Vera Effigies TIMOTHEI CRUSO Aetat 40. 1697. T. Forster delin N. White scuÌ„lp TWENTY-FOUR SERMONS Preached at the MERCHANTS-LECTURE AT Pinners Hall By the late Reverend Mr. TIMOTHY CRVSO LONDON Printed by S. Bridge for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside MDCXCIX TO THE READER THese Sermons are some of the Reliques of one who is gone to receive the Fruit of his Labours who hath left Sowing for the sake of the Harvest wherein he is now reaping Though this is a Posthumous Piece yet it speaks out the living Praise of the dead Author whose it was without any Alteration or Addition being Printed from his own Notes If I may use the Phrase in Fashion he lived too fast not as too many do who shorten their Days by their Debaucheries and sinful Excesses but as a Taper which wastes it self to give Light to others His Bodily Constitution was too weak to undergo the Service his Soul put it to in constant Studies and hard Labour that he might Answer the Restlesness of his Mind which was always aspiring to greater Knowledge and higher Attainments whereby he laid greater load upon his Flesh than its weakness could bear and so sinking under the burden he died in the midst of his Days There is no need of my Epistle to Midwife these Excellent Discourses into the World nor had I had any hand in it had it not been to answer the Desires of some Relations of his to whom my Obligations will not allow me to deny any thing And also to take this occasion to Vindicate what I spake and published in his Funeral Sermon about the Vnion of the Spirit of Christ with the Dead Body of a Saint which hath by some been greatly stumbled at and called in question as a new Doctrine I therefore thought it Charity to such to remove this stumbling Block not by any Arguments further than what I have therein already urged but by calling in the Judgment of others in this matter and I shall look no farther back than to the Learned Men of our own Times Mr. Rutherford speaking of the Covenant of Grace Treatise of the Covenant of Grace p. 216. says It is thus Eternal in that the dead Parties Abraham Isaac and Jacob are still in the Covenant of Grace and there remains a Covenant Union between Christ and their rotten Flesh sleeping in the Dust Mr. Calamy says Morning Exercise of Giles in Fields Ser. 24. p. 548. The Bodies of the Saints shall be raised by vertue of their Union with Christ for the Body of a Saint even while it is in the Grave is united to Christ and is asleep in Jesus and shall be raised by vertue of this Union And in p. 557. If thou gettest into Christ while thou livest thou shalt die in Christ and sleep in Christ and be raised by Christ into Eternal Happiness Mr. Case speaking of the Vnion between Christ and Believers Case his Mount Pisgah first Part p. 38. says Not only in Death but even after Death this Union holds the Saints are said to sleep in Jesus that part of the Saints which is capable of sleep is not capable of Separation from Christ While their more noble Part is united to Christ in Heaven among the Spirits of Just Men made perfect Christ is united to their inferiour and more ignoble Part in the Grave their very Dust they sleep in Jesus Mr. Stedman says Stedman's Mystical Vnion of Believers with Christ p. 191. Death it self shall not separate Believers from Jesus Christ but still they are entirely in him even when they are dead As it was in the death of Christ himself though it made Separation between his Body and Soul yet it did not separate the Humane Body from the Divine So it is in the death of the Saints though it rend the Spirit from the Flesh yet it can part neither from the Son of God The very Bodies of Believers are united to Jesus when they are dead Dr. Collings on those words of our Lord Pool 's Annotations on John 11.26 He that believeth on me shall never die says Though his Body shall die because of sin yet his Spirit shall live because of Righteousness and God shall in the great Day quicken again his Mortal Body through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in him and is united to him Dr. Thomas Goodwin Dr. Goodwin 's first Fol. on Ephes 1.14 p. â—â—1 Doth the Spirit dwell in you now When you are laid in the Grave that Spirit dwelleth in you as he did in the Body of Christ I do not say in the same manner The Spirit of God did dwell in the Body of Christ in the Grave and raised it up he never left him Though his Body was a dead Carkass without a Soul yet that Body was Hypostatically united to the Godhead therefore it was called Holy One My Holy One shall not see Corruption Now the Comparison is If we have the Spirit of Christ and if he dwell in us the same Spirit shall never leave our Bodies till he hath raised us up also Nay while thy Body is dead and rotten in the Grave the Holy Ghost dwells in it And hear what a great Man of the Church of England in his Day saith Christ's Deity was united to his dead Body his Resurrection was perform'd by the Power and Spirit of the Father God reached out his hand to him and raised him up Here then is our Comfort the same Spirit of God is communicable to us the same Arm of Power may be reached out to us He will imploy the same power for us as he did for Christ Ephes 1.19 And again in p. 210. His Spirit dwells in you The Inhabitation of God's Spirit that is the Ground of our Resurrection because it is Vinculum unionis the Spirit is the Bond of our Union and Conjunction with Christ By it we are Incorporated into his Body and made Members of it Now then if our Head rise all the Members must rise with it if the Head be in Heaven the Members shall not for ever perish in the Grave This Union by the Spirit is like the touch of a Load-stone it will attract and draw us to him that where he is we shall be also It is spoken of his Hypostatical but it is true also of his Mystical Union Quod semel assumpsit nunquam deposuit Christ will part with none of his Members Bishop Brownrig 2d Vol. p. 204. And again in the same Page Our Bodies by this Inhabitation are Consecrated to be a Possession of the Holy Ghost and the Temple of God must not be destroy'd God's Spirit takes Pleasure not only in these living Temples but owns them when they are dead takes Pleasure in the dead Bones and Favours the Dust of them I could multiply Testimonies of elder Date to prove the Truth of this Doctrine and that it is no new Notion but there needs no Proof from Humane Testimony
145.14 The Lord upholdeth all that fall c This seems a Paradox indeed for how should they fall if he upholds them Ans He upholds them so far that they shall not utterly sink and he will take Care to raise them up again do not reckon your selves destroy'd tho' cast down The ransomed of the Lord may be carried Captive into a Land of Enemies but they shall return and come to Sion with Songs and Everlasting Joy upon their Heads Isa 35.10 3. Take heed of scornful or censorious despising of weaker Brethren If he that deals to every Man his measure of spiritual Strength hath afforded more to you and less to some others in the World do not lift up your selves above them Boast not against the Branches those that are inferiour to thy self for thou bearest not the Root but the Root thee Rom. 11.18 If Jesus Christ were not more liberal to you than to them your Soul would be in their Soul's Case Judge not those who are upright in their Hearts though they do err in lesser Points the Holy Ghost says they shall be holden up for God is able to make them stand Chap. 14.4 Trample not upon them that are most bowed down with a Spirit of Infirmity There is a respect to be paid to God's halting Jacob's and his Lame Mephibosheths The greatest and the least of Saints are both depending Creatures and therefore should carry themselves with all Modesty and Meekness one towards another He who establisheth us with you in Christ is God 2 Cor. 1.21 4. Make no Promises of Perseverance in your own Strength Learn the contrary of the Psalmist in the Text who first makes his Request Let thy Hand be c. Then expresses his Resolution So will not we c. If we Vow continuance with Christ in all Temptations and intend to pay what we Vow we must not Account our selves capable of Payment without Assistance from Christ No Man hath Grace enough to be his own Keeper or to execute any Purpose of that sort unless he be still receiving more Grace from Christ's Fulness A Thing well resolv'd is half done but we can never resolve well unless we do it in the Strength of Christ Mic. 4.5 We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever A Phrase which does at once import two Things that should go together attendance on God's Service and reliance on his Power 5. Look to your Faith as the principal Grace which contributes to your Establishment Isa 7.9 If you will not believe surely you shall not be established The contrary is implyed If you do believe you surely shall be The Scripture says more than once That by Faith we stand Rom. 11.20 2 Cor. 1.24 Which is more than is any where said of any other Grace and the Reason is evident 1. Because Faith is the uniting Grace and 't is Vnion with Christ which is the ground of our Safety 2. 'T is the receiving Grace that whereby we do not only receive Christ himself but all from Christ and 't is by Vertue of Strength receiv'd that we are able to stand This is the Grace whereby we do not only receive from Christ at first but whereby we must be receiving from him all along for we renew our Strength by waiting upon God Isa 40. ult Which is a Scripture-Phrase for Faith and Patience together It is the blessedness of those whose Strength is in God that their Strength is still increasing they go from Strength to Strength Psalm 84.5 7. But without Faith there 's no such Blessedness to be had the Unbeliever hath no Strength but what is in himself a meer seeming Strength and therefore a perishing declining Strength for from him that hath not what he seems to have shall be taken away 6. Exercise Faith upon Christ especially in Times of great Temptation and general Defection Never think to stand long if you stand loose from Christ but keep your hold of him and stick close to him and then you will be able to stand fast and having done all to stand whatever assaults are made upon you whatever Apostacies are committed by others continue touching him and Vertue will still come out of him Make your Nest in this Rock when the Devil blows with his Wind when Paul was buffeted with the Messenger of Satan he besought the Lord that it might depart and though that was not immediately granted yet he had a very satisfactory Answer My Grace is sufficient for thee my Strength c. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. If it be a Time wherein the Faith of many is Shipwrackt and overthrown Holy Trust in Christ will be an Anchor to the Soul sure and stedfast When many of Christs Disciples went back and he put the Question to them Will you also go away Peter cryes Lord to whom shall we go to whom besides thee John 6.66 67 68. 7. Do not arrogate the Honour of your standing in Christ and abiding with Christ in the least measure to your selves Let Christ have all the Glory of your setting out and holding out let him have it now and let him have it at the Last Ascribe all to him who is able to keep you from falling who alone could do it and hath done it Jude 24.25 Christ is the Person there meant for the Presentation of Believers faultless in the great Day belongs to him Say to him Lord by thy Favour thou hast made my Mountain to stand strong which else had been remov'd and carried away long since thou hast made me a Pillar in thy Temple else I had waver'd and gone out again as well as others When you Live and when you Dye acknowledge this to your Redeemers Praise SERMON IX March 24. 1696. JUDGES XVI xx last Clause And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him THE Person whom these Words concern was the Twelfth of those Judges from whom this Book receives its Name as being the History of the Common-wealth of Israel during their successive Administrations He was one that had an extraordinary Presence of God with him which stirr'd him up to and made him successful in very great and wonderful Undertakings So we read That the Spirit of the Lord began to move him Chap. 13.25 And came mightily upon him Chap. 14.6 And again Chap. 15.14 The first Miscarriage whereby he forfeited his Priviledge was his Conversation with the Harlot at Gaza and yet God was pleas'd by his special Assistance to let him escape the Danger which that Sin brought him into ver 1 2 3. of this Chapter The second Debauchery prov'd more fatal viz. the letting out of lustful Affections to Dalilah a Woman in the Valley of Sorek ver 4. This Sin was followed with others as the telling of three deliberate repeated lies ver 7 11 13. And at last consenting to the Violation of his solemn Vow as a Nazarite by the shaving of his Head ver 17. One would think from the discovery of such
and we find nothing but Trouble and Sorrow Many Holy Souls have been thus dealt with The Comforter that should releive them hath been far from them Lam. 1.16 And Faith hath with difficulty subsisted in the midst of perplexing Doubts and restless Fears 2. What are those Departures of God as to the Degree 1. The exact Measure or Distance cannot be stated We cannot say that thus far God may go and no further for his Dispensations of this sort are very different with one and with another yea with the same Believer at several Seasons Sometimes though he let us go out of his Hand and do not actually uphold us yet he is so near to us as to be ready to catch us when we are falling sometimes he stands so far off that he first lets us fall and then raises us again Sometimes he is within our reach when we feel after him sometimes he is gone a greatlength and we cannot take hold of him God sets bounds to us which we cannot pass but we can prescribe no Limits to him The best are beholden to Soveraign Mercy when they are at the worst 2. God does never totally depart from those whom he hath once vouchsaft his gracious Presence to His immutable Promise is the Believers Security against any such Desertion Heb. 13.5 He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee The Truth of this Word would be not only shaken but overturn'd if the forsakings of God were total at any Time He never leaves us but in Part he never leaves us so but that at the same Time he is still present with us if he leave us in one respect he is present in another When he is with-drawn from us as to Revival he is yet with us in a way of Support when he does not Work in us to Do he continues working in us to Will Though the Spirit may retire as one that is griev'd yet he is not absolutely quencht there is the Fire when there is no Flame 3. What are they as to the Duration 1. There is great variety in the dealings of God as to this also The Intervals of his Absence from us are longer or shorter as he sees good He changeth Times and Seasons not only in a Political Dan. 2.21 But in a spiritual Sense as it pleaseth him Our dead Calms have doubtful Periods for his Wind bloweth when it listeth Sometimes Christ's renewed Visits are more quick and speedy and sometimes more slow and lingring Song 3.4 It was but a little that I passed from them and I found him whom my Soul loveth She had just begun her Enquiries after him when she met with him So God sometimes comes back at the first call but Saints do not always fare so at other Times when they cry and shout he shutteth out their Prayer Lam. 3.8 2. The Departures of God from true Believers are never final they may be tedious but they are Temporary As the Evil Spirit is said to depart from Christ for a season Luke 4.13 Tho' he quitted that Temptation he did not quit his Design so as to Tempt no more so the good Spirit withdraws from those that are Christ's for a Season only 't is with a Purpose of comeing again When he hath most evidently forsaken 't is as unquestionable that sooner or later he will return And the Happiness of his return will richly recompence for the sadness of his Desertion Isa 54.7 For a small Moment have I forsaken thee but with great Mercies will I gather thee Here is not only a gathering after a forsaking but great Mercies to make amends for a small Moment He who hath engag'd to be our God for ever cannot depart for ever II. What are the Causes and Occasions of these sad Departures Among others these are the Chief 1. The seeking of our own Credit and Glory or any other selfish Ends in our serving of God Where Pride is at the beginning of a Duty shame will be as one says the Conclusion God will make the Body of those Actions to stink which are corrupted with an evil Eye by the withholding of his Spirit he will disparage those who under a pretence of honoring him do really aim to lift up and magnifie themselves When Men disire to be extoll'd as Herod once was This is the Voice of God and not of Man he makes it appear that it is the Voice of a forsaken Man without any thing of God A plain Sign of this evil is when the Spirit that dwelleth in us Lusteth to Envy when we are afraid that our Reputations should be diminisht and our Names darken'd by another's shining Brighter In that Case we should indeed be troubled that Gos is no better serv'd by us but we should rejoyce that he is better serv'd by others it should humble us that we are less useful than others it should not disturb us that we are less esteem'd this is the way to drive the Spirit of God from us 2. Self-Confidence in the Performance of Religious Duties The Spirit of God frequently and justly denies his Aid and Help in the carrying on of that Work which we venture to Undertake without him We should never seek the Face of God without seeking his Strength Psalm 105.4 Divine Power is communicated to us in a way of believing Expectation Zech. 10.12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name We are likely to succeed best in Holy Services when we go about them in a distrust of our own Abilities and Sence of our own weakness The greatest Gifts and Graces will fail by relying on them and in those very Things wherein Men most abound in their own Apprehensions they usually fall most short If we do not look up to God to prepare our Hearts he will convince us how insignificant our Personal Preparations are If we Fancy that our own Enlargements will be sufficient 't is no wonder if we find ourselves more straiten'd and indisposed then than at any other Times 3. Self-Applause after the Performance of Religious Duties When we Sacrifice to our own Net the Spirit leaves us to Toyl in casting it to no Purpose The spiritual Man shall be cast from his Excellency if he ascribe that to himself which belongs to God When Grace hath been exercis'd in the highest Measure the Heart ought to lye lowest under the Consideration of its own nothingness When Paul speaks of his labouring more abundantly than they all he corrects himself presently yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 He was afraid of that little boasting Pronoun I and therefore retracts it and strikes Sail to the Grace of Christ God will resist instead of helping us if we steal his Crown and put it on our own Heads The Spirit will never agree to walk with us if we take the uppermost Hand and we shall lose the Benefit of his Holy Breathings if we be puffd up in our
