can they but rejoyce in them and sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever Why are you not more careful to walk worthy of this Grace There is a Decorum Ephes 4.1 a seemlinesse that appertains to every Calling This made Scipio that he would not accept the offer of an Harlot because he was General of the Army And when Antigonus was invited to a place where there was none of the best Company he was well advised by one to remember he was a Kings Sonne When you suffer your selves to be drawn away by your lusts to be ensnared by the World to be captivated by the Divel you forget the Decorum that should attend your Christian Calling Remember I beseech you First That it is a Holy Calling and therefore be ye also Holy in all Manner of Conversation Methinks it should sound as harshly in our ears to hear of a dark Sun as a wicked Christian Secondly It is an High Calling Do you live High Scorne Basenesse Blush to appear in your Old Raggs To be seen Catering for your Lusts as you use to do Crown your selves with the Starres Cloath your selves with the Sunne Tread the Moon under your Feet Let the Gospel be your Crown Let Christ be your Cloathing Let the World be your Foot-stool Let Hidden Manna be your constant Dyet Keep Open House to all Comers Set your Spiritual Dainties before them Bid them feed Heartily and Welcome And for Discourse Tell them what great things God hath done for your Souls Thirdly It is an Heavenly Call Let your Conversations be in Heaven you have a good Correspondent there Maintain a constant Trade and Traffick thither Expect Returns thence Lay up your Treasure there where neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt nor can Thieves break through and steal Be alwayes preparing for your passage thither Fourthly It is an Immutable Call Do not droop and hang your Heads for the Changes and Mutations there are in the World The Foundation of God standeth sure though the Foundation of States be Overturned Overturned Overturned the Lord knoweth who are his and will cause all things to Work together for their good But what if now there be many amongst you that are not Effectually Called In the third and last place I addresse my self to them Men and Brethren if you have any sense of the excellency of your Immortal Souls any Love to them sutable to that excellency any care and solicitousnesse sutable to that love Do not resist the Holy Ghost Make the best Use you can of the Means of Grace To day if you will hear his Voice harden not your hearts If he now Knock at the Door of your hearts and you will not Open you know not how soon you may come to Knock at the Door of his house and he will not Open. Diog. Laertius Thal. It is Reported that Thales one of the Grecian Sages being urged by his Mother to marry told her at first it was too soon and afterward when she urged him again he told her it was too late Effectual Voâ—ation is our Espousal unto Christ all the time of our life God is urging this Match upon our Souls his Ministers are still wooing for Christ if now we say it is too soon for ought we know the very next Moment our Sunne may set and then God will say it is too late They that are not Contracted to Christ on Earth shall never be Married to him in Heaven THE TRUE BELIEVERS Union with CHRIST JESUS 1 COR. 6.17 But he that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit YOU have lately seen the Portraicture of our Lord Jesus drawn as it were at length Introduction both as to his Person and Offices together with the Means and Mannâ—r how he hath dearly purcha'st Redemption for us Method now requires that we lay before you how that Redemption and the benefits thereof come to be effectually applied unto us There we had the balme of Gilead and the plaister spread what remains but that it be now applied There we had a Bethesda an healing Fountain open'd but the Pool of life heals not unlesse the Patient be put in and the Angel of the Covenant Stir the waters Salvation for sinners cannot be obtain'd without a puâ—chase this purchase is not significant without possession this possession not to be procured without application this application made only by union this union clearly held forth in the Text viz. He that is joyned unto the Lord is one Spirit Coherence In the close of this Chapter our Apostle seriously dehorts his Corinthians from that grosse that soul-polluting sinne of Fornication His Arguments which he lets flie as so many Barbed Arrows at the fifth Rib of Uncleanness are drawn 1. Partly from the end to which the body is appointed The body is for the Lord Ver. 13. The body was made for the God of holinesse therefore not to be prostituted to Lust and uncleannesse Ver. 19. The Holy Ghosts Temple ought not to be converted into a Stye for Satan That 's the first 2. Partly from that honour which by the Lord to our bodies is vouchsafed Know ye not that our bodies are the members of Christ Ver. 15. Believers bodies are the members of Christ therefore not to be debauch't so far as to be made the members of an Harlot This second Argument is back't and amplified by the words of the Text He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit q. d. There is a near and dear union betwixt the Lord Jesus and true believers much what resembling that which is betwixt the head and members Only here 's the difference that union is carnal this spiritual He that is joyn'd to the Lord is one Spirit i. e. he is spiritually one or one with the Lord in Spirit therefore ought not to be one with a strange woman in the flesh Having thus beaten up and lâ—vel'd our way to the Text I shall not stand to shred the words into any unnecessary parts but shall extract out of them such an Observation as I conceive strikes a full eighth to the minde of the Spirit of God in them And 't is plainly this Observation True Believers are closely united unto Christ Iesus The word which we render a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agglutinatus joyned imports the nearest strictest closest union This truth I shall endeavour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cleanly to explain solidly to confirme practically to appy 1. For the Explication of this truth Explication It will be of consequence to lay before you Query 1 1. Whom we understand by true believers Sol. 1. Not such as are united unto Christ by a meer external prosession Sacramental admission or presumptuous perswasion Such as these are said to believe in Christ John 3.23 and yet they are such so hollow so false that Christ dares not trust them Ver. 24. These are dead Branches John 15.2 Saplesse stakes in the Churches hedge Reformadâ—'s and Hangby's only
God grounded upon the perswasion of his glorious being and the goodnesse of his nature which is not terrible to them but when they consider his mercy is a holy mercy and that it is never dispenc't to the prejudice of his justice though they cannot hate God for his goodnesse directly yet they hate him with it for although he is the perfection of beauty and goodnesse it self yet they being evil there is no congruity or conveniency between God and them they love sin and hate punishment Now God as Author legis by the most strict Laws forbids sin and as ultor peccati inflicts severe punishments from hence it proceeds the most lovely and sweet Attributes of God cannot endear him to them no more than the natural or moral excellencies of a Judge the comelinesse of his person or his wisdome and knowledge can draw forth the love of a Malefactor when he is condemned by him Moreover since the general nature of sin is an eternal contrariety to the nature and will of God the love of it must needs argue the hatred of God for as the Lord Jesus requires an universal chearful and constant obedience as the most clear evidence of love to him if you love me keep my Commandments So the Argument will be as strong to conclude backward If you keep not Gods Commandments you hate him to live in the practice of known sinnes is a vertual and interpretative hatred of God 2. The benefits which God bestows upon us deserve our love How great an endearment did he passe upon us in our Creation we might have been admitted into the lowest form of Creatures and have only enjoyed the life of flies or worms but he made us little lower than the Angels and Crowned us with glory and honour and gave us dominion over all the works of his hands Psal 8.5 Whereas the rest of the Creatures were the acts of his power the Creation of man was an act of power and wisdome in all the rest there was nothing but he spake the word and they were made Psal 148.5 But in the making of man there was a consultation about it Gen. 1. Let us make man he framed our bodies so that all the parts conspire for the ornament and service of the whole Psal 139.15 Thine eye did see my substance being yet imperfect and in thy book were all my members written and therefore Lactantius said truly hominem non patrem esse sed generandi Ministrum man is only the instrument which the Lord doth use for the effecting of his purpose to raise the beautiful Fabrick of mans body Now if we are obliged to expresse the dearest love to our Parents with how much greater reason should we love God who is the fountain of all our beings He hath breathed into man a spiritual immortal rational soul which is more worth than the whole World this is in some sort a spark and ray of Divine brightnesse 't is capable of Gods Image 't is a fit Companion for Angels to joyne with them in the praises of God and enjoy a blessed eternity with them 'T is capable of communion with God himself who is the fountain of life and happinesse The soul is endowed with those faculties which being terminated upon God it enjoys an infinite and everlasting blessednesse The understanding by knowledge rests in God as the first and highest in genere veri the will by love embraces him as the last and greatest in genere boni and so receives perfection and satisfaction which is the incommunicable priviledge of the rational soul Beasts can only converse with drossy and material objects they are confined to earthly things but the soul of man may enjoy the possession and fruition of God who is the Supreme and Soveraign good Now this should inflame our love to God he formed our bodies he inspired our souls Moreover if we consider our lives we shall finde a chain of mercy which reaches from one end to the other of them How many Miracles of Providence do we enjoy in our preservation how many unseen dangers do we escape how great are our daily supplies The provisions we receive do serve not only for necessity but for delight every day we have the provisions of meat and drink not only to cure hunger and all our thirst but to refresh the heart and to make us chearful in our work every houre is filled up with the bounties of God Now what shall we render to the Lord for all his benefits he desires our love this is the most proper return we can make for love is of an opening and expansive quality calling forth the heart our love within should break forth to close with Gods love without the love of obedience in us with the love of favour and bounty in him 'T is a principle of nature deeply implanted in the hearts of men to return love for love nay the very Beasts are not deficient in this Esay 1.3 The Oxe knows his Owner and the Asse his Masters Crib Those Creatures which are of all the most stupid and heavy respect their Feeders and expresse dumb signs of love unto them How much more should we love God who spreads our Table fills our Cup and causes his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall on us 'T is an Argument of Secret Atheisme in the heart that in the confluence of mercies we enjoy we do not look up to the Author of them as if common mercies were the effects of Chance and not of Providence if a man constantly relieves our wants we judge it the most barbarous disingenuity not to repay love to him but God loads us with his benefits every day his wisdome is always busied to serve his mercy and his mercy to serve our necessities but we are insensible and unaffected and yet the meanest mercy as it comes from God hath an excellency stamp't upon it We should upbraid our souls for our coldnesse to God everywhere we encounter sensible demonstrations of his love to us in every moment of our lives we have some pledges of his goodnesse Let us light our Torch at this Mountain of fire let the renewed act of his bounty constrain us to love him we should love him for his excellency though we had no benefit by him nay though he hated us we are bound to love him as he is truly amiable in himself how much more when he draws us with the cords of a man with bands of love whosoever requites the love of God with hatred as every impenitent sinner doth puts off the nature of man and degenerates into a Divel 2. Fear this is that eternal respect which is due to our Creator an humble reverence we owe to him as he is infinitely above us the holy Angels cover their faces when they have the clearest views of his glory Esay 6.1 2 3. The Lord is represented as sitting on a Throne and the Seraphims stood about each having six wings with twain he covered his
