remissiion of sins and I know I may look to the free grace of God in Christ for grace as well as for glory and also for all other things my soul stands in need of Thus beloved a knowing soul will be able to rest up on the free grace of God in Christ although he see nothing at all but unworthiness in himself I do not say that every one that knows a little can do it but he that knows what may be known with dilligent search and therefore when you see your souls in distress and anguish of spirit and dare not beleeve you may safely conclude that although all that which they say against themselves be never so true and much more yet that is not the cause wherefore they do not beleeve but their ignorance of God is the true cause thereof Now beloved in the next place I shall come to shew you how the knowledge of God will keep men from presumption also and I pray you consider it Where the wisdom and truth of God and his soveraignty is known a person cannot go on in a course of disobedience for he very well knows that God cannot act below himselfe nor contrary to his Nature and Being and that he cannot lie nor alter the word that is gone forth of his mouth but the destruction of him that goes on in his sins wilfully and presumptuously is as unalterable as God himself for he cannot deny himself but he and his Word and all his Decrees are one there is no changing of God Beloved we are apt to mistake the Decrees of God and to take them for some secret things which do not belong to us indeed those decrees that are secret they do not belong to us and therefore let us not meddle with them by no means but his decrees that concern the salvation and damnation of the sons of Adam are revealed in the promises and in the threatnings of the Scriptures and are written for our warning and instruction therefore let us look to it for if we be found in those obstinate and rebellious courses that God hath threatened with destruct on that decree purpose and will of his shall never be altered for the sake of any man no nor for the sakes of all the men in the world now he that knows this dares not neglect his own salvation nor put off repenting and turning to God nor give up himself to work wickedness for he knows the danger thereof So that a knowing person you see is led to the obedience of faith as it were by a straight line that he cannot well go out of his way it is with a man that knows God my beloved as it is with a man that is put in a way that he cannot well go out of if you should say to a man friend keep you in this straight path go not out of it there is an hedge on your right hand all the way to the Town you are going and a River on your left hand now if the man should miss his way every one would wonder because his direction was so good So great an advantage an help hath a man to eternal life that hath the knowledg of God if he go out of the way to it it must be by an act of very great wilfulness Thus I hope I have opened this point plainly to all your understandings I shall now therefore come to the applycation of it Vse 1. And in the first place this Doctrin may serve to condemn and reprove that greivous sin of Ignorance it is lamentable to see the greatest part of men and women a mongst us so utterly void of the knowledg of God O the gracelesness and carelesness of men generally how are they hardened against their own souls I pray you consider the greatness of the sin Beloved it must needs be a great sin first because the Lord hath very plainly manifested himself and his Son in his word beloved those things that concern our salvation most immediately are the most plainly revealed in the Word there be some things hard it is true but these things are not so hard that are spoken of God and of Christ it is plain in the Scriptures that God is a God of Justice Wisdom Power Truth Mercy invisible eternal unchangeable one that knows the heart and the reines and the like and that Jesus Christ hath died for sinners and that we are bound to live to him that died for us and that he came to call sinners to repentance and that those that beleeve and obey the Gospel shall have eternal life these truths are very plain but although they be so yet evident it is that the greatest number among us are ignorant of these things altogether But further this adds to the sin that there is a great deal of means now more then hath been formerly to bring men to knowledge and it is altogether neglected or else hearkened to so carelesly that the Word is preached to the most of men altogether in vaine I am perswaded that if there were never a Word of God written at all nor any other means to know the Lord by left us but only the workes of creation and providence if that these works of his were humbly and wisely considered of they would reveal more of the glory of God then the most part among us do know notwithstanding the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shining a mongst us O therefore consider you that are ignorant of God how inexcusable and horrible your sin is what mean you to let the love of pleasure and profit sin and vanity eat out the love of God yea and of your own souls to O how will you appear before the Lord one day that have slighted the knowledg of him well let us pitty these men and mourn for them if we cannot perswade them to seek after God I am afraid the saints do not with Jeremiah weep in secret for these men nor with David gush out rivers of tears for the sin they live in and the misery that will come upon them O let us pray for them and be so much the more earnest by how much they are less sensible of there misery Vse 2. Secondly If this be so that the knowledg of God hath so gracious a tendency to bring a person to Eternal life then be sure you make your Children and those that are under your charge know the Lord. Beloved I speak to those that know him themselves I say to you make him known to all you can or to all you have an opportunity to speak to let your Children and Servants know what a God of mercy he is yea of free grace that looks to find no holiness nor repentance no nor one good qualification in those he seeks to save But he will work all these in the hearts of those that come unto him although they be never so bad that will not hinder their acceptation with God if so be they be but willing to be
from heaven but must have been as truly of the earth as he is man as all other men be but it is very plain that the man-hood of Christ is from heaven as you may see also 1 Cor. 15.47 The second man is the Lord from heaven the owrds be so plain that I need not urge them look also John 6.38 For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Note it I pray you as he is God he doth his own will but he came down from heaven and yet not to do his own will therefore he speaks here as man it is clear and so in the 62 verses What and if ye shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before How evident is this that the son of man was in heaven before and was sent from thence into the world and Iohn 16.28 Christ saith I came forth from the Father and am come into the world again I leave the world and go to the Father and in this same Iohn 17.5 how earnestly doth our Lord pray the Father to let him enjoy that same glory that he had with him before the world was Now it is very clear this he did not now enjoy at this time that glory that he had enjoyed before the world was and this is now earnestly expected and prayed for as you see a case incedent to the man-hood of Christ but it is that which can never befall the God-head for there is nothing more obsurd and senseless than for a man to think that the God-head can ever be deprived of the full enjoyment of it self now that he took upon him our nature is plain Heb. 2.16 and many other places might be aledged to prove this if need were But I shall now come to the third particular to shew you the ends of our Lords coming into the world and the first end of his coming is to teach us the will of his Father and to manifest his great love to the sons of men according to that promise Deut. 18.15 18 19. and Acts 3.22 and 7.37 Iohn 3.16 17. and 12 16. to the end Secondly he came to be the true High-Priest of which all the other were types and to offer up himself for sinners and to bear all there infirmities according as that whole epistle to the Hebrews witnesseth and many other places also might be aledged to prove it if it were needful Thirdly Christ came to reign over all men yea to reign in the consciences of men and hath power of judging and condemning all those that be found disobedient unto him Psalm 2.8 to the end Luke 19 14 27. Romans 14.9 and 15.12 Iohn 5.22 23 27 29 30. But I shall take a little time more particularly to open some of these things unto you and to shew you what a sweet advantage we have by the coming of the Lord Jesus First he came to redeem us from the curse of the Law and hath born the curse for us and by this means will deliver all the sons of Adam from the misery that the first sin brought upon them yea and from the curses of the Law in general even from the paws of death it self and from all the miseries that procure it so that the ungodliest of men shall rise again from the dead and thus farr he is the Saviour of all men what ever he doth more for them and if they perish eternally it is for sinning against the Gospel either for neglecting their own salvation or for turning the grace of God into wantonness or for some such-like evills as these be Now I beseech you consider by what means Christ is thus a Saviour to you Beloved it is by bearing the Curse for you and undergoing those miseries that are due to you for your offences by his poverty you are rich by his stripes we are healed by his sorrows we have joy and by his death we have life He was made sin for us though in himself he knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him although in our selves we are unrighteous also Jesus Christ hath by his Blood and sufferings for the sons of men purchased a just authority and dominion over them all so that if they refuse to come unto him and when light comes chuse darkness rather and when he calls them to Repent and beleeve the Gospel and sayes look to me and be ye saved all ye the ends of the earth if then I say they shall refuse to come unto him for life yet shall they never be able to refuse to come before his Judgement-seat to receive the just reward of that disobedience but on the other hand the Lord Jesus came to be a Saviour to all those that come unto him yea that when he calls refuse not to hear but are willing to suffer the reproofs of wisdom to enter into their souls yea he will save all these with an everlasting salvation Beloved he came to bring salvation to such in all the parts of it First he justifieth such from all that from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses yea he hath power to forgive sins and he will justifie them freely through the work of Redemption But further I pray you observe the Lord Jesus will give Repentance to and graciously melt and soften the hearts of poor sinners if they do but hearken to his voice it is the very end of his coming to give Repentance as well as Remission of sins and he will work your hearts to Repentance if you do not oppose the work of his grace and continue to do it yea although you have hearts never so hard he will soften them himself by his own Spirit if you do not harden your own beares but wait at wisdoms gate then shall you see how graciously he will manifest himself at last indeed if so be that a soul were to work Repentance in his own heart or must see that it is wrought there before he might either go for mercy or had a ground to expect it that were enough to break the heart indeed and to discourage a man for ever hoping after mercy but the case is far otherwise for Christ came to work Repentance and to seek and save that which was lost and therefore although a person be never so hard-hearted and unbelieving and although he be never so dead if he have never a spark of life in him if he will but hearken to the voice of Christ Christ will give him life again another work that Christ came to do is to subdue sin and although it be never so strong he will subdue it it can never be too strong for him when a poor soul looks about him and sees a multitude of strong corruptions within him and then looks again and sees another multitude of strong temptations and snares without him round about and withall discerns the weakness of his own heart and sees how
