and set with Princes As there is Joy from Faith so also from Love Though 't is in it self the most sweet and delightfull passion of the Soul yet as we foolishly misplace it it prove often full of bitterness but being set upon Jesus Christ the only right and worthy Object it Causeth this unspeakable Delight and Rejoycing 1. T is matter of joy to have bestowed our Love so worthily and though our Saviour seems to withdraw himselfe and sometimes sadden the soul that loves him with absences in regard of sense yet even in those sad times the soul delights to Love him and there is a pleasure in the very pains it hath in seeking after him And this it knowes that his mercies are Everlasting and that he cannot be long unkind but will return and speak comfortably unto it 2. Our Love to Christ gives us assurance of His to us so that we have not only chosen worthily but shall not be frustrate and dissapointed and it assures us of his not as following but preceeding and Causing ours for our Love to Jesus Christ is no other but the reflex of his on us Wine maketh glad the heart but thy love is better then wine saith the Spouse And having this perswasion that he hath loved us and wash'd us in his blood and forgets us not in our conflicts that though he himself is in his Glory yet that he interceed's for us there and will bring us thither what condition can befal us so hard but we may Rejoyce in it And in them so far as we are sure to arrive at that full Salvation and fruition of him who hath purchas'd it Then there is the third Cause of our Rejoyceing viz. our Hope Now Hope is our anchor pitch'd within the vail that stayes us against all the stormes that beat upon us in this troublesome Sea that we are tossed upon The Soul that strongly Believes and Loves may confidently Hope to see what it believeth and Enjoy what it loves and in that rejoyce It may say whatsoever hazards whether ontward or inward whatsoever Afflictions and Temptations I endure yet this one thing puts me out of hazard and in that I will Rejoyce the salvation of my Soul depends not upon my own strength but is in my Saviours hand my life is hid with Christ in God and when he who is my Life shall appear I likewise shall appear with him in Glory The Childish world is hunting shadows and gaping and hoping after they know not what but the Believer can say I know whom I have trusted and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day Now we have not only right to those things but withal there must be frequent Consideration of them to work Joy The Soul must often view them and so Rejoyce My meditation of him shall be sweet saith David I will be glad in the Lord Psal. 104. And the Godly failing in thiâ— deprive themselves much of that Joy they might have and they that are most in these sublime thoughts have the highest and truest Joy The Excellency of this Joy the Apostle here expresseth by these two words Vnspeakable and full of glory That 't is Vnspeakable no wonder seeing the matter of iâ— is Inconceivable it is an Infinite Good God reconciled in Jesus Christ and testifying and sealing his Love unto the soul and giving assured hope of that blessed Vision of Eternity what more unspeakable than this And for the same Reason 't is Glorious or glorified joy having the highest and most glorious Object for it derives all its Excellency from thence Vnspeakable The best worldly Joyes are easily speakable they may be express'd to the uâ—most yea usually more is spoke of them then they are indeed Their name is beyond their worth they are very seldom found upon experience equal to the opinion and expectation that men have of them But this spiritual Joy is above the report any can make of it say what they can of it who are of happiest Expression yet when a Man comes to know it in his own breast he will say as that Queen said of Salomons wisdom the half was not told me of it Again earthly Joyes are Inglorious Many of which Men are asham'd of and those that seem most plausible yet are below the Excellency of the Soul and cannot fill it but the Joyes that arise from Union with Christ as they are most avowable a Man needs not blush to own them so they are truly contenting and satisfying and that 's their Glory and the Cause why we may glory in them My soul shall make her boast in God sayes David For Application of all this If these things were believed we would hearken no more to the foolish prejudice that the World hath taken up against Religion and wherewith Satan endeavours to possess mens hearts that they may be scarr'd from the wayes of Holiness 't is that they think it a Sour Melanel oly life that hath nothing but Sadness and Mourning in it but to remove this prejudice Consider 1. Religion barres not the lawful delights that are taken in natural things but teaches the moderate and regular use of them which is far the sweeter for things lawful in themselves are in their excess sinful and so prove Bitterness in the end and if in some cases it require the forsaking of lawful Enjoyments as of pleasure or Profits or Honour for God and for his Glory this is Generous and truly more delightful to deny them for this reason then to enjoy them Men have done much this way for the Love of their Country and by a Principle of Moral Vertue but to lose any delight or to suffer any hardship for that highest End the glory of God and by the strength of love to him is far more Excellent and truly Pleasant 2. The delights and pleasures of sin Religion indeed banishes but 't is to change them for this Joy that is unspeakably beyond them it calls men from sordid and base delights to those that are pure delights indeed it calls to Men drink ye no longer of the pudle here are the Crystal streams of a living fountain There is a delight in the very despising impure delights as he said how pleasant is it to want these pleasures But for such a change to have in their stead such delights as in comparison the other deserve not that name To have such spiritual joy as shall end in Eternal Joy 't is a wonder we hasten not all to chuse this joy but 't is indeed because we believe it not 3. 'T is true the Godly are subject to great Distresses and Afflictions but their Joy is not extinguished by those no nor diminished either but often sensibly increasâ—d When they have least of the Worlds joy they abound most in Spiritual Consolations and then Relish them best They find them sweetest when their taste is not depraved with Earthly enjoyments We rejoyce in
without it 't is true that the substantial Eternal word is to us as we said the spring of this New birth and life the head from whom the spirits of this supernatural life flow but that by the Word here is meant the Gospel the Apostle puts ouâ— of doubt Verse last and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you Therefore it is indeed that this Word is thus the seed of this New birth because it contains and declares that other word the Son of God as our life The word is spoken in common and so is the same to all hearers but then all being naturally shut against it God doth by his own hand open some hearts to receive it and mixes it with faith and those it renews and restoreth in them the Image of God drawes the traits of it anew and makes them the Sons of God My Doctrine shall drop as the dew sayes Moses the word as a heavenly dew not falling beside but dropt in to the heart by the hand of Gods own spirit makes it all become spiriâ—ual and heavenly and turns it into one of those drops of dew that the Children of God are compared to Psal. 110. Thou hast the dew of thy youth The natural estate of the soul is darkness and the word as a divine light shining into it transforms the soul into its own nature that as the word is called Light so is the soul renew'd by it ye were darkness but now are ye not only enlightn'd but light in the Lord. All the evils of the natural mind are often compriz'd under the name of darkness and Errour and therefore the whole work of conversion likewise signified by light and truth he begat us by the word of truth So 2 Cor. 4 6. alluding to the first fiat Lux or Let there â—e Light in the Creation The word brought within the soul by the spirit lets it see its own necessity and Christs sufficiency convinceth it throughly and causeth it to cast over it self upon him for life and this is the very begetting of it again to Eternal life So that this Efficacy of the word to prove successful seed doth not hang upon the different abilities of Preachers their more or less Rhetorick or Learning 'T is true Eloquence hath a great advantage in civil and moral things to perswade and and to draw the hearers by the Ears almost which way it will but in this spiritual work to revive a soul to beget it anew the Influence of heaven is the main there is no way so common and plain being warranted by God in the delivery of saving truth but the spirit of God can revive the soul by it and all the skilful and most autoritative way yea being withal very spiritual yet may effect nothing because left alone to it self One word of holy Scripture or of truth conform to it may be the principle of Regeneration to him that hath heard multitudes of excellent Sermons and hath often read the whole Bible and still unchang'd if the spirit of God preach that one or any such word to the Soul God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life It will be cast down with the fear of perishing and driven out of it self by that and rais'd up and drawn to Jesus Christ by the hope of everlasting life it will believe on him that it may have life and be inflamed with the Love of God and give it self to him that so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son to purchase us that everlasting life Thus may that word prove this Immortal Seed which tho very often read and heard before was but a dead letter A drop of those liquors that are called Spirits operates more than large draughts of other waters one word spoke by the Lord to the heart is all Spirit and doth that which whole streams of Mans eloquence could never effect In hearing of the Word Men look usually too much upon Men and forget from what spring the Word hath its power they observe too narrowly the different hand of the Sowers and too little depend on his hand that is great Lord both of Seed-time and Harvest Be it sowen by a weak hand or a stronger the Immortal seed is still the same yea suppose the worst that it be a foul hand that sowes it that the Preacher himself be not so sanctified and of so edifying a life as you would wish yet the seed it self being good contracts no defilement and may be effectual to Regeneration in some and strengthening of others Although he that is not renew'd by it himself cannot have much hope of such success nor reap much comfort by it and usually doth not seek nor regard it much but all Instruments are alike in an Almighty hand Hence learn 1. That true conversion is not so slight a work as we commonly account it 'T is not an outward change of some bad customes which gains the name of a reform'd Man in the ordinary dialect 't is a New birth and Being and elsewhere called a new Creation though it be but a change in qualities as 't is such a one and the qualities so far distant that it bears the name of the most substantial productions from Children of disobedience and that which is link't with it heirs of wrath to be sons of God and heirs of glory They have a new spirit given a free princely noble spirit as the word is Psal. 51. and this spirit acts in their life and action 2. Consider this dignity and be kindled with the ambition of it how doth a Christian pity that poor vanity that men make so much noise about of of their kindred and extraction this is worth glorying in indeed to be of the highest blood royal and in the nearest Relation Sons of the King of Kings by this new birth and addes Matchless honour to that birth which is honourable But we all pretend to be of this number Would we not study to cozen our selves the discovery would not be so hard to know whither we are or not In many their false confidence is too evident No appearance of the spirit of God not a foot-step like his leading and that character Rom. 8.14 not a lineament of God's visage as their father if ye know that he is righteous sayes St. Iohn 2.29 ye know then that every one that doth righteousness is born of him And so on the contrary how contrary to the most holy God the lover and fountain of holiness are they that Swinishly love to wallow in the mire of unholiness Is Swearing and Cursing the accent of the Regenerate the Children of God No 't is the language of Hell Do children delight to indignifie and dishonour their Fathers Name No Earthly mindedness is a countersign Shall the King's Children they that were brought up in scarlet as Ieremy laments embrace the dunghil
Nay but O man who art thou that replyest against God Who can conceive whence this should be that any man should believe unless it be given him of God and if given him then it was his purpose to give it him and if so then is it evident that he had a purpose to save him and for that end he gives faith not therefore purposes to Save because Man shall believe 4. This seems cross to these Scriptures where they speak of the subordination or rather Coordination of those two as here Foreknown and Elect not because of Obedience or sprinkling or any such thing but to Obedience and sprinkling which is by faith So he predestinated not because he foresaw Men would be conform to Christ but that they might be so as Rom. 8.29 For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate and the same order Act. 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church dayly such as should be saved and 13.48 And as many as were ordained to Eternal life believed This Foreknowledge then is his Eternal and Unchangable Love and that thus he Chuseth some and rejecteth others is for that great End to manifest and magnifie his Mercy and Justice but why he appointed this Man for the one and the other for the other made Peter a vessel of this mercy and Iudas of wrath this is even so because it seemed good to him This if it be harsh yet is Apostolick Doctrine Hath not the Potter saith St. Paul power over the same Lump to make one Vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour This deep we must admire and alwayes in considering it close with this O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God Now the Connexion of these we are for our profit to take notice of that effectual Calling is inseparably tyed to this Eternal Foreknowledge or Election on the one side and Salvation on the other These two links of the chain are up in Heaven in Gods own hand but this middle one is let down to earth into the hearts of his Children and they laying hold on it hath sure hold on the other two for no power can sever them and therefore the reading the characters of Gods Image in their own souls those are the counterpain of the golden characters of his Love in which their names are written in the Book of Life Their believing writes their names under the promises of the revealed Book of Life the Scriptures and so ascertains them that the same names are in the secret Book of Life that God hath by himself from Eternity So finding the stream of grace in their hearts tho they see not the Fountain whence it flowes nor the Ocean into which it returns yet they know that it hath its source and shall return to that Ocean which ariseth from their Eternal Election and Salvation and shall empty it selfe into Eternity of happiness Hence much joy ariseth to the Believer this tye indissolvable as the Agents are the Father the Son and the Spirit So Election and Vocation and Sanctification and Iustification and Glory and therefore in all conditions they may from the sence of the working of the Spirit in them look back to that Election and forward to that Salvation but they that remain unholy and dissobedient have as yet no evidence of this Love and therefore cannot without vain presumptions and self delusion Judge thus of themselves that they are within the peculiaâ— Love of God but in this Let the Righteous be glad and let them shout for joy all that are upright in heart 'T is one main point of happiness that he that is happy doth know and judge himselfe to be so this being the peculiar good of a reasonable creature 't is to be enjoyed in a Reasonable way 't is not as the dull resting of a Stone or any other natural body in its natural place but the knowledge and consideration of it is the fruition of it the very relishing and tasting its sweetness The perfect blessedness of the Saints is abiding them above but even their present condition is truly happy tho incompleatly and but a small beginning of that which they expect and this their present happiness is so much the more the more clear knowledge and firm perswasion they have of it 't is one of the pleasant fruits of the Godly to know the things that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Therefore the Apostle to comfort his dispersed Brethren sets before them a description of that excellent Spiritual Condition to which they are called If they be inseparably linkt together then by any one of them a man may lay hold upon all the rest and may know that his hold is sure and this is that way wherein we may attain and ought to seek that comfortable assurance of the Love of God Therefore Make your Calling sure and by that your Election for that being done this follows of it self We are not to pry immediately into the Decree but to read it in the performance though the Mariner sees not the Pole-star yet the Needle of the Compass that points to it tells him which way he sails thus the heart that is touched with the Loadstone of Divine Love trembling with godly fear and yet still looking towards God by fixed believing it points at the Love of Election and tells the soul that its courss is heavenward towards the Haven of Eternal rest He that Loves may be sure he was loved first and he that chuses God for his delight and Portion may conclude confidently that God hath chosen him to be one of those that shall enjoy him and be happy in him for ever for that our Love and Electing of him is but the return and repercussion of the beams of his Love shining upon us Find thou but within thee Sanctification by the Spirit and this argues necessarily both Justification by the Son and the Election of God the Father 1 Ioh. 4.13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he has given us of his Spirit 'T is a most strange demonstration ab Effectu reciproco He Called those he hath Elected he Elected those he Called where this sanctifying Spirit is not there can be no perswasion of this Eternal Love of God they that are Children of disobedience can conclude no otherwise of themselves but that they are the Children of wrath Although from present unsanctification a Man cannot inferre that he is not Elected for the Decree may for part of a Mans life run as it were under-ground Yet this is sure that that estate leads to death and unless it be broken will prove the black line of reprobation A man hath no Portion amongst the Children of God nor can read one word of Comfort in all the Promises that belongs to them while he remains unholy Men may please themselves in prophane Scoffing at the Holy Spirit of Grace but let them withal know this that that Holy Spirit
word is a Lamp unto my feet says David and a Light unto my paths not onely comfortable as Light is to the eyes but withall directive as a Lamp to his feet Thus here the Apostle doth not onely furnish consolation against distress but Exhorts and directs his Brethen in the way of Holiness without which the apprehension and feeling of those comforts cannot subsist This is no other but a clearer and fuller expression and further pressing of that sobriety and spiritualness of mind and life that he joyntly exhorted unto with that of perfect hope ver 13. as in separably connext with it if you would enjoy this Hope be not conform to the lust of your former ignorance but be holy There is no doctrine in the world either so pleasant or so pure as that of Christianity 'T is matchless both in sweetness and holiness The Faith and Hope of a Christa in have in them an abiding precious balm of comfort but this is never to be so lavish'd away as to be poured into the puddle of an impure Conscience No that were to lose it unworthily As many as have this hope purify themselves even as he is pure 1. Ioh. 3 3. Here they are commanded to be holy as he is holy Acts. 15. Faith first purifies the heart Empties it of the love of sin and then fills it with the Consolation of Christ and hope of Glory 'T is a foolish misgrounded fear and such as argues inexperience of the nature and workings of divine Grace to imagine that the assured hope of salvation will beget unholiness and presumptuous boldness in sin and therefore that the doctrine of that assurance is a doctrine of Licentiousness Our Apostle we see is not so sharp sighted as these men think themseves he apprehends no such matter but indeed supposes the contrary as unquestionable he takes not assured hope and holiness as Enemies but joynes them as nearest friends hope perfectly and be holy They are mutually strengthened and increas'd each by the other the more assurance of salvation the more holiness the more delight in it and study of it as the onely way to that End and as labour is then most pleasant when we are made surest it shall not be lost nothing doth make the soul so nimble and actitve in obedience as this oyle of gladness this assured hope of glory Again the more holiness is in the soul the clearer always is tâ—is assurance as we see the face of the heavens best when there are fewest clouds· The greatest affliction doth not damp this hope so much as the smallest sin yea it may be the more lively and sensible to the soul by affliction but by sin it always suffers loss as the Experience of all Christians does certainly teach them The Apostle exhorts to Obedience and enforceth it by a most persuasive Reason His exhortation is 1. Negative not fashioning your selves 2. Positive Be ye holy That which he would remove and separate them from is Lusts This is in Scripture the usuall name of all the irregular and sinfull desires of the heart both the polluted habits of them and their corrupt streams both as they are within and outwardly vent themselves in the Lives of Men. The Apostle St. Iohn 1 Ioh. 2 17. calls it the Lust of the world and Verse 15. love of the world And then Verse 16. Branches it into those three that are indeed the base Anti-trinity that the world worships the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of Life The soul of Man unconverted is no other but a den of impure Lusts wherein dwells pride Uncleanness Avarice Malice c just as Babylon is described Revelation 18.2 or as Isa. 13.21 Were a Man's eyes opened he would as much abhorre to remaine with himself in that condition as to dwell in a house full of Snakes and Serpents as S. Austin says and the first part of conversion is once to rid the soul of these noysome Inhabitants for there is none at all found naturally vacant and frâ—e from them thus the Apostle here expresses it of the believers he wrote to that these lusts were theirs before in their Ignorance There is a truth in it that all sin arises from some kind of Ignorance or at least from present Inadvertâ—nce and Inconsideration turning away the mind from the light which therefore for the time is as if it were not and is all one with Ignorance in the â—ffect and therefore the works of sin are all called works of darkness for were the true visage of sin seen at a full light undress'd and unpainted it were impossiable while it so appear'd that any one soul could be in love with it but would rather flye it as hideous and abominable but because the soul unrenewed is all darkness therefore it is all lust and love of sin no order in it because no light as at the first in the world confusion and darkness went together and darkness was upon the face of the deep 't is so in the soul the more Ignorance the more abundance of Lusts. That light that frees the soul and rescues it from the very kingdome of darkness must be somewhat beyond that which nature can attaine to all the light of Philosophy naturall and morall is not sufficient yea the very knowledge of the Law sever'd from Christ serves not so to enlighten and renew the soul as to free it from the darkness or Ignorance here spoke of for our Apostle writes to Jews that knew the Law and were instructed in it before their conversion yet he calls those times wherein Christ was unknown to them the times of their Ignorance though the stars shine never so bright and the moon with them in its full yet they do not all together make it day still 't is night till the sun appear Therefore the Hebrew doctors upon that word of Solomons Vanity of vanities all is vanity say vana etiam Lex doneâ— venerit Messias Therefore of him Zacharias sayes that the day spring from on high hath visited us to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace A naturall Man may attaine to very much acquir'd knowledge of the doctine of Christ and may discourse excellently of it and yet still his soul be in the chains of darkness fast lockt up under the Ignorance here mention'd and so still of a carnal mind in subjection to these lusts of Ignorance The saving light of faith is a beam of the sun of Righteousness himself that he sends into the soul by which he makes it discern his incomparable beauties and by that sight alienates it from all those lusts and desires that do then appear to be what indeed they are vileness and filthiness it self makes the soul wonder at it self how it could love such base trash so long and so fully resolves it now on the choyce of Jesus Christ the cheif
lodging it in our hearts and from thence diffusing it into all our actions A child is then truly like his father when not only his visage resembles him but more his mind and inward disposition Thus are the true children of God like their heavenly father in their words and in their actions but most of all in heart 'T is no matter though the profane world that so hate God that it cannot indure his Image do mock and revile 't is thy honour as David said to be thus more vile in growing still more like unto him in holiness and though the civil Man count thy fashion a little odd and too precise 't is because he knows nothing above that model of goodness he hath set himself and therefore approves of nothing beyond it he knowes not God and therefore doth not discern and esteem what is likest him When Courtiers come down into the Country the common homebred People possibly think their habit strange but they care not for that 't is the fashion at Court What need then the Godly be so tender foreheaded as to be out of countenance because the world lookes on holiness as a singularity 't is the only fashion in the highest Court yea of the King of Kings himself For I am holy As it will raise our endeavour high to look on the highest pattern so it will lay our thoughts low concerning our selves Men compare themselves with Men and readily with the worst and flatter themselves with that comparative betterness this is not the way to see our spots to look into the muddy streams of profane Mens lives but look into the clear fountain of the Word and there we may both discern and wash them and consider the infinite holiness of God and this will humble us to the dust when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord and heard the Seraphims cry holy holy holy he cried out of his own and the Peoples unholiness Woe is me for I am undone for I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a People of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Verse 17. And if ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojurning here in Fear THe tentations that meet a Christian in the world to turn him aside from the straight way of obedience and holiness are either such as present the hope of some apparent good to draw him from that way or the fear of some evil to drive and affright him from it And therefore the word of God is much in strengthning the Christian mind against these two and it doth it mainly by possessing it both with hopes and fears of a higher nature that do by far weigh down the other The frequentest assaults of tentation are upon these two passions of the mind therefore they are mainly to be fortified and defended by a hope and fear opposit to those that do assault us and sufficiently strong to resist and repel them These two therefore our Apostle here exhorts 1. The hope of that glory that the Gospel propounds and so outbids all the proffers of the World both in the greatness and the certainty of its promises 2. The fear of God the greatest and justest judge only worthy to be fear'd and reverenc'd the highest anger and enmity of all the world being less then nothing in comparison of his smallest displeasure There is here 1. This fear 2. The reason enforcing it 3. The The term or continuance of it In fear But how suites this with the high discourse that went before of perfect assured hope of faith and Love and Joy yea Joy unspeakable and glorious arising out of these How are all those excellencies fallen as it were into a dungeon when fear is mention'd after them doth not the Apostle St. Iohn say that true love casteth out fear and is it not more clearly opposiâ—e to perfect or assured hope and to faith and joy If ye understand it aright this is such a fear as doth not prejudge but preserve those other graces and the comfort and joy that arises from them And they all agree so well with it that they are naturally helps each to other It were superfluous to insist on the defining this passion of fear and the manifold distinctions of it either with Philosophers or Divines The fear here recommended is out of question a holy self suspicion and fear of offending God which may not only consist with assured hope of salvation and with faith and love and spiritual joy but is their inseparable companion as all Divine Graces are linkt together as they said of their three graces and as they dwell together they grow or decrease together The more a Christian believes and loves and rejoyces in the love of God the more unwilling sure to displease him and if in danger the more afraid of it and on the other side this fear being the true principle of a wary and holy Conversation flying sin and the occasions and tentations of sin and resisting them when they set on is as a watch or guard that keeps out the Enemies and disturbers of the soul and so preserves its inward peace keeps the assurance of faith and hope unmolested and that joy which they cause and the intercourse and societies of love betwixt the soul and her beloved uninterrupted all which are then most in danger when this fear abates and falls to slumbring for then readily some notable sin or other breaks in puts all into disorder and for a time makes those graces and the comfort of them to present feeling as much to seek as if they were not there at all No wonder then if the Apostle having stirr'd up his Christian Brethren whatsoever be their estate in the World to seek to be rich in those Jewels of faith and hope and love and spiritual joy and then considering that they travel amongst a world of Thieves and Robbers no wonder I say that he addes this advises them to give those their jewels in custody under God to this trusty and watchful grace of godly fear and having earnestly exhorted them to holiness he is very fitly particular in this fear which makes up so great a part of that holiness that it s often in Scripture nam'd for it all Solomon calls it the beginning or the top of wisdom the word signifies both and it is both The beginning of it is the beginning of wisdom and the progress and increase of it is the increase of wisdom That hardy rashness that many account valour is the companion of ignorance and of all rashness boldness to sin is the most witless and foolish There is in 〈◊〉 as in all fear an apprehension of an evil whereof we are in danger The evil is sin and the displeasure of God and punishing following upon sin The Godly Man judgeth wisely as the truth is that sin is the greatest of
