Consideration Thou art Christ the Son of the Living God The same good Confession was made once before by Peter John 6.69 And now repeated to evidence his firm Establishment in this grand Article of Faith In which our Lord is describ'd two Ways both by his Office and his Essence 1. Christ is a Name of Office of the same Signification with the Messiah as the Holy Ghost himself Interprets it John 1.41 The anointed of the Lord he to whom the Prophets witness't he that should come into the World as John 11.27 He whose Work and Business was to be a Saviour not a Temporal but an Eternal one a Saviour from Sin and Wrath from the drudgery of the Devil and the Prison of Hell 2. The Son of God is a Name which respects his Essence and Being a Son not by Adoption and Grace as the Baptist and Elias and Jeremy and the other Prophets were but a Son by Nature a Son whose Generation is ineffable for he is infinitely Equal with the Father for he is true God as well as Son of God the Father hath that Title of the Living God in Opposition to false Gods Jer. 10.10 Acts 14.15 And the very same Title is likewise given to the Son Heb. 3.12 Jesus is true Jehovah and according to the true Import of that Word he hath Life in himself as the Father hath John 5.26 Well Christ's Commendation of this Confession is set down in the Text Jesus answered and said unto him c. Where we may take Notice of three Things 1. The Name which Christ calls this Apostle by Simon Bar-jonai or Simon Son of Jona as the Word signifies Peter was the Name that Christ gave to him ver 18. As God gave the Name of Israel to Jacob Gen. 32.28 But here Christ puts him in Mind of the meanness of his Extraction and of what he was originally as he does again after his fall no less than three Times over John 21.15 16 17 What change soever is made upon us by the Favour and Mercy of God 't is good to reflect sometimes upon our Primitive Vileness and Wretchedness to look to the Rock whence we are hewen and the hole of the Pit whence we are digged 2. The Happy State which Christ pronounc't him to be in Blessed art thou Christ had Authority to pronounce Persons blessed for he had Power to make them so Acts 3.26 God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you He can really and effectually do it what Palak said falsly of Balaam is true of Christ The Man whom he blesses is blessed Numb 22.6 If he blesses we shall be blessed for ever as David said to God 1 Chron. 17.27 Such is the Blessedness which Christ speaks of here both Perfect and Perpetual without Defect and without Decay 3. The Reason assign'd to back this comfortable Sentence which refers to the Way and Means of the discovery of that Truth which Peter had now confest and this is laid down both Negatively and Affirmatively 1. Negatively For Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto Thee Flesh and Blood are variously taken in Scripture 1. Sometimes for the humane Nature consisting of Soul and Body so Heb. 2.14 2. Sometimes for the natural Body accompanied with its present Infirmities in Opposition to a spiritual glorified Body So 1 Cor. 15.50 3. Sometimes for humane Instruction so Gal. 1.16 Paul says that he conferred not with Flesh and Blood which is the same Thing with not receiving the Gospel which he Preacht of Man ver 12. 4. Sometimes for humane Opposition so Eph. 6.12 We wrestle not with Flesh and Blood c. i. e. we have not only to do with persecuting Men but raging Devils 5. Sometimes for natural Reason our own Judgments and Understanding And this I take to be the principal Sense of the Phrase here q. d. Thou dost not owe this Revelation to thy self or to any discerning Faculty in thee above other Men. 2. Affirmatively But my Father which is in Heaven Four Things seem to be intimated by this 1. That there is a mysterious Order in all Divine Operations according to which God the Father is to be lookt upon as the Fountain The Father Works and the Son and Spirit Works conjunctly there is no Inequality or Subordination among the Persons and yet we are led by the Gospel to Eye the first Person as the spring of all When our Lord speaks of sending the Comforter 't is from the Father John 15.26 And when the Spirit of the Son is sent forth into our Hearts God is said to do it which is plainly meant of God the Father Gal. 4.6 2. That in all the Works of Grace towards lost Creatures God acts as the Father of Christ Eph. 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual Blessings in him Out of Christ we can expect only the Curse of God as a revenging Judge but we can expect nothing from him as a Father in a way of Love and Mercy 3. Acquaintance with the only begotten Son of God must flow from him that begat him No Man knoweth the Son but the Father as no Man knoweth the Father but the Son Mat. 11.27 Therefore they mutually manifest and declare each other which none else is capable of doing Who should lay open the Secrets of one Man to another but himself And who should reveal the glorious Persons in the Godhead but themselves See 1 Cor. 2.11 4. If therefore we look for Light we must look upwards As the Sun over our Heads is the visible Cause of natural Illumination so spiritual Illumination is from an Infinite Being above the Sun 'T is one of the gracious Issues which belong to our Father in Heaven The dark Places of the Earth unanimously say it is not in us Every good and perfect Gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights James 1.17 The Words thus open'd come to this Point Obs There is a certain Blessedness annext to the Knowledge of those Truths which humane Reason does not discover but God himself Here 1. Shew That there are some Truths necessary to be believ'd which humane Reason neither does nor can discover 2. How such Truths are discovered by God 3. What kind of Knowledge is the Effect of this discovery 4. Wherein lyes the Blessedness annext to that Knowledge 5. Why it is so 6. Use 1. To shew That there are some Truths necessary to be believ'd which humane Reason cannot discover The peculiar Doctrines of the Gospel are as deep as the Commands of the Law are broad But I will confine my self to the instance mention'd in the Context the Godhead of Jesus Christ Every one is bound to believe this and every Man that calls himself a Christian professes the Belief of it without such a Profession his Christianity is void and without such a Belief his Profession is vain To take upon us the Christian Name and
