most true that good Works are necessary by way of concomitancy in him who is to be saved for without holiness none shall see the face of God Heb. 12.14 Although thou canst not be justified in this life by thy good Works yet in the day of resurrection thou shalt be judged according to thy Works Math. 25. 2 Cor. 5.10 Therefore as in the day of resurrection thou wouldest differ from evil doers who will be raised unto damnation see thou differ from them in thy living and dying Godly differ from the wicken in living 1. The wicked man in his life-time employeth his desires endeavours and time to serve his own lusts but the care of a Godly man and sound believer will be to serve his Lord Rom. 13.14 Put on the Lord Iesus and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof 2. The wicked man walketh in the broad way that leadeth to destruction he taketh unto himself ease and pleasure in sin as one having room in a broad way he doth not afflict or grieve his own heart at any time by refusing the unlawful desires of it But thou who wouldst rise to life must walk in the strait way that leadeth unto life thou must straiten and hem up thy desires and afflict thy unrenewed part and flesh by refusing and rejecting unruly desires and if at any time thy heart look back unto sin thou must afflict thy Spirit with Godly sorrow for any step thou hast made toward the broad way The Godly man and sound believer differeth also from the wicked in his dying Godly differ from the wicked in dying The wicked man at his death layeth not hold on Christ and dyeth unwillingly but thou that wouldst rise unto life thou must with old Simeon an old expectant of glory embrace Christ and hug him and the Promise of life made in him in the arms of thy faith as a dying man holdeth fast his gripe so shalt thou keep thy gripe of Christ in the day of resurrection thou shalt be found in him The Godly man dieth willingly commending his Spirit unto God as a faithful Creator he goeth unto death as his bed out of the which he will rise in that morning of eternity with refreshment but the ungodly and impenitent go to death unwillingly as unto a prison out of which they know they will be carried unto Judgement This is the heavenly posture of a Godly man on his death-bed he resteth by Faith on the only merit and satisfaction of Jesus Christ as a sick man doth upon a soft Mat underneath him he hath the lively hope of a glorious rest to his soul after its parting from the body and of a glorious resurrection of the body as a Pillow to hold up his head and heart that in all his pain he fainteth not and he hath good Works as a coverlet to adorn him in the sight of all that behold him The Believer at his death resteth not on them they are his coverlet but not his mat he is adorned and covered with them before the world who seeth them in him and should both glorifie God in his rich and free love for his graces bestowed on him and should labour to imitate him in his good life and happy death If thus thou differ from wicked men in thy life and death and be not an evil doer as they are in the purpose of their heart and course of their life The Lord who by his grace maketh thee to differ from them in this life shall in eternal mercy make thee to differ from them in thy resurrection for thy resurrection shall be unto eternal life if thou live to Christ thou shalt dye in Christ and in that day thou shalt be found in him and go with him to the third heaven and remain in glory for ever with him It serveth for a ground of terrour and awakening to the ungodly Vse 2 Terror to ungodly men who rush into sin as the horse into the Battle go on in their sins like the Ox unto the slaughter and will not know the evil of their wayes till the deadly dart of Gods wrath strike through their souls Remember O foolish man if thou live and dye in thy sins and as Zophar speaketh Iob 20.11 If thy bones be full of the sins of thy youth and they lie down with thee in the dust thou shalt rise unto damnation what thou wouldest not believe in this thy day thou shalt be forced from sense of pain to believe in that day of the Lord and then shall the faithful Ministers of Jesus Christ say as Paul did to his fellow-Passengers in the Ship Act. 27.21 If ye had hearkened unto me ye should not have gained this harm and loss The remembrance of neglected opportunities will encrease the fretting torment of their souls It may be thou hast pain and sickness in thy body with great agony at thy death but consider all that is but as a flea-bite in comparison of that worm that dyeth not and the fire which cannot be quenched Thou mayest be assured unless thou repent while thou art in the body thy pained and deformed body shall be raised up in greater pain and deformity An ugly and hideous spectacle will thy face and body be so that if it were possible in that day thou wouldest flye from thy self Then soul and body at their reunion and uniting will in a manner curse one another and live or rather languish together as it were in mutual imprecations for ever This will be a part of their hell like two Mastiffs chained together and tearing one another the soul will curse the body and all the Members of it for ministering temptations by the eyes and ears and for being too ready to bring forth and act sin conceived in the heart then soul and body that sinned together shall be tormented together as they were bound together in sin so also in punishment therefore let the sad forethought of pain in the body in that day calm thy impetuous affections Remember as thou sowest in the body so shalt thou reap in the body Gal. 6.8 thou shalt receive according to that thou hast done in the body 2 Cor. 5.10 The serious forethought of this will be an awful means to suppress thy tumultuary affections The Town-clerk Act. 19.40 composed the tumult with one word we are in danger said he to be called in question for this dayes uproar so consider thou art in danger to be called in question in that day of resurrection for the insurrection and rebellion of thy heart against thy Lord in this thy day The Royal preacher soundeth forth this sad but profitable Note into the ears of young men who are dit-times violent like Jehu in their sinful courses Eccles 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth c. but know thou that for all those things God will bring thee unto Judgement This Doctrine serveth for a solid ground of comfort to the Godly who
ways that thou maist be found in thy Lords ways walking in his holy commandments blessed is the man whom his Master when he cometh sindeth so doing as thou watchest over thy own heart and ways so watch and long after the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and this longing for death out of a love to be with him is a sure evidence of a soul well prepared for death 2 Tim. 4.8 The Lord will give a Crown of righteousness not to me only but to them also who love his appearing To him with the Father and holy Ghost be all praise Amen Having spoken of the sting of death we proceed to speak the cure and of our deliverance from it Of the cure of death The Author of our deliverance and victory is the Lord Iesus Christ the Captain of our salvation The Apostle compareth death to a conquering and prevailing enemy which by its sting and weapon woundeth many with a mortal and incurable wound because such men as live to sin and die in their guiltiness go down by the first death to the second into that bottomless pit out of which there is no redemption Jesus Christ our Lord by the merit of his death alone hath overcome death Doct. Christ only hath overcome death for all that believe in him and of a bitter enemy hath made death a comfortable friend to all who believe in him for by him alone we get victory over death That we may understand this point the better we should consider in what respect Christ hath delivered us from death he hath not delivered us from our obligation and subjection to the necessity of dying for we see believers dye as well as unbelievers Neither hath he delivered us from being subject to sicknesses and alterations going before death David complains the pains of hell got hold upon him Psal 116.3 that is extream pains in his body and anxiety in his spirit Neither hath our Lord delivered from pain at the hour of death nor from the separation of soul and body by death But our Lord hath overcome death in these respects 1. In respect of 1. The sting of death In respect of the sting of death he hath taken away our sins and as an enemy is overcome when his deadly weapon is taken out of his hand so our Lord overcame death by taking away sin on his cross for sin is the sting of death Hos 13.14 O Death I will be thy plagues This the Apostle cites 1 Cor. 15.54 The Captain of our salvation upon the cross as in an open and pitched battel did spoyl principalities and powers Col. 2.15 One of these powers armed against us was death he took away our sins on the cross and so spoyled death of his weapon as a valiant Conquerour takes away the weapons from a subdued enemy 2. 2. The fear of death Jesus Christ our Lord hath freed us from the fear of death Heb. 2.15 he was partaker of flesh and blood he took upon him our nature that he might deliver them who through the fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage Our Lord by taking away our sins the sting and weapon of death doth deliver us from the fear of death for that which maketh an enemy fearful is his deadly weapon It is true sometimes men may fear even a naked enemy but they have no cause seeing he cannot harm them so some of Gods dear children at a time may exceed in the fear of death but they have no such cause of fear neither would they be so afraid 3. The curse of death if they were strong in the faith of Jesus Christ who hath disarmed death 3. Our Lord hath delivered us from the curse of death that to us the first death is not a dreadful passage to the second Ioh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Rev. 14.13 Blessed are they that die in the Lord that henceforth they may rest from their labours As for weakness sickness pain and alterations in the body though our Lord hath not delivered us from them yet by the merit of his death and the grace of his Spirit he sanctifieth them to us and in a gracious providence turneth them to a good and spiritual use Our Lords death is like to that salt that purged and sweetned the naughty waters of Jericho 2 Kings 2.21 and like the meal cast into the pot wherein was the bitter herb 2 Kings 4.41 The death of our Lord hath taken wrath and the curse from out of all our afflictions and maketh them useful and profitable unto us Our Lord in a gracious dispensation turneth the bodily sickness of his own children into a spiritual medicine for purging an humorous and distempered soul for bringing down the tympany and swelling pride of the heart such as glory and boast in the beauty or strength of the body do see in time of sickness the weakness and vileness of the body and so being humbled learn to glory onely in the Lord and in the beauty of his grace in the inward man A sanctified sickness purgeth out of the heart covetousness the hearts Dropsie thirsting for more of this present world when the sick man seeth the emptiness of things worldly which cannot give him any ease in the time of his greatest need A sanctified sickness purgeth out unruly lusts which are as a burning feaver to the soul sickness takes down the body and grace sanctifying it turns it into a temple to the holy Ghost The wise Master-builder useth sickness as a sharp edged tool for polishing the body for the inhabitation of the Spirit that it may be a temple prepared In like manner our wise and merciful Lord though he deliver not his own children from death yet he maketh their death to be of singular good use to them It is a putting off of corruption that they may be clothed upon with incorruption The death of wicked men dying in their guiltiness is like unto a thiefs putting off his cloaths to the end he may be scourged but the death of the godly is like unto a childs putting off the old garment that he may put on the new that is incorruptible and will not fade but ever have a beautiful lustre It is for this their soul doth groan and long 2 Cor. 5.2 In this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven 4. The dominon of death As for deaths dominion and power over our bodies in the grave our Lord did take it also away by the merit of his death and declared his victory over and our deliverance from it by raising his own body and by loosing the bonds of death when our Lord awoke from death and stretched out the strength of his Godhead like Sampson he broke asunder those bonds as cords of flax Our deliverance from the grave will
compleat In these words we have first the vicissitude of Pauls outward condition Four Points observable in the words at one time he abounds at another he is abased At one time he is full at another he suffers need 2. The sweet and gracious composure of his spirit expressed in two singular acts The first is his contentation of minde in all conditions In whatsoever estate I am saith he I am therewith content The latter is his prudent and pertinent comportment with his present condition I know both how to be abased and how to abound 3. The way how he attained this Contentation of minde I have learned saith he I am instructed This he learned not at the feet of Gamaliel but in the School of Jesus Christ who at the first initiation of his Disciples teacheth them by word example and by the powerfull operation of his spirit inclining them to the lesson to deny themselves to take up their crosse and follow him 4. The sole Authour of all the strength and ability he had either for doing or suffering the good-will of God I can do all things saith he through Christ that strengtheneth me From the first particular the variety and vicissitude of his outward condition at one time he abounds at another time he is a based and suffers need we observe this Doctrine The dear children of God in their outward condition are subject to many changes At one time they are in prosperity Doct. at another in adversity at one time cried up and highly honoured in the world at another time cried down and abased Job a man fearing God and eschewing evil was the richest man in the East to day but on the morrow the poorest and most distressed of all men in the whole earth in his time in great honour and reputation at one time Job 29.8 The young men saw me and hid themselves like School-boys out of an awfull respect to their School-master And the aged arose and stood up when they heard him they blessed him and gave an honourable testimony to him by approving and commending what he had spoken but at another time not only is he misprised and neglected but derided by the younger and baser sort of the people Job 30.1 Joseph at one time in great esteem and credit with Potiphar None greater in the house then he at another time disgraced and without any just cause cast into prison Gen. 39.8 9 20. Moses for the space of fourty years was in great honour at Pharachs Court but afterward was forced to fly with his life in his hand to Midian and keep sheep there other fourty years David a man according to Gods heart at one time in great prosperity and credit at Sauls Court and greatly beloved 1 Sam. 16.21 at another time in great adversity and perplexity he who before in a sudden fit of Court-favour was sought out and brought from his Father to the King in a more violent fit of spight and malice was chased from Court and hunted as a Partridge in the wildernesse 1 Sam. 26.26 Jehoshaphat a man of an upright heart at one time in great prosperity and had rest from all his enemies 2 Chro. 17.10 at another time a great change whereas in former times other Kingdomes round about feared him now the fear of them falleth upon him 2 Chron. 