his just enmity against them or to some he speaks it more home in horrours and affrights of conscience which to them are earnests and pledges of their full misery that inheritance of Wo reserved as the Joys and Comforts of Believers are of their inheritance of Glory Therefore if you have any belief of these things be perswaded be entreated to forsake the way of ungodliness do not flatter your selves and dream of escape when you hear of outward judgements on your Neighbours and Brethren tremble and be humbled remember our Saviour's words think ye that those on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were greater sinners than others I tell you 〈◊〉 but except you repent you shall all likewise perish This seeming harsh word he that was Wisdom and sweetness it seâ—â— uttered and even in it spoke like a Saviour speaks of perishing that they might not perish presses repentance by the heavy doom of unrepentance When you hear of this there is none of you would willingly chuse it that the Lord's Face should be against you although upon very high offers made to you of other things You think I know that the very sound of it is somewhat fearful and on the other side have possibly some confus'd notion of his favour as a thing desirable and yet do not bestir your selves to avoid the one and enquire after the other which is certainly by reason of your unbelief for if you think of the love of God as his word speaks of it as you will say you do whence is it I pray you that there is no trifle in this World that will not take more deeply with you and which you follow not with more earnestness than this great business of reconcilement with God finding his Face not only not against you but graciously towards you his eyes upon you and his ears open to your Prayer Your blessedness is not no believe it it is not where most of you seek it in things below you how can that be it must be a higher good must make you happy while you labour and sweat for 't in any thing under the Sun your pains runs all to waste you seek a happy life in the Region of death here here it is alone in the love and favour of God to have his countenance and friendship and free access and converse and this no where to be found but in the ways of Holiness Verse 13. 13. And who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good THis the Apostle adds as a further reason of the safety and happiness of that way he points out from its own nature There is something even intrinsecal in meek and upright and holy carriage that is apt in part to free a Man from many evils and mischiefs that the ungodly are expos'd to and do readily draw upon themselves your spotless and harmless deportment will much bind up the hands even of your enemies and sometimes possibly somewhat allay and cool the malice of their hearts that they cannot so rage against you as otherwise they might 't will be somewhat strange and monstruous to rage against the innocent who is he that will harm you c. Here are two things 1. The carriage 2. The advantage of it 1. Their carriage express'd followers c. The word is imitaters There is an imitation of men that is impious and wicked taking the copy of their sins again an imitation that though not so grosly evil yet is poor and servile being in mean things yea sometimes descending to imitate the very imperfections of others as â—ancying some comeliness in them as some of Basil's Scholars that imitated his slow speaking which he had a little in the extream and could â—ot help but this is always laudable and worthy of the best minds to be imitaters of that which is good wheresoever they find it for that stays not in any mans person as the ultimate pattern but arises to the highest Grace being mans nearest likeness to God his Image and Resemblance and so following the example of the Saints in Holiness we look higher than them and consider them as receivers but God as the first Owner and Dispenser of Grace bearing his stamp and superscription and belonging peculiarly to him in what hand soever it be found as carrying the mark of no other Owner but his only The Word of God hath our Copy in its perfection and very legible and clear and so the imitation of good in the compleat Rule of it is the regulating our ways by the Word but even in it we find besides general Rules the particular Tract of Life of divers eminent holy Persons and those on purpose set before us that we may know Holiness not to be an idle imaginary thing but that mâ—n have really been holy though not altogether sinlesâ— yet holy and spiritual in some good measure that have shined as light amidst a perverse Generation as greater Stars in a dark night and yet men as St. Iames says of Elias like â—s in Nature and the sraâ—lty of it subject to like passions as we are Why may we not then aspire to be 〈◊〉 as they were and attain to it although we should fall short of the degree yet not stopping at a small measure but running further pressing still forward towards the mark following them in the way they went though at a distance not reaching them and yet walking yea running after them as fast as we can Not judging of Holiness by our own sloth and natural averseness taking it for a singularity fit only for rare extraordinary Persons such as Prophets and Apostles were or as the Church of Rome fancies those to be that it vouchsafes a room to in the Roll of Saints do you not know that Holiness is the only Via regia this following of good that path wherein all the Children of God must walk one following after another each striving to equal and if they could to outstrip even those they look on as most advanced in it This is amongst many other a misconceit in the Romish Church that they seem to make Holiness a kind of impropriate good that the common sort can have little share in almost all piety shut up within Cloyâ—terwalls as it s only fit dwelling but it hath not liked their lodging it seems but is flown over the Walls away from them for there is little of it even there to be found but however the opinion of it places it there as having little to do abroad in the World Whereas the Truth is that all Christians have this for their common task though some are under more peculiar obligations to study this one copy look on the Rule of Holiness and be followers of it and followers or imitaters one of another so far as their carriage agrees with that Primitive Copy as writ after it be ye followers of me says the Apostle even to the meanest Christian among those he wrote to but thus
painful diseases that either quickly cut the thread of Life or make their aged bones full of the sins of their youth Take what way you will there is no place nor condition so senc'd and guarded but publick calamities or personal griefs find away to reach us Seeing then we must suffer however this kind of suffering to suffer for righteousness is far the best what he said 〈◊〉 of doing ill we may well say of suffering ill if it must be 't is best to be for a Kingdome And those are the terms on which Christians are called to suâ—â—er for righteousness if we will reign with Christ certain 〈…〉 sâ—ffer with him and if we do suffer with hi◠〈…〉 we shall reign with him And therefoâ—◠〈…〉 are happy But 〈…〉 suffering for righteousness only with relation to 〈◊〉 Apostle's present reasoning his conlusion he establishâ— 1. From the favour and protection of God 2. From the nature of the thing it self Now we would consider the consistence of this supposition with those reasons 1. The Eyes of the Lord being on the righteous for their good and his Ear open to their Prayer how is it that for all that favour and inspection they are so much expos'd to suffering and even for the regard and affection they bear towards him suffering for righteousness these seem not to agree well yet they do 'T is not said that his Eye is so on them as that he will never see them afflicted nor have them suffer any thing no but this is their great priviledge and comfort in suffering that his gracious Eye is then upon them and sees their trouble and his Ear towards them not so as to grant them an exemption for that they will not seek for but seasonable deliverance and in the mean while strong support as is evident in that 34th Psalm If his Eye be always on them he sees them suffer often for their afflictions are many ver 19. and if his Ear be to them he hears many sighs and cries press'd out by sufferings and they are content this is enough yea better then not to suffer they suffer and often directly for him but he sees it all takes perfect notice on 't therefore 't is not lost And they are forc'd to cry but none of their cries escape his Ear he hears and he manifests that he sees and hears for he delivers them and till he does he keeps them from being crush'd under the weight of the suffering he keeps all his bones not one of them is broken He sees yea appoints and provide these conflicts for his choicest Servants he sets his Champions to encounter the malice of Satan and the World for his sake to give proof of the truth and the strength of their love to him for whom they suffer and to overcome even in suffering He is sure of his design'd advantages out of the sufferings of his Church and Saints for his name he loses nothing nor they lose nothing but their Enemies when they rage most and prevail most are ever the most losers his own glory grows and his peoples graces grow yea their very number grows and that sometimes most by their greatest sufferings It was evident in the first Ages of the Christian Churches where were the glory of so much invincible love and patience if they had not been so put to it 2. For the other that the said following of good would preserve from harm it speaks truly the nature of it what 't is apt to do and what in some measure it often doth but the considering the nature of the World its enmity against God and Religion that strong poyson in the Serpents Seed it is not strange that it often proves otherwise that notwithstanding the righteous carriage of Christians yea even because of it they suffer much 't is a resolv'd case all that will live godly must suffer Persecution it meets a Christian in his entry to the way of the Kingdome and goes along all the way no sooner begin thou to seek the way to Heaven but the World will seek how to vex and molest thee and make that way grievous if no other way by scoffs and taunts as bitter blasts to destroy the tender blossom or bud of Religion or as Herod to kill Christ newly born you shall no sooner begin to enquire after God but twenty to one they will begin to enquire if thou art gone mad but if thou knowest who 't is whom thou hast trusted and whom thou lovest this is a small matter what though it were deeper and sharper sufferings yet still if you suffer for righteousness happy are you Which is the Second thing was proposed and more particularly imports that a Christian under the heaviest load of sufferings for righteousness is yet still happy notwithstanding these suffering 2dly That he is happier even by these sufferings And 1. All the sufferings and distresses of this World are not able to destroy the Happiness of a Christian nor diminish it yea they cannot at all touch it 't is out of their reach If it were built on worldly enjoyments then worldly deprivements and sufferings might shake it yea might undo it when those rotten stoups fail that which rests on them must fall he that hath set his heart on his riches a few hours can make him miserable 't is almost in any bodies power to rob him of his Happiness a little slight or disgrace undoes him or whatsoever the Soul fixes on of these moving unfixed things pluck them from it and it must cry after them ye have taken away my God's But the Believer's happiness is safe out of shot he may be impoverished and imprison'd and tortur'd and kill'd but this one thing is out of hazard he cannot be miserable still in the midst of all these subsists a happy Man If all Friends be shut out yet the visits of the Comforter may be frequent bringing him glad tydings from Heaven and communing with him of the love of Christ and solaâ—ing him in that 'T was a great word for a Heathen of his false 〈◊〉 kill me they may but they cannot hurt me how much more confidently may the Christian say so banishment he â—ears not for his Country is above nor death for that sets him home into that Country The believing Soul having hold of Jesus Christ can easily despise the best and the worst of the World and give a defie to all that 's in it can share with the Apostle in that which he gives I am perswaded that neither death nor life shall separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Yea what tho' the frame of the World were a dissolving and salling a pieces this happiness holds and is not stir'd by it for 't is in that Rock of Eternity that stirs not nor changes at all Our main work truly if you will believe it is this to provide this immoveable happiness that amidst all changes and losses and sufferings
that are usual and were it no worse is it not a sufficient evil that they waste away that time precious time that cannot be recover'd that the most just or most thankful Man in the World cannot restore He that spares speech favours his Tongue indeed as the Latin Phrase is favere Linguae not he that looses the reins and lets it run he may ponder and pre-examine what he utters whether it be profitable and seasonable or no and so the Tongue of the Just is as fined silver 't is resined in the wise forethought and pondering of the heart so is his advice Bis ad â—imam priusquam semel ad linguam Even to utter Knowledge and wise things profusely holds not of wisdom and a little usually makes most noise as the Hebrew proverb is a penny in an earthen pot keeps a great sound and tinkling Certainly 't is the way to have much inward peace to be wary in this point Men think to have solace by much free unbounded discourse with others and when they have done they find it otherways and sometimes contrary He is wise that hath learn't to speak little with others and much with himself and with God How much might be gained for our Souls if we would make a right use of this silence so David dumb to Men found his Tongue to God Psal. 38 13 15. a spiritual minded Man is quickly weary of other discourse but of that which he loves and wherewith his affection is possess'd and taken up grave aestimant quicquid illud non sonat quod intus amant and by experience a Christian will find it that when the Lord is pleas'd to shew him most favour at Prayer or other spiritual exercise how unsavoury it makes other discourses after it as they that have tasted something singularly sweet think other things less sweet altogether tasteless and unpleasant 4. In the use of the Tongue when thou doest speak divert it from evil and guile by a habitude of and delight in profitable and gracious discourse thus St. Paul makes the Opposition Eph. 4. no rotten communication and yet not total silence neither but such as may edifie and minister grace to the hearers Now in this we should consider to the end such discourses may be more fruitful both what is the true end of them and the right means suiting it they are not only nor principally for the learning of some new things or the canvasing of debated questions but their chief good the warming of the heart stirring up in it love to God and remembrance of our present and after Estate our mortality and immortality and extolling the ways of Holiness and the Promises and Comforts of the Gospel and the Excellency of Jesus Christ and in these sometimes one particular sometimes another as our particular condition requires or any occasion makes them pertinent so that in those discourses seek not so much either to vent thy Knowledge or to increase it as to know more spiritually and effectually what thou do'st know And in this way those mean despised Truths that each one thinks they are sufficiently seen in will have a new sweetness and use in them which thou didst not so well perceive before for these flowers cannot be suck'd dry and in this humble sincere way thou shalt grow in Grace and in Knowledge too There is no sweeter entertainment than for Travellers to be remembring of their Country their blessed Home and the Happiness abiding them there and refreshing and encouraging one another in the hopes of it strengthening their hearts against all the hard encounters and difficulties in the way often often overlooking this moment and helping each other to higher apprehensions of that vision of God which we expect And are not such Discourses much more worthy the choosing than the base trash we usually fill one another ears withal Were our Tongues given us to exchange folly and sin or were they not fram'd for the glorifying of God and therefore are called our Glory some take it for the Soul but they must be one in this and then indeed are both our Tongues and Souls truely our Glory when they are busied in exalting his and are tun'd together to that that my Glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent Ps. 30. 12. Instead of calumnies and lies and vanities that are the carrion that Flies base minds feed on to delight in Divine Things and the extolling of God is for a Man to eat Angels Food An Excellent task for the Tongue that David chooseth Psal. 35. 28. And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long Were the day ten in one no vacant room for any unholy or offensive or seigned speech And they lose not who love to speak praise to him for he loves to speak peace to them and instead of the World's Vain-Tongue-Liberty to have such intercourse and discourse is no sad melancholy life as the World mistakes it Verse 11. Let him eschew evil and do good let him seek peace and ensue it THIS is a full and compleat Rule but this is our miserable folly to mistake so far as to embrace evil in the notion of good and not only contrary to the nature of the thing but contrary to our own experience still to be pursuing in that which is still flying further off from us catching at a vanishing shadow of delight and nothing to fasten upon but real guiltiness and misery Childish minds we have been so often gull'd and yet never grow wiser still bewitched and deluded with dreams a deceived heart a mocked or deluded heart hath turned him aside c. when we think we are surest have that hand that holds fastest our right hand upon some good and now sure we 're sped even then it proves a lie in our right hand slips through as a handful of air and proves nothing promises fair but doth but mock us as the same word is us'd by Iacob Gen. 31. 7. expressing the unfaithfulness of his Unkle that changed his ways so often but still we foolishly and madly trust it when it makes so gross a lie that we might easily if we took it to the light see through it being a lie so often discovered and of known falshood yet some new dream or guise makes it pass with us again and we go round in that Mill having our eyes out as Sampsen and still where we were perpetual fruitless toil Strange that so base deceitful lusts of sin should still keep their credit with us but the Beast hath a false Prophet at his side to commend him and set him off with new Inventions and causes us to err by his lies as it is said of the false Prophets Ier. 23. But evil 't is still not only void of all good but the very deformity and debasement of the Soul desacing in it the Divine Image of its Maker and impressing on it the vile Image of Satan and then further is
this great task to be gaining further upon it and overcoming and mortifying it every Day and to this tend the frequent Exhortations of this Nature Mortifie your members that are on the earth So Rom. 6. Likewise reekon your selves dead to sin and let it not reign in your mortal bodies Thus here Arm your selves with the same Mind or with this very thought Consider and apply that suffering of Christ in the flesh to the end that you with him suffering in the flesh may cease from sin Think it ought to be thus and seek that it may be thus with you Arm your selves There is still fighting and sin will be molesting you though wounded to death yet will it struggle for life and seek to wound its enemy will assault the graces that are in you Do not think if it be once struck and you have a hit near to the heart by the Sword of the Spirit that therefore it will stir no more No so long as you live in the flesh in these bowels there will be remainders of the life of this flesh your natural corruption Therefore ye must be Armed against it Sin will not give you rest so long as there is a drop of blood in its vein one spark of life in it and that will be so long as you have life here This old Man is stout and will fight himself to death and at the weakest it will rouze up it felt and act its dying Spirits as Men will do sometimes more eagerly then when they were not so weak nor so near death This the Children of God often find to their grief that corruptions which they thought had been cold dead stir and rise up again and set upon them A â—assion or Lust that after some great stroke lay along while as dead stirred not and therefore they thought to have heard no more of it though it shall never recoverfully again to be lively as before yet will revive in such a measure as to molest and possibly to foyl them yet again Therefore is it continually necessary that they live in Arms and put them not off to their dying day till they put off the body and be altogether free of the flesh you may take the Lord's promise for victory in the â—nd that shall not fail but do not promise your self ease in the way for that will not hold if at somtimes you be at under give not all for lost he hath often won the Day that hath been foiled and wounded in the fight but likwise take not all for won so as to have no more conflict when sometimes you have the better as in particular battels be not desperate when you loose nor secure when you gain them when it is worst with you do not throw away your Arms nor lay them away when you are at best Now the way to be armed is this the same mind how would my Lord Christ carry himself in this case and what was his business in all places and Companies was it not to do the will and advance the glory of his Father If I be injured and reviled consider how would he do in this would he repay one injury with another one reproach with another reproach No being reviled he reviled not again Well through his strength this shall be my way too Thus ought it to be with the Christian framing all his ways and words and very thoughts upon that model the mind of Christ and to study in all things to walk even as he walked 1. Studying it much as the reason and rule of Mortification 2. Drawing from it as the real Cause and Spring of mortification The pious Contemplation of his Death will most powerfully kill the love of sin in the Soul and kindle an ardent hatred of it The Believer looking on his Jesus crucified for him and wounded for his transgressions and taking in deep thoughts of his spotless Innocency that deserved no such thing and of his matchless love that yet endured it all for him then will he think shall I be a friend to that which was his deadly enemy shall sin be sweet to me that was so bitter to him and that for my sake shall I ever have a favourable thought or lend it a good look that shed my Lord's blood shall I live in that for which he died and died to kill it in me Oh! let it not be To the end it may not be let such really apply that Death to work this on the Soul for this is always to be added and is the main indeed by holding and fastning that Death close to the Soul effectually to kill the effects of sin in it to stiâ—â—e and crush them dead by pressing that death on the heart looking on it not only as a most compleat model but as having a most effectual vertue for this effect and desiring him intreating our Lord himself who communicates himself and the vertue of his death to the Believer that he would powerfully cause it to flow to us and let us feel the vertue of it It s then the only thriving and growing life to be much in the lively Contemplation and Application of Jesus Christ to be continually studying him and conversing with him and drawing from him receiving of his fullness grace for grace Wouldest thou have much power against sin and much increase of holiness let thine eye be much on Christ set thine heart on him let it dwell in him and be still with him When sin is like to prevail in any kind go to him tell him of the insurrection of his enemies and thy inability to resist and desire him to suppress them and to help thee against them that they may gain nothing by their stirring but some new wound If thy heart begin to be taken with and move towards sin lay it before him the beams of his love shall eat out that fire of these sinful lusts Wouldest thou have thy Pride and Passions and love of the World and self love kill'd go suit for the vertue of his death and that shall do it seek his Spirit the Spirit of Meekness and Humility and Divine Love Look on him and he shall draw thy heart heavenwards and unite it to himself and make it like himself And is not that the thing thou desirest Verses 2 3. Ver. 2. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 3. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of Wine revellings banquetings and abominable idolatries THE Chains of sin are so strong and so fastened on our Nature that there is in us no power to break them off till a mightier and stronger Spirit than our own come into us The Spirit of Christ dropt inâ—o the Soul makes it able to break through an host and leap over a Wall as David speaks of himself furnisht with
