then any other Truth as the worke in Redemption is more glorious so the Divine grace and vertue in the soule that makes use of this which is Faith it must be more excellent then all other Graces whatsoever And as it must be God that must save and redeeme us so it must be God that must peswade the heart of this as Christ who is God must performe the worke of Redemption so it must be God the Holy-Ghost that must perswade the heart that God loves it so much and raise the heart to apprehend it and make use of it no lesse power will doe it Let us I say have great conceits of this excellent grace of Faith All men have not Faith it is a rare grace a rare jewell When Christ comes shall he find Faith in the world Certainely it is a Mysterie for a man to beleeve in Christ for a naturall man to be brought to rely upon Christ To you it is given to beleeve sayth the Apostle he might well say it is given it is no ordinarie gift neyther Therefore let us pray with the Disciples Lord increase our Faith and with the poore man in the Gospel Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleefe The next thing I will touch shall be this That Faith is put here for all graces Here in these six Clauses of this great Mysterie of Godlinesse there is onely this one that is within us God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached to the Gentiles received up in glory these are all without us but this one beleeved on in the world that is onely within us and it is set downe in stead of all and indeed so it is for it drawes all other graces after it it enlivens and quickens the soule it is the spriâ—g of spirituall life in us it is the first grace of all There are some degrees of the Spirit perhaps before it but all graces have their quickening from Faith it infuseth supernaturall vigour into all the parts and powers of the soule and into all graces whatsoever Where Christ is beleeved on in the world all followes love and patience and courage and fortitude whatsoever as we see in Heb. 11. By Faith they had a good report they had a good report for patience and for courage and other good workes but all these came from Faith therefore by Faith they had a good report Therefore the acting of all other Graces it comes from Faith By Faith Enoch walked with God by Faâ—th Noah and Moses did so and so signifying that Faith is the ground of all Faith it fetcheth spirituall life from Christ for all whatsoever is good it knits us to the spring of life Christ it is the grace of union Even as Satan by unbeleefe did infuse all his poyson at the first for by making our first Parents stagger in the Word of God came sinne so by Faith all obedience comes all have their rising and beginning from Faith As it drawes spirituall life from Christ so the encouragements are by Faith to all other graces whatsoever for patience and love c. Faith must set before them the object and the reasons from the glory to come from the love of God in Christ when Faith propounds all this then it stirres and quickens all graces Faith yeelds strong reasons and discourse to stirre us up to whatsoever is necessarie Why do I hope for the glory to come I beleeve it first Why doe I love God I beleeve he is my Father in Christ all have strength from Love and that from Faith unlesse I beleeve that God loves me in Christ I cannot love him unlesse I love him I can expresse no vertue for him no patience no good worke so it puts life into all therefore it is here put for all beleeved on in the World It should stirre us up to make much of this Faith above all graces to desire it And being a Mystery and so excellent a grace we had need to discerne whether we have it or no therefore I will touch a few evidences some of them out of the Text. First if you beleeve it comes usually after Preaching We see here Preached to the Gentiles and then Beleeved on in the World Whence came thy Faith If not by the Ordinance of God thou mayest expect it to be a bastard Faith it hath not a right beginning especially if it be joyned with contempt of Gods Ordinance it is no Faith but a presumptuous conceit Preaching and Beleeving here goe one after another Therefore examine how thy Faith was wrought in thy heart Againe as I sayd Faith being a Mysterie in regard of such a world of opposition betweene the heart of man and Christ Satan helping the unbeleeving heart here must needs be a strife and conflict with Faith Therefore those men that never had conflict with their owne unbeleeving heart that never had conflict with Satans temptations they never had Faith for it is a Mystery to have Faith it is with opposition and conflict no grace hath the like conflict and opposition from Satan for Satan aymes in all sinnes to shake our Faith and affiance in Gods love As God aymes at the strengthening of Faith above all so the Devill hates it above all and in all temptations whatsoever he aymes to shake our Faith at the last Therefore there must needs be opposition to our selves and our owne doubting nature and to Satans temptations and to the course of things that sometimes are cleane opposite to a man for a sinner to beleeve the forgivenesse of sinnes for a miserable man to beleeve glory in the world to come for a dying man to beleeve life eternall for a man tumbled into the Grave to beleeve that he shall rise from the dead if there be no conflict with these things so opposite to Faith there is no Faith Then againe in the third place it is the spring of all obedience the Apostle calls it the obedience of Faith Rom. 1. All preaching is for the obedience of Faith obedience of Faith brings obedience of life and conversation Examine thy selfe therefore by the course of thy obedience by that that comes from Faith see what it workes in thy soule in thy life and conversation And here I might be very large for where Faith is First of all after it hath beene a meanes to justifie to lay hold upon the all-sufficient righteousnesse of Christ to stand betweene God and us to cloath and cover our soules then it pacifieth the conscience Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Faith hath a quieting power it quiets the soule because it propounds to the soule a sufficient satisfaction in God-man it propounds to the soule Christ sealed by God the Father having done all that is necessary to salvation it sets downe the soule for he was God and therefore able and man and therefore willing to save Faith
shall see afterwards of some then he hath of others and he loves some to eternall life and not others I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people refusing others God will leave some he will purge away others as he saith in the verse before I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoyce in thy pride and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountaine he will take away them but I will leave in the middest of thee c there is a difference All are not alike as the Proverbe is as white lines upon a white stone that we cannot see a difference It is not alike with all men for we see a difference in this world but not much here because Gods government is vailed it will appeare at the last day and whatsoever appeares at the last day it had a ground before There is a difference in regard of grace and inward qualification and in regard of the care of God Even as there is a difference in the creatures there be precious stones and common stones and in plants there be fruitfull trees and barren trees and as there is a difference likewise in the living creatures so among men there is a difference The next thing is that God will have some in the worst times He will have some in all times that are his a remnant as he saith here The remnant of Israel shall doe no iniquity and as in the Text. I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people c. GOD will have alway some that are his in the World For it is an Article of our faith Wee beleeve the holy Catholike Church there must not be an Article of faith and no object to beleeve If there bee saith to beleeve a thing there must be somewhat to be beleeved if I beleeve that at all times there shall be an holy Catholike Church there must be such a Church in the world that is the object of my beleefe or else there were no foundation for that Article of faith therefore there must alway be a Church to the end of the world sometimes more sometimes fewer even as the discovery of Christ is From whence comes the abundance of the Spirit the Spirit followes the manifestation of the knowledge of Christ who is the Head of the Church then is the Church most glorious when the riches of Christ are more gloriously discovered Those times wherein there is most discovery of Christ and the mercy and love of God in him there are more elect of God in those times then in other There will be alway a Church in the world that is the object of our beleefe what is the meaning of it I beleeve that in all times to the end of the world there will be a company of people spread over the world gathered out of the rest of mankinde whom Christ hath knit to himselfe by faith and themselves together in a holy spirit of love of which copany â—I beleeve my selfe to be one therefore there must be such a company or else there would be faith without an object of faith which were a great absurdity in Divinity and reason too Then againe the world should not stand were it not for a company in the world that are his for what are others A company of swearers and blasphemers prophane persons belly-gods ambitious bubbles that care for nothing but the vanities of the world what glory hath God by them What tribute do they give to God What credit to religion They are the shame of the times they are such as pull Gods vengeance upon the times and places they live in Such is the ill disposition and poysonfull nature of men if they have not the Spirit of God that God would not indure the world to stand a moment unlesse there were some to with-hold his wrath to be objects of his love and to stay his hand and when they are all gathered there shall be an end of this wretched and sinfull world some there must be while the world endures and for their sakes God continues the world Those that keepe Gods wrath from the world are those that are his and till all those be gathered the world shall stand There shall alway be some It is a point not altogether fruitlesse it yeelds some comfort to know that when we are taken hence others shall stand up when we are gone the Church shall not dye with us Is not that a comfort when a Christian yeelds his soule to God to think yet God will have a Church and people if not among us yet in some other part of the world he will have some that shall glorifie him in this world that shall adorne and beautifie religion and shall for ever be glorified with him in Heaven till he hath made an end of these sinfull dayes It is some comfort I say that goodnesse shall live after us that the Gospell shall continue after us There shal be a posterity to the end of the world that shall stand for the truth and cause of God The world was not nor ever shal be so bad but God hath had and will have a party in the world that shall stand for him and he for them Now the children of God as they know God hath a purpose to glorifie them world without end so they have a desire that God may be glorified world without end and from this desire comes joy when they thinke that there will be a people one earth to glorifie God still when they are taken hence for it is a disposition wrought from Gods peculiar love to wish that God may ever have his praise here in the world while it is a world and for ever in the world to come therefore it is a comfort to them to think that God will alwayes have a Church But these are but a few called by Esay a remnant A remnant according to election as it is Rom. 11. A handfull in comparison of the world yet they are a world in respect of themselves for they are a world taken out of the world but compared with the rest of mankinde they are but as a few grapes after the vintage as the gleanings after the harvest one of a City and two of a Tribe The Prophets every one of them have speciall phrases to let out the fewnesse of those that God hath a speciall care of he cals them in the next verse the remnant of Israell God will have some continually but those are but a few that are his his flock is but a little â—â—ocke It is a point not mainly aimed at here but it is very usefull Is there but a few but a remnant in all times Am I one of those What have I to evidence to me that I am of that little flock that is Christs What have I in me to evidence that God hath set his stampe
us to Christ to be in love with and to embrace Christ and then it lookes to all the good things we have by him for he never comes alone there is a world of good things in him all that tends to grace and glory yet it is the person of Christ that the soule of a Christian principally lookes to other Divine Truths are the object of Faith to direct and sway our lives yet notwithstanding they are not the object of Faith when we looke for comfort for forgivenesse of sinnes and reconciliation with God then it lookes to Christ especially Therefore we that are Ministers of the Gospel of Christ should especially looke to unfold the riches of Christ and those that are Gods people should especially desire to have Christ unfolded and the riches of Gods love in Christ. The soule that ever found the sting of sinne the conscience that ever was awakened to feele the wrath of God it accounts nothing so sweet as Evangelicall Truths those things that concerne his Husband and Saviour A carnall man loves to heare morall points wittily spoken of as delightfull to his eare but the soule that understands it selfe what it is by nature that ever felt in any degree the wrath of God for sinne of all points it desires most to heare of Christ and him crucified Therefore we may judge our selves by our eares of what temper our soules are for the eare tastes if speeches as the mouth doth meats as Iob sayth Beleeved on in the world By world especially here in this place is meant the world taken out of the world the world of elect There is a world in the world as one saith well in unfolding this point as we see man is called a little world in the great world Christ was preached to the world of wicked men that by preaching a world might be taken out of the world which is the world of beleevers Hence we may cleare our judgements in that point that when Christ is said to redeeme the world it must not be understood generally of all mankind we see here the world is said to beleeve in Christ did all mankind beleeve in Christ was there not a world of unbeleevers We see here Christ beleeved on in the world the World that was opposite that were enemies that were under Satan Who shall despaire then Therefore let us conceive well of Christ. Why was he manifest in the flesh and why is there an Ordinance of Preaching Wherefore is all this but that he would have us beleeve be our sinnes what they will Put the case that there were a world of sinne in one man that one man were a world of naughtinesse as in some sense S. Iames saith there is a world of wickednesse in the tongue if in the tongue much more in the heart which is the sink of wickednesse But put the case there were a world of wickednesse in one man what is this to the satisfaction of God manifest in the flesh and to the infinite love of God now pacified in Christ looking upon us in the face of his beloved Sonne You see here Christ is beleeved on in the world Doe but consider what is meant by the world in Scripture how it is set downe to be in an opposite state to Christ and looke to the particular state of the Gentiles that are said to be the world what wretched people were the Corinthians before they beleeved and the Ephesians and the rest Let no man therefore despaire nor as I sayd before let us not despaire of the conversion of those that are Savages in other parts how bad soever they be they are of the world and if the Gospel be preached to them Christ will be beleeved on in the world Christs Almightie power goeth with his owne Ordinance to make it effectuall since the comming of Christ the World lyes before Christ as beloved of him some in all Nations The Gospel is like the Sea what it loseth in one place it gaineth in another so the Truth of God if it lose in one part if it be not respected it gets in another till it have gone over the whole World And when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in then comes the conversion of the Iewes Why may we not expect it They were the people of God We see Christ beleeved on in the World we may therefore expect that they shall also be called there being many of them and keeping their Nation distinct from others Now I shall shew how this is a Mysterie Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse Christ beleeved on in the World This is a great Mysterie to joyne these together The World and Beleeving it is almost as great a Mysterie as to joyne God and man together a Virgin and a Mother to bring an Vnbeleeving rebellious heart such as is in the world and beleeving together it is a great Mysterie in divers considerations First if we consider what the World was an opposite and enemie to Christ and under his enemy being slaves to Satan being Idolaters in love with their owne inventions which men naturally dote on Here was the wonder of Gods love and mercy that he should vouchsafe it to such wretches We may see by S. Pauls Epistles what kind of people they were before they embraced the Gospel Here was Gods wondrous dignation that God should shine upon them that sate in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death that were abused by Satan at his will That the World that is all sorts of the World from the highest to the lowest should at length stoupe to the Crosse of Christ That the Emperours should lay their Crownes at Christs feet as Constantine and others Christ at length subdued the Roman Empire it selfe to the Faith That the Philosophers of the World that were witty and learned should at length come to embrace the Gospel for divers of the Fathers were Philosophers before That men of great place of great parts and learning and education and breeding should denie all and cast all prostrate at the feet of Christ for these to be overcome by plaine Preaching for meanenesse to overcome mightinesse for ignorance to overcome knowledge yet notwithstanding these great and wise men of the World were overcome by the Gospel It was a Mysterie that the World should beleeve if we consider besides their greatnesse and wisedome the inward malicious disposition of the World being in the strong mans possession for these men to beleeve the Gospel surely it must needs be a great Mysterie Againe if we consider the parties that carryed the Gospel whereby the World was subdued a companie of weake men unlearned men none of the deepest for knowledge onely they had the Holy-Ghost to teach and instruct to strengthen and fortifie them which the World tooke no notice of men of meane condition of meane esteeme and few in number And these men they came not with weapons or outward defence but
