signes of the times as ye are in outward signes yee can discerne the face of the skie how is it that you are not so wise as to discerne the signes of the times I shall not spend much time about the words in the words there is this Observation Observa That the Times of the Lords more glorious appearance and manifestation of himselfe they are times that are marked out they are such times as have evident signes set upon them This the word of Christ doth clearely hold forth Can yee not discerne the signes of the times As if he should have said the present time it s such a time as hath signes set upon it ye might see signes if so be that ye were not blind If so be that I should run through the booke of God we should finde this to be a truth First There was a great and wonderfull appearance of the power and majesty of God when the Lord was to deliver Israel out of Egypt and that was a remarkable time a time that God had mark't out 430 yeares At the end of 430 yeares all the host of the Lord it s said came out of the Land of Egypt Secondly At the time of Israels coming out of Babylon There was a glorious appearance of God in stirring up the heart of Cyrus of a Heathen to make him so forward and ready of his own accord to put on the worke of God of building the Temple and make Proclamation throughout all his Dominions to the Jewes to goe up to Jerusalem to doe this worke here was a great hand of God now this time was also mark't out seventy yeares Israel was to be in Babylon and then to come forth Thirdly The time of our Lords first Coming it was a time wherein there was a glorious manifestation of God God now manifests himselfe in the flesh as the Apostle tells us now what remarkable signes were set upon this time there were three remarkable signes set upon this time by either of which this Generation might have knowne or discerned Jesus Christ to be the True Messiah First There was at this time the departure of the Scepter from Judah Prophesied of by Jacob as you may find Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Lawgiver from between his feete untill Shiloh come that is untill Christ come so that whensoever the Scepter was taken away from Judah they might then conclude now will the Messiah come now is he in the world whether we see him or no yet he is come for the Scepter was not to depart till he was come now its observable that at this very time the Scepter was taken away for this Herod that was now king in Judea he was a stranger and not of the blood of the Jewes an Idumean and he was the first stranger that ever was King over the people of the Jewes for they had alwayes some of their own nation ruled them but now there was a stranger swaying the Scepter among them at this time so that here was an Evident fulfilling of the signe of the time at this time the Scepter was gone so they might well have concluded the Messiah was come from Jacobs Prophesie that Jesus was the Messiah for he comes at the very same time that the Scepter departed Secondly There was another remarkable signe of the Time and that was The Expiring or ending of Daniels seventy weekes it s foretold to Daniel that seventy weekes should be the tearme of time unto the Messiah's appearance Dan. 9.24 Seventy weekes are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy City to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for Iniquitie and to bring in Everlasting righteousnesse and to seale up the vision and Prophesie and to anoint the most holy Seventy weekes was the determined time of Christs coming that is from the time the Angel here speakes these words seventy weekes or foure hundred and ninety yeares reckoning so many dayes as there are in so many weekes for that indeed is the Holy-Ghosts way of account now it was cleare enough that the seventy weekes must be either expired or very neare expiring about that time and therefore that was another great signe of the Time that the Lord Jesus came and declared himselfe to be the Messiab about that time that Daniel had soretold the Messiah was to come forth Thirdly There was another Evident signe of this time and that was Christs doing of those things that were foretold should be accomplished by the Messiah and that in the day of his appearance as Christs opening the eyes of the blind the eares of the deafe causing the lame to walke in the 11th of Math The lame walke the dumb speake the dead are raised the Lepers are cleansed and the poore receive the Gospel Here were the signes of the Times It was foretold by the Prophets that when the Messiah came these things should be done now they saw these things done Jesus Christ comes and doth these very workes and miracles that they expected should be done by the Messiah therefore this was a very convincing signe of the Time that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and therefore Jesus Christ labours to convince John by these signes of the Times But then Fourthly The time of Chirsts second coming that shal be another time wherein the Lord will most gloriously appeare and manifest himselfe now that time also hath most evident and remarkable signes set upon it and that by the Lord and his Word If we looke into the 24 of Mathew we shall find many of the signes of this day I shall touch upon some few in the 10 verse Many shall be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another there 's one signe of that time many offended at the wayes and people and truth of God hate one another and betray one another Againe Iniquitie shall abound vers 12. and the love of many shall wax cold many shall fall away Againe in the 29 verse in those times the Starres shall fall from heaven an Apostacie of such as shal be eminent leading men in the Churches of Christ for indeed starres in the Revelation are interpreted to be the Angells of the Churches now Immediately before that time there shall be a great dropping of Starres of great leading eminent men in the Churches they shall fall from heaven from their former walkings and the truth and wayes and cause of Christ Againe at that time there shall be some shall smite their fellow-servants at the latter end of this Chapter and that under this pretence my Lord delay 's his coming clearely intimating that Immediatly before his coming some should smite and beate their fellow-servants why why indeed because they speake of the coming of their Lord as neere and the other they say its a great way off and that they make more hast then is meete they eate and drinke with the drunken that is have society
that thing for which others suffer and specially Saints who it may be would never else have minded the notion are very Inquisitive into the thing which they see Brethren suffer for and hereby they attaine light thus God taketh the wise in their owne Craftiness It was said in the Primitive times The blood of Martyrs seede of Churches Did not Queene Mary by her cruelty make those who before were averse to it ready and willing to receive the Protestant Religion Did not the Bishops loose themselves this way and by driving some few out of the Land multiply the number of the oppressed people within it Saints suffering for truth are the loudest and most powerfull Sermons of all others See what Paul saith to this Phil 1.12 13. But I would ye should understand Brethren that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the Gospel So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the Pallace and in all other places Eighthly The Eight signe is Signe 8 The Defection and Apostacy of Eminent leading men in the Churches from their first light and Principles Christ makes it one signe of his second coming the Starr's falling from Heaven Math. 24.29 that is Eminent men as Pastors and others in the Churches falling and saith Christ When you see this know it is neere even at the doore When you see Pastors and Officers of Churches casting off the Churches and running to Colledges when