MEANES TO PREVENT PERISHING OR THE USEFULNESSE OF The Saving Knowledge OF GOD. Discovered in these Particulars I. The blessed tendency the Knowledg of God hath to bring Men to Salvation II. The One-ness of the Father Son and Spirit III. The excellency of Christs Person IV. The excellent nature of Eternal Life By W S. a Servant of the Lord Jesus Hos 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Fr. Smith in Flying-Horse Court in Fleet-street 1658. To the READER Courteous Reader THese following lines are brought to thy view through the desire of some that heard them Preached and could not be satisfied till others had a taste of them as well as themselves It grieves me for thy sake that a subject of this worth hath not been brought forth by some better abilities but seeing it is my lot to be the instrument of its birth I must present a few requests to thee And the first is this that thou wouldst consider the usefulness of these most precious truths how much they will contribute toward the attainment of thine eternal peace Knowledge in general is justified of all her Sons to be of excellent worth but amongst all Knowledge the knowledg of God in Jesus Christ must be confess'd to be a jewel of the choicest worth it is the Corner Stone of all Religion and piety that tends to set thy judgement right in all other points and an excellent guide to the right interpretation of the holy Scriptures It hath likewise a great command over the Conscience and hath a blessed tendence to keep thee from prophaneness unrighteousness and negligence when once thou comest to know God in Christ thou canst not well through despair want incouragement to serve God nor yet through presumption take the boldness to wander from his Commandements but this Grace is such a help to keep thy heart and life in an upright frame that without very much wilfulness thou canst not well go out of thy way to happiness And likewise the knowledge of the worth of Eternal Life tends much to draw thy mind from Eartly vanities to those things that be above A second desire I have to thee is this That thou wilt lay aside that overliness and formality of Spirit wherewith Books of this nature are oftentimes read as if they were things that concerned us not but be so faithful to thy Souls interest as to read this without prejudice partiality and slightness of spirit lay up these truths in thine heart and bring forth the fruit of them and doubtless they will make thy conversation to shine to the praise of the Grace of God in this life and also make thee a meet heir of that glorious inheritance prepared for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Thirdly I beseech thee if thou meetest with Edification and Comfort as I trust thou wilt in the reading of this Book when thine heart is warm present a request to the Throne of Grace for the Author thereof that he may never be so unhappy as to carve all these sweet dainties away to others from himself but that he may be through Grace inabled to take his own share of them for his saving advantage So commending my poor yet faithful Labours to thy serious consideration and to the blessing of the great God of Heaven and Earth I remain thine in the Lord Jesus W. S. MEANES TO PREVENT PERISHING THE FIRST EXERCISE John 17.3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent IN the words immediately going before you may observe that our Lord Jesus is a speaking by way of acknowledgment unto his Father of that authority and power that he had given him over all Flesh And in particular to give eternal life to a certain number there specified Which words I shall not speak further to now having opened them the last time I spake unto you In the words now read unto you you are to consider in what sence the knowledg of God and of Christ is Eternal Life I shall apply my self to this only at this time and not stand to shew you what is here meant by Eternal Life having done it so lately nor yet stand to shew you in what sence the Father sent Christ nor what to do nor wherefore he is said to be the only true God But I shall leave all this till another time and come to this particular only at this time to consider how the knowledg of God and of Christ is Eternal Life First then let us consider whether the meaning of the words be this That the persons that know the Father and Jesus Christ do indeed possess Eternal Life Or Secondly Whether they that know God and Christ are thereby assured of Eternal Life Or Thirdly Whether those that know the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ have thereby a very excellent means that hath a very gracious tendency in it to bring the persons in whom this knowledg is to Eternal Life Now I shall not stand to oppose the two former Expositions nor undertake to say that in no sence or degree they might be granted to be true yet the latter I take to be the meaning of the words namely this That the knowledg of God and of Jesus Christ is a means of Eternal Life Beloved I pray you observe it when the Scripture saith the knowledg of God is eternal life less than this cannot be in it that it is a means thereof Now therefore I pray you observe this general Conclusion from the words Doct. 1. That the knowledg of God and of his Son Jesus Christ is a glorious means of Eternal Life that hath a very gracious tendency in it to bring persons in whom this knowledg is to that happy enjoyment I shall name you two or three Texts more that speak the same language the first is in the 9 of Ier. 23 24. verses Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the mighty in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that gloryeth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me Mark it beloved let not the wise man glory in his wisdom and yet wisdom is a most excellent gift that might better be gloried in then riches or strenth or any gift of that like nature and yet the spirit of God grants no liberty to glory in it but in this saith the Lord let him glory that he understandeth and knoweth me Now if in this you may so freely glory by the allowance of the Holy Spirit and yet neither in gifts nor parts surely this knowledg is of a most excellent tendency to bring much advantage and good to the Soul Another text you shall find in the 1 of Cor. the 1.21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
knowledge of God for if you would have grace and strength to mortifie sin you must go to Christ for it and if you go to him it must be by faith and if that be gotten it must be by the knowledg of God Secondly you will never get such a faith as will stand you in any stead or do you any good in the day of temptation without it for it must be the knowledge of the nature of God that is a God of love and of Free-grace and one that can abound in pardoning and that he sent Jesus Christ to save sinners till a man knows that Christ is a Saviour that he layes both the first and the last stone thereof and that a man cannot be one hairs breadth better then he is by nature till the Spirit of Christ hath mended him and that the first work that a man can do acceptably is to come to Christ for a cure both for his heart and life I say till a man knows this he can never be established in beleeving you shall see the reason of it presently a man that wants this knowledge he gathers such grounds to build his confidence upon that are swept away in the day of temptation it is with his faith just as it is with a house that is built upon the sands where the tide comes when the wind and the tide comes strong away goes the ground and the house together even so is it with an ignorant mans faith for this is one of his best incouragments to beleeve when he considers that his former sinfull prophane life is the road way to hell then he endeavours to leave those courses and falls to prayer and to reading and hearing and this he takes to be such a change that now he thinks he is a child of God and that all the promses belong unto him but then when his old lusts appear again and take hold on him then he falls to utter dispair and concludes that he was but an hypocrite at the best and that there is no hope for him and one day he thinks it is a duty to beleeve and another day he thinks there is no ground for him so to do and thus the poot soul is unstable and tossed like a ship in a tempest one while mounted up to heaven and another while thrown down into the deep and melted a way with trouble But now the soul that knows God and did see in him a ground to beleeve at the first without any works of righteousness done before-hand and that knew Jesus Christ came to save from sin and to give repentance as well as eternall life and did at the first cast himself upon him not as a saint but as a sinner this man if he should fall as low as he was before yet he will see at least the same ground to beleeve us he did see at the first I speak not this to incourage any any to renew there sins I hope you wil not make so bad a use of it but if any should yet is the doctrin of grace a truth that must be preached though some should wrest it to their own destruction Thirdly the knowledge of God will carry a man through the worst of troubles if he should come into Jobs case that his wife should be strange and his children and estate swept away and his godly friends turned his enemies yet would he be able to say with him though he kill me yet I will and I can trust in him for I know my Redeemer liveth Thus when a man can say with Paul I know whom I have beleeved by being able to see the power wisdom truth and goodness of God it will be such a rock for him to set his feet upon that will keep him from sinking in the worst of times Fourthly a man that knows God will serve him with that delight that another man cannot do an ignorant man may be convinced that it is a duty to hear and to pray and the like but he hath no comfort in these ordinances but yet he uses them because he dares do no otherwise but a man that knows God sees such a beauty in God that he goes to seek him with much delight he knows they be means appointed of God to bring him into neerer communion with him and to give him a more glorious sight of God and therefore it is a work well peasing to him and he goes about it with as much content as men use to go to their recreations but the other goes to the same work as one goes to a trade that he is set to against his will he does it untowardly and unwillingly and will get from it if he can and so wil the man from duties that knows not God if he can but find a way to escape the rebukes of his own conscience Now therefore I pray you make it your first greatest work to get the knowledg of God with all diligence seek for it for the prise thereof is greater then silver choice gold or rubies therefore search for it more then for hidden treasures There is two means that I will direct you to make use of for the getting of this knowledge The first is the consideration of the works of God if a man do but humbly and wisely observe his great works they will shew forth much of his glory if you look to the heavens and consider what a great distance they are spread above the earth and compassing it round about and see those glorious creatures the Sun Moon and Stars roul about to serve poor worms and lumps of clay how plainly will they teach you that the creator of them is a God of infinite goodness for before ever he did create either them or the men for whose sakes they were created the Lord did perfectly understand all the wickedness that would in time be commited by every one of them and yet it did not hinder him in this great worke but he hath done it and continues to uphold it notwithstanding all that unworthiness that is found among the children of men and if you look to the Earth and the Seas and see them hang in a round lump in the midst of the heavens cleaving together and the waters not over-flowing the earth this great work will tell you that the Creator thereof is infinite in power wisdom and goodness and if you consider how the Earth and the Seas are stored with variety of Creatures with severall hosts of creatures and yet not a man nor a beast nor a fish nor a fowl no worm nor any creature more nor less but God takes care every day how they shall be fed the wild beasts of the wilderness that no man takes care of have there meat and there drink every day from the hand of God Oh how do these gracious acts of his every day preach the glory of his great name to all considering men that will but set themselves to mind the great wisdom patience power truth
