be Masters of new opinions than to be disciples of old Truths these men may be said to be weary of the Gospel Secondly Are there not some that are weary of the Profession of the Gospel such as are Atheists and prophane Libertines Swearers Drunkards and others of that Gang that could be contented that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should be extinguished that the Candle might be put out so they may but sin more freely but our Saviour hath read their doom John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Thirdly Are there not some weary of the Power and Practice of the Gospel such are Hypocrites Apostates luke-warm Professors and carnal Gospellers that have it is true a form of godliness but are as far from the power and practice of it as Pagans are from the profession of it Are not these worthy think you to be reproved yea God reproves them and his Word reproves them and their own consciences will one day reprove them nay that Gospel which now they despise and undervalue will then arraign indict and condemn them at that great day for if the Lord Jesus Christ will come in flames of fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not his Gospel as it is 2 Thes 1.8 What will become of them that are weary of it that despise it that do undervalue it The fourth and last Use to shut up this point is this If the knowledg of salvation be discovered by the preaching of the Gospel then let me press upon you three very necessary and seasonable Duties First Learn to prize the Gospel while you have it labour to know the worth of it now you have it lest God let you see the worth of it in the want of it when it is too late God will never hang a Jewel upon a swines snout God will never long continue the Gospel in mercy to a People that do not value it True indeed some there are that are ready to say of the Gospel as Naaman the Assyrian in like case Are not Abana and Pharphar rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel may I not wash in them to be clean So some will say Are not the doctrines of Popery and other corrupt doctrines better than all the doctrines of the Gospel But I hope you have not so learnt Christ Oh learn to prize the Gospel as the doctrine of your salvation as the evidence of your inheritance Do you learn to prize it as the tree of life which is for the healing of the Nations as the pledg of the hope you have of eternal life Labour for such an esteem of the Gospel as David had Psal 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Oh do you now learn to prize the Gospel as the greatest priviledg that ever God did bestow upon you next to Jesus Christ and his Spirit A second Duty I would press upon you is this not only to prize the Gospel but to make use of it and improve it for your own spiritual advantage Yet a little while saith our Saviour is the light with you walk while you have the light lest darkness come upon you for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth John 12.35 Oh that you and I could learn to make hay while the Sun shines Oh that we could improve these opportunities while we do enjoy them If so be the Gospel should be taken away from you before your peace is made with God before you have gotten Jesus Christ into your hearts before the Covenant between God and your Souls be sealed Oh how sad and doleful would your conditions be sure I am we were never in so much danger of losing the Gospel as at this day for our barrenness and unfruitfulness and wearness of the Gospel We are ready to say Mal. 1.13 What a weariness is it to serve the Lord and for our contempt of the means of grace Now if such a day should come as God threatens Micah 3.6 Therefore night shall be unto you that ye shall not have a vision and it shall be dark unto you that ye shall not divine and the Sun shall go down over the Prophets and the day shall be dark over them If such a day should come as God threatens Amos 8.11 Behold the days come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the words of the Lord And they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even to the East they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it Oh what a black doleful dismal day would this be Thirdly It should teach us to walk worthy of the Gospel Phil. 1.27 Only let your conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ Oh let us learn to lead Gospel-lives under Gospel-light let it never be said to us that the Gospel is a grace to us but we are a disgrace to the Gospel I beseech you my brethren study to live up to your light seeing God hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light walk as children of the light follow that golden Rule of the Apostle Phil. 4.8 Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things speak of these things Oh could we but once learn to cast off the works of darkness and to put on the armour of light could we once be brought to this to repent of our Gospel-sins may be the Lord may lengthen our tranquility may be God may revive his work in the midst of our days may be glory may yet dwell in our Land and make us a name and praise throughout the whole earth But if we go on in a course of Rebellion if we rebel against the light if we despise the means of grace if we undervalue those precious seasons of Salvation that are tendred to us if we grieve the holy Spirit of God from day to day and cause him to withdraw from us what a black and doleful day may seize upon us The Lord work these things upon every one or our hearts that still the Gospel in its power and purity may be continued to us CHRIST'S PROVISION FOR MANS DIRECTION Isaiah XL. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather his Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young THE first verse of this Chapter will tell you what the scope of the Chapter is namely to speak comfort to the poor captive Jews in their return
what are they think you they are just in such a case as God threatneth Babylon shall be Isa 13.14 God says that Babylon shall be as the chased Roe and as a Sheep that no man taketh up This is the case of every one that is yet out of Christ exposed to be a prey to that roaring Lyon that walketh about seeking whom he may devour those that have not an interest in Christ God threatens them Hos 4.16 I will feed them as a Lamb in a large place I will feed them the same Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to feed signifies to let them wander Num. 14.33 God let the children of Israel wander in the wilderness for forty years together So God lets those that have not an interest in Christ to wander in the Wilderness to their own destruction Oh that God would open the eyes of those that have not yet secured their interest in Jesus Christ that they may see what they are and where they are and what danger they are exposed to So much of the first Use of Instruction The second Use is by way of Examination How nearly does it concern every one of us to call our selves to an account whether we be in the number of Christs Sheep or no otherwise we can have no comfort by this Doctrine But may be you will say to me How shall we do certainly to know that we are the Sheep of Christ and that Christ is that Shepherd that feeds us like a Flock For answer to this We cannot curiously pry into Gods decree to tell you who are not his Sheep for it may be there are many that belong to the Election of Grace that is many are the Sheep of Christ that are not yet called nor converted that are wandring in the Wildernes yet and though the Lord will not suffer them to wander to Destruction yet for the present they are not brought into the Folds therefore we cannot say who are not his Sheep we cannot say who are Reprobate we may know who are Elected but we cannot know who are Reprobated we can tell who are his Sheep but we cannot tell who are not his Sheep Now they that are his Sheep that are Converted and brought home to the Folds of Christ they may be known by these four signs First If thou art a Sheep of Jesus Christ certainly the Shepherd hath set his mark upon thee whereby he does know thee and will own thee at the great day of his appearing John 10.14 I am the good Shepherd and know my Sheep and am known of mine I know every one of my Sheep 2 Tim. 2. 19 The Lord knoweth them that are his he knows them with a distinguishing knowledg There are and will be at the great and dreadful day of Jesus Christ abundance that will claim acquaintance with Jesus Christ Oh what seeking will there be to find his favour at that great day seeking and suing and crying with tears of blood for his favour at that day many will claim acquaintance and say Lord Lord Matt. 7.22 23 Have not we prophesied in thy name have not we heard thee teach in our Synagogues have not we heard thy Messengers which thou hast sent in thy name teaching on the Lords day and on the week-day nay have not we sate at thy Table with thee in the use of the Sacrament of thy Body and Blood to whom the Lord Christ will say I know you not Why because he does not see his Mark upon them nay they themselves when their consciences are once awakened and they begin to look and search for the Mark they cannot find it upon themselves and therefore they will hear that dreadful sentence Matth. 25 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But you will say What is this mark whereby Jesus Christ knows his sheep and whereby they may know that they are his I answer This mark is the holy Spirit of God which he bestows upon every true believer 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit that is he that is united to Christ hath the same spirit that Christ hath hath one and the same spirit that Christ hath Rom. 8.9 Now if any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of his If any man have not this mark upon him the spirit of Christ our Saviour will never own that man for his Hence it is the Spirit of God is compared to a Seal or Mark Ephes 1.13 After ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise If thou hast received this mark this seal of the Spirit of God upon thy soul thou maist be as sure that thou art one of Christs sheep as if thou didst see thy name written in the Book of Life I but here it may be demanded But may not this Seal or this mark be counterfeited may not a man be mistaken and deceived in thinking he hath this mark the Spirit of God when indeed he hath it not To this I answer Yes it is possible for a man to be mistaken and therefore the Apostle so often presses this duty of Examination 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates And let every man prove his own works the work of grace in his heart let him prove it Gal. 6.4 Then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another he shall have rejoycing in the testimony of his own conscience and not in the witness of anothers tongue therefore we should be examining our hearts what operations the Spirit of God hath had upon our spirits whether it hath been an enlightning a quickning a convincing a heart-warming a sealing and a healing spirit certainly the healing and sealing-work of the Spirit goes together as I have formerly shewed you Many boast of the Spirit of God they question not but they have the Spirit of God but I told you the Spirit of God never sets his feal to a blank there is first some work of the Spirit of God upon the soul enlightning convincing quickning and drawing the heart to Jesus Christ So we should examine the fruits and effects of the Spirit of God upon our souls Now there are four fruits especially whereby a man may know he hath received not the spirit that is of the world but the spirit that is of God 1 Cor. 2.12 by these four effects First An unseigned love to the servants of Jesus Christ that is one effect of the Spirit of God that proves Jesus Christ hath set his mark upon him that hath it John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another This is a mark I set upon my sheep So 1 John 4.7 8 12 Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth
Master but the Lord Jesus Christ be under the conduct of no other Shepherd but only this O hear him fear him and follow him follow him whithersoever he goes follow him how by depending on him for direction by cleaving to him in heart and life follow him by imitation follow him by hearkning to his voice follow him by being ruled by him as before you are directed seeing he is the Lord over his own House let him Rule in his House let thy soul be his Temple wherein he may delight to dwell say Lord Rule in me as thou pleasest so I may but be thine Happy are they that are under the Government of Jesus Christ happy are they that submit themselves to his Guidance and Direction to his Law and his Spirit certainly such shall find him a merciful a meek a compassionate a tender-hearted Saviour who gathers his Lambs in his Arms and carries them in his Bosom and gently leads those that are with young Walking in Christ the Mark of our Receiving of Christ Coloss II. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him THE holy Apostle having instructed these Colossians in the Doctrine of Christ in the foregoing Chapter arms them against Seducers and false Teachers that would have corrupted that Doctrine in this second Chapter It is not enough for Ministers to give wholsome food unto their people but they must also give them Antidotes against the poyson of corrupt Doctrines It is not enough for Ministers to feed their people but they must also fence their people against Wolves that would devour the flock Thus does the holy Apostle here he forewarns these Colossians and so fore-arms them against those Seducers that would beguile them with Philosophy with legal Ceremonies and worshipping of Angels and other such corrupt Doctrines mentioned here in this second Chapter To that end he lays down this weighty rule for them to observe As ye have therefore received the Lord Christ so walk ye in him In the Text you may take notice of two things First You have here a holy Rule prescribed in these words As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord Secondly a Practice answering that Rule here enjoyned so also walk ye in him As ye have The words will admit of a twofold interpretation Either take the sense thus As you have received the Doctrine of Christ by Epaphras who was a faithful Minister of Christ Chap. 1 7 so do you persevere in that Doctrine and live according to it this is the usual interpretation given of the words Or else they may be taken in this sense As you have received the Lord Christ that is as you have received him into your hearts by faith who is the way to eternal life so walk ye in him And as you have received grace from Christ so accordingly act that grace that you have received this is the interpretation that some give I shall stick rather to this latter interpretation in the handling of this Text. Many Doctrines may be gathered from this verse but because my purpose is to dispatch it in one Sermon as looking upon it as a seasonable Text a suitable Subject for a day wherein we have been partakers of the precious Ordinance of the Lords Supper I will name but two or three Doctrines and pitch upon the principal First As you have received Christ Jesus Observe Where the Gospel is rightly received Jesus Christ is also received with it Mark the Apostle does not say As you have received the Doctrine of Christ but Christ himself he that rightly receives the Doctrine of Christ receives Christ himself Oh then in how high reverence and esteem should we have the Gospel and what a prodigious sin are they guilty of that tread the precious Gospel under foot what a dreadful account have they to give 2 Thes 1.7 8 When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Secondly As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord. Mark It is not enough to receive Jesus Christ as a Saviour but he must be received as a Lord as a Ruler also according to the tenour of my last Text Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Jesus Christ will be a Saviour to none but those to whom he is a Prince Bishop Davenant in his Commentary upon the Colossians says the false Apostles preacht Christ and their Disciples likewise received Christ but neither did the false Apostles preach him nor their Disciples receive him as Lord but they received him as a fellow-Servant with Moses therefore says the Apostle if you receive Christ rightly you must receive him as a Lord. Thirdly Here I might observe Walk ye in him That Christ is the way the living way the only way wherein we should walk The fourth and last Doctrine is that which will comprise the marrow of the Text and it is this That it is not enough for a Christian to receive Christ but he must also walk in Christ That you may understand the Doctrine aright let me open the terms to you There is a two-fold receiving of Christ an habitual and a gradual receiving of him First There is an habitual receiving of Christ of this speaks the Apostle 1 Joh. 12 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe in his name But then secondly There is a gradual receiving of him and of this speaks the Apostle in this Chapter Col. 2.19 And not holding the head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together increaseth with the increase of God The whole body that is the Church of God and every Member being knit to the head that is to Jesus Christ having nourishment supplied from the head so the Members of Christ being supplied with nourishment from God increase with the increase of God Observe There is never a Member of Christ but is a growing Member there is a gradual receiving of Christ a receiving him more and more by degrees as well as an habitual receiving of him If you ask me What is the difference between these two receivings of Christ the habitual and gradual I answer the difference lies in two things First The habitual receiving of Christ is done but once the gradual is done often The habitual receiving of Christ is done but once as the Child is born into the World but once but it must be nourished and fed every day so we are spiritually born or regenerated but once but we must be nourished and we must likewise increase and grow in and up to Christ daily we must grow up to him as the Apostle phrases it grow up into him more and more Eph. 4.15 Secondly In
be more base in my own sight 2 Sam. 6.27 Lastly Act Grace humbly when you have done all that you can do say you are unprofitable servants and say with St. Paul It was not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15.10 Lastly I shall shew you in what seasons you must act Grace certainly Grace must be acted at all times but there are some special seasons wherein we must especially act Grace First Upon the receipt of some special Mercy then we should act Thankfulness more than ordinarily and say What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal 116.12 Is Gods hand enlarged in bounty then let my heart be enlarged with thankfulness Secondly When you lye under a smarting Rod a piercing Affliction then act Faith and Patience A man usually never acts Grace better than when he is under some abasement a soul can better mannage a state of adversity than it can a state of prosperity for when it is in a state of abasement then it is at a less distance from God as Roses they are never so sweet as when they are in a Still and fire is under them never does our Graces usually send forth a sweeter favour than when God is pleased to exercise us with Afflictions David was never better than when he was under the Rod then he made those heavenly soul ravishing Psalms that you meet with in the book of Psalms The best Psalms the most heavenly and spiritual Psalms were made when David was in a low condition witness the 34 Psalm it s one of the sweetest Psalms you meet with when was it made when David was in the lowest condition that ever he was in when he was in that straight he was forced to feign himself mad 1 Sam. 21.13 See how Davids heart was enlarged in the making of this Psalm Thirdly Another fit season to act Grace in is when you receive the seals of the Covenant of Grace in the use of the holy Ordinance of the Lords Supper that is a time for you to act Grace in then should you be acting brokenness of heart for can you look upon a broken Saviour without a broken heart upon a bleeding Saviour without a bleeding heart then should you be acting Humility and say as Mephibosheth What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am 2 Sam. 9.8 Nay but here is more that thou shouldst not only look on me but set me at thy Table what a beggar a loathsom leprous beggar to sit at the Table of the King of Glory Then act Love to Jesus Christ what hath he loved me so dearly Oh how should I love him above all expressions of love and be sick of love to him Then act Faith especially for that is a grace you have most need of when you come to the Lords Table as now faith is the very eye whereby we look upon him it is the hand whereby we receive him it is the mouth whereby we feed on him says Christ except you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you Joh. 6.52 53. He does not here speak of a Corporal eating of him far be it from us to have such a thought as they of Capernaum had how can this man give us his flesh to eat that man that believes in Christ he feeds on Christ Then be acting of Thankfulness after you have received the Lords Supper Oh what thanks shall I return to the Lord my God! Oh! my whole course of life should be nothing but a continual gratulation to my Father for that never-sufficiently admired gift of the Lord Jesus Christ If I had ten thousand thousand tongues I could never praise him sufficiently Then act holy Resignation of your selves up to Christ what did the Lord give himself for me I will give my self up to him was he crucified for my sins I will crucifie my sins for him Study conformity to him and that will evidence that you have Communion with him There is no more certain evidence of our Communion with Christ in his Graces Comforts Merits and Spirit c. than in our conformity to him when we resemble him in Grace here it is a certain evidence that we shall resemble him in Glory hereafter In one word do but make it your business to be acting your Grace and you may trust God for the bringing in of your Comforts the more you are active in Grace the more shall be your Comfort If we had more activity of Grace we should have more evidence of Christs dwelling in our hearts here and God would have more Glory our souls would have more peace and we should have abundance of more rejoycing in the day of our Lord Jesus CHRISTS TEMPTATION THE SAINTS SUPPORTATION A SERMON Preach'd Decemb. 9. 1657. Heb. II. 13. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted THE scope of the Apostle in the former Chapter is to prove that Jesus Christ is truly God therefore far above the Angels for says he in the fifth verse of that Chapter Vnto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee In this Chapter the Apostle proves that Jesus Christ is truly man and therefore in that respect inferiour to the Angels Verse 9 But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour And because it might be demanded But why is it needful that Jesus Christ should be man why did he not take on him the nature of Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham Verse 16. The Apostle give us four reasons why our blessed Saviour would be man why he took our human nature upon him First He did it for the sanctification of our nature and that reason is set down in v. 11 For both be that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one that is they are all of one and the same nature we come all from one common root Christ came from the same root that we did namely from Adam and this he did that he might sanctifie our nature Secondly The Lord Jesus Christ became man that he might in our nature and for our benefit destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil that is set down in Verse 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Thirdly He became man that he might deliver us not only from the hurt of death but deliver us also from the fear of death and that 's set down in Verse 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage Fourthly He became man that by the experience of his sufferings in our
nature he might be a merciful and faithful High-priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people and that 's set down in Verse 17. And the ground of this Assertion the Apostle lays down in the words of the Text which I have now read unto you For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted So then the Text contains in it a singular benefit and advantage that believers have by Christs temptations namely a sanctified use of temptations and a gracious support under temptations For the clearing of this you must know all that ever our Lord and Saviour did here upon earth as Mediator was done not for himself alone but was done for us and for our good For example He took our flesh in the womb of a Virgin that he might sanctifie our nature He was born of a woman that he might sanctifie our birth He suffered in the flesh that he might sanctifie our sufferings He was buried in a grave that he might sweeten and perfume the grave that he might make the grave as a bed of spices He rose again from the dead that he might assure us that we shall be raised by his power 1 Cor. 6.14 And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power And he was tempted that he might be able to succour us when we are tempted Let me first open the words to you and then draw out the Doctrine I intend to pitch upon I shall dispatch this Text in one Sermon For in that he himself hath suffered The Lord Jesus Christ suffered indeed He was a great sufferer nay the greatest sufferer that you read of in the whole book of God He suffered in his Circumcision when he was but eight days old he condâ—scended to that painful Ceremony that painful Sacrament He suffered a painful pilgrimage for three and thirty years together and although he was heir of all things all the Kingdoms of the world were his yet he had not a house to hide his head in The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head Mat. 8.20 He suffered by Satan when he was led into the Wilderness to be tempted for forty days together which was a greater abasement to the Son of God than if the greatest Empress in the world should be solicited in her chastity by the basest Scullion that ever was Oh how did Satan hurry the body of our dear Lord and Saviour first to the pinacle of the Temple then he hurried it to a Mountain and carried it from one place to another Oh that the precious body of Jesus Christ should be thus basely used by a Vassal by a cursed Fiend by a cursed creature So he suffered by Satan And he suffered by men he suffered the contradiction of sinners he suffered himself to be reviled scorned reproached blasphemeed when they said Say we not well Thou art a Samaritan and hast a Devil Joh. 8.48 And he is mad and hath a Devil why hear ye him Joh. 10.20 He suffered on the Cross a shameful painful and cursed death He suffered in his body but most of all he suffered in his soul when he said My soul is heavy unto death is girt about with death Joh. 12.27 Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say He speaks as if he had been non-plust My soul is so troubled says he that I know not what to say I know not what to do So you see the Lord Jesus Christ he suffered Further the Text says he suffered being tempted Jesus Christ you know was tempted by Satan for forty days together and he was tempted by his Enemies the Pharises they required a sign of him tempting of him Luk. 11.16 Then he was tempted by the Herodians when they came with that captious question Shall we give tribute to Caesar or shall we not Mat. 22.17 18. Christ answered them Why tempt ye me ye hypocrites He was temptted by one of his Disciples Peter says he to him Master spare thy self and do not go up to Jerusalem insomuch that Christ sharply reproved him and said to him Get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things that be of God but those that be of men Mat. 16.22 23. And he was tempted even by his own dear Father when his Father hid his face from him when he seemingly did forsake him when he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27.46 So you see that our Saviour suffered and our Saviour was tempted And why was he tempted that he might succour them that are tempted saye the Text. Why may some say did the sufferings and temptations of Jesus Christ add any thing to his ability to succour his tempted Servants which he had not before To this I answer You must know he had an ability of Power which was irresistable he had an ability of Power as he was God but the Apostle speaks here of an ability of Compassion or of an ability of Experience as he was man as he says in the like case Heb. 5.8 He learned obedience by the things which he suffered How did he learn it he learnt it experimentally So here by his suffering and temptations he learnt to succour them that are tempted he learnt compassion by his temptations How did he learn compassion he learnt it experimentally for now he hath learned by experience to know the kinds of temptations to know the wounds that temptations make in the soul of a poor sinner and to know the proper means and medicines for the curing of temptations so that if you ask But why was the Lord Jesus Christ tempted I answer he was tempted for these three ends especially First That he might teach us this Lesson If Satan was so bold with him that was the dear Son of God he will be much more bold in tempting us poor creatures If he was so bold with the Master much more will he be bold with the Servants If he were so bold with the Captain of our salvation much more will he be bold with his Soldiers If he were so bold in tempting him who was the King of glory a pure and spotless Saviour a Lamb without spot and blemish in whose mouth could be found no guile 1 Pet. 2.22 Oh he will be much more bold with us that are poor sinful creatures that have such impure and defiled natures How abominable and filthy is man Job 15.16 When the Devil came to tempt our Lord and Saviour he found nothing in him he found no matter to work upon he found no corruption on which he might fasten his temptation Joh. 14.30 The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me All the temptations of Satan upon our Saviour were but like the jogging of pure and clean water in a Chrystal glass where