20.12 Paul at one time abounded and by a divine dispensation is loaded with such things as were necessary for him Act. 28.10 at another time he is in great adversity Thrice he suffered shipwrack in perils of robbers and in many other troubles 2 Cor. 11. he was in esteem at Lystra far contrary to his desire and in the same place was he disgraced contrary to his deservings Act. 14. such was his zeal to the honour of God he was more grieved with their blasphemous honouring then with their malicious disgracing of him The Reasons wherefore the Lord our God without any change in the purpose of his love Reasons in his wisedome worketh such changes in the condition of his own dear children are 1. 1. Changes make men fear God For their Instruction By such changes the Lord instructs his children to fear him It is said of the wicked Psa 55.19 They have not changes and therefore they fear not God because Sentence against their evil works is not executed speedily therefore their heart is fully set in them to do evil But by great changes from prosperity into adversity the children of God learn to fear God and eschew evil Ezr. 9.13 After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespasse seeing our God hath punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve Should we again break thy Commandments Hos 3.4 5. The children of Israel shall abide many daies without a King and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter daies Here was a great change the people of Israel was sometime the praise of the earth for good policy both civill and ecclesiasticall but here a great change and desolation they have neither a King nor face of a Church God in his gracious and wise dispensation sendeth these changes in their outward condition that he may thereby work a change in their hearts and practice in after times that they may repent of their former evil doings and fear the Lord their God from generation to generation who shall hear of such fearfull changes and shall serve the Lord with fear the Lord sends changes to teach them where they should seek solid content and happinesse even in God himself who is alsufficient and without any shadow of change If our estate were alwaies prosperous in this world we would rest on it and say as Peter lifted up in the mountain Mat. 17. It is good to be here yea like beasts in fat pastures we would eat and lie down upon them Therefore the Lord sends a change and teacheth us to seek hearts rest in God alone Hos 2.6 I will hedge up thy way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not finde her paths She shall follow after her Lovers but shall not overtake them Then shall she say I will go and return to my first husband for then was it better with me then now 2. 2. By changes men are chastised for sins against mercies God doth it for their correction to chastise them for sinning against their father in a time of prosperity Solomon was in great peace and prosperity but when he sinned and to please his strange wives displeased the Lord his God by authorizing and countenancing a false and idolatrous worship God sent a change and stirred up against him one adversary after another 1 King 11.14 23. Ezechias was in health and prosperity after the time he had been dangerously sick yet for his ingratitude the Lord sent a change and
God acquaints with his special love The Lord sends changes in their outward condition for their spiritual aduantage to assure them of the love of God toward them as the tender mother crosseth the breast with wormwood out of love to her childe to wean it from the breast and acquaint it with a more solid and enduring food So our heavenly Father when he perceives his children nusling on the breast of worldly contentments out of love he layeth on the wormwood of affliction to wean them from the love of that perishing meat and to acquaint them with that hidden Manna even the sense of his love in Jesus Christ and by the bitter taste of afflictions outward he maketh his love and the Crosse of Christ relish the more sweetly to our souls Hos 2.14 I will bring her into the wildernesse and speak comfortably unto her and as it is in the Original I will speak to her heart when the children of God are brought to such an outward condition that as in a wildernesse there is nothing from without to comfort them then the Lord speaks comfort to their heart when there is none to visit and comfort Paul and Silas in the dungeon Act. 16. God visits them with the comforts of his Spirit and makes them sing for joy 2. By outward changes the inward joy of their heart is encreased in their prosperous condition their joy was but uncertain from an opinion they had of their faith mixed with doubting of the truth and of the soundnesse of their faith The Lord in time of the change of their condition strengthens their faith and the experience of a tried faith solveth their former scruples and makes them to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious As a man finding a peece of gold hath some joy from his opinion that it is gold but after he hath tried by the touchstone and perceives it is upright gold his joy is greater so the joy of Gods children is much encreased from the trial of their faith in time of adversity 1 Pet. 1.7 8. That the trial of your faith might be found unto praise honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ whom having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not but beleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 3. Our love to God and his holy Commandments is encreased as the coldnesse of the air in winter makes a repercussion of the heat into the bowels of the earth so storms of afflictions in our outward estate serve through a gracious providence to keep in and concentrate our love upon God and his will Psa 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes For Admonition to the children of God in the day of their prosperity not to rest on worldly comforts they are uncertain Vse 1 Outward comforts are not to be rested on and thou canst not tell how soon a change may come 1 Tim. 6.17 Put not your trust in the uncertainty of riches in the Original it is in the inevidence of riches that may be seen to day and to morrow take the wings of the morning and be gone When riches encrease set not thy heart upon them Psa 82.10 but improve thy present and perishing commodities to a spirituall use for raising up thy thoughts and desires from present enjoyments to a high esteem and strong desire of that enduring substance in heaven This use our Lord will have us to make of our desires to have and of our cares to keep the good things of this world Joh 6.27 Mat. 6.19 20. From thy worldly riches inheritance honours and pleasures step up to behold and to long after those durable riches that inheritance incorruptible that Crown of immortal glory and those rivers of pleasures reserved in heaven for us This Doctrine serveth for a ground of reprehension to those who mis-judge the Children of God from their outward afflicted condition Vse 2 Outward afflictions argue not a man to be forsaken of God as if they were forsaken of God It was the sinne of Davids enemies Psa 71.11 saying God hath forsaken him This was the fault of Jobs Friends from the great and sudden change of his prosperous condition charging him with hypocrisie Job 8.6 13. This rash mis-construction of the providence of God in afflicting his own dear children provokes him highly against these bitter Criticks Job 42.7 The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite My wrath is kindled against thee and thy two friends for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right It is well known that wicked men may prosper in their outward condition Job observed it in his time Job 12.6 The Tabernacles of robbers prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly So did Solomon in his experience Eccl. 8.14 there be just men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous which is all to be understood in respect of their outward condition The rich glutton fared sumptuously every day but Lazarus would have been content with the crumbs that fell from his Table Luk. 18. Eccl. 7.15 There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousnesse and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickednesse The uncircumcised Philistims and the vile Benjamites prospered for a time 1 Sam. 4. Judg. 20. Antiochus Epiphanes who did pollute the Sanctuary and bring into it the abomination of desolation Dan. 11.31 yet he destroyed wonderfully and prospered Dan. 8.24 how did the Goths and Vandals for the most part all Arians over-run and oppresse the world many years It is known from time to time that the dearest children of God have been plunged in the deeps of adversity Heb. 11.36 37 38. We must neither justifie the wicked and their courses from their outward prosperity nor condemn the children of God and their courses from their adversity the Christian Church for the space almost of 300 years was under the hammer of Pagan persecuting Emperours and after some breathing how did it groan under the Arian Persecution Therefore be not rash to pronounce in the favour of evil men and their courses because they prosper Consider the Lord turneth them up and down as a wheel at his pleasure Psa 83.13 he cuts them down like grasse when they are at the highest Psa 92.7 As Haman Esth 7. Babylon Isa 47.10 and Herod Act. 12.21 By their prosperity the Lord fats and fits them for a day of slaughter Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction The Lord like a strong man seems to retire for a time from the course of his justice that he may with greater strength fetch a sore blow upon them But the changes that befall the godly are to purifie them from the drosse
of corruption Dan. 12.10 and fit them to be vessels of honour to the praise honour and glory of God at the appearing of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.7 It serveth for a ground of comfort to the children of God Vse 3 not to be discouraged with changes in their outward condition Outward changes ought not to discourage as if it were a thing strange In thy adverse condition examine how thou usedst thy prosperity if thou wast ingrate to God proud toward thy neighbours or vainly confident in thy worldly enjoyments humble thy self in the sight of God and if thou be humbled for the sins of thy prosperity 1. It is thy comfort God in love hath made a change in thy outward condition to change thee in thy inward man and fit thee for a condition of happiness that will have no change But if after due examination thy conscience beareth thee witnesse that in the day of prosperity thou drawest out thy soul to the indigent thou madst not the wedge of gold thy confidence yet comfort thy self in this that thereby thy heavenly Father weaneth thee from the world and this weaning is an act of love in the Parent though the childe for the time hath no wit to discern the same 2. What knowest thou but there is much preventing mercy in thy change These worldly advantages have been snares to many It is far better thy outward prosperity be changed into adversity then thy inward peace into fear and and trouble of spirit which would have been if thy prosperity had been to thee a stumbling-block of iniquity 3. Vnder such a change wherein thou perceivest the insufficiency of Creatures thou wilt see most of the alsufficiency and unchangeablenesse of the love of God At such a time the Lord will visit thy soul more frequently then in former times when thou wast courted and taken up with the complements of the world and one of such visitations will give thee more solid comfort then all the salutations and acclamations of men in the time of thy most flourishing estate Lastly Now thou gettest a proof of thy faith and patience and as at such a time thou praisest God who preserveth the work of his own hands in thee so thou shouldst rejoyce in a tried faith as a Souldier in a day of battell rejoyceth in his armour of proof And if there had not been a change and trial thou wouldest not have had the joy of a tried sound and stedfast faith Therefore saith James Iam. 1.2 My Brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations The second particular to be considered in the words Point 2 is the Apostles setled composure of spirit His Contentation expressed in his inward contentation of minde In whatsoever estate I à m I am therewith content The word in the Original signifieth I am sufficient Because sufficiency and abundance in a man himself makes him quiet and content and on the contrary sense of and grief for the want of sufficiency makes him discontent and sollicitous for the supply of his wants to this sense the primitive word is used Luk. 3.14 Be content with your wages said the Baptist to the Souldiers Be ye sufficed with them and Heb. 13.5 Be content with such things as ye have in the original it is Be ye sufficed with such things as ye have for the present In this place the word signifieth a self-sufficiency as it is also used 2 Cor. 9.8 that ye having alsufficiency This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and self-sufficiency is in the beleever himself but not from himself such a self-sufficiency is only in God from himself Gen. 17.1 I am the alsufficient God Some render El shaddai by the same word that is used here Junius and Tremel in Marg. and Mercer on Gen. 17.1 The beleever his sufficiency is in himself not from himself but from God as in the clear day a house hath sufficiency of light within it self yet not from it self but from the Sunne So the sufficiency and comfort of the childe of God is within him but from God the Fountain of all the comfort and contentment in his soul The beleever gets of Gods rich and free grace an interest in Christ and in him a title to God who is all in all 1 Cor. 3.23 Ye are Christs and Christ is Gods with Christ he gets assurance of all things needful to make him happy This inward provision of Gods favour and of faith in Christ is bestowed and laid up in the beleeving heart by Jesus Christ the great Steward of the childrens bread whereof in his wisedom he gives a sufficient portion in a right proportion for their contentment and present satisfaction so much as may hold up their hearts till they come to their Fathers house where is bread enough Faith in God and his promises for the present and hope of absolute contentment in heaven makes a sound beleever content with his present condition as a Traveller sufficiently fed and refreshed in the morning is resolute and content to passe through a barren wildernesse until the evening at which time he looks for convenient lodging and plentifull refreshment so a soul refreshed here with some sense of the comfortable love of God in Jesus Christ which is as the morning of the eternal day of our happinesse is resolved and well content to passe through any hardnesse in this time of our sojourning until the evening of his life at which time he will get a day without an evening and a full portion that shall never be taken from him A renewed man is a man contented in any condition of life Doct. both in prosperity and adversity he resigns himself over to Gods disposall and with all submission of spirit studieth to reverence his dispensation and to rest thereon A renewed man is a contented man Obj. Object That seems no great matter to be content in an estate of prosperity wicked men could be content with that Answ Answ A wicked man cannot have true content in his prosperity Wicked men are not contented in prosperity 1. Because he receives nothing but the bare creature and this without Gods favour and blessing in Christ is as light bread that satisfies not nor contenteth the appetite 2. Such a man by his present enjoyments is inflamed with tormenting desires after more Ecol 5.10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with encrease Ecc. 4.8 There is one alone and there is not a second yea he hath neither childe nor brother yet there is no end of all his labour neither is his eye satisfied with riches but there can be no true content amidst these flames of self-tormenting desires 3. The wicked and worldly-minded man though his outward estate be prosperous yet he envieth all that have more then he himself his eye is evil because he thinks God is good or better to others he would have a Monopoly of prosperity and if he had it