called another Comforter now he who is distinguished from the Father and the Sonne in the manner as to be called another comforter is either distinguished in regard of his essence or in regard of his personal subsistence not in regard of his essence for then he would be another God and therefore he is another in regard of his personal subsistence 4. You have a clear proof for this doctrine in the words of the Text There are three that bear record in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one and to that purpose consider 1. You have mention here of three witnesses now three witnesses are three persons 2. The Word and holy Ghost are conjoyned in their Testimony with the Father which is not competible to any creature and lest we should doubt of this it is expresly said even by Saint John himself to be the witnesse of God Verse 9. If we receive the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater for this is the witnesse of God which he hath testified of his Son and concerning Christ it is said that he is the true God ver 20. This is the true God and eternal life let the Socinian shew me where any creature is called the true God Concerning the Spirit also in this Chapter it is said ver 6. that he is truth it self It is the Spirit that beareth Witnesse because the Spirit is Truth 3. If there be three witnesses whereof every one of them is God the one not the other and yet not many Gods but one true God the point is clear there are three distinct persons subsisting in one divine essence or which is all one there are three persons and one God 3. I am to speak something to the distinction of these three persons though they cannot be divided yet they may be they are distinguished many things in nature may be distinguished which cannot be divided for instance the cold and the moisture which is in the water may be distinguished but they cannot be divided Now that those three persons are distinguished appears 1. By what hath been already said the Father is not the Son nor the Son the Father nor the holy Ghost the Father or the Son 2. By the words of the Text here are three heavenly witnesses produced to prove that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God namely the Father the Word and the holy Ghost now one and the same person although he hath a thousand names cannot passe for three witnesses upon any faire or reasonable account whatever you may be sure that God reckons right and he sayes John 8.13 Father Sonne and holy Ghost to be three witnesses there are three that bear record in heaven so in Saint Johns Gospel the Pharisees charge our Saviour that he bare record of himself say they thou bearest record of thy self thy record is not true now mark what Christ replies ver 17 18. It is written in your Law Ver. 17 18. that the Testimony of two men is true I am one that bear witnesse of my self and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me where you have our Saviour citing the Law concerning the validity of a Testimony given by two witnesses and then he reckons his Father for one witnesse and himself for another 4. I shall speak a few words to the order of these divine persons in order of subsistence the Father is before the Son and the Son before the holy Ghost The Father the first person in the Trinity hath foundation of personal subsistence in himself the Sonne the second person the foundation of personal subsistence from the Father the holy Ghost the third person hath foundation of personal subsistence from the Father and the Sonne Now although one person be before the other in regard of order yet they are all equal in regard of time Majesty glory essence this I conceive to be the reason why in the Scripture sometimes you have the Sonne placed before the Father as 2 Cor. 13.14 2 Cor. 13.14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen Gal. 1.1 So Gal. 1.1 Paul an Apostle not of men neither by men but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead Sometimes the holy Ghost is placed before the Father as Eph. 2.18 Through him we have an accesse by one Spirit unto the Father Eph. 2.18 Rev. 1.4 5. Sometimes before Jesus Christ Rev. 1.4 5. John to the seven Churches in Asia Grace be unto you and peace from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before the Throne by the seven Spirits there is meant the holy Ghost and from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witnesse c. The consideration of this caused that rule amongst our Divines ab ordine verborum nulla est argumentatio there is no argument to be urged from the order of words Now this shews that although one person be before another in regard of relation and order of subsistence yet all are equal one with another in regard of essence And therefore beware lest you derogate the least jota or tittle of glory or Majesty from any of the three persons As in nature a small matter as to the body may be a great matter as to the beauty of the body cut but the haire from the eye brow how disfigured will all the face look If you take away never so little of that honour and glory which is due to any of the divine Persons you do what in you lies to blot to stain to disfigure the faire and beautiful face of the blessed Trinity 5. I am to enquire whether the mystery of the Trinity may be found out by the light of nature Resol There are two things in the general that I would say in answer to this question 1. That the light of nature without divine Revelation cannot discover it 2. That the light of nature after divine Revelation cannot oppose it 1. That the light of nature without divine Revelation cannot discover it and for that purpose take into your thoughts these following considerations 1. If that which concerns the worship of God cannot be found out by the light of nature much lesse that which concerns Gods nature essence or subsistence but the Antecedent is certainly true For 1. As for the part of the worship and service of God which is instituted and ceremonial it is impossible that it should be found out by the light of nature for instance what man could divine that the Tree of life should be a Sacrament to Adam in Paradise How comes the Church to understand what creatures were clean what were unclean that the Priesthood was setled in the Tribe of Levi and not in the Tribe of Simeon or the Trible of Judah certainly these lessons were not learned by the candle-light of nature 2.
account of mercy without any consideration had of justice This is the first way of pleading when guilty meer mercy for mercies sake but to be justified upon this plea is an evident contradiction Therefore secondly the only plea for a guilty person to be justified upon is to plead mercy for the sake of some satisfaction made to the justice and honour of the Law And by how much the fuller this satisfaction is by so much the fuller is the justification of such a person as is upon this plea discharged Now a full satisfaction may be made two wayes 1. By suffering the whole penalty due 2. When a valuable consideration is accepted by the offended party or Judge wherein the honour of the Law is as much saved as if it had never been broken or as if being broken the full penalty had been inflicted on the breaker And here I have these two things to prove 1. That man could never make such satisfaction to the justice of God nor any creature for him 2. That the Lord Christ hath made such full satisfaction that it stands now with the honour of the holy God to justifie sinners upon the termes of the Gospel Assertion 1 First That neither man nor any creature could satisfie offended justice 1. Not by suffering the penalty for that being infinite requires an infinite continuance under it there beiâ—g no other way for an finite creature to suffer infinitely and so the whole penalty will ever be suffering but can never be suffered for in etetnity stop where you will and there is yet as much to come as is already past nay infinitely more for that which is past is but a finite time of suffering though millions of ages are past but an eternity of suffering is yet to come and after as many more millions of ages still still an infinite eternity is future that never can be so exhausted but an eternity will still be left Secondly not by any act of service which amounts to a valuable consideration worthy to be accepted of the Judge as satisfactory to his affronted justice for two Reasons 1. Because God is more dishonoured by one sin than honoured by an eternity of obedience for God is not at all obliged to Cherubims and Seraphims for obeying him all the Creation naturally oweth its utmost possibility of service as an eternal debt to its great Creatour Now the least act of disobedience or sin being injury and Treason thereby a new obligation is contracted viz. to suffer condigne punishment the former obligation unto duty remaining eternally in as full force as ever which if we could discharge yet were we but unprofitable servants Luke 17.10 Can a man be profitable to God Job 22.2 If thou be righteous what givest thou to him or what receiveth he of thine hand Job 35.7 An eternity of service in the highest perfection is every creatures debt as a creature and besides this an eternity of suffering too is every delinquent creatures debt as delinquent But one debt cannot pay another since therefore all that the whole Creation can do for ever would but just satisfie the first natural obligation unto pure justicâ— viz. the debt of obedience it â—s quâ—te impossible that ever any creature should supererogate or spare any thing from hence towards satisfying the secondary superadded ob igation unto offend d iustice viz. the debt of punishment either in its own behalf or anothers Secondly The other reason why neither man nor any creature for him can ever satisfie the offended Creator by the highest services because they all have it from him when they do obey him of his own do they give him for in him we live and move and have our being What hast thou O man nay O Angel O Arch-angel that thou hast not received all our nay all their springs are in him without him we can do nothing The more we do for God the more he doth for us and consequently still the more we owe him So that acts of obedience are so farre from satisfying our Obligations to God as that they contract new ones for even for them are we obliged Assertion 2 Having cleared the first we come to the second point That Christ hath so fully satisfied his Fathers offended justice as it stands now with the honour of the holy God to justifie every sinner that can upon Gospel termes plead his interest in this satisfaction Here we must enquire into these three things 1. The matter of this satisfaction 2. The forme or that which makes it infinitely satisfactory and meritorious 3. What are those Gospel terms First For the matter of Christs satisfaction I humbly conceive that the whole state of his humiliation from his conception to his resurrection for at his resurrection began the second state of Christ as Mediatior viz. his exaltation to be continued to the general Resurrection and then he shall resign up the Kingdome to the Father and God shall be thenceforward all in all 1 Cor. 15.24 28. that this state I say of our Redeemers humiliation is entirely lookt upon by God as the valuable consideration wherein his justice with honour acquiesceth and rests satisfied It hath two parts First his taking the forme of a servant at his incarnation Secondly his management of and deportment in that state First his Incarnation and this presents God with a double satisfaction whereby he may with honour entertain thoughts of love to man-kind 1. In that humane nature is in Christ unstained with either original or actual sin for by his divine conception by the holy Ghost he received of his Virgin-mother a pure undeflowred Virgin humane nature the second Adam revives the inâ—ocency of the first those eyes could without disparagement behold his manhood which are purer than to behold iniquity and even in their sight though no other flesh living could yet this flesh must be justified 2. In that humane nature is in him dignified with union to the divine and is become the seat and mansion of the Godhead so that how loathsome soever sin hath rendred it in us yet in him it is highly exalted even as highly as the Divine Nature in him was abased for the Humane Nature ascends just in the same proportion as the Divine descended that is to the utmost possibility for God could stoop no lower than to become a man nor man rise higher than to be personally one with God Thus you see Christs entering into his state of Humiliation hath rendred the nature of man very considerable againe in the sight of God so that he can now with honour exercise good will towards it Secondly His management of this state consists in his active and passive righteousnesse By his active Righteousnesse I mean his obedience to the whole Law to the Ceremonial in being circumcised baptized keeping the three yearly feasts c. To the moral in not committing one sin or neglecting one commanded duty even to subjection to his Parents and paying Tribute to
