oath and say Lord I have many enemies too strong and subtile for me but be thou my strong rock I have a deceitfull backsliding heart but thou art a true God purge out mine hypocrisie and heale all my backslidings Thou requirest that I should serve thee in holiness and righteousness without feare but thou hast bound thy self as wel to me as mee to thy self grant me thy grace and power to do thy will Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis and banish far from me all slavish feare by planting thy love in mine heart for perfect love doth cast out slavish feare 1 Joh. 4.18 2. This covenant is established in the hand of a mediator Jesus Christ who hath paid our whole debt Heb. 12.24 though we cannot satisfie for the least farthing and he is able to work all our works in us and for us Isa 26 12. Adam indeed soon brake his covenant though he were in innocency because he stood by his owne strength but the second Adam God and man is our upholder who is bound in the covenant of grace with us and for us to whom the Lord hath said In an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages that thou maist say to the prisoners go forth to them that are in darknes shew yourselves Isa 49.8.9 God promiseth to help and preserve him that he may help and uphold us Are we in darkness he will be our light Are we weak he the Lord Jehova wil be our everlasting strength Do we fall he will raise us up Psal 37.24 Though we break the covenant he hath kept it to the utmost Thirdly To render us yet more secure Act. 2.38 39. God hath confirmed this covenant that he wil be our God and guide unto death by outward seals commonly called Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords supper as circumcision is called the seal of the righteousness of faith Rom. 4.11 As also by the inward seal of his holy Spirit who beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8.16 as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 1.21 22. Now he which establisheth us with you is God which words with you are added lest some weaker Christians should demur and surmise that the Apostle and strong christians may well say so but we may not be so bold Yes saith the Apostle you may avouch somuch as well as I or any other He who establisheth us with you in Christ and hath annointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts Here is a seal and an earnest both mentioned and annexed to Gods covenant and oath that we might have strong consoâ—atiâ—n who have fled for refuge to lay hold upâ—n the hope set before was Heb. 6.18 Argumen 2 Secondly That which mov d God to enter into covenant with them was his love God loveth them for the love of God is the original and fountaine of all the Saints blessedness and dignâ—â—y which two may all along be distinguished but cannot be separated The primary product of this love is our election from all eternity Eph. 1.4 which is therefore called the election of grace Rom. 11.5 The object of this grace is the Israel of God as appeareth by the Lords compellation Isa 44.1 2. Heare now O Iacob my servant and Israel whom I have chosen Thus saith the Lord that made thee who will also keep thee Feare not O Iacob my servant and thou Jesurun Whom I have chosen The consideration hereof emboldened David against all his ranting enemies Psal 4.2 3. O ye sons of men said he to them how long will you turne my glory into shame But know or be it known to you that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself These only have their names written in the Lamb's book of life Rev. 21.27 whereas all others who have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters shal be written in the Earth Jer. 17.13 They are built upon the rock of ages the foundation of God which stands suâ—e 2. Tim. 2.19 all others shal be like the chaff which the winde driveth to and fro Psal 1.4 Secondly This love moved God to send his onely begotten son in the fulness of time into the world to die for them that whosoever beleeve on him might not perish but have eternal life Joh. 3.6 Here we have the privative part of our happiness they shall not perish but be delivered from hell and the positive part they shall have eternal life Reader stand here and meditate what the terrors and torments of hell are from whence Christ by his death hath freed us and what the joyes and glory of Heaven be which he hath purchased and prepared for us And when you can fully conceive how great these two are or how great Christs love is who hath done both these for us then and never before will you be able to conceive how great the beleevers honour and happiness shall be Thirdly As the love of the Father induced him to give us his Son Isa 9.6 so the love of the Son moved him to give himselfe for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5.2 and that he might redeeme us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 and consequently from hell Now might the damned Spirits be certified that they should at last be released out of those intolerable torments which they suffer and we have deserved and in the end be invested in celestial glory thought it should be graâ—â—ed them not til after some thousand of yeares first expired what a great mercy would even they account it And will not you seek to know this how you may escape hell and attain everlasting glory Sect. 3 Argument 3 Thirdly On