you see men that have pleaded and Apologized for the power of Churches in opposition to Lordlines over them when you see these become Tryers and usurp Authority over all the Churches and people of Christ in the Common-wealth know that it is neere even at the doore Ninthly The ninth signe is Signe 9 The great dread that is upon the spirits of all men that are Enemies of such a thing rising in the world as a fift Monarchy What a dread at the time of Israels coming out of Egypt was upon the Canaanites and this dread is at the end of the forty yeares we doe not reade of such a dread at their first coming out but when the worke was just coming forth of their taking possession of the promised Land then the feare and dread fall's upon them It s observable that from the time that David was anointed king a dread of him though Saul had all the forts and strength of the Nation was upon the spirit of Saul And what a dread is there upon the spirits of those that oppose the worke this kingdome of Christ at this day its visible enough a dread already from the Lord is fallen upon them Tenthly Signe 10 A Tenth signe is Gods wonderfull withdrawing himselfe from such as oppose this truth and worke in respect of those common graces and assistances he hath formerly afforded them in other worke How did God withdraw from Saul so soone as ever David was anointed Before he could deny himselfe and refuse a kingdome Afterwards before another shall come into his Throne he will slay innocent David be it right or wrong and all the Priests of God to boote Before though he had cause and was stirr'd up to it he will by no meanes persecute afterwards though he had no just cause all things considered he puts the Lords Priests to death Before he was a very meeke man in all his actings afterwards he acts like a Mad man And the very Reason is this Reason Davids kingdome was now rising and Saul being in heart an Enemie to it the Spirit of the Lord withdraws from him and this withdrawing was the Immediate forerunner of Davids kingdome the most Eminent type of Christ's pleaded for at this day Now let us Consider whether it be not thus at this day let us looke to men that sit upon the Throne and men that call themselves the Ministry is it not as evident as the Sun when it shines at noone day that the Spirit of the Lord is withdrawne from both I say in respect of those common gifts and assistances they have formerly had whil'st they stood in the cause of God Are there not men this day in England that persecute Saints for laying open their evills and Apostacy's who time was would not persecute them themselves nor suffer others who would have done it to doe it Are there not men who time was feared none they had their faith as their best guard who now are so far from their former faith that they are become Magor-mishabib feare round about Looke to men who call themselves the Ministry could not many some yeares since preach often with life and power now it s a great matter and truly they are not able to doe it to preach once in a fortnight and when they doe preach that life they once had is so gone that Christians that heare had they not the same names and faces would not know them to be the men once the time was that they were able to speake a seasonable word whensoever occasion was offered but truly now they are able to speake no more than they have written in their paper or got by heart as the Schoolboyes doe Is it not evident I say the Lord is withdrawne from them This is a manifest signe the worke is at hand When Davids kingdome was rising the Spirit of God departs from Saul and had not many Bishops in Queene Maries dayes much life and so the Presbyters in the beginning of these times But observe when the worke of God began to rise against the one and the other the Spirit of God went off from them and fell upon that party that bore witnes against them FINIS Christ the only Foundation 1 COR 3.11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ THe Time is but short and therefore I shall wave speaking any thing touching the context or the explication of the words there 's no difficulty in them but there 's a plaine usefull Truth ly's plainely in the words which I shall give you That is Doct That the Lord Jesus Christ is the onely foundation That I may the better open this truth to you for your edification I shall cast those things which are in my thoughts into this Method namely To shew First What I meane by Christ's being a foundation Secondly In what respect the Lord Jesus Christ may be called a foundation Thirdly What Jesus Christ is the foundation of Fourthly Who it is that lay's Jesus Christ as a foundation Fifthly How the Lord Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation And then Sixthly and lastly When Jesus Christ is laid as a foundation in the soule I shall give but a hint of the first 1. Quest What wee are to understand by Christs being a foundation Ans Wee well know the foundation it s the bottome of a building that upon which the weight and stresse of any building ly's in every building there 's the structure it selfe and the foundation the structure it selfe
feared the Lord spake often one to another even in this time when others had Apostatized and backsliden from God yea when the Apostacy was so high and so great that they justified themselves in it they called the proud happy they counted none nor lookt upon any as the happy men but the proud men the great men and the lofty men of the world there was none to them And they that were wicked were set up whereas they should have been thrown down and those that wrought righteousnesse should have been exalted and set up And they that tempted God were delivered I wish I might not say from Experience that as it was then after their coming out of Babylon that it is so in our dayes From hence we may observe Observ That it 's the speciall worke and duty of Gods People when others and the generality of people cast off and Apostatize from the worke of God to speake often one to another They should be more lively and more zealous and more active for God But it may be Questioned What are those things that the Saints should be often speaking one to another of in a day of Apostacy I answer They are these three things 1 Of the Sin of the Time 2 Of the Worke of God in that Time and Age. 3 Of the precious and glorious Promises which God hath made of better times of times to come to keep up and bear up our hearts 1 They should be often speaking one to another Of the speciall evill and sin of such a time When the Church of God is in a growing thriving state there is the abounding of some spetiall grace and so on the contrary when it 's in a declining condition in times of Apostacy there is the breaking forth of some spetiall sin and evill Now it 's our duty in that time and age in which we live as in the one to look after the grace that we may flourish in that so in the other to pry into the evill that we may avoid that And we should doe this the rather Because as such times have their spetiall evills so there 's no evill that doth so suddenly surprise and carry away the soule as the sin of the times and of the Age And that because it 's a generall sin there 's a croud goes along with that iniquity and men doe usually in the sin and evill of times goe from God When an evill is generall men swallow it the more easily and it 's a hard thing even for a good man to escape that therefore we ought the more especially to be looking to that and speaking of that often one to another When the Children of Israel came out of Aegypt their great sin was mistrusting God their great duty was to trust in God to believe in him to rest upon him in all his dispensations he did call upon them to performe this duty but they murmured against God and were full of unbelief and this sin was so generall and became such a sin of the time that of fix hundred thousand men that came out of Aegypt