is able to give forth his beams of light unto all the world But you will say How may it appear that Christ will be as gracious and communicative in his love unto us now in heaven as he would have been had he been here on earth You know what he said when he was here on earth And let him that is athirst come John 7.37 In the last day the great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Now he is in heaven look into the Book of the Revelation which he speaks from heaven he speaks more than that And let him that is athirst come there 's that And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely here 's more now he is in heaven And I pray when did our Lord and Saviour Christ wash his Disciples feet Give the glorious testimony of his condescending love unto his Dâ—sciples 〈◊〉 when he was going to the Father Jesus knowing 〈◊〉 that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God he arose from Supper and laid aside his Garments and took a Towel and girded himself Knowing that all power was given into his hand he gives that reason He did thus condescend in this way of love knowing that all power was given into his hand Now that he is in heaven all power is given into his hand and therefore now certainly he will be as gracious and communicative in his love and goodnesse as if he had been here on earth and rather over and above Surely therefore it is our work and our duty to rejoyce in this Exaltment of Christ though in some respects it may be to our debasement or present losse But then Thirdly How shall we do this Why true love to the Person of Christ will enable us to do this It will enable us to rejoyce in the Personall Exaltment of Christ though it may be to our own present losse and abasement It is a sweet thing to the Lover to suffer for the Person loved that is where love fixt upon the Person and not upon the benefits If love be fixt upon the benefit it is not so but if upon the person it is so So if our love be fixt upon the Person of Christ this love will enable us to rejoyce in the Exaltment of Christ though it be in our own debasement Christ rejoyced in our Exaltment though it was to his own debasement why because he loved our persons who loved us and gave himself for us So that true love unto the Person of Christ will make us rejoyce in his Exaltment though it may be to our own present debasement You will say then How few are there that do love Christ indeed Chrâ—st is hardâ—y loved for Christ Christ himself is hardly lâ—ved fâ—r himself To love the Person of Christ how few are there that do that And so I come unto the fourth thing Fourthly 'T is possible that Christ's own Disciples may be wanting in their love to Christ's Person T is somewhat strange this If a Prince or Noble-man should take a poor woman a Beggar off the Dunghill and marry her it would be somewhat strange that she should not love his Person If he should not love her you would not think it so strange If Boaz should not love Ruth you would not have thought it so strange but that Ruth should not love the Person of Boaz this may seem strange So now such beggars were we when the Lord came and took us off the Dunghill and said Now is a time of love If the Lord Jesus should not love our persons it would not seem so strange but that we should be wanting in our love to the Person of Christ this is strange yea Friends 't is possible that Christ's own Disciples may be wanting in their love to the Person of Christ They may be wanting in the manner of their love to Christ's Person They may be wanting in the measure of their love to Christ's Person If ye loved me saith he and yet they left all to follow him possibly then the best Disciples of Christ the best men may be wanting in their love to the Person of Christ To make this out a little to you 1. First of all The more we love the Person of Christ the more diligent and observant we shall be in keeping Christ's Commandments that are properly his If ye love me keep my Commandments Why now how many are there of God's own people that are too negligent in keeping Christ's Commandments the Commandment of Love the Institutions of Christ and why so but because they are wanting in their love to the Person of Christ If ye love me keep my Commandments 2. If a good man may be wanting in his zeal for for Christ possibly he may be wanting in his Love tâ— Christ's Person what is zeal but fired love inflamâ— love angered love Now possibly a man that love Christ in truth may be wanting in his zeal Old Eâ— loved God without all doubt and yet he was wanting in his love to God Peter loved Christ Thou knowest that I love thee and yet wanting in his love by denying of Christ Good men may be wanting in theiâ— zeal for Christ why but because they are wanting in their love to the Person of Christ 3. The more a man loves the Person of Christ thâ— more he doth love the Servants the people of Christ It was a good speech of Jerom when there was 〈◊〉 difference between Austin and him I love Chriâ—â— dwelling in Austin even at that very time when there was a difference betwen them And certainly if we love the Person of Christ we shall love Christ dwelling in the Saints But now don 't we find by wofull experience that even in good people their love to the Saints is wanting why but because their love to the Person of Christ is wanting 4. The more a man doth love the Person of Christ the more he will be speaking and thinking of him Love is busied and exercised in thoughtfulnesse about the person loved and in speech If a man love a Person or Thing he will be thinking much on 't and speaking much on 't But now by our experience cannot we go a whole day together and have no thought of Christ Don't we sit down at our meals frequently and not one word of Christ Good Conference where art thou Good and holy Conference where art Come to Professors Tables one Dish after another one Cup of Wine after another but nothing of Christ It 's gone it 's gone what 's the reason but because we are wanting in our love to the Person of Christ Certainly if we were not wanting in our love to the Person of Christ we would be thinking more of him and speaking more of him 5. The more we love the Person of Christ the more we shall desire to be dissolved that we may be with
the more yoâ— love it If you have a good Friend the more you uâ—â— him the more you prize him and the more yoâ— prize him the more you love him If you have good Horse the more you use him the more yoâ— prize him and the more you prize him the moâ—â— you love him If you have but a good Knife the moâ— you use it the more you will prize it and the moâ— you prize it the more you will love it Would yoâ— love Christ use him much and then the more yoâ— will prize him and the more you will love him Indeed we don't use Christ enough and what 's the reâ—son we don't love him but because we don't uâ—â— him Either your sins be great or else they be smalâ— â—f your sins be great you are afraid to use Christ for â—hem If your sins be small you think you need not â—se Christ for them Either your wants be great or else they be small If they be great you dare not â—se Christ for them and if your wants be small you will not you think it not worth your time to use Christ for them Indeed we don't use Christ enough Use Christ much and then you will prize him much and if you prize him much you will love him much 5. If you would have your hearts drawn out in love to the very Person of Christ go then to God and beseech the Lord to circumcise your hearts for to love him Mark how the promise runs The Lord hath promised to unite our hearts to fear him and he hath promised to circumcise our hearts to love him why then would you fear the Lord go to God to unite your hearts unto him to fear him would you love him go to God and beseech him to circumcise your hearts to love the Lord and to love himself And oh that the Love that now I have been speaking of unto the very Person of Christ might this day be begotten in any one heart or encreased where it is wanting I fear we are wanting in our love to Christs Person wherefore think on these things and the Lord blesse them to you Christ Crucified the object of our Faith SERMON II. 