a Table in the Wildernesse Psa 78.19 Such Unbelief in a time of a great and common calamity may provoke God to seclude thee from the comfort of the common deliverance That unbeleeving Lord who blasphemed God in his power was trod down in the gate and was not partaker of the common benefit 2 King 7.19 20. 5. Thou that usest unlawfull means to be freed of thy trouble consider in time such means provoke to more wrath Ahaziah his consulting with wizards in the time of his sicknesse brought him to his death 2 King 1. The Jews did persecute the Prince of life thinking thereby to preserve their place and nation Joh. 11.48 but such a means brought upon them desolation and destruction Mat. 23.37 38. This Doctrine serveth for a seasonable warning to the children of God who are subject to the like passions within Vse 2 Directions how to behave our selves in all estates 1. In prosperity and to the like temptations from without how they should carry themselves in an equable tenour both in prosperity and adversity In thy day of prosperity 1. Be thankefull to thy God Deut. 8.10 When thou hast eaten and art full then thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good Land which he hath given thee So did good Jacob Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant For with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two bands Remember that wrath was upon good Ezechias for his ingratitude 2 Chron. 32.25 2. Walk humbly with thy God remembring thou hast nothing but what thou hast received It is the Lord who of rich and free bounty makes thee to differ from the poor Remember the rich and poor meet together Pro. 22.2 they are alike in their birth both come naked out of the womb and alike at their death they return naked to the womb of the earth the difference only is for a moment of time Remember Ezechias his pride in his treasures provoked God to give them to the spoiler 2 King 20.17 3. Walk in charity toward them that want the good things of the world Remember as this is the day of thy receiving so there will be a day of reckoning when thy Lord will say Give me an account of thy Stewardship Profession of love to God without this is but hypocrisie 1 Joh. 3.17 Whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him yea thy outward performances of publique worship and solemn humiliation by fasting is abomination before the Lord without this labour of love Isa 58.6 7. The Lord requires that thou deal thy bread to the hungry c. If God send a change the remembrance of thy mercifull dealing with the poor will comfort thy heart in adversity Augustine It was Jobs comfort in his saddest hour Job 31.16 17. c. Augustine saith well God made the rich man that he might help the poor and he made the poor man that he might try the rich 4. In thy abundance moderate thy affections Let not thy desire joy and delight dwell on things worldly Phil. 3.20 Let your conversation be in heaven The Merchant though he trade in a forreign Countrey for a time and be never so well entertained there yet his more frequent thoughts and stronger affections are on his own Countrey and the comforts there here thou art a sojourner Amidst all thy transient pleasures here let thy minde and heart be set upon the things that are above Col. 3.2 5. Of thy worldly commodities make a spirituall use as the skilful Chymist extracts subtil spirits out of the grossest Minerals so the spiritual man draweth a spiritual use out of things earthly Out of any sweetnesse he tastes in the creatures his appetite is inlarged toward that full joy and pleasures for ever at the right hand of God as a profane worldling in a Church-meeting many times hath earthly thoughts so the spiritual man even in his civill meetings in the midst of his earthly pleasures is a heavenly-minded man He looks through the creatures to heaven He can at once look both to the earth and to the third heaven From earthly objects his heart is raised to things heavenly and after such thoughts he returns to the use of the creature with great moderation as a man refreshed already with more excellent delicates then the creatures can afford In the day of adversity carry thy self also in an equal way 2. In adversity I know also saith our Apostle how to be abased 1. Be not regardlesse of thy Crosse Heb. 12.5 It is the Lords visitation and thou must take notice of him when he visits thee humble thy self before him with Ephraim bemoan thy self Jer. 31.18 accept the punishment of thy sin and justifie the Lord in all his dispensations Lev. 26.41 and seek to God by praier for comfort Isa 26.16 They poured out a praier when thy chastening was upon them 2. Be not faint-hearted this is another extremity whereunto the dear children of God are subject in time of oppressing troubles Good Baruch fainted in his sighing in a time of adversity and dis-appointment of his hopes Jer. 45.3 Jonah fainted in a time of great perplexity Jonah 2.7 Prepare cordials against this fainting As men subject to fainting in the body carry alwaies about with them some preservatives lay up store of the precious promises with faith to them in thy understanding and with love to them in thy heart The taste of this bread of life will keep thee from fainting Carry Christ and his Crosse in thine heart and the smell of his Crosse and the sweet fruits of it will keep thine heart from fainting If at any time thou faint then with Jonah Jon. 2.7 Remember the Lord and his former kindenesses He is unchangeable in his love He loveth to the end Joh. 13.1 The meditation on former experience and on the unchangeablenesse of his love is a Restorative to a fainting soul 3. In thy adversity be patient Jam. 1.4 Let Patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and intire wanting nothing It is not perfect in any man in a perfection of degrees but in the purpose of their will and affection of their hearts The godly should be willing in all things present or to come to submit to the good will of God Patience is joyned to hope as the Cable to the Anchor 1 Thes 1.3 Patience of hope As in a stresse of weather the more the Cable is lengthened there is the lesse agitation of the Ship so in a time of trouble the more our patience is encreased the commotion of our spirit is the lesse It is true the dear children of God may have their own fits of impatiency as Moses at Meribah Job had his Job 3. Jeremiah Jer. 15.10 and Jonah had a sore fit Jon. 4.8 It is
better for me to die then to live His fit groweth worse vers 9. I do well to be angry even unto death Yet his merciful Father takes not Jonah away in this fit but spared him and gave him grace to out-live this fit by repentance The children of God recover themselves by repentance and in an holy indignation revenge themselves upon themselves for their former distemper So David recovered from his fit of impatiency rebukes himself Psa 73.22 I was as a beast before thee 4. Cast not away thy confidence but walk by faith In a time of trouble the Just shall live by faith Hab. 2.4 The children of God in times of great and long troubles are subject to fits of unbelief Judg. 6.13 Gideon said O my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken us And David Psa 116.11 I said in my haste All men are lyars Psa 31.22 I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes Notwithstanding special promises of God to the contrary yet he had his own fit of distrustfull fear to be cut off by the hand of Saul Against such fits guard thy heart with submission to his divine wisedom in the training up of his own children He scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth Heb. 12.6 Consider his gracious wisedom ordering thy afflictions for thy souls good Heb. 12.13 He chastiseth us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holinesse But when thou hast such a fit of unbelief and canst not beleeve that the Lord in love chastiseth thee but punisheth thee in anger Remember the daies of old when the Lord heard thy praiers and thou hadst a sweet return of peace to thy soul In the experience of this say thou to thy heart as Sampsons Mother said to her Husband Manoah Judg. 13.23 If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands Look into thy own heart and if thou in a time of great trouble fear to offend him and desire to obey thou maist and shouldst rest on him as thy God Isa 5.10 Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him rest in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Though thou see not any appearance of deliverance yet rest on the power of God submit to his will and use no unlawful means for thy own delivery So did the three children Dan. 3.17 Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand but if not Be it known unto thee O King we will not serve thy Gods The third particular to be considered is the way how the Apostle attained this contentation of minde in all estates of life I have learned saith he and I am instructed in the original it is I am instructed in a mystery or secret The mystery and secret of contentment in whatsoever estate Doct. The mystery of contentment is taught only in the School of Christ It is not taught from principles of nature is taught only in the School of Jesus Christ The truth of this Doctrine will appear if we consider 1. how it is not taught 2. how it is taught It is not taught from any principles of corrupt nature because this being alike in all the children of Adam must be uniform in its operations and so all men should be taught this contentment but the contrary is seen in many male-contents and murmurers under their present condition in the world Corrupt nature frets at every thing displeasing to flesh and bloud until it be healed by the grace of regeneration But where this secret fretting is there can be no true contentment Neither can it be taught by the moral precept of Natural men It is true heathen men Nor by morall precepts of natural men specially the Stoick Philosophers have spoken somewhat to this purpose yet they did not teach men to be content in whatsoever estate They did commend that horrid sinne of self-murther in the case of dis-contentment They compared mans life to a banquet that he might willingly leave when once he were full and to a stage-play that he might leave when once he were wearied And Seneca cals such a death a gate to liberty This is not to teach contentment in every estate As they failed fouly in their precepts so in their practise of contentment It is true some heathens appeared content in their sober and course diet of living Fabricius that Noble Romane Senator was content to feed upon his dish of Roots and he answered to these Legats who would have corrupted him with vast Sums of gold to betray his own Countrey that a man who was content to feed on Roots needed not their gold yet they were not content in every estate they could not endure disgrace in the world for their honour was their Idol Lucretia and Cato of Vtica could not bear their disgrace with any contentment but made away themselves in their violent fits of discontentment Augustine And August lib. 1. de Civit. Dei cap. 20. saith well That it is but a weak spirit that cannot comport with the want of health in the body or with the want of the applause of the people Next the truth of this Doctrine appeareth It is taught 1. By the Word if we consider positively how this mystery of contentment is taught It is taught in the School of Christ 1. By the Word of God 2. By the example of Christ 3. By the Spirit of Christ 1. Is is taught by the Word of God It is called the word of Patience because it commands us to be patient Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience saith the Angel of the Covenant to the Church of Philadelphia I will also keep thee from the hour of Temptation c. It is taught by the word of precept which commandeth us to be godly and where godlinesse is it hath with it contentment 1 Tim. 6.6 Godlinesse with contentment is great gain That is godlinesse which hath alwaies with it contentment is great gain 1 Tim. 6.8 Having food and raiment let us be therewith content Heb. 13.5 Be content with such things as ye have It is taught by the word of threatning 1 Cor. 10. Neither murmure ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer he threatens them from the fearfull destruction that fell upon murmurers against the Lords dispensation Jude ep 15 16 17. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him These are murmurers complainers It is taught fully by
of contentment to them in all their labours and difficulties So the full assurance of hope we have of that port of eternal salvation of that harvest of full joy and of that Crown of immortal glory is and shall be a ground of contentment in tempestuous times in our seed time of tears in our warfare against terrours within and fightings without Faithfull is he who hath promised Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Joh. 16.20 Verily verily I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoyce and ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into joy As in the time of affliction thou findest this true in thy experience which thy Lord foretold so it is ground contentment in such a time that thy Lord hath foretold also of a comfortable issue The sick Patient in the time of his pain while the medicine is a working being forewarned of it by the Physitian hath some contentment and comfort in the hope of the good of it in his after health foretold him also by his Physitian So thou maist be assured as thou findest the experience of sorrow by thy Lord so thou shalt also finde the experience of joy for the same faithful Lord hath foretold both 2. 2. By the example of Christ We learn contentment and submission of spirit from our Lord Jesus Christ who in his lowest condition rested content with his Fathers will Samaria refused to entertain him James and John was highly discontent and breathed nothing but fire against Samaria yet our meek Lord rebuked them and said Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of Luke 9.53 54 55. In thy bodily wants learn contentment from him when he was hungry and none ministred unto him The devil tempted him to discontent and murmuring Mat. 4.3 If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread Our Lord answered It is written man should not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God He that at first by his powerful word gave life to the creature can if it so please him by that word preserve life When such means fail yet learn from thy Lord to submit to the will of God and to trust in his power that is not limited to ordinary means In his thirst they gave him gall whereas others at their death got wine to make them forget their pain yet he was content he did not complain of them to God but in great calmnesse of spirit and eminency of love praied to the Father for them Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing He renders wine for their gall yea though all thy life time thou shouldst live in poverty yet look to Christ and be content for he was poor in his birth poor in his life and at his death he was stript of his garments 2. When thou sufferest in thy Name learn contentment from his example 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously When in speaking the truth thou art contradicted by proud and contentious men who call thee ignorant or a lyar be patient and look to thy Lord who was the way the verity and the life yet was a sign of contradiction Luk. 2.34 And when thy heart begins through discontent at the hard speeches of the world against thee to faint within thee then consider thy Lord that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your mindes Heb. 12.3 When thou art traduced by malicious detracters be patient and content look to thy Lord who was without all spot and blame and yet was traduced as a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Mat. 11.19 a deceiver of the people Joh. 7.12 Mat. 27.63 and a complier with that arch malignant spirit Mat. 12.24 The Servant should be content when he is no worse yea not so evil entreated as his Lord and Master when thou art affronted and mocked to thy face by insolent enemies insulting on thy misery be content and look to thy Lord who was as a sheep dumb before her shearer he was affronted with a Scepter of reed put into his hand with a tormenting crown of thorns on his head they mocked him by bowing the knee wagging the head and upbraided him with cruell mockings Luk. 23.5 when thou sufferest injury in thy person at the hands of cruell and insolent men yet be content and submit to the will of God who takes off the collar of restraint from their tongues and hands Look to thy Lord blinde-folded spitted on buffeted scourged and crucified between two theeves If they do these things in a green tree what shall be done in the dry Luk. 23.31 3. By the Spirit of Christ by 1. Inlightning 3. We learn this lesson of contentment by the Spirit of Christ who teacheth us by enlightening the understanding with faith to perceive and discern the unsearchable riches of Christ Then as this sight makes the beleever have low thoughts of the best things in this present world and to count them but losse and dung in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ Phil. 3.8 So it makes him rest content in all his sufferings and to think them light in comparison of that glory hid with Christ in God which will be revealed to us at the second coming of Jesus Christ Rom. 8.18 I reckon saith the Apostle that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us 2. 