of a reason God sends his Gospel proclaiming Acts 3.19 Repent ye and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out His Ministers proclaiming We then are Embassadors of Christ 2 Cor. 5. as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God Why dost thou hate thy soul and say I will not why wilt thou not Is it because it doth not concern thee or because eternal life and death are trifles small little things not worth thy considering or doth any body hinder thee No no our Saviour gives the true account Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Let me entreat this small request of thee for Gods sake for thine own take the next opportunity and spend half an houre alone let thy spirit accomplish a diligent search pursue this inquiry to some issue am I justified or no if not what will become of me if it should happen sometimes such things fall out that I should dye now presently I cannot promise my self that I shall see to morrow morning Thus go on and bring it to something before thou leavest give not over till thou art not only clearly convinced of but heartily affected with thy guilt not only to see but feel thy self to be the man who art undone without an interest in this justification Be in good earnest thou canst not mock thy God and is there any wisdome in mocking and cheating thy own soul What thou dost do it heartily as unto the Lord as for thy life as one that would not rue thy self-deceiving folly when it cannot be recalled and if thou art hearty and serious in these reflexions 1. Thou wilt deeply humble thy self before the Majesty of the Judge of all the earth with that self-abhorrence and confusion that becomes one who feels himself even himself being Judge most righteously condemned 2. Thou wilt sollicite and assail the Throne of Grace with all redoubled favours and holy passionate importunities of prayer and supplication giving God no rest till he hath given thee his Spirit according to his own promise Luke 11.13 Ezek. 36.26 27. To help thee to performe the conditions of the Gospel-Covenant plead his own promise with him Wrestle with him for a broken and clean heart for faith for repentance unto life for these are not of thy self they are the gift of God let him not go till he hath blessed thee with these blessings in Christ Jesus This will confound every sinner at the day of Judgment that when he might have had grace yea the Spirit of grace for asking he either asked not or if he did it was so coldly as if he were contented enough to go without Now if thou art in good earnest God is I assure thee in full as good earnest as thou he is ready to meet thee Try but once whether it be in vain to seek him all that ever tryed found it good to draw near to God and found him easie to be entreated he useth not to send the hungry empty away He that commands us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling he it is that worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.12 13. Secondly To them that are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus Let me beseech them 1. To walk worthy of God who hath called them to his Kingdome and Glory to adorn their holy profession take the Exhortation in Pauls words Col. 2.6 As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Receive not this grace of God in vain the interest of your comfort obligeth you hereunto hereby you will know that you know him that you are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 that there is no cond mnation to you if you walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit and herein will your Father be glorified John 15.6 if ye bring forth much fruit 2. To live up to the comfort of their state 1 John 3.1 Ye are already the sons of God it doth not yet appear what you shall be Who shall lay any thing to your charge it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed c. Rom. 8.33 Go eat thy bread with joy and put on thy white rayment God now hath accepted thy works Eccles 9.7 8. I conclude this particular and the whole discourse with the happy effects and fruits of Justification which every Believer hath as good a right and title to as the Gospel it self the Word of the God of truth can give him as I finde those sweet effects and consequences set down in my Text and the words next following it 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ 2. By whom also we have accesse by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh patience 4. And patience experience and experience hope 5. And hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us Wherefore the righteous shall be glad in the Lord and all the upright in heart shall glory Psal 64.10 THE BELIEVERS DIGNITY and DVTY LAID OPEN In the High-Birth wherewith he is PRIVILEDGED And the honourable Employment to which He is called John 1.12 13. But as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name Which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God IN this Chapter Christ the principal Subject of the Gospel is admirably and Seraphically described 1. By his Divintiy as co-eternal and co-essential with the Father verse 1. 2. 2. By his discovery or manifestation 1. In the work of Creation ver 3. 10. 2. In the work of common providence ver 4.5 9. 3. In the work of gracious providence he being in the world and coming to his Church as our Immanuel God incarnate ver 11. 14. 3. By his entertainment which was 1. Passive his entertainment was poor the world knew him not ver 10. He was as a Prince disguised in a strange Country the Church sleighted and rejected him as Rebels do their natural Prince ver 11. And such entertainment Christ meets with at this day in his Truths Ordinances Graces Ministers and his poor members c. Object Was not Christ entertained by them what else means their harbouring him at Capèrnaum their flocking after him admiring of him seeking to make him a King c. Answ True they entertain'd him for a while civilly and formally upon self-interest but not spiritually by saving Faith Love and Obedience John 6.26 Matthew 11.21 23. Quest 1. Did Christ find no entertainment at all Answ This rejecting of Christ was not universal some did
THE Morning Exercise METHODIZED Or certain chief HEADS and POINTS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION Opened and Improved in divers SERMONS BY SEVERAL Ministers OF THE CITY OF LONDON In the Monthly Course of the MORNING EXERCISE at GILES in the Fields MAY 1659. Eccles 12.11 The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one shepheard LONDON Printed by E. M. for Ralph Smith at the sign of the Bible in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1660. To the Right Honourable CHARLES Earle of WARWICK NICHOLAS Earle of SCARSDALE PHILIP Lord WHARTON JOHN GLYN late Lord Chief Justice of ENGLAND Sir JOHN BROWNLOW Baronet And to the Right Worshipful JOHN CREW Esq GILES HUNGERFORD Esq JOHN PIT Esq THOMAS ROBINSON Esq And to the rest of the Nobility Gentry and others the Inhabitants of Giles in the Fields Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Right Honourable and Beloved IT is no small advantage to the holy life to begin the day with God The Saints are wont to leave their hearts with him over night that they may find them with him in the Morning when I awake I am still with thee saith holy David Psal 139.18 Before earthly things break in upon us and we receive impressions from abroad 't is good to season the heart with thoughts of God and to consecrate the Early and Virgin operations of the mind before they are prostituted to baser objects When the world gets the start of Religion in the Morning it can hardly overtake it all the day and so the heart is habituated to vanity all the day long but when we begin with God we take him along with us to all the businesses and comforts of the day which being seasoned with his love and fear are the more sweet and savory to us If there were no other benefit of the Morning Exercise than to be an help to us in this setting the mind on work upon holy things before it receive taint from the world and the distraction of our ordinary affairs it should upon that account be a very welcome guest to our dwellings But there are other benefits not a few that do attend it wherever it goes namely that it hath become an happy occasion through Gods blessing of manifesting the Unity and Brotherly accord of the Ministers of this City whilest by their mutual labours they strengthen one anothers hands in the Lords work and by a joynt testimony confirm those truths which each one apart dispenceth to his own Auditory for in the mouth of two or three Witnesses shall every word be established 2 Cor. 13.1 Besides that by the course which this Exercise hath hitherto held each Auditory cometh to have a taste of the several gifts which one and the same Spirit dispenseth for the use of edifying and this not without some conformity to the antient pattern Other fruits and advantages of the Morning Exercise see in the Introduction Serm. 1. towards the end where the several Congregations of the same City were not plures Ecclesiae Collaterales divers Sister-Churches but one and the same Church meeting by parts in several places fed and supplied by Officers in common who by turns in each place dispenced the word to them having their Government in common Now this Morning Exercise hath the Lord once and again sent amongst you there is a Providence that goeth along with Ordinances the journeys of the Apostles were directed by the Spirit as well as their doctrines Acts 16.7 The course of this Exercise though it hath been ordered by mans choice yet not without Gods direction To you is this word of Salvation sent saith holy Paul Acts 13.26 not come or brought but SENT and that as a message from our heavenly Father without whose providnece a Sparrow falleth not to the ground Now it concerneth you to see what use you will make of it Sermons dye not with the breath in which they were uttered If the dust of the Preachers feet bear witnesse against the despisers of the Gospel their Sermons much more Matth. 10.14 15. Wherever the Word is preached 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a testimony how for a testimony either to them Matth. 24.14 or against them Mark 13.9 God keepeth exact account or reckoning what means and advantages each place or people have enjoyed Three years have I come seeking fruit Luke 13.7 alluding to the three years of his own Ministry which then were fully elapsed This SECOND Miracle did Jesus in Canaan of Galilee John 4.54 He taketh notice of a first and a second so 2 Pet. 3.1 This SECOND Epistle write I unto you and Jer. 25.3 These THREE AND TWENTY years have I spoken the Word of the Lord rising early c. You see God keeps a Memorial how many years the Gospel hath been amongst a people yea every day is upon account for so it is added even unto this day What pressing Exhortations you have had how many and how long you have enjoyed them all is upon the File therefore it concerneth you to see that all this be not without fruit and some notable good effect that your account may be with joy and not with grief and shame The rather I urge this because the Exercises of this Month have not been ordinary Morning Exercises but all the Arguments were picked and chosen as the Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words even words of truth Eccl. 12.10 and disposed into a certain order for the greater benefit It is observed that the Psalms of David that are alphabetically disposed are most exact in the composure so I hope I may say without offence these Sermons digested into a method are the more accurate with what perspicuity and strength they are managed as to the Doctrinal part and with what warmth and vigour as to the Application I cannot speak being strictly enjoyned silence by my Brethrens severe modesty but the World will judge and you I hope will evidence by your own growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ These Sermons which with so greedy attention you formerly heard with the hearing of the ear are now written for a memorial and that they may be subjected to your view and more deliberate consideration I say they are written not only for the Churches use but yours in special and oh that they may be written upon your hearts engraven there with a durable Character such as shall never be defaced Honourable and Beloved I hope I need not presse any of you to get these books into your houses I can easily presume it of the abler sort amongst you and would earnestly presse it upon the meanest even the servants in your Families that they would abate not only of superfluous expences but deny themselves somewhat even of their ordinary conveniences to purchase these Sermons which if the Ministry should fail a judgement which England was never in such danger