evils and the cause of all other evils 't is a transgression of the just Law of God and so a provocation of his just anger and the cause of those punishments temporal and spiritual and Eternal which he inflicts And then considering how mighty he is to punish both the power and reach of his hand that it is both most heavy and unavoidable All these things may and should concurre to the working of this fear There is no doubt a great difference betwixt those two kinds of fear that are usually differenc'd by the name of servile and filial fear but certainly the most genuine fear of the Sons of God that call him father doth not exclude the consideration of his justice and of the punishment of sin that his justice inflicts we see here 't is us'd as the great motive of this fear that he judgeth every Man according to his workes And David in that Psalm wherein he so much breaths forth those other sweet affections of love and hope and delight in God and in his Word yet expresseth this fear even of the justice of God My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Iudgements Psal. 119.120 The flesh is to be enaw'd with divine judgements though the higher and surer part of the soul is strongly and freely ty'd with the cords of Love temporal corrections indeed they fear not so much in themselves as that Impression of wrath that may be upon them for their sins Psal. 6.1 c. That is the main matter of their fear because their happiness is in his Love and the light of his countenance thaâ—'â— their life they regard not how the world lookâ—â— upon them care not who frown so he smile 〈…〉 and because no other enemy nor evil in 〈…〉 can prejudge them in this but their own sin 〈◊〉 it is that they fear most As the evil is great so the Christian hath great reason to fear in regard of his danger of it considering the multitude and strength and craft of his enemies and his own weakness and unskilfulness to resist them and his sad experience in being often foyled reacheth him that it is thus he cannot be ignorant of it he finds how often his own resolves and purposes deâ—eive him Certainly a godly Man is sometimes driven to wonder at his own frailty and unconstancy what strange differences will be betwixt him and himselfe how high and how delightful at some times are his thoughts of God and the glory of the life to come and yet how easily at another time base tentations will bemire him or at the least molest and vex him and this keeps him in a continual fear and that fear in continual vigilancy and circumspectness When he looks up to God and considers the truth of his Promises and the sufficiency of his grace and protection and the Almighty strength of his Redeemer these things fill his soul with confidence and assurence But when he turnes his eye downward again upon himself and finds so much remaining corruption within and so many tentations and dangers and adversaries without this forces him not onely to fear but to despair of himself and it should doe so that his trust in God may be the purer and more entire That confidence in God will not make him secure and presumptuous in himself nor that fear of himself make him diffident of God This fear is not opposite to faith but high-mindedness and presumption is Rom. 11.20 To a naturall mind it would seem an odd kind of reasoning that of the Apostle Phil. 2.12.13 'T is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Therefore would he think you may save a labour you may sit still and not work or if you work you may work fearlesly being so sure of his help but the Apostle is of another mind his inference is therefore Work out your own salvation and work it with fear and trembling But he that hath assurance of Salvation why should he fear if there is truth in his assurance nothing can disappoint him not sin it self 't is true but it is no less true that if he do not fear to sin there is no truth in his assurance 't is not the assurance of faith but the mispersuasion of a secure and profane mind 2. Suppose it so that the sins of a godly Man cannot be such as to cut him short of that salvation whereof he is assur'd yet they may be such as for a time will deprive him of that assurance and not onely remove the comfort he hath in that but let in horrours and anguish of conscience in its stead though a Believer is freed from hell and we may overstrain this assurance in our doctrine beyond what the soberest and devoutest Men in the world can ever find in themselves though they will not trouble themselves to contest and dispute with them that say they have it so that his soul cannot come there yet some sins may bring as it were a piece of hell into his soul for a time and this is reason enough for any Christian in his right wits to be affraid of sin No man would willingly hazard himself upon a fall that may break his leg or some other bone though he could be made sure both that he should not break his neck or that his life were not at all in danger and that he should be perfectly cur'd yet the pain and trouble of such a hurt would scarre him and make him warry and fearfull when he walks in danger The broken bones that David complains of after his fall may work fear and warriness in these that hear him though they were ascertain'd of a like recovery This fear is not cowardise it doth not debase but Elevates the mind for it drownes all lower fears and begets true fortitude and courage to encounter all dangers for a good Conscience and the obeying of God The Righteous is bold as a Lyon he dares doe any thing but offend God and to dare that is the greatest folly and baseness and weakness in the world From this fear have sprung all the generous Resolutions and patient sufferings of the Saints and Martyrs of God because they durst not sin against him therefore they durst be imprison'd and impoverish'd and tortur'd and dye for him Thus the Prophet I say sets carnall and godly fear as opposite and the one expelling the other Isa. 8.12.13 And our Saviour Luke 12.4 Fear not them that kill the body But fear him which after he hath kill'd hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you fear him fear not but fear and therefore fear that you may not fear This fear is like the trembling that hath been observed in some great Courages before their battels Moses was bold and fearless in dealing with a proud and wicked King but when God appeared he said sayes the Apostle I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 The Reason that we have here to perswade
as to be scorn'd out of it being so honourable and happy and the day is at hand wherein those that scoffe you would give much more than all that the best of them ever possess'd in the world to be admitted into your number Seeing you have purifi'd your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit Here is 1. The chief seat or subject of the work of sanctification the Soul 2. The subordinate means Truth 3. The Nature of it obeying of truth 4. The chief worker of it The Holy Spirit For the first 'T is no doubt a work that goes through the whole man renews and purifies all Heb. 10.22 2 Cor. 7.1 But because it purifies the soul therefore 't is that does purifie all There begins impurity Mat. 15. not onely evil thoughts but all evill actions come forth from the heart which is there all one with the soul and therefore this purifying begins there makes the tree good that the fruit may be good 't is not so much externall performances that are the difference of Men as their inward temper we meet here in the same place and all partake of the same word and prayer But how wide a difference is there in Gods eye betwixt an unwash'd profane heart in the same exercise and a soul purified in some measure in obeying the truth and desirous to be further purified by further obeying it 2. That which is the subordinate means of this purity is the Truth or the word of God it is truth and pure in it self and begets truth and purity in the heart by teaching it concerning the holy and pure nature of God shewing it and his holy will which is to us the rule of purity And by representing Jesus Christ unto us as the fountain of our purity and Renovation from whose fulness we may receive grace for grace 3. The nature of this work that wherein the very being of this purifying consists is the Receiving or Obeying of this Truth So Gal. 3.1 Where 't is put for right believing The chief point of obedience is believing the proper obedience to Truth is to give credit to it and this divine belief doth necessarily bring the whole soul into obedience and conformity to that pure Truth which is in the word and so the very purifying and renewing of the soul is this obedience of faith as unbelief is its cheif impurity and disobedience therefore Act. 15.9 faith is said to purifie the heart 4. The chief worker of this sanctification is the Holy spirit of God they are said here to purifie themselves For 't is certain and undeniable that the soul it self doth act in believing or obeying the truth but not of it self it is not the first principle of motion They purifie their souls but 't is by the spirit They doe it by his enlivening power and a purifying vertue recevied from him Faith or obeying the truth works this purity But the Holy Ghost works that faith as in the forecited place God is said to purifie their hearts by faith Verse 8. He doth that by giving them the Holy Ghost The truth is pure and purifying yet can it not of it self purifie the soul but by the obeying or believing it and the soul cannot obey or believe but by the spirit which works in it that faith and by that faith purifies it and works Love in it ' it s the Impurity and Earthliness of Mens minds that is the great cause of disuâ—ion and disaffection amongst them and of all their striâ—es Iam. 4.1 This spirit is that fire that refines and purifies the soul from the dross of earthly desires that possess it and sublimates it to the love of God and of his Saints because they are his and are purified by the same spirit T is the property of fire to draw together things of the same kind the outward fire of Enmities and persecution that are kindled against the godly by the world doth some-what and if it were more considered by them would do more in this knitting their hearts closer one to another but it is this inward pure and purifying fire of the Holy Ghost that doth most powerfully unite them The true reason why there is so little truth of this Christian mutuall Love amongst those that are called Christians is because there is so little of this purifying Obedience to the truth whence it flowes Faith unfeigned would beget this Love unfeigned men may exhort to them both but they require the hand of God to work them in the heart Verse 23. Being borne again not of Corruptible seed But of Incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever THE two things that make up the Apostles Exhortation are the very summe of a Christians duty to walk as obedient children towards God and loving brethen one towards another And that it may yet have the deeper impression he here represents to them anew that new birth he mentioned before by which they are the children of God and so brethren We shall first speak of this Regeneration And then of the Seed This is the great dignity of believers that they are the sons of God Io. 1.12 and the great Evidence of the love of God that he hath bestow'd this dignity on them 1 Io. 3.1 For they are no way needfull to him he had from Eternity a Son perfâ—ctly like himself the character of his person and one Spirit proceeding from both and there is no Creation neither the first nor the second can add any thing to those and their happiness 't is most true of that blessed Trinity Satis amplum alter alterj Theatrum sumus But the gracious purpose of God to impart his goodness appears in this that he hath made himself such a multitude of sons not onely Angels that are so called but man a little lower than they in nature yet dignified with this name in his Creation St. Luke 3.38 Which was the Son of Adam which was the son of God He had not onely the Impression of Gods footsteps as they speak which all the Creatures have but of his Image and most of all in this is his rich Grace magnified that sin having defac'd that Image and so degraded Man from his honour and devested him of that title of sonship and stampt our polluted nature with the marks of vileness and bondage yea with the very Image of Satan Rebellion and Enmity against God that out of Mankind thus ruin'd and degenerated God should raise to himself a new Race and Generation of sons For this designe was the word made flesh Io. 1. The son made Man to make men the sons of God and 't is by him alone we are restor'd to this they that receive him receive with him and in him this priviledge Verse 12. And therefore 't is a sonship by Adoption and is so called in scripture in difference from his Eternall and Ineffable Generation who is and that was the onely begotten son of God yet that we may
took that bitter cup of the father's wrath and drunk it out that he might be free from it Think not that you believe if your hearts be not taken up with Christ if his love do not possesse your soul so that nothing is precious to you in respect of him if you cannot despise and trample upon all advantages that either you have or would have for Christ and count them with the great Apostle loss and dung in comparison of him And if you do esteem him labour for increase of Faith that you may esteem him more for as Faith growes so will he still be more precious to you And if you would have it grow turn that Spiritual Eye frequently to him that 's the proper object of it for even they that are Believers may possibly abate of their love and esteem of Christ by suffering Faith to ly dead within them and not using it in beholding and applying of Christ And the World or some particular vanities may insensibly creep in and get into the heart and cost them much paines ere they can be thrust out again but when they are daily reviewing those excellencies that are in Christ which first perswaded their hearts to love him and discovering still more and more of them his Love will certainly grow and will chase away those follies that the World dotes upon as unworthy to be taken notice of Verse 9. But ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light IT is matter of very much both consolation and instruction to Christians to know their own Estate what they are as they are Christians This Epistle is much and often upon this point for both those ends both that the reflecting on their dignities in Christ may uphold them with comfort under suffering for him and may lead them in doing and walking as becomes such a condition Here it hath been represented to us by a building a Spiritual Temple and by a Priesthood conform to it The former is confirm'd and illustrated by testimonies of Scripture in the preceeding Verses In this the latter in these words tho 't is not expressly cited yet 't is clear that the Apostle here hath reference to Exod. 19.5 6. where this dignity of Priesthood together with the other titles here express'd is ascrib'd to all the chosen People of God 'T is there a promise made to the Nation of the Jewes but under the condition of obedience and therefore is most fitly here apply'd by the Apostle to the believing Jews to whom particularly he writes 'T is true that the external Priesthood of the Law is abolish'd by the coming of this great high Priest Jesus Christ being the body of all those shaddowes But this promis'd Dignity of Spiritual Priesthood is so far from being nulled by Christ that it is altogether dependant on him and therefore fails in those that reject Christ although they be of that Nation to which this Promise was made But it holds good in all of all Nations that believe and particularly sayes the Apostle 't is verified in you You that are believing Jewes by receiving Christ you receive withal this dignity As the Legal Priesthood was remov'd by Christs fulfilling all that it prefigur'd so he was rejected by them that were at his coming in possession of that Office as the standing of that their Priesthood was inconsistent with the revealing of Jesus Christ so they that were then in it being ungodly Men their carnal minds had a kind of antipathy against him though they pretended themselves builders of the Church and by their calling ought to have been so yet they threw away the foundation stone that God had chosen and design'd and in rejecting it manifest that they themselves are rejected of God but on the contrary You that have laid your soules on Christ by believing have this your chusing him as a certain evidence that God hath chosen you to be his peculiar People yea to be so dignified as to be a Kingly Priesthood through Christ. We have here 1. To Consider the estate of Christians in the words that here describe it 2. The opposition of it to the state of Unbelievers 3. The end of it A chosen Generation Psal. 24. The Psalmist there speaks first of Gods universal Soveraignty then of his peculiar choyce The earth is the Lords But there is a select company appointed for this holy Mountain describ'd and then clos'd thus This is the generation of them that seek him Thus Deut. 10.14 15. So Exod. 19.5 Whence this is taken for all the Earth is mine and that Nation which is a figure of the Elect of all Nations Gods peculiar beyond all others in the World As Men that have great variety of Possessions yet have usually their special delight in some one beyond all the rest and chuse to recide most in it and bestow most expence on it to make it pleasant Thus doth the Lord of the whole earth chuse out to himself from the rest of the World a number that are a chosen generation Chusing here is the work of effectual calling or severing of Believers from the rest for it signifies a difference in their present estate as the other words joyned with it But this election is altogether conform to that of Gods Eternal Decree and is no other but the execution or performance of it Gods framing of this his building just according to the Idea of it which was in his mind and purpose before all time The drawing forth and investing of such into this Christian this Kingly Priesthood whose names were expresly written up for it in the Book of life Generation This imports them to be of one race or stock as the Israelites who were by outward calling the chosen of God were all the seed of Abraham according to the flesh So they that believe in the Lord Jesus are Children of the Promise and all of them by their new birth one People or Generation they are of one Nation belonging to the same blessed Land of Promise all Citizens of the new Ierusalem yea all Children of the same family whereof Jesus Christ the root of Iesse is the stock who is the great King and the great high Priest and thus they are a Royal Priesthood there is no devolving of his Royalty or Priesthood on any other as it is in himself for his proper dignity is Supreme and incommunicable and there is no succession in his Order he lives for ever and is Priest for ever Psal. 110.4 and King for ever too Psal. 45.6 but they that are descended from him do derive from him by that new original this double dignity in that way that they are capable of it to be likewise Kings and Priests as he is both They are of the Seed-Royal and of the holy seed of the Priesthood in as much as they partake of a new
wrong'd us who ever it is but especially being one of our Brethren in this Spiritual sense Many are the Duties of this peculiar fraternal love that mutual Converse and admonition and reproof and comforting and other Duties which are in neglect not only amongst formal but even amongst real Christians Let us intreat more of his Spirit who is Love and that will mend this Fear God All the Rules of equity and Charity amongst Men flow from a higher Principle and depend upon it and there is no right observing of them without due regard to that therefore this word that expresses that Principle of Obedience is fitly inserted amongst these The first obligemenâ— of Man being to the Soveraign Majesty of God that made him and all their mutual Duties one to another deriv'd from that A Man may indeed from Moral Principles be of a mild inoffensive Carriage and do Civil right to all Men But this answers not the Divine Rule even in these same things after the way that it requires them The Spiritual and Religious observance of these Duties towards Men springs from a respect to God and terminates there too begins and ends in him and generally all obedience to his Commands both such as regulate our behaviour towards himselfe immediately and such as relate to Men doth arise from a holy fear of his Name Therefore this fear of God upon which followes necessarily the keeping of his Commandements is given us by Solomon as the total Sum of Mans business and Duty and so this way to solid happiness 't is totum hominis after he had made his discoveries of all things besides under the Sun gone the whole circuit and made an exact valuation and found all to amount to nothing but vanity and vexation of Spirit The account he gives of it it was all for this purpose to illustrate and establish this truth the more and to make it the more acceptable to be a repose after so much weariness and such a tedious Journey and so as he speaks there Verse 10. A word of delight as well as a word of truth that the mind might sit down and quiet it self in this from the turmoyl and pursuit of vanity that keeps it busy to no purpose in all other things but whereas there was emptiness and vanity that 's just nothing in all other things there was not only something to be found but all in this one this fear of God and that 's keeping of his Commandments which is the proper fruit of that fear All the repeated declaring of Vanity in other things both severally and altogether in that Book are but so many stroakes to drive and fasten this nail as 't is there Verse 11. This word of Wisdom which is the Summe of all and contains all the rest So Iob after a large inquest for Wisdom searching for its Vein as Men do for Mines of Silver and Gold hath the return of a Non inventium est from all the Creatures The Sea sayes it is not in me c. But in the close finds it in this The fear of the Lord that is Wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding Under this fear is comprehended all Religion the inward and outward of it all his worship and Service and all the observance of His Commandements which is there Eccles. 12. and elsewhere expresly joyned with it and therefore is included in it when 't is not express'd so Iob. 28. to depart from evil that is understanding repeating the former words by that So Psal. 111. Verse 10. It hath in it all holiness and Obedience they grow all out of it It is the beginning and it is the top or consummation of wisdom for the word signifies both Think it not then a trivial common matter to speak or hear of this Subject but take it as our great lesson and business here on earth that the best proficients in it have yet need to learn it better and that it requires our uncessant dilligence and study all our dayes This fear hath chiefly these things 1. A reverent esteem of the Majesty of God which is a main fundamental thing in Religion and that moulds the heart most powerfully to the obedience of his will 2. A firm belief of the Purity of God and of his power and justice that he loves holiness and hates all sin and can and will punish it 3. A right apprehension of the bitterness of his wrath and the sweet of his Love that His incensed Anger is the most terrible and intollerable thing in the World absolutely the fearfullest of all evils and on the other side His Love of all good things the best the most blessed and delightful yea only blessedness Life is the Name of the sweetest good we know and yet this loving kindness is better then life sayes David 4. It supposes likewise Soveraign love to God for his own infinite Excellency and goodness 5. From all these things springs a most earnest desire to please him and in all things and unwillingness to offend Him in the least and because of our danger through the multitude and strength of tentations and our own weakness a continual selfe-suspition a holy fear least we should sin and a care and watchfulness that we sin not and deep sorrow and speedy returning and humbling before him when we have sinned There is indeed a base kind of fear that in the usual distinction they call servile fear But to account all fear of the Judgements and Wrath of God a Servile fear or not to stand upon words to account such a fear improper to the Children of God I conceive is a wide mistake Indeed to fear the punishment of sin without regard ro God and his Justice as the inflicter of them or to forbear to sin only because of those punishments so as if a Man can be secur'd from those he hath no other respect to God that would make him fear to offend this is the character of a slavish and base mind Again for a Man so to apprehend wrath in relation to himself as to be still under the horrour of it in that notion and not to apprehend Redemption and deliverance by Jesus Christ is to be under that Spirit of bondage which the Apostle speaks of Rom. 8. And such fear though a Child of God may for a time be under it yet the lively actings of faith and persuasion of Gods love and the feeling of reflexe love to him in the Soul doth cast it out according to that of the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.18 true love casteth out fear But to apprehend the punishments the Lord threatens against sin as certain and true and to consider the greatness and fearfulness of them but especially the terrour of the Lords anger and hot displeasure above all punishments and though not only no nor chiefly for these yet in contemplation of those as very great and weighty to be affraid to offend that God who hath threatned such things as the just