for all that but that is not all I have to say to you take one word more and set it upon your hearts if you do not come to know him it will be more tolerable for Sodom for Turks for Indians and for the brutishest of Men than for you they that do not know him and glorifie him according to the means afforded to them shall not be excused But Oh how inexcuseable shall you be that live in England nay in those places where you have had the Gospel plainly and plentifully Preached unto you temember that when you come before the Judgement seat of Christ it will not be possible for you to find an excuse for your ignorance which of you have humbly and conscionably sought for knowledg and have not found it have you used that direction Solomon gives you Prov. 2.2 3 4. how often have you read the Scriptures over and pondered them in your hearts it may be not twice in all your lives I pray you tell me when Christ shall come to ask you at the day of Account whether you had not a word called a Bible that did testifie of him and of his Father and that gave you direction how you might attain Eternal Life what will you then say to him if you should say that although you had the Scriptures yet you understood them not if you will but give him leave to ask you whose fault that was whether this did not come to pass through your own neglect of his word and minding things of less moment I marvel whether you will not then be speechless yea or no. Again if he shall ask you whether you neither knew nor heard of any man living in the Age with you that was able to direct you in the way to Eternal life will not these questions stop your mouths and let you see that your Condemnation is just upon you Consider this and let it prevail with you to cause you to seek after the Knowledg of God in time but if you will still mind present vanities more than Eternal happiness you cannot say but you had a fair warning and that your Blood is upon your own heads and so much for this time and for this Point THE FOURTH EXERCISE John 17.3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I Shall now come to this second Head of Doctrine in this Text namely The Lords being called the only true God Now the word Only signifieth one and no more but one but if you further ask what the word True meaneth the answer must be this the Lord by this Word opposeth himself to or differenceth himself from all others that are no Gods by Nature and so no Gods in truth For the right understanding of this one only true God I must shew you that there are two sorts of Gods besides this one only True God I shall shew you who these be wherefore they are called Gods For the first sort of them you must know that there are Gods by Office and that you shall see in Psalm 82. there you shall see a sort of Men called Gods not for their goodness sake but for their Office sake and therefore hath the Lord put this Title upon Magistrates and Rulers that we might learn to obey them in the Lord. A second sort of Gods you may find noted in Deut. 32.17 there they are called by the name of New Gods and in Psalm 81.9 they are call'd by the Name of strange Gods these are Idols the work of mens hands which they make to Worship or at least they make them to Worship God by them these are false Gods even the Work of Error and the fruit of mens folly no way deserving the name of Gods but only to rebuke the foolishness of men for adoring the devices of their own hearts and esteeming so highly the work of their own fingers But now the only true God is he that made Heaven and Earth unto whom the name of God in a proper sence is only due and that is the Point I would have you note Doct. 2. That there is one only true God and there is no other Gods but he I shall intreat you to note how plentiful and plainly this is expressed in the Scriptures Deut. 4.35 39. Vnto thee it was shewed that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God there is none else beside him The words are very plain this is that truth that God would have Israel know and therefore he shewed it to them that there was one God and there was none else beside him and therefore Moses presseth it again in Verse 39. that Israel should know it and consider it that the Lord which had made them hear his voice from Heaven and shewed them his great fire on Earth verse 36. and that had loved their Fathers and chosen their Seed and brought them out of Egypt verse 37. and that had driven out those mighty Nations and given their Land to Israel that this God is God both in Heaven and in Earth and that there is no other God beside him And in the sixth Chapter and fourth Verse Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord and in the 10.17 he is called the God of Gods and Lord of Lords And so it is said also in 1 Cor. 8.4 that there is no other Gods but one and in the sixth verse it is said that to us there is but one God and in 1 Tim. 1.17 he is there noted by such descriptions as do abundantly clear the truth of this First he is therefore called the King Eternal Immortal Invisible Now this Word the King shews plainly that he that is the supream Being is but One and that this one Being is from Eternity and continues to Eternity and is one invisible Spirit more excellent and glorious than can be beheld with the Eye of flesh Again he is there called the only wise God which is as much as to say it implies so much that he and he alone is that one Eternal simple Being who is the well-spring and fountain of all wisdom look also Psal 86.8 10. Isai 37.16 and 44.24 Jer. 10.10 11 12. I might alledg a multitude of places more for the proof of this if need were but these may suffice to evidence it to us that there is one and but one Eternal God that is the only fountain perfect on of all Power Wisdom Goodness yea the cause of all other Beings whatsoever and he from whom all Creatures more and less have their Being and are preserved yea from this Infinite Being that fils Heaven and Earth with his glory Jer. 23.24 but is not contained in them 1 King 8.27 but contains the Creatures within himself Acts 17.28 I say from him all Grace and comfort whatsover deserveth the Name of good is extended and given of free and meer Grace to the whole Creation and therefore this I beseech you hold fast that
best abilities that these times do afford but only for these reasons I have now done it First I find some such motions flying abroad both in discourse and in print about this subject which in my judgement savours not well Secondly I do not find able men men of knowledg such as I would be glad to provoke to this work so forward to bring forth light as others to bring forth darkness and if they have it is more than I know Thirdly the matter I have spoken to fell in my way and I thought I might do well and it was my duty to bring forth my Mite in such a time as this wherein I find so many casting vails over the Name of Christ and of the Holy Spirit now therefore I do beseech you seriously to consider of that which hath been said unto you take heed of looking upon our Lord Jesus as a meer Creature lest your Faith fail you in the day of Temptation if the work of Redemption be but considered how great it is what a price must be laid down before this work could be done and that Law which in that condition in which man once stood would have been his life now he cannot expect nothing from it as the case standeth but only death but all the life and pardoning Grace that now cometh to poor man comes only through the Blood of the Lord Jesus now except a man know the worth and all-sufficiency of Christ that he is perfectly able to remove all the Curses which his sins have deserved and also able to procure him all the blessings his soul stands in need of it will be very hard if not altogether impossible to rest upon him in the day of tryal and so likewise when a man shall come to see what a great work it is to change the heart of man to subdue sin and to sanctifie the soul and when he shall see the barrenness of his heart in the graces and fruits of the Spirit of Christ also and withall considers what a degree of perfection all those are brought unto that inherit Eternal life and then minds that the Spirit of God is he that hath undertaken to carry on this hard and to man this impossible work If now he be not established in the knowledg and firm belief of this that the Holy Spirit that carries on this work is the only true God I say except a man beleeve and know this he can have little ground to hope or beleeve that ever it will come to perfection but wherefore should any men be so hardly brought to beleeve this me thinks it is for want of consideration the scriptures you know speaks of the Spirit of God in some places and in other places of the Spirit of Christ should we therefore be so weak as to think that the Father hath one Spirit Christ another but now if we must needs understand that the Spirit of God the Spirit of Christ is but one Spirit wherefore should we not as well believe that God the Spirit of God are all one likewise then Beloved if the Spirit of Christ and the Father be one and God and the Spirit of God one then wherefore should we think that the Godhead of Christ and of the Father are more than one but I shall press this no further but come now to make some Use of it Vse 1. And if it be so that there is one and but one only true God who is the fountain and perfection of all Power Wisdom Truth and goodness who alone made Heaven and Earth the seas and all the Hosts of Creatures that are contained in them and on whose meet grace and love depends the happiness and well-being of all things whatsoever whos 's all seeing eye beholds all the secrets of all hearts and whose Eternal invisible unchangeable Almighty and Omni-present Being fills the whole Creation but is not contained in it who is worthy of all honour service praise and worship from all Creatures for evermore I say if this be so then let this God be our God let us have no other but him alone to be our God I shall not trouble you nor my self with that foolish Generation of men that use to picture him up and to set him forth by such vain Images as their hands can make I hope you are past this absurd and foolish practice but I pray you beware that you set up no. Idols of him in your minds Oh do not suffer any thought or imagination of him to come or to rest within your hearts that is low or carnall take heed that you do not liken him to any thing that ever your eyes have seen but let your thoughts be of him acording unto that glorious discription that his own boly records give of him let high reverence and honour love and holy fear accompany every thought that comes into your minds of his most excellent and glorious Name be sure you chuse him for your chiefest good let him be your only Diadem and the Crown which your hearts have chosen for your chiefest treasure be sure that you do not esteem love nor honour any relation or thing whatsoever as you do this most High and only true God for if you do you commit Idolatry against him who is a jealous God and will not give his glory to another and therefore beware for whatsoever any man doth set up and in heart esteeme love or honour above God or equall with him sets up another God and shall be reckoned amongst Idolaters and such as have committed spiritual whoredom against him when Christ shall come to judg every man according to his works But I shall more particularly come to shew you something of the honour that is due to this only true God in setting some of those duties before you which in especial you owe to him First then give him this honour to yeeld up your hearts unto him to love him above all things whatsoever this use Moses makes of this point Deut. 6.45 hear O Israel saith he the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might Here you see what is due to God even love in the very height of it the whole heart soul might is all little enough for God no creature must come between the heart and God neither wife nor child nor pleasure nor profit for if there be any thing in the world that a man loves better than God or as well as he this is no less a sin than the setting up of another God therefore look to your hearts in these two special cases when the glory of God comes in competition either with a mans beloved relations or his beloved sins if he cannot cast them both away for the honour of his God he is unworthy of him see I pray you what our Lord Jesus saith to this point Luke 14.26 If any man come