these his bâ—loved hath Iesus Christ conferred his Sâ—cred spirit a gift of gifts that thereby we may know that he dwelleâ—h â—n us and we in him 1 Illumination 1 Joh. 3.24 By whom we 1. are enligh ened to know what is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inhâ—ritance in the Saints Eph. 1.18 How earnest was bl ssed Paul who rightly apprehended this mercy of illumination in praying for others that they might have it who waâ—ted it and in rendering thanks for them who had obtaâ—ned it And will not you be affâ—cted therewith to seek it till you find it and to bless God for it when you have it 2 Vivification 2. By the operation of this Spirit are they qâ—ickâ—ned who were dead before in trespasses and in sins Joh. 6.63 Now put these two together Prov. 15.30 If the light of the body be so pleasant as Solomon averreth how much more delightfull is the light of the soul and if temporall
will wipe off all dirt cast upon your faces also I deny not but praise is desirable among all Application And whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any praise these things are to be thought on Phil. 4 8. for a good name is rather to be chosen then great riches Prov. 22.1 But they that love the praise of men more then the praise of God or will not be content with the honour that commeth from God alone But receive honour one of another neither doe nor can believe John 5.44 Obj. How then doth the same evangelist avouch that many of the chiefe rulers believed on Christ but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God John 12.42 43. are they not here said for all this to believe How then can you affirme that such persons neither do nor can believe A. What I affirm Christ hath taught and therefore we must distinguish of faith they believed the truth but not truly as * Illa non est vera legitima fides doctrinam credere simpliciter esse veram non autem penitùs se illi subjicere Calvin Non fuit vera viva fiides haec enim à confessione non separatur Brentius in Ioh. 12 Non habuerunt veram fidem sed fictitiam quae cum non constiterit adversus insultum Pharisaeorum multò minus constare poterit adversus insultum Sathanae Bucer and others conclude out of the comparing of these places together True faith they had not because they did not wholly submit themselves to Christ and his truth True and lively faith saith Calvin is not seperated from confession for with the heart man believeth to righteousnesse and with mouth confession is made unto salvation Rom. 10.10 For albeit it is likely saith he that they were not altogether dumb yet because their confession was not ingenuous or free enough the Evangelist-absolutely denieth that they professed their faith Wherefore let no man flatter himselfe who in any part concealeth and dissembleth his faith lest he should incurre the Odium or hatred of men For albeit the name of Christ be odious that fear is not excusable which compelleth us to decline in the least manner from his confession If any therefore preserve their reputations with whatsoever dependeth thereupon as worldly profit and safety before Iesus Christ and his truth they are not worthy of Him but they and their credit shall perish together as 1. all such whosoever they be as comply with evil times embrace heterodox tenets and side with factions swerving from the right rule of Gods word either for feare of losse or hope of preferment and 2. all such as dare not own the cause of Christ nor joyne with the true professors thereof in time of persecution and danger or basely forbeare holy duties and religious performances for the same causes for all these are but mongrel Christians as appeareth by the parable of the sower where they are compared to stony ground for though they heare the word and anone with joy receive it yet have they not root in themselves but when persecution ariseth because of the word by and by they are offended Mat. 13.20.21 where we meet twice with by and by suddenly they receive the word and as suddenly they start aside and recede from it How many such are there in our dayes as there have bin in former ages as they that were then eye-witnesses informe us * Lessius in Joan 12. Hodie multi affirmant in persecutione licere abnegare doctrinam Evangeli et occultare sententiam suam si modò corde servetur fides Many faith one of them at this day affirme that one may deny the doctrine of the Gospel in time of persecution and conceale their opinions if so be faith be retained in the heart This well considered would bring back into the right way all such Demasses as have fallen away and preserve others from backsliding Chara ∣ cter 8 A true Israelite loveth them who appertaine to the same city and are of the same family as all true believers are Eph. 2.19 And hereby we know saith the beloved Disciple that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren he that loveth not his brother abideth in death 1 Joh. 3.14 For every one that loveth him that begot loveth him that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 and how can we love the head Christ if we love not His members also But this love must not be in word nor in tongue onely but in deed and in truth and then thereby we shall know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before God 1 Joh. 3.19 True Christian love is like to the planet called Stella Veneris which attendeth