when it is so plainly confirmed by the Word of God as I have elsewhere shewed If we receive the Witness of Men the Witness of God is greater And there needs no greater Vindication of any Doctrine than the Testimony of God to the truth of it The Author of these Discourses was a Person whose Worth was well known in this City he was a Person of a sound Mind and Judgment in the great Doctrines of the Gospel and held fast the Form of sound Words carefully shunning the Paths of those By-way Men who please themselves with the fond Thoughts of such Opinions wherein they chuse to walk by themselves apart from the Community of the Saints and Churches of God None who knew him and love the Interest of Christ and the Souls of Men but must bewail the loss of such an Eminent Servant in the Lord's Work especially in such a day as this is wherein the Harvest is so great and Faithful Labourers so few But why stand I in the Door-way which leads to the Discourse it self I shall therefore no longer hinder thy Entrance than by begging a Blessing upon the Work that it may be sanctified to thy Vnderstanding for Knowledge to thy Judgment for Establishment to thy Conscience for Peace and for Joy and Gladness to thy whole Soul So Prays Thy Servant in the Lord's Work And for his Sake Matth. Mead. Febr. 2d 1699. ERRATA PAge 18. Line 9. read Duties P. 25. l. 21. r. it 's P. 28. l. 27. r. not P. 31. l. 28. r. askt P. 51. l. 15. r. Fortifies P. 52. l. 15. r. the P. 77. l. 16. r. knew P. 79. l. 21. r. of P. 104. l. 11. r. Law P. 144 l. 1. dele that l. 27. r. hardened P. 193. l. 12. dele when we are so P. 213. l. 17. r. but P. 256. l. 4. r. are P. 257. l. 12. r. Comparison P. 274. l. 13. dele and P. 315. l. 25. r. bounds P. 330. l. 6. r. Thyatira's P. 335. l. 11. r. Equivalent P. 362. l. 26. r. Scope THE TEXTS Matth. XVI 17. AND Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it to thee but my Father which is in Heaven Page 1 Psalm XXVI 3. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy Truth p. 36 2 Corinth I. 20. For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us p. 67 Psalm LXXX 17. and 18. former part Let thy hand be upon the Man of thy right hand upon the Son of Man whom thou madest strong for thy self 18. So will not we go back from thee p. 95 Judges XVI 20. last Clause And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him p. 125 Acts V. 32. latter part And so is also the Holy Ghost whom God has given to them that obey him p. 156 Mark X. 26 27. And they were astonished out of measure saying among themselves Who then can be saved And Jesus looking upon them saith With Men it 's impossible but not with God for with God all things are possible p. 186 Psalm LXIX 4. last Clause Then I restored that which I took not away p. 217 Gallat IV. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your Hearts crying Abba Father p. 247 Ephes IV. 7. But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ p. 279 Deuteronomy XXXIV 5. So Moses the Servant of the Lord died there in the Land of Moab according to the word of the Lord p. 311 Hebr. VII 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them p. 340. SERMON I. April 23. 1695. MATTHEW XVI xvii And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona For Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven TO understand the occasion of these Words we must look back as far as ver 13. of this Chapter where our Lord having a mind to clear and confirm his Disciples in the Knowledge of himself makes way for it by the proposing of such Questions as would draw forth suitable Answers Accordingly 1. He asks them what was the Opinion of others concerning him Whom do Men say that I the Son of Man am Christ usually stiled himself thus Son of Man not only as an Expression of his Humility but to shew that he was the promised Seed the Person foretold under that Character in the Old Testament Psal 8.4.80.17 Dan. 7.13 And perhaps also to try the Faith of his Hearers whether they had an Eye to any more than his Humanity therefore says he here what does that World which you Converse with think of me what kind of Person do they take me to be The Answer is ver 14. Some say that thou art John the Baptist some Elias and others Jeremias or one of the Prophets Here was a diversity of Opinions about Christ and none of them right but all false and fabulous the Products of vain Imagination That Christ was John the Baptist risen from the Dead was Herods Opinion Chap. 14.2 That he was Elias was the Opinion of many among the Jews who had a mistaken Notion that Elias must first come before the Appearance of Christ Chap. 17.10 And again another sort of them thought that he was the Soul of some eminent Deceased Prophet in a new Body which was one of the wild Conceits of that dark erroneous Age. But 2. Christ asks them what was their own Opinion ver 15. Whom say ye that I am Do you concur with this blind and ignorant World or have you any better Apprehensions of me different from theirs 'T is meet that you who are my little Flock should give me some account of your particular Belief and 't is also meet that seeing you are to Preach me unto others you should first make some Confession of me your selves The Answer to this and the Person answering we have ver 16. Which because it hath an immediate Coherence with the Words now before us ought to be distinctly consider'd And 1. We may begin with the less considerable Part the Person speaking Simon Peter answered and said 'T is probable that he spake as the Mouth of the Apostles in the Name of all and that the rest agreed to this Testimony and believ'd as he said Not that he had any real Precedency or Superiority above the rest for then why should they enquire who was the greatest c. Chap. 18.1 but because he was one of the first call'd to the Apostleship and of the more esteem among them as he was of so long a standing and because he was of a very warm and forward Spirit as is evident by many other Passages 2. Here is the Thing spoken which is the main Subject of our
Consideration Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God The same good Confession was made once before by Peter John 6.69 And now repeated to evidence his firm Establishment in this grand Article of Faith In which our Lord is describ'd two Ways both by his Office and his Essence 1. Christ is a Name of Office of the same Signification with the Messiah as the Holy Ghost himself Interprets it John 1.41 The anointed of the Lord he to whom the Prophets witness't he that should come into the World as John 11.27 He whose Work and Business was to be a Saviour not a Temporal but an Eternal one a Saviour from Sin and Wrath from the drudgery of the Devil and the Prison of Hell 2. The Son of God is a Name which respects his Essence and Being a Son not by Adoption and Grace as the Baptist and Elias and Jeremy and the other Prophets were but a Son by Nature a Son whose Generation is ineffable for he is infinitely Equal with the Father for he is true God as well as Son of God the Father hath that Title of the Living God in Opposition to false Gods Jer. 10.10 Acts 14.15 And the very same Title is likewise given to the Son Heb. 3.12 Jesus is true Jehovah and according to the true Import of that Word he hath Life in himself as the Father hath John 5.26 Well Christ's Commendation of this Confession is set down in the Text Jesus answered and said unto him c. Where we may take Notice of three Things 1. The Name which Christ calls this Apostle by Simon Bar-jonai or Simon Son of Jona as the Word signifies Peter was the Name that Christ gave to him ver 18. As God gave the Name of Israel to Jacob Gen. 32.28 But here Christ puts him in Mind of the meanness of his Extraction and of what he was originally as he does again after his fall no less than three Times over John 21.15 16 17 What change soever is made upon us by the Favour and Mercy of God 't is good to reflect sometimes upon our Primitive Vileness and Wretchedness to look to the Rock whence we are hewen and the hole of the Pit whence we are digged 2. The Happy State which Christ pronounc't him to be in Blessed art thou Christ had Authority to pronounce Persons blessed for he had Power to make them so Acts 3.26 God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you He can really and effectually do it what Palak said falsly of Balaam is true of Christ The Man whom he blesses is blessed Numb 22.6 If he blesses we shall be blessed for ever as David said to God 1 Chron. 17.27 Such is the Blessedness which Christ speaks of here both Perfect and Perpetual without Defect and without Decay 3. The Reason assign'd to back this comfortable Sentence which refers to the Way and Means of the discovery of that Truth which Peter had now confest and this is laid down both Negatively and Affirmatively 1. Negatively For Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto Thee Flesh and Blood are variously taken in Scripture 1. Sometimes for the humane Nature consisting of Soul and Body so Heb. 2.14 2. Sometimes for the natural Body accompanied with its present Infirmities in Opposition to a spiritual glorified Body So 1 Cor. 15.50 3. Sometimes for humane Instruction so Gal. 1.16 Paul says that he conferred not with Flesh and Blood which is the same Thing with not receiving the Gospel which he Preacht of Man ver 12. 4. Sometimes for humane Opposition so Eph. 6.12 We wrestle not with Flesh and Blood c. i. e. we have not only to do with persecuting Men but raging Devils 5. Sometimes for natural Reason our own Judgments and Understanding And this I take to be the principal Sense of the Phrase here q. d. Thou dost not owe this Revelation to thy self or to any discerning Faculty in thee above other Men. 2. Affirmatively But my Father which is in Heaven Four Things seem to be intimated by this 1. That there is a mysterious Order in all Divine Operations according to which God the Father is to be lookt upon as the Fountain The Father Works and the Son and Spirit Works conjunctly there is no Inequality or Subordination among the Persons and yet we are led by the Gospel to Eye the first Person as the spring of all When our Lord speaks of sending the Comforter 't is from the Father John 15.26 And when the Spirit of the Son is sent forth into our Hearts God is said to do it which is plainly meant of God the Father Gal. 4.6 2. That in all the Works of Grace towards lost Creatures God acts as the Father of Christ Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in him Out of Christ we can expect only the Curse of God as a revenging Judge but we can expect nothing from him as a Father in a way of Love and Mercy 3. Acquaintance with the only begotten Son of God must flow from him that begat him No Man knoweth the Son but the Father as no Man knoweth the Father but the Son Mat. 11.27 Therefore they mutually manifest and declare each other which none else is capable of doing Who should lay open the Secrets of one Man to another but himself And who should reveal the glorious Persons in the Godhead but themselves See 1 Cor. 2.11 4. If therefore we look for Light we must look upwards As the Sun over our Heads is the visible Cause of natural Illumination so spiritual Illumination is from an Infinite Being above the Sun 'T is one of the gracious Issues which belong to our Father in Heaven The dark Places of the Earth unanimously say it is not in us Every good and perfect Gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights James 1.17 The Words thus open'd come to this Point Obs There is a certain Blessedness annext to the Knowledge of those Truths which humane Reason does not discover but God himself Here 1. Shew That there are some Truths necessary to be believ'd which humane Reason neither does nor can discover 2. How such Truths are discovered by God 3. What kind of Knowledge is the Effect of this discovery 4. Wherein lyes the Blessedness annext to that Knowledge 5. Why it is so 6. Use 1. To shew That there are some Truths necessary to be believ'd which humane Reason cannot discover The peculiar Doctrines of the Gospel are as deep as the Commands of the Law are broad But I will confine my self to the instance mention'd in the Context the Godhead of Jesus Christ Every one is bound to believe this and every Man that calls himself a Christian professes the Belief of it without such a Profession his Christianity is void and without such a Belief his Profession is vain To take upon us the Christian Name and
he should be held by the Bands of Death of which there is possibility enough as to any Creature Acts 2.24 VI. Vse This Doctrine will hint many things which are proper both for our Learning and Practise 1. There are several Things which we have to Learn from hence As 1. The Contemners of Divine Revelation are miserable forsakers of their own Mercies He that refuseth Instruction despiseth his own Soul Prov. 15.32 This is most true of such as turn their backs with scorn upon the Gospel of Christ and such a sort of Men there are at this Day in the World that bid insolent defiance to all reveal'd Religion The Disciples at Antioch chose to be called Christians in Honour of their Lord on whom they believed but England and London hath bred a race of Monsters that affect the differencing Name of Deists What will the end of such be What can it be but Destruction when Faith founded on the Scripture is the only saving Wisdom 2 Tim. 3.15 From a Child thou hast known the Holy Scripture which are able to c. 2. It ought to cause no Prejudice against real Christianity that the celebrated Men of Learning and Reason embrace it not The Case is clear our heavenly Father reveals these Things to all that know them and he thinks sit to hide them from such Mat. 11.25 26. I thank thee Oh Father c. Because thou hast hid these Things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good c. 'T is no wonder therefore that not many wise Men after the Flesh are called 1 Cor 1.26 No wonder that there are so few who will in any wise believe what the Gospel declares the Doctrine of Regeneration was mysterious nousense as one says to Nicodemus an eminent Pharisee a Ruler of the Jews a Master in Israel so are other Things of the like kind to other Men. 3. It is no recommending Character of any Doctrine that it is pleasing and suitable to Flesh and Blood We have Reason to be Jealous that it is no spiritual Truth which the natural Man very readily receives The Doctrines which are promoted and countenanc'd by Flesh and Blood have the suspicious Mark upon them of accursed Doctrines 'T is no Argument why I should give Credit to this or that Opinion because 't is grateful to Nature but rather an Argument against it The swift progress of Error is owing very much to its smooth Concurrence with the Stream of Nature Nature leads all Men to build upon self but Christ will profit that Man nothing who expects to profit by any thing besides him 'T is ill judging after the Flesh John 8.15 They judge best and most wisely that judge contrary to it 4. Visible and nominal Christians may sit in darkness and the shadow of Death as well as perfect Pagans 'T is a Light within us in a sober not Enthusiastick Sense which is the true Light of Life Men may live as much upon the Borders of Hell where the Light outwardly shines as where it shines not The generality of the People in Judea receiv'd no more good by the Ministry of Christ than they in the remotest Parts of the World that never had it John 1.5 The Light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not The real Mystery of the Gospel may be as little understood by Multitudes of Persons here as it is in the wildest Places of America 5. Christians are oblig'd to know as well as do more than others As we must do all the good that other Men do and more so we must know all the considerable Truths that they know and more 'T is said of Heathens Rom. 1.19 That which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them But there is a great deal more than this to be known by those that Name the Name of Christ or else wo unto them Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well but this is not enough Dost thou believe on the Son of God This is requir'd and this was first ask of that Excommunicate Person by Christ John 9.35 Unless thou knowest and believest more than all the Men in the World can teach thee or learn of themselves thou art condemned already 6. It is both a fruitless and a needless Thing to intrude into what we have not seen as Persons that are vainly pufft up by their fleshly Minds Col. 2.18 It becomes us to be fully satisfied in what God is pleas'd to reveal or hide and to pry no further than Scripture-light Points out our way This should stop the curiosity of our enquiring Minds that we may not demand any account of Things but what God sees good to give us There is blessedness tied to his discoveries but we make our selves oftentimes more unhappy by our own He that increaseth Prophetical Knowledge particularly increaseth Sorrow 2 Kings 8.11 12. The Man of God wept and Hazael said why c. 2. There are some Things which this does very fitly put us upon the Practice As 1. It speaks to Sinners and shews what they should do 1. See your Wretchedness You cannot be blessed till the Father gives you a Revelation of his Son by his Spirit Without this Knowledge the Soul cannot be good all that perish are destroyed for lack of it The external Form of Knowledge which you have will be insignificant to you The Devils knew that he was Christ and proclaim'd him to be the Son of God but Christ rebuk'd them and would not receive any Testimony from them it was unacceptable to him and unserviceable to themselves Luke 4.41 And an heartless Confession out of the Mouth of an Hypocrite is as bad as from the Mouth of a Devil 2. Be earnest with God for the Cure of your Blindness None can do it but he he can and will if you unfeignedly beg it of him The Promise lies ready for you to Plead and he is ready to perform it Prov. 2.3 4 5. If thou cryest after Knowledge and liftest up thy Voice for Vnderstanding c. Then shalt thou understand the Fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of thy God You may ask saving Wisdom so as not to be denied if you ask it as Persons sensible that your Life is bound up in this Request and if you ask it for Christ's sake for it was his Errand and End in coming into the World That they which see not might see John 9.39 2. This speaks to Believers and shews what they have to do 2. Lift up your Heads and Hearts this Day with thankfulness to Heaven This good News to those that have heard Christ and been taught by him loudly calls them to give Glory to God in the highest Psalm 118.27 God is the Lord who hath shewed us Light even lesus Christ who isspoken of ver 22. The great Light of the World bind the Sacrifice with Cords c. in