2. By sealing The Spirit of Christ worketh this contentment in us by Obsignation and Sealing us after we have beleeved Eph. 1.13 24. In whom also after ye have beleeved ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our Inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory The Spirit seals to the beleever two great priviledges 1. His Adoption Rom. 8.16 The Spirit beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the children of God 2. The other is our right in Christ to the heavenly inheritance and our future possession the assurance of our adoption makes us content to drink of the cup of affliction given to us by our heavenly Father and in a like though no waies equal frame of a submisse spirit we say as our Lord the beloved Son of the Father said both for satisfaction in our behalf and for an example of submission to us Job 18.11 Shall I not drink of the cup which my Father hath given me to drink The assurance of our Inheritance makes us content in this time of our minority to be under the rod some earnest penny
these we are more then conquerors through him that loved us Faith in Christ made them strong and couragious and not to succumb to the temptation for fear of death by constant suffering to the death they were more then conquerors Sometimes by their sufferings they have even conquered the hearts of Persecutors to the love of the truth Pauls sufferings were active on the hearts of some of Caesars houshold Phil. 1.13 Tertullian Tertullian In his Apologetick for the Christians saith that the more exquisite and cruell the torments were against Christians in regard of their courage and constancy it proves the greater allurement to beholders for embracing the Christian faith yea though they have not conquered the hearts of their enemies yet they overcame their consciences by the force of truth and strength in suffering and rendred them self-condemned The truth of this Doctrine doth also appear from these Reasons Reasons 1. From the mysticall Vnion between Christ and Beleevers As the members of his body have influence of life from him their head in the beginning of Sanctification So in the course of it they have influence of strength and vigour for doing duties as the ointment was first poured on Aarons head and from thence ran down to the skirts of his garments So together with the other graces of the Spirit the gift of strength was in a large measure given to Christ the head of his Church and Of his Fulnesse we receive grace for grace Of him we get not only the life of grace together with a renewed power and strength for doing but also we receive strength in doing Not only he giveth an ability for walking in his wayes but strengthens us in the act it self of obeying his will Ezek. 11.19 20. I will put a new spirit within you and I will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes Not only in the Covenant of grace is promised ability and power to do but also actual strength in doing and exercising that power Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes for doing acts of moral fortitude and valour there is not only required courage of spirit and resolution to stand against difficulties and peril but also actual courage and strength in the encountring with the same without this men of couragious spirits succumb in conflicts Psal 76.5 The stout-hearted are spoyled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands much more in our wrastlings not only against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world against spiritual wickednesse in high places Ephes 6.12 is required both Christian ability and courage of spirit and also actual strength from Christ our head that we may in the evil day stand firm in the faith This strength is derived to all the members of his mystical body from Christ their head by his Spirit the union is by the spirit which is the bond proceeding from Christ toward us and worketh faith whereby his members are united to him 1 Cor. 6.19 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit In like manner our Communion with Christ and his strength is by the Spirit who communicates strength to us Ephes 3.16 Strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man 2. The truth of this doctrine is evident from Christs inhabitation in beleevers by his spirit Joh. 6.56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him The Spirit of Christ dwelleth in the beleevers heart as his sanctuary wherein he is worshipped and found and the beleever dwelleth in him as his souls delight and rest now it is certain that the Spirit of Christ will defend and protect the soul where he dwelleth that though the beleever be oft times molested with temptations yet is he many times preserved from the bondage and power of the temptation The Angels that lodged with Lot Gen. 19. defended him against the violence of those vile men of Sodom so it is the Angel of the Covenant Jesus Christ who defends by his strength the beleever against the sore and violent temptations from his own corruption and the world It is the Spirit of Christ that strengthens beleevers to stand firm in the love and profession of the truth against crafty or violent seducers 1 Joh. 4.4 Ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater that is mightier is he that is in you then he that is in the world 3. It is evident from that interest and propriety Christ hath to beleevers as his redeemed ones purchased by the price of his blood he will by his strength desend his own subjects It is the honour of a mighty King and Lord to help and defend his subjects from their enemies thus God is glorified in his power and strength when he upholds his weak and afflicted servants in a day of trial Isa 25.3 4. Therefore shall the strong people glorifie thee the City of the terrible nations shall fear thee for thou hast been a strength to the poor a strength to the needy in his distresse when the blast of the terrible ones is as astorm against the wall the skilfullnesse of the builder and the strength of the wall is best seen when the house stands firm against a great storm so the glory of the Lord in strengthening his weak children is most conspicuous in a tempestuous time From this ground of right and property the Lord encourageth his people against fears and troubles Isa 41.14 Fear not thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel Isa 43.1 Fear not O Israel for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine upon this ground it is that beleevers run to God in time of trouble for comfort and strength Psal 119.94 I am thine save me Dan. 9.18 Behold our desolations and the City that is called by thy name Lastly It is evident from our interest also in Christ the beleever is espoused to him as an husband 2 Cor. 11.2 As the wife hath interest and communion in her husbands goods so have we in the gifts of our Lord and husband Jesus Christ he is made of God unto us wisdom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Elkanah a kind husband comforted and encouraged Hannah in the day of her great trouble and reproach 1 Sam. 1.8 so the Lord Jesus comforteth and encourageth beleevers in a time of trouble David by power and strength rescued his wives that were carried away by his enemies 1 Sam. 30.18 So our Lord and husband recovereth beleevers out of the snare of temptation by renewing in them the acts of repentance and strengthening them to break asunder the cords of iniquity thus he recovered Peter with a look of power piercing into his heart he rescueth also
his oppressed servants out of the hands of oppressors Isa 54.4 5. Fear not for thou shalt not be ashamed for thy maker is thine husband the Lord of hosts is his Name Qu. Means by which the Spirit strengthens It is true the Spirit of Christ is the worker of our strength both for doing and also in doing but by what means doth the Spirit strengthen us to withstand outward and inward temptations Ans 1. By strengthening our faith in the Promises the stronger our faith is we have the more strength and courage to stand against temptations It was a great trial for Abraham to forsake his own Countrey and kinsfolks and to go he knew not whither yet being strong in the faith he overcame the temptations of many difficulties and discouragements faith to the promise of a better inheritance strengthened his heart against all difficulties Heb. 11.8 The offering up of his sonne Isaac was a great trial many temptations had he from flesh and blood to the contrary yet his faith to the promise strengthened him against them for he beleeved that God was able to raise up his sonne Isaac from the dead Heb. 11.17.19 As in the natural body strength is conveyed from the head to the several members by the nerves so strength is derived from Christ our head to all his members by faith 2. The Lord strengthens us against temptations by putting his fear in our hearts It is said 2 Chron 23.19 Jehojadah set porters at the gates of the house of the Lord that none who was unclean should enter so the fear of God is a strong porter to hold out temptations from forcing our will It restrains from secret sinnes How can I do this said Joseph and sinne against God from wronging our neigbour though no creature should know it Lev. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf nor put a stumbling block before the blinde but shalt fear thy God It strengthens to resist temptations though no creature would or durst controll us Nohemiah was a governour of great power and authority and might without controlment have been chargeable to the people as the former governours had been but so did not he because of the fear of God Neh. 5.15 Ob. But fear weakens the heart and how can the heart be strengthened by it Ans It is true a faithlesse fear weakens the heart in an hour of temptation so that it yeelds Pilat's fear to displease Caesar made him a weak Judge in yeelding to the importunate cries of a misled multitude and for fear of man to condemn the innocent Sonne of God but the godly and awfull fear of God strengthens the spirit of a man that he stands out against the temptation of humane and worldly fear Exod. 1.17 The midwives feared God and did not as the King of Egypt commanded them 3. The Lord strengthens us by the sense of his love in our hearts and by our love to himself 2 Tim. 1.7 God hath not given us the spirit of fear but the spirit of power of love and of a sound minde The spirit of power and of love stablisheth the heart against temptations The sense of the love of Christ in carrying our sorrowes on the Crosse is a cordial to strengthen our hearts against the bitternesse of the cup of affliction Shall not we taste of the cup whereof our Lord drank the drugg to the bottom the sense of his love in suffering for us strengthens our hearts cheerfully to suffer what is his good will the Lord strengthens us against temptations and difficulties by kindling in our hearts love to himself Jacob's love to Rachel strengthened and encouraged him against the heat of the day and cold of the night so our love to Christ will strengthen us against all temptations and discouragements his love covereth the multitude of our infirmities and therefore many waters should not quench our love to him 4. The Lord strengthens the members of his mystical body by a lively hope and assurance of victory in and over all temptations and enemies Gen. 3.15 The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the Serpent as our Lord did this in his own person so by his Spirit he doth it in his members Rom. 16.20 The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Assured hope of victory is a powerfull mean to strengthen the heart in the day of conflict hope is the Anchor that stablisheth our hearts amidst all the waves of afflictions against outward temptations in the world from cruel oppressors Jer. 31.16 17. Thus saith the Lord refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes from tears for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord and they shall come again from the land of the enemies and there is hope in thine end saith the Lord that thy children shall come again to their own border hope strengthens the heart in time of fainting under present great troubles 2 Cor. 4.17 18. and it strengthens the heart against the inward disquietnesse of spirit Psal 43.5 Why art thou disquieted within me O my soul hope in God for I shall yet praise him This Doctrine serveth for Admonition to the children of God Vse 1 Depend not on thine own strengtht in the prrformance of any duty Seeing all our strength for doing and suffering cometh from Jesus Christ our head Go never to any commanded duty or against any temptation in the confidence of thy own strength It is not enough thou hast an ability given thee of God for acting but thou must also have actuall strength in the acting Though the seeds of grace be sown in the heart at our regeneration yet the fruits are not brought forth for Gods glory and our comfort until the Lord blow upon the seed-bed planted by his own hand Can. 4.16 Blow upon my Garden saith the Spouse that the Spices thereof may flow out Let my Beloved come into his garden and eat of his pleasant fruits as fire under the ashes giveth out no light until it be blown upon so grace received doth not exert it self in any gracious act except the Lord blow on it In all thy encounters with temptations do as David did in his going out against Goliah 1 Sam. 17.45 I come against thee in the Name of the Lord It was Peters fault that he was confident in his own strength that though all men shall be offended because of thee yet will I never be offended said he Mat. 26.33 but in the hour of temptation his own strength failed him Mat. 26.74 Obj. Three causes why the children of God succumb in one temptation and stand in another What maketh the strength of Gods children to abate in the hour of temptation that at one time they resist great temptations and at another time they succumb to lesser temptations Peter at the voice of a silly Damosell denieth his Lord but at another time before the Councill of Priests and Rulers confesseth him notwithstanding all their threatnings Act. 4. Answ