these things neither do you follow the imaginations of your own hearts in these things but labour to get a distinct understanding in your own souls of whatsoever is to be beleeved for Doctrine or for whatsoever is to be practised in matters of worship for if you walk in darkness you will walk uncomfortably but if you walk in the light and knowledg of his will your walking wil both please him and bring much comfort and peace to your own Soul Vse 2. But I shall now speak one word to provoke those wretched man thet live without God in the world to consider of their condition and so conclude I beseech you my dear friends do not live still so estranged from the life of God neither do you go on to abuse his mercy and loving-kindness from day to day as you have done but let the goodness and long-suffering of the Lord lead you to Repentance you have heard what a God of Holiness power wisdom goodness and faithfulness he is yea what an eternal unchangeable invisible infinite Being he is you have heard something both of his Name and of his Works and much more is to be known and may be known of him in the Word of Truth and will you continue so unthankful and ungodly abusing this grace and love of God who hath manifested himself in his holy Word that you might come to the knowledg of him and so to salvation and do not you think it a most grievous sin to live as many of you do as void of the knowledg of him as those that never heard of his written Word it is a most unthankful abuse of his goodness O where would such men be glad to hide themselves at the great Day even under a Rock if they did know how to get under it and as for many of those that cannot chuse but know something of God how unanswerable to that little knowledg that they have do they walk neither loving nor fearing his great Name having no respect at all to his worship nor to any of his Commandements nor trusting in him at all no more than if he had never made them any promises Beloved how evident be these things notwithstanding all that God hath made known of himself unto men yet how little love have they for him and how little zeal for his glory loving pleasure profit yea sin it self better than God fearing the frowns of men more than the displeasure of him and trusting in the promises of their honest Neighbours yea in a little durty wealth or any vanity in the world rather than in the power and truth of God casting his worship and Commandements behind their backs as if they owed him no service now I pray you bethink your selves how you shall appear before the Lord at the great Day and how he will take it at your hands that you should live so prophane a life being alienated from the life of God and rooted and hardened in all wickedness as if you had never known nor heard of the Name of God Oh Repent in time and thankfully imbrace that means of grace which God in the riches of his mercy doth yet afford unto you and so much I shall commend to your consideration and to the blessing of the Almighty THE SIXTH EXERCISE John 17.3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I Shall now come to speak to this third and last general Head in this Text namely the Lords sending of Jesus Christ and for this end and purpose that I may proceed both with brevity and plainness I shall proceed in this order First I shall shew you the excellency of the person of Christ even as he is the Son Secondly I shall clear it unto you by the Scriptures how that Jesus Christ had a Being with the Father in glory before the world was and from thence was sent into the world to take upon him our Nature Thirdly I shall endeavour to set before you the ends of his coming into the world And now for the first of these I pray you take notice that the Scriptures in many places do exalt the Lord Jesus above all other Creatures whatsoever I shall name you some few of them look Hebrews 1. the whole Chapter but especially note two or three passages in the beginning he is there said to be appointed heir of all things and to be the brightness of his Fathers glory and to be made much better then the Angels which word made better must needs have respect to his Creature-nature also he is there said to be him by whom God did make all things and doth uphold them And in the Revelations 3.14 he is called the beginning of the Creation of God and in Col. 1.15 16 17. he is called the first-born of every Creature all things are said to be created by him and for him and he to be before them that by him they all consist So that from these and other like Texts I gather that God did first create the Spirit of Christ filled him with his own glory and then by him brought forth the whole creation I say that Spirit of Christ which afterward took flesh of the Virgin Mary and so became true man was the first and the choicest piece of all the workman-ship of God for you must know that Christ had a created Spirit that was set up and brought forth and brought up with the Lord and was by him before any of his other works had a Being Prov. 8.22 to the 30. and this is he that the Lord possessed in the beginning of his way and is the same that talked with Abraham and that Abraham made intercession to for Sodom Gen. 18. and that brought the children of Israel through the wilderness and is the same that God commandeth them to obey Exod. 23.20 21 22 23. But this I shall say no more to now but come to the second particular and that is to shew you that the Lord Christ was sent from the bosom of the Father into the world for us you will see this plain in many places I wil name you some of them John 3 13. No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man The words are very plain the son of man you see came down from heaven and in the 31. ver He that cometh down from heaven is above all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth he that cometh from heaven is above all I pray you mark it Christ is here opposed to all other men in this that they are from the earth but he is from heaven yea as he is the son of man he is from heaven but if he had received his first beginning in the womb of the Virgin as well in respect of his spirit as in respect of his body he could no more have been said to have been sent
say receive us graciously for the Lord is full of compassion and will hear the cry of misery in an Ishmael Gen. 21.17 and if he will hear it for cold water he would hear it as well and as willingly for better things if he did but cry as earnestly for them In the fourth place attend on the ordinances of Christ for there his walk is and there he will come to seek for lost ones as well as to visit his people and there thou wilt have an opportunity one time or other to lay hold on the skirt of his garment therefore wait on him and know for thy comfort that never any did so and perished no no they shall never be ashamed that wait far him And in the fifth place whensoever thou meetest with any motion from the spirit of God make much of it and close with all the advices it shall whisper into thine ears take heed of slighting or neglecting any of the sweet breathings of it but give it entertainment and what word soever comes home to thine heart consider of it seriously yea although it may be a reproving or a wounding word let it not be neglected for Christ comes both to wound and to heal and therefore what word or motion soever comes from his spirit home to thy conscience entertain it thankfully and walk according to the direction it gives thee humbly And in the last place be sure to be alwayes watching over thy heart and especially against those lusts that are most apt to carry thee away from God and be sure to be found fighting alwayes against them and although thou be not strong enough to overcome them yet do not give over fighting against them but watch and pray hear and read and apply the promises and the threatnings of the word to thy own soul dayly as thou findest there is need either to comfort or to rebuke thy conscience and be assured that although thou be too weak for sin and Sathan yet Christ is strong enough and he will take thy part against them and will come in at last with sanctifying grace and purge thy conscience from dead works to serve the living God Vse 2. A second use that is to be made of this point is this if so be that Christ came to be such a Saviour as to save from the guilt of sin and from the Power of sin to sanctify the soul and to deliver from Sathan and to bear up a soul under troubles and to deliver out of them also then let all beleevers learn to live upon Christ for all these things at all times Beloved in the use of other means forget not to exercise faith in the blood of Christ when you go to read hear or pray look to Christ by faith who hath appointed these as means to make you partakers of his own image and what ever your souls stand in need of whether purdoning or purging mercy or what grace counsel comfort help or deliverance soever you see a ground to aske in prayer labour also to live upon the free grace of God in Christ for and be assured that Christ came for that very end that thou mightest obtain through him a rich supply of all thy wants and if you sin as who lives and sins not make it your first and greatest work to basten to the blood of sprinkling and rest by faith upon the Lord Jesus for a pardon and besure to let a renewed act af faith lead thee to repentance I do not say but it is a duty to repent and to get godly sorrow and shame and holy resolutions to wait on Christ for strength to walk better but if you would do these duties in sincerity and with acceptation let faith be the first of them and if the divel should so far prevail with any of you at any time as to draw you into the snare of fin so far as that you should question your sincerity or if you should see just cause so to do yet be sure you do not cast away your confidence but if the divel or your own consciences do lay more to your charge this way then you do well know how to answer yet be sure at least that as ungodly lost sinners you cast your selves upon the free grace of God in the blood of Jesus Christ Vse 3. Thirdly and lastly here is a word for such as have heard the glad tidings of salvation sounding in your eares but unto this very day have not submitted unto the Lord Jesus and are as farr from having made your calling and election sure as if the Gospel had never sounded in your eares nay I fear you know as little of God and of Christ and of the ends of his coming as those that have had no such means to know him at all but if you do know him yet if you have not given up your selves unto him neither yet are washed nor sanctified but do still remain in your naturall filth and as farr from regeneration as ever your condition is far worse then those that never heard of the name of God except you repent and amend in time Now therefore I beseech you once more before it be too late do not post off your return to God nor refuse to lay hold upon those sweet offers of grace that have been made unto you so often Oh consider when you come to die how little pleasure you will have in remembring all the vain pleasures for which you neglected your own salvation or what profit you will have at that day in all those profits that have stollen your hearts from Jesus Christ Oh consider how it will wound your hearts to think that you were often told what a Saviour Christ would be unto you if so be that you would but come unto him and how often you were invited and intreated in his name to come unto him the sweet promises that are made in the Gospel laid before you but you unkindly and unthankfully refused them and chose rather the vain pleasures and profits of the world and of sin then the justifying and sanctifying grace of Christ Oh when a soul shall remember what promises of pardon and grace of help against sin and deliverance out of the snares of the devil he might and should have had if he had come to Christ and he lovingly intreated to accept of those offers but hath neglected and refused them till it is too late how must this needs wound his soul Oh that this that I now say would prevail with any of you yet to come to Christ that you may have life but if it will not remember at the great day that you had a sufficient warning and this much I shall leave to your consideration and to the blessing of God THE EIGHTH EXERCISE John 17.3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God I shall now come to speak a word to that which I had thought wholly to have omitted by reason I spake to
