but also for ever gone I am left by a God and it is better to be left by all the world than to be left by God But Soul there is that laid and lodged in the Promise that will weigh down this Fear Is there such another Promise which according to the Greek for there are five Negatives in it may be read thus For he hath said I will not Heb. 13.5 not leave thee I will never not not forsake thee May not now the preciousness of the Promise be read in the geatness of it Divine Promises they are greater than a Believers Faith Faith if I may so write is mighty and can do mighty things What cannot Faith do Faith can do more than Force As it is true to believe is very difficult it is as true unto him that believeth all things are possible Heb. 11.30 33 34 35 36 37. Read but that Scriptural Martyrology which is the Book Martyrs epitomized and there you may find the noble Acts of Faith It is Faith that overcometh the world This is the victory that overcometh the world 1 Joh. 5.4 even our Faith Yea it is Faith that maketh a Conquest upon the God of this world Resist the Devil Jam. 4.7 and he will flee from you But how shall he be resisted In the Faith Whom resist stedfast in the Faith 1 Pet. 5.9 Oh the mighty power of Faith But I dare assert that you are not to take the Act of Faith without Christ the Object of Faith What can the Instrument do without the Hand Indeed the Faith of Believers can do much but Faith can do nothing unless it be laid in the Bosom and Bowels of the Promise Abrahams Faith was exceeding great He was very gray and so was his Consort but what made his Faith so strong He had the promise of a strong God and this gave strength to his Faith He staggered not at the promiso through unbelief Rom. 4.19 20 21. but was strong in Faith giving glory to God And being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform Is there not now a greatness in the Promise and is not the preciousness of it legible in the greatness of it Divine Promises they are greater than a Believers Corruptions Consider the evil of Sin and that will appear to be exceeding great Sin hath Evil all Evil and nothing but Evil in it Sin is only evil altogether evil alway evil Rom. 7.13 That sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful or that Sin by the Commandment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might become hyperbolically sinful or that Sin by the Commandment might become a Sinner to a wonder a Sinner above wonder beyond comparison Sin is a darkening of the Glory of God a defacing of the Image of God a crucifying of the Son of God a grieving of the Spirit of God and a wroâ—ging of the Soul of man There is Evil enough in Sin to undo all the world Is not Sin the cry of the damned in Hell and should not Sin be the cry of the dead upon Earth Is there not a world of Sin within Thee and within Me yea a world of Sin within Thee and within Me not yet seen by Thee and by Me Now though Sin be so great an Evil that nothing is so great yet the Greatness and Goodness of God wrapped up in the Promise Isa 1.18 is greater than Sin Though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be white as Snow and though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wooll This Promise is great and precious as well as great Divine Promises they are as great as divine Commands The Commands of God are great exceeding great Acts 16.31 Is not Faith a great Command Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Spira sound it so who said Ye call upon me to believe I tell you I cannot believe Oh! how fain would I believe but I cannot It is as possible to keep the Moral Law as to believe for it is natural to work for Life but supernatural to believe for Life Faith is a great work Joh. 6.29 but now he that wills it works it This is the work of God that ye believe in him whom he hath sent Faith is the work the work that God esteemeth in stead of all works But Faith is not only a work so esteemed by God Col. 2.12 but it is also the work of God It is called a Faith of the Operation of God God commands the making of a new heart and a new spirit and might he not as well have commanded the making of a new Heaven Ezek. 18.31 and a new Earth Make ye a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die oh house of Israel But what God commands his to do in one place he promiseth to do for his in another place Ezek. 36.26 27. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them I will give you Legs and lead you too I will habituate the Soul with Grace and actuate Grace in the Soul and for the Soul As the Habit so the Act of Grace shall be from me May not now the preciousness of the Promise be read in the greatness of it Divine Promises are as great if not greater than Divine Threatnings Hath God threatned the Vnbeliever with Darkness and Death He hath promised to the Believer light and life Rom. 5.21 Hath God threatned the Vnbeliever with Damnation he hath promised unto the Believer Salvation Doth Sin reign unto Death the second Death Grace reigns thorough righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Is the wages of Sin Death the first and the second Death all manner of Deaths the portion of a Christless Soul is nothing else but Death Rom. 6.23 Exod. 20.5 6. his whole estate lies in the valley of the shadow of death But now though the stipend of sin be death yet the gift of God is eternal life thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Hath God visited Iniquity to the third and fourth Generation He sheweth mercy unto thousands of Generations May not now the preciousness of the Promise be read in the greatness of it Jer. 10.6 Divine Promises they are like unto God Himself God is great exceeding great There is none like unto thee Jehovah thou art great and thy name is great in might Now whatever is great in God he hath made it over by promise unto Believers Take a Taste His Power The Lord can do whatsoever he will though he will not dâ— whatsoever he can His Power hath no Patent but â—s Pleasure Power belongeth to God God is as much acted in making a Flie as in making an Elephant The Power of God is greater than the power of Sin Nah. 1.3 than the power of Men than the power
to Death and to the House appointed for all living Ab Vtero ad Sepulcrum From the Womb to the Tomb is the Motto of Infant-Man Reader a Reflection upon these things together with Gods Glory thy Good and my Good have encouraged unto this work though I be the Benjamin the Least the Last of my Fathers House The work is good though the workman be bad The Subject is Death wonder not for no sooner did we begin to live but we began to die and shall continue dying until we be swallowed up of Death We dwell in Clay-Houses and our Bodies are Clay-Builts The School-men say Gratia infusa effusa diffusa that a good Thought is Grace infused a good Word is Grace effused a good Work is Grace diffused I would not out-bid my self neither would I know any thing by my self but my sin but second Thoughts and Reviews may better the first if not be better than the first Many with my self though not so much as my self may see Emendata are Emendanda that what is mended needs mending and what is bettered needs bettering yea the best sometimes not good enough to be called good It could never be said of any one but that only One Christ Jesus that he did all things well Luke 23.4 41. I find no fault in this man this man hath done all things well this man hath done nothing amiss I am not altogether insensible that my Thoughts are very short of Things and that my Words are far short of my Thoughts I dare not therefore be so peremptory concerning this Writing as Pilate was concerning his when he said John 19.22 What I have written I have written To give a penny is below an Alexander he will give a City To give Farthings and Fragments is below the Majesty and Magnificence the Grandeur and Glory of Princes and Potentates Araunah as a King gave unto David But Reader a penny to Me may be as much as a pound to Another Had I more thou shouldest have it Goats hair contributed to the Erection of the Tabernacle and the two Mites which made a Farthing received a welcome into the Treasury I have formerly sent through importunity two little-little Tracts into the World the one entituled Love to the Life the other A Paternal Gift The Author and Actor of Grace Christ Jesus the Lord by his Blessing hath made way for them into the Hands and Hearts of many Glory to God in the Highest which hath among other things encouraged the sending of this third Tract as a Modicum and Morsel and Mercy into the world also which is Mans last Scene in the acting whereof he goeth off the Stage not altogether despairing but hoping that this also through the same Blessing will meet with the like Entertainment and Welcome from those who are acquainted with Christ and acquitted by Him Reader Earl of Marlborrough to Sir Hugh Pollard Dying and dead mens dying words p. 2. it was the saying of an Earl not long before his death in a Letter of his to a Knight as followeth There is a certain thing going up and down the world called Religion that how dressed soever loseth not its Being the great and good God hath not left it without a witness more or less sooner or later in every mans Bosom to direct him in the pursuit of it Bullinger The Truth of Religion saith one is not to be judged by the Prosperity or Aversity of the Professors of it Most if not all the Learned men in the world have found that the Notion of God and Religion is the first engraven in and the last defaced out of the Minds of Men. Earl of Leicester A great person left this Testimony behind him concerning Christian-Religion that the sincere profession of it had in it Sweets and Joys that Courts were Strangers unto Basil The reason saith one why Julian and all other Apostates slight Religion is because they do not understand it Religion is a persons Interest Rolls rebuilding of the City p. 177. a Nations Interest how infatuated soever persons of worldly Grandeur and Glory may be This is the Religion of the Papists He that shall assassinate a King in Zeal for their Religion shall be canonized for a Saint Ah Religion ever to be abhorred and dreaded by those that are not of it as being resolved to propagate it self every where by secret Plots and open Violence by Fire and Sword Per Fas Nefas by Fraud and Force But what have I to do with those blind and bloody Papists with those children of Belial with those children of Blood Is this Religion of God which hath no other way to promote and propagate it self but by Fire and Massacre Is not the Religion of the Papist Rebellion Is not the Faith of the Papist Fancy Is not the Mercy of the Papist Murder Those born in England are born saith one in the Region of Religion in the Land of Goshen Mr. Ness Christians walk and work in the Valley of Vision Now Religion is the Beauty and Bulwark of a Nation It is to a Nation as the Palladium was to Troy which could not be destroyed so long as that was possessed It is like Sampsons Lock which while he retains he retains his Strength and is invincible Men differ not so much from Beasts in Reason as in Religion Religion is the highest Reason What can be more rational than for the supream Truth to be believed the highest Good to be embraced the first Cause of all things to be owned and feared and for those who were made by God and live wholly upon him to improve all for him and live wholly to him It was the will of God that the Body of Moses should be interred in a secret place unknown to any man to prevent Superstition Verse 9. of Judes ep and Idolatry among the Jews Now as the Angel and the Devil strove for the Body of Moses when he was dead And as seven Cities contended for Homer when he was dead though they cared not for him while he lived thus it fares with Religion Is it not now made a meer Eccho Do not men now speak of it Vox praeterea nihil as of the Lacedemonian-Nightingale a Voicc and nothing more Many contend and contest for the Carkass and Skeliton of it few contend for the Life and Substance of it which consisteth in Works not in Words We should rather be Agents than Disputants in Religion The Vanity of the Head is to argue much but the Sincerity of the Heart is to act much Look but into the Divine Mirror and there read such multitudes of Truths and so precious as will take up a mans time were he to live as many Years as Methuselah did Days It is not the subtle Head but the sincere Heart that shall go to Heaven That Man is under a prodigious Deception and Delusion who hopes to
death of his Saints If a Christian of Christs making goes bleeding to Heaven or burning to Heaven if he lays down his Blood on this side the Grave this goes near the heart of God Art out of Christ Direct 3. tremble then for in a moment thou mayest die and be damned too They spend their time in mirth Job 21.13 Anxius vixi dubius morior Oh ens entium miserere mihi Sed c. Arist Job 18.14 Caryl in loc and in a momeut go down to the grave Death by the Philosopher is called of all formidable things the most terrible These were some of the last words of that great Philosopher I have lived anxiously I die doubtfully Oh Being of Beings have mercy upon me but now it is too late for me to call for mercy Death is called by Bildad the King of Terrors This is a very strange Title We have read of many Titles which have been given the Kings of the Earth as most Serene most Christian most Sacred c. but if at all rarely of such a Title as this King of Terrors For a man to be brought to the King of Terrors is for a man to be brought to death or to his last end The Philosopher in this sense called Death the King of Terrors when he called it the most terrible of terrible things Death is terrible upon a threefold consideration Antecedents Nature Consequents Death is terrible if we consider the Antecedents of it 2 King 4.18 19 20. The Forerunners or Harbingers of Death are Pains Diseases Sicknesses and these are terrible The Shunamites Son was taken sick when he was with the Reapers crying to his Father My Head my Head being carried home he sate on his Mothers knees until noon and then died Death is terrible if we consider the Nature of it Death Mors Sceptra Ligonibus aequa is a Disunion All Disunions are troublesom but some are terrible Death according to the Poet is the greatest Leveller in the world Death levels Scepters and Plow-shares it makes all alike The Disunion that Death makes between Husband and Wife is terrible but Death makes a Disunion between them that are nearer than Husband and Wife even between Soul and Body Eccl. 12.7 Husband and Wife are one flesh but Soul and Body are one person Then shall the Dust the Body return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit the Soul unto God Death is terrible if we reflect the consequents of it I have said to corruption thou art my Father Job 17.14 Nativitas mala Vita pejor mors pessima and to the Worm thou art my Mother and my Sister Now soul art out of Christ what is thy Death then like to be It may be said of a person living and dying out of Christ that his Birth is bad his Life is worse his Death is worst of all Some are so sick that they cannot live and yet so sinful that they cannot die their Cry is Oh Lord we cannot die Oh Lord we must not die O Lord we dare not die Oh Lord we will not die Rev. 9.6 We read of some that shall seek death but shall not find it and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them