Sinner to do with the Promises of Grace Thou hast a sufficient warrant from the free offer of God's Grace in Christ and the express Command of God to believe 'T is thy Duty to comply with his Invitation and rely on his Promise of Acceptance 'T is no Presumption in the filthiest Soul that ever was to urge God with his good Word Ezek. 36.29 I will save you from all your Vncleannesses If the Promises do not belong to those that see themselves undone and are under a Sense of their unworthiness to receive any help they belong to none 2. Plead them in Christ or else your Prayers will miscarry and the Promise never be performed to you Take heed of having an Eye to self or of imagining that they should be made good to you for your own sake An excellent Author A. Burgess calls this an Ivy-sin which sticks so close to our Natures that it secretly consumes and devours All look to Jesus if you desire to speed Expect not that God should say Amen to any Prayer in which we have not a respect to Christ as the only Person in whom the Promises are Amen This I take to be the Evangelical Sense of that Prophesie Isa 65.15 16. The Lord God shall call his Servant by another Name that he who blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself in the God of Truth viz. in Jesus Christ 2. Consider Christ as the true Foundation of your own Stability Read the Words following the Text ver 21. As the Promise of God have their Establishment by Christ so we also are established in him We stand by Faith and our Faith subsists by the Power of Christ or else it will fail the very next Moment after it is produced Christ dwelling in our Hearts is the Strength of our Hearts Col. 2.7 Rooted and built up in him and stablisht in the Faith c. They that seem to be Pillars are but sorry Reeds without him which every wind of Temptation will bend or break The same glorious Power which upheld him in the working out of your Redemption must likewise sustain you in the Exercise of Faith upon him or else you will quickly Experience your sinful weakness by a miserable Fall 3. Set a just value upon the Promises of God as unchangeable Assurances of his Love and Grace Remember how much greater the Testimony of God is then the Witness of Men and therefore receive it with answerable Joy We read of exceeding great and precious Promises being given unto us 2 Pet. 1.4 They are so in themselves and should be so to us Men of all Degrees are Vanity and a Lye of doubtful and uncertain Credit and we cannot depend much upon what they say they often out-live their own Promises and grow weary of performing them or if not yet their Promises dye with them and then what are we the better But we cannot prize any Divine Promise more than they deserve because we can never be deceiv'd by them in any of our Expectations from them 4. Let no appearing impossibilities make you Question God's Accomplishment of any of his gracious Words Though you cannot see how the Thing can be done 't is enough if God hath said that he will do it There can be no Obstructions to promised Salvation which we need to Fear He who is the God of this Salvation and the Author of the Promise will prepare his own Way for the doing of his own Work so that every Valley shall be filled and every Mountain and Hill brought low Luke 3.5 Though the Valleys be so deep that we cannot see the bottom and the Mountains so high that we cannot see the Tops of them yet God knows how to raise the one and level the other Isa 63.1 I that speak in Righteousness or faithfulness am mighty to save If any Thing would keep back the Kingdom of Christ it would be our Infidelity but he will come though he should find no Faith on the Earth See Rom. 3.3 5. Cast not away your confidence because God defers his performances Though Providences run cross though they move backwards and forwards you have a sure and faithful Word to rely upon Promises though they be for a time seemingly delay'd cannot be finally frustrated Dare not to harbour such a thought within your selves as Psal 77.8 Doth his promise fail for evermore The Being of God may as well fail as the Promise of God That which does not come in your time will be hastned in his time which is always the more convenient season Accuse not him of slowness who hath said I come quickly i.e. he comes as soon as all things are ready and ripe for his appearance 'T is as true that the Lord is not slack concerning his promise 2 Pet. 3.9 as that he is never guilty of breaking his Promise Wait therefore how long soever he tarry do not give over expecting the Heart of God is not turn'd though his Face be hid and Prayers are not flung back though they be not instantly answer'd 6. You who are in Christ take Example from the Promises of God You are under the obligation of many solemn Promises made to God Wo be unto you if you do not look to a careful and diligent performance of them See Neh. 5.13 You have entred into a sacred Oath and consequentially into a dreadful Curse if you do not according to that Oath Remember David's Resolution and imitate his practice Psal 119.106 I have sworn and I will perform it c. You who have Vowed constant Service and Subjection to God as you have done if you own any Relation to him beware of violating that Vow and let it be in the thoughts of your hearts for ever How should unstable Souls be shamed out of their un-even Walkings by the strict engagements in which they stand and by the Pattern which an immutable God hath set before them Surely his Truth and Firmness to us should be a strong Argument against our being loose and wavering from him What can we think of our selves that God should be ever mindful of his Covenant and we yet remain so unstedfast in it Let us therefore this day resolve once more and to better purpose than hitherto in the strength of Christ that we will improve God's Promises for the fastening of our own hia gracious Promises to the binding of our righteous Promises that in whatsoever things we have opened our Mouths to the Lord we may not by contrary acts make our tongues to fall upon our selves SERMON VII December 31. 1695. PSALM LXXX xvii xviii former Part. Let thy Hand be upon the Man of thy right Hand upon the Son of Man whom thou madest strong for the Self 18. So will not we go back from Thee IT is most manifest from several Passages in this Psalm that it refers to a Time of great Distress and Desolation in general though what particular Time is here pointed at is variously Conjectur'd and indeed after all
positive Discovery of Corruption in the actual Commission of Sin is not Apostacy A Man may halt and slip yea he may stumble and fall and yet not go back He that resolvedly holds on his way may notwithstanding oftentimes through Ignorance or Infirmity turn aside out of it before he finishes his Course A Believer may be led into Captivity to the Law of Sin and yet never properly is brought under the Reigning Power of Sin Rom. 6.14 compar'd with 7.23 To be violently seized by another as an Enemy is a very distinct thing from submitting to another's Dominion as a Lord. A Subject may continue Loyal to his Rightful Prince though the Arms of a wrongful Usurper may for a Time prevail against him A voluntary Transferring of my Allegiance is much more than to be taken Prisoner by force Rebellion is an aggravating Addition to Sin Job 34.37 Now Apostatizing in Scripture is very frequently exprest by Rebelling Josh 22.29 God forbid that we should Rebel against the Lord and turn this Day from following the Lord c. Dan. 9.5 We have done wickedly and rebelled by departing from thy Precepts c. Every Offence against a Law is not an Act of Treason or Renunciation of the Soveraign Authority All Sin is a Transgression but this Sin of backsliding is the great Transgression 3. Apostacy from God includes not only a Deviation in the Life but an Alienation of the Heart Not only a sinful wandering but a loving to wander Jer. 14.10 Thus have they loved to wander they have not refrained their Feet So long as the Heart is right with God it cannot be said that the Man goes back from him An unwilling Departure is not so much the Act of the regenerate Person as of the Sin that dwelleth in him Rom. 7.17 No outward Performance good or bad does denominate so much as the inward frame and working of the Spirit A great many miscarriages will be graciously overlookt in the visible Walk and Conversation when there is a cleaving to God with full Purpose of Soul The Errors of a Man's way are far more pardonable than erring in Heart The Generation whom God was so much griev'd with were a People that did err in their Hearts Psalm 95.10 Though there be no manifest or gross backsliding in the Life yet if there be a revolting and a rebellious Heart there is the poysonous Root of all Abomination Here is Apostacy in the sight of God though not in the sight of Men as the Israelites in their Hearts turned back again into Egypt when they were marching in the Wilderness Acts 3.39 According as the Mind is estrang'd from God or keeps close to him a Man is clear or guilty in this Case Our Heart is not turned back was the Church's Vindication Psalm 44.18 4. Apostacy from God is really an undoing of all the good which we have done 'T is a wicked Repentance quite contrary to the Grace of Repentance as that is a Repentance from dead Works so is this a Repentance from Works of a better sort Psalm 36.3 He hath left off to be wise and to do good 'T is a Perversion to Evil after a seeming Conversion from it The first Apostacy wherein all are involved supposes the Creation of Man in a State of Uprightness Every one is gone back Psalm 53.3 Therefore Adams Original Course was a walk with God So here the Apostacy whereof we speak is a miserable change for the worse after a plausible change at least for the better There can be no going back but where a Man hath once run well No looking back but where a Man hath first set his Hand to the Plaugh Luke 9. ult 'T is ending in the Flesh after we have begun in the Spirit when our Faces have been towards Sion and our doings framed to turn to God this is a revoking and disanulling of all and driving towards Hell 'T is a Declaration of War where we have pretended Friendship 't is a saying in Effect the Time past sufficeth us to have wrought the Will of God and therefore now we will Work our own In short 't is no less than our pulling down all that we have built up and a listing of our selves in the Service of Sin and Satan whom we have fought against II. Of what Concernment and Importance it is to Believers to be secur'd against such Apostacy This will appear from two Things their Danger of Apostacy and their Danger by it 1. How much they are in Danger of it viz. If left alone and abandon'd to themselves There are Three Considerations which will sufficiently shew the greatness of this hazard 1. Grace in us is very weak The Apostle does not say be strong in the Grace which is in thy self but in the Grace which is in Christ 2 Tim. 2.1 That fulness of Grace of which Christ is the subject can never be lessen'd but those measures of Grace which are communicated unto us and lodg'd in us might and would be lost if we were separated from him Borrowed Abilities will fail if not continually recruited and supplied All created inhaerent Holiness of it self is a perishable Thing 't is indeed made of God an abiding incorruptible Seed in Believers now but 't is not so in its own Nature If it were how could the Angels in Heaven or Adam in Paradice have ever fallen Grace is a good Treasure in the Heart but it wants Almightiness to guard it as there is no Worldling who thinks that his Bags or Coffers can defend themselves Gracious Habits are the true Riches but they lye open for Thieves to rob us of them except God keep our House after he hath furnisht it Poverty will come upon us like an armed Man 2. Corruption in us is very Active We are very apt and ready to be drawn away by our own Lust James 1.14 There is Folly enough remaining in the wisest and best of Men to pervert and mislead them He was no ordinary Saint who complain'd of his being so foolish and ignorant that he was as a Beast before God Psalm 73.22 There is still too much Brute in him that hath attain'd to be more than a Man None of us are so washed from our silthiness while we are in this World but that the Reliques of a swinish Principle in our Natures would make us return to wallow in the Mire if God did not keep us back If we consider how just Lot linger'd in going out of sinful Sodom we cannot but think that he would have lookt behind him as well as his Wife except those Inclinations had been restrain'd Though our Hearts be Circumcis'd to Love God predominantly there are vile Affections stirring in us still not very easie to be supprest The Law in our Members is not like a dead Letter but a lively Principle which Wars against the Laws of our Minds 3. The Temptations which come against us are very numerous Every Place every Condition every Employment every Relation is full