there were but two Caleb and Joshua that escap't this rock and went into the Land of Canaan yet undoubtedly there were many more good men among them but they fell upon the common sin of the Time And when the people of God came out of Babylon the great work of God then was the building of the Temple yet they cry out the time is not come the time is not come and so there 's a generall neglect of it by the whole Congregation this was the evill of that time and spread it selfe over good and bad and indeed good men that have escaped many other sore and great evills yet when it came to this the sin of the Times they have not been able to escape but have fallen into it not Zerubbabel nor Joshua but are guilty When the Children of Israel were in Aegypt they could very well see and look upon the Idolatry that was there committed and yet keep themselves very well from it but when it came to be a sin of the times in the Land of Canaan then they were catcht with it and were split upon that Rock and if the Lord by speciall grace and mercy doe not with-hold us we shall fall into this sin and it 's wonderfull mercy and loving kindnes that any soule doth escape the evill and sin of the Times But it may be asked How shall we come to know the evill of the Times that so we may escape and be kept from it For Answer to this 1 Let us take notice and observe that sin which lyes diametrically opposite to the worke of God in the time As in the Children of Israel their work and duty was to believe and trust in God in an extraordinary way now in direct opposition to this they mistrust God and that was then the sin of the time And so in their coming out of Babylon their work was to build the Temple Gods House but in opposition to that they build their owne Houses and neglect the work of building the Temple and the House of God lies wast Hag. 1.3 4. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet saying Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your cieled houses and this house lye wast Why now suppose it were evident that God hath written it in large and plaine Characters that he that runs may read if he will that THE PRESENT WORKE OF GOD IS TO BRING DOWNE LOFTY MEN TO LAY MEN LOW AND TO THROW DOWNE ANTICHRIST now if there be in opposition to this an exalting of man and setting up of Antichrist is God destroying Idols and are men making of them This is a neglecting the work of God and going contrary to it this is the sin of the time If there be a setting up of any such thing that God hath lift up his hand against it 's not rashnesse nor passion to speak the truth of God before God and the world that this is in opposition to the work of God If God hath been throwing downe High things the great ones of the world and there is a setting up of those things again things that have the same stamp and the same nature upon them that those things had that were thrown down before them this is the sin and the evill of the times And againe Suppose it 's clear that it hath been the worke of God to appear against and destroy whatsoever may be said to have the marke of the Beast upon it it now if so be there be any thing in this time and age set up againe that indeed hath no other ground nor bottome for it to stand upon but the wisedome of man and the invention of man and so should intermeddle so far as that the power of it should be felt in the Churches of Christ it 's evident and plaine enough and it 's the speaking of the truth of God before God
doe so against the superstitions of the Age before us Saints in all Ages have looked upon it as their duty to bear witnesse against the sin and evill of the Age. Hence Christians are called Witnesses a man that keeps all in his breast is no witnesse but he is a Witnesse that gives forth a Testimony to others And truly I speak this because we may be holy and humble and wise in doing this our duty in bearing witnesse and testimony against the sins of the times O my thinks when a Saint in cold blood shall sit downe and consider that he sees God and his name and his cause and interest blasphemed and trod under foot and abused and dishonoured and shall not stand up for God nor appear for God not have a word to speak for God how will this grieve him and trouble him And may such a one not question his love to Christ It 's to be feared we have but little love to Christ and his cause his name and interest when we cannot speak and appear for him for men to have such a Principle as this I may stand by and look on and see God and his name cause and interest trodden under foot and yet not speak a word but hold my peace and say nothing and another may stand and look on but say nothing no man must speak a word truly this is such a piece of Doctrine that I never heard of and that hath read such Lectures already as I think were never yet read when they themselves that doe such things cannot but know and see and they that look on it's so plaine that they that run may read that there is an Apostacy and yet notwithstanding none must speak of these things and bear testimony against it truly it 's such a Principle and such a piece of Doctrine as never was practiced by the Saints in former times And if the Saints and people of God in former and later times had practiced such a Doctrine and Principle as this is they would never have lost their lives as they did there would not have died so many Saints as there did there would never have been such a large Book of Martyrs as there is we should never have had so many living Testimonies of dying Saints as we have if such a Doctrine and Principle as this had been practiced If any say these men are good men though they have many and great failings Why if it be so this cannot excuse the matter Is a sin the lesse evill because a good man commits it And you cannot but acknowledge that if King Charls or the former Powers had don some things these men have done you would not have put such favourable constructions upon them and why should you think any thing the better of an evill because you think good men commit it It 's not the badnesse of any person that can make a good cause bad nor the goodnesse of the person that can make a bad cause good for though we and all the people of God have many weaknesses and infirmâ—ties yet that cannot make his good cause bad the poor people of God it hath been often upon my spirit that they should be allowed their infirmities in all times and ages they have been allowed their infirmities and truly the allowance now should be larger and greater then ever it was in former times and that upon the account of reason because they and their enemies have been brethren friends together and I speak this to this end that we may not goe and condemne all as I know this is the noise abroad I am perswaded when we come to stand before the Lord Jesus our Judge Christ will make another manner of judgement than now is made and passe another manner of Sentence then now is past upon the Saints by men And I am perswaded if so be that good men would but study things they would see more into them than they doe I mean things by which God is dishonoured and his name blasphemed and they see it not and know it not And they could not in such a day as this but venture hard for God This I am perswaded is the truth of God and many soules that doe not see it God will make them one day ashamed of it that they have not had hearts for God and tongues for God and mouths for God in such a day as this is wherein his cause hath called for it Thirdly Another duty that lyes upon the Saints in such a day as this is is That they endeavour their utmost the reformation of such a thing Ezra did so he endeavoured to bring the Congregation upon their knees and to a reformation of the sin of that Age of taking strange wives he caused the Congregation to enter into a Covenant to put them away Ezra 10. But the third Generall Head is this That the Saints should be often