That Interest giveth some hope and confidence is evident because sometimes the Saints plead the common Relation that they are the Workmanship of his hands Psalm 119.73 Thy hands have made me and fasâ—ioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandments They will not quit their Interest in God if they cannot come as his special Servants yet as his Creatures one way another they will intitle themselves to him Vse To direct the Servants of God when they ask any Grace of him to bring it to his still Our Lord and our Father But how shall they do so if they have no assurance I answer 1. There are some Titles which imply a claim to Benefits and Priviledges others that infer an obligation to Duty these latter may be used without any usurpation Ioh. 20.28 My Lord and my God 2. Resignation of your selves to him sheweth you are his and in time you will come to know that he is yours if you make it good Psalm 119.94 I am thine save me for I have sought thy Precepts Resolve to obey him and serve him however he deal with you Choice of God for our Portion and Christ for our Lord sheweth you are resolved to be his 3. Speak as the Covenant speaketh that you are under till your sincerity be more unquestionable God offers himself to be our God and Redeemer and Father Christ to be our Lord and Saviour Isa. 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledg us not thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is from everlasting God offered himself to be so and God is angry for not owning it Jer. 3.4 Wilt thou noâ— from this time cry unto me My Father thou art the guide of my Youth SERMON XV. 2 Thess. 2.16 17. Which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace VVE come now to the second Branch The ground of Audience and Success in Prayer Which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope through Grace Where three grounds of Acceptance are intimated 1. The first is taken from the Rise and Foundation of all the Love of God he hath loved us 2. From the Matter of our Comfort he hath given us everlasting Consolation 3. From the Way whereby we receive it and entertain it and good hope through Grace The first relateth to our Redemption by Christ. The second to the New Covenant The third to the disposition of our Hearts and how we are affected in the reception of these thiâ—â—â— as will appear more in the expli 〈…〉 Branch 〈…〉 with the Rise and Founda 〈…〉 race which we expect and â—â—g of â—od in Prayer He hath loved us Doct. That God's Love to Sinners manifested in our Redemption by Christ giveth great boldness and encouragement in Prayer 1. I shall prove this is the Love here intended 2. That this giveth boldness in Prayer I. That this is the Love here intended for these Reasons 1. This is a visible effect and demonstration of his Love to us 1 John 3.16 Hereby perceive we the Love of God to us in that he layed down his life for us And I Iohn 4.9 10. In this was manifested the Love of God towards us in that he sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live by him Herein was Love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent â—is Son to be a propitiaâ—ion for our sins From these places I gather that to found our Confidence and Hope it was needful that the Love God had to us sâ—ould shew it self by some manifest and real proof How can we tell how God's Heart standeth affected to mankind but by the Effects What-ever benevolence or good-will he had towards us it is not evident to us till it break forth into some Action and real performance of some great thing for us Now this was fully manifested in giving his Son to die for a sinful World that he hath a love for us and doth really desire our Salvation There is an hidden love of God which is his eternal Purpose and Decree and there is an open and declared Love and that is first and most seen in our Redemption by Christ. In Predestination his Love was conceived in his Heart in Redemption it is manifested in the Effects that was the Rise this the visible Demonstration and Sign of it Now the Apostle would not reason from what was hidden and secret but from what is open and manifest 2. This is not only the Demonstration and visible Proof of the reality of his Love but an ample representation and commendation of the greatness of his Love Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his Love to us in that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us A thing may be demonstrated to be real that yet is not commended or set forth as great and glorious But God would express his Love in such an astonishing Instance that we might admire the greatness as well as believe the reality of it John 3.16 God so loved the World c. that is so unspeakably so unconceivably would he express his Love to Mankind as to send his Son to assume our Nature and die for our Transgressions He doth not tell you how but leaveth you to admire at it and rejoice in it What may we not expect from this Love this great Love if God loveth us at such rate surely he is in good earnest his Heart is