sets Christ as wooing us first in his Ministers inviting us alluring us commanding us removing objections from our unworthinesse Come unto me all ye that are wearie and havie laden and objections from our want of any goodnesse Come and buy without Money the all-sufficiency of Christ. Hereupon Faith comes to quiet the soule in the sweet course that Christ takes to bring the soule to him being so able and willing and shewing his willingnesse by all means that may procure love that the soule may rest without doubting Sayth the soule Surely Christ intends well to me being so able God in the flesh and setting up an Ordinance a Ministerie whereby he invites me and allures me and commands me and then also I have examples before me of wicked men that have beene converted hereupon the soule comes to be at rest Faith hath a quieting power And then againe there is presently an alteration of the course Iordan goes backward there is a turning of a man wholly for Faith is a turning of the soule cleane another way it turns the soule from the world to God and Christ from the present evill world to a better world We see as soone as Zacheus beleeved his thoughts were altered his esteeme of the things of this life was altered halfe my goods I give to the poore We see in the Acts of the Apostles as soone as they beleeved they burned their Bookes As soone as a man beleeves in Christ downe goes the esteeme of the world and all worldly things whatsoever because he sees a higher excellency in Christ. The poore Gaoler when he had mis-used the Apostles as soone as he beleeved we see how he neglects all and makes a Feast for them presently As soone as Faith enters into the soule there is a meane and base esteeme of all things and a high esteeme of Christ All is dung in comparison of Christ There is a change of the soule and an esteeme that goes before that change We worke as we esteeme as soone as we beleeve we esteeme Christ and the things of a better life above all other things And thereupon goes the whole soule and the bent of it that way though with some conflict We see in the Epistles of Saint Paul before those men beleeved in Christ the Ephesians the Colossians the Romanes c. what wicked people they were before and how they were changed as soone as they beleeved then they were Saints Againe where this Faith is it is a triumphing a conquering grace a prevailing grace it overcomes the world and whatsoever is opposite for it sets before the soule greater things then the world can The world presents terrors what are these to the glorie that shall be revealed The world sets out pleasures to allure us and profits and favours and this and that but what are all these to the favour of God in Christ what are they to Heaven What can the world set before the soule of a beleever that is not beneath Faith can rayse the soule above all worldly things it subdues the naturall doubts and loves the feares of troubles and cares for the world and all the affections that were before ruling in the soule Faith comming into the soule subdues all to it selfe and makes them all serviceable Thus it prevailes if not at the first yet in the continuance of time it prevailes by little and little in the hearts of all beleevers It is a victorious grace as we see in Moses and Abraham c. how it prevailed against all obstacles whatsoever How many discouragements had blessed Abraham to leave his fathers house and to goe he knew not where and after to sacrifice his sonne Yet Faith overcame all So Moses to leave the Court and to cleave to a despised people what a worke of Faith was there Faith is victorious Therefore when people are drawne away with any thing that the lookes of any man skares them that the very noise of danger affrights them when the hope of any rising will make them warpe to doe any thing when the hope of any gaine will make them cracke their conscience where is the triumph of Faith As I said before there is a prevailing power in Faith because Faith sets before the soule that which is incomparably better and incomparably worse What is all that man can doe in comparison of Hell and Damnation conscience saith if you doe this ye shall die And on the other side what is all the world can give in comparison of Heaven which Faith presents to the eye of the beleever Againe where this beleeving is it is a working grace it works by love by the love to God it desires the communion and fellowship of that it desires and it workes by love to other beleevers it workes towards Satan hatred toward wicked men strangenesse in conversation It is a working grace it workes by love to all good to God and Gods people and to our selves it makes us have too high esteeme of our selves to be stained with the base services of sinne it workes every way and indeed it must needs be so when Faith sets before the soule the love of God in Christ Hath God loved me so to redeeme me from such misery by such a course as this God manifest in the flesh to advance me to such happinesse being such as I was before a sinner Oh the thought of this will constraine us as the phrase of the Apostle is The love of Christ constraineth me and then the soule will be active and earnest in any thing that may be for the honour of Christ. Hath Christ thought nothing too deare for me not his owne blood for the salvation of my soule is the price of his blood He came downe from Heaven he was God manifest in the flesh on purpose in love to my soule and shall I thinke any thing too deare for him And thereupon Faith workes and stirres up love and when it is stirred up by it it is acted by it it useth the love of God in all the performance of worship to God and in doing all good to our brethren and to our selves to carry our selves as we should every way We see the Woman in the Gospel Luke 7. when she had 〈◊〉 forgiven her she loved much All duties come from Love What need I speake of particular branches Christ brings all to Love he includes all duties in that one in Love because they come from Love and have Love to carry them and to mingle it selfe with them and Love comes from Faith Faith working by Love evidence that we beleeve where there is no Love there is no Faith Therefore let us labour 〈…〉 affection of Love kindled if 〈…〉 kindled we must stirre it up by â—aith You see then that this beleeving is the leading grace Let us labour by all meanes therefore to water this Root When we would have Trees flourish and thrive we poure water to the Roots of them Now
world he is worthy of all praise and honour we should honour the Father and honour the Sonne and the holy Spirit that applyes the good we have by Christ to us When we glorifie God let us glorifie Christ too Who together with the Father is to be glorified because it was his grace to give him selfe he made himselfe poore for us We cannot honour the Father more then by honouring the Sonne for God the Father will be seene in his Sâ—nne as the Apostle saith In Christ we behold the glory of God therefore what he saith of Christ here tends to the glory of the Father Christ not only as God is gracious and was willing to the woâ—k of salvation but as the meritorious cause of the grace of his Father for grace should not have beene derived to us from the Father unlesse first it had beene seated on Christ in our nature and in him derived to us The worke of salvation as it is from Christ so it is from the grace of Christ therefore it was free and voluntary what so free as grace Therefore Christs abasement and poverty it was meerely voluntary if it had not beene voluntary it had not beene meritorious and satisfactory It was a free-will offering it was of grace not forced and commanded without his owne consent it was meerely of grace for our good and salvation that we might have the more comfort it was a free-will offering He seemed as man to decline death to shew the truth of his manhood but when againe he considered wherefore his Father sent him Not my will but thine be done and with joy With a desire have I desired to eat my last Passeover with you and I have a baptisme and how am I payned till I bee baptized with it How ever to shew the truth of his manhood he feared Death yet when he considered what he was sent for it was with a resignation to the Divine Nature so it was a free-will offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smel to God the Father Therefore when wee thinke of Christ let us thinke of no thing but grace or when we think of Heaven or of any blessing by Christ al comes under the notion of grace because all comes from meere favour There are foure descents of grace First grace as it is in God and Christ in their owne breasts the favour of God resting in his own bosome And then this grace and favour shewed in grace that is in habituall grace in bestowing grace upon our natures to sweeten and sanctifie it to fit it for communion with God And then actuall grace the movings of the Spirit to every good worke to every action of grace And then every gift of God every blessing as a grace because it riseth from grace as we say of the gifts of a great person this is his grace or favour so every good thing we have is a grace It is the favour of God in Christ that sweetneth all let us labour to see grace in all especially the fundamental grace the favour of God and of Christ the cause of all And let us see any grace in us as from that grace and every good act wee doe a grace from meere favour and every blessing wee have is a grace if our hearts be good as the Apostle cals the Macedonians benevolence a grace every thing that is good is a grace Therefore not unto us not unto us but unto thy name be the glory both of thy favour and of al that comes from it all that we have is sweet because it issues from grace The favour in the thing is better then the thing it selfe as we say of gifts we care not for the gift but for the love of him that gave it so the good things that we have are not so sweet as the favour of him that gives it when we deserve not so much as daily bread but that also is of grace The sourse and spring of all that is in us is free grace in the breast of God and Christ. In the controversie between us and the Papists when we say we are justified by grace we must not understand it of inherent grace whereby our natures are sanctified and that but in part but it is meant of the free grace and mercy of God in Christ and the free grace of Christ in his owne breast Let us take heed that we build not our justification and salvation upon a false title the title is the grace of Christ and of God the Father Now the grace we have in Christ in the breast of God is either the good will of God whereby he is disposed to give Christ and to doe all good to us there is no cause of that at all Christ as God joynes with the Father in that grace which is Amor benevolentiae the grace of good will Christ as Mediator is the effect of that grace But then there is the grace of complacency whereby God delights in us this is bestowed upon the creature in effectuall calling then God shewes the grace of delighting in us ingrafting us into Christ by faith for though before all worlds God had a purpose to doe good to us yet that is concealed till we beleeve As water that runs under ground it is hid a long time till it break out suddenly and then we discover that there was a streame runne under ground as Arethusa and other Rivers so it is with the favour of God from eternity it runnes under ground till we be called we see not Christs good wil to us but when we beleeve become one w th Christ God lookes upon us with the love of complacency with the same love wherewith he loves Christ because we are in Christ as it is in Iohn 17. I in them and they in me God loves the head and members with the same love Christ as God was freely disposed to choose men but Christ as Mediator continues this favour and mercy of God when we are grafted into him to shine on us continually It is this second that we must labour for as a fruit of the first Let us labour not only to know that there was an eternall love of God to some that are his but labour by faith in Christ to know that he shines upon us in Christ and all other graces within us and all other gifts are from this first grace therefore they have the name Why doe we call Faith Hope and Love graces but because they issue from the mercy and favour and love of God in Christ and as I said before why doe we call any benefit we have a grace because it comes from grace all good things have the terme of grace on them to shew the Spring from whence they come I will not enter into dispute with points of Popery that stincks now in the nostrils of every man that hath but the use of ordinary reason it is so full of folly and blasphemy
like unto Christ it hath a force to stirre us up to that that is good Tit. 2.11.12 The Apostle enforceth selfe-denial a hard lesson and holinesse to God justice to others and sobriety to our selves What is the argument he useth The grace of God hath appeared The grace of God hath shined as the word signifieth He meanes Christ appeared but hee saith The grace of God hath appeared when Christ appeared grace appeared Christ is nothing but pure grace clothed with our nature What doth this appearing of grace teach us To deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily and righteously and soberly c. Holily and religiously in regard of God justly in regard of men and not only justly but bountifully for bounty is justice It is justice to give to the poore With hold not good from the owners they have right to that we have Grace when it appeares in any soule it is a teacher it teacheth to deny all that is naught and it teacheth to practise all that is good it teacheth to live holily and righteously in this present evill world Many men like the Text thus farre The grace of God bringeth salvation Oh it is a sweet Text I but what followes what doth that grace teach thee It teacheth to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts it doth not teach men to follow and set themselves upon the workes of the Devill but to live soberly and justly and righteously in this present evill world It is said of the Woman in the Gospell She loved much because much was forgiven her what made that blessed woman so inlarged in her affection and love to Christ She had experience of the pardon of many sins and having felt the love of Christ she loved him againe And what is the reason that those that are converted from dangerous courses of life do often prove the most fruitfull Christians Because they have felt most love and mercy Who was more zealous then the blessed Apostle S. Paul Oh he found rich and abundant love How large is he in fetting forth the mercy of God Oh the height and breadth and depth Nothing contents him no expressions when he speakes of Gods mercy because he had beene a wretched man and found mercy Let no man be discouraged if he have beene never so sinfull if he come in The more need he hath of mercy the more aboundant God is as the Apostle saith here You know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. And those that have felt most grace will bee most wrought on to shew the fruits of that grace in all good workes in duties towards God and men And if we finde not our hearts wrought on by the confideration of the grace of Christ apprehended and knowne to this end We turne the grace of God into wantonnesse it is a sign of an ill condition the Scripture speakes nothing but discomfort to such that take occasion from the free grace and infinite and boundlesse mercy of God to be loose and carelesse in their lives and conversations that think it is a time of liberty and we may doe what we list though the tongues of men say not so nor they dare not for shame yet their lives speak it would men else live in swearing and other debaucht carriage that is offensive to God and men Do they know that there is a God a Christ and mercy Doth mercy and grace teach them that lesson No it teacheh us to deny such base lives and lusts and to live holily and soberly and justly in this world Therefore such men are Atheists either they must not beleeve the Scriptures or else exclude themselves from interest in mercy for as yet they are not in the state of grace in whom the consideration of mercy and grace doth not worke better effects then these The Gospell hath as strong encouragements and stronger to be good and gracious then the Law Grace inforceth strictnesse of life more sweetly and strongly then the Law The Law saith We must not take the name of God in vaine and we must be subject to our superiours and to live chastly c. under a curse Doth not the grace of God teach this as well as the Law and from a higher ground It teacheth the same thing by arguments taken from love and grace A man perisheth by the Law in such sins but then there is a pardon offered if men will come under the government of Christ and lead new lives but if men refuse there is a superadded guilt not only justice condemnes such wretches but mercy it selfe because they refuse mercy upon these termes rather then they will leave their sinfull courses mercy and justice both meet to condemne such persons Let us take heed therefore of abusing the mercy and love of God for then we quite overthrow Gods end in the Gospell for why doth he conveigh all to us by love and mercy and grace but that it may worke the same disposition againe in us to him or else we overturne the end of the Gospell Let us take heed of this as ever we will finde interest in this grace without which we are the miserablest wretches that live it were better for us that we had never heard of Christ and the Gospell then to live in sins against conscience under the manifestation and publication of grace Now together with the grace of Châ—ist the Apostle brings the example of Christ that both may stirre them up to the duties of mercy and bounty and fruitfulnesse Indeed the grace of Christ makes his example more sweet Men willingly looke upon examples The examples of great and excellent Persons The example of loving and bountifull Persons The example of such as are loving and bountifull to us in particular The example of such as we have interest in that are neere and deere to us and we to them These foure things commend examples Now is there any greater or more excellent person then Christ Is there any fuller of love and mercy and grace then he that hath made himselfe poore to make us rich And all of us if we be Christians indeed we have interest in this our hearts and consciences by the Spirit of God have some perswasion of this And then againe he is deare and neere unto us he is our Head and Husband he is all in all unto as Therefore the example of Christ joyned with his grace it is a wondrous forcible example How shall we make this example of Christ profitable to us First of all let us looke often into the grace of Christ the grace and free mercy of God in giving Christ consider how God hath laid forth all his riches in Christ and consider how miserable we had beene without Christ even next unto Divels in misery A man is the most miserable creature under Heaven if he have not interest in Christ he is a lost creature Let us dwell upon the meditation and