One while David is got up so much above carnal fear that nothing can shake him he encourages himself in God and concludes that he shall not be greatly moved Psalm 62.2 Yea not moved at all ver 6. At another Time he is so overwhelm'd with horror so sunk and dispirited as if there were no Providence to shield him and therefore cries out for the Wings of a Dove that he might fly away from the reach of his Enemies Psalm 55.5 6. The same Soul follows hard after God when his right Hand upholds it Psalm 63.8 Which afterwards flags and is almost ready to give over following when that right Hand is withdrawn 4. This lays open the ground of the Devils Enmity against Christ which hath been always most extream and implacable He knows that he should easily compass his Ends upon Belivers if Jesus Christ did not stand in the Way All the Powers of Darkness were furiously bent against the Person of Christ because the great Strength of all that belong to him lies in him If they could have conquer'd him no Member of his could ever have stood against them The Destruction of the Head would have been the Destruction of the whole Body as when the Philistines saw that their Champion was dead they all fled immediately 1 Sam. 17.15 All God's Jewels and peculiar Treasure are laid up and kept in the Hands of Christ so that the subduing of him if it had been possible would have been the seizing of all at once What an Exedrcise hath Christ undergone for our sakes in bearing both the Wrath of God and the Rage of Hell when he might have avoided both if he had not design'd to be a Refuge and Covert from both to us 5. The State of those that are in Christ is greatly amended and improved since the Fall beyond what it was before Never was better Tidings brought to the World than that behold I make all Things new Men are given to change and often change for the worse but God's Alterations are always to Advantage The New Testament Dispensation mightily excels the Old the latter Days will out-shine and out-do the former Times Isa 60.17 For Brass I will bring Gold and for Iron I will bring Silver and for Wood Brass and for Stones Iron That which comes in the room of what is done away is still of a more valuable Kind The second Covenant is better than the first the second Adam more glorious than the first Sinful Man restor'd is in a better Condition than innocent Man as he was Created A poor Believer is stronger in Christ than the holiest Angels without Christ for without Christ no Promises of Perseverance but in him there are and such as cannot be broken He will not turn away from us we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 6. 'T is inexcusable Folly for any one in the World to lean to his own Arm. As the Holy Ghost says that Vain Man would be wise i.e. 't is an instance of his Vanity that he will not be persuaded to cease from his own Wisdom so the Pride of our Hearts makes us very unwilling to suspect our own Strength or to cast away all Confidence in it This Pride does not only go before Destruction but is the Cause of it Man would be a God to himself his own Saviour and Defender and in thinking himself so he is his own Destroyer Nothing does more effectually Ruine us than the Conceit that we can recover or preserve our selves from Ruine It is such kind of Presumption which slaies its Ten Thousands if Men were more sensible of their own Infirmities and distrustful of their own Abilities the Devils Kingdom would be empty in Comparison of what it is To imagine that we can do any Thing without Christ is the way to undo the Work of God already done If Adams perfect Holiness was not permanent while he was left alone how should ours be so which is imperfect 7. Everlasting Strength must fail before any true Believers can Everlastingly Miscarry I say before any can for if any one may perish all may because it is the same Strength which secures all Unless the Lord's Hand be shortened no Soul can ever be pluckt out of it The Honour of Christ is concern'd and indeed engag'd to see every Child of God brought safe to Heaven and therefore they may do well to consider what Reproach they cast upon Christ who by their Doctrines of Apostacy make believers walk with him as one said like sorry Dancers on a Rope that are every Moment in danger of breaking their Necks Is Jesus Christ such a strong Helper and yet may the Gates of Hell prevail against those that are joyned to him Hath he pawn'd his unchangeable Word that the good Part shall not be taken away from those that have once chosen it Luke 10.42 And shall Men that turn the Gospel upside down represent it as a doubtful uncertain Portion Is Grace no better than common Gifts and outward Blessings That we may be totally disposlest of the one as well as the other Nothing can more derogate from our Blessed Lord or expose him worse than this scandalous Opinion does as a feeble incompetent Undertaker II. Exhortation 1. Beware of falling from your own stedfastness 2 Pet. 3.17 This is proper and pertinent Advice to those whose Strength is in Christ Gospel-Principles breed an Holy not a Carnal Security Watchfulness and Diligence Circumspection and Caution are necessary in our daily Walk for they that lay these Things aside do thereby Declare that they have nothing to do with Christ nor any Interest in the Priviledge I have been speaking of They are wofully mistaken who think that infallible Promises render all Exhortations fruitles The Spirit of God teaches otherwise 1 John 2.27 28. Ye shall abide in him and now little Children abide in him How absurd is it to suppose that certainty of Perseverance in Grace should make Men do such Acts as are contrary to Grace and destructive of it Or that we should therefore live in the neglect of Means because we are sure to persevere in the use of them This is such kind of Divinity as the Devil 's was Mat. 4.6 He shall keep thee therefore hazard thy his Angels shall bear thee up therefore cast thy self down 2. Be not utterly dismayed when Satan hath gotten any Advantage of you through your sinful Weakness Be duely affected with and suitably abased for the least Departure from God but do not let go your hold of Christ as if you were irrecoverable Say not as the Church in Captivity did Lam. 3.18 My Strength and my Hope is perished from the Lerd This is a very false and unjust Conclusion not warranted by the Word of Grace but a meer Artifice of the Devil When he tempted you to Revolt he would also urge you to despair of a return but though you have complyed with him in the one stand it out against him in the other Psalm
an important Secret that he had been bereaved of common Prudence when there were such plain Reasons to suspect a persidious Design but so God rightly order'd that the Folly should be a Punishment of the Sin and that both should make way for his further Suffering For assoon as this was done his Strength went from him ver 19. His Strength seems to be a peculiar Gift to him which was to be continued upon the Condition of keeping his Hair uncut and so that Condition being broken this Gift was recall'd Yet the strange Presumption and Stupidity of Smpson after all this may be Matter of Astonishment to us of which we have an Account in this 20th ver When Dalilah comes to rouse him with the usual Cry The Philisines are upon Thee See 1. His Presumption He awoke out of his Sleep and said I will go out as at other Times before and shake my Self How could he imagine this when he himself had said that if he were shaven he should become Weak and like another Man How could he expect to do as he had done when he had so positively foretold his own Fate Therefore 2. See his Stupidity And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him He said what he did upon a sudden at his first awaking before he found how he was betray'd besore he perceiv'd that his Locks were cut off and before he consider'd what the Consequents of that would be He was not instantly apprehensive of the Misery of his Case through God's just abandoning of him but depended on the same Assistance which he had formerly receiv'd till he felt the contrry by woful Desertion It is a lamentble Truth which these Whords do teach us but yet a Truth which is prositable to be known Obs There may be sad Departures of God from Believers themselves of which for a while they may remain insensible Sampson was not only an eminent Type of Christ in whom the Power of God was gloriously displayed 1 Cor. 1.24 But is also reckon'd among those Old Testament worthies Heb. 11.32 Of whom 't is said notwithstanding their various sinful Infirmities That these all obtained a good Report through Faith ver 39. And therefore this general Doctrine may be built on this Particular Example In handling of it I. What are those Departures of God which even Belivers are incident to II. What are the Causes and Occasions of them III. What are the Essects which sollow thereupon IV. How far may Believers be insensible hereof V. HOw comes it to pass that they are so Vi. Use I. What are those Departures of God from Believers which they are lyable to and sometimes exercis'd with There are Three Things which must be distinctly enquir'd into with Respect to this Point 1. What are they as to the Kind 1. Not a Loss of the Favour of God Psalm 89.33 My Loving Kindness will I not utterly take from him c. 'T is brought in with a nevertheless after he had spoken of the visiting of Transgression with the Rod ver 32. God's sharpest Corrections for Sin are no Arguments of his Alienation from the Person when his Hand goes forth with most Severity against us his Heart may be still towards us as much as ever So Isa 54.10 The Mountains shall depart c. but my Kindaess shall not depart from thee The Mountains are the most solid and lasting Parts of this lower Creation yet they may and shall be remov'd they may by violent Eruptions be carried into the midst of the Sea they shall be overturn'd at the End of the World but the Love of God is Everlasting and Vnmoveable Where 't is once fixt 't is never to be taken away neither Things present not to come shall be able to separate us from it If the foresight of our Sins did not prevent it Sins actually committed shall not displace it If God bear such a good-will to unbelieving Sinners for the first fulsilling of the Work of Faith in us is a Fruit and Evidence of his Love to us we cannot reasonably suppose that it should afterwards cease to sinning Believers 2. 'T is a withdrawing of the Spirit of God not in Regard of real Fresence but manifest Influence 1. The real Presence of the Spirit is not withdrawn for this is constant and perpetual Both its Constancy and Perpetuity I conceive to be intimated John 14.17 He dwelleth with you and shall be in you Where he once makes his abode he always settles it he is not an uncertain Guest but a resolv'd In habitant Believers have the Spirit when they cannot discern that they have him for they would be no longer Believers if they were without the Spirit We must be cut off from Christ if the Spirit should be taken from us for our Union with Christ is maintain'd and secur'd by the indwelling of the Spirit 1 John 3.24 Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us This is a continued Priviledge upon which others depend for we are no louger the Members of the Lord Jesus than we are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 2. The manifest Inftuence of the Spirit may be withdrawn though his Residence be not alter'd his Operations may be interrupted in Three Respects as to Gifts Graces and Comforts 1. In Respect of Gifts These receive the Name of spiritual Gists not only from their Nature but from the Spirit as the Author for how various soeverthey be they all flow from him as their common Fountain There are diversities of Gifts but the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 Now they that are possest of these Gifts will fsind them withering and decaying and be as though they had none when the Spirit of God withholds that actual Influence which gives Life and Vigour to them With what stammering Lips do we speak when he is not with our Mouths What poor ignorant Babblers are we when he does not enrich us in Utterance and Knowledge 2. In respect of Graces As the Habits of Grace are infused so the Actings of Grace are assisted by the Spirit and the most strong and lively Christians are very feeble and languid when he keeps back his quickening Helps The being of Grace is the Effect of the Spirits planting the springing of Grace is the Effect of his Watering The choicest Vine will yield but sorry Grapes like the shrivell'd Fruits of a dry Tree when God Commands the Clouds that they do not Rain upon it In such a Case though the Seed of God remain in a Believer 1 John 3.9 Yet what he bring forth is always ready to Dye 3. In respect of Comforts All Consolation is the Work of the Spirit which is certainly more or less according as he affords or abates his Testimony When he sheds abroad the Love of God in the Heart there is abounding Hope and a full Tide of spiritual Joy Rom. 5.5 When he refuses or forbears to do this there 's a black Cloud upon all our Evidences
1.8 And no Prohibitions or Threatenings must stop their Mouths or tempt them to neglect their Duty But this is not all that which follows in the last Clause of the Verse is yet more considerable And so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him q.d. Though you quarrel with us and oppose our Testimony there is a witness above all Exception who may not only silence but Cure your lnfidelity we are not alone in this Work we have one to back us who is greater than all even the Spirit of God himself This agrees with what Christ had said John 15.26 27. When the Comforter is come he shall testifie of me and ye also shall bear witness The Words are the Conclusion of Peter's Reply to the Jewish Sanhedrim in which we have a brief Abridgement of his Sermon or larger Discourse upon the Day of Pentecost though that and this had very different Effects they who heard that were pricked to the Heart and it issued in their saving Conversion Chap. 2.37 They who heard this were cut to the Heart and consulted about slaving the Apostles ver 33. of this Chapter The same Expression is us'd concerning Stephen's Murderers Chap. 7.54 And signifies the galling of their Consciences Which provoke them to a more furious Resistance of the Truth when they have been persuaded to embrace it Thus that very Word in substance the same which is the savour of Life unto one becomes the savour of Death unto another Obs The Holy Spirit whom God hath given to them that obey him is a Witness to Jesus Christ The Text is not a direct Assertion of the Doctrine of the Trinity but we have here all the Three Divine Persons brought in and mentioned together Our Lord Christ is the Person witness'd to the Holy Ghost is the Person witnesssin and God the Father is the Person whom this Witness proceeds from and is sent by These are the Three that are siad to bear Record or witness in Heaven 1 John 5.7 And indeed they all Testifie to each other The Father bore Witness of Christ John 5.37 Christ also was given to be a Witness to him Isa 55.4 And in this Place the Holy Ghost is named as a Witness to Christ In handling this I. Shew in what Sense the Holy Spirit is given II. Whom he is given to III. How he performs the Work and Office of a Witness to our Lord Jesus IV. Use I. In what Sense is the Holy Spirit given by God In many Places which 't is needless to repeat the same Phrase occurs to us especially in the New Testament To prevent misunderstanding in so fuudamental a Point I shall endeavour with an humble regard to the greatness of the Mystery to open it Negatively and Positiverly 1. Negatively The giving of the Spirit by God the Father does not import the Spirits being Inferiour to the Father nor does it exclude the Purchase and Gift of Christ 1. This does not import the Spirit 's being Inferiour to the Father How difficult soever it be to conceive the Order which is among the Persons in the Godhead we are sure 't is impossible that there should be any inequality The Blessed Spirit is one with the Father and to him belong all the glorious Perfections of the Supream Being he is the most High God as the Father is All the Three Persons have the same Infinite Essence and Nature the same Understanding Will and boundless Power If any one Person be put beneath another his Deity is thereby destroy'd and therefore we must take heed of any such unscriptural Imagination concerning the Spirit of God The Holy Ghost is given indeed but not as by a Superiour who hath a command over another whether he will or not for he is given with his own Consent and one equal may give another if they agreee to do so as in like manner Jesus Christ whom the Scripture calls God's Fellow is also said to be given of God 2. This does not exclude either the Purchase or the Gift of Christ The Holy Spirit is given by the Father and yet Purchased and given by the Son too 1. Purchased by Christ the Son of God He hath obtained the Spirit for us or else we should never have partaken of him Hence it is that he is said to be shed on us through Jesus Christ our Saviour Tit. 3.5 6. His Bloud was the Price of this Priviledge his Intercession procures our actual Enjoyment of it John 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforther c. After the finishing of his Work on Earth and Exaltation to Glory the Apostle tells us That he receiv'd of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost Acts 2.33 The Promise of the Holy Ghost here is put for the Holy Ghost promised to speak strictly Christ receiv'd the Promise of the Holy Ghost in the Everlasting Covenant of Redemption upon such and such Conditions which he was to perform in the fulness of Time but now those Conditions being perform'd he receiv'd an abundant Accomplishment of this Promise not for himself but for those that belong to him 2. The Spirit is given by Christ He is said to shed him forth in the last cited Place So he engag'd to send him John 15.26 Chap. 16.7 The same Act may very well be attributed both to the Father and Son as concurring in external Operations My Father worketh hitherto and I work Chap. 5.17 The Father is represented as the Maker of all Things very frequently and so is the Son In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth and in that beginning Jesus Christ was with God not as an unactive Spectator but as a Co-worker Believers are sanctified by God the Father Jude 1. And they are also sanctified in or by Christ Jessu 1 Cor. 1.2 The Greek Particle is the same in both Places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore 't is manifest that the giving of the Holy Ghost by God the Father is not at all inconsistent with the dispensing of the same Gife by our Lord Christ 2. Positively There are Four Things which seem to be signified to us by the Father's giving of the Holy Ghost 1. That the Grace and Love of the Father is the spring of all Divine Communications Here is the first Rise and Original of all the good that we receive 't is all resolv'd into the Father's good Pleasure as the Primary moving Cause John 3.16 God so laved the World that he gave his only begotten Son c. 'T is from the same Fountain of Eternal Love in the Bosom of God the Father that this Gift of the Holy Ghost does issue also 'T is very remarkable therefore that our Lord directs the Faith of his Disciples to fasten chiefly hereupon Chap. 15.26 27. I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you The meaning is not that Christ