the Sunne of righteousness and appeareth first and last in the soul among all the planets of graces in an Israelite indeed and shineth brightest in the night of temptation when faith and other graces like the rest of the stars are many times so clouded and obscured that we cannot discerne them in our selves Quest But how may we know that our Love of the brethren is sincere A 1. If it proceed from faith for faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 and assureth us of Gods love to our owne souls and this maketh us to love one another as Christ hath loved us Eph. 5.2 2 If it extend to all the Saints the poor as well as rich Philem 5. to such as never yet shewed us outward kindness as wel as to them who have been beneficial to us 3. If it be real and operative in affoarding them seasonable and necessary relief according to our ability then God will not be unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love which hath been shewed towards his name in administring to the Saints Heb. 6.10 4. If it be constant yea increasing every day more and more 1 Thess 4.10 5 If it be chiefly set upon the good of the souls of men and women that they may prosper 6 If we can forbeare and for give them pray for them and sympathize with them in their several conditions and delight in their society above others These will be cleare evidences of the soundness of our affection to them which will evidence to us againe that we are of the fold of the great shepheard and little flock for whom he hath prepared the kingdom On the contrary they who hate the righteous as Esau did blessed Iacob Application Genes 27.41 who * Gregor moral l 25 c. 9. Si ergo tantâ poenâ mulctatur qui non dedisse convinci tur quâ poenâ feriendus est qui redarguitur abstulisse aliena rob and spoile them instead of feeding and clothing them who traduce revile curse and despise them separating them out of their society discover themselves to be
incense Gods displeasure against them but Jesus Christ ever lives to make intercession to God for them therefore is he able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 They need not care who is the accuser that have such an advocate to plead for them 8. He is alwaies prepared to hinder their prayers especially when they make intercession for Jerusalem as he did Joshua the high Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord for that end * Ministrantem Christo agentem typum ipsius in ecclesia Tremel Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Zach. 3.1 But the Lord said unto Satan the Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee verse 2. 9. He dayly tempteth us to sin against God that thereby our peace with God and our own consciences might be interrupted so he buffeted Paul who upon that occasion betook himselfe thrice to prayer to God who answered him that his grace was sufficient for him his strength should be made perfect in weaknesse 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. and when he desired to have the disciples to sift them as wheat Christ told Simon Simon I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Luke 22.31 32. 10. When the devil hath drawn any soul into sin he will labour to drive them to desperation even after their repentance as if there were no possibility for such to obtaine pardon Thus he dealt with the incestuous Corinthian who had been swallowed up of overmuch griefe had not this Lord provided a remedy against the greatest of evils by Pauls second Epistle written to the Corinthians Chap. 1.7.11 wherein he requireth them to forgive and comfort him and againe he beseecheth them to confirme their love toward him verse 8. as he himselfe forgave him in the person of Christ adding a cogent reason for his and their so doing verse 11. lest Satan get an advantage over us for we are not ignorant of his devices Now Satan hath a double end in all his slye and hellish contrivances against the Saints not only to tire them out but also to make others to take up hard conceits of the yoak of Christ as an insupportable burden whereby he drives many to consult how they may break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from them Psalm 2.2 Antidotes Against this impediment therefore I oppose these following Antidotes 1. Jesus Christ hath overcome the devil for he took our nature upon him that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil Heb. 2.14 and * Aug. de agone Christiano Hunc adversarium Dominus noster prior vicit ut etiam nos in illo permanentes vintamus per ipsum Christs victory is ours 2. He hath biddeth us to resist the devil and hath promised that he shall flee from us 1 John 4.7 3. He hath provided the whole Armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil Eph 6.12 4. He that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not 1 John 5.18 he cannot give him one blow 5. Neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ Nay in all these things we are more then conquerers through Christ that loved us Rom. 8.37 38. 