that to come short of Heaven This is a very awakening Truth but I shall by Gods assistance make it clear to you and confirm it in the three Branches of it First That it is possible for many Professors of the Truth or true Religion to come short of Heaven Secondly That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace to come short of Heaven Thirdly That it is possible for many that come very near to Heaven yet to come short of Heaven I shall prove these three and let your hearts go along with me and oh that you and I could follow the counsel of the Prophet Isaiah To hear the word of the Lord with trembling For the first That it is possible for many that profess the Truth and true Religion to come short of Heaven I shall give you two instances for this the Scribes and Pharisees were those that professed the truth and true Religon they sate in Moses Chair our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them because they opened the Law they were Expounders of the Law and our Saviour commanded his Disciples to hear them although they should not do as they did they professed the Truth and true Religion and in the outward acts of Piety these Scribes and Pharisees went exceeding far I will shew you how far they went in these six particulars First They searched the Scriptures they were very diligent in reading the Law of Moses they gave themselves so much to the study of the Law that they could tell exactly almost every verse in the five books of Moses nay they could tell you how often every letter in the Hebrew Alphabet was repeated in the Law of Moses for example the Letter Aleph was repeated Three-hundred seventy-seven times in the five books of Moses Secondly They were frequent in prayer they prayed in the Streets and in the Synagogue and made long prayers for a pretence to devour Widows houses Matth. 23.14 Thirdly To Prayer they added Fasting also hear what one of them saith Luke 18.12 I fast twice in the week and this he did for the taming of the body Fourthly They were very strict in the observation of the Sabbath insomuch that they quarrelled with our Saviour because his Disciples did but pluck the ears of Corn upon the Sabbath day nay they were so superstitious in the observation of the Sabbath that if one had got a thorn in his foot they would not pull it out upon the Sabbath-day for fear of breaking the Sabbath Fifthly They were very industrious in teaching of others they compassed Sea and Land to make a Proselyte Matth. 23.15 they would have taken any pains to win others to the same Sect or Religion with themselves Sixthly They were very exact and unblameable in their outward conversation for 1. They were free from more gross and scandalous sins which stare a man in the face God I thank thee saith the Pharisee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican Luke 18.11 Nay they separated themselves from notorious sinners they would not come into the company of Drunkards and Sabbath-breakers they were of the strictest Religion amongst the Jews their Religion was the most strait Sect Acts 26.5 which knew me from the beginning if they would testifie that after the most strait Sect of our Religion I lived a Pharisee insomuch that it was generally conceived among the Jews that if there were but two men in all the world that should go to Heaven a Scribe was one and a Pharisee the other and yet those Professors for all that fell short of Heaven and our Saviour saith That except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 Let me give you another example of the five foolish Virgins which you read of in Matth. 25 Our Saviour tells us That five Virgins were wise and five were foolish By Virgins there are meant Professors and they are called Virgin-Professors because they were not tainted or defiled with any gross or scandalous sin even those five foolish Virgins they notwithstanding in their own opinion and in the opinion of others were waiting for the coming of the Bridegroom Christ and yet for all this those Virgin-professors fell short of Heaven Matth. 25.10 And while they went to buy the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut the door of Heaven the door of Mercy was shut against them so you see the first Branch proved 2. Let me prove the second Branch That it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of Grace and that they have an interest in and belong to the Lord Jesus Christ to come short of Heaven in Matth. 7.22 23 Many will say to me in that day at the great day of Judgment Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Mark how confident they are have we not prophesied in thy name and cast out Devils in thy name We have eaten and drunk in thy presence Luke 13.26 To whom Jesus Christ will say Depart from me ye that work iniquity get you out of my sight I cannot abide to look upon you these were confident What a deal of confidence express they as if they had been as really acquainted with Jesus Christ as any were Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy name c Again in Rom. 2.17 18 19 the Apostle speaks there to that boasting Jew Thou restest in the Law and makest thy boast of God and knowest his will and approvest the things that are more excellent being instructed out of the Law and art confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind a light of them which are in darkness an instructor of the foolish a teacher of babes which hast the form of knowledg and of the truth in the Law thou therefore which teachest another teachest thou not thy self Such a one as teacheth others and teacheth not himself such a one is stark naught so that it is possible for a man to be a teacher of others and confident of coming to Heaven and yet for all that come short of it that 's the second Branch 3. Let me prove the third branch of the Doctrine That it is possible for men to come very near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of Heaven Let me give you some Examples for that This was the case of the young man in the Gospel which you read of Matth. 19 20 21 when our Saviour bid him to keep the Commandments saith he Lord all these things I have kept from my youth up the meaning is this as to his outward
with God be much in treasuring up grace against the day of glory as wicked men treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Study to be better acquainted not only with the principles of Religion but with the power of godliness Get more Communion with Christ and influence of grace from him get more conformity to him O mind this business of Eternity of getting this Crown that is laid up for those that hold out and persevere I conclude this Text with that in Rom. 2.7 To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality Eternal life MERCY DESPISED AND GOD PROVOKED thereby PSAL. CVI. 24. Yea they despised the pleasant Land and believed not his Word IN the last Sermons which I gave you out of Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it I shewed you what a dreadful invaluable unconceivable and irrecoverable loss it was to come short of that eternal Rest that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light In losing of Heaven you shall lose the presence of God in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore In losing of Heaven you shall lose the favour of God never never to enjoy a smile of his Face never to lie under the hope of one drop of mercy In losing Heaven you shall lose fellowship and communion with God that eternal happiness which is the portion of the Saints such an invaluable loss that Eternity it self will be little enough to deplore it and bewail it My Design in the choice of this Text is to shew you from it what one main cause is why men come short of that eternal happiness namely their despising and undervaluing those glorious hopes that are laid up in Heaven as the despising the Land of Canaan was the main reason why so many thousands of the Israelites were excluded from the Land of Canaan as the Text here tells you Yea they despised the pleasant Land they believed not his Word Many were the provoking-sins that the people of Israel stood guilty of after that the Lord had wrought that glorious deliverance for them in bringing them out of the Land of Egypt as the Psalmist reckons up a whole Catalogue of them in this excellent Psalm wherein my Text lies As First Their Rebellion at the Red sea in the 7 verse Our Fathers understood not thy Wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies but provoked him at the Sea even at the red Sea where God had wrought that glorious deliverance for them for you know they were ready to distrust the Power of God and they murmured against Moses the Servant of God Exod. 14.11 And they said unto Moses Because there were no Graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the Wilderness Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt Secondly Another sin was their murmuring for want of flesh in the 14 ver of this Psalm But lusted exceedingly or they lusted with a very great lust Nothing but flesh forsooth would serve their turn they would not be contented with the provision that God made for them of Manna which was Angels Food which was called Angels food because that if so be the glorious Angels in Heaven should want bread for their entertainment and provision if they stood in need of bread they could not have better bread than that which God fed the Israelites with from Heaven every day but this would not content them they murmured and lusted exceedingly after flesh Thirdly Another sin was their Sedition and their Conspiracy against Moses and against Aaron in the 16 verse They envyed Moses also in the Camp and Aaron the Saint of the Lord You take too much upon you you sons of Levi why should you be more holy than we are not all the Congregation holy This was a horrible provocation that made the Lord to cause the earth to open and swallow up Corah Dathan and Abiram The fourth sin they were guilty of was their despising or undervaluing the pleasant Land that God gave them in the words of the Text Yea they despised the Pleasant Land they believed not his Word So then in the Text you may take notice of these two Particulars First Israels horrible ingratitude in this Phrase They despised the Pleasant Land Secondly The ground of that Ingratitude in these words They believed not his Word For the first First Israels horrible Ingratitude They despised the Pleasant Land By a pleasant Land here is meant the Land of Canaan that Land of Promise that God had promised to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before ever they did enjoy it and it is called in the Hebrew a Land of Desires or a desirable Land as dainty food is called Meat of Desires Job 33.20 in the Hebrew So that his Life abhorreth bread and his Soul dainty meat or meat of Desires This same dainty Land this same desirable Land this same pleasant Land this Land of Promise they despised they rejected they contemptuously scorned so the Original word properly signifies Now consider this Land of Canaan here which they despised in a two-fold Notion First As it was an earthly Possession Secondly As it was a Type or Pledg or Earnest-penny of that heavenly Inheritance laid up for the Saints in Light And you shall see in both these respects their despising this Land was horrible Ingratitude First Consider it in the first Notion namely as it was an earthly Possession it was very great Ingratitude But consider it in the second Notion namely as it was a Pledg and earnest-penny of the heavenly Inheritance so it was a far greater Ingratitude Take it in the first Notion for an earthly Possession so the Doctrine you may observe from thence is this Doct. That despising or undervaluing of those outward blessings and favours that God bestows upon a people is a God-provoking sin a sin of great Ingratitude This you see was the sin of Israel after they came out of the Land of Egypt to despise any Land that God should bestow upon them but especially considering that they had been bondmen in Egypt that they that had undergone such a base servitude that they had undergone-such burthens of Tyranny for God to bring them out of such a condition into a Land this had been a great mercy but to bring them into such a Land a Land flowing with Milk and Honey to bring them into a Land so desirable This certainly was a grievous provocation especially if you consider what Land this was for First It was very delightful in regard of the Scituation of it Canaan being scituated as Geographers observe in the midst or Center of the whole Earth for it had Asia upon the East and Europe upon the West and Africa upon the South and America and Scythia and Persia upon the North
of the Lord Jesus Christ deny that he is God when this is one of the Titles wherewith he is called The Mighty God The Everlasting Father The Prince of Peace What glorious Titles are here So you shall read he is called his Fathers delight Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my sul delighteth And the Fathers bosom-friend John 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time save the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him If the love of all the Parents in the World were concentred in one it were but as a drop of that infinite Ocean of Love that is between the Father and the Son Nay more he is called the Fathers Fellow Zech. 13.7 Awake O Sword against my Shepherd and against the man that is my Fellow saith the Lord of Hosts So likewise he is called The Head of the Church Eph. 5.23 and the Judg both of quick and dead Acts 10.42 In a word such is the Dignity of his Person such is the Excellency of his Merits such is the sweetness of his Graces such is the fulness of his Perfection that the Scripture does abundantly put those terms of honour upon the Lord Christ as sometimes comparing him to a Corner-stone because he does support us Ephes 2.20 Sometimes to A Vine because he does refresh us John 15.1 Sometimes unto a Physician because he does heal us Matth. 9.12 Sometimes to a Day-star because he does enlighten us Rev. 22.16 Sometimes to A Shepherd because he does lead us John 10. Sometimes to Manna or the Bread of life because he does feed us What glorious Titles are these that are given to Christ therefore he is precious in his Titles Thirdly As he is precious in his Titles so he is precious in his Offices in his Kingly Office in his Priestly Office and in his Prophetical Office First He is precious in his Kingly Office he calls himself The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev 19.16 The King of Kings He is such a King that conquers the enemies of our Salvation as Sin and Satan and Death and Hell and the World other Kings Rule over us but this King can only Rule in us My Kingdom is not of this world saith he The Kingdom of God is within you Lnke 17.21 This King can make Laws that can bind the Conscience he is such a King as hath all Power in Heaven and Earth committed to him Matth. 28.18 Again He is such a Priest as hath reconeiled us to God the Father and ever lives to make intercession for us who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities Col. 1.21 Heb. 7.25 Heb. 4.15 And he is such a Prophet as can perfectly instruct his Church others may preach to the ear but he hath his Pulpit in Heaven only that can preach to the heart other Preachers can open the Scriptures but it is Jesus Christ only that can open our understandings that we may understand the Scriptures Luke 24.45 Then opened he their underderstandings that they might understand the Scriptures O what glorious Offices are these Fourthly He is precious in his Ordinances For Example His Word is exceeding precious to all those that have tasted the sweetness of it how precious was it to David Psalm 119.72 The Law of thy Mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver How precious are Sabbaths to those that know how much of Heaven is wrapt up in the Sabbath Certainly these sabbath-Sabbath-days are market-Market-days for our Souls wherein we may make provision for Eternity days wherein the Lord Jesus Christ many times communicates himself and much of his sweetness to those that wait upon him in holy Duties And how precious is the Ordinance of the Lords Supper wherein the Lord Christ makes us a feast of fat things a feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of Marrow Wines on the Lees well refined Isa 25. Wherein he gives his own flesh to eat his flesh that was crucified to satisfie Divine Justice and his own blood to drink that blood which only can quench the fire of Hell quench the fire of Gods anger which otherwise would have been burning and burning against us to all Eternity Fifthly As he is precious in his Ordinances so he is precious in his Prerogatives for he and he only is the Saviour of the World and besides him there was no other Saviour Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved That is there is nothing can be named for it is but a Hebraism there is nothing can be named under Heaven whereby we can be saved but only the Name of Jesus Christ he had no Coadjutor or Helper in the work of our Redemption Isa 63.3 I have trodden the Wine-press alone and of the People there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my rayment And as he is the only Saviour so he is the only Mediator too For there is one God and one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 So he is the only Head of his Church Eph. 1.22 And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church He only hath the Supremacy and Authority as being Omnipotent and Omnipresent one that is able to protect his people from all injuries one that is able to prevent all the plots and projects that are hatcht and invented against them he hath these Prerogatives that cannot be given to any Creature in Heaven or Earth but only unto him therefore he is precious in his Prerogatives Sixthly The Lord Christ is precious also in the purchase of his blood the purchase he made for us by his blood is a very precious purchase and the portion that he bestows on his Elect that he hath purchased for them is a precious portion so he is precious not only in regard of his Person but in regard of his Portion For Example the Redemption that he hath wrought for us by his blood is a precious Redemption a Redemption from Sin and Satan and Death and Hell In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins Ephes 1.7 Secondly The donation or bestowing of his Spirit it is a very precious gift that the Spirit of God should in his Name that is for his Merit be bestowed upon all those that do believe But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 14.26 O what a precious invaluable gift is it to have the Spirit of God given us to quicken us to draw us to Jesus Christ and to carry on the
Lesson That such and so great is the indispensable need that we have of the Lord Jesus Christ that without him we are undone for ever In the 53d verse of this exeellent Chapter Verily verily I say unto you except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you have no life in you He speaks there of eating of his flesh and drinking his blood in a spiritual manner You know there are many desires of the Soul that may be dispenced with but hunger is a desire that must be satisfied unless you have bread for your sustenance the body dies so unless you have Jesus Christ for your spiritual sustenance your Souls die and drop down into Hell for ever for look as the union of the Body with the Soul is the life of the Body so the union of the Soul with Jesus Christ is the life of the Soul O hearken to this thou that art yet in a natural and unregenerate estate uncalled unconverted that never was yet transplanted from off the old rotten stock of Adam and replanted into the true Vine the Lord Jesus Christ if thou livest in this estate and diest in this estate thou art undone for ever the poorest worm that crawls upon the ground is in a better condition than thou art in Acts 26.27 Believest thou the Prophets said St. Paul to King Agrippa I know that thou believest Believest thou this Doctrine say I to thee that art yet uncalled unconverted I know thou believest it not for if thou didst believe it thou couldest not rest contented in a Christless condition for one week no not for one day but wouldest by prayers and tears and supplications cry out Lord Jesus give me thy self whatever thou denyest me give me thy self though I be as poor as Job upon the Dunghil But we cannot perswade men that the danger of a natural estate and condition is so great as indeed it is but the Lord convince you and perswade you of it A second Doctrinal Inference that may be hence deduced is this If Jesus Christ be the living bread then it follows the vanity and emptiness and insufficiency of all Creature-accommodations is exceeding great name what you will of these outward accommodations that the World do so greedily gape after whether Riches or Honours or Pleasures or goodly brave Buildings this and that alas we may say of them they are not bread Isa 55.2 Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread Your money that is your precious opportunities your time that is your money to make your Markets for Eternity with for Moments are the Markets for Eternity Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Alas alas these outward things they are neither satisfactory nor permanent they are not satisfactory for Solomon tells us that He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with encrease Eccles 5.10 As soom may you hope to fill a Chest with Wisdom and Knowledg as to fill a Soul which is a spiritual substance with temporal things And as these outward things are are satisfactory so neither are they permanent or lasting 1 Cor. 6.13 Meats for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall deslroy both it and them Look as the belly devours the meat so the worms at last shall devour the belly and so both meat and belly perish together But if you can but once get this spiritual bread the Lord Christ you shall never perish Alas alas consider your own folly and brutishness in seeking for satisfaction here below where none is to be found your bread without Christ is but gravel in your throats your moral Vertues without Christ are but glittering sins your bodies without Christ are but dust and ashes dust that will drop down into the Grave and ashes that are fitted for the Furnace of Hell-fire your Souls without Christ are but the Devils Palace your lives without Christ is but the service of sin and your deaths without Christ will be nothing else but the wages of sin Oh who would rest then in a Christless condition Who would sit down contented with these poor transitory shadowy comforts A third Lesson we may learn by way of Inference is this If Jesus Christ be the living bread then our main end and errand in coming to the Lords Table is not to feed the Body but to feed the Soul 1 Cor. 11.21 What have you not Houses to eat and to drink in saith the Apostle So that it is not the end of your coming to the Lords Table therefore you eat but a little piece of Bread and drink but a little draught of Wine to put you in mind that it is not the Body that you come to feed but you come to feed the Soul and therefore you should labour to get a preparation suitable to that spiritual bread that you are to taste of But what is that you will say I answer There should be something done before your coming and something done in the Administration of the Elements and something done after the receiving of the Elements First There should be something done before you come Oh beg a blessing upon your spiritual bread Man lives not by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matth. 4.4 I may apply it thus Your Souls will not live by this Sacramental Bread but by the Word of Gods blessing If God will bless this spiritual food to you your Souls shall live On therefore beg the Blessing of God upon this Heavenly Bread Secondly And then there is something to be done while you are eating this Bread you should get your hearts all on fire with love to this blessed Redeemer that was contented to be made bread to be prepared food as I told you even now to be threshed and winnowed and ground and bak'd and scorch'd in the Oven of his Fathers Wrath Oh how should your hearts be all on a flame with Love as the two Disciples were going to Emaus As Jesus Christ brake bread and gave it to them and opened to them the Scriptures their hearts did burn within them Luke 24.32 they were as it were all on a fire So should it be with you when you come to the Lords Table you should have your meditations wholly taken up with that which is the life of the Sacrament even the death of our Saviour let not your hearts be roving and wandering about watch them narrowly you will hardly keep them close to a duty two Minutes without great watching Thirdly There is something to be done after when you have eaten of this living bread that is to be exceeding thankful study to walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing That 's the first Use of Information The second Vse is of Exhortation Is Jesus Christ that living bread that gives eternal life to all those that have a
supported him in that great distress On the contrary under less temptations and troubles if God do not support a man he will fall see it in Ahitophel because his counsel was not accepted God not supporting him under this light trouble he goes and hangs himself For the use of this If this be one way of Gods hearing our prayers when he strengthens us with strength in our souls Then call your selves to an account whether God hath strengthned your souls yea or no here is divers of you that have been made partakers of a strengthening Ordinance this day namely the Lords Supper which the Lord Jesus hath appointed for your spiritual confirmation and corroboration Now will it not nearly concern you to ask your own souls this question Hath God strengthened you with strength in your souls It may be you will say to me how shall we do to know it Answer me but these four or five questions and you may know it First tell me What are you in the time of troubles and temptations for what a man is in tryals that is the man Can you live in a time of straits fears doubts and dangers as the strength of a ship is tryed in the time of a storm if she can live in a storm then you may say she is a strong ship the strength of a Castle is tryed in the time of battel if it can endure the roaring Cannon then its a strong Castle now if you can keep your standing in a time of danger this argues you have received spiritual strength in your souls Secondly Can you bear variety of conditions without fainting can you pass through good report and ill report through honour and dishonour through a prosperous estate and decayed estate can you pass through these with an equal temper and frame of spirit as you are not puft up with prosperity so you are not too much cast down with adversity Saint Paul had this strength I have learnt saith he in what estate soever I am therewith to be content Thirdly Can you cleave close to Jesus Christ without weariness constantly if you be off and on if your way be uneven it 's a token you have little strength Fourthly Are you able to do duties in a spiritual manner the spiritual performance of holy duties argues the receiving of some spiritual strength By these and the like questions you may know whether you have received some of this spiritual strength yea or no. A second use I shall make it is by way of Exhortation Oh labour to read this Text experimentally read it I say so as your own hearts may make a commentary on it Oh Lord thou hast answered me Lord I can speak by experience I was as weak as water but thou hast strengthened me with strength in my soul Whatever was written aforetime was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope This instance of David was written for your imitation and consolation O labour for this spiritual strength To press you to attain it I shall use but this one motive Consider the great need you have of this spiritual strength at all times but especially in times of general fears and dangers then you have special need of it In what regard may be you will say do we need so much strength in our souls I will tell you in these four respects especially or on this fourfold account First In regard of Duties that are to be performed Secondly In regard of Afflictions that are to be endured Thirdly In regard of the Enemies that are to be encountered Fourthly In regard of the danger of Apostacy that is to be prevented First You have great need of this spiritual strength in regard of the Duties that are to be performed Oh a Christian hath much work lying upon his hands in reference to eternity a great work it is to provide oyl in your Lamps grace in your hearts a great work it is to get the hazzard of eternity over to get an interest in Jesus Christ and to get an assurance of that interest A great work it is for you to make your calling and election sure sure to your own souls to be working out your salvation with fear and trembling a great work it is for you to be pondering the paths of your feet to keep your hearts above all keepings to be building up your selves in your most holy faith These are very great works It is the language of the Apostle Saint Jude verse 20 of his Epistle But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost and to be pressing forward towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.14 Nay a Christian hath yet a harder work than this to do for a Christian is to do that work that crosses his own carnal and corrupt will There are some difficult duties of Christianity that are to be performed as denying of our selves a hard duty the crossing of our carnal and corrupt Affections a hard duty the mortifying of a beloved Lust a very hard duty the plucking out of a right eye the cutting off of a right hand a parting with a sin that is as dear as our right hand and our right eye a difficult duty so for a man to be crucifying the flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof to be contemning the world to trample upon the pleasures the flatteries the blandishments of it for a man to love his enemies to pray for them that persecute him to do good to them that despitefully use him How is it possible for a man to do all this work a difficult work this work which so much crosses his own carnal and corrupt frame if he have not a considerable portion of spiritual strength A weak Christian alas is offended with every thing he is ready to stumble at every straw every duty is a burthen to him every command of Christ seems grievous to him every yoke of Christ he is not able to take upon his neck it may be he may have some flashes of good desires now and then as Baalam had Oh that I might die the death of the righteous It may be he may have some good purposes and resolutions as Saul had 1 Sam. 26.21 Return my son David for I will no more do thee harm because my soul was precious in thine eyes this days But all his purposes came to nothing Nay may be sometimes he may have some endeavours faint feeble endeavours in the way of grace just like the third ground in the Parable which wanted root it brought forth indeed a blade but it brought forth the Text says nothing to perfection If a man be a weak Christian alas it is very little that he can do in the business of Eternity You have great need of strength therefore in this regard Secondly You have great need of strength in regard of the Afflictions Temptations Troubles and