eternal life and hinder you from walking in the path that leades unto it and so deprive you of it as unavoidably as sin it self can do it and as you are to avoid these evils on the one hand so on the other it will be meet to wait on the Lord Jesus for the sweet tastes of his love the which when you have once experience of you wil by that earnest penny know something of the riches worth of eternal life now for that end I beseech you wait attentively for the Lord in the use of al his Ordinances for there he wil be found in them in the assemblies of his people you may expect to find him because it is his walk but take notice I pray you that a negligent formal overtly use of them I do not call for but be sure you make it your business to look for him and to injoy communion with him and to tast and see as David saith Psalm 348. how good the Lord is if you look for him with that intention and desire as the Church did Cant. 5.8 you will be sure to find him he will not long hide himself from such a soul but among all other duties I could wish that you would watch to meet with him alone and there open your hearts to him freely and tell him the very worst you know by your selves and that with an intent and an indeavour to shame and humble your selves before him and be you assured that he will exalt you in due time let him know what you would have and be sure to follow him dayly consider what counsel he gives you himself Mat. 7 7 8 9 10 11. Luke 11. from the 5. to 14. the 18. the 8 first verses and if you follow this counsel you may be sure that the Lord will graciously open his heart unto you at last and give you such a taste of the water of life that will set your souls a longing for your fill thereof and that wil make you both do and suffer for Christ with much chearfulness and willingness Vse 2. The second use is this if it be so that there is so rich a portion attainable as eternal life then be sure to take a speedy course for the getting a clear assurance of your own interest in that happy injoyment do not trifle your time away any longer but set upon the work without delay and to that end that you may make sure work observe the counsel of the Apostle Peter in his second Epistle 1.5 to the 12 you shall find two things minded by Peter in this text in order to the getting of a full assurance The first of these is to lay the foundation of Christianity in true beleeving that is clear in these words Add to your faith vertue implying that faith must needs be there for it is impossible to ad vertue to it else Now therefore in the first place although you be never so impenitent and wicked yet rest upon the grace of God in Christ yea if you think also that you have attained some vertue patience or love or other fruits of the Spirit yet do not as Saints but as sinnets rest upon the blood of Christ remember I pray you that neither works done nor grace received is to be rested on for Justification but we are justified in and through beleeving and resting upon the blood of Christ who freely justifieth men as they are sinners ungodly ones and therefore note it well neither their repentance nor love but faith is imputed for righteousness look Rom. 4. And by faith are we become the sons of God Galat. 3.26 I do not say but there are some promises made to the saints as they are saints such as are in Psal 34.10.17 19 many other like there be and with these the godly may comfort themselves and none but those that are saints can claim an interest in them yet notwithstanding that translating act as I may so call it in and through which a man is made of a child of wrath a child of light I say again that thing or means that maketh him a Son of God that was none before is this act of beleeving and resting on the blood of Christ as a man considereth himself a sinner and ungodly without the least degree of worth in himself and as a beleever resteth on the blood of Christ for justification so likewise he expecteth from the free grace of God in and through the same blood sanctification glory outward things and in a word all things appertaining to life and godlyness for true faith desireth and resteth upon the Lord for the accomplishment of all the promises that he hath made as well as for any of them The second means that Peter directs us to use for the getting assurance of eternal life is to add to our faith vertue knowledg temperance patience godliness brotherly kindness and charity under which heads are concluded all the graces and fruits of the Spirit of Christ these saith he you must add to your faith these you must abound in and as it is in the 3 chap. and last verse grow in and then if you grow in grace and persevere in well-doing and abound therein more and more you shall saith he never fall but have an abundant enterance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour ver 10 11. As if he should say by this means you shall be able to keep and injoy a clear and constant assurance of eternall life and this is to be done by giving dilligence ver 10. I pray you observe it my brethren dilligence must be used it is not a lazy formal profession and an overly careless performance of duties that will either give or keep assurance of salvation a man must be ready to open to the spirit when he knocketh and to hearken to his motions and take heed of rebelling against him and labour to avoid all those unworthy courses that tend to grieve and to quench the spirit and if you thus do you may be assured the spirit will not fail to do his office but he will give unto and maintain in the soul assurance of eternal life and that will be a most sweet injoyment the man that hath it may want friends riches health and outward contentments but he cannot want comfort joy and peace his soul shall be full of consolation however the world goes with him or against him and he shall be able in the worst of times to say that both life and death shall be to him advantage Vse 3. And in the last place this may serve to reprove the folly of all those that spend all their time and strength in the pursuit of the things of this present life with the neglect of the life that is eternal and therefore well might Solomon term wicked men fools for indeed their courses are madness and folly and indeed there is no folly to be compared to this of running after the trifles and empty
vanities of this world and the letting of the golden oppertunities slip in which you should make sure eternal life Beloved the most lawful and the most excellent injoyments that you can meet withall under the sun what are they but very husks and doggs-meat nay drosse and dung in comparison of that eternal inheritance which is surely kept for all them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Think of it I pray you and be not so wilfully foolish and mad as to lose this blessed and rich portion for any present pleasures or profits whatsoever although they may seem never so sweet if you should see a man in the time when his harvest is ripe run up and down to catch butterflies or go every day to the woods a nutting till his corn were loft would you not think this man to be worse then a fool beloved so foolish yea ten thousand times more foolish is that man that shall gain the whole world and all the glory of it with the losse of eternall life now therefore once more I beseech you as you love your own poor souls mind what I have said unto you Beloved your own happiness and comfort only is concerned in it as for the Lord you cannot hurt him neither will he lose any glory although you should be eternally condemned and parish and as for me althovgh I should be glad and exceedingly rejoice that you might reap the fruit and comfort of all my labours and that upon this account we might all rejoice together in the day of Christ yet if you do not but foolishly and wickedly forsake your own mercies I pray you take notice that I know the losse will be your own and I shall receive my reward according to my labour 1 Cor. 3.8 whether you profit by it or no and although Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord saith the Prophet Isaiah 49.5 Now therefore consider that your own eternal welfare meerly is concerned in it and if that which I have said will not prevail with you I cannot help it I shall to this text speak no more but commend you and what I have said unto you unto him that is able to blesse you and that also delighteth to pour down blessings FINIS Signes of a Dying Christian Signe I. WHen you are so indifferent to assemble that you can come or you cannot come Signe II. When in your purest worship you are quickly weary Signe III. When you care not to hear one matter often though sutable truth Signe IV. When few Sermons will please you either you like not matter or manner or man Signe V. When you think that you know enough you may think hat you know enough upon these deceivable accounts 1 When you measure what you know by your own oyes or light you think that you know enough not measuring what you know by the rule of Knowledge the word of God 2 When you measure what you know by what once you did know not considering that further light forceth further knowledg cals for proportionable practise 3 When you measure what you know by what you see others that profess to know do what they do 4 When you measure what you know by what you are disposed to practice or do picking or choosing such commands of God as like you 5 When you measure not what you know by what God in his word calls you to do Signs how you may know you are clothed with this spirit of Deceit 1. When you have a low value of that meanes that under God first brought you to know 2. When you are mighty prodigall of what you know thinking no matter well managed that you have not most voice in 3 When you please your selves with the thought that few or none outstrip you in knowledg having a secret scorn to compare your selves with any 4 When in all things material you are not careful to take counsel of God before you bring matters to action Signe VI. When a smal offence will keep you from Christs Table Signe VII When you have no great mind to prayer in which there is necessity and excellency lets helps Necessity 1. from Command 2 From the Example 3 The Provision 4 The importunity 5 The Danger 6 the Advantage It s Excellency First it engageth Gods strength 2 It holdeth with holy reverence Gods hands 3 It makes every condition savory or sweet 4 In no condition we can be barr'd from it Letts 1 Wandring thoughts 2 Presumption in an unreverent adventuring before the Lord 3 Bosom fin or pleasant delight in some secret Lust 4 VVant of reconciliation to Brethren 5 Despairing doubts of being answer'd Helps to Prayer for say some I would but I cannot Pray I want words when I go to my Knees all I can do is but to sigh 1 From the necessity and excellency of Prayer labour to get a feeling of the necessity and excellency so as that thy heart goeth under a grievous burden because thou canst not pray 2 Study much to be sensible of your great want of Gods daily help 3 Consider God hath provided no way for you to acqualnt him with your wants but Prayer and if you cannot pray how will you make your Complaints to God 4 Consider that all your mercies become blessings to you no other way but through Prayer 5 Consider what a miserable condition wil yours be if cast into the Lyons Den VVhales Belly or the Stocks 6 Intreat Jesus Christ to teach you to Pray Signe VIII VVhen you have no great delight in reading the Holy Scriptures ignorance whereof brings these six Calamities 1 It makes you in a wilderness when sickness and affliction comes because you will not know how and why they come 2 Ignorant that your uneven walking with God may bring upon your selves death before its time 3 Ignorant how to ask in Faith the things you want for soul or body 4 Ignorant wherein you may prevent the presence and comforts of Gods Holy Spirit 5 Ignorant that there is a Legion of evil Spirits waiting hourly to take advantage against you 6 Ignorant that you may hinder Gods holy Spirit from doing any effectual work upon your souls Signe IX VVhen you are mighty inquisitive after novelties rather than wholsome Doctrine Signe X. VVhen you can hear of foul miscarriages in others with little or no heart remorse Signe II. VVhen in your comings together your talk is not savory and Heavenly Signe XII VVhen you are so little prepared for the solemn Assemblies as that they come before you think of them or long for them Signe XIII When you come to the Assembly more for fear of Brethrens eye than Christs eye Signe XIV VVhen the decay in Christs house less troubles you than the decay in your own house Signe XV. VVhen you can see Christs Children stoop with trouble and you not sympathize with them Signe XVI VVhen you will rather betray the Name of Jesus and the credit of his Gospel by your silence than appear for it to your own suffering and disparagement Signe XVII VVhen at a smal offence you are so impatient that you commit great sin Signe XVIII VVhen you are more careful to get the words of Christs people than the Spirit of Christs people the form than the power Signe XIX VVhen you are not much troubled at your own miscarriages while they are kept from publick view Signe XX. VVhen you love least those Brethren that deal most faithfully with you Signe XXI VVhen under more than ordinary troubles you are not more than ordinary in Prayer Signe XXII VVhen you are mighty careless to enquire after the spiritual cause of affliction and mighty careful to enquire after the natural cure Signe XXIII VVhen you pray more for afflictions being removed than sanctified Signe XXIV VVhen under Gods calamity you can neither find necessity nor excellency to humble your selves by fasting Signe XXV VVhen Gods Rod worketh so little upon your hearts that you can neither tell wherefore it s come nor what good it hath done Signe XXVI VVhen you have an evil eye to your fellow Brethren because they outgrow you Signe XXVII When the thoughts of your dearest Lust or any sin is pleasing to you Signe XXVIII When you are mighty curious about the lesser matters of Gods Law but mighty careless about the weightier Signe XXIX When the Holy Spirits help to the great work of Mortification seems not of absolute need to you XXX When you are so ignorant of your spiritual standing that you know not whether you grow or decay FINIS