Superiour and honour'd accordingly and the more Kind and Indulgent he is the more Honour is due Any behaviour that betrays a slight esteem or a presumptuous Contempt of God is offensive to him and they that carry themselves so have Reason to try and condemn the Spirit which they are acted by He is our Father in Heaven and we his Children on Earth Eccles 5.2 He sits upon a Throne and we must remember that we Worship at his Footstool 7. The Spirit stirs up filial Affection to God in Prayer This makes it a delightful Exercise as indeed it should be Do Children count it a burdensome Task to go to a Father or are they not rather glad of the Opportunity of Converse with those that are so dear to them A Slave indeed hath an Aversion to the Presence of his Lord as the Bond-woman When Sarah dealt hardly with her fled from her Face Gen. 16.6 But when a Child hath to do with a tender Parent 't is quite contrary 't is sweet Employment to pour out the Soul into a Father's Bosom We set about it with Pleasure and a Pleasure which exceeds the Fruition of any Creatures whatsoever The Spirit of Adoption is a Spirit of Love and this Love breaths out it self in Holy Desires to him The Soul loves to commune with him for his own sake even though we could suppose that there were no pressing occasion for it it loves to visit him not only in Trouble when Necessity drives but at all other Times being drawn by internal Motives 8. The Spirit helps us to Pray with unwearied Fervency It behoves us so to do when we are dealing with a Father who will certainly be won and prevail'd upon how deaf or regardless soever he may seem to be for a Time Dull and stupid formality does not suit with the Relation wherein we stand where we look for cold Entertainment 't is apt to cool our Requests but Esau's Opinion of his Fathers Favour made him the more earnest for his Blessing Gen. 27.34 38. The Children of God are baptized with Fire their Hearts burn within them and it would be strange if their Words should freeze Theirs is not an Artificial Zeal which is quickly spent but a Zeal which holds out till the desire comes and by this means they are always Conquerors and as 't is said of I uther Iste vir potuit apud Deum quicquid voluit they can do what they will with God they will take no denial but wrestle and strive till they have obtain'd All this is done by the Assistance of the Spirit of our Father V. Vse I Information 1. The Love of God is to be seen and admir'd in our Adoption as much as in any Thing besides The Love of the Father in predestinating us to it the Love of the Son in procuring it for us and the Love of the Spirit in testifying it to us 'T is God's loving us as Children which is the Foundation and Root of all our Love to him as a Father for his Love descends before ours ascends 'T is marvellous that God should answer to any such Name when we call him by it and that he should give us any such Name himself the Apostle breaks forth into a kind of Ecstasie and Ravishment of Spirit when he consider'd it 1 John 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God That in the Place where it was said to us Gentiles Ye are not my People it should be now said You are the Sons of the Living God Hos 1.10 Rom. 9.26 Are such vile Prodigals as we Worthy to be call'd his Sons Luke 15.21 That cannot be suppos'd nor is it for want of other Objects that he bestows this Favour upon us He hath an Eternal Son in whom his Soul delighteth whom he possest with Infinite Joy before all his Works of Old or this Favour might have been directed to fallen Angels but God hath preferr'd us Inferiour Creatures to that which they are excluded from 2. The Dignity of Believers excels all the Titles of Honour in the World 't is of a more glorious Nature and confirm'd by a greater Testimony By Faith Moses refused to be call'd the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter though Pharaoh was a mighty Prince Heb. 11.24 It pleased David to be Son-in-law to the King before he was so but he found little Comfort in it afterwards 1 Sam. 18.26 These Relations to the greatest of Men are poor trifling mean and empty Things in Comparison of Believer's Relation to God Magistrates are called Children of the most High because they bear some little faint Representation of God's Authority Psalm 82.6 But the least of Christ's little ones are God's Children in a sublimer Sense 'T is Ten Thousand Times more honourable to be a Child of God then Lord of the whole Earth 3. Walking after the Commandments of Men is a very ungrateful requital of God Certainly we owe most Duty where we receive the greatest Priviledge and what can Men do for us to be compar'd with what God hath done that we should pay any Homage to them in Opposition to him 'T is basely disingenuous for Children to regard what others say more than the Injunctions of their own Parents The Sense of this unspeakable Benefit of God's adopting us to himself is enough to restrain us from yielding Obedience to Men that is inconsistent with our Obedience to God This is the meaning and scope of that Caution given by Christ Mat. 23.9 Call no Man your Father upon Earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven That one God whose Children we are hath the only Supream Title to our Allegiance 4. The possibility of Assurance one would think should be without all Controversie To call it in Question is to give the lye to this very Text and to cast a blasphemous Reproach upon the Witness of the Spirit 'T is matter of rejoicing to have the single Testimony of our own Conscience for us 2 Cor. 1.12 For Conscience as one says is like a kind of Eccho which makes our spiritual Actions resound after they are past and gone from us but when we have the concurrent Testimony of the Spirit of God this makes our Joy a great deal more full Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth Witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God The Spirit is more present and conversant with the Soul than the Soul with it self and is better acquainted with its State He knows every Child of God by Name and therefore is best able to make us know if we are such if an Angel from Heaven were sent to tell us it would not be so sure The Spirit that beareth Witness of those things is Truth in the abstract 1 John 5.6 Some may be deluded by a lying Spirit instead of him but does it follow that there must be no Persuasion which comes of him that call us Because there are Counterfeits in
the World are there no Realities So the Assurance of the strongest Believer's may not be compleat perhaps but is it therefore not true Our Graces the Fruits of the Spirit are all imperfect but that does not make them false and feigned and Perfection in Comfort is above the standard of this Life as well as in Holiness II. Exhortation 1. Enquire into your own Adoption 'T is not a Priviledge common to all see whether you have just Cause to apprehend that 't is yours The World hath a mixt Multitude in it there are Sons of Belial and Children of the Devil as well as of God 1 John 3.10 There are Strangers and Dogs as well as Children And there be many who are called the Children of God and are not so indeed being such only by visible external Profession as they were Gen. 6.2 We deceive our selves if we are satisfied with this for this will be of no more Advantage to us than the National Adoption which once belong'd to the Jews is useful to them with Respect to which the Apostle positively says They which are the Children of the Flesh are not the Children of God Rom. 9.8 Think not that 't is enough to be Christians outwardly any more than to be Jews outwardly but look after a real Change of State 2. Apply your selves to God for this Benefit if yet destitute of it Consider what miserable helpless Creatures you are in your present Case like a wretched Infant that is cast out into the open Field in the Day that it is born Ezek. 16.5 Go and bemoan your Case at the Foot of God And as Abraham said to him Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless Gen. 15.2 You may much better say what wilt thou give me seeing I go Fatherless What canst thou give that I can receive any Comfort