and they that shall put their hands to the Plow and look back are not fit for the Kingdom of God Oh great is the danger of Apostacy but now without some considerable strength you will not be kept from failing and those failings will turn to fallings and those fallings to fallings away and at last falling into everlasting destruction Now these fallings and fallings away do usually follow this want of spiritual strength not being strengthened with strength in our souls But may be you will say to me What course must we take that we may get this spiritual strength in our souls I answer briefly make use of these rules and helps First Be very sensible of your weakness and infirmity be humble be base in your own eyes be nothing in your selves that you may be able to say In Jesus Christ have I righteousness and strength Isa 45.24 It was a sweet Meditation of Saint Augustin Lord I will be weak in my self that I may be strong in thee And the Apostle hath such a phrase For when I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 that is when I am most weak in my self then am I most strong in a Saviour Secondly If you would have this strength in your souls be acting the Grace which you have received already for action increaseth strength and strength will help action forwards the more you are doing duty the more will you gather strength to do duty It was the Motto of an eminent Divine in this Nation now with God The way to Holiness lyes in the works of Holiness so the way to get spiritual strength lyes in doing the work you have to do with that strength you have use strength and you shall have more strength Thirdly If you would have strength in your souls grow especially in corroborating and strengthening Graces What are those strengthning Graces 1. Faith that is a very strengthning Grace you read of the strength of Faith Abraham was strong in Faith and that made him do great things that he could against hope believe in hope that is against hope of sense believe in hope of a promise Rom. 4.18 so be strong in Love Love to Jesus Christ Love is a very strengthening Grace Love is strong as death Cant. 8.6 7 Death you know is so strong that it hath conquered all men that ever were in the World never was there any Gyant so strong but could be conquered by Death there is no discharge in that War the meaning is this never any man encountred with Death that came off but Love is stronger than Death If thy heart be fired with Love to Jesus Christ it will carry you with a great deal of strength through all difficulties and sufferings with patience and perseverance 3. Again Get more sincerity Job 17.9 The righteous also shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger Oh the more sincere you are the more strong you are For example Wherein consists the strenth of a Pillar it is in the uprightness of it if it begins to bow and bend and be crooked then it falls but the uprightness of it is the strength of it 4. Joy Joy that is another strengthening Grace Nehem. 8.10 Neither be ye sorry for the joy of the Lord shall be your strength Oh the more inward joy in the Holy Ghost you have the more chearful you are the more strong you are grow in these strengthening Graces Fourthly Would you have this strength in your souls then take heed of rushing into any known sin for sin as it wounds the conscience it weakens the soul also sins against conscience are like a thief in the Candle which weakens our strength and wasts our joy Nothing weakned Sampson so much as his sporting with his Dalilah Never had he lost his strength had it not been for his running into that sin take heed therefore of sins against conscience Fifthly If you would have strength in your souls take heed of evil company shun them as a Pest-house for many times evil company weakens the soul more than any outward temptation Psal 119.115 Depart from me ye wicked for I will keep the Commandements of my God It is as if he should say he could never set about the work of Obedience so long as he kept company with the wicked Sixthly If you would have strength in your souls then get more intimate and bosom-communion with Jesus Christ every day for the truth is all our strength is from him I am able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Phil. 4.13 The more you are acquainted with Christ the more will you have of this strength which David here in the Text speaks of Lastly If you would have this strength be much in prayer that is an excellent Scripture Psal 119.28 My soul melteth away for heaviness strengthen thou me according to thy word Oh the more we are in Prayer and Care and Watchfulness and Humility and Self-denial and in the exercise of Grace the more we shall find our spiritual strength increased then we shall experimentally say with David Thou hast strengthened me with strength in my soul LIGHT DISCOVERED AND MAN RECOVERED A SERMON Preach'd Augst 17. 1656. 2 Tim. 1.10 the latter part of the Verse And hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel THE Apostle in the beginning of this Chapter exhorting Timothy to a faithful discharge of his Ministerial Calling puts in this weighty caution in the 8 verse Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God that is be not ashamed of the Gospel that he calls there the Testimony of our Lord Jesus Though it may be thou maist meet with afflictions and oppositions in the profession of it yet seeing these afflictions are but sufferings for the Gospel-sake therefore bear them patiently it is better that thou shouldest suffer than that the Gospel should suffer This Caution or Exhortation the Apostle presses from an Argument drawn from the unspeakable benefit and advantage that comes streaming to us by the Gospel namely Eternal life and that the Apostle might be rightly understood he lays down the three causes of this Eternal life or Salvation First The principal and moving cause of this Salvation that is the Grace of God in the foregoing verse ver 9. Who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Secondly He lays down the meritorious cause of our salvation that is the Lord Jesus Christ who hath merited this salvation by dying for us in the middle part of the 10th verse who hath abolished death that is who hath taken away the sting and curse of Death Thirdly He lays down the instrumental cause of our salvation that is the
from Babylon and the comfort that is here proclaimed it is derived from a double Spring 1. From the Promulgation of the Gospel 2. From the coming of Jesus Christ in the Flesh who is the Marrow of the Gospel 1. From the Promulgation of the Gospel and that is amplified two ways from the Herald that Proclaims it and by the Place where it was proclaimed 1. By the Herald that proclaimed it namely John the Baptist called the voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make straight in the desart a way for our God 2. It is amplified by the place where it should be proclaimed namely in Sion or Jerusalem in the 9th verse O Sion that bringest good tidings get thee up into the high Mountain O Jerusalem that bringest good tidings lift up thy voice with strength lift it up be not afraid say to the Cities of Judah behold your God Then Christs coming in the flesh that is described two ways 1. By his Terrour to his Enemies 2. By his mild carriage and behaviour towards his own People By his Terrour towards his Enemies in the foregoing verse the 10th ver Behold the Lord will come with a strong hand and his Arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him and his work before him Then he is described here by his meek and mild carriage towards his People in the words I have read unto you He shall feed his flock like c. Let me first open the terms of the Text and then come to some points of Instruction He shall feed The Government of the Lord Jesus Christ in his Church and towards his Chosen is exprest by three names He is call'd a Ruler a Leader and a Shepherd He is called a Ruler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew in Micah 5.2 But thou Beth-leem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting Now Jesus Christ rules three ways 1. By his Commanding-power 2. By his Compelling-power 3. By his Perswading-power He hath a Commanding-power All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth Matth. 18.35 He hath a Compelling-power Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Luk. 19.27 Then he hath likewise a Perswading-power Gen. 9.27 God shall perswade Japhet and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem. 2dly His Government is exprest by this Name He is a Leader to his people Now Christ is a Leader to his People three ways 1. By teaching of his people his very enemies did acknowledg it Mar. 12.14 We know thou teachest the way of God in truth He teacheth them by going before them in a way of good example John 13.15 I have given you an example that you should do as I have done He leads them likewise by drawing of them Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee Then as he is a Ruler and a Leader so he is a Shepherd his Government is comprised under this Name He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd And here in the Text where under the name of Feeding is comprised all the necessary attendances and accommodations that conduce to the safety and welfare of the Flock such as providing of them Pasture and protecting of them from the danger and mischief of Wolves and Lyons and Beasts of Prey and likewise in preventing their stragling and wandring in the Wilderness And in curing of those Diseases that are incident to Sheep All these are meant by Feeding Oh the Richness and Compleatness of this precious Redeemer well may the Apostle say He is able to save to the utmost those that come to God by him And well may the Apostle say Christ is all and in all because he is both the Ruler Leader and Shepherd the Prince and Captain of our Salvation and Saviour and all He shall gather his Lambs with his Arms. The Lord Jesus Christ hath a tender care of all his Sheep that none of them be lost as he says in that Heavenly Prayer John 17.11 While I was with them in the world I kept them in thy Name those that thou gavest me I have kept and none of them is lost but the Son of Perdition that the Scripture might be fulfilled I but he hath the most tender and pitiful compassion towards those that are his Lambs that is young Beginners Babes in Christ those he gathers in his Arms so the Text tells us those he carries in his bosom that is he deals favourably with them those he cherishes with all indulgence He does not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised read Matth. 12.20 Then he gently leads those that are with young or those that give suck the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sigfies both either those that are with young or those that give suck The Prophet here in the Text alludes to the manner of Jacobs dealing with his Flocks See what a compassionate man that good man was as you may read Gen. 33.13 The flocks and the herds that are with young they are with me and if men should over-drive them but one day all the flocks would dye What a care had Jacob of all his flocks especially of those that were with young so the Lord Christ he gently leads those that are with young that is weak Christians such as are easily offended such as are dejected and discouraged such as are full of infirmities and imperfections he gently leads them that is he exercises a great deal of pity and patience and compassion and tenderness towards them In all their afflictions he is afflicted with them Isa 63.9 He hath Sympathizing Bowels towards those that are full of Infirmities his Bowels are troubled as it were for them Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim a dear Son is he a pleasant Child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord So that here is gentleness in bearing with them and patience in suffering of them In a word the Lord Jesus Christ he is a meek a gentle a mild a compassionate Saviour that is the sum of the whole verse he is of a very sweet amiable pliable disposition As God hath fitted him with a Body so he hath fitted him with a Heart to be a merciful and compassionate Redeemer The words being thus opened there are two things in them especially presented to your view 1. Christs relation to his People 2dly His mild carriage towards them in that relation 1. Christs relation to his People that you have in these words He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd 2dly You have his Meek Mild and Gracious carriage towards them he does both Protect them and Feed them and Pity them and gathers them in his Arms and
other Fourthly He that sins through infirmity will still keep his conjugal love to Jesus Christ and although some failings in him may work a kind of estrangement between Christ and his soul yet notwithstanding his heart will still cleave to the Lord Jesus Christ and this appears thus Because he will chuse no other Husband he will chuse no other Saviour for all this but he would rejoyce with all his heart if he might be but reconciled to Jesus Christ though there hath been some unkindness between Christ and him He says I will return to my first Husband for then was it better with me than now Hos 2.7 and he is grieved for the unevenness of his carriage towards so sweet a Husband us he hath been to him If there be such a disposition in you to hold fast your conjugal love to Jesus Christ and still keep close to him though there may be some unkindness yet thou pitchest on no other Husband certainly this is but an infirmity But says the poor soul Can that be an infirmity that cleaves to me all my days that I have been vext and perplext with twenty thirty years together I answer Possibly there may be such infirmities cleave to Gods children As for example some deadness in duties dulness and deadness in hearing the Word it may be slipperiness of memory or forgetfulness of the words we have heard or it may be some strong corruption which is like a thorn in the flesh which the Lord Jesus hath left in thee to humble thee and to make thee base in thy own eyes all thy days But it may be then you will object and say How then will this stand with the Doctrine you delivered even now you made it a mark or token of spiritual life That Grace will prevail against corruption that the Government of the Lord Jesus Christ would be victorious I answer True Grace will be victorious at last but I do not say it will be all at once but it will be by degrees and it is some kind of victory and conquest over corruption when it is subdued though it be not quite extinguished if it be weakned and abated though it be not destroyed when a man can feelingly cry out of it as the Apostle did O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and he breaks out and says thanks be to God through Jesus Christ Rom. 7.25 Secondly I answer God sometimes works by contraries God is carrying on the work of Grace in his Children when corruptions seem to be thriving and growing when God means to give his Children victory he suffers them to be foyled first the work of Grace in the heart sometimes goes backwards that it may go forwards As the Seed that is sown in the Field it rots in the ground before it springs and grows Sometimes you must know that God will strengthen us by our very slippings he will have us learn to stand by our very falls and bruises he will have us to be strengthened by our weaknesses and infirmities he will have us to be deep-rooted by our shakings Our infirmities are the keepers of our Graces it makes us look more carefully to our own standings it is good therefore to observe the methods and manner of Gods dealing with our souls and to learn to live by faith be acting of faith in the business of our infirmities for as I have often told you The life of faith is in the use of faith so much as we use faith so much we live by it it is good for a man to live by faith in point of his infirmities and to say when I am foyled I shall have victory when I fall I shall arise when I am weak I am strong as the Church said Micah 7.8 Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Thus you have the explication of the point what an Infirmity is and what are the causes of it and what are the signs and symptoms of it For the use of the point 1. For Consolation 2. For Caution 3. For Exhortation First For Consolation because that is the principal use of the Text And O that I could speak not only to the ears but to the heart of any poor doubting drooping dejected soul O that this Doctrine might be as a box of ointment to comfort such an one to refresh him O that I eould but drop in some Consolation into any poor bruised soul that hears me this day that such an one might lift up those hands that hang down and feeble knees that tremble Isa 35.3 And this is the comfort I have to tender to thee That the Lord will not reject thee for an infirmity He carries his Lambs in his Arms and gathers them in his bosom poor weak ones he carries them in his bosom when it may be the Leg is broken and they are not able to go he gently leads those with young in all their fears doubts and disquietments about their Condition he hath a tender care of his Lambs of his weak ones If thou art but one of Christ Lambs know thus much for thy comfort that he hath a care of the poorest Lamb that is in his Flock if thou art a Plant in his Vineyard know that he hath a care of the tenderest Plant never was it known that a merciful and compassionate Father cast off a child because of his weakness many times it may be when the child is so sick and weak that it is not able to speak but only to say Father it may be it cannot speak out then the Bowels of the Father yearns towards him the more the weaker the child is and unable to speak the more his compassions are rowling towards him O let not our unbelief make Jesus Christ unnatural Do we think that Jesus Christ has less compassion toward his Lambs than Jacob had Jacob was such a Shepherd that he had such a tender care of his Lambs that says he if you over-drive the flocks the lambs will die and do you think that Jesus Christ is less sollicitous for the good of his But alas says the poor soul my infirmities discourage me they weaken my assurance and rob me of my peace and comfort I answer true it is infirmities do so but they should not do so and that they may not do so take these three or four Considerations First Consider in every infirmity as there is something against God so there is something also from God There is something against God that is true because our infirmities are not suitable to the holiness and strictness of his Law and therefore we should strive against them with prayer and care and watchfulness But as there is something against God so there is something also from God It may be he le ts loose those infirmities upon thee even like a Messenger of Satan to buffet thee to humble
thee to prove thee and to teach thee to prise Jesus Christ so much the more It may be God le ts loose these infirmities as the avenger of blood was let loose upon the man slayer to force the man slayer to fly to the City of Refuge Numb 35 so these infirmities are let loose to force thee to fly to Jesus Christ the Refuge of thy soul Some there are that was it not for strong infirmities cleaving to them strong temptations meeting with them would never be beholding to Jesus Christ at all Look therefore in every infirmity not only at the evil of it but at the good God intends by it it may be God intends good to thy soul by them Whereas we as he said once many times make plaisters to become a poyson the Lord is able on the contrary to make a plaister of poyson We many times bring sin out of Grace God can bring grace out of sin he can bring Heaven out of Hell therefore as there is something against God so there is something from God in our infirmities therefore we should not be discouraged because of them Secondly Consider the great difference between thy self when thou wast in a state of nature and now when thou art a weak Christian and subject to infirmities did not God reject thee at that time and cast thee off when thou wast an open Traitor and Rebel marching on in a course of rebellion against him did he not cast thee off but had compassion on thee and did pity thee and spare thee then certainly he will not now cast thee off for some unvoluntary errour which thou bewailest and mournest for in his presence Did the Lord seek thee at that time when thou despisedst him certainly then he will not despise thee when thou feekest him That is a good argument of the Apostle to strengthen and support and comfort drooping spirits Rom. 5.10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Certainly therefore God will not reject thee for an infirmity if he was so gracious to thee in thy state of sin and enmity to him there is as great a difference between a state of grace and a state of nature as there is between Heaven and Hell though grace be never so weak and imperfect Thirdly Consider the great danger of being pluckt away from Jesus Christ by giving too much way to despondency Satans main drift and great plot is to drive thee away from Jesus Christ by thy infirmities he labours to bring thee to despond and despair and to say there is no hope for thee because Satan knows the more he draws thee from Jesus Christ the weaker thou wilt be Thy infirmities should not drive thee from Christ but they should drive thee to Christ to improve and make use of his gracious disposition in helping and healing thee in thy miseries and distresses Fourthly Consider what may be the causes of thy infirmities those infirmities will be cured in the causes For example if thy infirmities arise from want of age or time to gather strength that will be cured because the path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more to the perfect day Prov. 4.18 Or if from want of the means of grace or because the means of grace thou enjoyest are not such as others enjoy the Lord in such cases will have a tender respect to thee and measure to thee not according to what thou hast but according to what thou wouldst have Again if thy infirmities arise from some corruption that was not discovered to thee at thy first conversion thou must then pray and beg that the Lord would discover thy self to thy self more and more Again if thou hast forsaken some old truths of God and art grown weary of them and hankerest after Novelties and new Opinions then return from thy wandrings and prize solid meat above kickshaws beg that thy soul may taste once again the sweetness of Gospel-truths In a word what ever the cause of your infirmities be get the disease healed in the cause get thy heart more weaned from the World and stir up thy self to take hold of God remember thy former zeal and repent and do thy first works and this is the way to get thy infirmities healed That 's the first Use a Use of Comfort and Consolation The second Use is a Use of Caution The Lord Jesus Christ as you have heard hath a tender respect to his people a tender care of his people in respect of their infirmities let not a wicked man then apply this to himself and say the Lord Christ will have a tender respect to me that go on in the course of sin that live in sin and lye in sin and sleep in sin and wallow in sin No for there is a great deal of difference between the weakness of a Lamb and the wickedness of a Wolf the Lord Jesus Christ pities his Lambs for their weakness but he doth not pity a Wolf for his wickedness that is that man who is resolved to go on in a course of sin say a Minister what he can to the contrary if he is dead in trespasses and sins if he hath no spiritual life in him if there be no work of grace begun in him all that I have said concerning Christs tender care of his peoples infirmities doth not belong to him he hath no part in this Inheritance if thou beest a Wolf and not a Lamb the Lord Christ that hath a tender care of his Lambs will be sure to meet thee not as a Shepherd that carries his Lambs in his Arms but he will meet thee as a Lion Hosea 13.7 8 Therefore I will be unto them as a Lyon as a Leopard by the way will I observe them I will meet them as a Bear that is bereaved of her Whelps and I will rent the caul of their heart and there will I devour them like a Lyon the wild beasts shall tear them The same Christ that is a Shepherd to his People he knows how to be a Lyon a Leopard and a Bear to his Enemies That is an awakening Scripture Psalm 68.21 But God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses If therefore thou art one that goest on in thy trespasses in an unreformed course if thou livest in sin and settest thy heart on wickedness and takest pleasure therein this doctrine doth not belong to thee thou art not a Lamb in Christs account he will not deal tenderly with thee nay he will deal most roughly with thee his wrath and fury will be powred out upon thee as the Prophet speaks That 's the second Use of Caution Lastly A word of Exhortation If the Lord Jesus Christ hath such a tender respect in his carriage to the infirmities of his People O then resolve to have no other
2 Cor. 1.4 5. The grace of God is given for this end to dispence to others Fourtly A fourth reason is this If you do not act your graces God shall lose his glory and his glory should be dearer to you than your liberty and all your outward comforts It is a true speech of him that said the truth of grace doth save my soul but the acting of grace makes for the honour of God the truth of Grace makes for my safety but the acting of grace makes for the service of God in the place I am in Now a child of God hath the glory of God lying near his heart says a child of God I would lose my life rather than the end of my life I would be usefully spent for God for the honour of God for the name of God in living in suffering in dying rather than to enjoy all the honours or pleasures or treasures that the world can afford Thus you see the point opened and made good to you Now for the Use of it and there are three Uses I shall make of it First By way of Information If they that have grace must be acting and increasing of it then certainly it follows That they that have no grace had need to get it If they that have received Christ Jesus must walk in him then they that have not received him certainly they have great need infinite need to close with him O the miserable and doleful and damnable condition of all those that for the present are in a Christless condition in a graceless condition no tongue of men or Angels is able sufficiently to express it no tears of blood can sufficiently bewail it If any of you die in such a condition you must resolve to die everlastingly and to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire Jude 7. you must resolve to be satisfying of a sin-revenging God in hell and yet never be able to satisfie him you must be always dying and yet never die Rev. 6 And in those days shall men seek death and shall not find it and shall desire to die and death shall flee from them This will be the condition of all those that die Christless that die graceless that have not received Christ into their hearts and that have not got grace into their hearts oyl into their lamps they shall be alway dying and yet never die O with what weeping and wailing and wringing of their hands and tearing of their hair and renting of the cawl of their hearts shall they cry out O that I might dye and dye and never have a being more O that I might dye the most cursed the most tormenting the most painful death that ever creature on earth dyed so I may but dye But this is the misery of all misery I live to dye and must live eternally This is the condition of all those that have not got Christ in their hearts O then why do you rest in such a condition one week nay one day O if ever there were any love to your souls kindled in your breasts any desire of salvation wrought in you any care of escaping those unconceivable tortures and torments resolve to receive Jesus Christ upon his own terms and say O Lord rule in me as thou pleasest so I may be but thine resolve to receive him as a Prince as well as a Saviour It was a point I pressed upon you with all my might from Acts 5.31 Receive Jesus Christ to give you repentance as well as remission of sins He is a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins He gives repentance before he gives remission if he gives nor repentance for sin he never gives remission of sin O resolve to trade for him some of you know no other trade but to treade in the world to be tumbling up and down in dirt and clay and to provide for your Families a Heathen man may do as much as you do O that you would be perswaded to drive a Trade for heaven for grace for saving-grace That which Solomon speaks of wisdom I may say of every grace Prov. 4.7 Wisdom is the principal thing therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding So say I grace is the principal thing therefore with all thy getting get grace It is no matter though thou be poor in the World if thou beest rich in grace If thou shouldst be rich in the World and get thy Coffers full of gold and silver yet if thou get no grace in thy heart it had been better that thou hadst never been born Secondly By way of reproof Here is a just and sharp reproof even of Gods own children that have received Christ and yet do not walk in him do not walk worthy of him in all well-pleasing that have received grace and yet do not act grace but rather wrap it up like a Talent in a Napkin I cannot speak it without indignation How many Christians are there some of whom I am really perswaded they are the Servants of Jesus Christ yet they are sick of a spiritual Lethargy Appoplexy they are in a spiritual slumber a man in an Appoplex hath his reason he is a reasonable man but he cannot make use of his reason what is man the better for his wealth if he does not make use of his wealth so what am I the better for grace if I do not make use of it for the glory of God and the good of others In Matth. 25 you read the five wise Virgins slumbered as well as the five foolish It is a sad thing when even Gods own children true Professors shall be slumbering yet the five wise Virgins slumbered as well as the five foolish Yet this is the condition of the Servants of God at this day I can hardly meet with any but their grace is suspended they are fallen asleep their activity for for God and their acting of grace is lull'd asleep I pray God he do not thunder against us as once the Mariners did to Jonah What meanest thou O sleeper arise call upon thy God if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not Jonah 1.6 When the wind roars and the waters rage and the storms arise and there is but a step between thee death and thou asleep is it not a shame for thee to be snorting when the ship is in danger of sinking so may it be said of all us who are asleep in security I pray God that he do not awake us with a rushing wind It may be the rod may come sooner on us than we are aware and a sharper rod than we are aware of Oh that I could but awaken my own soul then I might hope to help to awaken you out of this spiritual slumber then you would say to me as David did to Abigail Blessed be God and blessed be thou that hast given me this counsel this day 1 Sam. 25.32 33. Blessed be God that thou hast awakened me out