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified HAving spoken of the Personall Excellencies of Christ the object of your Love there is a necessity upon me of speaking something concerning Christ crucified the object of your Faith that your Love and Faith may go together and therefore have made choice of these words onely for this time Wherein the Apostle Paul doth give an account of the reason of the plainnesse of his Preaching And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdome for saith he I am to Preach Christ crucified A gallant eloquent speech excellency of words and pleated sentences don't become a crucified Christ If I should speak at that rate my speech would not be suited unto the subject that I have in hand for I Preach Christ crucified saith he For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and hâ—m crucified Some Books read it I desire not to know any thing among you but rather I judge it I decreed I determined not to know any thing among you Not to know any thing among you Not to make any think known unto you I would Preach as if I knew nothing else but Christ and him crucified Christ and him crucified is the great thing I desire to make known and that ye should know So that plainly then the Observation is this Obs The knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable thing in the world The knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable knowledge and the most desirable thing in the world That which the Apostles taught and the Churches learned must needs be the most desirable Now this is that the Apostles taught and this is that the Churches learned and therefore this knowledge of Christ crucified is the most desirable But for the opening and prosecuting hereof 1. We must a little enquire what it is to know Christ crucified and when a man may be said to know Christ crucified 2. That it is our great work and businesse in the world to know Christ crucified 3. What there is in Christ crucified that is so desirable to be known 4 Whether a man may live under the Gospel and not know Christ crucified 5. What are the benefits that we do get or gain by the knowledge of Christ crucified And then 6. What we should do that we may know Christ crucified in a right manner And 7. In case we do know him what is our duty that flowes from hence First of all If you ask what it is to know Chrisâ— crucified or when a man may be said to know Christ crucified I answer shortly A man is said to know a thing nakedly and barely or else effectually and truly Barely and nakedly a man knowes God and Christ when he doth understand that there is a God and Christ a Saviour of the world so the Devil said I know theâ— whom thou art the holy one of Israel But truly and effectually a man is said to know Christ crucified when he doth know the mind and will of God the Father in Christ crucified having a disposition and affections suitable thereunto Words of knowledge note an affection and words of affection in Scripture note an effect accordingly therefore in Scripture phrase a man is said to know when he doth go round about a businesse doth consider of it and look well into it and so Christ saith Behold me behold me and saith the Apostle Consider the High Priest of your profession This knowledge of Christ crucified is not a bare knowledge of Christ crucified in the history but it is a serious looking into the mystery thereof In Scripture phrase a man is said to know when he doth approve approbation is put for knowledge so at the last Christ shall say Depart from me for I never knew you that is I never approved of you knowledge being put for approbation And so a man is said to know Christ crucified when he doth understand and know the mind and will of God the Father in that great mystery and doth approve thereof In Scripture phrase again a man is said to know God or know Christ when he doth believe or repose in Christ so This is life eternall to know thee and him whom thou hast sent that is to believe knowing being put for believing And in Scripture phrase a man is said to know and to know Christ when the power and the efficacy of the Death of Christ is shed abroad into his heart and upon his life and so Paul speaking to the Philippians saith I account all things drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ that I may be conformed to his sufferings So that I say look when a man doth not onely understand
Christ then though in heaven hath a body still and this we are still to know And in this Verse he saith Henceforth know we no man after the flesh are we therefore to think that men have no bodies of flesh here on earth the same is said of Christ that therefore cannot be the meaning of these words but we are not to know Christ after the flesh that is say some upon any fleshly or carnall account or in any fleshly or carnall manner but I rather think that the Apostle here speaketh in reference to the Jews times were when we thought that the Messiah and salvation by him did belong to the Jews onely but now saith he we know that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not the Jews onely but the Gentiles also ver 19. and that Christ did not die onely for the Jews but for the Gentiles and he died for all that they which live should not live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again wherefore see how it comes in henceforth know we no man after the flesh though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature whether he be a Jew or a Gentile 't is all one to us whatsoever he be if he be in Christ he is a new creature wherefore now know we no man after the flesh no not Christ himself upon any such Jewish and restrained account for he died for all one as well as another wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh no not Christ himself And thus this Scripture being opened the one place is not contrary but a light to the other And so much in answer to that objection and for the second thing namely that it is our great work and businesse to know Christ crucified 3. The third thing is what is there in Christ crucified that is so desirable to be known I answer There is the Conjunction of all the Attributes of God The Power the Wisdome the Justice the Mercy and Righteousnesse of God In the day that you know Christ crucified that day doth all the Attributes of God passe before you which is the Glory of God 2. There also in Christ crucified you may seâ— the wealth and riches not onely of the Saints buâ— of the World Christs Sepulchre is our Treasury 〈◊〉 And have made his Grave with the Rich Isa 53. Glassiâ— reads it He hath placed Riches in his Grave For thâ— wealth and riches of the Saints lie in the grave anâ— sufferings of Christ 2. There in Christ crucified you see the condescending love of God in the heighth thereof the greatest condescension of divine love There are two Travells of Christ that we read of Christ once travelling in the greatnesse of his strength in the 63. oâ— Isaiah and that is for the destruction of his Enemies and the deliverance of the Churches Another travell which you read of in the 53. of Isaiah He shalâ— see the travell of his soul and be satisfied and that is Christ travelling in the greatnesse of his affections in the day of his sufferings so that when you know Christ crucified then you see him and know the greatest condescension of Divine love that ever was 4. There also you may see the greatnesse and the vilenesse and the misery of sin for which Christ the Lord of Life and Glory died 5. There you may see the greatest Sacrifice for sin that ever the world did see Four things saith Aâ—stin concurre to a Sacrifice The thing sacrificed the Sacrificer the person sacrificed unto and those that he sacrifices for I will adde a fifth the Altar And all these meet in one in Christ upon the Crosse He himself the Sacrifice the Sacrificer the Person sacrificed to as God and as Man the Person for whom was the Sacrifice and the Altar so that here 's the greatest Sacrifice that ever the world saw 6. There you may see our great High-Priest in all his Robes and Garments rol'd in blood 7. Therein Christ Crucified you may behold and see the Covenant sealed and all the Promises confirmed all the Promises being Yea and Amen in Christ 8. There you may see your Reconciliation with God begun and the day-break of your eternal happiness This is eternall Life to know thee and him whom thou hast sent 9. There you may see your Right and Title unto all your Priviledges and the root of all your Injoyments As the man being shown a Table full of Silver still had his eye under the Table to see the root of it and being led to another Table of Gold still he lookt under the Table to see the root of it So here see but Christ crucified and you see your Title to all the Ordinances and the â—oot of all your Enjoyments 10. There you may see all your Afflictions sanâ—ified all your Curses turned into Blessings upon he Cross of Christ 11. There you may see the gates of Paradise â—pened afresh This day shalt thou be with me in â—aradise said Christ upon the Cross 12. There you may see the Ladder that the Anâ—els ascend and descend upon for your ministry as â—n the first of John and the last 13. There you may see your desire upon all your â—piritual Enemies Law Sin and Satan It is not â—ely a promise that you shall have your desire â—on your Enemies but you shall see your desire â—on your Enemies look upon Christ crucified â—d you see your desire upon all these Enemies 14. There you may see the foundation of youâ— Union and Communion with God the Father 15. There you may see again the accomplishment of that great contrivance between God thâ— Father and Christ in reference to our Salvation What shall I say there in Christ crucified yoâ— may see a full answer to all your wants to all you fears to all your doubts What do you wanâ— but you may see it in Christ crucified Do yoâ— complaine of your own unworthiness Oh! I aâ— a poor unworthy Creature Do but look on Chrâ—â— crucified you see him suffering without the Gatâ— Why saith Austin did he suffer without tâ—â— Gates not onely to fulfill the Scripture He wâ— numbred among transgressors But he suffered witâ—out the Gates not in the Holy City because 〈◊〉 suffered for the Gentiles as well as the Jews 〈◊〉 suffered for the ungodly for the unworthy Noâ— look upon Christ crucified and there you see hâ— suffering without the Gates for the most unworthy Or will you instance in your own sin and guiâ— why do but look upon Christ crucified and yâ— see that sacrifice for sin that the world never sâ— the like and that before your sin was committed Will you instance in the dominion of sin aâ— your bondage under it look but upon Christ câ—cified and there you see your Ransome Who gâ— himself a ransome for many in whom we have â—â—demption through his blood Will
