you may bring avvay rich treasures of grace and comfort It presseth us to make peace vvith God by Christ We speak to tvvo sorts the careless and the distressed 1. To the careless Consider you are born enemies to God They that loved him from their cradle upvvard never loved him You must make peace vvith God for you cannot maintain war against him Are you stronger then he What vvill you arm lusts against Angels And do you knovv the terror of his wrath one spark of it is enough to drink up all your blood and spirits Job 6. 4. The present life is but a vapor soon gone If God be angry he can arm the least creature to kill you The vvhole Creation taketh part vvith God Adrian vvas strangled with a Gnat. But death vvill not end your sorrovvs none can punish their enemies as God can he can ruine your body and soul for ever and for ever Hovv vvill you screech and howl like Dragons But your torments are vvithout end and vvithout ease Be vvise then and do not sleep vvhen your damnation sleepeth not novv is the time to make your peace vvith God Ah that you knew in this your day the things that belong to your peace Luk. 19. 41. Peace must be had novv or else it can never be had hereafter the day of patience vvill not alvvays last therefore let us get into the Ark before the Flood cometh T is a dreadful thing to be under the Wrath of God and you knovv not hovv soon it vvill light our care should be to be found of him in peace 2 Pet. 3. 14. Christ is novv a Saviour then a Judg You vvill yell and howl for mercy vvhen 't is too late 2. I am to speak to distressed Consciences Lift up your heads God offereth you peace he sent Angels from Heaven to proclaim it Luke 2. 14. The ground of the offer is good-will and the end of the offer is only his own glory God hath no other reasons to move him to it but his own good-will and no other aim then to glorifie his grace see Ephes 1. 6. and therefore take hold of his Covenant of Peace as 't is called Isai 54. 10. He is content we shall have peace upon these terms and peace assured us by Covenant Certainly 't is not a duty to doubt nor a thing acceptable to God that we should always be upon terms of perplexity and keep Conscience raw with a sense of wrath and sin Wherefore did Christ bear the chastisement of our Peace God is more pleased with a chearful confidence then a servile spirit full of bondage and fear 'T is Caution If Peace be a priviledg of the Gospel let us take care that we settle upon a right Peace lest we mistake a Judgment for a Blessing 'T is the greatest Judgment that can be to be given up to our own secure presumptions and to be lulled asleep with a false peace When the pulse doth not beat the body is in a dangerous estate so when Conscience is benummed and suiteth not 't is very sad The Grounds of a false and carnal Peace are 1. Ignorance of our condition Many go hoodwink'd to Hell a little light breaking in would trouble all Rom. 7. 9. Sluttish corners are not seen in the dark Things are naught that cannot brook a tryal So you may know that 't is very bad with men when they will not come to the light John 3. 20. or cannot endure to be alone lest Conscience should return up it self and they be forced to look inward their confidence is supported by meer ignorance 2. Sensuality Some mens lives are nothing else but a diversion from one pleasure to another that they may put off that which they cannot put away there is bondage in their Consciences and they are loth to take notice of it Amos 6. 3. They drink wine in bowls and put far away the evil day This is to quench the spirit without a metaphor All their pleasures are but stoln waters and bread eaten in secret frisks of mirth when they can get Conscience asleep Caâ—ns heart was a trouble to him therefore he falleth a building of Cities Saul to cure the evil spirit ran to his Musick and so usually men choak Conscience either with business or pleasures 3. From formality and slightness in the spiritual life First Either they do not seriously perform duty that will make men see what carnal unsavory sapless spirits they have He that never stirreth doth not feel the lameness of his joynts Formal duties make men the more secure as the Pharisee thought himself in a good case because c. Luke 18. 11. but spiritual duties search us to the purpose as new wine doth old bottles Or else secondly They do not exasperate their lusts and seriously resist sin Tumult is made by opposition When a man yeildeth to Satan no wonder that Satan lets him alone Luke 11. 21. The goods are in peace because the Devils possession is not disturbed he rageth most when his Kingdom is tottering Rev. 12. 12. Please the worst natures and they will not trouble you There is no tempest where wind and tyde go together You let Satan alone and he lets you alone this is a peace that will end in trouble I now come to speak of the third thing prayed for and that is Love which being taken here not for Gods love to us but our love to God may be thus defined 'T is a gracious and holy affection which the Soul upon the apprehension of Gods love in Christ returneth back to God again by his own grace The Grounds and Causes of it are two the one worketh by way of argument and swasion the other by way of efficacy and power 1. It ariseth from the sense and apprehensions of Gods love in Christ Love is like a Diamond that is not wrought upon but by its own dust
and overcome with the vehemency of any passion as mans is this maketh the wonder there is no blindness and passion in him that loveth and yet the thing that is loved is vile and uncomely 3. The frequency of the expressions of his Love It would weary the arm of an Angel to write down Gods repeated Acts of Grace Rom. 5. 17. The free gift is of many offences unto Justification We carry loads of experiences with us to Heaven Gods Book of Remembrance is written within and without This will be our wonder and amazement at the last day to see such huge sums cancelled with Christs blood Every day pardoning mercy is put in Our past lives are but a constant experience of our sinning and Gods pardoning We are weary of every thing but sin we are never weary of that because 't is natural to us The very refreshments of life by continuance grow burdensom Meat drink musick sleep the chiefest pleasures vvithin a vvhile need to be refreshed vvith other pleasures Man is a restless creature and loveth shift and change But now vve are never weary of sin we have it from the womb and we keep it to the grave and yet all this while we subsist upon God we subsist upon him every moment We have life and breath and hourly maintenance from him whom we thus grieve and offend Dependance should beget observance but in us 't is otherwise As a dunghill sendeth out vapors to obscure the Sun that shineth upon it so do we dishonour the God of our mercies and grieve him day by day How long hath God been multiplying pardons and yet Free-grace is not tyred and grown weary 4. Consider the variety of the expressions of his Love We have all kind of mercies we eat mercy we wear mercy we are encompassed with mercy as with a shield The Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1. 3. He hath given us all things that pertain to life and godliness that is as I would interpret all things that are necessary to life natural to life spiritual to maintain grace here and to bring us to glory hereafter He that hath an interest in Christ his portion is not straitened he hath a right to all things and a possession of as much as Providence judgeth needful therein we must not be our own carvers A man of mortified affections thinketh he hath provision enough if he hath things necessary to life and godliness and will you not love God for all this Certainly we do not want obligations but we want affections Look as too much wood puts out the fire and causeth smoak so the multitude and dayly experience of Gods mercies lesseneth the esteem of them We have but too many mercies and that maketh us unkind and neglectful of God What shall I tell you of Sabbaths Ordinances food rayment If a man would be but his own remembrancer and now and then come to an account with God he would cry out Oh the multitude of thy thoughts to us-ward how great is the sum of them Psal 139. Or if a man would but keep a journal of his own life what a vast volume would his private experiences make how would he find mercy and himself still growing up together Shall I shew you a little what a multitude of mercies there are I will not speak of the higher and choycer mercies such as concern the soul but of such as concern the body What a deal of provision is there for the comfort and welfare of the body I instance in these mercies partly because they are so common that they are scarce noted partly because carnal men prize the body most they prefer it above the Soul now the Lord would leave them without excuse they that love the body shall not want arguments to urge them to love God since he hath bestowed so much of his love and care upon the body to gratifie all the senses not only for necessity but delight There is light for the eye the poorest man hath glorious lamps to light him to his labours For the taste such variety of refreshments of a different sap and savour For the smell delicious infusions into the ayr from flowers and gums and aromatick plants For the ears musick from birds and men and all this to make our pilgrimage comfortable and our hearts better How many creatures hath the Lord given us to help to bear burdens how many things for meat and medicine If man had not been created last after the World was setled and furnished vve should have seen the vvant of many things vvhich vve novv enjoy and do not value First God provided our house and then furnished our table and vvhen all vvas ready then man is brought in as the Lord of all We are not affected vvith these mercies Hovv can vve sin against God that can look no where but vve see arguments and reasons to love him As Christ said Many good works have I done amongst you for which of these do you stone me So may the Lord plead I have done many things for you you cannot open your eyes but you see love you cannot vvalk abroad but you smell love and hear love c. for vvhich of those do you grieve me and deal so despightfully vvith me Let me now come to the Effects of Gods Love I shall only instance in those three great Effects Creation Preservation and Redemption Certainly that must needs be a great benefit out of which there flies not only sparks but brands and so that Love which can produce such fruits and effects must needs be exceeding great 1. Creation This deserveth love from the creature The fruit of the Vineyard belongeth to him that planted it and whom should we love but him that gave us the power to love All that thou hast all that thou canst see that thou canst touch is his gift and the work of his hands He gave thee the essence not of a tree a bird a beast but of a man capable of reason fit for happiness God made other creatures by a word of Command and man by Councel 't was not Be thou but Let us make man to shew that the whole Trinity assisted and joyned in consultation He made other creatures for his glory but not for his love and service God is glorified in them passively as they give us occasion to glorifie God the creatures are the harp but man maketh the musick All thy works praise thee and thy Saints bless thee Psal 145. 10. How many steps may a Christian ascend in his praise and thanksgiving We might have been stones without sense beasts and without reason born infidels and without faith We might have continued sinners and without grace all these are so many steps of mercy But Creation is that we are now to speak of and truly it deserveth a remembrance especially in youth when the effects of Gods creating bounty are most fresh in our sense and feeling We are always to remember our
