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
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
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
fine voluble Tongues in Prayer that a man would think them to be Angels in prayer but look into their lives and O how crooked are they in their paths and conversation So A man may have the gift of Government so much prudence and policy a man may be such a deep Polititian that he may be able to ballance the affairs of a Kingdom and yet have no grace at all that was the case of Achitophel he was so prudent and politick in his counsels that he was esteemed as an Oracle of God 2 Sam. 16.23 And yet for all this such a one may come short of Heaven and that may be said to those men that have those parts and gifts and qualifications and are not sanctified that have the gifts of preaching and praying and Government which was said to Simon Magus Thy money perish with thee so they and their gifts and parts and qualifications perish with them Thirdly Again you shall see in another particular how far Professors may go and yet come short of Heaven namely he may have some superficial beginnings and tasts of grace and holiness and yet have no truth of grace and so come short of Heaven let me shew you this in these four particulars 1. He may be able to give his assent to the truth he may consent to this truth That the Bible is the word of God and that he believes it is so so Simon Magus did Acts 8.13 the Text saith that he believed 2. He may have so much knowledg as may move his affections with joy that he may rejoyce in the word that he knows thus the Pharisees They rejoyced in John Baptists light for a season John 5.35 And it is said of the second ground in the Parable that they received the word with joy Luke 8.13 And God speaks of the Hypocrites Isa 58.2 Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did rigteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice they take delight in approaching to God and yet all this it was but like a Land-flood that is quickly dryed up or like a flash of lightning which quickly passeth away 3. He may have such a tast and superficial beginning of grace that he may be moved so much at a Sermon as to have some kind of purpose and resolution of amendment of life 1 Sam. 26.21 you may read there that wicked wretch and Hypocrite Saul had sometimes good purposes and resolutions Then said Saul I have sinned Return my son David for I will no more do the harm he was convinced in his conscience that it was out of malice that he did persecute that innocent Servant of God so it may be you may have some Drunkard when he lyes under the smarting Rod of Gods displeasure to vow that he will never be drunk more 4. A man may have this tast and superficial beginning of grace that he may attain to some external reformation he may escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledg of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 A natural carnal man an Hypocrite may get so much soap out of the Word of God as may wash his outside but yet he may return to the mire again because he is a Swine still he may be washed like a Hog on the outside but yet he is a Swine still Hypocrites may abstain from many sins out of a slavish fear and perform duties out of by-respects Jezzabel fasted the Pharisees prayed and gave alms Felix feared and trembled here was the beginnings and tasts of grace these tasted of the heavenly gift Heb. 6.4 they had a tast of the water of life but they spit it out again But then it may be demanded What is the reason that a Professor may go so far in the ways of Christianity and yet come short of Heaven For answer I shall give you reasons for all these three particulars First A Professor may go thus far in the way to Heaven and yet come short of Heaven for these two reasons 1. Because there is some failing in his profession his profession wants either root or sincerity or love to Jesus Christ It may be his profession wants root he hath taken up the profession of Religion but he was never yet humbled the Plow of humiliation never went deep enough he was never convinced of the indispensible need that he hath of Christ to say Give me Christ or I dye he was never convinced of the evil of sin of the burden of sin of the loathsome nature of sin of the Hell that is in every sin Or it may be he wants Sincerity he takes up Religion for by-ends or for self-interest or it may be he follows Christ for the Loaves for indeed there are but few that follow Christ for Christs sake It was the complaint of Austin Jesus is seldom sought for Jesus sake And as God complains Zech. 7.5 When ye fasted and mourned did ye at all fast unto me even unto me Ephraim is an empty Vine bringing forth fruit unto himself Hos 10.1 Or it may be his profession wants love now love is an inward principle and where the inward principle of love is in the heart there profession never fails Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity But now it may be outwardly he hath some love to Jesus Christ as the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of his Hearers or God to him concerning them Son of Man the children of thy people come unto thee as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and they hear thy words but will not do them for with their mouths they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness Ezek. 33.30 31. And the Lord Christ may say to them just as Dalilah said to Sampson How canst thou say thou lovest me when thy heart is