set upon our Salvation or else he would never have taken this course of giving his only Son to suffer an accursed and shameful Death Now when the Apostle saith God hath loved us he meaneth it of the great instance of his Love Analogum peâ— se positum stat pro suo significatu famosiori Words not restrained by the Context must be interpreted in the most famous and known sense 3. This is the first motive to draw our hearts to him 1 John 4.19 We love him because he loved us first The first motive of our Affection is not his special Electing-Love to us above others for that we cannot know before we love him but his common Love and Mercy to Sinners and that was manifested in Christ's being sent to be a Propitiation for our Sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole World This is that which is propounded to us to recover and reconcile our alienated and estranged Affections to God 2 Cor. 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses unto him This Grace God offereth to us as well as others namely that for Christ's sake he will pardon our Sins if we will lay down our Weapons and enter into his Peace None are bound to believe that God specially loveth them but those that are specially beloved by him for none are bound to believe a falshood and a falshood it is to us till we have the saving Effects and
Temptations 1 Pet. 1.3 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy he hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead c. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation 5. He will give you the Kingdom Luke 12.32 Fear not little Flock for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom 2. On the other side this Relation bespeakâ—th Duty For if God be a Father we must carry our selves as Children by our subjection to him that is by submission to his Disposing-Will and obedience to his Governing Will. 1. By an absolute submission to his Disposing-Will For if you would enjoy the Privileges of God's Family you must submit to the Discipline of his Family Heb. 12.6 7 8 9. For whom God loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth If you endure chastening God dealeth witâ— you as with Sons for what Son is he whom the Father chasteneth not But if you are without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons Furtâ—ermore we have had Fathers of our Flesh which chastened us and we gave them Reverence Shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live In Heaven where there is no danger of Sin there is no use of the the Rod but while we are in the Flesh we need Correction and if God should not give it us we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not Legitimate but Degenerate Sons But in the 10th Verse the Apostle argueth from God's Paternal Authority For they verily for a few days chastened â—s after their own pleasure bâ—t he for our profit fit that we might be partakerâ— of his Holiness Children though they take â—t ill to be beaten by others yet not by their Parents who under God are the cause of their Being and love them and in correction of them seek their Good Much more do we owe this respect to our Heavenly Father who hath a more absolute right over us Parents may err through want of Wisdom their Chastisements may be arbitrary and irregular do much in Passion rather than Compassion but all God's Chastisements come from purest Love and are reguâ—ated by perfect Wisdom and tend to and end in Holiness and Happiness 2. Obedience to his Governing Will. The great duty of Children is to love please obey and honour their Father Mal. 1.6 A Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master If I be a Father where is mine Honour If I be a Master where is my Fear 1 Pet. 1.14 15. As obedient Children not fasâ—ioning your selves according to the former lusts in your Ignorance But as he which hath câ—lled you is Holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation John 15.8 Herein is my Father Glorified that ye bear much Fruit so shall ye be my Disciples There should be a great tenderness upon us to do any thing that may be a breach of God's Law or tend to God's Dishonour What diligent Observers were the Rechabites of the Institutions of their Family Jer. 35.6 But they said We will drink no Wine for Jonadab the Son of Rechab our Father commanded us saying Ye shall drink no Wine neither ye nor your Sons for ever VI. Observ. They to whom Christ is a Lord to them God is a Father his special Fatherly Love floweth in the Chanel of Redemption and is brought about by the Gospel The Lord from all Eternity predeterminated some to the Adoption of Sons Eph. 1.5 Having predestinated us to the Adoption of Children by Iesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will But how doth he bring to pass this Decree By the Redemption of Christ. It is no mean Privilege Christians that needeth so much ado to establish it Gal. 4.4 5. Buâ— when the fulness of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Christ came to be the Foundation of a New Covenant before we could