of promise O my Lord my goodness is noâ— for thee but for the Saints that are in the earth anâ— the excellent in whom is all my delight And so ouâ— Saviour Christ promises to the Father in the 17. oâ— John Therefore do I sanctifie my self That theâ— also may be sanctified And if you look into the Hebrews you shall find that Christ is called the Surety of the Covenant Why because he doth ingage for God the Father to perform to us and he doth ingage for us that we shall perform to God So that do you aske what the Covenant is plainly then it is That mutual agreement between God anâ— man whereby God the Father doth ingage himself to shew kindness love and mercy to Christ and his Seed Christ ingaging both for himself and for his Seed to be obedient unto God the Father 2. But then secondly why is this Covenant called a New Covenant Not only because it is an excellent Covenant as in Scripture phrase excellent things are called New a New Song c. Nor onely because it brings a new heart which is promised in the Covenant Nor onely because it is alwayes fresh and green and new upon which account Austin thinks that the commandment of Love is called a New Commandment Nor is it called New onely because there is no other Covenant to succeed and follow which is the reason in the 8th of Heb. But it is called a New Covenant in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam and with us in the state of innocency and in opposition to the Covenant which was made with the Jews in the time of the Old Testament First New in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam in the state of innocency for then though God out of free love and grace was pleased to condescend to enter into Covenant with man yet then God did deal with us in a way of Supremacy and of Righteousness and therefore there is mention made onely of the Threatning In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death But now God deals with us in this Covenant in a way of grace and of great compassion and therefore in this Covenant there is mention made onely of the Promise Again 2. Though God did enter into Covenant with Adam and so with us and promised eternal life in Heaven not eternal life in this World onely as some would For Hell was threatned in these words In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death and therefore Heaven and Salvation was promised on the contrary yet I say although God when he entered into Covenant with us then did promise Heaven and Salvation it was upon condition of our personal and perfect obedience and therefore called a Covenant of works But now our Covenant runs upon no such terms 3. Then in that Covenant acceptation began in the Work and so to the Person and therefore saith the Lord to Cain If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted speaking to him as belonging to the Covenant of works But in the Covenant now made the acceptation begins in the Person and so to the Work and therefore saith the Lord concerning Abel the Lord accepted Abel his Person and then his Sacrifice 4. Then also the Lord gave Adam and us anâ— ability to stand but he did not give a promise of perseverance in standing But now the Lord doth I will put my fear into your hearts that you shall not depart from me saith the Lord. 5. Then in that Covenant there was no room for repentance no room for remission But as in a Court of meer Justice the Question is not whether a man doth repent of his Fact or no but whether I or No hath such a Fact been done So by the Covenant of works the first Covenant there is no Question whether a man doth repent or no But whether the work were done whether the sin were done But now in this Covenant there is room both for repentance and for remission as by and by you shall hear And then 6. Though when God made that Covenant with Adam and with us the tree of Life might be some shaddow of Christ yet then there was no Mediator for there was no need God and Man was not at variance and so no need of a Mediator But in this Covenant that is now stricken there is a Mediator a Mediator of the New Covenant So that thus you see this Covenant is New in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam and us in the state of innocency And Secondly As it is New in opposition to the Covenant that was made with Adam the Covenant of works so it is new also in opposition to the Covenant that was made with the Jews in the time of the Old Testament For the clearing of this First of all we must inquire whether there be any difference between the Covenant made with the Jews in the day of the Old Testament and the Covenant made with us now and in case there be what is the difference and wherein it lyes And first If you ask whether there be any difference If I should answer with Divines ordinarily wherein they speak the truth I must say that the Covenant which God made with the Jews was for substance the same though different in administration but give me leave to express my own sense in my own terms thus 1. It is plain and clear that the Jews that were saved in the time of the Old Testament were saved by the same Covenant that we now are saved by for they were saved by the Covenant that God made with Abraham so are we Luke 11. Rom. 4. Gal. 3. Circumcision then was the Seal of the Covenant and what was Circumcision but a seal of the Righteousness of Faith The Ceremonies Types and Sacrifices did not belong to the Covenant of works they were Types of Christ and therefore it must needs be the same Covenant for it was a Covenant of works that was made with the Jews God should have brought them from better to worse for the Covenant of Grace was made with Abraham but though the Law was added after the Promise it could not disanul the Promise saith the Apostle in the 3. of Gal. So that its plain and cleaâ— the Jews that were then saved were saved by thâ— same Covenant that we now are But 2. Though those Jews that were saved werâ— saved by the same Covenant that we now are saved by yet notwithstanding the Covenant oâ— works was declared and promulged among thâ— Jews Wherefore then was the Law added saith thâ— Apostle Added then it was As Sarah and Hagar made types of the two Testaments by the Apostle Were at once in Abrahams house So the Old Covenant of Works and the New Covenant of Grace werâ— at once in the Jewish Church But 3. Though both these Covenants were at oncâ— in the Jewish Church the one declared and the other made with them though
made with Christ and his Seed and if you be Abrahams Seed then are you the Seed of Christ for you may see how they go together in the third Chapter of the Galathians Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made he saith not unto Seeds as of many but as of one and to thy Seed which is Christ And if you do believe as Abraham did then are you Abrahams Seed So that thus briefly you see who this Covenant is stricken with and who are the subjects of it 5. But then fifthly suppose I be in Covenant with the Lord or suppose I be not if I be not is there any great hurt suppose I be is there any great good Much every way give me leave to give you a little tast of it First If you be not in Covenant with God how can you expect any blessing mercy or deliverance from God for do but look into the Scripture and you shall find that all blessings mercies and deliverances come to the people of God by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant Will you instance in outward deliverancâ—s the World is not drowned again Why but because of the Covenant Will you instance in spiritual deliverances saith the Psalmist He commandeth redemption he remembreth the Covenant He maketh Redemption effectual by remembring the Covenant Or will you instance in both together see what is said in the 9th of Zech. 11. As for thee also by the blood of thy Covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water It includes both outward and spiritual deliverances So that now if you be not in Covenant with God what deliverance can you expect or what mercy seeing they all come by vertue of the Covenant and according to the Covenant But on the other side if you be in Covenant with the Lord then are you exalted and honoured yea greatly honoured For if it be an honour to be in League and Covenant with a great Prince What an honour is it to be in Covenant with the great God When God did speak to Abraham of striking a Covenant with him he falls down upon his face as if he should say Who am I that the great God should be in Covenant with me Again If God be in Covenant with you look whatever excellency there is in God that is made over to you for your use And as that King said to him that was in League with him My Horse is thine and my Men are thine and my Money is thine so when God enters into Covenant with a poor Soul he saith My Wisdome is thine and my Power is thine and my Love and Mercy is thine Whatever excellency there is in God is made over to you being in Covenant with him And if that you be in Covenant with the Lord then all his Retinue his Creatures and his Servants also are in Covenant with you in the 2d of Hos 21. It shall come to pass in that day I will hear saith the Lord I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl and they shall hear Jezreel Why vers 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness and in Judgement and in loving Kindness and in Mercies And then it shall come to pass that I will hear the Heavens and they shall hear the Earth c. So that if you be in Covenant with God then all his Retinue all his Creatures and all his Servants are in Covenant with you too And if you be in Covenant with the Lord then