Others there are that Death seek but they would not be found and that Death desire to have but they flee from it A great person hearing the Verdict which the Physicians brought in against him that he must die cryed out Let me live though it be the Life of a Toad under a Threshold Art out of Christ tremble then and realize a state of Death Do not only read of Death but also realize Death Do not look upon Death as a Physical Notion and a Mathematical Conclusion be much in the reflection of this Text and Truth Luk. 16.22 23. It came to pass that the Beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom the Rich man also died and was buried and in Hell he lifted up his eyes being in torment Here is Death and Damnation too Thou mayest die and be damned too Art out of Christ go then to Christ Direct 4. in whose Death is the Death of Death To be Christless is to be Godless to be Graceless to be Gloryless go then to Christ Art in a state of Sin go then to Christ for Grace Art in a state of Darkness go then to Christ for Light Art in a state of Death go then to Christ for Life Art in a state of Damnation go then to Christ for Salvation Isa 53.3 Encline your ear and come unto me hear and your souls shall live Paul was a great Orator a great part of his Oratory was to perswade men to come to Christ and be saved He that winneth souls is wise Art Christless and Godless Graceless and Spiritless May not I say to thee with the Alteration of a word Acts 13.36 as was said to the stock of Abraham To thee is the word of this salvation sent But there is a Lion in the way an Adder in the path But what is this comming to Christ Quest 1. this going to Christ A comming Sol. Joh. 6.40 or going to Christ is a believing in Christ As Faith is the Souls Eye He that seeth the Son and believeth on him hath eternal life And as Faith is the Souls mouth Joh. 6.54 Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life And as Faith is the Souls Ear Joh. 5.24 He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me And as Faith is the Souls Hand Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he priviledge to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name So Faith is the Souls Foot Joh. 6.35 He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst But Quest 2. is there an indispensible Necessity of going to Christ for Salvation Can Salvation be had no where else Is he not only a Saviour but also the Saviour That Christ is a Saviour Sol. Luk. 2.11 is evident Vnto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. That Christ also is the Saviour is as evident Now we believe not because of thy words Joh. 4.42 for we have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world I remember the time when if I could have gone to Heaven by my Education Civility Forms of Prayer of mine own making or by my Fathers Copy I would not have made use of Christ but at last I found that there was Salvation in no other Act. 4.12 Isa 51.12 and sailing by the gates of Hell in my apprehension I also found that no Voice but the Voice of Christ would still the Voice of Desperation There is no Paradise without this Tree no Light without this Sun no God no
is mans time The good Emperour not hearing a Cause or doing some charitable Act in the day would complain at night unto his Courtiers Sirs I have lost a day 2 Cor. 6.2 Hoc Nunc nullum habet crastinum Aug. Delays are dangerous yea Delay is the Mother of Danger Delay is almost as bad as Denyal There is a word which is the Lords Adverb and the Devils Verb Early say God stay sâ—y the Devil Now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation This Now saith one hath no to morrow Take heed of playing the Courtier with thy Soul the Courtier do all things late he riseth late dineth late goeth to bed late and repenteth late Henry the fourth asked the Duke de Alva if he had seen the great Ecclipse of the Sun which had lately been no said the Duke I have so much to do upon Earth that I have no leisure to look up to Heaven Let thy Thoughts be taken up with Death Ambrose I have not saith one so lived that I am afraid to die or ashamed to live longer Death is a Theam worthy the most serious and solid the most spiritual and sanctified meditation Be much through Christ in prayer Multiply cries and cry mightily unto Christ that Heaven may be thy Haven that Paradise may be the Port for thy Soul Prayer is the first and should be the last Dish If ye be Christs ye must Pray while ye live and Pray when ye die ye must live and die Acts 7.59 praying Thus Stephen did They sloned Stephencalling upon the name of the Lord and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Yea thus a greater than Sephen Luke 23.34 the Lord and Life of Stephen the Lord Jesus Christ did Father forgive them for they know not what they do When the Heart-blood of Christ was comming forth then was the heart-prayer of Christ also comming forth Rev. 8.3 4. Gen. 48.16 Father forgive them for they know not what they do We read of an Angel that stood at the Altar The Angel is Christ the Angel that redeemed Jacob from all evil the Angel of the Covenant The Altar is Himself who sanctifieth prayer as the Altar did the Gift This Angel which is Christ had a golden Censer his own Body Mal. 3.1 To him was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints or that he should add to the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was befere the Throne Christ by his Intercession perfumes the prayers of his being the only High Priest of the New Testament And the smoak of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand It is such a prdyer that I intend a pure prayer a Gospel prayer a prayer that passeth a Christ that passeth out of the Angels hand that passeth through the hand of the Son 1 Sam. 1.15 Rom. 8.26 to the heart of the Father Now what is this Prayer but a pouring out of the Sonl to God what is pure prayer but a breathing out that before God which was first breathed in by the Spirit of God As Fear is so principal a Grace that it is sometimes put for all grace Now I know that thou fearest God Gen. 22.2 seeing thou hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son And as Faith is so principal a Grace that it is sometimes put for all Grace Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith so Prayer is so principal a part of Worship that it is sometimes put for all worship Mat. 21.13 Luk. 18.1 1 Thes 5.17 My house shall be called an house of prayer but ye have made it a den of thieves Pure Prayer is imposed therefore incumbent Christ spake a Parable that men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint To pray alwaies is not to faint in prayer Pray without ceasing Pray there is the Act without ceasing there is the Duration of that Act. As it is the duty of a Christian of Christs making to pray so it is the property of this person to pray A living Child is a crying Child Until the Child come out of the womb it cannot cry but when it come into the World it cry So long as a a man is in the womb of a natural state Gal. 4.6 he cannot cry Father Father Because ye are Sons God hath â—sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Act. 9.11 crying Father Father Was Paul ever said to pray until converted from his Pharisaical state Go for behold he prayeth He who was a Persecutor before is a Prayer now Soul if God design thee for Heaven he will put thee upon prayer yea Mat. 6.6 upon closet-prayer But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet 'T is death to a living man long â—o hold his breath If we breath we live if we breath not we die Thus 't is death as it were to a truly gracious soul long to be kept from inward and intimate converse and communion with God and Christ with God in Christ. A declining of this Duty will prove a drawn Flood-gate unto great Iniquity Where is that man like to stop who declines this Duty Eph. 6.18 Praying alwaies there 's the Duty with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit there 's the Direction If we would prepare for death we must be much in prayer To this end reflect the Income of prayer and Influence of prayer Be much in the reflection of the Income of prayer A Soul in Christ would not lose his Incomes of prayer for a world for a thousand worlds if there were so many Oh what have thy Tears and thy Triumphs been in a Closet Oh what have thy Sighs and thy Sights been in a Closet O what have thy Shines and thy Smiles been in private prayer Oh how melted have thy Soul been and mortified have thy sin been when thou hast been engaged and enlarged in private prayer Have not thy Soul been sent away with more of the sanctifying and with more of the sealing work of the Spirit too Davids Incoms of prayer were great and he valued them greatly I love the Lord why because he hath heard my voice Psa 116.1 2. and my supplications because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him so long as I live What an estimate is set upon the Income of Prayer Be much in the reflection of the Influence of Prayer Prayer hath a great Influence for instance Pure Prayer through Christ had an Influence and Command over the four Elements Aire Fire Earth Water Over the Air. Elias which was Elijah praved earnestly in prayer he prayed Jam. 5.17 18. so the Greek That is he prayed earnestly for the ingemination hath this force that it might not rain and it did not that it might rain and it did Over the Fire Thus it had in
Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 This name Jesus is originally Hebrew and it is a sweet word a word sweetly sweet Had it not been much better for Thee and for Me not to have had a Name than for Vs not to believe in this Name This Name is Honey in the Mouth Musick in the Ear a Jubilee in the Heart Christ is called Jehovah Is not this a great and a good Name What Mortal though the greatest Rhetorician is able to express the greatness and goodness of this Name Jer. 23.6 In his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness Now do not these various Titles speak Christ to be a God From probable and promising Arguments and Reasons He from whom Salvation is must be God but from Christ Salvation is therefore Christ is God Psal 68.20 He that is our God is the God of salvation and unto God the Lord belong the Issues from death Salvation is a sweet word to a dark and doubting soul to a desponding and despairing soul and this Salvation is from Christ There is salvation in none other Say unto my soul Psal 35.3.2 I am thy salvation He who is the Object of Faith must be God but Christ is the Object of Faith therefore Christ is God Let not your hearts be troubled Joh. 14.1 ye believe in God believe also in me Not that Christ commands or approves a Stoical Apathy as if his Disciples should put off natural affection and be troubled at nothing but he would not have their hearts like water muddied and stirred not full of vehement commotion and perturbation as the Greek word signifieth Let not your hearts be thus troubled ye believe in God believe also in Me. Rom. 3.26 The person of Christ is the Object of Faith That he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus He who is the Life of His must Himself needs be God but Christ is the Life of His therefore Christ is God Joh. 11.25 I am the Resurrection and the Life The life of Nature of Grace and of Glory are from Christ Col. 3.4 When he who is our life shall appear He who is Life to Himself must be God but Christ is Life to Himself therefore Christ is God I am he that was dead Rev. 1.18 and am alive and behold I live for evermore God as Father hath communicated unto Christ as Son his whole Essence Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself He that can turn Water into Wine and heal with a word must be God but thus Christ did therefore Christ is God Satan may work wonders and Magicians by the help of Satan did work wonders but miracles are out of the sphere of Satan A miracle is a rare work John 2.9 11. Joh. 4.50 54. apparently wrought by the power of God far above Nature and all natural causes Christ turned Water into Wine and this is called a miracle Christ also healed with a word for he said unto the Noble-man Go thy way thy Son liveth This also is called a miracle Now is not this Christ a God He that was before all things must be God but Christ was before all things therefore Christ is God I was set up from everlasting Pro. 8.23 In time Christ â—vas sent out but from everlasting was Christ set up He is before all things Col. 1.17 and by him all things consist He that is Gods Fellow must needs be God but Christ is God's Fellow therefore Christ is God Awake oh sword against my Shepherd Zach. 13.7 and against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of Hosts smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proximum meum My Fellow my Citizen so the Septuagint My nearest that is next unto Me so Junius Thus Christ is he is nearest unto God his Session is at the right hand of God He is next unto God Father and then Son Mark 14.27 That this place is principally to be understood of Christ is evident by the Evangelist For it is written I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered He who gave a Resurrection to Himself must be God but Christ gave a Resurrection to Himself therefore Christ is God Joh. 2.19 21. Christ told the Jews that he would give himself a corporal and numerical Resurrection Destroy this Temple and in three daies I will raise it up but he spake of the Temple of his body When therefore ye read that God raised him from the dead as ye often may ye may then understand it of the Deity Christ also seems to insinuate this when speaking of his Life he saith I have power to lay it down Joh. 10.18 and I have power to take it up again He that can give a Resurrection to others must be God but Christ can give a Resurrection to others therefore Christ is God Lazarus come forth Joh. 11.43 44. and he that was bound came forth That Christ did raise is evident that Christ will raise is as evident This is the will of him that sent me Joh. 6.40 that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day He that made all things must be God but Christ made all things therefore Christ is God All things were made by him Joh. 1.3 and without him was not any thing made that was made None can create but God only Though Christ be less than the Father in respect of his Humanity yet he is equal unto the Father in respect of his Divinity Jer. 10.11 for all things were made by him The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth even they shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens He unto whom divine Adoration is due must be God but unto Christ divine Adoration is due therefore Christ is God Mat. 4.10 This Doctrine Christ hims elf preached to Satan Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve As if Christ had said Satan thou art not God therefore I must not worship Thee to get all the world Acts 14.13 14 15 And as Satan must not so Man must not be worshipped Not Magistrates not Ministers Paul and Barnabas would not be worshipped Rev. 22.8 9. And as Men must not so Angels must not be worshipped They are fellow-servants worship God He who is Omniscient must be God Joh. 21.17 but Christ is Omniscient therefore Christ is God Lord thou knowest all things Christ knoweth all things as if he had but one thing to know He knoweth all things done in Romish-Conclaves and in English-Cabals Come Joh.
