be careful of his people in days of great distress and trouble I answer he doth it for two or three reasons 1. For the love he bears them and the interest that he hath in them he hath an interest in his people they are neer unto him in a neer relation and he hath great love to them therefore it is he especially bears an eye to his people and looks after them that things may go well with them in the days of evil some Scriptures you have to this purpose That Jer. 30.10 11. Fear not O my servant Jacob c. though saith God I make a full end of other Nations and people I will save thee Truely one might have replyed to the Lord as Judas did not Iscariot And why us Lord and why not the world Because thou art Jacob my servant thou art Israel a people that I have interest in therefore I will look after thee and shew kindness unto thee I will do it for that reason and add to this that Jer. 43.4 Observe here I will give men for thee and people for thy life What is the meaning of that I will let my wrath and rage vent it self upon the world but I will spare my people Why so I have loved them therefore I will give men for them hundreds of men God will give for his people they are neer the heart of God therefore he is pleased to exercise this peculiar kindness to them 2. He doth it because of the preciousness and worth that is in them not that a Saint by nature is better then others but through grace he is become a choice and precious one and because of the worth choiceness and excellency of a gracious soul God loves him The Saint is an excellent piece The righteous is more excellent then his neighbor It may be the righteous man is in a poor low condition in the world his neighbor a great rich man abounding in the things of this world and yet for all that the righteous is more excellent then his neighbor God hath a great care of his people and that because they are precious Isa 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable and I have loved thee therefore others shall dye and thou shalt be saved Why namely because thou art precious in my sight I see a worth in thee and an excellency in thee and therefore others shall go for thee they shall perish but thou shalt be preserved In Psal 116.15 David hath an expression to this purpose Precious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints and the Psalmist gives this as a reason why the Lord did preserve him when time was saith he Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psal 72.14 You have a Scripture something of like nature Precious shall their blood be in his sight 3. But one reason more Why the Lord in common calamities is especially careful of his people it is because they trust God with themselves they charge God with them and God will be faithful to his charge he will not betray his trust he is the hope of his people So Jer. 14.8 Oh thou the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble So Jer. 17.16 17. As for me I have not hastened from being a Pastor to follow thee nor have I desired the woful day be not a terror unto me Thou art my hope in the day of evil Oh saith the Lord think upon me I desire to be faithful unto thee to mind thee in thy work and follow thee in thy way and I have not desired the evil day thou knowest that that came out of my lips was right before thee and thou are my hope Mind it this was the reason why God did give Jeremiah a special preservation it was because he made the Lord his trust Jer. 39.18 For I will surely deliver thee c. thou hast committed the keeping thy self unto me therefore I will be good to thee and I will preserve thee It is worth the thinking of that the Lord doth it because his people tâ—ust in him Thus much for confirmation of the point and the Reasons of it Object But you will say If this be a truth this may be objected If the Lord chuse to have a particular respect unto his people in times of common calamity how comes it to pass that any of his people should fall in such a dispensation as we sometimes see they do To that I answer There are these reasons why notwithstanding Gods special care of his people in common calamities somâ— of them do fall therein it is for one or more of these reasons usually 1. It is sometimes through unbelief God keeps them while they trust him but when their trust fails then the promise fails and God is not a security to them it is sometimes through unbelief so we find it in the case of Israels going to Canaan there were abundance fell in the wilderness and truely among those that fell we may think there were some upright ones that had grace in their hearts but yet they distrusted God they thought the journey was long and tedious and the way was difficult therefore they fell in the wilderness it was because of their unbelief By whom was he grieved fourty years in the wilderness Was it not by them whose carcases fell in the wilderness To whom he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest Heb. 3.17 18 19. And why entered they not because of unbelief So it is in this case God makes special promises of preservation but when the faith of his people failes sometimes God suffers them to lose the fruit of the promise 2. When his people sin as the world doth then he causeth them to taste