he is in Covenant with you and your Soul and your Body both not onâ—ly with your Body but with your Soul and not onely with your Soul but with your Body with your whole man and therefore if you dye the Covenant is not dissolved between God and you The Covenant may be dissolved between a Man and his Wife at Death but this Covenant can never be dissolved and though you sin and break with God God will not break with you I hate putting away saith he And then you may go to God as upon a Throne of Grace and look upon God as sitting in a Rainbow Oh what a mercy what a blessing is it to be in Covenant with the Lord But in case I be not in Covenant with God what shall I do to get into Covenant with him And in case I be in Covenant with God how shall I walk so as becometh one that is in Covenant with the great God Here are two Questions I shall speak briefly to them and conclude First Do you ask what you shall do to get into Covenant Are you affraid any of you that you are not yet in Covenant with the Lord and would you be in Covenant with the Lord Why then be sure of this that upon a right and good understanding of the nature of this Covenant you go to God and make your choise of this Covenant of Grace to stand and fall by The word Berith in the Hebrew for Covenant some think comes from a root that signifies to choose a man is in the Covenant that he chooses and every man is indeed as his choise is But then go and renounce the other Covenant of Works c. As the way to have a part in Christs Righteousness is to renounce all your own Righteousness so the way to have a share in this Covenant of Grace is to renounce the Covenant oâ— Works Then go to Christ as the Mediator of the Covenant and desire him to put you into this Covenant He struck the Covenant with God the Father at the first and he must put you into this Covenant for he is the Mediator of the Covenant go then to him as to the Mediator of the Covenant to put you into Covenant Then leave the weight and stress of your Guilty Soul upon this Covenant of Grace bear upon this stream of Grace here lay the weight of all for thâ— Promise is made ours by resting on it And what is this Covenant but an absolute Promise there then rest and leave the weight of your Souls And to say no more but this Then go unto the Lord and give your hand unto God and your self up to God as one willing to be led by him into all the things that the Covenant shall require In the times of the Old Testament when they made a Covenant they struck hands together In Ezra 10.19 it is said they gave their hands to put away their Wives and in the former verse they made a Covenant to do it They rose and made a Covenant to put away their Wives And we find in the 1 of Chronicles that when David was dead that all the people came together Chap. 24.24 And all the Princes and the Mighty Men and all the Sons likewise of King David submitted themselves unto Solomon the King the word in the
And the more sensible we are of the loss of our thought-pâ—ssessions and of our Meditations the more fit we shall be for this work of Meditation First therefore be very sensible of your want and neglect of this work of Meditation thus long 2. If you would meditate indeed on God and the things of God labour more and more for a Serious Spirit A frothy leight and giggling disposition is never fit for Meditation Labour therefore to be serious And there are three or four things that will poise and make your hearts serious The sight of the glorious Majesty of God The sense of your Eternal Condition Eternity Eternity Humiliation for Sin And converse with those that are serious Be serious and you will be more fit for Meditation That 's the Second 3. If you would indeed meditate on God and the things of God labour more and more for a Fixed Spirit Fixation of Spirit is a great friend to meditation An unsettled an unfixed soul cannot meditate Fix therefore first And there are many things that may fix your Spirits The great and weighty Judgments of God that are upon us may help to fix us and hang lead upon our heels In case you are to come to Meditation or any other Work come free and don 't leave any businesse standing at the Door for a hundred to one but your hearts will step out unto it at the time of your Work whether Meditation or Prayer or any thing else Therefore come free unto every Duty if you would be fixed And labour for Intention of Affection In Meditation Prayer or any other Work be Intense We use to say when the Candle burns the Mouse doth not nibble but when the Candle is out then the Mouse nibbles when our hearts are warm and lively in Prayer and Meditation we are free from distractions the Mouse nibbles not And in case you meet with any distraction in Meditation or other duty don't stand to Correct your heart in the time of the duty but go on with your work If a woman carries a Child abroad among friends and the Child cries and makes a disturbance the mother don't then correct the Child there but calls the Child to an account when she comes at home for saith she Else would my correction be a further disturbance to the company So here when you meet with distractions in duty if you call your hearts to an account then it will be a further disturbance but on with your present duty correct afterward and thus shall your hearts be the more fixed and fixation of heart is a great help to Meditation 4. If you would indeed meditate on God and the things of God be sure that you lay out such objects as may give entertainment to your thoughts For if there be no Corn in the Quern what grinding will there be Have therefore objects laid out to exercise your thoughts withal upon all occasions And so when you have any spare time your Objects lying by you will be presently upon the work of Meditation only let those Objects be such as are drawing alluring thought-begetting Objects and Thought-entertaining Objects But then 5. If you would meditate on God and the things of God strengthen your Love and Delight for Meditation grows upon the stalk of Love and Delight And the more a man doth love God and the things of God the more he meditates thereon Psal 119. O how I love thy Law what then It is my Meditation all the day this was much his meditation all the day What 's the reason Why his Love was beyond expression O how I love thy Law It is my meditation all the day Love loves to be thinking on the person loved It carries the Picture of the Person or thing loved up and down in its bosome the more you love the more you meditate and the more you delight the more you meditate Can a Woman forget her Child no why because she loves it Can a Worldly man forget the World his Money and his House or Land can he forget this no why because he loves them What 's the reason we meditate no more but because we love God no more Do but strengthen your love to God and the things of God and your delight in God and the things of God and you will meditate more This is the fifth means unto the work of Meditation Strengthen your love to and your delight in the Lord And then 6. If you would meditate on God and the things of God Then labour to get a deep Impression of the things of God upon your heart and soul 'T is deep impressions that calls for meditation A man reads the word of God and it may be understands it but he don't meditate Why because the word made no impression upon his heart as he went along But if he read it and understand it and hath an impression made upon his soul as he reads it then he thinks on 't afterwards As in hearing the Word of God a man hears the Word of God in Publick or in Private and he meditates not thereupon Why Why because it has no impression upon him Possibly a man may think of the free grace of God yet if it make no impression upon his soul he don't go away and meditate on it If a man think on the Wrath of God and it make an impression upon him he goes away and is still in the thoughts thereof What 's the reason that many poor souls troubled in Conscience are alwayes thinking of Hell and Judgement and Wrath but because the Wrath of God hath made a deep impression upon their souls and the more deep the impression is upon your soul the more full will your meditation be You see how it was in former times when they went in procession at the end of the Parish they would take up a Boy and whip him Why that he might remember the bounds of the Parish for Passion is the best Door-keeper of Memory And as passion is the Door-keeper of Memory so Impression is the Door-keeper of Meditation 7. If you would meditate on God and the things of God Take heed that your hearts and your hands be not too full of the world and the employments thereof The more full your hand is of worldly imployments the more you will think thereon and the more you think thereon the less you will think of Gâ—d and the things of God And what is the reason that many meditate and think so little of God and the things of God but because their hearts are so full of the World Where their treasure is there will their hearts bâ— O saith one I would think on God and I would meditate on God with all my heart but meditation-work is a work of time it will cost time and I have no time my hands are so full of business and so full of imployment I have no time for this work Meditation is not a transient Thought but it is a work of