to be God 2 Thes 1.6 It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to those that trouble you It is most agreeable to Justice that the persecuting should not go unpunished and that the persecuted should be righted in another world who suffer and can have no right in this world In respect of his Mercy Christ is more merciful than His can be sinful The Mercy of Him is a larger Territory than the Iniquity of His. Rom. 5.20 21. The Law entred that the Offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did much more abound That as sin reigned unto death so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Mercy as it is Mans Mirror so it is Christs Motive Mich. 7.18 and Element for he delights in Mercy If his children forsake my Law and walk not in my Judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments Psal 89.30 31 32 33. what then must they lie down in sorrow now must they go to Hell now No Then will I visit their transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail Christ had rather draw Lines of Love than of Wrath and write in Honey than in Gall. Christs Mercy is as aged and long-lifed as Himself The mercy of Jehovah is from eternity to eternity upon them that fear him Psal 103.17 and his righteousness unto childrens children Now if ye reflect the Justice of Christ or the Mercy of Christ he is a wall of Fire or Security to the Church of the first-born whose names are written in Heaven A wall of Fire round about her Why. But why is Christ a wall of Fire Quest 2. or Security to his Church and People Because it is his pleasure so to be Reas 1. Sic volo sic jubeo stat pro ratione voluntas That is too lofty a Strain for any below a Christ As I will so I command my will shall stand for a Law Christ is God and his will is his Rule Is not that a high as well as a holy Strain Father I will that those which thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my Glory which thou hast given me Is not this a Kingly Strain Father I will Joh. 17.24 Mat. 8.2 3 4. The Leper comes to Christ and says Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Jesus put forth his hand and touched him saying I will be thou clean And immediately his Leprosie was cleansed Because it is his promise to be so Christ hath promised to keep his Church and he will keep his promise Ia that day Isa 27.2 3 cry ye to her a Vineyard of red Wine I Jehovah do keep it I will water it every moment â—est any hurt it I will keep it night and day Not super hunc Petrum but super hanc Petram Mat. 16.18 All time is divided into Night and Day Night and Day comprehend all Time For Christ then to keep his Church Night and Day is for Christ to keep it constantly continually and without intermission Thou art Peter thou art a Fisher-man at best but a Fisher of men and upon this Rock not upon this Peter but upon my Self will I build my Church and the gates of Hell all the power and policy of Hell shall not prevail against it Here is promise as well as pleasure Christ will be a wall of Fire to His because they are his Jewels Will not a man that is not defective in his prudentials secure his Jewels Mal. 3.17 They shall be mine in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as â— Father his Son that serveth him If an House be on Fire the Owner of it will first take care of his Wife and Children then of his Jewels and last of all of his Lumber and Rubbish Christ Psa 135.4 secures first his people for they are his Jewels the world is but Lumber and Ruhbish As Christ hath a People and a Treasure so it is a peculiar People and Treasure For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar Treasure The Relation between Christ and his Church call for this and carry the reason of it Christ and his Church are inwardly and intimately related therefore will he be a wall of Fire round about her He that sanctifieth Heb. 2.11 and they who are sanctified are all one of one piece of one pedigree of one family having one and the same Father Go said Christ to Mary and say to the Brethren Joh. 20.17 I ascend to my Fatheâ— and your Father to my God and your God The Appellations of Christ and his Church call for this and carry the reason of it 1. The Church is Christs Love and Christ is the Churches Beloved That the Church is Christs Love is evident I have forsaken mine house I have left my heritage Jer. 12.7 I have given the Love of my Soul so the Margent into the hands of her enemies That Christ Cant. 2.10 is the Churches Beloved is as evident My Beloved spake and said unto me rise up my Love my fair one and come away Christ is the Head and the Church is the Body For the Husband is the Head of the Wife Eph. 5.23 even as Christ is the Head of the Church And as Christ is Head so the Church is Body Ephes 1.22 23. Hath given him to be Head over all things to the Church which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all It is not the Prince nor the Pope but Christ that is Head of a Church Evangelically constituted Christ is the Foundation and the Church is Fabrick 1 Cor. 3.11 Psa 23.6 That Christ is Foundation is legible Other Foundation can no man lay than that already laid which is Jesus Christ That the Church is Fabrick is as legible I will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever Christ is the Husband and the Church is Spouse That Christ is Husband Isa 54.5 is apparent Thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name and thy Redeemer the holy One of Israel the God of the whole Earth shall he be called That the Church is Spouse is as apparent Come hither Rev. 21.9 and I will shew thee the Bride the Lambs Wife Now is Christ the Lover and will he not secure his Love Is Christ Head and will he not secure his Body Is Christ Foundation and will he not secure his Fabrick Is Christ the Husband and will he not secure his Wife Will he not be a wall of Fire round about his Church and People If any shall Object Obj. is Christ a wall of Fire to Christians when Christians burn to Ashes in the fire This is strange and it is a Paradox
then through Grace Assurance of another Life after Death for there can be no Assurance of this Life against Death To this end suffer a concise Discussion of these following Queries But Quest 1. Sol. Joh. 20.28 is Assurance attainable in this Life Yea I dare be peremptory and positive herein that Assurance is attainable in this Life My Lord and my God Mine and Thine are words of propriety These Pronouns Me Thee Mine Thine My Meum Tuum Luth. Thy they are strains of Love and drop like Honey-combs sweetness of Affection The sweetness of the promises as says one is couched and lodged in Pronouns My Thy Me Thee Mine Thine Thomas Job 19.25 was assured my Lord and my God Thus Job I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the Earth This knowing is knowing upon great certainty knowing without all wavering As if he had said my judgment is fixed and my Faith confirmed in this thing It is as clear to me that Christ is my Redeemer and that this Redeemer of mine liveth as if I had already seen him alive My Faith makes this as evident to me now as my experience shall hereafter Thus David The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress Psal 18.2 and my deliverer my Rock in him will I trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus Paul I am perswaded the word signifieth an assured Confidence I am assiredly confident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of what that not Death Life Angels Principalities Powers things present things to come height depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8.38 39. which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Places might be multiplied in order to the evincement of this Truth that Assurance is attainable in this Life May the Church speak My Beloved is mine Can. 2.16 and I am his he feedeth among the Lillies That their hearts might be comforted Col. 2.2 being knit together in love and to the full assurance of understanding Hereby we know that we know him 1 Joh. 2.3 if we keep his Commandments To know that we know is assuredly to know infallibly to know The barbarous and bloody Papists deny an infallible Assurance and grant only a conjectural one the reason they give is the mutability of mans will but the Salvation of a Soul depends not upon the mutability of mans but upon the immutability of Gods will I am Jehovah and I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed But what is this Assurance Quest that is attainable in this Life Soul Assurance or evidence for Interest in Christ is that internal and infallible Certainty Descr which a believing person hath of Salvation through free grace written with the Blood of a crucified Christ In this Description for I dare not pretend unto a Definition six things fall under Discussion the matter the manner the subject the object the motive the medium but to these distinctly The matter This is Certainty Assurance or Evidence for Interest in Christ is a certain thing Hoc aliquid nihil a real thing and an assured Soul can realize this thing The world is a cheat and its motto is This Something is Nothing The world is a mass of mutabilities a mass of uncertainties Oxen and Sheep Asses and Camels to day but none to morrow but now Assurance is a certainty I have read of one who said Lord I am assured of thy Love Mrs. Bretterg and so certain am I of that as I am certain that thou art the God of Truth Assurance is not a Physical notion or a mathematical conclusion it is not conjectural but real The Soul that hath passed through the sealing work of the Spirit can say as Jacob did to Joseph I know it my Son I know it Gen. 48.19 I am not under a mistake concerning the Lads I know what I do Thus those who are assured can say God is theirs and Christ theirs and Grace theirs and Glory shall be theirs We are alwaies confident knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.6 7 8. not by sight We are confident I say and wiling rather to be absent from the body that we may be present with the Lord. If the Soul goes down to the dust with the Body what presence have we with God when we die we are confident and this is doubled yea we are alwaies confident The manner As there is the matter which is certainty so there is the manner of this certainty which is internal and infallible but to these distinctly Internal The very Heart and Soul of man is concerned here Assurance is a work within a work upon the Heart Rom. 10.10 With the Heart man believeth and with the Tongue confession is made unto Salvation The Heart is the happy or unhappy soil for good or evil All good or evil begins in the Heart The Soul is invisible and so is this work of Assurance upon the Soul The word of Assurance is my Redeemer My Father and your Father my God and your God is the Dialect of the Gospel And Mary said Luke 1.46 47. but what did she say she sayeth this My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit doth rejoyce in God my Saviour Infallible As it is external so it is invisible and infallible Assurance is an internal and invisible Certainty for it is from the Spirit of God and who may charge the Spirit of God with fallibility and fallacy In Cathreda Shall the proud Pope pretend to Infallibility when and while in the Chair and shall the Spirit when the Lord is that Spirit be charged with fallibility and fallacy The Spirit is the Tree upon which groweth all that fruit that is brought forth to God The Spirit is that infallible Testimony within Our Gospel came not to you in word only 1 Thes 1.5 it came in word but not in word only it came also in power and in the holy Spirit and in much assurance The Subject Now this is a believing person This Assurance or Evidence for Interest in Christ is that Internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath It is a believing person whether Jew or Gentile whether man or woman that launch forth into this great deep It is a believing person that is able to engage a Lion and a Bear and doubts not but to make a Conquest upon a Goliah also Though there may be Grace where there is no Assurance yet there can be no Assurance where there is no Grace Though there may be Faith where there is no Assurance Heb. 10.22 yet there is no Assurance where there is no Faith for it is an Assurance of Faith Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith
As God is faithful who hath promised so God hath laid his faithfulness under promise I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail or lie His Counsel As God hath laid his Spirit and Gâ—odness Consilium malum Consultori pessimum and Faithfulness so his Counsel under promise Counsel is the Spirit and Quintessence of Reason Reason drops out and distills it self into Counsel It is an old Adage or Proverb That bad Counsel is worst to the Counsellor Princes formerly used to have learned men about them whom they called Remembrancers Themistocles had his Anaxagoras Alexander his Aristotle Scipio his Panaetius and Polybius but David in all his straights asked counsel of the Lord Psal 119.24 and consulted him as his Oracle Thy Testimonies also are my delight and my Counsellors or the Men of my Counsel The Orator said Men of Counsel are to a Commonwealth Margent as the Mind Reason or Vnderstanding is to any particular man Young mens Counsels Cicero Descriptio are very dangerous Jeroboam lost ten Tribes by following them Counsel is good Advice given and ought to be taken about things to be done The Grecians in matters of great importance did resort in respect of Counsel to the Temple of Apollo Ex. 18.26 The small matters were judged by the Heads of the People but the hard Causes were brought unto Moses God did speak by a Mâ—ses but now he speaks by a Messiah Heb. 1.2 whom he hath appointed Heir of all things Of old also they enquired of Abel 2 Sam. 20.18 They plainly spake in the beginning saying Surely they will ask of Abel and so make an end Abel was a City the Inhabitants thereof in former times being reputed just and pâ—udent were in affairs of weight resorted unto for Counsel whence it grew into a Proverb That they who needed Advice should ask at Abel Others think that this City-Matron puts Joab in mind of the old Law which commanded Deut. 20.10 11. that a City should be summoned before besieged and a Cessation of Arms upon embracing Conditions of Peace But to a Christ should the Soul now go for counsel and him should the Soul now consult as an Oracle who infallibly thus speaks Counsel is mine Prov. 8.14 Luk. 12.10 11 12 and sound wisdom I am understanding I have strength The highest and the holiest counsel is laid and left under promise When they bring you unto Synagogues Magistrates and Powers take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer or what ye shall say for the holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say His Conduct As God hath laid his Counsel so his Conduct under promise He shall feed his flock like a shepherd There is feeding but is there all no Isa 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs with his Arm There is gathering but is here all no He shall carry them in his Bosom There is carrying but is here all no there is leading also and that gently those with young or that give suck Oh saith the Soul the way to Hell is so much beaten and the way to Heaven is so little beaten that I know not how to go without leading Oh saith another the way to Hell is down-hill but the way to Heaven is up-hill that I know not how to go without leading But Soul leading is laid and left under promise I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not Isa 42.16 I will lead them in paths that they have not known Himself God hath laid himself under promise Ye shall be my people Ezek. 36.28 and I will be your God Who is able to say what God is One being asked what God was answered He must be a God that can give a Solution to this Question Now God Himself hath laid Himself under promise 2 Cor. 6.18 I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Thus there are four things recorded and transmitted to Posterity in the preciousness of them There is a precious Soul As the Redemption of the Soul is precious so the Soul that is redeemed is precious The precious sons of Sion comparable to fine gold Lam. 4.2 how are they esteemed as earthen Pitchers the work of the hands of the Potter These are precious in the eyes of God but vile in the eyes of the world There is precious Faith Faith is a precious Plant an outlandish Plant a Plant of God's own planting and of a divine Extract Faith is not a Native but a Donative it is Heaven-born and not a Slip growing in our own Garden 2 Pet. 1.1 To all that have obtained like precious faith There is a precious Christ Pearls are precious Christ is a Pearl yea the Pearl the Pearl of great price of greatest price It would puzzle and pose Lam entius not onely all the Saints but also all the Angels to bring in the worth and the weight of this Pearl He can never dye a Bankrupt worse than nothing nor a Beggar worth nothing that hath this Pearl 1 Pet. 2.7 Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious Or Honor Greek One thinks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Abstract is put for the Concrete Honor for honorable and precious There is a precious Promise Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises 2 Pet. 1.4 So that here is a precious Saint thorough precious Faith closing with a precious Christ in a precious Promise DIRECT VI. ART actually in Christ Direct 6. Drink then of the Brook by the way and lift up thy head Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord Rev. 14.13 yea from henceforth saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them In this Bundle of Myrrhe in this Text and Truth so sweetly-sweet there is the Subject and the Predicate The Subject This is Blessing Blessed The word seems to signifie greatly blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and happy The Predicate Now this is referrible to two Heads the Pronunciation of it and the Amplification of it The Pronunciation of it Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord yea from hencesorth saith the Spirit Wherein there are these things The Persons The Dead The without Heart so the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primum vivens ultimum morienâ— Arist for as Life beginneth so Death endeth in the Heart One therefore calls the Heart the first living and the last dying The Dead blessed are the Dead or the without Heart A Description of these Persons which dye in the Lord. In Christ Jesus the Lord in the Faith of Christ Jesus the Lord. Which dye in the Lord or for the Lord for the Lord Jesus for the sake of the Lord Jesus so Beza and Mede that pass thorough a violent death that suffer death for Christ and
as he loves himself yea he seems to love them above himself for he loves them and lays down his life for them Who loved us Ezek. 18.31 32. and washed us from our sins in his own blood Why will ye dye O house of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith Jehovah God Why will ye dye will ye not onely kill your selves but also me Let me dye that ye may live let me have a Cross that ye may have a Crown let me be betrayed that ye may be blessed let me be buffeted that ye may be beautified let me be crucified that ye may be crowned let me be sacrificed that ye may be sanctified and saved Thus Joh. 13.1 a Christ loveth and who but a Christ thus loveth His are loved rather than Himself if not above Himself And having once loved he ever loveth Christ is a living yea ever-living Physician Physicians below may dye must dye yea Rom. 6.10 often dye before the Cure is made but Christ having once dyed dyeth no more but lives for evermore The Physician of the Body is mortal as well as the Patient and may dye before the Patient but Christ the Physician of the Soul having once dyed no more dyeth death Joh. 5.26 hath no more domiaion over him As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Christ is a valuable Physician Job speaking of his Visicors calls them Job 13.4 Physicians of no value but Christ is of value of great value of greatest value Col. 2.9 In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead personally Christ is rarely skilled infinitely qualified he knoweth every Cause to him therefore is easie every Cure Nullus effectus dature sine causa effectus sequitur virtutem causae Causa est prior essecto Faelix qui â—otuit rerum cognoscere causas 1 Kings 4.32 33. Prov. 8.14 Effects cannot be produced without Causes It is a Maxim That where sufficient Causes are in Act there of necessity the Effect must follow The Effect cannot be existent before its Cause Effects must depend upon their Cause as their Base and Principle It is an approved Aphorism That the Cause precedes the Effect in order of Nature and Time and Both every thing resolves into its principle It is usually said They are happy who know the causes of things And in respect of corporal diseases they say That a disease is half cured when the cause of it is discovered Christ knows the cause and therefore can make a cure Solomon was a great Philosopher his Parables prove his divine wisdom He was prodigiously parted greatly read in Trees and Pants in Beasts and Birds in creeping things and Fishes which manifest his humane wisdom But a greater than Solomon is here under discussion One that is not onely understanding in all things but also understanding it self I am understanding Christ is a sudden Physician Some Physicians of the Body are long in curing As some persons are long diseased palsical Eneas kept his Bed eight years The woman whom Christ called a daughter of Abraham had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years There lay also at the Pool of Bethesda a man which had an infirmity thirty and eight years Now as some persons have been long diseased so some Physicians are long in curing such diseases They are long in curing if there be money coming Their Cures are like Chancery-Suits depending several years Isai 107.20 but Christ is quick at curing He sent his word and healed them It is enough to the Centurion if he can but get a word from Christ Speak the word onely Matth. 8.8 13. and my Servant shall be healed And Jesus said unto the Centurion Go thy way and as thou hast believed so be it done unto thee And his Servant was healed in the self-same hour Christ is a seasonable Physician The season of a mercy does greatly accent the mercy For a person to be sinking in the Thames and for another to rescue him from those merciless waves is not this in season Mark 5.23 24 c. For the daughter of Jairus who was at the point of death and the woman with her issue of blood of twelve years time to be both healed was not this in season For a person to be arrived near the Gates of Hell by his Sin and for Christ to give him check by his Grace is not this in season Zech. 3.1.2 For Joshua to stand before the Angel of the Lord for Satan also to stand at his right hand to resist him to be his Adversary margent and for God to rescue Joshua being a Brand plucked out of the Fire is not this in season Christ is a sutable Physician All Cures they say are by Sympathy or by Antipathy Both these ways Christ cureth Christ cureth by Sympathy In all their afflictions he was afflicted An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth Isa 63.9 1 Cor. 15.21 for a Tooth Blood for Blood By man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Christ cureth by Antipathy There is Good for Evil Light for Darkness Life for Death Heaven for Hell God hath not appointed us unto wrath 1 Thess 5.9 Non cur atur pars nisi curetur totum 2 Pet. 3.18 but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Physicians say If ye would cure any unsound part ye must cleanse the whole Body Christ cures by Sympathy and by Antipathy he must needs universally cure that every way cures Christ hath once suffered the just for the unjust A Physician asking a Lacedemonian How he did answered The better that 〈◊〉 meddle not with Thee nor take of thy Physick Certainly no Soul unto whom Christ hath been a Physician will say so of his Physick Christ is an incomparable Physician Christ is incomparably qualified and under an incomparable qualification It is said of a good Chyrurgion or Physician that he must have an Eagles Eye a Lyons Heart and a Ladies Hand Christ with the greatest Reverence be it written hath all these A good Physician must have an Eagles Eye He that is good at healing had need be good at seeing that he may discover where the fault and the failing is Thus Christ is incomparably qualified He is excellent at seeing excelling in seeing so good at seeing Joh. 9.6 7 that he gave sight unto one that was born blind A good Physician must have a Lyons heart He that is a Physician must be strong and stout-hearted for if the Physician fail how will the Patient bear up his courage A Physician must deal freely and plainly with the Patient telling him the disease and the danger if he take not this or that he is a dead man c. Thus Christ deals freely and plainly with the souls of men and women telling them If ye believe not that I am he ye