not with me Judg. 16.15 That is one Reason 2. A second is this Men may go so far in the way to Heaven and yet come short of it because though they have an outward lamp of profession yet they have no oyl in their lamps that is no reality they have not that faith that works by love they have not that repentance which teacheth them more mortification which crucifieth the flesh these are the Reasons of the first Branch Secondly It may be demanded How comes it to pass that men may be so confident that they are in a state of grace and yet come short of Heaven The reason is this because of their own self-flattery and self-delusion They think themselves something when they are nothing and so deceive themselves they think themselves rich and increased in goods and stand in need of nothing whereas they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked They think they have grace when indeed they have none they think their Grace is true when it is but counterfeit they think
so Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince gainsayers holding fast the faithful word as Adversasaries pluck one way so do you pluck another way striving earnestly for the faith of the Gospel So Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Prov. 4.13 Take fast hold of instruction let her not go keep her for she is thy life Prov. 23.23 Buy the truth and sell it not buy it at any rate sell it at no rate thus you see this Duty commanded see it commended in one Example most remarkable and imitable because it was in the purest times the Primitive-time of the Church Acts 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers For the better explication of this Point it may be demanded 1. How must Christians hold fast the truth they have received 2. Why must Christians hold fast the truth they have received 1. How must Christians hold fast the truth they ave received I answer They must hold it fast these three ways In their Memories Affections Practice and Conversations 1. They must hold fast the truth in their Memories Heb. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip We should learn of the blessed Virgin Mary of whom it is said That she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Luke 2.19 It is not the great getter but the great saver that becomes the rich man it is not the hearing but the keeping of Truths that will make us spiritually Rich. 2. We must hold fast the truth in our Affections we must cleave to the truth in love and liking thus did David Psal 119.31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord put me not to shame and in ver 20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all time O how love I thy Law it is my meditation all the day Ver. 97 and ver 167 of the same Psalm My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly On the contrary when men have not a sincere love to the Truth they lose both the Truth and their own Souls too 2 Thess 2.10 11 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness This is the case of many Papists and Atheists at this day they are drawn away to believe lyes lying miracles lying doctrines when God sees men careless and remiss in their love to the Truth he says to such careless wretches Take him Jesuit take him Satan bind him and blind him and lead him to destruction Hence are all those frequent Exhortations which are fcattered up and down in the Scripture to love Wisdom Understanding and Instruction Prov. 3.3 My son forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandments let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck write them upon the table of thine heart Prov. 4.6 Forsake not wisdom and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Prov. 7.4 Say unto Wisdom thou art my sister and call Vnderstanding thy kinswoman What a man loves that he will keep carefully if he loves a Jewel he will be careful to preserve it if he loves a Picture he will be careful not to deface it a man will part with that last which he loves best 3. Hold fast the Truth not only in Memory and Affection but likewise hold fast the truth in Practice and Conversation you should yield conscionable subjection to every known Truth without holding any one part of the Truth in unrighteousness the more a man practiseth what he knows the more he shall know what to practice John 7.17 If any man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self True knowledg is the mother of Obedience but obedience is thenurse of Knowledg when a Scholar hath taken out one Lesson well it is an encouragement to a Master to teach him another certainly if we would practice more we should know more The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal 25.14 Look as the Widows oyl by laying it out was encreased so knowledg laid out in practice is put forth to advantage therefore put forth every known truth into practice This is the way to hold fast the Truth you have received The second Quaery by way of Explication is this But why must Christians hold fast the truth they have received with Constaney and Perseverance The Reasons are these First Because the Truth hath many Enemies to oppose it corrupt it gainsay it malign it deface it and disgrace it though Truth cannot be ashamed yet it is many times blamed Jesus Christ himself had not more Enemies upon Earth than his Truth hath at this day yea our blessed Saviour had the more Enemies because he did bear witness to the Truth John 8.40 But now you seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham That was the great quarrel