to an outward holy Conversation Now then As ever you desire that the holiness of your Conversation may be advanced That you may be as godly now in your thoughts as ever you have been ungodly That God may take nothing unkindly from you That you may have a constant relief against all afflictions both inward and outward That you may live on God That your hearts may be subdued into God That God may give out his Loves unto you That you may be very godly That you may have a Testimony in your own souls that you are truly godly That you may suck out the sweetness of all the things you know That you may be let into the secret of Godliness and not stand at the door of Knowledg onely That you may never lose a pretious hour but redeem your time Now to the work of Meditation And you that have neglected it so long be not ashamed to begin it at last Gods Return to the Soul or Nation SERM. IX Psal 90.13 Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee Concerning thy Servants This Psalm is a Psalm of Moses the man of God Saith the title Wherein he doth strengthen his Faith and the Israelites Faith in God And shews the misery and frailty of mans life petitions God for his mercy He sets down the misery and frailty of mans life in the body of the Psalm But before in the beginning of the Psalm he doth strengthen his own and others Faith in God A man is never fit to look upon the troubles of this World and the miseries thereof till his heart be establisht in God by beleeving This therefore he doth in the first place by several Arguments of Comfort First drawn from their interest in God v. 1. Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all Generations As if he should say We are now in the Wilderness and so no abiding place well Thou hast bin our dwelling place in all Generations Faith finds that in God which we want here below and that 's the way to true Comfort The Second is drawn from the eternity of Gods essence and beeing v. 2. Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the World even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God The Third is drawn from our Resurrection Though now we die and are destroyed yet at the 3. v. Thou turnest man to destruction and sayâ—st Return ye Children of men Our Resurrection is an easy work with God it is but saying Thou sayest Return ye Children of men The Fourth is drawn from the shortness of the time that lies between our Death and the Resurrection for it will be said There 's a great deal of time between our Death and the Resurrection But saith he you must account as God accounts for at the 4th v. A Thousand yeers in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past And as a watch in the night These things being thus premised Now you may read over the miseries and troubles of this World Which you have at large from the 5. v. unto the 12. v. But what then what is the work and Duty of the Psalmist then Why then he Petitions God He petitions first for Wisdome That by all the troubles and miseries of this life he may provide and lay in for eternity So teach us to number our Daies that we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom v. 12. And then he petitions for the return of Gods love Returne O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy Servants Where you have the matter of the Petition The explication And the reason thereof The Matter of the Petition in those words Return O Lord. The Explication thereof And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants And the Reason How long Thou hast been long absent O Lord how long wilt thou be absent how long wilt thou be angry Return O Lord how long And let it repent thee concerning thy Servants God is said To return when after some Judgments for sin he doth shew forth some fresh tokens of his love and favour God is said To Repent when he doth change his dispensations of Anger into Love And this is that which the Psalmist doth here most desire From whence I take up this Doctrine or Observation Obs When God is in any measure departed from his people it is their great desire that God would return unto them and repent him concerning his Servants For the clearing and prosecuting of which First I shall labour to shew you that God doth sometimes forsake desert and depart from his own people for a time 2. That they are very sensible of such departures and think it long 3. That then in the time of those departures their great desire is that God would return and 4. That when God doth return unto his people then he doth repent him concerning his Servants and 5. What we should do in case God should be in any measure departed from us that he may return again unto us First As for the first God doth sometimes desert and forsake and depart from his people for a time Not in regard of their Union so he never departs But in regard of Communion and manifestation so sometimes he doth Though nothing is hid from the heat of this Sun yet our souls may be hid from the light of this Sun God doth sometimes depart from his own people For first He is the Sovereign Lord over all And what if God will to make his power and sovereignty known among his own people sometimes withdraw forsake and depart from them Two times you read in the Book of the Canticles that Christ withdraws from the Spouse Once upon occasion of her sin and security And then she meets with blows Cant. 5. Once upon an account of his meer pleasure Cant. 3. As whom God will he shews mercy to and whom he will he hardens So whom God will he is present with and whom he will he is absent from He is the Sovereign Lord over all But Secondly What if God will that his people should have a taste of hell in this life that so they may be sensible of and very thankful for their deliverance from hell and the wrath to come There are three things in hell Torment of Body Horror of Conscience Loss of God By our Pains and Torments Gouts and Stone we think of the Torments of Hell or may think By the horror of Conscience that we meet withall we may think of the horror of Conscience there And by Gods withdrawing and Gods departing from us here we may think of the losse of God for ever there These things are not in perfection here In heaven there is nothing but the presence of God and all the comforts there flow from that Fountain In hell there 's nothing but the absence of God and all the miseries there flow from that Fountain This life lyes between both And what if God will that we may be sensible
of his Love held in his Smiles this is the thing that they do most desire And therefore in the very beginning of the Cant. Kiss me with the kisses of thy Mouth This therefore being the thing that they do most desire the contrary must be the most afflictive 4. That must needs be most afflictive which hinders them in all their Injoyments Without the presence of God they have no injoyment their injoyments are as no injoyments the presence of God with them is the top of all their injoyments If the Sun be down 't is not all the Torches and Candles lighted up that will give you a day and if God be gone 't is not all your Creature-comforts will give you joy Take away the word MY and take away the word GOD you take away the comfort of the word GOD if you take away the word MY And therefore Whereas the Lord had used to call the Israelites his people and God had a little forsaken them he saith to Moses Thy people and the people but not my people But then 5. Thereby the Saints and people of God are exposed to great temptations When God goes the Devil comes And so far as God doth go so much the Devil comes if God do forsake and depart from a man as to final rejection then the Devil comes in a way of possession If God departs from a man in a way of desertion then the Devil comes in a way of temptation as God goes so the Devil comes Now Is it not a grievous thing for the Saints and People of God to be exposed to Temptations Thus they are by the departure of God and by the absence of God by the withdrawments of God No wonder therefore that Gods departure is the most afflictive to them And that 's the second 3. But then thirdly As the departings of God are the most afflictive to a gracious soul so when the Lord is in any measure departed it is the great desire of the Saints and people of God that God would return Not that God would take away his hand the Psalmist doth not say so We are afflicted Lord take away our affliction no but return O Lord how long They do not say We are in this or that distress Take away this distress and misery from us No But return O Lord. This is the great thing that they do most desire When God is gone in any measure or departed from them their great desire is that God would return unto them and it must needs be so For First What is the presence of God but the most desirable thing in the world When the dayes of refreshing shall come from his presence 'T is the presence of Christ that will make the Day of Judgment a Day of refreshing God's presence is the Saints pleasure In it there is a filling up of our indigent Nature In it there is the obtainment of our last end with the knowledge thereof In it there is an universal good Gods presence is the most desirable thing in all the world No wonder then that when God is departed in any measure the Saints should above all things in the world desire that God would return again But Secondly God never returns empty handed to his people If a Husband be long absent from his Wife he will not return empty handed I am sure God will not return empty handed unto his people When he hath stricken them he will let out more love unto them then ever before It was a sad and a sharp dispensation that the Basket of good Figgs should be carried away Captive with the Basket of bad Figgs but see how God returns unto them not empty