of judgement with the world when they keep not clear from the sin for which God contends he suffers them to fall in and by the judgements wherewith he contends So in that of the Revelations Partake not of her sins lest you partake of her plagues in which words you have a promise and a threatning promise if you do not partake of her sin then you shall not suffer with her but if you do you may expect to share with her in judgement and therefore you find Moses a choice servant and he suffered in the wilderness as well as the rest and it was because he sinned as they did that dyed in the wilderness Numb 27.12 Why might he not go into Canaan VVhy saith he For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin c. You rebelled when the Congregation rebelled and therefore for that reason although it was the one time that Moses did miscarry in his way towards Canaan and yet for joyning with the people in that one sin of murmuring he was cut short of Canaan and so it is in cases of common calamity if we sin with the world we may be led to suffer
the Description I told you the soul is renewed Old things must pass away Christ must be sanctification as well as Righteousness John 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God There must be a new Birth a new work of God must pass upon the soul that renewing work it is in all the powers and faculties of the soul The old Nature it is in some measure weakened in all the faculties of the soul though not wholly driven out of any of them There is something of God spread over the whole soul but yet not so but that there is room for the soul to complain as Paul did Rom. 7.3 Who shall deliver me from this body of death The soul it is brought to thoughts of God that once it had not and thoughts of sin that once it had not it is a real though but an imperfect work it is a work really begun upon the soul really wrought upon the heart though not presently perfected It is an earnest and pledge of that that shall be wrought out and compleated in the season thereof Now here is the question you are to put to your hearts What beginnings of this Work have you upon your souls Hâ—ve you thoughts of God you had not and thoughts of sin you had not and thoughts of holiness that you were once utter strangers unto 4. This is in the description the soul is made to be for Christ Titus 2.13 14. Who gave himself for us that he might purifie to himself a peculiar people c. Christ did purchase a people to himself Time was thou wert all for sin and Sathan but now thou art for Christ thy Vote is on his side though sometimes sin and Sathan may carry it against thee 5. The bent of the heart is for God the ship that is bound for the Indies a long voyage it meets with many cross winds and is often driven back but yet being bound for the same place it still sets out with the first fair wind and makes forward as much as it can It is thus with the soul that shall stand with Christ it is bound for God for heaven it meets with many cross winds the winds makes the waves of the sea boisterous and the soul is brought back again to as bad or it may be to its own apprehension a worse condition then at first when it set out for God yet bound for God it is and therefore it improves all its opportunities for God that is the bent and frame of such a soul Isa 26.8 The desires of our soul are toward thee c. 6. It is desirous to be found in the whole will of God not that it is always found in the will of God but yet the desires are after it that is the inclination of the heart to be found in the whole will of God in one part as well as another Caleb was a type of them that shall stand before Christ Num. 14.24 But my servant Caleb because he had another spirit and had followed the Lord fully c. He was to go to Canaan and he was a type of all that shall inhabit the heavenly Canaan that shall sit down in the land of rest they are persons of such spirits that they are willing to follow the Lord fully to be found in the whole will of God in the duties of the first Table in the worship of God with his people in their family Psal 4.3 Therefore called the godly man They are for the second Table-duties to do the duty of their places and relations towards God and all men therefore Tit. 2.11 The grace of God teacheth to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts c. Now see how is it with thee thou hast corruptions remaining sin dwelling in thee and thou art found but little in the way and work of God but which way is the bent of thy heart which way do the strongest desires of thy heart run 7. It is willing not onely to do but to suffer for God to be true to his name his honor and glory whatever it may cost him to submit his life liberty estate honor or whatever he hath to the will of Christ if the Lord wills me to suffer I will undergo it if I may but any way further and promote his glory that is the requirement of Christ in Mark 8.38 Whoever shall be ashamed of me c. he that will not own Christ and his way and work in the face of the utmost hazard that he can run he shall not be owned of Christ when he shall come so Rev. 2. Fear none of those things be faithful to death c. So consider and commune with your spirits in this matter are you willing