yield to a sottish despaire there is some hope when conviction ends in groaning rather than murmuring And you do not fret against the Lords Soveraignty but complaine to him of the naughtinesse of your hearts begging his grace for Christs sake therefore go and lie at his feet and say Lord I have a blinde minde a froward heart none more I shall never of my self flie the evil forbidden performe the good commanded renounce these bewitching lusts take up such a course of service to thy blessed Majesty O take away this stony untractable heart c. You are in Prison but you are Prisoners of hope if you do so 2. To presse the Converted to thankfulnesse we were once in such a pitiful case till God plucked us as brands out of the burning we were utterly miserable and destitute of all good O blessed be God that opened the Prison door and proclaimed deliverance by Christ to poor Captives and not onely proclaimed it but wrought it for us none but an Almighty arme could loosen the Bolts and shut back the many Locks that were upon us Peter when the Angel made his Chains fall off considered the matter Acts 12.12 and went to give thanks among the Saints Oh when there were so many Doors and Bolts upon you such difficulties and disadvantages in the way of your conversion Consider it and bless God for your escape Blessed be the Lord that gave me counsel in my reines Psal 16.7 3. Let us compassionate others that are in this estate poor souls in what a sad condition are they We have not usually such a deep sense of their misery as we should have Israel was to pity strangers because they were once strangers in the Land of Egypt we our selves have been in the house of bondage O pity poor captive souls Especially doth this concern the Ministery they that do induere personam Christi that stand in the stead of Christ should induere viscera Christi put on the bowels of Christ Phil. 1.8 God is my Record how greatly I long after you in the bowels of Christ Jesus when we were ungodly and without strength Christ dyed for sinners and wilt not thou labour for them and employ thy Talent to Edification Oh if we had more weighty thoughts about the worth and danger of souls we would not do the Lords work so sleepily as usually we do but as co-workers with God we would beseech you with all earnestnesse not to receive the grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 Every advantage should be taken hold off as a sinking perishing man if it be but a bough in the waters catcheth at it so should we presse you to improve all closer applications and Ministerial helps and that with compassion and tendernesse as having our selves been acquainted with the heart of a poor impotent captive sinner THE COVENANT OF Redemption OPENED Isa 53.10 When thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinne he shall see his seed c. O Fall the Prophets this Prophet Isaiah was the most Evangelical Prophet * Non tam Propheta dicendus est quam Evangelista Ep. ad Paulam Eustochium tom 3. p. 9. Quanto Propheta hic aliis antecellit Prophetis tanti haec ejus c. 53. edita Prophetia caeteris ejus praestare videtur oraculis Moâ—us in Praef. ad com in c. 53. Isaiae Hierome calls him Isaiah the Evangelist Of all the Prophesies of this Prophet that which you have in this Chapter is the most Evangelical Prophesie I do not remember any one piece of Scripture in the Old Testament so often cited in the New Testament as this 53. chapter of Isaiah it being cited there no lesse than eight or nine times The Eunuch you read of in the Gospel was converted by a part of it after God by the Ministry of Philip Acts 8.30 c. had opened his eyes to see Christ held out in it In the whole Chapter you have a most lively and full description and representation of the humiliation death and passion of Jesus Christ which indeed is so exact and so consonant to what hath fallen out since that Isaiah seems here rather to pen an History than a Prophecy That Christ all along is here treated upon Ingenuè prosâ—â—cor illud insum câ—put ad fidem Christianam me adduxisse nam plus millies illud caput perlegi c. Joh. Is Levit. vid. Horneb contra Jud. l. 6. c. 1. p. 408. and not the sufferings of the Jewish state I shall not now insist upon Philip when he had this Scripture before him he preached Jesus Acts 8.35 Christ brings it down to himself Mark 9.12 And the matter of it is so convictive from that cleare light that goes along with it that several of the Jews in the reading of this Chapter have been brought over to the Christian Religion as not able to stand out against the light and evidence of it The time allotted for this exercise being but short I must fall upon my work presently I come to that Branch which I am to insist upon When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed c. In the verse before you have Christs innocency he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth why then did he undergo so much It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to grief How could the Father salvâ justitiâ deale thus with an innocent person and with his own Son too I answer Christ had now put himself in the sinners stead and was become his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his surety and so obnoxious to whatever the sinner had deserved in his own person and upon this the Father might without any injustice and actually did for the manifestation of the unsearchable riches of his wisdome and love bruise him and put him to grief The Lord Jesus had no sin in him by inhaesion he was holy harmless undefiled Heb. 7.26 c. but he had a great deale of sin upon him by imputation He was made sin that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 It pleased Christ to put himself thus under our guilt and therefore it pleased the Father thus to bruise him If you ask further what had Christ to encourage him either to or in these sufferings Though there was infinite love in Christ to put him upon all this and to carry him thorough all this yet there must be something more you have therefore here very precious * Mr. B. looks upon these rather as Prophesies than as promises Append p. 39. Verse 10. Ver. 11. Ver. 12. promises made to Christ upon this his undertaking as that he should see his seed he should prolong his dayes the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand he should see the travel of his soul and God would divide him a portion with the great and he should divide the spoile
you they have no such thought nor any cause for any such thought through grace they abhorre these sins and wonder that any are so besotted as to quarrel with a Minister for speaking against them You see then 't is your consciences that reproach you and not the Ministers of the Gospel 2. Here 's matter of Admiration Admiration of Gods rich Grace and unparallel'd Providence to us that God should cast our Lots in to such places and times wherein we enjoy the best of the best gracious Dispensations Acts 17.26 God hath made of one blood all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation God hath been pleased so to dispose of Christs little flock that there shall be some in all times of the world and in all places of the world where he makes known his Name to be the salt of the Earth But now for us to be so disposed of that among the several thousand years of the worlds continuance and among the innumerable millions of places of the worlds Inhabitants that we should be brought forth in such a nick of time and in such a spiritual Paradise of place that there 's none in the world to equal it Sirs what doth this call for what shall we render to the Lord for this I know not what to call it 't is such unspeakable love Beloved I must both give and take time to answer this question And O that you and I may give a sutable answer to it I know not at present what to say to it unlesse we could as overcome by it faint away in a love-sickness into the bosome of our dearest Jesus that Cant. 2.4 5 6. seeing he hath brought us where we may not only taste a draught out of a Bottle but are brought to the great Vessels of spiritual comforts where we may not only enjoy Christ a little but even to spiritual extasie O that we now as sinking down in a Swoun and as unable to stand under the thoughts of such love might be even strowed and boulstered up with the comfortable doctrines of the Gospel-Covenant and all through impatience of love The love of God to such inconsiderable persons should carry the soul out of it self to do more than languish with desire after more extasying communications so that none but Christ with his right hand of Divinity and left hand of Humanity may be acceptable to us to embrace us O Christians I should be glad to send you all home heart-sick of love to Christ But 3. By way of Inference Everyone of you that is not in the Gospel-Covenant is in a dreadful state 't is your own wilfulnesse you will not believe the Gospel Though 't is through Divine Grace that persons do close with the Gospel yet it is your own sin you do not close with it for you are willing to be strangers to it you are willing to enjoy your lusts which you must part with if you embrace it You may observe the dreadful estate of persons out of Covenant in these three particulars 1. The sin against the Gospel-Covenant is most dreadful This sin hath the guilt of all other sins in it John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloke for their sin Sodom and Gomorrah Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdome of heaven before those that refuse the Gospel God the Father invites men to the Marriage Supper nay you are wooed and entreated to be Christs Bride You make light of it you have the profits and the pleasures of the world to take up your thoughts you will not be perswaded to believe that Christ is better than your lusts you will not be beat out of it but that a bag of gold is better than a Crown of glory but that a filthy lust is better than communion with God but that the Divels slave and fool is better than to be Gods Childe and Darling Is this your choice Then consider 2. The penalty for the contempt of this Gospel-Covenant is most dreadful John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather than light this brings persons under the very utmost of the wrath of God 1 Thess 2.16 when the Jews sinned against the Legal Dispensation then Dan. 9.12 Daniel complains Under the whole heavens hath not been done as hath bâ—en done upon Jeâ—usalem but what now will become of those that refuse the Gospel Heb. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God Can any thing be worse than to dye without mercy yes saith the Apostle what 's that nay he leaves it to your consideration as being unpossible to be expressed To poure contempt and scorne upon the pretious blood of Christ wherewith the Covenant betwixt God and his people was made and ratified to offer a spiteful affront unto the Spirit of God by contemning and opposing his gracious motions O what remains for such persons but a dreadful expectation of Gods terrible Judgment But there 's a third thing that I would have you consider which is sensibly more dreadful than either of these 3. The sentence against Gospel-Covenant breaking is most irreversible and peremptory mercy and grace and patience and compassion when these are abused all these become the sinners enemy for that which is ordained a life to prove death unto them oh this is dreadful for the blood of Christ to cry to heaven against sinners this is dreadful this made Christ to weep over Jerusalem Luke 19.40.41 These persons passe judgment upon themselves though not with their lips yet with their lives they pronounce themselves unworthy to be saved Acts 13.46 O Sirs I beseech you consider though persons brake the Covenant of Works there was salvation to be had by another Covenant but if this be violated there is no other Covenant to relieve this The Gospel-Covenant is our Refuge when the other Covenant pursues us Hebr. 6.18 Contemptuous carriage against Grace is beyond all help I beseech you therefore take heed of sinning against Gospel-light and Gospel-love O you will have that sting of conscience that no other sinners in the world have that have not refused a Redeemer Beloved I would I could say with due meltings of heart it grieves me for you to think how many hundreds in this Congregation are yet without Christ being Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes 2.12 O Sirs do you know what you do when you cocker your lusts in despight of Christ Can you hear Sermons and go on in sin You do well to hear but you make a desperate adventure to do what you know discovenants you from God and hazards your eternal separation from God Beloved I