equally from every Minister alike yet it must be acknowledged that there is something we know not what to call it more acceptable reception of those who at first were the means of bringing men to God then others like the opinion some have of Physitians whom they love The Apostle comforts these strangers of this dispersion by the spiritual union which they obtained by Effectual calling and so calls off their eyes from their outward dispersed and dispised condition to look above that as high as the spring of their happiness the free love and Election of God Scattered in the Countries and yet gathered in Gods Election chosen or pickt out Stangers to men amongst whom they dwelt but known and foreknown to God removed from their own Country to which men have naturally an unalterable affection but made heirs of a better as followes verse 3.4 And having within them the evidence both of Eternal Election and that expected salvaâ—ion the Spirit of holiness verse 2. At the best a Christian is bâ—t a Stranger here set him where you will as our Apostle teacheth after and 't is his priviledge that he is so and when he thinks not so he forgets and disparages himself and descends far below his quallity when he is much taken with any thing in this place of his Exile But this is the wisdom of a Christian when he can solace himself against the meaness and any kind of discomfort of his outward condition with the comfortable assurance of the love of God that he hath called him to holiness given him some measure of it and an endeavour after more and by this may he conclude that he hath ordained him unto salvation if either he is a Stranger where he lives or as a stranger deserted of his friends and very near stript of all outward comforts yet may he rejoyce in this that the Eternal unchangable Love of God that is from Everlasting to Everlasting is sealed to his soul O what will it avail a man to be compassed about with the favour of the world to sit unmolested in his own home and possessions and to have them very great and pleasant well moneyed and landed and befriended and yet estranged and sever'd from God not having any token of his special Love To the Elect The Apostle here denominates all the Christians to whom he writes by the condition of true Believers calling them Elect and sanctified c. And the Apostle St. Paul writes in the same stile in his Epistles to the Churches not that all in these Churches were such indeed but because they professed to be such and by that their profession and Calling as Christians they were obliged to be such and as many of them as were in any measure true to that their Calling and profession were really such Besides it would seem not unworthy of Consideration that in all probability there would be fewer false Christians and the number of true believers usually greater in the Churches in those Primitive times then now in the best reformed Churches because there could not then be many of them that were from their Infancy bred in the Christian Faith but for the greatest part were such as being of years of discretion were by the hearing of the Gospel converted from Paganisme and Iuduisme to the Christian Religion first and made a deliberate choise of it to which there were at that time no great outward Encouragements and therefore the lesse danger of multitudes of hypocrites which as Vermine in Summer breed most in the time of the Churches Prosperity Tho no Nation or Kingdom had then universally received the faith but rather hated and persecuted it yet were there even then amongst them as the writings of the Apostles testifie false Brethren and inordinate walkers and men of corrupt minds earthly minded and led with a spirit of envy and contention and vainglory Howsoever the question that is moved concerning the necessary qualifications of all the members of a true visible Church can no way as I conceive be decided from the Inscriptions of the Epistle but eertainly they are useful to teach Christians and Christian Churches what they ought to be and what their holy profession requires of them and sharply to reprove the gross unlikeness and inconformity that is in the most part of man to the description of Christians As there be some that are too strait in their Judgement concerning the being and nature of the visible Church so certainly the greatest part of Churches are too loose in their practice From the dissimilitude betwixt our Churches and those we may make this use of reproof That if aâ— Apostolical Epistle were to be directed to us it behoved to be Inscribed to the Ignorant prophane maliâ—ious c. As he who at the hearing of the Gospel read said Either this is not the Gospel or we are not Christians So either these Charâ—cters given in the Inscription of these Epistles are not true Characters or we are not true Christians Verse 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience and sprinckling of the blood of Iesus Christ. IN this verse we have their Condition and Causes of it Their Condition Sanctified and Iustified the former expressed by Obedience the latter by sprinkling of the blood of Christ. The Causes 1 Eternal Election 2. The Execution of that Decree Their Effectual Calling which I conceive is meant by Election here the selecting them out of the World and joyning them to the fellowship of the Children of God so Ioh. 15.19 The former Election particularly ascribed to God the Father the latter to the Holy Spirit And the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God is here the cause of their Justification and so the whole Trinity concurring dignifie them with this their Spiritual and happy estate First I shall discourse of these seperately and then of their Connection 1. Of the state it selfe and first of Iustification tho named last This sprinkling has respect to the Rite of the Legal Purification by the sprinkling of Blood and that appositely for these Rites of sprinkling and Blood did all point out this Blood and this Sprinkling and exhibited this true ransome of souls which was only shadowed by them As the use and end of Sprinkling was Purification and Expiation because sin merited death and that the pollutions and staines of human nature was by sin Such is the pollution that it can be no manner of way washt off but by Blood Heb. 9. â—2 Neither is there any Blood able to purge from sin except the most precious Blood of Jesus Christ which is called the blood of God Act. 20.28 That the stain of sin can only be washt off by Blood inâ—imates that it merits Death And that no Blood but that of the Son of God can do it intimates that this stain merits Eternal Death and it had been our portion except the death of the Eternal Lord of life had freed
spero 'T is a fearful thing when a Man and all his hopes dye together Thus saith Solomon of the Wicked when He dyeth many of them before but at the utmost then all of them then dye his Hopes Prov. 11.7 but the Righteous hath hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Death that cutts the sinews of all other Hopes and turns men out of all other Inheritances it alone fulfils this Hope and ends it in Fruition As a Messenger sent to bring the Children of God home to the possession of their Inheritance By the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead This referrs to both Begotten again by his Resurrection and having this living Hope by his Resurrection and well suits both it being the proper cause of both in this order First then of the Birth then of the Hope The Image of God is renewed in us by our Union with him who is the express Image of his Fathers person Gal. 4 19. Therefore this new birth in the Conception is exprest by the forming of Christ in the Soul and Resurrection particularly is assign'd as the cause of our New Life this New Birth is called our Resurrection and that in conformity to Christ yea by vertue and Influence of His. His Resurrection is called a Birth he the first begotten from the dead Rev. 1.5 and that Prophesie Psal. 2.7 Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee is applyed to his Resurrection as fulfilled in it Act. 13.33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their Children in that he hath raised up Iesus again as it is also written in the second Psalm Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Not only is it the Exemplary but the Efficient cause of our new birth Thus Rom. 6. at large and often elsewhere and thus likewise it is the cause of our Living hope that which indeed inspires and maintains life in it because he hath Conquered Death and is risen again and that implyed which followeth is set down at the right hand of God hath entered Possession of that Inheritance This gives us a Living Hope that according to his own Request where he is there we shall be also Thus this Hope is strongly underset on the one side by the Resurrection of Christ on the other by the abundant mercy of God the Father Our hope depends not on our own Strength or Wisdom nor on any thing in us for then if it did it would be short-liv'd would die and dye quickly but on his Resurrection that can dye no more for in that he died he died unto sin once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God Rom. 6.10 This makes this Hope not to imply in the notion of it Uncertainty as worldly hopes but 't is a firm stable inviolable hope an Anchor pitch'd within the vail According to his abundant mercy Mercy is the Spring of all this yea great Mercy and manifold Mercy for as St. Bernard saith Great sins and Great Miseries need Great Mercy and many sins and Miseries need many Mercies and is not this great Mercy to make of Satans slaves Sons of the most high Well may the Apostle say Behold what manner of Love and how great Love the Father hath shewed us that we should be called the Sons of God The World knows us not because it knew not him they that have not seen the Father of a Child cannot know its Resembling him for the World knowes not God and therefore discerns not his Image in his Children to esteem them for it But whatever be their Opinion this we must say our selves Behold what Love to take fire-brands of Hell and to appoint them to be one day brighter then the Sun in the firmament To raise the poor out of the dunghil and set them with Princes Psal. 11.38 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Lastly we see it stirs up the Apostle to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ This is the stile of the Gospel as formerly under the Law the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and the God that brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt c. This now is the Order of the Government of Grace that it holds first with Christ our Head and in Him with us so he sayes I go to my Father and your Father and my God and your God Which as St. Cyril of Hierosol in his Catechism observes shows us not only our Communion with him that might have been exprest thus I go to my God and Father but the Order of the Covenant First my Father and my God and then yours Thus ought we in Consideration of the mercies of God still take in Christ for in him they are conveyed to us Thus Eph. 1.3 With all spiritual Blessings in Christ Iesus Blessed He blesseth us really benefaciendo benedicit We bless Him by acknowledging His goodness And this we ought to do at all times Psal. 34.1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth All this is far below Him and His mercies What are our lame praises in comparison of his Love Nothing and less then nothing but Love will stammer rather then be dumb They that are amongst his Children begotten again they have in the Resurrection of Christ a lively hope of glory as 't is Col. 1.27 which is Christ in you the hope of Glory This leads them to observe and admire that rich mercy whence it flowes and this consideration awakes them and strains them to break forth into praises To an Inheritance incorruptible As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather and as Vinegar upon nitre so is he that singeth Songs to a heavy heart Prov. 25.20 Worldly Mirth is so far from curing Spiritual Grief that even worldly Grief where 't is great and takes deep root is not allayed but increased by it a man that is full of inward heaviness the more he is compassed about with mirth it exasperates and enrages his Grief the more like ineffectual weak Physick that removes not the humour but stirs it and makes it more unquiet but spiritual Joy is seasonable for all Estates In prosperity 't is pertinent to crown and sanctifie all other Enjoyments with this that so far suspasses them and in distress 't is the only Nepenthe the cordial of fainting Spirits So Psal. 4. He hath put joy into my heart this mirth makes way for it selfe which other mirth cannot do these Songs are sweetest in the Night of distress Therefore the Apostle writing to his scattered afflicted Brethren begins his Epistle with this Song of Praise Blessed be the God and Father c. The matter of it is the Joyful Remembrance of the Happiness laid up for them under the name of Inheritance Now this Inheritance is described by the singular Qualities of it They Contain 1. The Excellency of its Nature 2. The certainty of its attainment the former in these three Incorruptible Vndefiled and that fadeth
Defended they perish not according to the Prayer of our Saviour poured out for them Ioh. 17.16 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but that thou shouldest keep them from the Evil. They have the Prince of the power of the Air and all his Armies all the forces he can make against them Though his power is nothing but Tyranny and Usurpation yet because once they were under his yoak he bestirres himselfe to pursue them when they are led forth from their Captivity as Exod. 14.5.9 Pharaoh with all his Chariots and Horses and Horsemen pursues after the Israelites going out of Egypt The word in the Original here translated Kept is a Military term used for those who are kept as in a Fort or Garrison Town besieged So Satan is still raising Batterries against this Fort using all wayes to take it by Strength or Sratagem unwearied in his Assaults and very skilful to know his Advantages and where we are weakest there to set on And besides all this He hath Intelligence with a Party within us ready to betray us to him so that it were impossible for us to hold out were there not another Watch and Guard then our own and other walls and Bulwarks then any that our skill and Industry can raise for our own Defence In this then is our safety that there is a Power above our own yea and above all our Enemies that guards us Salvation it selfe our Walls and Bulwarks We ought to watch but when we do in Obedience to our Commander the Captain of our Salvation yet it is his own Watching who sleeps not nor so much as slumbers 't is that preserves us and makes ours not to be in vain Psal. 126.1 Isa. 27.3 And therefore those two are joyntly Commanded â—atch and Pray that ye enter not into Temtation Watch there 's the necessity of our Diligence Pray there 's the Insufficiency of it and the necessity of his Watching by whose Power we are effectually preserv'd and that Power is our Fort. Isa. 26.1 Salvation hath God appointed for walls and Bulwarks what more safe then to be wall'd with Salvation it self â—o Prov. 18.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong tower the Righteous fly into it and are safe Now the Causes are two 1. Supream the Power of God 2. Subordinate Faith The Supreme Power of God is that on which depends our Stability and Perseverance When we consider how weak we are in our selves yea the very strongest amongst us and how Assaulted we wonder and Justly we may that any can continue one day in the Estate of Grace but when we look on the strength by which we are guarded the power of God then we see the reason of stability to the end For Omnipotency supports us and the Everlasting Armes are under us Then Faith is the 2d cause of our Preservation because it applies the first Cause the Power of God our Faith layes hold upon this Power and this Power strengthens Faith and so we are preserved It puts us within those walls setâ— the Soul within the Guard of the Power of God which by selfe confidence and vain presuming in its own strength is exposed to all kind of danger Faith is a humble self-denying Grace makes the Christian nothing in himself and all in God The weastest Persons that are within a strong Place Women and Children though they were not able to resist the Enemy if they were alone yet so long as the place wherein they are is of sufficient strength and well man'd and every way accommodate to hold out they are in safety thus the weakest Believer is safe because by believing he is within the strongest of all Defences Faith is the Victory and Christ sets his strength against Satans and when the Christian is hard beset with some Tentation too strong for himselfe then he looks up to him that is the great Conquerour of the powers of darkness and calls to him Now Lord assist thy Servant in this Encounter and put to thy strength that the Glory may be thine Thus faith is such an Engine as draws in the power of God and his Son Jesus into the works and conflicts that it hath in hand This is our victory even our faith 1. Iohn 5.4 'T is the property of a good Christian to magnifie the power of God to have high thoughts of it and therefore 't is his Priviledge to find safety in that power David cannot satifie himselfe with one or two Expressions of it but delights in multiplying them Psa. 18.1 The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower Faith looks above all both that which the soul hath and that which it wants and answers all Doubts and Fears with this Almighty Power upon which it rests To be revealed in the last time This Salvation is that great work wherein God intended to manifest the Glory of his Grace contriv'd before Time And in the severall Ages of the world brought forward after the decreed manner and the full accomplishment of it reserved for the End of Time The souls of the faithfull do enter possession when they remove from their houses of Clay yet is not their happiness compleat till that great day of the appearing of Jesus Christ they are naturally Imperfect till their bodies be raised and rejoyned to their Souls to partake together of their Bliss And they are mistically Imperfect till all the rest of the members of Jesus Christ be added to them But then shall their joy be absolutely full when both their own bodies and the misticall body of Christ shall be Glorified when all the Children of that glorious Family shall meet and sit down to that great Mariage Supper at their Fathers Table Then shall the Musick of that new song be full when there is not one wanting of those that are appointed to sing it for Eternity In that day shall our Lord Jesus be glorified in his saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thes. 1.10 You see what it is that the Gospel offers you and you may gather how great both your folly and your guiltiness will be if you neglect and slight so great salvation when 't is brought to you and you are intreated to receive it this is all that the preaching of the word aimes at and yet who hearkens to it How few lay hold on this Eternal life This Inheritance this Crown that is held forth to all that hear of it Oh that you could be perswaded to be saved that you would be willing to embrace salvation You think you would but if it be so then I may say though you would be saved yet your custome of sin your Love to sin and Love to the world will not suffer you And these will still hinder you unless you put on holy Resolutions to break through them and trample them under
for the word of God speaks to Men and therefore it speaks the Language of the Children of Men thus Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not with held thy Son thine onely Son from me God delights to call forth his Champions to meet with great Temptations to make them bear Crosses of more then ordinary weight as Commanders in War put Men of most valour and skill upon the hardest services God sets some strong furious triall upon a strong Christian made strong by his own grace and by his victory makes it appear to the world that though there is a great deal of counterfeit coyne of profession in Religion yet some there are that have the power the reality of it and that 't is not an Invention but there is Truth in it that the invincible Grace the very spirit of God dwells in the hearts of true believers that he hath a number that doe not onely speak big but doe indeed and in good earnest despise the world and overcome it by his strength Some men take delight to see some kind of beasts fight together but to see a Christian mind encountering some great Affliction and conquering it to see his valour in not sinking at the hardest distresses of this life nor the affrightfullest End of it the cruelest kindes of death for his sake this is as he said dignum Deo spectaculum this is a combat that God delights to look upon and he is not a meer beholder in it for t is the power of his own grace that Enables and Supports the Christian in all those Conflicts and Temptations Multitude of Temptations and of divers kindes many and manifold It were no hard condition to have a Triall now and then and long ease and prosperity betwixt but to be plied with one Affliction at the heels of another to have them come thronging in by multitudes and of different kindes uncouth unaccustomed evils such as a Man hath not been acquainted with before this is that which is often the portion of those that are the beloved of God Psa. 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water spouts all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me Ye are in Heaviness This the Apostle blames not but aimes at the moderating of it seek not altogether to dry up this stream but to bound it and keep it within its banks Grace doth not destroy the life of Nature but add's to it a life more excellent yea Grace doth not onely permitt but requires some feeling of Afflictions There is an affected Pride of spirit in some men instead of Patience Sutable to the Doctrine of the Stoicks as 't is usually taken they strive not to feel at all the afflictions that are on them but this is to despise the Correction of the Lord which is alike forbidden as fainting under it Heb. 12. We should not stop our ears but Mic. 6.9 Hear the Rod and him that hath appointed it as the Prophet speaks Where there is no feeling at all there can be no Patience Consider it as the hand of God and thence argue the soul into submission Psa. 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it But this Heaviness is mitigated and set as it were within its banks betwixt these two Considerations 1. The Utility of it 2. The Brevity profitableness and shortness of it To a worldly Man great Gain sweetens the hardest Labour and to a Christian Spiritual profit and Advantage may do much to move Him to take well with those Afflictions that are otherwise very unpleasant though they are not joyous for the present Heb. 12.11 Yet this allayes the sorrow of them the fruit that grows out of them that peaceable fruit of Righteousness Abundle of folly is in the heart of a Child but the Rod of Correction shall beat it out saith Solomon Tho the Children of God are truly as our Saviour calls them the Children of wisdom Yet being renewed only in part they are not altogether free from those follies that call for this Rod to beat them out and sometimes have such a bundle of follies as require a bundle of Rods to be spent upon it many and manifold afflictions 'T is not an easy matter to be drawn from nor to be beaten from the Love of this World and this is that which God mainly requires of his Children that they be not in Love with the World nor the things of it for that is contrary to the Love of God and so far as that is entertain'd this is wanting And if in the midst of afflictions they are sometimes subject to this disease how would it grow upon them with Ease and Prosperity when they are beaten from one worldly Folly or Delight they are ready through Natures corruption to lay hold upon some other being thrust out from it at one door to enter at some other and as Children unwilling to be weaned if one breast be imbitter'd they seek to the other and therefore there must be somewhat to drive them from that too Thus 't is clear there is need yea great need of Afflictions yea of many Afflictions that the Saints be chastened by the Lord that they may not be Condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11.32 Many Resemblances there are for Illustration of this Truth in things both of Nature and of Art Some common and others choycer But this is not needful The experience of Christians tells them how easily they grow Proud and Secure and Carnal with a little Ease and with outward things going smoothly with them and therefore what unhappiness were it for them to be much happy that way Let us learn then that in regard of our present frailty there is need of afflictions and so not promise our selves Exemption how calm soever our Seas are for the present and then for the Number and Measure and Weight of them to Resign that wholly into the hands of our wise Father and Phisitian who perfectly knows our mould and our maladies and what kind and quantity of chastisment is needful for our cure Though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness The other Consideration that moderates this Heaviness is its shortness because we willingly forget Eternity therefore this moment seems much in our eyes but if we could look upon it aright of how litle concernment is it what be our condition here if it were as prosperous as we could Wish or Imagine it is but for a little season the Rich man in the Gospell talk'd of Many Years but Thou fool this night shall thy Soul be required of thee was the longest period The many years quickly drawn to a very great abatement and if full of pains and griefs those do help to put an end to themselvs and hasten to it Then well might St. Austin say Hic ure caede modo ibi parcas use me here as pleaseth thee so as that hereafter it may be well with me Wherein This
it shall appear in its full brightnesâ— at the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The peculiar treasure of a Christian being the Grace that he receives from Heaven and particularly that Soveraign Grace of Faith whatsoever he can be assur'd will better him any way in this he will not only bear it patiently but gladly imbrace it Rom. 5.3 Therefore the Apostle sets this before his Brethren in those words of this verse where is 1. The Worth and Excellency of Faith 2. The usefulness of Temptations in relation to it The trial of Faith is call'd more precious a work of more worth then the tryal of Gold because Faith it selfe is of more value then Gold the Apostle chuses this comparison as fitting his purpose for both for the Illustration of the worth of Faith and likewise the use of Temptations representing the one by Gold and the other by the trying of Gold in the Fire The worth of Gold is 1. Real the purest and preciousest of all mettals having many excellent properties beyond them as they that write of the nature of Gold observe 2. Far greater in the Esteem and Opinion of Men. See how Men hurry up and down over Sea and Land unwearied in their pursuit with hazard of life and often with the loss of Uprightness and a good Conscience and not only thus Esteem it in it self but make it the Rule of their Esteem one of another valuing Men less or more as they are more or less furnish't with it and we see at what a height that is for things we would commend much we borrow its name to them viz. Golden Mediocrity and that Age which they would call the best of all they name it the Golden Age and as Seneca observes describing heavenly things as Ovid the Suns Pallace and Chariot still Gold is the word for all And the Holy Scriptures descending to our reach do set forth the Riches of the new Ierusalem by it Rev. 21. And the Excellency of Christ. Cant. 5.11.14 And here the preciousness of Faith whereof Christ is the Object is said to be more precious then Gold I will not insist in the parallel of Faith with Gold in the other Qualities of it as that it is pure and sollid as Gold And that ' it s most ductile and malleable as gold beyond all other mettals it plies any way with the Will of God But then Faith truly Enriches the soul And as Gold Answers all things so Faith gives the Soul propriety to all the rich Consolations of the Gospel to all the promises of Life and salvation to all needful Blessings it draws vertue from Christ to strengthen it self and all other Graces And thus 't is not onely precious as Gold but goes far above the Comparison 't is more precious yea much more precious 1. in its Originall the other is dig'd out of the bowels of the Earth but the Mine of this Gold is above it comes from Heaven 2. In its Nature answerable to its Originall it is Immateriall Spirituall and pure we refine Gold and make it purer but when we receive Faith pure of it self we mix dross with it and make it Impure by the allay of Unbelief 3. in its Endurance flowing from the former it perisheth not Gold is a thing in it selfe Corruptible and perishing and to particular owners it perisheth in their loss of it being depriv'd of it any way Other Graces are likewise tryed in the same Furnace but Faith is named as the Root of all the rest Sharp afflictions give a Christian a tryal of his Love to God whether it be single and for himself or not for then it will be the same when he strikes as when he Embraces and in the fire of affliction will rather grow the hotter and be more taken off from the world and set upon him Again the Grace of Paâ—ience is put particularly upon triall in distresses but both these spring from Faith for Love rises from a right and strong belief of the Goodness of God and patience from a persuasion of the Wisdom and Love of God and the truth of his promises He hath said I will not fail thee And that we shall not be tempted above our strength and he will give the Issue Now the belief of those Causes patience The triall of faith worketh Patience Iam. â— 3 For therefore doth the Christian resigne up himselfe and all that concerns him his triall the measure and length of them all unto Gods dispose because he knowes that he is in the hands of a wise and loving Father Thus the trial of those and other particular Graces doe still resolve into this and are compris'd under it the triall of Faith This tryal as 〈◊〉 of Gold may be for a 〈◊〉 â—old end 1 for Experiment of the truth and pâ—reness of a Christians faith 2. for râ—fining it yeâ— more and to raise it to a higher pitch or degree of pâ—reness 1. The furnace of Affliction shows upright â—eal Faith to be such indeed remaining stâ—ll the same even in the fire the same thaâ— it was undiminished as good Gold 〈◊〉 none of its quantity in the fire Doubtless many are deceiv'd in time of ease and prosperity with imaginary Faith and Fortitude so that there may be still some doubt while a Man is under set with outward helps as Riches Friends Esteem c. whether he leanes upon those or upon God who is an Invisible support though stronger then all that are visible and is the peculiar and alone stay of Faith in all Conditions But when all these outward props are pluckt away from a Man then it will manifest whether something else upholds him or not for if there be nothing else then â—e falls but if his mind stand firm and unremoved as before then 't is evident he laid not his weight upon these things he had them about him but was built upon a foundation though not seen which is able alone to stay him although he be not only frustrated of all other supports but beatâ—n upon with stormes and tempests as our Saviour sayes the house fell not because it was founded upon a rock Mat. 7.25 This testified the truth of Davids Faith who found it staying him upon God when there was nothing else near that could do 't I had fainted unless I had believ'd Psa. 27.13 So in his strait 1. Sam. 30.6 Where it s said that David was greatly distressed but he encouraged himself in the Lord his God Thus Psa. 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and portion for ever The Hearts naturall strength of spirit and Resolution may beaâ— up under outward weakness or the failing of the flesh but when the Heart it self fails that is the strength of the flesh what shall strengthen it nothing but God who is the strength of the heart and its portion for ever Thus Faith worketh alone when the Case suites that of the Prophets Haback â— 17 Although the fig