real complacency and delight in one another And then consider the temper of thy heart towards spiritual things the Word and ordinances of God if thou dost esteem highly of them and delight in them that there is a compliance of thy heart with Divine Truths somthing in thee that suits and sides with them against thy corruptions That in thy affliction thou seekest not to the puddles of earthly comforts but hast thy recourse to the sweee Christal Streams of the Divine Promises and findest refreshment in them It may be at sometimes in a spiritual distemper holy exercises and ordinances will not have that present sensible sweetness to a Christian that he desires and some will for a long time lie under dryness and deadness this way yet there is here an evidence of this spiritual life that thou stayest by thy Lord and reliest on him and will not leave these holy means how sapless soever to thy sense for the present thou findest for a long time little sweetness in prayer yet thou prayest still and when thou canst say nothing yet offerest to it and lookest towards Christ thy life thou doest not turn away from these things to seek consolation else where knowest life is in Christ and will stay till he refresh thee with new and lively influence it s not any where but in him As St. Peter said Lord whether should we go thou hast the words of eternal life Consider thy self if thou hast any knowledge of the growth or deficiences of this spiritual life for it is here but begun and breaths in an air contrary to it and lodges in an house that often smoaks and darknes it Canst thou go on in formal performances from one year to another and no advancement in the inwards of Grace and restest content with that it is no good sign But art thou either gaining victories over sin and further strength of faith and love and other graces or at least art earnest seeking these and bewailing thy wants and disappointments of this kind then thou livest At the worst wouldest thou rather grow this way be further off from sin and nearer God than grow in thy estate or credit or honours esteemest thou more of grace than of the whole World There is life at the root although thou findest not that flourishing thou desirest yet the desire of it is life in thee and if growing this way art thou content whatsoever is thy outward estate Canst thou solace thy self in the love and goodness of thy God though the World frowns on thee art thou not able to take comfort in the smiles of the World when his face is hid this tells thee thou livest and he is thy life Although many Christians have not so much sensible joy yet they account spiritual joy and the light of God's countenance the only true joy and all other without it madness and they cry and sigh and attend for it mean while not only duty and hopes of better but even love to God makes them to be so to serve and please and glorifie him to their utmost And this is not a dead resting without God but it is a stable compliance with his will in the highest point waiting for him and living by faith which is most acceptable to him in a word whether in sensible comfort or without it still this is the fixed thought of a believing Soul its good for me to draw nigh to God only good and will not live in a willing estrangedness from him what way soever he is pleased to deal with 〈◊〉 Now for the entertaining and strengthning this life which is the great business and care of all that have it beware of omitting and interrupting these spiritual means that do provide it and nourish it Little neglects of that kind will draw one greater and great neglects will make great abatements of vigour and liveliness Take heed of using holy things coldly and lazily without affection that will make them fruitless and our life will not be advantaged by them unless used in a lively way Be active in all good within thy reach as this is a sign so it s a helper and friend to it A slothful unstirring life will make a sickly unhealthful life Motion purifies and sharpens the Spirits and makes Men robust and vigorous 2. Beware of admitting a correspondence with any sin yea do not so much as discourse familiarly with it or look kindly toward it for that will undoubtedly cast a damp upon thy Spirit and diminish thy Graces at least and will obstruct thy Communion with God thou knowest that hast any knowledge of this life that thou canst not go to him with that sweet freedom thou wert wont after thou hast been but tampering or parlying with any of thy old loves Oh! do not make so foolish a bargain as to prejudge the least of thy spiritual comfort for the greatest and longest continued enjoyments of sin that are base and but for a season But wouldest thou grow upwards in this life have much recourse to Jesus Christ thy head the spring from whom flow the animal Spirits that quicken thy Soul Wouldest thou know more of God he it is that reveals the Father and reveals him as his Father and in him thy Father and that 's the sweet notion of God Wouldest thou overcome thy lusts further our victory is in him apply his conquest We are more than Conquerors through him that loved us wouldest thou be more replenisht with graces and spiritual affections his fulness is for that use open to us life and more life in him and for us this was his business here he came that we might have life and might have it more abundantly Verse 7. 7. But the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer THE heart of a real Christian is really taken off from the World and set heavenwards yet there is still in this flesh so much of the flesh hanging to it as will readily poise all downwards unless it be often wound up and remembred of these things that will raise it still to further spiritualness This the Apostle doth in this Epistle and particularly in these words In them three things to be considered 1. A threefold duty recomended 2. Their mutual Relation that binds them to one another 3. The reason here used to bind them upon a Christian. And of the three the last is evidently the chief and here so meant the other being recommended as suiting it and subserving to it prayer Therefore I shall speak first of it And truly to speak and to hear of it often were our hearts truly and entirely acquainted with it would have still new sweetness and usefulness in it Oh! how great were the advantage of that lively Knowledge of it beyond the exactest defining of it and a discoursing Knowledge and of the heads of Doctrine that concern it Prayer is not a smooth expression or a well-contrived form of words not the product
you bear them by his Spirit and his Spirit most fit to support you under them yea to raise you above them they are ignominious and inglorious he is the Spirit of glory they are humane reproaches he the Divine Spirit the Spirit of Glory and of God that is the glorious Spirit of God And this is the advantage the less the Christian finds esteem and acceptance in the World the more he turns inward to see what 's there and there he finds a down weight counterpoise of excellency and glory even in this present condition as the pledge of the glory before him The reproaches be fiery but the Spirit of glory resteth upon you doth not give you a passing visit but stays within you and is indeed yours And in this he can take comfort and let the foul weather blow over let all the scoffs and contempts abroad pass as they come having a glorious Spirit within such a guest honouring him with his presence and abode and sweet fellowship and is indeed one with him So that rich Miser could say when they scorned him in the streets he went home to his bags and huggs himself there at that sight say they what they would How much more reasonably may the Christian say let them revile and bark I have riches and honour enough that they see not And this is it makes the World as they are a malicious party so to be an incompetent Judge of the Christians estate they see the rugged unpleasant outside only the right inside their eye cannot reach We were miserable indeed were our comforts such as they could see And as this is the constant estate of a Christian it is usually most manifested to him in the time of his greatest sufferings then as we said he readily turns inward and sees it most and accordingly finds it most God making this happy supplement and compensation that when they have least of the World they have most of himself when they are most covered with the World's disfavour this favour shines brightest to them as Moses in the Cloud in nearest access and speech with God when the Christian is most clouded with distresses and disgraces then doth the Lord often shew himself most clearly to him If you be indeed Christians you will not be so much thinking at any time how you may be free from all sufferings and despisings but rather how you may go strongly and cheerfully through them so here is the way seek real and firm interest in Christ and participance of Christ's Spirit and then a look to him will make all easie and delightful Thou wilt be ashamed within thy self to start back or give one foot at the encounter of a taunt or reproach for him thou wilt think for whom is it is it not for him who for my sake hid not his face from shame and spitting and further he died now how would I meet death for him that shrink at the blast of a scornful word If you would know whether this his Spirit is and resteth in you it cannot be better known than by that very love ardent love to him and high esteem of him and from thence a willingness yea a gladness to suffer any thing for him 2. This Spirit of Glory sets the heart on glory true glory makes heavenly things excellent in our thoughts and sets the World the better and worse the honour and dishonour of it at a low rate The Spirit of the World is a base ignoble Spirit even the highest pitch of it those that are projecting for Kingdoms these are poor designs to that of the Christian which ascend above all things under the Sun and above the Sun it self and therefore he is not shaken with threats nor taken with offers in these things Excellent is that answer St. Basil gives in the person of those Martyrs to that Emperour as making them as he thought great profers to draw them off why say they doest thou bid us so low as pieces of the World we have learnt to despise it all This is not stupid nor an affected stoutness of Spirit but a humble sublimeness that the natural Spirit of a Man cannot reach unto But wilt thou say still this stops me I do not find this Spirit in me if I did then I think I could be willing to suffer any thing To this for present no more but this dâ—est thou find desire that Christ may be glorified and couldâ—â—â—e content it were by thy suffering in any kind for him as called to it art thou willing to give up thine own interest and study and follow Christ's and that thou mightest sacrifice thine own credit and name to advance his art thou unwilling to do any thing that might dishonour him nor unwilling to suffer any thing might honour him or wouldest thou be thus Then be not disputing but up and walk on in his strength Now iâ— any say but his name is dishonoured by these reproaches true says the Apostle on their part it is so but not on yours They that reproach you do their best to make it reflect on Christ and his cause but thus it is only on their part you are sufferers for his name and so you glorifie it your faith and patience and victory by these do declare the Divine power of grace and the Gospel working They have made torturers ashamed and induced some beholders to share with them Thus though the prophane World intend it as far as they could reach to dishonour the profession of Christ yet it â—â—â—cks not but on the contrary he is glorified by your constancy And as the ignominy fastens not but the glory from the endurance so they are obliged and certainly are ready according to the Apostles zeal verse 16. To glorifie God on this behalf that as he is glorified in them so we may glorifie and bless him that he hath dignified us so that whereas we might have been left to a sad sinking task to have suffered for various guilts our God hath changed the tenure and nature of our sufferings and make them to be for the name of Christ. Thus doth not a spiritual mind swell on a conceit of constancy and courage which is the readiest way of self undoing But acknowledge all gift even suffering To you its given not onlâ— to believe but to suffer and so to bless him on that behalf Oh! this 〈◊〉 grows in suffering so Acts 5. 41. They went away rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Consider it s but a shoâ— while and the wicked and their scoffs shall vanish they shall not be this shame will presently be done and this disgrace is of short date but the glory and Spirit of glory eternal what though thou shouldest be poor and defamed and despised and be the common mark of scorn and all injuries yet 't is hard at the end This is now thy part the scene shall be changed Kings here real ones are in deepest realty but strange
can digest much frowardness of a Husband and make that her patient subjection a sacrifice to God Lord I offer this to thee and for thy sake I humbly bear it The worth and love of a Husband may cause that respect where this Rule moves not but the Christian Wife that hath love to God tho her Husband be not so comely nor so wise nor any way so amiable as many others yet because her own Husband and because of the Lord's command in the general and his Providence in the particular dispose of his own therefore she loves and obeys That if any obey not the Word This supposes a particular Case and applies the Rule to it takes it for granted a believing Wiâ—e will chearfully observe and respect a believing Husband but if an Unbeliever yet that unties not this engagement yea there is something in it presses it and binds it the more a singular good that probably may follow upon obeying such by that good Conversation they may be gained that believe not the Word not that they could be fully converted without the Word but having a prejudice against the Word that may be remov'd by the carriage of a believing Wife and they may be somewhat mollified and prepar'd and induc'd to hearken to Religion and take it into consideration This gives not Christians warrant to draw on this Task and make themselves this Work by chusing to be joyned to an Unbeliever either a prophane or meer natural Husband or Wife but teaches them being so matched what should be their great desire and their suitable carriage to the attainment of it And in the primitive Christian times this fell out often that by the Gospel preached the Husband might be converted from gross Infidelity Judaism or Paganism and not the Wife or the Wife which is the supposition here and not the Husband and there came in the use of this consideration And in this is the freedom of Divine Grace to pick and chuse where he will one of a Family or two of a Tribe as the Prophet hath it and according to our Saviour's word two in one Bed the one taken and the other left Some selected Ones in a Congregation and in a House a Child possibly or Servant or Wife and leave the rest The Apostle seems to imply particularly that there were many instances of this Wives Converts and Husbands unbelieving We can determine nothing of their conjecture that think there shall be more of that Sex here call'd the weaker Vessel than of the other that shall be Vessels of honour which God seasons with Grace here and hereafter will fill with Glory but this is clear that many of them are converted while many Men and divers of them very wise and learned Men having the same and far greater means and opportunities do perish in unbelief This I say evidences the Liberty and the Power of the Spirit of God that Wind that bloweth where it listeth and withal it suits with that word of the Apostle that the Lord this way abases these things that men account so much of and hath chosen the weak things of the World to confound the mighty c. Nor doth the pliableness and tenderness of their affections tho Grace once wrought may make good use of that make their conversion the easier but the harder rather for through Natures corruption they would by that yield more to evil than to good but the efficacy of Grace appears much in establishing their hearts in the love of God and making them once possess'd with that to be inflexible and invincible by the tentations of the World and the strength and â—lights of Satan That which is here said of their Conversation holds of the Husband in the like case and of Friends and Kindred and generally of all Christians in reference to them with whom they converse that their spotless holy carriage as Christians and in their particular stations as Christian Husbands or Wives or Friends is a very likely and hopeful means of converting others that believe not Men that are prejudic'd observe actions a great deal more than words In those first times especially the blameless carriage of Christians did much to the increasing of their number Strive ye Wives and others to adorn and commend the Religion you profess to others especially those nearest you that are averse Give no just cause of scandal and prejudice against Religion beware not only of gross â—ailings and ways of sin but of such imprudencies as may expose you and your Profession study both holy and wise carriage and pray much for it Iam. 1. 5. If any of you lack Wisdom lâ—t him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him But if Wives and other private Christians be thus oblig'd how much more the Ministers of the Wordâ— Oh! that we could remember our deep engagement to Holiness of life he said right either teach none or let your life teach too Cohelleth anima conciâ—natrix must the Preacher be the Word of Life springing from inward Affection and then Vita conciâ—natrix The Sundays Sermon lasts but an hour or two but holinesâ— of Life is a continued Sermon all the Week long They also without the Words may he won The Conversion of a Soâ—l is an inestiâ—â—aâ—â— gaiâ— 't is a high trading and design to go about it Oh! the precious Soul but disvalu'd by most Will we believe him that knew well the price of it for he pâ—id it that the whole visible World is not worth one Soul the gaining it all cannot countervail that less This Wives and Husbands and Parents and Friendâ— iâ— themselves converted would consider seriously and apply themselves to pray much that their unconverted Relations in nature dead may be enliven'd and they may receive them from death and esteem of nothing rest in no natural content nor gain without that at least using uncâ—sâ—â—nt diligence in seeking it and their utmost skill and pâ—â—ns in it but above all this is the peculiar task of Ministers as the Apostle often repeats it of himself 1 Cor. 9. all gains on earth base for this a Soul converted is gained to it self gained to the Pastor or Friend or Wife or Husband that sought it and gained to Jesus Christ added to his Treasury who thought not his own precious Blood too dear to lay out for this Gain Verse 2. While they behold your chast Conversation coupled with fear AS all Graces are connexed in their own Nature so 't is altogether necessary that they be found so for the end here propounded the conversion of those that are strangers to Religion and possest with false notions of it and prejudices against it 'T is not the regularness of some particular actions nor the observance of some duties that will serve but it is an even uniform frame of Life that the Apostle here teaches Christian Wives particularly in reference to this end the gaining or conversion
Ierusalems Wallâ— than for the binding up and healing of it self and in that Psal. that seem's to be the expression of his joy being exalted to the Throne and sitting peaceably on it yet he still thus prays for the peace of Ierusalem And the Penman of that 137. Psalm makes it an execrable oversight to forget Ierusalem ver 5. or to remember it coldly or secundarily no less will serve him than to prefer it to his chief joy Whatsoever else is top or head of his joy as the word is Ierusalems wellfare shall be its Crown shall be set above it And the Prophet whoever it was that wrote that poured out that Prayer from an afflicted Soul comforts himself in this that Zion shall be favoured my bones are consum'd c. But it matters not what becomes of me let me languish and wither away provided Sion flourish tho' I feel nothing but pains and troubles yet thou wilt arise and shew mercy to Sion I am content that satisfies me But where is now this Spirit of high sympathy with the Church sure if there were of it in us 't is now a fit time to act it If we be not altogether dead sure we will be stirr'd with the voice of those late stroaks of Gods hand and be driven to more humble and earnest prayer by it Men will change their poor base grumblings about their privacy Oh! what shall I do c. into strong cries for the Church of God and the publick deliverance of all these Kingdomes from the raging Sword but vile selfishness undoes us the most looking no further if themselves and theirs might be secur'd would regard little what became of the rest as one said when I am dead let the World be fir'd but the Christian mind is of a larger Sphere looks not only upon more than it self in present but even to after Times and Ages and can rejoyce in the good to come when it self shall not be here to partake of it is more dilated and liker unto God and to our head Iesus Christ. The Lord says the Prophet Esay in all his peoples affliction was afflicted himself and Jesus Christ accounts the sufferings of his Body the Church his own Saul Saul why persecutest thou me the heel was trod upon on earth and the head cryeth from Heaven as sensible of it and this in all our evils especially our spiritual Griefs is a high point of comfort to us that our Lord Jesus is not insensible of them This emboldens us to complain our selves and to put in our petitions for help to the Throne of Grace through his hand knowing that when he presents he will speak his own sense of our condition and move for us as it were for himself as we have it sweetly express'd Heb. 4. 15. 16. Now as it is our comfort so it is our pattern Love as Brethren Hence springs this feeling we speak oâ— Love is the cause of union and union the cause of sympathy and of that unanimity before they that have the same spirit uniting and animating them cannot but have the same Mind and the same feelings And this Spirit is derived from that head Christ in whom Christians live and move and have their being their new and excellent being and so in living in him they love him and are one in him they are Brethren as here the word is their fraternity holds in him he is head of it the first born among many Brethren Men are Brethren in two natural respects their Bodies of the same earth and their Souls breathed from the same God but this third fraternity that is founded in Christ is far more excellent and more firm than the other two for being one in him they have there taken in the other two for that in him is our whole Nature he is the Man Christ Iesus but to the advantage and 't is an infinite one being one in him we are united by the Divine Nature in him who is God blessed for ever and this is the highest certainly and the strongest union that can be imagin'd Now this is a great Mystery indeed as the Apostle says speaking of this same point the union of Christ and his Church whence their union and Communion one with another that make up that Body the Church is deriv'd In Christ every believer is born of God is his Son and so they are not only Brethren one with another that are so born but Christ himself own 's them as his Brethren both he which sanctifies and they who are sanctifiâ—d are all of one for which cause he is not asham'd to call them Brethren Sin broke all to pieces Man from God and one from another Christ's work in the World was Vnion to make up these breaches he came down and begun the union which was his work in the wonderful union made in his Person that was to work it made God and Man one and as the Nature of Man was reconciled so by what he performed the Persons of Men are united to God Faith makes them one with him and he makes them one with the Father and from these results this oneness amongst themselves concentring and meeting in Jesus Christ and in the Father through him they are made one together And that this was his great work we may read in his Prayer where it is the burden and main strain the great request he so iterates that they may be one as we are one ver 11. a high comparison such as Man durst not name but after him that so warrants us and again ver 21. that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us and so on So that certainly where this is it is the ground work of another kind of Friendship and love than the World is acquainted with or is able to judge of and hath more worth in one drachme of it than all the quintessence of civil or natural assection can amount to The friendship of the World the best of them are but tyed with chains of glass but this fraternal love of Christians is a Golden chain both more precious and more strong and lasting the other are worthless and brittle The Christian ows and pays a General Charity and good will to all but peculiar and intimate friendship he cannot have but with such as come within the compass of this fraternal love Which after a special manner flows from God and returns to him and abides in him and shall remain unto eternity Where this love is and abounds it will banish far away all those dissentions and bitternesses and those â—rivolous mistakings that are so frequent amongst the most it will teach wisely and gently to admonish one another where it is needful but further than that it will pass by many offences and failings and cover a multitude of sins and will very much sweeten Society and make it truly profitable therefore the Psalmist calls it both