and mercy of God that shines forth in the works of God Add to this the consideration of the great provocations wherewith he is provoked every day by them he hath done all these great things for how many oaths lies unclean and covetous cruel and abominable evils of all kindes are committed every day by them and yet the Lord is patient and kind for all that Oh be perswaded to mind his dayly compassions that are so clearly manifested that you may learn to love and trust in him and that you may be drawn to repentance remember that the long suffering bounty and goodness of God is extended for that very end therefore abuse it not Again if you would cast your eyes abroad and take notice of the works of God that he is doing dayly it would much help you in the understanding of his justice wisdom mercy al seeing eye over the world Beloved there be evident demonstrations of the Lords warchfull eye and care over the saints when they have been under oppression and have cried to God he hath seen their affliction and heard their cry and hath marvellously delivered them and hath brought down their oppressors when they have been too mighty for men to deal withal and hath given them such a reward of their tyranny sometimes that whosoever did but observe the judgement might wel know from whence the stroke came and for what cause it is not for want of the Lords manifesting of himself that he is no more known in the world but it is our want of taking notice of his works that makes us ignorant of him Next I pray you consider his word for there he hath more plainly revealed himself make therefore the Scriptures your constant study you have there very many descriptions and characters of God and of the Lord Jesus I pray you labour to understand them you have a very notable discription of God in Exod. 3.15 there he cals himself the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and tels us that this is his name and his memorial unto all generations note it I pray you well that you may know him by it But you will say it may be what is it to us that he is the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob how shall we know him ever the better for this name Yes Beloved you may know the Lord much the better for this name if you consider this that Abraham Isaac and Jacob were true Beleevers it is as much as if he should tell you that he will be the God of all those that walk in the steps of these men so that whosoever beleeves and comes to God with uprightness of heart depending upon him for strength to walk in the steps of Abraham he will be the God of such a one and what is it to have God to be our God that you shall fee is a great blessing it is as much as if he should tell us that all the sufficiency that is in himself his power wisdom mercy truth and all his goodness it shall be exercised and put forth for our good Another Name that God ascribes to himself who best knows his own Name we find in Exod. 63. there the Lord tels Israel that although their fathers knew him not by his Name Jehovah yet they should know him by this Name that is as much as to say I am he that have my Being of my self and I give Being to all things else and I give a Being to my Word and that you shall see for I will make my promises good unto you you shall see the sulfilling of them Oh if this Name of God were known and beleeved in how would it advance godliness in the hearts and lives of men if men did beleeve that he would give a Being to his promisses how would they trust in him and likewise if they did beleeve that he would give Being to his threatenings they would learn to fear him and to give up themselves to holiness Likewise I pray you labour to know Christ and to mind the ends of his coming he hath the name of a Saviour labour to understand the meaning thereof whether he came to Save men from Hell only or to save them from sin likewise or whether he came to take away some sin or all sins and to bring every thought into the obedience of his will and whether he is not a Prince as well as a Saviour and wil reign in the consciences and rule and order the conversation of those that he will save I am not now so much a teaching you the knowledg of God as a endeavouring to perswade you to study the word of God and to make it your business to get the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ I have laid before your eyes in some measure the preciousness of this jewel I pray you labour to get it with all your gettings get knowledge and increase in it dayly for it is a pearl of great worth But it may be that some of you may say that if knowledg were so excellent a thing as I would make it wherefore then doth Solomon that had so much of it and knew it so well speak of it as he doth Eccles 1.18 For in much wisdom is much grief and he that increaseth knowledg increaseth sorrow The answering of this would take up too much time I shall therefore leave it to the after-noon Let us commend what hath been said to the blessing of the Almighty THE THIRD EXERCISE John 17.3 And this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent THese words have been opened already and in part appiled I will not stand to repeate but begin where I left You know I was come to answer an Objection that might seem to be grounded on the words of the Preacher Now I shall shew you how this Doctrine and that text are fairly reconciled together a man that knows God may easily procure to himself sorrow by his knowledg and yet knowledg is not a tittle the lesse worth for all that A person that knows God and walks up to his knowledg wisely and holily shall never want enemies that either with open force or by secret practises will work him sorrow enough as you may see in the case of David in the 1 of Samuel 18.14 15. And David behaved himself wisely in all his wayes and the Lord was with him And what does this procure to David will not Saul love him and honour him now no saith the text When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely he was afraid of him and what then why then he must have Sauls elder daughter to ingage him to such a service as might cause him to fall by the hand of the Philistines and then he must have at last his younger daughter that she might be a snare unto him and when al this would not do then Saul becomes his open enemy
and pursues him for his life with open violence and this must other men expect as well as David if they be men of knowledg and walk wisely and be like to be of use either in Church or Common-wealth those that are not sound at the core will indeavour to work them sorrow if this man say they know the peoples right so well and the Magistrates duty so well and begin to talk thus he will soon get the power out of our hands down with him and so likewise if a man be able to speak of God or the things of God to the comfort and edification of others a bad Ministry will soon be devising something to work this man grief Oh say they if this man get into credit with the people we shall soon grow into contempt therefore let us remove him further if it be possible and yet although this and much more then this be true knowledg though it be attended with the crosse yet is it a jewel worth getting with labour and travel which although it may cost a man dear yet it will bear its own charges when it is gotten Another Objection may arise in the hearts of some from the 1 Cor. 8.1 Knowledg puffeth up but charity edifieth This may seem to cast some contempt upon knowledg therefore I must take a little time to open this text unto you I therefore intreat you to look into the beginning of the 7 chapter and there you shall find that the Corinths wrote an epistle or letter to Paul for satisfaction in some cases of conscience among others this is one that some of the members of the Church of Corinth went to the Idols temple together with the Idolaters did eat of the the meat sacrificed to Idols to the offence of some and seandal of the Gospel now as it seems to me the Apostle in that 8 chapter layes down their arguments which they made use of for the defence of this practise and there in that place he answers them first upon their own ground that if it should be granted them that indeed they did proceed upon grounds of knowledg as it was supposed by them they did to eat of that meat yet there practise must needs be evil the unbeleeving Corinths still being hardened by this means in their old sinfull way of eating it to the defiling of their consciences and the weak brethren likewise would be drawn upon doubtfull grounds to do it to the wounding of their consciences and this Paul tels them could not stand with charity and gives them to understand that a knowledg separated from charity or that acted in opposition to charity would prove of no better use but to puff up the heart of him in whom it was for when men will imply their parts to out-wit the weak and bring crafty arguments to defend sinful actions it is no wonder that such a knowledg as this tends to swell and puffe up the heart of him that thus abuseth his wits now although the Corinths did plead grounds of knowledg for their practises and the Apostle there gives it the same name yet you may see by what follows in the 9. 10 Chapters that he did not account their practise their light and their knowledg but their sin and their errour for saith he in the 10 chap. Flee from Idolatry and if it were Idolatry it could not be knowledg and there the Apostle brings clear instances to prove it so one from the Lords Supper there he tels them that they that eat and drink that together are one communion one bread and that whosoever eat of Israels sacrifices were partakers of their Altar and tels them it was the table of Divels that they eat of and that they could not eat of it and of the Lords table both bidding them not to provoke the Lord. asking them if they were stronger than he so that whosoever minds these arguments and considers wherefore they are brought will see that here is nothing against knowledge but against a proud conceit of it for indeed the more any man knows of God the humbler he will be and when you see any man proud and puffed up with his knowledg you may be sure he is no more indeed intruth but a conceited fool therefore I pray you take heed to use all the means the Scriptures do prescribe for the getting of knowledg hear pray read and make the word your dayly meditation David had more understanding then his teachers by this means therefore use it and whatsoever you can find in the word of truth to be a means prescribed for the getting and increasing of it I beseech you use with all faithfulness diligence and humility and he that thus seeketh it shall find it and he that findeth it findeth the ready way to eternal life and so much for this Use Vse 4. I shal now come to the next use and that must be a word of exhortation to all those that know God or profess to know him Beloved there are many duties lying upon you wherein you are eminently concerned I shall lay some few of them before you at this time The first is this if you know much or any thing at all take heed of abusing your knowledg to the service of any sin there be several wayes by which this may be done First beware you do not use your knowledg to defend sin or to make fair pretences for it when men pervert there knowledg for so base an end as that is and indeavour to turn the simple-bearted out of the way by making excuses either for bad principles or for evil practises it is a very dangerous sin when a man useth knowledg to corrupt himself or others and by that very means that tends to lead him to eternal life he posteth the faster toward hell how sinfull and provoking must this needs be to the Lord the more precious any thing is the more abominable it is to abuse it Next take heed you make not knowledg a stalking horse for pride or covetousness or any other cursed lust if a man should preach Christs Gospel never so painfully and yet his secret end be the advanemcent of his own honor this man serves pride and vain glory in what he doth and not the Lord Jesus and so likewise if a man preach the truth never so diligently all his dayes but doth it for a livings sake and not for the works sake he will be found in what he hath done a servant of covetousness and not of Christ and when men can go from place to place for tenor twenty pound a year more wages it is in my judgment such a sad selling of the gifts of God for money if gifted they be that it would make a man tremble to think of it I do not speak as if wages were altogether unlawful if it be Christs wages a reward freely contributed by such as are won thereunto for the love they bear to the Gospel then I know it is