they had against our Saviour because he told them the truth Now as Jesus Christ the Way the Truth and the Life was opposed so will his Truth be opposed to the end of the World First The Devil is a grand Enemy to the Truth that Prince of darkness would not willingly have one Lamp of the Sanctuary unblown out the most of his rage is against the faithful Ministers of the Gospel who hold forth the word of Truth to Gods people Secondly Ignorant Unbelieving Atheistical wretches that count Preaching foolishness that will be ready to undervalue it Thirdly Subtile and undermining Priests and Jesuits those Frogs out of the bottomless pit they will endeavour to corrupt it Fourthly Scandalous Protestants which bring not forth fruit these will cast an aspersion and scandal upon the Truth therefore because of these Enemies Christians should hold forth the truth they have received That 's the first Reason Secondly The second reason is this Truth is worth the holding fast because we have many blessed priviledges by it as for Example 1. The truth of the Gospel is our Cap of Maintenance it is the Charter of our Priviledges it is the evidence of our everlasting Inheritance Thy Testimonies have I claimed for my heritage saith David And will you not keep your evidences for a good Inheritance 2. Here is another Priviledg If you will keep the Truth you may be sure the Truth will keep you as we say of a Tradesman If he will
poured upon Aarons head run down to the skirts of his cloathing so from that fulness of Grace which is in Jesus Christ Believers receive and grace for grace a continual supply of grace from him he is the Author of all their graces he is the Author of their Faith he is called The Author and Finisher of their Faith Heb. 12.2 He is the Author of their Love Christ first warms their hearts with a sense of his Love before they can love him We love him because he first loved us 1 John 4.19 He is the Author of their Repentance God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins to his people Acts 5.31 Thirdly And then they receive spiritual comforts by him too My peace I give unto you my peace I leave with you not as the world giveth give I unto yon let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid John 14.27 He gives Believers that peace that the World can neither give nor take away from them that peace and comfort that can hold up their heads in all outward storms In the world says he you shall have tribulation but in me you shall have peace John 16. ult At the same time when they have tribulation in the world they may have peace in Christ at the same time when there is ratling upon the Tiles there may be Musick in the Chamber outward tribulations and inward consolations they may stand together at the very same time In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul Psalm 94.19 So though there may be multitude of troubles within yet there may be comforts to refresh the Soul This is the third Reason why Jesus Christ is so precious to Believers Because they have much in hand from Christ they have Temporal Mercies and Spiritual Mercies Spiritual Priviledges Justification Sanctification and Adoption and Spiritual Graces and Spiritual Comforts Reas 4. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers because they expect much from him As they have much in hand by him so they have more in hope from him they have much for the present but more for the future for what do they expect from him but an Inheritance incorrupted undefiled reserved in Heaven for them an everlasting Kingdom a Kingdom that cannot be shaken everlasting Communion with himself bosom-Communion with himself in Glory to have their Souls bathed in those Rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand for evermore yea the following the Lamb. wheresoever he goes to be triumphing in his Praises to be sounding forth those Hallelujahs to him that sits upon the Throne for ever to live and lie in his continual embraces Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath laid up for them that love him Now because with the eye of Faith they look upon these things and they fully expect to enjoy them therefore hence it is they do so highly prize Jesus Christ Reas 5. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers they do most highly prize him Because Faith you must know is a uniting grace an espousing grace it is the Wedding-Ring as I have sometimes told you that makes up the Match between Jesus Christ and the poor Soul as soon as ever a man comes to be a Believer to take Jesus Christ to be his Head his Husband his Portion then is the Match made up between them Christ dwells in our hearts by Faith Ephes 3.17 Now then Believers being thus espoused to him thus united to him they cannot but dearly love him As a Wife that hath pitcht her affections upon a Husband and forsaken all others and hath vowed to cleave to him and him only while they both shall live therefore she does prize him above all the men in the World so when the Soul is once united to Christ marryed to him Thy Maker is thy Husband when the Soul is espoused to Christ it cannot but dearly love him and forsake all others in comparison of him Reas 6. Jesus Christ is very precious to Believers Because true Faith ever works by Love Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love True Faith will make a man dearly love the Lord Jesus Christ now if we love him we cannot but prize him whom we love so dearly The Use I shall make of this Point briefly First For Examination And O that you and I could engage our own hearts a while and call our selves to account in sad and serious thoughts whether Jesus Christ be precious to us yea or no Is he highly prized by you even by you that hear me this day Can you say with the Church My Beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand And with St. Paul I esteem all things but dross and dung in comparison of Jesus Christ the whole World the glory the beauty and treasures and pleasures of it but as a heap of dung in comparison of him this pitch and frame you must come unto or else you can never have any assurance that Christ is yours and that you are his for as our Saviour saith in the like case He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me c. Matth. 