would omit to mediate for them or that his Mediation was not to be eyed by them but the meaning is that the Father's Love does prevent as it were this Act of Christ and is the very ground which 't is built upon for Christ had never been appointed to this work if God had not lov'd us 2. That the Communication of the Spirit is altogether free and undeserved He is truly given and whatsoever is proper Gift is not bestowed as a recompence to any previous Endeavours but in a way of most gracious voluntary Disposal it might be withheld denied and kept back without the least shadow of unrighteousness or wrong to the Creature God is under no Obligation to give the Spirit to any but what by his own Promise he hath laid upon himself and there is no Promise but what Mercy is as much concern'd in the making as Truth in the keeping of God hath practised to give the Spirit to them that ask him and for our our Encouragement he is describ'd as more willing to give the Spirit upon our asking than the tenderest Parents are to give necessary Sustenance to their own Children Luke 11.13 But is this ever the less an Act of Grace because we are put to beg it And is not our very begging an effect of Grace receiv'd For we cannot ask the Spirit without the Spirit the Spirit of Supplication is poured out where Pleaded for 3. That when the Spirit of God is once communicated he is never totally recall'd God does not take away what he gives of this sort His saving Gists as the Gift of the Holy Ghost most certainly is are without Repentance Rom. 11.29 In them is Continuance as the Prophet speaks Isa 64.5 Their Duration runs Parallel with the being of the Giver They that are really made partakers of the Holy Ghost in his special sanctifying Operations cannot lose him He is given to abide with them for ever they are his Living Temples which shall be at no Time forsaken or left desolate There may be transient workings and long strivings of the Spirit with carnal Hypocrites but they are not indeed possest of him and therefore are sinally without him There was a notable Difference between the Anointing of Saul and David the former with a Vial 1 Sam. 10.1 The latter with an Horn of Oil Chap. 16.1 God's Ceremonies are very signisicant the Horn was a more solid the Glass a more brittle Substance to intimate the permanency of the Divine Presence with David and its sudden removal from Saul 4. That the Communication of the Spirit is an exceeding valuable Blessing When God is said to give the Holy Ghost it implies the Priviledge of those that receive him 'T is an instance of singular Favour on God's Part and a Matter of unspeakable Advantage on their Part both to themselves and others 1. 'T is the greatest Advantage to themselves There are many good and perfect Gifts of God but this Gift excells The Promise of Christ in the Old Testament and of the Spirit in the New contain all the Promises in Eminency There are some Things which God gives in Anger but he never gives the Spirit so There are some Things which God distributes promiscuously and some times to those whom he hates most plentifully but the Spirit is a Gift which the World cannot receive John 14.17 Other Things may be the lot of such as are reserved to the Day of Destruction but they that have the Spirit are sealed to the Day of Redemption 2. T is a great Advantage to others also 1 Cor. 12.7 The Manifestation of the Spirit is given to every Man to profit withal No Persons in the World so useful in their Places as they that partake of this blessed Gift It was this which recommended Joseph to the Egyptians Gen. 41.38 Pharaoh said unto his Servants can we find such an one as this a Man in whom the Spirit of God is One fill'd with the Holy Ghost is worth a Thousand of common Men he is a capable Instrument of much more good in his Generation than all the Philosophers Criticks and Disputers of his World with their vast stores of unsanctified Learning II. Whom is this Spirit given to The Answer is in the Text to them that obey him For the clearing of this there are Three Things which should be a little enquir'd into Who is the Person here said to be obey'd What is meant by our obeying him And how we are to understand the Spirits being given unto such 1. Who is the Person here said to be obey'd To them that obey him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is indeed applicable to all the Three Persons Father Son and Spirit as they are all the just Objects of our Obedience God the Father is to be obey'd in the Commands which he gives forth God the Holy Ghost is to be obey'd in his inward Motions upon our own Hearts but I incline rather to their Judgment who Interpret this especially of God the Son Jesus Christ This seems the fairest Construction if we view the Words in the Original we are his Witnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Christ's Witnesses Christ is the Person spoken of first and last the Verse begins and closes with him Now that Christ hath a right to our Obedience is undeniable 1. Because we were made by him and as his Creatures we are bound to be his Servants He that brought us into Being may upon that Account require the utmost Performance of Duty from us 2. As he is our Redeemer he is entitled to be our Ruler He may very well give Laws to us that hath restor'd our Lives to us as the impotent Man urg'd to the Jews when they censur'd him for carrying his Bed on the sabbath-Sabbath-day John 5.11 He that made me whole the same said unto me take up thy Bed and Walk q.d. it becomes me to follow his Orders to whom I owe my Recovery Christ is Saviour and Lord to the same Persons and all that are ransom'd by him are thereby engag'd to be subject to him 2. What is meant by obeying him here Some render it by Believing and that this must be included if it be not principally intended I would offer these few Argumeuts to prove 1. Faith it self is the highest Act of Obedience We read of the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16.26 As the great End of the Gospels Publication and the very same Words are render'd Obedience to the Faith Chap. 1.5 If we should take Faith here for the Doctrine of Faith 't is evident that the receiving of this Doctrine is set forth by Obedience In believing we obey for this is his Commandment that we should Believe c. 1 John 3.23 Indeed 't is the most difficult Duty as they that are found in the Performance of it are able to declare from their own Experience Presumption is easie but the true Exercise of Faith is hard Work 2. Faith is the Foundation of all Evangelical Obedience Obedience
Communicatious of Light and Grace as long as we are in the World that our Faith may grow and that what is lacking in it may be perfected According as the Spirit enriches us in the Progress of our Sanctification the Testimony of Christ is confirmed in us 1 Cor. 1.6 He grounds and settles us and makes us unmoveable from the Hope of the Gospel he fortifies and establishes us against various contrary Temptations whereby the Devil is frequently endeavouring to loosen our hold of Christ and beat us off from him We are poor wavering unsteady Creatures when we are left to our selves rejoycing one Moment and drooping the next confidently assured of that at one Time which we are ready to call in Question at another The best Believers in the World will most humbly own this the strongest Faith would certainly fail if the Cause of Christ in the Soul were not often pleaded over again by the Spirit as an Antidote for the Motions to Infidelity IV. Vse There are several Things which from hence we may be informed of and exhorted to 1. There are several Things which we may be informed of As 1. Jesus Christ never will nor can be left without a Witness because the Eternal Spirit is his Witness who will never with-dram his Testimony This Spirit of Christ is given to all that obey him and he testifies of Christ to them and by them to others but if we could suppose this whole Generation of the righteous to be extinct which yet shall never be as long as the Earth remains if all these Humane Witnesses were slain and not one left to stand up on the behalf of Christ in the World yet while the Holy Ghost survives as a faithful Witness in Heaven 't is impossible that Christ should be destitute Let the Rage and Malice of the World against Christ go as far as it can in stopping the Mouths or shedding the Blood of all that receive or bear the Record which God hath given of his Son the Spirit cannot be prevented from doing constant Honour to Jesus Christ 2. The Word of Christ hath a better Foundation than any Tesitimony from Man or from any Church or Party of Men whatever As Christ said He had a greater Witnrss than that of John John 5-36 Concerning thy Testimonies I have knowu of Old says David that thou hast founded them for ever Psalm 119.152 But if mortal Witnesses were their only Supporters they would be as liable to fade and perish to be subverted and destroyed as other Inferiour Things To build the Credit of the Gospel upon Humane Tradition is like putting the Ark of the Testimony into a wooden Cart which will be apt to shake and reel if not to tumble The Church of God is the Pillar and Ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 To hold it forth indeed not to hold it up not such a Pillar as Houses stand upon but as Writings hang upon for Publick Notice 3. The unrighteous Judgment of Satan and the World against Christ is and will be perfectly reversed Now is the Judgment of this World says Christ John 12.31 So Chap. 16.11 When the Sprit is come he will Reprove or Convince the World of Judgment because the Prince of this World is judged I take these Two Texts to refer to one and the same Thing for the Prince of this World and the World it self pass the same Judgment on Jesus Christ and the Judgment of both is very unjust the World and its Prince make up as it were but one Person the Head and the Body and they exactly Agree and Joyn in the same Sentence to condemn our Lord Jesus But here is a Witness that nuls this Sentence and plainly proves the Iniquity and Falshood of it and indeed none of the Devil's Devices can stand when God himself comes forth to withstand and oppose them 4. It must needs be a lying Spirit that speaks a Word against Christ or that derogates any Thing from him 1 Cor. 12.3 I give you to nderstand that no Man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed Whatever is spoken by any to the dishonour of our Lord Jesus cannot proceed from the Spirit of God This is most certain because the Spirit of God cannot contradict himself he cannot testifie for him and against him too The Holy Ghost is Christ's Witness the unclean Spirit is his Adversary and too many Tongues are duided by this unclean and wicked Spirit that pretend to Prophesie in Christ's Name and whereas a true Witness delivereth Souls Prov. 14.25 These do lay snares for their Ruine and Destruction 5. They that have the Spirit of God cannot err in what is essential to the Faith of Christ and necessary to Salvation They are undoubtedly taught to hold the Substance of Divine Testimony though they may be mistaken in lesser Particulars This is hinted by what our Lord says Mat. 24.24 There shall arise false Christ's and false Prophets and shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. That Parenthesis is the most material Part of the Proposition there is no possibility of any of God's chosen and called ones miscarrying by a fundamental Delusion they have a Resident Witness for Christ in their own Bosoms who secures them from it 6. Vnbelief is a special Sin against the Holy Ghost all unbelief is so though all unbelief and perhaps no meer unbelief is not the Sin against the Holy Ghost It is the Spirit that beareth Witness because the Spirit is Truth 1 John 5.6 But he that believeth not makes him a Lyar ver 10. Hypocrisie is a lying to the Lord as Ananias and Sapphira lyed to the Holy Ghost but infidelity is a belying of him Jer. 5.12 'T is a painting of the Spirit of God like the Sons of Men who are Lyars upon Record Rom. 3.4 Yea like the Devil who is the Father of Lyes John 8.44 This black aggravated Evil is included in the not receiving of the Spirit 's witness 2. There are some Things which we may hence be exhorted to 1. Set your Seal to the Truth of the Spirits Testimony unto Christ by Believing in him and reject it not against your selves Embrace him with all your Hearts upon the high and honourable Commendation which the Holy Ghost gives of him How readily do we repose a Confidence in Creatures when we have receiv'd a worthy Character of them from Persons of known Integrity And shall we be influenc'd more by the Witness of Man than by the Witness of God God forbid How much greater Encouragements have we to Divine than humane Faith There are infallible Grounds for Divine Faith to rest upon which for humane cannot be 2. Grieve not the Spirit of God by Sin that he may not deliver you up nor leave you alone to be led away by Error The Holy Ghost is often provok'd by Men's loose Conversations to give them over to some unsound Opinions Practical
Godliness is an excellent Means for the maintaining of Doctrinal Orthodoxy If any Man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine John 7.17 Follow the Spirits Guidance in the Course of your Lives if you would not forfeit it as to the regulating of your Judgments Be govern'd by him as a Spirit of Holiness if you would be instructed by him as a Spirit of Truth 3. Whatever the Spirit in and according to the Scripture testifies against give it no Entertainment That cannot be the Doctrine of Christ which he doth not attest 'T is another Gospel and therefore not to be receiv'd though an Angel from Heaven were the Publisher of it We have a sure Word of Prophesie whereunto we do well to take heed 2 Pet. 1.19 That must be no Article of our Faith which we have not first tried or which upon the Trial is not approv'd by this Rule of Faith According as the Testimony of the Spirit in the Word is we are to Judge of every Cause which comes before us 4. Regard the Witness of the Spirit with respect to Christ in you as well as Christ without you He is a capable Witness as to both for he searcheth all Things he knows the State and Disposition of our Souls towards God as well as the out-goings of the Heart of God to us He that can reveal Christ in us is undoubtedly the sittest to discover us to our selves Therefore what our Conscience bears us Witness in the Holy Ghost as Rom. 9.1 Is to be comfortably acquiesced in as a faithful unerring Report If Conscience it self be as a thousand Witnesses how much more when the Holy Ghost concurs with it 5. Beg the help of the Spirit in Order to the giving of your Testimony to Christ as you ought to do in your several Places 1 Cor. 12.3 No Man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Obj. What think you then of those that call Christ Lord Lord and do not the Things which he says Ans 'T is true the meer repeating of such words is easie and may be done without the Spirit but if we say it from a right Principle in a right Manner and to a right End it must be by the Holy Ghost And therefore this saying is like that confessing 1 John 4.15 Not a bare Verbal Confession with the Mouth but joyn'd with believing in the Heart 6. Manifest your having of the Spirit by your ready resolute and eonstant witness-bearing on the behalf of Christ. Be not asham'd of the Testimouy of our Lord 2 Tim. 1.8 'T is the greatest Honour to us when we are call'd to any such Service to our great Redeemer A Work which is done by the Spirit of God himself must unquestionably be a Matter of Glory and Reputation to such as we Nor is it only upon solemn extraordinary special Occasions but in the whole Course of our Lives in all that we think speak and do we should testifie to our Lord Jesus In short you who have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you can do no less among a World of Men that ungratefully despise him than by your whole behaviour proclaim your deserved esteem of him SERMON XIII September 8. 1696. MARK X. xxvi xxvii And they were astonished out of measure saying among themselves Who then can be saved And Jesus looking upon them saith With Men it is impossible but not with God For with God all Things are possible To understand the occasion of the Words we must look back as far us ver 17. of this Chapter where we find a young Ruler as two of the other Evangelists describe him Mat. 19.20 Luke 18.18 addressing himself with some Earnestness and Reverence to Christ for his Judgment and Advice in a very important Case What shall I do that I may inherit Eternal life Christ framing his Answer according to the Principles then generally embrac'd of living by doing refers him to the commandments He that put the Question having too good an Opinion of himself confidently affirms his keeping of them all Christ in his Reply to convince him that he was not so perfect as he pretended himself to be offers him a Test which he could not comply with viz. Selling what he had and giving to the Poor and taking up the Cross and following him This was no unreasonable Proof of his Obedience for a resolved Preference of Heaven to all that this World affords and actual parting with all for it when we are called thereunto is every one's necessary Duty But this Ruler was sad at that saying and went away grieved Carnal Men may be sorry that they cannot bring down God to their own Terms when they refuse to come up to his they would reconcile Things in Heaven and Things in Earth and enjoy their Portion in both Worlds Hereupon our Lord applies the rest of his Discourse to his Disciples as being most concer'd for their Satisfaction and Improvement to them therefore he says How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God ver 23. These Words astonisht the Disciples and yet Christ with little Variation repeats them ver 24. And enforces them by a Proverbial Comparison which was yet more startling ver 25. It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle than for a Rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God Whether that which we render here a Camel should be rather Translated a Cable-rope because the Original Word sigifies both is not much material but certainly a Man with great Possessions loaded with thick Clay might be fitly enough represented by a camel carrying Burdens more for others than himself and the Entrance into Life being strait and narrow may very well be said to resemble the Passage through the Eye of a Needle But this brings us to the Text it self wherein we have two Parts the Amazement of the Disciples at Christ's Doctrine and his own Explication of it 1. The Amazemenet of the Disciples at this Doctrine of Christ ver 26. And they were astonished out of measure saying among themselves who then can be saved The Word here which we render by Astonishment is not the same with that ver 24. But more significant as if the Mind were not only struck but struck out as it were with Horror and Confusion Besides 't is added here out of measure or abundantly and exceedingly for this Doctrine appear'd very rigorous and severe to them as if it shut out all Persons almost from a possibility of Salvation Becaufe 1. Though all Men are not Rich nor perhaps the most yet there are few but what desire to be so and the Love of Riches which is indeed the Disease prevails where there is not the Possession It was very common among the Jews in the Prophet's Time From the least to the greatest every one is given to Covetousness Jer. 6.13 Chap. 8.10 And 't is not less natural to other People 2. The Rich seem