of some conceit he hath besides the Word and he that lives ill though he beleeve well shall be damned too Therefore a Christian hath godly Principles out of the Gospel and a godly carriage sutable to those Principles And indeed there is a force in the Principles of Godlinesse from Gods love in Christ to stirre up to godlinesse the Soule that apprehends Gods Truth aright cannot but be godly Can a man know Gods love in Christ incarnate and Christs suffering for us and his sitting at the right hand of God for us the infinite love of God in Christ and not be carryed in affection backe to God againe in love and joy and true affiance and whatsoever makes up the respect of godlinesse It cannot be Therefore it is not a cold naked apprehension but a spirituall knowledge when the Soule is stirred up to a sutable disposition and carriage that makes godlinesse Now this godlinesse is A Mysterie What is a Mysterie The word signifies a hidden thing it comes of Muin which is to shut or stop the mouth from divulging As they had their Mysteries among the Heathen in their Temples which they must not discover therefore there was an Image before the Temple with his finger before his mouth shewing that they must be silent in the discoverie of hidden Mysteries Indeed the Mysteries of the Heathens were so shamefull that they did well to forbid the discoverie of them but I speake onely to unfold the nature of the word which is to shut or keepe secret A Mysterie is a secret not onely for the present but that it was a secret though it be now revealed for the Gospel is now discovered It is called a Mysterie not so much that it is secret but that it was so before it was revealed In the second place that is called a Mysterie in the Scripture which howsoever it be cleare for the manifestation of it yet the reasons of it are hid As the conversion of the Gentiles that there should be such a thing why God should be so mercifull to them it is called a Mysterie So the calling of the Iewes it is called a Mysterie though the thing be revealed yet that God should be so wondrous mercifull to them that is a Mysterie When there is any great reason that wee cannot search into the depth of the thing though the thing is selfe be disoovered that is a Mysterie as the conversion both of Iewes and Gentiles In the third place a Mysterie in Scripture is taken for that that is a Truth hid and is conveyed by some outward thing Marriage is a Mysterie because it conveyes the hidden spirituall Marriage betweene Christ and his Church The Sacraments are Mysteries because in the one under Bread and Wine there is conveyed to us the benefits of Christs body broken and his bloud shed and in the other under Water a visible outward thing there is signified the bloud of Christ. In a word to cut off that which is not pertinent Mysterie in Scripture is either the generall body of Religion or the particular branches of it The generall body of Religion is called a Mysterie in this place the whole Christian Religion is nothing but a continued Mysterie a continuation of Mysteries a chayning together of Mysterie upon Mysterie And then the particular branches are called Mysteries as I said before The conversion of the Iewes and likewise of the Gentiles before it was accomplished it was a Mysterie so the union betweene Christ and the Church is a great Mysterie Ephes. 5. but the whole Gospel is here meant as Christ saith Marke 4. The Mysteries of the Kingdome of God that is the description of the Gospel What is the Gospell The Mysterie of Gods Kingdome of Christs Kingdome a Mysterie discovering how Christ reignes in his Church and a Mysterie of bringing us to that heavenly Kingdome So then the whole Evangelicall Truth is a Mysterie For these Reasons First of all because it was hid and concealed from all men till God brought it out of his owne bosome first to Adam in Paradise after the fall and still more clearely afterwards to the Iewes and in Christs time more fully to Iewes and Gentiles It was hid in the brest of God it was not a thing framed by Angels or men After man was fallen to that cursed state this Plot of saving man by Christ came not into the head of any creature to satisfie justice by infinite mercie to send Christ to die that justice might be no loser it could come from no other brest but Gods it must be a Divine heavenly Wisedome Therefore it was a Plot devised by the blessed Trinitie the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost it was hid in the secret Closet of Gods brest Christ brought it out of the bosome of his Father No man hath seene God at any time Christ the onely begotten Sonne in the bosome of the Father he discovers the Father and his meaning to mankind Who ever could have thought of such a depth of mercy unto fallen man when God promised the blessed Seed Gen. 3. if God himselfe had not discovered it Therefore this reconciling of justice and mercy it is a Mysterie of heavenly wisedome that the creature could never thinke of as it is excellently set downe 1 Cor. 2. through the whole Chapter Againe it is a Mysterie because when it was revealed it was revealed but to few it was revealed at the first but to the Iewes God is knowne in Iewry c. it was wrapped in ceremonies and types and in generall promises to them it was quite hid from most part of the world Againe when Christ came and it was discovered to the Gentiles yet it is a Mysterie even in the Church to carnall men that heare the Gospel and yet doe not understand it that have the veile over their hearts it is hid to them that perish though it be never so open of it selfe to those that beleeve In the fourth place it is a Mysterie because though we see some part and parcell of it yet wee see not the whole Gospel we see not all nor wholly We see but in part and know but in part so it is a Mysterie in regard of the full accomplishment Yea and in the next place it is a Mysterie in regard of what we doe not now but shall hereafter know How doe we know Divine Truths now In the Mirror of the Word and Sacraments we know not Christ by sight that manner of knowledge is reserved for Heaven so here wee know as it were in a kind of Mysterie wee see divine things wrapped up in the Mirror of the Word and the Mysteries of the Sacraments Indeed this comparatively to the Iewish Church is to see the face of God in Christ a cleare sight but compared to that we shall have it is to see in a Glasse or Mirror if we looke backe it is a cleare sight if
full of wonder in the Gospel both the thing and the fruits of it Surely all that have the same spirit and have their eyes open to see in any measure these excellent Mysteries they are in some measure so disposed as the blessed Apostle was that is they have full hearts and answerable to that they have full expressions out of the riches and treasure of the â—eart the mouth will speake Therefore let us be ashamed of the deadnesse and dulnesse and narrownesse of our hearts when we are to conceive or speake of these things and labour to have full expressiâ—ons of them And that we may the better doe this let us labour to have as deepe conceits in our understandings as we can of that Mystery of sinfulnes that is in us and that Mysterie of misery It is not to be conceived the cursed state we are in by nature It is not to be conceived what a depth of corruption is in this heart of ours and how it issues out in sinfull thoughts and speeches and actions every day Indeed there is a height and breadth and depth of corruption in mans heart there is a height and bredth and depth of the misery of man for as it is said of this blessed estate neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive the things that God hath prepar'd for those that love him so indeed neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive the misery that men are in by nature onely there are some flashes of conscience to give a little taste in this World of that Misery that men in the state of Nature fall into when they goe hence Therefore the more cleare knowledge we have of the Mysterie of corruption how prone our hearts are to deceive us and of the great miserie we are in by nature the more we shall wonder at the boundlesse and bottomelesse goodnesse of God in the Mysterie of our salvation the one will sharpen the appetite of the other And indeed we ought to have viewes of these two every day to looke to the state we are brought out of if we beleeve If wee be not yet in the state of grace consider but what we are how little there is betweene us and eternall destruction that we are ready to drop into Hell irrecoverably and withall consider againe the infinite love of God in Jesus These be things fit to take up our thoughts Againe if we would have large and sensible thoughts and apprehensions of these things such as the blessed Apostle let us set some time apart to meditate of these things till the heart be warmed let us labour to fasten our thoughts as much as we can on them every day to consider the excelleâ—cie of this Mysterie of Religion in it selfe and the fruit of it in this world and in the world to come it is a good imployment for from thence we shall wonder at nothing in the world besides What is the reason that men are taken up with admiration of petty Mysteries of poore things Because their thoughts were never raysed up to higher considerations A wise man will wonder at nothing because he knows greater things then those objects presented to him hee hath seene greater matters then those so it is with a wise Christian Doe you thinke hee will stand wondering at great and rich men at great Places and Honours and such things indeed he knowes how to give that respect that is due alas he hath had greater matters in the eye of his soule and hath what is great in this world to him to whom the world it selfe is not great What is great in this world to him to whom Christ is great to whom Heaven and the Mysteries of Religion are great All things else are little to him to whom these things are great Christ tooke up his Disciples when they sayd Oh Master what kind of stones are here Here are goodly stones and buildings indeed Oh sayth Christ Are these the things you wonder at I tell you that not one stone shall be left upon another So it is the nature of shallow men to wonder at the things of this world to be taken with emptie vaine things Are these the things we wonder at If we would wonder let us come to Religion there we have him whose Name is wonderfull Christs Name is wonderfull because all is wonderfull in Christ. He is wonderfull in his Person in his Offices in the managing of them to bring us to life by death to glory by shame He is wonderfull in his government of his Church to governe by afflictions by conforming us to himselfe to bring us to glorie to perfect his worke in abasement to bring it low that he may rayse it after There are wonders every way in Christ not onely in himselfe but in all his courses There is Peace that passeth understanding joy unspeakable and glorious Religion will teach us what to admire at We see those that are under Antichrist under the Mysterie of iniquitie it is sayd Rev. 7. They wonder at the Beast Oh what a goodly order they have among them one under another What a wise fabricke it is What a linking together of things All is wonderfull Indeed it is fit for them to wonder at that have not seene these wondrous Mysteries of the Gospel but those that have spirituall eye-salve to enlighten the eye of their soules to see these blessed Mysteries how great they are they will be farre from wondring at any earthly thing much lesse at the Mysterie of Antichrist It is a great Mysterie therefore Let us bring great endeavours to learne it and great respect towards it and great love to God for it Let every thing in us be answerable to this great Mysterie which is a great Mysterie Without Controversie It is so under the Broad Seale of publike Confession as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the generall signifies by the confession of all it is great it is a confessed truth that the Mysterie of Godlinesse is great As if the Apostle had sayd I need not give you greater comfirmation It is without question or controversie a great Mysterie What is more opposed then the Mysterie of Godlinesse We must therefore take S. Pauls meaning in a right sense It is therefore a great Mysterie because it is controverted by so many great wits were it altogether obvious and open they would never controvert it Upon these two reasons it is without controversie First in it selfe it is not to be doubted of it is a great grounded Truth as lightsome and cleare as if the Gospel were written with a Sunne-beame as one sayth There is nothing clearer and more out of controversie then sacred Evangelicall Truths And as they are cleare and lightsome in themselves so they are apprehended of all Gods
conceived of the prophanenesse and poyson that is in mans nature against Divine Truths as I shall shew afterwards how it slights the meanes of its owne salvation and stands wondering at baubles and trifles and so men waste away their precious time in admiration of that which is nothing but vanitie of vanities whereas we should take up our time in studying these transcendent things that goe beyond the capacitie of the very Angels yet these things we dally and trifle withall Againe from hence that Christs was seene and attended on and admired by Angels there is a great deale of comfort issueth to us it is the ground of all the attendance and comfort that we have from the Angels For this is a Rule in Divinitie that there is the same reason of the Head and of the members both Head and members are one Therefore what comfort and attendance Christ had who is the Head the Church which is his Body hath the same onely with some difference they attended upon him as the Head they attend upon us as the members they attended upon him immediatly for himselfe they attend upon us for his sake For whatsoever we have of God we have it at the second hand we receive Grace for Grace of Christ we receive attendance of Angels for the attendance they yeelded to Christ first they attend upon us by his direction and commission and charge from him so we have a derivative comfort from the attendance of Angels upon Christ but surely whatsoever they did to him they doe to us because there is the same respect to Head and members Therefore the Devill did not mistake he was right in that when he alledged out of the Psalme He shall give his Angels charge over thee that thou dash not thy foot against a stone He was right in that applying it to Christ For how-ever it be true to Christians yet it is true to Christ too it is true to the members as well as the Head and to the Head as to the members for He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all one as the Apostle sayth one Christ. Now the care of Angels concerning Christ and his Church it was shadowed out in Exod. 25. and 26. There the Mercie-Seate which covered the Arke wherein the Law was upon the Mercie-Seat there were two Cherubins counter viewing one another and both pryed to the Mercie-Seat they shadowed out the Angels that looke on the Mercie-Seat Christ for he is the Mercie-Seat that covers the Law and the Curse in whom God was mercifull to us There they looke upon that with a kind of wonderment and attendance which S. Peter alludes unto in that place Iâ—to which Mysteries the very Angels prie And so in the Veile of the Tabernacle the Veile had round about it Pictures of Cherubins What did that shaddow out unto us The multitude of Cherubins and Seraphins and Angels that attend upon Christ and his Church So he was seene and attended on by Angels and it belongs to all that are his as you have it Heb. 1. They are ministring spirits for the good of the heires of salvation They that serve the King serve the Queene too Christ is the King of his Church and the Church is the greatest Queene in the World they attend upon her nay Christ hath made us with himselfe Kings Now what a King is that that hath a Guard of Angels As they guarded and attended upon Christ so they guard and attend all that are his as you have it excellently in Dan. 7.10 There are thousand thousands of Angels about the Throne continually All this is for our comfort because we are one Mysticall body with him You have in Iacobs Ladder a notable representation of this Iacobs Ladder it reached from Earth to Heaven and that pointed to Christ himselfe who is Emanuel God and man who brought God and man together He was a Mediator betweene both and a friend to both He was that Ladder that touched Heaven and Earth and joyned both together Now it is said the Angels ascended and descended upon that Ladder so the Angels descending upon us is because they ascend and descend upon Iacobs Ladder first that is upon Christ. All things are yours sayth the Apostle What be those God is ours the Spirit is ours Heaven is ours the Earth is ours Afflictions Life Death Paul Apollo the Angels themselves all is ours Why Ye are Christs that is the ground So it is a spring of comfort to consider that Christ was seene and admired and attended by Angels they are ours because we are Christs Let us consider what a comfort it is to have the attendance of these blessed Spirits for Christs sake And hence we have the ground of the perpetuitie of it that they will for ever be attendants to us because their love and respect to us is founded upon their love and respect to Christ. When favour to another is grounded upon a sound foundation when the favour that a King or a great person beares to one is founded in the love of his owne sonne he loves the other because he loves his sonne whom the other loves so it is perpetuall and sound because he will ever love his sonne The Angels will for ever love and honour and attend us why for what ground have they respect to us at all It is in Christ whose members and Spouse we are So long as the Church hath any relation to Christ so long the Angels shall respect the Church but the Church hath relation to Christ for ever therefore the respect that the blessed Angels have to Christ and to the Church it is for ever and for ever Well let us thinke of this so as to make use of it that now in Christ we have the attendance of Angels We doe not see them as in former time before Christs Incarnation it is true because now since Christ is come in the flesh the Government of Christ is spirituall and we are not supported with those glorious manifestations but they are about us in an invisible manner We have Elizeus Guard about us continually but we see them not There were more apparitions in the infancie of the Church because the dispensation of Christ to the Church was according to the weake state of the Church But now Christ is come in the flesh and received up in glory and there is more abundance of Spirit wee should be more spirituall and heavenly minded and not looke for outward apparitions of Angels but be content that we have a Guard of them about us as every Christian hath Despise not saith Christ these little ones thâ—y are about Christians and about little ones little in yeeres little in esteeme for their Angels c. It is a strange thing they are Gods Angels but they are theirs for their service Their Angels behold the face of your heavenly Father So that Christs Angels are our Angels they