in Tell him that you can never call your selves Happy till you can call him Father and that you desire nothing besides this in Comparison of it The Chief of Sinners may take Encouragement from that blessed Text Jer. 3.19 Justice seems to argue against it in the former Part of the verse and Mercy concludes for it in the latter 3. Take heed of grieving the Spirit you who have this Benefit that you may not lose the comfortable Sense of it This depends upon his sealing Work and therefore provoke and offend him not if you would keep the Impression clear Eph. 4.30 Two Things are especially grievous to the Spirit which we should beware of neglecting his Motions and opposing his Testimony 1. Neglecting his Motions When he stirs us up to seeking of God and any Act of Communion with him we should stir up our selves It is a part of the Character of God's Children to regard the Spirit 's Conduct Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the Spirit of God c. 2. Opposing his Testimony The indulging of unbelief in our own Hearts is a Contradiction to the Spirit 's Witness He is sent forth to cry Abba Father unbelief says nay God is not so unto me It will be helpful to Souls in such Temptations to look to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for this will bring them to Eye him as theirs also See John 20.17 Eph. 1.2 3. That Promise seems to concern both Christ and the Believer too Psalm 89.26 He shall cry unto me thou art my Father c. You may venture to say that after Christ which otherwise you could not 4. Evidence the Truth of your Sonship unto others Make it appear that there is indeed a substantial Difference between you and the Children of this World in every Thing that hath a respect to Sin and Duty If you do as others do they will have Reason to suspect that you are not what you pretend to be The Jews were not to disfigure themselves like other People because they were the Children of the Lord their God Deut. 14.1 Let your spot therefore be the spot of his Children let his Image be seen upon you as well as his Name that you may like them Judg. 8.18 Resemble the Children of such a King You must be Followers and Imitators of God Eph. 5.1 Or else you will give occasion to Men to think you a spurious Brood You must be blameless and harmless and without rebuke exemplary and inoffensive in the midst of a perverse Nation for so are the Sons of God Phil. 2.15 Disorderly Children are a shame and scandal to their Parents therefore Credit the Relation wherein you stand by a strict and regular Deportment Particularly 1. By a sober and thankful use of every Mercy Wanton Prodigals that wast their Substance and mispend their Portion are a dishonour to God's Family and deserve to be renounc't Your Father expects that all which is given by him should be improved for him Men reckon it barbarous and unnatural if their Children turn Rebels against them with the Estates which they bestow upon them 2. By a patient and humble bearing of every Affliction Not that a Fathers Anger is a Light thing and to be despis'd they must be very profligate that think so but all his Rebukes should be receiv'd with great Submission Nor must they drive us from him but make us come the nearer and cling the faster to him considering that God's Corrections endur'd in a right Manner are Proofs of our Legitimacy Heb. 12.6 7 8. 3. By a reconcileable and forgiving temper towards the worst of Men. Mat. 5.9 Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God So ver 44 45. Love your Enemies bless them that Curse you do good to them that Hate you c. That you may be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven c. For this is to transcribe his Pattern and do as he does 4. By living in Love with all our Holy Brethren They do not walk worthy of such a Relation as this is that shew any Unchristian bitterness or unreasonable strangeness towards those that are of the same stock with themselves Let us check our selves in this Case with those Words of the Prophet Mal. 2.10 Have we not all one Father Why do we then deal treacherously every Man against his Brother To Conclude Brotherly Kindness is the necessary Duty of all God's Children and a necessary Token to convince all others that we are so SERMON XIX May 18. 1697. EPHES IV. vii But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the Gift of Christ AS it is the Apostle's manner in his other Epistles to mingle Exhortations to Holiness with Explications of Faith so here having in the three former Chapters of this Epistle given some account of the Gospel Doctrine he does in the three latter stir up to suitable Practice In the beginning of this Chapter he presses worthy Walking with respect to those Instances of Humility Meekness and Christian Forbearance as things which have a special Influence in the furthering
he had been instructed Luke 1.4 This Effect the Spirit of God hath by his enlightning Operation beyond all humane Instructions whatsoever we are made to know the certainty of things and more fully persuaded of the great reality of what is spiritual They are no longer doubtful disputable Opinions with us but we come to such a firm Conclusion about them that we can venture our Eternity upon them The Scripture hints this in many Places John 17.8 They have known surely that I came out from thee So the Apostle speaks of the Rich and full Assurance of Vnderstanding in the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God c. Col. 2.2 And again Our Gospel came not unto you in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance so that there is no haesitation or wavering concerning it 1 Thess 1.5 2. That Knowledge which proceeds from such a Cause is more affecting than any other The Heart is influenced to greater Love and Joy and Admiration by what it believes and knows As the mind receives more solid Satisfaction with respect to those Truths so those Truths are more sweet and delightful more ravishing and transporting to the Soul Paul speaks like a Man in an Extasie with more than ordinary Zeal and Fervour Phil. 3.8 Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. His magnifying of the Excellency of this Knowledge sprung from his deep Sense of the Excellency of the Object He saw so much worth in Christ that he would part with ten Thousand Worlds if he had them for his sake The Doctrine of Christ's God-head Incarnation Satisfaction c. when they are only taken into the Head as common Notions are but dry Meat but when they are imprest by the Holy Ghost we can feed upon them with Pleasure The Things of God being so reveal'd that we taste the savour of them 3. That Knowledge which is communicated by the Spirit is always joyn'd with Experience The Apprehensions which other Men have by common reasoning of spiritual Things are like those of a blind Man when he hears a Discourse concerning Light which are very dark and imperfect in Comparison of his that hath Eyes to see the Sun There is a vast difference between a Knowledge of Christ by Report and Hearsay as one calls it and a Knowledge of Acquaintance which is gotten and improv'd by Communion with him As the Queen of Sheba was not told one half in her own Land of the greatness of Solomons Wisdom which she afterwards saw and yet what she was told seem'd incredible to her 2 Chron. 