handed Jer. 24. The word of the Lord came unto me saying Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel like these good Figgs so will I acknowledge them that are carried away Captive of Judah whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good for I will set mine eyes upon them for good and I will bring them again to this Land and I will build them and not pull them down and I will plant them and not pluck them up and I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God For they shall return unto me with their whole heart See how God returns when he returns he doth not return empty handed unto his people When God returns unto you he will not onely pay you the principal of your Injoyment but will pay you all your forbearance-mony too But Thirdly and especially Take the Saints and people of God and where do they live but in the love of Christs Person not of his benefits not of his Comforts but they live in the love of his Person Look into the Book of the Cant. and you shall find how the heart of Christ is drawn out in love to the Person of the Spouse Let me hear thy voice saith he for thy voice is sweet and thy Countenance is comely how fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse thy lipps Oh my Spouse drop as the Hony-Comb and so he goes on insisting in his love upon the Person So doth the Spouse also towards him my beloved is altogether lovely and as you read my beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among Ten Thousand And so she goes on Thus love is drawn out towards the Person of Christ Now If this be the spirit and if this be the disposition of the Saints and the people of God that they live in love to the Person of Christ then no wonder that when Christ is with-drawn they do above all things desire that he would returne again This must needs be for they live in the love of his Person and not of his benefits not of his Comforts Therefore above all things they say Return O Lord return Fourthly when the Lord doth return unto his people he doth then Repent him concerning his Servants Return O Lord how long and let it repent thee concerning thy Servants For the opening and cleering of this four things briefly First What it is for God to Repent 2. Whether God doth at any time repent or will at any time repent 3. How it may appear that when God returns unto his people that then he will repent him concerning his Servants And 4. How should we know in the Day and time of Gods departure from us that God will again return unto us 1. As for the first If you aske what it is for God to repent I Answer It is to change the dispensation of his anger God don't repent by the changing of his affection but he repents by the changing of his dispensation As when a man is writing and he blotts out what he hath written he repents that he had wrote such a thing So when God is writing hard things against his people in a way of dispensation and he shall blott out that
Children Such plate the Lord hath much of here and he will not lose his plate therefore he will return again Though he may afflict and afflict sorely yet he will return again 2. God will never go while prayer staies If there be a praying spirit and a spirit of prayer be up in this Nation conclude that God is not quite gone but he will return again 3. You may know it by the Providential Pledges that the Lord sends you God was very much displeased with Jonah you know he threw him over-board into the Sea but then he appointed a Whale to receive him to give him entertainment To provide a Chamber of Preservation even in the Belly of destruction What did this signifie It signified thus much that God would deliver him afterwards this Providence was a Pledg for after-deliverance So David was hunted in the Wilderness by Sauâ— but in the Wilderness God gave Saul into his hand What did that signifie That present deliverance did signifie to David an after-deliverance Now though God be gone and greatly departed from us here Have you not many Providential Pledges of his Love What think you of the house that should have been blown up with fire lately What doth it signifie but thus much That God doth mind to restrain the remnant of their rage How many Pledges Providential pledges have we had of Gods return therefore let us say Yet God will return again But 4ly If your estate and condition be such upon which the Lord will deliver for his Names sake and with a Notwithstanding then why should you not conclude that God will return again Friends There is a time when God will deliver his people for his Names sake and with a notwithstanding all their sins and notwithstanding all his own displeasures Nevertheless he saved them for his Names sake Psal 106. And when is that that God will deliver a people for his Names-sake and with a nâ—twithstanding Look into the 44. Psal and you shall see when Look when a people do suffer for his Names-sake then God will deliver for his Name sake Arise for our help and redeem us for thy Mercy sake Why at the 22. v. For thy sake we are killed all the day long and accounted as Sheep for the slaughter Therefore Lord arise for thy Name sake For for thy sake are we killed When a people suffer for God's Names sake then God will deliver for his Names sake then God will deliver with a notwithstanding How is it with you now You are in a suffering day but are not all your sufferings for the Name of Christ Be of good comfort then though God may be departed and your City destroyed yet he is nâ—t quite gone but will return again But then 5ly What shall we do that God may return again Answer Still I will cary it on in answer to both the Cases If this Question do relate unto your own particular souls If you say God is now gone from me what shall I do that God may return to my soul again I answer briefly First Be sure of this that you keep your door open the door of your hearts open for Christ's return When the Master is abroad the servant fits up to keep the door open for his coming in 2. Be sure of this that now in the time of Christs absence you neglect no duty though very unsâ—voury to you The more unsavoury the duty now is unto you through the absence of Christ the more acceptable unto Christ 3. Be sure that you go and stand there where Christ uses to be And let me tell you this If you cannot find him where he uses to be you shall find him where he uses not to be as you read in Cant. 3. 4. Then be sure of this that you be not foolish with other lovers in the time of his absence Lâ—st he bear thereof and come home no more 5. Be sure of this also that you do gather in upon Christ by all those words and by all those things whereby he seems to put you away from him As the Woman of Canaan true Lord but the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which made Christ turn in again Oh Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt But then 6. Be sure that you send unto him one way or other and tell him that you are sick of love unto his Person Then he returns And 7. Now say Lord though thou killest me yet will I trust in thee Friends it was Faith that brought Christ and your souls together at the first and it must be Faith that must bring Christ and your souls together after a desertion Whatsoever therefore the displeasure of the Lord be upon you say Lord Though thou killest me I will trust in thee Though I cannot see thee yet I will trust in thee and wait upon thee But then Secondly suppose it be the case of the Nation God is departed in a great measure who doth not see it What shall we therefore now do that God may return unto us again Friends Truly it is not an easie thing to bring God back again when he is in a way of displeasure towards a people The Lord was angry and sorely displeased with Jonah The Mariners prayed Jonah confest his sin and yet the storm ceased not yet God goes on I say 't is not an easie thing to bring God back to a Nation when he is once in a way of displeasure against a people And some times the Lord will never return unto a people again The case of the Gaderens in the matter of their Hogs The whole City came unto Christ and besought him to be gone And away he went and we don't read that ever he came there again Sometimes he will return again but with reserves of after-Judgments In Exod. 32. Moses prayed and the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people v. 14. But saith he v. 34. Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them Nevertheless For all I thus repent me and for all I do thus return unto them nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them Sometimes I say he doth return with reserves of after-Judgments yet if you look into the 3d. of Deut. the thing is exprest The Lord will judge his people and repent himself for his Servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Well but then what shall we do It is too manifest God is in a great measure gone from us and departed from us what shall we do now that God may return again unto this Nation First Be sure that you make your peace with Christ Christ is this day offended his Gospel and Institutions trampled upon A Prophet will the Lord your God raise up among you hear ye him if not he will not pardon you that is Christ He that sins against the great Remedy shall be