to the Truth it selfe he would have men regard the things spoken not for the person that speaks them but for the excellencie of the things If some glorious creatures as the Angels should preach to us we should regard the excellencie of the Preachers more then the Truth it selfe we should beleeve the Truth for the Messengers sake And then God would knit man to man by bonds of love now there is a relation betweene Pastor and people by this ordinance of God And then it is more sutable to our condition we could not heare God speake or any more excellent creature God magnifies his power the more in blessing these weake meanes And it is more proportionable to our weakenesse to have men that speake out of experience from themselves that preach the Gospel that they have felt the comfort of themselves it works the more upon us Therefore those that first preached the Gospel they were such as had felt the sweetnesse of it themselves first S. Paul a great sinner out of the Church and S. Peter in the Church he fell after he was in the state of Grace that these great Apostles might shew to all people that there is no ground of despaire if we humble our selves if they be sinnes out of the Church if they be sinnes against the first Table as Paul he was a blasphemer or against the second he was a persecutor yet he found mercy notwithstanding and for this end he found mercy he sayth that he might teach the mercy of God to others that he might be an example of the mercy of God to others And so if we relapse and fall let none despaire Peter a great Teacher in the Church an Apostle see how foulely he fell Now when men subject to the same infirmities shall discover the mercie of God out of the Booke of God it workes the more upon us It is good for us to have a right esteeme of the Ordinances of God because the prophane heart of man doth thinke it a needlesse matter Some are ready to say Cannot I as well reade privatly at home Yes but the use of private Exercises with contempt of the publike they have a Curse upon them instead of a Blessing It is with such men as with those that gathered Mannah when they should not it stanke Hath God set up an Ordinance for nothing for us to despise Is not he wiser to know what is good for us better then we doe for our selves God accompanies his Ordinance with the presence of his blessed Spirit The Truth read at home hath an efficacy but the Truth unfolded hath more efficacy As we say of Milke warmed it is fitter for nourishment and the raine from Heaven hath a fatnesse with it and a speciall influence more then other standing waters so there is not that life and operation and blessing that accompanies other means that doth Preaching being the ordinarie meanes where it may be had I but this Ordinance of God Preaching it is only for the laying the foundation of a Church it is not for a Church when it is built then other helpes or Prayer and the like without this may suffice Those that have such conceits they make themselves wiser then the Spirit of God in S. Paul we see in Ephes. 4. Christ when he ascended on high he led captivitie captive he gave gifts to men some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists for the edifying and building up of the Church So that this Ordinance it is necessarie for building up still and for the knitting of the members of Christ together still Therefore that is a vaine excuse Oh but what need much lesse would fere he turne Thus people grow to contemne and despise this heavenly Mannah but those that are acquainted with their own infirmities they thinke it a happinesse to have plentie for naturally we are dull we are forgetfull we are unmindfull though we know we doe not remember and though we remember yet we doe not minde things we are naturally weake and therefore we need all spirituall supports and helpes that may be to keep the vessell of our soules in perpetuall good case the more we heare and know the fitter we are for doing and suffering our soules are fitter for communion with God for all passages both of life and death therefore we cannot have too much care this way Oh let us therefore chuse Maries part the better part that will never depart from us and take heed of prophane conceits in this kind it is to the prejudice of our soules We must know that whensoever God sets up an Ordinance he accompanies it with a speciall blessing And wee are not so much to consider men in it but consider the Ordinance which is his and being his there is a speciall blessing goes with the dispensation of the Word by the Ministerie Others object they know it well enough and therefore they need not to be taught The Word of God preached it is not altogether to teach us but the Spirit going with it to worke grace necessarie to strengthen us in the inward man And those that say they know it enough deceive themselves they know it not Religion is a Mysterie and can it be learned at the first There is no Mysterie but it requires many yeeres to learne if it be but a handy-craft men are six or seven yeeres learning it and is Religion and the Mysteries and depths of it learned so soone thinke we There is a Mysterie in every Grace in Repentance in Faith in Patience that no man knowes but those that have the Graces what belongs to those Graces Religion consists not in some parts and abilities to speake and conceive of these things and yet that is hardly learned being contrarie to our nature having no seedes of these things even the outside of Religion that is the preparative to the inward there is somewhat to doe to bring our hearts to these things But then Religion it selfe it is a deepe Mysterie it requires a great deale of learning Let us therefore set a price upon Gods Ordinance there must be this dispensation Christ must be preached Preaching is the Chariot that carryes Christ up and downe the world Christ doth not profit but as he is preached For supernaturall benefits if they be not discovered they are lost as we say of Jewels if they be not discovered what is the glory of them Therefore there must be a discoverie by Preaching which is the Ordinance of God for that end Whereupon God stirred up the Apostles before that were the maine converters of the world they had some Prerogatives above all other Preachers they had an immediate Calling extraordinarie Gifts and a generall Commission in them was established a Ministerie to the end of the world Christ when he ascended on high and led captivitie captive he would give no meane Gift then
it must be no ordinary mercy It is true Gods mercy is no ordinary thing of all Attributes he will triumph in that the glory of his mercy and goodnesse is that he seekes to have of men by the Incarnation and Redemption wrought by Christ above all things whatsoever Thou wouldt have infinite mercy Thou hast it in Christ. Thy sins have abounded Gods grace abounds much more Thy sinnes are mountaines Gods mercy is as the Ocean to cover those mountaines But is it possible for God to forgive such a wretched sinner that hath beene a blasphemer c It were not with men but saith God My thoughts are not as your thoughts you are vindictive in your dispositions and will not pardon but my thoughts are as farre above yours as the heavens are above the earth therefore bound not the infinite mercy of God wherein he will triumph with thy narrow thoughts but let it have its scope especially in plunges and assaults and at such times as the best of us may be brought unto In Hosea 11. I am God and not man implying that if he were man we might have meane thoughts of him confined thoughts but I am God and not man therefore comfort your selves in this consider how God sets himselfe to be glorious in his love and mercy to poore miserable wretched man in Iesus Christ. You see the mercy of God in Christ even in the Sacrament he doth not onely give Christ to us So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne to be borne and to dye for us but his mercy is a boundlesse mercy we see hee labours to strengthen our faith by these pledges that we make us of this What if God be mercifull in Christ and what if Christ be gracious and there is nothing but grace and mercy if there be not an application if there be not an interest what benefit have we by it we must interest our selves in this glorious Person interest our selves in Christ for it is founded upon Christ all the glorious mercy of God is grounded upon satisfaction of justice that is in Christ but this is nothing except wee interest our selves in Christ and in the mercy of God for our appropriation is the ground of all comfort God out of Christ is a fountaine sealed he is a fountaine of mercy but he is sealed up he is a consuming fire but in Christ he is a chearing comforting fire but this is nothing to us unlesse we be in Christ we must have interest in Christ we must be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh he hath marryed our nature that we might have marryed to him we have no benefit by his Incarnation else Now all our comfort is by this union and Communion with Christ by marrying our selves to Christ by strengthening our faith in this Union and Communion that so we may make use of the boundlesse mercy of God in Christ therefore how should we be encouraged to come to the Sacrament to enjoy this comfort You have heard Beloved of the joy of the Angels of their manner of celebrating the birth of Christ and if the Angels should leave heaven and come downe upon earth and take upon them bodies how would they celebrate the Incarnation of Christ You see here Glory to God on high this would be the course wherein they would carry themselves to glorifie God answerable to their Song so should we doe if we will be like the blessed Angels we see how to celebrate the Nativity of Christ we need not goe to fetch joy from hell to celebrate it if the Devill should be incarnate and come to live among men how would hee celebrate the Incarnation of Christ otherwise then in many places it is if we do not love to have our portion with Devils surely we should not imitate those whose state and condition we are afraid of The Angels saw matter enough in the thing it selfe to make them sing Glory to God on high on earth peace good will towards men What hath God heene so rich in love to us in Christ so wondrous in mercy as to take our miserable nature not at the best but at the worst and to take onr condition upon him here is matter of joy and shall we be beholding to the Devill for joy when we should rejoyce for Christ will not the thing it selfe yeeld matter of rejoycing oh base dispositions that we should â—ot content our selves with homogencall uniforme joy to the thing it selfe I desire repentance and reformation of what hath beene amisse if there be any that have beene guilty in this kind that intend to come neare God in these holy mysteries let them know that God will be honoured of all that come neere him let them take it to heart As Tertullian said in his time What shall wee celebrate that which is a publicke matter of joy to all the Church for a publike shame in a disgracefull way I beseech you consider of these things Repent for the Kingdome of God is neare saith the Baptist. What shall wee therefore give carnall liberty to all loosenesse as if Christ came to bring Christians liberty to licenciousnesse shall we insteed of repenting runne further and further into guilt and indispose our selves to all goodnesse is that the reasoning of the Scriptures No repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand change your lives for Christ and the fruites of the Gospell are at hand The grace of God hath appeared in Christ what to teach us to live as we list and to be more disordered then at other times oh no to live soberly and justly not to wrong any body and holy and godly in this present world this is the Scriptures reasoning and thus if ever we looke for comfort from God and Christ we must reason too Let none thinke it too late to speake of these things now but those that have not had the grace of God to keepe them innocent let them make use of the grace of God to repent and as the phrase of some of the Ancients is repentance is a boord to escape to the shore after wee have made shipwrack and done things amisse therefore as I said those that have not had the grace before to be innocent let them make use of the grace of God that now invites them to repentance or not presume to come to these holy things I speake it not onely to free mine owne soule but to free you from contracting further guilt for doe you thinke to make amends by comming to the Sacrament without repentance of what you have done before What hast thou to doe saith God to take my name into thy mouth to take my Sacrament into thy mouth when thou hatest to be reformed God accounted his owne Service as the cutting off a dogges head when they came indisposed and unprepared The Sacrament is bane and poyson to us if wee
preached that the Devill hath a kind of reigne and God is not honoured at all because the Devill is the Prince of darkenesse and rules in darknesse that is one cause Ignorance So likewise Unbeleefe when we heare and see and know the notion of mercy and of Christ and can dispute of these things like men that talke of that they never tasted of the Devils know all these things better then any man yet they doe not glorifie God because they doe not beleeve that these things pertaine to them men want a light sutable to the truth of the things themselves a man may see them with a naturall light or with the light of education or by bookes or the like but not in a spirituall and proper light he sees not spirituall heavenly things in a spirituall light and that is the reason hee beleeves them not these two vayles are the cause why we see not the light of God shining in the Gospell and why wee doe not glorifie him Light is a glorious creature it was the first creature it is not onely glorious in it selfe but it shewes the glory of all other things too if we had all the sights in the world presented to us if there were no light to discover them or no sight in our eyes if either be wanting all the glory of them would be lost So it is in the Gospell though there be wondrous admirable things there if we want either light or sight if the light shine round about us and the God of this world have blinded our eyes and infidelity have blinded us how can we glorifie God wanting a heavenly proper peculiar spirituall light sutable to the things for a naturall man by the light that he hath cannot judge of them these are the maine hindrances the vayle of ignorance and unbeleefe And on the contrary there is another hindrance that is too much light either want of light altogether or too much light when by the preaching of the word of God awaking our conscience and shewing our sinnes so enormous so transcendent so odious that we forget mercy in Christ and so dishonour Christ to set the sinnes of the creature above the infinite mercy of the Creator as those that doubt and from doubting proceed to despaire of the mercy of God seeing the vilenesse of their sinnes in the true colours of them and seeing and feeling Gods anger and wrath together with their sinnes in the conscience here is too much light one way and not looking to the other light this excellent glorious infinite light of Gods mercy shining in the Gospell they looke not on God in the face of Christ out of some stubbornesse and pride they flatter themselves they will not beleeve they will not receive the consolations due to them but dwell upon the consideration of their unworthinesse and sinnes and Satan holds them in that slavery and bondage This is a great hinderance of glorifying of God when we lift up our sinnes above the mercy of God in Iesus Christ this is to take away God and Christ altogether for if the mercy and rich and bountifull goodnesse of God wherein he will be infinitely glorious were not greater then our sinnes it were not the mercy and bounty of a God God should not be glorious in it be there are but few of these that miscarry God usually shines upon them at the last There are three rankes of men some are in the first prophane dead loose Christians that were never under the Law that never understood the corruption of nature nor themselves some are brought from that to understand themselves a little too much that are under the Law and feele the flashes of Gods wrath and some in the third place are brought from hence to be under grace that is the onely happy condition to be under the grace of God in Christ some men never come to the second step they never understand what sinne is and what the anger and wrath of God is they will give their conscience no leisure to tell them what their condition is there is hope of the second that they will come to the third rancke but for a company of prophane persons opposers of goodnesse to talke of the mercy of God in Christ they are not in the next steppe to it a man must be sensible of his sinnes and of his misery before he can have grace therefore for those that have too much light though it be a great fault in some and hinders God of much glory and themselves of much comfort out of this peevish stubbornesse of theirs yet there are not many of them and as I said few of them miscarry Now from these two vayles that hinder the glory of God there come other hindrances for the soule of man will wonder and admire at some-what it will have some-what in the eye of it hereupon not seeing or not beleeving the mercy and goodnesse and love of God and the excellent prerogatives of a Christian issuing from the goodnesse of God and the fruits of it they dote upon some worldly excellency either they are proud of their parts and so God is robbed of his honour or on creatures meaner then themselves for the base nature of man since the fall it dotes upon earth upon gold and silver meane and base things not to be compared to the excellency of man or else upon some duties they performe upon their owne workes as if God should be beholding to them for not knowing themselves well and the infinite glory of God in Christ that God must have all the glory not onely of happinesse but of grace that brings us to happinesse they glory in that they have done as in Popery they thinke they merit much by their performance In the night time a Torch seemes a goodly thing and sometimes rotten wood will shine but in the day time when the Sunne appeares the very starres shine not wee care not for meaner lights for what good doe they then so the soule when it wants a sight of the greatest excellency it dotes upon rotten wood upon every Torch light many vaine things seeme to be great a man may see by the dispositions of many what they admire and stand upon most their carryages shewes it well enough it argues a corrupt and weake judgement you see what are the mayne hindranceâ— Now the way to attaine to this glorious duty to glorifie God the next thing shall be to give some directions because it is a most necessary duty is it not that we pray for in the Lords prayer Hallowed be thy name and what is the end that we were created and redeemed for but that God may have some glory by us therefore being a necessary absolute duty let us hearken to some directions that may helpe us that way First therefore if we would glorifie God we must redeeme some time to think of these things and bestow the strength of our thoughts this way