to me and hate not his father and mother wife and children brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple Mark it beloved here you see how far you must exceed in your love to God above the love that you ought to bear to any even the dearest thing in the whole world unto you our Saviour you see gives us to know that when Parents or Children wife or life the which nothing can be dearer comes in competition with Christ we must be so far from loving any of them above the Lord that we must in comparison of the love we bear to him indeed hate them lesse cannot be in the words then this much if so be as if Christ should say freinds when it comes to that that you cannot enjoy the neer and dearest thing that you have in the world upon which your hearts are most set without doing something that will be contrary to my will and glory rather than you should sin against me or dishonour my holy Name you ought to forsake them and cast them away as if you did not love them at all but rather hate them and all this is to be done through that exceeding love that I look you should bear to me beyond what you ought to have for all those things that are most dear unto you and may in a measure be beloved of you Thus it ought to be but I pray you examine how it is whether you do thus love him or no or whether there be not some relation or else which is worse some vanity or sin that hath stolen the greatest part of your affiections from God look to your hearts I beseech you and take heed that you be not found amongst those men that are lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God or in some other such like sin nay suppose it be a child or some other dear relation that thou preferrest before the glory of God take heed thou pay not as dear for this sin as Eli did his sin was this that he preferred the honour of his Sons before the honour of God and therefore must both his Sons fall by the Sword in one day beside what fell both upon himself and upon his house for ever Mark also what Moses saith to Aaron his brother Levit. 19.3 upon the occasion of the death of his two sons this is it that the Lord hath said I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified Which is as much as if Moses should say thy sons have dishonour'd God and therefore for the glorifiying of his own Name he hath out them of and the text saith that Aaron held his place shewing thereby his great respect to the honour of God that if the dearest things he had were taken away if it did but make for the glory of God he had not then one word to say here is a very worthy example I pray you let us follow it and if we see at any time that any thing that is never so dear unto us must be taken away if it make for the honour and glory of God yeeld it up with all willingness and be sure that what ever you give him else give him the heart for with less then that he will not be pleased The next duty that I shall lay before you is the fear of God I pray you consider what a great deal of reason you have to fear this most glorious and only true God and to fear him only for he it is that can do you good or hurt he can do either and none in the World can hinder him if God undertake to be a mans defence all the world cannot hurt him although they put forth their utmost power for the Lord will find out a thousand wayes to deliver a man from the strongest Tyrant in the world likewise if the Lord set himself against a man there is no delivering of him forth of his hand all the power and wisdom in the world cannot do it therefore stand in awe of him and do not let the fear of man cause you to turn out of the way of the Lord it is much better for to make all the men in the world your enemies yea even your dearest Friends and all rather than God But I pray you fear him as God not slavishly but as it becomes Children let the fear and dread of his great Name awe your hearts continually and remember that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God but withall consider his love and compassions to sinners his wisdom and faithfulness as well as his righteousness and power that your fear of him may be mixed with love to him and confidence in him that so a child-like reverence and an humble awe may be continually upon your hearts and take heed that the fear of man do not snare you remember what Isaiah saith to this Isai 51 12.13 Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall dye and of the Son of man that shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker that hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the earth here you see how the Prophet reasons us out of this sin First he asketh Who he is that fears man intimating that it is some strange Creature some coward or fool one that hath strangely forgot himself and he shews the Reason First the man shall dye that is feared and therefore a foolish thing to fear him that shall neither live to reward him nor to punish him Secondly he shall be made as grass and what wise man would fear so vain a thing as grass a powerless creature that can neither help nor hurt a man Thirdly and that which makes the sin very great is this that while a man fears man he forgets God Now there be three Considerations more in this thirteenth verse that should keep up the fear of God in the heart and should likewise keep down the fear of man First he is our Maker Secondly He stretcheth out the Heavens Thirdly He layeth the foundations of the earth As if the Prophet should say if a man would consider the workmanship of God when he looks to the Heavens or when he looks to the earth and considers the glorious works that God hath done in both or if a man did but look upon himself and consideringly mind how he is made and who is his Maker he would never be so foolish as to suffer the fear of man so to prevail to the eating out of the fear of God out of the heart but would walk alwayes in the fear of him who is alone to be feared and meet to be had in special reverence of all that comes about him But I shall proceed to the third duty and that is dependance upon this only true God Beloved there is no other that you can trust in but in him you may trust safely a
easily he is tempted finding his own heart alwayes ready to betray him into the Tempters hands this is indeed enough to work amazing thoughts and to drive a person to utter despair if it were not for that ground of hope we have in Jesus Christ but here is a strong ground of considence in this that Christ hath undertaken to save men from sin and to subdue it and that he hath provided weapons to pull down Sathans strongest holds and to bring under every lust though never so strong and high so that there shall not be an imagination or a thought but Christ can and will conquer and bring into subjection by the power of his Spirit yea his business into the world was to purge the Conscience from dead works and to cleanse and purifie the soul from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and to purge us from our very Idols Now therefore consider how great the goodness of God is to put this work into the hands of Christ alass if it had been left in our hands it would never have been done but he hath undertaken it himself and therefore it will prosper Again another end of our Lord Jesus his coming into the world is to comunicate the graces of his Spirit to all that come to him for them John 1.16 and Luke 11.13 How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him saith the Text here you see upon what terms you may obtain the Holy Spirit it is but going to Christ to ask it he hath promised it and he cannot deny it for he is truth it self and cannot deny himself it is impossible Again Jesus Christ came to bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel 1 Tim. 1.10 Mark it I pray you his coming hath brought life and immortality that is as much as to say he hath brought an immortal crown of life and glory yea may some poor soul say it is a good portion indeed if a man knew which way to come to inherit it but alass I do not know which way I can come by this blessed inheritance that is answered in the next words he hath brought it to light through the Gospel that is as much as if he should say he came also to bring a Gospel that should bring light with it unto the understandings and souls of men Beloved it is not promised to men whether they attend to the Gospel or no therefore deceive not your own hearts but if you do attend on the Gospel and take its direction it will bring that light into thy soul that will bring thee to see how to come to enjoy this blessed inheritance there be many precious promises of the like nature in the Scriptures look Prov. 2.6 first verses and do but consider them there is a plain promise that if you use the same diligence in praying and seeking for this spiritual riches as men use to do for temporal Riches you shall be sure to find it and the ground of this is because that out of the mouth of the Lord cometh knowledg and understanding it is not therefore because a man makes diligent search and so deserveth it no nor yet because it lyeth either in his diligence or the Ordinances unavoidably but because the grace and love of God is such that he sent Jesus Christ for that very end that whosoever would be but perswaded to wait upon him in the use of the means appointed by him for that end and purpose should not miss of that grace and sweet advantage to his poor soul another end of his coming is to tread down Sathan under our feet so that although he be full of subtilty and craft and strength and makes use of all the means and instruments he can yet shall he never be too hard for that soul that comes to Christ for Refuge no although the poor soul be laden with ignorance lust hardness of heart and unbelief too and never so many sinful and soul-destroying diseases if he do but come to Christ in good earnest and desire him to deliver him he wil certainly do it nay if when Christ knocks at the door of a sinners heart to bid him stand up from the dead and he will deliver him out of the paw of the Devil if then I say you shut not Christ out of door and bid him depart from thee and tell him thou desirest not the knowledg of his wayes I say again if thou deal not thus with him it is the proper work for which Christ came to seek out lost sinners and to save them and therefore he will not be wanting to do it again he came to be a fellow-feeler of our infirmities that he might know what it is to suffer adversity and to be tempted to the end he might be a merciful High Priest and might minister that help comfort and strength which would be needful upon all occasion therefore you may be sure that whatever your souls distress is whether it be sin sorrow temptation or of what kind soever there is help for you in Christ if you do not neglect it or refuse it but you must know also that Christ came to command sinners to Repent and Beleeve and obey him and if you shall for the love of pleasure or profit wilfully refuse the offers of his Grace you must know he came with Authority to execute judgement in all such cases and thus much for this present THE SEVENTH EXERCISE John 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent YOu know that in the morning I came to speak to this third general head of Doctrine in the Text namely the sending of Jesus Christ and I have shewed you who sent him and from whence he came and what he was sent to do all that I shall now add to that I have said already is only this that as the Father hath sent him to take upon him these three great Offices King Priest and Prophet so he hath furnished him with power and ability to do all the work that doth belong unto these Offices therefore you need not fear to cast your burthen upon the Lord for God hath laid help upon one that is mighty Psalm 89.19 Isai 63.1 one strong enough to break down the power of all your enemies sin lust snare temptation or whatever else lies in the way of your peace he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Heb. 7 25. Now the reason of this wherefore it was necessary for Christ to be sent of the Father for the doing of this great work is this such is the helplesness of poor fallen man he is so dead in Trespasses and sins and in so miserable and lost a condition that nothing but the free Grace of God in Christ can possibly help him for he in himself is so utterly unworthy of any mercy that there is no other way to