is no mud at all but now Satan never comes to us but he finds matter enough and ground enough to work upon there is a great deal of mud at the bottom therefore he prevails on us when he comes But that is one end that he may teach us to expect temptations he himself was tempted then certainly much more must we expect to be tempted Secondly Jesus Christ was tempted that he might know how to compassionate us in our temptations Thirdly He was tempted that he might take out the sting the poison the venom of every temptation that though we be sorely assaulted by Satan yet we may not be conquered by Satan That that David speaks to Saul Psal 188.13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me The like may Believers say of Satan Thou hast thrust sore at me if it were possible to thrust me into hell but the Lord is my helper nay God can so order it when Satan thrusts his forest darts at us he can ward off the blow or at least so order the temptation that it shall kill our sins and not hurt our souls As I have read a story of one Pareus Jason who was conflicting with his adversary when his adversary thought to have run him through with his sword God did so order it that it did open an imposthumation which all Physicians could not heal so that instead of killing of him he preserved his life so God can so order it when Satan is thrusting sorely at us with his temptations they shall kill our sins but shall not hurt our souls So then the words being opened to you the way to the Doctrine is made plain which is this Doct. Christs temptations and his sufferings for us stir up in his heart a tender compassion to succour us in our temptations and in our fufferings That which God commands Israel is suitable to this Exod. 23.9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger for ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt So the Lord Jesus Christ knows the hearts of tempted ones and knows how to pity tempted ones because he himself was tempted That which the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 1.4 God comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God I may apply it thus The Lord Jesus Christ knows how to succour us to comfort us to support us in our temptations with the same spirit that he had in his sufferings and in his temptations though his temptations were so great that he himself needed an Angel to come and comfort him For the better explication of this point there are two Quaeries that would be satisfied First Why Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart such tender compassion towards us to succour and relieve us in our temptations and sufferings Secondly How the Lord Jesus Christ does succour and relieve poor tempted ones in their distrsses and sufferings For the first Why does Christs sufferings and temptations stir up in his heart such tender compassions towards us I answer The reason is plainly this because the Lord Jesus Christ his suffering in our Nature makes him not only a merciful God but a merciful Man also the Lord Jesus Christ as he is God equal with the Father to all Eternity so his mercies are from everlasting to everlasting Psal 103.17 But now his sufferings in our flesh makes him not only a merciful God but a merciful man also a merciful Mediator between God and man so he hath not only beams of Majesty but bowels of mercy his sufferings made him a merciful High-priest that is touched with the sense of our infirmities as you read Heb. 4.15 for says he We have not an High priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin The Lord Jesus Christ suffered all our natural infirmities though he did not suffer our sinful infirmities He was tempted in all things like unto us yet without sin a merciful High-priest he is and this is that that makes him so tender-hearted to the sufferings and infirmities of his People Oh what bowels of compassion hath Jesus Christ towards the souls of poor People Mat. 9.36 the Text says When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard His bowels did earn towards them as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he had compassion on their souls because they wanted those that might instruct them in the way of life and happiness And what compassion had he on the bodies of poor ones that waited on his Doctrine Mat. 15.32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said I have compassion on the multitude because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat and I will not send them away sasting lest they faint in the way And what compassion had he towards the poor Widow that had lost her only son and they were now carrying him to the Grave the Text says he had compassion on her his Bowels did earn towards the poor Widow therefore he touched the Coffin and raised him up again Luke 7.13 Look as a Child-bearing woman that hath felt the bitter pangs and pains of Child-birth hath more compassion towards a woman in that distress than a barren woman that never felt those pangs and sorrows or as a man that hath been sorely afflicted with the Gout or Stone pitianother man that is afflicted with the same disease more than one that never felt the torment of that disease and as it is storied of Queen Elizabeth when she past once through an Hospital where she saw many poor Orphans and Fatherless and helpless Children Oh says she I was once an Orphan a poor helpless creature when I was shut up in prison therefore says she I have tasted of the sufferings of Orphans and I cannot but be merciful to Orphans and as it is said of Luther That he was a rare and and excellent man in comforting afflicted consciences those that were tempted and afflicted why because he himself was exercised with temptations for three years together so here the Lord Jesus Christ is a most rare and excellent Comforter a Physician good at all diseases especially at binding up broken hearts and comforting tempted souls why because he himself had experience of the sting and venom of temptations but some may say the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven hath he not left the bowels that he had on earth I answer No the Text says Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the days of old Act. 9.4 the Lord Christ cryes
am But yet remember this withal God tempts only by way of probation God does not tempt by way of seduction God tempts none but by way of probation If it be so then Christians should be expecting temptations when you foresee a dart that is shot against you you may the more easily avoid it if you be forewarned you may the more easily be fore-armed The second Use it is for Confolation Here is matter of unspeakable comfort to all tempted ones It may be I speak to some such in this Congregation this day We find every Lords day some that send their Bills to be prayed for that are battered and bruised with temptations Now I do not know one portion of Scripture in the whole Book of God that affords more sweet Soul-supporting comfort than this Text though you see matter of discouragement to you from your temptations yet you may look for matter of encouragement from Christs temptations Art thou tempted to distrust thy adoption whether thou art a child of God or no so was Jesus Christ If thou be the Son of God If thou art tempted to distrust the Providence of God so was Jesus Christ If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread when he was led into the Wilderness and was there forty days and had nothing to eat Art thou tempted to presumption so was Jesus Christ that he should cast himself down headlong from the pinacle of the Temple Art thou tempted to self-murther so was the Lord Jesus Christ when Satan would have had him cast himself down from the pinacle of the Temple to destroy himself Art thou tempted to blasphemy so was Jesus Christ for it was the most horrid blasphemy that could be named that the Lord Jesus Christ should fall down and worship a cursed Vassal Satan that he shonld give that honour to that cursed wretch that was due only to God there was no sin so horrid nor heinous nor hellish to which Christ was not tempted he was tempted to the vilest sin that is but he yielded not Hence you may observe that it is not sin to be tempted to sin but it is sin to yield to temptations therefore do not yield to temptations Art thou tempted either to Presumption or Desperation Atheism or Blaspemy do not yield to that temptation but run to Jesus Christ under that temptation even as the chickens run under the Hens wing when they see the Kite coming and say O Lord Jesus thou wast tempted that thou mighteft fuccour me when I am tempted O do not lead me into temptation but deliver me from the evil that I do not faint under them nor be foiled by them Lead me not into temptation that is leave me not in temptations but lead me out of them for I flye to thee But may be you will say to me What means or helps may we use that we may be strengthned against temptations those temptations wherewith Satan assaults us For answer to this let me briefly give these seven or eight practical Rules which I earnestly beg of you that you would make use of The first practical Rule is this Let not Satan know all that is in thy heart for thereby Satan may get a great advantage against you do not speak all that thou thinkest if thou be one inclined for example to the sin of Pride do not shew it in thy gayish Apparel if thou be one inclined to the sin of uncleanness do not shew it in thy wanton gestures if thou be one inclined to covetousness do not shew it in thy earthly greedy gaping after riches let not Satan know what is in thy heart 2dly Do not tempt the Tempter to tempt thee my meaning is this be not bold with those sins for which thou hast before smarted for by fostering any unmortified lust thou puttest a weapon into Satans hand to wound thee with be not bold with the occasions of sin do not venture into the Devils quarters as St. Peter did you know when he went into the High-Priests hall there he met with an occasion to sin he tempted Satan to tempt him Thirdly Do not think by yielding to one temptation thou shalt be freed from all the rest for if thou yield but to one temptation Satan will be more violent in tempting thee than he was before I have read of a young man that was tempted to three grofs sins to kill his Father to abuse his Mother and to be Drunk the Devil told him if he would yield to one of these he should be tempted no more at last he yielded to that which was the least of them namely to be drunk but when he had yielded to one the Devil prevailed with him after to do the two other so that he kill'd his Father abused his Mother so that by yielding to one temptation thou dost strengthen Satan but it weakens thy own hands As they say of the French in their fighting at the first onset they are like Lions but if they be strongly resisted at the first then they are very Cowards So it is here the Devil at his first Assault is violent the second Assault if he be resisted is weaker If he be resisted in his third Assault he is a very Coward therefore resist the Devil and he will flye from you James 4.7 hold thy weapon in thy hand though it be beaten to thy head As they observe of the Crocadile in Nilus if you run away from the Crocadile then he will follow you but if you come up to follow him manfully then he will run away from you So if Satan be resisted he is a very Coward Fourthly The fourth practical Rule is this Do not lay all the blame upon Satan for thy temptations but lay the blame in a great measure upon thy self upon thy own receptive tinder-like disposition Oh complain to God and say true Lord the Devil is continually striking fire but my heart is too ready to take the fire I have a tinder-like heart more ready to take fire than the Devil is to strike and therefore thou shouldst wet thy tinder with thy tears that the fire of temptation may not take hold of thy heart You may read of our Grand-mother Eve she layed all the blame upon the Serpent The Serpent deceived me and I did eat But David on the contrary having a holy frame of heart laid the blame upon himself when Satan tempted him to number the People 2 Sam. last he complains not of Satan but himself says he Lo I have sinned I have sinned I have done wickedly as for these sheep what have they done So I say lay the blame on thy Tinder-like heart Fifthly Observe Satan in his first temptations is more modest than he is usually afterwards his first temptations are usually of a finer-spun thred that so he may draw into greater sins for Example When he tempted our Saviour his first temptation was this says he Matth. 4 Cause these stones to be made
and say Lord what will become of me Lord what will become of me Vse 2. Of Exhortation I shall close this Point with a word of Exhortation If it is possible for many that profess the Truth and true Religion and are confident that they are in a state of grace and seem to come very near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of it then as you love your God as you love your Souls as you love your Peace as you desire to appear with comfort before your Judg rest not in any bare outward profession rest not in a naked name of Religion Be not contented that you have the Lamps of Profession unless you have the Oyl of saving Grace Consider what advantage will it be for you to come near to heaven to come to the brow of the hill as it were and afterwards to drop down into hell What advantage will it be for a man to be lifted up to heaven and not lifted up into heaven it is the greatest curse that can possibly be expressed Oh what a cutting Corrosive what a gnawing Worm will this be to all Eternity for a man to say I came near to Heaven to the top of the Hill and yet I fell short of those glorious hopes that are laid up for the Saints in light O what a stinking Cockatrice will this be to them that have but a bare naked name of Religion an outward profession only It may be thou art no Swearer nor Lyar nor Sabbath-breaker but it may be thou art a covetous wretch over head and ears in the world tumbling up and down in dirt and clay as if there were no other happiness but here below It may be thou art but a formal Christian it may be thou art but a picture that hath hands and eyes but no legs it may be thou hast eyes but no feet to run the ways of Gods Commandments It may be it may be said of some of you young men that hear me this day what was said of the young man in the Gospel You are not far from the Kingdom of God what will this advantage you if you do not follow Jesus Christ fully and obey him sincerely that you may enjoy him eternally O that my counsel this day were accepted by you in the fear of the Lord give no rest to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids until you can say Blessed be God I am more than the best Hypocrite in the world though he can outstrip me in shew yet for the inside I outstrip him But it may be you will say What is this inside of Christianity this essential Religion wherein you would have us outstrip Hypocrites and those that come short of Heaven I will tell you in three words To the Essentials of Christianity there are these three things required 1. Union with Christ 2. Renewing Grace 3. A Compliance with the Will of Christ First Union with Christ Till you are united to him you have no interest in him nor benefit by him therefore look this that you have the Spirit of God to unite you to the Lord Jesus Christ Our Saviour saith John 15.4 As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine so neither can you bring forth fruit unless you abide in me O labour for this Union when the Soul is once united to him then it hath communion with him in his life in his death in his resurrection in his intercession in his graces and comforts and all What is that which knits the Cistern to the Fountain You know it is the Leaden Pipe that is it that is the conveyance from the Conduit-head to the Cistern so here What is it that knits thy Soul to Jesus Christ that thou mayst be continually partaking of him who is the Fountain of light and life and peace and consolation What is it but this Pipe the Union that is between Christ and the soul Now a Hypocrite hath not this Union he is not united to Christ it may be he bears the name of Christ but never was ingrafted into him it may be he is tyed to Christ by the thred of an outward profession as the Seions is tied to the stock but yet he is not ingrafted into the stock Secondly It consists in renewing Grace If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 An Hypocrite may have many trinkets and bables as we say I but a Regenerate man he brings forth one Jewel worth ten thousand of them An Hypocrite may have restraining grace but a truly Regenerate man he is renewed in the spirit of his mind he hath a new name which I spake of in so many Sermons the white Stone and the new Name Rev. 3. Thirdly This Essence of Christianity consists in a total compliance with the Will of Christ he that is a true Believer a true Regenerate man an inside Christian he can say Lord not my will but thy will be done Lord Rule in me as thou pleasest so I may be but thine take possession of my heart and dispossess sin and Satan he will say Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee But now an Hypocrite it may be he gives up his name to Jesus Christ in profession but he doth not give up his heart to Christ in subjection and submission it is one thing to give up the name to Christ and another thing to give up the heart to Christ when you give up the key of the Castle to Christ then you will say Lord I will do what thou wouldst have me do and suffer what thou wouldst have me suffer and forsake what thou wouldst have me forsake there is nothing I have though it be as dear to me as my right-hand and right-eye but I will part with it at thy command To shut up all If you would not come short of them that come short of Heaven then rest not in a bare profession in a bare naked name of Christianity labour to be united to Christ labour for renewing Grace labour to give up your selves to Jesus Christ let there be a compliance in your will to the will of Christ Again If many may be confident that they are in a state of Grace and yet come short of Heaven O then take heed of self-delusion and self-flattery to think your selves something when you are nothing and so deceive your own souls It is better a thousand times for a man to think himself nothing when he is something than to think himself something when he is nothing saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.10 I have laboured more abundantly than they all and yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Beg earnestly of God that you may know the worst of your selves and the best of Jesus Christ and pray O Lord let me not be deceived in this great business of Eternity let me not go to hell with vain hopes of Heaven
hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me John 17.24 The sight of Christs glory in heaven is that which makes heaven to be Heaven It was a good speech of Luther Heaven without Gods presence would be but as a Box without a Jewel Now if this Beatifical Vision as it is called the beholding of the glory of Christ in Heaven be such a happiness Oh what is it to be excluded and thrust out from the glorified presence of Christ never to see his face You know when Saint Paul told the Disciples at Ephesus Acts 20.25 38 And now behold that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God shall see my face no more This cut them to the heart this occasioned so much sorrowing and sadness because he said You shall see my face no more Now if that were matter of so much sadness never to see the Apostles face more Oh what will it be when Jesus Christ shall say to such an one Thou shalt never see my face Go thou cursed wretch get thee away from me go to Hell to the Devil and damned spirits there there shall be thy portion for ever and ever This is the first Reason to shew how unvaluable how unconceivable this loss is the coming short of Heaven is the loss of Gods presence 2. The second Reason is this They that come short of Heaven as they lose the presence of God so they lose the favour love mercy and compassion of God the favour of God is better than life Psalm 63.3 Because thy loving-kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee because when this life is gone the favour of God towards his Elect will last to all eternity therefore it is better than life but they that come short of Heaven lose this favour of God all pity all mercy all compassion all hope of favour shall then be utterly taken away God will be so far from shewing favour to them that he will laugh at their destruction and mock when their fear cometh as desolation and their destruction as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon them as it is Prov. 1.26 27 They shall lose not only the favour of God but the favour of all their Friends that they have enjoyed here upon earth they shall lose the favour of their Fathers and Mothers of Husbands and Wives and Children and bosom-Friends for although they were nearly related to them yet if they come to heaven and themselves excluded those glorified Saints that are in heaven will abandon them with detestation and derision nay they will rejoyce in their destruction and in the execution of Gods justice and vengeance upon them Psal 58.10 The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance a glorified Father in Heaven shall rejoyce in the destruction and condemnation of a damned Son a glorified Yoke-fellow in Heaven shall rejoyce in the destruction and damnation of such a Yoke-fellow as is condemned No prayers no tears no sobs nor supplications no cryings to the mountains to fall upon them shall one whit avail there shall be no Mediator none in heaven or earth to plead for them or to speak one word on their behalf This is the second Reason They that come short of Heaven lose the favour of God 3. They that come short of Heaven as they lose the presence of God and the favour of God so they lose the fruition of God the enjoyment of God in eternal happiness they lose a Crown that is incorruptible undefiled that fades not away that is reserved for the Saints in light they lose an inheritance an everlasting inheritance If the loss of an earthly comfort suppose it be of a dear Wife or hopeful Child or a bosom Friend or an outward Estate of an Inheritance of a thousand pounds a year if the loss of a stately House or the loss of a rich Ship at Sea doth many times so affect a man that it goes to his very heart you know what Jacob said If Benjamin be taken away my dearly beloved son Benjamin then said he shall I go to my grave mourning my gray hairs will be brought with sorrow to the grave Gen. 42.38 If an earthly loss the loss of an earthly comfort do so affect and afflict a man O what will the loss of an everlasting Kingdom of everlasting Glory of everlasting Happiness of those everlasting Pleasures that are at the right hand of God which eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive O how will this loss torture and torment the soul and make such a one cry out in anguish and extream bitterness Oh cursed beast that I was to me was the Gospel preacht in power and purity I lived in a City where heavenly Manna was dropping down every day on the week-day as well as on the Lords day to me was Jesus Christ proffered in all his beauty and imbroidery nay the Ministers of the Gospel did woe me intreat me invite me and beseech me as if Jesus Christ himself had been upon his knees beseeching me to be reconciled to me was Salvation tendred but I neglected all I slighted all and now must I for ever endure those torments that might have been escaped and must for ever be deprived of those joys that might have been gained I might have been what now I am not O that I might be any thing rather than what I now am O that I might be a Toad or a Serpent or any thing or nothing The consideration therefore of this loss the loss of happiness the loss of such a happiness the loss of an eternal happiness will rend the caul of their hearts in a thousand thousand pieces the tears of hell will not be sufficient to bewail the loss of Heaven especially if you take in but these three aggravations of this loss 1. They that lose this eternal happiness shall look upon others that have gained it they shall look upon the Saints and Servants of Christ that are now in joy in that unconceivable Glory whereof themselves come short and this will be an eternal Corrosive to their consciences so saith our Saviour Luke 13.28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out All the blessed Saints and Servants of God received into Heaven and themselves shut out that is one aggravation 2. Take in this aggravation also That this loss of eternal happiness is ever accompanied with the punishment of sense if it were only a punishment of loss it was a dreadful punishment but the punishment of loss never goes alone they that lose Heaven must have Hell for their portion they must have those unconceivable tortures and torments which infinitely surpass the capacity and comprehension of such poor creatures as we are Alas we know not
1.6 Thirdly Consider the time of running is but short but the time of your Reward will be eternal if you do not come short of this eternal Rest but hold out and run to the end of the Race If you can but say with the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have been faithful unto the death I have not wickedly departed from my God as David speaks Psal 18.21 If you be not Apostates but hold out to the end know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. O the unconceivable Reward O the invaluable and unconceiveable Bliss of all those that come to this eternal Rest The tongue of Men and Angels is not able to express it I beseech you on the one side fear the loss of it and on the other side let the consideration of that eternal happiness quicken you to do the utmost of your endeavours to attain it If you had ten thousand lives to spend in the service of God if you had ten thousand Estates to lay down at his feet if you could do as much as all the Apostles did and all the Martyrs did or suffered let me tell you the fruition of Jesus Christ one day in glory will recompence it all The Lord work these things upon our hearts that every one of us here present may fear exceedingly and continually lest a Promise being left of entring into his Rest we should forsake the Promise and by forsa ing the Promise should come short of eternal Happiness The persevering Saint shall be the Crowned Saint REV. III. 11. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crown THE seven famous Churches of Asia mentioned in the three first Chapters of this Book of Revelations had this honour put upon them to have seven Epistles sent unto them immediately from the Lord Jesus Christ himself and as they were the glory of the World while they stood fast to God and to his Truth so were they after their declining from God and his Truth made the Monuments of his anger and indignation The words I have now read unto you are part of the sixth Epistle written from the Lord Jesus Christ to the Church of Philadelphia wherein as he was a faithful Witness and one that knew their spiritual Estate better than they knew it themselves therefore he sets down in his Epistle something by way of Commendation Consolation Exhortation Something is set down here by way of Commendation in ver 8 I know thy works behold I have set before thee an open door and no man can shut it By open door may be meant either a free and full liberty and opportunity of spreading the Gospel as the Apostle uses that phrase 1 Cor. 16.9 For a great door and effectual is opened to me and there are many adversaries or else by open door may be meant a door of Hope in reference to Eternity that door of Heaven that sin had shut against us is by the merit of Jesus Christ opened to us Oh blessed are they that have this door opened to them by Jesus Christ who is the Door the Way the Truth and the Life but says he Thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my name This is by way of Commendation though she had but a little strength yet because she improved it and did not deny the name of Christ was not an Apostate Church this our Saviour puts upon her account of Commendation 2. Here is something also by way of Consolation in ver 9.10 Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not that is I will discover their Hypocrisie I will make them known to be what they are and reveal to whom they do belong I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee that is I will subdue thy Enemies under thy feet and let them know that I have loved thee and in ver 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth Here is marvellous comfort Jesus Christ never brings his Children into a Wilderness but he goes with them when they go through the fire and through the water he will be with them I will keep thee and I will uphold thee says he Then in the third place Here is something by way of Exhortation in the words of the Text Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crown In which words there are two things considerable 1. A Duty pressed 2. Motives expressed The Duty pressed is Constancy and Perseverance Hold fast that which thou hast The Motives expressed are two the one is drawn from the suddenness of Christs coming to Judgment Behold I come quickly the other is taken from the danger of losing their Crown set before them That no man take thy Crown 1. For the Duty pressed Hold fast that thou hast keep it with might and main use thy utmost endeavour to keep what thou hast What was that this Church had which Christ exhorts to hold fast It had both the profession and possession of true Religion Now this true Religion consisted in two things in purity of Doctrine and in holiness of Life and Conversation both these this Church had she had purity of Doctrine as I shewed you out of ver 8 Thou hast kept my Word and hast not denied my Name thou hast kept my Word Then for holiness of Conversation she had not denied Christs Name in the midst of Persecution Thou hast kept theword of my patience Now says our Saviour that which thou hast that true Religion thou profesest maintain and keep hold fast against all opposition both in profession and practice hold fast the truth thou hast embraced and hold fast the grace that thou hast received So then the Doctrine I shall commend to you hence is this Doct. That Christians must hold fast both the Truth and the grace they have received with Constancy and Perseverance There are two branches in this Doctrine which we might make two Propositions The first this That Christians must hold fast the truths they have received with Constancy and Perseverance The second this That Christians must hold fast the grace they have received with Constancy and Perseverance I begin with the first That Christians must hold fast the truths they have received with Constancy and Perseverance For the proof of this consider that place 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Model or that Plat-form of Gospel-Truths those fundamental Truths which the Apostle had wrapt up in a bundle to be received and embraced