Child yet he did not pray for a Child for he could not believe that he should have a Child so that God gave him a Child in a way of preventing mercy and yet it was in answer of prayer too So here in the Text Thou hast given him his hearts desire and hast not with-holden the request of his lips for thou hast prevented him with the blessings of thy goodness Why why although the mercy received may be an answer of prayer in regard of the body of it yet it may come in a way of preventing love as to the moreness of it so it was with David so with Hezekiah and so with Zacharias That 's a fourth thing God doth sometimes prevent as in reference to our prayer giving in mercy beyond all our prayers 5. And then fifthly As God doth prevent us in reference to our prayers so in reference to our believing thoughts or expectances When the Lord turned the Captivity of Zion we were like them that dreamed why were we as them that dreamed Why truly we never looked for it nor expected it we did not think on it it was beyond all our expectations Thus God doth prevent us sometimes in reference to our expectances to our faith and to our thoughts 6. As he thus prevents us with his mercy in reference to our thoughts and faith and expectance so in reference to his own promises and the conditions thereof if I promise a man a kindness upon a condition and do that kindness for him when he hath not performed the condition then I prevent him with kindness Now the Lord hath promised many a mercy upon a condition and yet given the mercy when we have not performed the condition I said sayes David I would confess my sin and thou Lord forgavest my iniquity Lord thou hast made a promise of forgiveness upon condition of our confession and humiliation I did not go so far I did but say I would confess my sin and thou prevented'st me with thy forgiving Love Thus now you see how and in what respects God doth prevent us with his mercy he doth prevent us with his mercy in reference to our deservings in reference to his own proceedings of Common Providence in reference to all our Prayers in reference to our Faith and Expectance in reference to our Preparedness and in reference to his own Promises and the conditions thereof That 's the Second III. Well but then thirdly what are those choice blessings wherewith God will prevent his people What not But the greater the blessing is the more it is steeped in Preventing Love There are outward blessings and there are inward blessings there are temporal blessings and there are eternal blessings Now though the preventing love of God doth shine forth in all yet the greater the blessing or the mercy is the more it is irradiated with the beams of preventing Love Will ye instance 1. First Will ye instance in the great matter of our Redemption What greater mercy or blessing then our Redemption in and by Jesus Christ that 's of Grace in whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of his Grace And when Christ came into the World in reference to our Redemption to take our Nature upon him do but see what a pack of wicked men were then extant upon the ground in the Luke 3.1 Now in the fifteenth year of the Reign of Tiberius Caesar there s one Pontius Pilate being Governour of Judea there 's another and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee there 's another and his Brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea Annas and Caiphas being High-Priests the Word of God came unto John the Son of Zacharias in the Wilderness And why was Christ born in such a time as this and among such Company but all to shew that the work of our Redemption was to be carried on in a way of Preventing Love 2. Or will ye instance in the matter of our Conversion What greater mercy or blessing then our Conversion yet look into the 33 of Job and you shall see how that Mercy comes swimming down the stream of preventing Love God speaketh once yea twice and yet man perceiveth it not What then In a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the bed then he openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction 3. Or will ye instance in the matter of our Justification What greater mercy or blessing then that of our Justification Yet this also comes swimming down the stream of preventing Love for he justifies the ungodly And in the 4th of the Romans it is said of Abraham that he was justified not yet circumcised for we say that faith was reckoned to him for righteousness vers 9. How was it then reckoned When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision not in circumcision but in uncircumcision Why why not in circumcision but in his uncircumcision but to shew that this mercy of Justification must be carryed on in a way of preventing Love 4. Or will ye instance in the matter of our Sanctification What greater mercy then to be truly sanctified Yet this also comes swimming down the stream of preventing Love I will wash ye with clean water Such and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified in the Name of the Lord. This also in a way of preventing Love 5. Will ye instance in the matter of Consolation What greater mercy tâ—en for a poore drooping soul to be truly comforted This also comes in a way of preventing Love e're ever I was aware before I was aware saith the Spouse My Soul was as the Charets of Aminadab I was unwilling to receive the Promise my Soul refused to be comforted but e're ever I was aware my Soul was as the Charets of a willing people of Aminadab that is of a willing people When Christ was dead how sad was Mary Christ did but come unto her and say Mary and she was comforted 6. Will ye instance in the Revelation of the truths of the times What greater blessing then for a man to be well acquainted with the truth of the times in opposition to Antichrist Now sayes John in the 1 of Revel when these truths were given out I heard a voice behind me before I was aware God prevented me acquainting me with these truths of the Revelations 7. Or will ye instance in outward blessings or mercies then I 'le appeal to you In the great turnings of your lives hath not God prevented you with his blessings It is true we are to trade in a way of Prayer to gain outward blessings and mercies but I say when ever did you meet with any great turn of your life but it was cast by preventing Love before Prayer came in So that do ye ask what are those choise blessings wherewith God will prevent his people You see here what they are So I have done with the third thing
this preventing love that is so sweet to a gracious soul to a thankful heart 1. The more immediately that any mercy doth come out or Gods hand and the less it runs through ours the more sweet it is Water is sweetest out of the Fountain Now preventing mercy comes immediately out of the hands of God and runs not through our hand at all nor through the hand of the second cause at all therefore must needs be very sweet But Secondly The more costless or less costly to us any mercy is the sweeter it is Possibly a kindness may cost more to keep it then it is worth Suppose a man promise me or give me wood the cutting down of the wood and bringing it home may cost me more then the wood is worth So a kindness may cost one more care then the thing it self doth amount unto But now preventing mercy cost me nothing it is cut down to my hand it is brought into my hand it is costless mercy it cost me nothing surely therefore it is very sweet 3. But then again Thirdly The more perfect and compleat and entire any mercy is the sweeter it is Half-mercies are not so sweet as whole Preventing mercy is compleat and entire In the 16 of Ezek. you may see what a compleat mercy is there given I washed thee with water vers 9. I throughly washed away thy Blood and I annoynted thee with oyntment I cloathed thee also with broydered work and shod thee with Badgers skin and I girded thee about with fine linnen and I covered thee with silk I decked thee also with Ornaments and I put bracelets upon thine hands and a Chain on thy neck and I put a Jewel on thy forehead and ear-rings in thine eares and a beautifull Crown upon thine head and so he goes on What mercy was this It was preventing mercy I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own blood and said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloody live So then preventing mercy is the most compleat mercy and it must needs be so for it comes immediately out of Gods hand and not through the hand of the second cause That that comes immediately put of Gods hand not running through the hand of the second cause is most compleat Upon this account our Justification is more perfect and compleat then our Sanctification because it comes immediately out of the hand of God and not out of our own hand In Justification our guilt is removed in Sanctification our filth is removed our guilt is offensive to our selves our filth is offensive to God Now one would think God should rather take away all our filth that is offensive to himself then all our guilt that is offensive to us no but our Justification is perfect our Sanctification not perfect why because our Justification comes immediately out of the hand of God and doth not run through our own hand for though we be justified by our Faith yet it is as Faith is Gods Instrument not as our act Now the more immediately that any mercy comes out of the hand of God and the less out of our hand the more perfect and compleat it is So doth preventing mercy do and therefore must needs be very sweet 4. Again Fourthly The more that any mercy doth correct difficulty and sweeten duty the sweeter is that mercy Now preventing love doth correct difficulty and it doth sweeten duty See it in Zacheus what an hard and great work was he upon Lord sayes he the half of my goods I give to the poor Stay then suppose his Estate was a thousand