8.33 Christ hath died who still makes Intercession and both these are so full so sufficient a relief against the guilt of sin that as we have no other so we need no other as the High Priests bore the names of the people before the Lord so does Jesus Christ the names of his Elect Heb. 9.25 Heb. 9.12.24 Heb. 10.12 Heb. 11.25 1 John 2.1 but the High Priests of Old were at certain times only to appeare before the Lord once a yeare to enter into the holy place but Christ our spiritual High Priest is not only entered but sat down at the right hand of God to negotiate constantly on his Churches behalf He ever lives to make Intercession Heb. 11 25. And besides the constancy consider the prevalency of his Intercession that God that regards the cry of Ravens that will not altogether neglect the humiliation of Ahab that God that is so ready to answer and honour the prayers of his own people cannot but much more regard the prayers of his only Son praying by his blood and praying for nothing more than what himself hath deserved and purchased He that is such a great High Priest is excellently fitted in respect of this Office for the work of Mediation 2. The Prophetical Office of Christ is the great Deut. 18.15 Joh. 1.24 25 45. John 6.14 the only relief we have against the blindnesse and ignorance of our mindes He is that great Prophet of his Church whom Moses fore-told the Jews expected and all men needed that Sun of Righteousnesse who by his glorious beams dispels those mists of ignorance and errour which darken the mindes of men and is therefore stiled by way of eminency that light John 1.8 and the true light Joh. 1.9 The execution of this Prophetical Office is partly by revealing so much of the Will of God as was necessary to our salvation partly by making those revelations powerful and effectual 1. In revealing the Will of God for no man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1.18 The manner of revealing the mind of God hath been different in several ages 1. Sometimes making use of instruments who were either ordinary as under the Law the Priests whose lips should preserve knowledge and under the Gospel Pastors and Teachers Mal. 2.7 2 Chron. 15.3 Eph. 4.11 12 13. Or else extraordinary as Prophets under the Law and Apostles and Evangelists in the first plantation of the Gospel 2. For sometime instructing his Church immediately in his own person Heb. 1.1 2. 2. In enlightening effectually the souls of his people in causing the blinde to see and making them who were once darknesse to be light in the Lord Eph. 5.2 Thus he instructs by his Word and by his Spirit 1 Pet. 1.12 and by that Soveraignty he hath over the hearts of men opens their hearts to receive his counsels He that can thus speak not only to the eare but to the heart is also in this Office excellently fitted for the work of Mediation 3. The Kingly Office of Christ is the great the only relief we have against our bondage to sin and Satan He to whom all power is given in heaven Mat. 28.18 Eph. 1.20 21 22. Heb. 2.8 Phil. 2 9 10 11. 1 Cor. 15.27 28. Isa 61.1 and in earth Mat. 28.18 He whom God hath raised from the dead and set at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be the Head over all things to the Church It is he that restores liberty to the captives and opens the Prison doors to them that are bound This great Office of a King he executes chiefly in these Royal acts 1. In gathering to himself a people out of all kindreds Gen. 49.10 Isa 55.4 5. 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 1 Pet. 1.3 5. Eph. 4.12 13. 1 Thes 4.16 17. Nations and tongues and in making them a willing people in the day of his power Psal 110.3 2. In governing that people by Laws Officers and Censures of his own ordaining Isaiah 33.22 Ephes 4.11 12. Mat. 18.17 18. 3. In bringing all his elect into a state of saving grace and preserving that grace alive in their soules which himself hath wrought though it be as a spark of fire in an Ocean of water in carrying it on to perfection and crowning it with glory 4. In restraining over-ruling and at last destroying all his and his Churches enemies Psalme 110.1 those who will not submit to the Scepter of his grace he rules with his Iron rod and will at last dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel Psal 2.9 And thus is Christ not only in respect of the dignity of his person but the suitablenesse of his Offices the only fit Mediator between God and man The doctrinal part of this Scripture being thus cleared take one word by way of application Use This may informe us of the unspeakable folly and misery of all such as despise this Mediator there is but one Mediator but one way of Reconciliation unto God but one way of having sin pardoned our natures cleansed the favour of God restored our lost condition recovered and that is through the Mediation of Christ and shall it be said of any of us as Christ himself speaks of those foolishly obstinate Jews they would not come unto him Col. 3.4 that they might have life Joh. 5.40 There is in Christ the life of Justification to free us from that eternal death the Law sentences us unto the life of sanctification to free us from that spiritual death we are under by nature there is in him a sufficient relief against whatever is discouraging and shall we be so little our own friends so false to our own concernments as to reject his profered help notwithstanding we do so highly need it 1. In rejecting this Mediator you sin against the highest and greatest mercy that ever was vouchsafed to creatures 't is mentioned as an astonishing act of love in God that he should so love the world as to give his only begotten Son c. Joh. 3.16 so beyond all comparison Phil. 2.6 7 8. John 15.13 compared with Rom. 5.8 so beyond all expression and oh what an amazing condescention was it in Christ who though he thâ—ught it no robbery to be equal with God was yet pleased to make himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a servant became obediâ—nt unto death even the death of the cross and all this as our Mediator there is not any mercy we enjoy but 't is the fruit of this mercy Eph. 2.12 2. You hereby reade your condition the same with Pagans the emphasis of whose misery consists in this that they are without Christ and
save Justice was to have its penni-worths out of our Surety and nothing could be abated of blood God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins that he might be just Rom. 3.25 26. 5. That he that hath the power of death might be destroyed Hebr. 2.14 through death he destroyed him that hath the power of death that is the Divel Satan hath the power of death not as a Judge but as an Executioner and Christs death hath destroyed him not taken away his being or undivel'd him but shatter'd his Forces broken and subdued him The crucifying of Christ was the Divels plot he put Judas upon betraying him the Jews upon accusing him Pilate upon condemning him the Souldiers upon executing him but our Lord out-shot him in his own Bowe and cut off Goliah's head with Goliah's Sword It fared with Satan as it is storied of a certain Souldier who being cu iously inquisitive after the time of his death went to an Astrologer who of a long time would make him no answer till at the length overcome by his importunity he told him that he should dye within three dayes whereat the Souldier being angry draws his Sword and kills the Astrologer for which murder within three dayes compasse he was executed And thus Satan plotting the death of Christ to put by his own ruine promoted and procured it Our Saviours death gave him such a deaths wound as he will never claw off The Lyon is terrible saith Chrysostom not only awake but sleeping And so Christ not only living but dying came off a Conqueror Judg. 16.30 as Sampson at his death pulled down the pillars of the house and made a greater rout among the Philistines than in all his life and therefore it is very observable when the death of Christ approached and being in view Satan perceived how great disadvantage was like thereby to accrue to him and his Kingdome how he laid about and bestirred himself by all means possible to hinder it he put Petâ—r upon disswading him Master favour thy self and let not this be unto thee and Christ presently smelt him out in that advice as appears by his rebuke Get thee behinde me Satan Matth. 16.23 Matth. 27 19. he buzz'd dreams into the head of Pila es wife and thereby endeavoured to take him off and divert him from pronouncing the sentence upon him 6. To take away the meritorious cause of death viz. sinne And verily had all the Divels in hell been routed and sin that Divel in the bosome remain'd undisturbed it had been an inconsiderable victory God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh for sin Rom. 8.3 thaâ— is by a sacrifice for sin we have such another Ellipsis Hebr. 10.6 condemned sin in the flesh Christ by his blood wrote aâ— ill of Inditement and Condemnation against sin he sued it to an out-lary and undermiâ—ed it as to its dominion and damnation Rom. 6.10 in that he dyed he dyed unto sin once The Saints dye unto sin namely by Mortification Verse 11. Reckon ye your selves also to be dead indeed unto sin but thus there was never any alive in Christ but he dyed unto sin namely the utter ruine and undoing of sin The Messiah shall be cut off to finish transgression and make an â—nd of sins Dan. 9.24 There is a double finishing of sin by consummation and by consumption the meaning is not as though Christ compleated that which sinners had left imperfect or varnisht over those sins which came out of their hands rude and unpolished no he could neither put an hand nor set a tool to such work as this but to make an end of sin to eat into the heart and tear out the bowels of it such is Christs hatred of sin that rather than it shall live himself will dye APPLICATION Three Uses may be made of this Doctrine for 1. Information 2. Exhortation 3. Comfort Use 1 1. For Information in foure particulars 1. This lets us see the transcendent and inexpressible love of Christ to poor sinners Let such as can entertain hard thoughts of Christ look upon him as nailed to the Crosse and shedding his blood and then tell me if they do not think him in good earnest in the businesse of saving souls Oh how was his heart set upon sinners that would thus shed his heart-blood for sinners The Rabbins have a saying that upon every apex or tittle of the Law there hangs a Mountain of sense and doctrine In every drop of Christs blood there is an Ocean of love Who loved me Gal. 2.20 and gave himseâ—f for m The death of Christ was such a demonstration of love as the world never saw When God made the wordl he intended the evidence of his power he ordained hell digg'd Tophet and fill'd it with fire and brimstone and thereby manifested the severity of his jâ—stice he humbled himself to death and therein his purpose was to demonstrate the transcendency of his love this made the love of Christ of such efficacy and constraining influence upon the Apostle Paul Be ause we thus judge that if one dyed for all than were all dead 2. Cor. 5.14 When Christ once wept at Lazarus his grave by-standers made this inference upon it Behold how he loved him John 11.36 but if weeping at the grave for his death argued such love what love was it then to dye and go down into the grave for Lazarus It were an easie thing to lose our selves in this delightful Maze and Labyrinth of love the righteous Judge of all the world unrighteously accused and condemned the Lord of life was dying the eternal and ver blessed Son of God strugling with his Fathers wrath he that had said I and my Father are one crying out in his bitter agony My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He that hath the keys of hell and death lay sealed up in anothers grave Blessed and dear Saviour whither hath thy love to sinners carried thee Well might the Apostle in an holy rapture and extasie expresse himself in an elegant contradiction when he desired the Ephesians might know the love of Christ which passes knowledge Ephes 3.19 2. Hence learn the horrible and cursed evil of sin there is sure an abominable filthinesse in that which nothing but the blood of God could purge and expiate We may guesse at the depth and breadth of the sore by the plaister that is prepared and applied It s a desperate disease that requires such a desperate cure sin is an infinitely mischievous evil which nothing could remove but infinitely precious blood You that view sin in its right features and proportions take a prospect from Mount Calvary look through the perspective of Christs blood and seriously ponder the bitter and dreadful agonies of the Son of God when he sweat and bled and groaned and dyed under
to it 2. God hath ratified it by the death of his Son A mans last Will as soon as he is dead is in force and cannot then be disanulled The Covenant of Grace is a Testamentary Covenant which by the death of the Testator is so setled that there 's no altering of it Gal. 3.15 c. Hebr. 9.15 16. Again the Covenant of Grace is ratified by the seals which God hath annexed to it What was sealed by the Kings ring could not be altered Esther 8.8 God hath set his seal to this Covenant his broad seal in the Sacraments his privy seal in the witnesse of his Spirit and therefore 't is sure and cannot be reverst And further than all this 't is ratified in and by that Covenant which hath been now opened The Covenant of Redemption betwixt God and Christ secures the Covenant of Grace betwixt God and believers What God promises us he did before promise unto Christ and the Fâ—ther would not make good his promise unto Christ if he should not make good his promises to the Saints And therefore as in other respects so in this also the Covenant may be said to be confirmed of God in Christ Gal. 3.17 with respect to that paction and stipulation that was betwixt them I lay all this before you for the strengthning of your Faith as to the stability of the Covenant of Grace so long as that Covenant stands you are safe and you see there 's no question but that Covenant will stand which God hath set upon such firme pillars This promise in the Text He shall see his seed will assuredly bring every believer into heaven O that faith might triumph in the consideration of this the Covenant of grace is sure Davids Faith did so when death was in his eye and affliction in his eye Yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my salvation and all my desire 2 Sam. 23.5 When Faith begins to faint look up to this Covenant and reason thus God will not alter his promise to me but to be sure he will not alter his promise to his Son I may fail in such and such conditions but Christ hath been faithful in all every childe of God may take much comfort from this Vse 3 In the third and last place I would have you to enquire what this Covenant of Redemption is to you Here 's a blessed Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son how far are you and I interested in it or like to receive benefit by it Was it universal that all men should have an equal share in it Some very learned men I know tell us of Pactum universale betwixt the Father and the Son Daven de morte Christi c. but I crave leave to differ from them 1. Because that which they make their Pactum universale is rather a Proposition or a Promise than a Covenant as he that believeth shall be saved 2. I know not how to believe that there should be a solemn Covenant betwixt the Father and the Son upon which never any man should be the better Did ever any sinner get any thing by this universal Covenant 3. We may preach the Gospel to all upon an indefinite Proposition He that believeth shall be saved and we need not to assert an universal Covenant for the universal preaching of the Gospel This was the great reason that prevailed with these worthy men to assert such a Covenant I know no Covenant but that special Covenant into which the seed of Christ were only taken I am loth to fall into the dusty roade of Controversies all along in this Discourse where I could not avoide them I have but just cross'd them over and so presently falne in again into some more quiet and private way Passing by therefore this universal Covenant of men more moderate and the universal Redemption of others who go higher I shall only lay down that which I judge to be a great truth viz. That 't is the Elect only who are concerned in this Covenant Such and such persons there were individually considered whom God the Father in his Electing love doth freely give to Christ for these and only for these doth the Lord Jesus engage to lay down his life Redemption on the Sons part shall be no larger than Election on the Fathers part that there may be a perfect Harmony and Agreement betwixt them in their love So then Beloved if you would draw down comfort to your selves from this Covenant you must finde out this that you are the Elect of God chosen of him to be Vessels of his mercy before the world was Christ undertook to give his life only for those whom the Father had first given to him these he only pray'd for and therefore surely these he only dy'd for You 'le say I put you upon a very difficult search 't is true 't is very hard for a man to know his Election but yet it may be known otherwise the Apostle would never have urged this as a duty upon Christians To make their Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Paul knew that the Thessalonians were elected of God 1 Thess 1.4 And he did not know it by Revelation only No he gives another account of it he knew it by way of inference from what he saw of God in them Ver. 5. For our Gospel came not to you in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost c. If Election may be known by others why not by our selves I grant à parte ante so it cannot be known so the book is clâ—sped and sealed and none can open it Rev. 5.3 5. but the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah but à parte post by such and such effects and operations upon the heart so it may be known Several of these might be set before you out of the Word but I 'le only instance in the grace of Faith He that believes is certainly in the number of Gods Elect he 's a chosen Vessel of mercy All the Elect shall believe sooner or later they shall close with Christ upon the termes of the Gospel John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me there 's Election shall come to me there 's Faith Acts 13.48 As many as were ordained to eternal life believed None but the Elect can savingly believe The sum of all then for the clearing up of your interest in this Covenant of Redemption is this Have you the precious Faith of Gods Elect Are your hearts wrought up to a blessed accepting of Christ Tit. 1.1 Have you ever had such a sense of sin and guilt and misery as to go out of your selves and only to rest upon the Lord Christ Do you venture your souls upon his all-sufficient merits And is this Faith a working Faith an heart purifying Faith a sin mortifying Faith James 2.14 a world overcoming Faith a Faith that closes with Christ as a Lord Acts 15.9