keep his Shop his Shop will keep him The truth will be your Shield and Buckler if you keep it to defend you against all gainsayers Psal 91.4 He shall cover her with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler hold fast the Faith and that will hold you up the Apostle bids us in one place to stand fast in the faith Rom. 11.20 and in another place by faith we stand 2 Cor. 1.24 From both those places together you may gather thus much when we stand in it then we stand by it when we stand fast in the Faith then we shall be sure to be established by the Faith against all oppositions Thirdly The holding fast the Truth will yield and afford you the sweetest joy and comfort upon your Death-beds What was that made Saint Paul rejoyce at death 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith He had not let go his hold this was the ground of his joy and hope when he was ready to be offered and his departure was at hand Fourthly The truth of the Gospel is a Testament sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ wherein so many precious rich and royal Legacies are bequeathed unto us by the Testator our blessed Mediator our dearest Friend that hath redeemed us with his own precious blood Now shall we not look after the proving of the Will of this blessed Testator So much for the Explication Now for the Application of this Point And the first Use is by way of Reproof does not this Doctrine justly and sharply reprove the unconstancy and unsetledness of many Professors at this day Doth it not meet them as the Angel did Balaam with a drawn Sword of a sharp reproof O that this Reproof might take hold on those that are concerned this day you know we read that Passage this day What went ye out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken with the wind No John Baptist was not a Reed but a Rock But alas look upon Professors at this day and we have more Reeds than Rocks we have more falling than fixed Stars More Children that are carried about with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.14 than men setled rooted and stablished in the present truth that are constant in nothing but unconstancy are there not some that can be content to part with Religion and let Truth go and Gospel-priviledges go and all go so they may but enjoy their Trades and Professions their places and preferments though I hope better things of many of you that hear me this day will not the Lord think you sharply rebuke such in his anger will he not speak to them in his hot displeasure What have I given you the Gospel such precious Truths and do you slight them do you trample them under feet do you prefer the puddles of Popery before these wholsom streams and clear fountain of Truth Well if the Gospel be a burthen to you I will ease you of your burthen and how doleful would this be if God should say the priviledges you are weary of shall be taken from you you shall be eased of them Vse 2. Therefore give me leave in the Name of Christ and in the cause of the Gospel to beseech you to hold fast that which you have received hold fast the Truth against Errour hold fast the truth of the Protestant Religion against Popery and Popish Innovations and Superstitions this I forewarn you of the rather upon this account because there are some among us which are well conceited of that cursed Religion because they never have smarted under the Antichristian tyranny as our forefathers have done they have forgotten the blood of our Martyrs that was shed in Queen Maries days Nay that blood that was spilt in Ireland but twenty one years ago therefore that you may be fenced against the flatteries and insinuations of Popish Doctrine take notice that Popish Religion is an Idolatrous Religion they are guilty of as gross Idolatry as every was practised among the Heathens for 1. They worship the Saints with a religious worship which is proper to God only they pray to Saints departed which is a dishonour to God the Father and Jesus Christ the only Mediator between God and man They pray to the Virgin Mary and make her their Redeemer by praying to her saying Save us O Saviouress and redeem us and in the hour of death receive us This is a great dishonour to the Lord Jesus Christ What can be greater Idolatry than this to attribute that to a creature which is proper only to the Creator 2. They set up Images to be worshipped contrary to the second Commandment which says Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor how down to it nor worship it c. But they will object and say They do not worship the Image but God in the Image I answer Neither did the children of Israel worship the golden Calf but they thought they worshipped God in or under the Image of the golden Calf Exod. 32.4 yet it was gross Idolatry as appears 1 Cor. 10.7 Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them as it is written the people sate down to eat and to drink and rose up to play 3. Their Idolatry exceeds the Idolatry of the Heathen in that they worship a piece of Bread or the bread Transubstantiated as they call it into the body of Christ Now if the body of Christ be in Heaven as we are sure it is as appears by that of the Apostle Acts 3.21 Whom the heaven must receive until the time of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began The Apostle says the heaven must receive him until the time of the restitution of all things that is until the day of Judgment It Christs body be in Heaven then certainly they worship not the body of Christ but a piece of Bread and what more abominable Idolatry than this One of their own Religion Costerus confesses It is more tolerable to worship a Dog or a Cat or a Crocodile than to worship a piece of Bread This their Idolatry is a great stumbling-block both to the Jews and Heathens Therefore Averroes a great Philosopher being asked why he would not be a Christian because says he The Christians eat the God they worship therefore says he Let my Soul be among the Philosophers Again As they are Idolaters in their worship so they are erroneous in their Doctrines witness their doctrine of Justification denying the righteousness of Christ and trusting to their own righteousness witness their doctrine of Merits by Works yea their doing works of supererogation witness their Popish pardons and Purgatory-satisfaction as if the satisfaction of Jesus Christ were imperfect witness their robbing of Jesus Christ of all his Offices both as King Priest and Prophet as might easily be proved In brief
the Popish Religion is a loose and licentious Religion a Sintolerating Religion for the Pope can dispence with murthering of Princes and the like if it will promote his interest forbidding Priests marriage and yet suffering at the same time Stews and Brothel-houses It was a saying of Sir Walter Raleigh Were I to chuse a Religion for liberty and wickedness I would chuse the Popish Religion therefore in Gods fear hold fast the truth against Popery And hold it fast likewise against the errour of Arminianism which advances mans free-Will above Gods free-Grace And hold fast the Truth against Socinians that deny the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ In brief be rooted setled and established in the present truth stick close unto the Word of God as David did stand for it plead for it chuse to lose Liberty Estates Comforts Life and all rather than to part with the Truth David made the Truth his Inheritance Now as Naboth said to Ahab The Lord forbid it me that I should give the Inheritance of my Fathers unto thee 1 Kings 21.3 Could he say so of a temporal Inheritance and shall not we say so of a spiritual Inheritance which is transmitted to us by the blood of Martyrs Shall the Ministers of the Gospel have cause to complain as in Jer. 9.3 And they bend their tongue like their bow for lyes but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth Shall we deal with the truth as the Priest and Levite did with the man that went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among Thieves left him wounded and half dead nay dying in the streets Hath God said Buy the truth and sell it not Prov 23 and shall we sell it for our lusts and profits God forbid Consider who it was that abode not in the truth it was Satan a Lyar who hath no truth in him John 8.44 Even so all wicked men are said to be destitute of the truth and to hold the truth in unrighteousness Rom. 1.18 that is they strive against the light of truth in their hearts those common principles of truth which they had in their understandings they suppressed and choaked that so they might sin more freely but God forbid that we should do so Will not this make the Spirit of truth to forsake us when we forsake the truth What an heroical resolution was that in holy Paul 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Oh what an honour is it to a Christian when truth hath such soveraignty in his heart that it is dearer to him than his own life Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful Word Hold forth the word of Life and hold fast the word of Truth hold forth the word of Life by a true profession and conversation and hold fast the word of truth by courage constancy and resolution 1. But may be you will ask me What means may we use thus to hold fast the truth I answer briefly 1. Embrace the truth not only in the light of it but in the love of it what you love you will be sure not to part with Oh get your hearts fired with love to the truths of the Gospel that you may say Lord I love thy truth exceedingly 2. Love not the truth for the person's sake but love the person for the truths sake love no mans parts or person to admire him and be a folower of him farther than he follows Christ Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 saith the Apostle It was a great fault in Barnabas Gal. 2.13 that he was carried away by Peters dissimulation by his admiring Peters person so much by his resting and relying too much upon Peter he fell into Peters errour 3. Be ever jealous of your own strength and trust not too much to your own ability this will provoke God to leave you to your selves and then you will fall fearfully 2 Cor. 12.10 For when I am weak then am I strong when I am weakest in my self then am I strongest in a Saviour but when I am strongest in my self in my own opinion then am I weakest in a Saviour no man stands by his own strength for by humane strength can none prevail 4. And lastly Get your hearts established with grace Heb. 13.9 It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace be ballasted with grace as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies A Ship that is well balasted is not so ready and apt to reel as one that is not and when the Apostle puts in a caveat against unsetledness and falling from grace what means does he prescribe 2 Pet. 3.17 18 Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness but grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ says he O that you and I could grow more in grace O that we could grow more in the practical part of Religion in our hearts and houses in our lives and conversations I beseech you therefore hearken to this first Exhortation and Duty here prest upon you namely to hold fast the truth you have received hold it fast in your memories in your affections and in your conversations so much for the first branch of the doctrine That Christians must hold fast the truth they have received with constancy and perseverance I come now to the second Proposition or second branch of the Doctrine that is this Christians must hold fast that Grace that they have received with constancy and perseverance For the proof of this the Scripture is abundantly plain and pregnant in Psal 119.23 Teach me the way of thy Statutes O Lord and I will keep it to the end Matth. 24.13 He that endures to the end he shall be saved it is not setting our feet in the way of Christianity but it is a continuance in that course that will bring you to the end of your hopes the salvation of your souls So in Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ saith the Apostle if we hold the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end this will be an evidence that we are partakers of Christ indeed if we persevere and continue in the grace we have received to the end of our days so we are commanded to serve the Lord not some few days but all the days of our lives Luke 1.75 He that puts his hands to the Plow and looks back saith our Saviour is not fit for the kingdom of God Luke 9. ult and in John 8.31 If you continue in my words then are you my disciples indeed without this perseverance we are but nominal not real Disciples But if you ask me Why must Christians continue in grace and hold fast the grace they have received Hear but some Scripture Arguments strongly pleading for this truth First Unless Christians hold fast the grace and holiness
General it is a dishonour to him 2. Then it is damnable in the effects of it because it puts Religion to open shame it makes the Name of God to be blasphemed Rom. 2.24 It is a scandal to the weak it staves men off from the profession of Religion and it opens the mouth of Adversaries to speak evil of the ways of God thus it is damnable in the effects Thirdly It is destructive in the end and issue of it for First God will reckon Apostates amongst Reprobates God will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity those that turn aside to their crooked ways Psal 125. ult Lead them forth that is put them in the same condition with the most profligate and scandalous sinner that is 2. Their latter end shall be worse than their beginning as our Saviour shews in the Parable Mat. 12.43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man and returns again he brings seven Devils more and the end of that man is worse than his beginning The Apostle tells us in 2 Pet. 2 and the two last Verses It had been better men had never known the way of holiness than having known it to turn aside from the holy commandment it fares with them according to the Proverb the Dog is turned to his vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Before I come to make Application of this truth there is one doubt to be resolved You say Christians must hold fast the grace they have received Why may some say Can a man that hath received saving grace lose that grace he hath received To this I answer No He cannot lose saving-grace totally or finally this is Mary's part which cannot be taken away Mary hath chose that good part which cannot be taken away Luke 10.42 The Apostle saith he that is born of God sins not cannot sin to death because the seed of God as a principle of spiritual life abideth in him 1 John 3.9 therefore he cannot sin unto death the righteous are said to be built on an everlasting foundation Prov. 10.25 that is he abides unmovable in grace till grace be turned into glory and the reason of this is saving-grace bestowed upon the Elect is built on four immutable and unmovable Pillars 1. The love that God bares to his people it is an everlasting love Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love we are very fickle and unconstant in our love to God but God is not fickle or unconstant in his love to us 2. The Covenant of grace is a stedfast Covenant so saith David in the last words of that sweet Singer of Israel when he was to leave the world He hath made with me an everlasting Covenant sure and stedfast and ordered in all things 2 Sam. 23.5 It is a Covenant sealed with the blood of Christ therefore it is called the blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 this everlasting Covenant cannot be broken True indeed sin may break the peace of the Covenant but it cannot break the bond of the Covenant of Grace it may break the peace of the Covenant Psal 89.31 If thy children break my statutes and keep not my commandments then will I visit their transgressions with a red and their iniquities with stripes but I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail my covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth 3. The third Pillar is this the Power of God which is irresistible and unconquerable on this Pillar our blessed Saviour builds the salvation of his Elect John 10.29 My father that gave me these sheep is greater than all and none can take them out of my fathers hand and on this Pillar St. Paul built his hope of Salvation He is able to keep that I have committed to him he is able to keep my depositum 2 Tim. 1.12 4. The fourth Pillar is the Intercession of Christ and his intercession is a prevailing intercession Heb. 7.25 Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God by him seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them Whence was it that Peter though he fell fearfully yet he did not fall finally because our Saviour prayed for Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.31 But mark though this be true That saving grace once wrought in the heart cannot be lost for it is built on these four immutable Pillars the Love of God the Covenant of Grace the Power of God and the intercession of Christ yet it is possible for a man in the state of grace to have his declinings as I shewed you not long ago he may have his declinings in regard of the measure of grace and the comfortable feeling of grace and in the operations and vigour of his grace First A child of God may lose the former heat and fervency that he had The Church of Ephesus fell from her first love Secondly He may lose the comfortable feeling of Grace David prays Restore to me the joy of thy salvation 3. Grace may be as a spark of fire covered over with a heap of ashes that yields neither light nor heat and so he may lose the vigour of his grace therefore Christians should take heed of these declinings and should hold fast the grace they have received Now to make some Application 1. By way of Reproof How justly taxable and reprovable are they that do not hold fast the grace they have received but fall from their first love Oh how many back-sliders are there many that did begin well but they are weary of well-doing the Lord awaken them out of their drowsiness know you not it will be bitterness in the latter end will you lose all you have and all you hope for God forbid Therefore to close up this Point with a word of Exhortation I beseech and exhort you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ That you will hold fast the grace you have received the savour of Religion that you have got the principles of Religion and the practice of a holy Conversation hold fast these Take heed of Apostacy as you love your God as you love your Souls as you tender your own everlasting Salvation be not found in the number of those that draw back to perdition but be stedfast and immoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult That you may persevere and not be weary Let me give you these three or four helps 1. Be not content with a notional and traditional Faith for such a Faith will change as the time changes but labour for a divine well-grounded lively working effectual Faith experimental Faith such as the Samaritans had Now do we believe say they not because thou toldst us this is the Christ but because we have heard him our selves and we know indeed this is the
Christ the Saviour of the world 2. Be much in Duty if you would not be weary of well-doing be much in well-doing It is a Paradox in other things to say He that would not be weary of running let him run the more and if you would be weary of working work the more I but here in Divinity it is a truth the more you are doing the better you will be able to do be acting grace and in the acting of it your grace will be encreased grace acted intends the habit and the habit intended does encrease strength therefore up and be doing and God shall be with you 3. Walk in the spirit and then you shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh if the Spirit of God help you you shall run and not be weary walk and not faint Isa 40. ult Remember what I have told you It is not the strength of habitual grace but it is the auxiliary the assisting-grace of the Spirit that carries you through every duty Though you do duty yet the Spirit of Christ is the moving and working-cause for without him you can do nothing 4. Set before you the example of the Saints that is another help to perseverance it is said of Moses he held out though he met with temptations on the right hand and on the left he held out why because he saw him that was invisible Heb. 11.27 So Job Job 23.11 My feet hath held his path his way have I kept and not declined So David I was almost consumed on earth by trouble and persecution that he met with yet have I not forgotten thy Law Psal 119.87 So Daniel when he knew the Writing was sealed and his Religion would cost him not only his liberty but his life Daniel was Daniel still he went on his course as he was wont to do Dan. 6.10 The blessed Martyrs that went through imprisonment bonds reproaches persecution yet with what courage did they press towards the Mark and so with courage they held out to the end and in the end 5. Be often meditating on the rich and royal Reward those rich and glorious hopes laid up for those that persevere this if any thing will bear up your hearts and hopes when they are ready to faint What made the Apostle hold out in the midst of all temptations 2 Cor. 4.16 For this cause we faint not Why because says he our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Ver. 17. Moses he held out chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Why he had an eye to the recompence of reward Heb. 11.26 A Traveller after a long journey when he is weary and faint and sits down if he see the Town before him it puts life into him and he plucks up his feet and resolves not to be weary till he be at his journeys end O look at the Crown and white Robe set before you and faint if you can get on the top of Mount Nebo look on the Land of Promise those good things set before you taste the grapes of Canaan before you come to Canaan Consider two things from what you are delivered and to what you are appointed You are delivered from wrath and appointed to mercy delivered from Hell and appointed to Heaven delivered from a hopeless condition to a most hopeful and happy condition that the heart can conceive or tongue express If these things were soundly digested and seriously considered they would awaken your drooping drowsie spirits and set the wheels a going and make us redouble our endeavour and encrease our diligence that the Kingdom of Heaven might even suffer violence yea these things will constrain us in the midst of all afflictions temptations and tryals to press towards the Mark therefore awake thou that sleepest the Apostle speaks of a sleep of drowsiness Rom. 13.11 For says the Apostle your salvation is nearer than when you believed A stone the nearer it comes to the Center the swifter the motion will be Redeem and recover lost time by double diligence set on Heaven by a new resolution set thy face towards Sion as one that looks on all these creature-comforts as vanishing into smoak and as one that resolves to have Heaven or nothing do much and suffer much thou wilt never repent Be stedfast and unmovable abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. To set home this Exhortation of holding fast what you have received there are two Motives in the Text which I will dispatch with a quick hand First Behold I come quickly What coming does our Saviour here speak of I Answer This coming of our Saviour may be understood three ways He comes either in a way of Tryal or in a way of Mercy or in a way of Judicature He comes in a way of Tryal so he foretels the heavy temptations and persecutions that came upon his Church in the time of Trajanus the Emperor as Mr. Brightman well observes This lasted fourteen years yet our Saviour calls it but an hour of temptation in ver 10. Likewise Strabo the Geographer writes That the Church of Philadelphia was often shaken with Earth-quakes both she and other Cities were shaken with Political Earth-quakes as well as Natural with Adversaries that sought their ruine Hence you may take this Observation That God hath sore and shaking Tryals to exercise his Church withal Through many Afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And they that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution In one kind or other in one measure or other God sees shaking is needful to awaken us to shake us out of our security and to purifie and reform and refine us therefore let us not settle upon our Lees and promise our selves security from Tryals The hand of God hath been heavy upon the Protestant Churches in Piedmont in Poland Oh the dreadful things that they have suffered Why should we expect exemption are we better than they Be forewarned that you may be fore-armed lay in provision against the day of Tryal lay in a stock of Faith and Patience and Self-denial c. Gird on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand 2. It may be understood in a way of mercy I come quickly in a way of mercy I come to moderate the tryals and to deliver thee from temptations God will not suffer the Rod of the wicked to lie on the back of his righteous servants Psal 125.3 So then the Doctrine is this Doct. The troubles and tryals of Gods Church and Chosen though they may be sharp yet they shall be but short I come quickly I come to deliver my Church quickly Nero's Tribulation was but for ten days Rev. 2.10 For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee in a