pounds he would have but five hundred pounds left and Lord sayes he If I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation I restore him fourfold Suppose he had wronged men to the value of a hundred pounds there 's four hundred pounds more gone so there 's but a hundred pounds left of a thousand What an hard work is this yet mark how easily he comes off to this hard work Behold Lord why he had drunk deep of preventing love Zacheus come down sayes Christ for to day I must abide at thine house Christ doth not come and say Zacheus give half thy goods to the poor and if thou hast wronged any man restore him fourfold and then I will come to thy house no but Zacheus Come down for this day I must abide at thy house preventing him with his love and then this hard work comes off easily There is nothing will correct difficulty and sweeten duty more then preventing love therefore preventing love must needs be sweet And thus now you see what there is in preventing love that is so sweet to a gracious soul That is the Fifth VI. But now Sixthly and Lastly You will say Suppose I have tasted of preventing love and mercy suppose I have had experience of it for I must needs say this is my case for I was going on in the way of my sin and God prevented me many a time with his preventing Grace I have been backward to and dull in duty and God hath many a time prevented me with assisting Grace I have been full of unbeleef and said I am cast off and shall never see the face of God again but the Lord hath prevented me with his comforting grace and with the shines of his face I was galloping to Hell as fast as I could but God hath prevented me with his saving Grace And as for my outward Estate in the World I was low and knew not what to do and God prevented me with such a Gift such a House and Land what hath my life been but a Bundle of preventing mercy if any have drunk deep of this preventing grace I may say I have much more Now what is my Duty that doth flow from hence 1. If you have tasted of Gods preventing love and mercy if God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness why then should not your hearts be filled with the sense thereof why should not your thoughts be much thereupon How God hath prevented you at such a time in such a thing The more sense you have of Gods preventing love and mercy the more humbly you will walk with God and the more closely especially considering that God will not upbraid you If a man takes a Beggar from the Dunghil and makes her his Wife prevents her with his love and kindness the sense of his preventing love will make her walk humbly all her dayes unless the man upbraid her with it if he upbraids her with it it will not make her walk humbly but unless he upbraids her with it the sense of it will make her walk humbly all her dayes Friends God doth prevent us with his love and will not upbraid us with his preventions and therefore why should we not walk humbly and why should we not think much thereon and have our hearts filled with the
sense thereof The more necessary and useful any mercy is the more we are engaged to think thereon Some mercies are more necessary and some less necessary Those mercies and blessings we put God upon the giving of with our own desires we may suspect are less necessary but those that God gives us in a way of preventing love we may think them most necessary This is the wâ—y of preventing love surely therefore we are ingaged to think much thereon thus ye become Gods Darlings by his preventing love The World hath its Darlings such a one lyes long in bed takes little pains yet the World flows in upon him the World prevents him he is the Worlds Darling another man is up early and late takes a great deal of pains and yet is Poor but here 's a man do what he will yet he grows Rich for he is the Worlds Darling So now you have blessing upon blessing and in a way of prevention What doth this argue but that you are Gods Darlings And will you not think much of this O think much thereon 2. If you have tasted of this preventing love and mercy go away and be very thankfull to God upon this account Shall David be thankfull to the Lord for preventing him taking him from the Sheep-fold and will not you be thankfull for preventing mercy Shall Ruth be thankfull to Boaz for preventing her with his Kindness spreading his skirt over her and will not you be thankfull to the Lord for his preventing love to you Why should ye not all say with David here He hath prevented me with the blessings of his goodness Indeed I was a great sinner but he hath prevented me with his Justifying Mercy and I was a wandring creature as a lost sheep but he hath prevented me with his Redeeming Mercy Gpd spake once and twice unto me and I heard it not but in the deep sleep of my soul then did he open mine ears and seal instruction on me before I was aware therefore all that is within me blesse the Lord. O you that are thus prevented blesse the Lord for this his preventing mercy his sweet mercy 3. But thirdly If you have tasted of Gods preventing mercy and have indeed been prevented with the blessings of his goodness even your very prayers have been prevented with the blessings of his goodness Why then should ye not be early up and sooner at your prayers that if it may be you may prevent Gods mercy with your prayers as God hath prevented your prayers with his mercy When a Master comes into the Chamber where his Servant lyes and finds him in bed what sayes the Servant if he be ingenious This my Masters coming into my bed-chamber before I was up is a plain rebuke to my sloth I will be up the sooner hereafter So sayes a gracious ingenious soul Gods preventing my prayer with his mercy is a plaine rebuke to my prayer wherefore awake prayer up prayer through the grace of God I will never be so tardy again with my Prayer and Duty but as God hath prevented my prayer with his mercy so through grace I will prevent his mercy with my prayer for the time to come 4. If you have tasted of Gods preventing mercy and God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness why then should ye not all labour to be like unto God in your dealings with men preventing them with your loving kindness You think it a great matter to forgive a man that hath injured you upon acknowledging of his fault but God prevents us with his forgiveness before we acknowledge and be humbled therefore why should you not labour to be like to God therein If a man hath done you a wrong or injury do not stand upon it to have his acknowledgement but say I will be like to God God prevents me with his love before my acknowledgement therefore through Grace I will prevent this man with my kindness before his acknowledgement I will forgive him Thus labour to be like unto God in all your dealings with men 5. But Fifthly and Lastly If you have tasted of this preventing love and God hath indeed prevented you with the blessings of his goodness why then why should ye not trust in the Lord for ever Whatsoever your condition be trust in the Lord and believe for ever now for your souls for your bodies Some there are that doubt of their Salvation of the salvation of their Souls Ah sayes one I am afraid I shall not be saved because my prayer cannot be accepted But will the Lord be found of those that seek him not and will he not be found of you that seek him Though your prayers are poor prayers Ah sayes another I am afraid the Lord will not receive me when I come to him he will not receive me No But if the Lord comes to us first and makes a tender and offer of his Grace to us if he seeks us will he not receive them think you that seek him Surely he will Some there are that doubt in reference to their outward condition and say they shall want Provision shall want Estates to maintain them but hath the Lord prevented you with his mercy in the great turns of your life why then should you not trust in the Lord though you see no means at all how you should be supplyed Heretofore God hath prevented you with his mercies and why should you not say God hath prevented me heretofore therefore now I 'le trust in him though I see no means of supply Whatsoever your condition be trust in the Lord now upon this account and believe believe Let me say this to you Would you believe Do you desire to believe Yes I desire to believe do ye Then let your eye be fixed upon Gods preventing love What is the reason that men do not believe but because their eyes are fixed no more stedily upon preventing love The more you know God is willing to help you the more you will believe I believe that you will say Now I pray then tell me Suppose a man comes to a Beggar and before the Beggar asks the man gives him money will not the Beggar conclude that this man was willing to relieve him Yes Thus now it is we beg and we beg but it is as no begging then comes the Lord and prevents us with his mercy will you not say the Lord is willing to shew mercy Surely he is Now therefore seeing God is thus willing to shew mercy O then believe you that have gone doubting and fearing and trembling all your dayes for shame now believe Have you tasted of Gods preventing mercy time after time in the matter of your Justification in the matter of your Sanctification in the matter of your Consolation and in reference to your outward Concernments O trust in the Lord for ever upon this account and magnifie the freeness of his Grace Now go away and say through free Grace I 'le doubt no more Upon all occasions trust in the Lord O you that have been made partakers of preventing mercy FINIS