to be tryed for his life he would bethink himself of all the Arguments he could to plead in his own defence we are all shortly to be tryed for our souls while others are thinking how they may grow rich let us bethink our selves how we may abide the day of Christs coming The serious thoughts of judgement would be 1. A Curben-bit to sinne am I stealing the forbidden fruit and the Assizes so neare 2. A spur to holinesse * Nihil est quod magis proficiat ad vitam honestam c. Amb. 1 Pet. 3.10 But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night seeing then all these things shall be dissolved what manner of Persons ought ye to be in all Holy Conversation 2. Branch 2. Branch Let us solemnly prepare our selves for this last and great Trial that is by setting up a judgement-seat in our own souls let us begin a private Sessions before the Assizes it is wisdome to bring our souls first to tryal Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes let us judge our selves according to the Rule of the Word and let conscience bring in the Verdict The Word of God gives several Characters of a man that shall be absolved at the day of judgement and is sure to go to Heaven Character 1 1. Character is humility Job 22.29 The Lord will save the humble person Now let conscience bring in the Verdict Christian art thou humble not only humbled but humble dost thou esteem others better than thy self Phil. 2.3 dost thou cover thy duties with the vail of Humility as Moses put a vail on his face when it shined if conscience brings in this Verdict thou art sure to be acquitted at the last day Character 2 2. Character love to the Saints 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the Brethren Love makes us like God 1 John 4.19 it is * Aug. radix omnium virtutum the root of all the graces Doth conscience witness this for you are you perfum'd with this sweet spice of love do you delight in those who have the Image of God do you reverence their graces do you bear with their infirmities do you love to see Christs picture in a Saint though hung in never so poor a frame this is a good sign that thou shalt pass for currant at the day of judgement Character 3 3. Character a penitential frame of heart Acts 11.18 Repentance unto life Repentance unravels sin and makes it not to be Jerem. 50.20 In those dayes the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none A great ball of Snow is melted and washed away with the rain great sinnes are washed away by holy tears Now can conscience bring in the evidence for thee dost thou tune the penitential string thou that hast sinn'd with Peter dost thou weep with Peter * Qui secutus es Petrum errantem sequere poenitentem Ambros and do thy tears drop from the eye of faith this is a blessed sign thou art judgement-proof and that when thy iniquities shall be sought for at the last day they shall not be found Character 4 4. Character Equity in our dealings Psa 24.3 4. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord mundus volis he that hath clean hands Injustice doth sully and defile the hand what saith conscience is thy hand clean it is a vain thâ—ng to hold the Bible in one hand and false weights in the other Beloved if conscience upon a Scripture-trial give in the verdict for us it is a blessed sign that we shall lift up our heads with boldnesse at the last day Conscience is Gods eccho in the soul the voice of conscience is the voice of God and if conscience upon an impartial trial doth acquit us God will acquit us 1 John 3.21 If our heart condemn us not 1 John 3.21 then have we confidence towards God If we are absolved in the lower Court of conscience we are sure to be absolved at the last day in the High Court of Justice It were a sweet thing for a Christian thus to bring himself to a Trial. Seneca tells us of a Romane who every day ca led himself to account quod malum sanasti what infirmity is healed wherein art thou grown better then he would lie down at night with these words O quam gratus sonnus O how sweet and refreshing is my sleep to me Use 4 Use 4. Here is a fountaine of Consolation opened to a believer and that in three Cases Consolation In case of 1. Discouraging fear 2. Weaknesse of grace 3. Censures of the world Case 1 First Here is comfort in case of discouraging fear Oh saith a believer I fear my grace is not armour of proof I fear the cause will go against me at the last day Indeed so it would if thou wert out of Christ but as in our Law-Courts the Client hath his Atturney or Advocate to plead for him so every believer by virtue of the interest hath Christ to plead his Cause for him 1 John 2.1 If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous 1 John 2.1 What though Satan be the accuser if Christ be the Advocate Christ never lost any Cause he pleaded nay his very pleading alters the nature of the cause Christ will show the debt-book crossed with his own blood and it is no matter what is charged if all be discharged here 's a Believers Comfort his Judge will be his Advocate Case 2 Secondly Here is comfort in regard of weaknesse of grace a Christian seeing his grace so desective is ready to be discouraged but at the day of judgement if Christ finde but a dram of sincerity it shall be accepted if thine be true gold though it may be light Christ will put his merits into the Scales and make it passe currant he that hath no sinne of allowance shall have graines of allowance I may allude to that Amos 9.9 Ne lapillus in terram yet shall not the least grain fall to the earth He that hath but a grain of grace not the least grain shall fall to Hell Case 3 Thirdly it is comfort in case of Censures and slanders the Saints go here through strange reports 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6.8 John Baptists Head in a Charger is a common dish now adayes 't is ordinary to bring in a Saint Beheaded of his good name but at the day of judgement Christ will unload his people of all their injuries he will vindicate them from all their calumnies Christ will be the Saints Compurgator he at that day will present his Church sine macula ruga * Eph. 5.27 not having spot or wrinkle OF HELL MATTH 25.41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand Depart from me ye Cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels IF any in the broad
THE Morning Exercise METHODIZED Or certain chief HEADS and POINTS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION Opened and Improved in divers SERMONS BY SEVERAL Ministers OF THE CITY OF LONDON In the Monthly Course of the MORNING EXERCISE at GILES in the Fields MAY 1659. Eccles 12.11 The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the Masters of Assemblies which are given from one shepheard LONDON Printed by E. M. for Ralph Smith at the sign of the Bible in Cornhil near the Royal Exchange 1660. To the Right Honourable CHARLES Earle of WARWICK NICHOLAS Earle of SCARSDALE PHILIP Lord WHARTON JOHN GLYN late Lord Chief Justice of ENGLAND Sir JOHN BROWNLOW Baronet And to the Right Worshipful JOHN CREW Esq GILES HUNGERFORD Esq JOHN PIT Esq THOMAS ROBINSON Esq And to the rest of the Nobility Gentry and others the Inhabitants of Giles in the Fields Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Right Honourable and Beloved IT is no small advantage to the holy life to begin the day with God The Saints are wont to leave their hearts with him over night that they may find them with him in the Morning when I awake I am still with thee saith holy David Psal 139.18 Before earthly things break in upon us and we receive impressions from abroad 't is good to season the heart with thoughts of God and to consecrate the Early and Virgin operations of the mind before they are prostituted to baser objects When the world gets the start of Religion in the Morning it can hardly overtake it all the day and so the heart is habituated to vanity all the day long but when we begin with God we take him along with us to all the businesses and comforts of the day which being seasoned with his love and fear are the more sweet and savory to us If there were no other benefit of the Morning Exercise than to be an help to us in this setting the mind on work upon holy things before it receive taint from the world and the distraction of our ordinary affairs it should upon that account be a very welcome guest to our dwellings But there are other benefits not a few that do attend it wherever it goes namely that it hath become an happy occasion through Gods blessing of manifesting the Unity and Brotherly accord of the Ministers of this City whilest by their mutual labours they strengthen one anothers hands in the Lords work and by a joynt testimony confirm those truths which each one apart dispenceth to his own Auditory for in the mouth of two or three Witnesses shall every word be established 2 Cor. 13.1 Besides that by the course which this Exercise hath hitherto held each Auditory cometh to have a taste of the several gifts which one and the same Spirit dispenseth for the use of edifying and this not without some conformity to the antient pattern Other fruits and advantages of the Morning Exercise see in the Introduction Serm. 1. towards the end where the several Congregations of the same City were not plures Ecclesiae Collaterales divers Sister-Churches but one and the same Church meeting by parts in several places fed and supplied by Officers in common who by turns in each place dispenced the word to them having their Government in common Now this Morning Exercise hath the Lord once and again sent amongst you there is a Providence that goeth along with Ordinances the journeys of the Apostles were directed by the Spirit as well as their doctrines Acts 16.7 The course of this Exercise though it hath been ordered by mans choice yet not without Gods direction To you is this word of Salvation sent saith holy Paul Acts 13.26 not come or brought but SENT and that as a message from our heavenly Father without whose providnece a Sparrow falleth not to the ground Now it concerneth you to see what use you will make of it Sermons dye not with the breath in which they were uttered If the dust of the Preachers feet bear witnesse against the despisers of the Gospel their Sermons much more Matth. 10.14 15. Wherever the Word is preached 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for a testimony how for a testimony either to them Matth. 24.14 or against them Mark 13.9 God keepeth exact account or reckoning what means and advantages each place or people have enjoyed Three years have I come seeking fruit Luke 13.7 alluding to the three years of his own Ministry which then were fully elapsed This SECOND Miracle did Jesus in Canaan of Galilee John 4.54 He taketh notice of a first and a second so 2 Pet. 3.1 This SECOND Epistle write I unto you and Jer. 25.3 These THREE AND TWENTY years have I spoken the Word of the Lord rising early c. You see God keeps a Memorial how many years the Gospel hath been amongst a people yea every day is upon account for so it is added even unto this day What pressing Exhortations you have had how many and how long you have enjoyed them all is upon the File therefore it concerneth you to see that all this be not without fruit and some notable good effect that your account may be with joy and not with grief and shame The rather I urge this because the Exercises of this Month have not been ordinary Morning Exercises but all the Arguments were picked and chosen as the Preacher sought to finde out acceptable words even words of truth Eccl. 12.10 and disposed into a certain order for the greater benefit It is observed that the Psalms of David that are alphabetically disposed are most exact in the composure so I hope I may say without offence these Sermons digested into a method are the more accurate with what perspicuity and strength they are managed as to the Doctrinal part and with what warmth and vigour as to the Application I cannot speak being strictly enjoyned silence by my Brethrens severe modesty but the World will judge and you I hope will evidence by your own growth in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ These Sermons which with so greedy attention you formerly heard with the hearing of the ear are now written for a memorial and that they may be subjected to your view and more deliberate consideration I say they are written not only for the Churches use but yours in special and oh that they may be written upon your hearts engraven there with a durable Character such as shall never be defaced Honourable and Beloved I hope I need not presse any of you to get these books into your houses I can easily presume it of the abler sort amongst you and would earnestly presse it upon the meanest even the servants in your Families that they would abate not only of superfluous expences but deny themselves somewhat even of their ordinary conveniences to purchase these Sermons which if the Ministry should fail a judgement which England was never in such danger
clearly implies there were that did say so 3. A third principle he layes down is the doctrine of original corruption even in the regenerate themselves (c) Pelagiani negant originate peccatum Aug. cont Mendac Against those that taught the * Pelagiani Aug. contr Mend. total abolition of original sin in and by Baptisme or that denied the being or at least the damnable nature of it Verse 8. If we say we have no sin c. 4. The necessity of confession of sin not only against them (d) Epiphanius calls the Novatians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 murderers of repentance Basil de poenit that decried repentance for sin and confession of sin but against them that denied pardon to them (e) Montanistae Novatiani Jerom. Ep. ad Marcel de erroribus Montani that repent If we confesse our sinnes he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins c. 5. He asserts the doctrine of actual sinne in the regenerate against them that affirmed that (f) The Simonians Gnosticks and other hereticks of that age taught that there was no sin but unbelief that to the justified all things were clean however they live vid. Aug. de perfectione justi c. 21 Clem. Alex. c. conceived the Apostles after the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them nullis esse peccatis aut passionibus ohnoxii Joviniani docebant justum nec leviter peccare a justified person could not sin or which is the same that God sees no sin in his children If we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyar c. If we say we have no sin there 's the denial of original sin if we say we have not sinned there 's the denial of actual sin both make up the great heresie of the (g) Catharists in the third Centurie after Christ Catharists who held perfection in this life 6. The Apostle vindicates the preceptive obligation of the moral Law even over justified persons Against the Antinomian (h) The Simonians Carpocratians Marcionites Maniches did not only deny the moral law but curse and blaspheme it as given not by God but by some unlucky nature heresie which presumptuously breaketh even that yoke also from the neck of the Disciples Chap. 2. verse 3 4 5. Hereby we know that we love him if we keep his Commandments So early were these poysonous weeds sprung up in the Church of God The other Module which the Apostle layeth down is a Catalogue of Gospel-evidences certain marks and signs of an interest in Christ A Catalogue of Scripture-evidences and of a right and title to life eternal such as these 1. Obedience to Gods Commandments ut sup 2. Contempt of the world Ch. 2.15 3. Stedfastnesse in the doctrine of the Gospel verse 8 19 20 24. 4. Conformity to Jesus Christ in holinesse ch 3. ver 3. 5. Mortification 6 7 8 10. 6. Love to the Saints verse 14. and chapter 5.2 10 11. 7. A believing confession * Most blasphemously denied by the Simonians Chrystolites Pâ—oâ—tâ—es c. Aug. de haeres of Gods sending Jesus Christ into the world as the promised Messias with love to him and thankfulnesse for him chap. 4. In the four first verses of the fifth chapter we have no lesse than seven evidences each lincking in with the other and bearing witnesse to the other As 1. You have faith in Christ bearing witnesse to Regeneration Whosoever believeth c. is born of God 2. Love to God bearing witnesse to faith He that loveth him that begat c. 3. Love to the Saints bearing witnesse to our love of God He loveth him also that is begotten Augustine understands it of our love to Christ but the Context expounds it of our love to the Saints for so it followeth ver 2. where we have 4. Love to God reciprocally witnessing our love to the Saints Hereby we know we love the children of God when we love God 5. Obedience to Gods Commandments bearing witnesse again to our love And keep his Commandments 6. Delight testifying the truth of our obedience His Commandments are not grievous 7. And lastly Victory over the world bearing witnesse to Regeneration For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world Verse 4. It were easie out of this and the other two subsequent Epistles to compleat the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gospel EVIDENCES which are not thus expresly delineated that by them only the Church might describe her members as some loose and vaine spirits fancy but for the members of the Church to try and examine themselves by whither they be real and living members yea or no. It were easie I say to adde to the Catalogue but I have insisted too long upon the first demonstration sc Scripture Pattern I come now to the second demonstration namely The advantages of such Modules 1. For the Ornament of the truth The excellency and advantage of such Forms and Collections of Evangelical truths And In the first place it addes much to the beauty and ornament of the truth whither it be delivered from the Pulpit or from the Press in such Systemes and Platforms the Hearer or Reader may as in a Map or Table sometimes of one sort sometimes of another behold divine truths standing one by another in their Method and Connexion mutually casting light and lustre upon each other Every truth single is very precious and indeed of infinite value as purchased with and ratified in the blood of Christ but to see the truths of the Gospel linked together in their proper union facing one another like the Cherubims Exod. 25.20 is very glorious As the stones of the Temple when they were squared and polished in the Forrest were very costly for both matter and workmanship but when they were layd into the building and formed up into a Temple what a beautiful and magnificent structure did they make The Disciples beholding it Luk. 21.5 were filled with delight and wonder The Curtains of the Sanctuary each by themselves were very rich both for their materials and curious Embroyderies but had you seen them in their Connecture each Curtain fastned to the other with taches of gold and so making up one entire perfect Tabernacle sparkling and shining in all its native spendour it would have been a ravishing sight The very representation of many Countries in one Nation of many Nations in one of the divisions or quarters of the world and of all the quarters described in one Globe or Map it is very delightful to the eye of an intelligent beholder at once discovering the scite and cognation the Longitude and Latitude the distance and degree of every Kingdome and County such globes and tables are full of delight and profit It is in a most eminent manner observable in the Creation of the world of every single days work it is said God saw that it was good but when the whole Compages of heaven and earth was set together into
Magistrates themselves under terrors for their vitious actions and those who are not subject to any humane Tribunal why do they with such fury reflect upon themselves for their crimes certainly it proceeds from hence that natural conscience dreads the supreme Judge seeing nothing is able to shelter them from his Tribunal nor restrain his power when he will take vengeance on them In vain doth the Atheist reply that these fears are the product of a common false opinion which is conveyed by education to wit that there is a God who is provoked by sin and that ignorance increases these terrors as little children fear bug-bears in the dark for 't is certain First That no Art or endeavour can totally free a sinner from these terrors whereas groundlesse fears are presently scattered by reason and this argues there is an inviolable principle in nature which respects a God We know there is nothing more disturbs the spirit than fear and every person is an enemy to what torments him hence the sinner labours to conquer conscience that he may freely indulge himself in sin but this is impossible for conscience is so essential that a soul cannot be a soul without it and so inseparable that death it self cannot divorce a man from it perire nec sine te nec tecum potest it can neither dye with the sinner nor without him 't is true the workings of it are unequal as the pulse doth not always beat alike but sometimes more violent and sometimes more remisse so this spiritual pulse is not always in equal motion sometimes it beats sometimes it intermits but returns again those scorners who run a course of sin without controule and seem to despise hell as a meer notion yet they are not free from inward gripes conscience arrests them in the Name of that God whom they deny although they are without faith they are not without fear desperate sinners ruffle it for a time and drench themselves in sensual pleasures to quench that scintilla animae that vital spark which shines and scorches at once but all in vain for it happens to them as to Malefactors who for a time drown the apprehension of their danger in a Sea of drink but when the fumes are evaporated and they seriously ponder their offences they tremble in the fearful expectation of the Axe or Gallows A sinner may conceal his fears from others and appear jolly and brave when conscience stings him with secret remorse as a Clock seems to be calme and still to the eye but 't is full of secret motions within under a merry countenance there may be a bleeding heart To conclude so far is a sinner from being able to quench these terrors that many times the more they are opposed the more powerful they grow thus many who for a time breathed nothing but defiances to conscience and committed sin with greedinesse yet conscience hath with such fury returned upon them that they have run from profanesse to superstition as fugitive slaves are forc't back to their Masters and serve in the vilest Drudgery fearing severe punishments 2. The best men who enjoy a sweet calmness and are not disquieted with the terrors of conscience they abhor that Doctrine which discards the fear of a Deity so that those who are most freed from these terrors believe them to be radicated in nature and grounded upon truth and those who esteem them vain are most furiously tormented with them in which respect the Divine goodnesse shines forth in the greatest lustre towards those who love and fear him and his justice against those who contemn it thus Caligula who was the boldest Atheist in the world yet when it thundred ran with trembling under his bed as if God from heaven had summoned him to judgement whereas Socrates who was the Heathens Martyr died with the same tranquility of spirit wherein he lived 3. 