be spoke too much of for 't is Vnspeakable nor too much magnified for it is Glorious To Evidence the truth of this and to confirme his Brethren in the experienc'd knowledge of it he expresses here more particularly and distinctly the causes of this their Joy which are 1. The Object or Matter of it 2. The Apprehension and appropriation of that Object which two conjoyn'd are the entire cause of all Rejoyceing The Object is Jesus Christ verse 8. And the Salvation purchased by him verse 9. For these two cannot be sever'd and these two Verses that speak of them require as is evident by their connexion to be considered together 2. The apprehension of these 1. set forth negatively not by bodily sight 2. Positively whereas that might seem to abate the certainâ—y and liveliness of their Rejoyceing that 't is of things they had not seen nor do yet see that is abundantly made up by three for one each of them more excellent then the meer bodily sight of Christ in the flesh which many had which were never the better by 't the three are those three prime Christian Graces Faith Love and Hope The two former in ver 8. the 3 d. in ver 9. Faith in Christ begetting Love to him and both these giving assured Hope of salvation by him making it as certian to them as if it were already in their hand and they in possession of it And from all those together results this Exultation or leaping for joy Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory This is that one thing that so much concerns us and therefore we mistake very far and forget our own highest interest too much when we either speak or hear of it slightly and apply not our hearts to it What is it that all our thoughts and endeavours drive at What means all that we are doing in the World tho we take several wayes to it and wrong wayes for the most part yea such wayes as lead not to it but set us further off from it yet that which we all seek after by all our labour under the Sun is something that may be matter of Contentment and rejoycing to us when we have attain'd it now here it is and in vain is it sought for elsewhere And for this end 't is represented to you that it may be yours if ye will entertain it not only that you may know this to be a truth that in Jesus Christ is laid up true Consolation and Rejoyceing that he is the Magazine and Treasury of it but that you may know how to bring him home into your hearts and lodge him there and so to have the spring of Joy within you That which gives full joy to the Soul must be something that is higher and better then it self in a word he that made it can only make it glad after this manner with unspeakable and glorious joy but the Soul remaining guilty of Rebellion against him and unreconcil'd cannot behold him but as an Enemy any belief that it can have of him while 't is in that posture is not such as can fetch Love and Hope and so Rejoycing but such as the Faith of devils produceth only begetting terrour and trembling but the light of his Countenance shining in the face of his Son the Mediator glads the heart and 't is the looking upon him so that causeth the soul to Believe and Love and Hope and Rejoyce Therefore the Apostle Eph. 2. In his description of the estate of the Gentiles before Christ was preach'd to them joynes these together without Christ that was the cause of all the rest therefore without comfort in the Promises without Hope and without God in the world So he is here by our Apostle exprest as the object In all these therefore he is the matter of our Joy because our Faith and Love and Hope of Salvation The Apostle writing to the dispersed Jewes many of whom had not known nor seen Christ in the flesh commends their Love and Faith for this reason that it did not depend upon bodily sight but was pure and spiritual and made them of the number of those that our Saviour himselfe pronounces blessed who have not seen and yet believe You saw him not when he dwelt amongst men and walked to and fro Preaching and working Miracles Many of those that did then hear and see him believed not yea they scoff'd and hated and persecuted him and in the end Crucified him you that have seen none of all those things yet having heard the Gospel that declares him you have believed Thus Observe the working or not working of Faith doth not depend upon the difference of the external Ministry and gifts of Men for what greater difference can there be that way than betwixt the Master and the Servants betwixt the great Prophet himself and his weak sinful Messengers and yet many of those that saw and heard him in Person were not converted believ'd not in him and thousands that never saw him were converted by his Apostles and as it seems even some of those that were some way accessory to his death yet were brought to Repentance by this same Apostles Sermon Act. 2. Learn then to look above the outward Ministry and any difference that in Gods dispensation can be there and know that if Jesus Christ himself were on Earth and now Preaching amongst us yet might his incomparable words be unprofitable to us not being mix'd with faith in the bearers But where that is the meanest despisable conveyance of his Message received with humility and affection will work blessed Effects Whom not seeing yet believeing Faith elevates the Soul not only above sense and sensible things but above Reason it selfe as reason corrects the Errours that sense might occasion So supernatural Faith corrects the Errours of natural Reason judging according to Sense The Sun seems less then the wheel of a Chariot but Reason teaches the Philosopher that 't is much bigger then the whole Earth and the cause why it seems so little is its great distance The Naturally wise man is as far deceiv'd by this carnal Reason in his estimate of Jesus Christ the â—un of Righteousness and the cause is the same his great distance from him as the Psalmist speaks of the wicked Psal. 10.5 Thy Iudgements are far above out of his sight He accounts Christ and his Glory a smaller matter then his own Gain Honour or Pleasure for these are near him and he sees their quantity to the full and counts them bigger yea far more worth then they are indeed but the Apostle St. Paul and all they that are enlightened by the same Spirit they know by Faith which is divine Reason that the Excellency of Jesus Christ far surpasses the worth of the whole Earth and all things earthly Phil. 3.7.8 To give a right assent to the Gospel of Christ is Impossible without divine and saving Faith infused in the Soul to believe that the Eternal Son of God cloath'd himselfe with humane
flesh and dwelt amongst Men in a Tabernacle like theirs and suffered death in the flesh that he who was Lord of Life hath freed us from the sentence of Eternal Death that he broke the bars and chains of Death and rose again that he went up into Heaven and there at the Fathers right hand sits in our flesh and that glorified above the Angels This is the great Mistery of Godliness And a part of this Mistery is that he is Believed on in the World 1 Tim. 3.16 This Natural Men may discourse of and that very knowingly and give a kind of natural Credit to 't as to a History that may be true but firmly to believe that there is divine Truth in all these things and to have a perswasion of it stronger then of the very things we see with our eyes such an assent as this is the peculiar work of the spirit of God and is certainly saving Faith The Soul that so believes cannot chuse but Love 't is commonly true the Eye is the ordinary door by which Love enters into the Soul and it is true in this Love though t is denied of the Eye of sense yet you see 't is ascrib'd to the Eye of Faith though you have not seen him you Love him because you believe Which is to see him spiritually Faith indeed is distinguish'd from that Vision that is in Glory but it is the Vision of the Kingdom of Grace 't is the Eye of the New Creature that quicksighted Eye that pierces all the Visible Heavens and sees above them that looks to things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4.18 And is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 that sees him that is invisible v. 27. 'T is possible that one may be much Lov'd upon the report of their worth and Vertues and upon a Picture of them lively drawn before sight of the party so commended and represented but certainly when they are seen and found answerable to the former it raises the Affection that it first begun to a far greater height We have the report of the perfections of Jesus Christ in the Gospel yea so clear a description of him that it gives a picture of him and that together with the Sacraments are the only lawful and the only lively pictures of our Saviour Gal. 3.1 Now this Report Faith believes and beholds this picture and so lets in the Love of Christ to the Soul but further it gives a particular experimental knowledge of Christ and acquaintance with him It causes the Soul find all that is spoken of him in the Word and his beauty there represented to be abundantly true makes it really taste of his sweetness and by that possesses the heart more strongly with his Love perswading it of the truth of those things not by reasons and arguments but by an Inexpressible kind of Evidence that they only know that have it Faith perswades a Christian of these two things that the Philosopher gives as the causes of all Love Beauty and Propriety the Loveliness of Christ in himself and our interest in him The former it effâ—ctuaâ—s not only by the first apprehending and believing of those hâ—s Excellencies and Beauty but by frequent beholding of him and Eyeing him in whom all Perfection dwells and looks so ofâ— on him till it sets the very Impression of his Image as it were upon the Soul that it can never be blotted out and forgot The latter it doth by that particular Uniting Act which makes him our God and our Saviour Ye Love The distinctions that some make of Love need not be taken as of differing kinds but different actings of the same Love by which we may try our so much pretended Love of Christ which in truth is so rarely found There will then be in this Love if it be right these three qualities Goodwill Delight and Desire 1. Goodwill earnest wishing and as we can promoting Gods Glory and stirring up others so to do They that seek more their own things then the things of Jesus Christ more their own Praise and Esteem then His are strangers to this divine Love-For it seeks not her own things This bitter Root of self-love is most hard to pluck up this strongest and sweetest Love of Christ alone doth it actually though gradually This Love makes the Soul as the lower Heaven slow in its own motion most swift in the motion of that first that wheels it about so the higher degree of Love the more swift It Loves the hardest tasks And greatest difficulties where it may perform God service either in doing or in suffering for him It is strong as death and many waters cannot quench it The greater the task is the more real is the testimony and expression of Love and therefore the more acceptable to God 2. There is in true Love a complacency and delight in God A Conformity to his will Loving what he Loves and studious of his will ever seeking to know more clearly what it is that is most pleasing to him contracting a likeness to God in all his actions by conversing with him frequent contemplating of God and looking on his beauty as the Eye lets in this Affection so it serves it constantly and readily looks that way that Love directs it thus the soul that is possess'd with this Love of Jesus Christ hath its eye much upon him thinks often on his former sufferings and present Glory the more it lookes upon Christ the more it loves and still the more it loves the more it delights to look upon him 3. There is in true Love a Desire for 't is but small beginnings and tastes of his Goodness that the soul hath here therefore 't is still looking out and longing for the day of Marriage the time is sad and wearisome and seems much longer then it is while 't is deteind here I desireâ— to be dissolved saith St. Paul and to be with Christ. God is the Sum of all things lovely thus excellenâ—ly Greg. Nazian expresseth himself Ovat 1. If I have any Possessions Health Credit Learning this is all the contentment I have of them that I have somewhat I may despise for Christ who is totus dâ—sâ—derâ—bilis totuâ— desiderabile And this Love is the sum of all he requires of us 't is that which makes all our meanest Services acceptable and without which all we offer to him is distasteful God doth not only deserve our Love by his matchless Excellency and Beauty but by his Matchless Love to us and that is the strongest Loadstone of Love He hath loved me saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 How appears that in no less then this he hath given himself for me Certainly then there is no other Character of our Love then this to give our selves to him that hath so loved us and given himself for us This affection must be bestowed somewhere there is no Man but hath some prime choyce somewhat that is the predominant delight of his soul will it
not then be our wisdom to make the worthiest choyce seeing it is offered us and is extream folly to reject it Grace doth not pluck up by the roots and wholly destroy the natural passions of the mind because they are distempered by sin that were an extreme remedy to Cure by killing and heal by cutting off no but it corrects the distemper in them it dries not up this main stream of Love but purifies it from the Mud it is full of in its wrong Course or calls it to its Right Channel by which it may run into Happiness and empty it selfe into the Ocean of goodness The Holy Spirit turns the love of the soul towards God in Christ for in that way only can it apprehend his Love so then Jesus Christ is the first Object of this divine Love he is Medium unionis through whom God conveys the sense of his Love to the soul and receives back its Love to him And if we will consider his incomparable Beauty we may look on it in the holy Scriptures particularly in that divine song of Loves Wherein Solomon borrowes all the beauties of the Creatures dips his pencill in all their severall Excellencies to set him forth unto us who is the chief of ten Thousands There is an inseparable intermixture of Love with Belief and a pious Affection receiving divine Truth so that in effect as we distinguish them they are mutually strengthened the one by the other and so though it seem a Circle 't is a divine one and falls not under censure of the School's Pedantry If you ask how shall I do to Love I Answer Believe If you ask how shall I believe I Answer Love Although the Expressions to a carnall mind are altogether unsavoury by gross mistaking them yet to a Soul taught to Read and Hear them by any measure of that same Spirit of love wherewith they were penn'd they are full of heavenly and unutterable sweetness Many Directions and means of begetting and increasing this Love of Christ may be here offered but they that delight in number may multiply them but sure this One will Comprehend the greatest and best part if not all of them Believe and you shall Love Believe much and you shall Love much labour for strong and deep persuasions of the glorious things that are spoken of Christ and this will command Love Certainly did Men indeed believe his worth they would accordingly Love him for the Reasonable Creature cannot but affect that most which it firmly believes to be worthy of affection O this mischief of Unbelief is that which makes the heart cold and dead towards God Seek then to believe Christs Excellency in himselfe and his Love to us and our interest in him and this will kindle such a fire in the heart as will make it ascend in a Sacrifice of Love to him Many Signes likewise of this Love may be multiplied according to the many fruits and workings of it but in them all it self is its own most infallible Evidence When the soul finds that all its Obedience and endeavour to keep the Commands of Jesus Christ which himself makes its Character do flow from Love then it is true and sincere For do or suffer what you will withour Love all passes for nothing All are Cyphers without it they signifie nothing 1. Cor. 13. This is the Message of the Gospell and that which the Ministry aimes at and therefore the Ministers ought to be Suitors not for themselves but for Christ to Espouse souls to him and to bring in many hearts to Love him And certainly this is the most compendious way to perswade to all other Christian duties this is to converse with Jesus Christ and therefore where his Love is no other incentive will be needfull For Love delights in the presence and converse of the party Loved If we are to perswade to duties of the second Table the summe of those is Love to our Brethren resulting from the Love of Christ which diffuseth such a sweetness into the soul that its all Love and meekness and Gentleness and long suffering If times be for suffering Love will make the soul not onely bear but welcome the bitterest afflections of life and the hardest kinds of death for his sake In a word there is in Love a sweet constraint or tying of the heart to all Obedience and Duty The Love of God is requisite in Ministers for their preaching of the word so our Saviour to St. Peter Iohn 21.15 Peter lovest thou me then feed my lambs It is requisite for the people that they receive the Truth in the Love of it and that Christ preach'd be Entertain'd in the soul and Embrac'd by Faith and Love You that have made choyce of Christ for your Love let not your hearts slip out to renew your wonted base familiarity with Sin For that will bring new bitterness to your souls and at least for some time will deprive you of the sensible favour of your beloved Jesus delight alwayes in God and give him your whole heart for he deserves it all and is a satisfying good to it the largest heart is all of it too strait for the riches of consolation that he brings with him seek to Increase in this Love for tho its at first weak yet Labour to find it daily rise higher and burn hotter and clearer and consume the dross of Earthly desires Receiving the end of your Faith Although the soul that Believes and Loves is put in present possession of God as far as it is Capable in its sojourning here yet it desires a full Enjoyment which it cannot attain to without Removing hence While we are present in the body we are absent from the Lord saith the Apostle And because they are assur'd of that happy Exchange that being united and freed of this body they shall be present with the Lord and that having his own word for 't that Where he is they shall be also this begets such an assured Hope as bears the name of possession Therefore its said here Receiveing the end of your faith This Receiveing likewise flows from Faith Faith apprehends the present Truth of the divine Promises and so makes the things to come present and Hope looks out to their after Accomplishment which if the promises be true as Faith averrs then Hope hath good reason firmly to expect it This desire and Hope are the very wheels of the Soul that carry it on and Faith the common Axis on which they rest In the words there are two things 1. The good hoped for in Christ so Believed on and Loved 2. The assuredness of the Hope it selfe yea as sure as if it were already accomplished As for the good hoped for it consists 1. In the nature of it Viz. The Salvation of their Soul 2. in a Relative Property of it the End of their Faith The nature of it is Salvation and Salvation of the soul it imports full deliverance from all kind of misery and
his promise because I live ye shall live also Ioh. 14.19 Christ and the Believer are One this is that Great Mystery the Apostle speaks of Eph. 5. though ' it s a common known truth the words and outside of it obvious to all yet none can understand it but they that indeed partake of it by vertue of that Unction their sins were accounted His and Christs sufferings are accounted theirs and by consequence His Glory the consequent of his sufferings is likewise theirs there is an indissoluble connection betwixt the life of Christ and of a Believer Our life is hid with Christ in God and therefore while we remaine there our life is there though hid and when he who is our life shall appear we likewise shall appear with him in glory Colos. 3.14 Seeing the sufferings and Glory of our Redeemer are the maine subject of the Gospel and the Causes of our salvation and our comfortable persuasion of it ' it s a wonder that they are not more the matter of our thoughts should we not daily consider the bitterness of that cup of Wrath he drunk for us and be wrought to Repentance and Hatred of sin to have sin imbitter'd to us by that Consideration and find the sweetness of his Love in that he did drink it and by that be deeply possessed with Love to him these things we now and then speak of but they sink not As our Saviour exhorts where he is speaking of those same sufferings O that they were engraven on our hearts and that sin were Crucified in us and the world Crucified to us and we unto the world by the crosse of Christ. And then considering the Glory wherein he is And to have our eye often upon that and our hearts solaceing and refreshing themselves frequently with the thoughts of that Place and condition wherein Christ is and where our hopes are ere long to behold lin Both to see his Glory and to be Glorified with him is it not reason Yea ' its necessary it cannot be otherwise if our Treasure and Head be there that our hearts be there likewise The Third Expression here of the Gospell is that 't is the Doctrine of Grace The work of Redemption it self and severall parts of it and the Doctrine revealing it have all the name of Grace because they all flow from free Grace that is their spring and first Cause And 't is this wherein the Doctrine of Salvation is mainly comfortable that it is free ye are saved by Grace Eph. 2.8 't is true God requires faith it is through faith but he that requires that gives it too that 's not of your selves 't is the gift of God 't is wonderfull Grace to save upon believing believe in Jesus for Salvation and live accordingly and 't is done there is no more requir'd to thy pardon but that thou receive it by faith But truely Nature cannot do this 't is as impossible for us of our selves to Believe as to doe this then is that which makes it all Grace from Beginning to End that God not onely saves upon believeing but gives believeing it self Christ is called not onely the Author and finisher of our Salvation but even of our Faith Free Grace being rightly apprehended is that which stayes the heart in all Estates and keeps it from fainting even in its saddest times what though there is nothing in my self but matter of sorrow and discomfort it cannot be otherwise ' its not from my self that I look for Comfort at any time but from my God and his free Grace Here is Comfort enough for all times when I 'm at the best I ought not I dare not rely upon my self when Im at the worst I may and should rely upon Christ and his sufficient Grace Though I be the vilest sinner that ever came to him yet I know he is more Gracious then I am sinfull yea the more my sin is the more Glory will it be to his Grace to pardon it it will appear the richer doth not David argue thus Psa. 25.11 For thy names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great But 'T is an empty fruitless notion of Grace to Consider it onely in the Generall and in a wandring way we are to look upon it particularly as address'd to us and 't is not enough that it comes to us in the message of him that brings it onely to our ear but that we may know what it is it must come into us then 't is ours indeed but if it come to us in the message only and we send it away again if iâ— shall so depart we had better never have heard of it it will leave a Guiltiness behind it that shall make all our sins weigh much heavier then before Enquire whether you have entertain'd this grace or not whether it be come to you and into you or not whether the kingdom of God is within you As our Saviour speaks 't is the woefullest condition that can be not to be far from the kingdom of God and yet to fall short and miss of it The Grace of God revealed in the Gospell is intreating you daily to receive it is willing to become yours if you Reject it not were your eyes open to behold the Beauty and Excellency of this Grace there would need no deliberation yea you would endure none desire your eyes to be opened and light from above that you may know it and your hearts open'd that you may be happy by receiving it The Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ as the foundation of our Faith calls him the same yesterday and to day and for ever Yesterday under the Law to day in those primitive times neerest his Incarnation and for ever in all succeeding ages And the Resemblance holds good between the two Cherubims over the Mercy-seat and the two Testaments those had their faces towards one another and both toward the Mercy-seat and these look to one another in their Doctrine agreeing perfectly and both look to Christ the true Mercy-seat and the great Subject of the scriptures This we see here the things that the Prophets foretold to come and the Apostles reported were accomplished were the same and from the same spirit they were the sufferings of Christ and his after Glory and in them our Salvation by free Grace The Prophesies look forward to the times of the Gospel and the things then fulfilled look back to the Prophesies and each confirms the other meeting all in Christ who is their truth and Center We have spoken already of the Author and subject of this salvation Now we come to say something of those who are Employed about it as well in Administring to it as in Admiring it And those are the Prophets and Apostles the first foretold what was to come the second Preached them when they came to pass In the Prophets there are three things here remarked 1. Their Dilligence 2. The Success of it 3. The Extent of its usefulness This