the soule being the most excellent thing in the world it is fit it should be set on the excellentest duty man being in such an excellent condition being heire of heaven and having an understanding soule it is fit the most excellent part of the most excellent creature should be set upon the most excellent object Now the most excellent part of the soule is the understanding it kindles all the affections and leades all the rest therefore let us take some time to meditate and thinke of these things What we are by nature and the misery we are exposed to by sinne that whatsoever we have more then hell is more then we deserve and then withall thinke what we are advanced to in Christ what we are freed from that cursed condition and what we shall be freed from the sting of death and all that wee feare for the time to come thinke of what we are freed from and what we are advanced to and by whom by God becomming man a mysterie that might nay that doth ravish the very Angels themselves God-man now in heaven making good what he did on earth by his Intercession and then the ground of all the infinite love and mercy and bounty of God to poore distressed man The thought of these things will inflame the heart now they never worke upon the heart thorowly till they end in admiration and indeed the Scripture sets it downe in termes of admiration So God loved the world So how So as I cannot tell how I cannot expresse it and What love hath God shewed us that we should be called the sonnes of God And then the fruits that we have by this Incarnation of Christ and by his death they are admirable Peace that passeth understanding joy unspeakable and glorious so that the mysterie is wonderfull and the dignity wonderfull and the fruits the comfort and peace and joy wonderfull every thing is an object of admiration therefore when wee thinke and meditate of these things let us never end till our soules be wound up to admiration of the excellent love of God Wee wonder at things that are new and rare and great is there any thing more new and rare then that that never was the like for God to become man Is there any thing more excellent then the benefits wee have by Christ becomming man to free us from so great misery and to advance us to so great happinesse If any thing be an object of admiration surely it must be this Therfore the Apostle doth well to give all the dimensions to the love of God in Christ height and breadth and depth and length it is a love passing knowledge Eph. 3. What good will come by this When the soule is thus exercised then it will be fit to glorifie God when it is in this frame it will thinke it selfe too good for any base service of sinne Eagles will not catch at flies when the soule is lift up to consider Gods love and mercy in Christ will it be catching at every base thing in this world No it will not the soule never sinnes but when it looseth this frame to have a judgement sutable to things when our judgement and affections are lost of the best things then comes in a judgement and affection to other things as better so losing that frame the soule should be in we fall to the creature to commit spirituall fornication with that Let us labour to keepe our soules in this temper begin every day with this meditation to thinke what we were what we are now in Christ what we shall be and by what glorious meanes all this was wrought that so the soule may be warmed with the love of God in Christ this frame of spirit will not suffer the soule to sinne to stoope to base sinfull lusts Now to helpe this in the next place begge of God the spirit of revelation to discover to us these things in their owne proper light for they are spiritually discerned Now the Spirit knowes the brest of God what the love of God is to every one in particular and he knowes our hearts too Therefore the Apostle desires of God the Spirit of wisedome and revelation to discover these things to us not onely that they are truths but that they are truths to us for unlesse we know these things belong to us in particular wee cannot glorifie God as wee should they are in themselves glorious things to heare of Gods mercy in Christ of God becomming man to heare of Kingdomes and Crownes oh but when there is a spirit of appropriation to make these our owne that God in Christ loves us Who loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. then the soule cannot but breake forth with the Angels here Glory to God on high therefore begge the Spirit to reveale to us our part and portion that he would shew his face to us that he is to us a Father in Christ surely in hearing meditation and prayer c. wee shall finde a secret whispering and report from heaven that God is our Saviour and that our sinnes are forgiven especially when wee stand in most need of this comfort let us therefore begge of God to take away the vayles of Ignorance and Unbeleefe and openly to reveale his Fatherly bowels and tender mercy to us in Christ to discover to us in particular more and more our interest in the same by his Spirit that onely knowes the secret of our hearts and being above our hearts can settle our doubts onely the Spirit can doe it for as God onely works salvation so the Spirit only can seale to our soules our salvation this is one excellent way to helpe us to glorifie God And adde this as motive as a plea not to move God so much as to move and to satisfie our hearts and to strengthen our faith that it is the end of our lives and the pitch of our desires to glorifie God therefore we desire God to reveale himselfe so farre to us to be our Father in Christ that we may glorifie him surely it is a forcible plea God will doe that that is suteable to his end He hath made all things for his owne glory especially the worke of Redemption in Christ is for the glory of his rich mercy and we desire the sense of his mercy and love for this end that we may be fitter to glorifie God it is a prevailing argument fetched from Gods owne end And let us labour daily more and more to see the vanity of all things in the world put the case we have honours and large possessions in the world that we wanted nothing if this were severed from Gods love in Christ for life everlasting what comfort could wee have in this especially at the houre of death let us see therefore the vanity and emptinesse of all things else out of Christ and the good we have by Christ what all will be ere long the daily
salvation Therefore labour to have this peace on earth or else we can never glorifie God on earth and if we glorifie him not on earth we shall never doe it in heaven But to come to some tryals whether we have this peace made or no whether we can say in spirit and truth there is a peace established between God and us For a ground of this that may lead us to further tryall know that Christ hath reconciled God and us together not only by obtaining peace by way of satisfaction but by way of application also whom he dyed for to obtaine peace he gives a spirit of application to improve that peace to improve Christ the Prince of peace as their owne for there is a mutuall commerce betweene God and man who is an understanding creature and there is nothing that God doth for man if we looke to the generall and head of benefits but there is somewhat in man wrought by the Spirit to answer it againe God is reconciled to man in Christ man must be reconciled to God in Christ in 2 Cor. 5. God was in Christ reconciling the world when hee was on the Crosse God was there reconciled in Christ. Is that all no God by us intreates you to be reconciled to God A strange condescending that God should intreate us to be good to our owne soules by his Ministers We intreate you to be reconciled that is to accept of the reconciliation wrought by Christ and to lay aside all weapons of rebellion whereby you fought against God in the course of your vanity wee beseech you to be reconciled and to repent because the Kingdome of God is at hand so that except there be reconciliation wrought by a spirit of application on mans part it is not sufficient that God is reconciled in Christ because God will alway have a reflex act from man as he chooseth man so man by grace chooseth him as he loves and delights in man so he will have man by a spirit of sweetnesse delight in him againe above all the world Whom have I in heaven but thee so there is some what wrought by the Spirit to God againe Why should God be at good termes with us but to enjoy the friendship of his poore creature unlesse therefore there be a gracious disposition wrought in the creature to looke backe to love and delight in God as God doth in him there is no actuall reconciliation there must be a forcible application by the Spirit if God should not give a spirit of application as well as Christ obtaine heaven for us those that are in the Covenant of grace should not be stablished but God by this meanes brings them so neare that he loving them loves them for ever and they have an everlasting Covenant and an everlasting union The carnall heart of man is a poysonfull thing and hates God naturally it wishes that there were no God to judge him he may thinke well of God for the good things of this life but when he thinkes of God as a Judge to cast him into hell he wisheth with all his heart oh that there were no God that I might have my full of the pleasures of sinne Now the soule when it is at peace with God when God by his Spirit speakes to the soule and saith I am thy salvation thy sinnes are forgiven thee and as Christ to the good Theefe on the Crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise when he whispers to the soule thou art mine and I am thine then the soule becomes sweet and peaceable to God againe and studies to advance the glory of Gods mercy by all meanes and to advance the Gospell of peace it becomes friendly to God To come to some more familiar evidences whether wee be at peace with God and whether we have the comfort of this peace stablished by Christ or no. Those that are reconciled one to another have common friends and common enemies if therefore there be peace betweene God and us it is so with us we love all where we see any evidence of Gods love we love Christians as Christians and whom God loves not we love not what God hates we hate in our selves and others wee hate corruptions in our selves and others though we love their persons Another evidence of peace made in Christ betweene God and us is a boldnesse of spirit and acquaintance with God Acquaint thy selfe with God and be at peace with him Iob 22. A Christian being at peace with God in Christ Iesus he goes boldly to the Throne of grace in all his necessities as a poore child goes boldly to his father and moves the bowels of his father by his petitions When two Kingdomes are at peace there is trading set up afresh againe so when God is at peace with the soule there is a heavenly intercourse and trading set up there is no man that is at peace with God but hee calls upon God in his person in his family he sets up the woship of God there he labours to bring all to God that he can hee thinkes it the most gainefull trade in the world In the want of grace and spirituall comfort he goes to the Fountaine of grace and improves that blessed prerogative we have by peace in Christ those that have not the Spirit of God to improve it in Communion and trading with God it is a signe there is no peace strangenesse shewes that there is no peace Alas how strangely doe many walke towards God that from Sunday to Sunday skarce lift up their hearts to heaven for a blessing but walke in the strength of their owne mother-wit and support themselves with the successe of second causes and blesse themselves they are strangers from the God of peace let us take notice of this and account it a great prerogative that wee may goe to God with boldnesse that it is not now as it was in Paradise there is no Angell with a sword to shut us from heaven but now there is an entrance to the Throne of grace we may goe boldly in the name of Christ to offer our selves and all our indeavours A Christian that hath made his peace with God will never allow himselfe in any sin against conscience because he knowes sinne is odious in it selfe loathsome to God and hurtfull to his soule therefore he will not be in league with any sinfull unjust course what to be in league with God and to be at peace with that that God hates more then the Devill himselfe hee hates sinne more then the Devill for he hates him for sinne therefore a man that allowes himselfe in knowne sinnes there can be no peace betweene God and him as he saith why doe you talke of peace as long as the witchcrafts and whoredomes of Iesabel remaine a man that lives in sinnes against conscience that is an open swearer an unjust person that cares not by what meanes he advanceth himselfe
and pleasure or Gods good pleasure towards men Good will towards men This is the spring and roote of all the Angels begin with Glory to God and then they come to peace among men because without peace and reconciliation with God the heart of man cannot be inlarged to glorifie God the Angels would have men glorifie God as well as themselves therefore they desire peace on earth that God may be glorified in heaven Now there is no peace but issues from grace grace is Gods free good will and pleasure therefore the Angels say Good will towards men The holy Apostles they could not have better teachers for their salutations in their Epistles then to learne of the Angels as you have Saint Pauls Prefaces the same with this Evangelicall celebration and gratulation here to men Grace mercy and peace so here Peace on earth good will towards men onely the Apostles they begin Grace and peace and here the Angels Peace and grace but the meaning of the Angels and Apostles is all one for the Angels when they wish peace on earth they goe to the spring of it Good will towards men the Apostles they begin with grace the spring and then goe to peace after Good will towards men The words need not further to be explicated there is no great difficulty in them the points considerable are these God now hath a gracious good will towards men This good will is the foundation of all good And this is founded upon Christ. The first of these I will but touch because it doth but make way to the other God shewes now good pleasure towards men The love that God beares towards man hath divers termes from divers relations as it is a propension in him to doe good so it is love As it is his free so it is his good pleasure or grace as it is to persons in miserie it is mercy The fountaine of all is love But as the object is diversely considered so the termes be divers good pleasure and grace imply freedome in the party loving and mercy implies misery in the party loved Now this free good will and grace it is towards Men towards man-kind hee saith not towards Angels it is more towards men then even to good Angels in some sort for now man is taken to be the Spouse of Christ good Angels are not so neither is it good will to evill Angels for their state is determined there is no altering of their condition therefore God is called Philanthropos not Philangelos and the Scripture calls this Philanthropia the love that God hath shewed to men in Christ. Therefore wee should have thoughts of God as gracious loving our nature more then the Angelicall nature in some respects And learne this for imitation to love mankind God loved mankind and surely there is none that is borne of God but hee loves the nature of man wheresoever hee finds it hee will not stand altogether whether it be good or bad c. But because we are now in the way and our state is not determined and because God loves the nature of man therefore every man that hath the Spirit of God loves mankind he will labour to gaine Turkes or Indians c. if hee can because hee loves the very nature of man but I passe from this point to the second This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good will of God to restore lapsed man by the sending of his Sonne is the ground of all good to man and hath no ground but it selfe Gods grace and love to the creature is altogether independant in regard of the creature God fetcheth not reasons of his love from the creature but from his owne bowels What can he foresee in persons that were dead nay in persons that were in a contrary disposition to goodnesse there is nothing but enmity in our nature to supernaturall goodnesse can God foresee grounds of love in enmity As Moses tels the people of Israel in divers places Deut. 7. and 8. That it was not for any foresight of good in them they were the stubbornest people under heaven therefore God to shew his free love hee chose a stubborne people and singled them out to be the object of his mercy so God oftimes takes the unlikeliest then in the world and passeth by many otherwise of sweete natures so wee see even the meanes themselves they are of Gods free mercy and love We have whatsoever we have by vertue of the Covenant for what could wee looke for from God but in Covenant wherein he hath bound himselfe now since the fall this Covenant is called the Covenant of grace That now if we believe in Christ we shall not perish but have life and salvation in all the parts of it it is of Gods free grace and good pleasure What is the foundation of the covenant Christ Christ is of free grace God so loved the world that he gave his onely Sonne There is nothing freer then gift Christ is a gift the greatest gift he came freely from God he gave him to death for us all Rom. 8. And then whatsoever good thing wee have in Christ it comes freely too hee that gave Christ freely shall hee not with him give us all things too Then the very grace to keepe the covenant repentance and faith they are the gift of God I will take away your stony heart and give you new hearts and cause you to walke in my statutes I will circumcise your hearts so the grace to walked in the covenant of grace it comes from God God doth his part and ours too to shew not only that the covenant of grace is a covenant of wondrous love to give us grace here and glory herafter but that the foundation is of grace and the performance on our part is of grace nay it is of grace that hee would enter into covenant at all hee humbled himselfe wondrously to vouchsafe to enter into covenant it was humiliation on Gods part and exaltation to us therefore as it is in Zacharie we may cry Grace grace there is nothing but grace and free love in the whole carriage of our salvation If whatsoever good come to man be meerely from Gods good will let us emptie our selves and give him the glory of all it is easily spoken and heard but not so easily done for man naturally is proud and for flesh and bloud to bee brought to goe out of it selfe and acknowledg nothing in it selfe to give the glory of all goodnesse and happinesse to Gods free grace and goodnesse it is hard to bring proud nature to doe this but we must begge grace of God to worke our hearts to this more and more to empty our selves of our selves and to give God the glory of all But I come to the last point because I would end this text at this time This free love and grace of God is onely in Christ. Therfore the Angels pronounce it now
