in this World 3 dly The kind of the Punishment It was not exclusion out of Heaven but out of Canaan they might not go into the Promised Land This Chastisement was grievous to Moses he looked upon it as a notable Inconvenience and besought the Lord that he might go over Deut. 3.23 25. I besought the Lord at that time saying I pray thee let me go over and see that good Land that is beyond Jordan that goodly Mountain and Lebanon But ver 26. The Lord was wroth with me for your sakes and would not hear me and said unto me Let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this Matter Nay Deut. 4.21 The Lord was angry with me for your sakes and sware that I should not go over Jordan and that I should not go in unto that good Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an Inheritance Thus you see with all his Prayer and Intreaty Moses could not get the Sentence reversed all the Favour he could obtain was to get it mitigated He was permitted to get to the top of Pisgah and see it with his Eyes Deut. 3.27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah and lift up thine Eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward and behold it with thine Eyes but thou shalt not go over this Jordan This was not vouchsafed to Aaron for he died at Mount Hor. But Moses brought the People to the very Borders and thence had a prospect of the Land of Canaan on every side Thus God may wear away an unthankful Generation by sundry Calamities and some good Men that live among them may be also taken off before God produce and bring forth his beautiful Work which is the sum of all their Hopes and the fruit of their Pain and Sorrow Only they have the Privilege of Believers to see the Promises afar off and to be perswaded of them and embrace them Heb. 11.13 which was some comfort to Moses II. The general Reasons The Sins of the professing or really Godly are most provoking 1. They sin against a nearer Relation which is more than if a Stranger did these things As David heightens the Injuries done to him Psal. 55.12 13. It was not an Enemy that reproached me then I could have born it neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me then I could have hid my self from him But it was thou a Man mine Equal my Guide and mine Acquaintance So 2 Sam. 12.11 I will raise up Evil against thee out of thine own House By proportion we may judg in this Case for our Relation is urged to quicken our Duty 1 Pet. 1.14 As obedient Children not fashioning your selves according to the former Lusts in your Ignorance And if we do otherwise to increase our Punishment Amos 3.2 You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore will I punish you for all your Iniquities They were his peculiar and chosen People and though he would not altogether spare others yet he will certainly and more severely chastise them So Deut. 32.19 And when the Lord saw it he abhorred them because of the provoking of his Sons and of his Daughters that is those that were his Children by a gracious Calling 2. They sin against greater Helps and Advantages than others do Such as have more knowledg of their Duty Iames 4.17 To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is Sin Experience of the Evil of Sin they have tasted of the bitter Waters and felt more of the Sting of Sin in the conviction of their Consciences and are scarce yet whole of the old Wounds Josh. 22.17 Is the Iniquity of Peor too little for us from which we are not cleansed to this day though there was a Plague in the Congregation of the Lord Once more they sin against a Principle of Life within and so offer Violence not only to the Law of God but their own new Nature 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him neither can he sin because he is born of God 3. They sin against greater Obligations Partly from the Mercies of God and so there is more Unkindness and Ingratitude in their Sins Iohn 6.67 Will ye go away also If the rotten Multitude do desert him yet will his Disciples be prejudiced and weaken the Confidence of others The more Proofs of God's Love we have received he taketh it the worse at our Hands So also there is an Obligation partly from their own profession of a strict Obedience Ephes. 5.8 Ye were sometimes Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord walk as Children of Light God hath distinguished them from others and therefore they should distinguish themselves by Eminence of Holiness and Obedience Nehem. 5.9 Ought ye not to walk in the Fear of our God because of the Reproach of the Heathen our Enemies Partly there is a special Obligation from their Covenant-Vow Now a People in Covenant with God are faster bound to him than others therefore their Transgressions are the more hainous As Adultery is a greater Crime than single Fornication because of the Marriage-Covenant and Sacrilege than Theft because it is a devouring what is Holy or alienating what is dedicated to God Now God will avenge the Quarrel of his Covenant Levit. 