the same earth contain those that expect to live in the same heaven Luther and Zuinglius Cranmer and Hooper Ridley and Saunders shall all accord for ever in heaven and certainly 't is through the reliques of the flesh that they cannot accord here In other relations there may be divisions because they have different hopes and it may be hopes that intrench and encroach upon the good of each other but here you have one heaven and one hope 't is all for you there may be a difference in the degree of glory but none to provoke pride or feed envy How will bitter and keen Spirits look upon each other when they meet in glory It followeth one Lord We are in the same family how will you look God in the face if you fall a smiting your fellow-servants Matth. 24. 45. Then one Faith There may be different apprehensions and every one may abound in his own sense in circumstances but the Faith is the same they agree in the same essentials and substantials of Religion The Enemies of the Church though divided in interests and opinions yet because they agree in one common hatred of the Saints can hold together Gebal and Ammon and Amalee and the men of Tyre did all conspire against Israel Psa 83. Like Sampsons Foxes though their faces looked several wayes yet were tyed to one another by their tails and ran together to burn up the Corn-fields and shall not the people of God agree who all profess one and the same Faith The next consideration is one Baptism that is one badg of profession 't was a cause of difference among Jacobs Sons that one had a Coat of divers colours a special badg of affection Consider you are all brought in by the Baptism of Water and the use of ordinary means none have a special and privilegiate Call from heaven above the rest of their Brethren Lastly it followeth one God and Father of all You all worship the same God there is nothing divides more than different objects of Worship When one scorneth what another adorâ—eth 't is extreamly provoking 't was the Plea used to Joseph Gen. 50. Pardon the trespass of the servants of thy Fathers God Thus you see that we have beâ—ter grounds of love then others have 2. None can have higher motives as the love of Christ Eph. 5. 2. walk in love as Christ hath also loved us the Pagan world was never acquainted with such a motive Now none are affected and melted with the love of Christ but those that have an interest in it therefore Christ expecteth more love from Christians than from others Matth. 4. 46. If ye love them that love you what reward shall ye have do not even the Publicans the same The Publicans were accounted the most vile and unworthy men in that Age but a Publican would love those of his own party therefore a Christian that is acquainted with Christs love to strangers to Enemies should mannage his affections with more excellency and pureness the world is not acquainted with the love of Christ and therefore only loveth its own but we are acquainted with it and therefore should love others See John 13. 34. See that ye love one another as I have loved you Jesus Christ came from heaven not only to repair and preserve the notions of the Godhead by the greatness of his sufferings but to propound to us a more exact pattern of charity and to elevate duty between man and man 3. None have a greater charge Christ calleth it his New Commandement John 13. 34. A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love one another How new since 't was as old as the Moral Law or Law of Nature I answer 't is called nâ—w because excellent as a new Song c. or rather because solemnly and specially renewed by him and commended to their care as new things and new Laws are much esteemed and prized or enforced by a new reason and example his own death So 1 John 3. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the Commandement that we should believe in him whom he hath sent and love one another as he gave Commandment 'T is made equal with Faith all the Scriptures aim at Faith and Love 't was Christs dying charge the great charge which he left at his death John 15. 17. These things I command you that ye love one another Speeches of dying men are received with most veneration and reverence especially the charge of dying friends the Brethren of Joseph fearing lest he should remember the injuries formerly done to him they use this place Thy father did coÌ„mand us before he died saying c. Gen. 50. 16. Let us fulfill the will of the dead When Christ took leave of his Disciples he left this as his last charge think of it when thou art bent to quarrel or to neglect others Shall I slight his last Commandement his dying charge 'T is made the Character of Christs Disciples Hereby shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another 't is as much as your Discipleship c. It serveth to press you to this amity and love why should those that are to meet in the same heaven be of such an estranged heart to each other certainly it cometh from evil In two cases Gods people can agree well enough in glory and in misery in a Prison as Ridley and Hooper did and in heaven as all do in heaven where there is no sin and in a Prison where lusts lye low and are under restraint Oh then labour for love and meekness to which end take a few directions 1. Honour the least of Christs where ever you find it if any should despise others for their meanness it would be more proper to God to do so than for any other because they are most distant from his perfection but he will not despise smoaking Flax Mat. 11. You do not know what a spark of glory and of the Divine Nature may lye hid under Smoak and a covert of darkness Christ loved the young man that had but some accomplishments of nature in him Mark 1021. Jesus loved him much more should you when you find any weak appearances of Christ though they do not come up to your measures 2. Let not difference in opinion divide you 't were to be wished that Believers were of one heart and of one way that they all thought and spake the same thing yet if they differ cherish them for what of God is in them in a great Organ the Pipes are of a different size which maketh the harmony and melody the sweeter Whereunto we have attained let us walk by the same rule and mind the same thing Phil. 3. 16. Many men love to impropriate Religion as if there were nothing of God to be found but in their own sphere 't is natural to a man to do so we would be singular and ingross all repute of pirty Orâ—hodoxy and right
that in the defect of publick preaching good supply may be had in this kind Well then 't is an acceptable service to the Church which they do who can handlethe pen of the writer when they send abroad a publick testimony against errour a publick monument of their affection to the truth the Goose quil hatl◠smote Antichrist under the fifth rib the Earl of Darby accused Bradford for doing more hurt by his writings then preaching Hezekiah's servants are commended for copying out the Proverbs of Solomon Prov. 25. 1. They deserve not to be censured but commended and cherished that do service in this kind I confess there is no end of Books pride and ambition may put many upon scribling and filling the world with chaffs and vanity so that there needetha restraint rather then an incitement some meerly blur paper which is no small discouragement to modest and able men surely care should be taken to prevent abuse writing is a more publick way of teaching and men should not undertake it without a care Jeremies advice is good Ne ad scribendum citò prosilias levi duceris insania multo tempore disce quod doceas Hier. ad Rusticum Mohachium Be not too hasty to write that which is prepared for publick instruction had need be prepared with great deliberation the the vestal Virgins were ten years in learning and ten years in practising and ten years in teaching and prescribing directions to others when every Sciolist will be obtruding his Notions upon the world 't is a great abuse for by this means useful men are discouraged or if they publish their labours they are not taken notice of As two or three grains of good corn are hardly found out under an heap of chaff But take away this abuse writing is a great help to the Church in practicals that people may still be furnished with good books in every age old ones written long ago being neglected or lying hid in some private studyes or else not coming up to the rate of present light or not answering the temper of the present age not meeting with the sins nor incouraging the graces within use and exercise Again in controversals there is great use of writing controversies not being so easily determined by the judgment of the ear as the eye In the clamour of disputations and violent discourse usually there is such a dust raised that we cannot so soon discern the truth as upon a calm debate and mature consideration of what is delivered in writing which I remember was the cause why Tertullian wrote his treatise against the Jews lest the tumult and noyse of the dispute should be some prejudice to the truth But of this enough I come now to the next Circumstance in the insinuation or profession of his readiness to do them good and that is the object or subject concerning which he would write to them the common Salvation a fit argument for Saints The Apostles in their private and familiar letters were very spiritual yea when they wrote about their ordinary occasions as Paul to Philemon Still they were ready to impart some spiritual gift whether by conference or writing those Letters then should be most welcome to us that mind us of the best things But what was this common salvation I suppose by it is meant that Salvation wherein he and they and all the Saints were concerned this expression may be conceived to be an Argument either of the Apostles meekness though he were an Apostle and they private believers yet I and you have but one common salvation as Captains to indear themselves to their Troops will say Fellow-souldiers as ingaged in one common Warfare or else of his holiness the common Salvation that is which I am to look after as well as you or else of his love to their salvation which he would look after as well as his own the Saints carry on a joynt trade to Heaven they are all partners and Salvation lyeth in common between them you are to promote mine and I yours Well then he having their faith and salvation in like respect with his own he was willing to write to establish them in the truth I shall form the point in the very words of the Text. That the Salvation of the peeple of God is a common Salvation not to good and bad for it belongeth only to a peculiar people but common to all believers 't is common to them in divers regards 1. They all are chosen by the same grace there is no special reason why Paul should obtain mercy rather then John and Andrew and Thomas Free-grace acteth upon the same terms All Gods motives are taken from himself from his own bosome For my own sake saith the Lord Isai 43. 25. There may be a difference in the creature John and Andrew may be otherwise tempered and disposed then Paul and Peter but Gods motives to choose both the one and the other are still the same 2. They have the same Christ there is no other Name under Heaven Acts 4. 12. And Jesus Christ the same yesterday to day and for ever Heb. 13. 8. In all ages the Church hath been saved by Christ none of the holy ones of God had a more worthy Redeemer then we have Christ gave the same ransom to purchase Heaven for me and thee and others as under the Law the rich and the poor were to give the same ransome Exod. 30. 15. The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less then half a sheckel The price of Christs blood for all souls was equal if they had a more worthy Christ to dye for them you might be discouraged 3. You are justified by the same righteous one as far as another The righteousness of Christ is unto all and upon all that believe and there is no difference Rom. 3. 11. In inherent righteousness there is a great deal of difference one hath more grace another hath less in sanctificatiō there are degrees but as to imputed righteousness they are all equal none of the Saints hath finer linnen or are decked with a better vesture then you are there is a difference in the degree of faith which receiveth this righteousness but there is no difference in the righteousness its self a Giant or strong man holdeth a precious jewel so doth a child the jewel is the same though a man holdeth it with a stronger hand it looseth nothing of its worth in the childs hand So here the righteousness is the same though the faith be not the same Yea fourthly As we have the same priviledges so the same way all by faith and the faith of the weakest as to the essential priviledges is as acceptable to God as the faith of the strongest 2 Pet. 1. 1. Simon Peter to them that have obtained like precious faith with us 'T is like precious for kind though not degree of the same nature worth and