6. The true believer is built upon the Rock against which the gates of hell cannot prevaile Matthew 16.18 7. As the evil angels infest us so God hath given charge to his holy angels to keep us in all our wayes to bear us up in their hands lest we dash our foot against a stone Psalm 91.10 And they according to this charge are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation Heb. 1.14 no lesse doth the devil himself confesse Math. 4.6 8. If this be not sufficient behold God himselfe is the keeper of Israel who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth Psalm 121.4 9. If ye fight not under Christs banner against this enemy according to your vow in Baptisme you are his Captives and he will torment you for ever but if you overcome him in this life the time will come when you shall be made judges of these wicked spirits which now annoy you know ye not saith the holy writ that the Saints shall judge Angels 1 Cor. 6.3 to wit in the day of the generall judgment What confusion will theis be to those proud spirits 10. The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. It shall certainly be so yea and that shortly too 5. 5. Impediment the world The world also will not be wanting to play her prizes against this our true Israelite 1. By raising up troubles against him as already hath been declared for Christ hath forespoken it but withall hath enjoyned him to be of good comfort Iohn 16.33 In the world you shall have tribulation but be of good comfort I have overcome the World 2. By her various and dangerous allurements of profit honour and pleasure First the world will bespeak all mankind as Saul did the Benjamites 1 Sam. 22.7 Hear now ye Benjamites will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and Vineyards and make you all Captains of hundreds and thousands so say the Hypocrites and wicked It is in vaine to serve the Lord and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts As if they should say Here is sorrow but no gaine great cry but little wool But let us not hearken to this Enemy but to wisedome and she telleth you the truth Prov. 8.18 Riches and honour are with me yea durable riches and righteousnesse and godlynesse with contentment is great gaine 1 Tim. 6.6 Further this Delilah the world will set the snares of pleasures before our feet thereby to entangle us and betray us to our spiritual enemies thus was our mother Eve inveagled when she saw that the forbidden tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the Eye she did eat of the fruit thereof and gave also unto her Husband with her and he did eate Gen. 3.6 Here was delicious food as they thought before trial but they paid dearly for the sawce for for this fact were they driven out of Paradise verse 24. yet multitudes of their posterity by the like inticement are brought into a fools Paradise imagining the bread of deceit to be sweet till they find their mouths to be filled with gravell Prov. 9.17.20.17 And many there be who when they have heard the word are afterwards choaked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection Luke 8.13 Any one of these baits are over-prevalent with us yet some are sooner caught with one some with
another of them as Judas was hanged upon the silver hook of profit Herod was blown up with the blast of applause and Dives sunk in the gulf of voluptuousnesse but when they all joyne together in one there is hardly any avoiding of their sollicitations which take with us the more easily 1. when they are suitable to any of our inclinations 2. beâ—ause they yeeld present contentments â— are in some sort necessary without which we think we cannot well be â— and in themselves they are not abâ—â—lutely prohibited and therefore are â—ot altogether unlawfull * Licitis perimus omnes but onely â—nfull profits are destructive witnesse Achan who seeing among the spoyls â— goodly Babylonish garment and two â—undred shekles of silver and a wedg of Gold c. coveted and took them â— the ruine of himself and his family â—os 7.21.25 and Gehazi who took â—wo talents of Silver with two chanâ—es of garments from Naaman the Syâ—an whose leprosie also clave unto him â—nd his seed for ever 2 Kings 5.26 27. â—he former of these exchanged his life for filthy lucre the latter lost his health to gaine wealth to whom let us add wicked Ahab who sold himselfe for Naboths vineyard 1 Kings 21.25 and that you may not make the like bargain remember the Question in the Gospel Mark 8.36 what shall it profit a man to gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule So vicious pleasures termed the lusts of the flesh war against the soul 1 Pet. 2.11 And when they are extinct leave weeping and howling behind them Jam. 5.1.5 as inordinate affectation of worldly credit and dignity keepeth out true honour and bringeth in everlasting shame and infamie for truth it selfe hath spoken it If any man desire to be first the same shall be last of all and servant of all Mark 9.35 and he that exalteth himself shall be abased Luke 14.11 All these three are condemned together 1 Iohn 2.15 16 17. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world for all that is in the world the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world which doom is backed with a threefold argument 1 These things are not of the Father 2. they are inconsistent with the * Grynaeus in hunc locum Cyprian Cum mun dus oderiâ— Christianum quid amas euâ— qui te odit Serum 4. Demortalitate Love of the father 3. the world passeth away and the lusts thereof Lastly all these three were contemned by Moses that worthy servant of God for which he is highly commended Heb. 11.24 he 1. despised the honours of the world he refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter 2. he rejected worldly pleasures chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season verse 25. 