Author of their Perseverance and performing the good work of grace is God to whom the Apostle giveth thanks vers 3. for calling the Philippians to the fellowship of the Gospel by preaching whereof the Lord had begun in them a good work of grace and of inward communion with Jesus Christ Doct. Perseverance is the free gift of God alone Perseverance the free gift of God Hos 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever in loving kindness and in mercies 1 Cor. 1.8 The Lord Jesus shall also confirm you unto the end that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ Heb. 2.10 It became him in bringing many sons into glorie to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings Our election to glory is of Gods free love the decree and actual sending of Christ to suffer for us and in the end to bring us to that glory is also of free love Joh. 3.16 but we get a right and title to that glory only by the merit of his sufferings by his Spirit he leads us in the way of Sanctification and brings us in the end to that promised inheritance by his merit in our Justification we get jus ad rem a title and claim to the heavenly inheritance in our Sanctification and Perseverance we get the first fruits and the earnest and when our Sanctification is perfected at the end of our life we get jus in re actual possession and all this is through the merit of Christ and the efficacy of his Spirit for he is both the author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12.2 Reasons for confirming this doctrin are Reasons 1 1. As the new creature of grace depends on God alone in the production being of it for of him are all things and we to wit believers and renewed persons are his workmanship created unto good works Eph. 2.10 The new heart and the new spirit are his free gift Ezek. 36.26 As the new Creature depends on God in the production and being of it so also in the conservation and continuance of it for as he upholdeth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 so by the power of his grace he keepeth the new creature 1 Pet. 1.5 Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 2. Our Lord and great High-priest in our behalf prayeth to the father for our perseverance Joh 17.15 Father keep them in thy name and power It were needless to pray unto God for perseverance if it were not of Gods free gift but of mans power to persevere The Apostle also prayeth to God for it 1 Thes 5.23 I pray God your whole spirit soul and bodie be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ 3. Thanks are given to God for the grace of perseverance Iud. 24. and by our thanksgiving we acknowledge him the Author of perseverance 4. Because it is God alone who establisheth and preserveth us in an hour of temptation and so maketh us to persevere 2 Thes 3.3 The Lord is faithful who will stablish you and keep you from evil Vse 1 This doctrine serveth for admonition Let no man depend on his grace received seeing God is the Author of perseverance let no man rest on the beginnings of Sanctification as if grace once received or begun Sanctification could preserve and continue it self No the creature cannot create it self no more can it by its own power keep and conserve it self in a being it is not the first gale and blowing of the wind that will continue a ship in her course if the wind do not continue there is no progress There must not only be a begun but a continued influx of water for continuing the motion of the Mil-wheel so the breathings of the Spirit of God must be continued upon our souls Otherwise we advance not in the course of Sanctification notwithstanding our fair and specious beginnings if the Spirit of God withdraw his breathing and influence we are as a ship under sail presently in a dead calm As a musical instrument though well tuned soundeth not when the skilful player withdraws his hand so a heart though well set in the work of regeneration by the finger of the spirit yet in its actings cannot sound forth to the praises of his grace if God with-hold his assisting grace Yea the Angels who stood not in the truth and also our first Parent Adam received grace of God in a large measure yet when it was left to their own keeping they both lost it and themselves For Exhortation Vse 2 when ever God calleth thee to renew thy duty of repentance faith and obedience Go to God for a new supply of grace go to God for assistance and a new supply of grace 1. Because we are not able to guide our selves and continue in a course of wel-doing without his assisting grace Joh. 15.5 without me ye can do nothing Jer. 10.23 It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Man cannot without a guiding and over-ruling providence set down one foot after another in his bodily motion far less in his spiritual course toward heaven and happiness Psal 73.23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. 2. Go to God for assistance and for continuance of the work of grace in thee because he hath promised to renew strength to them that faint Prov. 8.20 I lead saith the wisdom of the father in paths of righteousness Jer. 31.9 I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight war wherein they shall not stumble It is said I will lead them with supplications that is in all the acts of piety taking one special part of piety for all the duties thereof This leading of us and our perseverance either in a gracious disposition or in actings is all of his free and fatherly love for I am a father to Israel saith the Lord. 3. The dear children of God pray for this assisting and leading grace of God Psal 5 8. Psal 27.11 Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path not only are we ignorant of the way of righteousness and have need of the grace of faith and illumination but our will is froward and our affections impotent therefore there is a necessity they be set on God and his will and then led by his assisting grace in the course of obedience Psal 119.5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes 4. Because the children of God from faith into the promise and their own experience of begun graces have been confident of a leading and guiding grace in the course of Sanctification Psal 73.24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glorie Psal 23.3 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake Psal 48.14 He will be our guide even unto death 5. There is a necessitie for thee to go to God for a renewed assistance so oft
as thou renewest thy duty because our heart is verie unstable soon and easily drawn away from thoughts of God and our duty Therefore we have great need to pray that our hearts may be established by grace for continuing in gracious actings according to the good and acceptable will of God And that we be not like unto some foolish strangers in their through-fare taken up with the sight and esteem of some pleasant toys by the way whereby they both spend their time and moneys that should have carried them forward to their own countrey upon things unnecessary in the way Therefore go to God for grace to settle thine heart upon himself and his goodness and to keep it fixed and unmoved in the time of thy pilgrimage and through fare amidst the inveigling and intangling pleasures of this world and pray with David that the Lord would uphold and establish thee by his free Spirit Psal 51.12 Quest Quest What means must I use that I may persevere in a course of wel-doing Answ 1 Answ 1. Consider the necessity of perseverance Mat. 24.12 The means of perseverance 13. Because iniquitie shall abound the love of many shall wax cold but he that shall endure to the end the same shall be saved he that endureth in love to God and to his truth in a time wherein God is dishonoured and his truth oppressed by iniquity and violence the same shall be saved in the day of the Lord as there is a necessity of perseverance in our active so in our passive obedience and patient suffering the good will of God Heb. 10.36 Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation Heb. 12 7. If ye endure chastening God dwelleth with you as with sons 2. Set God and his word always before thine eys Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved when we set him before us in his rich and free mercy in his almighty power and unchangeable truth we are not moved in a time of temptation to unbelief despair or impatience Psal 18.21 22. I have not wickedly departed from my God for all his Judgements were before me he set Gods Judgements and Testimonies before him as his rule and this kept him from departing wickedly from his God though the dearest of Gods children depart out of the way in much weakness like as weak children going toward their father may through a violent wind against them be driven from the straight path yet they do it not out of wicked wilfulness so in Gods children there may be a departure out of weakness from the course of godliness for a time but never out of wickedness from the purpose of Godliness 3. Entertain the fear of God in thy heart this is the golden bridle whereby God moderates and over-rules all affections Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Phil. 2.12 Work out your salvation in fear and trembling 4. Look before you to that rich recompence of reward Our Lord for the joy that was set before him endured the cross Heb. 12.2 So did Moses for he had respect unto the recompence of reward so did those worthies take joyfully the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance upon this ground the Apostle in that place Heb. 10.34 35. exhorts them to perseverance in the faith Cast not away therefore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward When ever thou perseverest and standest in an hour of temptation Vse 3 Give God the glory of our perscverance give all praise to God for perseverance is his free gift we cannot advance one step in the way of righteousness without his special conduct Consider Thy strength to stand in the hour of temptation is from God alone It was his special help preserved Joseph under a great temptation whereas David not having so great a temptation fell under the power of it in the matter of Bathshebah It may be thou hast at one time withstood a greater when at another time thou hast fallen under a lesser temptation Praise God who made the difference It may be thou continuest in doing duties acceptable to God at such a time when some of the children of God of greater knowledge and abilities then thou art do fail in the performance thereof acknowledge to the praise of the excellency of his grace that this difference proceedeth only from his special help and assistance So did Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more then they all Not I but the grace of God with me It may be in bearing the burden of crosses thou hast greater patience at one time under a greater then thou hadst at another time under a lesser burden It may be thou endurest the spoyling of thy greatest worldly comforts with more patience then Jonah did the want of his gourd bless God who giveth unto thee strength to stand under thy burthen Remember thou bearest not the root but the root thee If thou become forgetful and ungrateful thou wilt thereby provoke Gods displeasure though thou were as godly as Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.25 Therefore after that thou in the strength of the Lord hast done any acceptable duty or stood out in a time of tryal retire thy self and in secret upon thy knees give all praise to God this is the way to be helped in a new exigent Ingratitude will weaken thy confidence at another time of thy great necessity of Gods help Thou wilt not have a heart or face to go to God for help conscience of former ingratitude doth fill the heart with diffidence A sick patient who proves ungrateful to his Physitian for his pains and help toward his former recovery in a new fit of sickness hath not a face to go to him As of ingratitude so beware also of self-reflecting and sacrificing to thine own abilities as if by thy own strength thou hadst overcome a temptation done a duty or born a cross This pride and self gloriation provokes God to desert thee at another time that thou mayst be humbled and learn to glory only in the Lord and in the power of his might Therefore let all flesh be silent before him and let him that glorieth glory in the Lord who is only to be praised for of him through him and for him are all things to whom be glory for ever Rom. 11.36 The other main point to be considered Point 2 is the certainty of perseverance in these words Being confident that he will perform the good work in you until the day of Jesus Christ Before we raise the doctrine some things would be cleared in the text 1. What is meant by the good work 2. What is meant by performing the good work until the day of Jesus Christ which is his second coming Luke 17.24 1 Thes 5.2 Is not the work of our Sanctification perfected at our death What is
that betwixt the husband and the wife Eph. 5.23 the Believer is espoused to Jesus Christ by Faith we give our consent to him when we say with heart and mouth as the Spouse Cant. 2.16 My beloved is mine and I am his It is the duty of the husband to use his utmost endeavours for protecting his wife from perishing David took no rest until he had rescued his wives out of the hands of his and their enemies 1 Sam. 30. But our Lord and husband Iesus Christ surpasseth all men both in affection and power for the protecting of his Spouse Therefore one espoused into him cannot fall away finally for the relation is perpetual he is a Lord and husband for ever of his Spouse To wit the Church of Believers Obj. Obj. Although this or that person once espoused to Christ may fall away finally yet Christ hath a Spouse still to wit other Believers who persevere Answ Answ The Spouse of Christ is made up of so many individual persons and if those one after another may perish then were it possible that the whole might perish for the whole subsists and is preserved in the particulars and so it were possible that the Lord Jesus Christ might be a King without Subjects a Shepheard without a flock a Head without a body and a Husband without a Spouse Obj. Obj. It is true so long as a soul remains espoused to Christ it cannot perish but when men divorce themselves from Christ by unducifulness and impudent lewdness in sinning they are no more his Spouse Answ Answ 1 1. A soul once espoused to him is never divorced from him It is true in that great day there will be a separation of hypocrites who gave their names but not their hearts to him Then will the Lord say to them depart from me It will not be a divorce but a nulling of their counterfeit communion with Christ Then will he declare there was never a consummate marriage betwixt him and them No union nor communion in the Spirit Then will our Lord disclaim them before man and Angel saying I never knew you Math. 7.23 he never knew them so that he approved them for his own people But a soul receiving Christ by Faith and once united to him will never be separate from him Rom. 8.35 Whosh all separate us from the love of Christ c. 2. Our Lord and Husband keepeth the heart of his Spouse in a dutiful affection to himself If a husband were able to restrain the affection of his wife from strange lovers he doubtless would and should do it that in so doing he might prevent all cause of divorce but our Lord hath promised in the Covenant of Grace to over-aw our hearts by his fear that we turn not away in our hearts from him after strange lovers Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 3. It is true the sins and gross failings of regenerate men do for a time interrupt a communion in the sense and comfort of our Lords love and of their own peace and joy Then their Lord and husband frowns upon them withdraws the light and comfort of his countenance as an husband greatly displeased with his wife doth estrange himself for a time from her So the Lord hides his face for a time from them yet their sins do not turn off his heart from them Psal 89.32 33. I will visit their transgression with the rod nevertheless my loving kindness will I not take utterly from him yea he invites them to repent and notwithstanding their soul miscariages he promiseth to receive them Ier. 3.1 Thou hast plaid the harlot with many lovers yet return to me again saith