26.25 I will bring a Sword upon you that shall avenge the Quarel of my Covenant 4. Because of the Effects of their Sins 1. Partly as they dishonour God more than others 2 Sam. 12.14 Howbeit because by this Deed thou hast given great Occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the Child also that is born unto thee shall surely die though God had pardoned his Sin The scandalous Sins of Professors give great Advantage to the Enemies of the Truth who will be sure to make a wicked and evil use thereof Therefore we should walk the more circumspectly and holily lest through our Sides our Profession it self be wounded as well as our Souls and the Lord 's Holy Name be blasphemed The Honour of God is not so much concerned in the Actions of the Ungodly as it is in the Example of great Men or of those that are eminently godly 2. As they harden and justify the Wicked Ezek. 16.51 Neither hath Samariah committed half of thy Sins but thou hast multiplied thine Abominations more than they and hast justified thy Sisters in all thine Abominations which thou hast done They do with the more pretence live in their Sins when they see the Lapses and Falls of the Godly themselves 5. There are special Reasons why God should correct them for their Sins here in the World 1. To keep up the Honour of his Government lest he should by forbearance seem to approve their Sin who are so near to him and dignified with so many Privileges God is the impartial Judg of the World therefore he will do right the Disorders of his People are not passed
when it moveth it self aright The Senses must be bridled Iob made a Covenant with his Eyes chap 31.1 I made a Covenant with mine Eyes why then should I think upon a Maid No Man is above these Rules The Eyes transmit the Object to the Fancy the Fancy to the Mind the Mind to the Heart SERMON VI. TITUS II. 12 And worldly Lusts c. Vse 3. EXhortation Let us deny these worldly Lusts. I shall urge Arguments both on Grace's part and then on the part of worldly Lusts. 1. On Grace's part Grace hath denied us nothing it hath given us Christ and all things with him and shall we stick at our Lusts that are not worth the keeping Certainly God loved Christ with an inexpressible Affection it was infinitely more than we can love the World Tho Nature be much addicted to these Lusts and tho we be carried out with great strength of Affection to the World yet we cannot love the World as much as God loved Christ for his Love to Christ is infinite and unlimited like his Essence and God found a full Complacency and Satisfaction in Christ yet God gave up the Son of his Love Grace counteth nothing too dear for us not the Blood of Christ not the Joys of Heaven and shall we count any thing too dear for Grace A right Eye or a right Hand cannot be so dear to us as Christ was dear to God At what cost is Grace to redeem and save us And shall Grace be at all this cost for nothing If God had commanded us a greater thing ought we not to have done it If God had commanded thee to give thy Body to be burnt or to offer thy first-born for the Sin of thy Soul considering his absolute Right over the Creature he might have required thy Life and thy Childrens Lives but he only requires thy Lusts things not worth the keeping things that will prove the Bane of thy Soul and things that we are bound to part with to preserve the Integrity and Perfection of our Natures If God had never dealt with us in a way of Grace we should have parted with our Lusts And shall Grace plead in vain when it presseth to deny Lusts It will be the Shame and Horror of the Damned to all Eternity that they have stood with God for a Trifle and that they would not part with Dung for Gold with a Stable for a Palace especially being so deeply pre-ingaged by God's Mercy in Christ. 2. On the part of worldly Lusts. There let me speak of them in general then in particular I. In general they are Lusts and they are worldly Lusts both will yield us Arguments why we should deny them 1 st They are Lusts and therefore Lust should be checked because it is Lust. That we may see what Victory we have over our selves it is a fit occasion to express our Self-denial and to shew what we can do for God There can be no considerable Self-denial there but where the Lust is great and there we shew how we can renounce our Bosom-desires for God's sake Mat. 7.13 it is said Strait is the Gate and narrow the Way that leads to Life If we desire to go to Heaven we must look to cross our selves in those things we most affect and desire and pass through a strait Gate and therefore if you let Lust have its scope you mistake the way Without Self-denial there can be no good done in Religion Again Lust is the Disease of the Soul Natural Desire is like the Calor vitalis the vital Heat which preserves Nature but Lust is like the feaverish Heat that oppresseth Nature We should get rid of our immoderate Desire as we would of a Disease Nature's Desires are temperate and soon satisfied but Lust's are immoderate and ravenous Contentation is the Soul's Health as Lust is her Sickness If after much eating and drinking a Man is unsatisfied it is a sign he is sick and hath more need of Physick than of Meat and Drink and to be purged rather than filled So when we are not contented with God's Allowance in a moderate supply of Nature we need to be cured rather than satisfied Drink is sweet to a Man in a feaverish Distemper but it is better to be without the Appetite than to enjoy the pleasure of Satisfaction Who would desire a burning Feaver to relish his Drink Better mortify the Lust than satisfy it in the issue it will be sweeter for it is the Disease of the Soul though it seem sweet I am sure the Pains of Mortification will not be half so bitter as the Horrors of everlasting Darkness And Lust let alone begins our Hell it is the burning Heat that at length breaks out into an everlasting Flame Again Lust is