3 He vilified the pelfe of the world esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures in Aegypt if it be demanded What enabled him to do so The Answer is given they did all this as you also may doe by faith for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward v. 26. This life is the time of doing service in the close of the day will be a time of receiving wages Sect. 1 Hitherto the outward Lets now the inward impediments are to be discussed which are more difficult and dangerous yet because some of them are of the same alloy with the former I shall â—e briefer in them Interâ—ll imâ—dment â—â—norance 1. Ignorance keepeth off thousands from joyning themselves to this small number of Israelites indeed Pharoh did not know who the Lord God of Israel was Exod. 5.1 2. And therefore the world knoweth us not because they know not the father whose sons we are 1 John 3.1 Every true Israelite hath Manna given him to eat of but it is hidden and a white stone with a new name written thereon but none knoweth it saving he that receiveth it Rev. 2.17 2. Prejudice is a great remora many take the true Israelites 2 prejudice for so many Gypsies I meane hypocrites and the less wonder is it because they are too prone to take one another for no better As Jobs friends adjudged that upright person to be such one after another Aske Bildad the Shuit what he thinketh of Job he concludeth he is an hypocrite Job 8.13 Zophar the Naamathites verdict agreeth with the foreman 's Chapter 20 5. But Eliphaz the Temanite it may be will be more charitable no he answers both like an Echo and styles him an hypocrite Job 15.34 yet all this while Jobs conscience acquitteth him Chap. 27.5 6. and the Lord when he cometh to decide the controversie doth not onely acquit him but preferreth him before all three of them Job 32.7 8. But what will the men of the world thinke and say when they hear true Israelites themselves not only questioning their estates but crying out as the church did in great extremities my hope is perished from the Lord Lam. 3.18 3. 3. Vnbeliefe As faith maketh those in whom it is children of Abraham and blessed with him Galat. 3.7.9 children of the promise Chap. 4.28 children not of the bondwoman but of the free v. 31. yea children of God Gal. 3 26. and heirs according to promise v. 29. so by unbeliefe were many even of the Jews broken off Rom. 11.20 And what hindereth them now above sixteen hundred yeares from being graffed in again nothing but unbeliefe for the Apostle foresheweth that they also if they bide not still in unbelief shall be graffed in for God is able to graffe them in againe v. 23. A 4th internal obstacle is Inconsideration 4. Inconsideration when a man beginneth in part to be convinced and almost perswaded with king Agrippa to be a Christian Act. 26.28 yet waveth such thoughts and suffereth not the word to sink down into his heart and dwell there til it hath wrought a thorough change in him and doth become an engraffed word which is able to save his soul Jam. 1.21 but quencheth the motions of the holy Spirit in him and so proveth abortive 1 Thess 5.19 5. Prophaness A 5. Hinderance is Prophaness of Spirit without which outward objects of pleasures and profits could not bewitch poore soules so far as to make them to prefer lying vanities before their owne mercy Jonah 2.8 Esau-like who for one morsel of meat profanely made an irrecoverable sale of his birth right Heb. 12.16 6. Sloath. 6. * Otium est hominis vivi sepultura Senec. l. 1. Ep. 82. Slothfulness casteth many into a dead sleepe Pro. 19.15 and then neither can they heare good counsell nor embrace any good offers nor see nor feare any mischiefe nor shun any enimies or imminent dangers though the house be on fire over their heads or the ship wherein they are sleeping be in extreame perill of
faithfull assertion promise for it who is able to performe and for their greater security they shall find it upon record Psal 37.16 A little that the righteous hath is better then the riches of many wicked Where a little is opposed to great riches and one mans modicum is opposed to many mens great revenues Againe Psal 112.1 2 3. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his commandements his seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed wealth and riches shall be in his house you see then I speak not any thing tending to your losse in disswading you from * Tim. 3.3 filthy lucre for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Luk. 12.15 An heathen fitly illustrateth this by a similitude thus * Horat Sern l. 1. Satyr 1 A cleare fountain being a mans own will yeeld better water and sufficient for his use with more safety then a deep muddy river can do 6. I have a word to school-masters who have a fairer upportunity of enlarging the kingdome of Jesus Christ and the common-wealth of Israel if they be carefull to improve it to the best advantage than many I had also said any others for that end be pleased to study well this subject and take out this lesson and commend it to your schollers that they may also learne it throughly without which all humane learning will but increase their guilt and then will not you make marchandize of the precious time