have this Privilege Well but whence ariseth our actual Interest I answer By accepting the offer of the Gospel or receiving and owning Christ to the ends for which he came into the World or God sent him into the World John 1.12 But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name That is by depending on his Merits for our Reconciliation with God and submitting to his Laws that he might reduce us to our Primitive Obedience and Love to them Vse Therefore if you would have a share in this blessed Privilege 1. You must be Regenerated by his Spirit for the Relative Change dependeth on the Real our State is not changed till our Natures be changed Iohn 1.12 13. Being born again of the Will of God If you would enter into God's Family and enjoy the Privileges thereof you must be changed by the Spirit 2. There is required on your part an entrance into the Kingdom of the Mediator by Faith and Repentance Matth. 18.3 Except ye be Converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of God As little Children are newly entred into the World and beginning their Life all things are become new to them So those that have the priveleges of God's Children must become as little Children enter into a new State carry on a new Life and Trade with which they were not acquainted before Our first admission is by a consent to the New Covenant Gal. 3.26 Ye are all made Children of God by Faiâ—h in Christ depending on the merit of Christ's Sacrifice and binding our selves by a solemn Word to perform the Duties required of us which we renew again in the Lord's Supper VII That we most comfortably come to God by Christ for Grace when we consider our Interest in him and Relation to him Their Relation is here intimated for Jesus Christ is our Lord and God is our Father and surely our Lord will not refuse his own Subjects nor our Father be strange to his own Children 1. It is certain that among Men Relation to any Person or thing indeareth them to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men love their own Children though not so fair and good as others yet they are their own And is it not so as to God See Iohn 13.1 Having loved his own that were in the World he loved them unto the end And Iohn 17.6 I have manifested thy Name to the Men which thou gavest me out of the World thine they were and thou gavest them me and they have kept thy Word 2. Interest giveth us more incouragement Isa. 63.19 We are thine thou never bearest rule over them they were never called by thy Name That is we are thy People thy Subjects so called so accounted
Benefits Therefore it is not the special but the general Love which first draweth in our hearts to God yea the Saints after some Testimonies received of God's special Love still make this to be the great ingaging Motive Gal. 2.20 I live by Faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Well then this is most likely to be meant by the Apostle II. This must needs give great boldness in Prayer 1. By this we see the God's Love is not a cold ineffectual Love that consists only in raw wishes but an operative active Love that issueth forth to accomplish what he intendeth to us though by the most costly means and acted at the dearest rate God is good and doth good Psal. 119.68 He hath a Love to us and will do good to us Our Love many times goes no further than good Wishes or good Words Be warmed be cloathed but giveth not those things which are needful to the Body Iames 2.16 but God resteth not in kind Wishes but giveth a full demonstration of it If Christ be needful to â—he Saints they shall have him if God spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 2. It is an act of such infinite Love in God to give us Christ to die for us such as may raise our wonder and astonishment God's Love is an unmeasurable Love â—nd so inlargeth our expectations and capacity for the reception of other things Ephes. 3.18 19. That ye may comprehend with all Saints to know what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledg that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God There is such an immensity in the Love of Christ as raiseth our desire and hopes to expect all other things from God that belong to our Duty and Happiness If God will do this what will he not do for those whom he loveth He that hath given the greatest Gift will not stick at lesser things He that hath given a Talent shall he not give a Penny He that hath given Christ will he not give pardon to cancel our Debts Grace to do our Duty Comfort to support us in Afflictions Supplies to maintain and protect us during our Service Finally Will he not reward us when our Work is over Reconciliation by his Death is propounded as more difficult than Salvation by his Life Rom. 5.10 For if when we were Enemies we were reconciled to God by the Death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life 3. It is a Gift in order to other things and therefore he will compleat that Gift Christ came to purchase all manner of Blessings for us the Favour of God The â—ruition of God the everlasting Fruition of God in Glory and all things by the way nâ—câ—â—sary thereunto There are two Argumâ—â—â— implied 1. That God may now do us good without any impeachment of his Honour His Justice and Holiness is sufficiently demonstrated the Authority of his Law and Truth of his Threatnings kept up Rom. 3.25 26. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Iesus 2. That after God by an antecedent bounty hath layed the Foundation so broad and deep the consequent bounty which is as the upper Building for which this Foundation was intended will be laid on also It was said of the foolish Builder That he began and was not able to finish Surely the wise God if we be qualified and put no impediment on our part will finish what he hath begun 4. Because the giving of Christ sheweth how freely God will give all things to us he gave Christ unasked unsought to in this instance we see his free and undeserved love This was love to Rebels and Enemies when the World had corrupted their way and cast off God then Christ died for us a consideration which serveth to support our Confidence notwithstanding the sense of our unworthiness In the Covenant of Grace great and wonderful Mercies are given out to a world of Sinners and to our selves among the rest we see how loth God is Sinners should perish That sins may be pardoned if we will accept God's terms that hath given such general testimony of his Love to Mankind his Love to miserable sinners That is willing they should be reconciled that there is not so much difference between us and others as between him and all Now this incourageth us to fulfil the Conditions of the Gospel notwithstanding our unworthiness of the Privileges thereof 1. Vse is Caution Let us not have wrong thoughts of God when we come to him We think of God the Father as one that is all Wrath and Justice and unwilling to be reconciled to Man or brought to it with much difficulty No Christ came on purpose to show the Love and Loveliness of God to us for our Redemption came first out of the Bosom of God and Christ's mission into the World and dying for Sinners was the fruit of his Love and mainly for this end to give us a full Demonstration of the Love of God and his pity to the lost World of Sinners that when our Guilt had made him frightful to us we might not fly from him as a Condemning God but love Him and serve Him and pray to Him as one willing to be Reconciled to us therefore take heed what Picture of God you draw in your Minds Light and heat are not more abundant in the Sun than Love is in God 2. Vse of Direction to us How to conceive of God in Prayer as one that loveth us We have gained a great point when we are peâ—â—uaded of this and can come with this thought into his Presence that I am praying to a God that loveth me and will do me good You will say If I could come to that I have gained a great point indeed But what hindreth There is I confess a two-fold Love his General Love and his Special Love His General Love which intendeth Benefits to us and his Special Love which hath already put us in possession of them His General Love to the lost World and his Love and Mercy to us in particular putting us in possession of the saving Benefits purchased and intended 1. The General Love to the lost World that is a great thing the Devil seeketh to hide and obscure the wonderful Love of God revealed in our Redeemer that we may still fly from God as more willing to Punish than to Save and many poor dark Creatures gratifie his design We are still seeking signs and tokens of God's Love something to warrant us to come to God by Christ and to persuade us
Holiness And his unchangeable Love which doth not vary and alter with our Condition Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth He is our God still though he seemeth to deal hardly with us We learn of Christ on the very Cross to cry My God Matth. 27.46 and if we cannot find enough in him when the Creatures and our natural Comforts fail it is meet we should lose them Heb. 3.18 Though the Fig-tree should not blossom c. yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation This is the sum of God's Comforts and when these things are suggested to us God comforteth our Hearts 3. When by these means God worketh Comfort in us Joy is often called the Comfort of the Spirit and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Rom 14.17 Now all the Spirit 's Works are singular and do much exceed the natural Work of Man's Heart The groans which he stirreth up in Prayer are unutterable Rom. 8.26 His Joys unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 The Heathens counted that Fire more sit and pure for their Altars whicâ— was inkindled by a Sun-beam rather than a Coal taken from a common Hearth So this Comfort which is raised in us by the Holy Ghost is more Rich and Glorious and Affective than that which is the fruit of our bare Reason or the meer working of our Human Spirit even in the common grounds of Christian Comfort Or as Elementary Fire differeth from Culinary and Kitchin Fire