he forget who he is and by what means he attain'd to be what he is therefore the Apostle persuading his Brethren no holiness puts them in mind of this as the strongest incentive not onely have you the Example of God set before you as your father to beget in you the love of holiness being your liveliest resemblance of him and the justice of God as your Judge to argue you into a pious fear of offending him but Consider this that he is your Redeemer he hath bought out your liberty from sin and the world to be altogether his and think on the price laid down in this Ransome and these out of question will prevaile with you We have here The evil dissuaded from viz. A vain Conversation 2. the dissuasion it self 1. 't is called Their vain Conversation 2. Receiv'd by tradition from their fathers By this I conceive is not onely understood the superstitions and vain devices in Religion that abounded amongst the Jews by tradition of which our Saviour often reproved them while he was conversant amongst them as we find in the Gospel and all this was mean't Verse 14. by the Lusts of their former ignorance but generally all the corrupt and sinfull customes of their lives for it seems not so pertinent to his purpose exhorting to Holiness of life to speak of their superstitious Traditions as their other sinfull habitudes which are no less hereditary and by the power of Example traditionall which by reason of their common Root in Mans sinfull nature do so easily pass from parents to Children Nature making their Example powerfull and the Corruption of Nature giving iâ— most power in that which is Evill And this is the rather mention'd to take away the force of it and cut of that influence which it might have had into their mindes there is a kind of Conversation that the authority of your fathers pleads for but Remember that it is that very thing from which you are delivered and called to a new estate and form of life and have a new patterne set before you instead of that corrupt Example 'T is one great Errour not onely in Religion and manners but even in humane science that Men are ready to take things upon trust unexamin'd from these that went before them partly out of easiness and sparing the paines of triall partly out of a superstitious overesteem of their Authority but the chief Reason why corruptions in Religion and practice of preceeding ages take so much with posterity is that before mention'd the universal sympathy and agreement that those evils have with the corrupt Nature of Man The Prophet Ezekiel observes this particularly in the Jewes Chap. 20. Verse 24. That their eyes were after their Fathers Idols Contrary to Gods express forewarning Verse 18. This was the great quarrel of the Heathens against the Christian Religion in the Primitive times that it was new and unknown to their Fathers and the ancient Writers of those times are frequent in shewing the vanity of this exception particularly Lactantius Instit. lib. 2. cap. 7 8. The same prejudice doth the Church of Rome sing over continually against the Reform'd Religion where was it before Luther c. But this is a foolish and reasonless diversion from the search of Truth because Errour is more at hand or from the entertaining it being found because falshood is in possession As in Religion so in the course and practise of Mens lives the stream of sin runs from one age into another and every age makes it greater adding somewhat to what it receives as Rivers grow in their course by the accession of Brookes that fall into them and every Man when he is born falls like a drop into this main current of Corruption and so is carried with it down and this by reason of its strength and his own nature which willingly dissolves into it and runs along with it In thiâ— is manifest the power of Divine Grace in a Mans Conversion that it severs him so powerfully from the prophane World and gives him strength to run contrary to the great current of wickedness that is round about him in his Parents possibly and in his Kindred and Friends and in the most of Men that he meets withal The voice of God that powerful word of Effectual calling that he speaks in to the heart makes a Man break through all and leave all to â—ollow God as Abraham did being called out from his kindred and Fathers house to journey towards the Land that God had promis'd him And this is that which is spoke to the Church and to each believing soul by the spirit of God Forget also thine own People and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly delight in thy beauty regard not what others think though thy nearest friends but study only to please him and then thou shalt please him indeed do not deform thy face with looking out a squint to the custom of the World but look straight forward on him and so thou shalt be beautiful in his eyes When God calls a Man in a remarkable manner his prophane Friends are all in a tumult what needs this to be more precise then we and all your Neighbours But all this is a confused noise that works nothing on the heart that the Lord hath touched it must follow him though by trampling upon friends and kindred if they lye in the way we see how powerfully a word from Christ drew his Disciples to leave all and follow him The Exhortation is against all sinful and unholy conversation by what Authority and Example soever recommended to us the Apostles Reasons in those words are strong and pressing there is one express'd in the very Name he gives it 't is vain Conversation The mind of Man the Guide and source of his actions while it is Estranged from God is nothing but a forge of vanities the Apostle St. Paul speaks this of the Gentiles that they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned Rom. 1.21 Their great Naturalists and Philosophers not excepted and the more they strove to play the wise men the more they befool'd themselves thus likewise Eph. 4.17 and thus the Lord complains by his Prophet of the extream folly of his People Isay. 44.20 and by Ieremy that their bearâ—s are lodges of vain thoughts and these are the true cause of a vain Conversation The whole course of a Mans life out of Christ is nothing but a continual trading in Vanity running a Circle of toyle and labour and reaping no profit at all This is the vanity of every natural Mans Conversation that not only others are not benefited by it but it is fruitless to himself there arises to him no solid good out of it That is most truly vain that attains not its proper end Now all a Mans endeavours aiming at his satisfaction and Contentment that Conversation that gives him nothing of that but removes him further from it is justly called
vain conversation What fruit had ye sayes the Apostle in those things whereof ye are now asham'd Either count that shame that at the best growes out of them their fruit or confess they have none therefore they are called the unfruitful works of darkness Let the Voluptuous Person say it out upon his death-bed what pleasure or profit doth then abide with him of all his former sinful delights Let him tell if there remain any thing of them all but that that he would gladly not have to remain the sting of an accusing Conscience which is as lasting as the delight of sin was short and evanishing Let the covetous and ambitious declare freely even those of them that have prospered most in their pursuit of Riches and Honour what ease all their Possessions or titles do then help them to whether their pains are the less because their Chests are full or their Houses stately or multitude of friends and servants waiting on them with Hat and Knee and if all these things cannot ease the body how much less can they quiet the mind And therefore is it not true that all pains in these things and the uneven wayes into which they sometimes stept aside to serve those ends and generally that all the wayes of sin wherein they have wearied themselves were vain Rollings and tossings up and down not tending to acertain Haven of peace and happiness 't is a lamentable thing to be deluded all a Life time with a false dream Isa. 2.8 You that are going on in the common Road of sin although many and possibly your own Parents have trod it before you and the greatest part of these you now know are in it with you and keep you Company in it yet be perswaded to stop a little and ask your selves what it is you seek or expect in the end of it would it not grieve any labouring Man to work hard all the day and have no wages to look for at night 't is a greater loss to wear out our wholâ— life and in the evening of our dayes find nothing but anguish and vexation Let us then think this that so much of our life as is spent in the wayes of sin is all lost fruitless and vain Conversation And in so far as the Apostle saye here You are redeemed from this Conversation this Imports it a â—ervile slavish Condition as the other word expresses it to live fruitless And this is the Madness of a sinner that he fancies Liberty in that which is the basest thraldome as those poor frentique Persons that are lying ragged and bound in Chaines yet Imagine that they are Kings that their Irons are Chaines of gold their rags Robes and their filthy Lodge a Pallace As 't is misery to be liable to the sentence of death so 't is slavery to be subject to the dominion of sin and he that is delivered from the one is likewise set free from the other There is one Redemption from both He that is redeem'd from destruction by the blood of Christ is likewise redeem'd from that vain and unholy Conversation that leadâ— to it So Tit. 2.14 Our Redeemer was anointed for this purpose not to free the Captives from the sentence of death and yet leave them still in Prison but to proclaim liberty to them and the opening of the Prison to those that are bound Isa. 61.1 You easily perswade your selves that Christ hath died for you and Redeem'd you from Hell but you Consider not that if it be so he hath likewise Redeem'd you from your vain Conversation and both set you free from the service of sinâ— Certainly while you find not that you can have no assurance of the other if the Chaines of sin continue still upon you for any thing you can know these Chaines do bind you over to the other Chaines of darkness the Apostle speaks of Let us not delude our selves if we find the love of sin and of the World work stronger in our hearts than the love of Christ we are not as yet partakers of his Redemption But if we have indeed laid hold upon him as our Redeemer then are we Redeem'd from the service of sin not only from the grossest Profaness but even from all kind of fruitless and vain Conversation And therefore ought to stand fast in that Liberty and not entangle our selves again to any of our former vanities Not redeemed with Corruptible things From the high price of our Redemption the Apostle doth mainly inforce our Esteem of it and the preservation of that liberty so dearly bought and the avoiding all that unholiness and vain conversation from which we are freed by that Redemption 1. He expresseth it negatively not with corruptible things Oh foolish we that hunt them as if they were Incorruptible and Everlasting treasures no not the best of them these that are in highest account with Men not with Silver and Gold these are not of any value at all towards the Ransom of Souls they cannot buy off the death of the Body nor cannot purchase the continuance of temperal life much less can they reach to the worth of Spiritual and Eternal life The precious soul could not be redeem'd but by blood and by no blood but that of this spotless Lamb Jesus Christ who is God equal with the Father And therefore his Blood is called the blood of God Act. 20. So that the Apostle may well call it here precious exceeding the whole World and all things in it in value Therefore frustrate not the sufferings of Christ if he shed his blood to Redeem you from sin be not false to his End As of a Lamb without blemish He is that great and everlasting Sacrifice that gave value and vertue to all the Sacrifices under the Law their blood was of no worth to the purging away of sin but by Relation to his blood and the Laws concerning the choyce of the Pascall Lamb or other Lambs for Sacrifice were but obscure and imperfect shadowes of his purity and perfections who is the undefiled Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World A Lamb in meekness and silence he opened not his mouth Isa. 53.7 And in purity here without spot or blemish My well beloved sayes the Spouse is white and ruddy white in spotless Innocency and red in suffering a bloody death For as much as ye know 'T is that must make all this effectual the right Knowledge and due Consideration of it Ye do know it already but I would have you know it better more deeply and practically turn it often over be more in the study and meditation of it there is work enough in it still for the discerningest mind itâ— a mystery so deep that you shall never reach the bottom of it and withall so useful that you shall find alwayes new profit by it Our folly is we gape after new things and yet are in effect Ignorant of the things we think we know best that learned Apostle that knew
so much and spake so many tongues yet I determined sayes he to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 And again he expresses this as the top of his Ambition that I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death That Conformity is this only knowledge He that hath his lusts unmortified and a heart unweaned from the World though he know all the history of the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ and can discourse well of them yet indeed he knows them not If you would increase much in holiness and be strong against the Tentations of sin this is the only art of it view much and so seek to know much of the death of Jesus Christ Consider often at how high a raâ—e we were redeem'd from sin and provide this answer for all the enticements of sin and the world except you can offer my soul something beyond that price that was given for it on the cross I cannot hearken to you Far be it from me will a Christian say that considers this Redemption that ever I should prefer a base lust or any thing in this World or it all to him that gave himselfe to death for me and payed my Ransom with his blood his matchless love hath freed me from the miserable Captivity of sin and hath for ever fastened me to the sweet yoke of his Obedience Let him alone to dwell and rule within me and let him never go forth from my heart who for my sake refus'd to come down from the Cross. Verse 20. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you OF all those Considerations and there are many that may move Men to Obedience there is none that persuades both more sweetly and strongly then the sense of Gods goodness and mercy towards Men and amongst all the Evidences of that there is none like the sending and giving of his Son for Mans redemption therefore the Apostle having mentioned that insists further in it and in these words expresses the performance and the Application of it 1. The purpose or Decree foreknown but 't is well rendred fore ordained for this knowing is Decreeing and there is little either solid truth or profit in the distinguishing them We say usually that where there is little wisdom there is much chance and comparitively amongst Men some are far more foresighted and of further Reach then others yet the wisest and most provident Men both wanting skill to designe all things aâ—ight and power to act as they contrive meet with many unexpected Casualties and often Disappointments in their undertakings but with God where both wisdom and power are infinite there can be neither any Chance nor Resistance from without nor any Imperfection at all in the contrivance of things neither himself can give that cause to add or abate or alter any thing in the frame of his purposes The modell of the whole world and of all the course of time was with him one and the same from all Etenity and whatsoever is brought to pass is exactly answerable to that pattern for with him there is no change nor shaddow of turning Iam. 1.17 There is nothing dark to the father of lights he sets at one view through all things and all ages from the beginning of time to the end of it yea from Eternity to Eternity And this Inccomprehensible wisdom is too wonderfull for us we do but childishly stammer when we offer to speak of it It is no wonder that Men beat their own braines and knock their heads one against another in the contest of their opinions to little purpose in their severall Mouldings of Gods Decree Is not this to cut and square Gods thoughts to ours and Examine his Soveraign purposes by the low principles of Humane wisdom how much more learned then all such knowledge is the Apostles Ignorance when he crys out O the depth of the Riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Rom. 11.33 Why then should any man dâ—bate what place in the series of Gods decree is to be assign'd to this purpose of sending his son in the flesh Let us rather seeing it is manifest that it was for the Redemption of lost Mankind admire that same Love of God to mankind that appears in that purpose of our recovery by the word made flesh that before Man had made himself miserable yea before either he or the world was made this thought of boundless love was in the bosome of God to send his son forth from thence to bring fallen Man out of misery and restore him to happiness and to do this not onely by taking on his nature but the curse to shift it off from us that were sunk under it and to bear it himself and by bearing it to take it away he laid on him the iniquity of us all And to this he was appointed says the Apostle Heb. 3 2. Before the foundation of the world This we understand by Faith that the world was framed by the word of God Although the Learned probably think it evincible by humane Reason yet some of those that have gloried most in that and are reputed generally masters of Reason have not seen it by that light therefore that we may have a divine belief of it we must learn it from the word of God and be persuaded of its truth by the spirit of God that the whole world and all things in it were drawn out of Nothing by his almighty power that is the onely Eternal and Increated being and therefore the fountain and source of being to all things Foundation In this word is clâ—ar the Resemblance of the world to a building and such a building it is as doth evidence the greatness of him that fram'd it so spacious Rich and comely so firm a foundation and rais'd to so high and stately a roofe and set it with variety of stars as with Jewels therefore call'd as some conceive it Psa. 8. the work of his fingers to express the curious artifice that appears in them Though Naturalists can give the reason of the earth's stability from its heaviness which stayes it necessarily in the lowest part of the world yet that abates nothing our admiring the wisdom and power of God in laying its foundation so and establishing it for it is his will that is the first cause of that its nature and hath appointed that to be the property of its heaviness to fix it there and therefore Iob alledeges this amongst the wonderfull works of God and evidences of his power that he hangeth the earth upon nothing Before there was Time or place or any Creature God the blessed Trinity was in himselfe and as the Prophet speaks inhabiting Eternity compleatly happy in himself but intending to manifest and communicate his goodness he
a Natural Man so little understands that is the cause of all that Spiritual Light of Grace that a Believer does enjoy No right knowledge of God to Man once fallen from it but in his Son no comfort in beholding God but through him Nothing but just anger and wrath to be seen in Gods lookes but through him in whom he is well pleased The Gospel shews us the Light of the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 4.6 but 't is in the face of Iesus Christ therefore the Kingdom of light oppos'd to that of Darkness Col. 1. is called the Kingdom of his dear Son or the Son of his Love There is a Spirit of Light and Knowledge flowes from Jesus Christ into the Souls of Believers that acquaints them with the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God which cannot otherwise be known And this Spirit of Knowledge is withal a Spirit of Holiness for Purity and Holiness is likewise signified by this Light he remov'd that huge dark body of sin that was betwixt us and the Father and eclips'd him from us the light of his countenance sanctifieth by truth 't is a light that hath heat with it and hath influence upon the affections warmes them towards God and divine things this darkness here is indeed the shadow of death and so they that are without Christ till he visit them are said to sit in darkness and in the shadow of death So this Light is Life Ioh. 1.4 Doth enlighten and enliven begâ—ts new actions and motions in the Soul the right notion that he hath of things as they are work upon him and stir him accordingly discovers a man to himself and lets him see his own Natural filthiness and makes him loath himself and fly from himself run out of himself And the excellency he sees in God and his Son Jesus Christ by this new Light enflames his heart with their Love takes him up with estimation of the Lord Jesus and makes the World and all things in it that he esteemed before base and mean in his eyes Then from this Light arises Spiritual Joy and Comfort so Light signifies frequently as in that of the Psalmist the latter clause expounds the former Light is sowen for the Righteous and joy for the upright in heart As this Kingdom of Gods dear Son that is this Kingdom of Light hath righteousness in it so it hath Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 'T is a false prejudice the World hath taken up against Religion that 't is a sowr Melancholly thing There is no truly Lightsome and Comfortable life but it All others have what they will they live in darkness and is not that truly sad and comforâ—less Would you think it a pleasant life though you had fine Cloathes and good Dieâ— but never see the Sun and were still kept in a Dungeon with them thus are they that live in Worldly Honour and Plenty but still without God they are in continual darkness with all their injoyments It is true the light of Believers is not here perfect and therefore their joy is not perfect neither sometimes over clouded but the comfort is this that it is an everlasting light it shall never go out in darkness as is said in Iob of the light of the Wicked â—nd it shall within a while be perfected There is a bright morning without a Cloud that shall arise The Saints have not only Light to lead them in their journey but much purer Light at home an Inheritance in Light Colos. 1. The Land where their Inheritance lyeth is full of Light and their Inheritance it self is light For the Vision of God for ever is that Inheritance that City hath no need of the Sun nor of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of the Lord doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof As we said that increated Light is the happiness of the Soul the beginnings of it are our begun happiness they are beams of it sent from above to lead us to the Fountain and fulness of it With thee sayes David is the Fountain of Life and in thy Light shall we see light There are two things spoken of this Light to commend it His Marvellous Light that it is after a peculiar manner Gods and then that is is Marvellous All light is from him the light of sense and that of reason therefore he is called the Father of Lights but this Light of Grace is after a peculiar manner his being a light above the reach of Nature infus'd into the Soul in a supernatural way The light of the Elect World where God specially and graciously recides Natural Men may know very much in natural things and it may be in supernatural things after a natural manner They may be full of School-Divinity and able to discourse of God and his Son Christ and the Mystery of Redemption c. and yet want this peculiar light by which Christ is known to Believers they may speak of him but 't is in the dark they see him not and therefore they love him not the light they have is as the light of some things that shine only in the night a cold Glow-worm-light that hath no heat with it at all Whereas a Soul that hath some of His Light Gods peculiar Light communicated to it sees Jesus Christ and loves and delights in Him and walks with Him A little of this light is worth a great deal yea more worth than all that other common speculative and discoursing knowledge that the greatest Doctors can attain unto 't is of a more excellent kind and original 't is from Heaven and ye know that one beam of the Sun is more worth than the light of ten thousand Torches together 't is a pure undecaying Heavenly light whereas the other is gross and earthly be it never so great and lasts but a while Let us not therefore think it Incredible that a poor unletter'd Christian may know more of God in the best kind of knowledge than any the wisest and Learnedest natural Man can do for the one knowes God only by Mans Light the other knowes him by his own light and that 's the only right knowledge as the Sun cannot be seen but by its own light so neither can God be savingly known but by his own revealing Now this Light being so peculiarly Gods no marvel if it be Marvellous the common light of the world is so though because of its commoness we think not so The Lord is Marvellous is Wisdom in Power in all his works of Creation and Providence But above all in the workings of his Grace This Light is unknown to the World and so Marvellous in the rareness of beholding it that there be but a few that partake of it And to them that see it is Marvellous because in it they see so many excellent things that they knew not before As if a Man were born and brought up till he came to years of understanding in a Dungeon where
though God remain faithful and true but the New Covenant of Grace makes all sure on all hands and cannot be broken the Lord not only keeping His own part but likewise performing ours in us and for us and establishing us that He departs not from us first so we shall not depart from Him I will betroth thee to me sayes he there for ever 't is an indissoluble Marriage that is not in danger to be broke either by Divorce or Death My People There is a treasure of Instruction and comfort wrapt up in that word not only more than the profane world can imagine for they indeed know nothing at all of it but more than they that are of that number are able to conceive of a deep unsoundible My People They his portion and He theirs He accounts nothing of all the World beside them and they of nothing at all beside Him For them He continues the World Many and great are the priviledges of his people contain'd in that great Charter the Holy Scriptures and rich is that Land where their Inheritance lies but all is in this reciprocal that he is their God All his power and Wisdom is engag'd for their good how great and many soever are their enemies they may well oppose this to all he is their God they are sure to be protected and prosper'd and in end to have full victory Happy then is that People whose God is the Lord. Which had not obtained Mercy The Mercies of the Lord to his Chosen are from everlasting yet so long as His Decree of mercy runs hid and is not discover'd to them in the effects of it they are said not to have receiv'd or obtain'd mercy and when it begins to act and work in their effectual calling then they find it to be theirs it was in a secret way moving forward towards them before as the Sun after Midnight is still coming nearer to us though we perceive not its approach till the dawning of the Day Mercy The former word teaches us how great the change is that is wrought by the Calling of God this teaches us how free it is the People of God that 's the good attained in the change obtain'd Mercy that 's the Spring whence it flowes 't is implied indeed in the words of the change of no People such as have no right to such a Dignity at all nor in themselves no disposition for it to be made His people can be by no other but free grace such mercy as supposes nothing nor seeks nothing but misery in us and works upon that As it is express'd to have been very free to this people of the Jews in chusing them before the rest of the World Deut. 17. So 't is to the Spiritual Israel of God and to every one particularly belonging to that company Why is it that he chused me of a Family and leaves another But because it pleaseth him he blots out their transgressions for his own Name sake And 2. as 't is free mercy 't is Tender mercy the word in the Prophet signifies tenderness or bowels of compassion and such are the mercies of our God towards us Ier. 31.20 The bowels of a Father Psal. 103.13 and if you think not that tenderness enough those of a Mother yea more than a Mother Isa. 49.15 3. 'T is Rich mercy delights to glorifie it self in the greatest misery Pardons as easily the greatest as the smallest of Debts 4. A constant unalterable Mercy a stream still running Now in both these the Apostle drawes the eyes of Believers to reflect on their former misery and view it together with their present Estate This is very frequent in the Scirptures Ezek. 16. Eph. 2. 1 Cor. 6.11 c. And it is of very great use works the soul of a Christian to much Humility and Love and Thankfulness and Obedience It cannot chuse but force him to abase himself and magnifie the free Grace and Love of God and this may be one reason why it pleaseth the Lord to suspend the Conversion of many for many years of their life yea to suffer some of them to stain those years with grievous and gross sins that the riches and glory of his Grace and the freeness of his choyce may be the more legible both to themselves and others Likewise those apprehensions of Wrath due to sin and sights of Hell as it were that He brings some unto either at or after their Conversion make for this same end That glorious Description of the New Ierusalem Revel 21.16 is abundantly delighful in it self and yet the firy Lake spoke of their makes all that 's spoke of the other sound much the Sweeter But universally all the Godly have this to consider that they were Strangers and Enemies to God and think whence was it that I a lump of the same polluted clay with those that perish should be taken and purified and moulded by the Lords own hand for a Vessel of Glory There is nothing here but free mercy makes the difference and where can there be Love and Praises and service found to answer this all is to be ascribed to the Mercy Gifts and calling of Christ and His Ministers as St. Paul 2 Cor. 4.1 But alas we neither enjoy the comfort of this Mercy as obtain'd nor are griev'd for wanting it and stirr'd up to seek after it as not yet obtain'd What do we think Seems it a small thing in your eyes to be shut out from the presence of God and bear the weight of His wrath for ever that you thus slight this Mercy and let it pass by you unregarded or will that an imagin'd obtaining divert you from the real pursuit of it Will you be willingly deceiv'd And be your own deceivers in a matter of so great importance You cannot think too highly of the riches of Divine mercy 't is above all your thoughts but remember and consider this that thereis a peculiar people of His own to whom alone all the riches of it do belong And therefore how great soever it is unless you find your selves of that number you cannot lay claim to the smallest share of it And you are not ignorant what is their character what a kind of people they are that have such a knowledge of God as himselfe gives they are all taught of God enlightned and sanctified by his spirit a holy People as he is a holy God such as have the riches of that His grace by which they are saved in most precious esteem and their hearts by it enflamed with his love and therefore their thoughts taken up with nothing so much as studying how they may obey and honour Him rather chusing to displease all the world than offend him and accounting nothing too dear yea nothing good enough to doe him service if it be thus with you then you have indeed obtain'd mercy But if you be such as can wallow in the same pudle with the profane world and take a share of their