at the birth of Christ Good will to men All these agree very well Châ—â—sts free grace and faith For what wee have by grace wee have onely by Christ because he hath given satisfaction to Gods Justice that so grace may be conveyed and derived unto us without prejudice to any other Attribute in God and then the imbraceing power and grace in us is faith so these three agree I say whatsoever wee have from Gods free love now wee have it in Christ the free love of God is grounded in Christ wee in our selves especially considered in the corrupt masse cannot bee the object of Gods love God cannot looke upon us but in him the best beloved first therefore all is Christ in the carriage of it wee are elected in Christ called in Christ justified by Christ sanctified by the Spirit of Christ glorified in Christ We are blessed with all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ. This is my beloved Sonne I am well pleased in him it is the same word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In whom I delight Isay 42. Out of which the Father takes his speech This is the Sonne I delight in Now all Gods delight is first fixed in his Sonne and in us because we must have communion with the Sonne so the first object of Gods free love is Christ and then he lookes upon us in him The Trinity have a wondrous complacencie in looking upon mankind now in Christ God loves us as redeemed by Christ Christ loves us as electeâ— by the Father and given by the Fathers choyce to him to redeeme the Holy Ghost hath a speciall liking to us as seeing the love of the Father in chusing us and of the Son in redeeming us And surely if wee would see likewise those sweet interviewes of God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost it should be our maine delight too to see how God hath chosen us and given us to Christ to save how Christ hath redeemed us from this very respect that the Father hath chosen us and given us to him as it is in Iohn 17. Thine thâ—y were thou gavest them me and how the Holy Ghost is a spirit of communion the Communion of the Holy Ghost that hath communion with the Father and the Son and issueâ— and proceedes from them both how he witnesseth this love to our soules and applies it to us the Holy Ghost applies all the Father decreed and ordained all the Sonne workes and dispenseth all the consideration of the point is wondrous comfortable Whatsoever good will the Father hath to us it is as we are in Christ. And why in Christ Because Christ is the first thing that God can love hee is the onely begotten Sonne of God whosoever is loved to glory in a spirituall order is loved in the first beloved Christ is loved of God as the character of his owne image the Sonne represents the Father he is loved of God as Mediator by office so God lookes upon us in Christ as the Sonne of his love so he is called by Saint Paul Coloss. 1. Then if we consider our selves this must bee so alas we are not objects of Gods love in our selves nor cannot be but in some other that is loved first for what are we and what is the glory to which God loves us To love such as wee to such glory and to free us from such misery due it must be by another foundation then our selves therefore Gods good pleasure is founded upon his Son Christ this is a cleare point the Scripture beates much upon it hee is our elder brother and wee must bee conformed to him To make some use of it First of all then we see here that all that are not in Christ lye open to the vengeance and wrath of God his good wil towards men is only in Christ. Againe if all Gods good will and pleasure be in Christ as our high Priest without whom we can offer no sacrifice as wee know whatsoever was not offered by the high Priest it was abhominable Therefore wee should looke to God in Christ love God in Christ performe service to God in Christ pray to God in Christ give thanks to God in Christ desire God in Christ to to make all things acceptable for Christs sake because it is in Christ that God hath any good will and pleasure to us It is a point of marvellous comfort that Gods love and good pleasure is so well founded as in Christ he loves Christ eternally and sweetly and strongly is not Gods love to us the same doth he not love us with the same love that hee loves his Son he loves his mysticall body with one love that is Christ head and members Iohn 17. That the love thou bearest to me may bee in them what a sweet comfort is this God loves Christ and me with one love he loves me strongly and sweetly and constantly as hee doth his owne Sonne his love to me is eternall because the foundation of it is eternall it is founded upon Christ. The love of a Prince if it be founded on a Favourite he loves dearely must needs be firme and strong Now Gods love to Christ is ardent and strong and sweet as possibly can be conceived therefore it is so to us his good will to us being founded on Christ. Why should a believer feare that God will cast him away he will as soone leave his love to his owne Sonne as to us if we continue members of his Sonne it is an undefeasable love it is a point of wondrous comfort What shall separate us saith the Apostle Rom. 8. from the love of God founded in Christ neither things present nor things to come nor life nor death nor any thing many things may sever the soule and body but there is nothing in the world but sinne that shall sever either soule or body from the love of God in Christ because both body and soule are members of Christ therefore let us treasure it up as a point wondrous comfortable To come to an use of tryall how shall wee know wither Gods good will be to us in Christ or no how shall I know that he loves my person that I am in the state of grace and love with him The Holy Ghost must ascertaine this for as the worke of salvation was so great that onely God could satisfie God so the doubts of mans heart and the guilt of his conscience when it is upon him and the feare of Gods wrath upon just guilt is such that God must assure him that God is reconciled to him God the Sonne must reconcile God the Father and God the holy Ghost must seale and ascertaine this to the soule The soule will never bee quiet before it see and know in particular God reconciled in Christ the Spirit that is God that is above conscience must seale it to the Soule being above conscience he can set downe and quiet our conscience Now
this Spirit that worketh this in us and assures us of Gods good pleasure it alters and changeth our dispositions that wee shall have a good pleasure in God for there is a mutuall good pleasure God hath a good pleasure in us as his and we have a good pleasure in God wrought by the Spirit the Spirit not onely witnesseth but worketh this sweet and gracious disposition to God God delights in us and we in God God delights in the Church above all things the Church is his wife and Spouse his body his friends his children and those that have the Spirit of God delight in them too Psal. 16 All my delight is in the excellent and Pro. 8. My delight is in the Sonnes of men saith Christ which he shewed by taking the base nature of man upon him so all that have the Spirit of Christ delight in the Church and people of God All my delight is in the Saints on earth God saith his delight is in his Church Hos. 2. So all that have the Spirit of God they delight in the people of God God delights in obedience more then Sacrifice Gods people that he delights in they yeeld their bodies and soules a Sacrifice to God Rom. 12. They will seeke out what is well pleasing and acceptable to God God accepts them in Christ and he is acceptable to them in Christ Iesus and they seeke out what pleaseth him and is acceptable to him as the sonnes of Isaac sought out what might please their old father what he could relish so Gods children seeke out what duties God relisheth best Thanksgiving is a Sacrifice with which God is well pleased is it so then they will seeke out that that may please him God by his Spirit will worke in them a disposition to please him in all things therefore the people of God are said to bee a voluntary free people zealous of good workes being set at liberty the Spirit infusing and conveying the love and good pleasure of God in Christ to them it sets their wils at liberty to devise to please God in all things they have as David prayes Psal. 51. A free Spirit As God not out of any respect from us but freely from his owne bowels loved us and gave Christ to us and delighted in us so the soule freely without any base respects loves God againe Those therefore that doe duties for base aymes and forced as fire out of a flint not as water out of a spring that duty comes not naturally and sweetly from them God hath no pleasure in them because they have none in God but the good they doe is extorted and drawne from them Let us try our selves therefore if wee have tasted Gods good will towards us we will have a good pleasure to him againe whatsoever is Gods pleasure shall be our pleasure what pleaseth him shall please us If it please him to exercise us with crosses and afflictions and losses what pleaseth God shall please me for when he hath once loved me freely in Christ every thing that comes from him tastes of that free love if hee correct me it is out of free love and mercie all the wayes of God are mercy and truth his way of correction and sharp dealing it is a way of love and free mercy therefore if it please him it shall please me my will shall be his will Againe if wee finde the free love of God to us in Christ it will quicken us to all duties and strengthen us in all conditions but these evidences shall suffice let us search our hearts how we stand affected to God and to the best things wee delight in them if God delight in us And if wee doe not find our selves yet to be the people of Gods delight towards whom God hath thoughts of love as the Prophet speaks what shall we doe Attend upon the meanes of salvation the Gospell of peace and reconciliation and wayte the good time and doe not stand disputing this is that that hinders many their disputing and cavilling that perhaps God hath not a purpose to save me and that the greatest part of mankind goe the broad way c. Leave disputing and fall to obeying God hath a gracious purpose to save all that repent of their sinnes and believe in Christ this is Gospell I will leave secret things they belong to God revealed things belong to me I will desire of God his Spirit to repent of my sinnes and to believe and cast my selfe in the armes of his mercy in Christ and then let God doe as hee please if I perish I will perish in the armes of Christ let us labour to bring our hearts to waite in the use of the means for Gods good Spirit to inable me to see my state by nature and to get out of it by casting my selfe upon Gods love in Christ. And object not the greatnesse of any sinne to hinder the comfort of Gods mercy it is a free mercy the ground of it is from himselfe and not from thee It was free to Manasses that had sinned no man more being a King and being the sonne of a good father his sinnes spread further then ours can doe answerable to the greatnesse of his person being an infinite and free mercy it extends to the greatest sinners let no man pretend any sinne or unworthinesse if he seriously repent if any sinne or unworthinesse could keepe it backe it were something but it is a free mercy and love from Gods owne bowels in Christ. And consider how God offers this in the Gospel and layes a command it is thy duty to have a good conceit of God in Christ We ought not to suspect a man that is an honest man and will God take it wel at our hands to suspect him that he is so and so he maks a shew of his love mercy in Christ but perhaps he intends it not put it out of question by believing if thou have grace to believe the mercy of God in Christ thou makest thy selfe a member of Christ and an heire of heaven thou questionist whether thou bee one that Christ dyed for or no believe in him and obey him and thou puttest that question out of question thou doubtest whether God love thee or no cast thy self upon the love of God in Christ and then it is out of question whosoever hath grace to cast himselfe upon the free love of God he fulfils the covenant of grace stand not disputing and wrangling but desire grace to obey and thâ—n all questions concerning thy eternall estate are resolved all is cleare If these things will not move you then let all men know that live in a sinfull condition that they had better have lived in any part of the world then in these glorious times and places of light for when they heare the love of God in Christ laid open to them if they will come in and receive Christ and cast themselves
upon him and be ruled by him and they will not it shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorrha for Jewes and Turkes and Pagans and those that worship Devils then for us for when God offers his free love and mercy in Christ if we will entertaine it and we will none of it then justice alone shall not condemne us but mercy shall condemne us wee will none of mercy There is not the worst man but would have pardoning mercy hee is content to have God pardon his sinne but hee will not take the whole mercy and love of God in Christ curing healing mercy there are those that live in filthy courses in prophanenesse in swearing c. it is food to them to be malicious to deprave the best things Serpents feed on poyson They are content to have their sinnes pardoned if God will let their filthy nature alone their poysonfull blasphemous disposition that exalts it selfe against God and let them goe on in their course they will have one mercy but not another but wee shall never be saved without entire mercy healing as well as pardoning whom God loves hee doth not onely pardon their sinnes but heales their nature and makes it like unto Christs holy and pure Those that have not the Spirit in them desiring altering and changing and healing grace as well as pardoning grace they are hypocrites Let us remember this especially because it is most usefull and most men are deceived in this they thinke oh God is mercifull and his love is free in Christ and though I be unworthy yet God will have mercy upon me but hast thou a secret desire to partake of Gods whole mercy and love to make thee good as well as to make thee his sonne and intitle thee to heaven to have thy nature altered to see the deformity of sinne and the beauty of grace if thou hadst rather to have the Image of God upon thee more then any favour in the world that thou hadst rather be free from the bondage of sinne then any other deliverance if it be thus thy state is good To hasten considering Gods free love opened now in Jesus Christ I beseech you let us study Christ and labour to get into Christ daily more and more that wee may be members of Christ and desire God daily more and more to reveale himselfe in Christ to us that we may see his face in Christ that wee may know him in the sweet relations hee hath put on him in the Gospell To know God in generall as a Creator and doing good c. the Heathens did that by the light of nature but we should labour to â—ee him in the face of Christ that is to see him appeased and loving us wishing us well concerning eternall glory that must be by the light of the Gospell and by the Spirit therfore in hearing of the Word and reading and meditating desire God above all to reveale by his Spirit his gracâ—ous face in Christ that in Christ we may see him as a Father as a Husband as a Friend in those sweet relations of love that he hath taken upon him It should be our daily desire of God to manifest his love more to us in Christ Iesus then in any other fruits of his love for there be common fruits as to give us health and friends and liberty and quiet governement which are great favours that we see denyed to many nations oh but the soule that is touched with the spirit of God and the sence of his owne condition by nature is thus disposed Lord I desire that thou wouldest shew the fruits of thy love to me but I desire not so much those common fruits that the reprobates may have as well as I oh shew me by thy holy spirit that thou hast a particular and peculiar love to me in Christ and for this end give me grace to know the mistery of Christ more and more the mystery of my naturall corruption that knowledge that may drive me to make much of thy love and grace in Christ. Now the Spirit that knowes the deepe things of God the depth of Gods love to any one in particular and the depth of our hearts if we begge the Spirit to reveale the good pleasure of God to us in time God will shew unto our soules that he delights in us and that he is our salvation this shewes that the soule is an excellent temper that it sets a right price and value on things that it prizeth Gods favour above all things that is the nature of faith for what is faith onely to believe in generall that Christ dyed c No but to esteeme Gods love better then all the world for Gods love is entire in pardoning and curing too by this the soule is raysed up to esteeme the love and mercy of God in pardoning and healing sinne above life it selfe Psal. 63. Thy loving kindnesse is better then life To conclude all with this one motive the loving kindnesse of God when wee have it once it is no barren complementall kindnesse it is a loving kindnesse that reacheth from everlasting to everlasting from Gods love in chusing to his love in glorifying us it is a love that reacheth to the filling of nature with all the happinesse it is capable of In this world in all misery one beame of Gods loving kindnesse will scatter all clouds whatsoever what raised the spirit of Daniel in the Lions Den of the three young men in the middest of the Furnace of St. Paul in the Dungeon the beames of Gods love in Christ brake into the prison into the Dungeon a few beames of that will enlarge the heart more then any affliction in the world can cast it downe It is excellent that Moses saith Deut. 33. The good pleasure of him that dwelt in the bush c. You know that God appeared in the bush when it was flaming the flaming bush shewed the state of Israel in the middest of the Furnace of persecution yet notwithstanding the bush was not consumed why because the good will of God was in the bush so let us be in any persecution put case wee bee like Moses bush all on fire yet the fire shall not consume nor hurt us why the good pleasure of him that dwelt in the bush is with us in Isai 43. I will bee with thee in the fire and in the water not to keepe thee out but I will be with thee in it so that in the greatest persecutions that can be in the fiery tryall as Saint Peter cals it the good will of him that dwelt in the bush will bee with us so that wee shall not be consumed though we bee in the fire afflicted but not despaire why the good pleasure of God dwels in the bush in the Church in the middest of afflictions and persecutions hee is with us who can bee miserable that hath the presence of God the favour and good will of God