'T is worthy of our serious thoughts that these terrors of conscience are most dreadful when the sinner approaches death the sense of guilt which before was smothered is then revived conscience like a sleeping Lyon awakes and destroys at once experience tâ—lls us many sinners who have lived in a sencelesse dye in a desperate manner and from whence doth this proceed but from the presages of a future judgement conscience anticipates the vengeance of God then the Alarums are encreast and the storme is more violent for the soul being sensible of its immortal nature extends its fears to Eternity and trembles at him who lives for ever and can punish for ever Argument 3. The consent of Nations agrees in the belief of a God although the Gentiles did grossely mistake the life and essence of the infinite Deity imagining him to be of some humane forme and weaknesse and in this respect were without God in the world yet they conspired in the acknowledgement of a Divinity the multiplicity of their false gods strengthens the Argument it being clear they would rather have any God then none and this belief cannot be an imposture because 't is First Universal What Nation so barbarous as not to worship a God certainly that which is common to all men hath a foundation in nature Secondly 't is perpetual falshoods are not long lived but the Character and Impression of God is indelibly sealed upon the spirits of men Thus we see the Universal Reason of the World to Determine there is a God 2. The Scripture proves there is a God to faith Psal 19. David speaking of the double manifestation of God by his Works and his Word appropriates a converting power to the Word this exceeds the discovery of God in the Creation in respect of its clearnesse and efficacy Psalme 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name There are more apparent Characters of Gods Attributes and Perfections in the Scripture than in the Book of Nature in the Creation there is Vestigium the foot-print of God but in the Word there is Imago his Image and lively Representation As the Angels when they assumed visible bodies and appeared unto men yet by the brightnesse and Majesty of their appearance discovered themselves to be above an humane Original so the Scriptures although conveyed to us in ordinary language and words yet by their authority and sanctity evidence their Divine descent and that there is a holy and righteous God from whom they proceed There is a vehement Objection urged by Atheists in all Ages against a Divine Providence and consequently against Gods Being We may hear the Tragedian thus resenting it Sed cur idem Qui tanta regis sub quo vasti Pondera mundi librata suos Ducunt orbes hominum nimium Securus ades non sollicitus Prodesse bonis nocuisse malis Senec. Hippol. The afflicted state of innocency and goodnesse and the prosperous state of oppression and wickednesse Honest men suffer whilest the unrighteous and profane swim in the Streames of Prosperity hence they concluded fortuna certa aut incerta
God grounded upon the perswasion of his glorious being and the goodnesse of his nature which is not terrible to them but when they consider his mercy is a holy mercy and that it is never dispenc't to the prejudice of his justice though they cannot hate God for his goodnesse directly yet they hate him with it for although he is the perfection of beauty and goodnesse it self yet they being evil there is no congruity or conveniency between God and them they love sin and hate punishment Now God as Author legis by the most strict Laws forbids sin and as ultor peccati inflicts severe punishments from hence it proceeds the most lovely and sweet Attributes of God cannot endear him to them no more than the natural or moral excellencies of a Judge the comelinesse of his person or his wisdome and knowledge can draw forth the love of a Malefactor when he is condemned by him Moreover since the general nature of sin is an eternal contrariety to the nature and will of God the love of it must needs argue the hatred of God for as the Lord Jesus requires an universal chearful and constant obedience as the most clear evidence of love to him if you love me keep my Commandments So the Argument will be as strong to conclude backward If you keep not Gods Commandments you hate him to live in the practice of known sinnes is a vertual and interpretative hatred of God 2. The benefits which God bestows upon us deserve our love How great an endearment did he passe upon us in our Creation we might have been admitted into the lowest form of Creatures and have only enjoyed the life of flies or worms but he made us little lower than the Angels and Crowned us with glory and honour and gave us dominion over all the works of his hands Psal 8.5 Whereas the rest of the Creatures were the acts of his power the Creation of man was an act of power and wisdome in all the rest there was nothing but he spake the word and they were made Psal 148.5 But in the making of man there was a consultation about it Gen. 1. Let us make man he framed our bodies so that all the parts conspire for the ornament and service of the whole Psal 139.15 Thine eye did see my substance being yet imperfect and in thy book were all my members written and therefore Lactantius said truly hominem non patrem esse sed generandi Ministrum man is only the instrument which the Lord doth use for the effecting of his purpose to raise the beautiful Fabrick of mans body Now if we are obliged to expresse the dearest love to our Parents with how much greater reason should we love God who is the fountain of all our beings He hath breathed into man a spiritual immortal rational soul which is more worth than the whole World this is in some sort a spark and ray of Divine brightnesse 't is capable of Gods Image 't is a fit Companion for Angels to joyne with them in the praises of God and enjoy a blessed eternity with them 'T is capable of communion with God himself who is the fountain of life and happinesse The soul is endowed with those faculties which being terminated upon God it enjoys an infinite and everlasting blessednesse The understanding by knowledge rests in God as the first and highest in genere veri the will by love embraces him as the last and greatest in genere boni and so receives perfection and satisfaction which is the incommunicable priviledge of the rational soul Beasts can only converse with drossy and material objects they are confined to earthly things but the soul of man may enjoy the possession and fruition of God who is the Supreme and Soveraign good Now this should inflame our love to God he formed our bodies he inspired our souls Moreover if we consider our lives we shall finde a chain of mercy which reaches from one end to the other of them How many Miracles of Providence do we enjoy in our preservation how many unseen dangers do we escape how great are our daily supplies The provisions we receive do serve not only for necessity but for delight every day we have the provisions of meat and drink not only to cure hunger and all our thirst but to refresh the heart and to make us chearful in our work every houre is filled up with the bounties of God Now what shall we render to the Lord for all his benefits he desires our love this is the most proper return we can make for love is of an opening and expansive quality calling forth the heart our love within should break forth to close with Gods love without the love of obedience in us with the love of favour and bounty in him 'T is a principle of nature deeply implanted in the hearts of men to return love for love nay the very Beasts are not deficient in this Esay 1.3 The Oxe knows his Owner and the Asse his Masters Crib Those Creatures which are of all the most stupid and heavy respect their Feeders and expresse dumb signs of love unto them How much more should we love God who spreads our Table fills our Cup and causes his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall on us 'T is an Argument of Secret Atheisme in the heart that in the confluence of mercies we enjoy we do not look up to the Author of them as if common mercies were the effects of Chance and not of Providence if a man constantly relieves our wants we judge it the most barbarous disingenuity not to repay love to him but God loads us with his benefits every day his wisdome is always busied to serve his mercy and his mercy to serve our necessities but we are insensible and unaffected and yet the meanest mercy as it comes from God hath an excellency stamp't upon it We should upbraid our souls for our coldnesse to God everywhere we encounter sensible demonstrations of his love to us in every moment of our lives we have some pledges of his goodnesse Let us light our Torch at this Mountain of fire let the renewed act of his bounty constrain us to love him we should love him for his excellency though we had no benefit by him nay though he hated us we are bound to love him as he is truly amiable in himself how much more when he draws us with the cords of a man with bands of love whosoever requites the love of God with hatred as every impenitent sinner doth puts off the nature of man and degenerates into a Divel 2. Fear this is that eternal respect which is due to our Creator an humble reverence we owe to him as he is infinitely above us the holy Angels cover their faces when they have the clearest views of his glory Esay 6.1 2 3. The Lord is represented as sitting on a Throne and the Seraphims stood about each having six wings with twain he covered his
it First This book presses holinesse and godlinesse so as never did any in the world before nor since and gives such Arguments for it as never was heard of nor the wit of man could ever have thought of He that would walk in the Wildernesse of Paganism might hear and there spy a flower growing amongst many weeds now and then a Philosopher that gives you some good directions that concern righteousnesse and external behaviour but the Scripture is a garden wherein whatsoever hath been recommended by all the sober men in the world is put together and wherein they were defective that 's there made up for they were defective especially in this one great point deep humility and though you shall finde many things that concern the exercise of some Christian graces yet in the real practice of humility a man would wonder how incredibly they fell short But as for the Scripture what would you have it bids you live soberly righteously godly Tit. 2.12 it bids you lie at Gods feet as his creature to do with you what he will it would have you like God himself that 's the end of the promises that we should partake of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 it bids you be holy as God is holy 1 Pet. 1.15 it charges upon you whatever thing is good is just is lovely Phil. 4.8 it commands your very thoughts it 's so far from suffering you to do hurt to your brother as not to suffer you to think hurt it 's so far from allowing to act rapine and injustice as not to allow to do any thing that savours of coveting it binds the very heart and soul O what a place of universal calmnesse would this world be should all serve one another in love should all study each others good we should never do injury if any did we should forgive him we should endeavour to be perfect as God is Trypho calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore the Jew could not but say the precepts of the Gospel were wonderful great excellent and transcendent indeed Behold the Scripture is a doctrine according to godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.3 truth according to godlinesse Tit. 1.1 the mystery of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 so that in one word whatever God would think fit for man to do to that God that made him whatever is fit for a sinner to do to a holy God against whom he hath trangressed and between man and man all that is the designe of the Scripture And what the Scripture thus commends it presses by incomparable Arguments shall I name a few 1. Behold God is manifested in the flesh for this purpose 1 Tim. 3.16 Is it nothing sinner that thou wilt live foolishly vainly what wilt thou think to see God dwelling in humane nature to see God live a poor scorned reproached contemned life intimating this great truth that it 's not so unseemly a thing for the Sonne of God himself to live a poor miserable life as 't is for a man to be an impenitent sinner if you remain a wilful and impenitent sinner thou wouldst in thy pride be like God and have no Superiour above thee Behold God condescends and becomes like to thee that if possible he might bring thee back again thou that art a sinner suspectest whether God will do thee good behold how close he comes to thee he dwells in thy own nature 2. Behold the beloved Sonne of God dying upon the Crosse for thee What would you think if any of your Parents should suffer their childe to dye on the behalf of an enemy would you not think it should move that enemy Behold my Sonne in whom I am well-pleased methinks God takes not a quarter of that content in the whole Creation which he does when he speaks of his Sonne yet this Sonne suffered for sinne the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 methinks this love should constrain us 2 Cor. 5.14 Poor soul thou art ready to think God is become thine enemy when sicknesse and death comes thou art ready to say hast thou found me O mine enemy here 's trouble in the world how shall I know whether God intends good Behold it 's beyond peradventure God intends good to a sinner because he dwelt in our nature and his Sonne dyed for us and his Sonne felt pain and infirmity and therefore he may love thee and you need not question any thing of this nature is a hindrance of Gods love the case of a sinner is not so desperate but that a man may be accepted and loved of God for Christs sake will not this move you 3. You have promises of eternal life and threatnings of eternal misery Never did any Philosopher or any other man threaten If you will not observe such and such precepts I l'e throw you into eternal torments nor never did any man say I will give you such glory in heaven but the Scripture does behold life and immortality are brought to light by Christ there 's a future resurrection and this body is like an old house pull'd down by and by it will be a brave building again a spiritual body and we shall shine like the Sunne in the Firmament and be equal to the Angels of God Matth. 13.43 and he like God and Christ Now we know not what we shall be but when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.1 2. And having this hope who would not purifie himself even as God is pure who would not live soberly righteously and godly looking for that blessed hope c If you did but apprehend this glory Tit. 2 13 were not your minde senselesse its impossible you could be quiet without getting an interest in it And how great the day of judgment will be it tells you how our thoughts words and actions and every thing we go about shall come under a severe scrutiny 4. The worth of our souls we minde our bodies but a soul is better than a world The Scripture saith the Sonne of God dyed for souls we never understood so much what souls were wor h as now we do when we see God taking such care and having such designs and thoughts from all eternity 5. The fairest and the most reasonable condition of eternal happinesse and the greatest strength to perform it that 's offer'd in the Gospel Suppose we were sensible we were liable and obnoxious to Gods wrath and could go to heaven and beseech God that he would be pleased not to execute that wrath upon us do but think what terms you would be willing to propose to God would you come and say Lord punish me not for what is past though I intend to do the same thing but he that should say Lord forgive me I am sorry for that which is done and it shall be the businesse of my life to live more circumspectly to thee this is the great thing the Scripture proposes
thereof thou shalt surely dye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. Dying thou shalt dye THe next head in the body of our Religion which falls this Morning to be spoken to in Course is Gods Covenant made with Adam before the fall which we call a Covenant of Works and we ground our Discourse upon the Text read to you When God would communicate his goodnesse to the creatures he made the world out of nothing for his own glory but especially man after his Image this inferiour world he provided for mans house and habitation but he dresseth and trimmeth one part for him especially and calls it Paradise In the Paradise or pleasant Garden he was not to live idly but must dresse and keep it In the midst of all mans enjoyments which the Lord allows him with a liberal hand yet he lets him know withall he was under subjection though Lord of all and therefore gives him a command obsequii examen obedientiae quoddam rudimentum Calvin a test and tryal of his obedience to which God trains him up As Lords when they let out their Lands to Husbandmen reserve somewhat to themselves which the Tenants are not to meddle with that they may have some check upon them Muscul so God here That which the Lord commands Adam was no hard matter he grants him a vast latitude to eat of all freely Oecol only one sort excepted in which exception as God was not envious to him as the Envious One suggested so was not this Commandment grievous to him Object It may be objected from 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law is not made for a righteous man why then for Adam in his righteousnesse Resol Paul means good men do not so need the Law as bad men do for good Laws rose from evil manners yet in a sense the Law is given for righteous men not to justifie them for it finds them justified already and past the condemnation of the Law it finding them also sanctified Beza it treats them not as enemies but leads them and delights them consenting to it This serves to explode the errour of Antinomians and Libertines so then God to declare his Soveraignty and mans subjection gave Adam though innocent a Law Mark how God bound mans obedience with a double fence first he fenced him with a free indulgence to eat of all but one this was an Argument to his ingenuity secondly by a severe prohibition upon pain of death by the first the Lord wooes him by love by the second he frights him by the terrour of his justice and bids him touch it if he durst Observe among all the Trees of the Garden there are two here mentioned in a more peculiar manner the Tree of life and the Tree of knowledge which are called by Divines two Sacraments in a large sense in which sense also the Ark of Noah the fire which descended and burn't the Sacrifice Polanius the Baptisme of the Red Sea and Cloud the Manna the water out of the Rock the pouring out of the blood of the Sacrifices the Land of Canaan the Tabernacle Temple Ark of the Testimony the propitiatory the golden Candlestick the twelve stones taken out of Jordan with the pool of Bethesda all these I say in a large sense are Sacramental Symbols of the Covenant of Grace or extraordinary Sacraments but the Tree of knowledge and Tree of life are called Sacraments of the Covenant of works By these the Lord did signifie and seal to our first Parents that they should alwayes enjoy that happy state of life in which they were made upon condition of obedience to his Commandments i. e. in eating of the Tree of life and not eating of the Tree of knowledge For it was called the Tree of life not because of any native property and peculiar vertue it had in it self to convey life but Symbolically Morally and Sacramentally it was a sign and obsignation to them of life natural and spiritual to be continued to them as long as they continued in obedience unto God Aug. In like manner the Tree of knowledge of good and evil was spoken from the sad event and experience they had of it as Sampson had of God departed from him when he left his Nazaritish haire by Dalilah Now that a Covenant of Works lay in this Commandment is clear 1. Because that was the condition of mans standing and life as it is expresly declared 2. Because in the breach of that Commandment given him he lost all This obedience as it was Characteristical to Adams Covenant and Contradistinguished to the Covenant of Grace was perfect personal and perpetual In a sense though different from the other those three things are required in our obedience under the Covenant of Grace not in reference to the Covenant nor to justification neither is our personal righteousnesse perfect I mean legally yet is it perfect though not in us but in our surety neither was the Covenant made primarily with us but with him and with us in him and on his account even as God made the Covenant of Works primarily with Adam and with us in him as our head inclusively Now for our better opening this doctrine to you I shall propound and answer some questions 1. What is meant by Covenant 2. What ground we have to call it Adams Covenant or a Covenant of Works 3. Wherein doth the Nature and Tenour of it consist 4. Whether the Covenant of Works was revived and repeated to Israel 5. How long it lasted whither till now unto any Quest 1. What is meant by Covenant name and thing Answ The word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Berith which hath a threefold derivation very fit to be taken notice of for clearing of the nature of the Covenant 1. From Barah to choose because the persons are chosen between whom the Covenant or Agreement is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Indeed Gods Covenant with man is not only with his elect and chosen ones but a fruit and effect of our election yea the Lord doth encline our wills to make choice of him and of his terms I have made a Covenant with my chosen so again Choose you whom ye will serve ye are witnesses against your selves this day Psal 89.3 Josh 24.15 22 that you have chosen the Lord. 2. Or else this word Berith Covenant may be taken from Barah to eat Illyricus because they were wont to eat together of the Sacrifice slain and provided at the making of the Covenant at which time they had a Feast hence the Apostle speaking of the Eucharist the signe and seal of the Covenant and which is a spiritual Food and Feast upon a Covenant account saith This Cup is the New Testament or New Covenant in my blood 1 Cor. 11.25 3. Or from Bathar to cut and divide asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by transposing a letter for so the sacrifice was divided and the Covenanting parties were to passe