speaking one to another of the precious great and glorious Promises that God hath made of better times to come And we find the Prophets are full of these speakings telling us of glorious times wherein we shall come to enjoy that which will make up all our sufferings afflictions and persecutions God bears up the hearts of his people this way by promising and discovering of better times to come When the Children of Israel were in Aegypt God told them of a better time promises them the Land of Canaan so when his people were in Babylon he made them a Promise of a better time to come he told them then in the time of their Captivity to comfort and chear their hearts that the time was coming wherein all the Kingdomes of the earth and the power and greatnesse of the Kingdome shall be given to the Saints of the most high and with this Christ bears up the hearts of his Disciples I appoint unto you a Kingdome saith he and truly this will sweeten the bitternesse of an evill time this will make up suffering times this will make amends for all the Kingdome that Jesus Christ will give unto those that abide with him in an evill time as the Saints have had a day of Patience so they shall have a day of Power as they have had a day of sorrow so they shall have a day of joy they shall have a day of Peace and Comfort they shall have full peace and full joy yea they shall have joy and peace running over an overflowing of joy and peace they shall have a day of power and rejoycing and therefore saith the Apostle Paul speaking about suffering Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us O the thoughts of that time of glory and power swallowes up all the thoughts of this time of suffering and of evill I reckon and account that the sufferings of this present world are not worthy to be compared unto the glory which shall be
righteousnesse of faith comes in upon the account of the new Covenant Let me adde one notion more upon this Scripture that this promise is made to Abraham that he should be heire of the world the Lord he doth give to Abraham as a pledge or as an earnest of this great promise the land of Canaan to him and his seed and now as Abraham while he was a stranger in the land of Canaan he had the land of Canaan given to him and his seede by God and so had a true right to it so Jesus Christ though he is now a stranger in the world little knowne in the world and the seede of Christ wander as strangers in the world yet they have a true right and Christ hath a true right unto this great heiredome of the whole world as true a right as Abraham had unto the land of Canaan when that idneeed he was but a stranger in it and looke as Abrahams naturall seed the Jewes upon their coming out of Egypt they were by God possessed of that land which God did give to Abraham as a pledge or an earnest of the great Inheritance so likewise shall Abrahams seed both naturall and spirituall Jew and Gentill for now they are both one for the partition wall is broken downe this seed of Abraham when God shall set his hand the second time gathering together his people Isai 11.11 that is when he shall deliver his Children from the Antichristian Tyranny and bondage and he shall bring the Jewes into their own land in that day shall they as truly be possest of this great Inheritance of the whole world as Abrahams naturall seed when they went out of Egypt were possest of the land of Canaan and to make this a little out first Abraham was made by God an heire of the whole world and that indeed is the great Inheritance that is here promised the promise to Abraham was as to an heire of the whole world And secondly Abraham was made an heire of a lesser inheritance and that was given by God to Abraham and his seede to live upon as I may so say untill the appointed time came that they should possesse the whole world now one was the pledge of the other and answerable hereunto Abrahams seed have two great Captivities of which one was the Type of the other First Abrahams seed was carried captive into Egypt and in Gods due time God brings them out and when he had brought them out God puts them into that land that was the pledge of that great Inheritance now after that they sin against God and he delivers them into a greater and longer Captivitie so likewise Abrahams seed who wonderously increased in the time of their first Captivity in Egypt in the time of this long Captivitie doe wonderfully encrease for now the Gentills come in and they are his seed now Abraham is made the father of many Nations now Abrahams seede being encreas'd to a multitude of Nations as the promise is God will bring them forth a second time and as he did upon the first bringing them forth he gave them the land which was the type of the promise so at the second time of bringing them forth he will give them the whole world which he hath promised to them Secondly Looke upon the Renewall of this Covenant with David as the new Covenant was renewed with Abraham so likewise it was renewed with David the renewall of it with David we have if we looke into the 89 Psalm 3 4 ver I have made a Covenant with my Chosen I have sworne unto David my servant Thy seed will I Establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations Selah What this Covenant is observe in the 4th verse Thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations that is the great thing the great branch of the Covenant made with David I will build up thy Throne but whose Throne is this Davids Throne as David no it s not Davids Throne but indeed Christs spoken of under David as a type of Christ as King and that is cleare if you looke into the 19 ver Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one and saidst I have laid helpe upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the People This David here its cleare it s spoken of Jesus Christ though David was the type of Christ that mighty one and then againe it s more cleare in the 27 ver Also I will make him my first-borne higher than the Kings of the earth I will make him my first-borne It s Jesus Christ that is the Fathers first-borne and its Jesus Christ that is to be exalted higher than the Kings of the earth David was never exalted higher than the Kings of the earth there have been Kings of the earth that have been higher as to outward glory than David was but its Jesus Christ that is exalted higher than the Kings of the earth But Quest How doth it appeare that this is the new Covenant Ans Why it appepres from two things First It appeares from the unalterablenesse of it in the 34 ver My Covenant will I not breake nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lipps It was such a Covenant that this kingdome was founded upon that God would not breake nor alter and therefore the new Covenant Secondly Because there was an oath added to the Covenant in the 35 ver Once have I sworne by my holines that I will not lye unto David Here 's the oath of God Once have I sworne saith God doe you thinke that I will be false to David Once have I sworne and that by my holines the highest thing God could sweare by Now it must therefore be the new Covenant because there 's an oath added to it when the Lord made the old Covenant there was no Oath went with that therefore the Apostle in the 7th of the Hebrewes saith that the Priests of the old Covenant were made without an Oath but now the Priests of the new Covenant they are made with an Oath 20 21 ver The Priesthood of the new Covenant is confirmed by an Oath what ever God doth in the new Covenant there goes an Oath with it and so when Christ is made the high Priest of the new Covenant the Lord sweares what ever he doth I will doe what he doth as a Priest I will ratifie and confirme it I will never repent me of it there 's an oath but now the Priests of the old Covenant are made without an Oath and because it s confirm'd by an Oath its cleare it was the new Covenant the whole new Covenant hath an Oath goes with it God willing to shew unto the heires of promise the Immutability of his promise he confirmes it with an Oath that by two Immutable things in which it was Impossible for God to lye we might have a strong Consolation c. So that its cleare