Beggars to live upon God's Free Gift and with holy Self-denial to return that Answer to Christ Lord when saw we thee an hungry and fed thee The remanants of Spiritual Pride in every one of us makes this very hard the greatest in Christ's Kingdom should be the least in their own Eyes but 't is not very easie for them so to be SERMON XIV September 22. 1696. MARK X. xxvi xxvii And they were astonished out of measure saying among themselves Who then can be saved And Jesus looking upon them saith With Men it is impossible but not with God For with God all Things are possible II. HOW must the overcoming of all these Difficulties be resolv'd into the Power of the Grace of God This may be open'd under two distinct Heads 1. There is a gracious supernatural Power communicated to Believers and inherent in them Two Things here should be a little clear'd that Believers have such a Power inherent in them and that 't is communicated to them 1. That Believers have such a Power inherent in them This is evident and beyond all Dispute For 1. Hence they are denominated strong 1 John 2.14 To be strong and yet utterly destitute and void of Power is a perfect contradiction Abraham was particularly commended for Strength of Faith Rom. 4.20 And who knows not that Faith is a Work fulfilled in us 2. If the Children of God have no inhaerent Power then the New-birth makes no Difference between them and others or between them and themselves before they were Born again An unregenerate State is describ'd by being without Strength Rom. 5.6 And is a regenerate State so too Is a Man as weak when he is made alive to God as when he was dead in Sin 5. If Believers have no Power then they are not chargeable with the Sin of spiritual Sloth which they are so often incident to and in Scripture accused of Isa 64.7 There is none that stirreth up himself c. Wherein does slothfulness consist but in not exerting and employing the Abilities given us And yet how can this be if we have none to use or to put forth 4. What is any Grace indeed but a Power gain'd over the contrary Corruption The Spirit lusting against the Flesh and the Law of the Mind warring at least and for the most Part prevailing also against the Law of the Members Rom. 6.14 is verified in Believers Sin shall not have Dominion over you Now where Sin loses the Dominion Grace assumes it and all Dominion supposes Power 2. That this Power is communicated to Believers though inhaerent in them They cannot vaunt themselves upon this account because the Spring and Original of it is not in themselves They could have no more Power against Sin and Satan except it were given them from above then Pilate had against Christ The God of Israel is he that giveth Strength and Power unto his People Psalm 68.35 He is the Fountain that dispenses it they are but as the Cisterns that receive it 'T is ingratitude not to acknowledge the Gift 't is abominable Pride to deny the Giver Believers have such a Principle within them but 't is infused not acquired their Strength is in Part recovered not by their own Means or Praevious endeavours but by a Divine Vertue and Influence let out upon their Souls The Spirit that dwelleth in us as Men is a Spirit of Infirmity the New Spirit which is given us as Believers is a Spirit of Power This we are neither to disown nor to arrogate the Holy Ghost lays down this Truth with Caution against both Extreams 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we arer sufficient of our selves as of our selves but all our sufficiency is of God He does not say we have no sufficiency absolutely but we have none of our selves God is the Author of it 2. There is an unexhausted Power to which Believers may and must have recourse for further Assistance This is that which besides the Grace already given the Scripture calls Grace to help in Time of Need upon every particular Emergent Occasions Heb. 4.16 There is no Time wherein we do not need more Grace from God to draw out the Grace we have into Exercise and to maintain it in Exercise also 2 Tim. 2.1 Be strong in the Grace which is in Christ Jesus The fulness of Grace which is treasur'd up in our Blessed Lord must Relieve and Supply the defects of that Grace which is in us Therefore Paul ascribes his more abundant Labours Not to the Grace in him but to the Grace of God which was with him 1 Cor. 15.10 As we have necessity enough for all the Strength receiv'd so our Case and Condition in this World requires a greater Strength to accompany and concur with us This the Apostle stiles in another Place The Power of Christ resting upon him 2 Cor. 12.9 The Word signifies Dwelling as in a Tent over him as David speaks of God's hiding him in his Pavilion Psalm 27.5 Such a Screen and Defence was the Power of Christ to Paul Christ was the Subject of this Power Paul the Object Christ possest it Paul had the benefit of it And in a sober Sence that which is for our Advantage may be called ours because it is enjoyed by us though not lodg'd in us As when God had assured Gideon of his Presence The Lord is with thee Judg. 6.12 He is bidden to go in this his might ver 14. Gideon's main Strength lay not in his being a mighty Man but in his being assisted by the mighty God Quest To what End should they that are actually furnisht with an Holy Gracious Power for spiritual Services have recourse notwithstanding to this Infinite Power of God Answ There is a Threefold End to be regarded herein 1. To secure the being of Grace for Grace is the Workmanship of God and not God and therefore cannot support it self nor stand without leaning upon him The innate Strength of the New Creature is not the Foundation of a Saints Perseverance for if he were not kept by the Power of God he would be lost at last 1 Pet. 1.5 He is kept by it from his Conversion to his Salvation from the first beginning of his Confidence till he hath receiv'd the End of his Faith or else the strongest Grace in the World would fail 2. To carry on the Improvement of Grace A Believers Diligence will never add to his Stature if God do not lift up his Head Instead of getting more Strength which he should daily do he will rather lessen what he hath and grow weaker than he was But when God comes in with his Auxiliary Force they that were ready to halt and go back make the greatest Progress Isa 40.49 He giveth Power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth Strength 3. In order to the vigorous Employment of Grace As Christ said of the Damsel She is not dead but sleepeth so it may be said of many Christians they are
was intirely lost It was for our Makers Honour to have the Man whom he had made after his Image live in perfect Subjection to his Will but when Man cast off the Yoke of his Obedience though God's Authority and Right remained the exercise of it by actual rule was interrupted He was a King still but of disorderly Rebels that instead of kissing his Scepter renounc'd him and bid defiance to him 2. That Glory which we are tied to give to God was withheld by sin There is a revenue of Glory due from us to God which sin tends to alienate and deprive him of and so the Devil takes the Advantage and seizes it for himself Every sin is upon this account a committing of Theft 't is robbing of God of the Honour which we owe to him We ought to Glorifie him with all we have with every Faculty and Member but the Sinner on the contrary vilifies and reproaches him by the abuse of all Such was and is the state of Mankind without Christ We do not only come short of the Glory of God but we attempt to cut his Glory short As much as in us lies we make God contemptible throw Dirt upon his Name and set him at nought 2. There was Righteousness Holiness and Happiness taken from Man also He was a real loser in all these respects being once in possession of all but cast out of it by sin 1. There was a loss of Righteousness to the Guilty Sinner So long as Adam stood while his outward nakedness was no shame to him he was inwardly cover'd with a Robe of Righteousness but Satan alluring him into sin strip'd him of his Garment and cloath'd him with Confusion instead of it As God made him in his first Estate he was a perfectly just Person and could stand in the Judgment before God but when his Integrity was removed from him Guilt was immediately contracted and he fell into Condemnation under the Sentence of the Law which he had broken And now till Christ repairs this Loss for us the Divine Tribunal is very dreadful For in God's sight no man living can be justified Psal 143.2 2. There was a loss of Holiness to the polluted Sinner The Image of God in Man was defac'd the Divine Nature destroyed and all the Habits of Grace extinguish'd the good Treasure of the Heart was turned into an evil one filled with the Seeds and Principles of all manner of Corruption Every one of them is gone back degenerated from what they originally were when they came out of God's Hands they are altogether become filthy Psal 53.3 Men are now by Nature so void of the least Relicks or Remembrances of their primitive Purity that they are insensible of their present Defilement They are so blinded with their own Mire that they think themselves clean till Christ hath anointed them with his Spirit and washed them in his Blood 3. There was a loss of Happiness to the miserable Sinner Adam's Expulsion out of an Earthly Paradise though a real Punishment was the least part of what Sin render'd him obnoxious to The Misery of Man was much greater upon him in other Respects as he was quite cut off from all Communion with God made an Heir of Wrath not only as to bodily but spiritual Evils of all sorts and not only in Time but to Eternity Upright Man was exempt and secure from all these and placed in as Happy a Condition as a Creature could be out of Heaven but when Sin enter'd Death enter'd with and by it Rom. 5.12 A Death which is comprehensive of all the Calamities and Woes of both Worlds till Christ came that we might have more abundant Life II. Wherein it appears that Christ did not take away those Things from either 1. It is plain as to God he never took away any Glory from him for he never did any Thing dishonourable or offensive to God John 8.29 I do always those Things that please him So Isa 50.5 The Lord God hath opened mine Ear and I was not rebellious neither turned away back Several of the Prophets did for a Time refuse to go at God's call and would have pluckt their Shoulders and shrunk their Necks from the Work which he put upon them as Moses Jeremy Jonas c. But our Lord Jesus shew'd no Reluctancy delighting to do and suffer his Father's Will The second Adam had none of that sinful Enmity in his Nature which all the rest of the Posterity of the first Adam have He was peculiarly that Holy Thing from his very Birth Luke 1.35 God's beloved Son and faithful Servant throughout his Life 2. It is also clear as to Man that he took not away any Rightcousness Holiness or Happiness from him He was not such a Fountain of Guilt Pollution and Misery as the first Adam had been but the contrary as we shall see afterwards The first Man poyson'd and ruin'd all his Seed but he did not so to the Children which God had given him His Conversation was not only blameless and harmless but useful and exemplary He did no Violence Isa 53.9 But he went about doing good Acts 10.38 Whatever was injurious to Men he vindicates himself from When the Disciples call'd for Fire from Heaven to consume the Samaritans he tells them that he came not to destroy men's Lives but to save them Luke 9.56 When the Woman taken in Adultery was brought to him he would not condemn her but bids her go and Sin no more John 8.11 3. The Scripture therefore speaks of Christ's being cut off but not for himself Dan. 9.26 Though he suffered in his own Person he did not suffer on his own Account Christ bath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 Sin was indeed the cause of his Suffering but not any sin committed by himself he was the just One we were the unjust on whose behalf he underwent all that was laid upon him Isa 53.4 5. Surely he hath born our Griefs and carried our Sorrows He was wounded for our Transgressions and bruised for our Iniquities He suffered for that of which we were guilty he made reparation for the Wrongs which we had done he discharged the Debts which we contracted and endur'd the Wrath which we provoked and drunk of the Cup which we had filled 4. The Innocency of Christ was conspicuous in his very Sufferings Though they found no cause of Death in him yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain Acts 13.28 He that gave Sentence against him did first give Sentence for him he pronounc'd him Faultless on the Bench before he deliver'd him up to Execution When they went to apprehend him they came out as against a Thief Matth. 26.55 they proceeded against him as a Malefactor and numbred him with Transgressors but could not prove any Article of their Charge against him so much as by the agreeing Testimony of their Mercenary Perjured Witnesses That which they alledged with greatest truth was that
the World are there no Realities So the Assurance of the strongest Believer's may not be compleat perhaps but is it therefore not true Our Graces the Fruits of the Spirit are all imperfect but that does not make them false and feigned and Perfection in Comfort is above the standard of this Life as well as in Holiness II. Exhortation 1. Enquire into your own Adoption 'T is not a Priviledge common to all see whether you have just Cause to apprehend that 't is yours The World hath a mixt Multitude in it there are Sons of Belial and Children of the Devil as well as of God 1 John 3.10 There are Strangers and Dogs as well as Children And there be many who are called the Children of God and are not so indeed being such only by visible external Profession as they were Gen. 6.2 We deceive our selves if we are satisfied with this for this will be of no more Advantage to us than the National Adoption which once belong'd to the Jews is useful to them with Respect to which the Apostle positively says They which are the Children of the Flesh are not the Children of God Rom. 9.8 Think not that 't is enough to be Christians outwardly any more than to be Jews outwardly but look after a real Change of State 2. Apply your selves to God for this Benefit if yet destitute of it Consider what miserable helpless Creatures you are in your present Case like a wretched Infant that is cast out into the open Field in the Day that it is born Ezek. 16.5 Go and bemoan your Case at the Foot of God And as Abraham said to him Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless Gen. 15.2 You may much better say what wilt thou give me seeing I go Fatherless What canst thou give that I can receive any Comfort in Tell him that you can never call your selves Happy till you can call him Father and that you desire nothing besides this in Comparison of it The Chief of Sinners may take Encouragement from that blessed Text Jer. 3.19 Justice seems to argue against it in the former Part of the verse and Mercy concludes for it in the latter 3. Take heed of grieving the Spirit you who have this Benefit that you may not lose the comfortable Sense of it This depends upon his sealing Work and therefore provoke and offend him not if you would keep the Impression clear Eph. 4.30 Two Things are especially grievous to the Spirit which we should beware of neglecting his Motions and opposing his Testimony 1. Neglecting his Motions When he stirs us up to seeking of God and any Act of Communion with him we should stir up our selves It is a part of the Character of God's Children to regard the Spirit 's Conduct Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God c. 2. Opposing his Testimony The indulging of unbelief in our own Hearts is a Contradiction to the Spirit 's Witness He is sent forth to cry Abba Father unbelief says nay God is not so unto me It will be helpful to Souls in such Temptations to look to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for this will bring them to Eye him as theirs also See John 20.17 Eph. 1.2 3. That Promise seems to concern both Christ and the Believer too Psalm 89.26 He shall cry unto me thou art my Father c. You may venture to say that after Christ which otherwise you could not 4. Evidence the Truth of your Sonship unto others Make it appear that there is indeed a substantial Difference between you and the Children of this World in every Thing that hath a respect to Sin and Duty If you do as others do they will have Reason to suspect that you are not what you pretend to be The Jews were not to disfigure themselves like other People because they were the Children of the Lord their God Deut. 14.1 Let your spot therefore be the spot of his Children let his Image be seen upon you as well as his Name that you may like them Judg. 8.18 Resemble the Children of such a King You must be Followers and Imitators of God Eph. 5.1 Or else you will give occasion to Men to think you a spurious Brood You must be blameless and harmless and without rebuke exemplary and inoffensive in the midst of a perverse Nation for so are the Sons of God Phil. 2.15 Disorderly Children are a shame and scandal to their Parents therefore Credit the Relation wherein you stand by a strict and regular Deportment Particularly 1. By a sober and thankful use of every Mercy Wanton Prodigals that wast their Substance and mispend their Portion are a dishonour to God's Family and deserve to be renounc't Your Father expects that all which is given by him should be improved for him Men reckon it barbarous and unnatural if their Children turn Rebels against them with the Estates which they bestow upon them 2. By a patient and humble bearing of every Affliction Not that a Fathers Anger is a Light thing and to be despis'd they must be very profligate that think so but all his Rebukes should be receiv'd with great Submission Nor must they drive us from him but make us come the nearer and cling the faster to him considering that God's Corrections endur'd in a right Manner are Proofs of our Legitimacy Heb. 12.6 7 8. 