save Justice was to have its penni-worths out of our Surety and nothing could be abated of blood God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that he might be just Rom. 3.25 26. 5. That he that hath the power of death might be destroyed Hebr. 2.14 through death he destroyed him that hath the power of death that is the Divel Satan hath the power of death not as a Judge but as an Executioner and Christs death hath destroyed him not taken away his being or undivel'd him but shatter'd his Forces broken and subdued him The crucifying of Christ was the Divels plot he put Judas upon betraying him the Jews upon accusing him Pilate upon condemning him the Souldiers upon executing him but our Lord out-shot him in his own Bowe and cut off Goliah's head with Goliah's Sword It fared with Satan as it is storied of a certain Souldier who being cu iously inquisitive after the time of his death went to an Astrologer who of a long time would make him no answer till at the length overcome by his importunity he told him that he should dye within three dayes whereat the Souldier being angry draws his Sword and kills the Astrologer for which murder within three dayes compasse he was executed And thus Satan plotting the death of Christ to put by his own ruine promoted and procured it Our Saviours death gave him such a deaths wound as he will never claw off The Lyon is terrible saith Chrysostom not only awake but sleeping And so Christ not only living but dying came off a Conqueror Judg. 16.30 as Sampson at his death pulled down the pillars of the house and made a greater rout among the Philistines than in all his life and therefore it is very observable when the death of Christ approached and being in view Satan perceived how great disadvantage was like thereby to accrue to him and his Kingdome how he laid about and bestirred himself by all means possible to hinder it he put Petâ—r upon disswading him Master favour thy self and let not this be unto thee and Christ presently smelt him out in that advice as appears by his rebuke Get thee behinde me Satan Matth. 16.23 Matth. 27 19. he buzz'd dreams into the head of Pila es wife and thereby endeavoured to take him off and divert him from pronouncing the sentence upon him 6. To take away the meritorious cause of death viz. sinne And verily had all the Divels in hell been routed and sin that Divel in the bosome remain'd undisturbed it had been an inconsiderable victory God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh for sin Rom. 8.3 thaâ— is by a sacrifice for sin we have such another Ellipsis Hebr. 10.6 condemned sin in the flesh Christ by his blood wrote aâ— ill of Inditement and Condemnation against sin he sued it to an out-lary and undermiâ—ed it as to its dominion and damnation Rom. 6.10 in that he dyed he dyed unto sin once The Saints dye unto sin namely by Mortification Verse 11. Reckon ye your selves also to be dead indeed unto sin but thus there was never any alive in Christ but he dyed unto sin namely the utter ruine and undoing of sin The Messiah shall be cut off to finish transgression and make an â—nd of sins Dan. 9.24 There is a double finishing of sin by consummation and by consumption the meaning is not as though Christ compleated that which sinners had left imperfect or varnisht over those sins which came out of their hands rude and unpolished no he could neither put an hand nor set a tool to such work as this but to make an end of sin to eat into the heart and tear out the bowels of it such is Christs hatred of sin that rather than it shall live himself will dye APPLICATION Three Uses may be made of this Doctrine for 1. Information 2. Exhortation 3. Comfort Use 1 1. For Information in foure particulars 1. This lets us see the transcendent and inexpressible love of Christ to poor sinners Let such as can entertain hard thoughts of Christ look upon him as nailed to the Crosse and shedding his blood and then tell me if they do not think him in good earnest in the businesse of saving souls Oh how was his heart set upon sinners that would thus shed his heart-blood for sinners The Rabbins have a saying that upon every apex or tittle of the Law there hangs a Mountain of sense and doctrine In every drop of Christs blood there is an Ocean of love Who loved me Gal. 2.20 and gave himseâ—f for m The death of Christ was such a demonstration of love as the world never saw When God made the wordl he intended the evidence of his power he ordained hell digg'd Tophet and fill'd it with fire and brimstone and thereby manifested the severity of his jâ—stice he humbled himself to death and therein his purpose was to demonstrate the transcendency of his love this made the love of Christ of such efficacy and constraining influence upon the Apostle Paul Be ause we thus judge that if one dyed for all than were all dead 2. Cor. 5.14 When Christ once wept at Lazarus his grave by-standers made this inference upon it Behold how he loved him John 11.36 but if weeping at the grave for his death argued such love what love was it then to dye and go down into the grave for Lazarus It were an easie thing to lose our selves in this delightful Maze and Labyrinth of love the righteous Judge of all the world unrighteously accused and condemned the Lord of life was dying the eternal and ver blessed Son of God strugling with his Fathers wrath he that had said I and my Father are one crying out in his bitter agony My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He that hath the keys of hell and death lay sealed up in anothers grave Blessed and dear Saviour whither hath thy love to sinners carried thee Well might the Apostle in an holy rapture and extasie expresse himself in an elegant contradiction when he desired the Ephesians might know the love of Christ which passes knowledge Ephes 3.19 2. Hence learn the horrible and cursed evil of sin there is sure an abominable filthinesse in that which nothing but the blood of God could purge and expiate We may guesse at the depth and breadth of the sore by the plaister that is prepared and applied It s a desperate disease that requires such a desperate cure sin is an infinitely mischievous evil which nothing could remove but infinitely precious blood You that view sin in its right features and proportions take a prospect from Mount Calvary look through the perspective of Christs blood and seriously ponder the bitter and dreadful agonies of the Son of God when he sweat and bled and groaned and dyed under
procured purchased the price paid received God cannot now recall it Use 5. Study the death of Christ and eye it as the great pillar of your faith in troubles of conscience and settle your selves upon it OF EFFECTUAL CALLING ROM 8.28 To them who are called according to his purpose THe sacred Scriptures are a Paradise or Garden of delights This Epistle to the Romans is a most curious and artificial knot in that Garden this Chapter is the richest division in that knot furnished with sweetest flowres of Consolation antidoting the remnants of corruption that there are in our hearts and the various afflictions that we meet with in the World This Verse that I have read unto you is the fairest flowre in that Division for what can sooner revive a drooping soul than to be assured that all things shall work together for good We saith the great Apostle do not think imagine conjecture but know partly by Divine Revelation partly by our own experience that all things not only all Gifts Graces Ordinances but all Creatures all Providences all Changes Events Occurrences even those things that appear most formidable Homo oppugnans Ferus Diabolus insidians the persecutions of men the temptations of the Divel shall work not singly and apart it may be but together for good For good Yes but it is unto those that be good Hands off wicked and profane wretches you have no part nor lot in these heavenly consolations Away base Swine to your sties to your muck and mire these pearls are not for you Out ye Dogs to the garbidge that lieth upon the Dunghill the childrens bread is not for you We know that all things shall work together for good unto those that love God why so because they are called according to his purpose so Paraeus expoundeth the place and with him I perfectly agree Isa 14.27 That which God hath purposed shall not be frustrated The Lord of Hosts hath purposed and whe shall disannul it his hand is stretched out and who shall turn it back What man will suffer his purposes those purposes that he taketh up with best advice and most mature deliberation to be disappointed if he have power to accomplish them the holy purposes of God as they are ordered and directed by infinite Wisdome so they have infinite power to bring them to passe so that if I can say God hath a purpose to save me I may securely smile at all the attempts of men and devils against me and if I can say God hath Effectually Called me I may be sure God hath chosen me and hath a Purpose to save me for all the links in the golden Chain of salvation are even wrought not one of them wider or narrower than another if God have Chosen he will Call if God Call he hath Chosen Once more if I can say I love God I may be sure I am Called for I cannot love God except I have some acquaintance with him some sense and experience of his love towards me So then all our consolations are ultimately resolved into the Purpose of God this is the basis and foundation of them all that Purpose appeareth by our Effectual Calling and that Calling appeareth to be Effectual by our love to God Hence the conclusion is certain That all things shall work together for good to them that love God to them that are Called according to his Purpose But I forget my self you have heard in former Discourses under what a sad soul-killing disease poor man laboureth in his natural condition you heard likewise of a Soveraign remedy provided in the blood of Christ I am now engaged to speak to the application of that remedy in our Effectual Calling This Effectual Calling according to Saint Augustine is ingressus ad salutem our entrance into a state of salvation the first step whereby God his predestination descendeth to us and we again ascend to the glory predestinated The Doctrine I present from my Text may be this There are some persons in the World that are Effectually Called or which is all one which are Called according to the Purpose of God There is a Call of the Gospel that is not Effectual of this our Saviour speaketh when he saith Many are Called but few are Chosen How many of the poor Ministers of the Gospel may complain of multitudes in this generation saying with the children that sate in the Market place Luke 7.32 We have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not lamented Neither the delightful airs of mercy nor the doleful dities of judgement have moved you but the Election will certainly obtain and the Call that is according to Gods Purpose reacheth not ears only but hearts also The houre is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God John 5.25 This work of grace is presented to our view in a various dresse of words in the Scriptures it is sometimes a teaching sometimes a drawing sometimes a conversion sometimes a regeneration and all these in divers respects which I cannot stand to unfold Gratia prima Praeveniens Operans In the Schools it is the first grace preventing grace operating grace among Divines of the Reformed way it is an Internal and Effectual Call Vocatio Alta Efficax after the minde of St. Augustine When it is offered to our consideration under this notion it presupposeth two things 1. That natural men stand at a distance from God we do not use to call those that stand hard by us this was once the condition of the Ephesians Ye sometimes were far of sometimes Ephes 2.13 when surely in the time of their unregeneracy far off from whom from Christ from the Church from God and consequently from themselves but how could they be far off from God Zanchius not in spaces of place for God filleth all places with his presence as to his Essence and providential works he is not far from every one of us Acts 17.27 for in him we live and move but as to their hearts and affections all natural men are far from God God is not in all their thoughts they do not know him fear love and delight in him they do not breath after communion with him even when they draw nigh unto him with their lips their hearts are far from him If it sometimes happen that we call those that are at hand then usually they are such as are asleep sin is a deep sleep of the soul and as sleep bindeth all the senses of the outward man so sin all the powers of the inward a man under the dominion of sin can do nothing for God neither can he enjoy any thing from God it may be he dreams of great satisfactions he receiveth from the worlds dainties but when he awaketh his soul is empty Or further if they be not asleep they are such as mind something else than he would have them All