Glory no Heaven no Happiness without this Christ in this world But am I called to go to this Saviour for Salvation Quest 3. Called thou art therefore go Look unto me Sol. Isa 45.22 and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Here is not only looking but looking for Salvation and Salvation upon looking Look unto me and be ye saved But if going unto Christ be imposed Quest 4. shall I be welcome if I go unto him for Salvation Come and welcome Sol. Joh. 6.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me and he that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me All that are chosen in me shall be called by me All that were given unto me shall believe in me All that were mine before time by eternal Donation shall be mine under time by effectual Vocation Is here all No And he that cometh unto me that is He or She that believeth in me I will in no wise cast out or according to the Greek wherein there are two Negatives I will not not cast out of doors Soul Christ will not shut the doors upon thee when thou comest nor cast thee out of doors when thou art come Oh infinite mercy Oh but I am a lost Soul and in a lost state Now Quest 5. may a lost Soul in a lost state go unto this Christ for Salvation A lost Soul in a lost state Sol. Luk. 19.10 may go to Christ for Salvation The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost Christ came that he might seek and sought that he might save that which was lost What go to Christ Quest 6. Is not an impossibility imposed upon me Can there be going without drawing He that commands going Sol. Joh. 6.44 concerns himself with Soldrawing No man cometh unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him But if going unto Christ be believing in Christ Quest 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can a man without Christ believe in Christ Faith is the work the work of works It is true Faith is the work of works Sol. When they called upon Spira to believe Hic labor Hoc opus he told them it was as possible to drink up the Sea at a draught You call upon me said he to believe I tell you I cannot oh now I cannot It is as possible yea more possible to keep the Moral Law than to believe for it is natural to work for life but supernatural to believe for life Faith is an out-landish Plant and of a divine Extract it is not a slip growing in our Gardens but a heaven-born Grace Faith Eph. 2.8 is not a Native but a Donative it is the Gift of God it is the Work of God Now though there cannot be a believing in Christ without Christ Col. 2.12 yet there may be a believing in Christ through Christ Phil. 4.13 Heb. 12.2 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Christ is the disposer and dispenser of all Grace he that calls thee to go can cause thee to go that calls thee to believe can cause thee to believe What Quest 8. go to Christ for Salvation what manner of Saviour then is Christ My Line will not sound this Depth Sol. what is a Muscle-shell to empty an Ocean Is it not much more easie to say what Christ is not than to say what Christ is But take a Tast Christ is a merciful Saviour Mercy is the Element of Christ Duty should be the Element of a Christian. Christ is a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God Heb. 2.17 to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Christ delights rather to write in Hony than in Gall and to draw lines of Love than of Wrath His Grace is a larger Territory than mans Sin and his Mercy than mans Iniquity The Law entred that the offence might abound Rom. 5.20 but where sin abounded grace did much more abound Man is not so unworthy as Christ is worthy not so sinful as he is merciful Christ is a meek Saviour There is no forbidden passion running in his Veins Num. 20.10 Psal 116.11 Job 3.3 Meek Moses had his passion Hear now ye rebels must we fetch you water out of this Rock David had his passion I said in my haste all men are lyars Just Job had his pettish humour He wished the day to perish wherein he was born though his passion was buried under his patience and his infirmity under his Grace Jam. 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job Jonah a Dove as the word fignifieth and Doves they say are Gall-less was not without his passion Jon. 4.9 Jonah saith God dost thou well to be angry And he said I do well to be angry even unto death As if he had said I am angry and I do well to be angry and I do well to be ever angry Should Man thus speak to God Though Blood ran in Christs Veins yet passion did not run there Learn of me for I am meek Mat. 11.29 and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls Learn of me what to do Aug. Not saith one to create the World not to walk on the Water not to raise the dead Learn of me there is the precept for I am meek and lowly in heart there is the president The one requires our Obedience Praeludium Coeli the other our Conformity And ye shall find rest for your souls there is the promise Ye shall have repose of mind and peace of conscience which is an Anticipation of Glory Heaven here Christ is a free Saviour Though Christ cannot be valued to his worth yet he may be had without money What is freer than Gift Christ is a Gift Joh. 4.10 He is the Fathers Gift and the Father in giving Him gave like Himself If thou knewest the gift of God He is also his own Gift Tit. 2.14 and in giving Himself he gave like Himself Who gave himself for us He gave his Soul his Body his Life which shew the willingness of his Death Though Christ be a pearl yet he may be had without a penny Though Christ be the pearl of great price of greatest price able to enrich a Beggar that is worth nothing yea a Bankrupt that is worse than nothing yet he may be had without money and without price Christ is a desirable Saviour Desire is the motion of the Soul after any apparent or promised Good The desires of man are vast as his thoughts Bloyse Modern Policies boundless as the Ocean saith one There is a threefold Desire of Nature of Grace of Glory Of Nature This will be content with a little Of Grace This will be content with less Of Glory This
and Omega Beginning and End First and Last Fear not Death for Christ is thine and he is a Foundation A Foundation is the Basis and Bottom of the Fabrick The whole Stress of the Fabrick layeth upon theâ— Foundation Behold Isa 28.16 Quest Sol. 1. I lay in Sion for a Foundation a stone a tryed Stone c. But what manner of Foundation is Christ Christ is an ancient Foundation Christ may plead Antiquity He was before the World Pro. 8.23 for he made the World The World was made by him I was set up from everlasting Christ is a perfect Foundation Christ must needs be perfect for he is the Persecteâ— Heb. 10.14 He is the Finisher as well as the Author of Faith of all Grace By once offering of himself he hath for ever perfected those that are sanctified Christ is a sutable Foundation Is not Bread sutable for the hungry is not Water sutable for the thirsty Christ is the Bread of Life and Water of Life Is not that a mighty word Col. 2.10 Ye are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power Christ is a Safe Foundation He that hath Christ for Foundation shall dwell on high Isa 33.16 his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks bread shall be given him and his Waters shall be sure Christ is a lovely Foundation Chrict Can. 5.10 is a Beauty without a Spot Absalom was a Black to this Beauty He is White and Red. Christ is a precious Foundation Though Christ was sold for thirty pieces of Silver Prov. 3.15 yet he was invaluable He is more precious than Rubies Christ is a living Foundation He that hath the Son 1 Joh. 5.12 hath life but he that hath not the Son of God hath not life Christ is a lasting Foundation The material Foundations of material Fabricks may rot and decay Rev. 1.18 but this Foundation will not cannot Christ is a lasting yea an everlasting Foundation I am he that was dead and am alive and live for evermore Christ is a tried Foundation He hath been tried to purpose tried to the Life tried to the Death He was obedient unto death Phil. 2.8 even the death of the Cross Christ is the Sole Foundation There is not any other Foundation laid nor to be laid Other foundation can no man lay 1 Cor. 3.11 than that already laid which is Jesus Christ Fear not Death for Christ is thine and he is a Fountain With thee is the Fountain of Life These words are metaphorical and may not the Psalmist here allude unto One or All these three things Waters Metals Veins Waters Waters flow from a Fountain There is the Fountain 1 Joh. 5.11 and the Stream the Stream is fed by the Fountain flow from the Fountain Thus Life flows from Christ. This life is in his Son Metals With thee is the Fountain or Veins of Lifes All Mineral Veins the Veins of Gold and Silver the Veins of Lead and of Iron they lay as it were in Bank in the Bosom and Bowels of the Earth Col. 3.3 Thus Life lies hid in Christ For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God Veins The Veins of the Body as so many Rivers derive their Blood from the red Sea in Man which is the Liver of Man Thus Christ is the Ocean of Life and All that live are filled with Life from Him Col. 3.4 When he who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Thus Christ is Life But what manner of Fountain is this Christ Quest Sol. 1. Christ is a living Fountain Many complain of their deadness and all have cause enough so to do Oh saith One I am dead in the Country dead in the City Oh saith another I am dead in the Church dead in the Closet Soul Christ is the Fountain of Life and this Christ is thy Christ. They have forsaken the Lord Jer. 17.13 the fountain of living waters Christ is a loving Fountain As Christ is the Fountain of Life so of Love Christs Love is a Loadstone 1 Joh. 4.19 it hath in it a magnetick and attractive Vertue His Love is the Cause of Ours Our Love the Effect of His. We love him because he first loved us We cannot love until loved Christ is a lighting Fountain As Christ is the Fountain of Life and of Love so of Light In thy light shall we see light As the Firmamental Sun so the Sun of Righteousness is purely seen in his own Light Oh say the Soul I am in the dark concerning promises in the dark concerning providences But Soul Christ is the Fountain of Light and this Christ is thy Christ Joh. 8.12 I am the light of the world Christ is a pure Fountain Water in the Fountain is pure purely pure Christ must needs be a Fountain pure for he is a Fountain set open for the impure In that day what day The day of the Messiahs comming into the world In that day Zach. 13.1 there shall be a fountain opened to the House of Jacob and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Or for sin and for separation from uncleanness Christ is a peaceable Fountain As Christ is the Fountain of Life and Love of Light and Purity so of Peace Joh. 16.33 If a man would have peace of Conscience which is an Anticipation of Glory he must go to Christ for it In me ye shall have peace How prodigious soever the winds be and impetuous soever the waves be yet in Christ for those who are Christs there is peace Oh say the Soul my life is Chequer-work I have my Tones of sorrow with my Tvnes of joy but Soul sorrow not as one without hope for thou art Christs and in him there is peace for his Christ is a free Fountain Wine and Milk may be had without Money and without Price Is this thy Cry Oh that one would give me a crum of the Bread of Lift Rev. 21.6 a drop of the Water of Life I will give to him that is â—thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely What freer than Gift Christ is a full Fountain In Christ water for Quality and Quantity Col. 2.9 is ever the same In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead personally Christ is an invisible Fountain This Fountain is not for every eye Heb. 11.27 it is only for the eye of Faith Thus Moses saw him who is invisible Christ is an immutable Fountain Men are not the same but Christ is Herod hears John and yet beheads him Heb. 13.8 Saul courts David one day and seeks to kill him the next but Christ is the same yesterday to day and for ever Christ is an incomparable Fountain Christ had the perfection of Grace as God and the perfection of Nature as Man Isa 46.5 To whom will ye liken me and make me
hand but in Christ their publick head Because I live Joh. 14.19 ye do live yea and ye shall live To have a portion for the Body is a mercy but to have a portion for the Soul and Christ this portion who hath Rhetorick enough to express this mercy Now Christ is a Soul portion under a double notion as he is Meat to the Soul and Medicine to the Soul Christ is the portion of the Soul as he is the Meat of the Soul Can the Body be without Bread Is not Bread that one thing without which a man would not long be Yea that one thing for which a man would part with any thing rather than long be without Christ is Meat to the Soul He Joh. 6.55 is the Bread of Life His flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed As Christ said I have meat to eat that the world knows not of So may the Christian say who hath Christ for his portion Christ is meat to my Soul which the world knows not of Christ is the Portion of the Soul as he is Medicine to the Soul He that is Meat to the Soul and Medicine to the Soul too that is Food for the Soul and Physick for the Soul too must needs be a Soul Portion but thus Christ is The Wilderness-Manna was Meat but not Medicine Food but not Physick If an Isralite had been Sick that Manna could not have cured him if an Israelite had been Stung which the fiery Serpents Num. 21.9 that Manna could not have healed him There was a Serpent of Brass lifted up upon a Pole that whosoever was bitten might look up unto and be healed Now this brozen Serpent was an emblem of Christ and shadowed him out Joh. 3.14 15. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life As Aron lifted up the Sacrifices at the Altar so Christ the Son the Substance of all Sacrifices was lifted up Christ is a satisfying Portion An Affluence and Confluence of these lesser and lower things will not satisfy without a Christ but a Christ will satitsfy without an Affluence and Confluence of these lesser and lower things The Eye is not satisfied with seeing but could see a thousand times more than it does Eccl. 1.8 not the Ear filled with hearing but could hear a thousand times more than it does Now if the Eye and the Ear cannot be satisfied how then should the Heart of Man which is the vastest thing in the world be satisfied without a Christ A man may have a Crown upon his Head and a Scepter in his Hand and not be satisfied but if a Soul hath Christ he cannot be unsatisfied It is enough said Jacob that Joseph is It is enough said Simeon that Jesus is Lord now let thy servant depart in peace why for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Simeon had lived long enough having lived to see Christ. Eccl. 5.10 Jer. 31.25 Psa 107.9 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with it nor he that loveth abundance with increase It is Christ that satiateth the weary Soul It is Christ that satisfieth the longing Soul and filleth the hungry soul with Goodness Now there are two things at least that contribute to the constituting of a right satisfaction the suitableness and sufficiency of the Object Christ is a satisfying Portion in respect of the sutableness of the Object There must be a sutableness in the Object to satisfie the Subject Had there been a Will in Christ and not a Power in Christ there had not been sutableness nor sufficiency in the Object to satisfie the Subject There can be no satisfaction without sutableness It is not Dirt but Bread that sâ—â—ts the Body There is not any thing so suits the Body as Christ suits the Soul Is the creature a Sinner Christ is a Saviour Was it man that sinned it was Christ that suffered and that as man By man came Death 1 Cor. 15.21 by man also came the Resurection from the dead He that suffers for man must come in the Nature of man thus Christ did He took not upon him the Nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Or thus Heb. 2.16 He taketh not hold of Angels but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold So that here wâ—s sutableness Christ is a satisfying Portion in respect of the sufficiency of the Object There must be a sufficiency as well as a sutableness in the Object for the Subject in order to satisfaction Had there been a propensity in Christ and not a sufficiency in Christ this would not have satisfied but now as Christ was Man that he might suffer so he was God that he might satisfie here is sutableness and sufficiency There is a sufficiency in Christ in order to salvation He is able to save to the utmost all that come unto God by him Heb 7.25 1 Cor. 1.2 And as Salvation so Sanctification in order to Salvation is from Christ. Sanctified in Christ Jesus Christ is a durable Portion Christ is a Portion that will last for ever Other Portions may be wasted but this cannot other Portions may be spent or lost but this cannot other Portions whether in our own hands or in the hands of others may be lost a Fare may come and Houses may be made heaps The more a man spends of a worldly Portion the less he hath he may beggar himself yea bankrupt himself but the more a man spends of this Portion the more he hath Christ is a Portion that will last as long as the Soul lasts Psal 73.26 and yet the Soul hath a stamp of Immortality upon it My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Worldly Portions are transient but this is permanent others fleeting but this abiding others temporal but this eternal Christ is not only the Christians Portion here but also hereafter But consider the Duration of this Portion under a double Notion in respect of his Life and in respect of his Love In respect of his Life As the Father hath life in himself Joh. 5.26 so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Christ once dying no more dieth In respect of his Love As Christ lives for ever so he loves for ever Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love As the Essence so the Attribute Christ is a seasonable Portion According to the timing of a Deliverance is the greatness of the Deliverance many times The timing of a Mercy greatly accents the Mercy many times The timing of Daniels Deliverance out of the Den and of the three Childrens out of the fiery Furnace did greatly accent their Deliverance and cause Heaven and Earth to ring with it When Man was so poor that he had beggared himself and was worth
The Object This is Salvation As there is the the matter the manner and the subject so the object and this is Salvation This Assurance is an internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath of Salvation Is not Salvation a great thing it is made up of Grace here and Glory hereafter Is not Salvation a great thing it is Grace and that is Glory in the bud it is Glory and that is Grace in the flower Is not Salvation a great thing it is Grace and that is Glory militant it is Glory and that is Grace triumphant Salvation is the object We believe Acts 15.11 that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they The Motive This is free-grace This Assurance is an internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath of Salvation through free-grace By grace ye are saved There is no reason to be given of Grace but Grace There is not any other motive with the God of Grace but the Grace of God As free-grace is mans mirror so it is Gods motive The Argument that prevailed with the God of Grace was the Grace of God So God loved the world so there is the Emphasis and it is an Emphasis unto wonder yea an Emphasis above wonder So God loved the world Joh. 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life The Medium or Means The meritorious cause is the Blood of Christ. The moving cause of Salvation is the Grace of God but the meritorious cause of it is the Blood of Christ 1 Pet. 3.18 who suffered without the gate Who suffered for sin the just for the unjust In that he died he died unto sin once but in that he lived he lived unto God Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto sin Rom. 6.10 11. but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that Soul Assurance or Evidence for Interest in Christ is that internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath of Salvation through free-grace written in the Blood of a crucified Christ It is true Assurance may be reduced to three heads Civil Corporal Spiritual Civil This is an Assurance for Fields Lands Houses Jer. 32.9 10. c. The Prophet bought a field of his Vncles Son subscribing the evidence sealing it taking witnesses and weighed him the money in the ballances Corporal Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have none assurance of thy life Deut. 28.66 Spiritual To the full assurance of hope unto the end It is a metaphor taken from Ships which have all their Sails up Heb. 6.11 and all these filled with wind This is the Assurance I have described But why is Assurance attainable in this Life Quest 3. Sol. If we reflect Precept President and Promise Assurance is attainable in this Life Precept What is Prescribed is attainable but Assurance is Prescribed Wherefore the rather Bretheren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give diligence the word signifies Study and Diligence As if the Apostle had said be Studious 2 Pet. 1.10 and Diligent or be Studiously Diligent But about what About your Calling and Election Make your Calling and Election sure Vocation is a Comment upon Election and Evidential to Election No man can know that he is Elected until he be called but being effectually called he may know that he is eternally elected President What is exemplified is attainable but Assurance is exemplified If ye turn over the leaves of the blessed Bible that Book of Books from the beginning of it to the ending of it ye shall read of some persons in all Ages that have been assured As there is a distinguishing favour a favour proper and peculiar to the Saints and Servants of God so these Saints and Servants of God have been assured of this proper and peculiar Favour That there is a distinguishing Favour is evident Romember me Oh Lord Psa 106.4 with the favour thou bearest unto thy people Oh visit me with thy salvation That the people of God have been assured of this Favour is as evident Psa 41.11 By this I know that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me Promise What is Promised is attainable but Assurance is Promised As God hath Promised to keep his People so he will keep his Promise Isa 61.1 2 3. As Christ hath Promised to assure his People so he will assure his People by a Promise The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the Meek to bind up the Broken-hearted to comfort them that mourn c. But unto what is Assurance attributed Quest 4. and ascribed which is attainable in this Life This Assurance is attributed to the Spirit Sol. Assurance and the sealing work of the Spirit are Synonoma's In whom after ye believed Eph. 1.13 ye were Sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise The nature of a Seal is to make things sure A writing when Sealed is firm among men men also set their Seals on things to note their Propriety in the things that are Sealed As Faith may be without Assurance so it is alwaies before Assurance There is the Faith of Affiance and the Faith of Assurance There is the direct act of Faith this is an assenting and consenting that Christ is the Sinners Saviour and for the Sinner to cast himself at the feet of this Christ for Salvation this is Faith and the Soul that thus believe shall not perish for he that commeth unto Christ he will not Joh. 6.37 not cast out There is also the reflect act of Faith for the Soul to say this Christ is my Christ my Saviour my Surety my Sacrifice this is the Assurance of Faith this is the sealing work of the Spirit Grieve not the Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 whereby ye are Sealed to the day of redemption The Spirit here is set forth with very great Energy and it can hardly be expressed fully according to the Greek Here are three words which have three Articles each word hath its Article And grieve not the holy the Spirit of that God This is not spoken properly but tropically for the Spirit is incapable of Grief but we are said to grieve him when by sin we obstruct his Operation But what course shall I steer for this Assurance Quest 5. which is attainable in this Life Would ye be assured Sol. 1. Be much then in private prayer Is ever thy Heart more in consort than when thou art in a Closet Psa 51.4.12 Against Thee Thee only have I sinned According to the Dimension of the Person is the Dimension of the Transgression against whom we trespass But what course doth he now steer He sets upon prayer Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation uphold me with thy free Spirit Would ye be assured watch then
of Devils The Lord is slow to Anger and of great Power and will not at all acquit the wicked Now the Power of God Jer. 39.18 is made over by promise unto the People of God who make him the Object of their Trust I will surely deliver thee and thou shalt not fall by the sword but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee because thou hast put thy trust in me saith Jehovah His Presence As the power so the presence of God is made over by promise unto the People of God What would the Joys of Heaven be were it not for the presence of God there but as a Funeral Banquet Psal 16.11 where there is much provision but no meat In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore To be with the Lord for a moment is a Heaven upon Earth but to be with the Lord for ever is the Heaven of Heavens The presence of God is the Heaven of Heaven the Joy of Heaven the Life of Heaven and of All that shall arrive there Now the presence of God Isa 43.2 is made over by promise to the People of God When thou passest thorough the waters I will be with thee and thorough the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest thorough the fire thou shalt not be burnt nor shall the flame kindle upon thee God is with his in the fire and in the water though these be amazing and amusing elements and his presence is more than deliverance If God be with his though all evil be upon them yet no evil toucheth them The presence of the chief Good is banishment to all evil His Pardon Pardon of Sin is a singular mercy of the plural number if a convinced or deserted Soul may speak The Pardon of Pope Alexander the Sixth Heb. 8.12 was for Thirty thousand Years but this Pardon notwithstanding the prodigious length of it was not worth the having worth the hearing for God onely can forgive Sin I will be merciful unto their unrighteâ—◠〈◊〉 their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Here are three words unrighteousness sins and iniquities to indicate and intimate that God will forgive all kinds and degrees of sins Ex. 34.7 The number of words imply the number of sins The Scripture in propounding Gospel-Immunties sometimes useth three words Jer. 31.34 forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin sometimes two words I will forgive their Iniquity Jer. 33.8 and will remember their Sin no more sometimes but one word I will cleanse them from all their Iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me His Providence The works of God are distinguished into two sorts of Creation and Providence It is not good to out-run Providence Perkin ' s Golden Chain Acts 17.28 Isa 43.1 4. and it is as bad to loyter and lag behind it God's Providence saith one is either General which extends it self to the whole world in whom we live and move and have our Being or Special which he sheweth towards his Church Oh Jacob and Israel Fear not I have called thee by thy name thou art mine I will give men for thee and people for thy life All Creatures have a teaching Voice and read us Divinity-Lectures of Divine Providence Is not that a true Axiome in Divinity Gen. 22.14 Providence is a Creation continued Abraham called the name of the place where the Ram was caught Jehovah-jireh the Lord will see or provide noting the special Providence of God in Distresses as it is said unto this day In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen Now this Providence of God is his most wise just Descriptio and powerful discerning disposing and preserving of all things and persons according to his eternal and immutable knowledge and will for such ends as himself hath purposed from everlasting Mat. 10.29 30. Are not two Sparrows sold for a Farthing the tenth part of a Roman Peny and of our Coin an Half-peny Farthing and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father But the very hairs of your head are all numbred The hairs of our heads are innumerable to Vs but they are numerable to God These words at once intimate God's Care of all