to do his will and suffer his will is it the design of your spirits to stand perfect in the whole will of God It is good if so and such as I have here described shall be sure to stand before Christ whoever be rejected in that day And this brings me to the fifth thing to shew you what is the best frame that the soul should be most ambitious of and that will best fit it to stand before the Son of mâ—n What is the best frame â—o stand before Christ in the day of Christ There are these five things necessary if you would be able to meet Christ without any consternation of spiâ—it if you would be able to meet him with setled confidence boldness besides what I have already laid down Five things are needful 1. To have the love of God in Christ witnessed and sealed up to the soul It is a great mercy to have an interest in Christ to have taken hold on his righteousness but it is a further and greater mercy to have the love of God in Christ witnessed and manifested and sealed up to the soul by the Spirit of Christ souls this is that mercy which the Saints have been breathing after Psal 4.6 Lift up the light of thy countenance upon us this is that mercy which the Saints have prized above the dearest and best of all the mercies of this life Psal 163.3 Because thy loving kindness is better then life c. life is better then any other thing in this world but the love of God manifested to the soul that is better then life this is that that the Saints of God have travelled for and for which they are travelling for which they are waiting upon the Lord from time to time and from duty to duty this is that that their souls are set upon Psal 77.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord to behold his face c. Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee c. This is that the soul of the Psalmist was seeking after this is that that carries the soul couragiously and comfortably through the most rugged and unpleasing paths
and passages it meets with in this world Rom. 5.3 We glory in tribulations and what is it that makes the soul glory in tribulation says he Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit of God that is the instrument to do that work upon the soul that is it that makes the soul rejoyce in and go chearfully through whatever irksome providence it may possibly meet with in the world it hath the light of Gods countenance a sence of his love and favour it hath the good will of God sealed up to it by the Spirit of Christ and this is that that will give the soul the greatest boldness in the day of Christ 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Give all diligence that you may be found of him in peace c. by this means you shall be carryed with the greatest chearfulness and comfort unto the day and coming of our Lord Jesus 2. This is needful that the soul be weaned from this world and dis-ingaged to all the intanglements and incumbrances of it that it sit loose from the cares and comforts of this world this is requisite to be the frame of those that would meet with Christ with comfort and boldness You shall find the things of this world are of a very hurtful tendency to the souls of â—he Saints they do a wonderful deal of harm they are often a means to carry off the heart from God if it be not exceedingly careful therefore Christ gives this counsel Mat. 6.25 Therefore I say unto you Take no thought for your life c. be not much taken up with the things and concernments of this life Why what is the hazard why saies he in vers 4. No man can serve two masters c. Let not the heart run out too much after the world for fear the world take the heart away from God a man cannot have his heart too much let out to this world but it will draw the soul too much from Christ 2 Tim. 2.3 4. Thou therefore indure hardness No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life If you are for Christ and ever mean to do Christ any service make this your care that the heart be not taken up with the concerns of this life if you let it out to things below Christ will have little of your love and little of your service by this means so that I say is an excellent frame in order to the meeting with Christ with the greatest comfort and boldness Luk. 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time c. take heed your hearts are not swallowed up with things below and so that day come upon you unawares whosoever hath his heart too much ingaged in the things of this life the day of Christ will take him at a disadvantage he will not be able to meet Christ with so much boldness as otherwise he might Christ in Luk. 12. gives his disciples this counsel vers 35. Let your loyns be girded about c. What must we be if we would be found in the greatest posture of fitness for the Lord Why let your loyns be girded about The loyns here is that that is called elsewhere the loyns of the mind 1 Pet. 1.13 Now these are the affections and workings of the heart which must be girt up and not suffered to hang loose to the things of this world not suffered to wander after the concernments of this world that will not do well but you mu t have them setled upon and kept close to due and proper objects Affections set on things above is a spirit fit to meeâ— with