is for our good if he send poverty and disgrace it is for our good to fit us for a better state God in his infinite wisdome knowes better what is good for us then we doe for our selves In the want of any thing let us beleeve that Christ is given as a publike treasure to the Church Thus we may improove the grace and riches we have in Christ. Againe let us labour to make a good use of every favour we enjoy of our liberties and recreations we have all by the poverty of Christ therefore let us use them in a sober manner not as the fashion is to cast off all care of Christ to powre out our selves to all licentiousnesse Let us consider this liberty and refreshing that I have it is from the blood of Christ as Davids Worthies when they brake through w th the danger of their lives to get him water Oh saith he I will not drink it it is the blood of these men so whatsoever liberties and good things I have I have it by the poverty of Christ by the blood of Christ and shall I misuse it And certainely it will make us esteeme more highly of our spirituall priviledges then of outward considering they cost Christ so deare He became poore to set us up when we were utterly banckrupt he stripped himselfe of all to make us rich shall we not therefore esteeme and use these things well And when we are tempted to sinne this will be a great meanes to restraine us I am freed from sinne by the blood of Christ shall I make him poore againe by committing sinne Shall I wrong him now he is in Heaven The Iewes despited him on earth in the forme of a servant but our sins are of a higher nature of a deeper double dye we sin against Christ in Heaven in glory When we are tempted to sinne this consideration will make us ashamed to sin since Christ hath bought our liberty from sinne at such a raâ—e shall we make light of sinne that cost him his deare bloud and the sense of his fathers wrath that made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me It is impossible that any man should powre out himselfe to sin that hath this consideration Christ became poore that we through his poverty might be made rich The next thing is the ground or spring from whence all this comes it is from grace you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. It was his meere grace There was nothing that could compell him God the Father could not compell him because he was equall with his Father being God there was an equality of essence And then what was there in us that should move him to abase himselfe so low was there any worth in us No we were dead was there any strength in us No we were dead in sins was any goodnesse in us No we were Christs enemies was there any desire in us No we were opposite to all goodnesse in our selves there was no desire in us to be better then we were if God should have let us alone to our owne desires we were posting to Hell It is the greatest misery in the world next to Hell it selfe to be given up to our owne desires A man were better to be given up to the Divill then to his owne desires he may torment him and perhaps bring him to repentance but to be given up to his owne desires leads to Hell It is meerely of grace grace it was the grace of God the Father that gave his Son and it was grace that the Son gave himselfe What is grace It is a principle from whence all good comes from God to us As God loves us men and not Angels it is Philanthropia as Gods affection is beneficiall to our nature so it is love as it is to persons in misery so it is mercy as it is free without any worth in us procuring it so it is grace It is the same affection only it differs outwardly in regard of the object Hence we see that Christ must be considered as a joynt cause of our salvation with the Father It is the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ you see here he became poore to make us rich Indeed he was sent and anointed and sealed and had authority of his Father yet notwithstanding his joynt grace and consent went with it Therefore he was a principle as Chrysostome speaks with a principle he differs nothing at all from his Father but in order of persons first the Father and then the Sonne both being joyntly God and both joynt causes of the salvation of mankinde The Father chose us to salvation the Sonne paid the price for us and the Holy Ghost applyes it and sanctifies our natures God the Father loved the world and gave his Sonne Christ loved the world and gave himselfe he loved mee and gave himselfe for mee saith S. Paul Therefore wee should think of the sweet consent of the Trinity in their love to mankinde so the Father loved us that he gave his Sonne so the Sonne loved us that he gave himselfe so the Holy Ghost loves us that he conveighs all grace to us and dwels in us and assures us of Gods love Wee must not thinke of Christ as an underling in the worke of salvation hee is a principle in the worke from his Father The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ it is the cause of all It was the cause why hee was man It is the cause of all grace that is in us that that is the cause of the cause is the cause of the â—hing caused The grace of Christ is the cause of all in us because it was the cause of Christs suffering from whence we have grace Grace was the cause that Christ was man and that he suffered therefore it is the cause of grace in us Christ was a gift the Father gave him and he gave himself If thou hadst knowne the gift of God saith Christ to the Woman of Samariah Oh it is the greatest gift that ever was Therefore when wee thinke of any one of the Persons in the Trinity we must not exclude the rest but include all which is a comfortable consideration because there is a sweet union of all the three Persons in the great work of salvation As Christ saith I in the Father and the Father in me not in essence alone he is God and I am God but I am in the Father and he in me I consent with the Father and the Father with me we both agree in the great worke of salvation Therefore we should returne the glory of all the good wee have to God the Father and to Christ and as it is in Revel 5. Worthy is the Lambe because he hath redeemed us When we think of the good we have by Christ worthy is the Lambe because he shed his blood for us The Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the
them or else we shall find no grace we must be poore in Spirit and sensible of our misery for God inricheth those that are empty and poore The rich he sends empty away We must sue to God for grace by the Spirit of grace and take heed that we turne not these offers of grace to occasions of wantonnesse and so divide Christ to take out of Christ what we list and leave what we list we must know that Christ as he is our Iesus to save us so he is our Lord as he saith here The Lord Iesus Christ we must submit to him for the time to come and then we shall finde experience of his sweet grace The next thing I obserue briefly is that This grace must be knowne Saith the Apostle here you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. A man may know his riches he may know his interest in Christ. The Apostle useth it here as an argument to perswade them to good works that that is used as an argument must be knowne before the thing can be perswaded A thing cannot be made light by that which is darker then it selfe but the Apostle here useth this as an argument you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ so that these truths are taken for granted That all grace comes by the poverty of Christ. And then that we may know our selves to be interessed in it that Christs poverty was for us A man that is a true Christian may know his share and interest in the grace of Christ or else how should he be perswaded by this as an argument if he know it not Or how shall he be comfortable excepâ— he know that he hath interest in Christ It may be knowne out of the Scriptures as a history that Christ is gracious for matter of fact the Devils know it as well as we and Iudas knew it but hee speakes here of a knowledge with interest you know it by experience the Spirit witnesseth to your spirits so much that Christ gave himselfe for you I know the grace of Christ as mine as belonging to me as if there were no man in the world besides and as this knowledge is with interest so it stirs up to due All other knowledge but knowledge with interest may stand with desperation and what good will it doe to know in generall that Christ came to save sinners and yet go to Hell for all that It is the knowledge that applyes Christ in particular that saves a man that knowledge that determines the generall to my owne person Therefore we must labour for this Christ was poore for me He loved me and gave himselfe for me The love and free grace of Christ it may and it ought to be knowne We ought to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure It may be knowne but it cannot be knowne without a great deale of diligence and selfe deniall This knowledge is a super-added grace It is one thing to be a sound Christian and another thing to know it A man cannot know it by reflexion but he must first be good in exercise he must finde grace working he must give all diligence to make his calling and election sure to him It may be sure in it selfe but it cannot be sure to him without diligence therefore those that know their estate in grace they are fruitfull growing carefull watchfull Christians It is no wonder that in these secure times if we aske many whether they know themselves to be in the state of grace upon sound grounds they wish well and they have many doubtings There are many that have the seeds and the worke of grace in them but the times are so secure that they know it not Vsually it is made knowne to us in the worst times either in the time of affliction and temptation and triall or after when wee have fought the good fight and overcome our corruptions To him that overcommeth will I give of the hidden Mannah that is he shall have a sweet sense of Christ to be Mannah to be bread of life to him to him that conflicts and gets the victory over his corruptions The reason why many feele not that sweet comfort from the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ it is because either they doe not conflict with their base corruptions or if they doe strive they get but a little ground of them And let us take heed of that cold and injurious conceit as if it were a thing not to be known whether we belong to Christ or no. What doe we think that Christ would come in the flesh and become poore nay become a curse for us and that he is now in Heaven for us and all that we should doubt whether we be in his love or no and that we should not labour to finde our portion in that love What a wrong is this to the grace of Christ Is not all his dealing towards us that we might be joyfull in our selves and thankfull and fruitfull to him and how can this be without some knowledge that our state is good How can wee live well and dye comfortably without it Therefore let us make it the maine scope and aime of our indeavour Oh the happinesse of that Christian that is good and knowes himselfe to be so What in this world can fall very uncomfortably to such a man Nothing in the world can take downe his courage much whereas another man that doubts of this can never be comfortable in any condition he cannot be joyfull and thankfull in prosperity he cannot be comfortable in adversity for hee knowes not from what ground this comes whether it be in love to him or no. You see from hence likewise that grace is no enemy to good workes neither the freedome of Gods favour being without any merit on our part nor the knowledge and assurance of salvation it is no enemy to diligence and to good works nay it is the foundation of them The Apostle doth not use it here as an argument to neglect good workes no he stirs them up by it If any thing in the world will worke upon a heart that hath any ingenuity it is the love and favour and grace of God the love of Christ constraineth the love of Christ as knowne it melts the heart The knowledge of the grace of Christ it is very effectuall to stir us up as to all duties so especially to the duty of bounty and mercy for experience of grace it will make us gracious and kinde and loving and sweet to others Those that have felt mercy will be ready to shew mercy those that have felt grace and love they will be ready to reflect and shew that to others that they have felt themselves Those that are hard hearted and barren in their lives and conversations it is a signe that the Sunne of righteousnesse never yet shined on them There is a power in grace and grace knowne to assimilate the soule to be
the more we shall attaine this Therefore let us labour that Christ may be all in all in us that as the soule doth act the body so the Spirit of Christ may act us that Christ may speake in us and think in us and love in us by his Spirit that he may dwell in us and joy and hate in us by his Spirit that we may put off our selves and our carnall affections and the Spirit of the world and that we may put on Christ and be clothed with him that we may say with S. Paul I live not but Christ lives in me by his Spirit whence was Paul stirred up to that Oh saith he Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me Gal. 2. The grace of Christ stirred him up Christ loved me and gave himselfe for me and by his Spirit he witnesseth to my soule that he did so Therefore the life that I live is by the Spirit of Christ Christ lives in me But to come to the particular duty whereunto the grace and example of Christ should stir us up to be like him that is in kindnesse and mercy and bounty to the poore Saints for that is the scope of the Apostle here in this and the next Chapter You know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he was rich he became poore c. Wherfore doth the Apostle bring all this To move them to the duty of bounty and liberality This duty it is legall from the example of Christ it is a thing that hath much equity in it and it is enough to a Christian heart that hath the love of God to put him in minde of the grace of God to him you need not beat upon him or presse him further then thus You know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ remember you are a Christian you have felt the experience of Gods love in Christ every man will judge of the equity that we should therefore be gracious and kinde and loving to others in imitation of Christ because he hath beene so to us Wherein stands the equity First it may appeare in this if we consider in how neere a relation those that need our help are to us and likewise to Christ. First what is their relation to us Not only that they are our flesh for so are all men but they are heires of the same salvation bought with the death of the same Christ such as Christ feeds with his owne body and blood such as he clothes with his owne righteousnesse they are fellow members with us fellow heires of Heaven and members of Christ such as he died for to redeeme with the price of his owne blood there is an undeniable equity if we consider their condition their relation to Christ and to us Againe there is a marvellous binding equity to see the grace of God to us in particular Christ became poore to make us rich in grace here and in glory hereafter and shall not I out of my riches give somewhat to the poore Is it not equall Christ from Heaven came in my nature and flesh to visit me as it is in the Song of Zachary The day spring from on high hath visited us and shall not I visit Christ in his members He came from Heaven to Earth to take notice of my wants and miseries to doe and suffer that that I should have done and suffered he feeds me with his body and blood that is with his satisfaction to Divine justice by his death and shall not I feed his poore members Christ clothes me with his righteousnesse and shall not I cloth Christ in his poore members In the consideration of these things the Spirit of God will be effectuall to stir us up to this marvellous neglected duty of kindnesse and mercy to those that stand in need And because Christ is our paterne herein let us labour to imitate Christ in the manner of releeving and shewing kindnesse and communicating to others that we may doe it as CHRIST hath done How is that First Christ prevented us when we never desired him so we should prevent others Sometimes the modesty of those that want is such that they will not lay open their wants we should see it and prevent it he gives too late oft times that gives to a man that asks him Therefore herein let us imitate Christ to consider of the miseries of others he looked on and considered the miseries of mankinde and it drew him from Heaven to the Virgins wombe from thence to the Crosse to the grave even as low as Hell in his preventing love and mercy Therefore when wee see any need especially if there be any worth in them in any kinde let us not stay till it be wrested from us by intreaty for it is dearely bought oft times that comes that way but prevent them in mercy as Christ hath done to us Secondly what Christ did for us he did marvellous chearfully and readily oh what a desire he had to eate his last Passeover a little before he was crucified With a desire have I desired to eat this passeover with you he was chearfull in it he had a great desire to doe us good and as he saith Ioh. 4. when his disciples put him in mind of eating when he had not eat in a long time before saith he It is meat and drink to me to do the will of my Father so whatsoever we do to others we should do it chearefully and readily as he did Againe whatsoever Christ did for us he did it out of love and grace and mercy he did it inwardly from his very bowels so when we do aâ—ny thing for others we should not onely doe the deed but doe it from an inward principle of love and mercy Therefore the Scripture phrase is powre out thy bowels and saith S. Iohn if a man see his brother in need and pretend he loves God and yet relieves him not how is there bowels in such a man and so in Micah 6. He hath shewed thee oh man what is good to love mercy not onely to be mercifull to do works of mercy but to love it to do what we do out of love and affection and powre out thy heart to thy flesh as it is in I say to give the heart and affection when we do any thing or else we may give with the hand and denie with the heart A man may give a thing so untowardly that one may see it comes against his heart and will Therefore let us labour to doe that we doe with our whole man especially from our heart and affection and bowels It is said of Christ in the Gospell when he saw the people in misery his bowels yearned within him the workes of grace and mercy in Christ they came from his bowels first Let us worke our hearts to pitie and love and mercy first that it may come from the soule as well as from the outward man Againe Christ