10.37 So here if any thing be more prized than Jesus Christ you can have no assurance that Christ is your portion if any thing be preferred before him or prized more highly than he is there not great need then that you should enquire whether Jesus-Christ be precious to you yea or no That I may press you to this enquiry consider but this one Motive this is one of the surest Characters to distingnish between a sincere-hearted Christian and an Hypocrite For he that is sincere and upright-hearted does lay Jesus Christ the nearest to his heart and says None but Christ nothing but Christ whereas ever observe it and you shall see a Hypocrite hath always something that lies nearer to his heart than Jesus Christ does however he may shew much love to Christ with his mouth yet his heart goes after his covetousness or after some base lust or other as God told the Prophet Ezek. 33.31 And they come unto thee as my People and they sit before thee as my People and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness So that Jesus Christ hath not the heart of a Hypocrite he may have the mouth of a Hypocrite a shew of love but there is something still that doth lie nearer his heart than Christ does Look into the parable of the Sower and you will find that Seed that was sown in the stony-ground it sprung up and made a fair shew for a while but there was something that lay between the seed and the Soil so there is something that lies between
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
Kingdom of God The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation Luke 17.20 it cometh not with outward Pomp and Splendour it comes not with observation because it is a hidden Kingdom a spiritual Kingdom inward Faith and Love and self-denial and other inward Graces because these are the things belonging to the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ and being not obvious to carnal eyes therefore they see no beauty in them Therefore this is a plain token they see no beauty in Christ they that see no beauty in Christs Kingdom in his Ordinances and in his Spiritual comforts certainly they see no beauty in Christ There wants no beauty in him but carnal men want eyes to behold him certainly spiritual things they are the most precious and invaluable Commodities that are therefore because thou feest no beauty in Heaven and in heavenly things spiritual things the graces of the Spirit and the comsorts of the Spirit thou art one that dost not prize the Lord Christ Secondly They do not prize the Lord Jesus Christ that prefer their lusts before him that prefer the wills of the Flesh and of the Mind as the Greek word signifies before him in Ephes 2.3 Those that say in their hearts though it may be they will not speak it with their mouths but it is the language of their hearts We will not have this man to reign over us we will walk in our own crooked ways and not in the ways of Christ in the ways of holiness Certainly they that prefer their lusts before him they do not prize him Thirdly They that do not prize the Messengers of Jesus Christ they do not prize Jesus Christ himself So says our Saviour himself expresly Luke 10.16 speaking to his Disciples and in them to his succeding Ministers He that heareth you beareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me When Hannun the King of the children of Ammon cast contempt on the Messengers and Ambassadors of David and so wickedly entreated them by cutting off their Garments in the middle to their buttocks and shaving off the one half of their Beards 2 Sam. 10 it was a plain token that he despised David also because he despised his Ambassadors Fourthly They do not prize the Lord Christ that can keep the best room they have I mean their hearts for creature-comforts but the Lord Jesus Christ as I may say with reverence is thrust into the Stable But you will say How does that appear Thus when a mans Liberty or Estate or Friends or outward reputation come to be hazarded if Christ be owned that man now that can prefer any of his creature-accommodations rather than run any hazard for the Lord Jesus Christ certainly that man does not prize Christ When it comes to a point that a man must part with some or all of his comforts and accommodation rather than part with his Saviour that man that can part with his Saviour rather than his comforts certainly that man does not prize Christ Thus was it with the Gadarens when it came to the Point that they must part with their Swine or with Jesus Christ they would part with Christ rather than with their Swine Fifthly They that do not prize his Ordinances that do not keep close to him to his way of worship those that do not set their hearts and souls to seek him to seek his Truth to seek his Face to rejoyce in his Love to content and