this is the new Covenant I but here 's one promise hath a speciall Oath to it its worthy observation what peice of the new Covenant the Lord especially sweares to and that is this promise of Christs kingdome Once have I sworne by my holines that God will not lye to David and what is that that God sweares to its this that his seede shall endure for ever and his Throne shall be as the Sun before him Now to this promise is added a speciall Oath and its observable that the Lord speakes of Christs kingdome severall times in Scripture there are foure times that the Lord speakes of this and he doth sweare to it When he made this Promise to Abraham that his seed Christ shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies Gen. 22.16 By my selfe have I sworne saith he when he comes to make this promise to David that Jesus Christ shall have a kingdome God sweares againe Once have I sworne by my holines that I will not lye unto David His seede shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sun before me Againe if you looke into Isai 45.13 you have God swearing againe there I have sworne by my selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not returne that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall sweare Why what is the meaning of that why it s the very same with that in the Philippians every knee shall bow to Christ every tongue shall confesse that Christ is the Lord it is the exalting and setting up Christ Jesus as King So if we looke into Isai 54.9.11 Oh thou afflicted Tossed with Tempest and not comforted and in the 14 ver In righteousnesse shalt thou be established and thou shalt be far from oppression it s a description of Christs kingdome which he confirmes by his oath in the 9 â—h ver speaking of this very time of the kingdome of Christ For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworne that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworne that I would not be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee that is he would not in that day be wrath with his people so as to put by the fulfilling this good word of his promise I will make good this peice of my Covenant Now if we consider it surely there is something in it that the Lord should confirme all the new Covenant by an Oath and should confirme one branch of it and that by an Oath swearing by himselfe and by his holines and by his righteousnesse and swearing that he would not lye and swearing that it should be as certain as the word to Noah that the world should never be drowned againe That the Lord should sweare over and over to it surely there is much in it now the Lord hath done thus as to Christs kingdome what ever the world say the Lord hath founded this upon the new Covenant and he hath confirmed this new Covenant with an Oath when the Lord saw what opposition there would be in the world what distrust in his peoples hearts lest any should doubt of it he comes over and over againe with this particular branch of it with an Oath I have sworne I have sworne I have sworne that my Son shall have a kingdome So that in the Covenant with David there was the promise of the kingdome of Christ Fourthly Let us come to the worke it selfe where the worke doth begin to rise in the world and you shall see that it doth begin to rise and that upon the account of the new Covenant The worke of Christs kingdome the glorious beginning of it it shall be about the time of the Jewes coming in and indeed the coming in of the Jewes shall be a very great advancement of this kingdome and where ever the Lord doth speake of the coming in of the Jewes he doth lay it upon the foundation of this new Covenant and indeed it s a very great argument to me against those that thinke there is no such thing as the kingdome of Christ because God hath so often laid it upon his new Covenant Looke into the 26 of Leviticus the Lord had spoken before of rejecting and of the casting of them off 42 ver he saith when they should be cast off then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land This doth not onely looke to the rejecting of the people of Israel for a time when they were carried Captive into Babylon for that was a rejecting onely of part of the seed of Abraham but it doth looke to their long Captivity of all the seed of Abraham for these many hundred yeares the Lord engages he will restore them and restore them upon the account of remembring his Covenant Then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the Land and I will bring them backe againe and I will gather them upon the account of my Covenant saith God Deut. 4.30 31. In the 27 verse Moses had been speaking The Lord shall scatter you among the nations and yee shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the Lord shall lead you then he tells them in the 30 verse When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice even in the latter dayes mind the expression in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice for the Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the Covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them When the Lord hath cast them off they shall be gathered and that upon the account of his Covenant and so in the 54 of Isai that Chapter is a prophesie of the Conversion of the Jewes and of that glory that shall follow thereupon and the Lord doth engage his Covenant for the bringing of it about The mountaines shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee So likewise in the 33 of Jere. the two last verses Thus saith the Lord if my Covenant be not with day and night and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of heaven and earth then will I cast away the seede of Jacob and David my servant so that I will not take any of his seede to be rulers over the seed of Abraham Isaac and Jacob for I will cause their Captivity to returne and have mercy on them This is spoken of their last restoration as I told you at first and the Lord doth
and the world to speak it that this is the sin and evill of the times 2 Take speciall notice and observe that sin with which the most precious Saints and people of God are most taken and drawne away from God by that is the evill and sin of the times For that is usually the sin and evill of the times which the Saints of God are most taken with and embrace for the sin of the times doth not onely run through and run along with the wicked and profane of the world but also the most precious servants of God Moses that meek servant of God and Aaron that Saint of the Lord were catched with it in mistrusting God for the sin of their time did not fasten upon the rude multitude onely but upon those two and many other precious servants of the Lord. So in the building of the Temple the sin of neglecting that work did not onely seize upon the Congregation but also it seized upon those two brave spirited men Zerubabbel and Joshua they were asleep and neglected this work as you may see by the words of Haggai it had seized upon and catched many of the precious Saints of God and doubtlesse if the Lord did not keep us there is none of us now here that are speaking of and against the evill of the times but we should without Gods great mercy and love to us be catched and carried away with it as well as any other 3 Observe what that evill is that though it runs up and downe without the least controule or contradiction from the generality of men yet notwithstanding God hath a little Remnant that will oppose and stand up against that sin and that evill that is the sin of the times For observe it to bear witnesse to his cause in every age God will have a handfull that will oppose themselves to the evill