little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but 〈◊〉 everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee 〈…〉 Lord thy redeemer Isa 54.7 8. Application Therefore it serves exceedingly for the encouragement of the godly our afflictions are but for a moment do but set against your present Affliction the glory that it brings after and against light afflictions a weight of glory and against momentary affliction eternal glory and what comparison is there between them none at all but 3. I come quickly It may be taken in a way of Judicature I come to call men to account to return to every man according to their works therefore see that you hold fast what you have received and continue constant to the end and you shall be sure to receive a rich and Royal Reward Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give to every one according as his works shall be Rev. 22.12 Heb. 10.37 Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Be patient therefore brethren stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draws nigh Jam. 5.8 But here it may be objected Our Saviour spake this above sixteen hundred years ago The coming of the Lord draws nigh And yet he is not come to Judgment To this I Answer A thousand years in Gods account is but as one day we count moments long because we are but poor short spirited creatures But God that is of an eternal duration he counts a thousand years but a very small moment all that space of time should be small to them that know the greatness of Eternity Do but think of Eternity and alas a thousand of years are but as a moment But observe here when our Saviour speaks of coming to Judgment he fixeth a Behold before it Behold I come quickly it teacheth us this Doctrine Doct. Christs coming to judgment is a matter of infinite concernment and requires our most serious consideration Behold Consider what I say I am coming to judgment There will therefore be a day of Judgment that is certain this is called the great day in ver 6 of the Epistle of Saint Jude and in 2 Tim. 4.8 That day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of eminency and it is called a day of Judgment because then every one shall receive a final sentence either of absolution or condemnation But why is this a matter of so great concernment I answer because Eternity depends upon it it will be a final determination to every soul to an everlasting and unchangeable condition of endless bliss or wo O this Eternity it swallows up all our thoughts if it were seriously considered it were enough to make the most prophane and profligate sinner to turn the strictest Saint that ever trod upon earth Therefore to make some Use of this Live in a continual expectation of Christs coming But some will say This day of Judgment cannot be so sudden for the Jews are not yet called and Antichrist is not yet come down I answer and O that this Answer might sink into your hearts Though the world should continue a thousand years yet there is a particular Judgment as well as a general every mans deaths-day is every mans dooms-day It is appointed for all men once to die and after that the judgment As soon as the Soul departs out of the body then it is judged the Soul is judged then either to Heaven or Hell therefore thy day of death will be the Judgment-day to thee when ever it falls though it falls this week before the next Oh that you and I could be affected as Jerom was Whether I eat or drink or whatever I do methinks I hear the Trumpet sound in my ears Arise ye dead and come to Judgment Therefore let your whole lives be a continual Preparation for that great day get those graces that may present you without spot or blot before Gods Tribunal Get 1. The precious grace of Faith for that puts on the Royal Robe of Christs righteousness and in that Robe you will stand undaunted 2. Get Repentance from dead works be purifying your selves more and more as he is pure Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the day of refreshing shall come Act. 3.19 3. Get a Christian and constant care and diligence in your general and particular callings Blessed is the man whom his Lord shall find so doing This is the first Motive drawn from the suddenness of our Saviours coming I come quickly Another Motive and of that a few words and I have done That no man take thy Crown The danger of losing the Crown But here it may be demanded What is meant by Crown I answer Either the Crown of Gospel-Ministry or else the Crown of eternal Life First God honoured this Church with a very glorious Ministry so that the very Adversaries the seeming Jews did worship that is did submit themselves to this Church and acknowledg Her to be beloved of God God honoured this Church with a very glorious Ministry Then it may be meant of the Crown of life as Mr Perkins well observes upon the Text Rev. 2.10 I will give thee a Crown of life But here it may be demanded Can the Crown of Life be lost To this I Answer In the visible Church there are Hypocrites as well as sincere Christians Now Hypocrites may lose the Crown because they never had a title to it they never had a title to the Crown of Glory a man must have an interest in grace before he can have a title to the Crown of glory For others that have grace begun in their hearts you must know such cautions as these are are to quicken them 2 John 8 Look well to your selves that we lose not those things which we have wrought but that we receive a full reward Heb. 12.15 Beware lest any of you fall short of the grace of God Or it may be such cautions are put in to let you see that if you are left to your selves you would let go grace and lose glory and all To shut up all If a Gospel-Ministry be a Crown Oh that you and I would learn to prize a Gospel-Ministry more than we have done it may be God will teach you to know the worth of it by the want of it hold it fast remember God can give the Gospel to another Nation that may be will bring forth better fruit than we have done and when the Gospel is gone our glory is gone then we may say The Glory the Glory is departed from England But then 2. If there be a Crown of glory laid up for them that do hold out then receive that Exhortation a Text I opened in many Sermons on Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it Therefore take hold of God by Faith Be much in prayer be much in wrestling
were never yet sufficiently humbled for their sins they never had Soul-shaking humiliation and conviction upon their Spirits they never yet feelingly groaned under the burden of sin they never tasted the bitterness of sin they never yet considered the woful wages of sin But if God now should but take such a one by the neck as he did Job and shake him to pieces and set him up for a mark and his Archers should compass him round about and cleave his Reins asunder and not spare him and pour out his Gaul upon the ground and break him with breach upon breach and run upon him like a Giant as Job complains Chap. 16. ver 12 13 14 Oh Christ now would be Christ indeed Heaven now would be Heaven indeed such a one would say Oh Lord Do with me what thou pleasest so I may be but thine But because men were never yet throughly humbled therefore they never prize this glorious Inheritance Thirdly Because men are bewitched with the pleasures of sin which are but for a season and why are they bewitched with them because of the present enjoyment of them Demas hath for saken me having loved this present world 2 Tim. 4.10 and he loved it because it was present Fourthly Because men are rockt asleep in the Cradle of security the Devils Cradle Satan makes them believe Heaven may be got with a wet Finger and that they may come thither whatsoever their course and conversation be and that they may put off their repentance to the last Year of their lives nay to the last Month of the last Year nay to the last day of the last Month and that one day is as good as five thousand to make their peace with God in and that it is a small matter to repent and that a Lord have mercy upon thee will serve thy turn to bring thee to Heaven That 's the second Query But thirdly The third Query is this But how will it appear that this despising and undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance is such a grievous God-provoking sin I will tell you it will appear thus There are two reasons I shall give you for it First Because this despising of that heavenly Inheritance speaks men to be Atheists it proves men to be Atheists to look at nothing but at things present that look upon things that are seen but never look upon things that are not seen Things that are seen are temporal but things that are not seen are spiritual and eternal So I say they look only at things present and they measure their joy only by outward prosperity and they measure their sorrow only by the want of it Now what a dreadful thing it is for men to be Atheists Secondly This despising or undervaluing of the heavenly Inheritance it provokes the Lord so to anger that he sware in his wrath such despisers shall never never taste of that Inheritance never enjoy that they have despised Thus did God deal with those despising Israelites those scornful Israelites in the Wilderness that despised that pleasant Land You may read the sad story Numb 14.28 29 30 Says God being exceedingly provoked to anger Say unto them As truly as I live saith the Lord as you have spoken in mine ear so will I do unto you your carcasses shall fall in the Wilderness and all that were numbred of you according to your whole number from twenty years old and upward which have murmured against me doubtless ye shall not come into the Land concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein save Caleb the son of Jephunch and Joshua the son of Nun. Not one of those thousands that I brought out of the Land of Egypt not one of them shall see the Land they despised Just so will God deal with those that despise and undervalue this heavenly Inheritance Says the Lord Have I prepared a Kingdom an Everlasting Kingdom a Kingdom of Glory Have I prepared such things as eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive Have I prepared a place of infinite and unspeakable happiness such happiness as all the Kingdoms of the World and the beauty and glory and splendor and pleasures of them are not worthy to be a Picture of it what have I provided such a Crown such a Kingdom and do you undervalue it Do you not regard it Will you not tread in the way that leads to it As I live saith the Lord You shall never enter into my Rest you shall never enjoy the Land nor possess it Thus I have opened the Point to you and shewed you that despising or undervaluing that heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light is a very grievous God provoking sin Now briefly to apply it First Vse by way of Examination Would it no be a very necessary enquiry a very neeedful enquiry for you and me and every one of us in some serious self-reflecting thoughts to call our selves to an account whether we be in the number of those that despise and undervalue this heavenly Inheritance yea or no But it may be you will say We hope we are not such as despise or undervalue this heavenly Inheritance God forbid we should be such Atheists But for answer Pray tell me Art thou one that overvaluest Earth and undervaluest Heaven Art thou one that sayest I am so much taken up with the World so over head and ears in the World I drive a Trade to provide for my Family but to drive a Trade for Heaven I have no leisure no leisure thou that sayest thou hast no leisure to look after Heaven thou wilt have leisure enough to bewail the loss of Heaven when thousands of years are gone and ten thousand to that and a hundred thousand to that all this while thou shalt be weeping and wailing and gnashing of thy teeth for the loss of it When thou preferrest a present possession before a future expectation do you not despise Heaven and undervalue it Commune with your own hearts is it not as I speak Do I not speak the hearts of some of you Again Are you not sloathful and secure and do you not neglect those means that God hath appointed Do you work out your Salvation Do you so run that you may obtain Do you fight the good fight of Faith Examine your hearts and see if you are not secure and neglectful of the means God hath ordained for the obtaining of this glorious and heavenly Inheritance Remember the speech of the Spies Judg. 18.9 For we have seen the Land and behold it is very good and are ye still Be not sloathful to go and to enter to possess the Land The Land is an exceeding good Land all things that can be desired are there and do you sit still So may I say Here is a pleasant Land a glorious Land a Land flowing with Milk and Honey here are pleasures at Gods right hand for evermore and do you sit still
will you not run do you not strive to enter Again You say you do not undervalue Heaven I beseech you consider What are you content to part with for Heaven will you sell all to buy this Pearl Will you part with any thing that stands in opposition to your hopes Will you take Christ in his own way and on his own terms and in his own time Can you be content to swallow down some discouragements and difficulties and temptations and bless God for them and say One smile of thy face will recompence a thousand years of adversity If I have Christ for my portion and Heaven in reversion though I carry a Rod of affliction at my back every day though I am fed with the water of affliction and with the bread of adversity Heaven will make amends for all But alas How many have weak hands and feeble knees and are not able to go on in the way of Salvation and will not come up to the price of Salvation Do not deceive your felves These are plain down-right Truths bottomed upon Scripture if I speak not the truth believe me not but if I do some of you have cause with serious self-reflection to smite upon your Thighs and you have cause greatly to fear this despising and undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance is your sin and Oh that it might be your sorrow and shame Secondly This Doctrine may justly serve for to reprove and I profess I know no reproof sharp enough for such persons as despise and undervalue that heavenly Inheritance that God hath prepared for the Saints in Light Let me say to some of you as God speaks Acts 15.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish So say I Hearken ye despisers hearken ye secure careless sensless sottish Atheists I can call you no better Oh you that have such slight thoughts of Heaven you that look upon this heavenly Inheritance but as imaginary a Fools Paradise or as a meer conceit rather than any real existent thing you that never yet set your hearts and souls to seek the Lord Jesus Christ and his Kingdom you whose hearts are buried in Earth and Earthly things who mind nothing but Earth nothing in the World but raising great Estates and satisfying the brutish part of your selves Tell me Do you think that ever you shall enjoy this external Inheritance which you have despised Shall you ever taste of that everlasting happiness which you have so much undervalued Will the Lord cast Pearls before Swine Will he hang such a Jewel such an unvaluable Jewel which is better worth than ten thousand Worlds will be hang such a Jewel on a Swines snout No no you deceive your selves if you think so Do you think that Heaven will drop into your mouths as you lie a-dying Do you think our Saviour speaks in vain when he says Matth. 11.12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force If Heaven could be purchas'd with a Lord have mercy upon us if it could be procured in such a cold lazy luke-warm way as you walk in then certainly our blessed Saviour did not know what he said his exhorting to strive to enter in at the strait gate was to no purpose But if prizing of this Salvation and striving or this Salvation to the end of your lives if these must go before enjoying then as sure as the Lord lives you careless secure sottish Sinners that mind nothing less than that one thing necessary assure your selves you shall never have a portion in that Inheritance which is prepared for the Saints in Light no there is another place prepared for such Dogs and Swine as they are called that place without Rev. 22.15 For without are Dogs and Sorcerers and Whoremongers and Murtherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye You all cry out of Esau a prophane wretch the Spirit of God brands him for it a prophane Atheist that sold his Birth right for a Mess of Pottage he sold his Birth-right which was a Type of Heaven he sold this for an old Song as we say And you that neglect and undervalue and despise Heaven you are guilty of the same sin and have you not as prophane spirits as he You cry out of Judas because he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver Oh hearken impenitent sottish Sinner It may be thou sellest Christ and Heaven and Glory and all may be for a base lust a base lye thou sellest it for some considerable advantage as thou conceivest for the present though at last it will be like Gravel in the Throat Take home this reproof with you the Lord set it home upon your Souls you that never set your hearts souls to seek the Lord. I have done with a word of Exhortation That is I beseech you and exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you would take heed of this God-provoking Soul-damning sin take heed of undervaluing this heavenly Inheritance Let it not be said of any of you that you despised the pleasant Land instead of despising it do you highly prise it and say as David Psalm 119.174 I have longed for thy salvation O Lord and thy Law is my delight And what a kind of longing was it Not a cold wish such a wish as Balaam had O that I might die the death of the Righteous that Heaven might drop into my mouth then but I would live as I list it was not such a desire no says David I have longed for thy salvation what then Thy Law is my delight That is a right longing that is accompanied with an endeavour he rightly longs for the Salvation of God that delights in the Commands of God In the 123 ver of the same Psalm Mine eyes fail in waiting for thy Salvation Look as the Lord Jesus Christ will never bestow himself upon that Soul that does not pant and breathe and break with longing desires after him So likewise he will never bestow this heavenly Inheritance upon that Soul that does not most earnestly wishfully and industriously pant after him and long for him and seek him that you may prize him Take heed in the fear of God of those four causes of undervaluing this Salvation First Take heed of Earthly-mindedness beg that you may be digged out of the thick Mire and Clay say Give me not my portion here O Lord How sad will it be with me if thou puttest me off only with these outward things Secondly Take heed of sloathfulness and sluggishness in the service of God and in seeking this Salvation Rom. 12.11 Not sloathful in business sèrvent in Spirit serving the Lord. Seek the Lord and seek his Salvation with all your might mind and strength Thirdly Be content to part with any thing for Christ take heed of placing your love upon the Creature be content to part with any thing that stands in opposition to or in competition with
guilty of this sin of unbelief yea or no. I know every one of you will be ready to plead Not guilty Oh we do believe the Word of God and pity we should live if we did not believe the Word But let me tell you This is an inward secret lurking sin therefore not easily discerned But that you may know whether you be guilty of this sin or no I will give you these four plain undeniable Scripture-Evidences the Lord make you your own Judges in this particular First When men do slight the invitations of Jesus Christ slight the proffers of his Grace it is a token there is unbelief in the bottom for where Faith is once wrought in the heart there is instantly and readily a closing between Christ and the Soul there is a ready closure as there is between the Load-stone and the Iron When Jesus Christ says to a poor sinner Come to me though thou art weary and heavy laden the Believing Soul closes presently with Christ and answers Come thee Lord I I will creep to thee upon my hands and feet When Christ says to it again Do this or Do that the Soul says again O Lord give me strength to do what thou commandest and command what thou wilt But now when you find in you a backwardness to entertain Jesus Christ in your hearts this is a certain and undeniable evidence of your unbelief and is not this your sin Alas alas let Jesus Christ be tendred in the Ministry of the Word from day to day let him be proffered in the sweetest anst softest terms of Perswasions and Exhortations let Ministers use their best Art and Arguments to woo entreat invite and beseech you to accept of the Lord Jesus Christ as he is tendred to you in the Gospel and yet alas we poor Ministers can get no audience I speak of the most of you not of all scarce one of ten scarce one of a hundred will hearken to this Gospel-invitation to come unto Jesus Christ and to submit to him and to take him upon Gospel-terms Our Saviour complains in John 5.40 And ye will not come unto me that ye may have life Though I would give you life a life of Righteousness a life of Grace a life of Glory Yet you will not come to me that is You will not believe in me you will not embrace me you will not submit to me you will not solace your Souls in me Let the World call and you run straight let the flesh call and you obey it straight in the lusts of it nay let Satan call and you readily hearken to him but you will not hearken to me Just so may the Ministers of the Gospel at this day complain Lord Thou sendest us upon this Errand to bring Sinners in to thee thou sendest us upon the same Message Abraham sent his Servant to get a Wife for his Son Isaac Abraham gave his Servant Rings and Jewels and Bracelets to bestow upon her that would be Wife to Isaac So our Lord sends us with Rings and Jewels and Bracelets we have many Motives and Arguments to invite Sinners and to perswade and draw them But Lord we can do no good in our Ministry we tell men of the unsearchable Riches of Jesus Christ and what an unvaluable portion they shall have in him but they will not believe Lord Who hath believed our Report Now when there is a slighting of those invitations and proffers of Gospel-grace it is a certain token of Unbelief And that 's the first Sign or Character of Unbelief Secondly When men undervalue Christs Person and Portion this is a token of unbelief We tell men of the Beauty of Christs Person that he is white and ruddy white in his Innocency and ruddy in his Passion the choisest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 and that there is nothing in him but brightness and sweetness and beauty and fulness and all sufficiency yet men believe it not They see no beauty in him why they should desire him Isa 53.3 Nay What is thy beloved more than other Beloveds say they Cant. 5.9 So when we tell men of the invaluable portion they shall have by the Lord Jesus Christ those unsearchable Riches the riches of his Merits and the riches of his Spirit and that rich and royal Redemption and that they shall have whatever their hearts can desire we tell them of this they shall have a portion of grace Jesus Christ will give them grace for grace for every grace in himself he will give them part of it by his Wisdom they shall be made wise by his Holiness they shall be made holy he will give them a portion of Glory a Crown of Eternal glory to them that love him but because they see not this Portion this Crown of glory they will not believe it they will not believe further than they see they are all for present pay Demas hath forsaken me having embraced this present world They will have good things for the present as for future expectations they regard them not Where there is an undervaluing of Christs person or portion there is a great deal of unbelief Thirdly When men are secure and fearless it is a certain effect and sign and symptom of unbelief for Faith breeds fear Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being wanned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the World and became heir of the righteousness which is by Faith Faith makes men fear But now when men do nto stand in awe of God of the great God that is within us without us above us about us when we do not walk as in his eye nor walk as in his presence when men do not stand in awe of the Word of God and say with David Psalm 119 161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word As if he should say I more stand in awe of thy Word than of all the Princes of the World When men are so over-awed by the Word of God as that they dare not sin against God for the Word of God stands as a Schoolmaster stands with a Rod in his hands over a Boy so that he dare not act any untowardness When men are not over-awed by the Word but they sin and spare not they sin and grieve not this is a token of their unbelief they do not believe God is Omniscient Omnipresent they do not believe his Justice they do not believe his Truth Where men are thus fearless and secure it is a plain token of their exceeding great unbelief Fourthly A fourth Sign of unbelief is this when men profess one thing and practice another thing when their practice crosses their Profession this is a certain token of reigning unbelief Let me give you some instances For example You profess God to be your Soveraign Lord and King and Law-giver and that you have but one Law-giver which is
God and that he has power to save and to destroy James 4.12 There is one Lawgiver who hath power to save and to destroy And you profess That he can do whatsoever he pleaseth in Heaven and in Earth and among all the Inhabitants of the Earth and that none can stay his hand none can say unto him what dost thou Dan. 4.35 You profess this God to be your Soveraign yet for all this you make no bones of flighting his Authority you dare flight the Authority of this Law-giver and make no bones of breaking his Commandments You can break the first Commandment by Atheism impenitency hardness of heart lukewarmness unthankfulness You can break the second Commandment by neglecting or mis-performing the duties of Gods Worship and Service You can break the third Commandment by not honouring God by not glorifying God you do not sanctifie and honour his Name in his Word in his Works in his Providences in his Ordinances in his Mercies You make no bones I say of breaking his Commands Thus you profess one thing you say that the Lord is your Lord your Law-giver but you practice another when you slight his Authority and break his Commands See how angrily our Saviour speaks Luke 6.46 And why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I command you Again You profess you believe the threatnings of God such dreadful threatnings as these Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup Psalm 11.6 So Psalm 68.21 God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses You profess you believe these threatnings but yet notwithstanding your practice crosses your Profession for let a Minister come and thunder these threatnings in your ears yea let a Minister come and spit fire and vengeance in the face of Sinners yet notwithstanding they do no more tremble than the seat they sit on It were well if some Snners had but as much fear as the Devils have James 2.19 for they believe the threatnings of God and fear them and know they shall be accomplished to the uttermost Thirdly You profess that you believe the Promises I that you do I but what Promises do you believe You believe the Promise of Eternal life because you believe Jesus Christ will be your Saviour I but do you believe the Promises for example for this life Do you believe if you seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness in the first place all other things shall be cast into the Bargain Matth. 6.33 Again Do you believe that Promise Psalm 34.10 The young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Do you believe the Promises for this life let that be judged by your Covetousness by your carking carefulness that distracting dividing care that divides the mind from it self See what the Prophet Isaiah says Isa 28.16 He that believeth shall not make haste He therefore that does make haste to be rich does not believe He that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent saith Solomon Prov. 28.20 You therefore that make so much haste to be rich you that make so much busling in the World wherefore is this craving carking whining after the things of this life It is a certain undeniable evidence of your distrusting Gods Providence and Promises and let me tell you You that will not believe him for the Body you will never believe him for the Soul You that will not believe him for your Estates and Children you will never believe him for your Eternal Salvation You that will not believe him for a Crust you will never believe him for a Crown And yet you say you believe his Promises that you do Fourthly You say you believe in the mercy of God for pardon I but when once Satan comes to shake your confidence but a little when you lie but under any temptation when God seems to hide away his face from you though never so little in the day of your fears and straits then you are ready to question whether you are the Children of God or no whether there be any thing of God in you or no you are ready to say then as Sion did Isa 49.14 The Lord hath forsaken me my Lord hath forgotten me my way is hidden from the Lord and my judgment from the Almighty It may be you may come to that condition to say with Cain My punishment is greater than I can bear my sin is greater than can be forgiven Gen. 4. God will never forgive such great sins as mine are You say that you believe in the mercy of God but when it comes to the trial it will be found no such matter Fifthly Again You say you believe a day of Judgment this is one thing you profess I but your practice is quite contrary for did you believe it seriously then you would pass the time of your sojourning here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 Did you believe it seriously then you would be affected with it as that ancient Father was Whether I eat or drink or whatever I do methinks I hear the Trumpet sounding in mine ears Arise ye dead and come to judgment If you did believe the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 certainly then you would exercise your selves to have Consciences void of offence both towards God and men Acts 24.16 Sixthly You say you believe that there will be a Resurrection of the Body and yet notwithstanding you carry your selves here upon the Earth as if so be there was no account or reckoning to come Some may be can live I am even ashamed to speak it they can live as if they had no God to serve and no Souls to save as if there would never come a day wherein they must appear before their Judg. I remember the speech of Saint Paul to King Agrippa Acts 26.27 King Agrippa Believest thou the Prophets I know says he that thou believest But I may say to many an impenitent unregenerate obstinate perverse Sinner Oh that there were none such in this Congregation I may say to many such Sinners Believest thou the Word of God Believest thou the Threatnings of God I know thou believest them not If thou didst believe the Commands of God Oh then thou wouldest say with Saint Paul What wouldest thou have me to do Lord Acts 9.6 Teach me the way of thy Statutes O Lord and I will walk in it and I will keep it to the end Psalm 119.33 If thou didst believe the Threatnings of God then thou wouldst be in the same condition that David was in Psalm 119.12 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments If thou didst believe those dreadful Threatnings thou wouldst be in the same condition with the Prophet Habakkuk My belly trembled my lips quivered rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in