shewed the expiation of sin and therefore their Sacrifices were killed and the blood shed and sprinkled Heb. 9.22 23. 2. The Covenant at Mount Sinai was not made with all without exception as Adams was but only with a select people even with Israel 3. Because the Lord still puts them in minde of his promise to Abraham which included Christ and faith in him Gal. 3.16 17. and was not null by the Law Quest 5. The last question is how long this Covenant lasted and whither any be under a Covenant of Works Answ Most strictly it was but to the giving of the first promise for then the Covenant of Grace began but was more largely and clearly revealed till the coming of Christ by the Law and the Prophets but was most perspicuously and fully by Christ himself in his doctrine and death and by the abundant pouring out of his Spirit Howbeit all along and to this day every natural man is under a Covenant of Works because out of Christ therefore under the Law and the curse of it for which cause the Covenant of Works is by some called the Covenant of nature Faedus naturae Again all they which look for righteousnesse and salvation by the power of their wills by the strength of nature and by performance of duties as Jews Turks Philosophers Papists Socinians Gal. 4.24 25. Pelagians these are all under a Covenant of Works they are not under grace they are of Hagar the Bond-woman of Mount Sinai which answers to Jerusalem which now is which is in bondage with her children as the Apostle speaks in his elegant Allegory I come now to draw some Corollaries from this doctrine of the Covenant of Works thus propounded in a practical way of application and that briefly Corol. 1. It serves for admiration to wonder with a holy astonishment at the Lords infinite condescending love in making a Covenant with poor man 1. Because it was a free act in him to do it he lay under no compulsion to it Rom. 9.15 16. nothing of merit or profit in a despicable worme appears as a motive to it it was a royal act of glorious grace from the King of heaven to vile creatures O wonderful 2. Because as it was free for him to do it so he bound his hands by it and as it were lost his freedome by it for his truth holds him fast to it Hebr. 6.18 by which its impossible for him to change O wonderful 3. He made the first offer he prevented us by his grace he loved us first 1 John 4.10 19. all this appeared in the first Covenant with us Bullinger de fâ—â—dere Dei unios aeterno in vouchsafing us to make any at all with him Ineffabilis misericordiae Divinae Argumentum quod ipsum numen ipse inquam Deus Aeternus faedus ipsum primus offert nullis ad hoc hominum meritis adactus sed merâ nativâ bonitate impulsus nec scio an humanum ingenium hoc mysterium vel plenè toncipere vel dignis laudibus evehere possit Unspeakable mercy that the eternal God should first offer to league with us moved to it by no merit in us but by his own native goodnesse only a mystery which the minde of man cannot conceive nor his tongue praise to the worth of it thus a grave Authour which will the more inhance the love of God if we 4. Consider that he makes Covenant upon Covenant after breaches and forfeitures renews them again and ratifies them stronger than ever as he did the new Covenant after the old was broken by our high and hainous provocation in the fall and which he doth to every elect soul in the Sacraments and after grosse and grievous Apostasies See Jerem. 3.1 Ezek. 16.60 61 62 63. Hos 2. O admire and adore this love Corol. 2. Seeing there are two Covenants on foot one of Works another of grace and very many yea the farre greatest part of the world are under a Covenant of Works which is a most sad and doleful estate because a state of wrath and death a most wretched and accursed condition O try under what Covenant thou art for if thou art in the state of sinful nature a sprowt of old Adam never yet cut off from his root of bitternesse nor graffed into Christ thou art undone to be under such a Covenant is to be an enemy to God and to be lyable to all his plagues O make haste then and flee as a Post and as the young Roe into Christs Armes For consider how thou canst stand before the Bar of God in thy sins in thy nakednesse Adam fled away from the presence of God afraid and ashamed hiding himself in the Thicket because he was naked but where wilt thou hide thy nakednesse in that dreadful day of the Lord there will be no shelter in that day for a sinner Corol. 3. Labour to understand and discern aright the nature tenour and termes of both Covenants 1. Because they are easiiy mistaken and many do mistake them Rom. 10.2 3. 2. Because the mistake is dangerous like a man in the dark as he travels findes two wayes one way is wrong Prov. 14.12 yet it seems as good and safe as the other he goes on in the wrong which leads him to a Rock where he falls down headlong and breaks his neck so many a poor soul imagines he is under a Covenant of Grace and in a safe way to heaven when alas he is yet under a Covenant of Works and in the high-way to hell Labour then to discern the difference search Scriptures and thy own heart go to the Lord by prayer Job 33.23 and to his M nisters that they may shew thee thy way lest thou go on to thy destruction And therefore Corol. 4. Improve the Covenant of works for the conviction of sin righteousness and judgement for till the Lord lets thee see what it is to be under such a state thou wilt never see the evil of it nor ever desire to change it Corol. 5. Renounce thy Covenants with sin Satan and creatures or else thou wilt never be admitted into Covenant with God if thou break not with them God will never close with thee if thou be a Covenant-servant to them thou art no Covenant-servant of the Lords for how canst thou serve those two Masters Matth. 6.24 1 Joh. 2.15 16. God and Mammon both which crave thy whole man and thy whole work and which are utterly inconsistent with each other Corol. 6. Labour to relieve thy self under thy greatest straits and sears by Covenant promises I mean the promises of the new Covenant which are called better promises Hebr. 8.6 10 11 12. Joh. 15. because absolute prâ—mises because they work that in us and for us which God requires of us when of our selves we can do nothing As the new Covenant is the best Covenant and the promises of it the best promises Isa 55.3 Acts
and off-spring we expected that the beauty of his mind the harmony of his will the holinesse of his desires the absolutenesse of his Soveragnty should have fallen to us as a Princely inheritance and therefore Adam falling it is but just that the entaile of sin and death should be fixed upon us 3. Now the third thing to be opened in the finishing of which the doctrinal part will be dispatcht is to shew that Adams sin is not propagated to us by imitation but by generation against the heretical Pelagian And this shall be briefly coucht under the evidence of a five-fold Argument Arg. 1 Arg. 1. As our Divines seasonably observe Christs righteousnesse is not only proposed to us to be imitated we should then all fall sho t in writing after the copy but those that lay hold on his righteousnesse by faith they are changed and renewed in their minds there is a physical communication of this righteousness they feele the power of his death in the crucifying of their lusts and the vertue of his resurrection in their newnesse of minde and life Rom. 6.5 Phil. 3.10 as the Apostle most pathetically So Adams sin is not only our Copy but our corruption it doth not only seduce but defile our natures not only entice but condemne our persons Adam was not only a sinful pattern but a sinful Parent the plague of his sin hath infected the humane nature not only me but man-kind Arg. 2 Arg. 2. Baptisme that is administred to little ones to our infants it cannot be thought to blot out sins of imitation for they are guilty of none then Baptisme would in vaine be administred to our infants and this raises the feud of Anabaptists against this great truth of Original sin They deny the sin of Infants that they may deny the Baptisme Now we cannot conceive that tha blessed Ordinance of Infant Baptisme should be administred for no designs and purposes and why doth the Apostle call Baptisme the Laver of Regeneration Tit. 3.5 were there no stain in Infants what need of a Laver or of washing Arg. 3. And as Ambrose observes David ait ante usuram lucis Ambrose se accipere originis injuriam David complains that he lay under the stain of original sin before he was blest with the first light of the Sun he was dog'd with native corruption when the womb bore him it bore a living but a leprous childe he was wrap't in sin before he was wrapt in swadling cloaths Arg. 3 Arg. 4. And how many offend in the world who think nothing of Adam they transgresse and look not on his Copy And what is murder so often acted in the world to the earing of an Apple What proportion is there between those two Sins Adams eating of an Apple and Cains shedding of his brothers blood How many transgressours are there in the world that ne-ever heard of his offence or that ever there was such a man in the world whom did Philosophers imitate in their sin that opinionated the world to be eternal as Aristotle and his followers Arg. 4 Arg. 5. And that Argument of a learned man is most considerable Si peccatum originis sit tantùm ab imitatione Paulus non dixisset ex Adamo fluxisse peccatum sed à Diabolo quia ipse peccandi exemplum dedit i. e. If original sin were only propagated in a way of imitation Paul would never have said that sin entred the world by Adam but by Satan for he set the first pattern of sinning And now the doctrinal part is dispatch't I shall only annex some few things for the clearer evidence of this truth Arg. 5 1. If the guilt of Adams sin be not imputed to us why do our Infants of en labour under the wracking torments of some distempers and why often is the Cradle turn'd into a Coffin why come they crying and moaning into the world why doth palenesse of face plenteousnesse of tears and a multiplicâ—ty of diseases seize upon them as the prisoners of sin Surely God cannot forget the bowels of a Father this could not befall our Infants were not the hand of justice armed with sin and guilt let us not conceive God trying practice upon poor moaning innocents 2. If Adams sin be not inherent in us why have we not free will to good why do we not naturally burn in love to Jesus Christ and flourish with all vivacity in duty why flye we not to the Sanctuary as to our Paradise but on the contrary why do we draw the Chain of a body of death after us Duty is our burden sin our Element Rom. 7.24 the world our beloved the creature our Idol How are we dragg'd to service we flye to sin but are drawn to duty And in a word how come our understandings to be prisons of darknesse our wills stages of rebellion our affections heaps of dung or drosse for naturally we love sin or the creature what was then the inoffensivenesse of infancy thus to envenome our natures how came in the evil heart of unbelief Hebrews 3.12 3. This Truth of original sin was generally held in the Church till Pelagius who liv'd in the fifth Century confirmed by divers Councels in the Primitive times Quis ante Discipulum Pelagii prodigiosum Cael estium reatu praevaricationis Adaegenus humanum negavit esse astrictum Concilio Melevitano Concilio Toletano c. and the sixth Council of Carthage This truth hath been acknowledged by Heathens Plato complained Homines naturâ suâ esse pravos induci non posse ut justitiam colant i. e. That men were naturally very evil and could not be induced to the embracement of what was righteous And Cicero lamentatus est homines à naturâ novercâ in lucem edi Cicero complains that men were brought into the world by nature their step-mother the Heathens themselves universally enjoyned a strict Discipline to curb the ranknesse and untowardnesse of nature Actus ille Adami quo ipse peccavit omnibus imputandus est censendus omnium esse proprius c. A lap Nay this truth hath been confirmed by the most learned of the Papists A lapide in his Comment on the Romans acknowledgeth that that one act of Adams in eating the forbidden fruit wherein he offended is to be imputed to all men and is to be reputed the sin of all men and from hence it comes to passe that every childe of Adam hath contracted a necessity of sinning even with his first breath Nay the very Rabbies have attested this truth and we finde it clearly though sadly witnessed by our constant and much to be bemoaned experiences and here we might suppena and summon two witnesses for the further verification of it our own aversenesse to good and our natural propensity to evil 4. Nor was this truth ever opposed but upon some designe The Pelagians opposed it to maintain the perfection and power of nature which is mans proper Idol The Papists have opposed
is wrath in Domestique relations And wrath as terribly mixeth in Publick Relations Ministers preach not oversee not are not ensamples to the flock have not experience nor ability or care rightly to divide the Word of truth and muzzle the gain-sayer Misled themselves and mislead others c. Magistrates mind not the things of Christ are tight and vigilant over the good indulgent to the evil Beare the sword in vaine c. Such vials there is much wrath poured through 5. Upon the holy things of God and of his people Ours come not with acceptance to God The Lords not with savour closenesse authority c. to us The very book of the Covenant needs sprinkling Heb. 9.19 The Law which is pure and clean Psal 19.8 9. is made a killing letter 2 Cor. 3.7 The Gospel which is the grace of God bringing salvation Tit. 2.11 is made a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 the Lords Supper an eating and drinking judgmsnt to our selves 1 Cor. 11.29 and Christ himself is made for falling Luke 2.34 and a stone of stumbling and rock of offence 1 Pet. 2.8 without Christs blood taking away sin the very book of grace had never been opened Rev. 5.4 and though the choicest in it self being opened would never have been useful unto us and sorer wrath cannot be than to curse our very blessings Mal. 2.2 and the very means of grace that they shall be uselesse and for judgment 6. Upon the whole man the person is under the effects of wrath 1. Inslaved to the Divel This is plain 1. From the Scriptures Else converting gracâ— could not a Col. 1.13 deliver from the power of darknesse nor men be said when b 2 Tim. 2.26 God gives repentance to recover themselves out of the snare of the Divel that were taken captive by him at his will 2. From the likenesse of mans work with Satans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of a Trade are ordinarily of a company together but here the rule failes not 1 Joh. 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Divel that is by doing the same work discovers himself of communion with and in thraldome to him The first finders of a Craft are Fathers and Successors and Imitators in the Craft are called children Gen. 4.20 we naturally and freely do the Divels work John 8.44 The lusts of your Father ye will do and have no minde to the Lords work nor can brook the same to be done circumspectly and exactly by others Acts 13.10 Thou child of the Divel enemy of all righteousness 3. From the community of principles the very mind and will of Satan is engraven upon our spirits and expresse themselves inefficacy and obstinacy of sinning These principles are Satans image instead of Gods 4. From the natural mans subjection to the guidance of Satan regenerate persons are led by the Spirit but Satan filleth the hearts of natural men He had possession of Judas his heart and by a piece of mony rides deeper into him and prevails to engage him to betray Christ This is a lamentable branch of the natural mans misery 2. He is banished and separated from God both from conformity to and communion with him and doth electively banish and cast himself forth of the Lords presence This appears 1. From the former point viz. mans fellowship with Satan there cannot be fellowship with God and with Satan together These communions are inconsistent in the same Spirit at the same time in a reigning intense degree 2. From Gods end and his Apostles and Ministers in the writing explanation and application of the Scripture 1 John 1.3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. Were this fellowship already in the state of nature there needed not this means of rebringing into fellowship with God Defiers of the evil one with their mouths are not the lesse in league with him in their hearts 3. From the language of the carnal heart Job 21.14 Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thee This they speak internally and the desire of their souls is to be rid of God notions of God are a saplesse and burdensome piece of knowledge Rom. 1.18 They did not like to retain God in their knowledge To banish our selves is the heighth of mans sin and folly and to be banished the heighth of the Lords wrath and of mans misery Now do we know what a man loseth in the losse of God that is impossible for any created understanding to conceive The world is a Dungeâ—n without the Sun the body a carrion without the soul but neither so necessary as God is to the soul A taste of the goodnesse of God made the world and the lives of the Martyrs nothing to them Psal 30.5 In thy favour is life Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindnesse is better than life The very heaven of heaven lies in the enjoyment of God and the hell of hell in the losse of him The losse of him is the losse of the Fountain from which all kinde of good doth or can come The losse of the cause is the losse of all the effects of all the blessed affections influences and promises of God The losse of all those blessed hopes that fill the soul with joy unspeakable and full of glory No prayer praises faith love fear or any spark of other grace are to be found in truth upon the hearth of that heart Now the person in league with the Devil and banished from and without God in the world must needs be miserable and accursed 3. He is discontented and unprofitable in every condition Rom. 3.12 They are altogether become unprofitable The Holy Ghost makes a natural man of no more use than rotten things which we cast forth to the dunghill for their unprofitablenesse This is a dreadful ruine that a creature so excellent should become unprofitable to others and very far from comfort to himself in any condition The wife having all for use and the husbands heart hath nothing because not the authority dominion and disposition which is proper to the husband Israel have bread and quailes from heaven and water from the Rock that followed them a table everywise furnished for need and for delight and yet grumble because not meat for their lusts Many have all things very good and the wisdome of heaven could not carve fitter and better things and yet all not good enough Let sin creep in and Adam will not be content in Paradise or the Apostate Angels in heaven but leave their own habitation Go from God and take thy leave and farewell of contentment and satisfaction 4. He is grown a Wolf and Devil to his brethren Biting and devouring Gal. 5.15 tearing pulling catching at advantage flying upon the necks of the weaker Men execute much of the wrath of God in these feuds among themselves so that the Caution is