mention'd and carries along with it this inward and real not acted courteousness Not to insist on it now it gains at all hands with God and with Men receives much Grace from God and kills envy and commands respect and good will from Men. Those showers of grace that slide off from the lofty Mountains rest on the Valleys and make them fruitful He giveth grace loves to bestow it wherethere is most room to receive it and most return of ingenuous and entire praises upon the receipt and such is the humble Heart and truly as much humility gains much grace so it grows by it 1. 'T is one of the Worlds reproaches against those that go beyond their size in Religion that they are proud and self conceited Christians beware there be nothing in you justifying this sure they that have most true grace are least guilty of it common knowledge and gifts may puff up but grace does not He whom the Lord loads most with his richest gifts stoops lowest as pressed down with the weight of them the Free Love of God humbles the Heart most to which it is most manifested And towards Men it graces all Grace and all gifts and glorifies God and teaches others so to do It is the preserver of Graces sometimes seems to wrong them by hiding them but indeed it is their safety Hezekiah by a vain shewing of his jewels and treasures forfeited them all Verse 9. 9 Not rendring evil for evil or railing ofr railing but contrary wise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing OPposition helps Grace both to more strength and more lustre when Christian Charity is not encounter'd with the Worlds malignance it hath an easier task but assaulted and overcoming it shines the brighter and rises higher and thus it is when it renders not evil for evil To repay good with evil is amongst Men the top of iniquity yet this is our universal guiltiness towards God he multiplying mercies and we vying with multiply'd sins as the Lord complains of Israel as they were increased so they sinned The lowest step of good mutual amongst Men is not to be bent to provoke others with injuries and being unoffended to offend none but this not to repay offences nor render evil for evil is a Christians rule and yet further to return good for evil and blessing for cursing is not only counsell'd as some vainly distinguish but commanded It is true the most have no ambition for this degree of goodness aspire no further but to do or say no evil unprovoked and think themselves sufficiently just and equitable if they keep in that but this is lame is but half the rule Thou thinkest injury obliges thee or if not so yet excuses thee to revenge or at least disobliges thee unties thy engagement of wishing and doing good but these are all gross practical errours For 1st The second injury done by way of revenge differs from the first that provoked it little or nothing but only in point of time and certainly no one Man's sin can procure priviledge to another to sin in that or the like kind If another hath broken the bonds of his allegiance and Obedience to God and of charity to thee yet thou art not the less ty'd by the same Bonds still 2dly By revenge of injuries thou usurpest upon God's prerogative who is the Avenger as the Apostle teaches Rom. 12. this doth not forbid either the Magistrats Sword for just punishment of Offenders or the Souldiers Sword in a just War but such revenges as without authority or a lawfull call the pride and perversness of Men do multiply one against another In which is involv'd a presumptuous contempt of God and his supreme authority or at least the unbelief and neglect of it 3dly It cannot be genuine upright goodness that hath its dependance upon the goodness of others that are about us that as they say of the vain glorious Man his vertue lyeth in the beholders eye if thy Meekness and Charity be such as lyeth in the good and mild carriage of others towards thee in their Hand and Tongues thou art not owner of it intrinsecally such quiet and calm if none provoke thee is but an accidental uncertain cessation of thy turbulent Spirit unstirr'd but move it and it acts it self according to it self sends up that Mind that lay at the bottom but true Grace doth then most manifest what it is when those things that are most contrary surround and assault it it cannot correspond and hold game with injuries and raylings hath no faculty for that for answering evil with evil a Tongue enur'd to graciousness and mild Speeches and Blessings and a heart stor'd so within can vent no other try it and stir it as you will A Christian acts and speaks not according to what others are towards him but according to what he is through the grace and Spirit of God in him as they say quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis the same things are differently received and work differently as the Nature and way is of that which receives them A sparkle blows up one of a sulphureous temper and many Coals greater injuries and reproaches are quench'd and loose their force being thrown at another of a Cool Spirit Prov. 17. 27. They that have malice and bitterness and cursings within though these sleep it may be yet awake them with the like and the Provision comes forth out of the abundance of the heart give them an ill word and they have another or two for one in readiness for you where the Soul is furnished with spiritual blessings there blessings come forth even in answer to reproaches and indignities the mouth of the Wise is a Tree of Life says Solomon can bear no other fruit but according to its kind and the Nature of the root an honest spiritual heart pluck at it who will they can pull no other fruit but such fruit Love and Meekness lodge there and therefore whosoever knocks these make the answer Let the World account it a despicable simplicity seek you still more of that Dove-like Spirit the Spirit of meekness and blessing a poor glory to vie railings and contest in that faculty or any kind of vindictive returns of evil the most abject creatures have of that great Spirit as follish poor Spirited persons account it but it is the glory of Man to pass by a transgression the noblest victory and as we mention'd the highest example God is our Pattern in Love and Compassions we are well warranted to do 't in this Men esteem much more of some other vertues that make more shew and trample upon these Love and Compassion and Meekness but though these violetâ— grow low and are of a dark colour yet they are of a very sweet and diffusive smell odoriferous Graces and the Lord propounds himself our example in them Matth. 5. 't is to be truly the Children of your Father your
propension of his heart towards them The Eye is the servant of the affection turns readily that way most where the heart is Therefore thus the Lord is pleased to speak of his love to his own he views still all the world but he looks upon them with a peculiar delight his eye still on them as it were towards them from all the rest of the world tho he doth not alwaies let them see these his looks for 't is not said they alwayes are in sight of it no not here yet still his Eye is indeed upon them by the beauty of Grace in them his own work indeed the beauty that he himself hath put upon them And so the other of his Ear too he is willing to do for them what they ask he loves even to hear them speak finds a sweetness in the voice of their Prayers that makes his ear not only open to their Prayers but desirous of them as sweet Musick Thus he speaks of both Cant. 2. 14. My dove let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely 2. His good Providence and readiness to do them good to supply their wants and order their affairs for them to answer their desires and thus to let them find the fruits of that love that so leads his eye and ear towards them his eye is upon them he is devising and thinking what to do for them 't is the thing he thinks on most his eyes are on all but they are busied as he is pleased to express it they run to and fro through the earth to shew himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him c. 2 Chron. 16. 9. so Deut. 11. 12 his Eyes all the year on the land And no wonder then he answers their Suits in what is good for them when it is still in his thoughts before he prevents they cannot be so mindful of themselves as he is of them This is an unspeakable Comfort when a poor Believer is in great perplexity of any kind in his outward or spiritual condition Well I see no way I am blind in this but there are eyes upon me that see well what is best the Lord is minding me and bringing about all to my advantage I am poor and needy indeed but the Lord thinketh on me that casteth the ballance Would not a man tho he had nothing think himself happy if some great Prince were busily thinking how to advance and inrich him much more if a number of Kings were upon this thought and devising together yet these thoughts might perish as the Psalmist speaks how much solider happiness is it to have him whose power is greatest and whose thoughts sail not eying thee and devising thy good and asking us as it were What shall be done to the man whom the King will honour And his Ears What suits thou hast thou mayst speak freely he will not refuse thee any thing that is for thy good O! but I am not righteous and all this is for them only yet thou wouldst be such a one wouldst thou indeed then in part thou art as he modestly and wisely chang'd the name of Wisemen into Philosophers art thou not righteous yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lover of Righteousness thou art then one of these but if still thine own unrighteousness be in thine eye it may and should be so to humble thee but if it should scare thee from coming unto God and offering thy suits with this perswasion that his ear is open make thee think that his favourable eye is not toward thee yet there is mercy creep in under the Robe of his Son thou art sure he is Iesus Christ the righteous and that the Father's eye is on him with delight and then it shall be so on thee being in him and put thy petitions into his hand that is Great Master of Requests thou canst not doubt that he hath access and that ear open which thou thinkest shut to thee The Exercise of Prayer being so important and bearing so great a part in the life and comfort of a Christian it deserves to be very seriously considered We will therefore subjoyn some few Considerations concerning it 1. Prayer is considerable in a threefold Notion 1. As a duty we owe to God being he from whom we expect and receive all 't is a very reasonable homage and acknowledgement thus to testify the dependance of our Being and Life on him and the dependance of our Souls upon him for Being and Life and all good that we be daily Suiters before his Throne and go to him for all 2. As the Dignity and the delight of a spiritual Mind to have so near access unto God and such liberty to speak to him 3. As a proper and sure means by Divine Appointment and Promise of obtaining at the hands of God those good things that are needful and convenient for us And altho some Believers of lower Knowledge do not it may be so distinctly know and others not so particularly consider all these in it yet there is a latent Notion of all these in the heart of every Godly Person that stirs them and puts them on to the constant use of prayer and to a love of it And as they are in these respects inclin'd and bent to the exercise of prayer the Lord's ear is in like manner inclin'd to hear their prayer in these respects 1. He takes it well at their hands that they do offer it up as due worship to him that they desire thus as they can to serve him accepts of those offerings graciously passes by the imperfections in them and hath regard to their sincere intention and desire 2. It pleases him well that they delight in Prayer as converse with him that they love to be much with him and to speak to him often and still aspire by this way to more acquaintance with him that they are ambitious of this 3. He willingly hears their prayers as the Expressions of their Necessities and Desires being both rich and bountiful loves to have blessings drawn out of his hands that way as full breasts delight to be drawn the Lord's Treasure always full and therefore always Communicative In the first respect prayer is acceptable to the Lord as Incense and Sacrifice as David desires the Lord receives it as Divine Worship done to him In the second prayer is as the Visits and sweet Entertainment and Discourse of Friends together and so pleasing to the Lord the free opening of the mind pouring out of the heart to him as 't is called in the Psalm and so done calls it his Words and his Meditation and the Word for that signifies Discourse or Conference And in the third sense he receives prayer as the suites of petitioners that are in favour with him and that he readily accords to And thus the words for Supplication in the Original and the word here for Prayer and
than another and amongst the rest even this in them you escape many even present mischiefs that you see the ways of the World are full of And if you will be careful to ply your Rule and study your Copy better you shall find it more so the more you follow that which is good the more shall you avoid a number of outward evils that are ordinarily drawn on upon men by their own enormities and passions keep as close as you can to the genuine even Tract of a Christian walk and labour for a prudent and meek behaviour adorning your holy Profession and this shall adorn you and sometimes gain those that are without yea even your Enemies shall be constrain'd to approve it 'T is known how much the spotless Lives and patient Sufferings of the Primitive Christians did sometimes work upon their Beholders yea on their Persecutors and perswaded some that would not share with them in their Religion yet to speakand write for them Seeing then that Reason and Experience do joyntly aver it that the Lives of Men conversant together have readily very much influence one upon another for example is an animated or living Rule and is both the shortest and powerfullest way of teaching Obs. 1. Whosoever are in exemplary or leading place in relation to others be it many or few be ye first followers of God set before you the Rule of Holiness and withal the best and highest examples of these that have walkt according to it and then you will be leading in it those that are under you and bent to follow you in so doing will follow that which is good Lead and draw them on by admonishing and counselling and exhorting but especially by walking Pastors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ensamples as our Apostle hath it that they may be stampt aright taking the impression of your Lives sound Doctrine alone will not serve tho the Water you give your Flocks be pure yet if you lay spotted Rods before them it will bring forth spotted Lives in them either teach not at all or teach by Rhetorick of your Lives Elders be such in grave and pious carriage whatsoever be your years for young Men may be so and possibly gray Hairs may have nothing under them but gaddishness and folly many years old habituated and inveterate ungodliness Parents and Masters let your Children and Servants read in your Lives the Life and Power of Godliness the Practice of Piety not lying in your Windows or corners of your Houses and confin'd within the Clasp of the Book bearing that or any such like Title but shining in your Lives 2dly You that are easily receptive of the impression of example beware of the stamp of unholiness and a carnal formal course of profession whereof the examples are most abounding but though they be fewer that bear the lively Image of God impress'd on their hearts and express'd in their Actions yet study these and be followers of those as they are of Christ. I know you will espy much irregular and unsanctified carriage in us that are set up for the Ministry and look round will find the World lying in wickedness yet if there be any that have any sparks of divine light in them converse with those and follow them 3. And generally this to all for none so compleat but may espy some imitable and emulable good even in meaner Christians acquaint your selves with the Word the rule of holiness and then with an eye to that look on one another and be zealous of progress in the ways of holiness choose to converse with such as may excite you and advance you both by their advice and example Let not a corrupt Generation in which you live be the worse by you nor you the worse by it as far as you necessarily ingage to some conversation with those that are unholy let them not pull you into the mire but if you can help them out and let not any custome of Sin about you by familiar seeing gain upon you so as to think it fashionable and comely yea or so as not to think it deform and hateful know that you must row against the Stream of wickedness in the World unless you would be carried with it to the dead Sea or Lake of Perdition take that grave counsel given Rom. 12. be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind which is the daily advancement in renovation purifying and refining every day Now in this way you shall have sweet inward peace and joy and some advantage outward that Men except monstruously cruel and malicious will not so readily harm you 't will abate much of their rage but however if you do not escape suffering by your holy carriage yea if you suffer even for it yet in that are ye happy Ver. 14. 14. But and if you suffer for righteousness sake happy are you And be not afraid of their terrours neither be troubled IN this two things First Even in the most blameless way of a Christians suffering supposed Secondly Their happiness even in suffering asserted 1st Suffering supposed notwithstanding of righteousness yea for righteousness and that not as a rare unusual accident but as the frequent lot of Christians as Luther calls Persecution malus genius Evangelii And this we being forwarn'd to be not only the possible but the frequent lot of the Saints ought not to hearken to the false prophecies of our own self-self-love that divines what it would gladly have and easily perswades us to believe it think not that any prudence will lead you by all oppositions and malice of an ungodly World but many winter blasts will meet you in the most inoffensive way of Religion if you keep streight to it Suffering and war with the World is a part of the godly Man's portion here which seems hard but take it altogether 't is sweet none in their wits will refuse that legacy entire in the World ye shall have trouble but in me ye shall have peace Look about you and see if there be any estate of Man or course of life exempted from troubles the greatest usually subject to greatest vexations as the largest bodies have the largest shadows attending them We need not tell Nobles and rich Men that Contentment doth not dwell in great Palaces and Titles nor full Coffers they feel it that they are not free of much anguish and molestation and that a proportionable train of cares as constantly as of Servants follows great place and wealth riches and trouble or noise signified by the same Hebrew word and Kings find that their Crowns that are set so richly with Diamonds without are lin'd with Thorns within And speak of Men that are Servants to unrighteousness besides what is to come are they not often forc'd to suffer amongst the service of their lusts the distempers that attend the unhealthy intemperance and poverty that Dogs luxury at the heels and the fit punishment of voluptuous persons in
may hold firm You may be free chose it rather not to stand to the courtesie of any thing about you nor of any Man whether enemy or friend for the tenure of your happiness lay it higher and surer and if you be wise provide such a peace as will remain untouch'd in the hottest flame such a light as will shine in the deepest dungeon and such a life as is safe even in death it self that life that is hid with Christ in God But if in other sufferings even the worst and saddest the Believer is still a happy Man then more especially in those that are the best kind suffering for righteousness not only do they not detract from his happiness but 2dly They concur and give accession to it he is happy even by so suffering As will appear from the following considerations 1. 'T is the happiness of a Christian until he attain perfection to be advancing towards it to be daily resining from sin and growing richer and stronger in the graces that make up a Christian a new creature to attain a higher degree of patience and meekness and humility to have the heart more weaned from the Earth and fixed on Heaven now as other afflictions of the Saints do help them in those their sufferings for righteousness the unrighteous and injurious dealing of the World with them have a particular fitness for this purpose those trials that come immediately from God's own hand seem to bind to a patient and humble compliance with more authority and I may say necessity There is no plea no place for so much as a word unless it be directly and expresly against the Lord's own dealing but unjust suffering at the hands of Men requires that respect unto God without whose hand they cannot move that for his sake and for reverence and love to him a Christian can go through those with that mild evenness of Spirit that overcomes even in suffering And there is nothing outward more fit to perswade a Man to give up with the World and its Friendship than to feel much of its enmity and malice and that directly acting it self against Religion making that the very quarrel which is of all things dearest to a Christian and in highest esteem with him If the World should caress them and smile on them they might be ready to forget their home or at least to abate in the frequent thoughts and fervent desires of it and turn into some familiarity with the World and favourable thoughts of it and thus let out somwhat of their hearts after it and thus grace would grow faint by the diversion and calling forth of the Spirits as in Summer in the hottest and fairest weather 't is with the body 'T is a confirm'd observation by the experience of all Ages that when the Church flourish'd most in outward peace and wealth it abated most of its spiritual lustre which is its genuine and true beauty and when it seem'd most miserable by persecutions and sufferings 't was most happy in sincerity and zeal and vigour of grace when the Moon shines brightest towards the Earth 't is dark Heavenwards and on the contrary when it appears not is nearest the Sun and clear towards Heaven 2dly Happy in acting and evidencing by those sufferings for God their love to him Love delights in difficulties and grows in them the more a Christian suffers for Christ the more he loves Christ accounts him the dearer and the more he loves him still the more can he suffer for him 3dly Happy as in testifying love to him and glorifying him so in conformity with him which is loves ambition affects likeness and harmony at any rate a Believer would readily take it as an affront that the World should be kind to him that was so harsh and cruel to his beloved Lord and Master Canst thou expect or wouldst thou wish smooth language from that World that revil'd thy Jesus that called him Beelzebub couldst thou own and accept friendship at its hands that buffetted him and shed his blood or art thou rather most willing to share with him and of S. Paul's mind God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in the Cross of Christ whereby the World is crucified to me and I unto the World 4. The rich supplies of spiritual comfort and joy that in those times of suffering are usual that as sufferings for Christ do abound consolations in him abound much more as the Apostle testifies God speaking most peace to the Soul when the World speaks most War and enmity against it and this compenses abundantly when the Christian lays the greatest sufferings Men can inflict in the one ballance and the least glances of God's countenance in the other it says 't is worth all the enduring of these to enjoy this says with David let them curse but bless thou let them frown but smile thou And thus he usually doth refreshes such as are prisoners for him with visits that they would buy again with the hardest restraint and debaring of nearest friends The World cannot but misjudge the state of suffering Christians it sees their Crosses but not their anointings Was not St. Stephen think you in a happy posture even in his enemies hands was he afraid of the Showre of Stones coming about his ears that saw the Heavens opened and Jesus standing on the Father's right hand so little troubled with the stoning him that as the Text hath it in the midst of them he fell a sleep 5. If those sufferings be so small weigh'd down even with present comforts and so the Christian happy in them in that regard how much more doth the weight of Glory surpass that follows these sufferings they are not worthy to come in comparison they are as nothing to that glory that shall be revealed in the Apostle's Arithmetick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when I have cast up the sum of the sufferings of this present time this instant this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they amount to just nothing in respect of that glory Now these sufferings happy because the way to this happiness and pledges of it and if any thing do they raise the very degree of it however 't is an exceeding excellent weight of glory the Hebrew word that signifies glory signifies weight yet the glories that are here are all too light except in weight of cares and sorrows that attend them but that hath the weight of compleat blessedness speak not of all the sufferings nor of all the prosperities of this poor life nor of any thing in it as worthy of a thought when that glory is named yea let not this life be called life when we mention that other life that our Lord by his death hath purchas'd for us Be not afraid of their terrour No time nor place in the World so favourable to Religion that it is not still needful to arm a Christian mind against the outward oppositions and discouragements he shall meet with all