satisfie themselves in him to say If I have but Jesus Christ though I be as poor as Job upon the Dunghil yet I am rich enough certainly these do prize the Lord Jesus Christ Oh that we could learn to be true to our own Souls and to love our selves so well as not to beguile our own Souls in the latter end That 's the second Use of Conviction Thirdly A third Use is this If Christ be thus precious to all true Believers then there are these three or four Lessons or Doctrinal Inferences that may be gathered from this conclusion or point of Doctrine First If Jesus Christ be so precious to Believers then it follows that Faith is an exceeding rich and precious Grace it is called precious Faith 2 Pet. 1.1 Simon Peter a Servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious Faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ But why is Faith so precious a Grace because it makes Christ so precious to our Souls it makes a man look upon Christ with an admiring eye it ravishes the Soul with the love of this precious Redeemer and it makes him break out and say There is no Beloved like my Beloved Oh the Dignity of his Person Oh the Vertue of his Blood Oh the value of his Sufferings Oh the sweetness of his Graces Oh the Comforts of his Spirit Oh the excellency of those glorious and transcendent Hopes that are laid up in him You read of Moses that he scorned all the Treasures of Egypt Why because by Faith he beheld him that was invisible Heb. 11.26 27. By the eye of Faith he lookt upon Jesus Christ and he saw more beauty in him than in all the Treasures of Egypt more sweetness in one smile of his Face than in ten thousand Worlds Oh therefore that you and I could learn to trade for Faith more a great deal than for the World Oh let us trade for this rich and precious Grace look out for Faith and long for Faith and strive to believe for until this Grace of Faith be planted in your hearts Jesus Christ and you are strangers Christ and you stand at a very great distance but as soon as ever Faith is planted in the Soul then there is instantly a closing with Christ as quick a closing between Christ and the Soul as there is between the Loadstone and the Iron the Soul presently closes with him and cleaves to him as soon as ever it begins to believe Secondly If Jesus Christ be so prrcious to Believers then learn this Lesson by way of Inference That Believers are rich and honourable Persons Why because Jesus Christ is to them both Riches and Honour I gather this from the signification of the word in the Greek Text Jesus Christ is both a Price and an Honour to his for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies both a Price and Honour Jesus Christ therefore is a Price to Believers he is a Pearl to them First He is a Pearl of inestimable Price to all those that have got an interest in him this Pearl of Price is better worth than ten thousand worlds by him we are enriched in all things 1 Cor. 1.5 I thank my God always on your behalf for the Grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ that in every thing ye are enriched by him And you read of the unsearchable Riches of Christ Ephes 3.8 Vnto me who am less than the least
Tryals that are to be endured You have often heard and you will know it at one time or other you will not believe us but you will believe one day your own experience That through many Afflictions you must enter into the kingdom of God And 2 Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution They must look for persecution in one kind or other And in the world you shall have tribulation saith our Saviour You must look for it says he if you be my disciples John 16.33 And says Luther If thou beest not a Cross-bearing Christian thou art no Christian indeed How is it possible now for a man to climb this rocky way if he hath not strength for the way to Heaven is like the way that Jonathan and his Armour-bearer had in climbing up a great Rock a sharp rock was on the one side and a sharp rock was on the other side 1 Sam. 14.4 How is it possible for a man to climb up this rocky way if he have not some considerable strength If Stephen for example had not had a great measure of strength how could he have lookt upon his persecutors so chearfully in the midst of all their threatnings when they were ready to stone him yet then they beheld his face as if it had been the face of an Angel Acts 6.15 And if Saint Paul had not had considerable strength how could he have have said True the holy Ghost witnesseth that bonds and afflictions wait for me in every place in every City where ever I go but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20.23 24. What a gallant answer was that which one made to Valentinian the Arrian Emperour that threatned him with Bonds Imprisonment Banishment and death Tush says he Let him scare children with such Bug-bears as these he cannot scare me with them he may take away my life but he cannot take away my love to the truth Here was a strong Christian Now I say if a man have not a considerable strength how can he be able to bear all the afflictions that he may meet with Can you drink of the cup says our Saviour that I shall drink of and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with Matth. 