busie himself about a lump of sin and misery What but meer mercy what but rich and abundant mercy 1. It is meer mercy When by our own merits we were bgotten to death by his mercy he begat us again unto life Cum nostris meritis generati essemus ad mortem sua misericordia nos regeneravit ad vitam Beda Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he hath saved us Tit. 3.5 Indeed we cannot do any works of righteousness before our Calling that righteousness which natural men are subject to glory in is rather seeming than real and that which shineth so bright in our own eyes and perhaps in the eyes of other men is an abomination in the sight of God Luke 16.15 God and men do not measure our righteousness by the same standerd men account them righteous that conform to Customes Laws and Constitutions of men if at least they be likewise conformable to the Letter of the Law of God But God reckons none righteous besides those that have a singular regard to the Spirit of the Law if I may so call it which layeth an Obligation upon the inward man as well as the outward which binds the heart as well as the hand and commands not only that which is good but that good be done upon a good principle in a good manner to a good end A pitch of obedience that no natural man can possibly arise to so that in the sight of God there is none righteous Rom. 3.10 Ephes 2.3 no not one We are all by nature children of wrath as well as others Children of wrath we are by our own desert if ever we become Children of Grace it must be by his mercy 2. As by meer mercy so by rich and abundant mercy in God it is that we are called There is a greatnesse of love in the quickning of those that are dead in sins together with Christ There is mercy in that we have our lives for a prey Eph. 2.4 5. mercy in all the comforts and accommodations of life mercy in the influences of the Sun mercy in the dropping of the Clouds mercy in the fruitfulness of seasons mercy in the fulness of barnes the yeare is crowned with the goodness of the Lord but this is a mercy above all mercies That we are called from darkness unto marvelous light and from the power of Satan to the service of and fellowship with the only living and true God other benefits are extended to the worst of men nay the very Devils have some tastes of mercy but this of an Effectual Calling is as I said before communicated to none but those that God hath chosen Other blessings and benefits though they be good in themselves yet they cannot make us good they are but as trappings to a Horse which if he be a Jade make him not go the better but the worse but here God works a marvelous change for the better once the man ran away from God and himself but now he instantly returns once he was a hater a fighter against God but now the weapons of his hostility are laid down and he thinks he can never do enough to express his love once he was darkness but now he is light in the Lord once dead but behold he lives Finally Other blessings and benefits can never make us happy but as they finde us miserable so they leave us we may and are too apt to bless our selves in them yet God never intended to bless us in the sole enjoyment of them But oh how happy is that man that God hath effectually called to himself his bosome shall be his refuge in all storms his grace his sufficiency in all temptations his power his shield in all oppositions But let the Text speak All things shall work together for his Spiritual and Eternal good Before I part with this Point I shall acquaint you with an Exposition of my Text utterly inconsistent with the Doctrine I have delivered and the truth it self and very unworthy of the Authours of it This it is That here we are said to be call'd not according to Gods purpose Chrys Theod. Theoph. but according to our own purpose to hear and obey his call And perhaps upon this the Papists have grounded their merit of congruity but this must needs fall if we consider but this one thing among many that those that have been farthest off the Kingdome have been fetcht into it and those that have not been farre from the Kingdome of God have never come nearer it God doth not alwayes take the smoothest but the most knotty pieces of Timber to make pillars in his house He goes not alwayes to places of severest and strictest Discipline to pick out some few there to plant in his House but he goes to the Custome-House and calls one thence to the Brothel-House and calls another thence And if yet you insist upon the purpose of man as an inducement to the call of God pray tell me what was Sauls purpose when God met with him in the way to Damascus Had he any other purpose than to persecute the Disciples of the Lord Enough of that Question 5. By what means are we Called Sometimes without means as in persons not capable of the use of them there is highest Caution amongst the people of God to avoid that sin nay the very appearance of limiting the holy One of Israel Sometimes by contrary means the greatness of a sin being ordered by God to set on the conversion of a sinner as when a man is wounded with the sting and healed with the flesh of a Scorpion Gaffarel or as when we make triacle of a Viper a most poysonous creature to expel poyson Sometimes by very unlikely means as when by some great affliction we are brought home to God which in its own nature one would think should drive us farther from God as there is no question but it doth the Reprobates who are ready to tell all the world what King William Rufus told the Bishop if the partial Monk do not belye him God shall never make me good by the evil I suffer from him Nunquam me Deus bonum habebit pro malo quod mihi inâ—ulerit Edmerus in Hist Ser. 2. de Spirt Sanct. tom 4. or which is yet more unlikely when we are brought home by prosperity God overcoming our evil with his good heaping as it were Coals of fire upon our heads and so melting us into kindly contrition Gerson in a Sermon of his tells us of a most wicked Priest that when he was preferr'd to a Bishoprick became exemplarily holy but such a Convert is rara avis seldom to be found Alwayes this work is carried on by weak means Thus I have heard it credibly reported that a sentence written in a window and accidentally read by an inveterate sinner pierc't his heart and let out the corruption thence the sentence was that of Austin
in Christs Regiment whose names are not registred in Aeternitatis Albo Wooden legs of Christs body such as have no true spiritual vital functions and operations Such as have a fâ—rme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 Sardys-like they have indeed a name that they live but are dead Rev. 3.2 With th se our Proposition meddles not 2. But true believers i. e. such as are united uâ—to Christ by Internal Implantation Living fruit-bearing branches John 15.5 Such as have not only Christs picture drawn on their fore-heads but Christs Spirit quickning their hearts Ephes 3.17 Nathanaels Israelites indeed John 1.47 Jews inwardly Rom. 2.29 Such as are really and effectually by the Spirit and Word of God call'd out of a state of sin enmity misery into an estate of grace union reconciliation so that now Christ is in them and they in Christ John 17.21 23. They reposing themselves in Christs bosome by love and Christ dwelling in their hearts by faith These are the Believers our Observation intends Query 2 2. What kinde of union it is that is betwixt the Lord Jesus and true Believers Sol. 1. Negatively what kinde of union it is not 1. Not a grosse carnal corporeal union not a union of bodies Christ is in heaven Acts 1.11 3.21 we on earth 2. Not an hypostatical personaâ— union such as is that ineffable union of the Divine and Humane natures in the person of our Immanuel the Lord Jesus 'T is indeed a union of persons but not a personal union Believers make not one person with Christ but b 1 Cor. 12.13 one body and that not one body natural but mystical True indeed the Church is call'd Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 but that is meant of the whole Church made up of head and members which is Christ mystical Now 't is not rational to apply that to any one single Believer which is proper only to the whole body Besides should there be a personal union betwixt the Lord Jesus and true Believers then would there be as many Christs as Believers But to us as there is but one Father so but one Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 8.6 Add that then very action of Believers would be of infinite value as is the obedience of Christs Humane nature by reason of its hypostatical union 3. Not an essential substantial union not such an union as makes Believers in any wise partakers of the substance of Christs Godhead Those expressions of Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of old and English't by some of us of late viz. Being Godded with God and Christed with Christ are harsh and dangerous if not blasphemous To aver that Believers are partakers of the substance of Christs Godhead is to ascribe that to Believers which we dare not affirme of Chrissis Manhood it self concerning which we say that it was inseparably joyned together with the Godhead in one person but yet c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Chalcedon without the least conversion composition or confusion True indeed Believers are said to be partakers of the Divine d 2 Pet. 1.4 nature but how not of Gods substance which â—s wholly incommun cable but Believers by the exceeding great and precious promises as by so many Conduit-pipes have excellent graces conveyed unto them whereby they are made like to God in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse wherein the Image of God which was stamp't on man at his Creation consists Ephes 4.24 Col. 3.10 4. Not such an union as mounts up Believers to an equality with Christ in any respect He is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords 1 Tim. 6.15 In all things he hath and must have the preheminence Col. 1.18 The best of Saints have but their Ephah their Homer their stint and e Ephes 4.16 measure of excellencies and Divine Endowments But now Jesus Christ in his Humane nature united to the Divine was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit f John 3.34 Psal 45.7 Hebr. 1.9 above measure we have but our mites drams scruples in him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2.3 Our Lord Jesus is his Fathers Gazophylacium the great Magazine and Store-house of infinite excellencies It pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell Col. 1.19 Yea in him dwells all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 Three gradations the Godhead the fulnesse of the Godhead all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. not only truly and really in opposition to the Ark and Temple in which the Godhead was typically but personally to distinguish the indwelling of the Manhood of Christ from all accidental extrinsecal and integral unions Thus Negatively 2. Positively What kinde of union it is that is betwixt the Lord Jesus and truâ— B lievers g Nostra ipsius conjunctio non miscet personas nec unit substantias sed affectus consociat confaederat voluntates Cypr. Cyprian tells us in the general 't is not such an union as speaks a conjunction of persons or a connection of natures but a consent of wills and confederation of affections but this is too lax and general more particularly therefore it is 1. A spiritual union He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit i. e. one with Christ not in a grosse and carnal but spiritual manner As man and wife united make one flesh Gen. 2.24 so Christ and Believers united by the Spirit and Faith make up one spiritual Christ Believers are made partakers of one and the same Spirit with Christ Christs Spirit is really communicated to them and abides in them 2. A mystical deep profound union This is a great mys ery saith the Apostle but I speak of Christ and the Church Ephes 5.32 We read of three great mystical dazling unions of three distinct persons united in one God 1 John 5.7 of two distinct natures meeting in one person in our Immanuel Luke 1.35 Col. 2.9 of two distinct natures and persons united by one Spirit that 's the union betwixt Christ and true Believers This is a great mystery a deep union Hence it is that it is compared to the mystery of the very Trinity as being like to the union of persons in the Divine nature Christ in the Father Believers in Christ and Christ in Believers Joh. 14.20 So Christ prayes Joh. 17.21 that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Hence may be gathered a likeness though not an equality of union In the union betwixt Christ and Believers is shadow'd out the union betwixt Christ and his Father This is one of the great Arcana Evangelii 't is a mystical union 3. And yet it is a true real union not a fancy only not an imaginary union not like the union of the mouth and meat in a dream Isa 29.8 No but