the Lord. The fourth Reason is taken from the efficacy of Christs Prayer and the gracious acceptance it had alwayes with God Reas 4 The efficacy of Christs Prayer in the behalf of Believers Those for whom our Lord did pray that they might persevere to the end such do certainly persevere because the Father heareth him alwayes Iohn 11.42 But our Lord prayed for perseverance to Believers Iohn 17.15 I pray that thou shouldest keep them from the evil of the world For this he prayed not only in the behalf of the Apostles but also for all who should believe in his Name Ioh. 17.20 The fifth Reason is taken from that inviolable conjunction of the links in that golden chain of salvation Reason 5 The links of the chain of salvation inviolable Rom. 8.30 Whom he called he justified and whom he justified them he also glorified from hence we have this reason Those whom God will glorifie in heaven do certainly persevere to the end such as are once justified will be glorified for the Apostle to declare the certainty hereof expresseth it in the time past saying he hath gloriâ—ed as the like expression of a thing certain is found 1 Ioh. 3.14 We have passed from death to life because we love the brethren The sixth Reason is grounded on the Believers victory over the world he that overcometh the world Reas 6 falleth not away from the state of Grace because he could not fall away except he were overcome by temptations in the world But a regenerate man overcometh the world Rom. 8.37 1 Ioh. 5.4 It is a ridiculous exception to say the regenerate man is not overcome of the world so long as he is a Believer for that were asmuch as to say whosoever is born of God is not overcome of the world so long as he is not overcome which were a Tautologie If a Believer could become an Unbeliever by the prevalent temptations of Sathan from the world then should he be overcome of the world contrary to that assertion of the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.4 This is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith It is true Tertullian as Tertullian saith the renewed man is subject to many infalls of temptations from the world and to daily out-fall from indwelling corruption yet in the end the Believer in the strength of our Lords Grace doth prevail Rom. 8.37 In all these things we are more then Conquerours through him that loved us The seventh and last Reason is taken from that inseparable connexion betwixt adoption Reas 7 Adoption and the inheritance inseperable and the heavenly inheritance Those who are designed heirs of eternal life do persevere in Grace to the end But so it is that regenerate men being adopted Sons to God are designed heirs of eternal life Rom. 8.17 Gal. 4.17 If a Son then an heir of God through Christ Obj. Obj. It is true say some so long as they remain Sons they have a right to the inheritance but they may fall from the estate of Adoption and so be disinherited Answ 1. That one who is once a Son may afterward fall from the estate of Adoption Answ 1 is expresly contrary to that of our Lord Ioh. 8.35 The Son abideth in the house for ever But if he
he saw Vzza smitten this made him change his note we can look cheerful in a day of prosperity rejoycing in our Lords presence but in our adversity we question the Lords presence and say with Gideon Iudg. 6.13 If the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us we can at a time when God reveals himself to us in some special testimony of his love with Peter in the Mount exult at a glance of his glory but at the time of our Lords suffering in his Mystical body our hearts become drousie and careless as Peters was in the Garden 3. In respect of the degree and measure of Faith at one time the renewed children of God will be like a Ship with all her sailes full they will have a plerophorie of Faith at another time like a Ship in a great storm with a peice of cross sail their Faith is but little and weak under some great tryal ye see it in David Psal 27.10 When my Father and my Mother did forsake me then the Lord did take me up and Psal 46.2 We will not fear though the earth be removed there was great Faith but ye see a slacking of his Faith Psal 31.22 I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes and 1 Sam. 27.1 David said in his heart I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul notwithstanding he had from God a special Promise to be King of Israel 4. In respect of their continuance in duties at one time the children of God will continue in some bensal of Spirit with delight in their secret devotion at another time they have not well begun but they become weary their untimous and impertinent thoughts puls them away to some other business It is thus also in their hearing reading and meditation on the good word of God at one time they will continue in hearing with much reverence and attention though the Minister be a man of weak gifts at another time though the Minister were like Paul they fall drousie like Eutychus and if God did not prevent with mercy they would fall from this drousiness into a deadness of Spirit but our God rich in mercy and long suffering waits upon his children and recovers them from these fits and faintings unto their former soule health As to the second What 〈◊〉 is that causeth the abatements in Grace consider what maketh this change in the children of God and procureth the abatement and decay of the degrees and strength of Grace in them 1. A careless neglect of the means of salvation or an overly and superficial performance of holy duties if such be thy care no wonder thy strength of Grace decay as children who altogether abstain from meat or make but a fashion of eating do decay in the vigour and strength of their body The Apostle will have us as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 in which words he insinuates this also that want of desire to the Word is a main impediment to our growth in Sanctification and a cause of the decay and consumption of the inner man 2. Spiritual pride and vain confidence in our own strength for the imploying and improving of any Grace or Gift received of God brings with it a decay of the vigor of Grace as the swelling bigness of the Spleen makes the other noble parts of the body to decay so the swelling pride of our Spirit makes the Graces of the innerman to abate of their strength Pride goeth before a fall It is ever followed in the children of God with a fall either into some cross or into some sin to humble them Ezekias was lifted up in the pride of his heart and therefore was wrath threatned against him and all Judah 2 Chron 32.25 Peter in the pride and presumption of his own strength boasted though all the world should be offended yet should not he be offended in Christ whereupon followed a great abatement of the strength of Grace when he denyed the Lord of Life 3. Sloathfulness in not improving the stock of Grace or Gifts God hath bestowed upon thee brings on a decay Strong bodies through laziness and want of exercise become weak and feeble It is no wonder the Merchant becomes poor who improves not his little stock to some advantage and it is no wonder a Christian decay in the measure of grace if he improve not his talent to the glory of his Lord to the good example of his neighbor and to his own comfort in laying up a sure foundation against the time to come that he may lay hold on eternal life 4. When our eye and heart is too much fixed on visible and sensible objects of sorrow or fear then our graces begin to abate somewhat of their former vigour great and long troubles oft-times weaken our Faith when Peter looked too much to the wind that was against him and not to the Lord who called him to come on the waters his Faith began to fail and his body that before was elevated by a believing soul did now begin to sink weak Faith made a heavy body As to the third how to prevent this decay of Grace it is evident by knowing and shunning the evils that procure it Means to prevent decay in grace Therefore 1. make conscience to use the means whereby grace is begun preserved and encreased in the soul as faith comes by hearing the word of God so is it thereby encreased The more thou knowest and seest of God in his Word thou wilt be the more conformed to him in holyness by knowing him in the Gospel we are transformed into his image 2 Cor. 3.18 by frequent hearing reading meditation and prayer we become heavenly and spiritual as Moses coming down from the Mount did shine in his countenance so this communion with God in his Ordinances will make our hearts to burn with love to God and our faces to shine in all manner of holy conversation before the world The conscionable and careful using the means of our spiritual food and life will prevent the decay of the inner man 2. Walk humbly in the remembrance of thy former sins in the sense of thy present infirmities in a jealousie of thy best endeavours and in a solicitous fear of manifold temptations men recovered out of a dangerous disease shun every morsel that may distemper them or may procure a recidivation so the humble man shuns every thing that may bring a change on his inward condition Remembrance of former sins and of mercy in pardoning of them doth much strengthen his graces It increaseth his zeal against sin and augments his love to God and his holy commandments 3. Improve thy grace and gift to thy Lords advantage To him that hath shall be given he that improved his five talents and the other that improved his two received much more from their Lord then they got at first Math. 25. God encreased knowledge
Vse 1 Be thankful for victory over death Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ How should we bless our God for sending his wel-beloved son into the world to deliver us from all our enemies and from this awful enemy death that assaileth us in our lowest condition The damosels of Jerusalem praised David who had slain his ten thousands how then is Davids Lord and ours to be praised who hath overcome innumerable thousands at death in the behalf of his elect and redeemed ones As Sampson killed many at his death so the Captain of our salvation in his lowest condition subdued our enemies in their greatest strength for the weakness of God is stronger then men 1 Cor. 1.25 Then was our Lord strongest in the might of his power when he appeared weakest in his outward condition by his cross he triumphed by the shame he endured he overcame that perpetual shame and confusion we had deserved by his pains he saved us from eternal pains and by his death he was the death and plague of our death how then should we love this Lord who hath delivered our souls from the sting and curse of death our eyes from perpetual tears and our feet from falling into that bottomless gulph out of which there is no returning Amongst the Heathen in whose hearts were engraven by the finger of nature some dim lines of the law of gratitude If any man in time of battel had rescued and saved a Roman Citizen he was adorned with a new oaken crown or garland and highly praised how then should we for whom and before whom Christ was and is crucified praise him who rescueth us from the power of death and prevents us with mercy that we are not sent from death into hell The people of Israel did sing the high praises of the Lord for dividing the red sea for bringing them through it and for his mighty power and mercy in bringing them through Jordan to their promised rest how then should we praise our Lord who in his infinite power unsearchable wisdom and rich mercy hath made a way for us through the deep of his sufferings into that heavenly rest as at the Priests entering the river Jordan Iosh 4. it divided and gave way to the people of God to pass over so our great high Priest by going down to death hath made a way for us through it unto eternal life therefore from a deep sense of that which our Lord hath done already for us and in hope of that happiness before us hid with Christ in God Let us bear a part in that new song Rev. 5.13 Blessing glory honor and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever It serveth for admonition Vse 2 Submit to the disposals of God in sickness death seeing our Lord Jesus Christ by his death sanctifieth our death and all our bodily indispositions by making them work for our good and this also is a part of his victory it is our duty in weakness and sickness to submit unto the wise gracious dispensation of God for doing whereof I propose these ensuing motives 1. Motives 1. Because in the sickness of the children of God his wisdom is made manifest ordering the sickness of their bodies for the healing of their souls Rom 8.28 All things work together for good to them that love him their sickness is Gods medicine and hath an operation on their souls for their good what ever be the end of it if the child of God recover his sickness bringeth forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness Heb. 12.11 that is to say a near and closer conformity to the will of God the supreme Law of all righteousness which righteousness and endeavour of conformity to the will of God bringeth forth peace of conscience as a sweet and pleasant fruit But if the sickness be unto death it bringeth forth the incorruptible fruits of eternal life Therefore in time of sickness submit wholly to his most wise and holy will Our Lord said to Peter Joh. 13. What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know so in the time of thy sickness wherein the Lord purgeth thy soul thou knowest not what thy Lord is doing but afterward thou shalt know Though the manner of his operation be a great mysterie and secret yet the work brought forth in thy soul and conversation shall be manifest Though sickness be like a medicine sharp and bitter in the operation yet it proveth very profitable in the souls health that followeth upon it shall we take bitter potions upon the word of a man a skilful Physitian for the healing of our bodies and shall we not accept sickness as a Medicine out of the hands of our wise God and loving Father for healing our souls he is faithful and hath promised that our afflictions though grievous for the present shall bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness Heb. 12.11 If we endure trials we shall receive the Crown of life Iam. 1.12 Some in Gods preventing mercy have been drawn to God by their sickness as that Palsie-man Mar. 2. and that haemorish woman The great Physitian at one time healed both their souls and their bodies according to that of Isa 48.10 I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction he refines his own children as Gold maketh them vessels of honour and setteth his Image and superscription upon them in the legible characters of true holiness and righteousness 2. Because he maketh his loving kindness and indulgency manifest to his own children in time of their sickness do they not under long and lingering diseases now and then feel some sparks of his love warming and cherishing their hearts and his sensible strength in the inward man upholding them under the burthen of a sick body These glances of his countenance and favour are as cordials to keep their hearts from fainting Thus did the Lord visit his servant David Psa 31.7 Thou hast considered my trouble thou hast visited my soul in adversities and Paul 2 Cor. 1.4 He comforteth us in all our tribulation 3. Submit to his will in sickness and consider with thy self the Lords preventing mercy in preserving thee at such a time from many sins whereinto thou mightest have fallen if thou hadst enioyed health and liberty to go up and down a world full of snares Therefore if thou be yong and under weakness and a daily decay of bodily strength adore the deep wisdom and rich love of thy Lord who keepeth thee in durance as a prisoner of hope A father that keepeth within doors his distempered and distracted child without liberty to go abroad doth it not as an act of rigor and unkindness but out of much wisdom and love fearing he should abuse his liberty and throw himself away into dangers so thy heavenly father by sickness puts a restraint upon thee not out of hatred but out of much love It is