20.22 He speaks there of the baptism of blood Can you be baptized with this bloody baptism can you be content to suffer for my sake Thirdly You have need of a great deal of strength in your souls in regard of the enemies that are to be encountred with spiritual enemies dangerous enemies deadly implacable enemies For example now One of the greatest Enemies you have to encounter with is an invisible enemy namely that Judas which you and I have in our hearts the cursed corruption in our Natures that works us more mischief than either the World or the Devil nay then all the Devils in Hell can do You see the whole world in a manner is subdued by this cursed enemy called Sin the whole World almost is brought into bondage to it and it is an enemy that you and I can never be rid of until our bodies drop down into the dust Then you have a flattering and bewitching World and the lusts and pleasures of it are its baits those baits and allurements of it do so Lime-twigg the soul it is not able to mount up oh how many are bewitched by it to their own destruction Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present World and he loves it because it is present What is the reason of all the Apostacy and Back-sliding and falling from the Profession and Principles and Practice of Godliness but only the love of this present world Men love the world because it is present they prefer a present possession before a future expectation Christs promise is for the future You shall be happy hereafter but say they the world pays down upon the nail You shall have it in hand not in hope says the world If you can but lye swear and cog and flatter and temporize and turn with every wind saith the world you shall have this preserment Now this is that which takes with many men the World is such an enemy while it kisses it kills the World like Dalilah while it dandles you upon its lap it betrays you to Satan How many are there at this day that will sacrifice the peace of a good conscience they will forsake and lose God and Christ and heaven and happiness and all rather than they will part with their present enjoyments Oh that such would consider the pleasures of sin are but for a season but the punishments for sin are for ever Again You have Satan to encounter with who is an implacable enemy a roaring Lion that walks about seeking whom he may devour and the dint of all his malice is against those that desire to walk most strictly most uprightly before God for the greater part of the world I mean them that are unregenerate those that are rockt asleep in the Cradle of security he never troubles them When the strong man armed keeps his Palace all his goods are in peace Satan never molests them these are his own houshold under his own power but the dint of all his malice is against those that have given up their names to Jesus Christ and the more holy and heavenly-minded and unblameable you desire to be in your Conversations the greater will be his rage and enmity against you Fourthly Another Enemy you have to encounter with and that is Death the last enemy that shall be destroyed which is called the King of fears and the fear of Kings of all terribles the most terrible as the Philosopher calls it Now you have all these enemies to conquer and how can you look the King of terrors in the face if you have not this spiritual strength Fifthly You have need of a great deal of strength in regard of the danger of Apostacy that must be prevented Oh great exceeding great greater than I am able to tell you is the danger of Apostacy Oh that I could speak it with all earnestness that if it might be you might take heed of it Those that turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity Oh they are lost and undone for ever Psalm 125.5 And if any man draws back saith God my soul shall have no pleasure in him A dreadful Scripture which may make Apostates quake and tremble God takes no pleasure in such as draw back and it had been better for a man never to have known the ways of God than having known them to turn aside from the holy commandment It s better to be an Atheist a Pagan a Turk an Insidel any thing rather than an Apostate
is born of God and knoweth God He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love And in ver 12 If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us 2. We may know the Spirit of God is bestowed upon us by constancy in our profession and stedfastness in the ways of truth this is one certain mark of the Spirit of God when a man can hold fast his profession and that without wavering can keep close to the truth How did Job approve himself to be one that belonged to God My foot hath held his steps saith he his way have I kept and not declined Job 23.11 And how did David prove himself to be one of his sheep I have chosen the way of truth and I have stuck unto thy testimonies Psal 119.30 31. That is a dreadful Scripture in John 2.9 Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God He speaks of transgression in Judgment in running into corrupt Opinions and he that abides not in the Doctrine of God but falls from the Truths of Christ he hath no part in God 3. By a zeal for Gods Glory his Cause his Truth especially in evil times That man that can stand up for God when others forsake him and sin againsthim that man that can be most zealous in maintaining of Gods Truth and can say with David in Psalm 69.9 The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me And Psalm 119.158 I beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy word By this may we know the Spirit of God is in us 4. By sympathy and compassion towards our Brethren that are in afflictions and misery if one member suffer all the rest of the members suffer with it when we can sigh in their sorrows and bleed in their wounds and be affected with their