3. By a reconcileable and forgiving temper towards the worst of Men. Mat. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God So ver 44 45. Love your Enemies bless them that Curse you do good to them that Hate you c. That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven c. For this is to transcribe his Pattern and do as he does 4. By living in Love with all our Holy Brethren They do not walk worthy of such a Relation as this is that shew any Unchristian bitterness or unreasonable strangeness towards those that are of the same stock with themselves Let us check our selves in this Case with those Words of the Prophet Mal. 2.10 Have we not all one Father Why do we then deal treacherously every Man against his Brother To Conclude Brotherly Kindness is the necessary Duty of all God's Children and a necessary Token to convince all others that we are so SERMON XIX May 18. 1697. EPHES IV. vii But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ AS it is the Apostle's manner in his other Epistles to mingle Exhortations to Holiness with Explications of Faith so here having in the three former Chapters of this Epistle given some account of the Gospel Doctrine he does in the three latter stir up to suitable Practice In the beginning of this Chapter he presses worthy Walking with respect to those Instances of Humility Meekness and Christian Forbearance as things which have a special Influence in the furthering
pleased by his Almighty Vertue to Work the Cure and with an irresistible Hand to turn it to himself 2 Tim. 2.25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if peradventure God will give them Repentance c. No Instruction will do if he against whom they Sin do not give them to repent III. How is this Grace the Gift of Christ as the Text affirms it to be Ans In six Things 1. All Things are deliver'd unto him by the Father to him as Mediator Mat. 11.27 All things are given into his Hand John 3.35 And he hath the disposal of them according to his own Pleasure he may with-hold or dispense every Thing as he sees good The Son quickeneth whom he will Chap. 5.21 He is empower'd to give Eternal Life Chap. 10.28 Chap. 17.2 And this Eternal Life is founded in spiritual Now the ground-work is his as well as the Head-stone the first-fruits of Grace as well as the Harvest of Glory the Gift of Righteousness it self as well as the Crown of Righteousness Chap. 4.14 The Water which I shall give him shall be in him a Well springing up into Everlasting Life Christ hath so large a Trust and Commission from the Father that nothing is excepted out of it 2. The giving of Grace is one of his essential Royalties as a King To give only corruptible Things is to give as the World giveth the Men of high Degree scatter their Favours of that kind among those that are below them but it agrees with the Majesty of Jesus Christ to bestow that which is of an incorruptible Nature a Principle of Grace and Holiness in the Hearts of his People Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance c. He would be a Prince without Subjects a meer Titular Prince if he did not by his own Grace bring them into Subjection and keep them in it He never ruled in any Heart which he did not first Conquer rebellious Sinners would never submit and yield themselves to his Authority if he did not make them willing in the day of his Power Psalm 110.3 3. Christ is given to be an Head of Influence as well as of Government to his Church Therefore said to be the Head of the Body Col. 1.18 Now as every Part of the natural Body derives Spirits from the Head so every Part of the mystical Body gracious Influences from Christ There is an effectual working from him throughout the whole Eph. 4.16 And how is this effectual working but by the Communication of his Grace to the various Members This 〈◊〉 what Paul experienc'd and gives an account of with Reference to his own first Conversion 1 Tim. 1.14 The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus Paul's Heart was full of unbelief and hatred before but the prevailing Grace of Christ in whom he was chosen before the World planted Faith and Love in the room of them 4. 'T is the Work of Christ to furnish those whom be unites and espouses to himself with Beauty and Ornaments fit for his Embraces and wherein does this Beauty consist and what are these Ornaments but a Participation of his Grace Some are ready to cry is a deformed filthy Sinner meet to lye in Christ's Bosom But I would Reply who makes the Sinner meet besides Christ himself He can have no complacency or delight in such an one continuing as he is but his Manner is to impart a commending loveliness where he loves As Rebeckah was adorned with Jewel's of Isaac's giving Gen. 24.53 So it was granted to the Lambs Wife that she should be arrayed in fine Linne c. of his preparing Rev. 19.8 For as the imputed Righteousness of Christ so the inherent Righteousness of Saints is his Gift whom they are married to 5. Christ hath the right of distributing Grace as the Effect of his Purchase He hath bought it with his Blood and therefore may confer it on whom he pleases as we know that every one may do what he Will with his own and what we buy at a valuable Price is undoubedtly our own Upon this score all Grace is the Grace of Christ 't is his just Propriety and he hath â—â—â—ain'd it at the dearest Rate which could be demanded He gave himself for the Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it c. Eph. 5.25 26. Our Sanctification was one end of his Sufferings and as it was he that suffer'd so 't is he that sanctifies Christ merited Grace for us by his Death and therefore the dispensing of it is his due 6. The Spirit of Grace is sent by Christ and supplies his Place John 16.7 If I depart I will send him to you So that he Acts as in Christ's Name and on his behalf and consequently what the Spirit does may be attributed unto Christ and what he divides to every Man may be very well look't upon as allotted by Christ whose Spirit he is for so he is called the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.17 18. There is the very Heart of Christ in all the Spirits saving Operations they are directed by his Infinite Wisdom and Care to all those whom he laid down his Life for As he shed forth the Holy Ghost at Pentecost Acts 2.33 So the pouring of him out at all Times is his continual Providence still IV. After what manner is this Grace given to every one that belongs to Christ Answ Negatively and Positively I. Negatively I. This Grace is not given to all by the same Instruments and Means 'T is most usually by the Word of Grace but sometimes by the Rod of sanctified Affliction 't is oftnest by the Sword in Christ's Mouth but it may be by the Fan in his Hand Ordinarily 't is by the Preaching of Christ's Embassadors but sometimes the edifying Discourses of Private Christians may Minister Grace to the Hearers Eph. 4.29 Again though it be by the same Gospel yet God makes use of several Publishers They whom he sanctifies through the Truth are Converted by several Persons There are many spiritual Fathers some are begotten in Christ by the Ministry of one and some by another 2. It is not given to all at the same Age or Period of Life As in that Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard some were called at the third Hour some at the sixth some at the ninth some at the eleventh Some are sanctified from the Womb filled with the Spirit like John from their very Birth Luke 1.15 Others it may be wear out almost all their Lives and are even dropping into the Grave before they are brought home to God Some are planted into Christ in their tender Years like Paul when a Young Man others not born again till they are Old when the evil Days come And therefore it is not so material or requisite for us to know when we felt the first workings of Grace as to be sure that we feel it 's real workings
whereas there is but one Lord Jesus Christ they make up one Mystical Body but not one natural Person therefore his Grace and theirs must numerically differ 3. The Grace given to Christ was to serve some special Purposes and Ends which the Grace given to us is not adapted for He was not only made under the Ceremonial Law and under the Moral as others were but under a peculiar Law which concern'd himself only Gal. 4.4 There is a vast Difference between the Work of Christ as Mediator and the Work of an ordinary Christian and therefore besides the stock of habitual Grace of which his Manhood was possest he had the Godhead also to support him and there was absolute need of it There was more Service and Duty incumbent upon Jesus Christ than ever was upon any meer Creature before or since The Active and Passive Obedience of Christ exceeds all that any Man was ever called to do or suffer Our work under the Influence of his Grace hath a subordinate Respect to our own Salvation he was to work out the Salvation of all his Elect in a way of proper Merit and Satisfaction 4. The Grace in him and in us are not equally perfect they are not like Parallel Lines which run the same length No Believer can pretend to be so full of Grace as he was our receivings are far from coming up to the same measure with his Christ had an extraordinary anointing in a larger Quantity we have it drop't in Comparison upon us He as the Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 We as twinkling Stars He as the King of Righteousness Heb. 7.2 We as Inferiour Subjects Grace is Christ was like Water in a wide Sea which hath no visible Bounds Grace in us is like Water in a little Brook or a narrow River Grace in him was in sinless Perfection at the first in us it is never so while we are in this World there are mixtures of sinful Infirmity with all the Grace which we have or Exercise He had abundance of Grace clouded with no Corruption we compar'd with him have a great deal of Corruption besetting a little Grace 2. To State the Truth it self as it is in this Case 1. The Grace which is in Believers bears some Proportion and Similitude to the Grace which is in Christ as it proceeds from one and the same Spirit The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him and make him of quick Vnderstanding in the Fear of the Lord Isa 11.2 3. All Holy Communications to Christ and us are the immediate Effects of this Blessed Spirit the Third Person in the Godhead He was sanctified by the Holy Ghost when he was sent into the World so are we when called out of the World and translated into his invisible Kingdom As Christ gives us the same Glory Which the Father gave to him John 17.22 So he fills us with the same Divine Spirit which he had himself 2. Christ's Grace and ours have one general Scope and Aim viz. The glorifying of God No Grace can be of the right Seed but what is levell'd at the Honour of the Giver As it is God's Design in giving it so it will be our Design in acting it if it be acted with Integrity Christ who had so rich a Furniture of Grace sought not his own Glory nor the exalting of himself But he glorified God on the Earth John 17.4 This is what he had an Eye to in all he did so every Believer intends and pursues the same Thing 'T is as much his business to glorifie God as it is his Pleasure to enjoy him Grace consecrates even his natural Actions to serve and promote this noble End the Actions of Eating and Drinking which in others are only perform'd for Necessity or else for Lust 1 Cor. 10.31 3. As Christ had every Grace so hath the Believer though none in the highst Degree Our Lord Jesus was a compleat Copy of universal Righteousness none could say to him as he said to the Young Man One Thing thou lackest So as to the kinds of Grace they that belong to Christ are likewise perfect and entire wanting nothing James 1.4 And they stand compleat in all the Will of God Col. 4.12 they are not endued with some Graces and destitute of others but where one is there is all If a a Liar c. 1 John 4.20 These Things are not separable any more than you can divide Christ from himself Wheresoever Faith is there is Repentance and new Obedience that 's a Counterfeit Faith which is alone 't is Dead and therefore cannot be true James 2.17 Saving Graces are always in Connection They make up the one Chain on the Spouses Neck which ravishes the Heart of Christ Song 4.9 4. The Matter of his Grace and ours is the same The new Creature is therefore set forth by Christ formed in us Gal. 4.19 Because of the Agreement and Conformity betwixt the stamp of God's Holiness upon the Humane Soul of Christ and the Souls of them that believe Hence the same Mind is said to be in us as was in him Phil. 2.5 The same humble meek self-denying self-resigning Temper So he that doth Righteousness is Righteous even as he is Righteous 1 John 3.7 'T is the same Rule of Righteousness observ'd by both and so the same specifical Work of Righteousness perform'd by both That Law which was perfectly obey'd by Christ is sincerely obey'd by all that are Christ's A new Commandment write I unto you which Thing is true in him and in you 1 John 2.8 That Law which was in his Heart is in ours if we be Partakers of Christ and that which govern'd his exemplary Life will govern ours also Vse Many Things follow from hence both for our Learning and Practise 1. For our Learning As 1. If Grace it self be given then nothing done by the help of Grace can be meritorious of Glory If our first stock and all our Improvements are from God and vouchsafed freely What Reward can we challenge for any thing we do God is so much before-hand with us that he can never be oblig'd or indebted to us if we were capable of first giving to him we might expect a recompence and requital but says God Who hath prevented me that I should repay him Job 41.11 We do not prevent God with Duty but he prevents us with Grace and therefore we owe all that we can do to God and a great deal more we can never answer the Engagements which we are under nor discharge the thousandth part of what he might require from us so that 't is impossible for the least or lowest Degree of Favour to be due from him All our returns of Service and Obedience to God are built upon the Foundation of Grace receiv'd we do but give him of his own as David said 1 Chron. 29.14 And therefore the Gift of Eternal Life cannot flow from distributive Justice but must be a further Act of undeserved Bounty 2. If Grace