endeavour to glorify God in the body Vse 3 Sound comfort to the Godly let the meditation on these glorious qualities of the body in the day of resurrection comfort thy heart under all the pains and troubles in the body Thy vile body will be changed now thy body is decaying and dying daily thou art troubled in underpropping thy ruinous house of clay and do what thou canst one time it will fall down but there is thy comfort it will be raised in incorruption This was the ground of the Apostles comfort against the decay and dissolution of the body 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens there we will get a Mansion John 14.2 In my Fathers house are many Mansions then our condition will not be subject to alterations like men dwelling in a Tabernacle and removing from place to place but it will be fixed and permanent without any change it will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an abiding of glory and joy 2. Though now possibly there be some deformity in thy body yet in that day thy body shall be compleat and comely though at thy death thy body were full of fores and ulcers yet if thou dye in the Lord thy body shall be raised in honor and comely beauty in that day Lazarus will have no sores as the body will be fully purged in that day from all contagion of sin so will it be freed from all deformity which was only a Symptom of indwelling corruption 3. Whereas thy body is now weak and frail a little thing doth soon distemper thy Spirit and little labour makes thy body weary This is thy comfort that in the day of resurrection thy body will be raised in strength though now thou canst not go up a little hill without some weariness in the body yet in that day thou shalt go up in the body to the third heaven and shalt not be weary 4. Now thou art much troubled about the natural operations and imployments of the body for food and rayment and other things pertaining to this decaying life but in that day thou wilt have appetite after nothing but God himself and all thy appetite will be fully satisfied by a perpetual delight in thy God infinite all-sufficient unchangeable and eternal in glory goodness and bounty towards thee Thou who art vexed disquieted in this life with the relicks of inordinate concupiscence remaining in the body thou hast cause to be humbled in the sight of God for that body of death yet there is thy comfort thou shalt be freed in that day from all such molestation in the body and thou shalt be like unto the spotless Angels without all inclination to delight in any thing but in the knowledge and love of God◠In that day great will be thy joy at the meeting of the soul and the body Though at parting here by death there was much pain and trouble like the parting of Iacob and Benjamin yet their meeting will be with great joy like the meeting of Iacob and Ioseph the soul will bring down good news from heaven to the body like the report of the faithful spies Numb 14. to encourage the body to go with it unto the heavens where they shal rejoyce together for ever in the presence of God then shall their joy be encreased at their meeting with Christ and perpetuated in their abode with Christ in the third heaven and following with praise and triumph the Lamb where-ever he goeth To him with the Father and holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory now and ever Amen Of Eternal Life by and with CHRIST PSAL. 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness AS the glorious resurrection of the body is a refreshing stream from the fulness of Christ so is also eternal life Eternal life is in and from Christ which is the full and compleat happiness of soul and body in one person This is purchased by the Merit of the righteousness and obedience of Iesus Christ Rom. 5.20 21. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound that as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord by Faith in Iesus Christ we get a right and claim unto eternal life Ioh. 6.47 he that believeth on me hath everlasting life by him we shall be put in possession of eternal life Math. 2◠34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you After that the bodies of them that have done good are raised up and inlivened with the souls then shall the Saints go with the Lord unto the third heaven and there in soul and body enjoy eternal life The great blessing of eternal life is laid before us by the Psalmist The sense of the words in these words I know some Interpreters understand the words to be meant of the lively sense of Gods favour bestowed upon his children after they have been for a time under a night of trouble It is most true light is sown even in darkness for the upright in heart though the Lord hide his face in a little wrath for a moment yet with everlasting kindness will he have mercy Isa 54.8 But I conceive as many sound Interpreters do the Prophet speaketh of that confidence and hope the children of God have of rest happiness and satisfaction after this life when their bodies that sleep in the grave shall be awaked to the resurrection of life Because he opposeth the hope of after happiness as a strong prop to sustain the children of God in all their troubles and wants in this life against the temptations from the prosperity of wicked men in this present world to whom God giveth a large portion of things worldly The Prophet comforteth himself and all the Godly with the hope of that full and enduring portion in the other life some read the latter part of the verse thus I shall be satisfied when thy Image or likeness is awaked and the original will bear it as if the meaning were thus when I who was once created to thy Image shall rise again I shall be satisfied but I encline rather to the ordinary reading I shall be satisfied with thy Image when I awake by Image is understood the face of God which in the former part of this verse is called a beholding of Gods face in the immediate seeing whereof will stand our eternal happiness when we shall see him as he is 1 Ioh. 3.2 In the words we have The parts of the Text. 1. The time of his compleat and consummate happiness when I awake 2. The matter of his happiness and the manner of enjoying it the matter and object Gods face or likeness the manner
for ever and our hearts will be established in our love toward God for ever This Doctrine serveth for a timely admonition Vse 1 Our chief care should be to enter into this happiness seeing there is an eternal happiness attainable in the vision and fruition of God It should be our chief care in time to enter into that way that leadeth into such an happy end in heaven is laid up a Crown of glory but it is given to such only as endure to the end The rich prize is there but given to such only as run their race with patience and finish their course thou must have some mediate sight of God in the word here in the way before thou attain that immediate sight in thy Country The knowledge of God in Christ here by Faith is the rudiment and pedagogy of our immediate and perfect knowledge of God in heaven Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent the Disciples of Christ must be grounded in their Rudiments here before they be commenced there Masters of all perfect and happy knowledge Obj. How shall I know that I am in the way to eternal happiness for there is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the wayes of death Prov. 14.12 Many men are of Tamberlans opinion that every man living civilly and honestly may be saved in his own Religion Answ Infallible signs of entering into life 1. Faith There be three infallible Antecedents of Eternal life 1. Faith in Jesus Christ as there is no coming to the end of the Journey unless a man set his feet in the way toward it so there is no coming to salvation without Faith in Christ 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls Faith at the end of our life is turned into vision in that life eternal 2. 2. Conformity to Christ A conformitie unto Christ Rom. 8.29 Whom he did foreknow he also did Praedestinate to be conformed to his Son thou must in some measure be conformed to Christ in holyness in this life otherwayes thou canst not be conform to him in the other life in happiness because as God Predestinates a man to glory so he doth also Predestinate him to grace and holyness Ephes 1.4 He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world that we should be holy This conformity unto Christ standeth not only in an outward profession and approaching to the Ordinances which hypocrites may do with a great shew of piety in bodily exercise Isa 58.2 3. but specially in the ordering of our life and conversation according to the precept and example of Jesus Christ our Lord Phil. 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus we must be conformable to him in our sufferings by patience and submission to the good will of God Not my will said our Lord in his Agony but thine be done and we must be conformable to him in meekness toward violent men who are instrumental in our sufferings 1 Pet. 2.23 Christ also suffered for us leaving us an ensample who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that Judgeth righteously 3. 3. The first fruits of the Spirit The third evidence of our walking in the way to true happiness is the first fruits of the Spirit To wit such saving graces as are the beginnings and first fruits of eternal life as knowledge of God in Christ sense of his love peace of conscience and joy of salvation in our heart The first fruits were consecrate to God in testimony of thankfulness they were grounds of hope of a plentiful harvest and motives to stir up a longing desire after the harvest in like manner the child of God should be thankful for those beginnings and first fruits of happiness he may be confident also that God who hath given unto him the first fruits in the state of Grace will give unto him a joyful harvest of glory This was the ground both of Pauls confidence and willingness to be dissolved and to be with Christ 2 Cor. 5.5.8 He hath also given unto us the earnest of the Spirit we are confident and willing rather to be absent from the body It serveth also for matter of comfort unto the children of God Vse 2 Comfort to mourners under imperfections fears c. who mourn here under the sense of many imperfections under the fear of many and daily temptations who groan under the burthen of indwelling corruption that hangeth so fast on and under the heavy pressures of many troubles and calamities look by faith unto that rich recompence of reward and rejoyce in the hope of that everlasting happiness when ye shall behold the face of God in glory 1. Here is matter of comfort against the imperfections of our knowledge in our wayfaring we are ignorant of far more then we know but then shall we know God himself and all things in him as a resplendent Mirrour so far forth as he sees may conduce for our happiness here our knowledge is confused and dark in the valley of Baca but there it will be distinct and clear in Mount Sion that is above where no mists are Now we know in part but then shall we know fully and perfectly Then shall we say as the Queen of Sheba did 1 King 10.6 7 8. It was a true report which I heard in mine own Land and behold the half was not told me Thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard here our love is imperfect God is not our all in all Our love is carried on other things beside God but then God will be all in all in us and to us whatever we loved here in the creature will be exceeded and swallowed up in that vast ocean of love and delight we shall have in God himself here are great changes in our love sometime we are hot in our zeal like David dauncing before the Ark at another time we are cold and stupified when any thing crosseth us in our performance of holy duties as David was when Vzzah was smitten 1 Chron. 13.12 but in heaven our love and zeal to Gods glory will be perfect in degrees unchangeable in condition and perpetual in duration 2. Here is comfort under manifold temptations It is true we are subject here to one temptation after another and when in the strength of our Lord we have resisted one yet are we disquieted with the fear of another for Sathan who departed but for a season from our Lord who was temptation-proof Luc. 4.13 he leaveth us but for a short time waiting an advantage of our security which is his opportunity he will appear sometime to depart from tempting but if we become proud as having resisted his temptations by our own strength or if we become secure and negligent in prayer and watchfulness
here The song begun here shall be continued there Rev. 1.5 6. Vnto him that loved us and washed us in his own blood from our sins and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen This doctrine serveth for a ground of terror and weakening to wicked men who live and dye in their unrighteousness Vse 1 It is not possible for any in his unrighteousness to behold the face of God It is not possible for them in their unrighteousness to behold the face of God It is true they shall be forced to look on him as a dreadful Iudge and avenger of all unrighteousness They shall behold him as a Malefactor doth the Iudge with great terror and anguish of spirit Rev. 1.7 They shall look upon him and wail before him Thou that mournedst not on earth for thy sins shalt mourn for ever under that insupportable burden of wrath and Judgement therefore remember in time that this righteousness wherein the Saints will behold the face of God must have a beginning in this life Our sanctification is compared to a race Heb. 12.1 and no man comes to the end of the course but he that sometime began to run it is compared to a building 1 Pet. 2.5 there must be a foundation laid a believing and resting on Christ the corner stone and therefore a superstructure of holiness and righteousness before the top-stone and crown of perfect righteousness be put on It is compared to a growing in stature 2 Pet. 3.18 and without growing up in sanctification it is impossible to come into the measure of stature of the fulness of Christ we must be infants of glory in the state of grace before we can be men of glory in heaven Eph. 2.21 in Christ all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord there must be first a growing and building up in sanctification before we can be Temples filled with glory in heaven It serveth for a ground of comfort unto all those who have set themselves in the way of righteousness Vse 2 Righteousness begun in this life will be perfect in heaven and do endeavour a conformity of their wills and wayes to the holy will and righteous ways of God here is their comfort that their righteousness begun in this life will be perfected and in a perfect personal righteousness in heaven they shall behold the face of God in glory begun holiness here is the infancy of perfect holiness and is no other thing then the gate of heaven and happiness Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the poor in heart for they shall see God Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart The seed of that full joy in heaven is sown in the renewed heart and the full fruits will be seen and enjoyed in the day of restoring all things when the godly by vertue of the second Adam will be restored to the possession of all the happiness they lost in the first Adam in that day thou shalt eat of the fruit of thy labours Thy labour of love here will not be forgot there a cup of cold water given to a disciple in the name of a disciple shall be richly rewarded the Lord thy God hath a book of remembrance Mal. 3.17 he hath a particular and distinct knowledge of every good work thou doest as men have particulars written up in their Diaries for their better remembrance In the day of resurrection whatsoever good work thou hast done in secret though there was little notice or noise of it in the world yet shall it be published in the audience of angels and men then thy bread cast on the waters upon