my self Hab. 3.16 If so be thou didst believe the Promises Oh thou wouldst embrace them thou wouldst suck and be satisfied with those Breasts of Consolation Isa 66.11 It is said of the Patriarchs They saw the Promises after off and embraced them Heb. 11.13 But now when thou sayest thou believest the Commands of God and yet never obeyest his Commands thou sayest thou believest his Threatnings and yet never tremblest at any Threatning thou sayest thou belivest the Promises and yet art no way thereby encouraged to a more active and fruitful and chearful walking with God then thy Belief crosses thy Profession And this is a certain and undeniable Evidence of Unbelief the Lord awaken some of you and convince you and send you home to your own hearts to see how deeply you stand guilty of this sin my Text speaks of for if there be not reigning unbelief in many of you for my part I do not understand the Scripture I shall close with a word of Exhortation Is it so That Vnbelief is one main cause why so many men despise and undervalue that Heavenly Canaan and are debar'd from that Heavenly Canaan Then I have a twofold Exhortation to tender to you The First is to those that are Regenerate Secondly To those that are Unregenerate First To those that are Regenerate And my Counsel to you is this Oh do not mourn for the dregs of this sin that yet remain in you there are dregs of Unbelief even in those that are true Believers That man or woman that is not sensible of the dregs of this sin in him I say then he is a stranger to his own heart In Heb. 13.5 says the Apostle Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There you have a Promise He hath said Who is it that hath said it The Great God of Heaven and Earth that can make it good How hath he said it how with the greatest earnestness or asseveration that ever Promise was made for he that hath skill in the Greek Tongue shall find there five Negatives in that one Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not forsake thee that is not enough but says God Be assured I will not forsake thee no no no no I will not forsake thee so many No's therefore be assured As if the Lord should say it as the greatest Asseveration and with the greatest earnestness that ever we read of any Promise made with Yet let me tell you and it is what you will find by your own experience Though in time of prosperity it is an easie matter to presume yet in time of adversity it is a hard matter to believe this Promise when we come into straitness to say God will not leave me nor forsake me he will not leave me in the Bryars nay though you and I have had experience of Gods faithfulness to this day we had experience of his faithfulness when we were in our Mothers womb As a learned man once said If a man should live to the days of Methuselah if he should live a thousand years he could never have that experience of Gods power and tender mercy to him as he had when God preserved him in his mothers womb and took him out of his mothers belly We have had experience of Gods preserving us then and we have lived upon him ever since some twenty some thirty some forty some fifty years all this time God did never leave us nor forsake us yet if we be in straits we find it a very hard matter to believe that one Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Oh therefore bewail and bemoan the dregs of Unbelief cry out with that good man Lord I believe I would believe help my unbelief That is the first Exhortation Secondly I have an Exhortation to those that are in a state of unbelief unregenerate impenitent wretches that go on in sin and will not be reclaimed that slight the invitations of Jesus Christ and the proffers of his Grace My Counsel to you is this and I have but two words of Counsel to tender to you First Be sensible of this sin Secondly Labour to get this sin removed First Be sensible of this sin be sensible of the greatness of it be sensible of the hainous nature of it what to turn the Truth of God into a Lye what to make the great God of Heaven and Earth a Lyar what to rob him of his Glory what to go into his Cabinet and steal away his chiefest Jewel Can there be a greater sin Be sensible of the danger of this sin it brings imminent and unavoidable destruction along with it Tremble at that Scripture John 3.18 He that believeth not is condemnâ—d already because he hath not believed on the Name of the only begotten Son of God he is condemned a sentence of death is past upon thee if thou be in a state of Unbelief Secondly My other word of Counsel is this Oh labour labour to get this cursed sin of unbelief destroyed in you O let this sin be destroyed or else thou must be destroyed But you will say How shall we get this sin of unbelief cured I will tell you Will you hearken to me in four or five Rules and then I have done First Take heed of Atheism for I profess we are fallen into days of Atheism and all our Religion if the Lord be not merciful to us will end in Atheism Infidelism and Athesm there is but one step between them what is Atheism but when men will not believe there is a God all Insidelity springs from Aheism But you will say What do you think we are Atheists Do you think that we believe there is not a God Let me tell you There are Atheists in Opinion as well as Atheists in Language The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God there are Atheists in practice as well as Atheists in profession They profess they know God but in works they deny him Take heed therefore of this cursed sin of Atheism Secondly Would you have Unbelief removed then learn to know more of God to know more of his Goodness Wisdom Holiness Purity Perfection and other of his glorious Attributes They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee I am sure did you but know him you would believe in him you would obey him you would fear before him I know whom I have believed saith St. Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 Thirdly Resolve to practice what you do know if you would be Believers you must know that there are many things a man may believe notionally which he does not believe practically I shall give you an instance There is never a one of you that hears me this day but believes you are mortal you believe you shall die you verily believe that as you believe there is a Sun in the Firmament yet notwithstanding though you do
believe this yet many of you can live as securely as merrily and madly as if so be you should never drop down into the dust here now indeed is a notional Faith I but there is not a practical Faith it is one thing to believe a Truth notionally and another thing to believe it practically Fourthly Would you have Unbelief removed then Oh beg and beg earnestly that God would take away your hearts of stone and give you hearts of flesh let this be your Prayer every day Do you not remember how I opened that Text to you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 What is a stony-heart but a sensless heart a heart sensless of sin and a heart fearless of wrath Now do but observe that unbelief and hardness of heart they still go together In Mark 16.14 Afterwards he appeared unto the eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart Our Saviour upbraids them for their unbelief and hardness of heart Why are you so backward to believe it is because of the hardness of your hearts Fifthly I beseech you to meditate often of the danger of Unbelief meditate often what will be the woful Effects and Issues of your Unbelief consider the Threatnings the Precepts and the Promises of the Almighty In John 8.24 I said therefore unto you that you shall die in your sins for if you believe not that I am he you shall die in your sins What die in sin Oh what greater curse can possibly be uttered To die in sin to rot in sin to come out of your graves in sin to be presented before your Judg in your sins John 3. ult He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him The wrath of God abideth on him If it were only for a few days it might be born I but it will be abiding and abiding and abiding to all Eternity the wrath of God will abide upon that Soul that does not believe In a word and so I have done As God speaks to the Prophet in another case They will not see but they shall see I apply it thus You that will not believe I promise you you shall believe you that will not believe savingly you shall believe desperately you that will not believe that God is so just so strict so severe you shall believe when you feel the wrath of the Almighty seizing upon you never to be removed you that will not believe now to the saving of your Souls you shall believe as the Devils to believe and tremble you then will believe the torments of Hell in that day when you feel them in that place where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth It is better to believe these things now than believe them when you feel them The Lord work these things upon our hearts that this Soul-destroying sin may not be our ruin CHRISTS'S PRECIOUSNESS 1 PET. II. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which are disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the Head of the Corner THE holy Apostle that he might the better draw Christians to believe in Jesus Christ to love him embrace him and obey him as the Captain of their Salvation in the beginning of this Chapter commends to them both the Word of Christ and Christ himself who is the Kirnel and Substance of the Word he commends the Word of Christ to them in the first and second verses of this Chapter Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings as new-born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby And he commends Jesus Christ himself to them two ways First By shewing what he is in himself Secondly By shewing what benefits Believers have by him First He shews what the Lord Jesus Christ is in himself in ver 4 To whom coming as to a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious He is a living stone a stone that hath life in himself and a stone that gives life unto others For he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 And not only a living stone but he is chosen of God and very precious the Pearl of the Gospel that precious only excellent one in comparison of whom all the Kingdoms of the World are but as a heap of dung But then as the Apostle commends him for what he is in himself so he commends Jesus Christ by what he hath done for all those that believe in him In the 5th ver Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual House an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ This invaluable benefit you shall have by him you shall not only be justified by him but you shall be sanctified you shall be made a holy Priesthood and all your services shall be made acceptable through him To confirm this weighty Truth the Apostle produces a Testimony out of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 28.16 Therefore saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Having thus confirmed this Doctrine he makes Application of it in this Verse and this Application is by way of Comfort to Believers and discomfort to those that believe not First It is a Doctrine that affords a great deal of comfort to Believers For says he to you that believe Jesus Christ is precious But it administers a great deal of discomfort to Unbelievers To them that are disobedient to them that hearken not to the voice of Christ for says the Apostle Though this Christ be despised by them yet he shall be infinitely advanced he is become the Head the Corner-stone and they notwithstanding their despising of him shall be everlastingly ruined for he will be to them a stumbling-stone and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the Word being disobedient This is the Connexion or Context of these words with the former It is the first Branch of the Text here that I principally aim at in these words To you therefore that believe he is precious The words therefore hath reference unto the fore-going verse wherein the Apostle tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is such a Foundation-stone such a Corner-stone such a rock of Salvation that whosoever believes in him shall not be confounded shall not be condemned For there is no condemnation to them that have a part and interest in him Rom. 8.1 Therefore saith the Apostle Certainly to you he must needs be
very precious As if he should say You have an infinite and an invaluable benefit by him therefore you have great reason so highly to prize him Vnto you that do believe that is that can rest and rely upon this Rock of Salvation that can pawn your Souls upon him that can close with him and cleave to him and obey him as your Prince and your Saviour Vnto you says the Apostle he is precious or he is a price and an honour for so the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he is not only precious but of infinite price he is not only honourable but honour it self in the Abstract for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both price and honour The words being thus opended afford these two Points of Doctrine which lie clear in the Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself Doct. 2. As Jesus Christ is precious in himself so he is exceeding precious in the eyes of all Believers and most highly prized by them Doct. 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself He is called in the 4th verse of this Chapter A living-stone chosen of God and precious And in Isa 28.16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious Corner-stone a sure Foundation For the better understanding of this Point two things are to be opened First What it is to be Precious or what may be included in this Phrase precious Secondly How this may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein the preciousness of Jesus Christ consists First What is it to be precious What is included in this Phrase precious The Hebrew word signifies divers things I will name you but these five or six and every one of those significations are rightly applicable to the Lord Jesus Christ Sometimes the word precious is taken for bright and glorious Thus the Sun and the Moon are said to walk in brightness Job 31.26 If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness Job there speaking of the Moon says it walks in brightness it walks as it were through the Heavens honourably it walks in a great deal of brightness and glory Thus the Lord Jesus Christ in this sense is precious because he is the glorious sun of Righteousness as he is called Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my Name shall the sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings And he calls himself the bright Morning-Star in Rev. 22.16 I am the bright Morning-Star Again Secondly The word precious is taken sometimes for that that is scarce and rare to be had for that which is not bestowed upon all but upon some few persons Thus the Word of God in Samuel's time was said to be precious 1 Sam. 3.1 And the Word of the Lord was precious in those days there was no open Vision it was communicated but to a few And in this sense also the Lord Jesus Christ may be said to be precious because he is communicated but to a very few A little Flock Luke 12.32 A little little Flock as the word signifies a very little Flock in comparison of those that have no interest in him nor any benefit by him For not many wise men after the flesh not many Mighty not many Noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 There are but few very few in comparison of the great multitude that have an interest in him in that regard he is precious Thirdly Sometimes the word precious is taken for that which is dear and costly So the Lord Jesus Christ is very dear to his Father the dearly beloved Son of his bosom and his blood is very costly it is called precious blood If the blood of all the Princes upon Earth had been spilt nay if all the Angels in Heaven had lost their lives it had not been comparable to one drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Acts 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves and to all the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Fourthly The word precious sometimes is taken for that which is pleasant and delightful Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child There is the same word for precious called pleasant In this regard the Lord Jesus Christ may be called precious because he is so delightful to the Father Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth Fifthly That may be said to be precious that is of very great and invaluable use or that whereof we have an indispensable necessity Now in this sense also Jesus Christ is precious he is of infinite use to a Believer such indispensable need have we of him that without him we must perish everlastingly Except ye eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood you have no life in you John 6.53 Lastly That is said to be precious which is honourable Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore I will give men for thee and people for thy life Isa 43.4 And as I told you even now the Original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 siguifieth honour as well as price So the Lord Jesus Christ he is infinitely honourable honourable in himself all the Angels honour and admire him and he is an Honour to his Church and Chosen to all those that have a part and interest in him therefore he is said to be The glory of his people Israel Luke 2.32 A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel You see the first thing opened What it is to be precious Now the second thing for Explication is this How this Title precious may be applyed to Jesus Christ or wherein does the preciousness of Jesus Christ so much appear For answer to this You must know the preciousness of Jesus Christ does appear in these six Particulars First He is exceeding infinitely unconceivably precious in his Person God and Man united in one Person Co-essential with the Father that is having the same Essence and Substance with him in John 10.30 I and my Father are one And he is Co-equal with the Father He thought it no robery to be equal with God Pbil. 2.6 Being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 Therefore he is infinitely precious in his Person Secondly As he is precious in his Person so is he precious in his Titles those rich and glorious Titles that are attributed to him For Example Isa 9.6 This is the name wherewith the Lord Jesus Christ is called Wonderful Counsellonr El the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Pray mark with what a glorious Title he is called there The Mighty God How dare then any blasphemous Arrian or Atheist deny the Divinity
Communion with him in his life and because he lives you may live also I mean the life of Grace and life more abundantly and communion in his Death because he died for sin you may die to sin and communion in his Resurrection because he rose from the Grave you may rise to holiness and newness of life And the like Again Hath he purchased such precious Promises and all those Promises are sealed in his blood 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God are in him Yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us O then do you labour to be made partakers of those Promises that you may know that you are Heirs of those Promises that you may look upon them as Legacies bequeathed to you by your dear Lord and Master by your Husband Jesus Christ who left these Legacies to you Lastly Hath he purchased a precious Inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled then I beseech you in the fear of Almighty God that you take heed that it fares not with you as it did with that unbelieving Prince that saw the plenty in Samaria but did not taste of it but died for all that so you to hear of a glorious Inheritance but to come short of it and so be undone to all Eternity according to my Afternoon Text Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it Heb. 4.1 Oh hath he purchased this Inheritance and do not you long to be with him where you shall sin no more nor sorrow no more Thus you see what use may be made of the preciousness of Jesus Christ in all these respects as he is precious in his Person in his Titles in his Offices in his Kingly Priestly and Prophetical Offices in his Ordinances in his Prerogatives in the purchases of his Blood those precious Priviledges and Inheritance he hath purchased for us The Lord help us seriously to think on these things and to meditate upon them and to lay them up in our hearts as Cordials against a day wherein we may stand in need of them And so I have done with the first Point of Doctrine That Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself The other Doctrine is That the Lord Jesus Christ is exceeding precious to all Believers and is highly prized by them 1 Pet. II. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious I Made entrance into this Text the last time that we had this solemn occasion of drawing near to God in the use of this precious Ordinance of the Lords Supper I shewed you the Coherence Sense and scope of the words and there were two Points of Doctrine that I drew from them The first was this That Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself I now come to the second Doctrine drawn from these words and that is this As Jesus Christ is precious in himself so is he exceeding precious to all Believers and highly prized by them For the proof or setling of this Point before I come to open it to you I shall give you but two Testimonies for the Confirmation of it the one out of the Old Testament the other out of the New that out of the Old Testament is in Cant. 5.9 10 where you shall read the strangers enquiring of the Spouse that is the Church of Christ saying What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved O thou fairest among women What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved that thou dost so charge us The Church makes this answer My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand c. My Beloved is white and ruddy Jesus Christ he is white in respect of his Divine Nature Being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 And yet he is red in his Humane Nature being of the same substance with the first Adam that was made of red Earth He was white in his Holiness but yet he is red also in that bloody passion which he was contented to undertake for our sakes he was white in his unspotted Innocency but yet he is red withal by the imputation of our sins which are said to be Crimson and Scarlet sins Isa 1.18 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool Thus Jesus Christ is white and ruddy I but says the Church withal He is the chiefest among ten thousand or he is the Standard-bearer among ten thousand as the Hebrew word may be interpreted the Standard-bearer he is higher than the Kings of the Earth therefore called the Standard-bearer Psalm 89.27 Also I will make my first-born higher than the Kings of the Earth He guides and leads his people as being the Captain of their Salvation he leads them as a Standard-bearer leads an Army by his Colours Oh what a high price and value did the Church set upon Jesus Christ here He is white and ruddy the choicest among ten thousand Christ was very precious you see in her eyes The other testimony which I shall give you is in the New Testament Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ I count all things but loss whatever I esteemed gain before all my outward Priviledges that I stood upon before I count them but as loss but that is not all I count all things says he dung dross and dung or as the Greek phrase there sigsignifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such things as we cast out to Dogs I account them but as scrapings as skins as parings as nothing worth in comparison of the Lord Jesus Christ If there had been presented to Paul a whole Mountain of Gold and Silver and precious Pearls in comparison of Jesus Christ it would have been but as a heap of dung to him I count all things says he but loss and dung in comparison of Christ Consider but what things they were that he did undervalue in comparison of Christ and consider who did undervalue them Consider what it was that Paul did undervalue all the Priviledges that he had for example He tells you in the 5th and 6th verses Circumcised the eighth day so outwardly in covenant with God bearing the Covenant of God in his flesh this was nothing in his esteem of the stook of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews Of the Stock of Abraham this was his Birth-priviledg but this was nothing He was a man of Parts and Learning brought up at the feet of Gamaliel but all his natural parts abilities and endowments all these he esteemed nothing yea he was a man of a civil and unblameable conversation touching the righteousness which is
Jesus Christ and the Soul of a Hypocrite You know the story of the young man in Matth. 19.22 When Jesus Christ made him a fair proffer Go and sell that thou hast says he and give it to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven and come and follow me He made a fair shew but the world lay nearer his heart than Jesus Christ did therefore when he bid them sell all and give to the poor he went away very sorrowful And you know the story of Orpah and Ruth Ruth 1. Orpah she gave her Mother-in-Law a kiss and bid her Farewel but Ruth clave to her Mother Naomi So it is here It may be an Hypocrite can complement with the Lord Jesus Christ can give him some outward Ceremonial observance but when it comes to this that he must part with any thing for Christ when Christ tells him If thou wilt be mine thou must take me on my own terms thou must look to bear my Cross as well as to wear my Crown thou must look for Hatred Persecution a Cross a Prison for my sake then he begins to shrink and draw back I love Jesus Christ well says he but I love pleasures better the World better Liberty better still there is something that a Hypocrite prizes before Jesus Christ But then you will say How may I do to know that Jesus Christ is precious to me indeed I will tell you briefly First See whether your desires be strongly carried out after the Lord Jesus Christ whether they be vehement constant and industrious desires or no for if your desires after Jesus Christ be right they will be very vehement desires like hunger and thirst that are commanding The appetite hunger it hath this property not only to be violent in its desires but to be terminated to one object I must have food says an hungry man and nothing but food will please him offer him Musick no that will not content him offer him Gold and Silver that will not content him he must have food and nothing in the World but food will content and satisfie him So that Soul that hath a true desire after Christ says I must have Christ and none but Christ will content me Riches Pleasures Honours will not satisfie my Soul I must have Christ none but Christ Secondly And are your desires constant and continued desires It may be some men may have flashes of desires when their Consciences are awakened when they lie tumbling upon a sick-bed or when the wrath of God begins to be kindled against them But tell me Are thy desires constant Canst thou say with David My soul breaketh for the longing it hath unto thy Judgments at all times Psalm 119.20 I know there may be an intermission of the act of desire but then the constant bent of the Soul is Chrisward As a Tradesman that makes it his Tâ—â—â—â— to buy and sell though he doth not always buy and sell so the Soul will be always trading in desire for Christ though there may be an intermission of desires Thirdly Are they industrious desires that make you not only to desire him but to seek him The desire of our Soul is to thy Name O Lord and to the remembrance of thee And then With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit will I seek thee early Isa 26.8 9. If so be your desires after Christ be right they will put you upon all means of Grace and the using of them carefully and conscientiously enquiring after him and following of him in the use of every Ordinance This is the first way whereby you may know whether Christ be precious to you See what your desires are if they be strongly carried out after Christ if they be vehement constant and industrious desires Secondly Would you know whether Jesus Christ be precious to your Souls yea or no then see whether your love to Jesus Christ be a true love unfeigned love whether you love him in sincerity or no Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Amen Ephes 6. ult Implying many love him not in sincerity Thus you may know whether you love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity First You will remember Christ your hearts will be much taken up with him When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches Psalm 63.6 Are your thoughts taken up with him Secondly If you love him in sincerity you will hold no correspondency with sin you will hate sin and hate every sin Thirdly If your love to Christ be sincere it will be accompanied with smarting sorrow for your former unkindnesses to him as Mary Magdalen because she loved much she wept much Thus will such a Soul say Against thee have I sinned thee have I offended with Judas I have betrayed thee though thou didst never shed thy blood for him as thou didst for me therefore my sins are the greater because against thee I have sinned Thirdly Would you know whether Christ be precious to you or no let me then propound to you these three Soul-searching Questions First Tell me What are you willing to give for Christ Secondly What are you willing to lose for Christ Thirdly What pains are you willing to take that you may obtain him First If you would know whether Christ be precious to you then answer this Question What are you willing to give for Christ I know nothing can be given by way of merit do not understand me so but what are you willing to give in the use of means First Are you willing to give as much for Christ now as you would give in a time of sickness when you are lying upon your Death-beds when the Soul sits upon the lips and is ready to take its leave Are you willing to give as much now in health as you would give in a time of sickness Oh when a man lies on his sick-bed and Death knocks at his door Christ then it may be would be very precious to him Oh what would he then give for a Christ Those in Noah's time that never regarded the Ark all the while it was a building yet when the Flood came what would they have given for an Ark then What would you give for Christ at that time when you are upon a Death-bed ready to be delivered by your Death-bed to your cold Grave Certainly Christ is as precious now as he will be when you lie upon a sick-bed when you shall look Death in the face Again Are you willing to give as much for Christ now as at the day of Judgment Oh what seeking and suing will there be to Christ at that day Lord pity me Lord own me I am undone for ever without thee Oh what seeking and suing will there be to Christ at that day Certainly Christ is as precious now as he will be at that day when he shall come in Flames of fire taking vengeance on them that know him not