and to be above troubles and fears seek for a more lively and Divine Knowledge of God than most as yet have and rest not till you bring him into your hearts and then you shall rest indeed in him Sanctifie him by fearing him let him be your fear and your dread not only outward gross offences fear an Oath fear to prophane the Lord's Holy Day but fear all irregular earthly desires the distemper'd affecting any thing entertaining any thing in the secret of your hearts that may give distaste to your beloved take heed respect the great Person you have in you Company and lodges within you the holy Spirit grieve him not for it will turn to your own grief if you do for all your comfort is in his hand and flows from him if you be but in heart dallying with sin it will unfit you for suffering outward troubles and make your spirit low and base in the day of tryal yea it will fill you with inward trouble and disturb that peace which I am sure you that know esteem more of then all the peace and flourishing of this World Outward troubles do not molest nor stir inward peace but an unholy unsanctified affection doth all the winds without cause not an earth quake but that within its own bowels doth Christians are much their own enemies in unwary walking prejudge themselves of those comforts they might have in God and so are often almost as perplex'd and full of fears upon small occasions as worldlings are Sanctifie him by believing study the main question your reconcilement with him labour to bring that to some point and then in all other occurrences Faith will uphold you by relying on God as now yours for those three things make up the Souls peace 1. To have right apprehension of God looking on him in Christ and according to that covenant that holds in him And 2. A particular apprehension that is laying hold on him in that covenant as gracious and merciful as satisfied and appeased in Christ smelling in his sacrifice which was himself a savour of rest and setting himself before me that I may rely on him in that notion 3. A perswasion that by so relying on him my Soul is at one yea is one with him yet while this is wanting as to a Believer it may be the other is our duty to Sanctifie the Lord in believing the word of Grace and believing on him reposing on his Word and this even sever'd from the other doth deliver in a good measure from distracting fears and troubles and sets the Soul at safety Whence is it that in times of Persecution or Trouble Men are troubl'd within and rackt with fears but because instead of God their hearts are glâ—ed to those things that are in hazard by those troubles without their estates or their ease or their lives the Soul destitute of God esteems so highly of such things that it cannot but exceedingly feel when they are in danger and fear their loss most gaping after some imagin'd good and Oh! iâ— I had but this I were well but then such or such a thing may step in and break all my Projects and this troubles the poor Spiriâ— of Man that hath no higher designs but such as are so easily blasted and still as any thing in Man lists up his Soul to vanity it must needs fall down again into vexation There is a word or two in the Hebrew for Idols that signifie withal Troubles and Terrors and so 't is certainly All our Idols prove so to us fill us with nothing but anguish and troubles with unprofitable cares and fears that are good for nothing but to be fit punishments of that folly out of which they arise The ardent love or wilful desire of Prosperity or Wealth or Credit in the World carries with it as inseparably ty'd to it a bundle of fears and inward troubles They that will be rich says the Apostle fall into a snare and many noysome and hurtful lusts and as he adds in the next Verse they pierce themselves through with many sorrows He that hath set his Heart upon an Estate or a commodious Dwelling and Lands or upon a healthful and long Life cannot but be in continued alarms of renewed fears concerning them especially in troublous times the least rumor of any thing that threatneth his deprivement of those advantages strikes him to the heart because his heart is in them I am well seated thinks he and I am of a sound strong constitution and may have many a good day Oh! but beside the Arrows of Pestilence that are flying round about the Sword of a cruel Enemy is not far off this will affright and trouble a heart void of God but if thou wouldst readily answer and dispel all these and such like fears Sanctifie the Lord God in thy Heart the Soul that eyes God renounces these things looks on them at a great distance as things far from the Heart and therefore that cannot easily trouble it but looks on God as within the Heart sanctifies him in it and rests on him The Word of God cures the many foolish hopes and fears that we are naturally sick of by representing to us hopes and fears of a far higher Nature which swallow up and drown the other as Inundations and Landâ—â—oods do the little Ditches in those Meadows that they overflow fear not says our Saviour him that can kill the Body what then fear must have some work he adds but fear him that can kill both Soul and Body Thus in the passage cited here fear not their fear but sanctifie the Lord and let him be your fear and your dread And so for the hopes of the World care not to lose them for God there is a hope in you as it follows here that is far above them Be ready always to give an answer The real Christian is all for Christ hath given up all right of himself to his Lord and Master to be all his to do and suffer for him and therefore sure will not fail in this which is least to speak for him upon all Occasions if he sanctifie him in his Heart the Tongue will follow and be ready 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to give an Answer a Defence or Apology Of this here four things 1. The need of it Men will ask an account 2. The Matter or Subject of it the hope in you 3. The manner with meekness and fear 4. The faculty for it be ready 1. Religion is always the thing in the World that hath the greatest calumnies and prejudices cast upon it and this engages those that love it to endeavour to clear and disburden it of them this they do chiefly by the Tract of their Lives the Saints by their blameless Actions and patient Sufferings do write most real and convincing Apologies yet sometimes 't is expedient yea necessary to add verbal Defences and to vindicaâ—e not so much themselves as their Lord and his Truth suffering in the
Christ in whom all our rights and evidences hold good his death assuring us of freedom from condemnation and his life and possession of glory the foundation of our hope Heb. 6. 19. If you would have it immoveable rest it there lay all this hope on him and when assaulted feteâ— all your answers for it from him for 't is Christ in you that is your hope of glory Coloss. 1. 27. Verse 16. 16. Having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers they may be ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation in Christ. THE prosperity of fools is their destruction says Solomon none of God's Children die of this disease of too much ease he knows well how to breed them and fit them for a Kingdome he keeps them in exercise but yet so as they are not surcharg'd he not only directs them how to overcome but enables and supports them in all their conflicts and gives them victory One main thing tending to their enablement and victory is this which is here requir'd in the Saints and is withal wrought and maintained in them by the Spirit of God Having a good Conscience c. 1. Two parties here opposed in contest the evil Tongues of the ungodly and the good Conscience and Conversation of the Christian they speak evil of you and falsly accuse you but have you a good Conscience 2dly The success of their contest the good Conscience prevails and the evil-speakers are ashamed They speak evil This is a general evil in the corrupt nature of Man though in some it rises to a greater height than in others Are not Tables and Chambers and almost all Societies and meetings full of it and even they that have some dislikings of it yet readily carried with the stream and for company's sake take a share if not in sending in their word yet lending their ear and willingly hearing the detractions of others and unless it be of their friends or such as they have interest in do insensibly slide into some forc'd complacency and easily receive the impression of calumnies and defamings But the most are more active in this evil can cast in their penny to make up the shot have their taunt or criticisme upon some body in readiness to make up the feast such as most companies entertain one another withal but 't is a vile diet Satan's name as the Syriack calls him an eater of calumnies This tongue-evil hath its root in the heart a perverse constitution there pride and self-love an overweening esteem that Men naturally have of themselves mounts them into that Chair gives them a fancied authority of judging others and self-self-love a desire to be esteem'd and for that end spare not to depress others and load them with disgraces and missensures upon their ruins to raise themselves But this bent of the heart and tongue unrenew'd to evil speaking works and vents most in the World against those that walk most contrary to the course of the World This Furnace of the tongne is kindled from hell as St. Iames tells us and is made seven times hotter than ordinary As for sincere Christians a Company of hypocrites say they who so godly but yet they are false and malicious and proud c. And no kind of carriage in them shall escape there shall be some device to wrest and misname it if they be cheerful in Society that shall be accounted more liberty than suits with their profession if of a graver sad temper that shall pass for sullen severity thus Iohn Baptist and Christ Matth. 11. If they be diligent and wary in their affairs then in the World's construction they are as covetous and worldly as any if careless and remiss in them then silly wiâ—less bodies good for nothing still somthing stands cross The Enemies of Religion have not any where so quick an Eye as in observing the ways of such as seek after God my remarkers David calls them they that scan my ways as the word is will not let piss the least step unexamined If nothing be found faulty then their invention works either forges compleat falshoods or disguises somthing that lyes open to mistake or if they can catch hold on any real failing no end of their triumph and insultations 1. They aggravate and raise it to the highest 2. While they will not admit to be judged of themselves by their constant walk they scruple not to judge of the condition of a Christian by any one particular action wherein he doth or seems at least to miscarry 3. They rest not there but make one failing of one Christian the reproach of all take up your Devoto's there 's never a one of them the better 4. Nor rest they there but make personal failings of those that profess it the disgrace of Religion it self Now all these are very crooked Rules and gross injustice 1. There is a great difference betwixt a thing taken favourably and the same action misconstrued 2. A great difference betwixt one particular act and a mans estate or inward frame which they either consider not or willingly or maliciously neglect 3. How large is the difference that there is betwixt one and another in the measure of Grace and of their prudence either in their Naturals or in Grace or possibly in both that some who are honest in matter of Religion yet being very weak may miscarry in such things as other Christians come seldome near the hazard of and though some should wholly forsake the way of Godliness wherein they seem'd to walk yet why should that reflect upon such as are real and steadfast in it they were amongst us sayes the Apostle but were not of us Offences of this kind must be but the woe rests on him by whom they come not on other Christians and if it spread further than the party offending 't is to the prophane World that take offence at Religion because of him as our Saviour hath express'd it Woe to the World because of offences they shall stumble and fall and break their necks upon these stumbling blocks or scandals Thou that art prophane and seest the failing of a Minister or Christian and art hardened by it this is a Judgment to thee that thou meetest with such a block in thy Way Woe to the World Its judgement on a place where God makes Religion in the Persons of some to be scandalous 4. Religion it self remains still it self whatsoever be the failings and blots of one or more that profess it it is pure and spotless if it teach not Holiness and Meekness and Humility and all good purely then except against it but if it be a streight golden Reâ—d by which the Temple is measured then let it have its own esteem both of streightness and preciousness whatsoever unevenness be found in those that profess to receive it Suspect and search your sâ—lves even in general for this evil of evil-speaking Consider that we are to give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
he still asks what you mean by this those things answer not me do ye think I can find Comâ—â—â—â— in them so long as my sin is unpardon'd and there is a 〈◊〉 of Eternal Death standing above my head I feel even an impress of somewhat of that hot Indignation some flashes of it flying and lighting upon the face of my Soul and how can I take pleasure in these things you speak of And though I should be sensless and feel nothing of this all my life yet how soon shall I have done with it and the delights that reach no further and then to have Everlasting burnings Eternity of wrath to enter to how can I be satisfyed with that estate All you offer a Man in this posture is as if ye should set dainty fair and bring musick with it to a Man lying almost pressed to death under great weights and ye bid him eat and be merry but lift not off his pressure you do but mock the Man and add to his misery On the other side he that hath got but a view of his Christ and reads his own pardon in Christs sufferings he can rejoyce in this in the midst of all other sufferings and look on death without apprehension yea with gladness the sting is out Christ hath made all pleasant to him by this one thing that he suffered once for sins Christ hath perfum'd the Cross and the Grave and made all sweet The pardoned Man finds himself light skips and leaps and through Christ strengthning him he can encounter with any trouble If you think to shut in his Spirit within outward sufferings it is now as Sampson in his strength able to carry away the Gates on his back that you would shut one withal yea can submit patiently to the Lords hands in any correction Thou hast forgiven my sin therefore deal with me as thou wilt all is well 1. Learn to consider more deeply and esteem more highly of Christ and his suffering to silence our grumbling at our petty light crosses for so they are in comparison of his will not the great odds of his perfect Innoâ—ency and oâ— his nature and measure of his sufferings will not the sense of that Redemption of our Souls from death by his death will none of these nor all of them argue us into more thankfulness and love to him and patience in our tryals Why will we then be called Christians it is impossible to be fretful and malecontent with the Lord 's dealing with us in any kind till first we have forgot how he dealt with his dearest Son for our sakes But these things are not weigh'd by the most we hear and speak of them but our hearts receive not the impressions of them therefore we repine against our Lord and Father and drown a hundred great blessings in any little touch of trouble that befalls us 2. Seek surer interest in Christ and his suffering than the most either have attained or are aspiring to otherwise all that is here suffered will not ease or comfort thee any thing in any kind of suffering no though thou suffer for a good cause even for his cause still this will be an extraneous foraign thing to thee to tell thee of his sufferings will work no otherwise with thee than some other common story And as in the day of peace thou regardest it no more so in the day of thy trouble thou shalt receive no more comfort from it Other things you esteemed shall have no comfort to speak to you though you persue them with words as Solomon says of the poor Man's friends yet they shall be wanting to you And then you would sure find how happy it were to have this to turn you to that the Lord Jesus suffered for sins and for yours and therefore hath made it a light and comfortable business to you to undergo momentary passing sufferings Days of tryal will come do you not see they are on us already Be perswaded to turn your eyes and desires more towards Christ. This is the thing we would still press the support and happiness of your Souls lyes on it But you will not believe it Oh! that ye knew the comforts and sweetness of Christ. Oh that one would speak that knew more of them were you once but entered into this knowledge of him and the virtue of his sufferings you would account all your days but lost wherein you have not known him and in all times your hearts would find no refreshment like to the remembrance of his love Having somewhat considered these sufferings as the Apostles Argument for his present purpose Now to take nearer notice of the particulars by which he illustrates them as the main point of our Faith and Comfort Of them here two things 1. Their Cause 2. Their Kind Their Cause both their meriting cause and their final cause 1. What in us procured these sufferings unto Christ. 2. What those his suffering procured unto us Our guiltiness brought suffering upon him and his suffering brings us unto God 1. The evil of sin hath the evil of punishment inseparably ty'd to it We have a natural obligation of obedience unto God and he justly urges it so that where the command of his Law is broke the Curse of it presently followeth And though it was simply in the Power of the supream Lawgiver to have dispensed the infliction yet having in his Wisdom purposed to be known a just God in that way following forth the tenor of his Law of necessity there must be a suffering for sin Thus the Angels that kept not their Station falling from it fell into a Dungeon where they are under chains of darkness reserved to the Iudgement of the Great day and Man fell under the sentence of Death But in this is the difference betwixt Man and them they were not of one as parent or common root of the rest but each one fell or stood for himself alone so a part of them only perisht but Man fell altogether so that not one of all the Race could escape condemnation unless some other way of satisfaction be found out And here it is Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust Father says he I have glorified thee on Earth In this Plot indeed do all the Divine Attributes shine in their full infinite Mercy and immense Justice and Power and Wisdom Looking on Christ as ordained for that purpose I have found a Ransom says the Father one fit to redeem Man a Kinsman one of that very same Stock the Son of Man one able to redeem Man by satisfying me and fullfilling all I lay upon him my Son my only begotten Son in whom my Soul delights And he is willing undertakes all says loe I come c. We are agreed upon the way of this Redemption yea upon the Persons to be redeemed it is not a roving blind Bargain a price paid for we know not to whom Hear his own words Thou hast given the Son
says the Son to the Father power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him and after all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them For the sins of those he suffered standing in their room and what he did and suffered according to the Law of that Covenant as done and suffer'd by them All the sins of all the Elect were made up into an huge bundle and bound upon his Shoulders so the Prophet speaks in their name surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows And the Lord laid or made to meet on him the iniquity of us all where he spoke of many ways of sin every one to his own way he binds up all in the word of iniquity as all one sin as if it were that one transgression of the first Adam that brought on the Curse of his Seed born by the second Adam to take it away from all that are his Seed that are in him as their Root He the great high Priest appearing before God with the Names of the Elect upon his Shoulders and in his Heart bearing them and all their burdens and offering for them not any other Sacrifice but himself charging all their Sin on himself as the Priest did the Sins of the People on the Head of the Sacrifice He by the eternal Spirit says the Apostle offered up himself without spot unto God spotless and sinless and so only fit to take away our sin being a satisfactory oblation for it He suffered in him was our ransome and thus it was paid in the Man Christ was the Deity and so his blood was as the Apostle calls it the Blood of God and being pierced it came forth and was told down as the rich price of our Redemption not silver nor gold nor corruptible things as our Apostle hath it before but the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish Obs. 1. Shall any Man offer to bear the Name of a Christian that pleases himself in the way of Sin can delight and sport himself with it when he considers this that Christ suffered for sin do not think it you that still account sin sweet which he found so bitter and light which was so heavy to him and made his Soul heavy to the death you are yet far off from him if you were in him and one with him there would be some harmony of your hearts with his and some sympathy with thâ—se sufferings as endured by your Lord your Head and for you They that with a right view see him as pierced by their sins that sight pierces them and makes them mourn brings forth tears beholding the gushing forth of his blood This makes the real Christian an avowed enemy to sin shall I ever be Friends with it says he that killed my Lord no but I will ever kill it and do it by applying his death The true Penitent is sworn to be the death of sin may be surprized by it but no possibility of reconcilement betwixt them Thou that livest kindly and familiarly with sin either openly declarest thy self for it or hast a secret love for it where canst thou reap any comfort not from these sufferings to thee continuing in that Posture It is all one as if Christ had not suffer'd for sins yea worse than if no such thing had been that there is salvation and terms of mercy unto thee and yet perishes That there is Balm in Gilead and yet thou art not healed And if thou hast not comfort from Jesus crucified I know not whence thou canst have any that will hold out look about thee tell me what thou seest either in thy Possession or in thy hopes that thou esteemest most off and layest thy confidence on it or to deal more liberally with thee see what estate thou wouldest chuse for thy wish stretch thy fancy to devise an earthly happiness these times are full of unquietness but give thee a time of the calmest peace not an air of trouble stirring put thee where thou wilt far off from fear of Sword and Pestilence and encompass thee with Children Friends and Possessions and Honours and Comfort and Health to enjoy all those yet one thing thou must admit in the midst of all these within a while thou must die and having no real portion in Christ but a deluding dream of it thou sinkest through possibly that death into another death far more terrible of all thou enjoyest nothing goes along with thee but unpardoned sin and that delivers thee up to endless sorrow Oh! that you were wise and would consider your latter end do not still gaze about you upon trifles but yet be intreated to take notice of your Saviour and receive him that he may be yours fasten your Belief and your Love on him give him all your Heart that stuck not to give himself an offering for your sins 2. To you that have fled into him for Refuge if sensible of the Churches distress be upheld with this thought that he that suffered for it will not suffer it to be undone all the rage of enemies yea the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it he may for a time suffer them to be brought low for the â—ins of his People and other wise Reasons but he will not utterly forsake them though there is much chaff yet he hath a precious number in these Kingdoms that he shed his blood for many God hath called and yet is to call he will not lose any of his flock that he hath bought so dear Acts. 20. And for their sake he will at one time repair our breaches and establish his Throne in these Kingdoms 2. For your selves what can affright you while this is in your Eye let others tremble at the Apprehension of Sword or Pestilence but sure you have for them and all other hazards a most satisfying answer in this My Christ hath suffered for sin I am not to fear that and that set aside I know the worst is but death I am wrong truly that is the best to be dissolv'd and to be with Christ is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more better This were a happy Estate indeed but what shall they think that have no assurance those that doubt that Christ is their's and that he suffered for their sins I know no way but believe on him and then you shall know that he is yours from this is the grand mistake of many they would first know that Christ is theirs and they would believe which cannot be before he becomes ours by believing It is that gives title and propriety to him he is set before Sinners as a Saviour that hath suffered for sin that they look to him and be saved that they lay over their Souls on him and then they may be assured he suffer'd for them Say then what is it that scares thâ—e from Christ this thou seest is a poor groundless exception for he is set