Christ in 3. Thiâ— iâ— needful that grace be in its act and exercise I tell you the soul may have grace in the heart but yet if you would meet with Christ with that boldness and comfort that it is fit we should aim at it is necessary moreover that the habit be drawn forth into exercise Grace in the heart of a Saint it is not there to be useless but it is there seated that it may from thence shine forth Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men c. The exercise of Grace is a very grateful and pleasing thing to our Lord Jesus he takes very much delight in it Cant. 2.14 Come saies he let me see thy countenance c. The exercise of Grace in a Saint is pleasing and delightful to our Lord Jesus Christ and then is it that Grace is in its excellency then the sweetness of it is manifested when it is exercised Cant. 1.12 saies the Spouse When the King sits at his table my spicknard sends forth the smell thereof That Spicknard and other precious Oyntments represent the Graces of the Spirit of God in the heart of a Saint and when she did attend upon God in ways of Duty saies she My Grace is at work and then it sends forth its smells The sweetness of Grace is not found but in its exercise and it is then when Grace is in exercise that a soul is fit to meet Christ It wâ—s not the commendation nor the mercy of the wise Virgins that They slumbred and slept Mat. 25.5 And they knew it was not therefore it is said tâ—ey arose and trimmed their Lamps they roâ—zed up themselves and stirred up the Gâ—ace of God that was in them This is that that Christ calls for Luke 12.35 Let your loins be girt about and your Lamps burning The burning of the Lamps is the exercise of Grace it may be thou hast thy Lamp but Oh! labour that it may be a buâ—ning â—nd shining Lamp to have thy Grace acting and displaying it self thâ—â— is your Duty and you will meet with Christ with much the more comfâ—rt If Goâ— should come how little of this would he finde in us our pride is working our covetousness our 〈◊〉 â—nd animosity and such like But who of us can say that Grace is in exercise Well that is the third thing requisite in order to the meetâ—ng Christ with comfort and boldness 4. Communion with God and a holy conversation maintained and kept up is very necessary if we would meet with Christ with comfort and boldness Communion with God which are those sweet interchanges of love between God and the soul the preserving and maintaining as well as getting whereof is much the duty and much the excellency and glory of a Christian to carry it so that you may not give Christ occasion to stand as a stranger unto the soul to preserve the Unity and Amity between Christ and the soul is much the Duty of a poor Creature it was the misery and unhappiness of the Spouse that she was wanting in that work Cant. 5.2 When Christ invites her unto opportunities of Communion with himself she saies I have put off my coat c. She trifles away that opportunity and out of a slothful spirit neglects it and this occasioned a strangeness between him and her for some time after The avoiding of
is also true that God hath a care of his people in all the common calamities that ever come upon the world Thus it it was when God came to sweep away a whole world was there none to be thought of no body to be remembred yes there was a Noah that God could not forget Gen. 6.13 14. Noah might say What the end of all flesh what shall become of me then what shall I do when all flesh is destroyed Why saith God Noah make thee an Aâ—k ver 14. I will not so destroy all flesh but I will remember thee Noah and therefore make thee an Ark and saith God to him in vers 18. With thee I will establish my covenant and thou shalt come into the ark thou and thy sons and thy sons wives with thee Thus it was in the destruction of Sodom God came with resolution to destroy that place Gen. 19.12 13. Great provocations call for great desolation dreadful judgements are the necessary consequents of great preceding iniquities but Lot he must be taken care of and a shelter and refuge must be provided for him Thus in the land of Egypt when the Lord sent his Plagues amongst them ye this very judgement of the Plague I believe that was the judgement and I will give you a Scripture to prove it the threatning was he would destroy all the first-born of Pharoah Exod. 11.5 6 7. Now the question is what judgement it was that he did destroy the first-born of Egypt by I think it was the Plague and that that confirms me in my thoughts of it is that Amos 4.10 where he saith I have sent among you the Pestilence after the manner of Egypt Now I do not know any time when God did send the Pestilence into Egypt unless when he destroyed the first-born and yet at that time when he did destroy the first-born of all the house of Egypt the Lord took care of his people Israel must be preserved not a dog must move the tongue against any of them Gen. 42. when there was a famine in Canaan yea a famine in all lands and a great scarcity grew over the face of the Land of Egypt yet Jacob and his children must be provided for and God must look after them and he bids them go down to Egypt and you find how they were there fed God had by a signal providence sent Joseph before hand as