11. 21 Briars and Thorns may be intricated and infolded one within another but when a devouring flame cometh amongst them they do not hinder but increase the burning Universal evils are above mans punishment but not Gods there is no safety in following a multitude to do evil So that nothing will serve as a fit screen to interpose between wrath and you but only Christ Thirdly I observe that in all these instances there was some preceding mercy more or less The Angels had the dignity of their Nature the Israelites had the Testimony of Gods presence and were delivered out of Egypt the Sodomites had Eternal Blessings and the preaching of Lot Gen 19. 9. It 's Gods usual course to give a people a taste of his mercy ere he diâ—cover the power of his anger Judgment is his last work there is some mercy abused before it cometh which doth abundantly clear God in the judgements that come upon the sons of men Their ruine may be sad but never undeserved God hath not left himsâ—lf without a witness but we are lest without â—xcuse Fourthly Once more I observe that in all these Instances God had still a care to put a distinction between the just and the unjust the race of â—srael was not destroyed but only them that believed not The good Angels were preserved the bad only fell from their first estate Sodom perished in the flames but Lot escaped when the multitude is so corrupt that we know not how they shall be punished and the rest preserved let us think of these instances let us refer it to God he knoweth c. 2 Pet 2. 9. I come now to the words in which you have a preface and the first instance of Gods judgement which was on the unbelieving Israelites In the Preface you may take notice of his purpose I will put you in remembrance his insinuation though ye once knew this I begin with the first part his purpose I will put you in remembrance from thence obâ—erve That it is a great part of a Ministers duty to be a Remembrancer We are remembrancers in a double sense 1. From the people to God to put God in mind of his peoples wants so 't is said Isa 62. 7. Ye that are tâ—e Lord's remembrancers Christ is the Churchâ—s advocate but we are the Churches Solicitors to represent the sâ—d condition of the Church to God 2. From God to the people and so we are to put them in mind of the being of God the riches of his grace the necessity of obedience the preciousness of their souls the many dangers that lye in their way to Heaven c. These are standing dishes at Christs Table That this is a great part of our Office appeareth by those places 1 Tim. 4. 6. Iâ— thou put the Brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Jesus Christ And Paul speaking of his Apostleship saith Rom. 15. 15. As one that putteth you in remembrance through the grace given to me See 2 Tim. 2. 14. Tit. 3. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 12. 13 14. 2 Pet. 3. 1. So there are two Psalmes that bear that Title A Psalme of David to bring to remembrance Psal 38 and Psal 70. The great use of Sacraments is to put us in remembrance of Christ 1 Cor. 11. 24. Yea one great employment of the Spirit is to bring things to our remembrance Ioh. 14. 26. all which intimateth 1. Our forgetfulness and incogitancy Truths formerly understood are soon forgotten or not duly considered and kept in the view of conscience 2. The benefit of a good memory A bad memory is the cause of all mischief but a lively remembrance of truths keepeth the mind in a good frame 3. That however it be with natural yet spiritual knowledge is a reminiscence or reviving the seeds infused in the New Creation 4. That a Minister dischargeth his duty when he teacheth his people things vulgar and already known as well as those which are rare and less known if he be but a remembrancer t is enough we are to bring forth things both new and old we count him a wanton prodigal that only furnisheth his Table with rarities neglecting wholesome meats because they are usual 5. The necessity â—f a standing Ministry if not to instruct yet to keep things in remembrance because the most necessary truths are few and soon learned men presently begin to think they know as much as can be taught them and so neglect Ordinances whereas one great use of the Ministry is to keep truths fresh and savory in the thoughts and memory the Heathens â—oon lost the knowledge of God because they were without a publike Monitor that might keep this knowledge still on foot the sound of the Trumpet infuseth a new courage so doth every Sermon beget new affections though we knew the Truths delivered before Coals will die without continual blowing so will graces languish without often warnings and admonitions The next thing in the Preface is the Insinuation though ye once knew this That word once needeth to be explained his meaning is not that formerly they had known but now forgotten it neither is once to be referred to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the sense were I will once put you in remembrance but by once is meant once for all that is ye have certainly and irrecoverably received this as a Truth This clause will yeild us these Notes 1. That it is the duty of every Christian to be acquainted with the Scriptures the Apostle presumeth it of these Christians to whom he wrote Now this is necessary in regard of our selves that we may know the solid grounds of our own comfort every man would look over his charter Search the Scriptures for in them ye think to have eternal life John 5. 39. Particular and distinct Scriptures are a great advantage in temptations Sic scriptum est is Christ's own argument against Sathan Matth. 4. No Christians so unsetled in point of comfort or opinion as those that are unskilful in the word Heb 5. 14. In regard of others 't is necessary that we may discharge our duty to them Let the word dâ—â—â—ll in you richly teachiâ—g and admonishing one another c. Col. 3. 16. None but full vessels will run over Ignorant Christians are barren and sapless in discourse Private Christians must be full of knowledge not only to have knowledge enough to bring themselves to heaven but to admonish others see Rom. 15. 14. Well then do not put off this care to others as if it were proper only to Scholers and men of a publike calling this is every mans work that hath a soul to be saved 't is popish ignorance to be contented with an implicite belief you may best trust your own eyes when the Sun shineth every man openeth his windows to let it in we busie our selves in other books why not in the Word Austin was pleased with Tully's Hirtensius but he cast
20. not so much for crucifying the Lord of life the Gospel was tendred to them after Christ was slain 't was for not believing or refusing the Gospel If you will know what company there is in hell that Catalogue will inform you Fearful and Vnbelievers c. Rev. 21. 8. if you look to temporal Judgements that Nobleman was trodden to death for distrusting Gods power 2 Kings 8. 2. and could only see the plenty but not taste of it Nay 't is such a sin as God hath not spared in his own children Moses and Aaron could not enter into the land of promise because of their unbelief Numb 20 12. So Luke â— Zechary was struck dumb for not believing what God had revealed Christ did never chide his Disciples so much for any thing as for their unbelief Luke 24. 25. O ye fools and slow of heart to believe and Why doubt ye O ye of little Faith Matth. 8. 26. he chideth them before he chideth the wind the storm first began in their own hearts 3. 'T is the mother of all sin the first sin was the fruit of unbelief we may plainly observe a â—aultring of assent Gen. 3. 3 4 5. and still 't is the ground of all miscarriages of hardness of heart and Apostasie Heb. 3. 12 13. He that believeth not the judgements and threatnings of the word will not stick to do any evil and he that doth not believe the promises will not be forward to any good All our neglect and coldness in holy duties cometh from the weakness of our faith there is a decay at the 〈…〉 did we believe heaven and things to come we should be more earnest and zealous Many are ashamed of Adultery Theft Murder but not of Vnbelief which is the mother of all these 4. Final Vnbelief is an undoubted evidence of Reprobation See John 10. 26. Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep And Acts 1â— 48. Unbelief is God's prison wherein he keepeth the reprobate world Rom. 11. 32. He hath shut them up under unbelief c. And shall I continue such a black note upon my self I know not how soon God may cut me off and if I die in this estate I am miserable for ever Lord I desire to believe help my unbelief 5. 'T is a sin that depriveth us of much good of the comforts of providence Nothing doth ponere obicem bar and shut out God's operation in order to our relief so much as this sin Mark 6 5. He could do no mighty work c. So John 11. 40. Said I not unto thee if thou would'st believe thou shouldst see the glory of God So also of the comfort of Ordinances Heb. 4. 2. The Word profited not because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it So for Prayer James 1. 7 8 9. Nay it barreth heaven gates it excluded Adam out of Paradise the Israelites out of Canaan and us out of the Kingdom of heaven Heb. 3. 17 18. Well then Let us see if we be guilty of this sin Take heed saith the Apostle Heb. 3. 12. lest there be in any of you an evil heart of Vnbelief Many have an unbelieving heart when they least think of it 'T is easie to declaim against it but hard to convince men of it either of the sin or of lying in a state of Vnbelief 't is the Spirit 's work The Spirit shall convince of sin because they believe not in me There are many pretenses by which men excuse themselves some more gross others more subtile Many think that all Insidels are without the pale among Turks and Heathens alas many too many are to be found in the very bosome of the Church The Israelites were God's own people and yet destroyed because they believed not Others think none are unbelievers but those that are given up to the violences and horrors of despair and do grosly reject or refuse the comforts of the Gospel but they are mistaken the wholl word is the object of Faith the commandments and threatnings as well as the promises and carelesness and neglect of the comforts of the Gospel is unbelief as well as doubts and despairing fears Matth. 22. 5. But they made light of it He is the worst unbeliever that scorns and slighteth the tenders of Gods grace in Christ as things wherein he is not concerned Briefly then Men may make a general profession of the name of Christ as the Turks do of Mahomet because 't is the Religion professed there where they are born a man may take up the opinions of a Christian Country and not be a whit better then Turks Jews or Infidels as he is not the taller of stature that walketh in an higher Walk then others do They may understand their Religion and be able to give a reason of the hope that is in them and yet lie under the power of unbelief for all that as many may see Countries in a Map which they never enter into The Divel hath knowledge Jesus I know and Paul I know c. And those that pretend to knowledge without answerable practise do but give themselves the lye 1 John 2. 29. Besides Knowledge there may be assent and yet unbelief still the Divels assent as well as know they believe there is one God James 2. and 't is not a naked and inefficacious assent but such as causeth horrors and tremblings They believe and tremble and they do not only believe that one article that there is one God but other articles also Jesus thou Son of God Art thou come to torment me before my time was the Divel's speech where there is an acknowledging of Christ and him as the Son of God and Judge of the world and increase of their torment at the last day upon his sentence Assent is necessary but not sufficient Laws are not sufficiently owned when they are believed to be the Kings Laws there is somthing to be done as well as believed In the primitive times Assent was more then it is now and yet then an unactive assent was never allowed to pass for faith Confident resting on Christ for salvation if it be not a resting according to the word will not serve the turn there were some that leaned upon the Lord Micah 3. 11. whom he disclaimeth 't is a mistaken Christ they rest upon and upon him by a mistaken Faith 'T is a mistaken Christ for the true Christ is the eternal Son of God that was born of a Virgin and died at Jerusalem Bearing our sins in his Body upon a Tree that we being dead unto sin might be alive unto righteousness 1 Pet 2. 24. the true Christ is one that gave himself for us that he might purifie us to be a peculiar people zealous of good works and is now gone into heaven there to make Intercession for us and will come again from heaven in a glorious manner to take an account of our works Tit. 2. 13 14. But now when men lie