of the youth committed to your trust either through sloath or for sinister advantage and then shall they grow in wisdome and grace and favour with God and men to the great joy of their Parents and your no less honour 7. Let all that glory in the title and say they are Jewes Israelites or Christians and are not but doe lye as Iohn the divine speaketh Revelations 3.9 much more strive to attaine to the reality than vainely affect the * Ne nomen eis ad ignominiam â—it Cypr ad Cornel. Papam bare name which unless they be Israelites and Christians indeed will rise up in judgement against them And let all who are named Nathanael resemble this pattern in my Text and be put in mind of it as oft as they write or read their own names or hear others to call them thereby for for that end may we well conceive godly parents use so to call their children and then shall all these read their names registred in the Lambs book of life and they shall never be blotted out of it 8. Let the word of God prevaile with all martiall men and command them who in time of war use to command others by the sword to account it their highest honour to be able to derive their spiritual pedigree from Jacob sirnamed Israel from his prevailing first with God and afterwards with men and there see that you begin be sure to prevaile with God by prayers and then shall you be more then Conquerers over devils and evil men then will you not dare to do violence to any innocent person nor to accuse any falsely but you will be a defence under God to the godly and quiet in the Land and the Lord your God will be a strong and sure defence unto you you shall goe on and prosper against all the Enemies of God and his Church wherof you are lively members five of you shall chase an hundred and an hundred of you put ten thousand to flight and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword Levit. 26.8 for they are more with you then can be against you 2. Chron. 32.7 9. This greatly concerneth parents and Masters to traine up their Children and Servants in this holy profession and to be exemplary therein to them then will your Children be dutifull to you their Parents and acknowledge you to have been instrumentall to them under God of a double birth both of a naturall generation and of supernaturall regeneration Then will your servants account you their Masters worthy of all honour and be no more unprofitable but with Onesimus after his conversion * Ambros in Philem. Tam secularibus quà m divinis obsequiis profitable unto you Phil. 11. Then shall Parents and Children Masters and Servants be blessed of God and prosper Sect. 16 Vse 5th Use 5. So I come to the last use of consolation to all those Of consolation who though with much difficulty breaking through all impediments obstructing them in the way can peruse and find in themselves the forementioned Characters blessed are they that ever they were borne not of blood nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Iohn 1.13 For 1. all they may truly challenge to themselves the Title of Israelites indeed which God never did nor will allow any others whether they be Jewes or Gentiles to do but very sharply reproveth them for it Isa 48.1 2. They are called by the name of Israel and againe Isa 48.1 2. they call themselves of the holy City and stay themselves upon the God of Israel and they sweare by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousnesse Hence observe 1. in that wicked men usurpe this title and glory in it how glorious are all Israelites indeed their enemies themselves being judges 2ly it is a hainous sinne for any to challenge this title when it belongeth not to them as it is a Capital crime for a varlet to pretend to be a Kings son and heire 3ly the spirit of God accounteth it to be blasphemy Rev. 2.9 saith he I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jewes and are not 2ly This is not a bare and empty title but accompanied with so much honour and happinesse as none on this side heaven can expresse or fully conceive of 1. John 3.1 2. Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God! Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is whence we collect 3ly That they and onely they shall surely enjoy all the honour and felicity which heaven can afford in the life to come who continue to walk aright in the good old way which hath been set before you as Christ hath certified all believers Joh. 14.1 2. In my fathers house are many mansions I go to prepare a place for you and I will come againe and receive you that where I am there ye may be also v. 3. and then shall you find experimentally and confesse that this glory doth infinitely exceed the fame which you have heard of it 4ly Yea even in this life having once received the first fruits of the Spirit in your hearts he will so certify you of the truth hereof and your propriety therein that you shall rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 even in the midst of manifold troubles temptations and persecutions v. 6. O therefore pray the Lord with all importunity to cause * Isa 30.21 your eares to heare a voice behind you saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turne to the right hand and when ye turne to the left that Jesus Christ may say of you as here he did of Nathanael Behâ—ld an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile Amen FINIS