the Disorder of Nature and Reason that should be Monarch and King in the Soul is enslav'd and under a base Bondage by strength of Desires and it is the greatest Slavery for a Man to be a Slave to his own Desires and the truest Freedom to command them Consider what an odd sight it were if the Feet should be there where the Head is and Earth there where Heaven should be there is as great a Monstruousness and Disorder within when the Soul is under the power of a ruling Lust. All should be in subjection to the Law of the Mind God made Reason to have the Soveraignty and Dominion and we give it to Appetite and Lust. A Man is drawn away by his Lusts Iames 1.14 Every Man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed The Affections are like wild Horses in a Coach that have cast their Driver they draw away the Soul by violence and Reason hath no command Again Lusts make us not only brutish like Beasts for Beasts are led by Appetite and Man by Reason but worse than Beasts for Beasts can do no more and ought to do no more they have not a higher Rule Appetite is made Judg. Yea and which is more we exceed them in Lusts Beasts which are wholly led by Appetite desire things only nigh at hand and which are easy to be gotten but Man's Lusts romage throughout the whole Course of Nature sometimes they desire things impossible The Lust of Beasts is less inordinate than the Lust of Men for the Beasts only desire to satisfy Nature which is contented with a little You cannot force a Beast to take more when Nature hath its fill but our Desires know no bounds and we desire not only necessary things but superfluous such as are burdensom and cumbersom to the Soul Lust only maketh them necessary A Horse when he hath taken his measure will take no more Every other Creature naturally is carried only to that which is helpful to its Nature and shuns that which is hurtful and offensive Only Man is in love with his own Bane and fights for those Lusts that fight against the Soul Again it is Lust that makes our abode in the World
day That an Elephant cannot pass through the Eye of a Needle Our Saviour indeed a little changeth the Proverb instead of the Elephant a Beast which few had seen putting a Camel a Creature very ordinary in Syria It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle I will not say that this Similitude was chosen because they were wont to lade their rich Wares upon Camels and so the Camel doth most decipher the rich Man who is the Pack-horse of his Wealth and hath the burden but not the use of it However two things I may gather from it as Origen hath done before us 1. That there is something in turning Christian or entering into the Kingdom of God that answers the Needles Eye and that is the strate-gate and the narrow way which leads to life Matth. 7.14 the strait gate of Repentance and the narrow way of constant Mortification 2. That there is something on the rich Man's part which answers the Camel namely that they grow so great and bulky in regard of their Pride worldly Lusts Joys and Confidences that they cannot reduce themselves to those straits that are necessary for entering into the Kingdom of God as the Camel's bulk and bunch back hinders his entrance into a strait place This without straining I might observe tho' I must tell you I think the main intent of this Proverbial speech is nothing else but this to express an extraordinary difficulty on the rich Man's part not to be removed but by the Almighty Power of Grace Such Similitudes are frequent in Scripture Ier. 13.23 Can the Aethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots so Matth. 23.24 Ye blind Guides which strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel Well then you see it noteth the Difficulty if not utter Impossibility for Men of that rank without peculiar Grace to avoid the Snares of Satan or to render themselves capable of Eternal Blessedness And since Christ doth again and again press this we have had it three times and now doth amplifie it by a Comparison I shall observe Doct. That the danger of Riches and the Difficulty of rich Men's Salvation is a Point ought much to be prest and seriously thought of There are two propositions included in this Observation 1. That the Salvation of rich Men is very difficult 2. That this must be much prest and seriously thought of I. The Difficulty of their Salvation I have formerly proved this by reason of the sins incident to this State and Condition of Life therefore now I shall quit that and prove there is a great deal of difficulty for rich Men to enter into the Kingdom of God because of the Duties required of them 1. There are Common Duties that concern them and all Christians 2. There is something peculiar and singular expected from the Rich which makes their Entrance into Heaven more difficult First There are Common Duties that concern them and all Christians that are more difficult for them than for others to perform and these are set down Mat. 16.24 If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me Christ saith If any Man without Exception small and great rich and poor they must all submit to those Terms The Duties are three and they make way one for another 1. He must deny himself and he must comply with this 2. That he may take up his Cross and bear it kindly and willingly and that fits for the 3 d. Duty Following Christ or cleaving close to him These are the three Duties that are required of all that