and obey not his Gospel 2 Thess 1.8 Can you be content to give as much for him now as you would give in that day for him Can you be contented to give as much for him as a damned Soul would give for him if it were possible he could purchase him Certainly he is as precious now as he would be to a damned soul if he could be made partaker of him In a word Tell me Are you willing to give up your selves to him wholly to be ruled by him to give up your Understandings to him to desire to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified To give up your Will to him to say Rule in me as thou pleasest so I may be but thine to give up your Affections to him to love him to delight in him to rejoyce in him to say with the Apostle God sorbid I should rejoyce in any thing save in the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 If you can do thus then you have answered the first Question and you may know certainly Jesus Christ is precious to you Secondly Tell me What are you willing to lose for Christ to part with for a precious Redeemer First Are you willing to part with your sins though they may be never so near and dear to you though they be as your right hand and right eye can you throw them away from you with detestation Isa 30.22 Ye shall defile also the covering of your graven Image and the Ornament of thy molten Image of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it get thee hence they shall cast away their Idols with detestation Again Can you be content to part with the World your Estates your Liberties your Comforts any thing for Christ Understand me thus First If they come in competition with him Secondly If they stand in opposition to him First If they come in competition with him Tell me can you hate Father Mother Wife children any thing that is near and dear to you if it stand in competition with Christ or any thing that stands in opposition to him If any thing hinders the meeting of Christ and your Souls though never so near and dear to you can you cast it away can you be content to part with it Thirdly Answer me this Question What pains can you be contented to take for the gaining of the Lord Jesus Christ can you be as industrious and unwearied in the pursuit of those unsearchable riches that are laid up in Christ as you are after these temporary and transitory riches that oftentimes take to themselves wings and fly away can you be as unsatiable in seeking to gain Jesus Christ on the Lords Day as you are unwearied in your Callings on the Week day certain it is if Jesus Christ be precious to you you will think no pains too great you will think no cost too much you will think no industry can be great enough for the purchasing this Pearl of Price you will with the Wise Merchant in the Gospel sell all to purchase him you will seek him in the Streets as the Spouse did you will seek him in the Assemblies you will be driving a Trade still that you may get more of him more influences of Grace from him and more conformity unto him This is the first Use of Examination to discover whether Jesus Christ be precious to you or no if your desires be strongly carried out after him if your love be a servent and sincere love if you can be content to give any thing for him and to lose or part with any thing for his sake and if you can be content to take any pains and think no pains too great to gain him who is the Pearl of great Price The Lord make your own hearts your Judges in this particular And so much for the first Use of Examination There are three other Uses a Use of Conviction a Use of Information and a Use of Exhortation But I must refer them to another opportunity 1 Pet. II. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious I Have spoken to this Text in two Sermons already upon the like occasion of our solemn approaching to the Table of the Lord and there are two Points of Doctrine I have drawn from these words the first is this That Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself The second is this As Jesus Christ is infinitely precious in himself so is he also precious to all Believers and highly prized by them This Point I spake to upon the last Occasion and opened it to you and made one Use of Examination I now come to a second Use that is of Conviction If it be so that Jesus Christ is thus precious to all Believers then it follows few yea very few Believers there are in the World nay very few of those that do profess the Name of Christ because there are very few that do prize him very few that make that high account of him as becomes so rich so precious so invaluable a Redeemer But it may be you will say to me Who are they then that do not prize Jesus Christ who are they that do not value him I shall instance in four or five sorts of Persons First They do not prize the Lord Jesus Christ that see no beauty in him that they should desire him that see no beauty in spiritual things no beauty in Grace no beauty in the peace of a good conscience no beauty in Joy in the Holy Ghost in righteousness and holiness for in these things consists the Kingdom of God Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Now those that see no beauty in those things that lead the Soul to Christ in those things wherein the Kingdom of Christ consists certainly they do not prize Christ This is the great fault of the Jews for which they were rejected as the Prophet Isaiah foretold Isa 53.2 3 He shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a Root out of a day ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not The Jews look upon Christ with a carnal eye they look upon his Humanity the meanness of his Birth born in a Stable the lowness of his Parentage the House of David being at that time but like the stump of a Tree a dry Root he coming from the Root of Jesse they look upon his attendance a company of poor Fishermen they look upon his condition not having a House to lay his Head in therefore they slight him reject him and despise him Just thus it is at this day many there are that value not at all spiritual things neither value they the
from vers 27 to ver 59. Thirdly You have the issue or consequence of the Sermon some believed and some revolted some murmured and some marvelled The Text that I have now read unto you is part of the Sermon it self wherein our Lord and Saviour because of the stupidity and incredulity of his Auditors doth again and again both press and prove this Heavenly Doctrine that he himself was the Bread of Life I am says he the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall not hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst In which Text you may take notice of these two parts First An undeniable Proposition I am the Bread of Life Secondly A comfortable Inference upon that Proposition He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall nevtr thirst I shall begin with the first the evident and undeniable Proposition I am the Bread of Life which words must not be understood literally as if our Saviour was such Corporal Bread as could be chewed in the mouth and digested in the stomach as the Capernaites did fondly conceive when they said How can this man give us his flesh to eat this was as gross a conceit as Nicodemus's who askt If he should go into his Mothers womb again and be born But the words must be understood in a Metaphorical sense That as Bread strengthens the body and revives the spirit and supports the nature of a man and enables him to perform natural actions with more vigour and vivacity so likewise the Lord Jesus Christ strengthens the Soul and revives the spirit and supports us in our spiritual life and helps us to perform spiritual duties in a spiritual manner therefore he saith I am the Bread of Life He is not only bread but the bread of life because it is he that gives us spiritual life here and preserves that life and will hereafter give to us Eternal lise in Glory and therefore he is called The Bread of Life So then the Doctrine I would commend to you from hence is this Doct. The Lord Jesus Christ is that living bread that gives Spiritual and Eternal life to all those that have a part and interest in him This is a Truth so unquestionable that it is no less than six times repeated in this one Chapter And for the better Confirmation of it it may be demanded First Wherein doth our Saviour resemble bread Secondly And how doth it appear that our Saviour is better than bread I shall speak briefly to them both First Wherein doth our Saviour resemble bread I will name but three particulars though I know more might be reckoned up First Bread you know it is prepared food the Corn must be threshed and winnowed and ground in a Mill and baked in an Oven before it can be bread for us to eat So the Lord Jesus Christ he was threshed as I may say by afflictions and tribulations He was a man of sorrows and he was winnowed by temptations he was baked and scorch'd as it were in the Oven of his Fathers wrath for it was he that trod the Winepress of his Fathers wrath alone for us and all this was done before he could be made fit Bread that is a fit Saviour for our Souls Secondly Bread you hnow it is common food it is common to the poor as well as to the rich for the foolish as well as the wise the poor have bread if they have any thing so the Lord Jesus Christ he is a common Saviour common for all ranks and conditions of men for high and low and rich and poor noble and ignoble all are beholding to Jesus Christ here There is neither Greek nor Jew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond nor Free but Christ is all and in all Col. 3.11 Thirdly Bread you know it is the principal food it is the stay and support of a mans life therefore it is called The staff of bread Isa 3.1 So the Lord Jesus Christ he is the principal portion of the Souls of all Believers He is the choicest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 We may better want any thing than bread The Lord Jesus Christ is as I may say not only the food of our Souls but the Soul of our Souls and the Life of our Lives Secondly It may be demanded But wherein doth Jesus Christ excel this corporal bread I answer in these four respects First Corporal bread though it doth help to preserve life yet it cannot give life but now the Lord Jesus Christ is he that gives spiritual Life he begins it and begets it in his People Ephes 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins And hence it is that the Lord Jesus Christ is called the second Adam The first man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 And in John 5.21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them even so the Son quickneth whom be will Secondly Bread doth satisfie but one appetite namely hunger never was it known that bread could satisfie thirst but now the Lord Jesus Christ he can satisfie all the desires of the Soul and supply all the wants of the Soul he is both the bread of life and the water of life nay not only bread and water but he is cloathing to the Soul as it is in Rom. 13. ult Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ So that he is both Food and Spiritual Cloathing Thirdly Bread though it satisfie your hunger for the present yet it cannot so take away your hunger that you shall hunger no more if it satisfie hunger to day you will be hungry again to morrow But now the Lord Jesus Christ doth so satisfie the hunger of our Souls that we shall never hunger nor thirst more for so the Text tells you He that comes to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst Fourthly Corporal bread you know is perishing and doth but nourish a perishing life John 6.27 Labour not for the meat that perisheth But now the Lord Jesus Christ is not perishing bread but that bread that endures for ever and that life that he gives is not a perishing life neither John 6.51 I am the living bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread which I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world So you see the Point opened Let me briefly apply it because I principally aim at the second part of the Text the comfortable-Inference But for the improvement of this Point First By way of Information and then by way of Exhortation First By way of Information there are three Doctrinal Inferences from the Point thus opened that may be thence deduced First If the Lord Jesus Christ be that living bread that gives Spiritual and Eternal life to them that believe in him then you may learn this
Saviour Jesus Christ These two go together if you grow in grace certainly you shall grow in knowledg if you grow in obedience certainly your obedience shall encrease your knowledg in the mysteries of God For the Explication of the Doctrine two Queries there are that would be satisfied First How or in what respect our obedience shall encrease our knowledg Secondly How it comes to pass or what reason can be rendred why the obedient Christian shall know more of Gods will For the first How or in what respect our obedience shall encrease our knowledg He that obeys the will of God shall know more of his will How shall he know more I answer The knowledg of an obedient Christian shall be encreased in three respects First In regard of its Subject Secondly In regard of its Object Thirdly In regard of the Manner of it First The knowledg of an obedient Christian shall be encreased in the Subject of it or the Seat of it where it is placed as I may call it now the Seat of knowledg is the mind of man the intellectual part of man his intellectual faculty shall be enlarged by his obedience it shall be made more capable of receiving Heavenly truths than it was before God will enlarge that mans understanding whereas before he was but a Babe in knowledg and understanding now he shall be a grown man whereas before he could not digest Milk now he shall be able to digest strong Meat whereas before he was but faint and feeble in knowledg now he shall be strong like David Zech. 12.8 In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David Secondly The knowledg of an obedient Christian shall be encreased and enlarged in the Object of it the Object I call those matters or things that are to be known such a one shall know more truths more mysteries of Godliness more of Gods secrets he shall have more manifestations of the Spirit of God revealed to him more discoveries of Truth from day to day it is that which God hath promised Isa 11.9 The Earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea The Prophet speaks of a larger measure of knowledg and further discoveries of truths than was wont to be made Thirdly The knowledg of an obedient Christian shall be encreased in regard of the Manner of knowledg he shall know the Truths of God in a better manner than he was wont to do How is that you will say I answer and shall give you an instance in five particulars First He shall know truths more inwardly Secondly He shall know truths more experimentally Thirdly He shall know truths more transformingly Fourthly He shall know truths more powerfully Fifthly He shall know truths more satisfyingly First An obedient Christian shall know truths more inwardly more feelingly than he was wont to do not only have a bare apprehension but such a knowledg as shall take an impression upon his heart and therefore this inward knowledg is compared to seeing and to tasting and to smelling First It is compared to Seeing Eph. 3.8 9 Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ and to make all men see not only know but see what is the fellowship of the mysterie which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who Created all things by Jesus Chuist The Italian Translation renders it that all men may see what was the dispensation of the Mysterie which was hid from the beginning of the World which God was pleased to hide in himself from the beginning of the World that all men may see I quote that Scripture to prove that inward Knowledg is compared to Seeing and Seeing is more than a bare Report according to that of Job Job 42.15 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee I abhor my self in dust and ashes Secondly This inward Knowledg is compared to Tasting 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Tasting is more than Knowing and Tasting is more than Seeing If all the Orators in the World should describe what the sweetness of Honey is they could not do it so well as a man that tasts it Now the Soul comes to tast the sweetness that is in Jesus Christ Notional knowledg is one thing and Tasting knowledg is another thing they have a feeling experimental knowledg in their own hearts That is another Thirdly This inward Knowledg is compared not only to Seeing and Tasting but it is compared to Smelling also Isa 11.3 And the Spirit of the Lord shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord So the words are read but the Hebrew phrase carries it thus and so it is in the Margin of your Bibles The Spirit of the Lord shall make him of quick scent or smell in the fear of the Lord That is a man that is once taught by the Spirit of God that is taught of God as our Saviour useth the Phrase such a man shall scent and smell and savour and breathe out nothing but holiness As our Saviour it is said of him All thy garments smell of Myrrh and Aloes and Cassia Psalm 45.8 And because of the savour of thy good Ointments thy Name is as Ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 Look as the Ointment that was poured on our Saviours head left such a scent or smell behind it that the whole house was filled with the savour of it John 12.3 So is it in this case a man that hath once received the Spirit of God and is taught by the Spirit of God such a man shall have such a sweet savour of the knowledg of God that it shall be able to diffuse it self to others 2 Cor. 2.14 The Apostle Saint Paul blesseth God for this that he caused them to triumph in Christ and made manifest the savour of his knowledg by them in every place And our Latin word for Wisdom Sapientia it hath its derivation from this it is a savoury Knowledg So that this inward Knowledg is more than bare apprehension it is you see compared to Seeing Touching and to Smelling Secondly He shall know truths more experimentally than he did before and this is that you read of John 4.42 It is the speech of the Samaritans to the woman that had left her Water-pot and went into the City of Samaria and declared to them of the City what she had heard and seen concerning Christ Now say they we believe not for thy sayings for we have heard him our selves and know that this indeed is the Christ the Saviour of the world And thus likewise did the Disciples make a Confession of Christ John 6.69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God
Thirdly An obedient Christian shall know truths more transformingly that is he shall be transformed into the very Image of those truths that he knows 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord That is we are changed from one degree of grace unto another by the Spirit of God That is an excellent knowledg that is a transforming knowledg that makes a Christian have a heart framed into the Word of God that is cast into the Mould of the Doctrine of the Word of God made like unto it as Lead that is melted and cast into a Mould is of the shape of the Mould Rom. 6.17 But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you or into which ye were delivered or cast Fourthly An obedient Christian shall know truths more powerfully than he did before that those truths which he knows shall over-awe his heart that he dare do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things which we have heard and seen It was an excellent speech of Saint Hierom I can die for the truth but I cannot deny the truth nor be silent whereas another man it may be he can oppose the truth and the ways of truth though he knows he ought not to do it it may be another man can break his Vows and Covenants and Promises and Protestations although he knows the sin of Covenant-breaking is a grievous sin and shall be severely punished as appears by that remarkable Scripture Ezek. 17.15 16 Where it is testified of Zedekiah that after he had made a Covenant with Nebuchadnezzar he rebelled against him and saith God Shall he prosper he that doth such things as these are shall he prolong his days He hath broken his Covenant saith God shall he be delivered As I live saith the Lord he shall die in that Land for his Covenant-breaking So I say a man may have so much knowledg that he knows such and such things are sin and he may know the Judgment of God that they that do such things are worthy of death yet they do it and take pleasure in them that do it For example They know that Whoredom is a sin and a damnable sin that carries thousands to Hell Stollen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant but he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her Guests are in the depths of Hell Prov. 9.17 18. Those works of darkness are pleasant for a while but the Devils banquet shall have the Devils shot Though a wicked man knows that whoredom is a sin yet his knowledg is so weak that it hath no powerful influence upon his heart and life but now an obedient Christian he shall know truths so powerfully that they shall have an awe upon his Soul Thus was it with the Prophet David Psalm 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart stands in awe of thy Word That is the fourth an obedient Christian knows truths more powerfully Fifthly He that doth the will of God for the manner of his Knowledg shall know truths more satisfyingly to oversway all Objections that are made against him and all discouragements that he meets with in the way of holiness Saint Paul tells us how it was with him in this regard Gal. 1.15 16 When it pleased God to reveal Jesus Christ in me That phrase in me is very remarkable A man may have Jesus Christ revealed to him and yet not revealed in him but when God revealed Christ in me immediately I consulted not with flesh and blood but this Knowledg did preponder and out-weigh all Objections that could be made against it Another man that hath but a weak and feeble knowledg it may be he takes check at the ways of holiness and what says he If I walk in a strict way and am circumspect and careful in ordering my conversation I shall be scorned and opposed and contemned and these his Objections prevails with him A man now on the other side that is taught of God is able to answer all these Objections and to pass through good report and ill report This is the first thing for Explication Secondly By way of Explication it may be demanded But how comes it to pass that obedient Christians shall know more than others For answer to this I shall give you these four Reasons for it First Because God hath promised the Holy Ghost to them that obey him Acts 5.31 32 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him You must understand it aright God doth not promise the Holy Ghost for our obedience but in a way of obedience now if God give his Spirit to them that obey him then they shall have more knowledg they shall know more of his will for the Spirit of God is a Spirit of light and opens our understanding The Spirit of God is a teaching Spirit and they that are taught by the Spirit of God shall certainly come to Jesus Christ John 6.45 All thy children shall be taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Isa 54.13 And the Spirit of God is a leading Spirit The Spirit will lead you into all Truth the Spirit will not only take you by the hand but lead you in the way that you should walk in As you lead your children when you teach them to go so the Spirit will lead you into all truth that man to whom the Spirit of God is given must certainly needs know more of the Mystery of Salvation Secondly A second Reason is this Because God hath made many Promises to the obedient how many precious Promises have you in that one Scripture Deut. 28 If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe and to do all his Commandements then the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the Nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come upon thee blessed shalt thou be in the City and in the Field and in the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and an the fruit of thy Cattel and thy Kine and the Flocks of thy Sheep and blessed shall be thy basket and thy store blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in and when thou goest out c. There are blessings of all sorts promised and among others this is one for saith our Saviour To him that hath shall be given and it is twice repeated in one Evangelist in Matth. 13.12 and Matth. 25.29
may meet with some knots in Religion fome knotty Disputations he may meet with some Objections that he doth not know how to answer as Saint Austin said That original sin was propagated to the Soul I know it certainly but how it is propagated I cannot tell A man may meet with some Objections that he cannot answer however he will not be overswayed so as to forsake the Truth because he cannot answer some Objections Thirdly When I speak of this full assurance of understanding or knowledg in the mysteries of our Salvation this Caution likewise must be remembred That though it is true that God doth bestow it upon those that do his will yet it is not gained only by doing the will of God but it is gained especially by the gift of the Spirit of God When Saint Peter made that excellent confession of Christ when our Saviour asked his Disciples But whom say ye that I am he answered and said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Matth. 16.15 16 17 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 It is the Spirit of God that leads us into all Truth Fourthly When I speak of a certainty of Knowledg you must remember that it is not a common gift of the Spirit of God but it is a saving gift of the Spirit of God for so saith our Saviour Matth. 13.11 12 13 To you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to others it is not given for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath therefore speak I to them in Parables because they seeing see not and hearing they heart not neither do they understand This same certainty of Knowledg therefore is not attained by any natural qualification it is not a Knowledg that can be gotten or learned in Natures School it is not gotten by Art or Industry or reading of Books neither is it gotten by Tradition The Gentiles had a Natural knowledg of God Rom. 1.21 Because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God They knew God by a Natural light but it is a Knowledg that is revealed by the Spirit of God and therefore the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledg of him Ephes 1.17 Fifthly Take this Caution this assurance of Knowledg is gradual that is it hath different degrees in some it is more and in some it is less some are but Babes in Christ others there are that are strong men some are weak in the Faith Rom. 14.1 Others are rooted in Christ and built up in him and stablished in the Faith Col. 2.7 This certainty of understanding at the first is but very weak as the Disciples of Christ in the great Point of the Resurrection at the first they were not clear in their knowledg of it Luke 24.21 We trusted that it had been him which should have redeemed Israel beside all this to day is the third day since these things were done so that now our hope is almost at an end in the great business of our Saviours Resurrection they were not cleat at the first A man that hath this certainty of Knowledg may have but a weak beginning at the first and yet notwithstanding it will encrease more and more like the morning light that shines more and more to the perfect day Prov. 4.18 So that a man will at last come to be grounded and stablished in the truth he will be stedfast and unmovable abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult He will be stablished in Christ and grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3. ult Secondly Let me give you some Distinctions of Knowledg that you may be the better able to find it out Knowledg you must know is twofold there is a Natural and a Supernatural Knowledg First Natural Knowledg which is ingraven in the Soul of man by Nature as the Gentiles by Nature knew God Rom. 1.21 That is a Natural knowledg that is gotten by Art and Industry as the knowledg of Astronomy is and the like Secondly Supernatural Knowledg that is revealed by the Spirit of God Now the Supernatural Knowledg is twofold First It is either common Or secondly It is saving There is a common Supernatural Knowledg that is common to the Reprobates as well as to the Elect for Reprobates who sin the sin against the Holy Ghost they are enlightned with a Supernatural light Every thing that is Supernatural is not Spiritual the Devils they have a Supernatural light and yet it is not a spiritual nor sanctifying light and therefore they that sin the sin against the Holy Ghost have common light which is Supernatural the Text saith They have received the knowledg of the truth Heb. 10.26 Secondly There is a saving Supernatural light viz. that which is infused into the Souls of the Regenerate by the saving work of Gods holy Spirit Now this supernatural saving light that is again twofold First It is either mediate that is that which is acquired by means as Reading Hearing and Praying waiting upon God in the use of his Ordinances according as God told Saint Paul in the preaching of the Word Mens eyes should be opened and they should be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God Acts 26.18 Secondly Or else it is immediate and this is that light which is darted into the Soul without the use of means Saint Paul for example he was enlightned miraculously by a Revelation from Heaven Acts 9. And so in the Conversion of the Jaylor how wonderfully was he enlightned on a sudden Acts 16. And the Conversion of the Thief on the Cross it was done immediately by the Spirit of God Now when I am speaking of this certainty of Knowledg I speak not of a Natural but of a Spiritual Knowledg neither do I speak of a common Supernatural Knowledg but of the sanctifying and saving gift of the Spirit of God neither do I speak of the immediate without the means but I speak of the mediate in the use of means therefore to come to the third thing that is to give you the Description of this certain and assured Knowledg and the Description is this Certainty of Spiritual Knowledg it is a saving work of the Spirit of God whereby a Believer receives satisfying light and doth give up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths that are revealed to him There are these five things to be noted in this Description First I say it is a saving work of the Spirit of God It is not the knowledg of Devils the Devils have a Supernatural Knowledg neither is it the knowledg of Hypocrites such a knowledg as they that sin the sin against