grace which produceth some particular and partial change but not a total and universal 4. A real change to distinguish it from hypocrisie which makes shew of a great and goodly change but is only outward and seeming not inward and real which three are often taken but as often mistaken for holinesse 5. Wrought it is neither natural nor acquired or taken up by the power of our own free will or force of others perswasion strength of reason convictions resolutions from within or without Hence we are said to be Gods workmanship Eph. 2.10 To be wrought to the same thing 2 Cor. 5.5 6. In the whole man 1 Thes 5.23 The God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole soul and body and spirit be kâ—pt blamelesse c. So that if you ask where is the seat of this holinesse is it in the head or heart or conscience or outward man I answer in no one but all of them it is as leaven that leaveneth the whole lump it is as the soul tota in toto tota in qualibet â—arte The understanding in a new sanctified person is enlightned to discern spiritual things which before he understood not his memory sanctified to retain what is good and shut out what is hurtful conscience awakened to check for sin and exc te to duty will subdued to embrace good resist evil affections orderly placed to love fear desire delight it and to hate and what is sutable to holinesse and the whole outward man for speech actions behaviour yea habit and dresse is composed as becometh holinesse 7. Of a formerly vile sinner grace makes a mighty change when it works effectually none so bad so far gone but it can br ng home Ezek. 16.6 Esay 55.13 it findes one in his blood and leaves him clean it findes a thorn and leaves a mirtlâ— it meets with a Publican and Harlot and leaves a Saâ—nt it meets with a bloody Persecutor and hellish Blasphemeâ— and turns him into a Preacher or Martyr as Paul it findes men as bad as bad can be and leaves them in as good a state as the best 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. 8. By the Spirit of God we may not ascribe it to the vertue of Ordinances or worth of Instruments 1 Cor. 9.11 But ye are washed but ye are justified but ye are sanctifiâ—d by the Spirit of our God Art nâ—ture education can do nothing here it is not by might or power but by the Spirit of God Zach. 4.6 9. Whereby the heart is purged c. here the parts of holinesse which are two mortification and vivification Esay 1.16 17 Cease to do evil learn to do well The first is privative The second positive Grace works right when there is first a leaving of old sin it is not putting a new piece on an old garment or clapping a new Creed to an old life or new duties to wonted courses Deut. 22.9 10 11. this were to sowe with divers seeds or wear a garment of woollen and linnen which God hates but there must be as to the privative part 1. A heart purged from the love of every sin there may be sin left in the heart no sin loved and liked the evil that I do I haâ—e sin and grace may stand together Rom. 7.15 not love of sin and grace 2. A life from the practice and dominion of sin sin remains still but raigns no more he was a servant of sin Rom. 6.17 18. and had members enough to be instruments of sin a mouth to speak it a tongue to speak for it a wit to invent for it reason to argue for it hands and feet to work and walk fot it purse to spend upon it there is none of these now Secondly and the other part is yet much better he is in heart and life carried out after every good it is not a bare breaking off of sin that makes a Christian it is one half of a Christian but there must be a turning from sinne and bringing forth fruites meet for Repentance You have both these parts 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and perfect holinesse c. To come to the Reasons of the point which are foure Reas 1. This is Gods great designe therefore should be ours It is the greatest design God hath upon his people in all he doth to and for them All the immediate acts of God and all his mediate tend to this 1. All Gods immediate acts Pitch where you will carry it to the first of Gods acts towards man in Election God hath chosen us before the foundation of the world Ephes 1.4 2 Thes 2.13 that we should be holy So that I may not say If I am Elected I shall be saved though I live in sinne but if Elected I must be Sanctified and dye to sinne 2. Take all the acts of the three persons apart 1 Pet. 1.14 15. 1 Thes 4.7 First The Father if he adopt if he regenerate if he call it is that we should be holy Secondly It is the end designed by all that Christ did his Incarnation Hebr. 2.11 Hebr. 13 12 Eph. 4.26 27. Life Death Doctrine Example Humiliation Exaltation Prayers Promises Threats Miracles Mercies yea of his Intercession in heaven that we might be sanctified Thirdly It is the end of all that the Holy Ghost doth All the works of the Holy Ghost may be referred to three heads 1. His gifts 2. Graces 3. Comforts and all these tend to holinesse 1. All the gifts of the Holy Ghost if a gift of prayer of conviction terror c. it is to sanctifie thee if of knowledge utterance c. it is to make others holy 2. A l his graces What is Knowledge Faith Repentance Love Hope Zeal Patience given for but to make thee holy yea they are the several parts of thy holinesse it self which is made up of nothing but the graces of the holy Spirit 3. All the comforts of the Spirit are given to strengthen our hands in holinesse What is the peace of God love of God pardon of sin assurance of salvation joy in the Holy Ghost Spirit of Adoption given for but to make us more watchful humble lively in holinesse The Privy Seals of Justification must be attested in Letters Patents under the broad Seal of Sanctification or it may be well suspected Jeremy had two Evidences of his purchase Jerem. 32.10 one sealed the other open so must we 2. The mediate acts of God whatsoever they be in Providences or Ordinances First All ways of Gods Providence to his people tend to their sanctifying 1. If God afflict he saith to sicknesse Go and pull me down that proud sinner that he may be sanctified Go saith the Lord to the winds and storms of the Sea blow and beat the Ship to awaken me that sleepy Jonah Jonah 1.17 2.10 swallow him up saith he to the Whale the Lord spake to
sin is forgotten and forgiven but the righteousnesse of the greatest Saints repenting and leaving his righteousness is forgotten but never forgiven Ezekiel 18.24 Use 5 Use 5. The last Use is an Exhortation and the whole Text is an Exhortation to follow holiness to pursue press after it and proceed in it with growth and perseverance He that is holy let him be holy still For motives and Arguments Rev. 22. let that of the Text never be forgotten without holinesse no man shâ—ll see the Lord. When God comes to judge the world it will not be asked of what Church or Congregation thou wast how great a Professor but how holy thou hast been The way of holiness is the Kings high way to Heaven Read that notable place Isa 35.8 And a way there shall be a high way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the unclean shall not passe ever it the way-faring men though fools shall not erre therein There is much ado now about the way many say Which is the way some say this some that would you not mistake enquire for the old way the way of holiness and follow it and thou shalt not perish Some would go a new way some a shorter some an easier way The simplest Saint in the worlds sense a fool shall not erre therein The least dram of holiness is above a Talent of parts a drop of grace above a Sea of knowledge In knowledge we are said to be as Angels of God in holiness like God himself 2 Sam. 14.20 1 Pet. 1.15 so much as God is above an Angel so much is holiness above knowledge Look if thou canst make out the first change then thou needest not fear any other change if thou art partaker of the first Resurrection thou art secure against the Second Death thou hast crossed the Line another Stile and thou art at home I shall only name two properties of holinesse three Companions and four Opposites to holinesse and so conclude 1. It must be Conversation-holinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 2 Pet. 3.11 The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine Conversatio come of a Verb that signifies to Turn q. d. which way soever you shall turn your self you shall find them holy at every turn holy in the Church and follow them home observe them alone or in company merry angry in Shops Closets Counsels Commerse they are holy still he is not Publicanus but Privatanus as one saith and true Holinesse is like that Famous Queen Elizabeth Semper eadem 2. Which is yet more it must be God-like-holinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 Be ye holy as G d is holy God is infinitely and essentially holy so we cannot be but God is imitable in his holiness As he is 1. Universalâ—y holy holy in all his wayes works commands precepts threats promises his love anger hatred all his Attributes all his Actions holy 2. He is Communicatively holy communicating holinesse to all his Angels and men 3. App obativ ly holy this he likes commends promotes in all discountenancing all unholinesse in persons actions things 4. Remuneratively holy rewarding and exalting holinesse punishing want of it so be you Universally holy in all your actions speeches writings Letters Counsels Designes in all Companies let your anger love zeal pity c. be all for holinesse seek to communicate and spread holinesse in your familâ—es charge Societies let this be that which attracts the hearts draws your eyes to any person c. And to your power suppresse curb all unholinesse and promote exalt commend holinesse 2. There are three Companions of holinesse 1. In the Text Peace and holinesse he is most for holinesse who is most for peace in a right way seek the peace of the Land Isa 8.12 13. make no Conspiracies say no confederacy bâ—t sanctifie God in your hearts seek the peace of the Church by preserving the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace take heed of Schismes Rents Divisions Separations Pray that the Church may have rest Act. 9.31 that walking in the feare of the Lord and comforts of the holy Ghost Believers may be multiplied and edified 2. Holinesse and righteousnesse are oft matched together Luk. 1 75. 1 Thes 3.10 Prov. 11.1 Righteousnesse in Pactions Words Promises Oaths Bonds Righteousnesse in dealings Weights Measures a just Ballance Ephah Righteousnesse may possibly be without holinesse but holinesse without righteousnesse never 3. Holinesse and unblameablenesse 1 Thes 3.10 Ye are Witnesses and God also how holily justly and unblameably we have had our Conversation in the world 1 Thes 3.13 The Christian must be tryed by God and the world Unblameableness in speech behaviour dealings yea in habit gestures that wâ— may be without all offence towards God and towards man The Kings Daughters Garment must be of divers colours holily justly unblameably 3. The foure Opposites and enemies to holiness which we must avoid are 1. Filthinesse of the flesh sensual and bruitish lusts 2 Cor. 7.1 Fornication uncleanness drunkenness which defile the body do utterly destroy holiness and cannot consist with it therefore oft opposed 1 Thess 4.3 This is the Will of Gâ—d even your sanctification that ye abstain from fornication c. God hath not called us to ancleannesse but holinesse ver 7. 2. Filthinesse of spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 which is as destructive to holiness as bruitish lusts Idolatry false Religions wantonness in Opinion errour corrupt Doctrine are as dangerous as Fornication By these we go a whoring from God and Truth The minde is to be kept chast and pure as well as the body errour is not so harmless a thing as many dream 3. Over-reaching men by craft fraud power policy and making use of such meanes Arguments devices stratagems as corrupt reason and carnal Counsel not Gods providence or approbation doth furnish us withal and put us upon 1 Thess 4.6 7. That no man go beyond or over-reach his Brother in any matter for God hath not call'd us to uncleannesse but holinesse and God is an avenger of all such The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man over-top over-reach go beyond his Brother not in holâ—ness would we did seek herein to go beyond each other but in craft and policy to undermine or over-reach them as Simeon and Levi over-reached the over credulous Shechemites pretending conscience and harbouring bloody intentions in their hearts God is an Avenger of such There is a direful threat added of Divine Vengeance this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but once more used in the New Testament Rom. 13.4 then applyed to the Magistrate he is a revenger of wrath to him that doth evil he must see execution done So in this case God is the revenger himself and he will be this mans Executioner 4. The fourth opposite to holiness is an ill kind of holiness a supercilious censorious disdainful and distance-keeping holiness which like the Pharisee Luke 18. exalts it self and Canonizeth himself and his own party