Arrows to some few of his own to call them home The full and clear distinction of the godly and wicked being reserved for their after Estate in Eternity it needs not seem strange that in many things it appear not here one thing above all others most grievous to the Child of God may take away the wonder of other things they suffer in common that is the remainders of sin in them while they are in the flesh though there is a Spirit in them above it and contrary to it which makes the difference yet sometimes the too much likeness especially in the prevailings of corruption doth confuse the matter not only to others eyes but their own 4. Though the great distinction and severing be reserved to that great and solemn day that shall clear all yet the Lord is pleased in part more remarkably at sometimes to difference his own from the ungodly in the execution of temporal Judgments and to give these as preludes of that final and full Judgment And this of Noah was one of the most eminent in that kind being the most general Judgment that ever befel the World or that shall till the last and so the liveliest figure of it it was by water as the second shall be by fire it was most congruous that it should resemble in this as the chief point saving of righteous Noah and his Family from it prefiguring the eternal Salvation of Believers as our Apostle teacheth Wherein few that is eight persons were saved by water This great point of the fewness of those that are saved in the other greater Salvation as in this I shall not now prosecute only 1. If so few then the inquiry into our selves whither we be of these few would be more diligent and followed more home than it is yet with the most of us we are wary in our trifles and only in this easily deceived yea our own deceivers in this great point Is not this folly far beyond what you usually say of some penny wise and pound fool to be wise for a moment and fools for eternity 2. You that are indeed seeking the way of life be not discouraged by your fewness it hath always been so you see here how few of the whole World and is it not better to be of the few in the Ark than of the multitude in the waters let them fret as ordinarily they do to see so few more diligent for Heaven as no doubt they did of Noah and this is it that galls them that any should have higher names and surer hopes this way what are none but such as you going to Heaven think you us all damned what can we say but there is a flood of wrath wasting many so and certainly all that are out of the Ark shall perish in it 3. This is that main truth that I would leave with you look on Jesus Christ as the Ark of whom this was a figure and believe it out of him there is nothing but certain destruction a deluge of wrath all the World over out of Christ. Oh! it is our life our only safety to be in him But these things are not believed Men think they believe them and do not Were it believed that we are under the Sentence of eternal death in our natural estate and no escape but by removing out of our selves unto Christ Oh! what thronging would there be to him whereas now he invites and calls and how few are perswaded to come to him Noah believes the Lord's word of Judgment against the World believed his Promise made to him and prepared an Ark is it not a high sign of unbelief that there being an Ark of everlasting Salvation ready prepared to our hand we will not so much as come to it Will you be perswaded certainly that the Ark Door stands open his offers are free do but come and try if he will turn you away no he will not him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out And as there is such acceptance and sure preservation in him there is as sure perishing without him trust on what you will be you of a Giants stature as many were of them to help you to climb up as they would sure do when the Flood came on to the highest Mountains and tallest Trees yet it shall overtake you make your best of your worldly advantages or good parts or civil righteousness all shall prove poor shifts from the flood of wrath which rises above all those and drowns them only the Ark of our Salvation is safe think how gladly they would have been within the Ark when they found Death without it and now it was too late how would many that now despise Christ wish to honour him one Day Men so long as they thought to be safe on the Earth would never betake them to the Ark would think it a Prison and could Men find Salvation any where else they would never come to Christ for it this is because they know not But yet be it necessity let that drive thee in and then being in him thou shalt find reason to love him for himself besides the Salvation thou hast in him 2. You that have fled into him for refuge wrong him not so far as to question your safety what though the floods of thy former guiltiness rise high thine Ark shall still be above them and the higher they rise the higher he shall rise shall have the more glory in free justifying and saving thee though thou find the remaining power of sin still within thee yet it shall not sink thine Ark there was in this Ark sin yet they were saved from the flood if thou doest believe that puts thee in Christ and he will bring thee safe through without splitting or sinking 3. As thou art bound to account thy self safe in him so to admire that love that set thee there Noah was a holy Man but whence was both his holiness and preservation while the World perisht but because he found favour or free grace as the word is in the eyes of the Lord. And no doubt he did much contemplate this being secure within when the cries of the rest drowning were about him thus think thou seeing so few saved in this blessed Ark wherein I am in comparison of the multitudes that perish in the deluge whence is this why I chosen and so many about me left why but because it pleased him But all is streight here we have no hearts nor no time for ample thoughts of this love till we be beyond time then shall we admire and praise without ceasing and without wearying Verse 21. 21. The like figure whereunto even Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ. AS the Example the Apostle here makes use of is great and remarkable so its fit and sutable for the instruction of Christians this he clears in
that was posed lovest thou me Lord I appeal to thine own eye who seest my heart Lord thou knowest that I love thee at least I desire to love thee and to desire thee and that is love Willingly would I do thee more sutable service and honour thy name more and do desire more Grace for this that thou maist have more Glory and intreat the light of thy Countenance for this end that by seeing it my heart may be more weaned from the World and knit unto thy self thus it answers touching its inward frame and the work of holiness by the Spirit of holiness dwelling in it But to answer Justice touching the point of guilt it flies to the blood fetches all its answer thence turns over the matter upon it and answers for it for it doth speak and speaks better things than the blood of Abel speaks full payment of all that can be exacted from the sinner and that 's a sufficient answer The Conscience is then in this point once made speechless driven to a nonplus in it self hath from it self no answer to make then turns about to Christ and finds what to say Lord there is indeed in me nothing but guiltiness I have deserved death but I have fled into the City of refuge thou hast appointed there I resolve to abide to live and die there if Justice pursue me it shall send me there I take sanctuary in Jesus my arrest laid upon me will light upon him and he hath wherewithal to answer it He can straightway declare he hath pay'd all and can make it good hath the acquittance to shew yea his own liberty is a real sign of it he was in Prison and is let free which tells all is satisfied Therefore the answer here rises out of the resurrection of Iesus Christ. And in this very thing lies our peace and way and all our happiness Oh! its worth your time and pains to try your interest in this it is the only thing worthy your highest diligence But the most are out of their wits running like a number of distracted Persons and still in a deal of business but to what end they know not You are unwilling to be deceived in those things that at their best and surest do but deceive you when all is done But content to be deceived in that your great concernment You are your own deceivers in it gladly gull'd with shadows of faith and repentance false touches of sorrow and and false of Joy and are not careful to have your Souls really unbottom'd from themselves and built upon Christ to have him your treasure your righteousness your all and to have him your answer unto God your Father But if you will yet be advised let go all to lay hold on him lay your Souls on him and leave him not he is a tried Foundation Stone and he that trusts on him shall not be confounded Verse 22. 22. Who is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Angels and Authorities and Powers being made subject to him THIS is added on purpose to shew us further what he is how high and glorious a Saviour we have Here four points or steps of the Exaltment of Christ. 1. Resurrection from the Dead 2. Ascension into Heaven 3. Sitting at the right Hand of God 4. In that Posture his Royal Authority over the Angels The particulars clear in themselves Of the sitting at the right Hand of God you are not ignorant that it is a borrowed Expression drawn from Earth to Heaven to bring down some Notion of Heaven to us to signifie to us in our Language suitably to our Customs the Supream Dignity of Jesus Christ God and Man the Mediator of the New Covenant his matchless nearness unto his Father and the Sovereignty given him over Heaven and Earth And that of the subjection of Angels is but a more particular specifying of that his Dignity and Power as enthron'd at the Father's right Hand they being the most elevated and glorious Creatures so his Authority over all the World implyed in that subjection of the highest and noblest part of it His Victory and Triumph over the Angels of Darkness is an evidence of his Invincible Power and Greatness and matter of Comfort to his Saints but this here is his Supremacy over the glorious Elect Angels That there is amongst them Priority we find that there is a comely order in their differences cannot be doubted but to marshal their Degrees and Stations above is a point not only of vain fruitless Curiosity but of presumptuous intrusion whether these are names of their different particular Dignities or only different names of their general Excellency and Power as I think it cannot be certainly well determin'd so it imports us not to determine only this we know and are particularly taught from this place that whatsoever is their common Dignity both in names and differences they are all subject to our glorious Head Christ. What Confirmation they have in their Estate by him though piously asserted by Divines is not so infallibly clear from the alledged Scriptures which may bear another sense But this is certain that he is their King and they acknowledge him so and do incessantly admire and adore him they rejoyce in his glory and in the glory and happiness of Mankind through him they yield him most cheerful obedience and serve him readily in the good of his Church and each particular Believer as he deputes and imploys them Which is the thing here intended having in it these two 1 His Dignity above them 2. His Authority over them 1. Dignity that even that Nature which he stoopt below them to take on he hath carried up and raised it above them the very Earth the flesh of Man exalted in his Person above all those heavenly Spirits who are of so excellent and pure a Being in their Nature and from the beginning of the World cloathed with so transcendent Glory that a parcel of Clay is made so bright and set so high to outshine these bright flaming Spirits these Stars of the Morning that flesh being united to the Fountain of Light the blessed Deity in the Person of the Son In coming to fetch and put on this Garment he made himself lower than the Angels but carrying it with him at his return to his eternal Throne and sitting down with it there it is high above them as the Apostle teaches excellently and amply Heb. 1. 2. To which of them said he sit on my right Hand This they look upon with perpetual Wonder but not with envy nor repining no amongst all their eyes no such eye to be found yea they rejoyce in the infinite Wisdom of God in this Design and his infinite Love to poor lost Mankind its wonderful indeed to to see him filling the room of their fallen Brethren with new guests from Earth yea such as are born Heirs of Hell not only thus sinful Man raised to a participance of Glory with them
not through fire and water yea through death it self yea were it through many deaths to go after him 2. Consider as its due so it is made easie by that his suffering for us our burden that pressed us to hell taken off is not all as nothing that is left to suffer or do our Chains that bounds us over to eternal Death being knock'd off shall we not walk shall we not run in his ways Oh! think what that Burden and Yoke was he hath eased us of how heavy how unsufferable it was and then we shall think what he so truly says that all he lays on is sweet his yoke easie and his burden light Oh! the happy change rescued from the vilest slavery and called to conformity and Fellowship with the Son of God 2. The Nature of this Conformity to shew the nearness of it is exprest in the very same terms as in the pattern it is not a remote resemblance but the same thing even suffering in the flesh But that we may take it right what suffering is here meant it is plainly this ceasing from sin so suffering in the flesh here is not the enduring of afflictions which is a part of a Christians Conformity with his head Christ Rom. 8. But this is a more inward and spiritual suffering it is the suffering and the dying of our Corruption the taking away the life of sin by the death of Christ and that death of his sinless flesh works in the Believer the death of sinful flesh that is the Corruption of his Nature which is so usually in Scripture called flesh Sin makes Man base drowns him in flesh and the lusts of it makes the very Soul become gross and earthly turns it as it were to flesh so the Apostle calls the very Mind that is unrenewed a carnal mind Rom. 8. And what doth the mind of a Natural Man hunt after and run out into from one day and year to another is it not on things of this base World and the concernment of his flesh What would he have but be accommodated to eat and drink and dress and live at ease he minds earthly things savours and relishes them and cares for them examin the most of your pains and time and your strongest desires and most serious thoughts if they go not this way to raise your selves and yours in your Worldly condition yea the highest projects of the greatest natural Spirits are but earth still in respect of things truly spiritual all their State Designs go not beyond this poor life that perishes in the flesh and is daily perishing even while we are busiest upholding it and providing for it present things and this lodge of clay this flesh and its interest take up most of our time and pains the most yea all till that change be wrought the Apostle speaks of till Christ be put on Rom. 13. put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and then the other will easily follow that follows in the Words make no provision for the flesh to fullfil it in the lusts thereof Once in Christ and then your necessary general care for this natural life will be regulated and moderated by the Spirit And for all unlawful and enormous desires of the flesh you shall be rid of providing for these instead of all provision for the life of the flesh in that sense there is another guest and another life for you now to wait on and furnish for in them that are in Christ that flesh is dead they are frâ—ed from its drudgery he that hath suffered in the flesh hath rested from sin Ceased from sin â—e is at rest from it a Godly Death as thâ—y that die in the Lord rest from their labours he that hath suffered in the flesh and is dead to it dies indeed in the Lord rests from the base turmoil of sin it is no longer his Master As our sin was the cause of Christs death his death is the death of sin in us and that not simply as he bear a moral pattern of it but the real working cause of it hath an effectual influence on the Soul kills it to sin I am crucified with Christ says S. Paul Faith so looks on the death of Christ that it takes the impression of it sets it on the heart kills it unto sin Christ and the Believer do not only become one in law so as his death stands for theirs but are in nature so as his death for sin causes theirs to it Rom. 6. 3. This suffering in the flesh being unto death and such a death Crucifying hath indeed pain in it but what then it must be so like his and the believer like him in willingly enduring it all the pain of his suffering in the flesh his love to us digested and went through it so all the pain to our nature in severing and pulling us from our beloved sins and our dying to them if his love be planted in our hearts that will sweeten it and make us delight in it love desires nothing more than likeness and shares willingly in all with the party loved and above all love this Divine Love is purest and highest and works strongliest that way takes pleasure in that pain and is a voluntary death as Plato calls love it is strong as death makes the strongest body fâ—ll to the ground so doth the love of Christ make the activest and liveliest sinner dead to his sin And as death fevers a Man from his dearest and most familiar friends thus doth the love of Christ and his death flowing from it fever the heart from its most beloved sins I beseech you seek to have your hearts set against sin to hate it to wound it and be dying daily to it Be not satisfy'd unless ye feel an abatement of it and a life within you disdain that base service and being bought at so high a rate think your selves too good to be slaves to any base lust you are called to a more excellent and more honourable service And of this suffering in the flesh we may safely say what the Apostle speaks of the sufferings with and for Christ that the partakers of these sufferings are co-heirs of glory with Christ if we suffer thus with him we shall also be glorified with him if we die with him we shall live with him for ever 3. The actual improvement of this Conformity Arm your selves with the same Mind or thoughts of this Mortification Death taken Naturally in its proper sense being an intire privation of life admits not of degrees but this figurative death this Mortification of the flesh in a Christian is gradual in so far as he is renewed and is animated and acted by the Spirit of Christ he is throughly mortified for this death and that new life joyned with it and here added ver 2. go together and grow together but because he is not totally renewed and there is in him of that corruption still that is here called flesh therefore is
Spirit of Châ—â—st against the Spirit of the World and these are by far the more excellent and strongâ—r faith looking to him and drawing vertue from him makes the Soul surmount all discouragments and oppositions so Heb. 12. 2. Looking to Iesus and not only as an example worthy to oppose to all the World's examples the Saints were so chap. 11. and chap. 12. but he more than they all But further he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith and so we eye him as having endured the cross and despised the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Not only that in doing so we may follow him in that way unto that end as our pattern but as head from whom we borrow our strength to follow so the Author and Finisher of our Faith And so 1 Joh. 5. This is our victory whereby we overcome the World even our Faith The Spirit of God shews the Believer clearly both the baseness of the ways of sin and the wretched measure of their end That Divine Light discovers the fading and false blush of the pleasures of sin that there is nothing under them but true deformity and rottenness which the deluded gross World does not see but takes the first appearance of it for true and solid beauty and is so enamoured with a painted strumpet And as he sees the vileness of that love of sin he sees the final unhappiness of it that her ways lead down to the Chambers of Death Methinks a Believer is as one standing upon a high Tower that sees the way wherein the World runs in a Valley in an unavoidable Precipice a steep edge hanging over the bottomless pit where all that are not reclaimed fall over before they be aware this they in their low way perceive not and therefore walk and run on in the smooth pleasures and ease of it towards their perdition but he that sees the end will not run with them And as he hath by that light of the Spirit this clear reason of thinking on and taking another course so by that Spirit he hath a very natural bent to a contrary motion that he cannot be one with them that Spirit moves him upwards whence it came and makes that in so far as he is renewed his natural motion though he hath a clog of flesh that cleaves to him and so breeds him some difficulty yet in the strength of that new Nature he overcomes it and goes on till he attain his end where all the difficulty in the way presently is over rewarded and forgotten that makes amends for every weary step that every one of these that walk in that way does appear in Zion before God The Christian and the carnal Men are each most wonderful to another The one wonders to see the other walk so strictly and deny himself to these carnal Liberties that the most take and take for so necessary that they think they could not live without them And the Christian thinks it strange that men should be so bewitcht and still remain Children in the vanity of their turmoil wearying and humouring themsâ—lves from morning to night running aâ—ter stories and fâ—nciâ—s ever busie doing nothing wonders that the delights of earth and sin can so long entertain and please men and perswade them to give Jesus Christ so many refuses to turn from their life and happiness chuse to be miserable yea take much pains to make themsâ—lves miserable He knows the depravedness and bliâ—dness of Nature in this knows it by himself that once he was so and therefore wonders not so much at them as they do at him yet the unreasonableness and frenzy of that course now appears to him he cannot but wonder at these woeful mistakes But the ungodly wonder far more at him not knowing the inward cause of his different choice and way the Believer as we said is upon the Hill he is going up looks â—ack on them in the Valley and sees their way tending to and ending in death and calls to them to retire from it as loud as he can tells them the danger but either they hear not nor understand not this Language or will not believe him finding present ease and delight in their way will not consider and suspect the end of it but they judge him the fool that will not share with them and take that way where such multitudes go and with such ease and some of them with their Train and Horses and Coaches and all their Pomp and he and a few straggling poor Creatures like him climbing up a craggy steep Hill and will by no means come off from that way and partake of theirs not knowing or not believing that at the top of that Hill he climbs is that happy glorious City the new Ierusalem whereof he is a Citizen and whither he is tending that he knows their end both of their way and his own and therefore would reclaim them if he could but will by no means return unto them as the Lord commanded the Prophet The World thinks strange that a Christian can spend so much time in secret Prayer not knowing nor being able to esteem the sweetness of communion with God which he attains that way yea while 〈◊〉 feels it not how sweet it is beyond the World's enjoyments to be but seeking after it and waiting for it Oh! the delight that is in the bitterest exercise of repentance the very tears much more the succeeding Harvest of Joy It s strange unto a carnal Man to see the Child of God disdain the pleasures of sin not knowing the higher and purer delights and plâ—asures that he is called to and hath it mâ—y be some part in present but however the fullness of them in assured hope The strangeness of the World's way to the Christian and his to it though that is somewhat unnatural yet affects them very differently He looks on thâ— deluded sinners with pity they on him with hate Their part which is here exprest of wondering breaks out in reviling they speak evil of you and what 's their Voice what mean these precise â—ools will they readily say what course is this they take contrary to all the World will they make a new Religion and condemn all their honest civil Neighbours that are not like them Ay forsooâ—h all go to Hell think you except you and those that follow your guise no more than good-fellowship and liberty and as for so much reading and praying these are but brain sick melancholy conceits and Man may go to Heaven Neighbour-like without all this ado Thus they let fly at their pleasure But this troubles not the composed Christians mind at all while Curs snarl and bark about him the sober Traveller goes on his way and regards them not he that is acquainted with the way of Holiness can endure more than the counter-blasts and airs of scoffs and revilings he accounts them his Glory and his Riches So Moses esteemed the reproach of