and Satan's Malice against all God will have an Account of every Hair The Enemies cannot pull off a Hair but God will call them to a Reckoning for it The Efflux of his Spirit As the Power and presence of God the Pardon and Providence of God so an Efflux of the Spirit of God is laid and left Isa 44.3 under promise I will pour water upon the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring Is not deadness of Spirit the Grave as it were of many Graces The Spirit of God is not the light within every man God the Father Son Faldo 's Key c. p. 85. and Holy Spirit without distinction as a Generation of a late Edition not for want of Ignorance or being too much proselited and become the Spawn of the Romists assert The Soul without the Spirit and its Gales is like a Ship without Sails and Wind. Now Joel 2.28 a greater dimension and efflux of the Spirit is laid and left under promise And it shall come to pass that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh His Goodness God is good very good and doth good Psal 27.13 He is abundant in goodness and truth I had fainted had I not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Had not the goodness of God been laid under promise how should it have been believed For as the Precept is a Rule for Obedience so the Promise is a ground for Faith The goodness of God is unto wonder and this is the matter of the Psalmist's wonder Psal 31.19 Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for those that fear Thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men His Faithfulness Man is unfaithful but God is faithful 2 Tim. 2.13 Though we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself This is not spoken of Vnbelievers but of persons that might be very unbelieving Though our Faith be reduced to a low ebb though Fear hath taken the wall of Faith though Fear be at flood Pontius Centurio Clark ' s Mirror p. 206. and Faith at ebb yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself One of Caesar's Captains taken by Scipio had his life proffered him with an honourable place in Pompey's Army if he would leave Caesar and serve Pompey but he answered I will rather dye than falsifie my Faith to Caesar Did man thus say Psal 89.33 What may God then say
love of the Brethren for whom my life in the flesh is necessary I am in a strait having a desire a vehement earnest and continued desire Having a desire to depart to dye and to be with Christ Death of it self should not be desired because this desire crosseth nature the grand desire to dye should not be to be out of the world but to be with Christ which may confute the error of those who dream that the Soul separated from the Body does sleep Which is far better It is very significant in the Original far much better or much more better Art actually in Christ Cordial II. Triumph then for Death will strip thee of thy Rags of Mortality Queen Esther appears before King Ahasuerus in her Royal Apparel If Joshuah appears before an Angel he must have change of rayment Could not he appear before an Angel in his own Rags How then shall a Soul appear before God without Christ's Robes There is no appearing before God in the Rags of Mortality nor in the Rags of Morality Self-righteousness is a Rag yea a menstruous Cloth Morality is but old Adam in another Dress Phi. 3.7 8 9. What things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod canibus exponitur and do count them but dung Dogs-meat so the Greek that I may win Christ And be found in him in him here and in him hereafter not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is thorough the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Death is a putting off the Rags of Mortality and Morality that the Soul may be decked and diessed with the Robes of Glory Art actually in Christ Cordial III. Triumph also whether living or dying thou art Christs Blessed are they that live in the Lord and blessed are they that dye in the Lord. There are many that live not in the Lord and dye not in the Lord that living and dying are not the Lords but while thou livest and when thou dyest thou art the Lords for thou art Christs Rom. 14.7 8. None of us liveth to himself and no man dyeth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord or whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords Now to have a Christ in Life and a Christ at Death is not this a comfortable Cordial Art the Lords in Life and the Lords at Death Go then from a Reflection of this Truth as Hannah did from Eli and let thy countenance be no more sad at the thoughts of Death Do men say the Nations are angry they are consulting conspiring and confederating against Christ and those that are Christs and thou mayst go bleeding out of the world or burning out of the world true saith the Soul but Christ is mine while I live and will be mine when I dye Does Conscience say Winter is coming a Storm is at Hand we may be near a showre of blood the winds are like to rise and be prodigious the waves are like to roar and be impetuous true saith the Soul but Christ is mine while I live and will be mine when I dye Does Satan say thy Life is uncertain and thy Death is certain Man is mortal and not a match for Death true saith the Soul but whether I live or dye I am the Lords It is said in the Life and Death of a worthy Minister Mr. Jessey That he passed unto Glory triumphing rejoycing under the very stroke of Death Art actually in Christ Cordial IV. Triumph also for Death will arrive and anchor thee in a desirable and delectable Harbor and Haven Ah poor Soul it may be thou hast as it were been at Sea ever since thy new Birth thy second Birth and hast met with winds and waves there with storms and tempests there it may be thou hast been without Sun-light there without Moon-light there yea without Star-light there but when Death arrests thy Body it will arrive thy Soul at a desirable and delectable Harbor and Haven yea at a Harbor and Haven of desire and delight The Navigator meets with hard things at Sea there is often nothing but difficulty in view danger in view yea Death in view but he forgets these when he comes within sight of the Harbor within sight of the Haven But Soul what Harbor like unto Heaven what Haven like unto Heaven when thou art landed at this Port at this Paradise thou wilt then forget thy Tryals and Troubles and Travels thy Sicknesses and Solitudes and Sufferings Luk. 23.43 And Jesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise This Text is like a bundle of myrrh and being so sweetly-sweet I shall touch upon the Meditations flowing from it That unto the worst hath Christ shewed mercy at last Meditat. Thou Thee Verily I say unto Thee Thou This man had been very bad for he had been a Thief and Theft is a great Sin for it is the breach of the great Command of the greatest God This man had sinned and this man was to suffer for his sin yea to suffer death for his sin and yet Christ had mercy upon him Though this man had lived to his last day and possibly to a little part of that day yet Christ said unto him To day It is very emphatical Mat. 20.9 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise The Saviour promiseth more than the Sinner asketh He that came into the Vineyard at the eleventh hour had his penny had his pay That Christ was God manifested in the flesh Shalt Thou shalt This Text and Truth prove the Deity and Divinity of Christ Thou shalt Had not Christ been God he would not have spoken thus and had not Christ been God he could not have thus spoken 1 Tim. 3.16 Thou shalt Great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifest in the flesh That words of Assurance are Christ's words No Soul hath a word of Assurance for Heaven until Christ speaks it John 6.63 68. The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are Life To day shalt thou be If Christ be a Mute the Soul is in doubt I that speak unto thee am he If Christ be a Mute the Soul is in a maze If Christ be silent the Soul is sad A word of Assurance is from Christ Whither should we ge but unto thee thou hast the words of eternal life No voice but the voice of Christ will still the voice of Desperation If the Soul be comforted Isa 51.12 and assured Christ must be the Text and the Preacher too I even I am he that comforteth thee Not I with another not I or
another but I and no other That Paradise is under promise for Converts Thou shalt be in Paradise Glory is entailed upon Grace Happiness is entailed upon Holiness and the Crown is appointed for the Converts Head Thou That this person was convinced appears in the Context Luke 23.40 41 42 Doest not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amiss And he said unto Jesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom That this person also was converted appears in the Text or Christ would not have laid Paradise under promise 1 Cor. 6.9 for Paradise is for none but Converts of his own making Thou shalt be in Paradise The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God The unrighteous as unrighteous and in a state of unrighteousness Mat. 18.3 shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not not so the Greek enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Persons must be converted as well as convinced and changed as well as called or they cannot be passed thorough the Gates into the City Ye shall not not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Not not two Negatives strengthen an Affirmative That which makes Paradise a Paradise indeed is to be with Christ there With me Thou shalt be with me in Paradise What would a Paradise be without Christ What would Heaven be though Angels be there and the Spirits of just men made perfect be there if Christ were not there Whom have I in Heaven but thee As if the Psalmist had said Heaven would not be a Heaven to me were it not for thee Christ's being with the Soul here makes a Heaven here and the Souls being with Christ hereafter makes a Heaven hereafter Would not Heaven be a Baca a valley of tears A Bochim a house of mourning if the Soul were not to find Christ there John 14.1 2 3. Let not your hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me in my Fathers house are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also That the Soul of a Convert is a Blossom of Eternity and hath a Stamp of Immortality As the Mortality of the Body so the Immortality of the Soul is legible in this Text and Truth Thou shalt be with me and that in Paradise Though thy Body dye yet thy Soul shall live yea live with me Fear not them which kill the Body Mat. 10.28 but are not able to kill the Soul Though the Body dyes the Soul lives That when Time goes into Eternity then the Converts Soul shall go into Glory To day Thou art upon earth to day and thou shalt be in Heaven to day Thy Body is upon a piece of timber this morning but thy Soul shall be in a place of Triumph before night To day To be in Paradise is much but to day to be there is more The time accents the mercy For Christ to speak in the Future Tense to a graceless Soul is not so amazing and amusing as for Christ to speak in the Present Tense For Christ to say He that believeth not shall be damned is sad but to say Thou Fool this night shall thy Soul be required of thee this is sadder For Christ to say He that believeth shall have everlasting life is much but for Christ to say To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise is much more Though thou hast been sinning to this day yet after this day thou shalt never more sin All persons are bound for Hell or for Heaven for there is no Purgatory but what is in the foolish fancy of the blind and bloody of the barbarous and butchering Papists This cruel Crew cast all men into three Ranks Some are Apostles and Martyrs persons eminently godly these they say go immediately to Heaven Some are Apostates and Persecuters of the Faith these they say go immediately to Hell There is a middle sort of ordinary sinners that immediately after death go neither to Heaven nor to Hell but to Purgatory where they say they must bear the punishment of their sins until they be prayed out Luk. 16.22 23. But all Souls are bound for Heaven or Hell The poor man dying arrived at Heaven the rich man dying arrived at Hell The Soul of this Convert was to be where the Soul of Christ was to be and did not his Soul go into Glory Ought not Christ to have suffered these things Luk. 24.26 and to enter into his Glory Was not the Soul of this Convert in Heaven before his Body was in the Grave Stephen dyed in this Faith that the Soul of a Convert goes into Glory when his Time goes into Eternity or he would not have prayed Acts 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my Spirit They stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Art actually in Christ Cordial V. Triumph also for Death will grave and that at once all thy Cares and Snares all thy Fears and Tears all thy Temptations and Tribulations Art actually in Christ Death then will grave all thy Cares Martha was careful and troubled about many things As it is said Luk. 10.40 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 10.41 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She was cumbred about much serving cumbred The Greek word to cumber or be cumbred signifies to be drawn or wried round and round about so it is said Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things Martha Martha she is named twice and the name signifieth Bitter as if Christ had said Bitter Bitter 1. Bitter to her self in making her self a Drudge and neglecting the Word 2. To her Sister in chiding and accusing her Thou art careful The word signifies excessive and sinful Care 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Solicitude And troubled The word seems to signifie anxiously to be wreathed with the difficulty of a thing to be accomplished Martha was excessively and forbiddenly careful and thoughtful yea anxiously wreathed she had too much Care and Trouble when she was upon earth but she hath no care upon her now she is in Heaven Is not this the cry here Bread for the day Bread by the way Is not this the Cry here Bread for me and Bread for mine A little meal in my Barrel Eccl. 9.10 and a little Oil in my Cruse Oh says the Widow I am going to bake this Cake for me and my Son and then to dye But now Soul Death will grave all thy Cares for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goest This life is a day of working but death is a night of resting This life is