of the Comforts of it assign'd by God and when that Portion is exhausted we are truly full of Days whether we have lived long in the World or a little while No Man can die till then and after that 't is impossible to live It is certain that to this point we shall come and as certain that we shall not go beyond it 4. The place of our Death is limited by the purpose and pleasure of God as well as the of our Habitation while we live He prescribes not only when but where our Spirits shall reutrn to him He calls as it were to every Man out of Heaven though not so audibly as to Moses saying Die thou there upon that spot of Ground thy Carkass shall fall as God said concerning Ahab with reference to Naboth's Field which he had gotten by Murder I wil requite thee in this plat 2 Kings 9.26 One perhaps is struck in a Religious Assembly another in his Closet one in the City another in the Field one at Home another Abroad but all exactly in that place which was allotted by God's eternal Decree Our Lord could not be hurt in Herod's Jurisdiction because his last Stage was to be Jerusalem Luke 13.33 5. The means of our Death are disposed and managed by God whether natural or violent or casual means Whatsoever it be which brings us to the Grave 't is a Messenger of his sending When the Manslayer kills another undesignedly God is said to deliver the other into his hand Exod. 21.13 so when bloody Men seek after our Lives 't is as true that God delivers us into their hands also if we fall into them Him being deliver'd by the council and foreknowledge of God you have taken c. Acts 2.23 There is no Distemper which proves mortal to us amongst the many that we are incident to but what therein executes the Orders of God He who hath appointed such an Event does likewise appoint those things whereby it is brought about Diseases in the Body as well as Storms in the Air fulfil his Word 6. The manner of dying as to Slowness or Suddennes Ease or Pain is directed by the Will of God Some are snatch'd out of the World as Israel went out of Egypt in haste and cut off by a quick surprizing stroke like Sodom's overthrow in a moment Others have a lingring Departure and the Pins of their Tabernacle are loosned and pulled out by degrees God is the Supream Orderer of both for he takes away as he sees good Ezek. 16.50 Some slide out of the World like Rivers of Oil which run smooth and soft without any Bands in their Death and others die with Agony and Torture as if the Soul were rent and torn out of the Body like the casting of the dumb Spirit out of the Child Mark 9.26 And who knoweth not in all these that the Hand of the Lord hath wrought this II. What sort of Obedience we are to yield to the Will of God in this Case Here shew what is consistent with it and what are the proper and due Qualifications of it First What is Consistent with this Obedience which may seem opposite and repugnant to it Answ 1. The use of natural Remedies for the preservation of Life consists very well with our Obedience to God in dying it is the manifest Will of God that we should use them when his secret will is not to prosper them When we know not how he will do with us we know not what he hath requir'd us to do for our selves A diligent Application of Recovering means may be accompanied with our dutiful submitting of the issue to him 'T is no Rebellion against the Laws of God to follow the Rules of the Physician even in our last Sickness before we know whether it will be our last or not The Distemper'd Body ought not to be neglected though the departing Spirit is to be resign'd The Body is such an Hand-maid to the Soul that it must not like that Egyptian Servant be carelesly left when it falls sick 1 Sam. 30.31 2. Conditional Requests to God for sparing Mercy are not inconsistent with this Obedience Absolute Requests indeed are not allowable to ask Life in a peremptory Manner whether it be the Will of God to grant it to no is as sinful as 't is vain but to ask it with a becomeing Subjection to his unknown good Pleasure is what he approves though he denies to answer Our Lord himsself intreated the passing of the Cup from him if it were possible or if his Father were willing Luke 22.42 So long as there is hope there is Room for Prayer yea many Times against Hope Prayer hath prevailed While we are under God's Hand we cannot tell but that he may hear when we find that the unalterable Decree is gone forth we are to cease like those Disciples when Paul would not be persuaded saying The Will of the Lord be done Acts 21.14 3. A zealous pursuit of Holy Designs for the Service and Interest of Christ to the very last is consistent with our Obedience to the Will of God in dying It behoves us to be carrying on Religious Projects as long as we live though we should yield to dye before we have accomplisht them Though David was told that he should not have the Honour of building an House for God yet he continued his vast Preparations for it till the Time that he fell asleep While we have any being we should be aiming at further usefulnes continuing and drawing the Schemes of more good Works whether God will give us Opportunity for the performance or not It will be our Glory to dye with such Work upon our Hands for no Man ever yet but Jesus Christ was able to do all that was in his Heart to do for God Mr. N. Mather 4. The strugglings of Humane Flesh against the bitterness of Death though never altogether Innocent in us as in Christ will consist with our Obedience in dying Nature cannot receive such a Sentence in it self without some Aversion though Grace overcomes and subdues it Nature will look upon Death as an Enemy still though Grace looks upon it as Conquer'd The Mind so far as it is renewed is entirely given up to God but the Sanctification of the Spirit Soul and Body being still imperfect there will be some remaining Reluctancies These tho' not excusable from Sin are nevertheless reconcileable with Sincerity The dying Acts of Believers are not free from guilty weakness and yet are unquestionably done in greatest Uprightness There is something which pulls back but a stronger Principle which draws them forward 2. What are the due and proper Qualifications of this Obedience Ans 1. It includes a quiet expecting and waiting for God's Call Obedience to God in dying must not spring from an impatient Discontent of Living for then it is no Obedience but real unruliness of the Spirit seeking Deliverance before the Time from some burdensome Evils wherewith we are opprest
the World before he hath answer'd the End and dispatch'd the Business for which he was born into it A comfortable Death does not suit with a slothful and careless an useless and unprofitable Life He that hath neglected his Duty to himself or to others in his place may very well b backward and unwilling to die Job begs that it would please God to destroy him and crys Let him not spare for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One chap. 6.9 10. 5. Clear and State your Accounts every day set them in Order for their Confusion will cause your Distraction when you come to die Seriously examine and reflect upon your daily Walk and Course and do not leave those Miscarriages to be budled up in a general Repentance when they are forgotten which when they are fresh you may and ought to be particularly humbled for The more diligent and exact we are in this case the less Advantage will Satan have against us A Man can but scarcely die well as the Apostle speaks of being scarcely saved 1 Pet. 4.18 who hath any thing else to do when his hour comes 6. Beware of grieving the Spirit and clouding your own Comforts Though full Assurance be not absolutely necessary to the yielding of this Obedience in Death yet our Obedience must needs be very defective where some degrees of Assurance or good hope through Grace are not gotten and maintain'd 'T is very hard to resign without some Evidence that God will receive us very hard to let go our Temporal Life when we can lay no hold upon Eternal therefore the Advice is needful Jude 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God do nothing that may tend to prejudice or weaken your sense of it 7. Live upon the Death of Christ as the only Foundation of your warrantable Trust Though you do walk before God in Truth you will find the need of something else to depend on for your Title to Glory Some think that there is a Gospel Mystery in Moses's dying short of Canaan and Joshua's leading the People into it viz. to intimate to us That the Works of the Law will bring none to Heaven but Christ by his Blood hath open'd our way to it He that builds his Hope of Salvation upon any thing which he hath done must either perish or pull down all again 8. Look up to Heaven for Divine Instruction in this great Point It was Moses's Prayer to God so teach us to number our days that we may apply our Hearts c. Psalm 90.12 The numbering of our Days aright is no Vulgar Arithmetick nor can we learn it without a more than ordinary Tutor No Man ever died like Moses here according to the Word of the Lord but what was taught of God to do it He that gives out the Command must guide our Spirits to obey it If we can do nothing for God of our selves least of all can we die to him without him SERMON XXIII October 1. 1697. HEBREWS VII xxv Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make Intercession for them THE Glorious Office of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ is the Subject of great part of this Epistle and the Apostle's main Scope and Design is to shew the superlative Excellency thereof beyond the Legal Priesthood which he does at large in various respects In the two immediate foregoing Verses he compares Christ with the Priests under the Law in reference to their Mortality Verse 23. They truly were many Priests many one after another because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death they were dying Men and how well soever they discharged the Duty of their Places yet in a few Years they left it to those that survived them and knew it no more themselves the Ministers of the Old Testament had their appointed time when their Breath went forth and returned not again as you find that the Ministers of the New Testament have now in their Generation But ver 24. this man or this Christ the Anointed of the Lord whom the Apostle here speaks of for the word Man is not in the Original but supplied by our Translators because he continueth ever hath an unchangable Priesthood his Office does not pass from him to another he hath no Successors in it whom the Exercise of it is committed to but he still manages it in his own Person and will perpetually do it Hereupon that comfortable and encouraging Inference and Conclusion is drawn up in the words of the Text Wherefore he is able c. Whcih words if they were to be cast into our usual Forms of Argument would run thus He who ever lives to make Intercession is able to save to the uttermost But Jesus Christ ever lives c. Therefore he is able c. There are many important Truths lying in this Text but all may be brought within the compass of this one Observ Christ's eternal Life and Intercession in Heaven in an infallible Proof of his Infinite saving Power Here I. I shall enquire into the Thing which the Apostle undertakes to prove The infinite-saving-Power of Jesus Christ II. Into the Evidence which he proves it by The Eternal Life and Intercession of Christ in Heaven With the distinct Uses which may be made of both these I. As to the thing which the Apostle here sets himself to prove viz. The infinite-saving Power of our Lord Jesus The Text it self will lead us to the opening of two Things under this Head The nature of this Power and the extent of it How he is able to save and how far even to the uttermost First With reference to the nature of this Power How is Christ able to save This may may be stated in the following Propositions 1. There is a Power which belongs to Christ as he is God In this as in all other Divine Perfections the Second Person is equal with the First Rev. 1.8 I am the Almighty The very same unlimited boundless Power appertains both to the Father and the Son Therefore when Christ had asserted That none should pluck his sheep out of his hand John 10.28 he confirms it by this That his Father is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of the Father's hand ver 29. Now if any should go about to deny the Consequence the next words will clear it I and my Father are one ver 30. If my Father is greater than all so am I if he be able to secure and preserve the Sheep so am I for he and I are one we are one in Essence and Nature and so all the same glorious Perfections which are inherent in him are in me likewise But this though it be a great Article of Faith and a great support to Believers does not seem to be that which the Apostle hath so much an Eye to in this place for he is now speaking of his Ability to save
saved our first Parents from their first Sin which being a leading Act of Rebellion was a very great one He sav'd several of his Murderers and they that shed his Blood were wash'd in it He saves from the Sin of Unbelief which is the worst of Sins and in those that are guilty of it now is really greater than the Sin of the Jews in putting him to death 2. He saves from all that is in Sin from the guilt and filth of it He takes out every spot from the Soul and wipes out every Line from the Score He pays the uttermost Farthing and therefore saves to the uttermost he discharges all and leaves nothing to stand in God's Book against us His whole Church shall be presented Holy and without blemish Ephess 5.27 No Corruption is suffer'd to domineer where he comes to save as Job enters his solemn Protestation That no blot cleaves to his hands chap. 31.7 Blots may be and unavoidably will be contracted while we are in such a polluting World but they with whom Christ hath any thing to do soon shake them off again as Paul did the Viper which fastned on his hand and felt no barm Acts 28.5 Yea at length Christ will save from the in being of Sin too when we quit our earthly Houses Sin shall be quite turn'd out of Doors 3. He saves from all that 's due to Sin and from all the effects of it from Wrath present and to come not meerly from Hell but from all purely Judicial Strokes upon Earth too He does not save from God's loving Rebukes for that would be to our prejudice and therefore it would be no proper desirable Salvation but from God's furious Rebukes he does He hath Redeemed us from the Curse of the Law c. Gal. 3.13 from the whole Curse and every part of it There is not the least Grain of the Legal Curse in all the afflictions which Christ's saved ones do at any time undergo There are chastened as Children not persecuted as common Malefactors They are sav'd from every thing that would make them truly miserable they are exercis'd with nothing but what shall do them good those very Calamities of which Sin is the occasion shall be the means to advance their Blessedness 2. His being able to save to the uttermost notes duration As 1. The saving Power of Christ stretches it self to the final Accomplishment of his own Work Whatever He puts his hand unto he will give it his last hand the Author and Finisher of our Faith Heb. 12.2 Wheresoever he Designs to build it shall not be said that he is not able to finish he will give no occasion for any such Reproach to be cast upon his Eternal Power He is as able to bring forth the Head-Stone as to lay the first Foundation He carries on his Designs of Grace through all Hindrances and Oppositions till he hath conquer'd and surmounted all he never leaves off what he undertakes and is engag'd in before the thoughts of his heart are finally perform'd and all fulfilled which he had contriv'd and purposed to do He is the Omega as well as the Alpha he shuts up as well as opens the great work of a Sinners Salvation and Recovery 2. Christ's saving Power will not be exhausted or diminished to the end of the World He will be as able to save then as he was at the beginning for if he was invested with such a Power before he had actually paid the Price of our Redemption we have no reason to doubt the continuation of that Power afterwards If he had sav'd so many for about Four Thousand Years before he came and offer'd up himself 't is impossible that since this Sacrifice any should be born into the World too late for him to save Every successive Generation yet to come may have the same benefit as all that are past have had So long as the World stands the Elect of God that are in it shall receive as freely from Christ's Fulness as ever any did His Power is the same without any Change or Variation in all Ages Yesterday to day and to Morrow Is my band shortned at all that it cannot redeem Isa 50.2 3. His Power is sufficient for us in our greatest Extremities while we live in this World In our sorest Temptations and longest Desertions when like Peter we are ready to sink he is mighty to save still We cannot be brought so low by Hellish Rage and spiritual Darkness by the Buffetings of Satan and the Hidings of God but that he can lift us up As the Apostle speaks of the Jews who have been broken off by unbelief and abode in that unbelief so many Hundred Years God is able to graft them in again Rom. 11.23 When we are apt to think that there is no way to escape that we must and shall without remedy perish at the last he hath his Almighty Succors at hand and can in a moment rescue and deliver us from all our fears When the Waters are come into the Soul he hath power to save from Drowning or else that Prayer was vain Psalm 69.1 4. His saving Power is our present help when we come to die and stand in Judgment When we have past through the Changes Hazards and Tryals of this Life the chiefest of all is that which puts a period to Life and then Jesus Christ is able to save us in Death tho he do not save us from it able not only to carry us to our hoary hairs but to go with us farther when these hoary hairs are brought down to the grave able to support us when flesh and heart when strength and spirits fail able to receive and defend our Spirits at their Departure out of the Body and give them immediate possession of the place prepared for them able to answer for us before the Bar of God and shield us under the covering of his perfect Righteousness from all the Accusations that can be brought against us in short he is so well able to justifie us that even in that day we may boldly say Who is he that condemneth 5. The Salvation which Christ works and displays his power in endures in its full force and vertue to Eternity it self Isa 45.17 Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation You shall not be ashamed nor confounded World without end Again chap. 57.6 The Heavens shall vanish away like smoak and the Farth wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein die in like manner but my salvation shall be for ever c. As our Confidence is not in a God who cannot save or who can save only in part so not in a God who can save only for a limited time or restrained season Our God's Salvation lasts as long as himself it runs parallel with his very Being Titus 2.13 The great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Those Two Glorious Titles are chained together in Christ and you may as well suppose the