9.6 So Believers find so much in Christ when they come to him as does not only justifie the Report which Ministers gave to be very true but abundantly exceed it We cannot tell you what they feel whom Christ is formed in and who live every Day by the Faith of him Where there is no spiritual Sense the Mind is yet carnal 4. That Knowledge which the Spirit produces does always issue in Obedience The Knowledge which Men attain unto by any other Ways is barren and unprofitable as it does not reach the Heart so it is of no use in the ordering of the Conversation But saving Knowledge governs the Life and regulates the Practice so as clearly to exemplifie that Connection which God hath made between the Truths to be believed and to be performed When Paul prays for his Colossians That they might be filled with the Knowledge of God's Will in all Wisdom and spiritual Vnderstanding he does not stop there but shews whither this tends That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing c. Col. 1.9 10. He that is truly nourisht up in the words of Faith and good Doctrine will evidence it by fruitfulness in good Works 1 John 2.3 Hereby we do know that we know him Jesus Christ if we keep his Commandments They have not learned Christ as they ought that do not live to him for if we be acquainted with his Person we shall submit to his Rule SERMON II. May 7. 1695. MATTHEW XVI xvii And Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona For Flesh and Blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven IV. WHerein lies the Blessedness which is annexed to this kind of Knowledge Some bless themselves without Reason too many against Scripture bless themselves when they hear the Words of God's Curse though yet without Christ who can only redeem them from that Curse thousands of presuming Sinners call themselves happy when they are almost in the very depths of Misery having but a short step the thin Partition of an earthly House betwixt them and Hell they think their Condition to be safe and good and applaud and please themselves in it as such when it is as dangerous and as bad as it can be on this side of Everlasting Destruction But however mistaken and deceived such Men are we know that Christ is true and what says he here Blessed art thou Simon c. for my Father hath revealed this unto thee which Flesh and Blood hath not q. d. Thou art infallibly blessed upon this account this is an undoubted Evidence and means of thy being so Where then is the blessedness which the Text speaks of What does it consist in and how does it appear 1. 'T is a blessed discovery which God makes and a blessed Knowledge which it produces because it is always accompanied with pardoning Grace If there be a blessed Man in the World without Controversie it is the pardoned Sinner Afflictions may remain without injuring our blessedness so long as Sin does not remain which is the only Thing that can separate from the Love of Christ and how can this separate when God hath put it away and removed it from us Who will not say Amen therefore to what David says Psalm 32.1 Blessed is the Man whose Transgression is forgiven c. Sin laies the Foundation of the Creatures Misery consequently in the forgiveness of Sin the Foundation of our Misery is destroyed Now this is always done where Jesus Christ is savingly made known This is plain Heb. 10.16 17. This is the Covenant which I will make with them c. I will put my Laws into their Hearts and in their Minds will I write them and immediately it follows Their Sins and Iniquities will I remember no more When there is this promised writing within us we may be sure there is a blotting out of the hand-writing against us Where Sin is uncover'd the Heart is hid from Understanding but where the sealed Book of Gospel-Mystery is open d 't is past all question that the Debt-book is cross'd 2. 'T is always attended with a perfect justifying Righteousness This is absolutely necessary in order to blessedness for there must be a Restitution of our lost Title before there can be a restoring to our forfeited
end but this is most effectual As 1. A Sence of God's absolute as well as relative Goodness I mean to consider how good a Master he is in himself should be an inducement to serve him as 't is possible that some may be willing to do service to an extraordinary Person from a respect to his inherent Worth The Matchless Excellencies of God whom none in Heaven or Earth can be likened to should invite us to take a pleasure in his work it should be our meat and drink to do the Will of such an one for the sake of what he is for the glorifying of him who is so glorious must needs be our own Glory 2. A sence of God's Sovereignty and Dominion over us Who can refuse to yield himself to God that is seriously convinc't of his infinite Right to command and govern him He may challenge from us all that we can do for both our Being and active Power is from him He hath made us for himself and we may as well disown his being our Creator as deny him to be our Ruler but what kind of Ruler do we make him if we are not his servants to obey Subjection follows upon Dominion or is implied in it He is the Lord and worship thou him Psal 45.11 3. The consideration of the purity of the precepts which God calls us to observe This made the Word of God so amiable to David Psal 119.140 It requires nothing of us but what highly becomes us and behoves us nothing but what 't is our Honour and Interest to comply with The work of God is of the noblest kind such as none but a filthy depraved Creature would desire to be exempted from Paul therefore magnisies the Holiness Justice and Goodness of the Law Rom. 7.12 And upon that score expresses his Consent to it ver 16. And delight in it ver 22. 4. The Consideration of the Reward which we enjoy in Obedience at present and which is rescrv'd for us hereafter These are proper encouraging Thoughts and should recommend our Duty to us The Reward which attends our doing it is great the Reward which is laid up till we have done it is greater and this would not be so far revealed as it is but that it might be a spur to us Col. 3.23 24. Whatsoever ye do do it heartily c. knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the Peward of the Inheritance c. He that hath the Hope of such a promis'd blessedness should be excited by it to universal Holiness And yet the main Argument of all is the Love of God II. To offer some Proofs for the Demonstration of this Truth As. 1. No Man hath such a Sense of the Love of God but the Elect Sinner upon his return to God he is the only Subject of it And therefore it must needs very powerfully engage to Obedience 1. None but the Elect Sinner hath a true Sense of the Love of God This Treasure is put only into chosen Vessels this hidden Manna is only for God's hidden ones and consequently there is no danger of its corrupting but it will certainly nourish Grace and strengthen to Duty As none but they that are written in the Lamb's Book enter into Heaven Rev. 21. ult So this Heaven upon Earth does not enter into any others There are a peculiar number whom God hath set his Love upon and this peculiar number are the only Persons whom he manifests it to The aninting which teacheth us all things is Truth and no Lye 1 John 2.27 How then can they be taught the Knowledge of God's