the poor distressed and despised members of Jesus Christ which the rich Nabals in this present world thought to be as water spilt on the ground as lost and cast into the bottom of the Sea Then I say after many dayes thou shalt find it Luk. 14.14 Thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the Iust It is true I confess it is not for our righteousness we are brought to behold Gods face in glory yet it must be in righteousness though not for our righteousness Christs righteousness onely makes way for us to the beholding of Gods face but personal inherent righteousness is a concomitant necessary for every person that would behold his glory Heb. 12.14 This thy perfect righteousness in heaven will make thy heart exceeding glad consider what joy of heart the godly have even from this testimony of their conscience onely that they are willing to live honestly though in many performances they come far short of their duty and desire Then what joy of heart will they have when they find in themselves the graces of holiness and righteousness perfected in an exact conformity unto the will of God if there be such joy in the seed time that Peter calleth it unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 what then will be the joy and exaltation in that day of the full harvest and in gathering if there be such joy at the laying of the foundation and in the time of building what will be our Ioy in that day when all will be covered and crowned with glory when the Comforter will dwell in us for ever Then will there be in our hearts an ever and overflowing fountain of Joy we shall be perfectly righteous and never grieve the Spirit and the Comforter will never desert us nor suspend the influence of his comfort Therefore be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for Ioy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 32.11 The fourth point considerable is the measure of our happiness 4. Point The measure of our eternal happiness set down in these words I shall be satisfied with thy likeness Our happiness in heaven will be full and satisfactory to the desires of our souls Doct. Our happiness heaven will be full and satisfactory This satisfaction standeth in these two 1. In a full peace and rest for ever from all troubles 2. In a full Ioy and delight for ever these two blessings of Peace and Ioy for ever will flow from that Ocean of blessedness the facial vision of God and run as a refreshing river through the soul beholding the face of God the eternal misery of the damned wil be perpetuated both in a punishment of loss which is called outer darkness the want of Gods gracious and comfortable presence for ever and also in a pain of sense which is called Isa 66. a worm that dyeth not and a fire that cannot be quenched but the happiness of the godly will be continued for ever in a Rest from all pain and in a fruition of all good in God al-sufficient in himself and all in all to them The godly will have a full Rest 1. The Saints in heaven have a full rest from 1. All troubles From all
28.8 in our regenerate estate though we have joy from Christ that is formed in us yet the impression of the terrours of God before the time of our new birth remain in us as in a commotion of the Sea by a great tempest after the stormy wind hath ceased yet the impression of the storm remains and makes an Agitation The tender mother recovering her young child from danger of a fall hath joy from the recovery but with much fear with the impression of the danger so after we are recovered here from our dangerous falls by the rich and tender mercies of our God sometime prevening us sometime restoring us though we rejoyce in his mercy and in our own recovery out of the snares of Sathan yet in the midst of our joy the remembrance of former guiltiness and danger do humble our our hearts with much sorrow and some trepidation of heart As our joy here is mixed with fear so with sorrow also The sound believer doth look up to Christ crucified and doth rejoyce in his incomparable love that such a person should have dyed such a death for such as were enemies to God by sinful inclinations and wicked works They look down also upon their own sins that have wonnded and crucified the Lord of Glory and this breaketh the heart as a widdow should mourn who by her froward and lewd behaviour hath burst the heart of a kind and loving husband The sound Believers look to their small beginnings of Grace and they rejoyce in the Work of Gods hands but when they compare it with that original and primitive righteousness they mourn bitterly as the Elders of Israel did at the rebuilding of the Temple Ezra 3.12 Those who had seen the first house weeped But in heaven our joy will be full without mixture of sorrow Ioh. 16.20 Your sorrow saith our Lord shall be turned into joy Then will there be no sorrow for a present trouble nor present fear of future troubles Then their eye will deeply affect their heart The sight and knowledge of God the supreme and infinite good will ravish and take up all their heart with joy and delight Peter in the Mount Math. 17. was so affected with that glorious sight that he forgot both the delights and troubles that were below It is good to be here said he How much more will all worldly troubles and delights be forgot at that soul-satisfying sight in heaven which is as far above that of Peter in the Mount as the third heaven is above that Mount and as the increated is above the created glory Obj. But will not the Saints in heaven remember the evils on earth from which they were delivered and if so be they remember them will it be with any sorrow or fear Answ The knowledge and remembrance of miseries which the Saints in Heaven have is with our anguish No doubt they will remember great deliverances Revel 5.9 Thou wast slain and thou hast redeemed us say the four and twenty Elders yea the Saints in heaven have some knowledge of the great misery of the damned Not only from the remembrance of the Word of God foretelling it but also from their own great happiness as knowing one contrary by another they know well the misery of such men is extream who are deprived of the great happiness themselves do enjoy But all their knowledge of the misery of the damned and the remembrance of troubles in this life will be without all anguish or sense of pain Augustine of the City of God lib. 22. ch 30. compareth the knowledge that the Saints in heaven have of the misery of the damned unto that knowledge Physitians have of painful diseases from their reading but not from sense and experience of the pain in their own person The Saints in heaven will remember the troubles of this life as Souldiers after the victory remember the fight and as passengers safely arrived remember a dangerous voiage This remembrance will encrease their joy and praise to God The knowledge of the misery of the damned though of their dearest friends and acquaintance on earth will be matter of praising Gods Justice declared on them and of his eternal mercy manifested on themselves the glory of Gods Justice will so affect them that they neither can nor will be sorry for the misery of any person This joy of the Saints in heaven will be full in the measure of it for if the measure of our joy here from faith into the gracious promises and from some sense of love be above expression what will be the joy in that facial vision If such be the joy of faith in hearing of our Lord and husband by his sacred letter and secret tokens of love what will be our joy in seeing him and dwelling with him for ever if the passengers at Sea have such joy in seeing the desired Land a far of through the prospect of faith what will be the measure of their joy when they come within that part of eternal salvation where they shal have perpetual tranquillity and perfect delight in the fruition of God in whom as the center do meet all the lines of created comforts and delights that have been drawn forth at any time to any part of the circumference of this world yea much more then eye hath seen ear heard or heart can conceive As our joy in heaven will be intensively full in the degrees and measure so will it be extensively full to the whole person both to the soul and to the body Ioseph at his inlargement out of prison got a new garment a ring and honourable preferment so in the day of the inlargement of our bodies out of the grave there will be given to the Saints a long and large white robe of innocency both to soul and body Then heavenly comliness and brightness shall as a ring adorn the body and the whole person in soul and body will be preferred to sit at the right hand of God in glory the soul being but a part of the person and whole suppos it hath a natural desire and longeth for the re-union of the body therefore in the day of resurrection when the body will be reunited the desire of the soul will be fully satisfied That joy of soul and body at meeting will be mutual like the joy of two dear friends meeting together after some separation for a time then will the soul be affected with joy from the body when it looketh out by the eye and beholdeth the glorious body of Christ the glorified bodies of the Saints and the brightness of that body wherein it self lodged the soul will have great joy in perceiving this glorious change in the body like a noble guest sometime straitned and molested in a nastie house doth afterward much rejoyce in a clean large and quiet habitation As the soul will have accession of joy from the reinvestiture of the body So the body over and besides its own proper outward glory
there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 2 Chron. 32.35 The Prodigal Son Luk 15. abused his Fathers indulgence and his own plenty The Lord corrected him with a rod of his own planting he sent a famine procured by his own waste and mis-government 3. 3. By changes sinne is prevented The Lord sendeth such changes to prevent sinne in his own Children Paul was ravished to the third heaven but soon after there is a great change the messenger of Satan was permitted of God to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure The Lord in his wisedom seeth that continued prosperity would be a stumbling-block to his own children Therefore in great mercy to prevent their stumbling and fall he removes it out of their way Whereas on the contrary he suffers wicked and worldly-minded men to enjoy prosperity outward and to fall and be broken in peeces upon their own Idols of prosperity Riches was a snare to the young man in the Gospel those golden fetters intangled and restrained him from following Christ Luk. 18.23 Worldly honour was a snare and a tonguetye to the Rulers of the Synagogue they confessed not Christ because they loved the praise of men Joh. 12.42 43. Therefore Agur praieth God to remove such stumbling-blocks out of the way Prov. 30.9 Give me not riches lest I be full and deny thee 4. 4. Changes discover the insufficiency of the creature The Lord doth it to discover to his own children the insufficiency of creature-help and comfort and to give them a proof of the al-sufficiency of God In our adversity we perceive that ofttimes the creatures either cannot or will not help us they prove a broken tooth or a disjointed legge they will feed but not grinde with us sit at ease but not walk and toyl with us they will have a large share in our prosperity but none at all in our adversity The dear children of God as David have their own Achitophels very familiar and insinuating men into their secret counsels in the day of prosperity but the winde of adversity drives them away like smoak Pro. 19.6 7. Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts but all the brethren of the poor do hate him How much more do his friends go far from him he pursueth them with words yet they are wanting to him yea many times we perceive not only insufficiency in them to do us good but base and malicious ingratitude in rendring evil for good This David found in the day of his distresse Psal 35.13 15. When they were sick I humbled my soul with fasting but in my adversity they rejoyced On the contrary in the dark day of adversity we see the alsufficiency of our God we see him in the mount when and where inferior helps and comforts cannot be seen when worldly comforts like winter-brooks in Summer disappoint us of refreshment in a time of drought and necessity then finde we in our God a fountain of living water to revive us Psa 27.10 When my Father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up when Moses his Parents out of fear and desire of self-preservation cast him into the river then his al-sufficient God sent Pharaohs daughter in a special providence to take him out of the waters when men fail and forsake then it is that God helpeth Jacob saw most of the light of Gods countenance even then when he saw nothing but clouds of wrath in the countenances of his fierce brother Esau and of his ingrate Uncle Laban Gen. 20.12 13. Gen. 31.5 when false witnesses did calumniate Steven before the Council then found he most of Gods special presence and a testimony from heaven His face did shine as the face of an Angel Act. 6.15 When the Councill gnashed upon him with their teeth in that hour of darknesse he saw most of the glory of his God he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God Act. 7.54 55. According to that in the Psa 112.4 Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darknesse In their saddest hours they see the light of their Fathers countenance 5. 5. Changes try and manifest grace The Lord sendeth such changes for the trial and manifestation of his own graces in them 1 Pet. 1.6 7. Of their faith in a time of adversity hereby Jobs faith was tried and manifested Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him His patience and submission to the good will of God Job 1.21 22. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord Hereby Aarons submission to Gods Judgement on his Sons was manifested Lev. 10.3 when Moses said to him This is it that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people will I be glorified And Aaron held his peace Hereby Davids patience and submission was manifested Psa 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it hereby their love to God is manifested Many hypocrites in a day of prosperity with their mouth will shew much love Ezek. 33.31 and seem to rejoyce in the word of God with the temporary beleever but when a change comes by persecution then they question hate and in end persecute the same truth sometime they professed but the children of God at such a time do make the sincerity of their love toward God and his truth more manifest Demas out of love to this present world forsook the truth but Luke abode in it 2 Tim. 4.10 Hereby the meeknesse of the children of God is made manifest in a day of their reproach Proud and malicious hypocrites will seem very quiet and Saint-like men so long as men esteem highly of them but if any thing be spoken or done to their reproach then become they like the foaming waves of the Sea casting up mire and dirt they answer calumny with calumny and render wrong for wrong The supercilious Pharisees when they imagined they were wronged in their reputation by that young man Joh. 9.34 they answered with much sawcinesse and bitternesse Thou wast altogether born in sin and dost thou teach us And they cast him out By their power they break all that will not bow to them It was not so with David when malicious men changed his Name and belched out reproaches against him 2 Sam. 16.11 Let him alone said he to Abishai of railing Shimei in the day of Moses his reproach when the people murmured and spoke against him yet the meek servant of God spoke for them to God hereby the meeknesse of Stephen was made manifest when his Persecutors cast stones at him he sent up praiers to God for them when they cried with a loud voice against him he cried with a loud voice to heaven for them Lord lay not this sin to their charge Act. 7.60 hereby Pauls meeknesse was made manifest 1 Cor. 4.12 13. Lastly 6. By Changes