Heaven and must be the way for his also By his own blood Heb. 9.12 he once entered into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us The spurious spawn of the Papists are under a prodigious mistake who say That Heaven is not that place where the Man Christ is above or beyond the visible Skies but the happiness they have within them If Israel according to the flesh passed thorough the Red Sea unto Canaan as Type so Israel according to the Spirit must pass thorough the Red Sea of Christs blood Heb. 10.19 unto Heaven the Antitype Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest but how by the blood of Jesus Our Sins did shut Heaven but Christs blood is the Key that opens the Gate of Paradise for us Christ's blood is pacifying blood Christs bleeding was Gods pacifying Christ's blood Col. 1.21 22. is the blood of Atonement You hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh thorough death Christ's blood is not onely a Sacrifice but also a Propitiation denoting a bringing us into favour with God It is one thing for a Traytor to be pardoned and another thing for this Traytor to be brought into favour Mans sin rent him from God but Christ's blood Rom. 5.10 cements him to God Reconciled to God but how by the death of his Son Had we as much Grace as the Angels had we offered up millions of Sacrifices had we wept Rivers of Tears we could never have appeased an angry Deity It is the blood of a Christ that ingratiates us into the favour of God and causeth him to look upon us with a smiling Aspect When Christ dyed the vail of the Temple was rent This was not without a mystery shewing that thorough Christ's blood the vail of our sins is rent which did interpose between God and us One Theodoret. calls the Cross the Tree of Salvation because the blood which trickled down the Cross distilleth Salvation It is the blood of Christ that pacifies Christ's blood is conquering blood After the Combat and the Conflict is the Conquest Nay in all these things Rom. 8.37 we are more than Conquerors thorough Christ that loved us These things but what things were these There were seven Dishes and each Dish enough for the strongest Palate Tribulation Distress Rom. 8.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persecution Famine Nakedness Peril Sword yet in all these things we are more than Conquerors We over-overcome so the Greek We are more than Conquerors in them because we are Conquerors by them But how is this thorough Christ. Though Christians may be killed yet they cannot be conquered for though they die in the Combat yet like Sampson they shall have the Conquest The Conquest that the Christian hath is thorough Christ's blood They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb Rev. 12.11 and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Conquest is thorough Christ Christ's blood is crucifying blood A Christ bleeding to death will bleed sin to death They that are Christs Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts As that Physick saves a mans life which removes his sickness so that which is life to the soul is death to the sin We must look upon our sin as that which was the death of our Lord and we must look upon the death of our Lord as that which will be the death of our sin Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6.6 that the body of sin might be destroyed Sin drew out the life-blood of Christ and faith in Christ's blood will draw out the life-blood of sin Christ's blood is softening blood Though the heart of man be the hardest thing in the world yet the blood of Christ God-man can soften the heart of man Oh says one my heart is like the nether milstone and what can soften that Oh says another my heart is like an Adamant and what can soften an Adamant Is there any thing in the world that can soften an Adamant Yea Soul blood will soften an Adamant The blood of Christ if applied will soften the most Adamantine heart The blood of Christ if applied can dissolve the most stony heart and break the hardest sinner The Jews who are hardened to a Proverb for one saith Dost thou think that I am a hard-hearted Jew these Jews shall have the Rock of their Hearts turned into a Fountain of Tears Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn as one for his onely Son and be in bitterness as one for his first-born God himself hath laid himself under Promise to take away the stony heart and to give an heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 There is nothing so hard but it may be softened if it lay a steeping in this blood Water will soften the earth but it will not soften a stone the blood of Christ if applied will soften a stone yea an heart of stone This blood turns a flint into a spring The Jaylors heart was dissolved Christ's blood is quickning blood The life of a thing is in the blood The life of the flesh Lev. 17.11 is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the Altar to make an atonement for your sins for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul The blood is called life because the seat of life is in the blood and this was a figure of Christ a Type of Christ's life whose flesh is meat indeed and whose blood is drink indeed The life of our soul Sanguis Christi Clavis Coeli Luther is in the blood of Christ Christ's blood is Heaven's Key One little drop saith One of Christ's blood is more worth than Heaven and Earth What is the blood of a Grape yea what is the blood of a Son though an onely Son to the blood of a Saviour Can we give our first-born for our iniquity the seed of our body for the sin of our soul It is the blood of Christ that quickeneth John 6.53 54. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day Christ's blood puts vivacity into us Christ's blood is justifying blood Justification â—s a great thing to be acquitted from sin and death the wages thereof and to be accounted righteous unto life and Glory the Reward thereof is not this a great thing and yet this is by Christs blood The moving cause of Justification is the free Grace of God but the meritorious cause of Justification is the blood of Christ Being justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 thorough the redemption that is in Christ Jesus The justification of one sinner is more than the creation of all the world There are many not onely in Italy but also in England who
the Gospel and the voice from Mount Sion came along with Christ Joh. 1.17 The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Christ is the Churches merit Death is a Stipend Life is a Donative a free Gift Martyrology p. 126 Lord Gray Duke of Suffolk Person p. 99. Bernard not a due Debt The mercy of Christ is the merit of the Christian One at the place of Execution said I trust to be saved by the merits of Christ alone and by no other Trumpery A Maryan-Martyr at the Stake said In the merits of Christ alone I trust this day to enter into his joy My merit saith one is the mercy of my God so long as God is not poor in mercy I cannot be poor of merit if he be great in mercy I also am great in merit Luther himself confesseth Luth. in Gal. p. 90. That when he prayed or said Mass he used to add this in the end oh Lord Jesus I come unto thee and I pray thee that these Burdens together with the straitness of my Rule and Religion may be a full recompence for all my sins But this he also saith Before I would admit of the blasphemy of the merit of Congruence before Grace to obtain Grace and works in the merit of worthiness after Grace I would not onely that the holiness of all the Papists and Merit-mongers but also of all the Saints and Angels should be thrown into the bottom of Hell and condemned with the Devil Christ is the Churches merit for the Church is Christ's purchase Feed the Church of God Acts 20.28 which he hath purchased with his own blood Man was sold sold under sin a Slave to Sin a Slave to Satan but Christ hath bought him 1 Cor. 6.20 and paid dear for him Ye are bought with a price Here was a valuable price for it was invaluable blood the blood of a sinless Jesus Christ is the Churches Mine The people of Brazile in America Clark 's Mirror Part II. p. 170. call Gold the God of the Christians Gold hath devotions paid it as to a Goddess In some places of America if the Historian do not hyperbolize there is such abundance of Gold that in some Mines there is more Gold than Earth p. 77. So Potter in his compendious view saith That in some of the American-Mines they can hardly find so much Earth Basil Marq. of Vico. Clark's 2d Part. Ecclesiast History p. 104. Joh. 1.14 16. as Gold When one was tempted with Gold he answered Give me Gold that will last for ever Luther would not be put off with Gold without Grace and Glory Galeacius being proffered a vast Sum of money to return said Let his money perish with him that accounts all the Gold in the world worth one days communion with Jesus Christ and his holy Spirit There are Mines of Gold but Christ is a Mine of Grace He is full of Grace and Truth He is an Ore indeed that is able to enrich a Beggar yea a Bankrupt Of his fulness have all we received Col. 2.3 and Grace for Grace All the treasures of Grace are hid in this Christ for this Church Christ is the Churches Mirror As he is the Churches Mercy and Merit and Mine so Mirror In this Glasâ— ye may take a Pisgah-Prospect of the Holy Land The King would not be seen without his youngest Son The Father will not be seen without his eldest Son No man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 the onely begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him The bosom is the seat of amity and secresiâ— who is so intirely loved as she that lieth in the bosom Men admit those into their bosoms to whom they impart all their secresies Calvin The breast saith One is the place of counsels Now Christ is the Mirror he being in the bosom of the Father discovers and declares the Father unmasks and unveils the Father The firmamental Sun is not seen out of his own light The Father and the Son are so great lights that they are not seen out of their own light In thy light Joh. 14.9 we shall see light The Father is seen in the Son He that hath seen me hath seen the Father Oh my Soul in this Christ thou mayst see God see Glory see Heaven and thy name written there Moses must stand upon a Mount to receive from God the Tables of Stone and the Law As Moses must have a Mount to converse with God so thou must have a Mirror to see God to see the reconciled face of God If ever thou seest God to be thy God to be thine in Covenant thine in Christ then Christ must be thy mirror wherein thou takest a prospect of him If Christ be thus how then should he be endeared and cryed up as a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of a Christians desire Now the desires that will have the ear of Christ and an answer from Christ they are the desires of the heart all other desires are but as Ships without Sails Clouds without Water Trees without Fruit Bodies without Souls But what manner of desires are cordial desires Quest Cordial desires are good desires Sol. 1. If the desire be from the heart then good is the object of that desire I am writing of a person that makes Christ the object of his soul-delight now the object of his desire which is from his heart must be good The desire of the righteous is onely good Prov. 11.23 but the expectation of the wicked is wrath It is a Maxim in Philosophy that all things desire good The desires of the righteous as righteous are onely good alwayes good for as they desire Christ above all so they desire Christ in all and after all in whom is all good and nothing but good Cant. 5.8 I charge you oh daughters of Jerusalem if ye see my beloved that ye tell him I am sick of love Oh! if ye see him be sure to tell him whatever ye forget to tell him do not forget to tell him this that I am sick of love for him Oh tell him that I know not how to live another day without him another duty without him Oh tell him that my head akes that my Heart akes that my very heart-strings are ready to break for a Sight of him for a Smile from him for inward and intimate Converse and Communion with him Cordial desires are lawful desires They must be things lawful that are desired or our desires are unlawful We must not desire as the Mother of Zebedees children did Matth. 20.20 21 22. concerning which Christ said Ye know not what ye ask What wilt thou saith Christ She said Grant that these my two Sons James and John who themselves are said to put up this Petition to the Lord Mark 10.35 for they said Doe for us whatsoever we