powerfully assimilated to him by converse with him as we readily contract their Habitudes with whom we resort much especially of such as we singularly love and respect thus the Soul is moulded further to the likeness of God is stampt with fuller Characters of him by being much with him becomes liker God more holy and spiritual and brings back a bright shining from the Mount as Moses 4thly And not only thus by a natural influence doth prayer work this advantage but even by a federal efficacy suiting and upon suit obtaining supplies of Grace as the chief good and besides all other needful mercies it is a real means of receiving whatsoever you shall ask that will I do says our Saviour God having establisht this intercourse and engag'd his Truth and Goodness in it that if they call on him they shall be heard and answered If they prepare the Heart to call he will incline his ear to hear and our Saviour hath assur'd us that we may build upon his Goodness and the affection of a Father in him that he will give good things to them that ask says one Evangelist and the holy Spirit to them that ask it says another as being the good indeed the highest of Gifts and the sum of all good Things and that which his Children are most earnest supplicants for Prayer for Grace doth as it were set the Mouth of the Soul to the Spring draws from Jesus Christ and is replenisht out of his fullness thirsting after it and drawing from it that way And for this reason is it that our Saviour and from him and according to his example the Apostles recommend Prayer so much Watch and pray says our Saviour and St. Paul pray continually And our Apostle here particularly specifies this as the grand means of attaining that conformity with Christ which he presses this is the high-way to it be sober and watch unto prayer He that is much in prayer shall grow rich in grace he shall thrive and increase most that is busiest in this which is our very traffick with Heaven and fetches the most precious commodities thence he that sets oftenest out these Ships of desire makes the most Voyages to that Land of Spices and Pearls shall be sure to improve his stock most and have most of Heaven upon Earth But the true art of this trading is very rare every trade hath something wherein the skill of them lies but this is deep and supernatural is not reacht by humane industry industry is to be used in it but we must know it comes from above the faculty of it that Spirit of Prayer without which Learning and Wit and religious Breeding can do nothing Therefore this to be our prayer often our great suit for the Spirit of Prayer that we may speak the Language of the Sons of God by the Spirit of God which alone teaches the Heart to pronounce aright those things that the Tongue of many Hypocrites can articulate well to mans ear and only the Children in that right strain that takes him call God their Father and cry unto him as their Father and therefore many a poor unlettered Christian so far outstrips your School-Rabbies in this faculty because it is not effectually taught in these lower Academies they must be in God's own School Children of his House that speak this Language Men may give Spiritual Rules and Directions in this and such as may be useful drawn from the word that furnishes us with all needful Precepts but you are still to bring these into the seat of this faculty of prayer the Heart and stamp them upon it and so to teach it to pray without which there is no prayer this is the prerogative Royal of him that framed the Heart of Man within him But for advancing in this growing more skillful in it it is with continual dependence on the Spirit to be much used praying much thou shalt be blest with much faculty for it so then askest thou what shall I do that I may learn to pray there be things here to be considered that are exprest as serving this end but for present this and chiefly this by praying thou shalt learn to pray thou shalt both obtain more of the Spirit and find more the chearful working of it in Prayer when thou puttest it often to that work for which it is received and wherein it is delighted and as both advantaging all Graces and the Grace of Prayer it self this frequency and abounding in Prayer is here very clearly intended in that the Apostle makes it as the main of our work that we have to do and would keep our hearts in a constant aptness for it be sober and watch to what end unto prayer Be sober and watch They that have no better must make the best they can of carnal delights it is no wonder they take as large a share of them as they can bear and sometimes more But the Christian is called to a more excellent estate and higher pleasures so that he may behold men glutting themselves with these base things and be as little moved to share with them as men are taken with the pleasure a Swine hath in weltring in the Mire It becomes the Heirs of Heaven to be far above the love of the Earth and in the necessary use of any thing in it still to keep both within the due measure of their use and their heart wholly disingag'd from the affection of them This is the Sobriety here exhorted It s true that in the commonest sense of the word it is very commendable and it is sit to be so considered by a Christian that he flie gross intemperance as a thing most contrary to his condition and holy calling and wholly inconsistent with the spiritual temper of a renewed mind and those exercises to which it is called and its progress in its way homewards It is a most unseemly sight to behold one simply by outward profession a Christian overtaken with surfeitting and drunkenness much more to be given to the vile custom of it all sensual delights the filthy lust of uncleanness go under the common name of Insobriety Intemperance and they all degrade and destroy the noble Soul are unworthy of Man much more of a Christian and the contempt of them preserves the Soul and elevates it But the Sobriety here recommended though it takes in that too yet reaches further than temperance in meat and drink It is the spiritual temperance of a Christian mind in all earthly things as our Saviour joyns these together Luk. 21. 34. surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life and under the cares are all the excessive desires and delights of this life which cannoâ— be followed and attended without distempered carefullness Many that are sober men and of temperate diet yet are spiritually intemperate drunk with pride or covetousness or passion drunk with self-self-love and love of their pleasures and ease with love of the world and the things of it which
cannot consist with the love of God as St. Iohn tells us drunk with the inordinate unlawful love even of their lawful calling and the lawful gain they pursue by it their hearts going after it and so reeling to and fro never fixed on God and heavenly Things but either hurried up and down with uncessant business or if sometimes at ease it is as the ease of a drunken man not compos'd to better and wiser thoughts but falling into a dead sleep contrary to the watching here joyned with sobriety Watch. There is a Christian Rule to be observed in the very moderating of bodily sleep and that particularly for the interest of Prayer but Watching as Sobriety here is chiefly the spiritual circumspectness and vigilancy of the mind in a wary walking posture that it be not surprized by the assaults or slights of Satan by the World nor its nearest and most deceiving enemy the corruption that dwells within that being so near doth most readily watch unperceived advantages and easily circumvents us Heb. 12. 1. The Soul of a Christian being surrounded with enemies of so great both power and wrath and so watchâ—ul to undoe it should it not be watchful for its own safety and live in a military vigilancy continually keeping constant watch and sentinel and suffering nothing to pass that may carry the least suspicion of danger to be distrustful and jealous of all the motions of his own Heart and the smilings of the World and in relation to these it will be a wise course to take that word as a good caveat be watchful and remember to mistrust Under the Garment of some harmless pleasure or some lawful liberties may be conveyed into thy Soul some thief or traytor that will either betray thee to the enemy or at least pilser and steal of the preciousest things thou hast Do we not by experience find how easily our foolish hearts are seduc'd and deceived and so apt to deceive themselves and by things that seem to have no evil in them yet are drawn from the height of affection to our highest good and from our Communion with God and study to please him which should not be intermitted for then it will abate but ought still be growing 2. Now the Relation of these is clear they are inseparably link't together each of them assistant and helpful to the other in their nature as they are here in the words Sobriety the friend of watchfulness and prayer of both Intemperance doth of necessity draw on sleep excessive eating or drinking sending up too many and so gross vapours surcharge the brain and when the body is thus deaded how unfit is it for any active imployment Thus the mind by a surcharge of delights or desires or cares of earth is made so heavy and dull that it cannot awake hath not spiritual activeness and clearness that spiritual exercises particularly Prayer do require Yea as bodily insobriety full feeding and drinking not only for the time indisposes to action but by custome of it brings the body to so gross and heavy a temper that the very natural spirits cannot stir to and fro in it with freedom but are clog'd and stick as the Wheels of a Coach in a deep miry way Thus is it with the Soul glutted with earthly things the affections bemir'd with them make it resist and unactive in spiritual things and the motions of the spirit heavy and obscured in it grows carnally secure and sleepy prayer comes heavily off But when the affections are soberly acted and even in lawful things that they have not liberty with the reins laid on their Necks to follow the World and carnal projects and delight when the unavoidable affairs of this life are done with a spiritual mind a heart kept free and disingaged Then is the Soul more nimble for spiritual things for Divine Meditation and Prayer it can watch and continue in these things and spend it self in that excellent way with more alacrity Again as the Sobriety and the watchful temper attending it enables for Prayer so Prayer preserves these it winds up the Soul from the Earth raises it above these things that intemperance feeds on acquaints it with the transcending sweetness of Divine Comforts the love and the loveliness of Jesus Christ and these most powerfully wean the Soul from these low creeping pleasures that the World gapes after and swallows with such greediness He that is admitted to nearest intimacy with the King and is called daily to his presence not only in the view and company of others but likewse in secret will he be so mad as to sit down and drink with the kitchin boys or the common guards so far below what he may enjoy surely no. Prayer being our near Communion with the great God certainly it sublimates the Soul and makes it look down upon the base ways of the World with disdain and despise the truly besotting pleasures of it Yea the Lord doth sometime fill these Souls that converse much with him with such beautiful delights such inebriating sweetness as I may call it that 't is in a happy manner drunk with those and the more of this the more is the Soul above base intemperâ—nce in the delights of the World as common drunkenness makes a Man less than a Man this makes him more that throws him below himself makes him a beast this raises him above makes him an Angel Would you as sure you ought have much faculty for Prayer and be frequent in 〈◊〉 and find much the pure sweetness of it then 〈…〉 selves more the muddy pleasures and sweetness of the World if you would pray much and with much advantage then be sober and watch unto prayer 〈…〉 your hearts to long so after ease and wealth 〈◊〉 esteem in the World these will make your hearts if they mix with them become like them and take 〈◊〉 quality will make them gross and earthly and unable to mount up will clog the wings of prayâ—r and you shall find the loss when your Soul is heavy and drowsie and falls off from delighting in God and your Communion with him Will such things as those you follow be able to countervail your damage can they speak you peace and uphold you in a day of darkness and distress or may it not be such now as will make them all a burden and vexation to you But on the otherside the more you abate and let go of these and come empty and hungry to God in prayer the more room shall you have for his consolations and therefore the more plentifully will he pour in of them and enrich your Soul with them the more the less you take in of the other 2. Would you have your selves raised to and continued and advanced in a spiritual heavenly temper free from the surfeits of earth and awake and active for heaven be uncessant in prayer But thou wilt say I find nothing but heavy indisposedness in it nothing but roving and vanity of
the heart But sure this one thing would make the Soul more calm and sober in the pursuit of present things if their term were truly computed and considered How soon shall youth and health and carnal delights be at an end how soon shall State craft and King-craft and all the great Projects of the highest Wits and Spirits be laid in the dust This casts a damp upon all those fine things but to a Soul acquainted with God and in affection removed hence already no thought so sweet as this helps much to carry it chearfully through wrestlings and difficulties through better and worse they see Land near and shall quickly be at home that 's the way The end of all things is at hand an end of a few poor delights and the many vexations of this wretched life an end of tentations and sins the worst of all evils yea an end of the imperfect fashion of our best things here an end of prayer it self to which succeeds that new Song of endless praises Verse 8. And above all things have fervent charity among your selves for charity shall cover the multitude of sins THE Graces of the Spirit are an entire frame making up the new Creature and none of them can be wanting therefore the Doctrine and Exhortation of the Apostles speak of them usually not only as inseparable but as one But there is amongst them all none more cemprehensive than this of Love insomuch that St. Paul calls it the fullfilling of the Law love to God the sum of all relative to him and so likewise is it towards our Brethren Love to God is that which makes us live to him and be wholly his that which most powerfully weans us from this World and causeth us delight in communion with him in holy Meditation and Prayer Now the Apostle adding here of the duty of Christians to one another gives this the prime yea the sum of all Above all have fervent love Concerning this Consider 1. The Nature of it 2. The Eminent Degree of it 3 The Excellent Fruit of it 1. It is an union therefore called a bond or chain that links things together 2. 'T is not a meer external union that holds in customs or words or outward carriage but an union of hearts 3. 'T is here not a natural but a spiritual supernatural union it is that mutual love of Christians as Brethren There is a common benevolence and good-will due to all but a more particular uniting affection interchangeably one amongst Christians The Devil being an Apostate Spirit revolted and separated from God doth naturally project and work division This was his first exploit and still his grand design and business in the World he first divided Man from God put them at an enmity by the first Sin of our first Parents and the next we read of in their first Child was enmity against his Brother so Satan is called by our Saviour justly a liar and a murderer from the beginning murdered man by lying and made him a murderer And as the Devil's work is Division Christ's work is Union he came to dissolve the works of Satan by a contrary work he came to make all Friends to recollect and reunite all Men to God and Man to Man and both those unions hold in him by vertue of that marvellous union of Natures in his Person and that Mysterious Union of the Persons of Believers with him as their Head so the word Eph. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To unite all in one head Thus his great project in all this he died and suffered for and this he prayed for Iohn 17. and this is strong above all ties natural or civil union in Christ this they have that are indeed Christians this they pretend to have if they understood it that profess themselves Christians If natural friendship be capable of that expression one spirit in two bodies Christian union hath it much more really and properly for there is indeed one Spirit more extensive in all the Faithful yea so one Spirit that it makes them up into one body more intensive they are not so much as divers bodies only divers members of one body Now this love of our Brethren is not another from the love of God 't is but the streaming forth of it or the reflex of it Jesus Christ sending in his Spirit into the heart unites it to God in himself by love which is all indeed that loving of God supreamly and entirely with all the mind and soul all the combined strength of the heart and then that same love first wholly carried to him is not divided or impared by the love of our Brethren 't is but dilated and derived from the other he allows yea commands yea causes that it stream forth and act it self toward them remaining still in him as in its source and center beginning at him and returning to him as the Beams that diffuse themselves from the Sun and the Light and Heat yet are not divided or cut off from it but remain in it and by emanation issue from it Loving our Brethren in God and for him not only because he commands us to love them and so the Law of Love to him ties us to it as his Will but because that love of God doth naturally extend it self thus and acts thus in loving our Brethren after a Spiritual Christian manner we do even in that love our God Loving of God makes us one with God and so gives us an impression of his divine bounty in his Spirit and his love the proper work of his Spirit dwelling in the Heart enlarges and dilates it as self-love contracts and streightens it so that as self-love is the perfect opposite to the love of God it is likewise so to brotherly-love shuts out and undoes both and where the love of God is rekindled and enters the Heart it destroys and burns up self love and so carries the affection up to himself and in him forth to our Brethren This is that bitter root of all enmity in man against God and amongst Men against one another Self Man's Heart turned from God towards himself and the very work of renewing Grace is to annual and destroy Self to replace God in his Right that the Heart and all its Affections and Motions be at his dispose so that instead of self-will and self-love that rul'd before now the Will of God and the Love of God commands all And where it is thus there this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this love of our Brethren will be sincere Whence is it that Wars and Contests and mutual Disgracings and Despisings abound so but that men love themselves and nothing but themselves or in relation to themselves as it pleases or is advantageous to them that 's the Standard and Rule all is carried by interest so thence are striâ—es and defamings and bitterness against one another but the Spirit of Christ coming in undâ—es all selfishness And now according to God what he
The Apostle St. Paul 2. Timoth. 3. 2. tells that in the last days Men shall be covetous slanderers lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God But how from whence all this confluence of evils The spring of all set first and that is the direct opposite of Christian love they shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lovers of themselves This is it that kills the love of God and the love of our Brethren and kindles that infernal fire of love to please themselves riches make Men voluptuous and covetous c. Truly whatsoever become of Mens curious compute of times this wretched selfness and decay of love may save us this labour of much Chronological debate in this and the certain character of them conclude these to be the latter times in a very strict sense All other sins are come down along and run combined now but truly uncharity is the main one as old age is a rendevouze or meeting place of maladies but especially subject to cold diseases thus is it in the old Age of the World many sins but especially coldness of love as our Saviour foretells it that in the last days the love of many shall wax cold as the diseases of the youth of the World was the abounding of last Gen. 6. so of its Age decay of love and as that heat called for a total deluge of waters so this coldness for fire to the kindling an universal fire that shall make an end of it and the World together But they 〈◊〉 are the happy Men and have the advantage of all the World in whom the World is burnt up before hand by another fire that Divine Fire of the love of God kindled in their hearts by which they ascend up to him and are reflected from him upon their Brethren with a benign heat and influence for their good Oh! be unsatisfied with your selves and reâ—dess till you find it thus your hearts possest with this excellent grace of love that you may have it and use it and it may grow by using and acting I could methinks heartily study on this and weary you with the iterated pressing this one thing if there were hopes in so wearying you to weary you out of these evils that are contrary to it and in pressing this grace to make any real impression of it upon your hearts besides all the further good that follows it there is in this love it self so much peace and sweetness that aboundantly pays it self and all the labour of it whereas pride and malice do fill the heart with continual vexations and disquietness and eat out the very bowels wherein they breed Aspire to this to be wholy bent not only to procure or desire hurt to none but to wish and seek the good of all and for those that are in Christ sure that will unite thy heart to them and stir thee up according to thy opportunities and power to do them good as parts of Christ of the same body with thy self Verse 10. 10. As every man hath received the Gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold Grace of God THIS is the rule concerning the Gifts and Graces bestow'd on Men and we have here 1. Their difference in their kind and measure 2. Their Concordance in their source and use 1. Different in their kind that exprest in the first clause as every one hath received Then again in the last clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 various or manifold Grace where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is all one with the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and largely taken in all kind of endowments and furniture by which Men are enabled for mutual good One Man hath Riches another Authority and Command another Wit or Eloquence or learning and some tho' eminent in some one yet have a fuller conjuncture of divers of these We find not more difference in visages and statures of body then in qualifications and abilities of the mind which are the visage and stature of it yea the odds is far greater betwixt Man and Man in this than it can be in the other Now this difference accords well with the accordance there exprest in their common spring and common use For the variety of these many gifts suits well with the singular riches and wisdom of their own giver and with the common advantage and benefit of the many receivers And in the usefulness of that variety to the receivers shines forth bounty and wisdom of the giver in so ordering all that diversity to one excellent end so this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here commends that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Apostle speaks of Eph. 3. 10. There is such an admirable beauty in this variety such a symmetry and contemperature of different yea of contrary qualities that speaks his riches that so divers gifts are from the same Spirit A kind of embroidering of many collours happily mixt as the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as it s in the frame of the natural body of Man as the lesser World and in the composure of the greater World thus in the Church of God the mystical Body of Jesus Christ exceeding both in excellency and beauty And as there is such art in this contrivance and such comeliness in the resulting frame so 't is no less useful and that commends mainly the thing it self and the Supream Wisdom ordering it that as in the body each part hath not only its place for proportion and order but each its use and as in the World each part is beneficial to another so here every mans gift relates and is fitted to some use for the good of others Inser 1. The first thing meets us here is very useful to know that all is received and received of gift of most free gift so the words do carry Now this would most reasonably check all murmuring in those that receive least and insulting in those that receive most whatever 't is do not repine but praise how little soever it is for its a free gift Again how much soever it is be not high minded but fear boast not thy self but humbly bless thy Lord for if thou hast received it how canst thou boast 2. Every man hath received some gift no man all gifts and this rightly considered would keep all in a more even temper as in nature nothing altogether useless so nothing self sufficient this would keep the meanest from râ—pining and discontent that have the lowest rank in most respects yet something he hath received that is not only a good to himself but rightly improved may be so to others likewise And this will curb the loftiness of the most advantaged and teach them not only to see some deficiences in themselves and somâ— gifts stand lower in far meaner Persons which they warâ— but besides the simple discovery of this it will put them upon the use of what is in lower persons not only to stoop to the acknowledgment