ungodly wayes or if your outward carriage be somewhat more smooth tho you regard iniquity in your hearts have your hearts ardent in the love and pursuit of the World but frozen to God if you have some bosome Idol that you hide and entertain cannot find in your heart to part with some one beloved sin whatsoever it is for all the love that God hath manifested to Man in the Son of his love Iesus Christ In a word if you can please and delight your self in any way displeasing unto God though His People while they are here have spots yet these are not the spots of His people that I am now speaking oâ— I can give you no assurance that as yet you have obtain'd mercy but on the contrary 't is certain that the wrath of God is yet abiding on you if you continue and you are in apparent danger to perish under it you are yet Children of Spiritual darkness and in the way to utter and everlasting darkness Know we what it is to be destitute of this mercy 't is a wofull estate though you had all worldly enjoyments and were in the top of outward prosperity but shut out from the mercy and love of God There is nothing doth so kindly work repentance as the right apprehension of the mercy and love of God the beams of that love are more powerfull to melt the heart than all the flames of Mount Sinai All the threatnings and terrours of the Law Sin is the root of our misery and therefore 't is the proper work of this mercy to rescue the soul from it both from the guilt and the power of it at once Can you think there is any suitableness in it that the peculiar People of God should despise his Laws and practise nothing but rebellions that those in whom He hath magnified his mercy should take pleasure in abusing it and that He hath wash'd any with the blood of His Son to that end that they may still tumble themselves again in the mire as if we were redeemed not from sin but to sin As if we should say We are delivered to do all these abominations as the Prophet speaks Oh Let us not dare thus to abuse and indignify the free grace of God if we mean to be sav'd by it as many as would be fouâ—d amongst those that obtain mercy walk as his people whose peculiar inheritance is His mercy And seeing this grace of God hath appeared unto us Let us embrace it and let it effectually teach us to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts And if you be perswaded to be earnest suiters for this mercy and to fly in to Iesus who is the true mercy Seat then be assured it is yours Let not the greatest guiltiness scar you and drive you from it But rather drive you the more to it the greater the weight of that misery is under which you ly the more is your necessity of this mercy and the more will be the glory of it in you 'T is a strange kind of argument and yet a sure one concludes well and strongly Psa. 25. Lord pardon my iniquity for it is great The Soul press'd with the greatness of its sin lying heavy upon it may by that very greatness of it pressing it presse the forgiveness of it at the hands of free mercy 't is for thy name sake that makes it strong the force of the inference lyes in that Thou art nothing and worse than nothing true but all that ever obtain'd this mercy were once so they were nothing of all that which it hath made them to be they were not a People had no interest in God were strangers to mercy yea Heirs of wrath yea they had not so much as a desire after God untill this mercy prevented them and show'd it self to them and them to themselves and so moved them to desire it and caus'd them to find it caught hold on them and pluckt them out of the dungeon And it is unquestionably still the same and fails not ever expending and yet never all spent yea not so much as at all diminish'd flowing as the rivers from one age to another serving each age in the present and yet no whit the less to those that come after The Lord forgiving iniquity transgression and sin to all that come unto him and yet still keeping mercy for thousands that come after You that have obtain'd this mercy and have the Seal of it within you it will certainly conform your hearts to its own nature it will work you to a mercifull compassionate temper of mind to the souls of others that have not yet obtain'd it you will indeed as the Lord doth hate sin but as he doth likewise you will pity the sinner You will be so far from misconstruing and grumbling at the long suffering of God as if you would have the bridge cut because you are over as St. Augustin speaks that on the contrary your great desire will be to draw others to partake of the same mercy with you knowing it to be rich enough And you will in your station use your best diligence to bring in many to it both in love to the souls of Men and to the glory of God And withall you will be still admiring and extolling this mercy as it is manifested unto you considering what it is and what you were before it visited you They confess'd at the offering of the first fruits to set off the bounty of God A Syrian ready to perish was my father and their Captivity in Egypt far poorer and baser is our naturall condâ—tion and more precious is that land of which this free mercy doth possess us Do but call back your thoughts you that have indeed escap'd it and look but into that pit of misery whence the hand of the Lord hath drawn you out and you cannot miss to love him highly and still kiss that gracious hand even while 't is scourging you with any affliction whatsoever because it hath once done this for you namely pluckt you out of everlasting destruction As the thoughts of this change will teach us to praise Psa. 40.23 He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit then followes He hath put a new song in my mouth even praise unto our God not only redeem'd me from destruction but withall crown'd me with glory and honour Psa. 103.4 He not only doth forgive all our debts and lets us out of prison but enriches us with an estate that cannot be spent and dignifies us with a crown that cannot wither made up of nothing of ours These two will stretch and Tune the heart very high to consider from what a low estate grace brings a Man and how high it doth exalt him in what a beggerly vile condition the Lord finds us and yet doth not only free us thence but puts such dignities on us raises the poor out of the dust and lifts the needy from the dunghill that he may set him with Princes
even with the Princes of his people Or as Ioshua the Priest Zach. 3.3 4. So those of this Priesthood are dealt withall Now that we may be the deeper in the sense and admiration of this mercy it is indeed our duty to seek earnestly after the evidence and strong assurance of it for things work on us according to our Notice and apprehensions of them and therefore the more right assurance of mercy the more love and thankfulness and obedience springs from it therefore 't is that the Apostle here represents this great and happy change of estate to Christians as a thing that they may know concerning themselves and ought to seek the knowledge of that so they may be duely affected with it a happy thing to have in the soul an extract of that great Archive and act of grace towards it that hath stood in heaven from eternity it is sure both a very comfortable and profitable thing to find and read clearly the seal of mercy upon the soul which is holyness that by which he is mark'd by God as a part of his peculiar possession that he hath chosen out of the world And When we perceive any thing of this let us look back as here the Apostle would have us to do how God has called us from darkness to his marvelous Light Verse 11. Dearly Beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from Fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul THe right Spiritual knowledge that a Christian hath of God and of himself differenceth it self from whatsoever is likest to it by the power and influence it hath upon the heart and life And in this it hath the lively impression of that doctrine of the holy Scriptures that teaches it Wherein we still find throughout that the high mysteries of Religion are accompanied with practical truths not only as agreeing with them but as drawn out of them and that not violently draw but naturally flowing from them as pure streams from a pure spring Thus in this Epistle we find the Apostle intermixing his divine doctrine with most useful and practical exhortations Chap. 1. Verse 13.22 And in the beginning of this Chap. Again and now in these words And upon this model ought both the Ministers of the Gospel to form their preaching and the hearers their ear Ministers are not to instruct only or exhort only but to do both to exhort Men to holiness and the duties of a Christian life Without instructing men in the doctrine of faith and bringing them to Jesus Christ is to build a house without a foundation And on the other side to instruct the mind in the knowledge of divine things and neglect the pressing of that practice and power of godliness that is the undivided companion of true faith is to forget the building that ought to be rais'd upon that foundation once laid which is likewise a point of very great folly Or if Men laying that tight foundation do proceed to the Superstructure of vain and empty Speculations 't is but to build Hay and stuble in stead of those solid truths that direct the soul in the way to happiness which are of more solidness and worth than Gold and Silver and precious stones 1 Tim. 3.9 Christ and the doctrine that reveals him is called the mystery of the faith and Ver. 16. The mystery of godliness as Christ is the object of faith so he is the spring and fountain of godliness The Apostle having we see in his foregoing discourse unfolded the excellency of Christ and of Christians in Him proceeds here to exhort them to that pure and Spiritual temper of mind and course of life that becomes Christians These hearers are to blame and do prejudge themselves that are attentive only to such words and discourse as stirre the affections for the present and find no relish in the doctrine of faith and the unfolding of those mysteries that bear the whole weight of Religion and are the ground both of all Christian obedience and all exhortations and persuasives to it These temporary sudden stirrings of the affections without a right informed mind and some measure of due knowledge of God in Christ do no good 'T is the wind of a word of exhortation that stirres them for the time against their Lusts but the first wind of tentation that comes caries them away and thus the mind is but Toss'd too and fro like a wave of the Sea with all kind of winds not being rooted and grounded in the faith of Christ. As it is Col. 2.7 and so in the love of Christ Eph. 3.17 Which are the conquering graces that subdue his Lusts and the world unto a Christian 1 Ioh. 5.4 2 Cor. 5.14.15 Love makes a Man dead to himself and the world and to live to Christ that died for him On the other part they are no less yea more to blame that are glad to have their minds instructed in the mysteries of the Christian faith and out of a mere natural desire to know are curious to hear such things as inform them but when it comes to the urging of holiness and mortifying their Lusts these are hard sayings they had rather there were some way to receive Christ and retain their Lusts too and bring them to agreement To hear of the mercies of God and the dignities of his people in Christ is very pleasing but to have this follow upon it abstain from fleshâ—y Lusts this is an importune troublesome discourse But it must be so for all that these that will share in that mercy and happiness must abstain from fleshly lusts c. Dearly Beloved I beseech you There is a faculty of reproving required in the Ministry and sometimes a necessity of very sharp Rebukes cutting ones They that have much of the Spirit of meekness may have a rod by them too to use upon necessity But sure the way of Meekness is that they use most willingly as the Apostle there implies And out of all question with ingenuous minds the mild way of sweet intreaties is very forcible as oyl that penetrates and sinks in insensibly or to use that known resemblance they prevail as the Sun beams that without any noise make the Traveller cast his Cloak which all the blustering of the Wind could not do But made him rather gather it closer and bind it faster about him We see the Apostles are frequent in this strain of Intreaties I beseech you Rom. 12.1 Now this word of intreatie is strengthned much by the other Dearly Beloved scarce can the harshest Reproofs much less gentle Reproofs be thrown back that have upon them the stamp of Love That which is known to come from Love cannot readily but be so receiv'd too and 't is thus express'd for that very purpose that the request may be the more welcome Beloved 't is the advice of a Friend one that truly loves you and aims at nothing in it but your good 't is because I love you that I intreat you and
intreat you as you love your selves to abstain from fleshly lusts that war against your Souls And what is our purpose when we exhort you to believe and repent but that you may be happy in the forgiveness of your sins Why do we desire you to embrace Christ but that through him ye may have everlasting life Howsoever you take these things 't is Our Duty uncessantly to put you in mind of them and to do it with much love and tenderness of affection to your Souls not only pressing you by frequent warnings and exhortings but also by frequent Prayers and tears for your Salvation Abstain 'T was a very wise abridgment that Epictetus made of Philosophy into those two words bear and forbear These are truly the two main Duties that our Apostle recommends to his Christian Brethren as in this Epistle 'T is one and the same strength of Spirit that raises a Man above both the troubles and pleasures of the World and makes him despise and trample upon both We have first briefly to explain what these fleshly lusts mean then to consider the exhortation of abstaining from them Unchast desires are particularly called by this name indeed but to take it for these only in this place is doubtless too narrow That which seems to be the true sense of it here takes in all undue desires and use of Earthly things and all the corrupt affections of our carnal minds Now in that sense these fleshly lusts comprehend a great part of the body of sin all those three the Worlds acccursed Trinity 1 Ioh. 2. are under this name here of fleshly lusts A crew of base imperious Masters they are to which the Natural Man is a slave serving divers lusts Some more addicted to the Service of one kind of lust some of another But all in this unhappy that they are Strangers yea Enemies to God and as the bruite Creatures Servants to their flesh either beasts of the field as covetous with their eye still upon the earth or voluptuous swiming in pleasures as the Fishes of the Sea or Fowls of the air in vain ambition All the strifes that are rais'd about these things all malice and envyings all bitterness and evil speaking which are works of the flesh and tend to the satisfying of its wicked desires we are here requested to abstain from To abstain from these lusts is to hate and fly from the very thoughts and first motions of them and if surpris'd by those yet to kill them there that they bring not forth And to suspect our selves even in those things that are not sinful and to keep afar off from all inducements to those polluted wayes of sin In a word the serving of our flesh either in things forbidden us as unjust gain or unlawful pleasures c. And withal from immoderate desire of and delighting in any earthly thing although such as is lawful yea necessary in some degree to desire and use them to have any feverish pressing thirst after gain even just gain or after earthly delights though lawful is to be guilty of those fleshly lusts and a thing very unbeseeming the dignity of a Christian they that are cloath'd in Scarlet to embrace a Dunghil is a strange sight therefore the Apostle having so cleared that immediately before hath the better reason to require this of them that they abstain from fleshly lusts Let their own slaves serve them you are redeem'd and deliver'd from them a free People yea Kings and suits it with Royal dignity to obey vile lusts You are Priests consecrated to God and will you tumble your selves and your precious Garments in the Mire It was a high speech of a Heathen that he was greater and born to greater things than to be a servant to his body how much more ought he that 's born again say so Being born Heir to a crown that fadeth not Again as the honour of a Christians estate is far above this baseness of serving his lusts so the happiness and pleasantness of his Estate sets him above the need of the pleasures of sin He said before if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious desire the sincere Milk of the Word desire that word wherein you may taste more of his graciousness and as that fitly urgeth the appetites desire of the word so it is strong to perswade this abstinence from fleshly lusts yea the disdain and loathing of them if you have the least experience of the sweetness of his love have but tasted of the Crystal River of his pleasures the muddy pudle pleasures of sin will be hateful and loathsome to you yea the best earthly delights that are will be disrelish'd and unsavoury to your taste The imbittering the breasts of the World to the Godly by afflictions doth something indeed to their weaning from them but the breasts of consolation that are given them in their stead weans much more effectually The true reason why we remain Servants to these Lusts some to one some to another is because we are still Strangers to the Love of God and those pure pleasures that are in him Though the Pleasures of this Earth be poor and low and most unworthy our pursuit yet so long as Men know of no better they will stick by those they have such as they are The Philosopher gives this as the reason why Men are so much set upon sensual Delights because they know not the higher pleasures that are proper to the soul and they must have it some way 'T is too often in vain to speak to Men in this to follow them with the Apostles intreaty I beseech you abstain from fleshly lusts unless they that are spoke to be such as he speaks of in the former words such as have obtained mercy and have tasted of the graciousness and love of Christ whose loves are better then Wine Oh that we would seek the knowledge of this love for seeking it we should find it and finding it no force would need to pull the delights of sin out of our hands we would throw them away of our own accord Thus a Carnal mind prejudices it self against Religion when it hears that it requires an abstinence from fleshly lusts bereaves Men of their mirth and delight in sin But they know not that it is to make way for more refin'd and precious delights there is nothing of this kind taken from us but by a very advantageous exchange 't is made up in the World ye shall have affliction but in me ye shall have Peace Is not want of the Worlds peace abundantly paid with peace in him Thus fleshly lusts are cast out of the hearts of Believers as Rubbish and trash to make room for Spiritual comforts we are barr'd fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness to the end we may have fellowship with God and his Son Jesus Christ this is to make Men eat Angels food indeed as was said of the Manna The serving of the flesh sets Man below
himself down amongst the Beasts and the consolations of the Spirit and Communion with God raises him above himself and associates him with the Angels But let us speak to the Apostles own disuasives from these lusts 1. From the Condition of Christians 2. From the Condition of those lusts As Strangers These Dispersed Jews were Strangers scatter'd in divers Countries as Chap. 1. V. 1 but here that is not intended they are called Strangers in that Spiritual sense that agrees in common to all the Saints possibly in calling them thus he alludes to their outward dispersion but means their Spiritual alienation from the World and Interest in the New Ierusalem And this he uses as a very pertinent enforcement of his Exhortation Whatsoever others do the serving of the flesh and love of the World is most incongruous and unseemly in your Person Consider what you are If you were Citizens of this World then you might drive the same trade with them follow the same lusts but seeing you are chosen and called out of this World and invested into a new Society made free of another City and are therefore here but Travellers passing through to your Countrey 't is very reasonable that there be this difference betwixt you and the World that while they live as at home Let your carriage be such as fits Strangers not glutting your selves with these kind of pleasures surfeiting upon their delcious fruits as some unwary Travellers do abroad but as wise Strangers living warily and soberly and still minding most of all your journey homewards suspecting dangers and snares in your way and so walking with holy fear as the Hebrew word for a Stranger imports There is indeed a miserable party even within a Christian the remainder of corruption that is no Stranger here and therefore keeps friendship and correspondence with the World and will readily betray him if he watch not the more so that he is not only to fly the Pollutions of the World that are round about him and to chuse his steps that he be not ensnared from without but he is to be upon a continual guard against the Lusts and Corruption that is yet within himself to curb and control his own lusts and give them resolute and flat refusals when they sollicit him and to stop up their Essayes and opportunities of intercourse with the World and such things as nourish them and so to do what he can to starve them out of the holds they keep within him and to strengthen that new nature which is in him to live and act according to it tho so he shall be sure to live as a Stranger here and a despis'd mock'd and hated Stranger And 't is not the worse that it be so if Men in Forraign Countreys be subject to forget their own at any time 't is sure then when they are kindlyest us'd abroad and are most at their ease and thus a Christian may be in some danger when he is best accommodate and hath most of the smiles and caresses of the World that though he can never wholly forget his Home that is above yet his thoughts of it will be less frequent and his desires of it less earnest and it may be he may insensibly slide into Customes and habitudes as men will do that are well seated in some other Country But by the troubles and unfriendliness of the World he gains this that when they abound most upon him he then feels himself a Sranger and remembers to behave himself so and thinks often with much delight and strong desires on his own Country and the rich and sure Inheritance that lyes there and the ease and rest he shall have when he comes thither And this will persuade him strongly to fly all polluted ways and lusts as fast as the World followes them it will make him abhorr the pleasures of sin and use the allowable injoyments of this earth warily and moderately never engaging his heart to them as Worldlings do but alwayes keeping that free free from that earnest desire in the pursuit of worldly things and that deep delight in the obtaining of them which the Men of the earth bestow upon them There is a diligence in his Calling and prudent regard of his affairs not only permitted to a Christian but requir'd of him But yet in comparison of his great and High Calling as the Apostle calls it he followes all his other businesses with a kind of coldness and indifferency as not accounting very much which way they go his heart is elsewhere The Traveller provides himself as he can of entertainment and lodging where he comes if it be commodious 't is well but if not 't is no great matter if he find but necessaries he can abate delicacies very well for where he finds them in his way he neither can nor if he could would chuse to stay there though his Inn were dressed with the richest hangings and furniture yet 't is not his home he must and would leave it That 's the character of ungodly Men they mind earthly things Phil. 3. they are drown'd in them over head and ears as we say If Christians would consider how litle and for how litle a while they are concern'd in any thing that 's here they would go through any estate and any changes of estate either to the better or the worse with very composed equal minds always moderate in their necessary cares and never taking any care at all for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Let them that have no better home than this world to lay claim to live here as at home and serve their lusts they that have all their portion in this life no more good to look for than what they can catch here Let them take their time of the poor profits and pleasures that are here But you that have your whole estate all your riches and pleasures laid up in Heaven and reserv'd there for you let your hearts be there and your conversation there this is not the place of your rest nor your delights unless you would be willing to change and to have your good things here as some foolish Travellers that spend the estate they should live on at home in a litle whiles braving it abroad amongst strangers will you with profane Esau sell your birthright for a messe of pottage Sell eternity for a moment and such pleasures as a moment of them is more worth than an eternity of the other It were quarrel enough against fleshly lusts which war against the Soul That they are so far below the Soul that they cannot content no not at all reach the Soul they are not a sutable much less a satisfying good to it Although sin hath unspeakably abus'd the Soul of Man yet its excellent nature and original does still cause a vast disproportion betwixt it and all those gross base things of the earth that concern the flesh and go no further But this is not all these fleshly lusts