years and been bruised by Satan yet be sure the year of Jubile will come when the trumpet shall sound for the diliverance of such bruised captives as thou art See one text more Isaiah 57.17 18. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth saith God And I shewed it to for I smote him saith he Yea but it is like it was but a very geritle stroke for if he had smitten hard it is like the man would have repented and turned yes saith the Lord but I did strike hard for I hid me and was wrath that is a great blow indeed beloved when the Lord hides himself that takes away all comfort and all hope sure the sinner will turn now or never there will be some fruit now of this stroke or else he will be given up as one incureable no saith the text he went on frowardly for all that and how does God deal with this wicked wretch now will he not throw him to hell immediately or if he spare him any longer sure it is but for distruction that will be the end of him No saith God I have seen his wayes and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him Who would look to hear such gracious words as these from God Oh the riches of his free grace and mercy to old froward wetched sinners therefore fear not to cast your selves upon him although you be never so bad but if you be not able to cast yourselves upon him yet do not run away from him but lie at the Pool I mean the Ordinances and wait on Christ and he will find a time to visit you and to heal you and although you be so lost that you cannot return to him yet be sure you hide not your selves from him and then be sure Christ will not fail to do that good work for which his father sent him namely to seek and to save such lost ones as thou art And in the next place labour to beleeve the promises sir down and consider how many precious promises there be made in the Scriptures to sinners to undodly ones to all the ends of the earth to all comers come whose will and whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely Revel 22.17 without money or price as Isaiah saith Isaiah 55. that is without any condition of worth on your part in the least degree I have laid many precious promises before you this day already read them over again and say to your selves these promises are held out to me and to such as I am and it is my duty to beleeve them and to apply them to my self do this the very first work you do think not to repent and to humble hy self first but before ever thou goest about that labour to beleeve and be not so foolish as to think to amend either thy heart or thy wayes before thou beleevest It is true I would not go about to perswade you other-wayes but that it is your duty to be humbled and to repent and to cast away all your trangressions and to study to be holy both in body and in spirit and also in conversation but if you think to do any of all these great works before you beleeve you go about a foolish work that will never prosper nor come to any thing for you must receive all that grace and power from Christ by faith through which you are inabled to all that is good and therefore if you would repent or obey or get your hearts changed or your lusts subdued go to Christ and rest upon him for grace to do all these duties And in the third place go to the Lord and ask repentance of him and begg a new heart and what ever else thy soul stands in need of and tell him how great thy wants be and what gracious promises he hath made to sinners and pray him to make them good to thy poor soul But me thinks I hear some poor soul say indeed if I were able to pray it were to be hoped that I might speed but alass I am not able to pray in the spirit and therefore I had as good say nothing I answer no more can young Ravens pray in the spirit and yet God heareth their cry and so he doth hear also the cryes of wicked men else how came Manaseh out of Bahylon 2 Chron. 33.13 also such as are wicked are incouraged to seek the Lord Isaiah 55.6 7. Oh but sayes the poor soul the prayer of the wicked is a bominable therefore how can I pray I answer if indeed thou meanest to go on in the wickedness without any purpose or desire to be better he will not hear in such a case but if thou go to him to be delivered from sin as well as from wrath he will surely hear thy cry and wil help thee Oh but the scripture saith that if I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear me To this I answer if indeed thou do regard iniquity thou must not look to be heard but the question is what it is to regard iniquity now I will tell you that man that goes to God with a forme of words and with them thinks to please him but hath no desire at all to ask nor yet to receive any help against sin but resolves to live and continue in that still this man regards iniquity but on the other hand that man that hath lusts that he cannot master but yet he would be well content if the Lord would be pleased to subdue them for him and there is no request that he hath more desire to be heard in then in this that he might be delivered from his beloved sin Now this man doth nor regard iniquity although it may be strong in him But if he cry to the Lord for help he will surely hear his cry and will save him But if thou judgest that thou canst not pray yet ask for mercy for all that there is a sweet text in the Prophesie of Hoseah 14.2 the Lord tels wicked men there what they shall say to him for you most know that this Prophesie was sent to Israel in there backslidden and Idolatrous estate and yet the Lords goodness is such that he perswades them to return and seek for mercy but he takes it for granted that they cannot pray for it and therefore he tels them what they shall say take with you words and say untu hom saith the Prophet take away all iniquity and receive us graciously Mark it I pray you if they had had a spirit of prayer the Lord need not have bidden them take words to them and say receive us for where a spirit of prayer is there it helpeth our infirmities and reacheth us to make request according to the will of God as it is Rom. 8.26 27. if we have the spirit it will sufficiently open our minds unto our father but if we have it not then let us take words to us and
the same thing in the words immediately going before but for the Readers fake I shall bring up that in the rear which should have been in the front if I had had the least thought of writing and for the understanding of this word eternal life you are to know that it is called so by reason of that opposition it hath with that state of death and misery in which the ungodly suffer eternall torments that is called death by reason of the woe and sorrow that must for ever be indured and this is called life by reason of that happiness and comfort that shall eternally be enjoyed Observe then that this word eternal life sets forth unto us the blessedness of that eternal glory which the saints shall for ever enjoy hereafter in the presence of the Lord as you have it Acts 3.19 I shall endeavour to set something of that happiness before you and for that end I pray you take notice that eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive how exceeding glorious that estate is which the Lord hath prepared for those that truly beleeve but although it is impossible to set forth the glory of it as Pauls words do clearly imply 2 Cor. 12.1 2 3 4. yet the Scriptures do speak very much of the glory of it although it may be when a soul shall come to see it he will say the one half was never told him First then consider what David saith of it Psalm 16.11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore You see whither the path of life will lead a man it goeth directly into the presence of God and there is fulness of joy saith the Prophet mark it that is a full word indeed to express the fulness of a mans happiness Oh the blessedness of a man that knows God and Jesus Christ and walks up to that knowledg he shall have fulness of joy First he shall have nothing to hinder his joy but all sickness sorrow griefe and troubles of all kinds shall be removed a man shall have never an ill neighbour there to vex him nor any creature that shall speak a word to grieve him but all his companions shall be holy and spiritual such as will perfectly love God and love him and rejoice in his happiness with perfect joy there be shall never see nor hear either person or thing that shall minister the least discomfort or trouble to him none that will backbite or speak kinder then his heart thinketh will ever be found in that place no divel shall come there to tempt nor snare to turn the heart aside from God but there shall be perfect freedom from all manner of molestation whatsoever and contrarily there shall be the fulness of all joy and peace holiness and love there shall be no want of any comfort no nor of any degree of comfort that the heart of man can possibly desire Peter speakes of a joy unspeakable and full of glory that beleevers meet withal here 1 Pet. 1.8 and Paul calls that fame sealing testimony of the Spirit the earnest of our inheritance Ephos 1.13 14. now if the Lord do give such tastes of the cup of consolation in this life to some poor beleevers as those texts do plainly intimate he doth what then may we think their portion shall be when they shall come home to their inheritance I shall give you an instance in one poor soul that I knew who being in anguish of spirit for some two years together and having sought the Lord with sorrow and tears many a time at last being in the fields in the night weeping and praying it pleased the Lord to manifest his love wonderfully and by his spirit to open the sweet promises of the Gospel and to seal up his love in the promises with that clearness of assurance and exceeding joy that untill that time that soul could never think that heaven it self would have yeelded that fulness of joy and consolation but doubtlesse that soul never yet nor any other that is this day on earth ever tasted more then an earnest penny of the fulness of that glory that shall be injoyed in the life to come Another note in the text observable is this that these pleasures are to be injoyed at the right hand of God which plainly intimates thus much unto us That the Lord will put forth his wisdome mercy and all sufficiency in the glorifying of those persons that shall be accounted worthy of that kindome for so much the right hand signifieth for there you know the strength lieth and there we use to set the persons we highly favour and would put the greatest honour upon that we know how There is one thing more in this text worth noting and that is this word for evermore that is it that exceedingly adds to the fulness of this glory that it is of an everlasting continuance so that as there shall be a freedome from all sin snare temptation trouble or whatsoever might produce complaint or cause any degree of sorrow and likewise an injoyment of all those comforts that the heart of man can possibly wish or desire So also there shall be no fear no nor ground of fear that ever this blessed estate shall change or fade but remain sure and durable to all eternity Oh consider of the worth and glory of this happy condition when the souls company and injoyments shall both be perfect Another text that I would pray you to mind is in 1 Cor. 15.49 the words are these and as we have born the Image of the earthy we shall also bear the Image of the heavenly Indeed if it were not for that which lies in this promise all the rest of a mans injoyments could not be so exceeding comfortable unto him for what would it be to a man to see all his company holy and spiritual full of love joy and peace being free from all the stain and appearance of evil if he himself should be corrupt and remain still burthened with the same degrees of sin and supjectness to transgression as I fear the best of Saints do find themselves inclined and subject to while they are here But this shall be the great happiness of the Saints that after the resurrection they shall be made fully conformable to their heavenly condition and company bearing the Image of Christ as they have born old Adams image that is they shall bear it as truly and as fully being made as like him as ever they were like Adam Now it is evident unto us all how like Adam we have been having all those lusts in our hearts that ever were in his having as little delight in God and desire of heaven and being as barren and destitude of all spiritual grace as he but then we shall be made fully like our Lord Jesus as free from all carnallity errour and