Love whom his Soul hates And on the other Hand how can they turn this against the Interest of Holiness who are chosen that they might be Holy 2. Elect Sinners have not such a Sense but when they are upon their return to God When Christ is about to be formed in the Soul those discoveries of the Love of God do greatly promote and help it forward if they have been Enemies in their Minds they shall not continue such If they have done Iniquity they shall do no more they shall not go on in their Trespasses after the Grace of God is so display'd in their Remission The white Stone is too great a Jewel to be cast before those filthy Swine that will turn again and rend or trample it under their Feet The chosen of God themselves have it not till God is calling them home to himself The Time of Conversion is the Time of Love Ezek. 16.8 The Time not only of God's Exercising but manifesting Love to the Sinner 2. None can impress such a Sense of God's Love upon us but the Spirit of God he is the only Author of it and therefore it must needs quicken to Obedience False hopes and groundless Comforts which do tend indeed to the Patronizing and Encouraging of Sin arise from our selves and from the Devil but the Consolations of God which always produce Holiness to the Lord are from the Spirit as he Works Love to God in us so he witnesses Gods Love to us As we cannot see the Sun but by its own Light So we cannot see the Face of God with Joy but by a beam from himself We can no more know that God is at Peace with us meerly by our own Understandings than we can reconcile our selves to him by the Power of our own Wills our Hearts are naturally like an Hell as there is a burning Fire of insatiable Lust so biting Worms of endless Fears The stupid Sinner is hard to be Convinced and the Convinced Sinner refuses to be Comforted We are as far from the applying of Promises as from hearkening to Precepts and as we cannot be subject to the Law so we can get no relief by the Gospel But the blessed Spirit he does both let us know the Things which are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 And also the Things which are indispensibly requir'd of us by God we should never know that God is our Father without this Spirit of Adoption The Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 And as he diffuses it there so he improves it to Holy Purposes his sanctifying Operations are always befriended and assisted by his Comforting Testimonies SERMON IV. July 30. 1695. PSALM XXVI iii. For thy Loving Kindness is before mine Eyes And I have walked in thy Truth 3. THE Promises which Declare and Confirm the Love of God to us are special means of working Holiness in us As they assure our Deliverance from Wrath so they promote our Salvation from Sin Divine Promises do not only tend to beget us to a lively Hope but they help to produce and maintain the Life of every Grace they are the spiritual Food of Souls which does both nourish our Faith and strengthen us to Obedience We do not obtain any Gospel Priviledge by the Performance of Duty but Duty is effectually enforc't by the Enjoyment of Gospel Priviledges God brings us
to take hold of hsi gracious Covenant and thereby fortifie us against turning from the Holy Commandment This is plainly set forth as the Way and Method in which he first Works upon us and enables us to Work 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these Promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit c. The Promise of God's being a Father to us which is mention'd in the last verse of the foregoing Chapter is a stronger Inducement to purifie our selves and be Followers of him than any threatening of God's being a Revenger So 2 Pet. 1.4 Exceeding great and precious Promises are given unto us that by these you might be Partakers of the Dikvine Nature c. As the chief Thing communicated from God is the Divine Nature whereby we are made to resemble him so the Promises of God set home upon the Soul are the means of Communication they are to Milk and Honey of the Scripture which do not cherish the Old Man but support the New they are not Pillows for sinful Sloth but spurs to Holy Diligence The Promises of Grace animate the Soul to Duty and when we thus see the goodness of the Lord it encourages our Subjection to his Government 4. A Sense of the Love of God will create in us a more perfect hatred of Sin Divine Reconciliation to our Persons breeds the most implacable Enmity against our Lusts when we know that God is pacified towards us it makes us loath and abhor our selves the more in remembrance of the Evils we have done If he passes by Transgression the pardoned Transgressor sixes his Eye upon it with greater Indignation as David's Sin was ever before him though Nathan had told him from God that his Sin was put away Psalm 51.3 compar'd with 2 Sam. 12.13 For the Title of that Psalm informs us that it was penn'd after Nathan the Prophet had come to David A Sinner is never so odious in his own sight as when he is persuaded of his being precious in the sight of God How does Paul repeat and aggravate the foul Abominations of his natural Pharisaical State when he knew himself to be belov'd of God and establi shed in Christ he speaks of his persecuting and wasting the Church of God beyond measure Gal. 1.13 So with Holy Confusikon he bewails what he once was after he had obtained Mercy and after the Grace of our Lord Jesus had exceedingly abounded towards him 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Though God had made him whiter than Snow in the Lamb's Blood yet he still sets out himself in his own black and filthy Colours We do not lose the Prospect of our own vileness by having the Kindness and Love of God before our Fyes but we see it the better His gracious Absolution kindles the most flaming Zeal and Revenge in us against the Sins from which we are absolved consequently is a mighty furtherance of our Obedience 5. A Sense of the Love of God is most apt to beget an awful fear of Falling under his displeasure That I may not be mistaken let it be consider'd 1. That this awful Fear is not only distinct from dreadful Horrour but opposite unto it The trembling of a Devil and the trembling of a Child are real Contraries Godly jealousie of our selves and sinful Distrust of God are two things of most different Kinds The fear of Caution which I would recommend keeps us walking closely with God the fear of Desperation which I would warn against hurries us violently away from God 2. That this displeasure of God which Believers are lyable to fall under is exercis'd only in this World and not in the next That Wrath which God occasionally lets out against his own is not the same with that which comes upon the Children of disobedience Eph. 5.6 We must not confound the temporary hidings of God's Face with Everlasting Destruction from God's Presence He that believes is secur'd from sinal Condemnation but nevertheless he is still incident to sad Desertion Now for the Soul to be kept under the awe of this is a great help to our Obedience and where the Love of God is perceived by the Soul this awe will certainly prevail God's sanctified ones can say it from Experience Psalm 130.