are reprov'd for it they say and possibly think so too I will take heed to my self I will be guilty of this no more and because they go no deeper they are many of them ensnared in the same kind again But however if they do never commit that same sin they do but change it for some other as a current of waters if you stop their passage one way they rest not till they find another The conversation can never be uniformly and entirely good till the fram of the heart the affections and desires that lodge in it be changed It is naturally an evil treasure of impure lusts and must in some kind vent and spend what it hath within 'T is to begin with the wrong end of your work to rectify the outside first to smooth the conversation and not first of all purge the heart Evil affections are the source of evil speeches and actions Whence are strifes and fightings sayes St. Iames are they not from your lusts which war in your members Unquiet unruly lusts within are the cause of the unquietnesses and contentions abroad in the world One Man will have his corrupt will and another his and thus they chock and justle one another and by the cross encounters of their purposes as flints meeting they strike out these Sparkes that set all on fire So then according to the order of the Apostles Exhortation the only true principle of all good and Christian conversation in the world is the mortifing of all earthly and sinfull lusts in the heart while they have possession of the heart they do clog it and straiten it towards God and his wayes it cannot walk constantly in them but when the heart is freed from them 't is enlarg'd and so as David speaks fits a Man not only to walk but to run the way of Gods commandements And without this freeing of the heart a Man will be at the best very uneven and incongruous in his ways one step like a Christian and another like a worldling which is an unpleasant and an unprofitable way not according to that word Psa. 18. Thou hast set my feet as hindes feet set them even as the word is not only swift but straight and even and that is the thing here requir'd the whole course and revolution of a Christian's life to be like himself and that it may be so the whole body of sin and all the memberâ— of it all the deceitful lusts must be crucified In the words there are 3. Things 1. One point of a Christians ordinary entertainment in the world is to be evil spokne of 2. Their good use of that evil to do the better for 't 3. The good end and certain effect of their so doing The glory of God 1. Whereas they speak against you as evil doers This is in the general the disease of Mans corrupt nature and argues much the baseness and depravedness of it this propension to evil speaking one of another either blotting the best actions with misconstructions or taking doubtful things by the left ear not chusing the most favourable but on the contrary the very harshest sense that can be put upon them Some Men take more pleasure in the narrow Eying of the true and real faults of Men and then speak of them with a kind of delight All these kind of evil speakings are such fruits as spring from that bitter root of pride and self-self-love which is naturaly deep fastened in every Mans heart But besides this general bent to evil speaking there is a particular malice in the world against those that are born of God which must have vent in calumnies and reproaches If this evil speaking be the hissing that is natural to the Serpents seed sure by reason of their natural antipathy it must be breath'd forth most against the seed of the Woman those that are one with Jesus Christ If the tongues of the ungodly be sharp swords even to one another they will whet them sharper than ordinary when they are to use them against the righteous to wound their name The evil tongue must be alwayes burning that is set on fire of hell as St. Iames speaks but against the Godly it will be sure to be heated seven times hotter than 't is for others Reasons of this are 1. Being naturaly haters of God and yet unable to reach him what wonder if their malice act it self against His Image in His Children and labour to blot and stain that all they can with the foulest calumnies 2. Because they are neither able nor willing themselves to attain unto the Spotless holy life of Christians they bemire them and would make them like themselves by false aspersions they cannot rise to the Estate of the Godly and therefore they endeavour to draw them down to theirs by detraction 3. The Reproaches they cast upon the Professors of Pure Religion they mean mainly against Religion it self and intend them to reflect upon it These evil speakings of the World against pious Men professing Religion are partly gross falshoods invented without the least ground or appearance of truth for the World being ever credulous of evil especially upon so deep a prejudice as it hath against the Godly the falsest and absurdest calumnies will alwayes find so much belief as to make them odious or very suspected at least to such as know them not this is the Worlds Maxime Lye confidently and it will alwayes do something As a Stone taken out of the Mire and thrown against a white Wall tho it stick not there but rebound presently back again yet it leaves a spot behind it And with those kind of evil speakings were the Primitive Christians surcharg'd even with gross and horrible falshoods as all know that know any thing of the History of those times even such things were reported of them as the worst of wicked Men would scarce be guilty of The Devil for as witty as he is makes use again and again of his old inventions and makes them serve in several ages for so were the Waldenses accused of inhumane banquetings and beastly promiscuous uncleanness and divers things not once to be named amongst Christians much less to be practised by them so that it is no new thing to meet with the Impurest vilest slanders as the Worlds reward of Holiness and the practice of pure Religion Then again Consider How much more will the wicked insult upon the least real blemishes that they can espy amongst the Professors of Godliness And in this there is a threefold injury very ordinary 1. Strictly to pry into and maliciously to object against Christians the smallest imperfections and frailties of their Lives as if they pretended and promis'd absolute perfection They do indeed exercise themselves such as are Christians indeed with St. Paul to keep a good Conscience in all things towards God and Men they have a regard unto all Gods Commandments as David speaks they have a sincere love to God which makes them study
we owe Honour to all is nothing but a conformity to this inward temper of mind for he that inwardly despiseth none but esteemeth the good that is in the Lowest at least that they are men and loves them as such will accordingly use no outward sign of disdain of any will not have a scornful Eye nor a reproachful tongue to move at any not the meanest of his servants nor the worst of his Enemies but on the contrary will acknowledge the good of every Man and give unto all that outward respect that is convenient for them and that they are capable of and be ready to do them good as he hath opportunity and ability But in stead of walking by this rule of honouring all Men. What is there almost to be found amongst Men but a perverse proneness to dishonour one another and every Man ready to dishonour all Men that he may honour himself reckoning that what he gives to others abates of himself and taking what he detracts from others as good booty to make up himselfe Set Mens own interest aside and that common Civility that for their own Credit they use one with another and truly there will be found very little of this real respect to others out of their obedience to God and love to Men tendring their esteem and good Name and their wellfare as our own For so the rule is but mutual disesteem and Defaming filling almost all Societies And the bitter root of this Iniquity is that wicked accursed self love that dwells in us every Man is naturally his own grand Idol would be esteem'd and honoured by any means and to magnifie that Idol selfe kills the good Name and esteem of others in sacrifice to it Hence is the narrow observing Eye and broad speaking tongue upon any thing that tends to the dishonour of others and where other things fail the disdainful upbraiding of their Birth or Calling or any thing that comes next to hand that serves for a reproach And hence arises a great part of the jarrs and strifes amongst Men the most being drunk with an over weening opinion of themselves and the Worthlessest most A fool sayes Solomon is wiser in his own conceit then ten Men that can render a reason and not finding others of their mind this frets and troubles them they take the ready course to deceive themselves for they look with both Eyes on the failings and defects of others and scarce give their good half an Eye on the contrary in themselves they study to the full their own advantages and their weaknesses and defects as he sayes they skip over as Children do the hard words in their lesson that are troublesome to read and making this uneven parallel what wonder the result be a gross mistake of themselves Men miscount themselves at home they reckoning that they ought to be regarded and their mind should carry it and when they come abroad and are cross'd in this this puts them all out of frame But the humble man as he is more conform to this Divine Rule so he hath more Peace by it for he sets so low a rate upon himself in his own thoughts that 't is scarce possible for any to go lower in judging of him and therefore as he payes due respect to others to the full and so gives no ground of quarrel that way so he challenges no such debt to himself and thus avoids the usual contests that arise in this Only by Pride comes contention sayes Solomon a Man that will walk abroad in a crowded Street cannot chuse but be often justled but he that contracts himself passes through more easily Study therefore this excellent Grace of Humility not the Personated acting of it in appearance which may be a chief agent for Pride but true lowliness of mind to be nothing in your own Eyes and content to be so in the Eyes of others Then will you obey this Word you will esteem as is meet of all Men and not to be troubled though all Men disesteem you As this Humility is a precious Grace it is the preserver of all other graces and without it if they could be with out it they were but as a Box of precious Powder carried in the wind without a cover in danger to be scatter'd and blown away If you would have Honour there 's an ambition both allow'd you and worthy of you whosoever you are Rom. 2.7 2 Cor. 4. other honour though it have the Hebrew Name from weight is all too Light and weighs onely with cares and troubles Love the Brotherhood There is a love as we said due to all included under that word of honouring all but a peculiar love to our Christian Brethen which the Apostle Paul calls by a like word the Houshold of Faith Christian Brethren are united by a threefold cord two of them common to other Men but the third the strongest and theirs peculiarly their Bodies descended of the same Man and their souls of the same God but their new life by which they are most entirely Brethren is deriv'd from the same God-Man Jesus Christ yea in him they are all one body receiving life from him their glorious head who is called the first born among many Brethren and as his unspeakable love was the source of this New being and Fraternity so out of question it cannot but produce indissolluble love amongst them that are partakers of it The Spirit of Love and concord is that Precious Oyntment that runs down from the Head our great High Priest to the skirts of his Garment The life of Christ and this Law of Love is combin'd and cannot be sever'd Can there be enmity betwixt those hearts that meet in him Why do you pretend your selves Christians and yet remain not only Strangers to this Love but most contrary to it Biters and Devourers one of another and will not be convinced of the great guiltiness and uncomliness of Strifes and Envyings amongst you is this the badge that Christ hath left his Brethren to wrangle and maligne one another Doe you not know on the contrary that they are to be known by mutual Love By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if you love one another How often doth that Beloved Disciple press this he drank deep of that wellspring of Love that was in the Breast on which he leaned and if they relate right he died exhorting this Love one another Oh that there were more of this Love of Christ in our hearts arising from the sense of his Love to us and that would teach this Mutual Love more effectually which the Preaching of it may set before us but without that the other cannot work it within us Why do we still hear these things in vain Do we believe what the Love of Christ did to us and suffer'd for us And will we do nothing for him not forgive a shadow a fancy of Injurie much less a real one for his sake And love him that
what he is and what we are he the Son of his love and we Enemies Therefore it is emphatically express'd in the words he himself bare our sins God so loved the World but love amounts to this much that it was so great as to give his Son But how great that is cannot be utter'd In this sayes the Apostle God commendeth his love to us sets it up to the highest gives us the richest and strongest evidence of it The foundation of this frame this appearing of Christ for us and undergoing and Answering all in our stead lyes in the Decree of God where it was plotted and contriv'd in the whole way of it from Eternity and the Father and the Son being one and their thoughts and will one they were perfectly agreed on 't and those likewise for whom it should hold were agreed upon and their Names written up according to which they are said to be given unto Christ to redeem And just according to that Model did all the work proceed and was accomplished in all points perfectly answering to the pattern of it in the Mind of God As it was preconcluded there that the Son should undertake the business this matchless piece of Service for his Father and that by his interposing Men should be reconciled and saved so that he might be altogether a fit Person for the Work it was resolv'd that as he was already fit for it by the Almightiness of his Deity and Godhead and the acceptableness of his Person to the Father as the Son of God so he should be further fitted by uniting wonderfully weakness to Almightiness the frailty of Man to the Power of God because that suffering for Man was a main point of the work so as his being the Son of God made him acceptable to God his being the son of Man made him suitable to Man in whose business he had engaged himself and to the business it self to be perform'd and not only was there in him by his humane nature a conformity with Man for that might have been by a new created Body but a consanguinity with Man by a Body framed of the same piece a Redeemer a Kinsman as the Hebrew word is only purified for his use as was needful and fram'd after a peculiar manner in the womb of a Virgin as 't is Heb 10. Thou hast fitted a body for me having no sin it self because ordained to have so much of our sins as 't is here he bare them on his own body And this looks back to the Primitive transaction and purpose Lo I come to do thy will sayes the Son and behold my servant whom I have chosen sayes the Father this Master-piece of my works none in Heaven or Earth fit to serve me in it but mine own Son and as he came into the World according to that decree and will so he goes out of it again in that way the Son of Man goeth as is determined it was wickedly and malitiously done by Men against him but determined which is that he there speaks of wisely and graciously by his Father with his own consent As in those two faced pictures Look upon the Crucifying of Christ one way as complotted by a treacherous Disciple and Malicious Priests and Rulers and nothing more deform'd and hateful than the Authors of it but view it again as determin'd in Gods Counsel for the restoring of lost Mankind and so 't is full of unspeakable beauty and sweetness infinite wisdom and Love in every tract of it Thus to the persons for whom as their coming unto him reflects upon that first donation as flowing from that all that the Father hath given me shall come unto me Ioh. 6. Now this being Gods great design that he would have Men eye and consider more than all the rest of his works and yet is least of all considered by the most the other Covenant made with the first Adam was but to make way and so to speak to make work for this for he knew that it would not hold therefore as this New Covenâ—nt became needful by the breach of the other so the failing of that other sets off and commends the firmness of this the former was with a Man in his best condition and yet he kept it not even then he prov'd vanity as 't is Psal. â—9 So that the second to be stronger is made with a Man indeed to supply the former but he is God-man to be surer than the former and therefore it holds and this is the difference as the Apostle expresses it that the first Adam in that first Covenant was laid as a foundation and though we say not that the Church in its true notion was built on him yet the estate of the whole race of Mankind the Materials that the Church is built of lay on him for that time and it failed But upon this Rock the second Adam is the Church so firmly built that the gates of Hell cannâ—t preâ—ail against 〈◊〉 The first Adam was made a quickening or life giving Spirit The first had light but he transfer'd it not yea he kept it not for himself drew in and transfer'd Death but the second by Death convey life to all that are reckon'd his seed he bare their 〈◊〉 He bare them on the tree in that outside of his suffering the visible kind of death inflicted on him that it was hanging on the tree of the Cross there was an Analogy with the end and main work and was order'd by the Lord with regard unto that being a Death declar'd accursed by the Law as the Apostle St. Paul observes and so declaring him that was God blessed for ever to have been made a curse that is accounted as accursed for us that we might be blessed in him in whom according to the Promise all the Nations of the Earth are blessed But that wherein lay the strength and main stress of his sufferings was this invisible weight that none could see that gaz'd on him but he felt more then all In this there are three things 1. The weight of sin 2. The transferring of it upon Christ. 3. His bearing of it 1. He bare as a heavy burden so the word of bearing in general and those two words particularly us'd by the Prophet whither these allude are the bearing of some great mass or load and thus sin is for it hath the wrath of an offended God hanging at it indissollubly tyed to it which who can bear the least of it and therefore the least sin being the procuring cause of it will press a man down for ever that he shall not be able to rise Who can stand before thee when once thou art angry sayes the Psalmist and the Prophet Ier. 3. Return backsliding Israel and I will not cause my wrath to fall upon thee fall as a great weight or as a Milstone crushes the soul. But sensless we go light under the burden of sin and feel it not complain not of it therefore truly
to Mortify drawes vertue from it Thus sayd one Christ aim'd at this in all those Sufferings that with so much love he went through and shall I disappoint him and not serve his end 4. That other powerfull grace of Love is joynt in this work with faith for Love desires nothing more than likeness and conformity though it be a painfull resemblance so much the better and fitter to testify love therefore 't will have the Soul dye with him that dy'd for it and the very same kind of death I am crucified with Christ sayes the great Apostle The Love of Christ in the Soul takes the very Nails that fastned him to the Crosse and crucifies the Soul to the World and to Sin Love is strong as Death particularly in this the strongest and liveliest Body when Death siezes it must yield and so becomes motionless that was so vigorous before And the Soul that is most active and unwearied in Sin when this Love siezes it it is kill'd to Sin and as Death seperates a Man from his dearest Friends and Society this Love breaks all the tyes and friendship with Sin Generally as Plato hath it Love takes away ones living in them selves and transfers into the party loved but the divine Love of Christ doth it in the truest and highest manner By whose stripes ye were healed The misery of fallen Man and the mercy of his deliverance are both of them such a deep as no one expression yea no variety added one to another can reach their bottom Here we have divers very significative ones 1. The guiltiness of sin as an intollerable burden pressing the Soul and sinking it and that transfer'd and layed on a stronger Back He bare Then 2. The same wretchedness under the same notion of a strange disease by all other means incurable healed by his stripe's And 3. again represented by the forlorn condition of a Sheep wandring and our Salvation to be found only in the love and wisdom of our great Shepherd And all these are borrow'd from that sweet and clear prophecy Isa. 53. The polluted nature of Man is no other but a bundle of desperate diseases he is spiritually dead as the Scriptures often teach Now this contradicts not nor at all Lessen's the matter But only because this misery justly called death is in a Subject animated with a natural life therefore so it may bear the Name and sense of sickness or wound and therefore 't is gross misprision they are as much out in their Argument as in their conclusion that would extract out of these expressions any evidence of remains of Spiritual life or good in our corrupted Nature But they are not worthy the contest tho vain heads think to argue themselves into life and are seeking that life by Logick in Miserable Nature that they should seek by faith in Jesus Christ Namely in these his stripes by which we are healed It were a large task to name our Spiritual Maladies how much more severally to unfold their Natures such a multitude of corrupt false Principles in the mind that as Gangrens do spread themselves through the Soul and defile the whole Man and total gross blindness and unbelief in Spiritual things and that stone of the heart hardness and impenitency Lethargies of senslesness and security and then for there be such complications of Spiritual diseases in us as in Naturals are altogether impossible such burning fevers of inordinate affections desires of lust and Malice and envy such racking and tormenting cares of Covetousness and feeding on Earth and Ashes as the Prophet speaks in another case according to the deprav'd appetite that accompanies some Diseases Such tumours of Pride and self-conceit that break forth as filthy botches in Mens words and carriage one with another And in a word what a wonderful disorder must needs be in the Natural Soul by the frequent interchanges and fight of contrary passions within it and to these from without how many deadly wounds we receive from the tentations of Satan and the World We receive them and by the weapons they furnish us we willingly wound our selves as the Apostle sayes of them who will be rich they fall into divers snares and noysome lusts and pierce them selves through with many sorrowes Did we see it no Infirmery nor Hospital ever so full of loathsome and miserable Spectacles as Spiritually our wretched Nature is in any one of us apart How much more when multitudes of us are met together But our evils are hid from us and we perish miserably in a Dream of happiness That makes up and compleats our wretchedness that we feel it not with our other diseases And this makes it worse still This was the Churches disease Rev. 3. Thou sayest I am rich and knowest not that thou art Poor c. We are usually full of complaints of triffling griefs that are of small moment and think not on nor feel not our Dangerous Maladies as he who shewed a Physician his fore finger but the Physician told him he had more need to think on the cure of a dangerous Impostume within him which he perceiv'd by looking to him though himself did not feel it In dangerous Maladies or wounds there be these evils a tendency to death and with that the apprehension of the terrour and fear of it and the present distemper of the Body by them and this is in sin 1. There is the guiltiness of sin binding over the Soul to death the most frightful eternal Death 2. The terrour of conscience in the apprehension of that death or wrath that is the consequent and end of sin 3. The raging and prevailing power of sin which is the ill habitude and distemper of the soul But these stripes and that blood that issued from them are a sound cure applied unto the soul they take away the guiltiness of sin and death deserved and free us from our engagement to those everlasting scourgings and lashes of the wrath of God and likewise they are the only cure of those present terrours and pangs of Conscience arising from the sense of that wrath and sentence of death upon the Soul Our Iniquities that met on his back laid open to the rod which in it self was free those hands that never wrought iniquity and those feet that never declined from the way of righteousness yet for our workes and wandrings were pierced and that Tongue dropping with Vinegar and Gall on the Cross that never spoke a guileful nor sinful word The Blood of those stripes are that Balm issuing from that tree of Life so pierced that can only give ease to the Conscience and heal the wounds of it and they deliver from the power of sin working by their influence and loathing of sin that was the cause of them they cleanse out the vitious humours of our corrupt nature by opening up that issue of Repentance they shall look on him and mourn over him whom they have pierced Now to the end it may
him and follow his Rules and example in their inspection of the flock it were the happiness of Kingdomes if Magistrates and Kings would set him his love and meekness and equity before their eyes in their government And all those that are properly his Bishops are especially oblig'd to study this pattern to warm their affections to the flock and tender care of their salvation by looking on this Arch-bishop and Arch-shepherd as our Apostle calls him and in their measure to follow his foot-steps spending their life and strength in seeking the good of his sheep considering that they are subordinately Shepherds of Souls that is in Spiriâ—ual things so communicable The Lord Jesus is supremely and singularly such they under him Shepherds of Souls Because their diligence concernes the Soul which excludes not the body in Spiritual respects as it is capable of things Spiritual and Eternal by its Union with the Soul But Christ is Soveraign Shepherd of Souls above all and singular in that he not only teaches them the Doctrine of Salvation but purchas'd Salvation for them and reaches the Soul powerfully which Ministers by their own power cannot do he layes hold on it and reduces and leads it and causes it to walk in his wayes In this sense it agrees to him alone as Supreme in the incommunicable sense And from his Conduct and Power and Love flowes all the comfort of his flock considering their own folly and weakness This alone gives them confidence that his hand guides them and they believe his strength far surpassing that of the roaring Lyon Ioh. 10 28 29 30. His wisdom in knowing their particular estate and their weakness and his tender love pitying them and applying himself to it Other Shepherds even faithfull ones may mistake them and not know the way of leading them in some particulars and may be sometimes wanting in that tender affection that they ow and if they have that yet are not able to bear them up and support them powerfully But this Shepherd is perfect in all these Isa. 40.11 The young and weak Christian or the Elder at weak times when they are big and heavy with some inward exercise of mind which shall bring forth advantage and peace afterwards to them Them he leads gently and uses them with Tenderness that their weakness requires And generally he provides for his Flock and heals them when they are any way hurt and washes and makes them fruitful So that they are as that Flock used in the comparison Cant. 4.2 They are comely but their shepherd much more Formosi pecoris Custos formosior They are given him in the Fathers purpose and choice and so they that return even while they wander are Sheep in some other sense than the rest that perish They are in the secret love of election of Christs Sheep fold tho' not actually yet brought into it but when his time comes wheresoever they wander and how farr off soever even those that have strayed most yet he reduces them and rejoyces Heaven with their return and leads them till he bring them to partake of the joy that is there That 's the end of their way wherein he guides them Ioh. 10.27 28. They hear my voice and follow me and it shall not repent them to do so to follow him is to follow life he is the life And he is in that Glory which we desire And where would we be if not there where he is Who at his parting from the world said where I am there they shall be also To this happy Meeting and Heavenly abode God of his Infinite mercy bring us Through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS Errata Page 3 line ult Apostl read Apostle p. 10 l. 6. vainglory r. vain glory p. 16 l. 12 oded r. obedience p. 19 l. 8 eternal r. external p. 20 l. 17 commaud r. command p. 34 l. 23 blessiings r. blessings l. 24 valluable r. valuable p. 35 l. 25 ou r. ouâ— p. 38 l. 4. natucal r. natural p. â—â— l. abliâ— r. ability p. 41 l. last Thefore r. Therefore p. 42 l. 29 they have r. they livy p. 43 l. 26 slâ—gard r sluggard p. 44 l. 15 assurence r. assurance l. 23 woldley r. worldly p. 114 l. 13 intelligeable r. intelligible p. 116 l. 7 waiing r. waiting l. 8 darkei r. darkness 121 l. 10 soretold r. foretold p. 114 l. 4 underdand r. understand p. 132 l. 11 no stop after them p. 135 l. 4 wtih r. with p. 145 l. 2 porsperity r. prosperity p. 147 l. 11. Christain r. Christian p. 149 l. 17 impossiable r. impossible p. 150 l. 16 doctine r. doctrine p. 152 l. 27. perfane r. profane l. antependt paculiar r. peculiar p. 174 l. 25 temperal r. temporal p. 185 l. 11. his r. all p. 181 l. 10 appearnce r. appearance l. last tiemes r. times p. 191 l. 24 aud r. and 192 ult made delend p. 194 antepenult cecevied r. received p. 196 l. 6 brethen r. brethren p. 198 l. 18 Evangelist r. Evangelists p. 209 l. 10 is r. it p. 239 l. last Covenants r. Covenant p. 246. l. 30 Ehp. r. Eph. p. â—46 l. 14 way r. may p. 258 l. 1 this esteem precious r. this esteem Precious p. 261 actrive r. active p. 264 l. 19 Priestood r. Priesthood accept to God as here fei r. text r. acc to God as h. f. â— t. text p. 276 l. 22 speak of r. speak of p. 280 l. 29 speaks of hard c. r. speaks of hard c. p. 282 l. 25 shalln or r. shall not l. 31 caulling r. calling p. 303 l. last ceremoany r. ceremony p. 307 l. 14 poriton r. portion p. 315 l. 39 is r. it p 336 l. 12 their r. there p. 372 l. 13 partacular r. particular p. 377 l. 23 thlng r. thing p. 432 l. ult wha the r. what he p. 481 l. 27 es r. us Quam suave est istis suavitatibus carere Aug. Pauperis est numerare pecus Res severae est verum gaudium Sen. â—audaemel â—is dulcedinem quantum potes qui non gustaverit non Intelligeâ— Aug.