he saith himself to save Jacob and his family alive Jeremiah in the time of captivity and great destruction what must become of him must he perish with the rest No saith God I will deliver thee in that day Jer. 39.17 18. Now this is my first argument to confirm this general truth that in times of common calamity God takes an especial care of his people as is evident from what he hath done 2. From the promise of what he will do he makes special promises to his people of what he will do in such seasonâ— Psal 91.9 10. Because thou hast made the most High thy refuge there shall no evil befall thee neither shall any Plague come nigh thy dwelling Souls that are Saints and Saints in a right spirit here is a promise a singular special promise made to them and so you have it in Isa 3.8 Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord By the way observe God takes notice what we say as well as what we do well what now is â—erusalem fallen and Judah ruined what shall become of the Saints then why saith God Say unto the righteous It shall be well with them vers 10.11 Jerusalem it is true is ruined but why why say to the wicked it shall be ill with them but unto the righteous it shall be well with them Isa 26.21 Behold the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity Doth he so what then what will he do unto his people why if you look vers 20. Come saith he my people enter into your chambers and shut the doors about you hide your self for a little moment untill mine indignation be over-past I am coming to punish the world for their iniquity but my people I have a word for your comfort I will find retiring Chambers for you Hide your self saith he for a little moment untill mine indignation be over-passed So Joel 3.16 He shall roar out of Sion c. the Lord will work for his people and do his people good he will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Therefore this is my second argument God makes special promises to his people therefore he will take special care of them 3. He gives special counsel and direction to them what to do in order to their preservation in times of common calamity There are three parts of counsel that the Lord gives to his people in such seasons and he directs them sometimes to one of these things and sometimes to another according as he thinks good in himself sometimes he calls his people out of the places that shall be the seats of his judgements he did so in the case of Sodom and it is worth your considering that you have Luk. 21.20 21. When you shall see Jerusalem compassed with Armies know the desolation thereof is nigh that shall be a sign to you that I am coming against it with a desolating judgement Well what then must be done Let them that are in Judah flye to the mountain and let them that are in the City depart out and let not them that are in the Countries enter thereinto This was his counsel at that time and thus God doth sometimes he calleth some out of the places by the method of his providence he tells them his will and brings them out of the seat of his judgements 2. He calls all in all times in order to preservation from closing with and cleaving to the sins of the places which are to be judged and for which he judgeth and condemneth that one known Text may serve in stead of many Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my peole that is out of Babylon and be ye separate partake not of her sins lest ye also partake of her plagues sin as sinners do and you must expect to suffer as they do 3. He doth direct his people to some special duties that have an especial tendency to preservation sometimes to faith to trust in and dependance upon the Lord and sometimes to prayer and watchfulness as here in my Text to some such special duties that have an especial use in order to the preservation of a people from destroying and ruining calamities Thus I say put these things together what God hath done what he hath promised to do what counsel he gives unto his people in respect to common calamities they are evident tokens of love to his people in times of distresse But now what is the reason wherefore is it that God should especially
of sin as appears by that Malach. 2.17 VVhy say they what great matter have we done to weary God VVhy saies God you have sinned and thereby you have wearied me and yet ye cry VVherein have we wearied thee we can tell no great hurt we have done thee This is the guise of sinners but the time will come when Christ shall appear and then sinners shall be convinced of sins in the 15 vers of Jude To execute judgement c. VVhat will Christ do when he comes he will come to convince them of their sins of all their ungodly deeds and to shew them what sinfulness there is in their sin And now I say when sinners shall see and be convinced of the sinfulness of sin that will make them tremble that will awaken them and that will be done when Christ comes 4. Because then they shall have all their misconceivings and false apprehensions of God removed It is true it may be sinners think there is a God but yet such a God as an Idol would make they have such misconceptions of him which will then be effectually removed if they think that he is a God yet a God that doth not see and observe