Motive to get into Christ. Angels our enemies out of Christ. To carry our selves answerable to our condition Not to disdaine weake Christians Psal. 113. Angels description Angels office double Christ preached to the Gentiles Rom. 1. Rom. 16. Dispensation of Christ. To preach what Manifestation of Christs Offices Christs states 1 1 Humiliation 2 2 Exaltaâ—ion Necessitie of application in Preaching Preaching of the Law The Law wrapped in the Gospel Manner of publishing tâ—e Goâ—pel Vse To magnifie this dispensation God dispenseth the Gospel by men 1 1 To trie our obedience 2 2 To knit man to man 3 3 As fitting our condition Why sinners preach to sinners To have a right esteeme of Gods Ordinance Question Answer Private Exercise with contempt of publike cursed Simile Object Answer Ephes. 4. Vse of preaching Object Answer Necessitie of much preaching Object Answer Religion not easily learned Simile Christ profits not but as preached Priviledge of Apostles Ier 3. Experience of the benefit of Preaching Question Answer Christ the object of preaching Christ preached how Christ preâ—ched to the Gentiles What the Gentiles Coloss. 1. Act. 10. Object Act 14.16 Why the Gentiles strayed so long Rom. 1. Tully Tacitus Object A Mysterie in calling the Gentiles Answer Why the Gentiles were not called till Christs comming Ephes 2. Christ came both of Iewes and Gentiles Double Spring of the Gospel What use to make of the Gospel Severall degrees of the dispensation of salvation Ground of enlarging the Gospel to other people Sinnes against the Gospel 1 1 Superstition 2 2 Decay in love 3 3 Vnfruitfulnes Hinderances to the conversion of Pagan Gospel preached the excellencie of a Nation Christ beleeved on in the world Faith the marriage of the soule to Christ. Rom. 10. Ladder of Heaven Difference betweene Gods and mens proclamations Enemies to preached 〈…〉 to salvation Christ must be beleeved on Faith the grace of application Popish meanes of applying Christ ridiculous Heb. 4. Christ must be beleeved on 1 1 Onely Galat 5. 2 2 Wholly Christ the maine object of Faith Simile Faith lookes first on Christs person Christ chiefely to be preached and heard What meant here by world Against despaire Conversion of Savages Simile Of the Iewes Beleeving in Christ a Mysterie 1 1 In respect of the world 2 2 Those that carryed the message Aug. 3 3 In respect of the Truth they taught Aug. 4 4 In respect of the suddennesse 5 5 In respect of Christ. 6 6 In respect of Faâ—th Faith altogether above nature To have high conceits of Faith Ephes. 1.18 Redemption a greater worke then Creation 1 1 For Power 2 2 For mercie Faith put for all graces Heb. 11. Vnbeleefe the sinne of Adam Encouragements to beleeve are from Christ. Trials of Faith 1 1 How it is bred 2 2 By Conflict 3 3 By what it workes Rom. 1. 1 1 Peace 2 2 Altering the course Esteeme 4 4 Prevailing 5 5 By Love Galat. 5.6 Luke 7. To cherish Faith Bellarm. Ioh. 17.3 Psal. 9. Christ received up in Glory Glory what Ephes. 1.20 1 Pet. 3. Circumstances of Christs Ascension 1 1 The Place 2 2 The Time Ioh. 17.4 3 3 The Witnesses 4 4 His Chariot Christ received to glory a Mysterie In respect of the greatnesse of the glory Christ in glory applyes his Offices to us Iohn 7. 1 1 Christ ascended as a publike person 2 2 Neerenesse betweene Christ and his Church Christs glory a cause of ours Christs glory a patterne of ours 1 Cor. 25. Vse 1. Christ not bodily present in the Sacrament Similes Vse 2. Comfort 1 1 That we have glory by Christ. Ephes. 2. 2 2 In the houre of death 3 3 In our daily infirmities 4 4 In Want 5 5 In troubles Conformitie to Christ wherein it consists 6 6 In all disconsolations he pitties us Act. 9. Heb. 4.7 The Spirit supplyes Christs bodily absence 7 7 In regard of the Churches afflictions Simile Simile How Christ rules in afflictions Ier. 30.7 Micah 7. Christ for our sakes suspended his glory The Church afflicted why The same body that suffers shall be glorious Ground of patience in suffering Ground of courage in Christs cause Ground of encouragement to good duties Christs ascending to glory enforceth holinesse Ground of mortification Coloss. 3. Christs ascending to glory a ground of heavenly-mindednesse Coloss. 3.1 Simile Argument of infidelitie Iohn 17. Influence from Christ for this dutie Order of meditation of Christ. How to conceive of Christ in the Sacrament Conclusion Matth. 3. â—â—6 The Apparition glorious 1 1 In regard of the matter 2 2 Of the benefit Gen. 3.15 Christ revealed to all sorts Beames of Christs Divinity in his abasement Division of the words 1 1 The apparition God respects no callings The Angels appeare to them in their callings God appeares in the night of affliction These Angels called an Host. For number Dan. 7.10 Rev. 5.11 Heb. 12.22 2 2 For Order August 3 3 For consent 4 4 For imployment 5 5 For strength Guard of Angels comfortable Why God useth the ministery of Angels Angels attend Christs birth why Coloss. 1.16 Angels apparition sudden 1 1 For our Example 2 2 For our comfort The end of this apparition in respect of men Mutuall comfort from Christians a worke Angelicall Angels attend upon the Church Heb. 12. 22. Heb. 1. 2 2 The celebration Ioy how to be imployed The pure nature of Angels without envie Esay 9.6 To imitate Angels herein Specially to praise God for our own good 1 1 The chiefe end 2 2 The chiefe good 3 3 The chiefe ground Why they wish glory to God in heaven How we may glorifie God on earth more then in heaven Glory what The glory of God our chiefe end and ayme Rom. 11. Incarnation of Christ the foundation of other benefits by him Wherein God will most of all shew his glory Gods Attributes in Christ. 2 Cor. 1. Truth Wisedome Iustice. Holinesse Mercy The glory of God in Redemption exceeds 1 1 The worke of Creation 2 2 The state of Adam in innocency Exod. 34.6 Wherein Gods glory appeared to Moses Tit. 2.12 Mercy in God answereth all objections in man Object Answer Object Object Answer Hosâ—â— 11. Application to the Sacrament God out of Christ terrible These Sermons were preached at the feast of Christs nativity How to celebrate Christs Nativitie Tertullian What use to make Christs of comming Repentance what Why Gods children were suffred to fall Greatest sins committed in the Church How to know whether we glorifie God 1 1 When we exalt him above all Especially in opposition Psal. 73. Philip. 1. 2 2 When we take all favours in Christ. 3 3 When we stir up others to glorifie God Psal. 103. 4 4 When our dispositions are altered by beholding Gods glory in Christ. 1. Cor. 3. Esay 66.5 When wee grieve at the hinderances
of Gods glory 6 6 When it works a glorious joy The hinderances of Gods glory 1 1 Ignorance 2 2 Vnbeleefe 3 3 Too much light When wee thinke our sins greater then Gods mercy Doting on outward things How to come to glorifie God Meditations of Gods mercy in Christ. Ephes. 3. Question Answer The benefit of this meditation 2 2 Begge the spirit of revelation Gal 2. To glorifie God the end of our life 3 3 See the vanity of all things else Draw neere to God Application to the Sacrament Esay 6. Psal. 145. They that glorifie God also love men We cannot glorifie God till we know we are at peace with him Whence peace comes Peace what Ephes. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Out of Christ a separation 1 1 Betweene man and God 2 2 Betweene man and Angels 3 3 Betweene man and man 4 4 Betweene man and other creatures 5 5 Betweene man and himselfe Christ our peace Ephes. 2. Esay 9.7 Peace founded on Christ. Question Answer Why peace is wrought by Christ. 1 1 In regard of God 2 2 In respect of us 3 3 In regard of Christ. Simile No entercourse with God without Christ. Meditate of this peace Question Answer Why is it said peace on earth How to know God and we are at peace 1 1 If God be reconciled to us we are reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5.19 Man naturally hates God 2 2 Gods friends and enemies are ours 3 3 Boldnesse of spirit Iob 22. Acquaintance with God 4 4 Hatred of knowne sins 5 5 High esteeme of the Gospell 2 Cor. 5. 6 6 Peaceablenes with others Isay 11. Danger of false peace Necessitie of application How to maintaine this peace Watchfulnes 2 2 Renewing our Covenant 3 3 Prayer to God Phâ—lâ—p 4. 4 4 Good imployment Philip. 4.8 Motive to unregenerate men to get peace To stirre us up to search the grounds of this peace 1 1 The danger without it In respâ—ct of God 2 2 Christ. Psal. 2. 3 3 The Holy-Ghost 4 4 Creatures Esay 1. 5 5 Devils 6 6 The Churchâ—â— 7 7 Damned spirits Exhortation to make our peace Happinesse of him that is at peace with God Afflictions sanctified to those that are at peace with God Difference of men in trouble Psal. 112. Confidence of Christianâ— in death Comfort after death Peace comes from grace Gods good pleasure to men To love mankind Gods good will the gâ—ound of all good Gods love independent Deut. 7.8 Covenant of grace Foundation of the covenant free Rom. 8. All good by Christ free To empty our selves Gods free love onely in Christ. Iohn 17. Why Godâ— love to us is in Christ. Col. 1. Vse The misery of man out of Christ. To looke to God in Christ in what we do Gods love in Christ ground of comfort Rom 8. How to know Gods love to us The Holy Ghost testifies Gods love The Spirit alters mans disposition to delight in God Psal. 16. Hos. 2. Rom. 12. Psal. 51. Love of God quickeneth to dutie Direction to those that find not God love to them Greatnesse of sin hinders not Gods love To have a good conceit â—o God Danger of neglecting Gods offer Mistake in aâ—plying Gods mercy Study Christ daily Beg the Spirit of revelation Psal 63. Gods love fruitfull Deut. 33. Isay. 43. Simile Scope of the words Examples forcible Example more prevalent then precepts Doct. 2. Christ was rich Riches what Psal. 24. Christ God before he was man Arius Phil. 2.6 Christ a Mediator from the beginning Simile Quest. Answ. Our Mediator must be God 1 1 For the greatnesse of the ill wee were in 2 2 In regard of the good wee have by him Doct. 2. Christ became poore 1 1 He tooke our natuâ—e 2 2 Our nature fallen 3 3 Our condition 4 4 Our misery 5 5 Our sinnes How farre Christ tooke our sinnes Simile Simile Particulars of Christs poverty Iohn 4. Aggravation of Christs poverty Christs riches vailed in his poverty Simile Christ no begger Bellarmine Doct. 3. Christs Poverty our riches Not for himselfe Not for Angells Christs poverty to make us rich Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. What riches we have by Christ. 1 1 Our debts discharged We are rich by imputation By infusion In prerogatives Adoption Liberty to the throne of grace Ephes. 3. All things turned to good Rom. 5.10 Riches of glory Ephes. 3.8 First fruits of glory Quest. Answ. We are inriched by Christs poverty 1 1 Because wee fell by pride 2 2 We must be restored by satisfaction Else we could not have the spirit No riches by Christ without union Colos. 1.27 Freedom from evill by Christ. Conveyance of all good Object Answ. Christians richâ—s hidden Object Answ. Christians riches chiefly spirituall Christ provides for his Want of outward comforts supplied Simile Christians rich in promises Christians have a rich pawne Poverty a part of our riches Vse 1. A Christians state in contraries Greatnesse of Christs love Bernard How to bee thankefull to Christ. If we be rich by Christs poverty much more by his riches Rom. 5.10 Not to despise men for poverty Heb. 11.38 Christ came not to purchase outward riches Digression concerning the feast of Christs Nativitâ— 1 1 They are not our owne Luke 16. 2 2 They are not true riches 1 1 They make not a man better Simile 2 2 A man out-lives them Simile 3 3 They are not proportionable to the soule From what ground to esteeme our selves and others Our own fault if we want spirituall riches To examine what riches we have from Christ. Christians are rich and know it not Rev. 2. Why Christians are so poor in grace Quest. Answ. How to improve the riches by Christ. 1 1 Humility 2 2 See the excellency of grace 3 3 Know Christs riches for us 4 4 To make use of them for our selves To make good use of recreations Whence to esteeme of our priviledges All our riches from Christs grace Grace what it is Christ a joynt cause of our salvation Chrysost. How to think of the â—ersons in Trinity Revel 5.6 Christ the meritorious cause of grace Christs abasement voluntary All we have of Christ is by grace Foure descents of grace We are justified by grace how meant Grace twofold Simile Iohn 17. How to value blessings Christs grace fruitfull Simile How to know we are in Gods favour Not to despaire Christs grace is free Doct. 5. Grace may be knowne What knowledge this is It requires good diligence Cause of doubting Assurance of salvation no enemy to good workes Titus 2.11.12 Luke 7.47 The Gospell forceth strictnesse of life Doct. 6. The example of Christ should move us to good Christs example our pâ—tern Quest. How profit by Christs example Answ. 1 1 The consideration of Christs mercy Simile 2 Cor. 3 18. Why conversion wrought by the Gospell not by the Law 2 2 Converse with those that
Christ doth hide himselfe under the person of the poore the poore man reacheth out his hand indeed but Christ receives that that we give and â—hey are Christs exchangers for they take from us and Christ rewards us with grace and increase of our substance here with glory hereafter they receive it instead of Christ and Christ begs in the person of the poore in all joyntly and in every one particularly Think of the grace of Christ to us and then think Christ comes to me in the person of this or that poore man and it will stir us up to this duty But some will say if Christ were on Earth himselfe I should be ready to doe it to him Certainly thou wouldst not you know the place Matth. 25. In as much as you have not relieved these you have denied it to me saith Christ let us not deceive our selves for even as we would do â—o Christ if he were on earth we will doe to his poore members he hath made them his receivers But I shall want my selfe I have a family and children It is the best way to provide for thy children Psalme 112. God provides for the posterity of the righteous bounteous man A man is not the poorer for discreet mercy It is seed as I said before a poore man labours to have his seed sowne because it returnes plentifully Let us be sober and abate of our superfluous expences pride is an expender and superfluous lusts let us cut off from them that we may have somewhat for seed let us labour in an honest calling that we may have somewhat to give Oh it is a blessed thing to give It is a thing that must be gotten by use our soules must be exercised to it and when we have gotten it learne an art of giving we must exercise faith in it And when we come to dye it will make us dye wondrous sweetly for when a man hath depended by faith and trust upon Gods promise that He that gives to the poore lends to the Lord and other like promises I have exercised liberality and now I come to give up my soule to God I beleeve that God will make good the promise of life everlasting I have beleeved his other promises before and though I have cast my seed into the ground that I saw it not yet I have found that God hath blessed me the better in a way that I know not and now I depend upon the same gracious God in the promise of life everlasting We should labour to doe this that we may die with comfort What is it that troubles many when they come to dye Oh they have not wrought out their salvation with feare and trembling they have neglected this duty and that duty they have bene carelesse in the workes of mercy c. The time will come that that which wee have given will comfort us more then that we have we shall alway have that which we give for that goes in bâ—nck many prayers are made for us we have the comfort of it here and when we dye what we leave we know not what becomes of it Therefore let us labour to be discreetly large and bountifull as we desire to dye with comfort as we would make it good that we know The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ with interest in it and as we would make it good to our soules that the example of Christ is a thing that hath any efficacy with us or else wee shew that wee have no interrest in the grace of Christ and then how miserable are we We shall wish ere long that wee had part in this grace and love of Christ that he would speak comfortably to us at the latter day Come ye blessed of my Father inherit a kingdome Our life is short and uncertaine as we shall desire it then so labour to be assured of it now and let us bee stirred up from this Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he were rich became poore for our sakes that we through his poverty might be made rich FINIS THE RICH POVERTY OR THE POORE MANS RICHES By the late Learned and Reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Dr. in Divinity Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAIES-INNE Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Iames 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith LONDON Printed by R. Badger for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-Noster Row 1638. THE RICH POVERTY OR The Poore-mans Riches ZEPH. 3.12 â— will also leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shaâ—â— trust in the name of the LORD BEfore the Captivity in Babylon God sent Prophets to his people as Ieremiah and among the rest Zephaniah likewise who lived in the time of Iosias to forewarne and fore-arme them against worse times And as the Contents of all other Prophesies are for the most part these three so of this They are either such expressions and prophesies as set forth the sins of the people or secondly the judgments of God thirdly comfort to the remnant to Gods people so these be the parts of this prophesie A laying open of the sins of the time under so good a Prince as Iosias was and likewise the jâ—dgments of God denounced and then in this third Chapter especially here is comfort set downe for the good people that then lived the comfort begins at the ninth verse This particular verse is a branch of the comfort that how ever God dealt with the world he would be sure to have a care of his owne I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The whole Scripture is for consolation and comfort when God pulls downe it is that he may build up when he purgeth it is that he may cure and heale he is the father of comfort whatsoever he doth it is for comfort therefore he hath a speciall care in his Prophets and Ministers and Ambassadours that those that belong to him may be raised up with comfort and not be overmuch dejected and cast downe but to come to the words I will also leave in the middest of thâ—e c. In the words these three generall heads First Gods dealing with his poore Church when he comes to visit the world I will leave in the middest of thee Secondly their condition and 〈…〉 they are an afflicted and poore people Thirdly their practise and carriage towards God they shall trust in the name of the Lord. From the first Gods dealing with his people in the worst times we may observe first that There is a difference of the people both in regard of providence in this world and in regard of that love that tends to the world to come for God hath a more speciall care as we