than all fires kindled against it The love of Christ conquers and triumphs in the hardest sufferings of life and in death it self And this hath been the means of kindling it in other hearts that were strangers to it when they beheld the victorious patience of the Saints who conquer'd dying as their head did that wearied their tormenters and triumpht over their cruelty by a constancy far above it Thus these fiery trials made the lustre of faith appear most as gold shines brightest in the furnace and if any dross is mixt with it its refined and purged from it by these trials and so it remains by the fire purer than before And both these are in the resemblance here intended that the fire of sufferings is the advantage of Believers both trying the excellency of faith giving evidence of it what it is purifying it from earth and drossie mixtures and making it more excellently what it is raising it to a higher pitch of refinedness and worth In these fires as faith is tryed the word on which faith relies is tried and is found all gold most precious no refuse in it the truth and sweeetness of the promises much confirmed in the Christians heart upon his experiment of them in his sufferings his God as good as his word being with him when he goes through the fire preserving him that he loses nothing except dross which is a gainful loss leaves of his corruption behind him Oh! how much worth is it and how doth it endear the heart to God to have found him sensibly present in the times of trouble him refreshing the Soul with dews of spiritual comfort in the midst of the flames of fiery trial One special advantage of these fires is the purging of a Christians heart from the love of the World and present things its true at best it is base and despicable in respect of the high estate and hopes of a Believer yet still there is somewhat within him that would bend him downwards and draw him to too much complacency in outward things if they were much to his mind too kind usage might sometimes make him forget himself and think himself at home at least so much as not to entertain those longings after home and that ardent progress homewards that became him It is good for us certainly to find hardship and enmities and contempts here and to find them frequent that we may not think them strange but our selves strangers and think it were strange for us to be otherwise entertained This keeps the affections more clear and disingaged sets it upward Thus the Lord makes the World displeasing to his own that they may turn in to him and seek all their consolations in himself Oh! unspeakable advantage 2. The composure of a Christian in reference to sufferings is prescrib'd in these two following Resolving and Rejoycing 1. Resolving for them reckoning so think it not strange 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Rejoycing in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be glad in as much c. Be not strangers in it Which yet naturally we would be are willing to hear of peace and ease and would gladly believe what we extreamly desire It is a thing of prime concern to take at first a right notion of Christianity which many do not and so either fall off quickly or walk on slowly and heavily do not reckon right the charges take not the duties of doing and suffering but think to perform some duties if they may with ease and have no other foresight do not consider that self denial that fighting against a Mans self and vehemently with the World these trials fiery trials which a Christian must encounter with As they observe of other points Popery in this is very compliant with nature which is a very bad sign in religion we would be content it were true that the true Church of Christ had rather Prosperity and Pomp for her badge than the Cross much ease and riches and few or no crosses except they were painted and guilded crosses such as that Church hath chosen instead of real ones Most Men would give religion a fair countenance if it gave them fair weather and they that do indeed acknowledge Christ the Son of God as St. Peter did Matt. 16. Yet are naturally as unwilling as he was to hear the hard news of suffering and if their advice might have place would readily be of his mind Be it far from thee Lord. His good confession was not but this kind advice was from flesh and blood and from an evil Spirit as the sharp answer tells get thee behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me You know what kind of Messiah the Jews generally dreamt of and therefore took scandal at the meanness and sufferings of Christ expecting an earthly King of him and an outward flourishing State and the Disciples themselves after they had been long with him were still in that same dream when they were contesting about imaginary places yea they were scarce well out of it even after his suffering and death all the noise and trouble of that had not well awakt them Luk. 24. we trusted it had been he which should have restored Israel And after all that we have read and heard of antient times and of Jesus Christ himself his sufferings in the flesh and of his Apostles and his Saints from one Age to another yet still we have our inclinations to this of driving troubles far off from our thoughts till they come upon our backs and fancying nothing but rest and ease till we be shaken rudely out of it How have we of late flatter'd our selves many of us one year after another upon slight appearances Oh! now it will be peace and behold still trouble hath increased and these thoughts proved the lying visions of our own hearts while the Lord hath not spoken it And thus of late have we thought it at hand And taken ways of our own to hasten it that I fear will prove fools hast as you say You that know the Lord seek him earnestly for the averting of further troubles and combustions which if you look aright you will find threaten us as much as ever And withal seek hearts prepar'd and fixed for days of trial fiery trial yea though we did obtain some breathing of our outward peace yet shall not the followers of Christ want their trials from the hatred of the ungodly World if it persecuted me says he it will also persecute you Acquaint therefore your thoughts and hearts with sufferings that when they come thou and they not being strangers may agree and comply the better Do not afflict your selves with vain fears before hand of troubles to come and so make uncertain evils a certain vexation by advance But thus fore think the hardest things you may readily be put to for the name and cause of Christ and labour for a holy stability of mind for encountering it if it should come upon you things certainly fall the lighter
is hid with Christ in God The World sees here nothing of his Glory and beauty and his own not much have but a little glimmering of him and their own happiness in him know little of their own high condition and what they are born to But in that bright day he shall shine forth in his royal dignity and all eyes shall see him and be overcome with his splendour terrible shall it be to those that formerly despised him and his Saints but to them the gladest day that ever arose upon them and that shall never set or be benighted The day they so much longed and lookt out for the full accomplishment of all their hopes and desires Oh! how dark were all our days without the hope of this day Theâ— says the Apostle ye shall rejoyce with exceeding joy and to the end you may not fall short of that Joy in the participance of Glory fall not back from a cheerful progress in the Communion of these sufferings that are so close linked with it and will so sure lead unto it and end it For in this the Apostles expression this Glory and Joy is set before them as the great matter of their desires and hopes and the certain end of their present sufferings Now upon these grounds the motion will appear reasonable and not too great a demand to rejoyce even in the sufferings It is true that passage in the Epistle to the Heb. opposes present Affliction to Joy But 1. If you mark it is but in the appearance or outward visage it seemeth not to be matter of joy but of grief To look to it it hath not a smiling countenance yet joy may be under it 2. And though to the flesh it is what it seems grief and not joy yet there may be under it spiritual joy yea the affliction it self may help and advance that joy 3. Through the natural sense of it there will be some allay or mixture of grief so that the joy cannot be pure and compleat but yet there may be joy even in it Thus the Apostle here clearly gives rejoyce now in suffering that you may rejoyce exceedingly after it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leaping for joy doubtles this joy at present is but a little parcel a drop of that Sea of joy Now 't is joy but more reserved then they shall leap Yet In present rejoyce even in trial yea in fiery trial This may be the Children of God are not called to so sad a life as the World imagines besides what is laid up they have even here their rejoycings and Songs in their distresses as those Prisoners had their Psalms even at midnight after their stripes in their chains before they knew of a sudden deliverance true there may be a darkness within clouding all the matter of their joy but even that darkness is the feed time of after joy and light is sown in that darkness and shall spring up and not only shall they have a rich crop at full harvest but even some first fruits of it here in pledge of the harvest And this they ought to expect and seek after with humble submissive minds for the measure and time of it that they may be partakers of spiritual joy and may by it be enabled to go patiently yea cheerfully through the tribulations and tentations that be in their way homeward and for this endeavour after a more clear discerning of their interest in Christ that they may know they partake of him and so in suffering are partakers of his sufferings and shall be partakers of his Glory Many afflictions will not cloud and obstruct this so much as one sin therefore if ye would walk cheerfully be most careful to walk holily All the winds about make not an earthquake but that within Now this joy is grounded on this Communion 1. Sufferings then 2. In Glory 1. In suffering even in themselves it is a sweet joyful thing to be a sharer with Christ in any thing all enjoyments wherein he is not are bitter to a Soul that loves him and all sufferings with him sweet The worst things of Christ more â—â—uly delightful than the best things of the World his afflictions sweeter than their pleasures his reproaches more glorious than their honours and more rich than their treasures as Moses accompted them Heb. 11. Love delights in likeness and Communion not only in things otherwise pleasant but in the hardest and harshest things that have not any thing in them desireable but only that likeness so that this is very sweet to a heart possest with this love what does the World in hatreds and persecutions and revilings for Christ but make me more like him give me a greater share with him in that which he did so willingly undergo for me When he was sought to be a King he escaped but when he was sought to the Cross he freely yielded himself And shall I shrink and creep back from what he calls me to for his sake yea even all my other troubles and sufferings I will desire to have stampt thus with this conformity to the sufferings of Christ in the humble obedient cheerful endurance of them and giving up my will to my fathers The following of Christ makes any way pleasant his faithful followers refuse no march after him be it through deserts and Mountains and Storms and hazards that will affright self-pleasing easie Spirits hearts kindled and acted with the Spirit of Christ will follow him wheresoever he goeth As he speaks it for warnings if they persecuted me they will persecute you so he speaks it for comforting them and it is sufficiently so if they hate you they hated me before you 2. Then add the other see whether it tends he shall be revealed in his Glory and ye shall be filled even over with joy in the partâ—king of that Glory Therefore rejoyce now in the midst of all your sufferings stand upon the advanced ground of the promises and covenant of grace and by faith overlook this moment and all that is in it to that day wherein everlasting joy shall be upon your heads a Crown of it and sorrow and mourning shall flie away believe this day and the victory is won Oh! that blessed hope well fixed and acted would give other manner of Spirits what zeal for God what invincible courage against all encounters How soon will this pageant of the World vanish that Men are gazing on these pictures and fancies of false stiled pleasures and honours and give place to the real glory of the Sons of God this blessed Son that is God appearing in full Majesty and all his Brethren in glory with him all cloathed in their robes And if you ask who are they why these are they that came out of great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. Verses 14 15 16. 14. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of Glory and of God resteth upon you on
to Christ that there be nothing save the matter of your rod keep the quarrel as clean and unmixt as you can and this will advantage you much both within and without in the peace and firmness of your minds and in the refute of your enemies This will make you as a brazen wall as the Lord speaks to the Prophet they shall fight against you but shall not prevail Keep far off from all impure unholy ways suffer not as evil doers no nor as busie bodies be much at home setting things at rights within your own breast where there is so much work and such daily need of diligence and then you will be vacant to unnecessary idle pryings into the wayes and affairs of others and further then your calling and the rules of Christian charity engage you you will not iuterpose in any matters without you nor be found proud and sensorious as they are ready to call you 2. Shun the appearances of evil walk warily and prudently in all things be not heady nor selâ— will'd no not in the best thing walk not upon the utter brink and hedge of your liberty for then you shall readily overpass it things that are lawful may be inexpedient and in case our fear of scandal ought either to be wholly spared or used with much prudence and circumspection Oh! study in all to adorn the Gospel and in sense of your own unskillfullness and folly beg wisdom from above that annointing that will teach you all things much of that Holy Spirit that will lead you in the way of all truth and then in that way whatsoever be suffer it and however indignified and reproached happy are you for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you Inf. 2. But if to be thus reproached be happy then certainly their reproachers are no less unhappy if on those rest the spirit of glory and of God what Spirit in those but the Spirit of Satan and of shame and vileness Who is the basest most contemptible kind of person in the world truly I think an avowed contemner and mocker of holiness Shall any such be fouâ—d amongst us I charge all you in this name of Christ that you do not entertain godless prejudices against the people of God Let not your ears be open to nor your hearts close with the calumnies and lies that may be flying abroad of them and their practises much less open your mouths against them or let any disgraceful word be heard from you and when you meet with undeniable real frailties know the law of love and practise it Think this is blameworthy yet let me not turn it to the reproach of those persons who notwithstanding may be sincere much less to the reproach of other persons professing Religion and then cast it upon Religion it self My Brethren beware of sharing with the ungodly in this tongue persecution of Christians There is a Day at hand wherein the Lord will make enquiry after those things if we shall be made accountable for idle words as we are warned how much more for bitter malicious words uttered against any especially against the Saints of God whom however the World reckon he esteems his precious ones his treasure You that now can look on them with a scornful eye which way shall you look when they shall be beautitiful and glorious and all the ungodly cloathed with shame Oh! do not reproach them but rather come in and share with them in the way of holiness and in all the sufferings and reproaches that follow it for if you partake of their disgraces with them you shall share of glory with them in the Day of their Lords appearing The words have two things The evil of these reproaches suppos'd and the good exprest The evil suppos'd that they are trials and hot trials of this already The good exprest ye are happy even in present in the very midst of them they do not trouble your happy estate yea they advance it Thus solid indeed is the happiness of the Saints that in the lowest condition it remains the same disgraces caves prisons and chains cast them where you will still happy a Diamond in the mire foyled and trampled on yet still retains its own worth But this is more that the very things that seem to make them miserable do not only not do that but on the contrary do make them the more happy they are gainers by their losses and attain more liberty by their thraldomes and more honour by their disgraces and more peace by their troubles the World and all their enemies are exceedingly befool'd in striving with them not only can they not undo them but by all their enmity and practises they do them pleasure and raise them higher with what weapons shall they fight How shall they set upon a Christian that are his enemy where shall they hit them seeing all the wrongs they do him do indeed enrich and ennoble him and the more he is deprest he flourishes the more certainly the blessedness of a Christian is matchless and invincible But how holds this Happy in reproaches and by them 't is not through their nature and vertue for they are evil so Mat. 5. 20. But 1. By reason of the Cause 2. Of the accompanying and consequent Comfort First the Cause Negatively we have it verse 15. Positively ver 14 16. Not as an evil doer that stains thy holy profession and damps thy comfort and clouds thy happiness disprofits thee and dishonours thy Lord. But for the name of Christ and what is there so rough that that will not make pleasant to suffer with Christ and for Christ who suffered so much and so willingly for thee hath he not gone through all before thee and made all easie and lovely hath he not sweetned poverty and persecutions and hatred and disgraces and death it self perâ—um'd the grave and turn'd it from a pit of horrour into a sweet resting bed And thus love of Christ judgeth thinks all lovely that is for him is glad to meet with difficulties and ambitious of suffering for him scorn and contempt a thing of hard digestion but much inward heat of love digests it easily reproaches bitter but the reproaches of Christ sweet Take their true value Heb. 11. The reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt his very worst things better than the best of the World A touch of Christ turns all into gold his reproaches riches as there and honour as here Happy not only afterwards ye shall be happy but happy in present and that not only in apprehension of that after happiness as sure and as already present which Faith doth but even for that they possess the presence and comforts of the Spirit For the Spirit of Glory This accompanies disgraces for him his Spirit the Spirit of Glory and of God with your suffering goes the name of Christ and the Spirit of Christ take them thus when reproaches are cast upon you for his name and
condition in itself though it portended no further Judgment the Lord hiding himself and the Spirit of Zeal and Prayer withdrawn and scarce any lamenting it or so much as perceiving it where our days either of solemn Prayer or Praises as if cause of neither and yet clear cause of both Truly M. B. we have need if ever to bestir our selves are not the Kingdoms at this present brought to the extream point of their highest hazard and yet who lays it to heart Inf. 2. Learn to give God right construction in all his dealings with his Church and with thy Soul for his Church there may be a time wherein thou shall see it not only tossed but to thy thinking covered and swallowed up with tears but wait a little it shall arrive safe This common stumbling stone walk by the light of the Word and the eye of Faith looking on it and thou shalt pass by and not stumble at it the Church mourns and Babylon sings sits as a Queen but for how long she shall come down and sit in the dust and Zion shall be glorious and put on her beautiful Garments and Babylon shall not look for another revelation to raise her again no she shall never rise The Angel took up a Stone like a great Milstone and cast it into the Sea saying Thus with violence shall the great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all Be not sudden take God's work together do not judge of it by parcels it is indeed all Wisdom and Righteousness but we shall best discern the beauty of it when we look on it in the frame and when it shall be fully compleated and finisht and our eyes enlightned to take a fuller and clearer view of it than we can have here Oh! what wonder what endless wondering will it command We read of Ioseph hated and sold and imprison'd and all most unjustly but because within a leaf or two we find him freed and exalted and his Brethren coming Supplicants to him we are satisfied but the things that are for the present cloudy and dark our short hasty Spirits cannot learn to wait a little till we see the other side and what end the Lord makes we see Iudgment beginning at the House of God and this perplexes us while we consider not the rest what shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel God begins the Judgment on his Church for a little time that it may end and rest upon his enemies for ever And indeed he leaves the wicked last in the punishment so as he makes use of them for the punishing of his Church they are his rod Isa. 10. But then when he hath done that work with them they are broken and burnt v. 16. and that when they are at the height of insolency and boasting not knowing what hand moves them and smites his People with them for a while till the da of their consuming come v. 24 25. let the vile enemy that hath shed our blood and insulted over us rejoyce in their present sparing and in mens procuring of it and pleading for it there is another hand whence we may look for Justice and though it may be the Judgment begun at us is not yet ended and that we may yet further and that justly find them our scourge yet certainly we may and ought to look beyond that unto the end of the Lord's work which shall be the ruin of his Enemies and the peace of his People and the glory of his Name Of them that obey not the Gospel The end of all the Ungodly is terrible but especially of such as heard the Gospel and have not received and obey'd it The Word hath in it both Unbelief and Disobedience and these are inseparable Unbelief is the grand point of Disobedience in it self and the spring of all other disobedience and the pity is men will not believe it to be thus They think it an easie and a common thing to believe who doth not believe Oh! but rather who does who hath believed our report were our own misery and the happiness that is in Christ believed were the riches of Christ and the love of Christ believed would not this perswade men to forsake their sins and the World to embrace him But men run away with an extraordinary fancy of believing and do not deeply consider what news the Gospel brings and how much it concerns them sometimes it may be they have a sudden thought of it and they think I will think on it better at some other time but when comes that time one business steps in after another and shuffles it out Men are not at leasure to be saved The Gospel of God His embassy of Peace of Men the riches of his mercy and free love opened up and set forth not simply to be lookt on but laid hold on The glorious holy God declaring his mind of agreement with Man in his own Son his blood streaming forth in it to wash away uncleanness and yet this Gospel not obeyed Sure the conditions of it very hard and the commands must be grievous that they are not hearkened to why judge you if they be The great command is that to receive that Salvation and the other is this to love that Saviour and there is no more perfect obedience is not now the thing and the obedience that is required that love makes it sweet and easie to us and acceptable to him This is proclaimed to all that hear the Gospel and the greatest part refuse it they love themselves and their lusts and this present World and will not change and so they perish They perish what 's that what is their end I will answer that but as the Apostle doth and that is even asking the question over again what shall be their end There is no speaking of it a Curtain drawn silent wonder expresses it best telling it cannot be exprest how then shall it be endured It is true that there be resemblances used in Scripture giving us some glance of it we hear of a burning Lake a Fire that goes not out and a Worm that dies not but these are but shadows to the real misery of them that obey not the Gospel Oh! to be filled with the wrath of God the ever living God for ever What words or thoughts can reach it Oh! Eternity Eternity Oh! that we did believe it This same paralel is continued in the following Verse in other terms for the clearer expression and deeper impression of it Verse 18. And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear IT is true then that they are scarce saved even they that endeavour to walk uprightly in the ways of God that 's the Righteous here they are scarcely saved That imports not any uncertainty or hazard in the thing it self to the end in respect of the purpose and performance of God but only the great difficulties and hard encounters in the way