will come after Christ and would follow him as their great Lord and Master and Captain of their Salvation He must deny himself his own Wit his own Will his own Affections and Interests and be wholly at the Disposal of God pleasing him in all things 'Till we come to this nothing else in Christianity will down Well when this is done then he must take up the Cross first Deny our Selves that bows the back of a Sinner then take up and bear the Cross kindly that is to say rather suffer the Loss of all than wilfully sin against God and hazard his Favour And after this he must follow Christ not forsake him because of the Cross but stick the closer to him walking according to his Doctrine and Example Let us treat of these Duties apart and withall shew how hard it is for the Rich Man to comply with them 1. He must deny himself whatever his Corrupt Heart desires how dear and pleasing soever it be tho' his parting with the Contentments of the Flesh should be like cutting off the right hand and plucking out the right Eye Mat. 5.29 30. Yet this must be done and he must fully resign up himself to please God in all things Now this is very hard and difficult for all Men which we may soon be sensible of if we do but consider how earnestly Man affects a Dominion and Sovereignty over himself to be sui juris at his own dispose as those Rebels against God said Psal. 12.4 Our lips are our own who is Lord over us A Libertine yokeless Spirit possesseth them We conceit that our Hearts are our own to think what we please our Tongues our own to speak what we please our Hands our own to do what we please Man affects to be a God to himself and to be solely under the Government of his own Will and to have all his Comforts in his own hand and at his own dispose denying himself nothing which his Heart affects as Solomon saith he did Eccl. 2.10 Whatsoever mine Eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my heart from any joy Natural Pride and Self-love is such that we cannot endure the Yoke of any restraints but we let loose the reins to a full Fruition of whatever our Hearts affect Now as Self-denyal is difficult to all because of this Yokeless and Libertine Spirit much more to the rich and to the great and to those that flow in Ease and Plenty and have no bands and restraints of Providence upon them they are more licentious impatient of contradiction or of having their Wills thwarted and therefore by a lawless Liberty they wholly seek to please themselves and to feed their own Lusts without any Care and Respect to God Ier. 5.5 I will get me to the great men and will speak unto them but they have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds that is they cast off all the Bonds of Loyalty and Obedience to God And why because they think they can subsist alone and apart from him Ier. 2.31 Wherefore do my People say We are Lords we will come no more unto thee Men think themselves to be Lords of their own Fortune and therefore slight God break through the restraint of his Laws cannot deny themselves any thing that their corrupt Hearts affect Those that are in a low Condition kept bare and in
the midst of Difficulties such a fickle and such a changeable Creature as Man is how can that be 1 Pet. 1. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation The Power of God is engaged for our Defence So for Temporal Difficulties when we see no means no likelihood to escape yet we are not thoughtful of this matter for our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King Dan. 3.17 In Death when we go to the Grave to moulder into dust and rottenness then to look upon the Morsels of Worms as parcels of the Resurrection what shall uphold and support our Hearts in waiting upon God for this Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body according to the working whereby he is able to subà ne all things unto himself The Scripture still referrs us to the mighty Power of God whereby he can subdue and cause all to fall under him The Destruction of Antichrist and Enemies of the Church who are supported by great and strongly combined Interests how can that ever be hoped for Rev. 18.8 Her plagues shall come in one day death and mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her and that is the greatest Cordial of the Soul The Life of Faith lyes in the Belief of God's Power and All-sufficiency He can raise up the Church from her low Condition and all without any means when all is dry Bones then God can put Life into his People 2. To encourage us in Obedience it is good to believe and improve the Power of God 1. That we may carry it more humbly and more dutifully 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God This is that which begets a deep awe and reverence of his Majesty Shall we not submit to that God that is able to crush us O therefore let us Study to please him in all things When you sin you bid deâ—iance to the Almighty and enter into the Lists with God and provoke him to jealousie 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie are we stronger than he Do you know what it is to dash against God and Contest with God He that is Almighty is the most desirable Friend or the most dreadful Adversary and therefore humble your selves and carry it dutifully towards him Every one would be in with the Almighty Be sure to keep in with the Lord Deut. 10.17 For the Lord our God is a God of Gods and Lord of Lords a great God a mighty and a terrible