of the times and ordinarily but a handfull When the whole Congregation of Israel rebell'd and Apostatiz'd from God and would have return'd againe into Aegypt and made them a Captain and mistrusted God then there was a little Remnant that stood up for God and spake against that sin Caleb and Jeshua they stand up and plead for God against the whole Congregation Let us say they not rebell against the Lord let us not make us a Captain to goe back again into Aegypt for they shall be bread for us the Lord will deliver them into our hand we shall goe in and possess the Land which the Lord our God hath promised Thus they stand up and plead for God against the whole Congregation And so in their return out of Babylon the Lord stir'd up a little Remnant to bear testimony against the sin of that time the Lord stir'd up the spirit of Haggai and Zechary against their sin of neglecting the building of the Temple and returning out of Babylon and where God stirs up a spirit in a little Remnant to oppose the evill of the times God is there that is I say a clear evidence that God is with them and that God stands for them and will owne them when he stirs up a spirit in them to tell men their owne for so did Haggai and Zechary Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your cieled houses and this house lye wast I instance in those two times because coming out of Aegypt and Babylon being both Types of our deliverance from spirituall Aegypt and Babylon nothing in the word is so pat to us as the example of those Ages I remember the Speech of a holy man yet living That if he were to stand with any party he would stand with that party that was the least and that bore testimony against the sin and evill of the times looking upon this that God was there and with those that stood up against and bore testimony against the sin and evill of the times When there 's a controversie whether there is an Apostacy or no now the generality of men of the proud men they will say no there 's no Apostacy at all and so justifie their Apostacy I but what saith the little Remnant what saith the few they say yes there is an Apostacy they say it 's clear and plain and evident enough to them that there is an Apostacy though the generality see it not will not know it nor owne it yet a little Remnant see it and will declare and bear their testimony against it But the second thing we should speak often one to another of is The speciall worke of God at that time what the worke of God is and what the speciall duty of Christian is in such an evill and Apostatising time Now there are many Duties that in such a day and age lye upon the Saints but I shall name but one or two which are duties that especially lye upon the Saints 1 This is one speciall duty To be humbled before God and to labour to bring others to be humbled and lye low before him for that sin In Ezra's time he makes it his dayes work to be humbled and lye low before God for the sin of the Congregation he goes and spreads their sin before the Lord and lyes low to beg mercy and grace of God for the whole Congregation and he labours also to bring the Congregation to this to be humbled and lye low before the Lord. But 2 It 's a speciall duty of the Saints and people of God in such a day and time of Apostacy whatever others say and thinke of it yet I say it 's the duty of Saints in such a day to appear for God to stand up for God to declare for God against those sins Though others count it rashnesse hastinesse and over-forwardnesse yet certainly it 's the duty of the Saints and is a good Principle to practice in which we should be found if we will shew our love to the Lord Jesus and his name and his cause and interest though all run from it Thus in all ages those whom the Lord hath kept faithfull to himselfe have not onely kept themselves pure from the evill of the times but declared against it in others So it was with Caleb and Joshua they stood up for God and protested for him and declared for him against the sin of the whole Congregation though they were but two they will hazzard their lives for God O say they doe not rebell against the Lord doe not return againe into Aegypt And so Haggai and Zechary they would stand up for God and declare for him against the Congregation and tell them to their very faces That they builded their owne houses but let the house of God lye wast whereas it was their worke and duty to build the house of God They told the greatest of them the chiefest of them their sin and that to their faces they Preached openly against the negligence and sluggishnesse of that Age to Gods work And have not good men of latter times looked upon themselves called to
especially renewed or with two persons more eminently namely with Abraham and with David The Covenant was renewed with Abraham and therefore it s oftentimes called the new Covenant made with Abraham Now if we looke into that we shall finde the great thing that was held forth in it is this of Christs visible kingdome wherein Christ shall bare Rule over all his enemies conquer all his enemies if we looke unto this Covenant as renewed to Abraham in the Galatians the Apostle speaking of this promise apply's it to Christ now looke upon the promises that were made to Abraham and we shall finde this truth that there was such a thing held forth as an outward visible kingdome Gen 22.16 17 18 ver And said by my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord for because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son thine onely son That in blessing I will blesse thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the starres of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore and thy seed shall possesse the gate of his enemies and in thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeyed my voice Thy seed to Abraham and his seed were the promises made saith the Apostle He saith not to seeds as of many but unto seed as of one Christ and that here it must be understood not of seeds as many but of the seed as one the seed Christ is cleare because it s said thy seed shall possesse the gate of his Enemies not the gate of their Enemies which if it had been spoken of seeds as many it should have been but it s the gate of his Enemies and shew's that it s spoken of Christ now that which is promised is that Christ Abrahams seede shall possesse the gate of his Enemies there shall be a day wherein Christ shall possesse the Gate of his Enemies Quest What is the meaning of that Ans Why truly the meaning is this that a day shall come wherein Jesus Christ shall have power over all his Enemies in the world he shall have rule over his Enemies he that hath been trodden upon in his members we cannot say that he hath ruled over his Enemies yet but a day shall come wherein he shall have an absolute rule over his Enemies which is expressed here by the Gate as when a Conqueror comes against a City or Castle when he hath once possessed the gate he hath gotten the strength of it and they are all under him and at his mercy so there shall a day come wherein Christ shall possesse the gate of his Enemies they shall all be brought under him in such a manner as they shall be all subject unto Jesus Christ and his But now there hath never been such a day as yet indeed the Enemies of Christ they have hitherto possest his Gate if you looke from the first day to this day the Enemies of Christ have ever been in his Gate that is they have been treading the Church underfoote which is most properly his Gate But there is a day wherein Jesus Christ shall possesse their Gate and tread them underfoote therefore there is such a thing as a visible kingdome held forth in this promise made to Abraham Looke but to that promise made Rom. 4.13 where the Apostle speaks thus For the promise to Abraham was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith The promise to Abraham that he should be heire