a place for them to which * Luk. 13.28.29 they shall come from the East and from the West from the North and fâ—om the South and sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdâ—me of God and this to raise the appetites of their faith and hopes when a Supper of so many thousand years preparation is the entertainment they are invited to And so I come to the second Part of the Text and that is the admission into this prepared Possession Come ye blessed of my Father c. When a Kingdome is proposed every man is ready to be catching at a Crown but therefore our Saviour tells us it must be had by inheritance that is the title by which we must be admitted * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inherit as the Jews had Canaan divided and apportioned to the several Tribes by * Numb 26.55 lot so some too curiously and boldly adventure to assign to every Saint a Mansion bigger than the whole earth which is true indeed in this sense in regard immensity and God himself is the * Psal 16.5 lot of their inheritance but it is an inheritance in regard 1. There is a claim made to it only by the new-born and first-born of God and so by right of birth except * John 3.3 a man be bâ—rn again cannot see the Kingdome of God the spirit of a slave cannot manage the Scepter of a Prince nay they that look to sit on Thrones of glory with Christ * Mat. 19.28 must follow him in the regeneration of the body * 1 Cor. 15.36 that must dye ere it be quickned * 1 Cor. 15.50 for flesh and blood in corruption moral or * Exod. 33.20 natural cannot inherit the Kingdome of God which made the * Moriar ne moriar ut te videam Aug. confessii Father cry out Oh then Lord let me dye lest I dye that so I may see thee Now if an unregenerate body cannot enter much lesse an unregenerate soul An infamous person * Turpis persona Myns in instit in the Civil Law may be excepted against as not fit to be an heir and shall the Laws of men be purer than the Laws of God If the pure in heart * Mat. 5.8 only can see God here in reflections and * 1 Cor. 13.12 through a glasse darkly then surely they must be without * 2 Pet. 3.14 spot or wrinkle who must see him face to face Heaven is entailed upon holy souls 't is their birth-right for no other but * Rev. 22.14 they that keep the Commandments of God have right to eat of the Tree of life or enter in through the Gates into that Jerusalem and vision of peace 2. They inherit by right of Adoption for Christ is heir and we heirs of his righteousnesse and so co-heirs of his glory and * Rom. 8.17 hâ—irs of God if sons then heirs now we are the sons of God by Adoption Regeneration makes us not perfectly holy and so not perfectly sons and so not heirs and therefore we * Gal. 4.5 1 Joh. 3.1 2. receive the Adoption of sons and being called to be we are sons and if sons then heirs for if a son be passed by in his Fathers Will and not named and a reason of the passing of him by the Testament is invalid in Civil Law when anoâ—her is made heâ—r and God his nature and love transcends all the compassions of men and is a greater obligation than any Laws among them so that if thou canst make it out that thou hast the spirit of Adoption thou art as sure to inherit this Kingdome as thou mayst be sure thou art not by name excepted from the inheritance in the Gospel of Christ which is his Will and Testament 3. 'T is inherited by right of Donation and Gift * Luke 12.32 Fear not lâ—ttle flâ—ck it is your Fathers will to give you a Kingdome and though the wages of sin be death and men are but justly rewarded therein for their demerit yet * Rom. 6.23 eternal life is the gift of God and it is not such a gift as is a salary or stipend for our work * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pay for our service for * Luke 17.10 when we have done all that we can we are but unprofitable servants and deserve nothing unlesse it be to be * Luke 12.47 beaten with many stripes It is not an honorary gift as he that had lost an Arme in Battel his Commander General gave him an Arme of gold as an honourable reward of his service but alas * Matth. 5.47 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What singular thing can we do to emerit any thing at Gods hands when the more we do we are the further from merit in regard we are the more indebted to our Master who gave us the opportunity and grace to performe it Nor is it an Eleemosynary gift of charity such as we extend to poor fellow creatures for that is but a piece of justice and self-love if we have that in abundance which others want to relieve them Every act of charity is but a piece of equity a paying of our debts for we are to * Rom. 13.8 owe every man love but God ows us nothing nor is he bound to pity our poverty which we have by our own default contracted on our selves but this gift of God is a meer * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratuitous act of bounty and grace but when it is promised and given then it is but an act of justice to grant possession and so the title is inheritance but by way of free Donation 4. By right of Redemption they may be said to inherit for under the Law the next of Kin was to redeem a sold or morgaged possession accordingly Christ took our nature upon him Ruth 4.5 that he might be of our consanguinâ—ty he became * Gal. 3 13. a curse for us * 2 Cor. 5.22 was made sin that he might ransome penitent believers from the curse and * Hebr. 7.25 having satisfied to the utmost and * 1 Cor. 6.20 bought us with a responsible price he hath right to give his sheep * John 10.28 eternal life and therefore it is calâ—ed * Ephes 1.14 the purchased possession In Law he that buys a slave may dispose of him as he please by his will accordingly Christ hath made hâ—s will to dispose of all those he hath bought * John 17.24 Father I will that where I am these may be also And so they are heirs by Will and Testament of him that took upon him the right of Redemption Now I come to the second thing in the second general and that is the heirs of this inheritance described in these words Ye blessed * Patris est benedicere of my Father 't is the Fathers work to blesse his Son and when Isaac blessed
to disobey him this renders them inexcusable at the last Secondly To those who are Atheists voto in desire Psal 14. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God the heart is the Fountain of desires he wishes there were no God this Atishem springs from the former men live as if there were no God and then wish there were none guilt always begets fear and fear hatred and that strikes at the being of the object that is hated as Malefactors desire there were no Law nor Judge that they might escape deserved punishment Well their desires are as visible to God as their actions are to men and in the day of Revelation there will be a proportion of Wrath answerable to the Wickednesse of their hearts Thirdly To those who are Atheists judicio in opinion these low running dregs of time afford us many of these Monsters for many to reconcile their principles with their practices that they may undisturbedly enjoy their lusts take this as an Opiate potion that there is no God but this is the most irrational and impious blasphemy 1. Irrational for the Name of God is written in so fair a Character upon this universal frame that even whil'st men run they may read it and therefore God never wrought a miracle to convince Atheisme because his ordinary works convince it Moreover the notion of a Deity is so deeply imprest on the Tables of all mens hearts that to deny God is to kill the soul in the eye to quench the very principles of common nature to leave never a vital spark or seed of humanity behinde 't is as if an ungracious soul should deny he ever had a Father He that does ungod God does unman himself 2. 'T is the most impious 't is formally Deicidium a killing of God as much as in them lies but there are no Atheists in hell the Divels believe and tremble he that willingly quenches that light which is planted in his breast he is passing from that voluntary darknesse to a worse like an offender on the Scaffold he doth but blinde his eyes to have his head cut off he goes from inward darknesse to utter darknesse Use 2 Vse 2. Let us stablish our hearts in the belief of Gods Being in the latter times the World is wholly disposed to Atheisme as the Scripture attributes the ruine of the Old World to their Atheisme and Profanesse so it foretells the universal disease of the last Age will be Atheisme and Infidelity Luke 18.8 Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh shall he finde faith on the earth it were impossible there should be such a palpable contradiction between the lives of men and this fundamental of Religion did they with assurance and certainty believe it Psal 14.1 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good Atheisme is the root of Profanesse moreover the spiritual mysteries of Religion which exceed the flight of reason are opposed by many upon the account of their Atheisme they question the truth of Gods Being and therefore disbelieve supernatural Revelations let us then treasure up this truth First As the foundation of faith for all the truths of Religion spring from this as their common principle the watering of the root will cause the branches to flourish so the confirming of this will render our assent to the doctrine of the Gospel more clear and strong Secondly As the fountain of obedience the true and sound belief of every holy truth always includes a correspondency in the believer to the thing believed and this must descend from the understanding to the affections and the conversation Now the fundamental duties which we are to pay to God are love fear dependance and submission to the will of his Law and of his Providence 1. Love He is the supreme object of love for his excellencies and benefits Psal 5.11 Let them also that love thy Name rejoyce in thee the Name of God imports those glorious Attributes whereby he hath exprest himself to us all the excellencies of the creature meet eminently in him and all their imperfections are removed in him there is nothing unlovely in worldly things how refined soever they be there is an allay of dregs the all that is in them is mixed with corruption but in God the all that he is is perfection in the most glorious creature as a creature there is aliquid nihili some imperfection it is not exactly fitted for the soul but God is the Adequate and compleat object of our love There is such an infinite eminency in God that we are obliged to a proportionable affection the first and great Commandment is Matth. 22.36 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy strength all the kinds and degrees of our love are due to him we must put no bounds nor limits to it in him it must begin in him it must end a remisser love is a degree of hatred we disparage his excellencies by the coldnesse of our affections O had we but eyes to see his beauty how would all the excellencies of the creatures become a very Glow-worme that only glitters in the night Moreover God planted this affection in the nature of man that it might be terminated upon himself as its centre and treasure as our natural faculties are fitted for their several objects the eye for colours the ear for sounds the palate for tasts so love is fitted for God that being as the Soveraign which sways all our powers Love is called pondus animae that sets all the wheels in the clock of the soul a going this sets the understanding a work in the serious contemplation of the Divine excellencies it diverts the thoughts from other things and fixes them on God it excites strong desires and earnest aspirings after him it stirs up zeal which is flamma amoris love in a flame to remove all obstacles which hinder the most intimate union with him it produces joy when the soul reposes its self in God and with infinite sweetness possesses him it causes the greatest diligence alacrity and resolution in all our ways to please him for love is ever the spring and rule of all our actions such as it is such likewise will they be thus we may see that God as there is in him a union of all excellencies challenges the most intense and vehement degree of our love he being only fitted for it and that our love being a superlative affection is only proper to God and therefore to love any creature without God or in an equal manner to him is to Deify the creature to place it in the room of God and so it renders us guilty of Idolatry in a spiritual sense But such is the ignorance of mens minds and the depravednesse of their wills that few there be who love God 't is true there may be something like love in natural men to