which regardeth not persons nor taketh reward Will you provoke him and dare him to his Face 2. To keep us upright in Obedience without Warping and using any Carnal shifts Gen. 17.1 I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect God alone is enough to you The Reason why we so often step out of the way is because we do not believe God to be Almighty that he is more able to defend than Man to hurt Even God's own Children may warp for want of a sound belief of this Abraham saved himself by a Lye because he would not trust God with his Preservation Gen. 20.11 Moses was backward to do the Lord's Message Exod. 4.13 as if God could not bear him out before Pharaoh and before the Egyptians There was a Promise Iacob should have the Blessing but Rebecka puts him upon using indirect means to obtain it because she could not trust God's Alâ— sufficiency to bring it about He that will not trust God and rest upon his Power cannot be long faithful to him because they think there is not enough in God they will seek elsewhere All sincerity ariseth from these two things and until you get your Hearts into this Frame you never will be sincere submitting all things to God's Will and resting upon God's Power How desperate soever the Case be this will relieve you and keep you sincere and comfortable the Lord is a powerful God and knows how to provide for his Glory and for your sustentation Now to quicken you thus to believe and improve the Power of God I will offer these Considerations 1. Consider the Amplitude of God's Power which is not to be measured by our scantling and model we can do something but God can do all things we must have Matter prepar'd but God works out of nothing we do things difficultly and must have time but God can do all things in a moment he needs no Instruments or Tools no Pattern or Copy but worketh all things according to the Counsel of his Will We rust with Age and our strength is dryed up but the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save Isa. 59.1 His strength is never wasted or dryed up When any thing is to be done or expected from God is it greater than making the World and God is where he was at first Our knowledge of things is by Effects but God never had an Effect adequate to his Power he hath done great things but he hath Power to do greater Mal. 2.15 And did not he make one yet had he the residue of the Spirit When he Created the World he had the residue of the Spirit he could have made more Worlds All Created Effects are finite and therefore not fully answerable to the force of the Cause Let us be still enlarging in our Thoughts of God's Power This is a Power that needeth not the Concurrence of visible means but can work without them yea opposite Power is no hinderance to God Rubbs are plain Ground to him Isa. 27.4 Who would set the bryars and thorns against me in battle I would go through them I would burn them together What can Bryers and Thorns do against a devouring Flame they are fit Fuel to encrease the Fire but cannot hinder the burning God works through all Opposition Isa. 43.13 I will work and who shall lett it 2. Consider this Power is ready to be employed for our Use so far as it shall make for God's glory and our good God is ours if we be in Covenant with him and if so all that is in God is ours also Quantus quantus est as great as he is God makes over himself in Covenant I am yours therefore Almightiness is yours to be set a work for you And as Aristotle said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are common between Friends and Confederates 1 Kings 22.4 Iehoshaphat said unto the King of Israel I am as thou art my People as thy People my Horses as thy Horses Surely being in Covenant with God it is a Relation of Friendship and whatever is God's is ours and that is the reason of this Expression Eph. 6.10 Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might In all our Faintings and Fears we should look upon God's Almighty Power as a
willing to return to their Obedience to God expecting their help and discharge from Gods Grace in Christ. It is opposed to such as are Righteous in their own Eyes Such as do in some measure feel their Sins are humbled for them desirous to be freed from them lost Sinners broken-hearted and grieved and wounded for their transgressions These are respected in Christs Commission Isa. 61.1 2. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening the prison doors to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Here is Christs calling to his Ministry and the exercise of his prophetical Office described Sent to preach the spiritual deliverance from sin and Sathan But to whom To such as are humbled and thoroughly touched with a lively sense of their Sin for which purpose God maketh use of legal sorrow to awaken Sinners and prepare them before Conversion II. That Christ recovereth us out of this lapsed Estate by Calling There is a two-fold Calling of Christ by which he calleth Men 1. Outward 2. Inward 1. Outwardly By the Ministry of the Word by which he inviteth Men to come out of their Sins offering Grace and Salvation in the outward means Thus Iohn preached Repentance Mat. 3.20 Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand When the Kingdom of Grace was about to be set up by the Gospel the great Duty called for was Repentance For the Gospel findeth Men involved in an evil way like mad Men out of their Wits and they must return to their