under the power and reign of their sins and yet pretend to rest upon Christ for salvation they set up another Christ then the word holdeth forth and as the Christ is mistaken so is the Faith 't is not an Idle trust but such as is effectual to purge the heart for the true faith purifieth the heart Acts 15. 9. If besides profession knowledge assent and a loose trust they should pretend to assurance or to a strong conceit that Christ died for them and they shal certainly go to heaven this will not excuse them from unbelief this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the grand mistake that the strength of Faith lieth in a strong perswasion of the goodness of our condition and the stronger the perswasion the better the faith If this were true hardness of heart would make the best faith and he that could presume most and be most secure and free from doubts would be the truest believer and the goodness of our condition would lie in the strength of our Imagina ion and conceit Alas many make full account they shall go to heaven that shall never come there The foolish Virgins were very confident and the foolish Builder goeth on with the building never suspecting the foundation nay let me tell you Assurance of a good condition as long as we lie under the power and reigne of sin is the grossest unbelief in the world for 't is to believe the flat contrary to that which God hath revealed in the word therefore none abuse the Lord and question his Truth so much as these do Where hath God said that men that live in their sins shall be saved nay he hath expresly said the contrary be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Idolaters c. 1 Cor. 6. 9. so that you give God the lie or conceit that he will break his word for your sakes nay in a sense you even dare him to make good his truth He hath said Be not deceived you shall never enter c. and you say Though I am an Adulterer a Drunkard a Worldling I shall go to heaven for all that Now in a little while you shall see whose word shall stand God's or yours Jer. 44. 28. Once more The word is not supposed to be without all kinde of power men may have some relish of good things and some experience of the powers of the world to come and yet be in an unbelieving state See Heb. 6. 5. Where the Apostle speaketh of a common work opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to things that do accompany salvation v. 9. or have salvation necessarily annexed to them they may have some feeling of the power of the truth and yet afterwards make defection out of a love to the world and worldly things they may have many spiritual gifts change their outward conversation make a glorious profession and be thereupon enrolled among the Saints yea be of great use and service in the Church though for their own ends and interests remaining all this while unrenewed and having their worldly inclinations to honour esteem pleasure profit unbroken and unmortified for there is no such enemy to faith as a carnal worldly heart Therefore let men pretend what they will when they are as eager upon the world as if they had no other matters to mind and the love of outward greatness doth sway with them more then the love of heaven and the praise of men more then the approbation of God and carnal ease and pleasure more then delight in God How can they be said to believe John 5. 44. for such kind of lusts and earthly affections are inconsistent with the power and vigour of saving faith therefore till the bent of the heart be towards heavenly things and carnal affections be soundly mortified unbelief reigneth I pitch it upon this evidence partly because the great drift of conversion is to draw off the soul as from self to Christ and from â—in to holiness so from the world to heaven See 1 Pet. 1. 3. Begotten to a lively hope and 1 John 5. 4. He that is born of God overcometh the world Assoon as we are converted the heart is drawn and set towards heavenly things partly because the main thing to be believed next to God's Being is his Bounty Heb. 6. that we may make God our rewarder and partly because the main work of Faith is to draw off the soul from sensible things to things unseen and to come Heb. 11. 1. so that whatsoever glorious profession men make or whatsoever service they perform in the Church or whatsoever experience they have in the enlargement of gifts yet if they be careless of things to come and eager after the things of the world Faith is not throughly planted for a main thing wanting in these temporaries was a resolution to serve God for God's sake or to make him their pay-master which can never be till carnal inclinations to the honours pleasures and profits of the world be subdued and we are willing to lay down all these things at Christ's feet taking only so much as he shall fairly allow us for our use Thus much for the hainousness of unbelief in the General 2. Let me tell you that all unbelief is not alike hainous as will appear by these considerations 1. Total reigning unbelief is a black mark such as lie under it are in the high way to hell John 3. 18. He that be-@2lieveth not is condemned already The Law hath condemned him and whilest he remaineth in that estate the Gospel yeildeth him no hope John 3. 36 The wrath of God abideth on him and if he die in it he is miserable for ever Rev. 21. 8. Fearful and Vnbelievers are reckoned among the Inhabitants of hell First he is condemned by that ancient sentence That whosoever sinneth shall die which is not reversed but standeth in full force till faith in Christ John 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins and if we continue refusing the counsels of the Gospel to the condemnation that is already to the condemnation of the Law there is added a new condemnation for despising the Gospel But now partial unbelief where faith prevaileth though there be many doubts and fears leaveth a man obnoxious to temporal judgements but not to eternal ruine 2. All unbelief is the more hainous the more means you have to the contrary as counsels warnings promises clearly held forth See John 15. 22. If I had not spoken to them c. and John 2 19. Light is come into the world c. The word is preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a witness Matth. 24. 14. with Mark 13. 9. first to them and if not received then against them Did not I warn you saith Reuben to his Brethren Every offer and warning will be as so many swords in your Consciences One observeth well That twice Christ marvelled once at the unbelief of his Countrymen the Galileans that
and included in the general promise and precept and are accordingly affected then are we saâ—d to believe in Psal 27. 8. the injunction is plural seek ye my face but the answer is singular thy face Lord will I seek thus must all truths be applied and that in their method and order for there is an Analogy and proportion between them as the Doctrine of mans misery that I may consider this is my case and having a feeling of it may groan for deliverance the Doctrine of redemption by Christ that we may put in for a share and assure our own interest the Doctrine of the thankfull life that we may deny our selves take up our crosse and follow Christ in the obedience of all his Precepts The first Doctrine must be made the ground of complaint the second of comfort â—nd hope the third of resolution and practise But when we suffer these truths to hover in the brain without application or hear them onely as children learn them by rote never thus reflecting What am I What have I done What will become of me c unbelief remaineth undisturbed 7. By Apostacy or falling off from God the great businesse of faith is by patient continuance in well-doing to look for glory honour and immortality Rom. 2. 8. but now to tire and grow weary or to fall off from God as not worthy the waiting upon argueth the heighth and reign of unbelief what ever faith we pretended unto for a flash and pang 8. Desperation when conviction groweth to an heighth and legal bondage gets the Victory of carnal pleasure Gen. 4. 13. My sin is greater c. and Jer. 18. 12. Thâ—re is no hope c. when men think 't is in vain to trouble themselves their damnation is fixed and therefore resolve to go to hell as fast as they can such desperate wickednesse may there be in the heart of a man 2. Unbelief in part broken and so it implyeth the remainders of this natural evil in the Godly in whom though faith be begun yet it is mixed with much weaknesse Mar. 9. 24. Lord I beleeve help my unbeleef this unbelief is manifested 1. By a loathness to apply the comforts of the Gospel 't is the hardest matter in the World to bring God and the soul together or to be at rest in Christ when we are truly sensible we draw back depart from me saith Peter for I am a sinfull man and he should rather say draw â—igh to me the poor trembling sinner thinketh so much of the judge that he forgets the father though the soul longeth for Christ above all things yet it is loath to take him for comfort and reconciliation but floateth up and down in a suspensive hesitancy 2. By calling Gods love into question upon every affliction and in an hour of temptation unravelling all our hopes see Psal 77 7 8 9 10. If the Lord were the God of the Mountains and not of the Valleys we are wont to say if God did love us why is this befallen us those are fits of the old distemper Christ when crucified would not let go his interest but crieth out My God My God 3. By fears in a time of danger carnal fears such 〈…〉 do perplex us when we are imployed in Christs work and â—ervice as the Disciples that were imbarked with him were afraid to perish in his company Why are ye so fearful O ye of little faith Matth. 8. 26. filial fear or reverence of God is the daughter of faith as distrustfull fear is the enemy of it trouble is the touch-stone of faith if we cannot commit our selves to God in quietnesse of heart it argueth weaknesse God hath undertaken to bring his people out of every streight in a way most conducing to his glory and their welfare Rom. 8. 28. and therefore when the word yeeldeth up no support Psalm 119. 50. and the promises of God cannot keep us from sinking and despondency of heart we bewray our unbelief 4. By Murmurings in case of carnal disappointment discontent argueth unbelief they quarrel with Gods Providences because they believe not his promises Psal 106. 24. They believed not his Word but murmured in their Tents 't is ill and they cannot see how it can be better So Deut. 1. 