all that they do Psal 94.6 7. They slay c. Yet they say He shall not see he is a God but such an one as an Idol might make a God but a God at a distance that doth not trouble himself with our concernment So Psal 10.10 11. He croucheth and humbleth himself that the poor may fall by his strong ones This is that that sinners say Suppose we grant he be God and doth see what we do yet he will not trouble himself to call us to an account for every thing that we do so you have it in the 13. vers He hath said in his heart Thou wilt not require it These are the misconceptions that sinners have of God either he will not see or if he do he will not regard he will not call to account but now how will sinners be startled when they shall fiâ—â—â— there is a God and all their misapprehensions of him are confuted Revel 6. the later end They shall call untâ—â—hâ— Rocks to fall on them and to the Mountaiâ—◠〈◊〉 cover them from the presence of the Lâ—mâ— â—â—â—o shall appear as a Lyon and 〈◊〉 that sits upon the Throne and Psal 58. last vers So that a man shall say Verily thâ—â—e is a reward for the righâ—eous verily 〈◊〉 is a God that judgeth in the earth Once it may be they said There is â—o God or if there be a God he seeth not and will not judge but now they shall say Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth This is that that will make them tremble exceedingly 5. This shall fill them with trembling that they shall find they are not able to bear up against the glory and majesty of that day so Rev. 6. latter end Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb and him that sitteth upon the throne they shall see that infinite dread in the wrath of the Lamb that they shall not be able to stand up under so Isa 3.14 Who shall stand before a devouring fire who shall dwell with everlasting burning 6. And sixtâ—ly and lastly Sinners that did not dread judgement shall dread the appearance and coming of Christ for then they will be overcome and stricken down with desperate despairing thoughts they will find their condition then incurable for ever they make light of their estate for present but they will then find it past remedy for ever now I would say this If there be any sinners so stupid that present judgements do not affect them I would say let them alone untill Christ comes The third thing propounded to shew who they are that shall never be able to stand before the Son of man Doubtless my friends it is a very great honor to be accounted worthy to stand before Jesus Christ If the Queen of Sheba could say and that upon some ground to Solomon Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee to hear thy wisdom How much more may we say Happy are thy men and happy are thy servants O Lord Jesus who shaâ—l stand before thee to hear thy wisdom to shâ—re with thee in thy glory and to behold thy face to all eternity surely that is a far greater honour therefore in Psal 15.1 David puts the question Who shall abide in thy tabernacle who shall dwell in thy holy hill the tabeâ—nacle of God and the holy hill of God is both thâ— place where his worship was of old and it is also put for heaven sometimes in Scripture and in both there is the presence of God and of his Christ he is met withall in his worship and most of all and most eminently in glory but now says the Psalmist Who shall stand in thy holy place who shall stand in thy presence Where shalâ—â—hâ—â—e be any found that shall be dignified with this honor What soâ—t of people must they be that thou wilt thus promote Doubtless there are very many that shall never be able to stand before Christ Luk. 13.23 the question was put Are there few that shall be saved Christ answers Strive to enter in at the streight gate for many I say unto you shall seek and shall not be able to enter and hence it is that it is said Mat. 7.22 23. Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord c. Now in treating on the fourth who they are that shall not stand I shall shew you that there are ten sorts of persons that will never be able to stand before the Son of man The Lord grant we may not be of that number 1. Ungodly sinners openly prophane who spend their days without any awe of God upon them they are persons never like to be honored by Christ in his day and at his appearance and coming Psal 1.5 The ungodly shall not stand not stand in the judgement c. the ungodly such as live in a negâ—ect of Duty the sinners such as live â—n the acting of all impiety saith he these shall not stand in the judgement 1 Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the sinner and ungodly appear If they find some difficulty in ascending the mount of glory what then shall sinners do doubtless they will never be able to stand in the presence of Christ 2. Such as promote and incourage sin in others they are not like to be owned and honored and promoted by Christ in his day some there are that are such and so good factors for the Devil that they wonderfully promote his trade in the world and as a recompence of all their trouble they shall receive the salary of eternal misery whatever souls they are that are so in love with sin and the ways and works thereof that they help it on and further it by what means they can must never expect