Wits again if they would be capable of it Now they must change their course if they will receive benefit by it Thus Iohn preached and Jesus Christ came with the same form of proclamation Mark 1.15 The kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the gospel The great business to which he called was to be willing to own the benefit offered by Christ and to return to the Duty which they owed to their Creator So his Apostles when sent abroad by him spake to Men in the same note Acts 2.38 Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins And Acts 3.19 Repent that your sins may be blotted out They offered Pardon and Life upon these termes 2. Inwardly By the effectual working of the Blessed Spirit inclining and moving their hearts to obey that outward Calling in forsaking their Sins and turning to the Lord by true Repentance We have need of a Saviour to help us to Repentance as well as to help us to pardon And God hath exalted him to such an end Acts 3.26 God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins He by the Gospel giveth leave to repent Acts 11.18 And when they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying That then God also to the Gentiles granted repentance to life Which is a great Mercy The Law doth not say I will not the Death of a Sinner but that he turn and live but the Lord saith do and live sin and dye This favour was not vouchsafed to Angels Heb. 2.16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He took not hold of Angels That he giveth us space to repent as well as leave that by his Providence he may do and doth to many that perish Revel 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not God is not quick and severe upon every Miscarriage He might have cut us off betimes as we crush Serpents in the Egg and destroy venomous Creatures when they are young But this is not all he giveth Grace to repent yea Repentance its self whereby Mans Heart is changed This is by his Spirit 2 Tim. 2.25 If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth The Evangelical Call carries its own blessing with it III. The Means of Application or the Duty on Mans part is Repentance For to that he calleth them here Here let me shew you these four things 1. What Repentance is 2. The kinds of it 3. That this is the way of our Recovery 4. The suitableness of this qualification to the Grace of the New Covenant I. What Repentance is It is turning of the whole heart from Sin and Sathan to serve God in newness of Life Or a turning from Sin because God hath forbidden it to that which is good because God hath commanded it There are in it as in every action two tearms a quo and ad quem We turn from something and we turn to something 1. The terminus a quo we turn from something From Sin Acts 8.22 Repent of thy wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from thy wickedness and from dead works Heb. 6.1 from Sathan Sathan is sometimes made the terme because the Sinner falleth to his share Acts 26.18 To turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan to God 2. The terminus ad quem is to God Acts 20.21 To the truth 2 Tim. 2.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth To holiness and newness of Life Rom. 6.4 To life Acts 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life 2. The kinds of it There is a general Repentance which consists in the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh Col. 2.11 When a Man renounceth all sin and devoteth himself to God And there is a particular repentance for any provoking Sin Acts 8.22 Repent and pray that if it be possible the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee Again There is a Repentance at our first Conversion which is our passing from Death to Life or our entrance by the strait gate Matth. 7.14 And there is a Repentance afterwards which belongeth to our walking in the narrow way For after Conversion we need it still and not in our Natural Estate only 'T is not only necessary for a Sinner yet unregenerate yet unreconciled to God without which he cannot expect any peace with God or benefit by the New Covenant but also for a Believer till his full and final Recovery This Repentance after Conversion is either occasional or constant 1. Occasional After any offence given or breach between us and God Repentance is necessary to obtain pardon of Sins after Justification as well as before it God saith to the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2.5 Repent and do thy first works So verse 19. Whom I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent Where Repentance is put for a necessary means of removing Gods rebuke and quarrel from them whom he loveth The promise is made