of Redemption it was from all eternity it was not made when Christ was just coming into the world but from everlasting Two Scriptures seem to hold out this 2 Tim. 1.9 Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began Here is the purpose of God here is grace given in Jesus Christ how in the Covenant betwixt the Father and him when was this given before the world began h. e. from all eternity So Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lâ—e promised before the world began How was this life promised before the world begun but in this everlasting Covenant wherein the Father promised unto Christ eternal life for all his seed I have been speaking to you of a very great mystery of which the Scripture speaks but little signanter we have not the termes but we have the sense and substance of this Covenant of Redemption there laid down If in any assertion I have seemed too bold I am very ready to take shame for iâ— I am sorry my work did lie in such an untrodden path wherein I have but very few to give me any direction I will shut up all with a little Application And first Application I would from hence stir you up to an high admiration of the great and infinite love of God of God the Father of God the Son what manner of love hath the God of Grace revealed in this Covenant Love that for the freenesse of it and greatnesse of it we should admire in this life as we shall admire it in the life to come Both persons have discovered unconceivable love in this transaction Oh let both of them be admired with the highest admiration 1. Admire the love of the Father we are more apprehensive of the love of the Son than we are of the love of the Father I would not speak any thing to diminish the love of the Son God forbid Oh 't was wonderful superlative love only I would heighten your apprehensions of the Fathers love in the great work of our Redemption Redemption was not only brought about by Christ but the Father had a great hand in it therefore 't is said The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand And I have found a ransome God so loved the world Isa 53.10 Job 33.24 John 3.16 that he gave his only begotten Son c. I might instance in several particulars to set out the Fathers love in our Redemption but take only that which I have been upon That the thoughts of God should be upon poor lost man so as to finde out a way for his recovery that he should call his Son and say Come let us consult together I speak after the manner of men Is there no way to be found that man may yet live he is now obnoxious to me and I might throw him into hell but may not I be satisfied and he saved too I am not willing he should utterly perish I say that God should thus set his thoughts on work for wretched man and treat with his Son and strike up a Covenant with his Son and therein lay such a foundation for mans recovery let Angels and men and all creatures adore this love and oh that you would return love for love return your drop for Gods Ocean We must honour the Son as we honour the Father John 5.23 and we must love the Father as we love the Son 2. And then admire the love of the Son too he is willing to engage in this Covenant he knew the termes of it what the Redemption of man would cost him even his life and precious blood yet for all this he willingly and freely binds himself to redeem poor sinners whatever it cost him O the heights depths breadths of this love Ephes 3.18 Blessed Jesus that ever thou shouldst consent to lay down thy life for me to wash away my sins in thine own blood 1 John 3.16 Rev. 1.5 to give thy soul as an offering for sin upon this encouragement and motive that thou mightest sâ—e such a poor worme as I brought in to God that thou shouldst set thy self as a Skreen betwixt Gods wrath and my poor soul and do and suffer ten thousand times more than what tongue can expresse or heart conceive What shall I what can I say to all this but fall down and wonder at that Love which can never be Fathomed So much for the first thing Vse 2 Secondly This Covenant of Redemption may be improved for the encouraging and strengthning of faith Faith sometimes is ready to question the blessings of the Covenant of Grace and the Continuance or Perpetuity of the Covenant of Grace that 's the great Foundation of Faith and when it staggers about that 't is very sad with the soul Now I 'le lay down two things for the help of Faith 1. The blessings of the Covenant are sure 2. The Covenant of Grace it self is sure First The blessings of the Covenant are sure They are called the sure mercies of David Isa 55.3 Isaiah 55.3 They are sure for Continuance and they are sure for Performance 1. For Continuance common mercies are dying perishing uncertain things but Covenant mercies are stable durable lasting things A great estate may come to nothing Prov. 23.5 Riches are uncertain things Imaginaria in saeculo nihil veri Tertul. 1 Tim. 6.17 And so in all worldly comforts they are but a fashion matters of fancy rather than of reality and they passe away 1 Cor. 7.31 But now grace pardon of sin adoption c. these are blessings that abide for ever Rom. 11.29 2. They are sure also for performance I mean whatever blessing God hath put into this Covenant as 't is full of blessings all shall certainly be made good to believers otherwise God would not be faithful to his Covenant which certainly he will be Men may be false in their Covenants to God but God will certainly be true in his Covenant to men Heaven and Earth shall passe away rather than there shall be the least entrenchment upon Gods truth in the not performing of his Covenant Secondly The Covenant of Grace is sure in it self a Covâ—nant firme unalterable never to be broken 't is called an everlasting Covenant Gen. 17.7 Hebr. 13.20 a Covenant that shall stand fast Psal 89.28 a Covenant ordered in all things and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 The Covenant of Grace is so firmly ratified that there can be no nulling of it 1. God hath ratified it by his Oath Gen. 22.16 Hebr. 6.13 Si non credimus Deo promittenti at credamus Deo juranti Hierom Amant Scripturae pro pacto ponere Testamentum Aug. 14 15 16 17 18. His promise is enough but surely hâ—s oath must put all out of question there 's no room for unbelief now God hath sworn
you they have no such thought nor any cause for any such thought through grace they abhorre these sins and wonder that any are so besotted as to quarrel with a Minister for speaking against them You see then 't is your consciences that reproach you and not the Ministers of the Gospel 2. Here 's matter of Admiration Admiration of Gods rich Grace and unparallel'd Providence to us that God should cast our Lots in to such places and times wherein we enjoy the best of the best gracious Dispensations Acts 17.26 God hath made of one blood all Nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation God hath been pleased so to dispose of Christs little flock that there shall be some in all times of the world and in all places of the world where he makes known his Name to be the salt of the Earth But now for us to be so disposed of that among the several thousand years of the worlds continuance and among the innumerable millions of places of the worlds Inhabitants that we should be brought forth in such a nick of time and in such a spiritual Paradise of place that there 's none in the world to equal it Sirs what doth this call for what shall we render to the Lord for this I know not what to call it 't is such unspeakable love Beloved I must both give and take time to answer this question And O that you and I may give a sutable answer to it I know not at present what to say to it unlesse we could as overcome by it faint away in a love-sickness into the bosome of our dearest Jesus that Cant. 2.4 5 6. seeing he hath brought us where we may not only taste a draught out of a Bottle but are brought to the great Vessels of spiritual comforts where we may not only enjoy Christ a little but even to spiritual extasie O that we now as sinking down in a Swoun and as unable to stand under the thoughts of such love might be even strowed and boulstered up with the comfortable doctrines of the Gospel-Covenant and all through impatience of love The love of God to such inconsiderable persons should carry the soul out of it self to do more than languish with desire after more extasying communications so that none but Christ with his right hand of Divinity and left hand of Humanity may be acceptable to us to embrace us O Christians I should be glad to send you all home heart-sick of love to Christ But 3. By way of Inference Everyone of you that is not in the Gospel-Covenant is in a dreadful state 't is your own wilfulnesse you will not believe the Gospel Though 't is through Divine Grace that persons do close with the Gospel yet it is your own sin you do not close with it for you are willing to be strangers to it you are willing to enjoy your lusts which you must part with if you embrace it You may observe the dreadful estate of persons out of Covenant in these three particulars 1. The sin against the Gospel-Covenant is most dreadful This sin hath the guilt of all other sins in it John 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloke for their sin Sodom and Gomorrah Publicans and Harlots go into the Kingdome of heaven before those that refuse the Gospel God the Father invites men to the Marriage Supper nay you are wooed and entreated to be Christs Bride You make light of it you have the profits and the pleasures of the world to take up your thoughts you will not be perswaded to believe that Christ is better than your lusts you will not be beat out of it but that a bag of gold is better than a Crown of glory but that a filthy lust is better than communion with God but that the Divels slave and fool is better than to be Gods Childe and Darling Is this your choice Then consider 2. The penalty for the contempt of this Gospel-Covenant is most dreadful John 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather than light this brings persons under the very utmost of the wrath of God 1 Thess 2.16 when the Jews sinned against the Legal Dispensation then Dan. 9.12 Daniel complains Under the whole heavens hath not been done as hath bâ—en done upon Jeâ—usalem but what now will become of those that refuse the Gospel Heb. 10.29 Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God Can any thing be worse than to dye without mercy yes saith the Apostle what 's that nay he leaves it to your consideration as being unpossible to be expressed To poure contempt and scorne upon the pretious blood of Christ wherewith the Covenant betwixt God and his people was made and ratified to offer a spiteful affront unto the Spirit of God by contemning and opposing his gracious motions O what remains for such persons but a dreadful expectation of Gods terrible Judgment But there 's a third thing that I would have you consider which is sensibly more dreadful than either of these 3. The sentence against Gospel-Covenant breaking is most irreversible and peremptory mercy and grace and patience and compassion when these are abused all these become the sinners enemy for that which is ordained a life to prove death unto them oh this is dreadful for the blood of Christ to cry to heaven against sinners this is dreadful this made Christ to weep over Jerusalem Luke 19.40.41 These persons passe judgment upon themselves though not with their lips yet with their lives they pronounce themselves unworthy to be saved Acts 13.46 O Sirs I beseech you consider though persons brake the Covenant of Works there was salvation to be had by another Covenant but if this be violated there is no other Covenant to relieve this The Gospel-Covenant is our Refuge when the other Covenant pursues us Hebr. 6.18 Contemptuous carriage against Grace is beyond all help I beseech you therefore take heed of sinning against Gospel-light and gospel-Gospel-love O you will have that sting of conscience that no other sinners in the world have that have not refused a Redeemer Beloved I would I could say with due meltings of heart it grieves me for you to think how many hundreds in this Congregation are yet without Christ being Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Ephes 2.12 O Sirs do you know what you do when you cocker your lusts in despight of Christ Can you hear Sermons and go on in sin You do well to hear but you make a desperate adventure to do what you know discovenants you from God and hazards your eternal separation from God Beloved I
the end of our faith but the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 All the prizes were not equally valuable See Learned Dr Hammond upon Phil. 3. when we come to the Goale here we finde no Tripodes Shields or Caps but Crowns and no mean Crowns but glorious ones no fading Crowns but everlasting ones Who would not with the Apostle but pressed toward the mark Lastly That we may have greater comfort and assurance that we shall not wax weary and faint in our course and consequently not misse of those glorious rewards There 's no Calling that hath so high and heavenly assistances as this hath God that calls to this Race engages his power to carry us through it The Son of God intercedes for us the Spirit of God is ready to comfort us the Angels of God have the charge of us to keep us so that we shall not dash our feet against a stone the spirits of just men made perfect though they be not acquainted with our particular wants yet in general they tender our conditions and help us by their prayers all the people of God are constant sollicitors for us at the Throne of Grace besides those helps they afford us by their watching over us by their counsels instructions admonitions rebukes examples the chearfulnesse and alacrity of some in the ways of God having a great and happy tendency to prevent the wearinesse and discouragements of others Thus it is an high Calling Thirdly It is a Call without a sound or if it have any it is heard by none but them to whom it is directed A good Divine calls it an in visible Call Vocatio invisibilis Alting Occultis itineribus sapor nobis vitalis infunditur as Ennodius speaks by hidden paths and passages the vital savour is infused into us the seed grows up we know not how Mark 4.26 the Spirit secretly winds himself into the soul Christ comes into our hearts as he did into the house where his Disciples were met John 20.26 the doors being shut Thus it is ordinarily though I will not deny but that sometimes it may be oâ—herwise Acts 2.1 The Spirit may come with a mighty rushing and Christ with holy violence break open the doors of our hearts Saul could well tell the time and other cir umstances of his conversion Divina gratia adhuc in utero matris impletus Cypr. in Epist ad Jubaianum but it is likely the holy Baptist couâ—d not in whom the Father saith there was a Spirit of grace as soon as a Spirit of life The corruptions of some will out as it were by insensible breathings but so obstinate and inveterate are the spiritual distempers of others that they must have strong Vomits violent Purges and all little enough to clear them for a man of a good nature as they call it liberal education much restraining grace to take and give notice punctuaâ—ly when his state is changed is very difficult whereas this is no hard matter for a grosse and scandalous piece of debauchery becoming afterwards an example of piety We must not expect the same account from Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of our Lord in poi t of Conversion yet they both rejoyced in Christ as their Saviour This I have the rather spoken that I might enter a Caveat agâ—inst those rigâ—d and severe Tryers of mens spiritual estates whom as I have heard nothing will satisfie but the Precise time of Conversion I acknowledge these men great Artists and good Work-men but it is in frami g New Racks for mens Consciences since the Old Popish ones are broken I make no Question b t a weak Christians soul may be as sadly strained to give an Account of his Graces as it would have been to give an Account of his Sinnes had he lived in the dayes of Auricular Confession Beware my Frâ—ends of the Devils Sophistry Fourthly and lastly It is an Immutable Call immutable as God Himself as his Electing Love the living Fountain from whence it springs Not as the World loves doth God love they love to Day and hate to Morrow wearing their Friends like Flowers which we may behold in their Bosomes whil'st they are fresh and sweet but soon they wither and soon they are laid aside whereas the love of God to his people is Everlasting and he wears them as a Signet upon his right Hand which he will never part with Not as the World gives doth God give Men give liberally and repent suddenly but the Gifts and Callings of God are without Repentance Rom. 11.29 So much for the properties of this Call and so much for the opening of the point Shall I speak a word or two of Application APPLICATION Beloved in the LORD I have answered you many Questions I beseech you answer me a few Me said I Nay answer them to God and your own Consciences First Are you of the number of the Called Called by the Gospel I know you are but that may be your misery Are you Called according to the purpose that only can be your Happinesse Is your Calling Inward and Effectual We hope it is why we have some Convictions some Inclinations to good so had Herod so had Agrippa so may a Reprobate by the common work of the Spirit I would be loth you should be but almost Christians lest you be but almost saved Tell me then is the whole frame of your hearts altered Is sinne odious Is Christ precious Doth the prcie of heavenly Commodities rise in your hearts and the price of earthly Trumpery fall Do you love God and his Sonne Jesus Christ in sincerity Then I can assure you not in the word of a mortal man which is as good as nothing but in the Word of God that cannot lye even in the words of my Text You are Called according to his purpose Secondly If you be Effectually Called Why do you not answer that Call in receiving Christ in all his Offices in obeying Christ in all his Commands in meeting Christ in all his Ordinances Why do you not give all Diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Shall the Children of this World still be wiser in their Generation than the Children of light They rest not till they have assured as they suppose their Earthly Tenements Why do not we bestir our selves as much to Assure an Heavenly Inheritance Why are you not more thankful for this Grace Why are you not more joyful in it How did the Wise men of the East rejoyce when they found Christ born in Bethlem Is it not matter of greater joy to finde Christ born in your hearts Tell me is it nothing to have your Names written in the Book of Life To have God for your Father Christ for your Husband and Brother The Spirit of Christ for your Comforter The Angels for your Servitors All the Creatures at your Beck These are the Noble Priviledges of those that are Called according to the purpose of God How