of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law there was a promise expresly made to Abraham that he should be heire of the world we doe not finde this promise in Genesis in so many words therefore it seemes to me that the Apostle doth gather up the summe of all the promises made to Abraham and he doth sum up all in this God promises to Abraham that he should be heire of the world All the promises that Abraham should be a father of many nations all nations should be blessed in him his seede should possesse the gate of his Enemies what is that now that is the great thing held forth in all those promises why it was that he should be heire of the world and the promise therefore is of such a thing and indeed it was the substance of them all thâ— marrow of them that Abraham should be a great and an absolute heire and should have all the world given to him Now let us consider this it s the promise of God and he cannot lye Abraham himselfe never did possesse the whole world but was a stranger in it dwelling in Tents and Tabernacles Heb. 11.9 And if we looke to the naturall seed of Abraham namely the Jewes they never yet possest more than that little spot of land the land of Canaan and they have been cast out of that a long time and if we looke unto the beleiving Gentills the spirituall seed they have been to this day persecuted in the world its out-casts the of-scouring of it and cannot in any sence be said to have been made possessors of the world as an heire which is the Apostles word is made a possessor of his Inheritance where he beares rule as a Lord and all within the Compasse of his Inheritance are to him in no other capacity but of servants and Tenants Abraham was the heire of it but they never had the possession of it yet there is a time wherein they shall have the world for God who made the world and hath given it to whom he pleaseth was pleased of his own good will to give it to Abraham indeed what right had Abraham to the land of Canaan but God who hath right to all was pleased to give it to Abraham why so here Abrahams seed have the world given them there must be a time wherein the seed of Abraham shall possesse the world as truly as the seed of Abraham did possesse the land of Canaan which God gave to Abraham and his seed Now I say this hath not been and we cannot looke upon this as if so be the fulfilling of this promise were in giving them a part of it for God promises the world and therefore indeed there is a time wherein Abraham and his seed are to be possessed of the world and if so be there were not what were Abraham and his seed the better for the promise if so be they never possesse it And this promise is said to be made to Abraham not through the Law but through the righteousnesse of faith and that is upon the account of the new Covenant for in the Romans its said That the righteousnesse which is of faith speakes on this wise he doth oppose the old Covenant unto the righteousnesse of faith so that by the righteousnesse of faith we are here to understand the new Covenant and this promise made to Abraham as the heire of the world and that as of the
doth in a more especiall manner relate to the new Testament Times though it was a promise that had a fulfilling even in old Testament times yet it hath in a more especiall manner a fulfilling to the Saints in new Testament Times the people of God in the times of the old Testament they had the Spirit but they had the Spirit as I may so say in the beginning or in the dropping of it but now the people of God in the new Testament Times they have the powring of it forth looke to the promise of the Spirit in new Testament Times and the promise runs to the powring it forth that is more abundance of it the people of God in the times of the old Testament they had the promise of the Spirit but they had not this promise as their great promise for as I told you the last day they had another promise which was their great promise they had the promise of the Messiah as their great promise but now the people of God under the new Testament Administration they have the promise of the Spirit as their great promise they have not onely the promise of the Spirit but they have it as the greatest promise of all other made to them under that administration Now these things being premised which I thought meete to doe that there might not be a mistake and that none might exclude the people of God of old from the Spirit I shall shew you That the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise and this will appeare from two things First All those severall promises that we find in the old Testament of the more full giving forth and powring out of the blessed Spirit did not relate to those times but to the new Testament Times for their fulfilling I shall shew you this in two or three places In Ezek 36 27. among many pretious promises of the new Covenant this is one I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my Judgements and doe them but to what time doth this more especially relate why it doth relate as you may see if you looke into the foregoing verses unto the time when God will gather together his Antients the Jewes out of all Country's vers 24. For I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of all Country's and will bring you into your owne land it doth in a more especiall manner looke to the time of the Jewes coming in for the compleate fulfilling and accomplishing of this promise then will it most evidently be seene that the Spirit of God is the guider and leader and teacher of his Children then will the promise of the Spirit in the fulfilling of it be more visible And so likewise in Joel 2.28 29 verses And it shall come to passe afterward that I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall Prophesie your old men shall dreame dreames your young men shall see visions And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I powre out my Spirit To what time doth this relate Compare the second of the Acts and you shall there find that Peter tells us now is this word fulfilled in your eares Acts 2.16 17 verses But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to passe in the last dayes saith God I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh c The fulfilling of it is under the new Testament Administration and truly though that in the first powering out of the Spirit there was a glorious fulfilling of it in part yet I take it the compleate fulfilling of it and that which is specially aymed at in the Prophet Joel doth relate not to the first but to the last of the new Testament times for Joel speakes of those times when he shall bring againe the Captivity of Jacob and Jerusalem and Joel speakes of a more universall powring out of the Spirit upon Gods sons and daughters than was before so as that at the beginning of the new Testament times there was a fulfilling of that promise in part yet it hath in a more speciall manner a looke to the last times in which the people of God upon the account of this new Testament promise may waite for the promise of the Father and expect more of the blessed Spirit to be given forth to them to be powred out upon them So likewise Zach 12.10 And I will powre upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne c. But when is this why it is if you looke into the 14 Chapter in a time when all nations shall be gathered against Jerusalem and when God will destroy all nations that shall come against Jerusalem and in that day when there shall be great mourning among the Jewes upon their coming in in that day this blessed promise will have a glorious fulfilling all those pretious promises of the powring forth of the Spirit that we read of in the old Testament they looke to the new Testament times Secondly That this is a new Testament promise doth appeare from the words of Christ himself If you look into John 7.38 39. He that beleiveth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living