of earth makes us sleepy the fumes that arise from them surcharge us and cast us into a deep sleep a secure unminding of God and of our selves the interest of our immortal Souls The pleasures of sense too gross for the Divine Soul for so it is by original but we abase it and make it flesh by those gross earthly things and make it unfit to rise heavenwards as insobriety intemperance in dyet prejudices the very natural Spirits making them dull clogs their passage and makes them move as a Coach in a miry way thus doth all inordinate use and love of inferiour things make the Soul of a low heavy constitution that it cannot move freely in any thing that is spiritual yea where there is some truth of grace yet is it obstructed and dull'd by taking in too much of the World and feeding on it which is no more proper for the finest of it for the Soul than the course plowmans dyet is for delicate tender bodies of higher breeding yea the disproportion is far greater If then you would have free Spirits for Spiritual things keep them at a spare dyet in all things temporal let not out your hearts to any thing here below learn to delight in God and seek to tast of his transcendent sweetness that will perfectly disrelish all lower delights so your sobriety in abstaining from them shall be still further recompenc'd with more enjoyment of God and you shall not lose pleafure by denying the pleasures of earth but change them for those that are unspeakably better and purer in their stead he shall communicate himself unto you the light of whose countenance feeds and satisfies the glorified Spirits that are about his Throne Be vigilant This watchfulness joyned with it extends to all the estates and ways of a Christian being surrounded with hazards and snares He that despiseth his way shall die says Solomon the most do thus walk at a random give attendance on publick Worship and have some customary way of private prayer but further do not eye how they walk what is their carriage all the day long what they speak how they are in company and how alone which way their hearts go early and late what it is that steals away most of their affection from God Oh! My beloved knew we our continual danger it would shake us out of this miserable dead security that possesses us we think not on it but there are snares laid for us all the way in each path we walk in and each step of it in our meat and drink in our calling and labour in our house at home in our journeying abroad yea even in Gods House and in our spiritual exercises both there and in private knew we or at least considered we this we would choose our steps more exactly and look to our ways to our words our thoughts which truly whatsoever noise we make we really do not ponder the path of thy feet says Solomon and before that let thine eyes look right on and let thine eye lids look straight before thee Prov. 425 26. And further put away away a froward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee But first of all as the main reason and spring of all Keep thy Heart with all diligence or above all keeping for out of it are the issues of life Because your adversary the Devil An allarm to watch fulness is here given from the watchfulness of our grand adversary there be other two usually ranked with him as the leading enemies of our Souls the World and our own Flesh but here is he expresly named that commands in chief and orders and manages the War uses the service of the other two against us as prime Officers under which most of the forces of particular tentations are ranked some others there be that he immediately commands and leads on himself a Regiment of his own some spiritual tentations And we have need to be put in mind of the hostility and practises of Satan against us for if the most were poâ—'d cut they would be forc't to confess that they very seldom think on their spiritual danger from this hand As we keep loose guard against the allurements of the World and of our own corruption we watch not against the devices of Satan but go on by guess and suspect nothing and so are readily a prey to all The least enemy being despised and neglected as Men observe proves often too great the smallest appearances of evil the least things that may prejudge our spiritual good while we make no reckoning of them may do us great mischief our not considering them makes them become considerable especially being under the command of a vigilant and skillful leader that knows how to improve advantages Therefore in things that we many times account petty and not worthy our notice as having any evil in them we should learn to suspect the address of this adversary who usually hides himself and couches under some covert till he may appear irresistable seize on us and then indeed he roars And this seeking the destruction of Souls is you see markâ— as all his work the prey he hunts is Souls that they may be as miserable as himself Therefore justly called our adversary the enemy of holiness and of our Souls tempting to sin and then accusing for sin as his name here imports appearing against us upon the advantages he hath gained studies our nature and fits his tentations knows the prevalency of lust or earthliness or that great and most general evil of pride so like himself and that is his Throne in the Heart sometimes he boweth down as it is said of the Lyon Ps. 10. He waits his opportunity crastily and then assaults fiercely and the Children of God find sometimes so much violence of his tentations that they surprize them and such horrid thoughts cast in as poysoned arrows or fiery darts as the Apostle speaks and this his enmity though it is against Man generally yet is most enrag'd against the Children of God goes about and spies where we are weakest and amongst them most against those that are most advanc'd in holiness and nearest unto God They were once under his power and now being escaped from him he pursues as Pharoah with all his forces as a prey that was once in his den and under his paw and now is rescu'd he rages and roars after it The resemblance hath in it his strength his diligence and his cruelty His strength a Lyon his diligence going about and seeking His cruelty roaring and seeking to devour Inf. Is it not most reasonable hence to press watchfulness to keep continual watch to see what comes in and what goes out to try what is under every offer of the World every motion of our own natural hearts whether there be not some treachery some secret intelligence or no especially after a time of some special seasons of grace and some special new supplies of grace received in such seasons as
eyes upon the Righteous Now the perswasion of this Truth is the main establishment of a godly mind amidst all the present confusions that appear in things and 't is so here intended and in the Psalm and throughout the Scriptures To look upon the present flourishing and prosperity of Evil doers and distresses and sorrows of the Godly is a dark obscure matter in it self but the way to be cleared and comforted is to look above them to the Lord they loâ—k'd unto him and were lightned Psal. 34. 5. that answers all doubts to believe this undoubted providence and justice the Eye of God that sees all yea rules all these things and in the midst of all the painted happiness of Wicked Men this is enough to make them miserable the Lord's Face is against them and they shall surely find it so he hath wrath and judgement in store and will bring it forth to light will execute it in due time he is preparing for them that cup spoke of and they shall drink it so in the saddest condition of his Church and a believing Soul to know this that the Lord's eye is even then upon them and that he is upon thoughts of peace and love to them is that which settles and composes the mind Thus in that Psalm before cited it was such difficulties that did drive David's thoughts to that for satisfaction if the Foundations be destroy'd what can the righteous do in the time of such great shakings and confusions the righteous Man can do nothing to 't but the righteous Lord can do enough he can do all the righteous Lord that loveth righteousness while all seems to go upside down he is on his Throne he is trying and judging and will appear to be Judge This is the thing that a faithful Soul should learn to look to and not lose view and firm belief of and desire the Lord himself to raise their minds to it when they are like to sink Natural strength and resolution will not serve turn floods may come that will arise above that something above a man's own must support him Therefore say with David when my Spirit is overwhelm'd lead me to the Rock that is higher than I They think sometimes 't is so hard with them he regards not but he assures them the contrary Is. 49. I have graven thee upon the palms of mine hands I cannot look upon my own hands but I must remember thee and thy walls are continually before me this is that the Spouse seeks for set me as a Seal upon thine Arm Cant. 8. Now a little more particularly to consider the Expressions and their Scope here how is it made good that the former words teach that they that walk in the ways of wickedness can expect no good are certainly miserable Thus the face of the Lord is against them Prosper they may in their Affairs and Estates may have Riches and Posterity and Friends and the World caressing them and smiling on them on all hands but there is that one thing that damps all the Face of the Lord is against them this they feel not indeed for the time 't is an invisible ill out of sight and out of mind with them but there is a time of the appearing of this Face of the Lord against them the revelation of his just Iudgment as the Apostle speaks sometimes precursory days of it here but however one great prefixed day a day of darkness to them indeed wherein they shall know what this is that now founds so light to have the Face of the Lord against them a look of it more terrible than all present miseries combined together what then shall the Eternity of it be to be punished as the Apostle speaks with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his Power Are we not then impertinent foolish Creatures that are so thoughtful how our poor businesses here succeed with us and how we are accounted of in the World and how the faces of men are towards us and scarce ever enter into a secret serious enquiry how the countenance of God is to us whether favourably shining on us or still angrily set against us as it is against all impenitent sinners The Face of the Soul being towards God turn'd away from the World and Sin argues to it that his Face is not against it but that he hath graciously look'd upon it and by a look of love hath drawn it towards himself for we act not first in that non amatur Deus nisi de Deo 't is he that prevents us and by the beam of his kindles love in our hearts Now the Soul that 's thus set towards him it may be doth not constantly see here his face shining full and clear upon it but often clouded it may be hath not not yet at all seen it sensibly yet this it may conclude seeing my desires are toward him and my chief desire is the sweet light of his countenance though as yet I find not his face shining on me yet I am perswaded it is not set against me to destroy me Misbelief when the Soul is much under and distemper'd may suggest this sometimes too but yet still there is some spark of hope that it is otherwise and that the eye of the Lord's pity is even in that estate upon us and will in time manifest it self to be so To the other what assurance have the Godly for that seeing of good these blessings you speak of This the Eyes of the Lord are upon them and his Ears open to their prayer if you think him wise enough to know what is good for them and rich enough to afford it they are sure of one thing he loves them they have his good will his heart is towards them and therefore his Eye and his Ear can they then want any good If many Days and outward good things be indeed good for them they cannot miss of these he hath given them already much better things than these come to and hath yet far better in in store for them and what way soever the World go with them this it self is happiness enough that they are in his love whose loving kindness is better than Life sweet days have they that live in it what better days would a Courtier wish than to be still in the eye and savour of the King to be certain of his good will towards them and to know of access and of a gracious acceptance of all their Suits Now thus it is with all the Servants of the great King without prejudice one to another he is ready to receive their Requests and able and willing to do them all good Happy estate of a Believer he must not account himself poor and destitute in any condition for he hath favour at Court he hath the Kings eye and his ear the eyes of the Lord are upon him and his ears open to his prayers The Eyes This hath in it 1. His love the
so as to be pleased with that waiting for them in possibility at least of their being reclaimed knowing that however if they return not yet the Lord will not lose his own at their hands Wilt thou said these two fiery Disciples that we call for fire as Elias Oh! but the Spirit of the Dove rested on him that told them they knew not what Spirit they were of you speak of Elias and you think you are of his Spirit in this motion but you mistake your selves that comes from another spirit than you imagine instead of such sudden Jâ—stice without you look inward and see whence that is examine and correct within you When you are tempted to take ill that goodness and patience of God to sinners Consider 1. Can this be right to differ from his mind in any thing is it not our only Wisdom and ever safe Rule to think as he thinks and will as he wills And I pray you does he not hate sin more than you do is not his interest in punishing it deeper than yours And if you be zealous for his interest as you pretend then be so with him and in his way for starting from that sure you are wrong 2. Consider did he not wait for thee what had become of thee if long suffering had not subserv'd his purpose of further mercy of free pardon to thee and why will thou not always allow that to which thou art so much obliged would'st thou have the Bridge cut because thou art so over Sure thou wilt not own so gross a thought Therefore esteem thy God still the more thou â—eest of his long suffering to sinners and learn for him and with him to bear and wait But this was not a dumb forbearance such as may serve for a surprize but continual teaching and warning joyned with it as before We see they wanted not preaching of the choicest kind he the Son of God by his Eternal Spirit went and preached to them it was his Truth in Noah's mouth and with that we have a continued real Sermon exprest in this Verse while the Ark was preparing that spoke God's mind and every knock as the usual Observation is of the Hammers and Tools used in Building preach'd to them threatning aloud designed Judgement and Exhorting to prevent it and therefore that word is added that the long suffering of God waited or expected expected a believing of his Word and returning from their wickedness but we see no such thing followed they took their own Course still and therefore the Lord took his they had polluted the Earth with their wickedness now the Lord would have the cleansing by Repentance that being denied it must be another way by flood and because they and their sins remained one they would not part with them therefore was one work made of both they and their sins as inseparable must be cleansed away together Thus impenitency under much long suffering makes Judgement full and compleat I attest you hath not the Lord used much forbearance towards us hath he not patiently spared us and clearly warned us and waited long for the Fruit of all hath any thing been wanting have not Temporal Mercies been multiplied on us have not the Spiritual Riches of the Gospel been opened up to us And each of you for your selves consider how it s with you after so much long suffering of God that none of you can deny he hath used towards you and so many gracious Invitations with that patience have they gained your hearts or do you still remain Servants to sin still Strangers to him and formal Worshipers I beseech you think on it what will be the issue of that course Is it a light matter to you to die in your sins and to have the wrath of God abiding on you to have refused Christ so often and that after you have been so often requested to receive Salvation after the Lord hath followed you with intreaties hath called to you so often why will ye die yet wilfully to perish and withal to have all these come in and accuse you and make your burden heavier would you willingly die in this estate if not then think that yet he is waiting if at length you will return this one day more of his waiting you have and of his speaking to you and some that were here with you the last day are taken away since Oh! that we were wise and would consider our latter end tho' there were neither Sword or Pestilence near you you must die and for any thing you know quickly why wear you out the day of Grace and those precious Seasons still as uncertain of Christ yea as indiligent after him as you were long ago as you love your Souls be more serious in their business this was their undoing they were all for present things they eat and drank they married in a continued course without ceasing and without minding their after-estate they were drowned in these things and that drowned them in a Flood Noah did eat and drink but his main Work was in that time the preparing of the Ark. The necessities of this Life the Children of God are tied to and fore't to bestow some time and pains on them but the thing that takes up their Hearts that which the bent of their Souls is set on is their interest in Jesus Christ and all your wise designs are but a pleasing madness till this be chief with you Others have had as much of God's patience and as fair opportunity as you whose Souls and Christ have never met and now know that they never shall they had their time of worldly projects and enjoyment as you now have and followed them as if they had been immortally to abide with them but they are past away as a Shadow and we are posting after them and within a while shall lie down in the dust Oh! how happy they whose hearts are not here trading with vanity and gathering vexation but whose thoughts are on that blessed life above trouble Certainly they that pass for fools within the World are the only Children of wisdom that have renounced their lusts and their own wills have yielded up themselves to Jesus taken him for their King and have their minds resting on him as their Salvation While the Ark was a preparing Obs. 1. The delay of the Lords determined Judgement on the ungodly was indeed long-suffering towards them but here was more in it to Noah and his Family the providing for their preservation and till that was compleated for them the rest were spared Thus the very forbearance that the ungodly do enjoy is usually involv'd with the interest of the godly somthing of that readily goes into it and so it is in a great part for their sakes that the rest are both spared and are furnisht with common mercies The Saints are usually the scorn and contempt of others yet are by that love the Lords carries towards them the very Arches Pillars of States
and Kingdoms and Families where they are yea of the World the frame whereby it s mainly continued in regard to them Isa. 6. 13. But they that are ungrateful to the great Maker and Upholder of it and regardless of him What wonder they take no notice of the advantage they receive by the concernment of his Children in the World Here. 1. The Work 2. The End of it In the Work preparing of the Ark observe 1. Gods appointment 2. Noahs obedience The power of God was not tied to this yet his Wisdom choosed it he that steered the course of this Ark safely all that time could have preserved those he designed it for without it But thus it pleases the Lord usually to mix his wonderfullest deliverances with some selected means exercising that way our obedience in their use yet so as the singular power of his hand in them whereon faith rests doth clearly appear doing by them what in a more natural way they could not possibly effect 2. For the obedience of Noah if we should insist on the difficulties both in this work and in the way of their preservation by it it would look the clearer and be found very remarkable the length of the work the great pains in providing materials and consider we the opposition that likely he met with in it from the prophane about him the mightier of them at least the hatred and continual scoffs of all sorts it required principles of an invincible resolution to go through with it What would they say means this old dottard to do whether this monstruous Voyage and for that it spoke as no doubt he told them their ruin and his safety this would incense them so much the more you look far before you and what shall we all perish and you alone escape But through all the soveraign Command and gracious promise of his God carried him regarding their scoffs and threats as little in making the Ark as he did afterwards the noise of the waters about it when he was sitting safe within it This his obedience having indeed so boistrous winds to encounter had need of a well fastened root that it might stand and hold out against them all and so it had The Apostle St. Paul tells us that the root of it was by Faith being warned he prepared an Ark and there 's no living and lasting obedience but what springs from that root he believed what the Lord spake of his determin'd Judgement on the ungodly World and from the belief of that arose that holy fear which is expresly mention'd as exciting him to this work And he believed the Word of Promise that the Lord spoke concerning his preservation by the Ark and the belief of these two carried him strongly on to the work and through it against all counter blasts and opposition overcame his own doubtings and the wicked's mockings still looking to him that was the Master and Contriver of the Work Till we attain such a fixed view of our God and firm perswasions of his Truth and Power and Goodness it will never be right with us there will be nothing but wavering and unsettledness in our Spirits and in our ways every little discouragement from within or without that meets us will be like to turn us over we shall not walk in an even course but still reeling and staggering till Faith be set whole upon its own basis the proper Foundation of it not set betwixt two upon one strong prop and another that 's rotten that 's the way to fall off partly on God and partly on creature helps and encouragements or our own strength Our only safe and happy way is in humble obedience in his own strength to follow his appointments without standing and questioning the matter and to resign the conduct of all to his wisdom and love to put the rudder of our life into his hand to steer the course of it as seems him good resting quietly on his Word of Promise for our safety Lord whither thou wilt and which way thou wilt be my guid and it sufficeth This absolute following of God and trusting him with all is markt as the true Character of Faith in Abraham going after God from his Country not knowing nor not asking whither he went secure upon his guid and so in that other greater point of offering his Son silenced all disputes about it by that mighty conclusion of Faith accounting that he was able to raise him from the dead Thus here Noah by Faith prepared the Ark did not argue and question how shall this be done and if it were how shall I get all the kinds of beasts gathered together to put into it and how shall it be ended when we are shut in No but believed firmly that it should be finisht by him and he saved by it and he was not disappointed 2. The end of this work was the saving of Noah and his Family from the general Deluge wherein all the rest perished Here it will be fit to consider the point of the preservation of the Godly in ordinary and common Caties briefly in these Positions 1. It is certain that the Children of God as they are not exempted from the common universal Calamities and Evils of this life that befal the rest of Men so not from any particular kind of them as it is appointed for them with all others once to dye so we find them not priviledged from any kind of disease or other way of death not from falling by Sword or by Pestilence or in the â—renzie of a Feaver or any kind of sudden death yea when these or such like are on a Land by way of publick Judgement the godly are not altogether exempt from them but may fall in them with others as we find Moses dying in the Wilderness with those he brought out of Egypt Now though it was for a particular failing in the Wilderness yet it evinces that there is in this nothing prejudging their priviledges nor contrary to the love of God towards them and his Covenant with them 2. The Promises made to the Godly of preservation from Common Judgments have their truth and are made good in many of them so preserv'd though they do hold not absolutely and universally for they are ever to be understood in subordination to their highest good But when they are preserved they ought to take it as a gracious accomplishment even of these promises to them which the wicked many of which do likewise escape have no right to but are preserved for after Judgment 3. It is certain that the Curse and Sting is out of all those evils incident to the godly with others in life and death which makes the main difference though to the eye of the World invisible And it may be observed that in these Common Judgements of Sword or Pestilence or other epidemick diseases a great part of those that are cut off are most of the wickedest tho the Lord may send of those