and is much more pure So doth this Joy which is immediately wrought in us by â—he Spirit from all Joy that we can work by our selves out of the Scriptural Grounds of Comfort Carnal Men have their Joy at the second or third Hand as God blesseth the order and influence of Inferiour Causes it comes to them from Creature to Creature so as they discern not the Work of God in it yea the Joy of common Christians in the proper grounds of Comfort is not strong as that which is raised in us by the immediat impression of the Comforting Spirit II. Why this is of God 1. Because God challegeth this as his own Right to comfort the Heart of Man and therefore whatever the Means of the comfort be God will be owned as the Spring and Fountain of it He keepeth this as his great Bridle upon the World to govern the Hearts of Men. Job 34.29 When he giveth Quietness who then can make Trouble And when he hideth his Face who then can behold him Whether it be done against a Nation or against a Man only Our Peace and Trouble is in God's Hands and at his disposing It is true he exerciseth his Soveraignty according to Law and in his Internal Government according to the Law of Grace penally withdrawing his Comforting Spirit and leaving us to our Doubts and Troubles and Fears by the rewarding our Obedience and Faithfulness with the manifest Tokens of his Love as the Matter shall require It is enough for the Point in hand that God alone doth powerfully dispence Peace or Trouble And when he will give Comfort none can make his Gift void for it is at his Command and in both a Nation is all one with a particular Person as to any ability to resist God 2. Though grounds of Comfort be never so clear yet if God concur not we find not the effect therefore it is his Spirit that can only comfort the Heart To have God's Warrant for our comfort is much but to have his Impression is more both musâ— concur or the Soul will not be comforted It falleth out many ways sometimes out of Ignorance When a Well of Comfort was near poor Hagar saw it not and was almost famished with thirst until God opened her Eyes and she saw a Well of Water Gen. 21.19 We know not the grounds of our comfort Sometimes out of Passion Grief is obstinate and will admit no Remedy as Rachel would not be comforted Jer. 31.15 They are so peevishly addicted to their Worldly Comforts that if they be crossed in them they will not admit of God's Comforts though they are evident clear and pertinent Sometimes out of Forgetfulness Heb. 12.5 Ye have forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto Children And Oblivion is an Ignorance for the present Had they remembred they would not have fainted and waxed weary It is a great Work of the Spirit to bring to Remembrance sometimes questioning their interest in Comfort besidâ—s that there are general Comforts when Interest is not clear Now the Spirit that sheweth us â—he things given us of God doth also reveal and evidence our Right to them What is wrought in our Hearts that is to say by quickning us to exercise Grace he evidenceth the truth of Grace and in our Afflictions by Patience maketh out our Comfort Rom. 5.3 4 5. We glory in Tribulations knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope And Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us From the whole there can be no true solid Comfort but what God bestoweth his Favour and our Interest in his Favaour is manifested to us by his Spirit III. What advantages we have by this that all solid Comfort is of God 1. It assureth us of God's readiness to comfort poor afflicted Creatures that humbly submit to him He that is the God of all Comfort is also the Father of Mercies his Mercy and Compassion inclineth him to comfort us God hath his Name from this effect Nomina sunt à notioribus God that comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 He is very tender of all Afflicted Creatures much more of his People 2. God's Comforts come with more Authority and silence all our Doubts and Fears Psal. 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my Soul We have many intricate perplexing thoughts out of which we cannot disentangle our selves no comforts come with such Authority and Power as God's Comforts In the Comfort we have it is good to consider whence it cometh Is it God's Comfort or a Fanâ—y of our own If it be made up by our own Fancy it will be like a Spider's Web that is weaved out of its own Bowels but is gone and swept away with the least turn of a Besom but God's Comforts are more durable they flow from the true Fountain of Comfort upon whose Frowns or Smiles our happiness and misery dependeth There is little warmth in a Fire of our own kindling God's Comforts are built on his Covenant and have a commanding force and over-powering efficacy on the Soul God in his Word speaketh by Soveraign Authority in our Hearts he worketh by powerfâ—l Efficacy The Authority of his Word we own when we speak to others or to our selves when we know trouble but in supposition or imagination The Efficacy of his Grace we feel