us from it Filthiness needs sprinkling Guiltiness such as deserves death needs sprinkling of Blood and the death it deserves being Everlasting death The Blood must be the Blood of Christ. The Eternal Lord of life dying to free us from the sentence of death The Soul as the body hath its life its health its purity and the contrary of these its Death Diseases Deformities and Impurity which belong to it as to their first Subiect and to the body by participation The Soul and Body of all mankind is stained by the Pollution of sin The impure Leprosie of the Soul is not a spot outwardly but wholly inward hence as the corporal Leprosie was purified by the sprinkling of blood so is this Then by reflecting we see how all this that the Apostle St. Peter expresseth is necessary to Justification 1. Christ the Mediator betwixt God and man is God and man 2. A Mediator not only interceeding but also satisfying Eph. 2.16 3. This satisfaction doth not reconcile us unless it be applyed Therefore there is not only mention of blood but the sprinkling of it the spirit by faith sprinkleth the soul as with hysop wherewith the sprinkling was made this is it of which the Prophet speaks Isai. 52.15 So shall he sprinkle many Nations And which the Apostle to the Hebrewes prefers above all Legal sprinklings Chap. 9.12 13 14. both as to its duration and as to the excellency of its effects Men are not easily convinced and perswaded of the deep stain of sin and that no other Laâ—er can fetch it out but the sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Christ. Some that have moral Resolutions of amendment dislike at least gross sins and purpose to avoid them and 't is to them cleanness enough to reform in those things but they consider not what becomes of the guiltiness they have contracted already and how that shall be purged how their natural pollution shall be taken away be not deceived in this 't is not an evaâ—ishing sigh or a light word or a wish of God forgive me no nor the highest current of Repentance nor that which is the truest evidence of Repentance Amendment 'T is none of these that purifies in the sight of God and expiats wrath they are all imperfect and stained themselves cannot stand and answer for themselves much less be of value to counterpoise their former guilt of sin the very tears of the purest Repentance unless they be sprinkled with this Blood are impure all our washings without this are but washings of the Blackmore it is labour in vain Ier. 2.22 Iob. 9.30 31. There is none truly purged by the Blood of Christ that do not endeavour purity of heart and Conversation but yet it is the Blood of Christ by which they are all fair and there is no spot in them here 't is said Elect to obedience but because that obedience is not perfect there must be sprinkling of the Blood too There is nothing in Religion further out of natures reach and out of its likeing and believing then the doctrine of Redemption by a Saviour and a Crucified Saviour by Christ and by his blood first shed on the Cross in his suffering and then sprinkled on the soul by his Spirit 'T is easier to make men sensible of the necessity of Repentance and amendment of life though that is very difficult then of this purging by the sprinkling of this precious Blood Did we see how needful Christ is to us we would esteem and love him more 'T is not by the hearing of Christ and of his blood in the Doctrine of the Gospel 't is not by the sprinkling of water even that water that is the sign of this blood without the blood it self and the sprinkling of it Many are present where it is sprinkled and yet have no portion in it Look to this that this blood be sprinkled on your souls that the destroying Angel may pass by you There is a Generation not some few but a generation deceived in this they are their own Deceivers pure in their own eyes Prov. 30.12 How earnestly doth David pray wash me Purge me with hysop Though bathed in tears Psa. 6.6 that satisfied not wash thou me This is the honourable condition of the Saints That they are purified and consecrated unto God by this sprinkling yea have on loâ—g while Robes washt in the Blood of the Lamb There is mention indeed of great Tribulation but there is a double comfort Joyned with it 1. They come out of it that tribulation hath an end And 2 They pass from that to glory for they have on the Robe of Candidates long white Robes washt in the blood of the Lamb washt white in blood as for this blood 't is nothing but purity and spotlesness being stained with no sin and besides hath that vertue to take away the stain of sin where 't is sprinkled My Wellbeloved is white and ruddy saith the Spouse thus in his death ruddy by bloodshed white by Innocence and purity of that blood Shall they then that are purged by this blood return to live among the Swine and tumble with them in the pudle what gross injury is this to themselves and to that Blood by which they were cleansed They that are chosen to this sprinkling are likewise chosen to Obedience this blood purifieth the heart yea This blood purgeth our Consciences from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 Vnto Obedience 'T is easily understood to whom when obedience to God is expressed by the simple absolute name of Obedience it teacheth us that to him alone belongs Absolute and Unlimited Obedience all obedience by all creatures And 't is the shame and misery of man that he hath departed from this Obedience that we are become Sons of disobedience But Grace renewing the hearts of believers changeth their natures and so their names and makes them Children of obedience As afterwards in this Chapter This Obedience consists as in the receiving Christ as our Redeemer so also at the same time as our Lord or King an intire rendring up of the whole man to his obedience This Obedience then of the only begotten Jesus Christ may well be understood not as his Actively as Beza but Objectivly as 2 Cor. 10.5 I think here 't is contain'd yea chiefly understood To signifie that Obedience which the Aposte to the Romans calls the Obedience of faith by which the Doctrine of Christ is received and so Christ himself which uniteth the believing soul to Christ he sprinkles it with his blood to the remission of sin and is the root and spring of all future obedience in the Christian life By Obedience Sanctification is here intimated it signifies then both habitual and active obedience Renovation of heart and conformity to the Divine will the mind is illuminated by the Holy Ghost to know and believe the divine will yea this Faith is the great and chief part of Obedience Rom. 1.8 the truth of the Doctrine
is first impressed on the mind hence flowes out pleasant obedience and full of love hence all the affections and the whol body with its members learn to give a willing obedience and submit unto God whereas before they resisted him being under the standerd of Satan This Obedience tho imperfect yet hath a certain if I may so say imperfect perfection It s universal three manner of wayes 1. in the subject 2. In the Object 3. In the duration the whole man subjected to the whole Law and that constantly and perseveringly The first universality is the cause of the other because it s not in the tongue alone or in the hand c. but has its root in the heart therefore doth not wither as the grasse or flower lying on the superfice of the earth but it flourishes because rooted and therefore it embraces the whole Law because it arises from a reverence it has for the Lawgiver himself Reverence I say but tempered with Love hence it accounts no Law nor command little or of small value which is from God because he is great and highly esteemed by the pious heart No command hard tho contrary to the flesh because all things are easie to Love there is the same authority in all as St. Iames divinely argues And this Authority is the golden chain of all the commandments which if broke in any link all falls a pieces That this three fold perfection of obedience is not a picture drawn by fancy is evident in David Psal. 119. where he subjects himself to the whole Law His feet v. 105. his mouth v. 13. his heart v. 11. the whole tenor of his life v. 24. He subjects himself to the whole law v. 6. and he professes his constancy therein in v. 16. and 33. teach me the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it unto the end According to the foreknowledge of God the Father The exactest knowledge of things is to know them in their causes it is then an excellent thing and worthy of their endeavours that are most desirous of knowledge to know the best things in their highest Causes and the happiest way of this knowledge is to possess those things and to know them in Experience to such the Apostle here speaks and sets before them the excellency of their spiritual condition and leads them to the causes of it Their Estate is that they are sanctified and justified the nearest cause of both these is Iesus Christ he is made unto them both Righteousness and Sanctification the sprinkling of his blood purifies them from guiltines and quickens them to obedience Now followes to consider the appropriateing or applying Cause the Holy and holy making or sanctifying Spirit the Author of their selecting from the world and effectual calling unto grace The source of all the appointing or decreeing Cause is God the Father for though they all work Equally in all yet in order of working we are taught thus to distinguish and particularly to ascribe the first work of Eternal Election to the first Person of the blessed Trinity In or through Sanctification for to render it Elect to the sanctification is strained so then I conceive this Election is their Effectual Calling which is by the working of the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 26.27.28 where Vocation and Election are used in the same sense Ye see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise after the flesh c. but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to condemn the wise 't is the first act of the decree of Election the beginning of its performance in these that are Elected and 't is in it self a real seperating of men from the profane and miserable Condition of the world and an appropriating and consecrating of a man unto God and therefore both in regard of its relation to Election and in regard of its own nature it well bears that name Rom. 8.28.30 Act. 2.47 13.48 Ioh. 15.19 Sanctification in a narrower sense as distinguished fâ—om Iustification signifieth the inherent holiness of a Christian or his Inclinement and Innablement to obedience mentioned in this verse but 't is here more large and so extends with the whole work of Renovation and is the severing and seperating of men to God by his holy Spirit drawing them unto him and so it comprehends Justification as here and the first working of faith by which the soul is justified through its apprehending and applying the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Of the spirit The Word calls men externally and by that Eternal calling prevails with many to an External receiving and professing of Religion but if it be left alone it goes no further it is indeed the means of sanctification and effectual calling Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth But this is doth when the spirit that speaks in the Word works in the heart and causes it to hear and obey The Spirit or Soul of a man is the chief and first subject of this work and 't is but slight false work that begins not there but the Spirit here is rather to be taken for the Spirit of God the Efficient then the Spirit of man the Subject of this sanctification And therefore our Saviour in that place prayes to the Father that he would sanctifie his own by that truth and this he doth by the concurrence of his Spirit with that word of truth which is the life and vigour of it and makes it prove the power of God unto salvation to them that believe 't is a fit means in it self but 't is then a prevailing meanes when the Spirit of God brings it in to the heart 't is a Sword and sharper then a two edged Sword fit to divide yea even to the dividing of Soul and Spirit But this it doth not without it be in the Spirits hand and he applyes it to this cutting and dividing The word calls but the Spirit Drawes not sever'd from that word but working in it and by it 'T is a very difficult work to draw a Soul out of the hands and strong chains of Satan and out of the pleasing Entanglements of the world and out of its own natural perversness to yield up it self unto God to deny it self and live to him and in so doing to run against the main stream and the current of the ungodly world without and Corruption within The strongest Rhetorick the most moving and persuasive way of discourse is all too weak the tongue of Men and Angels cannot prevail with the soul to free it self and shake off all that deteins it although it be convinced of the truth of those things that are represented to it yet still it can and will hold out against it and say non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris The hand of Man is too weak to pluck any soul out of the croud of the world and set it in amongst the select number of Believers Only the Father of Spirits hath absolute command of Spirits viz. the Souls of Men
they mock and despise is that Spirit that seals men to the day of Redemption Eph. 4.30 If any pretend they have the Spirit and so turn away from the straight rule of the Holy Scriptures they have the Spirit indeed but 't is a fanatical Spirit the Spirit of Delusion and Giddiness but the Spiâ—it of God that leads his Children in the way of truth and is for that purpose sent them from Heaven to guide them thither squares their thoughtts and wayes to that Rule And that Word whereof it is Author which was inspired by it sanctifies them to Obedience He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a Lyar and the truth is not in him 1 Ioh. 2.4 Now this Spirit that sanctifieth and sanctifieth to Obedience is within us the Evidence of our Election and Earnest of our salvation and whoso are not sanctified and led by this Spirit the Apostle tells us what is their Condition Rom. 8.9 if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Let us not delude our selves this is a truth if there be any in Religion they that are not made Saints in the estate of Grace shall never be Saints in Glory The Stones that are appointed for that Glorious Temple above are hewen and polished and prepar'd for it here as the stones were wrought and prepared in the Mountains for building the Temple at Ierusalem This is the Order Psal. 84.12 He gives Grace and Glory as Moralists can tell us that the way to the Temple of Honour is through the Temple of Vertue They that think they are bound for Heaven in the wayes of sin have either found a new way untroden by all that are gone thither or will find themselves deceived in the end We need not then that poor shift for the pressing of Holiness and Obedience upon Men. to represent it to them as the meriting cause of Salvation this is not at all to the purpose seeing without it the Necessity of Holiness to Salvation is pressing enough for holiness is no less necessary to Salvation then if it were the meriting Cause of it it is as insepararably tyed to it as the purpose of God and in the Order of performance Godliness is as certainly before Salvation as if Salvation did wholly and all together depend upon it and were in point of Justice deserved by it Seeing then there is no other way to Happiness but by Holiness no Assurance of the Love of God without it Take the Apostles advice study it seek it follow earnestly after holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Grace unto you and peace be multâ—plyed It hath always been a civil custom amongst Men to season their intercourse with good wishes one for another this the Apostles use in their Epistles in a spiritual divine way suitable to their holy Writings It well becomes the Messengers of Grace and Peace to wish both and to make their salutation conform to the main scope and subject of their discourse The Hebrew word of salutation we have here Peace and that which is the spring both of this and these good things are all in the other word of Salutation used by the Greeks Grace All right Rejoycing and Prosperity and Happiness flowes from this source and from this alone and is sought elsewhere in vain In general this is the Character of a Christian spirit to have a heart fill'd with Blessing with this sweet good will and good wishing to all especially to those that are their Brethren in the same Profession of Religion And this Charity is a precious Balm diffusing it self in the wise and seasonable expressions of it upon fit occasions and those expressions must be cordial and sincere not like that you call Court Holy-water in which there is nothing else but falshood or vanity at the best This manifests Men to be the Sons of Blessing and of the ever blessed God the Father of all Blessing when in his name they bless one another yea our Saviours Rule goes higher to bless those that curse them and urges it by that Relation to God as their Father that in this they may resemble him That ye may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven But in a more eminent way it s the duty of Pastors to bless their People not only by their publick and Solemn Benediction but by daily and instant Prayers for them in secret And the great Father who seeth in Secret will reward them openly They are to be ever both endeavouring and wishing their increase of knowledge and all Spiritual grace in which they have St. Paul a frequent Pattern They that are Messengers of this Grace if they have Experience of it 't is the Oyl of gladness that will dilate their heart and make it large in Love and spiritual desires for others Especially their own Flocks Let us 1 Consider the matter of the Apostles desire for them Grace and peace 2. The measure of it that it may be multiplyed 1 Grace We need not make a noise with the many School-distinctions of Grace and describe in what sense 't is here to be taken for no doubt 't is all saving Grace to those dispersed Brethren so that in the largest Notion that it can have that way we may safely here take it What is preventing Grace assisting Grace Working and Co-working Grace as we may admit these differences in a sound sense but divers Names of the same effectual saving Grace in relation to our different Estate as the same Sea receives different names from the different parts of the shoar it beats upon First It Prevents and Workes then it Assists and Prosecutes what it hath wrought he worketh in us to will and to do but the whole sense of saving Grace I conceive is comprehended in these two 1 Grace in the Fountain that is the peculiar Love and Favour of God 2. In the Streams the Fruits of this Love for 't is not an empty but a most rich and liberal Love viz. All the Graces and spiritual Blessings of God bestowed upon them whom he hath freely chosen The Love of God in it selfe can neither Diminish nor Increase but it is Multiplied or abounds in the Manifestation and Effects of it so then to desire Grace to be multiplied to them is to Wish to them the living Spring of it that Love that cannot be exhausted but is ever flowing forth and in stead of abateing makes each day richer then another And this is that which should be the top and summe of Christian Desires To have or want any other thing indifferently but to be resolved and resolute in this to seek a share in this Grace the free Love of God and the sure Evidences of it within you the fruit of holiness and the Graces of his Spirit but the most of us are otherwise taken up We will not be convinc'd how basely and foolishly we are busied though in the best and most respected employments
of the World So long as we neglect our noblest trade of growing Rich in Grace and the comfortable enjoyment of the Love of God Our Saviour tells us of one thing needful Importing that all other things are comparatively Unnecessary By-works and meer Impertinences and yet in these we lavish out our short uncertain time we let the other stand by till we find leasure Men who are altogether prophane think not on it at all some others possibly deceive themselves thus and say When I have done with such a business in which I am engaged then I will sit down seriously to this and bestow more Time and pains on these things that are undeniably Greater and Better and more worthy of it but this is a slight that is in danger to undo us what if we attain not to the end of that business but end our selves before it or if we do not yet some other business may step in after that Oh then say we that must be dispatch'd also thus by such delayes we may loose the present opportunity and in the end our own souls Oh be perswaded it deserves your dilligence and that without delay to seek somewhat that may be constant enough to abide with you and strong enough to uphold you in all Conditions and that is alone this free Grace and Love of God While many say Who will shew us any good set you in with David in his choise Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me and this shall rejoyce my heart more then the abundance of Corn and Wine This is that Light that can break into the darkest dungeons from which all other Lights and Comforts are shut out and without this all other enjoyâ—ents are what the world would be without the Sun nothing but darkness Happy they who have this light of Divine favour and Grace shining into their souls for by it they shall be led to that City where the Sun and Moon are needless for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21.23 Godliness is profitable for all things saith the Apostle having the Promises of this life and that which is to come all other blessings are the attendants of Grace and follow upon it This blessing that the Apostle here and so St. Paul in his Epistles joynes with Grace was with the Jewes of so large a sense as to Comprehend all that they could desire when they wish'd Peace they meant all kind of good all welfare and prosperity And thus we may take it here for all kind of Peace yea and for all other blessings but especially that spiritual Peace which is the proper fruit of Grace and doth so intrinsecally flow from it We may and ought to wish to the Church of God outward blessiings and particularly outward Peace as one of the greatest so one of the most valluable favours of God thus prayed the Psalmist Psal. 122.7 Peace be within thy walls and Prosperity within thy Palaces But that wisdom that doth what he will by what means he will and works one contrary out of another brings Light out of Darkness Good out of Evil Can and doth turn Tears and Troubles to the advantage of his Church but certainly in it self Peace is more suitable to its increase and if noâ— abus'd proves so too As in the Apostolick Times it s said The Church had Peace and Increased exceedingly Act. 9.31 We ought also to wish for Ecclesiastical Peace to the Church that she may be free from Dissensions and Divisions These readily arise more or less as we see in all times and haunt Religion and the Reformation of it as a malus genius S. Paul had this to say to his Corinthians though he had given them this testimony that they were enriched in all Utterance and Knowledge and were wanting in no guift Cap. 1. v. 5. Yet presently after v. 13 I hear that there are Divisions and Contentions among you The Enemy had done this as our Saviour speaks and this Enemy is no fool for by divine permission he works to his own end very wisely for there is not one thing that doth on all hands choak the seed of Religion so much as Thorny debates and differences about it selfe So in succeeding Ages and at the breaking forth of the Light in Germany in Luther's time Multitudes of Sects arose Profane men do not only stumble but fall and break their necks upon these Divisions We see think they and some of them possibly say it ouâ— that they who mind Religion most cannot agree upon 't Our easiest way is not to Embroyl our selves nor at all to be troubled with the business Many are of Gallio's temper they will care for none of those things Thus these Offences prove a mischief to the prophane World as our Saviour sayes Wo to the World because of Offences Then the erring side that is taken with new opinions and fancies are altogether taken up with them their main thoughts spent upon them and thus the sap is drawn from that which should nourish and prosper in their hearts sanctified useful knowledge and saving grace The other are as weeds that divert the nourishment in Gardens from the Plants and Flowers and certainly these weeds viz. Mens own conceits cannot but grow more with them when they give way to them then solid Religion doth for their hearts as he said of the earth are Mother to those and but Step-mother to this It is also a Loss even to those that oppose Errors and Divisions that they are forced to be busied that way for the wisest and Godliest of them find and such are sensible of it that disputes in Religion are no friends to that which is far sweeter in it but hinders and abates it viz. these pious and devout thoughts that are both the more useful and truly delightful As Peace is a choice blessing so this is the choisest Peace and is the peculiar inseparable Effect of this Grace with which it is here joyntly wish'd Grace and Peace The flower of Peace growing upon the Root of Grace This spiritual Peace hath two things in it 1 Reconciliation with God 2 Tranquillity of Spirit The quarrel and matter of enmity you know betwixt God and Man is the Rebellion the sin of Man and he being naturally altogether sinful there can proceed nothing from him but what foments and increases the Hostility 'T is Grace alone the most free Grace of God that contrives and Offers and makes the Peace else it had never been We had universally perish'd without it Now in this is the wonder of Divine Grace that the Almighty God seeks agreement and entreats for it with sinful clay which he could wholly destroy in a moment Jesus Christ the Mediator and Purchaser of this Peace bought it with his Blood kill'd the enmity by his own Death Eph. 2.15 And therefore the Tenor of it in the Gospel runs still in his name Rom. 5.1 we have Peace with God