water But this spake he of the Spirit which they that beleive on him should receive for the holy Ghost was not given because that Jesus was not yet glorified Observe the giving forth of the Spirit is made a consequent of Christs glorification of Christs being glorified at the right hand of the Father and therefore the more full giving forth of the Spirit it s a promise to the new Testament times But then Secondly How doth it appeare that this is the great new Testament promise the promise of the Spirit is a new Testament promise Gods people in new Testament times they looke for it but how doth it appeare this is the great promise to be of all other promises the greatest under this dispensation I Answer There are three great promises that we have in the booke of God three promises that may be called the greatest of all first there 's the promise of Christs first coming Secondly There 's the promise of the coming of the Spirit and then Thirdly There 's the promise of Christs second coming These are as I may say the greatest promises that we have in all the booke of God The promise of Christs first coming that was a promise that did belong to the old Testament Administration as I shewed you the last day The glorious promise of Christs second coming that is to have its fulfilling and accomplishment in the time of the new Jerusalem that the people of God doe hope and waite for which coming of Christs personall appearance his
second coming in glory under that Administration shall have its fulfilling But now the promise of the coming of the Spirit that is the promise that we are to expect the fulfilling of under the present Administration that Administration which is betwixt Christs first and second coming not but that there shall be much more as I shall shew anon of the Spirit of God given forth when Jesus Christ shall be personally present with his Children yet notwithstanding the great promise of the Spirit which is spoken so much of in the old Testament and in the new is that which we are to looke up to God for betwixt the time of Christs first and second coming When Jesus Christ was to goe up to heaven and leave his Children and they were to undergoe a very blacke and tempestuous day and Christ saw what the rage of the world was what the Roman power and the Antichristian power and the Kings of the earth would doe therefore that he might not in such a darke day leave them comfortlesse he makes this great promise of the Spirit as if he should have said In all that time O Saints when ever you suffer looke for my Spirit when ever you want comfort looke for my Spirit when you feare that this Antichrist will deceive you looke for my Spirit and so this promise of the Spirit is a promise that runs through all that time in a more especiall manner to the people of God which they doe wait for the fulfilling of Object If the promise of the Spirit be the great new Testament promise how then comes it to passe that the Saints and people of God under the new Testament Administration have so little of the Spirit Ans Why truly there may be something in this as one reason of it namely The way of Gods dispensation which hath been and it is to put death 's upon his promises not onely before the fulfilling time of a promise comes but even when the fulfilling time is come and in the fulfilling time God will put a death upon his promise Though Abraham had a blessed promise made to him by God that he should have seede and God told him that it should be in Bondage foure hundred and thirty yeares and at the end of that time he would wonderfully shew his power bringing them forth with a high hand and give them the land of Canaan but before the fulfilling time came there 's first one death and another upon the promise first Abraham was a hundred yeares old his body dead and yet without any that should be the heire of the promise and Sarah is old and her wombe dead before the fulfilling of the promise and after the heire of the promise was come forth Abraham must goe and offer up his Son why what might Abraham thinke would become of Gods promise Isaac was the Son of the promise and must I goe and offer him up where will Gods promise be Here was a death upon a death upon it and after this Isaac the Son of the promise in whose loines as I may say the promise ran the promised seede was to come forth from him yet Isaac after Abraham had no seede a great while so that before the fulfilling time of the promise came there was deaths upon deaths upon it yet notwithstanding when the Time was come for the fulfilling it when the Lord was now giving forth that that he had promised to Abraham and when he had sent Moses into Egypt to bring Israel out yet then the Lord in the very fulfilling time brings deaths upon it when the Lord had raised up some measure of faith in the people of God expecting deliverance yet the bondage grow's so great that their hearts grow dead as to hope and they thinke they are further off than ever before and afterward when they thought they had nothing to doe but to run to the land of Caâ—aan no but there are great deaths in the way they must goe through a Sea and through a wildernesse and this not all but they must wander forty yeares in the wildernesse and there the whole generation that came out of Egypt dyes what deaths were there upon the promise in the fulfilling time So God made a promise to his people in Jeremiah's time that after 70 yeares Captivitie in Babylon they should come to Jerusalem againe and that should be built but when the fulfilling time was come what deaths were put upon the promise so that for many yeares together the building of Jerusalem and the Temple was hindred I doe urge this notion to this purpose that though the new Testament Administration be the Administration in which the Saints are to waite for the fulfilling of this great promise yet in the fulfilling time there may be very great deaths upon the promise and such as we may see very little of the Spirit given forth and it may be for ages and generations together as in some generations it hath been but little of the Spirit may appeare Secondly Because although the promise of the Spirit is the great new Testament promise that is made to those times yet the fulfilling of this premise may not be alike to all but may be especially made good to some periods of that time The promise of Christ was the great old Testament promise that which Saints all along in the old Testament waited for but that was not fulfilled till the last period of that time so it may be with this Thirdly Another Reason why Saints under the new Testament Administration have so little of the Spirit though this is the great new Testament promise It may be from Saints darknes in the way of the new Testament Saints going out of the way of the new Testament and that Legality that is in and upon the spirits of the Saints As the promise of the Spirit is the great promise of the new Testament that God gives foâ—th in new Testament times so God will give forth his promise in the way of the new Testament if so be therefore the saints be darke as to the way of the new Testament in which God will give forth new Testament mercy's why truly they may be under the new Testament Administration and yet have but very little of the Spirit for even in new Testament times there is as I may say an old Testament spirit upon the Saints they looke upon themselves through their darkness and Ignorance as standing under the old Administration they have thereby the Spirit of the old Covenant and of the old Testament wrought in them and so far as they have an old Testament spirit so far there will not be a giving forth of the Spirit to them in that full measure for God will give forth the Spirit in the way of the new Testament Quest What is the way of the new Testament in which God will give out new Testament Mercy 's Ans To that I answer The way of the new Testament it s this To