we are as really united unto Christ as the members of the body are to the head Hence are we said to be h Ephes 5.30 members of his body of his flesh and his bones As the head communicates real influences to the body so doth Christ to Believers communicates to us his Spâ—rit graces fulnesse spiritual light life strength comfort Joh. 1.16 4. A close near dear intimate union Like that of the food with the body which it nourisheth Hence Believers are said to eat Christs flesh and to drink his blood John 6.54 Such an intimate union as that one possessive particle is not sufficient to expresse it not said my Vineyard is before me but my Vineyard which is mine is before me Cant. 8.12 5. An inseparable perpetual indissoluble union A marriage knot which neither men sins sorrows death nor Divels are able to dissolve Who or what can separate us from the love of God The Apostle clearly resolves his own question i Rom 8 38 39 I am perswaded that neither life nor death c. Believers are held in Christs hand he that would break this union must first be too hard of fist for Christ yea and for his Father too No man shall pluck them out of my hand my Father is greater than all and no man can pluck them out of my Fathers hand Joh. 10.28 29. And thus we have dispatch't the second Question 3. What are the efficient causes of this union Sol. 1. The efficient causes of this union are either principal or less principal 1. Principal and so this great work of union being opus ad extra 't is indivisum and so ascribed 1. In common to the whole k 1 Pet. 5.10 John 6.44 45. Ephes 2 6 7. Godhead Hence we are said to be call'd by God the Father into the fellâ—wship of his dear Son 1 Cor. 1.9 So likewise this union is ascribed to the Sonne The dead shall hear the voice of the Sonne of God and live Joh. 5.25 Joh. 10.16 2. But more especially the Spirit of God in a more peculiar sense is said to be the principal Author of this union He it is that knits this marriage knot betwixt Christ Jesus and true Believers Look as l Acts 4.24 Creation in some respect is appropriated to the Father m 1 Pet. 1.18 Redemption to the Son so the Application of that Redemption to the Holy Ghost 'T is by one Spirit that we are all baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 'T is by the Holy Spirit the Comforter That we are convinced of sin righteousnesse and judgment Joh. 16.7 8 9. 'T is by the Holy Ghost that we are renewed Tit. 3.5 2. Lesse principal or the means or instruments of union These are twofold outward inward 1. Outward Generally all the Ordinances of God by the Ordinances it is that we come to have n Job 22.21 acquaintance that is union and communion with Jesus Christ 'T is by these golden pipes that golden oyle is conveyed to us from that golden Olive Zech. 4.12 More especially 1. The Word read preach't meditated on believed improved 'T is by hearing and learning of the Father that we come to Christ Joh. 6.44 45. The Holy Scriptures were written for this end that through them we might have fellowship with the Father and his Sonne 1 Joh. 1.3 The way to have Christs company is to keep Christs words Joh. 14.23 2. The Sacraments those spiritual Seals and Labels which God hath fix't to his Covenant of Grace 1. Bapti me By one Spirit we are baptiz'd into one body 1 Cor. 12.13 Hence we are said to be buried with Christ by Baptisme into death Rom. 6.3 4. Baptisme styled the Laver of regeneration Tit. 3.5 By Baptisme we put on Christ Gal. 3.7 2. The Lords Supper this is a great means of strengthning and evidencing our union and advancing our communion with Christ Jesus We are all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 Hence that 1 Cor. 10.16 The bread which we break is it not the communion of means argâ—ments evidences of our communion with the body of Christ The wine which we drink is it not the communion of the blood of Christ Thus much for the external means of union 2. Inward internal intrinsecal means of union on mans part i. e. faith Not a bare historical miraculous temporal dead faith No but a living working justifying saving faith Christ comes to dwell in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 'T is by faith alone that we receive Christ Joh. 1.12 That we come unto him and feed upon him Joh. 6.56 'T is by faith that a Believer lives in and to Christ and Christ lives in and for a Believer Gal. 2.20 Thus much for the Explication of the termes of our Proposition for the fixing of it on a right Basis I now proceed to the second part of my discourse viz. Now That there is such a spiritual mystical real close inseparable union betwixt the Lord Jesus and true Believers 2. Confirm appears three ways 1. From those many synonymical terms and equivalent expressions whereby the Scriptures hold forth this union Christ is said to be in Believers Col. 1.27 Rom. 8.10 To dwell in them Ephes 3.17 To walk in them 2 Cor. 6.16 So are Believers said to abide in Christ as he abides in them 1 Joh. 4.16 Joh. 15.17 To dwell in Christ as Christ in them Joh. 6.56 To put on Christ to be cloathed with him Gal. 3.27 Each of these expressions clearly import that near and intimate union that is betwixt the Lord Jesus and true Believers The King of Saints hath two Mansion houses one in heaven the Throne of his glory another on earth a Tabernacle of flesh the heart of a Believer which is the seat of his delight Prov. 8.31 his lesser Heaven Isa 57.15 66.1 2. 2. From those several similitudes by which the Scriptures shadow out this union Believers are said to be lively stones 1 Pet. 2.4 5 6. Christ the living foundation the chief corner-stone on which they are built Ephes 2.20 21. Believers are styled living branches Christ the true Vine into whom they are engraffed and in whom they bring forth fruit Joh. 15.1.5 Christ the faithful loving discreet Bridegroom Believers his Loyal Affectionate obedient Spouse Ephes 5.31 32. Cant. 2.16 5.1 Believers are intitled Christs body Ephes 1.23 Bone of his bone flesh of his flesh Ephes 5.30 Christ the Believers head Ephes 1.22 In a word the head and mystical body are call'd Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 In all these Resemblances he that runs may read the union betwixt Christ and Believers pourtrayed out to the life unto us 3. From that communion which there is betwixt Christ and true Believers Omnis communio fundatur in unione Communion where ever it is of necessity argues union as the effect necessarily implies the cause Believers they communicate with Christ in his fulness Joh. 1.16 In his o 2 Cor 5.21 Solus
pro nobis suscepit sine meritis malis poenam ut nos per illum sine bâ—nis meritis consequermur gratiam Aug. merits which are as fully imputed to Believers for Justification as if his sufferings had been by them endured or the debt by them satisfied In his life and graces by habitual and real infusion and in-dwelling of his Spirit to Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.2 In his priviledges and dignities such I mean as are communicable Is he a King a Priest So are Believers Rev. 1.6 A Royal Priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 Is he a Son an Heir by Nature Saints are so by Adoptior Joint-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 In his Victories Believers are more than Conquerours through him Rom. 8.37 In the midst of their enemies insultations and their own distresses yea even in and by death it self the victory is still theirs In his Triumphs and Glory they share with him in his Throne all that Believers are is from the Grace of Christ 1 Cor. 15.10 All that they do is from the strength of Christ Phil. 4.13 So that they do not so properly live as Christ in them Gal. 2.20 On the other side Christ communicates in the Believers graces affections duties He gathers myrrhe and spice out of their Gardens eats of their honey and honey-comb Cant. 5.1 Their man-drakes are laid up for their Lord. As they live in the Spirit so they walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 They tune their souls to his key their p Cant. 2.14 voice is sweet in his Ears their countenance is lovely in his Eyes all that Believers are is from Christ and therefore all that Belivers have is to Christ What they receive in Mercy they return in Duty Thus from this mutual communion we conclude a close and dear union And now our Proposition being thus cleared and confirmed I descend to the third thing promised and that is 3. Application which I shall couch under these foure Heads viz. Information Examination Consolation Exhortation 1. Information Are believers thus closely united unto Christ Hence see 1. The crimson Tyrian tincture the scarlet dye of their sin who oppo e oppress persecute true believers Poor souls little do they think or know what they do viz. that they wound Christ through believers sides Believers are united unto Christ therefore when the seed of the Serpent q Gen. 3.15 bruises their heel it must needs have an influence on Christ their head who though he hath no passion yet hath he much compassion and in all their afflictions is afflicted Isa 63.9 In touching them they touch the apple of his eye Zech. 2.8 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 so cryes the Head in heaven while Saul treads on the foot on earth 2. Hence learn the heighth length depth and breadth of the love of Christ that passeth knowledge to believers beyond and above all others in the world Oh Beloved that the Lord should leave other plants in the woods and waste ground let them alone in the Wildernesse suffer them to grow up to be fit fuel for eternal flames and make choice of them who by nature are as wild r Rom. 11.17 olives as the worst and ingraffe them into himself who is the True Oâ—ive and make them partakers of his fulnesse that he should cull them out who are by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes and implant them into himself raise them up together and make them sit together in heavenly places with himself Oh this speaks love beyond expression beyond imagination This argues grace riches of grace exceeding riches of grace Eph. 2.1 4 5 6 8. 3. Observe hence not only the love which Christ vouchsafes to but the high honour which he casts upon believers Was it an honour for Mordecai to be cloatâ—ed with Ahashuerus Royal apparel to ride on the Kings Hâ—rsâ— having the Royal Crown on his head Esther 6.11 what an honour then was it for a poor Esther to be taken into the Kings bed and bosâ—me Esther 2.17 If it seemed not a light thing in Davids eyes but rather an high dignity to be son in law to a King what is it then to be united to a God the highest pitch and pinnacle of honour This the Ela the Neplus ultra of true dignity an honour not vouchsaft by God to those glistering Courtiers of heaven the Angels True indeed they are Christs servants subjects not his members To which of the Ang ls said he at any time Thou art bone of my bone flesh of my flesh Câ—rist took not on him the nature of Angels but is united to the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 4. Hence we conclude the stability fixednesse perseverance of the Saints in their estate of grace Here here believers is a firme basis on which to build the Saiâ—ts câ—nstant progresse in the paths of holiness till they fully arrive at their Port of happinesse True believers are united unto Christ They live in Christ and Christ in them their life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 Therefore mauger the malice and power of all unruly corruptions from within of all subtile temptations violent assaults decoying smiles or threatening frowns from without they must and shall persevere s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kept as by a Garrison Kept they are and shall be by the power of that Christ to whom they are united through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Whil'st there is sap in Christ their root it shall ascend into the true Branches Joh. 11.16 and 4.14 Let the raine descend and the floods come and the winds blow and beat upon these living stones these spiritual Houses they shall not t Mat. 7.25 Isa 26.4 fall totally finally for they are built on that Rock of Ages True believers are Christs Members and should he lose the least of them he would be a maimed an imperfect Christ 1 Cor. 12.27 Of those whom thou hast given me I have not lost one Joh. 17.12 True Believers are Christs Spouse married to him and whatever men have done or may do Christ will not give a Bill of utter Divorce Jer. 3.14 5. See here a rational solid ground for the Protestant Doctrine of the imputation of Christs righteousness and the merit thereof to true Believers against the cavils and calumnies of the Pharisaical self-justifying Papist Our union unto Christ is the great foundation on which we build our communion with Christ Christ is united to believers one with them their Head their Surety who in conspectu fori is but one person with the debtor and this by his own voluntary undertaking the debtors consent and the Judges approbation therefore 't is rational just equal that what our Christ our Head Representative Surety hath done and suffâ—red for us and that not only bono nostro for our good but loco nostro in our stead should by God our Judge be imputed to us That since our Head and Surety was made sin for us who knew no sin we should be
thy refined reason or others corrupt example or a pretended tradition or some extatical Revelation contrary to the Word All these will lead thee into boggs and this shalt thou have of Gods hands Thou shalt lie down in sorrow Isa 50.11 But if so be the infallible Word be thy Rule and thou walkest according to it then peace be upon thee as upon the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 So much for the first query Quest 2. Doth Christ a Eph. 3.17 dwell in thy heart by faith viz by such a faith as purifies the heart as works by love to God the Word Saints enemies as overcomes the world its Midianitish smiles its Anakimlik frowns If thou hast such a faith remember it as an infallible and momentous truth That faiths Application of Christ to a Believer i◠saving is alwayes joyn'd with a Believers Application of himself to Christ. If the Spouse avers Christ to be hers My Beloved is mine she as freely acknowledges that she is Christs I am his Cant. 2.16 'T s with a Believer and Christ in this case not as with a man clasping about a Tree but as with two loving friends mutually embracing each other Ask then thy soul thy conscience Canst thou truly say with David Lord save me I am thine Psal 119.94 Dost thou indeed not only lean on thy Beloved but cleave to thy Christ with full purpose of heart Acts 11.23 Does it content thee to apply Christ to thy soul only as a plaister to a wound to have healing from him or not rather as a seal to the wax which takes an impression from it Hath thy faith two hands as with the one thou pretendest to lay hold on Christ dost thou with the other resign up thy self to Christ Art thou apt with the Romane Spouse to say Vbi tu Caius ibi ego Caja Art thou as ready when he proposes the strictest Precepts to say Lord I am thine as when he proclaimes the sweetest promises to say Lo d thou art mine Art thou as ready to offer up thy self a burnt-offering an Holocaust Rom. 12.1 to God in obedience as to tender for thy self thy Christ as a sin-offering for satisfaction Lev. 5.7 b 2 Cor. 13.5 Oh examine thy heart sincerely whether thou art thus in the faith or rather whether such a faith be in thee That 's the second Quest 3. Dost thou crucifie the flesh with its affections and lusts They that are united unto Christ do so Gal. 5.24 Rom. 8.13 Dost thou detest loath hate sin all sin in thought word deed and that not so much for its effects as its nature dost thou hate it rather as hell than for hell That is our duty c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.9 is it our sincere endeavour Didst thou ever groan out under the sense of that intolerable burthen of that Wolf that lies in thy bosome does it make thee cry out as Paul O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 Dost thou when thou appearest before the Lord in prayer or at his Word or at a Sacrament put thy Uriah thy dearest darling sinnes in the front of the Battle that when Christ discharges his keenest arrows they may be sure to be hit and slaine When God sends a Tempest is it thy first greatest care to throw those Jonahs over-board when God seems to beleaguer thee with sharp and threatning providences is it thy main endeavour to cast the heads of those Sheba's over the Wall But Quest 4. Art thou a new creature he that is in Christ is so 2 Cor. 5.17 Hast thou a new head heart lip life canst thou now properly say Ego non sum ego is the Lyon become a Lamb the Raven a Dove the Wolf a Kid the persecutor a Preacher or more an Adorer of Christ Jesus Dost thou act from new principles the Spirit of Christ Ezek. 36.27 faith Gal. 2.20 constraining * 2 Cor. 5.14 love filial fear Jer. 32.40 Dost thou act for new principles that thou mayst preserve them in thy self and propagate them to others Acts 26.29 Dost thou now level at new ends the best the highest ends is thy main scope and aime now not so much at a clod of earth a vapor a puff of honour a tickling pleasure No but rather is it thy chiefest end plot design to advance thy Creators Redeemers Comforters glory and with it the spiritual eternal salvation of thy precious and immortal Soule Is this thy white thy mark thy center Canst thou in sincerity of soul say with the Psalmist Whom have I in heaven but thee c. Psa 73.25 Quest 5. Dost thou bring forth fruit Every branch in Christ is a fruit-bearing branch John 15.5 Art thou fill'd with all the fruits of righteousnesse first and second Table-fruits art thou fruitful in every good word and work Col. 1.10 Dost thou bring forth fruit sutable to the means vouchsaft or does the seed of an Homer bring forth only an Ephah dost thou remember that where much is given not a little is required Luke 12.48 Briefly dost thou bring forth fruit like the Land of Egypt by handfulls Hast thou any bunches of Pomgranates to shew is thy soul a spiritual Eshcol and then too art thou so desirous of bringing forth more that thou lookest on the Vintage of thy attainments only as gleanings In a word dost thou bring forth fruit constantly every month in old age Psa 92.14 Art thou ever green and flourishing do not those Apples of Sodome bitter fruits of Apostacy in principles in practices spring from thee Are not thy grapes turned into thornes thy figs into Thistles Art thou not like Orpah that tother day kist and complemented but now forsakes but rather like Ruth dost thou resolve and say concerning thy God thy Christ Whither thou goest I will go where thou dyest will I dye and there will I be buryed Ruth 1.16 17. If thy heart and conscience can give a comfortable answer to these Quaeries then Believer open thy mouth open it wide that thou mayst suck and be satisfied with the next Use of our Point which is a Breast of 3. Consolation True Believers are closely united unto Christ Jesus Oh what marrow what fatness drops from this Truth what an Hybla is it in the mouths what musick is it in the ears of true believers How blessed are the people that are in such a case Psalme 144.15 Their happinesse will more distinctly appear if we reflect on it either with relation to Christ or believers 1. With relation to Christ to whom believers are united On their Union with him there redounds to them a peculiar Interest in his Person Properties Promises Providences All. 1. In Christs Person Christ himself is theirs Jer. 32.38 Isa 9.6 A Christ that is not like creature c mforts those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter sweets like the Panther which has a sweet sente but an ugly face No but he is an Ocean of sweetnesse without the least dram of gall Christ that
hast his Benjamin thou shalt be sure not to go without thy Messe thy five Messes i Matth. 6.33 Seek first the Kingdome of God and all these things shall be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added i. e. cast in as paper and packthread to the bargain 3. A loving affectionate frame Believer thou art married to Christ Jesus that Relation calls aloud for union of hand heart spirits all He is bone of thy bone flesh of thy flesh therefore to be dearly loved k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graecus Aug. count all that thou art and hast too little for him Love him dearly for what he is for what he hath for what he hath done suffered purchased promised Love him more for what he is than for what he hath more for his person than for his rings bracelets jewels joynture Love him with a cordial active conforming constant transcendent love Psal 116.1 2. 4. A truly noble heavenly frame such a frame whereby thou mayst truly contemn this poor dunghill world Believer being united unto Christ thou art indeed cloathed with the Sun and therefore thou shouldst like uhy mother tread the Moon under thy feet Rev. 12.1 We should never fix our hearts on that whereon our God would have us put our feet Such Eagles as Believers should not stoop at Flies 't is not for persons united unto Christ to be fond on these beautiful vanities fair-faced nothings chases in Arras handsome pictures drawn on Ice such are all enjoyments on this side Christ Believer thy head thy husband thy treasure is above there let thy l Anima illic potius sit ubi amat quam ubi animat heart be also Having Christ for thy portion let a little a very little of the world serve thee for thy passage 5. A pitiful compassionate frame to those that are not as yet united unto Christ That are yet without hope because without Christ Oh as the Elect of God put on * Col. 3.12 bowels toward such Poor souls they are sinking drowning thou art safe on the shoar got into the Ark. They are frying burning in Sodom Thou safe in Zoar a brand pluck't out of the fire Oh pity those that do not will not cannot pity themselves That 's the third advice 4. And lastly walk worthy of this union Let your Conversation be sutable to your Condition This I shall dispatch in these three particulars 1. Walk zealously Be wisely * Gal. 4.18 zealous in and for the promoting the honour of this Christ to whom you are united Make it your only plot and businesse to advance his honour 't is your own peculiar interest so to do Be jealous of any thing that doth or may eclipse or sully his glory He that toucheth him his Person Natures Offices Days Ordinances Ministers Servants let him be thought to touch the apple of thine eye Zech. 2.8 Let the zeal of his house even eat thee up Psal 69.9 2. Walk fruitfully so it becomes every branch ingraffed into Christ the true Vine Phil. 1.11 Thy fruitfulnesse adds much to thy Christs honour the plenty of the crop sets a glosse on the Husbandmans care The fully loaden branch reflects an honour on the root If men see our good works our fruitfulnesse in every good work they will then glorifie our Father Matth. 5.16 John 15.16 3. Walk lovingly tenderly towards believers fellow-members They that are so happy as to be united unto one head should be very careful to be of one heart Believers formerly were so of one heart and * Acts 4.32 one soul as if animated with one and the same soul sutable to the Philosophers description of true love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Formerly Believers were like Scilurus his bundle of Arrows so trust up together no breaking of them But alas now 't is sad to see how those that agree in one common faith should yet disagree as implacable foes Oh Beloved that Brethren Joseph and Benjamin Moses and Aaron Abraham and Lot should fall out especially when the Canaaniâ—e is in the Land Shall Gebal Ammon Amal k and the Philistines shall these agree and shall Ephraim and Judah be at variance shall the Wolf Lyon Bear Leopaâ—d associate and shall not Lambs and Doves O let such their sin and shame never be publish't in Gath nor spoken in the street of Askelon Believers you have heard the fable of the contest between belly and members The moral of it bids you consult if not your duty yet your safety By your divisions you do but dig your own graves Remember Saints we are all one by spiritual relation why should we not be m 1 Cor. 12.13 27. 1.9 10. 1 Joh. 4.12 16 Gal. 3.28 one in our affection I shall close all with that of the Apostle Ephes 4.3 to 7. wherein he draws this arrow to the very head Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Why because there is one Body one Spirit one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God Let me adde you are one with Christ the head 't is your duty therefore and 't will be your priviledge honour safety to be one with one another THE NATURE OF Justification OPENED Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God c. THE words present us for the Argument of this morning exercise with the great doctrine of Justification first to be opened and then improved 1. To be opened And that we may not with Aquinas and the Papists in ipso lâ—mine impingere stumble the very first step we take and so quite ever after lose our way by confoundiâ—g justification with sanctification I shall only premise that as in sanctification â—he change is absolute and inherent so in justification the change is relative and juridical the former is wrought in the sinners person he becomes a new creature but this latter is wrought in his state he becomes absolved at the bar of divine Justice For Justification is a law-state 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it abolisheth the convincing power of sin or its guilt Our businesse therefore is to discover the processe at Gods bar in the justification of a sinner which will be best done by comparing it with that at mans which we are familiarly acquainted with To be justified therefore implies in general three things 1. The person is charg'd with guilt 2. Pleads to the charge 3. Upon that plea is discharged by the Judge 1. A justified person must be charg'd with guilt Now guilt is the Relation which sin hath to punishment for sin is the breach of the Law and punishment is the vengeance which the Law threatens for that breach And as the threatening it self is in the nature of it a guard to the Law to prevent the breach of it bidding as it were the transgressour come at his peril break the Law if he dare be wise before hand lest he rue it too late so the punishment