32. with 34. in this you believed not the Lord your God 5. By carking in case of streights bodily wants are more pressing then spiritual here faith is put to a present tryal and therefore here we bewray our selves Matth. 6. 30. Shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little faith he doth not say of no faith for the temptation is incident to a Godly man they do oftener bewray their unbelief in distrusting God about outward supplies then about eternal life which yet I confesse is very irrational for if a man cannot trust God with his estate how shall he trust him with his soul and to a considerate person there are far more prejudices against eternal life than against temporal supplies look as it was a folly in Martha to believe that Lazarus should rise at the general resurrection and to distrust his being raised from the dead after four days lying in the Grave John 11. 24. so 't is a great folly to pretend to expect life eternal and not to be able to depend upon God for the supplies of life temporal 6. By coldness and carelesnesse in the spiritual life if men did beleeve that heaven were such an excellent place they would not so easily turn aside to the contentments of the flesh and the profits of the world men have but a conjectural apprehension of things to come of the comforts of another World as things at a distance sometimes we see them and sometimes we lose their sight so that we are not certain whether we see them yea or no so it falleth out in heavenly matters we are poor short sighted creatures 2 Pet. 1. 9. sometimes we have a glimpse of the glory of the World to come some flashes and again the mind is beclouded and that 's the reason why we mind these things so little and seek after them so little a steady view and sound belief would ingage us to more earnestnesse they that beleeve the high price of our calling will presse on to the mark Phil. 3. 14. surely men do not believe that heaven is worth the looking after otherwise they would seek it more diligently Heb. 6. 14. a poor beast that is going homeward goeth chearfully 8. Indirect courses to get a living and subsistance in the World as if God were not All-sufficient Gen. 17. 1. to break through where God hath made up the hedge argueth that we do not depend upon him as by temporising or by unjust gain This for a fit and in some distemper may be incident to Gods Children 3. The last thing in the method proposed is the cure of unbelief God by his mighty power can onely cure it Eph. 1. 19. but the means
and torment he is called the Ruler of the darkness of this world Eph. 6. 12. and the God of this World 2 Cor. 4. 4. 't is punishment enough to the Apostate Angels to be cast out into the World the World is the Divels work-house and prison one calleth it Sathans Diocess who would be in love with a place of bondage and punishment 9. The Divel and his Angels are in the World let us be the more cautious he compasseth the Earth to and fro no place can secure you from his temptation he is every where ravening for the prey with an indefatigable and unwearied diligence 1 Pet. 5. 8. Let us look about us Wo to the inhabitants of the Earth and the Sea for the Divel is come down to you Rev. 12. 12. Where ever you are Sathan is neer you the World is full of Divels when you are in the Shop the Divel is there to fill your hearts with lying and deceit as he did the heart of Ananias Act. 5. when you are in your closets and when you have shut the door upon you you do not shut out Sathan he can taint a secret duty when you are in the house of God Ministring before the Lord Sathan is at your right hand ready to resist you Zach. 3. 1. He is ready either to pervert your aimes or to divert your thoughts We had need keep the heart in an humble watchful praying frame God hath cast out the Angels out of Heaven and now they are here upon earth tempting the sons of men to folly and inconvenience be watchful the world is the Divels Chess-board you can hardly move back or forth but he is ready to attach you by some temptation 10. When grace is abused our dejection iâ— usually according to the degree of our exaltation the Angels from Heaven are cast down to Hell the highest in the rank of creatures are now made lowest corruptions of the best things are most noysome Thou Capernaun which are exalted to Heaven art now brought down to Hell Matth. 11. 23. 'T was one of the chiefe Cities of Galilee and where our Saviour usually conversed 't is a kind of Heaven to enjoy Christ in the Ordinances but now to slight this mercy will bring such confusions and miseries as are a kind of Hell to you slighting of grace of all sins weigheth heaviest in Gods ballance 11. Spiritual judgements are most severe and to be given up to obstinacy in sin is the forest judgement 't is diabolical to continue in sin the Angels left their habitation and what followed they lost their holiness 12. Loss of happiness is a great judgement 't is Hell enough to want God the first part of the sentence depart from me Matth. 25. 41. is most dreadful loss of Heaven is the first part of the Angels punishment we in effect say now depart from us Job 21. 14. but God will then say depart from me ye shall see my face no more c. Thus we have dispatched the first part of the Angels punishment their loss we now come to the other part their poena sensus their punishment of sense or pain bâ— hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness where there is an allusion to the state of Malefactors or condemned men who are kept in prison till execution now the evils of a prison are two 1. The darkness of the place 2. The hard usage of the evil doer suitably to which the Apostle used a double notion 1. They are reserved in everlasting chains 2. Vnder darkness 1. Begin with the first part In everlasting chains Whence two notes 1. That the Angels are kept in chains 2. That those chaines are everlasting 1. They are kept in chains But what chains can hold Angels can Spirits be bound with Irons I Answer I Answer they are spiritual chains suitable to the spirituall nature of Angels such as these 1. Guilt of conscience which bindeth them over to judgement the consciences of wicked Angels know that they are adjudged to damnation for their sin this is a sure chaine for it fasteneth the judgement so as you cannot shake it off 't is bound and tied upon us by the hand of Gods justice The condition of a guilty sinner is frequently compared to a prisoner Isa 42. 7. Isa 49. 9. Isa 61. 1. and sin to a prison wherein we are shut up Rom. 11. 32. Gal. 3. 22. and guilt to chains or bonds laid upon us by God the Judge Prov. 5. 22. Lam. 1. 14. 2. Their obstinacy in sinning They are fallen so as they cannot rise againe they are called Wickednesses as sinning with much malice and obstinacy as if you should say wickedness it selfe the Divels sin is as the sin against the Holy Ghost a malicious obstinate spiteful opposition against the Kingdom of Christ such an hatred against God and Christ that they wil not repent and be saved their despair begetteth despight and being hopeless of reliefe are without purpose of repentance they do foolish creatures adde sin to sin and harden themselves in an evil way which is as a chaine to hold them in Gods Prison till their final damnation see 2 Thes 2. 11 12. Where error and wilful persisting in disobedience is made to be Gods prison wherein reprobate creatures are held till their punishment be consummate 3. Vtter despair of deliverance they are held under their torment by their own thoughts as a distressed conscience is said to be bound up Isa 66. 1. to them here remaineth nothing but a certain fearful looking for judgement and fiery indignation Job 10. 37. release they cannot look for more judgement they do expect Matth. 8. 31. Art thou come to torment us before our time their prison door is locked with Gods own Key and as long as God sitteth upon the Throne they cannot wrest the Key out of his hands 4. Gods power and providence by which the Angelical strength is bridled and overmastered so as they cannot do what they would thus Rev. 20. 2. Sathan is said to be bound up for a thousand years that is in the chains of Gods power which are sometimes streighter and sometimes looser the Divel was fain to ask leave to enter into the herd of Swine Matth 8. 5. The chaines of Gods eternal decree As there is a golden chain the chain of Salvation which is carried on from link to link till the purposes of eternal grace do end in the possession of eternal glory so there is an Iron chain of reprobation which begins in Gods own voluntary preterition and is carried on in the creatures voluntary Apostacy and endeth in their just damnation and when once we are shut up under these bars there is no opening Job 12. 14. Secondly These chains are eternal chains because the wicked Angels stand guilty for ever without hope of recovery or redemption Every natural man is in chains but there is hope to many of the prisoners Christ saith go forth but those chains upon the evill
even the Divels themselves whereas they are kept for a severer judgment 4. When you see wicked men endured and not presently cast into Hell be not astonished God hath a Ministry for them as for the evil Angels Some are reserved to the day of judgement 2 Pet. 2. 9. that is their punishment respited for the greater triumph of that day 5. One judgement may make way for another the chains of darknesse for the judgement of the great day Let no man please himself in that he suffereth afflictions in this world these may be but the beginnings of sorrow God is terrible to poor sinners as well as rich you may be miserable here and yet not escape in the world to come do not think the worst is past some have a double Hell such miseries here as are pledges of everlasting torments hereafter 6. Divels fear the great day An Atheistical lose Christian is worse then Sathan he scoffeth at that at which the Divel trembleth There are Atheists in the Church but there are none in Hell 7. Angels are brought to judgement None are exempted at the great day you shall see those glorious Creatures bound with chains of Darknesse the Kings and Captains are brought in trembling before the Lambs Throne Rev. 6. 20. and great as well as small appear before that great Tribunal Rev. 20. 12. 8. The Angels are plunged into the depth of Hell when Saints enter into their Masters joy God loveth a returning sinner before an Apostate Angel There is one point yet behind with which I shall conclude this verse and that is That the day of judgement is a great day 'T is so in many regards 1. Because 't is the consummate Act of Christs regal Office Of all Offices Christs Kingly Office is the most eminent now the Kingly Office was never discovered with so much lustre and glory to the world as then the eminent act of other Offices do more belong to his abasement as his Oblation an eminent act of his Priestly Office was to be performed upon earth so his Prophetical Office was much discharged in delivering the Doctrine of the Gospel whilest he was here but of his Kingly Office we had but a very little glimpse during his abode upon earth in his whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple and his entrance into Jerusalem when they cryed Hosanna in the streets Matth. 21. And now in Heaven Christ is supream but his soveraignty lieth under a cloud and vail All things are put under him But carnal sense objects We see not as yet all things put under him Heb. 2. 8. But at the last day Christ will shew himselfe to be King indeed both in rewarding his friends and in an absolute conquest over his Eenemies which are the two great parts of his Regal Office therefore the day of judgment is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of the Lord 2 Pet. 3. 10. as being the day wherein Christ shall manifest himselfe to be a Lord indeed First in rewarding his friends When David was Crowned at Hebron then all that followed him in the wilderness were rewarded according to the merit of their place and service before they had hard service and little wages but then were made Captains of thousands and Captains of hundreds and Captains of fifties So they that are true to the interest of Christ may meet with many a frown and hard entertainment in the world but you will not repent of it in the day of Christs Royalty Matth. 