lifted up his Eyes being in Torments He had a pompous Funeral here upon Earth for it is said he died and was buried which is not said of Lazarus These are Truths not spoken of once or twice but every-where 2 dly The Covenant sheweth it which is God's solemn Transaction with his Subjects and consists of Precepts or Laws invested with the Sanction of Promises and Threatnings Christ argues thus Luke 20.37 38. Now that the Dead are raised even Moses shewed at the Bush when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob For he is not the God of the Dead but of the Living He proves the Immortality of the Soul and the Resurrection of the Body 1. His Commands all of them imply such an Estate and some of them express it All imply it as Faith in Christ we believe in his Name to obtain eternal Life Joh. 20.31 But these things are written that you might believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you might have Life through his Name And Joh. 5.24 He that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting Life Repentance Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the Times of Refreshing shall come from the Presence of the Lord. Therefore it is called Repentance unto Salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 And Repentance to Life Acts 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life So new Obedience Heb. 5.9 He became the Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him Acts 26.7 Vnto which Promise the twelve Tribes instantly serving God Day and Night hope to come And some express it He hath commanded us not to labour for the Meat that perisheth but for that Meat which endureth unto everlasting Life John 6.27 Not to lay up Treasures upon Earth where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and Thieves break through and steal but lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven Mat. 6.19 20. And strive to enter in at the strait Gate Luke 13.24 Now if there were no such thing all these Commands would be in vain Would God flatter us into a Fool 's Paradise and command us to look after a thing of nought 2. The Sanction And there 1. The Threatning which is Damnation or the second Death Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned Is this a vain Scarcrow and need God govern his Subjects by a Cheat or a Lie 2. The Promises he promiseth Eternal Life to them that obey the Gospel and seek after this Immortality Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortality Eternal Life Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithful to Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Be faithful in making good your Baptismal Vow improving Talents withstanding Temptations So to comfort us against Fears Losses and Sorrows Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you a Kingdom Now would God over-reach us and lead us with Chimera's and vain Hopes 3 dly The Mediator of the New Covenant sheweth it his coming from Heaven the Place of Souls the Region of Spirits and his going thither again at his Ascension 1. His coming from Heaven Wherefore was Christ incarnate and clothed with our Flesh but that we might be apparrelled with his Glory Iohn 10.10 I am come that they might have Life and that they might have it more abundantly To lay a Foundation for our eternal Happiness 2. His going to Heaven his entring into that Glory he spake of and so giving a visible Demonstration to the World of the Reality of it 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the Dead and gave him Glory that your Faith and Hope may be in God There he remaineth at God's Right-Hand to open Heaven to all Believers Christ when he died recommended his Spirit to the Father Luke 23.46 Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit And so do Believers to Christ Acts 7.59 Lord Iesus receive my Spirit If the Soul did perish with the Body why should we commit it to Christ 4 thly The Holy Spirit is given to form and prepare us for this Estate therefore by consequence to assure us of it 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the Earnest of the Spirit 1. Look to the Graces of the Spirit we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature to draw us off from the World to Heaven 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. Now will God fit the Soul for such a blessed Estate when this Life is ended and shall we never enjoy it If we consider the Soul not only as being an inward Principle of Life and Sense but also of Reason it proveth the Immortality of it much more as sanctified and enobled by Grace Rom. 8.10 The Body is dead because of Sin but the Spirit is Life because of Righteousness Believers have a Life wrought in them by the Spirit which is the Pledg and Beginning of Eternal Life for they are sanctified and purified and fit to be brought into the Sight and Presence of God The Apostle doth not draw his Argument there from the Immortality of the Soul for that is common to Good and Bad the Wicked have a Soul that will survive the Body but little to their Comfort their Immortality is not an happy Immortality but he taketh his Argument from the New Life wrought in us by the Spirit which is the Beginning and Earnest of a blessed Immortality the New Life is an eternal Principle of Happiness 2. Look to the Comforts of the Spirit from the Love of God and the Hopes of Glory 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory Rom. 5.2 And rejoice in hope of the Glory of God Now is it a Fancy that holy Men rejoice in Look as the Terrors of a wounded Conscience are the Foretastes of Hell-Torments called somewhere the Pains of Hell so the Comforts of the Spirit are the first-Fruits of Heavenly Joys to set us a longing for more Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also which have the first-Fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body Now by all these things let us rouse up a drousy Faith and triumph over that Carnal Atheism and Unbelief that worketh in our Hearts Is the whole Scripture false and the Christian Religion a well-devised Fable our Redeemer an Impostor and the Covenant of God a Dream and the Comforts of the Spirit Fanatical Illusions And were they all