the soul in a shunning and avoiding sin and setting against all occasions and temptations thereunto and studying the will of God making it his meditation night and day and having in all things respect unto it as the rule of his life and conversation so that the very anxiety of his spirit is to shake off and avoid his sin to subdue and weaken his lusts Qui paenitet sollicitus est ne peccet Ambr. in Text. to stand against temptations unto evil for whoever repenteth saith Ambrose is careful not to sin again He is made whole he would sin no more but with all care caution circumspection and vigilancy strive against corruption and study to know and to do the will of God with the Church at Ephesus To remember from whence we are fallen and do our first works Revel 2.5.3.1 or the Church of Sardis to awake and watch not to be slothful in businesse and secure against sin untill surprised therewithall 2. Concomitant of godly sorrow Secondly Clearing of our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Apology or answer by way of defence unto the calumnies of an Accuser which is not done by denial of guilt and excuse of sin but by confession Paenitentia non habet excusationem nisi confessionem Amb. in Text. for saith Saint Ambrose Repentance hath no excuse but confession This is an humble deprecation of Divine judgement and silencing of the Accuser of the Brethren by self-condemnation the true penitent doth judge himself with shame and sorrow that he may not be judged by the Lord he is ready to aggravate all not extenuate any his sins only findes an acquittance from them in the blood of Christ and concludes not against the charge of the Accuser and clamour of his own conscience I was an Extortioneâ— a Drunkard an Adulterer a Blasphemer but I am washed I am sanctified I am justified Repentance rendreth guilt as if it had never been and so becomes the souls Apology 3. Concomitant of godly sorrow Thirdly Indignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wrath unto grief the rising of the very stomack with rage and a being angry unto very sicknesse again it is only used in this one Text of Scripture as it hath sin for its object but in reference to other things it expresseth the very heighth of anger fretting unto fuming thus the rage of the Ruler of the Synagogue on a conceived breach of the Sabbath is expressed Luke 13.14 Religious wrath is the hottest it will make a meek Moses break the very Tables of the Lord Thus the discontent of envy is expressed in Mark 10.41 The Disciples stomack rose against Jamâ—s and John so that it here imports the turning of the unquiet passions of the soul wholly against sin a fretting and fuming at our selves for sin an hating and being ashamed of our selves for sin this wrath breaks out in a penitent David into disgraceful speeches against himself so foolish was I and ignorant when distrust prevailed on him Psal 73.22 And I have done very foolishly when he sinned in numbring the people 2 Sam. 24.10 Nay breaks into disgraceful demeanour towards sin as impenitent Israel to the defiling the graven images of silver and the ornaments of their golden Idols and casting them out with contempt as a menstruous garment and an angry rejection of them with a Get you hence Isa 30.22 So that sin is the object of hatred scorn rage reproach and contumelie and ground of grief and shame to the peni ent the soul cannot think of sin without stomachization heart-rising and redning of face he is indeed angry and sins not the whole of whole anger runs out against sinne Fourthly Fear a rare companion of wrath 4. Concomitant of godly sorrow but alwayes of care the truly penitent are of a trembling and timerous spirit and no marvel for the burnt childe dreads the fire they have paid dear for past guilt and may well beware to fall again the whole work of Repentance is expressed to be a fear of the Lord and his goodnesse Hos 3.5 The fear of the Lord is the only fence against temptations unto sin here note that this fear is a fear of sense affecting us with the evil sin procureth and dreadful judgments of God by it deserved trembling at the Word of threatning a fear of reverence awefully apprehending the holinesse and Majesty of God and that vast disproportion and disparity between God and us sorrowfully crying How shall dust and ashes polluted man come nigh to an holy and glorious Majesty and a fear of diligence and vigilancie watching and warring against sin that it may not surprise us by the difficulty of our state and distempers of our soul and thus the penitent worketh out his own salvation with fear and trembling but it is not a fear of diffidence and despondencie of distrust and despaire which deadning all hope of prevalency dulleth all diligence discourageth vigilancy and industry and at length driveth to self-destruction the fear of Repentance springs from sense of mercy and is spurred with the confidence of successe being assured it is God that worketh in the soul to will and to do Phil. 2.13.1.6 and will perfect what he hath begun 5. Concomitant of godly sorrow Fifthly Vehement desire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a desire of fervency that can admit of no delay saith Dr. Slater Of dilâ—gence and activity say the Greek Criticks which puts on with industry and violence the soure sauce of godly sorrow doth ever sharpen the appetite of holy desire the huâ—ted Hart thirsteth for the water the sin-wearied soul for Christ it is a desire to be wholly rid of sin and therefore breaks out into complaints against the remainders of sin in the soul as Paul Oh wretched man thâ—t I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7.24 the death of nature and day of judgement is desired and delightful because the destruction and discharge of sin it is also a desire of all sin-subduing and grace-strengthning administrations they that by Repentance have once tasted that the Lord is good do as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word 2 Pet. 2.2 This desire is vehement against all difficulties and discouragements running out with all fervent dilâ—gence for obtainment and bitter complaints for want finding no satiety without its very object 6. Concomitant of godly sorrow Sixthly Zeal an affection compounded of love and anger and is the edge of our desire enforcing all means and encountering all difficulties and opposition to our end this is that whereby the penitent persists in his godly sorrow under all checks and diversions and persevereth in his course of mortification against all opposition of the world or his corrupt self fighting against what hinders and flinging off all incumbrances and following heaven with force and violence that if it were possible it would draw all men with it but however it beareth down all before it
shall * be joyned to the Lord and become one Spirit his mind and will perfectly taking place in us * Isa 48.18 our peace will be as a River when our righteousness shall be as the waves of the Sea No reflections upon sins or sorrows pass'd with bitterness of spirit as now we have in our greatest Triumphs and festivities as the Jews in their Feasts of Tabernacles Lev. 23.40 had their willow boughs among their Palmes while they remembred the dangers they passed in the Wilderness on their Festival Revolutions but every review if actual felicity can possibly give way to it will only widen and dilate the soul for a more ample fruition of the present state even * Si quaeris de visione Dei qualis est actio aut quies potius ut rerum di cam vescio Deciv 22.29 that peace of God which passeth all understanding So that as Augustine sayes if you ask what this enjoyment is of God what kind of action or rather rest to speak truth I know not and no wonder when that which is enjoyed here * Phil. 4.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 containes more than any understanding can comprehend 3. To make up the Kingdom there must be a Crown and so there is but this Crown is the King himself here the King of glory enters in at our everlasting gates but there we shall enter in to the King of glory * Gen. 15.1 I am thy exceeding great Reward But there are three wreaths in this Crown 1. God as considered the object of Vision the Chrystal Ocean of all Truth and there we shall be able to read every truth in the Original and see it in him as our faces in a glass not only those truths that are so mainly conducing to our happiness but those more speculative to * Etiam curiositas satietur Anselm the satisfaction of curiosity it self Luther discoursing at Supper the night before he died said That as Adam after his sleep knew his Wife to be bone of his bone and call'd all the Creatures by their names so after * Psal 17.15 we shall awake we shall not only be satisfied with Gods image but shall know one another yea all things to be known Philosophy will then be not a dead contemplation but a meditation of life and every idiot now shall then have the collection and pure extract of all the notions in the world while the book of life lies open and legible before his face the idea's and Representations of all beings in God the Father the mirrors of all grace and truth in Jesus Christ the beauty of all delights and sweetnesses imaginable in the holy Spirit and all these in all and all in one with infinite variety in unity transcendent to all imaginable reflections of glory But who of us * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Aris dark creatures can bear this inaccessible light and therefore he * 1 King 8.10 11. appeared in the Temple in Divine darkness all the purest light in the world being but a shadow of God If an idolatrous Temple of Diana's was so bright that the door-keepers cryed always to them that entred in Take heed to your eyes 't is difficult to imagine how even an immortal * Exod. 33.20 eye should see him and live Therefore * Rev. 2.28 to him that overcomes he will give the morning starre a * Lumen confort ans uti Scholastici loquuntur light to strengthen the eye to behold this glory as all the Starres can look upon the Sun we shall then not only have all the Riddles of providence unfolded seeing how one Politician was used to crack anothers Crown and one Serpent broke the head of another but the glorious Majesty of God shall be reflected to us in the all-glorious body of Jesus Christ as the rain-bow about the Throne Rev. 4.3 nay some think the very Angels shall assume aery bodies to feed the eyes of the Saints with all and to be in a nearer capacity of conversing with them Yea Saint Augustine sayes De civit Dei lib. 22. c. 29. we shall see God in his Saints and their glorious actings as well and as manifestly as we now see mens bodies in the vital actions of the bodies 2. The next wreath in this Crown is the perception of Divine goodness to the satisfaction of our love as all other desires this is the great Sabbath of loves and the soul like a Phaenix shall lie down in a bed of Spices and live like a Salamander in those * Cant. 8.6 Coals of Juniper desiring exstatically to be in its best self and archetypon God himself Isa 33.14 But who of us can dwell with devouring flames who of us can lie down with everlasting burnings even the love wherewith God loveth himself and loveth his Saints but then we shall find his love strengthening of us to love him with his own love and these dull earthly hearts of ours by beholding of that Sun shall be converted into fixed Stars reflecting back his own glory we shall then feel the sweetness of Gods Electing love from all eternity the love of our blessed Jesus which was * Cant. 8.6 stronger than death yea we shall then enjoy the Spirit of love who is 1 John 4.8 love it self and whose * Psal 63.3 Sicut ferrum immissum in ignem totum fit lignis sic Paulus accensus charitate totus fit charitas loving-kindness is better than life And as one sayes of Paul that as Iron put into the fire becomes all fire so Paul enflamed with charity and love becomes altogether love If The Philosophers say the reason of the Irons cleaving to the Loadstone so constantly is because the pores of both bodies are alike and so there are effluxes and emanations that slide through them and unite them together now this will be the magnetism of heaven that our wills shall perfectly fall in with the Divine Will and nothing seem good to us but what is good in Gods esteem so that we shall then need no threatnings to drive us nor promises to lead us but Divine goodness will so perfectly attract us that we shall be naturalized to God and goodness and be no more able to turn off from that ineffable sweetness than the Loadstone is to convert it self to the West 3. The last wreath is the result of both the former from vision and fruition of infinite truth and goodness reflected in the Center of the soul springs up delight to all eternity Heaven is nothing but * Gaudium de veritate Aug. Alicubi the joy of truth After a tedious Racking of our braines on a knotty probleme if we discover any satisfaction with what an exultancy do we break out into the Mathematicians phrase * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Archimed I have found I have found what I a long time studied for What joy will it be then
torments to eternity with the enemies of God rather than to part with the pleasures of sinne which aâ—e buâ— for a season and seem to have that wrote on the tables of their hearts which that Wretch subscribed under the Image of God and the Devil * Domine si tu non vis iste me rogitat Lord if thou wilt not here is one that begs of me to be his and his I will be Now if there be a Law a Judge punishments and rewards in some degree here then every man is a Prophet in this case of this Future state 4. The promiscuous dispensations and providences of God in this world * Eccles 9.2 Psal 17.14 Lam. 3.16 all things coming alike to all nay the wicked it may be have their belly full of a large portion in this life when the godly have their teeth broken with gravel stones and covered with ashes these argue 1. There is a day to come when the scales shall be turned Abel is slaine for his piety when Cain lives and builds Cities Herod reigns Herodias danceth when John Baptists head is serv'd in in a Charger And though God sometimes by extempore and sudden justice hangs up some wicked wretches in chaines yet many times the most wretched oppressors are too strong and high for justice in this world and they that live like Lyons die like Lambs they have liberty in their lives and * Psal 73.4 no bands in their deaths Dionysius a bloody Tyrant dies quietly in his bed when David lies * Psal 32.3 roaring all night and a good Josiah falls in Battle which made the Prophet cry out * Hab. 1.8 Wherefore doth the wicked devour one more righteous than himself the just must therefore live by his Faith in the world to come or else all Piety will die therefore there shall be a judgement hereafter for * Heb. 6.10 Psal 58.11 God is not unrighteouâ— to forget their labour of love and patience doubtless there is a reward for the righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth 2. Is the life to come such a Kingdome then here is field-room for all our ambition avarice and contention to shew it self be ambitious for something if we must be ambitious let us all King it here What scuffling and scrambling is there for Crowns and Scepters in the world out of that impetuous lust of dominering whereas a prophane Esau sold his Birth-right which had a Kingdome and a Blessing too in it * Gen. 25.34 for a mess of pottage Lysimachus when inflamed with thirst profered his Kingdome for a draught of cold water and how much gold or how many Kingdomes would Dives give if he had them * Luke 16.24 for a drop of cold water or to be delivered from that one Kingdome of the Devil and shall Christians contend about these things Alas Christian Religion was never made for a secular Engine we may as soon turn Axiomes of Truth into Swords and Speares the Rules of holy living into Canons and Musquets and prayers and teares into powder and shot as to make Religion a troubler of the order and peace of the world that is of a Dove-like * Mat. 10.16 innocent temper full of * Jam. 3.17 meeknesse humility gentlenesse easinesse to be entreated without partiality without hypocrisie can suffer any evil but do none can live and secure it self better by suffering than the crafty world by acting to use sinful means to avoid suffering or preserve worldly greatness is like him that when one hoped to see him at his Diocess ere long Replyed He feared he should be in heaven before that time should come It is not Christian Religion but that Anti-Christian spirit which diffuseth it self all over Christendome in its Doctrines and Agitations its Philtres and Poysons that inflames it more with contentions and Warres than any part of the world besides For Religion truly Christian * Mat. 12.25 takes only the Kingdome of Heaven by violence Let one Romane Emperour busie himself in catching flies another gather Cockle-shells with his Army on the Sands after great preparations for an Expedition silly emblemes of the most valiant attempts of many highly-famed Mortals but let Christians March with all Zeale only for the holy Land of Promise All those tittles of Honour for we pronounce them too long which the world playes with as children with Farthing Candles blowing them in with one breath puffing them out with another if they had never so good a * Membrana dignitatis Sen. Pattent yet what will they come to * Isa 34.4 Rev. 6.14 when the Heavens shall role up as a Scrole much more shall these shrivel up as a piece of Parchment before the Flames when all the Armes and Ensignes of Honour shall be blazoned alike in a Field ardent at the judgement day Beauty that blossome of flesh and blood which now carries so many Captives at her Wheeles tyrannizing over fond mortals affections when we come to those beauties of Glory will be no more comely than a dry skull in comparison of the Ravishing Lustre that will be in the most deformed body of the Poorest Lazarillo whose Brightness will transcend the loveliest face more than the rarest Jewel doth a vile piece of Jett And though perhaps difference of Sexes may remaine for all Scotus his Glosse That in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female yet * Delectent intuitum non inflectent ad vitium they will only delight the eye not incline to any vicious thought all lust being fired out and no spark of concupiscence left in the Saints but Grace triumphing in those objects that conquered it here when * Mat. 11.12 they shall be as the Angels of God only pure flames of Divine Love and joy When all the pure gold in the World shall be melted out of the veins of the Earth and mens Coffers into one common streame and all Pearles and precious Stones should lie as the gravel on the side of that River yet they would scarcely be thought fit then to make a Metaphor of for the very Pavement of the new Jerusalem one sight whereof will dimm and deface all the glory of the World 3. Must the Title be Inheritance then look to your evidences Regeneration and Adoption as ever you look for this Kingdome prove your Fathers Will and your selves Sonnes it is no matter how your names are wrote on earth in dust or Marble in reproach or renown if they be written in Heaven Some say this world is but a shadow of that above and it was so before sin had blotted and defaced all therefore look for the lineaments of that Kingdome above to be pourtrayed on you all are for an Heaven but as Eusebius says there were many * Ebionitarum Encratitarum Nazaraeorum c. spurious Gospels so Basilis asserted one hundred sixty five Heavens as many Heavens as dayes in a yeare The Turks