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Not only a readiness to forgive but actual forgiveness is with God and as our Fear of God is the end of his granting it so 't is the effect and issue of our receiving it Two Things will make this more evident 1. This joyful Sense of the Love of God supposes a sorrowful Sense of his displeasure going before it Ordinarily God does not thus set Men up on high till he hath first brought them into the Depths the does not make them glad with his Countenance till he had laid them more or less in the lowest Pit Psalm 88.6 How few are admitted to take the Cup of Salvation without Drinking for some time of the Cup of God's Fury How few are call'd into this pleasant Light without passing through a scorching Fire Sore Conflicts prepare the way for the most part to ravishing Comforts and the Heart knows a great deal of bitterness before it comes to taste how good the Lord is 2. They that have been sensible of God's displeasure and are sensible of his Love will take Care to avoid the one and continue in the other Who so likely to be afraid of receiving a Spirit of Bondage again as they that have felt it Who so far from provoking God to carry them back into an howling Wilderness as they who have been there before Who so cautious of interrupting their sweet Communion with God as they that have enjoy'd it Who so capable of rightly valuing that Priviledge as they that are possest of it and therefore who so ready to endeavour the preserving of it by a circumspect Walk Souls that are thus favoured of God are most seriously convinc't That in his Favour is Life Psalm 30.5 Therefore when the Spirit of God hath carried them up to this Pinnacle this heighth of Consolation they are the more afraid of doing any Thing to occasion their casting down 6. The commonest and strongest Temptations to departing from God are best overcome by a Sense of his Love viz. The Temptations which arise both from the flatteries and frowns of the World the Love of Life and Fears of Death He that hath the Loving Kindness of God before his Eyes is most able to make a resolute and successful Resistance to all these As particularly 1. The Flatteries of the World do too often allure Men from their Obedience to God but they that have a Sense of God's Love upon their Hearts are best armed against this Temptation Hereby the World with all its gaudy Vanities is Crucified to us and we unto the World hereby all these Things are stript of their seeming Glory as the Sun puts out the lesser Lights and as the Works of
persuaded of his receiving us in the next World when we are Jealous of his rejecting us in this Who can look into Eternity without Horrour that now looks upon God as one afar off Though the Passage be safe it will be unavoidably Dark and Stormy though the Victory be certain yet the Conflict will be sharp and grivevous The last Enemy will terrifie though it cannot hurt and the Serpent will hiss though it cannot sting The deserted Believer enters into Peace when he Dyes but he goes out of the World with much Disturbance He is in Bondage as to his Frame though at Liberty as to his State he stands trembling on the Brink of the Grave because not upheld with God's Free Spirit Psalm 51.12 IV. How far may Believers be insensible of those Departings 1. They may not be instantly sensible of them they may not perceive God to be departed assoon as he is so they may conclude him to be still present when he is not We are not only incident to such mistakes but 't is possible to persist in them for a while and this is permitted by God though he does not give us up to such strong nor to such lasting Delusions as other Men. A Man in a swooning fit does not miss the Things which are taken from him just at that Moment when they are taken but afterwards he recollects what he had and considers what is wanting So 't is here at the very Time of God's Departure we may still Fancy that all Things continue as they were but after he hath been some time departed we shall discern a notorious Change 2. They may not be throughly sensible of them for a much longer Time When the Soul is in a drowsie Frame though it begins to be allarmed there is however some distance of Time before it can shake off its slumbers and perfectly open its Eyes Spiritual Distempers creep upon Believers by Degrees and so they go off again by Degrees also they neither seize nor leave us all at once but 't is most unquestionably true that they are sooner Contracted than Cur'd for the most Part. 'T is an easier Matter to stupifie than it is to rouse us A Saint may first be convinc't by the Effects that God is departed and yet some time may pass before he is duely humbled for the Causes of that Departure he may see in some measure what his Condition is a great while ere he seriously Reflects how he came into it 3. The Sense of God's departings may not abide so long upon them as it should do As it may need to be increas't after 't is wrought so it may need to be renew'd We are too prone to wear out Impressions of this Kind and to forget what we have felt This is contrary to what God expects from us the Church did not quickly lose the Taste of her Wormwood and Gall but cries out My Soul hath them still in Remembrance Lam. 3.19 20. God's joyful returns are not to deface the Memory of his mournful Departures 'T is good to call to mind what is past that we may the better enjoy and value and improve the Present When the doleful sorrow of God's Absence is gone there is a becoming Sense of it to be still preserv'd and retain'd V. How is it that Believers come to be so insensible of these Things 1. That which they are insensible of is some Reason of their insensibility When God departs it is not to be suppos'd that our spiritual Senses should be so vigorously Exercis'd as at other Times We know when our natural Spirits are obstructed and retire bodily Sense is taken away by it so in this Case when the Spirit of God hath left us there is more than ordinary dulness and benummedness which by that means seizes upon us The Soul is therefore unapprehensive of God's forsakings because God hath forsaken it and 't is a token for good that he is about returning when the Soul begins its enquiries after him 2. The Devil is very busie in contriving Diversions for us at such Times or in making us think that me are well enough though we should never be better than we are Satan hath a great many Deviees to keep us from attending to the Dispensations under which we are or else to misrepresent our Condition to us When a Believer is in his best Estate then his Work is to accuse and disquiet when a Believer is at his worst then he labours to Flatter and Deceive When God testifies his Love to us then he is suggesting Wrath when God is angry he speaks nothing but Peace 3. Believers themselves are oftentimes too much wanting in the careful Examination of their own State and so there happen sad Alterations and they know them not We are ready to trust too much to former Trials whereas we should be frequently communing with our own Hearts in order to a farther search It ought to be part of our daily Exercise that we may see what ground we get or lose Reviews of our spiritual Condition can never be superfluous but neglect of it may be very dangerous for so it is that many are brought extreamly low before they are aware VI. Vse I. Information 1. The Presence of the Blessed God is the