miseries and calamities as if they were our own By these effects we may know whether we have received the mark of Christ that is the Spirit of Christ That is the first sign if you have received the Mark of Christ Secondly If thou be a Sheep of Christ thou art returned from thy former wandrings 1 Pet. 2.25 Ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls Canst thou say there hath been a work of Conversion wrought on thy soul Once thou wast unprofitable but now art profitable once thou wert wandring in the wilderness of sin but now thou art brought home to Jesus Christ Is there a work of Conversion wrought in thy soul canst not thou say now I am not the same man I was the same woman I was Certainly if there be a returning from your ways of wandring and walking in paths of new obedience and keeping in the Fold of Christ then you are the Sheep of Christ Thirdly If thou be a Sheep of Jesus Christ thou mayst know it by thy carriage towards thy Shepherd if thou art a Sheep of Christ thou wilt know thy Shepherd thou wilt know and see so much sweetness fulness and all-sufficiency in him that thou wilt say None but Christ none but Christ thou wilt count all things but dross and dung in comparison of Christ Thirdly Thou wilt hear his voice My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me John 10.27 Now to hear the voice of Christ is to be able to discern his voice from the voice of strangers The Spouse was able to discern the voice of her Beloved Cant. 2.8 The voice of my Beloved The great work he was to do was to work out redemption for me he was to do and suffer much but all could not daunt him But he comes leaping on the mountains and skipping on the hills Then they follow him Christ sheep have not only the Ear-mark to hear his voice but also the foot-mark they follow him whithersoever he goes when Christ calls them they say Lo here we are They follow him by imitating him in his Patience Meekness Humility c. And if thou wilt study how to be like him that thou mayst be made more and more conformable to his Image by thy carriage towards thy Shepherd thou mayst know if thou art his Sheep thou wilt know him hear his voice follow him and labour to be made conformable to him A fourth mark whereby thou mayst know whether thou art a Sheep of Jesus Christ is this Thou mayst know it by thy carriage towards the Flock that is towards thy fellow Servants towards those that are the members of Jesus Christ It is observed of Sheep that they are the most profitable creatures you can name so if thou be a sheep of Jesus Christ thou wilt not be an unprofitable burthen in thy station but thou wilt be fruitful in thy place and profitable to others 1 Cor. 10.33 Even as I please all men in all things not seeking my own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved And sheep as they are profitable so they are innocent and harmless creatures they wrong they injure none so if thou be one of the sheep of Christ thou wilt be harmless Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation The Greek word for Harmless is there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies without Horns not pushing one another if you be the sheep of Christ you will dearly love one another but if you bite and devour one another you are Dogs and not Sheep Fifthly Sheep are contented with their Pasture Oh! if thou be a sheep of Jesus Christ thou wilt bless God in any state and condition whatsoever thou art in thou wilt say If I have gotten Jesus Christ no matter how poor and low and despicable my condition on earth be Sixthly Sheep usually are united one to another they go in Flocks and Herds they do not willingly forsake one another If thou be a sheep of Christ thou wilt keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 Thou wilt not forsake the assembly of Gods Saints Heb. 10.25 Oh my Brethren you should labour to find these sneepmarks upon your souls A third Use it is for Exhortation If Jesus Christ be the blessed Shepherd as you have heard him described that hath the greatest care and love and power and reward Oh! what an invitation might this be to every one to come to Jesus Christ and to stand out no longer many perswasions have been tendered to you many hundred times and yet some of you never brought home to Jesus Christ to this day Oh that this might be that blessed day wherein Jesus Christ and some wandring sheep may be brought together Consider who calls thee it is not a Judg but a Shepherd and consider why he calls not to hurt but to heal thee not to kill but to cure thee not to
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
they have received they lose all they have and all they hope for All they have viz. Their present endeavours and all they hope for their future Reward 1. They lofe all they have all their praying reading hearing and communicating and humbling themselves before God all this will be lost if they do not persevere does not God himself say so Ezek. 18.24 When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness he does not speak there of one truly and really righteous in a state of grace one that is savingly righteous when he turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all the righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned in them shall he die So that a man loseth all he hath done in the business of Religion Saith Hierom We must be judged not by our past but by our present condition As the Tree falls so it lyes as death leaves us so shall judgment find us 2. He loseth all he hopes