delighting in flowers and their Tulipomania dreame of such a Paradise A silly Countrey Woman coming upon the Exchange was so amazed at the view that she fell down and said She had oft heard of Heaven but never was in it before The voluptuous Epicure will have his a Poetical Heaven of Nectar and Ambrosia the ambitious an Heaven of honours and Gallantry But holy Abraham passed all these by * Heb. 11.10 looking for a City that had foundations The Kingdomes of the world want legs and foundations to stand upon and while men dream of such Paradises they do but build Castles in the ayre without any basis but imagination But look you for the new Heavens Isa 65.17 wherein dwells Righetousness get a Copy of grace in your hearts out of Scripture-Records the Court-Roles of Heaven and then you have * 1 Tim. 6.19 laid hold upon eternal life 'T is easie to be a Saint of the earth a State-Saint a designing Saint nay a Church-Saint but it must be a heavenly Saint one truly holy that is * Col. 1.12 meet to be partaker of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Examine therefore what Authority and entertainment have the most searching truths and cutting Providences of God with you what spiritual wickednesse that never hurt your body Purie or Fame have you forsaken for Christ This sincere beauty of holinesse â—s able to make you Ornaments even to heaven it self 4. Is this Kingdome prepared for those that are Blessed of the Father Oh then labour to obtain your Fathers blessing though * Heb. 12.17 you seek it with teares Now the Father sayes Blessed are the pure the poor in heart the merciful they that pray for them which persecute them be careful not only * Mat. 25.4 to have oyle in your Lamps grace in your hearts but get your * Ver. 7. Lamps trimmed be upon your Watch * Ver. 13. for you know not what houre your Master comes Look how you improve your Talents what good you do in the world Remember it runnes thus in the last account I was an hungry you fed me naked you cloathed me in Prison you visited me and * Mat. 16.27 every man shall be rewarded according to his Works and the more you have of Heaven and Divine love here the more you shall have hereafter for one piece of it will lie in comfortable reflections upon what good we have done in the world though every one hath his * Mat. 20.9 peny that comes in at the Eleventh houre viz. all that is essential unto happinesse yet * 1 Cor. 15.41 one Starre differs from another in glory Art thou therefore in Authority use it for God Art rich alas * Prov. 23.5 riches make themselves wings and fly away Up then and be doing good and make thy self wings of thy Wealth for Heaven by all charitable expressions there is no way to lay your treasure up in Heaven but by laying it out here no way to lend God any thing but by giving to the poor How will hopes of Preferment nourish Conformity Tully tells us A Prince is to be fed with glory and drawn to worthy acts by the allurement of Honour and Renown Did but Christians feed more upon the Heritage of Jacob Isa 58.14 and their Immortal hopes they would act more for their immortal honour such Meditations do as the Philosopher sayes of speculations * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eâ—â— immortalize men and make them spiritual ones indeed or as Ambrose phraseth it carry them upwards as Birds of Paradise * Volucris in Spiritu factus Exod. 19.4 all upon Eagles Wings to soare on high Fifthly Will Christ say Come ye blessed c. then here is an Io triumphe over all the World Let it look as grim as it will upon thee yet Christ will smile though it gnash its teeth upon thee yet Christ will open his lips and * Cant. 1.2 kiss thee with the kisses of his mouth Lapides loquitur though the world speak words as hard as stones about Stephens ears yet Christ will speak comfortably If the World say Go Get you hence yet Christ will say Come if that say Go ye Cursed Christ will say Come ye Blessed Though men say Go ye Cursed Generation who are hated of all men yet Christ will say Come ye blessed of my Father They say Turn out Christ will say Turn in they cry Away from houses and lands and wives and children and all for Christs sake yet be not discouraged poor heart for Christ will recompence thee a hundred fold and thou shalt have a Kingdome for thy Cottage And when they have done all this they rejoyce that their Plot hath taken effect for they designed your ruine long ago I but Christs thoughts of love run higher yet Come blessed soul inherit the Kingdome prepared for thee from the foundation of the World The World may thrust thee out with both hands Christ will receive thee with both arms When Cyrus gave one of his friends a kisse another a wedge of gold he that had the gold envied him that had the kisse as a greater expression of his favour what if thou hast not the onions of Egypt if thou have the Quails and Manna in the Wildernesse Psal 17.14 if thou beest a man of G ds hand if thou beest one of his heart there is small ground to complain Upon all if an Epicurus was the best of the Philosophers without an Elysium If a Platonick lecture of the immortality of the soul made another cast his life away that he might enter upon that state If an Aristotle upon Euripus banks being not able to resolve himself of the cause of its motion dissolved himself by casting himself into the streame saying If I cannot take thee take thou me when we have such a glory as eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man to conceive what God hath * 1 Cor. 2.9 prepared for those that love him how shamefulâ—y are we run a ground if we cannot have a kinde of * Phil. 1.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 22.20 lust to be dissolved and when Christ holds this price in his hand and cryes Come ye blessed we do not answer Come Lord Jesus Come quickly THE Conclusion 2 TIM 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus AT the beginning of this Moneths Exercise I entred upon this Text and then resolv'd the matter contained therein into these four Doctrinal Observations 1. Evangelical words are sound words Or All Gospel-truth is of an healing nature 2. It is of great use and advantage both for Ministers and private Christians to have the main Fundamental truths of the Gospel collected and methodized into certain Models and Platforms 3. Such Forms and Models are very carefully and faithfully to be
Christ said the poor Martyr but I can dye for Christ Love will say to the truth as she said to her Mother in Law Whether thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried the Lord do so to me Ruth 1.16 17. and more also if ought but death part me and thee Gen. 34.3 Love is the glue that makes the heart cleave to the Object as it is said of Shechem His soule clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob. Minuit Felix octa Love is the twist of soules Crederes unam animam in duobus esse divisam it is but one soul that informs Lovers Christians if you would hold fast the truth LOVE IT Love hates putting away 2 Thes 2.11 12 when ever your love begins to decay you are in danger of Apostacy For this cause God shall send them strong delusions to believe lies for what cause why because they received not the love of the truth Christians look to your standing there is much of this judicial blast abroad the generality of Professors have contented themselves wâ—th and rejoyced in the Light of the Truth and in the Notion of the Truth and in the expressions of the Truth but they have lost their love to the truth Parts without grace hath been the precipice of this evil and adulterous generation the foolish Virgins of this age have got Oyle only in their Lamps but none in their Vessels and so perish 2 Pet. 3.17 You therefore Beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest you also being led away with the error of the wicked fall from your own steadfastness Let it be your care to receive the truth in the power of the truth in the impressions of the truth upon your hearts in the love of the truth Love the truth even when the truth seems not to love you when it makes against your Carnal interests when it calls for your right eye and your right hand The right eye of your sinfull pleasure the right hand of your dishonest gain when the truth comes to take away all your false Principles and to take away all your false evidences not to leave you worth a Duty or a Church-priviledge not to leave you so much as a Creed or a Pater-noster or a good meaning but casts you out of all which self and flesh hath counted your gain in point of salvation Ezech. 16.5 Phil. 3.7 to the loathing and abhorring of your persons c. Yet even then I say Receive the truth in the love of it God intends you more good in it then you are aware of and therefore say with young Samuel Ure seâ—a corripe ut aeâ—ernum parcas Bern. Speak Lord for thy servant heareth and with Bernard do Lord wound me scorch me slay me spare me not now that thou mayest spare me for ever Thirdly There is yet another means Ver. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that is in the verse next to my Text relating to the same duty though under a various expression That good thing which was committed to thee KEEP The good or excellent trust and depositum was either the Ministerial Office with the gifts and graces which Timothy received by Ordination for the edifying of the Church or else The form of sound words here committed to him in my Text whichsoever this duty is incuâ—cated upon Timothy again and again that he must keep it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preserve it as under Lock and Key and saith Beza He keeps his depositum that improveth it so that the depositor findes no cause why he should take it away But how shall Timothy or any other Evangelical Minister or Christian be able so to keep it it followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Occupatio est by the Holy Ghost The duty indeed is very difficult but by calling in the help of the Spirit of God Believers shall be enabled to do it and he is not far from every one of them Rom. 8.26 Col. 1.29 for so it follows by the Holy Ghost WHICH DWELLETH IN VS He is IN them as a Principle of life and power by his vertue and influence helping their infirmities and working in them mightily Great is the opposition that Believers meet withall and Satan and this present evill world hath been too hard for many not Professors only but Ministers also men that seemed to be stars of the first magnitude they have proved to be but falling-stars meer Comets that for a time make a great blaze but quickly extinguish They went on from us because they were not of us 1 Joh. 2.19 But real Saints true Believers shall hold out why because greater is he that is in them then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4.4 keep by the HOLY GHOST THAT DWELLETH IN VS Christians walk in the Spirit and pray for the Spirit cry mightily to God for the continual presence and operation of the Holy Ghost and for your encouragement Luke 11.13 take along with you that blessed promise of our Saviour If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Now to the King eternal immortal invisible 1 Tim. 1.7 the only wise God be honor and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS Books Printed for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Corn-Hill THE works of that learned and laborious Divine John Weemse in four Volumes 4. Mr. Byfield on the Collossions fol. Mr. Thomas Edwards Gangraena four Volumes in 4. Ainsworths works fol. And his communion of Saints 12. Dr. Staughtons heavenly conversation 12. Bp. Downam on the Covenant of grace 12. Robins Essayes 12. Mr. Dicksons Exposition on Matthew Mr. Brinsley a learned Treatise of Christs Mediatorship and the souls implantion 8. Mr. Brinsley Brazen Serpent and Christs Membership Mr. Dicksons Exposition on the whole book of the Psalms one Volume 8. second edition Mr. Watsons works viz. 1. The Art of Divine Contentment the fourth edition 2. The Christians Charter shewing the priviledges of believers in this life and the life to come the fifth edition Mr. Ashes Sermon at Mr. Whitakers funeral Dr. Spurstow on the Promise second edition Retorford on the Covenant of grace Mr. Cottons Exposition on the book of Ecclesiastes and Canticles second edition A learned Treatise proving the Deity of the Holy Ghost by Mr. Estwick Mr. Gurnals Christian Armor third Edition Mr. Hutcheson on the Gospel according to St. John in fol. On the twelve small Prophets second edition Mr. Gurnals Christians Armour the second part Dr. Guile on the Canticles AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE Relating to the chief Heads handled in this TREATISE A. ADAM able of Creation to keep the Law p. 108 109. The one man by whom sin entred into the world p. 136.
in dignity offices and dominion the priviledge of Adoption 441. Love of God Father and Son manifest in the Covenant of Redemption 227. Love of Christ in his death 293. and union with Sinners 386. Love to God the evidence of Faith concerning his being 55 56 59. Losse of all good the paine of Hell Natural 625 626. Spiritual 625 626. Eternal 625 626. M Mans composure of body and powers of soul prove that there is a God 41. Man comprehends the whole species of such a creature 106. Man made mutable though holy and why 113. Man is depraved 〈◊〉 sinful 111. Mans misery by sin 173 174 175 p. 176. Man not Angels subjects of Faith 455. Mediator needful 263 264 265. Mediator of the Covenant of Grace who 241 261. Mediator one named man and why named Christ Jesus and why ib. Mediator is Christ and none but Christ 265 266 c. Mediator comfortable in all conditions giving man confidence of accesse to God 254 255. Misery inevitable to such as despise the Mediator ib. Merit of Christ the ground of Adoption and Regeneration 447. Method in Sermons necessary and profitable 22. Means of Repentance 546. Ministry needful unto Faith 483. Ministers must be burning and shining lights 1 2. Ministers must suffer affliction ib. Mixture of grace and sin is in the best men 167. Mutability the meer cause of mans sin 112. Mutability of mans created estate was just and necessary 113. Mutability attended mans Happinesse as well as Holinesse p. 114. Mutability and its sequel must lead us to God for confirmation 119. N Name of Christ part of his Exaltation 315 what it is 316. how it is above every Name 317 318 319 320. how Christs Name was given by God 320 321. Nature by three Arguments proveth that there is a God 30 31. Natural Agents by their operation proveth a God 42. Natural conscience proveth a God 43. Nature stained with Adams sin 151. Nature without Divine revelation discovereth not a Trinity nor yet opposeth it when revealed 77 78 79 80 81. Nature of God well studied a special help to repentance 547. New Covenant better than the old 243. Nobility no cause of boasting 145. Notes of repentance 539 540. O Object External could not necessitate man to sin p. 112. Object of New better than of the Old Covenant 251. Obedience in Subjection to Commands Submission to Providence The duty of such who believe God is 63 64. Offence at preaching Gods anger against sin is groundless 192 193. Offices of Christ fit him to be the only Mediator 271 272. Offices of Christ communicated to the Saints 441. Old Covenant abrogated 252. Opposition of Christ consistent with subjection to Christ how 327 328. Sin Originale originans discussed 135 c. Originale originatum discussed 150 151 c. Original sin is a defection 112. Original how said of mans pravity 155 156. Original sin is hard to be understood 134. Original sin confirmed by counsel 144. Acknowledged by Heathens ib. Original sin is called man and old man in what sense p. 157 158 159 160 161 162. a body and a body of sin 162 163 164. Original sin hath polluted mans nature 151 152 153. Original sin is to be subdued 170. Original sin to be conf ssed and bewailed 165. Original sin imbitters all worldly comforts 171. Ordinances argue original sin in mans nature 153. Ordinances means of union with Christ 383. P Pain in Christ his death 285 286. Pardon of sin freely given how 425 426. Parents beget their children in their own image 151. Parents good yet children by nature evil 152. Parents care for posterity quickned by the miscarriage of the first Parent of us all 147. Parents childrens looking glasses by which they dresse their lives ib. Penitent must be humbled and why 498 499 450. Peace a duty and blessing to be pursued 556. Peace an effect of Faith 47. Pelagius the first opposer of original sin p. 144. Person in the Godhead what it is 69. Persons in the Godhead three 70. Plurality of persons in the Godhead proved 71 72 73. Persons in the Godhead distinguished not divided 75. their order declared 76. Person promises properties and providences of Christ all belong to believers 393 394. Persecution of Saints a crimson sin 386. Perseverance of Saints certain 387. Pleading at Gods bar necessary to justification 404. Plea of not guilty can never procure justification at Gods bar 405. Popish Repentance false 515. Pravity and inbred corruption what it is 155. the parts of it 156. Pravity and a naughty nature is in every man 150. Pravity of the nature of man evidenced by Scripture 151 152 153. Salvation of Christ 151 152 153. Sacraments 151 152 153. Sad effects 151 152 153. Prayer an help to repentance 552. Prayer answered an effect of Faith 469. Prayer its extent and encouragement p. 262. Preparations of heaven how from the foundation of the world 660 661. Preparation to last Judgement characterised 617 618. Priestly office of Christ and its parts 272 273. Price of the soul of Christ his death 298. Price paid for man was not idem but tantundem 425. Principle and cause two distinct things 69. Principles good and bad two distinct blasphemous to assert 112. Promises were made to Christ on the account of his satisfaction for mans sin 209 300. Promises of Justification Sanctification Resurrection Eternal life The Promises of the better Covenant 240 241. Promises of temporal mercy better under the New than under the Old Covenant 248. Protestant doctrine of the imputation of Christs righteousness defended 387. Profane repentance what it is p. 516. Prosperity of profane no plea against Deity 50 51. Q Quakers repentance vile false and wicked 518 519. R Reason and sensation evince the Divine authority of the Scriptures 90. Revelation from God admitted by all and reason it should 88 89. Revelation not to be received untill cleared to be of God ibid. Rectitude is conformity to a Rule 107. Rectitude of Adam by Creation was of the whole man understanding will and sensitive appetite 109. Rectitude natural and not natural to man how 111. Regeneration explained 442. it s Synonimas 443. it is defined ib. Regeneration compared with natural generation 443 444. they agree in cause subject and manner of production ib. 445. disagree in properties 446. Religion making known Christs satisfaction most excellent 350. Relations of men subject to Gods wrath p. 187. Relation to God reason of comfort and duty 436. Repentance not to be repented explained 485. In its Nature 487. Necessity 520. Notes 539. Next way to it 546. Repentance defined 487. Repentance is a recession from sin and return to God 502 503 504 505. Return to God the second part of Conversion 506 507 508. Repentance seven false kinds 515 516 517 518. Repentance contemned when 334 335 336. Repentance neglected when and with what issue 537 538. Resurrection possible and credible 579 582 583 584 585. what it means ib. who to be