spring of a Creatures Blessedness in both Worlds When John is describing the Happy State of the Church in Heaven or the happiest State of the Church on Earth he expresses it by this God himself shall be with them and be their God Rev. 21.3 If we have God with us we cannot be miserable if we have him not we must of Necessity be so 'T is an Heaven upon Earth to enjoy him an Hell upon Earth to want him 2. How great is their Misery whom God is at an Etcrnal distance from The Spirit comes and strives for a Time with many upon whom he never rests and when he once goes away he does not so much as strive more And then where no Fruit grew before there can no Fruit grow hereafter the Earth must always be as Iron when the Heaven over it is as Brass When the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul he came not again but an Evil Spirit in his Place 1 Sam. 16.14 3. The new Creature is no more able to sustain it self than the old Man to transform himself He restoreth my Soul he leadeth me c. Psalm 23.3 Restoring and Leading are both the Acts of God Believers are not like Engines which the Artificer sets a moving and then they are left to go by themselves All that God hath done for us in Conversion will be undone by us if he do not continue doing He that first makes the difference between us and others must keep it up to the last 4. God hath other ways to visit the Sins of his own Children than by Everlasting Destruction This is that Wrath of God which comes upon the Children of Disobedience Eph. 5.6 But there are milder Effects of fatherly
alive but not awake they are too drousie and sluggish in their Course of Duty But when fresh help is given in from Eternal Power what lively Acts do gracious Habits produce How nimbly do we move in our walk with God! As the Prophet says Hab. 3.19 The Lord God is my Strength and he will make my Feet like Hinds Feet i. e. swift and unwearied III. Why must the overcoming of the Difficulties of Salvation be thus resolv'd into the Power of God's Grace What Reason is there for the placing of all upon that one Bottom 1. The highest and most perfect Creatures have miscarried when they stood in their own Strength the Strength with which they were endow'd at their first Creation 1. The Angels the highest rank of Creatures and in a most perfect State fell from Heaven Though they excell'd in Strength yet we see it was not enough to bear them up without confirming Grace They that always beheld the Face of God lift up their Heels against him and wickedly revolted from him They that were the Top of the Creation are sunk into an horrible Pit they that were greater in Power and Might than any of the Things which God made besides have betrayed their dangerous weakness by a foul and sinal Apostacy 'T is the harder to explain and give an account of their Fall because they sinn'd without a Temper They had no Instigation to Evil from without themselves and yet we find the mutability of their Natures was enough to expose them because they were not like the Elect Angels their Companions and the rest of their Kind established in Christ 2. Adam who was also made upright after the Holy Image of God without the least Bent or Inclination in his Soul to Evil fell nevertheless That we the Posterity of the first Man whose Natures are already corrupted and strongly byass'd with indwelling Sin should run into all manner of Abominations unless God restrain us is no wonder but it seems strange that our pure and sinless Parents that had such a stock of Righteousness to live upon should so notoriously and so quickly offend How plainly does this shew that a Creature before a Sinner given to change cannot carry sufficient Preservatives from Sin within it self Was the Power of standing so soon lost by innocent Man and do any of his sinful Race expect to regain it and raise up themselves without being behold'n to God 2. The best and eminentest Saints have most manifestly felt and readily own'd their necessary Dependance upon the Power of the Grace of God It may be some young and raw Converts may be too rash and confident at first their Imaginations go a great deal beyond their Strength and they think they can do or suffer any thing for Chirst like foolish Children when they begin to use their Legs that venture further than they can with Safety but grow more wary afterwards So here Babes in Christ being transported by the heat of their first Love forget many Times how feeble and infirm they are till God by leaving them gives them some afflicting Proofs of it But the most solid well grown Christians that are judicious as well as affectionate that have tryed their Strength oftner and consider'd Things better that have really profited more in Religion and attained nearer to the Resurrection of the Dead these are always the most apprehensive of the Truth I am now upon God's eldest Children and that are of all others the fittest for Enjoyment of their glorious Inheritance do still perceive and are apt most freely to confess themselves uncapable of yielding Holy Obedience without Supplies of Power from the Spirit of Christ Paul gives us the Report in an Hour of Temptation though he had been caught up to Heaven above fourteen Years before yet when he came down again was like to be over-born by the buffettings of Satan if God had not held him up That Answer which Christ gave him was all his Support or else that chosen Vessel had been broken in Pieces 2 Cor. 12 9. He said to me My Grace is sufficient for thee my Strength is made perfect in weakness 3. If both the Desire and the Performance in all spiritual Cases be the Effects of God's mighty Operation then all must be resolved into his Power for the Desires and Performances take in all Phil. 2.13 It is God which worketh in you both to Will and to Do c. If he Works in us these two Things a fixed Inclination to good and actual Execution of it what is it that he does not Work 1. God Works the Will all Holy Desires are by his Operation Psalm 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the Day of thy Power 'T is he that roots out our sinful Aversions and Reluctancies with his strong Hand The changing and turning and new moulding of the Heart is the sole Work of him that fashioned it at first None can prevail upon the Soul to chuse and affect what it naturally abhors and flies from but only he 2. God Works the Deed all Holy Performances are the proper Fruits of his efficacious Influence also This is undeniable for in whatsoever Case that influence is withdrawn though the Will continues the Deed is wanting Though he hath wrought in us to Will what we should do yet we cannot do what we should and would Is not Paul and every Believer in the World a clear Instance of this Rom. 7.18 To Will is present with me but how to perform c. I find not We desire to do a great deal better than we attain to do David took Pleasure in Duty and yet craves Ability for it as a further additional Gift Psalm 119.35 Make me to go in the Path c. for therein do I delight Though the Way be most delightful we must go in God's Strength 4. The Tenour of the New Covenant puts this Point out of Doubt that the Difficulties of Salvation are to be overcome by the Power of God's Grace only The Law which is our Rule of Duty and to be observ'd as such by those that are in Christ requires Things above our Strength but God in this Covenant of Grace Promises what he requires and undertakes for what he demands The Things which he enjoins us to do he says He will enable us to do which plainly implies that without his powerful help they could never be done for why should God vainly and needlesly engage to interpose in a Matter which might be done as well though he stood afar off and contributed nothing towards it Does God fear as Joab intimated to David concerning Rabbah when he fought against it 2 Sam. 12.28 lest we should take the City and so it should be called after our Name I mean does God-fear lest we should do all our selves and so run away with all the Honour No surely God's Glory may be wickedly snatcht and stolen from him but it can never be justly won or gotten by us and therefore God's gracious