25. 34. Then shall the King say c. He is called the Son of man before but then you will find a King rewarding all his subjects Peter was troubled about his petty losses Master saith he we have forsaken all and followed thee what had Peter to forsake A Net a Cottage a Fishing Boat A great All We are apt to think much of what we part with upon Christs score if we suffer but a disgraceful word a small inconvenience a frown we presently say what shall we have therefore But we need not seek another pay-Master then Christ he will not be behind hand with us when the day of payment cometh See Matth. 19. 27 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the regeneration ye shal sit with me on thrones of glory c. that is at the day of judgement which is the great regeneration when Heavens are new Earth new Bodies new Soules new all is new then we shall be no losers by Christ 2. In an absolute conquest over his enemies the stoutest faces shall then gather blacknesse and the stiffest knees bow to him There is an expression Isa 45. 23. I have sâ—orn by my selfe and the words shall not returne that to me every knee shall bow and evâ—ry moâ—th shall swear Now this expression doth concern Christs soveraignty and ful victory over his enemies for this Scripture is twice alluded unto in the New Testament and in both places applyed to Christ The first place that I shall take notice of is Phil. 2. 10. where the Apostle saith That to Christ evâ—ry knee shall bâ—w and every tongue shall call him Lord which is the same with that which is spoken in the Prophet and is there made to be the first of Christs Ascension when he was solemnly inaugurated into the Kingly Office but the Prophecy receiveth not its full and final accomplishment till the day of judgement to which purpose the same Scripture is cited by the Apostle Rom. 14. 10. We shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ for 't is written As I live saith the Lord to me every knee shall bow and mouth shall confesse So that the bowing of knees or stooping of enemies is not fully accomplished till then Christ doth now often over-rule the councils and projects of his enemies and smite them with a soar destruction but there is not such crouching and trembling so sensibly now to be discerned as there will be at that day Secondly the day of judgement is a great day because great things are then done which will appear if you consider the preparations for that day 2. The day it selfe 3. The confequence of it 1. The preparations for Christs approach the Scripture mentioneth two 1. The Arch-Angels trumpet 2. The sign of the Son of Man 1. There is that great noise and terrour of the voice of the Lord which is to be managed by some special Angels by which all the world shall be as it were summoned to appear before Christs Tribunal See 1 Thess 4. 16 and Matth. 24. 31. Some expound this Trumpet Analogically some Literally they that expound it Analogically think it signifieth the power and virtue of Christ forcing all the world to appear before his judgement seat which is therefore called a trumpet because the solemn Assemblies among the Jews were summoned by sound of Trumpet but why may we not take it Literally and in propriety of speech for the audible sound of a Trumpet sure I
there what mutual embraces and endearments passe between them So acquaint your selves with Christ aforehand Job 22 common acquaintance with them in external worship will not serve the turn Luk 13. 27. We have eaten and drunk in thy presence and heard thee in our streets and yet Christ saith I know you not there must be an holy intimacy and sweet experience of him you must know him in the spirit 4. By holy conversation both as to the matter and end of it For the great end of this day is that grace may be glorious other things are honoured in the world as power and strength and cunning and civil endowments but then eminency in grace cometh to be crowned 2. Pâ—â— 3. 12. We that look for such things what manner of persons ought we to be in all holinesse and gâ—dlinesse of conversation There are two words there used holinesse and godlynesse the one relateth to the matter of our actions that we should do things good and just and pure The other to our end and aime we must do all this as in and to the Lord making him the supream end of all that we do 5. We may press you to heavenliness in your choice where lieth your Treasure If the enjoyment of the world be your chiefest good that will be of no use to you in that day in a disdain to our choice all worldly things are burnt before our eyes but if your happiness lieth in heaven thither you are going to take full possession of it at the last day wicked men cannot murmer Gods judgements are but their own choice if the Goates be placed on the left hand and the Sheep on the right 'T is but according to their proposterous affections here in the world Prov. 3. 16. Length of dayes are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour Eternity is the right hand blessing Now if you despise a blessed eternity in comparison of those left hand blessing riches and honour no wonder that your own measure is recompenâ—ed into your bosomes 6. Love the breathren This is the great day when all the Saints meet together and how can we expect to meet with them with comfort if we should not love them 1 Iohn 4. 16 17. There we shall have boldness c. It will be a joyful meeting when those whom we have loved prayed for fasted with and if necessity did require relieved shall then be found in such esteem and honour 7. Mercifulness to the poor see Matth. 25. 35. 36. with 42. and 43. verses Christ hath told us aforehand what questions he will ask when he cometh have you fed have you visited have you cloathed c. 'T is good that we should be prepared of an Answer 8. Faithfulness it Gods ordinances and the matters of his house Our Lord is gone but he will come again to take an account how matters have been managed during his absence the usual period which is fixed to Ordinances is the Lords comming to judgement 1 Cor. 11. 26. Ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come And 1 Tim. 6. 14. Keept his Commandment without spot until the appearing of the Lord Iesus Christ He hath left his Ordinance in his Church as a pledge of his coming and to keep the great promise still afoot therefore above all things they should be kept pure and uncorrupt Vers 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire IN this verse is the third example fitly suited to the former the Angels had the blessings of Heaven the Israelites of the Church and Sodom of the World But the Angels upon their Apostasie lost Heaven the murmuring Israelites were shut out of Canaan and the Sodomites were together with their fruitful soil and pleasant land destroyed you see Heaven mercies and Churth mercies and World mercies are all forfeited by the Creatures ingratitude This last instance is propounded as the first part of a similitude the reddition of which is in the next verse In the words observe 1. The places or people judged Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities round about them in like manner those two Cities are onely mentioned here as also Gen. 19. 14. because the principal in Hosea 11. 8. two others are onely mentioned Admah and Zeboim but Deut. 29. 23. all four are mentioned the whole land is brimstone salt and burning like the overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim which the Lord overthrew in his anger and in his wrath Now the Cities are mentioned rather then the Persons to note the utter destruction of the places together with the inhabitants for that clause the Cities about them in like manner in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word for them is in the masculine gender whereas Cities the next Antecedent is in the feminine therefore some refers it to the remote Antecedent the Angels and Israelites as they were punished so Sodom and those Cities in like manner So Junius but I suppose because Cities doth not only imply the places but the inhabitants therefore the masculine gender was used by the Apostle 2. Their sin is specified giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh Here are two great sins charged upon them 1. The first is giving themselves over to fornication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is unusual and therefore diversly rendred One translation defiles themselves with fornication the vulgar â—x fornicatae as noting the strangeness and abhominablenesse of their lust but that is implyed in the next expression our translation fitly rendereth it by such a phrase as signifieth their excesse and vehement addictedness to unclean practices 2. The next fin is going after strange flesh 'T is a modest and covert expression implying their monstrous and unlawful lusts contrary to the course and institution of nature a filâ—hinesse scarse to be named from them called Sodomies the Apostle Paul expresseth it thus Rom 1. 27. Leaving the natural use of the Woman tkey bâ—â—ned in their lust â—ne tâ—wards another men with men working that which is unsceâ—ly 'T is called here strange flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 other flesh as being other then what nature hath appointed or because 't is impossible that man and man in that execrable Act should make one flesh as man and woman do 3. Their judgement is set down suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Sodom we know and the Cities round about it were consumed by fire and brimstone rained down from Heaven which though a dreadful was but a temoral fire in what sense doth the Apostle call it here eternal life some to mollifie the seeming austerity of the phrase read thus were made an example of eternal fire suffering vengeance that is in that judgement which was executed upon them God would give the world a Type and Figure of Hell
of any commodious interpretation now this word must be hidden in the heart Psal 119. 9. and dwell in us richly Coll 3. 16. 2. There are dreames in point of hope and so 1. Some wholly mistake in the object and dream of an eternal happiness in temporal enjoyments Psal 49. 11. So Luke 12 19 Rev. 18. 9. 2. Others dream of attaining the end without using the meanes they live in sin and yet hope to dye comfortably and go to Heaven at length for all that as if it were but an easie and suddain leap from Dalâ—lahs lap to Abrahams bosome and the pleasures of sin for a season would be no hinderance to the enjoyment of the pleasures of Gods right hand for ever more A vain Dream see Luk. 16 25 Jam. 5 5. 3. Others mistake about the means because they have a cold form they are apt to be conceited of their spiritual condition and estate Rev. 3 17. If you would not Dream in this kind examine your hearts often examination is like a rubbing of the eâ—es after sleep and reviving of conscience the recollection of our dreams a man laugheth at his dreams when he is awake and fancy is sited before the tribunal of God vain apprehensions flye away Again be sober and watchful 1 Pet. 5. 9. 2 Thess 5. 6 Confessing sin 'tis telling our dream when we are awake and come to our selves Jer. 31. 17. From that defile the flesh Observe That dreams of error dispose to practices of sin and uncleannesse and impurity of Religion is usually joyned with uncleannesse of Body which cometh to passe partly by the just judgment of God who punisheth spiritual fornication with bodily Hos 4. 12. 13. They have gone an whoring from their God therefore their Daughters shall commit whoredom and their Spouses adultery That is Gods course that the odiousnesse of the one may make them see the heinousnesse of the other see Rom. 1. 