for too for the Crown is promised to none but to those that do hold out Be thou faithful to the death and thou shalt receive a Crown of life Rev. 2.10 Christianity is compared to a Race Let us run the race that is set before us Heb. 12.1 Now as in a Race it is not enough for a man to begin well but he must hold out else he loseth the Gole so is it in the Race of Christianity therefore saith the Apostle so run that you may obtain not only run but so run that you may not lose the Gole 1 Cor. 9.24 2. Such as Christs love is to us such must our love to Christ be Christs love to us is a constant and unchangeable love whom he loves he loves to the end John 13.1 The Lord Christ is not only the beginner but the finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 He did not leave the work of our Redemption imperfect but he held out until he came to consummatum est till he cryed out upon the Cross it is finished Reason Third may be this Christians must hold fast the grace they have received because Apostatizing and turning our backs upon God is a most dangerous damnable soul-destroying sin 1. It is dangerous in the Original of it it springs from four bitter roots 1. It springs from Infidenlity or Unbelief take heed saith the Apostle lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelies in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 Unbelief is a damnable sin where it is not bemoaned bewailed and striven against but reigning unbelief is a damnable sin so saith our Saviour Mark 16. ult He that believes not shall be damned And he that believes not the wrath of God abides upon him for ever John 3. ult Now this Infidelity makes the soul depart from God and it makes God depart from the soul It was a great observation of an eminent Divine now with God Look as the first return of the soul to God is by Faith for Faith sets the Soul in joint it brings Christ and the Soul together so the first departing of the Soul from God is by unbelief for from thence comes a departing to other sins and this departing to other sins encreaseth our unbelief and unbelief being encreased the rent or breach between God and the Soul is made wider and wider till at last the Soul comes to a total departing from God and then God totally departs from the Soul and says Depart from me thou cursed wretch I know thee not Now this same Apostacy it springs from Unbelief 2. This Apostacy springs from Hypocrisie for usually Hypocrisie ends in Apostacy as I have told you often Judas the Hypocrite proved Judas the Apostate Amaziah did that that was right in the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart 2 Chr. 25.2 therefore Amaziah the Hypocrite proved Amaziah the Apostate In Psal 78.37 it is said there Their hearts were not upright neither remained they stedfast in his Covenant Why were they not stedfast why did not they keep constant to the ways of God to the Vows and Covenants made with God their hearts were not upright where grace is sincere it will be lasting but that which is counterfeit will be lost whatever is counterfeit is fading 3. It springs from Pride and Presumption when men think they have grace enough and holiness enough and have gone far enough in the way to Heaven this is the root of Apostacy there is a gradual as well as a total Apostacy the Saints and Servants of God may be guilty of gradual Apostacy so Peter was though not of total Apostacy it was Peters presumption that was one principal cause of his fall lofty Cedars are thrown down with a Tempest when the lower Trees in the Valley stand firm and fast So likewise lofty Christians high in their own conceits many times nestle themselves on high and their fall is great whereas Christians that walk humbly are supported and preserved Look as a man that gazeth at the Stars looks up on high quickly catches a fall because he looks not to his feet So a man that is highly conceited in his own opinion lifts up his head on high many times catches a feaful fall it is just with God to leave such men to try them Hezekiah though a very gracious King yet when his heart was listed up with Pride 2 Chron. 32.25 the Text saith God left him to himself to try what was in his heart in ver 31. That Solomon speaks of falling into misery is as true of falling and declining in grace Prov. 16.18 Pride goes before destruction and a haughty Spirit before a fall 4. Apostacy springs from Covetousness and worldliness look as the seed in the thorny ground it brought nothing to perfection because it was choaked with the cares riches and pleasures of this world as you may read in the Parable of the Sower Luke 8.14 So it is here where the heart is stuft with covetousness and the cares of this life that is usually a forerunner of a fearful fall Demas hath forsaken me having embraced this present world what was the ground of his Apostacy but his worldliness and selfishness so that Apostacy is dangerous in the Original of it Secondly It is damnable in the effects of it for 1. This puts Jesus Christ to open shame in Heb. 6.6 Apostates crucifie Christ afresh and put him to open shame for by falling away from him we do as much as tell the world we have found his service that it was an unprofitable service the service of the world is better than his service and that we have not found in Christ what we expected when we turn our backs on Christ and go to the world we do as much as openly proclaim the world is a better Master than Christ is When Soldiers forsake their
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