the very top and uttermost point the head Stone and the full blown Flower of a Creature 's Felicity when you have said this you can go no higher now to assure us the more comfortably of our arrival to this at last we have the pledges and beginnings of it here but the way of our receiving them is to be consider'd 'T is by eating the Flesh and drinking the Blood of Christ by Faith in the Lamb slain in our Passover Sacrific'd for his Flesh could not have been eaten nor his Blood drunk if he had not died 'T is the death of Christ which we must lay hold upon for Life and Salvation the Kingdom which he appoints to us is founded here for as one says Christ hath purchased by his Death all the Legacies bequeath'd in his Testament which no other Testator does IV. Why did Jesus Christ make it his Work to restore what he took not away 1. It was a necessary work a work which must be done in order to his being a Saviour God will have restitution made one way or another his injur'd Name and Honour must be vindicated It became him c. in bringing many Sons unto glory yea it would have become him if he had brought but one to make the Captain of our Salvation perfect through sufferings Hebr. 2.10 It was agreeable to his Wisdom Purity Truth and Righteousness that Jesus Christ should make compensation by his Blood for the Iniquity of Mâ—â— It was not fit nor consistent with the Perfections of Gods Nature that such Indignities 〈…〉 had offer'd should be passed by 〈…〉 without any notice taken or 〈…〉 Mercy cannot be exercis'd to the dispuragement of any other Attribute he cannot exile one to the depressing of the rest In the business of Salvation there was something else to be done besides the magnifying of Grace God had said that be would magnisie the Law and make it honourable Isa 42.21 This Law had been trampled on by every Child of Disobedience and therefore to assert and recover the Reputation of it Christ must be made under it perform what it enjoin'd and suffer what it threatned 2. It was a work impossible for any meer Creature to do so that if Christ did not it could not have been done by any Person besides him The Scripture speaks of the wicked Oppressor that he shall vomit up what he swallows down and according to his substance shall the restitution be Job 20.18 He shall refund to those whom he hath drained by rapine and Violence as far as his Estate will go But what restitution can there be when all the substance is wasted This is our case we are wretchedly poor and insolvent and have nothing to pay being reduc'd by Sin to absolute Beggary we have stoln away as far as was in our power the Crown from God and we have â—ined and plander'd our selves encroach'd upon the Rights of Heaven and wrong'd our own Souls and are utterly uncapable of making the least attonement for all this We can take away but we cannot restore When the Servant that owed Ten thousand Talents to his Lord was brought before him and could not pay his Debt his Lord commanded him to be sold Matth. 18.25 but alas we are not worth so much as our Debt amounts to If Justice should seize us it must detain us for ever we must not only be cast into Prison but kept there and our lying in Hell for ever would not satisfy God as Christ's suffering once upon the Cross SERMON XVI December 15. 1696. PSALM LXIX iv last Clause Then I restored that which I took not away 3. JEsus Christ was ordained of God to this work and in that respect there was a necessity of his accomplishing it John 9.4 I must work the work of him that sent me c. This was the work of him that sent him and therefore he could not decline it Christ could not resist the Will of the Father any more than he could cease to love him John 14.31 That the World may know that I love the Father as the Father gave me commandment even so I do His Obedience was an Evidence of his Love to God as it is of ours though there be no proportion between his and ours for no Creatures love to God was ever so strong or ever so tried Cyrus was styled the Man that executed God's Counsel Isa 46.11 but he did it ignorantly for he knew not God but the Man Christ Jesus understood his Work and who gave it him to do and design'd the Execution of God's Counsel in it as an Expression of his matchless Affection to him It became our Lord Jesus in the quality of God's Commissioner To be faithful to him that appointed him Heb. 3.2 He was put in trust with this Business and he must shew his Fidelity in performing it There is such an exact Agreement between his and the Father's Will that when God pleas'd to require his Service he could not but say Lo I come 4. Christ had engag'd to take this Work upon him which is a sort of Engagement that the Scripture more than once expresses by striking Hands Job 17.3 Prov. 22.26 So our Lord Jesus had covenanted with the Father before all Time to do that which in the fulness of Time he actually came to do Now this Agreement which bears an Eternal Date could not be disanulled or made void again as God the Father had sworn with respect to Christ and could not repent Psalm 110.4 So Jesus Christ having enter'd into such a Bond it stood firm as the Ordinances of Heaven and he could not go back from the Execution or Performance of it If the Covenant of Redemption might have been broken the whole Design might have miscarried the Counsel of Peace had been overthrown and all the Thoughts of God to us-ward had come to nothing It was upon this unmoveable Foundation that the Salvation of all the Believers under the Old Testament was built as well as those under the New so that if Christ had not made good what he undertook they that were let into Heaven must have been cast out But the Considence that God reposed in his Son could not be so defeated He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not is the Character of a Citizen of Sion Psalm 15.4 But most eminently true of Christ 5. The Infinite Love of Christ to Sinners did sweetly incline him to this Work His Delights who was the Wisdom of God were with the Sons of Men Prov. 8.31 He delighted in Mercy and in them as the needy Objects of it who otherwise were altogether undelightful The Bowels of Jesus Christ were troubled for us he could not bear to see his whole reasonable Creation in this lower World made a Prey to the Devil without interposing for the effectual Rescue of a chosen peculiar Number Our Misery was the Motive to his Compassion that swayed him to Acts of Pity when our guilt would have provokt him to