24. Partly by the influence of error it perverteth the heart a frame of truth preserveth the aw of God in the soul and a right beliefe maketh the manners Orthodox all sins are rooted in wrong thoughts of God 3 Ep. John 11. Either in unbelief or misbeliefe unbeliefe is the Mother of sin and misbeliefe the Nurse of it it springeth from distrust and is countenanced by error Partly because the design of most errors is to put the soule into a liberty which God never allowed some errors come from the pride of reason because it will not vaile and strike saile to faith but most come from vile affection a carnal heart must be gratified with a carnal Doctrine 2 Pet. 2. 18. They promise liberty c. Errors are but a device to cast off Christs yoak and to â—ull the conscience asleep in a course of disobedience Well then avoid error of judgement if you would avoid filthinesse of conversation men first dream and then defile the flesh abominable impurities unlesse temper of nature and posture of interests hinder are the usual fruit of evil opinions Truth is the root of holiness sanctifie them by thy truth thy word is truth Joh. 17. 17. Gods blessing goeth with his own doctrine 2 Pet 1. 22. Again those that have taken up the profession of a right way of Religion should beware of staining it by such kinde of practices nothing maketh the wayes of God suspected so much as the scandals of those that professe to walk in them walk in the light as children of the light Eph. 5. otherwise you will be a reproach to the truth and deprive it of its testimony Again observe That sin is a defilement it staineth and darkneth the glory of a man Matth. 15. 20. this defilement was implyed in the washings of the ceremonial Law and in Baptism we are washed as soon as we are born because we are sinners as soon as we are born surely they that glory in sin do but glory in their own shame 't is but as if a man should boast of his own dung and count his spittle an ornament when you count gracelesse swearing mightinesse to drink revenge pride a glory to you you do the same there is nothing maketh us stink in Gods nostrils but sin Psal 14. 3. They are altogether become filthy so much sin as you have about you so much nastinesse gain is pleasant to those that are taken with that kind of lust but the Scripture calleth it filthy lucre 1 Tim. 3. 3. all sins are compared to filthy garments Zech. 3. 4. Jude 19. and Isa 30. 22. desire to be washed and that thoroughly Psal 51. 2. Again observe That of all sins the sin of uncleannesse or unlawful copulation is most defiling it defileth the whole man but chiefly the body and therefore 't is said they defile the flesh it staineth the soul with filthy thoughts Matth. 15. 20. it staineth the Name Prov. 33. But in a singular manner it poluteth the body 1 Cor 6. 18. in all other outward sins though the body be the instrument yet it is not the object of them all other sins do abuse objectum extra positum as Piscator explaineth it as a Drunkard Wine an Epicure Meats a Worldling Riches all these are objects without us but here the body is not onely the instrument but the object Rom. 17. 24. God gave them up to uncleannesse to dishonour their own bodies So see 1 Thess 4. 4. it wasteth the strength and beauty of the body Prov. 5. 9 10 11. hindreth our serviceableness and doth not consider that this body is consecrated to God Rom. 12. 1. 1 Cor. 6. 15 a Temple of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. interested in hopes of Glory Phil. 3. 21. and therefore puts it to so vile an use as to be an instrument of lust Christians shall those eyes which are consecrated to God to behold his works be windows to let in sin that body which is the holy Ghosts Temple be made the member of a Harlot and so wasted in the service of lust as to become a clog to us and wholly uselesse as to any gracious purposes are not your beauty health strength concernments too good to be spent upon so vile an interest take heed then of all uncleannesse both conjugal consisting in excesse and immoderating of lust in the married estate si vinim ex Apothecâ tuâ c. you may not be drunk with your own Wine nor quench the vigour of nature by excesse in those pleasure which the Laws of God and men do allow you and also of uncleannesse Adulterous which is more bruitish when men scatter their lusts promiscuously without confinement to one object From that Despise Dominion Observe that errors especially such as tend to sensuality make men unruly and Antimagistraticall Dreamers that do defile themselves do also despise Dominion Now this cometh to passe partly from the permission of Gods wise and just providence who suffereth such miscarriages to awaken the magistrate to a
to God taxing the administration of his providence as if he dealt too hardly with us so that in effect murmuring is an anti-providence first cherished by repining thoughts and then vented and uttered in bold and uncomely speeches thoughts are audible with God but 't is worse when thoughts are not controled but break out openly in words tending to Gods dishonour if the fire be kindled in our bosoms 't is some kind of victory if we smother it and will not let the sparks fly abroad There are several kinds of murmuring either against men or against God though in the issue all be against God against God about men 1. Against men and so either against our equals or superiours 1. Equals when we murmur because they are admitted to the same priviledges with our selves see Mat. 20. 11. They murmured against the good man of the louse saying these last wrought but one hour so Luk 15. This thy son devoured his living with harlots c. and Beza of some that reproached him with the sins of his unregenerate condition Hi homines invident mihi gratiam divinam surely these men are angry because God hath shewed me mercy there is an envious nature in man we would all shine alone and inclose the common salvation to upbraid men with late conversion is all one as to make it a crime because they are born but yesterday 't is to take up that filth which God would have covered 2. Against Superiours especially because invested with Magistracy or Ministry some men are of a yokeless libertine spirit will acknowledge no other Law but their own lusts as in the Text Murmurers walking after their own lusts think Magistracy to be an incroachment upon their freedom and therefore cannot away with any established order and as for Ministry that all the Lords people are holy Numb 16. 3 what need any to be set a part for that work thus would they level all things in Church and Common-wealth as those Rebels rose up against Moses and Aaron but though not against the Office we may murmur at the persons that are advanced as if we would teach God how to govern the world and whom to lift up and cast down or else by finding fault with their government without a cause some presumptuovs persons that never learned obedience are always unsatisfied 't was * observed of Egypt that it was Loquax est ingeniosa in contumeliam praefectorum provincia si quis forte vitaverit culpam contumeliam non â—ffâ—git many such ungoverned spirits there are that are always traducing publick government especially when 't is most faithfully manag'd and to the discouragement of Opinionists and evil-doers God will not suffer this evil to go unpunished Exod. 16 8. and 1 Sam. 18. 7. the calling is his Ordinance the persons are designed by his providence and the work concerneth his glory and therefore God taketh himself to be much interested in the querrel 2. There is a murmuring which is immediately against God himself since the fall man is always quarrelling with his Maker either against his Decrees or his Laws or his Providence 1. Against his Decrees proud man cannot endure to hear of Gods absolute Soveraignty we will do what we will but we will give leave to God to do what he will The good man of the house was fain to plead his right Mat 20. 15 Shall I not do with my â—wn c. we can see no reason why God should pass by one and chuse another though we can see no reason 't is enough 't is Gods pleasure Mat. 11. 26. God hath his arcana imperii as well as earthly Princes and we have cause to admire what we cannot understand things may be just though his reasons appear not to us God is not bound to give us an account or to tell us all his secrets humane reason groweth giddy by prying into the depth of Gods Decrees 't is good to change disputes into wonder and reverence Rom 9. 10 Who art thou Oh man that disputest with God we may chop Logick one with another the potsheards of the earth with the potsheards of the earth but Gods prerogative is above the tribunal of our reason 2. His Laws a proud creature cannot endure to hear of restraints we could love other things in God but not his legislative power the carnal mind will never stoop but complaineth of him as harsh and severe as if he had forbidden us the satisfying of those desires which he hath planted in us the Israelites murmured thus the Land was a good Land but there were Gyants and Sons of Aâ—ak Numb 13. 32. the Heaven promised is a good Heaven but the way is rough and unpastable duties are difficult and 't is cumbersome to thwart our lusts the project of carnal nature is to find out an easie and smooth path to eternâ—l happiness see Psal 106 24 25. They despised the pleasant land they bâ—leeved not his word but murmured in thâ—ir Tents Heaven figured by the Laud of Canaan is not counted worth the pains and difficulty of getting thither 3. His Providence in general when the wicked prosper 't is a temptation that hath shaken the tallest Cedars in Lebanon David though a Steward he was ashamed of it and counts it bruitish ignorance Psal 73. 22. so Jerem. 12. 1. 2 3. and Habakkuk chap. 1 But let us come to temptations that are of a more particular and private experience We murmur either for what we want or for what we have lost or for what we affect First for what we wâ—nt as soon as we are streightned we complain presently this is not so bad as when we murmur out of wan onness the Israelites I observe did sall a murmuring either out of want and then they were spared as for want of waters Exod. 5. 14. for want of meat Exod. 16 2. want of bread Numb 20. 3. but at other times out of wantonness they loathed Manna must have Quails but then some special judgment or other brake out upon them but however 't is bad enough when our necessities extort these complaints from us want is a time of praying not of murmuring the Throne of Grace was erected for a time of need Heb. 4. 16. but 't is mans usual custome to change duties into sins as admonition into censuring instead of speaking to men we speak of men so instead of complaining to God we complain of God and so make murmuring take the room of prayer Necessity is a time to put the promises in suit to try faith to awaken affections not to provoke murmurings I was dumb and opened not my mouth saith David Psal 39. We may open our mouths in confessions of sin humble narratives pleading of promises but not in self justifications stormings against Providence or words of unbelief and impatience so we must be dumb and not once open our mouths Secondly For what we have lost we complain when God taketh away such a child or such a comfort
our selves to the disposal of providence as David doth 2 Sam. 15. 26 27. and to keep our desires low till Gods will be declared 't is easier to add then to substract and to ascend with providence when the master of the feast biddeth us to sit higher then to be compelled to descend and lye in the dust 4. If it be bad it might have been worse in regard of Gods absolute power and our desert your suffrings are not so great as your sins Ezra 9. 13. Thou hast punished us less then we have deserved God is too just to do us wrong if he will exchange Hell for Babylon there is much of mercy in it nothing of injustice if you do not deserve this usage from the hands of men you have deserved this and much more from God 't is deserved of God and therefore to be born patiently 't is not deserved of men therefore to be born chearfully whose cross would we bear Christs or the Theeves Cross when we suffer deservedly and as Malefactors we bear the Theeves Cross 5. The Lord disposeth all for the benefit of his own people so that if it be not good for the present it will turn to good Rom. 8. 28. if God should not thus exercise us we would have more cause to complain he is too gentle a Physitian that lets his Patient dye for want of putting him to the trouble of physick consult with Gods aim rather then your present feeling let him cut and burn here that he may save hereafter Domine hic ure hic seca c. 6. Murmuring is so bad in none as in Gods children it doth not become their priviledges their vows their hopes God in covenant is theirs and he hath all things that hath him that made all things all things are comprised in God if our lumber be changed into silver our silver into Gold our gold into one rare Pearl that 's all the other virtually if God hath given us himself his Christ his Spirit will not all this content us It doth not become our vows and the promises which thou mâ—d'st to God when thy terrours were upon thee then thou didst say Oh Lord let me have Jesus Christ and I will be content though I should begg my bread and be reduced to raggs and extremity of want when thy heart was stung with sin thus desireous wert thou to reckon upon Christ as thy all-sufficient portion how grew the * consolations of God to be small with thee now God tryeth whether thou wilt stand to thy word and thou fallest a murmuring it may be just with God to dipp his Arrows in venom and vengeance and shoot them into thy soul again Once more 't is below your hopes you should have a spirit as high as Heaven and will you storm at every petty loss as he said Art thou the Kings son in law and art so lean from day to day are you Heirs of glory and stand so much upon triffles it should not be Having given you some general Considerations against murmuring I now come to particular Cases 1. Doest thou lye under deep presting wants divers have been put to great streights that have done God more glory Musculas a great Divine yet forced to serve a Weaver for his subsistance Paul made Tents that he might not be burdensome and so prejudice men against the Gospel the more destitute the more sensible of the care of providence God beareth the Purse for us when we have but from hand to mouth we are still supplyed the more immediately you liue upon God the more you begin the life of Heaven where God is all in all Deep poverty is is the sauce of the present life Austin saw a beggar frisking after his belly was filled he could find no such delight after the use of the creatures being daily and abundantly supplyed the spectacle much wrought upon him 2. Hast thou sustained great losses If God hath lent us blessings and taken them again shall we grudge them to the right owner he took part that gave all 3. Dost thou endure great pains there is a gradation in miseries those that lite upon the estate do not sit so close as those that lite upon the body and those that lite upon the body are not so terrible as those that lite upon the soul a wounded spirit who can beat bodily pains is the case we now speak too you are full of pains but Christ on the Cross suffered more but he was God-man the Martyrs suffered more Heb. 11. 35. they were tortured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were stretched out like a Drum but those were rare instances and had a singular assistance Pauls was an ordinary case his thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12. was some great bodily pain but Paul was a choice spirit heathens have born it stoutly Epicurus was full of solace in a fit of the Cholick ob memoriam inventorum by calling to mind his inventions in Philosophy and Tully speaketh of Possidoniâ—s the Philosopher that whilst he was under a great fit of the stone could discourse freely that nothing was good but vertue nothing evil but vice and when his pain twinged him would say Nihil agis dolor quamvis sis molestus nunquam confitebor te esse malum Pain thou dost nothing alter my opinion though thou art troublesom yet thou art not evil but these were men that obstinately maintained an insensibleness little children have endured great pains and wilt thou startle at that which poor little children have suffered Besides all this 't is Gods design to try you there is a great deal of valour to be shewed in the sick bed either the end of it will be life or death if death 't is the last brunt bear it patiently those enemies which ye now see ye shall them see no more Heaven will make amends for all If life you will be ashamed when well that you had no more patience whilst sick passive valour is the glory of a Christian active volour that is fomented with plenty of blood and spirits is a poor thing to it great Souldiers that will venture upon the mouth of a Canon yet tremble at a disease and lingring death when they are sick they are under gods arrest c That I have given you remedies against murmuring by way of consideration Now by way of practice 1. Divert the stream another way as to the disposition of heart take this rule Be still examining thy self rather then judging God Psal 4. 4. If God seemeth to neglect me have not I neglected him c. as to the outward expression of murmuring turn the streams again express thy sorrows often in a way of prayer thy rejoycings in a way of praise prayer cureth murmuring for that 's a duty wherein we profess subjection and dependance and besides utterance giveth ease to the soul an Oven stopped is the more hot within complain more to God and we shall not complain of God Praise cureth
serious thoughts thoughts are the spyes and messengers of hope it sendeth them into the promised land to bring the soul tydings from thence 't is impossible a man can hope for a thing but he will be thinking of it by this means we prae-occupy and forestall the contentment of what we expect and feast the soul with images and suppositions of what is to come as if it were already present if a beggar were adopted into the succession of a Crown he would please himself in imagining the happiness and honour and pleasure of the Kingly State so certainly if we did look upon our selves as Hoirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and coheirs with Christ we would think of that happy state more then we do and by a serious contemplation our hearts would carry us above the clouds and set us in the midst of the glory of the world to come as if we did see Christ upon his Throne and Paul with his Crown of righteousness upon his head and all the blessed leaning in Abrahams bosome a carnal expectation filleth men with carnal musings and projects as Luk 12. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was dialoguing and discoursing with himself of pulling down Barns and building greater of bestowing his fruits and goods see the like James 4. 13. 't is usual with men to forestall the pleasure of their hopes as young riotous heirs spend upon their estates before they come in hand now so 't is also in Heavenly things men that expect them will be entertaining their spirits with the thoughts of them 2. By hearty groans and sighs and longings Rom. 8. 23. We groan in our selves waiting for the adoption the redemption of our bodies they have had a tast of the clusters of Canaan and therefore long for more they can never be soon enough with Christ when shall it once be the nearer enjoyment the more impatient of the want of his company as the decays of nature do put them in mind of another world they begin to lift up the head and look out Rom. 8. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the earnest expectation of the creature the word signifieth the puffing out of the head to see if it can spye a thing a great way of and noteth the extension of the soul towards the fruition of things hoped for they would have a fuller draught of the consolations of the spirit more freedom from sin more perfection of grace c. 3. By lively tasts and feelings a beleever hath eternal life he beginneth it here hope is called a lively hope not only living but lively 1 Pet. 1. 3. because it quickeneth the heart and maketh us chearful and sprightly Rom. 5. 2. We rejoyce under the hope of the glory of God joy is for enjoyment and possession but yet that pre-possession which hope getteth causeth all joy see 1 Pet. 1. 8. I confess all feel it not in a like degree because it dependeth upon a sense of grace which beleevers always have not yet all find a sweetness and some comfort when they think of what they look for worldly hope is but the dream of a shadow there is pain and trouble in the expectation and no satisfaction in the fruition 2. Let me shew you the influence it hath upon perseverance 1. It sets us a work to purge out sin 1 John 3. 3. Every one that hath this hope purifiâ—th himself as Christ is pure the things that we look for are holy 't is a great part of our portion in Heaven to be free from sin and to be Consorts of the immaculate Lamb can we hope for these things and cherish wotldly lusts if we did we look for a sensual Paradise then we might indulge our lusts without any defyance of our hopes but we look for a pure and holy as well as a glorious and blessed estate and therefore we should begin to purifie our selves 2. It withdraweth our hearts from present things Phil. 2. 20. Our conversation is in Heaven from whâ—nce we look for a Saviour a man that hath been looking upon the sun findeth his eyes dazled that he cannot behold an object less glorious the oftner we look within this vail the more is the glory of the world obscured Abraham lived as a stranger in the promised land why because he looked for a City c. Hâ—b 11. 9 10 deny deadly lusts saith the Apostle looking for the blessed hope Tit. 2. 12 13. a man who is much in Heaven his affections are pre-ingaged and therefore the world doth him little hurt birds are seldom taken in their flight the more we are upon the wing of heavenly thoughts the more we escape snares hope sets the wheels a going Phil. 3. 13. I press onward because of the high price of our calling the thought of the end quickeneth to the use of means we faint because we do not consider it more 1 Cor. 15. 58. Heaven will pay for all 4. It maketh us upright and sincere looking a squint on secular rewards is the cause of all our declinings Mat. 6. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have their reward hired Servants do not look for the inheritance and therefore must have pay in hand if they may have the world and live in honour and pleasure they will discharge God from all other promises a sincere man maketh God his Pay master and that chiefly in the other world Col. 3. 24. we have a Master good enough in him we need not look for pay elsewhere 5. It supporteth us under those difficulties and afflictions which are wont to befall us in a course of godliness we can counterballance what we feel with what we expect we feel nothing but trouble and that which we expect is life and glory Rom. 8. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. in this respect hope is called an Anchor Heb 6. 19. in the stormy gusts of temptation it stayeth the Soul which hope we have as anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfâ—st and entereth into that which is within the vail 't is a weighty anchor that will not bow or break and the ground is good it entereth into that within the vail and therefore though tempests arise it will keep us from floating and dashing against the rocks again 't is called a Helmet Eph. 6. 17. the Helmet of Salvation so 1 Thess 5. 8. the Helmet is for the Head in conflictâ— as long as we can lift up our heads and look to Heaven we are safe 6. It helpeth us to resist temptations sin maketh many promises and prevaileth by carnal hope Balaam was enlivened by promises to curse Gods people Babylons fornications are presented in a golden cup men are corrupted with promises of preferment and greatness and present accomodations now hope sets promise against promise Heaven against earth pleasures at Gods right hand against carnal delights and taking our fâ—ll of loves as one hall driveth out another so doth hope defeat the promises of the world by propounding the